Just an interesting little tidbit: there is a system test built into the EFI on MacBook Airs and MBPs – most Alu MBs with an Intel processor. If you hold F2 and start the computer, it will drop into hardware test version 3A152, which is apparently right in memory. This saved me when I didn’t have my MacBook Air start-up disk available.
John Biggs is a writer, consultant, programmer, former East Coast Editor and current contributing writer for TechCrunch. He writes mainly about technology, cryptocurrency, security, gadgets, gear, wristwatches, and the internet. After spending his formative years as a programmer, he switched his profession and became a full-time entrepreneur andwriter. His work has appeared in the New York Times, Laptop, PC Upgrade, Surge, Gizmodo, Men’s Health, InSync, Linux Journal, Popular Science, Sync, and he has written a book called Black Hat: Misfits, Criminals, and Scammers in the Internet Age.

October 27-29, 2025
San Francisco
ONE-WEEK BUNDLE FLASH SALE
Founder Bundle Offer: Land your investor and sharpen your pitch. Save 15% when you bring 4-9 founders.
Investors Bundle Offer: Discover your next breakout startup. Save 20% when you bring 4-9 investors.
Bundle offer ends October 3.
Most Popular
-
Famed roboticist says humanoid robot bubble is doomed to burst
Techcrunch eventJoin 10k+ tech and VC leaders for growth and connections at Disrupt 2025
Netflix, Box, a16z, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Hugging Face, Elad Gil, Vinod Khosla — just some of the 250+ heavy hitters leading 200+ sessions designed to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don’t miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech. Grab your ticket before doors open to save up to $444.
Join 10k+ tech and VC leaders for growth and connections at Disrupt 2025
Netflix, Box, a16z, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Hugging Face, Elad Gil, Vinod Khosla — just some of the 250+ heavy hitters leading 200+ sessions designed to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don’t miss a chance to learn from the top voices in tech. Grab your ticket before doors open to save up to $444.
San Francisco | October 27-29, 2025