My Obsidian Setup, Part 1: Sync, Core Plugins, Workspaces, and Other Settings

Last month, after a long beta period I’ve participated in for the past few months, the official Obsidian app for iPhone and iPad launched on the App Store. I’ve covered Obsidian and my approach to writing my annual iOS review in it on both AppStories and Connected; because I’m bu … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago

UpNote: The Best Cross-Platform Note-Taking App [Sponsor]

UpNote is an elegant and powerful note-taking app that works across every major platform, making it the perfect solution for your note-taking needs. Designed to make it easy to take notes anywhere and stay focused, UpNote combines a beautiful interface with a fluid workflow for a … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago

MacStories Unwind: A Tech Confession, Quick Note, Keyboards, TV, and a Podcast

[audio_player src=”https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/0de98bba-5e4d-4879-94dc-8c76a3a88322/episodes/4a9cff4f-b5ce-495e-afe6-c07ad1465304/audio/10965fc0-d176-4cd1-a112-515459da1f03/default_tc.mp3” mime_type=”audio/mpeg” total_duration=”00:22:38” caption=”“] [subscribe_to_unwind] Spo … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago

Apple Announces Child Safety Features Coming This Fall

Today, Apple announced three new child safety features for its operating systems that will launch when its operating systems are updated in the fall. The implementation details of the features are technically complex, which makes reading the full documentation worthwhile if you a … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago

Fast Capture with Quick Note for iPad and Mac: The MacStories Overview

When I’m researching, speed is essential. Whether I’m planning a family trip or preparing to write a story like this one, the first step is research, which starts with collecting information. This stage is almost always a speed run for me, no matter the context. That’s because th … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago

AppStories, Episode 234 – Beta OS Impressions Continued

This week on AppStories, we dig into the latest public OS betas and share our thoughts on changes to Safari on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac, Books on the Mac, Quick Note, Focus, and Live Text. Sponsored by: Instabug – Ship Quality Apps with Real-Time Contextual Insights Boom 3D – Ta … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago

Apple Releases New Mac Keyboards and Pointing Devices

Apple has updated its online store with new accessories that first debuted with the M1 iMac. The updated accessories were spotted by Rene Ritchie, who tweeted about them: https://twitter.com/reneritchie/status/1422531729894613017?s=21 Among the items listed, which each come with … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago

FitnessView: All-in-One Health & Fitness Dashboard [Sponsor]

FitnessView is a brand new health and fitness dashboard for tracking Health data and gaining valuable insights using the iPhone and Apple Watch. The Apple Watch has become a robust health and fitness device that, coupled with the iPhone, lets you track more data than ever about y … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago

MacStories Unwind: Doppler for Mac, Sofa 3.0, GarageBand, Earnings and a Big Album Drops

[audio_player src=”https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/0de98bba-5e4d-4879-94dc-8c76a3a88322/episodes/1cc8fd1f-dabd-484d-a647-caaaff471a4a/audio/a9a2d50b-04ce-4c16-b88b-d1695a7ab9e8/default_tc.mp3” mime_type=”audio/mpeg” total_duration=”00:24:21” caption=”“] [subscribe_to_unwind] Spo … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago

Apple Releases Remix Sessions, Sound Packs, and Producer Packs for GarageBand on the iPhone and iPad

Today, Apple announced Sound Packs for GarageBand for iOS and iPadOS from artists and producers that allow users to remix hit tracks from Dua Lipa and Lady Gaga and create their own music, using hundreds of XX from producers that include Boys Noize, Mark Lettieri, Oak Felder, Sou … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago

Doppler for Mac Offers an Excellent Album and Artist-Focused Listening Experience for Your Owned Music Collection

I haven’t purchased much music in the past six years or so, but there was a time when it was a big part of my entertainment spending. I still have a huge collection of albums ripped from CDs I bought and later purchased online from the iTunes Store. That changed with the advent o … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago

Sofa 3.0 Adds New Ways to Manage Your Media Lists Along With a New Business Model

Sofa 3.0, an app that I last reviewed in March, is out with loads of new ways to track, organize, and browse the media lists you create. The app also has a new subscription business model for its pro features. Media recommendations come at us all from every angle, whether it’s fr … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago

Apple Q3 2021 Results - $81.4 Billion Revenue

Apple has just published its financial results for Q3 2021. The company posted revenue of $81.4 billion. Apple CEO Tim Cook said: “This quarter, our teams built on a period of unmatched innovation by sharing powerful new products with our users, at a time when using technology to … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago

AppStories, Episode 233 – Building an Apple-Only Research and Writing Setup

This week on AppStories, we consider whether changes coming to Apple’s OSes make a system app-only research and writing workflow possible and discuss where there’s room for improvement. Sponsored by: Privacy – Smarter payments. Get $5 to spend on your first purchase. Instabug – S … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago

Honeybadger: Your Secret Weapon for Exception, Uptime, and Cron Monitoring [Sponsor]

Honeybadger is your one-stop solution for error tracking that combines error monitoring, uptime monitoring, and cron monitoring into a single, simple-to-use platform. It’s the only service that combines all those elements into one elegant solution that has your back when you need … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago

MacStories Unwind: Two Months with the M1 iMac, a Fun CARROT Weather Update, and Skate City: Tokyo

[audio_player src=”https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/0de98bba-5e4d-4879-94dc-8c76a3a88322/episodes/8b32dff8-c1bf-47cd-af3a-adc527ab86b7/audio/665113e7-9703-42c7-b03b-b060e0f7d9be/default_tc.mp3” mime_type=”audio/mpeg” total_duration=”00:27:41” caption=”“] [subscribe_to_unwind] Spo … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago

CARROT Weather 5.3 Adds Smart Layouts and a Fun Weather Reports Feature

Apple Design Award winner CARROT Weather offers an unprecedented amount of user control over its interface, something which Federico and I recently discussed at length on AppStories and interviewed developer Brian Mueller about last month. The customization options that were intr … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago

Two Months with Apple’s New M1 iMac

The very first Mac I owned was an iMac. That white polycarbonate, first-gen Intel iMac was the epitome of a family computer, sitting in a central location where everyone in my family could use it for work, school, and projects. I had an early aluminum iMac too, but gradually, por … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago

Apple Music to Livestream Sold-Out Atlanta Listening Event for Kanye West’s Next Album, DONDA

In a Beats Studio Buds ad that aired tonight during Game 6 of the NBA finals, Def Jam Recordings announced that Apple Music will be live-streaming a listening event for Kanye West’s highly anticipated album DONDA. The sold-out event, which is being held at Mercedes Benz Stadium i … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago

AppStories, Episode 232 – An Interview with Guilherme Rambo

This week on AppStories, we continue the Summer OS Preview Series with special guest Gui Rambo for a chat about SharePlay, Shortcuts for Mac, Gui’s app AirBuddy, SwiftUI, and more. Sponsored by: Concepts – Sketch, Note, Draw Memberful – Monetize your passion with membership. [sub … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago

New Tokyo level of Skate City Will Debut Alongside Skateboarding Becoming an Official Olympic Sport

This Friday, the Olympics will begin in Tokyo, Japan, and for the first time, skateboarding will be on display as an official Olympic sport. To mark the occasion, Skate City, the Apple Arcade game produced by Snowman and developed by Agens Games, is releasing an update that adds … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago

Tempo - The Minimalist Email Client for Mac [Sponsor]

Tempo takes the stress out of email by putting you in control of the process in a beautifully designed, minimalist app for the Mac and iOS. The secret to Tempo is right in its name: it puts you in charge of when you get messages. By scheduling messages to arrive in batches, you c … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago

MacStories Unwind: Apple’s MagSafe Battery Pack, New Emoji, and Troubles with the HomePod Beta

[audio_player src=”https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/0de98bba-5e4d-4879-94dc-8c76a3a88322/episodes/9fa69af2-4fd1-4deb-bada-a567e3ebd1a8/audio/4d9f4035-bbcf-418d-8817-d317f098733a/default_tc.mp3” mime_type=”audio/mpeg” total_duration=”00:20:43” caption=”“] [subscribe_to_unwind] Spo … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago

Emojipedia Publishes Renderings of Draft Emoji

The process of adopting new emoji as part of the Unicode character set continues, and today, Emojipedia has what it anticipates will be part of the Emoji 14.0 collection. These emoji represent the complete set of draft emoji that the Unicode Consortium will vote on in September, … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago

AppStories, 231 – The App Customization Trend

This week on AppStories, we discuss the emerging trend of app customization, which along with app modularity, lets users control how apps work and look. Sponsored by: Instabug – Ship Quality Apps with Real-Time Contextual Insights. DEVONthink by DEVONtechnologies – The one place … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago

Apple Quietly Releases MagSafe Battery Pack

Apple today released a $99 MagSafe Battery Pack accessory for the iPhone mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max. The white battery pack connects to an iPhone using Apple’s MagSafe connector to deliver 5W of power to your iPhone on the go. The battery pack can be ch … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago

Troubles with HomePod’s audioOS Beta

I’ve been running all of Apple’s betas, with the sole exception being watchOS 8. So far, the experience has been good. There are bugs, apps have crashed, and devices have restarted spontaneously here and there, but I haven’t been significantly slowed down on my iPhone, iPad, or M … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago

MacUpdater: Keep All Your Software Effortlessly Up-to-Date [Sponsor]

MacUpdater is an effortless way to ensure that all the software on your Mac is always up-to-date with the latest version. With a single click, the app scans your system for installed software and provides you with a comprehensive list of everything that is outdated in one simple, … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago

MacStories Unwind: Alto Returns, Transloader Review, and a New Way to Organize and Charge Your Gear

[audio_player src=”https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/0de98bba-5e4d-4879-94dc-8c76a3a88322/episodes/f7d4360f-676e-4b79-962a-c20ec388f2a2/audio/5cae3bc4-8e8c-4d99-a7a5-b9220be0d0ed/default_tc.mp3” mime_type=”audio/mpeg” total_duration=”00:21:14” caption=”“] [subscribe_to_unwind] Spo … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago

Team Alto Releases Trailer for Alto’s Odyssey: Lost City, A Special Edition of the Original Game Coming to Apple Arcade

Next Friday, July 16th, Alto’s Odyssey: Lost City is coming to Apple Arcade. Lost City is a special edition of the hit sandboarding game by Team Alto (a collaboration between Land & Sea and Snowman) that debuted on the App Store in early 2018, winning an Apple Design Award and Ga … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago

Transloader 3: A Simple, Versatile Way to Remotely Manage Mac File Downloads from an iPhone or iPad

Matthias Gansrigler of Eternal Storms Software recently released Transloader 3, an app for remotely controlling Mac file downloads from an iPhone or iPad. Although the app has been around for a long time, version 3 might as well be a completely new app because it’s packed with ne … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago

AppStories, Episode 230 – An Interview with Marcos Tanaka

This week on AppStories, we continue the MacStories Summer OS Preview Series by interviewing Marcos Tanaka, the creator of MusicHarbor and MusicSmart about the latest changes to Apple’s music-related frameworks, his apps, and more. Sponsored by: Concepts – Sketch, Note, Draw Memb … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago

Kensington Releases Two-Piece StudioCaddy Charging Station and Organizer for Apple Devices

Today, Kensington released the StudioCaddy, a $179.99, two-piece charging station and device organizer for Apple devices. Kensington sent me a review unit, which I’ve been using for about a week, so I thought I’d share my first impressions. The StudioCaddy has a unique two-piece … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago

Hook: Find Without Searching [Sponsor]

Hook is a revolutionary CogSci Apps® invention that links your digital work. Its contextual window enables you to link items between your favorite Mac apps and to instantly open linked items — without searching. Immediacy. Hook’s Copy Link (⌘C) instantly copies a properly labeled … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago

MacStories Unwind: Developer Debrief, OS Previews, and Shortcuts Talk

[audio_player src=”https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/0de98bba-5e4d-4879-94dc-8c76a3a88322/episodes/50a47c23-498b-4d6b-b3c0-c0457f710a5d/audio/7a90e69e-5f38-4ce7-9edc-51fc8a716c52/default_tc.mp3” mime_type=”audio/mpeg” total_duration=”00:28:42” caption=”“] [subscribe_to_unwind] Spo … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago

Stephen Hackett Launches Vintage Apple Hardware Calendar on Kickstarter

Late yesterday, our pal Stephen Hackett launched his first-ever Kickstarter: a wall calendar featuring his stunning Apple hardware photography. You can watch Stephen’s announcement video here: https://youtu.be/MiIt-6rzcBM The 20”x13” 2022 calendar features product photography sho … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago

macOS Monterey First Impressions: The Start of a New Era

Today Apple released the first public beta of macOS Monterey after just over three weeks of developer testing. The public beta is a chance for anyone who doesn’t have a developer account to preview the new features coming to the Mac’s OS this fall. I’ve been using Monterey since … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago

Apple Opens First Public Betas for iOS, iPadOS, watchOS, and tvOS

Apple has opened its public beta program for iOS 15, iPadOS 15, watchOS 8 and tvOS 15 on the Apple Beta Software Program website. macOS Monterey is not yet publicly available, but Apple’s beta site says it is ‘coming soon.’ Developers, who can access betas of Apple’s OS releases … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago

Three Weeks with iOS and iPadOS 15: Foundational Updates

For the past three weeks, I’ve been running the developer beta of iOS and iPadOS 15 on my iPhone 12 Pro Max and M1 iPad Pro, respectively. Common wisdom says you’re not supposed to install early developer builds of iOS and iPadOS on your primary devices; I have to ignore that sin … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago

AppStories, Episode 229 – Shortcuts Preview

This week on AppStories, we walk through all the changes coming to Shortcuts this fall, including changes to the Shortcuts editor and the new actions you’ll find in Shortcuts on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Sponsored by: Pillow – Sleeping better, made simple. Swell: A new voice-bas … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago

MacStories Developer Debrief: WWDC 2021

We kicked off the MacStories Summer OS Preview Series on AppStories a couple of weeks ago with interviews of four 2021 Apple Design Award winners. We’ll also publish a series of in-depth first-looks at what users can expect this fall from iOS and iPadOS 15, macOS Monterey, and wa … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago

Apple Watch International Collection Introduced, Featuring 22 Sports Loop Bands and Coordinated Watch Faces

Apple has announced the Apple Watch International Collection comprised of 22 Sports Loop bands and downloadable Stripes watch faces that feature the colors of countries around the world. According to the company’s press release: The soft, breathable, and lightweight International … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago

Pixelmator Pro 2.1 Adds ML Crop, Quick Fill Color, and Text Tool Updates

The team at Pixelmator has released an update to its Mac photo and image editing tool Pixelmator Pro that includes several new features. Teased last month, Pixelmator Pro 2.1 has been updated with ML Crop a machine language-based cropping tool that algorithmically suggests ways t … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago

Concepts: Sketch, Note, Draw [Sponsor]

Sketch, note, and explore endless ideas with Concepts’ infinite canvas for iPad. Draw in designer COPIC colors with liquid pens and brushes, and organize images, text and sketches into visual mood boards. Used by creative professionals for visual thinking, note taking, team commu … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago

Latest iOS and iPadOS 15 Betas Allow Apps to Request Access to More RAM

Sami Fathi, writing for MacRumors on an API change spotted in the second developer beta of iOS 15: Currently, apps are limited to the amount of RAM they can use, regardless of the amount available on the device. For example, despite the highest-end M1 iPad Pro featuring 16GB of R … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago

MacStories Unwind: iOS and iPadOS Beta Updates and Shortcuts News

[audio_player src=”https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/0de98bba-5e4d-4879-94dc-8c76a3a88322/episodes/3ece2144-d2dd-4483-9a64-7c473dbc7ac4/audio/a7f1eee4-380a-45d0-bfaa-b51efe5da74c/default_tc.mp3” mime_type=”audio/mpeg” total_duration=”00:30:11” caption=”“] [subscribe_to_unwind] Spo … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago

AppStories, Episode 228 – Federico’s Research and Note-Taking Setup

This week on AppStories, we dig into the latest iteration of the research and note-taking setup that Federico is using to prepare his annual iOS and iPadOS review, a big part of which features Obsidian. Sponsored by: Pingdom – Start monitoring your website performance and availab … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago

Dr. Drang on How Shortcuts Fits Into Existing Mac Automation

We speculated for years about whether Shortcuts would come to the Mac and, if so, in what form. In 2019, Dr. Drang wrote about his concern that Shortcuts would come to the Mac as a Catalyst app that couldn’t interoperate with existing Mac automation tools. It was a legitimate con … | Continue reading


@macstories.net | 3 years ago