Nearly a year ago in the middle of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic here in Italy, I published an article that would turn out to feel obsolete in less than a month: in my Modular Computer story, I detailed my experiments with various accessories for the iPad Pro and how th … | Continue reading
Raycast is a native Mac productivity tool that defies definition because it’s so much more than just a replacement for Spotlight. By invoking Raycast from your keyboard, you can launch any app, but you can also: Search for and access your files Use third-party apps and services l … | Continue reading
Matthew Panzarino at TechCrunch broke the news late Friday that Apple has discontinued the original HomePod. In a statement to TechCrunch Apple said: HomePod mini has been a hit since its debut last fall, offering customers amazing sound, an intelligent assistant, and smart home … | Continue reading
[audio_player src=”https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/0de98bba-5e4d-4879-94dc-8c76a3a88322/episodes/5c4e7649-1068-4f42-be93-d940fb417975/audio/c6580ca9-bc79-46de-aa51-c872fbbecebb/default_tc.mp3” mime_type=”audio/mpeg” total_duration=”00:27:28” caption=”“] [subscribe_to_unwind] Spo … | Continue reading
Sonos has officially announced the Sonos Roam, a battery-powered, portable speaker that supports AirPlay 2 and several other interesting features. The speaker, which comes in white and black, doesn’t ship until April 20th, but you can preorder it now. It remains to be seen how th … | Continue reading
I’m not an artist by any stretch, so when I started poking around Adobe’s Fresco, the drawing and painting app for the iPad and iPhone, I approached the app with trepidation. I shouldn’t have. Fresco is undeniably a ‘pro’ iPad app. The app has a deep set of sophisticated features … | Continue reading
This week on AppStories, we dig into how we manage and read email newsletters. Sponsored by: Microsoft Lists – A Microsoft 365 app that helps you track information and organize work. Privacy – Smarter payments. Get $5 to spend on your first purchase. [subscribe_to_appstories] | Continue reading
Apple has partnered with Common Sense Media to curate collections of podcasts for kids in the US. The shows are picked by Common Sense Media, an organization whose editors have a long history of helping parents and educators find age-appropriate media for children. The shows curr … | Continue reading
DEVONthink is the one-stop, comprehensive solution for all your document and information management needs on the Mac and iOS. With DEVONthink, all of your documents, snippets, bookmarks, and more are available in one place, paired with powerful tools for organizing, managing, and … | Continue reading
Men’s Health was given a behind-the-scenes tour of Apple’s 23,000 square foot Fitness+ studio in Santa Monica, California. The publication also interviewed Jay Blahnik, Apple’s senior director of fitness for health technologies, and COO Jeff Williams for the story. From the story … | Continue reading
Apple hasn’t made an official announcement the iMac Pro’s future, but the Mac’s product page speaks volumes. As first reported by MacRumors, the configurable models of the iMac Pro are no longer available for purchase. The only remaining iMac Pro on Apple’s online store is the $4 … | Continue reading
[audio_player src=”https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/0de98bba-5e4d-4879-94dc-8c76a3a88322/episodes/eaf5e023-09e1-4a77-adb9-9d7880ca63a8/audio/16d6e6e9-11ea-4964-8f63-ca02d4d6273a/default_tc.mp3” mime_type=”audio/mpeg” total_duration=”00:24:16” caption=”“] [subscribe_to_unwind] Spo … | Continue reading
Earlier today, Apple provided TechCrunch with a fascinating clarification regarding the ability in iOS and iPadOS 14.5 to pick “default” audio apps for music, podcast, and audiobook playback. From Sarah Perez’s article: Apple has clarified that the iOS 14.5 beta is not actually a … | Continue reading
Ever since I got a glimpse of what Thread could mean to home automation by pairing a Nanoleaf A19 bulb with a HomePod mini, I’ve been excited about the technology’s future. We’re still in the early days of adoption by device manufacturers. However, today, Eve Systems announced a … | Continue reading
As reported today by Juli Clover at MacRumors, Apple is now allowing iCloud Photos users to transfer a copy of their data to Google Photos. This joins the growing suite of tools provided on Apple’s Data and Privacy web page, which also include downloading copies of your data, cor … | Continue reading
Apps that help you organize and connect ideas aren’t new, but it’s a hot category right now. There are note-taking apps, many of which offer wiki-style back-linking, outliners, diagramming apps, mind mapping apps, and more. The approaches vary as widely as the ways people process … | Continue reading
This week on AppStories, we take a hard look at Shortcuts, an app we rely on every day, and consider how we’d like to see Apple evolve the app this year and beyond. Sponsored by: Fitbod – The fitness app for personalized exercise plans. Get 25% off your membership. Impending: The … | Continue reading
Fascinating new option announced by Spotify last week, coming soon to the app’s ‘Liked Songs’ default playlist: Your “Liked Songs” on Spotify are a collection of you—spanning every genre you’ve ever enjoyed and each mood you’ve experienced. Some days, you might be looking to play … | Continue reading
SaneBox is your personal email assistant that automatically organizes your inbox, saving you valuable time. SaneBox works with your existing email service, making sure that only the most important messages reach your inbox. The rest of your messages are neatly tucked away in desi … | Continue reading
[audio_player src=”https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/0de98bba-5e4d-4879-94dc-8c76a3a88322/episodes/10c907ac-25ec-4bda-8d1f-6f0ccab3053d/audio/25cfce52-272f-4695-9de3-fbd3b4856ad0/default_tc.mp3” mime_type=”audio/mpeg” total_duration=”00:23:13” caption=”“] [subscribe_to_unwind] Spo … | Continue reading
In the latest update to his popular podcast app, developer Marco Arment has shipped a completely overhauled version of Overcast for Apple Watch. The update not only resolves some longstanding issues with the old Watch client but also debuts playback speed controls, chapter skippi … | Continue reading
In the last update to Apple Frames – my shortcut to put screenshots captured on iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch inside physical device frames – from December, I added support for the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 Pro Max. Since the introduction of revamped widgets in iOS 14, Apple F … | Continue reading
Gui Rambo, the maker or AirBuddy, the Bluetooth headphone and peripheral menu bar utility that I’ve covered before, has released a new app called DarkModeBuddy that can automatically switch between light and dark mode on Mac laptops based on ambient light levels. DarkModeBuddy ru … | Continue reading
I meant to link this great article by Jason Snell a couple weeks ago: Every time an app I rely on exposes its mortality, I realize that all the software I rely on is made by people. And some of it is made by a very small group of people, or even largely a single | Continue reading
Nudget1 is a budgeting app designed to streamline the daily input of expenses. Developer Sawyer Blatz created a gorgeous and extremely efficient interface to make budgeting feel light and fun. With my beloved bank Simple closing this year, I’ve been looking for new solutions for … | Continue reading
This week on AppStories, we flip last week’s episode around and ask which hardware and software features the iPad should steal from the Mac. Sponsored by: DEVONthink – The one place for storing and working with all your documents, snippets, and bookmarks [subscribe_to_appstories] | Continue reading
At its Stream On event today, Spotify announced that it is adding a new CD-quality lossless tier to its music streaming service later this year. Spotify says the high-resolution streaming is one of its users’ most-requested features and that it is working with speaker manufacture … | Continue reading
My scanning needs are modest. I occasionally need to scan a receipt or document for personal or work reasons, but the frequency with which I do that has steadily declined over the years. I have a Fujitsu ScanSnap scanner, which is excellent, but if it broke, I wouldn’t replace it … | Continue reading
MenuBar Stats is a suite of 9 menu bar modules for monitoring your Mac that has been developed over the course of 8 years of listening carefully to its users. The app tracks your Mac’s: Battery Bluetooth devices CPU GPU Storage Memory Network connection And, with a helper app, yo … | Continue reading
[audio_player src=”https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/0de98bba-5e4d-4879-94dc-8c76a3a88322/episodes/97f5da93-8e8a-441f-a6a2-f8a8e1d9de61/audio/f370f165-3162-4467-b2c3-c45d628c195f/default_tc.mp3” mime_type=”audio/mpeg” total_duration=”00:24:21” caption=”“] [subscribe_to_unwind] Spo … | Continue reading
Yesterday, Apple updated its Platform Security User Guide to cover new hardware and software features on its platforms. The guide is broken down into hardware security, system security, encryption and data protection, app security, services security, network security, development … | Continue reading
This week on AppStories, we consider the hardware and software features that the Mac should steal from the iPad. Sponsored by: HelloFresh – Click this link and use code appstories10 for 10 free meals, including free shipping! [subscribe_to_appstories] | Continue reading
For nearly a year, I had a Logitech Circle View camera perched above the front door of my house, which allowed me to keep an eye out for visitors and deliveries. The wide-angle lens was able to capture my front stoop as well as my yard, providing an excellent perspective on what … | Continue reading
Earlier today, Apple released the second developer beta of iOS and iPadOS 14.5, which includes new emoji. The latest additions, which include 217 emoji when you account for skin tone and other variations, have been cataloged by Jeremy Burge at Emojipedia. Highlights include coupl … | Continue reading
It’s always a good sign when the hardest part of writing a game review is putting the game down. That has absolutely been the case with Kitty Letter, the new word game from Matthew Inman, the artist behind The Oatmeal webcomic. The core mechanic is familiar: make as many words as … | Continue reading
Apple TV+ is launching its first podcast that will serve as a companion to the show ‘For All Mankind,’ the Apple Original series that imagines a world where the Soviet Union was first to land on the Moon. Trailers for the podcast, which is hosted by cast member Krys Marshall, are … | Continue reading
UpNote is an elegant and powerful note-taking app that works across multiple platforms. Designed to make it easy to take notes and stay focused, UpNote combines a beautiful interface with a fluid workflow for a refined note-taking experience. The app works on iOS, the Mac, and Wi … | Continue reading
[audio_player src=”https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/0de98bba-5e4d-4879-94dc-8c76a3a88322/episodes/20ac3417-4bf1-4c17-b7a4-b283378cf9d9/audio/fac8d142-7863-401a-aa25-5c962ffc1832/default_tc.mp3” total_duration=”00:23:46” caption=”“] [subscribe_to_unwind] Sponsored by: BetterTouchT … | Continue reading
With the release of Home+ 5 by Matthias Hochgatterer, there are more reasons for HomeKit power-users to try the app than ever before. One of the app’s strengths has always been creating automations based on device attributes that aren’t available in Apple’s Home app. That’s why I … | Continue reading
This week on AppStories, we discuss the iPhone and iPad accessories we use the most and explain a couple of recent failed accessory experiments. Sponsored by: Microsoft Lists: A Microsoft 365 app that helps you track information and organize work. iMazing – Back Up and Transfer i … | Continue reading
Starting today, Insta360 is offering an exclusive bundle of the Insta360 ONE X2 camera and an assortment of accessories through Apple’s online store for $479.99. I’ve been intrigued by Insta360’s action cameras since coming across them during CES in 2020. I bought a DJI Osmo Pock … | Continue reading
Apple has rolled out another new feature to iOS 14.5 beta testers in the US: accident, hazard, and speed check reporting in Maps. The new feature, which appeared today, is available once you begin navigating to a destination using Maps on your iPhone or via CarPlay. After you tap … | Continue reading
Austin Carr and Mark Gurman, writing for Bloomberg, today published a lengthy investigation of Tim Cook’s tenure at Apple. From his earlier years building out Apple’s supply chain under Steve Jobs, to more recent times navigating the Trump presidency and the building antitrust pr … | Continue reading
As MacRumors’ Tim Hardwick reported earlier today, the iOS and iPadOS 14.5 betas permit users to change the default music streaming service used for playback by Siri. The new feature, which originally surfaced on Reddit, appears the first time you ask Siri to play music. Siri dis … | Continue reading
BetterTouchTool is an indispensable Mac app that has stood the test of time. The app was one of the first covered by MacStories back in November 2009. In those early days, BetterTouchTool was a simple app for adding customizable gestures to MacBook trackpads and the Magic Mouse. … | Continue reading
[audio_player src=”https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/0de98bba-5e4d-4879-94dc-8c76a3a88322/episodes/fc62a125-d3d3-410c-9370-a28731bf1b78/audio/0701d131-042a-4546-8684-17864e693b4e/default_tc.mp3” mime_type=”audio/mpeg” total_duration=”00:29:49” caption=”“] [subscribe_to_unwind] Spo … | Continue reading
It’s been just over two months since the first M1 Macs were delivered to customers. I purchased an M1 MacBook Air to replace my aging 2016 MacBook Pro, and not long after, Apple sent me an M1 Mac mini to try. In the ten weeks or so since then, I’ve used both almost exclusively fo … | Continue reading
This week on AppStories, we cover everything about our writing workflows except the text editor, including research apps, our scratchpad setups, PDF annotation, mind mapping, dictionaries, and shortcuts, along with a segment on text-based podcast editing and transcripts. [subscri … | Continue reading