OpenCase, A Clever Solution for Your iPhone (Sponsor)

This week MacSparky is sponsored by OpenCase, and I want to tell you about a genuinely clever approach to iPhone cases.

We all want to use MagSafe accessories, but traditional cases add bulk. Stack a MagSafe wallet or charger on top of a case, and you’re carrying around a thick sandwich of phone, case, and accessory. Plus, those accessories slide around or fall off at the worst moments.

OpenCase solves this with a patented design that has an actual open space in the back of the case. Instead of stacking your MagSafe accessories on top, they sit inside that space. The result is a thinner, lighter setup that’s more secure and charges more efficiently.

The open space creates a border that cradles MagSafe accessories and stops them from sliding around. You can also wedge an accessory like a wallet into that space to create an impromptu stand—handy when you’re traveling or working away from your desk. And because there’s nothing between your iPhone and your MagSafe charger, you’re following Apple’s own wireless charging guidelines for optimal performance.

I appreciate that OpenCase isn’t trying to lock you into their ecosystem. They make accessories designed specifically for that open space, but the case works with most third-party MagSafe accessories too. And here’s a bonus: when you’re not using an accessory, you can actually see the color of your iPhone through that open space. If you bought a gorgeous new iPhone color, why hide it completely?

The new iPhone 17 is here, and if you’re planning to use MagSafe accessories, OpenCase is worth a look. Head over to TheOpenCase.com and use promo code SPARKY for 10% off. That’s TheOpenCase.com with promo code SPARKY for 10% off.

October in the MacSparky Labs

We had a lot of fun in October in the MacSparky Labs. October 2025 highlights include various posts such as Building a Handwritten Text Converter with AI, the weekly Lab Report updates, a book club selection, and events focused on iPad Workflows after iPadOS 26 and Labs Jam Session – Mac mini Server. Key activities also feature video releases and member-exclusive content.

Here’s what took place in the Labs for the month of October 2025:

  • 2025-10-29 – Labs Jam Session – Mac mini Server (Event) (M,I,P)
  • 2025-10-28 – Deep Dive – iPad Workflows after iPadOS 26 (Media Release) (P)
  • 2025-10-27 – iPad Experiment and iPad Home Screen (M,I,P)
  • 2025-10-24 – Labs Momentum Club (Event) (I,P)
  • 2025-10-24 – The Lab Report for October 24, 2025 (Podcast) (M,I,P)
  • 2025-10-23 – De-Liquify Your Liquid Glass (Video) (M,I,P)
  • 2025-10-22 – Deep Dive – iPad Workflows after iPadOS 26 (Event) (P)
  • 2025-10-21 – Deep Dive – Digital Minimalism in 2025 (Media Release) (P)
  • 2025-10-20 – Meeting Summarizer with Shortcuts and Apple Intelligence (Video) (I,P)
  • 2025-10-17 – The Lab Report for October 17, 2025 (M,I,P)
  • 2025-10-16 – First Impressions of the Logitech MX Master 4 Mouse (Video) (M,I,P)
  • 2025-10-15 – Book Club Winner : Apple in China (M,I,P)
  • 2025-10-15 – Q4 Planning Podcast Release (P)
  • 2025-10-15 – Labs October Meetup (Media Release) (I,P)
  • 2025-10-14 – Experimenting with KeyCue (Video) (I,P)
  • 2025-10-10 – The Lab Report for October 10, 2025 (Podcast) (M,I,P)
  • 2025-10-09 – Automating Project Creation using MCP with OmniFocus (Video) (M,I,P)
  • 2025-10-09 – Labs Momentum Club (Event) (
  • 2025-10-08 – Labs October Meetup (Event) (I,P)
  • 2025-10-06 – Simple But Useful Window Management Trick (with special guest Moom) (M,I,P)
  • 2025-10-03 – The Lab Report for October 3, 2025 (M,I,P)
  • 2025-10-03 – Building a Handwritten Text Converter with AI (I,P)

If you’d like to be a part of the MacSparky Labs, you can get more information and join right here.

Mac Power Users 820: The Apple Productivity Suite Field Guide

I have published a new course covering Apple Reminders, Calendar, Notes, and more. On this episode of Mac Power Users, Stephen and I walk through those apps and how they can be used together. Then, a conversation about the M5 and iOS 26 changes.

This episode of Mac Power Users is sponsored by:

  • 1Password: Never forget a password again.
  • Hookmark: Links beat searching. Get 30% off with code macpowerusers
  • Ecamm: Powerful live streaming platform for Mac. Get one month free.

Apple reveals seven new Immersive Videos coming soon to Vision Pro – 9to5Mac

Today Apple Vision Pro owners gained access to a new MotoGP documentary in Immersive Video and the latest episode of Wildlife. Alongside the releases, Apple has announced seven more Immersive debuts coming soon for Vision Pro.

Apple Immersive Video lineup includes seven upcoming releases

Apple Immersive Video has long been seen as one of Vision Pro’s most unique and compelling features. It enables 180-degree entertainment experiences that are impossible to replicate with a TV home theater setup.

Today Apple debuted a new MotoGP documentary in Immersive Video and a Wild Life episode focused on orangutans.

The company also detailed seven new Immersive Videos that are coming soon:

  • Experience Paris by The Explorers: “Discover the quiet precision of a three-Michelin-star kitchen, ascend to breathtaking heights atop the city’s most iconic tower, and experience the timeless charm of Montmartre’s historic streets”
  • A Night at the BBC Proms: “Pianist Lukas Sternath makes his BBC Proms debut performing Edvard Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and their chief conductor, Sakari Oramo”
  • Journey to Antarctica to Find Emperor Penguins with CNN: ”CNN’s chief climate correspondent, Bill Weir, joins a scientific expedition to Antarctica, bringing audiences into unbelievable proximity with emperor penguins”
  • Julaymba from PHORIA: “Alive with waterfalls, glowing fungi, and the calls of cassowaries, this UNESCO World Heritage Site will completely immerse viewers”
  • CORTIS (Color Outside The Lines) from HYBE: “Step inside the world of CORTIS, the newest K-pop boy band from BIGHIT MUSIC, the label behind iconic global groups like BTS”
  • World of Red Bull: “In “Backcountry Skiing,” audiences are transported into the wilderness of Revelstoke, British Columbia, where the world’s top freeskiers push their limits on remote, untouched slopes”
  • Elevated: “Tim Robbins guides viewers above Maine, sweeping over rugged coastlines, pristine lakes, and forests bursting with fall’s fiery palette of orange, crimson, and gold”

Third parties helping Apple Immersive Video content library grow

With the exception of Elevated, all of the forthcoming releases above come from third-party organizations.

That’s notable because in its young life so far, the Apple Immersive Video format has been slow to produce new content. But Apple has been working to give third parties the tool to create their own videos tailored for Vision Pro, and now those efforts are starting to pay off.

Apple says: “These new films are among the first to be captured with Blackmagic Design’s URSA Cine Immersive camera and edited on Mac using DaVinci Resolve Studio.”

Blackmagic’s CEO offered the following quote:

“Apple Immersive Video is one of the most exciting storytelling formats we’ve ever seen, and we’re proud that Blackmagic tools are helping bring it to life,” said Grant Petty, Blackmagic Design’s CEO. “With the URSA Cine Immersive camera and DaVinci Resolve Studio, filmmakers can capture the world in incredible detail and realism, and then edit, grade, mix, and deliver their vision to audiences in exciting new ways. This really is the beginning of a whole new era for filmmaking.”

Are you a fan of Apple Immersive Video on Vision Pro? What are you most looking forward to from Apple’s new lineup? Let us know in the comments.

Announcing the Apple Productivity Suite Field Guide

Apple has been quietly building a complete productivity ecosystem into every device you own. But without proper guidance, these apps feel basic, disconnected, and underpowered.

The Apple Productivity Suite Field Guide reveals the hidden 80% of Apple’s productivity suite (Notes, Reminders, Calendar, and Freeform) that transforms free apps into a system that rivals anything you can buy.

Use Code APSLAUNCH for 10% off for a limited time.

Apple Productivity Suite Field Guide – Pro Edition

Apple Productivity Suite Field Guide – Essentials Edition

I’ve been teaching Apple productivity for over a decade. And for years, I recommended third-party apps for everything—task management, note-taking, project planning.

Then I started really digging into what Apple built. Smart Lists in Reminders that rival any GTD app. Smart Folders in Notes that work like Notion databases. Calendar automation that thinks ahead. Freeform boards that visualize better than any mind-mapper.

The revelation? Most people paying for productivity apps already own something just as powerful. They just need someone to show them how it all fits together.

In this Field Guide, I’ll show you exactly what these apps can do when you understand the system Apple designed but never explained.

Essentials Edition – $49

The Complete Video Library

  • 90+ HD screencasts covering every app
  • Smart Lists, Smart Folders, automation workflows
  • Integration techniques that tie everything together
  • Perfect for self-directed learners
  • Lifetime access, learn at your own pace

Pro Edition – $99

Everything in Essentials PLUS 6 Live Workshops

Join me for deep dives where we’ll build YOUR system:

  • Apple Notes – Transform it into your second brain
  • Reminders – Customize your task management implementation
  • Calendar – Automation that thinks for you
  • Freeform – Visual project management mastery
  • Automation – Connect everything with Shortcuts
  • Integration – Make it all work together

Live Q&A in every session. Can’t make it? Recordings included.

​Best of all, there is a launch discount, APSLAUNCH gets you 10% off for a limited time.

Apple Productivity Suite Field Guide – Pro Edition

Apple Productivity Suite Field Guide – Essentials Edition

​I’ve been watching Apple slowly improve these apps over the last several years. Many of these apps were way too rudimentary to be useful years ago. That is no longer the case. The Apple Productivity Suite has finally matured into a powerful set of tools, and I believe they deserve a comprehensive guide. That’s why I’ve created this Field Guide to help you unlock their full potential.