Below you’ll find the week’s new videos and podcasts, a few of the conversations happening in the member community, and what’s coming next week. Most of those links lead straight into the Labs community on Circle, so they’ll only open if you’re a member. If you’re a Labs member who hasn’t set up your Circle access yet, send me a note and I’ll get you in. For members, this is your week at a glance. If you’re not one yet, it’s a peek at what you’re missing.
The Week’s Releases
20% Off Path Finder for Labs Members
Announcement · October 16 · all tiers
Cocoatech offered Labs members 20% off a one-year Path Finder license. The member post has the details if you’ve been considering a different way to manage files on your Mac.
October Deep Dive – Local and Private AI on a Mac
Deep Dive Recording · October 19 · Pathfinder
The recording of last week’s session includes my LM Studio filename test, where a smaller model got to a useful answer sooner. I also cover memory limits and where my local-AI experiments still fall short.
Maclock – A Mini Macintosh Clock
Video · October 20 · all tiers
The floppy disk is the power switch. I unbox this miniature Macintosh clock and try the alarm, with plenty of old-Mac nostalgia along the way.
Pathfinder Link | Insider Link | Member Link
Instinct AI – An Assistant by Text Message
Video · October 22 · Pathfinder & Insider
I tried an AI assistant you can reach through text messages, starting with flight searches and things I wanted it to keep an eye on. The test kept my email and calendar disconnected.
Pathfinder Link | Insider Link
The Lab Report for October 23, 2026
Podcast · October 23 · all tiers
My iPhone Duo order is stuck in November, and the first reviews leave me wondering how the hinge and screen will hold up. I cover the display engineering, Pencil support, and the apps that still need time to make good use of the extra screen.
Pathfinder Link | Insider Link | Member Link
In the Community
Living in the Future (Labs Discussion Board)
A member described opening the car and front door with Apple CarKey and HomeKey. Replies compared the routines around cars and garage doors, including the habits that change when a phone or watch replaces a key.
Did anyone actually score an iPhone Duo? (Labs Discussion Board)
Members compared their preorder experiences and estimated delivery windows. Being ready at opening time didn’t guarantee the same result for everyone, and some of the replies reported November dates.
Keeping 1Password and Apple’s Passwords App in Sync (Labs Discussion Board)
One member asked how to keep both password managers up to date. Replies compared using one primary app with keeping separate jobs for each; an automatic two-way sync solution hadn’t emerged.
If you’re a Labs member and haven’t joined the Circle community yet, let me know and I’ll get you set up.
Coming Up
On Monday, I’m sharing my Friends of Dave conversation with John Chandler about e-ink and AI-written scripts. There’s also time to read along before Thursday’s book club.
Labs Book Club – Meditations for Mortals · October 29, noon Pacific
Pathfinder Link | Insider Link | Member Link
Labs November Meetup · November 7, 10:00 AM Pacific
Pathfinder Link | Insider Link
Links of Interest
- Ethan Mollick charted thirty months of AI progress, with a look at falling costs and the change from chatting with models to giving them work to do.
- Mike Schmitz explained where he draws the line when writing with AI, including why he still needs to understand and defend every idea he publishes.
- Sean D’Souza showed how giving learners a head start can make practice easier to begin, using prepared stories and smaller assignments.
- Massimo Pigliucci returned to Epictetus on why logic belongs in everyday life, starting with the need to check the reasoning we use to judge everything else.
- Caleb Ontiveros asked what our treatment of AI says about our own habits, using a Stoic argument about generosity and character.
Join the Labs
The videos, podcasts, and live sessions above are inside MacSparky Labs. Join at macsparky.com/join.
I write about getting more from your Apple gear. If this was useful, go deeper in the Labs or grab the weekly newsletter.