Congratulations to Marco Arment on shipping the new Overcast. The new version is a complete rewrite and redesign that runs faster and uses Apple’s latest technologies.
By far, my favorite applications are the ones developed by solo or small teams that are obsessive about design and performance. Marco fits that mold with Overcast. Looking through the new app, you can see that he was intentional about every button and screen.
In this week’s episode: The CrowdStrike fiasco, new immersive content for Vision Pro, Steve Jobs at 28, and I share a new album from a modern jazz group I really dig.
… This is a post for MacSparky Labs Members. Care to join? Or perhaps you need to sign in?
In this week’s episode: The CrowdStrike fiasco, new immersive content for Vision Pro, Steve Jobs at 28, and I share a new album from a modern jazz group I really dig.… This is a post for the Early Access MacSparky Labs Members. Care to join? Or perhaps you need to sign in?
The Steve Jobs Archive published an interesting speech Steve gave at the 1983 International Design Conference in Aspen. It’s excellent, and I recommend watching the whole thing. A few things that stood out to me:
Here’s the video from last week’s ChatGPT Deep Dive session. It was a fun and informative get-together.… This is a post for the Early Access MacSparky Labs Members. Care to join? Or perhaps you need to sign in?
In addition to continually updating DEVONthink, team Devon also has a nice catalog of free software and utilities for Mac users. Earlier this month, they re-released their Neo Network Utility.
In essence, this application takes a lot of information available on the command line via Terminal and wraps it in a nice user interface. It offers various networking tools for retrieving information and diagnosing network problems. Best of all, it’s free. Note that version 1.0.2. requires macOS Ventura or later.
Passkeys are showing up more and more and it’s time to understand how they work and how to set one up. In this video I explain the basics and walk you through setting one up.
… This is a post for MacSparky Labs Members. Care to join? Or perhaps you need to sign in?
Earlier this year, I released the Productivity Field Guide. It was successful and helped many people find some center in a world full of distractions. This summer, I’m pleased to announce the Productivity Summer Camp. I’ll be providing the Productivity Field Guide and a four-week webinar series in August for a select number of young applicants. This course is for students in high school and college.
When I was in school, there were a lot fewer distractions than there are today. The Internet was in its infancy, and a “smartphone” had buttons instead of a rotary dial. And yet, it was hard to stay focused back then. Today, with the connected world and so many people working so hard to monetize your attention, it’s nearly impossible. Moreover, competition is fierce these days, and the stakes are higher than ever.
Focus will be the superpower of the next generation because so few people have it. But Focus is more than staying on target when you sit down to read the book. It’s about a foundational understanding of what is important to you and what you intend to do with your life.
I devised a system that answered those questions. I’ve shared this with many people who’ve found it helpful. This course could give you the superpowers you’ll need.
In this course, you’ll figure out your “why,” which opens up the world for you. With this scholarship, you’ll get 50 Video Tutorials, a PDF book, helpful worksheets, and a month-long webinar series.
So, are you willing to give up some of your summer to answer the big questions with your own big answers? Now’s the time.
The course will not cost money, but it’s not free either; I want you to work at this. Specifically, if you want in, you need to commit to going through the material, doing the exercises, and attending the webinars. No slackers!
I considered the big questions when I was your age, but I never really got to the bottom of them until decades later. For many years, I was adrift on my “why.” Once I figured things out, my life got much better (and easier!). One of my biggest regrets is not figuring these things out earlier. So, I’d like to help you learn from my mistake.
Send me an email telling me who you are, your goals, and why you are interested in this program. I’m invested in this, but I only want to work with people willing to do the work. Are you willing to watch the videos, read the materials, attend the webinars, and make a serious effort? If so, send the email to scholarship@macsparky.com by July 29. Recipients will be awarded at the end of July, and the webinar series will run through August.
Your pal, David
P.S. If you are reading this and know a high school or college-aged human that may benefit from the program, please pass this email along. Thanks!
With the upcoming macOS Sequoia release, Apple has added some impressive window management tools and a lovely, nostalgic Classic Mac Wallpaper and Screensaver.… This is a post for the Early Access and Backstage MacSparky Labs Members. Care to join? Or perhaps you need to sign in?
Damien Schreurs joins Stephen and me on this episode of Mac Power Users to talk about what makes a good password, what the deal is with passkeys, and Apple’s upcoming Passwords application.
This episode of Mac Power Users is sponsored by: