It was another Apple announcement week, which led to a lot going on in the MacSparky Labs community.
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
Help Me Test the New Testimonial System
Announcement · October 23 · all tiers
I built a simpler testimonial form for the Labs and Field Guides. If something you’ve learned here has helped, I’d appreciate a few words about it. Your submission also helps me test the new setup.
Before the Old Mac Leaves the House
Written Post · October 26 · all tiers
Before I erase an old Mac, I make a clone and keep it around for six months. This checklist covers the files that are easy to miss, the right erase route for your Mac, and the AppleCare loose ends to check before the handoff.
Pathfinder Link | Insider Link | Member Link
Friends of Dave – John Chandler on E-Ink and AI Scripts
Video · October 27 · Pathfinder & Insider
John Chandler joins me to show how he connects his reMarkable to the tools on his Mac with AI-written scripts. We look at handwriting capture and a daily briefing, with his script kit available to download.
Pathfinder Link | Insider Link
The Big List and the Active List
Written Post · October 28 · Pathfinder & Insider
My Big List lives in Obsidian. The work I’m actually committing to goes on a paper card. I explain how those two lists fit together, including how I fill out the week’s cards and keep ideas from turning into obligations.
Pathfinder Link | Insider Link
Comet X Remote KVM – Hands-On Setup
Video · October 29 · all tiers
I’ve been controlling my Macs from an iPad with the Comet X. In this hands-on setup, I show the connections, improve the picture by changing the video settings, and restart the Mac mini while watching it come back through the KVM.
Pathfinder Link | Insider Link | Member Link
Labs Book Club – Meditations for Mortals
Live Session · October 29 · all tiers
Our October book-club selection is Oliver Burkeman’s Meditations for Mortals. It returns to the problem of living with our limits, with short chapters about getting started and giving up the need to have everything under control.
Pathfinder Link | Insider Link | Member Link
The Lab Report for October 30, 2026
Podcast · October 30 · scheduled for all tiers
Touch has finally come to the MacBook Pro, and the iPad mini gets an OLED screen. I also cover the public 27.2 updates and a first week of iPhone Duo reviews and screen-failure reports.
Pathfinder Link | Insider Link | Member Link
In the Community
iPad Mini Preorders (Labs Discussion Board)
Members compared ordering problems and delivery windows that had already moved into November. The discussion also gets into configurations and whether cellular is worth having when a phone hotspot is available.
New MacBook Pro – So Tempting (Labs Discussion Board)
A tempting MacBook Pro payment plan prompted a closer look at the final payment and the value of the trade-in. Members are weighing the full cost of the upgrade, with some humor about leaving the bill to their future selves.
iPhone Duo Thoughts (Labs Discussion Board)
Early owners are sharing what feels different about using the Duo. There’s enthusiasm for the hardware alongside impatience with apps that haven’t caught up to its screen, including Apple’s own Store app.
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
My October desktop tour is scheduled for Tuesday, November 3, with the wallpaper and a downloadable skill for making your own set. Our next live gathering is the November meetup.
Labs November Meetup · November 7, 10:00 AM Pacific
Pathfinder Link | Insider Link
November Deep Dive – Securing Your Digital Life in 2026 · November 19, noon Pacific
Links of Interest
- Mike Schmitz connects quarterly goals to a realistic weekly plan. His weekly grid reserves one main job for each morning and afternoon before he gets into daily time blocking.
- Stephen Hackett looks back at ten years of MacBook Pro decisions, from the butterfly keyboard and Touch Bar to the features that returned with Apple silicon.
- Neal Stephenson visits Harvard’s collection of historical scientific instruments. The acoustic analyzer that makes sound visible with gas flames is worth a look.
- For Halloween, McSweeney’s imagines private equity buying the house with the full-size candy bars. The wrappers stay full-size. The candy doesn’t.
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.