1Password can now unlock automatically when unlocking your Mac. The feature is now available to 1Password 8 users. You’ll need to enable it in settings. You can set the “reset” timer between 10 minutes and never. Of course, this all depends on your own…
Continue reading →Author Archives → David Sparks
Mac Power Users 823: The 2025 Holiday Gift Guide
The end of the year is nearly upon us, so Stephen and I are back to share our gift ideas on this episode of Mac Power Users. Stephen then goes on to share a new life philosophy, only to learn that I am already…
Listen & read notes →Celebrating the M1 Chip
Five years ago, Apple released the first M1 Macs. It’s hard to overstate how significant that moment was, not just for what it delivered technically, but for what it meant about Apple’s commitment to the Mac. Because the years leading up to that launch…
Continue reading →Speed Should Not Always Be the Metric
Too often, we treat speed as the primary goal in optimization. Faster is better! While modern technology and automation offer countless ways to accelerate our lives, the question we need to ask is: should we? There are times when delay is a feature, not a bug.…
Continue reading →Dictation Series – Apple Solutions
I’ve had a lot of questions about how to best use dictation as this technology has improved so much in the last few years. So I’m making a video series covering it, from basic to advanced. Today I’m covering the Apple solutions, which are way better than you may remember.
… This is a post for MacSparky Labs Members only. Care to join? If you’re already a member, you can log in here.
Retirement Reinvented by Jim Eagar
Depending on how you look at it, I’ve either already retired or have no intention of retiring for a very long time. My friend, Jim Eagar, however, has been there and he’s got some real insight. He’s now coaching folks at Retirement Reinvented. What…
Continue reading →The Lab Report for November 14, 2025
The Lab Report is my weekly podcast exclusively for the MacSparky Labs members.
Would you like to join? If you’re already a member, you can log in here.
Where Can We Use Digital IDs?
Chance Miller at 9to5Mac did an excellent summary of where, in theory, you can use digital IDs and where you cannot. The problem, as always, is the humans. Even though TSA checkpoints are absolutely supposed to accept Digital IDs, on a recent trip, my…
Continue reading →“Did I Do?” Task Tracker
I’ve had some requests for a simple task tracker “even easier than Reminders”. I found a good candidate in “Did I Do?”. This may not be for you, but it may be for someone in your life.… This is a post for the MacSparky Labs Pathfinder and Insider members. Care to join? If you’re already a member, you can log in here.
MailMaven: A New Mail App From a Longtime Mail Plugin Developer
For years, power users relied on SmallCubed’s MailSuite plugins (including the beloved MailTags and Mail Act-On) to transform Apple Mail. But then Apple killed third-party Mail plugins. Actually, they didn’t kill it. The verb is more appropriately knee-capped. Apple did offer an alternative framework,…
Continue reading →