Mark Gurman is at it again. This time he is reporting that a focus of the the iPhone 13 will be the ability to de-focus the background with video. Think of it like portrait mode, but for video. This would be created by the…
Continue reading →TextExpander: Type Less, Say More (Sponsor)
I’d like to thank TextExpander for sponsoring the site this week. TextExpander allows you to be more efficient and productive by taking the task of repetitive typing out of your hands. With TextExpander, you can use a keyboard shortcut or abbreviation to insert a…
Continue reading →The Apple MagSafe Battery Pack
A few weeks ago, Apple released the MagSafe Battery Pack. The device itself is a small bit of matte rubber covering a 1,460mAh battery that transfers at 5W and the MagSafe-aligned magnets for it to snap on the back of your iPhone. I bought…
Continue reading →Mac Power Users 600: Mac Migration & Settings
The Apple silicon transition continues to march on, so Stephen and I sit down to talk about how to migrate to a new Mac, and what settings and preferences we recommend changing from the defaults on the latest episode of Mac Power Users. This…
Listen & read notes →Field Guide Price Increase Starts Next Week
I’ve decided to raise the price of the MacSparky Field Guides starting next week to $49. There are a few reasons why I’m doing this. First, I Think They are Worth It I pour a ton of effort into the Field Guides. Nearly all…
Continue reading →Apple Needs to Get More Aggressive with Scam Apps
Recently in Australia, Apple featured some scam apps in one of their App Store promotions. It’s not surprising that even App Store marketing folks can get confused by scam apps. Last week a non-geek friend called me about his iPhone. He wanted my opinion…
Continue reading →Work Faster on Your Mac with Better Touch Tool (Sponsor)
This week MacSparky is sponsored by one of my favorite Mac utilities, BetterTouchTool. Apple’s built-in gestures for its mice and trackpads are great, but they don’t go far enough. With BetterTouchTool, you can add an entire suite of gestures to your mouse and trackpad…
Continue reading →Private Relay Data Slow-Down
I had an interesting issue with my Monterey Mac. Since I bought my fancy new EERO routers, I’ve been dripping in Internet. But suddenly the party was over. My connection was noticeably slow and laggy. After a bit of troubleshooting, I discovered Private Relay…
Continue reading →New External Magic Keyboards with Touch ID
Yesterday Apple also announced the release of the new magic keyboards (with or without a keypad), mouse, and trackpad for Apple Silicon Macs. These are the silver versions (no other colors!). When paired with an Apple Silicon Mac, you can get Touch ID on…
Continue reading →Focused 131: Liminal Thinking
We’re all a lot less objective than we give ourselves credit for. Join Mike and me on the latest episode of Focused as we attempt to figure out why by considering limiting beliefs, learning loops, and the slippery slope of self-sealing logic. This episode…
Listen & read notes →