Jonathan Reed runs a show called First, Last, Everything over at MacStories. The format is simple: he asks guests about the first piece of tech they remember, the last thing they bought, and works through a conversation about everything in between. I was the…
Continue reading →Mac Power Users 844: Apple Home
On this episode of Mac Power Users, Stephen and David compare notes on their Apple smart home setups and cover what you need to know to build one yourself. They get into the weeds on Matter, Thread, HomeKit Secure Video, smart locks, and which…
Listen & read notes →In Defense of the Desktop / Laptop Setup
A few weeks ago, I came very close to buying a MacBook Pro. Not just any MacBook Pro. The big one, the maxed-out M4 Max with enough RAM to make a server blush. My plan was to simplify: one computer, everywhere, always. No desktop,…
Continue reading →Make Your Mac Sound Better with Boom 3D
This post is sponsored by Global Delight, makers of Boom 3D. Boom 3D is a system-wide audio enhancer for Mac. It works across every app without any per-app setup. Spotify, Safari, Zoom, Logic, QuickTime. Whatever you’re listening to, Boom 3D improves it in the…
Continue reading →Bonsai and the Slow Work
The Juniper in Question I spend most of my days trying to get things done faster. Better systems, better tools, better workflows. That’s kind of my whole deal. So it’s a little funny that one of the things I look forward to most each…
Continue reading →The Studio Display XDR’s Quiet $400 Haircut
Apple just dropped the price of the VESA-mount Studio Display XDR by $400. The standless version is now $2,899, down from $3,299. The stand version stays at $3,299. That’s a big correction for a product that’s only been on the market for a few…
Continue reading →A Birthday, Not a Victory Lap
Apple turned 50 today. If you haven’t seen it yet, there’s a fun animated history running on Apple’s homepage that sketches its way through five decades of products. It’s clever but not too clever. If you’ve been around through Apple’s triumphs and failures, it’s…
Continue reading →March in the MacSparky Labs
MacSparky Labs members get to participate in member events and receive a number of exclusive videos and podcasts each month. Here’s a summary of offerings this past month: March 2026 2026-03-27 – The Lab Report for March 27, 2026 (M,I,P) (Podcast) 2026-03-25 – Sparky’s…
Continue reading →The Supportive Podcast Appearance
I was a guest on The Supportive, a podcast from Help Scout hosted by Mat Patterson. The episode is about customer support, small business, and figuring out what matters when you’re a one-person operation. When Mat first reached out, I wasn’t sure an interview…
Continue reading →Mac Power Users 842: Feedback
On this episode of Mac Power Users, Stephen and I dig into the feedback bag. We cover everything from Stephen’s secret Cloudflare image-hosting shortcut to the great Raycast vs. Spotlight vs. Alfred debate, Stream Deck setups (and whether that new XL is too much…
Listen & read notes →