Superior Document Management with DEVONthink (Sponsor)

This week MacSparky is sponsored by DEVONthink, the flagship product from DEVONtechnologies,

DEVONthink is the most professional document and information management application for the Mac. It’s the one place for storing all your documents, snippets, or bookmarks, and working with them.

The Integrated A.I. assists you with filing and searching, while the extensive search language with advanced Boolean operators.

DEVONthink features a Flexible sync system that supports many cloud services – or lets you synchronize over the local network too – with everything securely encrypted. This gives you the choice for however syncing works best for you!

It has Smart rules and flexible reminders that let you automate all parts of your workflow and delegate boring, repeating tasks. Let DEVONthink automatically organize your data with rules you define!

DEVONthink’s AppleScript dictionary is one of the largest on the Mac. There’s no part of DEVONthink that can’t be automated. Extend DEVONthink’s functionality with your own commands by adding them to its Scripts menu.

Even templates can have scripts inside and you can set up new documents with data from placeholders, or inserted by your own AppleScript code.

And, of course, there’s so much more, from an iOS companion app, to email archiving, scanning, or even an embedded web server for sharing your data securely with your team.

I use DEVONthink for document storage and organization. I also use it for research both as MacSparky and a lawyer. I love the way the DEVONthink developers have thought through all the little details from syncing to using the built-in artificial intelligence.

Also, the DEVONtechnologies team is always working to make DEVONthink better. Just yesterday they released their latest update, DEVONthink for Mac 3.7. It fully embraces Markdown editing on the Mac with WYSIWYG editing, file transclusion, and more. While editing your Markdown, you will now see bold characters embolden, italics italicize, etc. directly in the source. Immediately see quotes, code blocks, and links while typing. This also includes support for Roam, Obsidian, and iA Writer syntax.

I find the combination of innovative features and automation support irresistible. Interested? MacSparky readers can get a 20% discount on DEVONthink. Use the code MACSPARKY2021 at checkout.

Unifying Home Automation with CHIP

I wrote a few days ago about Logitech canceling the Harmony remote. The problem continues to be all the differing protocols for home automation. One solution may be the Connected Home over IP (CHIP) protocol, engineered jointly by Apple, Amazon, and Google. We’re now getting word that some of these CHIP products may ship later this year.

In theory, a single protocol between all of the hardware manufacturers would open the gates wide for interesting home automation hardware, like a re-imagined Harmony remote. However, for the hardware to take off, first the protocol needs to take off. I sure hope it does. Imagine a world where buying home-automation products is just a matter of picking the best hardware solution and not worrying about whether or not it can handshake with your existing stuff.

The best thing we have going for us as consumers is that none of the existing Apple, Amazon, or Google proprietary protocols came out of this first round as a clear winner. Put me on team CHIP.

A Few Thoughts on Today’s Spring Loaded Apple Event

Today was Apple’s Spring Loaded event and it certainly was loaded with a new Mac, iPads Pro, AirTags, AppleTV, and a bit more. I have a few initial thoughts:

The 24″ iMac

Hooray for color back on the Mac. It’s been way too long. I particularly like that Apple went with bold colors on these new iMacs. As a good friend texted me, “They had me at Purple.”
Colored keyboards, mice, and trackpads also make me happy.
This really feels like the ‘Computer as Appliance’ version of the iMac.
I never thought I’d need a Magnetic power connector for an iMac. I’d be afraid I may yank the power while shifting the thing.
Just four ports. No SD card. No USB A. This is probably an M1 limitation but I’m not aware of any other iMac ever shipping with just four ports.
And the Ethernet is on the power brick. Weird. The reason I suspect is that the actual computer isn’t deep enough to plug in Ethernet (or USB A).
Overall, I really like the redesign. I am a bit sad the chin stayed and I’m still curious for the rest of the story with the bigger iMac.
When we saw the rumors of a flat slab iMac, I wondered if they’d be able to make the audio any good. I’m glad they addressed this in the product rollout, but I’m also looking forward to reading reviews on this point.
I think this will be the last implementation of the M1 chip. I suspect the next big Mac announcement will feature Macs with something faster that the pundits collectively call M1X. Probably more performance and graphics cores. If I was a betting man, I’d say that will show up in the 14″ and 16″ MacBooks Pro, a space grey Mac mini, and (hopefully) a big iMac, and (perhaps?) the rumored Mac Pro Cube.

The New iPad Pro

I didn’t expect them to put the M1 in the iPad. I expected something very M1-like, but with an A at the front. In hindsight, however, it makes sense. When you are making your own silicon, you’ll want to keep things as easy as possible.
The new screen technology on the 12.9″ iPad Pro is impressive.
I’d really like to hear about people using a 2TB iPad.
The 5G was expected, but I’m pleased to see it happen.
You can get it in any color you like so long as it is space gray or silver. I hope this isn’t a sign of things to come for the bigger iMacs. Why does Apple think pro devices can not have fun colors?
We heard a lot of rumors about a new Apple Pencil, but that didn’t happen.
I feel like every time Apple brings out a new iPad, it goes out its way to show how useful the iPad is, but then they don’t really deliver the goods with so many issues in the operating system. I wish the software team would reflect the marketing team’s enthusiasm.

AppleTV 4K

All they really had to say was, “We fixed the crappy remote.”

AirTags

Finally! We’ve been hearing about these in rumor-land for years.
I expect these will be a big hit and they seem priced about right at $99 for a four-pack.
I’ve always wondered how Apple would address the “creepy problem” when they announced AirTags. What if creepy people hide AirTags on other people so they can surreptitiously track them? Apple explained, “AirTags are for things, not people.” I’m curious to see how that gets implemented. (I’m also thinking about attaching one to my dog. What about dogs, Tim?)

The Sad Demise of the Harmony Remote

Last week we got notice that Logitech will no longer be making the Harmony remote. I’ve heard from so many listeners and readers over the years who made the Harmony remote an essential piece of their home-automation infrastructure. I tried using one but found it just didn’t work with my brand of TV. Nevertheless, I could see the clear value it had.

It’s interesting that as we go deeper down this rabbit hole of Internet-of-Things, we’re losing a vital tool for many people. Maybe the answer going forward is for TVs to become more automation aware, but I suspect that is asking a lot in an already low-margin business.

If you have an existing Harmony remote, Logitech promises ongoing software updates, but I don’t expect that to last forever. I’d start looking for your Plan B.

The Mac Chimes of Death

Speaking of the Mac Power Users, if you’ve ever wondered why Stephen Hackett was the obvious choice as co-host for the Mac Power Users, look no further than this post.

Mac Power Users 584: Everything Fades to Black

It’s feedback time, so Stephen and I are answering listener email on this episode of Mac Power Users. We’re also talking about iOS apps running on Apple silicon Macs and preparing your tech for the afterlife.

This episode of Mac Power Users is sponsored by:

1Password: Have you ever forgotten a password? You don’t have to worry about that anymore.
TextExpander from Smile: Get 20% off with this link and type more with less effort! Expand short abbreviations into longer bits of text, even fill-ins, with TextExpander from Smile.
DEVONthink: Get organized—unleash your creativity. Use this link for 10% off.
The Intrazone, by Microsoft SharePoint: Your bi-weekly conversation and interview podcast about SharePoint, OneDrive and related tech within Microsoft 365.

Rumors Growing for Colorful iMacs

As the Tuesday event approaches, there are increasing rumors of the release of colorful iMacs. 9to5 Mac collects all of the rumors nicely.

I, for one, would love to see Apple add some more whimsey to their products, and colorful iMacs would be an excellent start. (If I were in charge, I’d also bring back the rainbow logo on at least some products.) Looking at the rumor images, my only complaint is they aren’t going bold enough. Forget about the pastels; go for the bold colors. Remember how everyone loved their colorful iMacs back in the day? It’s time for more of that.

Jazz Friday: Chick Corea Trilogy 2

I know I just linked Chick Corea, but I’m still trying to get over his passing and listening to a lot of his music.

Moreover, he won a posthumous Grammy for Best Improvised Jazz Solo and Best Jazz Instrumental Album for his trio performance on Trilogy 2 (Apple Music). This is a follow-up to his Trilogy album from 2013 (Apple Music). The album features Chick on piano, Christian McBride on bass, and Brian Blade on drums. The two-disc album is full of bangers, but my favorite is Chick’s own “La Fiesta”.

FoodNoms: Customized Nutrition Goals Made Easy

I’ve been getting better at food tracking lately. Back when the App Store was new and shiny, there was an initial rush of quality food-tracking apps like Lose It! and MyFitnessPal. The problem is that all of those apps became “platforms”. Things like cross-promotions and upsells just seemed to take over. A few months ago, I went spelunking into the App Store for a better food-tracking app and came back with FoodNoms.

Its clean-looking interface is excellent for tracking food. It also has a few additional features (like intermittent fasting), but all the features are implemented unobtrusively and without feeling creepy. It comes with a decent library of foods, but you can also scan bar codes for additional foods or access the user-submitted library.

This is easily the best food-tracking app I’ve ever used. It has an excellent design, it gives me the tools and food library I need, and it doesn’t make me feel like a product. There is a yearly subscription (currently $30/year), which I gladly paid.

I’m excited to have found a customizable food-tracking app that has all the features I need and doesn’t make me feel like it’s trying too hard. If you’re looking for something new or want some additional help with your diet plan, check out FoodNoms (App Store)(Website).

The Hazel Field Guide 2021 Update and Discount

Over the past several weeks, I’ve been busy recording new screencasts for the Hazel Field Guide. Hazel recently released version 5, which doesn’t make many changes to the way the application works, but lots of changes to the way the application looks. Hazel is now an app, not a system preference.

I decided that it didn’t make sense to make a new edition of the Hazel Field Guide because there isn’t a lot of new features to cover, and it didn’t make sense to charge everyone a second time. So instead, I’ve made a free update with 14 new videos clocking in a little over 30 minutes.

Get the Free Update

If you’ve already purchased the Hazel Field Guide, just log in, and you’ll see a lot of videos with (2021) in the name. Those are the new ones. The captioning and transcripts are still in process and will be uploading over the next few weeks.

Get It on Sale

If you haven’t purchased the Hazel Field Guide, now’s the time. I’ve lowered the price from $29 to $19, but that’s only good for a week. Enjoy.