Mac Power Users 578: Notion, with August Bradley



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Stephen and I are joined by August Bradley, an expert in Notion. We discuss the features of the app, as well as its pros and cons. Bradley then explains Systems Thinking and runs through some favorite apps and services.

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.

  • The Intrazone, by Microsoft SharePoint: Your bi-weekly conversation and interview podcast about SharePoint, OneDrive and related tech within Microsoft 365.

  • Indeed: Get a free $75 credit to upgrade your job post.

In Praise of the Soon-To-Be Retired iMac Pro

Apple has announced it is only continuing to sell the iMac Pro “while supplies last” and only at a base configuration. It looks as if the iMac Pro is about to go the way of the Dodo.

This is interesting. Originally, the iMac Pro appears to have been Apple’s answer to the Mac Pro’s expected demise. They then shifted gears, getting back into the Mac Pro business and leaving the iMac Pro in that weird space between the iMac and the Mac Pro.

I used one for years and loved it. On the outside, it looked just like an iMac (except for the space gray aluminum). On the inside, it had a new design with a much improved thermal system, faster internal bus speeds, and better security. It was fast and whisper quiet. Up until now, it was the pinnacle of the iMac design and implementation.

Things, however, are changing. My entry-level M1 Mac, which was one-sixth the cost of my iMac Pro, can render screencasts just as fast and more quietly as the iMac Pro. The big jump in technology with Apple Silicon has caught up with the iMac Pro. I sold mine a few months ago, hoping to get the best value for it. Since selling it, I’ve missed it and its presence on my desk. This is the first time that’s ever happened to me when selling a piece of hardware. But I expect that whatever Apple has in store for the new iMac with Apple Silicon inside will run circles around the iMac Pro and still be whisper quiet. With Apple Silicon’s arrival, a higher-end iMac will be, effectively, an iMac Pro (though I expect Apple will not call it that). There will no longer be space between a high-end iMac and a Mac Pro for the iMac Pro to exist. Thus, its demise.

Nevertheless, I can’t help but want to pour one out for the iMac Pro. It was the best desktop computer I’ve ever owned.

TextExpander for Text Automation (Sponsor)


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This week MacSparky.com is sponsored by TextExpander, the easiest way to start automating your work on Mac, iPad, and iPhone. TextExpander is a text replacement tool. With it, you can type a phrase like “ccell” and it will automatically fill in your cell phone number. But TextExpander is so much more than that.

Using TextExpander, you can have it automatically create the date and time. For example, when I talk with someone on the phone related to the day job and want to keep notes about the conversation, I just type “xdts” which, in my head, means date and time string. Then TextExpander automatically creates something like this, “2021-03-06 09:14”. If I need to put the full date in a letter, I just type “fdate” and TextExpander puts in the current date, like this, “March 6, 2021”.

But TextExpander can still go deeper. It can use the contents of your clipboard to auto-fill in snippets. It can press keyboard keys, like the tab key, to automate filling in forms on the web or creating an email. You can get it for yourself and your team members so you can share snippets with your team members. I pay for a team account and we use it from MacSparky headquarters to handle Field Guide customer support email. We can make changes to shared snippets and everyone gets updated.

To learn more, head over to TextExpander.com and let them know you heard about it at MacSparky in the “Where did you hear about us” field.

Lit Suite Subscriptions Now Available



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I generally avoid posting legal-specific news at MacSparky, but if you pay for your shoes being a lawyer, I would recommend checking out LIT SUITE. I’m trying to stay out of courtrooms lately, but when I was doing a lot of litigation, I routinely made the other side look bad using TrialPad, which is my favorite law-related app on any platform. The LIT SUITE apps are definitely a group of apps that require full-time development and justify a subscription. Jeff Richardson does a more complete review over at iPhone J.D.

HiFi Streaming

Spotify recently announced its HiFi streaming upgrade where users can, for a premium fee, get higher bitrate streaming music. I would be surprised if Apple doesn’t do something similar before the end of the year.

Apparently, there are some benefits to being over 50 and suffering from tinnitus. I took this test (found at 9to5 Mac) and I couldn’t tell any difference, even with my fanciest headphones. Hopefully, you do better.

Leveraging COVID Constraints

I can’t help but feel things will be a lot more normal-leaning in the next six months as the COVID vaccines make their way into arms, and we, collectively, finally get the upper hand on this damn virus. Kids will go back to school. People will go back to work. We’ll be more social with one another. At least one can hope.

Assuming that is true, I’ve been taking stock lately of all the changes I’ve made to my life throughout the pandemic due to the constraints it brought. Once life gets back to life as normal, I don’t want to necessarily abandon all of the changes I made during lockdown. Maybe you shouldn’t either.

Several of the changes I’ve made to how I work have turned out to be substantial improvements over how I was getting things done pre-COVID. For example, having my kids and wife back home 24/7 means I had to be very particular about scheduling when I record podcasts, screencasts, and videos. This actually resulted in me getting more consistent recording work done than when I had free reign to do it whenever I wanted. I’m now making a list of the positive changes I’ve made during lockdown and figuring out how to keep those parts when things get more normal.

As far as tech, this is not rocket science. I’m just doing it in a text file. I’ve got the idea to build this list in the back of my mind and, as I go through the days and encounter changes I would like to keep, write them down. Ultimately, I’ll incorporate check-ins for myself to make sure I keep up with the new habits in the future via OmniFocus.

Focused 120: Caveday with Jake Kahana



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Jake Kahana from Caveday joins Mike and me on the latest episode of Focused to talk about his journey and how Caveday can help you get your focus mojo back.

This episode of Focused is sponsored by:

  • Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code FOCUSED at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.

  • ExpressVPN: High-speed, secure and anonymous VPN service. Get an extra three months free.

  • Indeed: Get a free $75 credit to upgrade your job post.

Face Mask Unlock in iOS 14.5

We’re getting closer to the release of iOS 14.5, and it’s adding a feature that Apple Watch owners are going to dig. Specifically, if you are wearing a face mask and an Apple Watch, you’ll still be able to unlock your iPhone without using a passcode.

Once you turn the feature on, the iPhone has some new unlock logic:

  1. Is the user wearing a face mask?
    No – Go to the usual Face ID unlock.
    Yes – Go to step 2.

  2. Does the user have a connected, unlocked Apple Watch very close to the phone?
    Yes – Unlock.
    No – Go to the passcode unlock.

So, if you are wearing a face mask and you have an unlocked Apple Watch in very close proximity (less than 1 meter) to your phone, you get an unlock. In that event, you also get a prompt on your wrist letting you lock the phone back up. Interestingly, that step 1 looks for any person with a face mask. It doesn’t try to figure out if it is specifically you wearing a face mask. John Gruber did all the research on the beta build and reports in further detail.

I plan on turning this feature on once the update ships. I am so tired of tapping in my passcode when using my phone while masked.

Mac Power Users 577: Workflows with Shahid Kamal Ahmad



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Shahid Kamal Ahmad drops by Mac Power Users to tell Stephen and me about his ever-growing displays, game development on the Mac, and creating music with a computer.

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.

  • Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code MPU at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.

  • Pingdom: Start monitoring your website performance and availability today, and get instant alerts when an outage occurs or a site transaction fails. Use offer code MPU to get 30% off. Offer expires on January 31, 2022, and can be used only once.