2025 sponsorship slots at MacSparky are filling up. There’s still a bit of availability left for the remainder of the year, but not much.
If you’re interested in getting your product or service in front of an Apple-centric, productivity-loving audience with no respect for money, now’s a good time to reach out. Let me know.
The Whisper Memos developer has a new app for the Mac, WhisperType. In this video, I kick the tires and I’m impressed with the balance it strikes for AI-based transcription.… This is a post for the MacSparky Labs Early Access and Backstage Access members. Care to join? If you’re already a member, you can log in here.
DEVONtechnologies has just released the public beta of DEVONthink 4, and it’s a substantial upgrade. Now the beta is officially here.
I’ve been using the beta, and I can confirm: this is a real leap forward. DEVONthink 4 is smarter, faster, and more modern in all the right ways. They’ve taken everything that made DEVONthink 3 great and brought it into 2025 with a thoughtful touch, especially when it comes to Artificial Intelligence.
And really, that’s no surprise. DEVONthink was using AI before AI was a buzzword. Now with version 4, they’ve taken it up a notch: integrating modern large language models like ChatGPT and Claude, enabling natural language search, tagging, summarizing, and even interactive document conversations. And you get to decide whether to use local or cloud-based models. It’s a smart, privacy-conscious approach that fits the DEVONthink ethos perfectly.
Beyond AI, DEVONthink 4 introduces versioning, audit-proof databases, a redesigned web interface for teams, enhanced automation tools, and a new license model that makes future upgrades easier to manage.
You can download the public beta and give it a try yourself. If you already own DEVONthink 3, there are upgrade paths available, including a free upgrade if you bought it recently.
This update feels exactly like what you’d expect from the DEVONthink team: powerful, modern, and built with care.
iCloud is the glue that holds much of the Apple ecosystem together, syncing data and content between devices. On this episode of Mac Power Users, Stephen and I walk through what is possible by using the iCloud website, including the data recovery tools, account settings, and more.
This episode of Mac Power Users is sponsored by:
I finally got around to reading ChatGPT’s Student Guide to Writing with ChatGPT, and I think it’s pretty good. The reality is that these tools aren’t going away, and students today should learn how to use them to improve their work product, not replace it.
The guide offers a solid list of ideas — none of which include the prompt, “Please write this for me.” Instead, it emphasizes using AI as a tool to refine thinking, generate ideas, and improve clarity. That’s exactly how I use AI in my own writing.
For example, I’ve been experimenting with having AI read my draft blog posts and ask me clarifying questions. More often than not, those questions push me to refine my ideas and make the post better. The AI isn’t writing for me; it’s helping me sharpen my own words.
For students (and writers in general), the key is understanding that AI is most useful as a creative assistant, not a shortcut. The better your input, the better your output.
If you’re curious about using AI in your writing, I’d recommend checking out the guide.
I recently took a flight and following touchdown, a crew member made a surprise announcement: this landing marked our captain’s final flight after 30 years piloting aircraft. We all applauded. As we disembarked, the captain stood in the aisle, offering each passenger a farewell.
When it was my turn, I congratulated him. I actually thought about what I’d say. “I hope your next adventure is as exciting as this one was.” His eyes met mine, serious and somber, as he quietly replied, “This was it.” I was swept onward by the flow of passengers, but he held my eye for just a moment longer. The sadness on his face has stayed with me.
Life is full of transitions. I’ve faced many — shifting careers, watching my kids grow up, leaving behind the identity I had built as a lawyer. Most big changes in life aren’t surprises. Retirement doesn’t sneak up overnight, and children don’t grow up in secret. Yet, some of us still find ourselves flat-footed when life’s inevitable curves appear. It’s tempting to ignore change, to stick our heads in the sand, pretending it’s far away, until suddenly we’re facing a stark realization: “This was it.”
I’ve written before about the importance of continuously Knitting Your Parachute. Asking yourself often, “What’s next, and how do I make that work?” is a practice I deeply believe in. It’s an approach that keeps hope alive, turns anxiety into anticipation, and keeps you engaged with life.
This week, I encourage you to spend a few quiet moments reflecting: What’s your next move, and how can you embrace it? Whether you’re graduating, shifting careers, or facing retirement, don’t wait until change feels overwhelming. Life’s bends in the road are inevitable, but how we meet them, that’s entirely up to us.
Let’s commit never to find ourselves in a position where we have to quietly say, “This was it.”
It’s stories like this that led me to make the Productivity Field Guide.
If you’ve been paying any attention to social media lately, you’ve probably noticed how much better AI multi-modal art has gotten. The zeitgeist has definitely latched onto this — mainly to generate Studio Ghibli-style art of themselves.
It’s impressive and once again raises the big questions about AI and art. Artists spend years honing their craft. Now, with these new tools, anyone is just a prompt or two away from generating convincing images of themselves and their friends. How are we supposed to feel about that?
I’m still working through my own thoughts on AI and intellectual property, but one thing’s for sure: this toothpaste isn’t going back in the tube.
As an example, I had the new ChatGPT engine generate some drawings for a recent Productivity Field Guide webinar I did on Habits being a useful tool for becoming your best self. I explained to ChatGPT that I wanted to illustrate how habits, once ingrained, become part of your identity. It made this image. Remarkable.
In this week’s episode of The Lab Report: OS updates across the board are here and, is there an Apple AI Doctor in the house? Sparky also invites you to make your Lock Screen special this weekend and sends us off with a brassy music recommendation.
… This is a post for MacSparky Labs members only. Care to join? If you’re already a member, you can log in here.
Rumors are swirling about a redesigned MacBook Pro slated for release next year, featuring the M6 chip, a thinner chassis — and most notably — an OLED display. A recent 9to5Mac article summarizes the rumors.
I’m particularly excited about the prospect of an OLED screen. This technology promises higher brightness, improved contrast ratios, and more vibrant colors, making the types of things folks do on a MacBook Pro even easier.
However, the notion of a thinner design makes me nervous. In my experience, when surveying the needs of MacBook Pro users — especially those in same creative professions — the desire for a slimmer profile rarely tops the list. More commonly, folks want better battery life, enhanced performance, and adequate input/output.
Apple has a history of pursuing thinner designs, sometimes at the expense of functionality. The butterfly keyboard is the most recent example. If “thinner” is on that whiteboard in Cupertino, I hope Apple doesn’t compromise the performance and reliability that MacBook Pro users depend on. Perhaps advancements in chip design will allow for a thinner MacBook Pro without sacrificing battery life or power. But even if that is true, I’d argue the MacBook Pro still doesn’t need to get thinner. I’d fill that empty space with more battery and a better cooling system to let the new MacBook Pro run even harder.
In the meantime, we can anticipate the release of the M5 MacBook Pro later this year, likely in the fall as the last MacBook Pro with this current, much-loved, design.
I’ve been experimenting with an unconventional home screen that uses a bunch of clever tricks using Widgetsmith and Shortcuts to give my iPhone an entirely different look. In this video I share what I’ve done and how to do it on your own.
… This is a post for MacSparky Labs members only. Care to join? If you’re already a member, you can log in here.