SaneBox, The Email Tool That Works Everywhere (Sponsor)

This week MacSparky was sponsored by SaneBox, the email service that can help you get control of your inbox. For a lot of folks, email is a constant pain, and it doesn’t need to be. With SaneBox, you add a powerful set of email tools that can work in just about any email client. SaneBox allows you to:

  • Wake up everyday to find that the SaneBox robots have automatically sorted your incoming email for you so you can address the important and ignore the irrelevant.

  • Defer email for hours, days, or weeks so it is out of your life until a more appropriate time.

  • Set secret reminders so if someone doesn’t reply to an important email, SaneBox gives you a nudge to follow up.

  • Automatically save attachments to the cloud (like Dropbox).

  • Use their SaneForward service to automatically send appropriate emails to services such as Evernote, Expensify, and Kayak.

  • Move unwanted email to the SaneBlackHole and never see anything from that person again.

One of the best parts about SaneBox being a web services is that it works no matter which mail application you prefer. If you want to jump between different mail apps on your iPad, no problem. SaneBox is a set of tools that will move with you between different applications on different platforms with no trouble at all.

Why not straighten out your email today? I’ve been a paying subscriber for years and can’t imagine getting by without it. If you sign up with this link, you even get a discount off your subscription.

Automators 38: Simon Leeb and Pushcut



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App developer Simon Leeb joins Rosemary and me on the latest episode of Automators to talk about his journey that turned into building the automation app Pushcut. We also stray into the world of iBeacon and automation.

This episode of Automators is sponsored by:

  • PDFpen, from Smile : The ultimate tool for editing PDFs on the Mac.

  • Flatiron School: Launch a career in tech with Flatiron School’s modern curriculum paired with one-on-one support from dedicated career coaches, all just in 15 weeks.

  • FreshBooks: Online invoicing made easy.

The Official MacSparky Yule Playlist

It is hard to believe December is already upon us. I’ve been refining my jazz holiday Apple Music playlist, appropriately called “Yule”. If you want some holiday cheer and you subscribe to Apple Music, here you go. In my opinion, this playlist is best listened to on shuffle.

Mac Power Users 512: Ask the Genius



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On this week’s episode of Mac Power Users, Stephen steps behind the Genius Bar (or into the Genius Grove, as it were) to provide tips for troubleshooting Macs, iOS devices and iCloud. Then, we talk about the new 16-inch MacBook Pro and how someone should prioritize features when buying a new computer.

This episode of Mac Power Users is sponsored by:

  • SaneBox: Stop drowning in email!

  • The Omni Group: We’re passionate about productivity for Mac, iPhone and iPad.

  • Away: Thoughtful luggage for modern travel. Get $20 off a suitcase with promo code mpu.

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

Give Yourself the Gift of Automation with TextExpander

Today people are starting to think about holiday gifts but why don’t you give yourself a gift this year. The gift of automation. One of the easiest ways to get started with automation is by getting TextExpander installed on your Mac, iPad, and iPhone. TextExpander is a text replacement tool and so much more. With TextExpander, 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, “2019-11-29 08:12”. If I need to put the full date in a letter, I just type “fdate” and TextExpander puts in the current date, like this, “November 29, 2019”.

But TextExpander goes much 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’ve done so much with TextExpander over the years that I even have a page of snippets I’ve created that you can download ranging from movie to reviews to conference calls. 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.

Some Nice Black Friday Deals

I’ve stumbled across several Black Friday deals that I think MacSparky readers may like:

There is a lot more out there but these are the ones that stood out to me.

Digging the Cellular Apple Watch

I’m on vacation this week (Aloha!) and as a result, spending a lot of my time doing things – like swimming in the ocean and jumping out of airplanes – that aren’t very friendly to iPhones.
This week I’ve come to appreciate the cellular radio in my Apple Watch. I initially bought it because I do lots of hikes and bike rides without a phone and wanted something that could give me a life-line “just in case”. It occurs to me this week, however, that the cellular Apple Watch is also useful if you just lead an active life.

With the cellular radio, I’ve been able to call my wife while snorkeling, text her from the plane right before I did my first skydive, and generally stay in contact with the rest of the world when otherwise I wouldn’t be able to.

While I still think the number one use case scenario for the cellular watch is for emergencies, I would add “a connection for an active life” as number two.

A Follow Up Point about Battery Life

Somewhat related, the series 5 Apple Watch started out with some significant battery issues that got better with recent software updates. However, using it to track extended ocean swims and hitting that cellular radio have been destroying my battery. With me starting most days at 7 AM, twice now I’ve had it go into low power mode by the end of the day. At this point, I’ve got a new habit that when I take an afternoon nap (it is a vacation after all), the watch goes on the charger.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to my geek family. In the United States, we all like to take a moment on this day (between eating turkey and taking naps) to reflect on things we are thankful for. My friends in this community are very high on my list. I wish you and yours the best today.