Building a Handwritten Text Converter with AI

Thus far in my life, my chicken scratch handwriting has defied all attempts at optical character recognition. This is one case where artificial intelligence comes to the rescue. In this video, I demonstrate how to build a custom AI engine using Claude (it would work with any major LLM) as a machine for converting my handwritten daily logs into text for importing into Day One.… This is a post for the MacSparky Labs Pathfinder and Insider members. Care to join? If you’re already a member, you can log in here.

September in the MacSparky Labs

We had a lot of fun in September in the MacSparky Labs. September 2025 highlights include various posts such as editing photos with Google Gemini, the Lab Report updates, a book club meeting, and events focused on digital minimalism and dictation technology. Key activities also feature video releases and member-exclusive content.

Here’s what took place in the Labs for the month of September 2025:

  • 2025-09-30 – Editing Photos with Google Gemini (M,I,P)
  • 2025-09-26 – The Lab Report for September 26, 2025 (M,I,P)
  • 2025-09-26 – Labs September Meetup (Media Release) (I,P)
  • 2025-09-25 – Vote Now: MacSparky Labs Book Club – Apple Books Edition (M,I,P)
  • 2025-09-25 – Editing Photos with Google Gemini (M,I,P)
  • 2025-09-25 – Book Club 004 – Liminal Thinking (Podcast Release) (M,I,P)
  • 2025-09-19 – The Lab Report for September 19, 2025 (M,I,P)
  • 2025-09-18 – Deep Dive – Digital Minimalism in 2025 (Event) (P)
  • 2025-09-18 – Using Karabiner-Elements with Your Magic Keyboard (I,P)
  • 2025-09-17 – Book Club: Liminal Thinking Meetup (M,I,P)
  • 2025-09-16 – Dictation Shoot-out 2025 (M,I,P)
  • 2025-09-12 – Labs September Meetup (Event) (I,P)
  • 2025-09-12 – The Lab Report for September 12, 2025 (Podcast) (M,I,P)
  • 2025-09-10 – Keyboard Maestro Text Cleaner Macro (And a Surprise Ending) (Video) (I,P)
  • 2025-09-08 – Tot 2.0 is Here (Video) (M,I,P)
  • 2025-09-05 – The Lab Report for September 5, 202 (M,I,P)
  • 2025-09-04 – Soft Block Scheduling (Video Release to Members and Insiders) (M,I)
  • 2025-09-03 – August Deep Dive – Using Freeform (Video Release) (P)
  • 2025-09-02 – Friends of Dave – Thomas Vander Wal (I,P)
  • 2025-09-02 – Last Month in The Labs Posts (M,I,P)

If you’d like to be a part of the MacSparky Labs, you can get more information and join right here.

Now Page Update

I’ve been real busy lately on the next Field Guide, and as a result, I have been negligent in updating my Now page. This morning I gave it a full update with some of my most recent MacSparky interests, along with what’s going on in the wood shop and in the garden. 

Hopes for Apple MCP Support

In the latest betas out of Apple, we’re beginning to see hooks in place for future implementation of model context protocol (MCP) on the Apple platforms. MCP is a protocol originally engineered by Anthropic, making it easy to connect your LLM of choice to your favorite software of choice.

I’m currently experimenting with MCP connections between Claude and Notion and OmniFocus. It has really been transformative for my use of artificial intelligence to do what I like to lovingly call “donkey work”.

For example, I had it set up a database for me in Notion with a list of all the recent Apple events and then go find YouTube links for the individual event to add to a field in the database. This is work I could have done myself but desperately wanted to avoid. Having the robot do it in the background is exactly the kind of use of AI that gets my blessing.

Bringing this back to Apple, MCP connections between Apple’s productivity apps and a more powerful LLM could become quite useful if implemented in a way that users can trust. This also indicates Apple is more willing to go outside of its own sandbox to give users AI assistance on their platforms. If done with intentionality by Apple, I would love to see this become a reality.

Listen Later: Get Your Articles as Podcasts (Sponsor)

This week, MacSparky is pleased to welcome back Listen Later as a sponsor. Listen Later is a service that transforms articles, emails, and PDFs into personalized podcast episodes using their advanced AI narrator. This allows you to listen to your reading list during commutes, workouts, or any time you’re on the go.

This service really scratches an itch for me. There is so much good long-form content out there these days and consuming it while washing the dishes, walking the dog, or on a long commute is very satisfying.

Their AI not only narrates but brings life to the content with a quality that stands out among AI voices. You can access your personalized podcast episodes on all devices through any podcast app, ensuring you stay connected with your preferred content anytime and anywhere.

Beyond articles, Listen Later can also convert emails and PDFs into podcasts, making it perfect for transforming work documents, newsletters, or any textual content into listenable formats. Additionally, Listen Later can translate content into multiple languages, making global content accessible and enjoyable in your preferred language.

Sign up for the service today, and you’ll receive $2 of free credit, providing an easy way to try it out for yourself at no risk. Experience the convenience of turning your reading list into a personalized podcast with Listen Later.

Mac Power Users 816: iOS & iPadOS 26

iOS and iPadOS 26 bring many changes, including Liquid Glass, updated first-party apps, and new multitasking features for iPad users. On this episode of Mac Power Users, Stephen and I talk through these changes and share impressions of Apple’s latest iPhones, AirPods, and Watches.

This episode of Mac Power Users is sponsored by:

  • Ecamm: Powerful live streaming platform for Mac. Get one month free.
  • 1Password: Never forget a password again.

The Reason for the iPhone Air

I’ve heard from a lot of people questioning why the iPhone Air exists. This is common from power users when Apple releases a niche product. In my mind, there are several good reasons why the iPhone Air exists.

1. There are a substantial number of people who want the lightest and smallest iPhone they can get their hands on. Those people are not as concerned with battery life and camera quality as they are with weight, and now there is an iPhone just for them. Just because it’s not for you (or me) doesn’t mean that there isn’t a market for it. While the iPhone Air doesn’t qualify as the smallest, it certainly qualifies as the lightest. Those people are not normally power users, but their money is as good as anybody else’s, and I’m sure Apple is happy to take it to give them what they want.

2. This phone gives Apple the ability to experiment with making the thinnest possible iPhone at scale. That’s an important skill to master because…

3. Apple absolutely wants to make a folding iPhone, and a lot of the technologies they use to make the iPhone Air that thin are going to transfer into that folding iPhone next year.