OmniFocus 3 and the Next OmniFocus VFG

The Omni Group has been hard at work on OmniFocus, version 3, for some time now. The new version is going to include a lot of new features, including tags, manual sorting, better notifications, and more. It’s a big update, along with visual changes, and a bunch more.

I’m already setting up the OmniFocus Video Field Guide, version 3. It’s going to release with (or shortly after) OmniFocus, version 3. It’s a big project and it is going to be a new purchase. Anyone who buys the current version of the OmniFocus VFG in 2018 will get a free version of the new edition. Now let me get back to work on this outline …

Apple Clarifies HomePod Audio Sources

Apple has updated the HomePod Tech Specs Page with Audio Sources


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  • Apple Music
  • iTunes Music Purchases
  • iCloud Music Library with an Apple Music or iTunes Match subscription
  • Beats 1 Live Radio
  • Podcasts
  • AirPlay other content to HomePod from iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple TV, and Mac

A lot of people were questioning whether or not it would play iTunes Music Purchases and the iTunes Match music library. I’m glad it does. I suspect the reference to “Podcasts” will just be those through Apple’s native Podcasts app. If I’m going to want to stream Overcast or Thunderscape to the HomePod, I’ll need AirPlay.

The biggest question remaining in my mind is exactly how good the audio quality is for this new computer controlled speaker. I’ll find out in a week.

SetApp Success

SetApp, the Netflix for Mac Apps service, is celebrating its first year. In doing so, they posted a remarkable amount of data about the service, which now has 107 apps available. The $9.99/month service gives users unlimited access to all 107 apps along with updates. I’ve been using the service since the beginning and have discovered several useful apps in the process along with easing the upgrade process for a few old favorites. 

As the numbers increase, SetApp is earning $1.5M in annual recurring revenue. I’m betting this recurring revenue explains why they’ve been able to bring so many app developers on board. It’s giving them another way to monetize their work.

They’ve made the whole thing pretty easy to use, and I’d recommend giving SetApp a spin for a month or two if you like to check out new Mac Apps. There are some real gems in the SetApp library.

The HomePod as Speaker

Phil Schiller did an extended interview over at Sound and Vision. That choice of publication for the interview speaks loads about Apple’s point on the HomePod. It’s not a smart speaker to them as much as it is a good speaker. I like the way Apple appears to be sweating the details. From the interview, Schiller explains how the HomePod uses the motion sensor to recalibrate itself.

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“We wanted to make a speaker that sounds great no matter where you put it in your home. From the moment you plug in HomePod and start listening to music, it automatically and instantly senses its location in the room to take full advantage of the environment it’s in. The microphone array in HomePod listens to the reflection of the music off neighboring surfaces, senses where the bookshelf is, or if it’s in the corner of a room or against a wall, and then uses machine learning to understand what it’s hearing, interpret the sound, and adjust the audio. Using advanced software and the A8 chip, HomePod intelligently beams center vocals and direct energy away from the wall while reflecting the ambient reverb and back-up vocals against the wall for dispersion into the room. The end result is a wide soundstage with a feeling of spaciousness and depth. This entire process takes just seconds and it doesn’t stop with the initial setup. Every time you move HomePod, it uses the built-in accelerometer to detect a change in its location and continues to make sure the music sounds great and is consistent, wherever it’s placed. We’ve also done some great things to help minimize the audible side effects of compression artifacts by developing studio level dynamic processing to optimize for rich, clean bass even at loud volumes.”
— Phil Schiller

I’ve always felt there is a degree of snake oil salesmanship involved when talking about advanced technology in speakers. The question is, will normal listeners be able to tell a difference with all of this at work. We’ll find out soon enough with the HomePod shipping next week. I hope the HomePod is as good as Apple and some of the early access press are reporting.

Conquer the New Year with PDFpen – Sponsor


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This week MacSparky is sponsored by PDFpen, the get-it-done PDF application from Smile for Mac, iPad, and iPhone. Years ago I went all-in with PDFpen, and I haven’t looked back.

PDFpen is excellent for organizing documents in the new year. Split and combine PDF documents to send just the right things to your accountant or your lawyer. Fill in PDF forms, whether interactive or not. One power trick is to add page numbers so you can explain exactly why that new HomePod on page 42 is tax related.

If you’re sending documents with your social security number or other private data, PDFpen makes it easy to redact that data, so it doesn’t get passed around. PDFpen also automatically performs optical character recognition on PDFs the first time it opens them so you can search and highlight the documents.

If you use PDFpenPro you can even create PDF portfolios – collections of multiple PDFs and related files – to make the presentation of your year-end documents even easier. Your accountant will love you.

The bottom line is that PDFpen and PDFpenPro are great tools for managing all of that end of year business we all must deal with. This year get PDFpen on your side and see how much easier (and faster) the job gets. 

 

HomePod Goes on Sale Tonight


The Apple HomePod goes on sale tomorrow (presumably tonight at midnight PST). We’ve been hearing about Apple’s entry into the home speaker/voice-in-a-can business with the HomePod announcement at last years WWDC. There is a lot of “meh” in the community about this product. Fundamentally, the concern I’m hearing is that Apple is emphasizing this product as a speaker and a lot of people are more interest in the Siri voice-in-a-can product.

I’m getting one. I actually would like a nice speaker next to my computer on my desk and because I’m fully invested in iCloud the Siri integration, even if limited, will be nice. Another point for me is that it supports Apple Music, for which I’m a subscriber.

Whether the HomePod is a successful product or not is an open question. In my opinion, this first iteration is going to leave a lot of people wanting more. Apple isn’t going to jump in with both feet for third-party integrations. (Don’t believe, go looking for third-party watch faces on your three-year-old Apple Watch.) 

I do expect, however, for Apple to deliver on its promise of making the HomePod a very good speaker with some Siri integration. If the HomePod is going to get better, however, they’re going to need to do their thing and iterate.

The WaterField MacBook SleeveCase Review

For a few weeks last month I was a world traveler. While it is fun getting stamps on your passport and embarrassing your children while you try to converse with people in other languages, one concern I had for the trip was getting around with my technology.

I knew I needed to bring the MacBook. My problem was I didn’t have a bag for it. Before leaving, I picked up a WaterField MacBook SleeveCase. As computer cases go, this is fairly minimal. The bag is waxed canvas (they also have a version in ballistic nylon) with a nice padded pocket to hold your MacBook and a leather flap that velcros down to keep your Mac solidly in place. I chose the waxed canvas SleeveCase with leather reinforcements. I’m pretty sure it is the same one Indiana Jones would carry if he needed such a thing.



I opted for the additional side clips and strap so I could wear it over my shoulder. I’m glad I did because I ended up carrying this computer bag everywhere.



The MacBook SleeveCases are designed to fit around the specific Apple laptop computers. They make them for all of the MacBooks ranging from the 12-inch MacBook to the 15-inch MacBook Pro. You can order the SleeveCase in either vertical or horizontal orientation. The bag is TSA approved, and I was able to put it through airport security without removing it from the SleeveCase.



The WaterField SleeveCase does not hold much except your computer and whatever you can fit in the side pocket. There is an optional piggyback case that lets you store more accessories and attaches to the case.



The thing I liked most about the WaterField SleeveCase is that it served two purposes. It’s robust enough with the strap that you can carry it around for the day with your Mac inside. However, if I needed to carry a backpack with more gear, the case is thin enough that I could slide it into my backpack where it served as a protective sleeve for the MacBook inside the backpack. WaterField makes laptop bags with more onboard storage, like the Staad Attaché and the Outback Solo, but I needed something that could either be worn independently or easily fit in my backpack when needed. It was this dual purpose that attracted me to the SleeveCase in the first place.

Like all other WaterField products, the SleeveCase is gorgeous. At one point during the trip my teenage daughter said to me, “Dad, I like your computer bag.” That’s right. The bag received a compliment …  from a teenager! Somewhere at that moment an angel received its wings.

All WaterField products are made in San Francisco and built to last. I’ve been buying products from them for ten years, and I don’t see myself stopping anytime soon. 

The Email Diet


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With the start of a new year, I’m looking at new workflows, this year even more than usual. I’m disappointed that my latest iBook didn’t get released last year and am now looking for ways to get rid of some of the obstacles that got in my way.

One of the biggest obstacles is email. Because I’m “out there”, I get a lot of email. I particularly like reading and replying to email from listeners and readers. Indeed, I think I like it too much. I can start replying to MacSparky email and then look up to find that three hours just disappeared from the day. Moreover, I realized that I had turned my self-image about replying to most of my email into a liability. If I want to get a book released, I simply can’t do that anymore.

To combat that, I have now put myself on a strict email diet. I’ve set aside 30 minutes a day to process email. That’s it. Within 30 minutes I can always deal with the most urgent and some of the not-so-urgent email sitting in my box. I cannot, however, deal with all email. Every day I give it 30 minutes, and then I get back to work. I realize this isn’t ideal, but it’s a lot better than letting email take over my life.

At this point, I’m considering this an experiment, not a permanent practice. I’m just a few weeks in, but I already see benefits of this email diet. Over the long term, I realize this means I’m not going to be able to answer every email that comes to me. That may just end up being the way things are. If I have to choose between being a guy who no longer publishes books or a guy who doesn’t reply to every single email he receives, I think I know which one I would prefer.