Speaking of insightful takes, Dallas Taylor understands audio and got hands on with the new AirPods Pro 3. He’s impressed.
DEVONthink – Your Research Command Center (Sponsor)
One question I frequently get from MacSparky readers and MPU listeners is: “What’s the best tool for managing research on the Mac?” My answer is always DEVONthink, and this week I’m happy to have them as a sponsor.
Let me tell you about my favorite new feature: the Mentions inspector. Think of it as your digital librarian that automatically discovers connections in your research. When you select a document, Mentions shows you everywhere its title appears across your database, complete with context. I’ve found this invaluable for uncovering relationships in my research that I didn’t even know existed.
But that’s just scratching the surface. Here’s what makes DEVONthink my go-to research tool:
- Its AI engine learns how you organize and helps file new documents
- A powerful search language that lets you construct precise queries
- Rock-solid sync across devices with end-to-end encryption
- Smart rules and reminders to automate your workflow
- Rich AppleScript support for deep automation (I use this constantly)
The DEVONthink team keeps pushing the envelope with thoughtful improvements. Recent updates have brought enhanced PDF annotation, seamless Evernote import capabilities, and expanded Markdown support. This continuous evolution is why DEVONthink remains central to my research workflow.
If you’re looking to level up your research game, DEVONthink is offering MacSparky readers a 20% discount. It’s the tool I trust with my own research, and I think you’ll find it just as indispensable.
Tyler Stalman on Photography with iPhone 17
One of the big selling points for the new iPhone every year is camera improvements. Tyler Stalman is a professional photographer/videographer. He has an insightful look at exactly what this year’s improvements mean for iPhone photographers.
Focused 238: Knitting Our Parachutes
On this episode of Focused, Mike and I catch up on listener feedback, including how to say no more often, deep vs. shallow work, and when to abandon a focus area. Also, I made an app?!?
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
- Nexos.ai: All-in-one AI platform for enterprises. Get a 14 day free trial now.
- Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code FOCUSED.
- Incogni: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code FOCUSED with this link and get 60% off an annual plan.
- HelloFresh: Get 10 Free Meals + a Free Item for Life!
Mac Power Users 814: The iPhone 17 Event
Just hours after Apple’s iPhone event, Stephen and I gathered our notes and thoughts to discuss the company’s latest hardware on Mac Power Users.
This episode of Mac Power Users is sponsored by:
- 1Password: Never forget a password again.
- Ecamm: Powerful live streaming platform for Mac. Get one month free.
- Steamclock: We make great apps. Design and development, from demos to details.
Keyboard Maestro Text Cleaner Macro (And a Surprise Ending)
Well, here I go once again tilting at windmills. Enjoy this macro where I show you how I cleaned up some text before sending it to 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.
Tot 2.0 is Here
The Opal C1 Webcam is meant to be the webcam everybody actually wants to use. It\’s got tons of software features and a better lens system than anything you\’d find in most (all?) other webcams. It\’s time for me to kick the tires…
This is a post for MacSparky Labs Tier 2 (Backstage) and Tier 3 (Early Access) Members only. Care to join? Or perhaps do you need to sign in?
About that Rumored Orange iPhone Pro

For years I’ve been bemoaning Apple’s failure to use interesting non-muted colors on the iPhone Pro. It appears this year Apple may be calling my bluff with an orange iPhone Pro. Orange!
If true, it will be hard to put that beauty in a case.
Mac Power Users 813: Spending All Our Time Saving Things
On this Mac Power Users feedback episode, Stephen and I talk about backing up iCloud data, read-it-later services, automation trigger conflicts, travel tech, converting Markdown, the No List, and a lot more.
This episode of Mac Power Users is sponsored by:
- 1Password: Never forget a password again.
- Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code MPU.
Democratizing CarPlay Ultra
CarPlay Ultra barely exists at this point in the $200K Aston Martin. The latest rumor has Hyundai putting it in the upcoming (and affordable) $35,000 Hyundai Ioniq 3.
We own the Kia EV6, which is somewhat adjacent to the Hyundai EV’s and the second screen in those cars will be ideal for something like CarPlay Ultra. Moreover, I’ve spent time looking at the Hyundai dashes and I’m certain anything Apple does will be far superior.
While I don’t expect CarPlay Ultra to become as popular as vanilla CarPlay, I hope it gets used enough to remain viable. Car makers are generally pretty terrible at UI.