Focused 231: Overwhelm, AI, and Life’s Balancing Acts

In this Focused feedback episode, Mike and I tackle listener questions about their use of AI, reset rituals, quitting books, and a variety of other focus-related topics.

This episode of Focused is sponsored by:

  • Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code FOCUSED.
  • TRMNL: Clarity, at a glance. Get $15 off for 1 week only.
  • Incogni: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code FOCUSED with this link and get 60% off an annual plan.

Easy and Powerful Audio Recording, with Piezo and Audio Hijack from Rogue Amoeba (Sponsor)

This week, my friends at Rogue Amoeba are back to sponsor MacSparky, and I want to spotlight two of their most popular apps: Piezo and Audio Hijack.

Piezo is the simplest way to record audio on your Mac. With its one-click interface, you can capture audio from any app or input device. It’s perfect for recording Zoom calls, streaming audio, or just making some quick voice notes. There’s no complicated setup: hit record and you’re set.

If you want even more power, Audio Hijack is the ultimate audio recording tool for Mac. Capture audio from any app or device on your Mac including the whole system audio, and apply real-time effects. You can schedule recordings for live streams, and even transcribe your audio. It’s all handled in a beautiful and intuitive design. Whether you’re a podcaster, teacher, or just want total control over your Mac’s audio, Audio Hijack has you covered.

I use Audio Hijack daily. My wife uses Piezo to record audio on her Mac. Not sure which to choose? Both apps offer free and fully functional trials, so you can try them out before you buy. And as a MacSparky reader, you can save 20% on these and any Rogue Amoeba purchase through the end of June. Just use coupon code SPARKYRECORDS on their online store.

My thanks to Rogue Amoeba for supporting MacSparky and making audio recording so easy.

Mac Power Users 799: The State of Apple, with Jason Snell

Jason Snell has been covering Apple since all the Macs it shipped were beige boxes. On this episode of Mac Power Users, he joins Stephen and me to discuss the company’s range of legal and technological issues that seem to be adding up rapidly.

This episode of Mac Power Users is sponsored by:

  • Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code MPU.
  • Indeed: Join more than 3.5 million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast.

Why the iPhone Air Might Actually Make Sense

It’s easy, as someone who writes about this stuff, to project our own preferences onto new products. And I’ll admit, I feel that pull strongly with the rumored iPhone Air.

As rumors continue to circulate about iPhone Air, a much thinner version of the iPhone that comes in at a higher price point than the entry-level model but not as powerful as the iPhone Pro, I can’t help but wonder: how big is the market for an expensive, skinny iPhone?

We’re now seeing mock-ups floating around, like this one on YouTube, as case manufacturers gear up. And yes, it’s definitely a lot thinner than the standard iPhone. But once you slap a case on it or even stick on an extra battery, you may very well end up holding something not noticeably different in hand from an iPhone Pro. Except now, it’s close to the Pro’s price without the Pro’s camera.

Maybe that’s the real inflection point: do you want a phone that’s slightly lighter, or one with a better camera? I suppose there’s a category of users who don’t take that many photos, or maybe never shoot video, and would gladly trade camera horsepower for something thinner and lighter.

The question (to which Apple should get an answer later this year) is exactly how many of those people are out there?