News broke this week that Perplexity AI is in talks to integrate its assistant directly into Samsung and Motorola phones. What’s especially interesting here is how this upends the usual Android assistant narrative. Google has been baking Gemini into Android with increasing urgency, and…
Continue reading →Black Boxes and Bad Habits
I had to chuckle when I read this Verge article about Meta’s attorneys botching their document redactions during the FTC antitrust trial. Having spent three decades in the legal racket, it was shocking to me how often lawyers (and their staff) were completely flummoxed…
Continue reading →Mac Power Users 793: Accurate, Not Boring
On this Mac Power Users feedback episode, Stephen and I revisit iCloud.com access and Advanced Data Protection, make confessions about recent setup changes, and answer a bunch of listener questions. This episode of Mac Power Users is sponsored by: Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase…
Listen & read notes →Don’t Underestimate Apple’s Shot at On-Device Medical AI
There’s a rumor that Apple is working on an on-device medical AI. The idea is that your iPhone or Apple Watch could use its onboard silicon to privately analyze your health data and offer recommendations, without sending that sensitive information to the cloud. The…
Continue reading →The Mac’s Gaming Moment Still Isn’t Here
Quinn Nelson recently did a solid job of breaking down the launch of Assassin’s Creed Shadows on the Mac. If you’re not tracking these things, that’s a big deal: it’s a flagship AAA game that released on the Mac the same day as on…
Continue reading →Framous: The Ultimate Screenshot Framing App for Apple Devices
Charlie Chapman, the developer behind Dark Noise — the white noise generator I use constantly — is back with a another Mac application that feels custom-tailored for me. It’s called Framous, and it allows you to take screenshots on your Apple devices and elegantly…
Continue reading →Talking Tech with Two Teachers
I recently joined Tony and Charles on the Two Teachers Talking Podcast to talk about my winding road from engineer to lawyer to full-time Mac nerd. We dug into how I teach tech, the tools I love for helping others learn, and how technology can better…
Listen & read notes →Direct Mail: Email Marketing That Feels at Home on Your Mac (Sponsor)
I’m pleased to welcome a new sponsor to MacSparky, Direct Mail for Mac. If you run a business, a side hustle, a podcast, or just want to stay in touch with a community, you know how important great email marketing can be. The brand-new Version…
Continue reading →Mac Power Users 792: Where Automation Meets Intention, with Kim Caloca-Madden
Kim Caloca-Madden joins Mac Power Users to talk with Stephen and me about her online business supporting other entrepreneurs and companies, and how automation and AI make her more efficient at her tasks. This episode of Mac Power Users is sponsored by: 1Password: Never forget a…
Listen & read notes →Apple Dodges Another Bullet
Over the weekend, we learned that smartphones and computers are now exempt from the latest tariffs. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confirmed that smartphones, computer monitors, and various electronic components are among the exempted items. This means Apple has dodged another bullet —…
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