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.
Going Deep on Disneyland
Baptism By Fire in the App Store
So, it turns out there was a bug in the initial No List app code causing some users to lose entries. So the one-star reviews came pouring in. I do find that the more time I spend on this hobby project, the more empathy I have for my app developer friends. Either way, version 1.1 fixes the memory bug and you should be good to go now with The No List.
The Lab Report for September 5, 2025
The Lab Report is my weekly podcast exclusively for the MacSparky Labs members.
Would you like to join? If you’re already a member, you can log in here.
August in the MacSparky Labs
August was a busy month in the MacSparky Labs, with members diving deep into productivity workflows and Apple’s latest features. We spent considerable time exploring Apple Reminders, including a dedicated deep dive session and hands-on videos covering the new quick capture features in iOS 26.
The monthly book club continued with our exploration of “Tiny Experiments,” while our regular Jam Sessions tackled career discussions—a topic that clearly resonated with the community. Members also got early access to beta experiences and explored creative uses for familiar apps like Voice Memos for transcription and Apple’s Journal app on iPadOS.
Beyond the Apple ecosystem, we experimented with AI tools like ChatGPT and Image Playground, tested alternative browsers like Dia, and even discussed unconventional productivity approaches like using glass boards for accountability.
The regular Lab Reports, meetups, and quarterly planning sessions kept everyone connected and focused on what’s working in their personal productivity systems. It’s exactly the kind of collaborative exploration that makes the Labs community special—taking both new releases and established tools and finding better ways to make them work for real people.
AUGUST
- 2025-08-29 – The Lab Report for August 29, 2025 (M,I,P)
- 2025-08-26 – Sparky Made an App (M,I,P)
- 2025-08-22 – MacSparky Labs Q&A (M,I,P)
- 2025-08-22 – Lab Report 2025-08-22 (Audio) (M,I,P)
- 2025-08-21 – August Deep Dive – Using Freeform (Event) (P)
- 2025-08-19 – The World’s Greatest USB-C Cable Tester (I,P)
- 2025-08-18 – August Meetup Summary (I,P)
- 2025-08-15 – August 6 Labs Meetup (Media Release) (I,P)
- 2025-08-15 – The Lab Report for August 15, 2025 (Podcast) (M,I,P)
- 2025-08-14 – A Look at ChatGPT 5 (Video) (M,I,P)
- 2025-08-13 – Screenshot Visual Search with iOS 26 (Video) (I,P)
- 2025-08-12 – Announce Book Club Winner and Set up Further Events (M,I,P)
- 2025-08-10 – Deep Dive – Using Apple Reminders (Video) (P)
- 2025-08-08 – Camera App in iOS 26 (Video) (M,I,P)
- 2025-08-08 – The Lab Report for August 8, 2025 (Podcast) (M,I,P)
- 2025-08-06 – Labs August Meetup (Event) (I,P)
- 2025-08-04 – Open a Folder From Anywhere (Video) (I,P)
- 2025-08-03 – I Don’t Own a Mac mini …
- 2025-08-01 – The Lab Report for August 1, 2025 (Podcast) (M,I,P)
- 2025-08-01 – The Limitations of Artificial Intelligence: A Late-Night Reality Check (M,I,P)
Legend:
M – Member; I – Insider; P – Pathfinder
Soft Block Scheduling (Special Deep Dive Release)
A few months ago I did a Deep Dive session on a soft block scheduling technique. I’ve had a lot of positive feedback from the Pathfinder members on this one, so I thought I’d share it with you.
… This is a post for MacSparky Labs Members only. Care to join? If you’re already a member, you can log in here.