Last Friday, I published my annual post referring to my Yule playlist. Attached to it was a cute picture of Santa Claus playing the saxophone. That image spurred a few questions about whether I used AI for it, and the answer is yes. For…
Continue reading →Kids and Social Media
It seems the world is waking up to the dangers of social media and minors, particularly algorithm-based social media. It is engineered to keep their attention, often to their detriment. The science has been heading this way for some time, but I feel like…
Continue reading →Sparky’s 2024 Apple Watch Buyer’s Guide
I’ve been wearing Apple Watches since day one, and the 2024 lineup is the most impressive yet. They make great holiday gifts, but here’s the thing: You don’t need to buy the most expensive model to get a great Apple Watch experience. Let’s break…
Continue reading →Mac Power Users 774: Answering Common Tech Support Questions
It’s that time of year again: when relatives come to the family get-together armed with tech questions. On this episode of Mac Power Users, Stephen and I tackle some of the most common issues asked around the dinner table. This episode of Mac Power Users is…
Listen & read notes →Is a Cellular MacBook Air With M4 Chip On the Horizon?
Chalk this one up to idle speculation, but the current rumor is that the iPhone SE releasing next spring will have an Apple cellular modem in it. Apple’s been working on building its own modem for years now and it seems like the project…
Continue reading →The Yule Playlist
It’s that time of year again. If you haven’t already subscribed to my Yule Playlist, you should check it out. I’ve been curating it for over a decade, and it’s full of excellent holiday music, primarily in the jazz genre. Over the years, I’ve received…
Continue reading →Get Organized with DEVONthink (Sponsor)
I often hear from listeners and readers looking for a research solution in the Mac ecosystem. My favorite app for this, without a doubt, is DEVONthink. DEVONthink is the most professional document and information management application for the Mac. It’s the one place for storing…
Continue reading →Focused 218: Turning Down the Volume, with Stephen Hackett
Stephen Hackett joins Mike and me on this episode of Focused to talk about his recent sabbatical experience and share what he learned from taking an extended break. This episode of Focused is sponsored by: Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or…
Listen & read notes →About that Rumored Apple Command Center
Rumors are percolating about Apple creating a home command center for launch next year. According to Mark Gurman, it’s roughly a six-inch square iPad that you hang on the wall, allowing you to control your HomeKit devices and other helpful home command center-y type work.…
Continue reading →Apple’s Too Conservative Approach to Text Intelligence
Apple is, understandably, taking a conservative approach to artificial intelligence. Nowhere is this more obvious and product-crippling than its text intelligence features. I am a fan of using AI for an edit pass on my words. Specifically, I’ve come to rely on Grammarly and…
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