"I love MacSparky - Get More Productive with Your Apple Gear"

2022-05-12 18:07:41

Join The MacSparky Labs for Insider Access AboutBlogField GuidesMacSparky LabsJoinSign inLevel 1 – Supporter ContentLevel 2 – Backstage ContentLevel 3 – Early Access ContentPodcastsNewsletterMoreRSSMacSparky YoutubeSpeakingStudioHome ScreensSponsorshipDisclosureDisneyland Field Guide Taking Screenshots with the Mac’s Built-in Tools (MacSparky Labs)posted in backstage, early access, macsparky labs, screenshots, supporteronMay 12, 2022As part of my ongoing task manager survey, there’s a new simple task list / focus app called Bento and I’m trying it out. The app is pretty and functional so long as your task list isn’t too big or complex. Still, I dig the way they got the little details right and can see a lot of people using Bento. Here’s an app walkthrough and discussion…This is a post for MacSparky Labs Level 3 (Early Access) and Level 2 (Backstage) Members only. Care to join? Or perhaps do you need to sign in?Some Speculation on the Future Mac Proposted in apple silicon, mac proonMay 11, 2022As we lead up to WWDC and look at the current state of the Apple Silicon-based Macs, I can’t help but wonder what’s left for the Mac Pro. The thing that has me scratching my head is the extraordinary power of the Mac Studio. If you get a fully loaded Mac Studio, you’re getting one hell of a computer. The M1 Ultra, with all the bells and whistles, can keep up with the most expensive currently selling Mac Pro at a quarter of the price. So what is Apple going to do with the Mac Pro?I think the new Mac pro will definitely be more expandable than any existing Apple Silicon Mac and likely be more powerful than any existing Apple Silicon Mac. I also think it will have a corresponding price tag. Let me explain further.ExpandabilityThere are a group of people inside Apple known as the Pro User Group. They all make their living doing creative work with Macs, but they also work for Apple as very knowledgeable lab rats. They provide feedback for future hardware and software. I believe this group of insiders explains why the new MacBook Pro is so much more suited to pro users than its predecessor. I also think this group explains why the currently shipping Mac Pro does such an excellent job of supporting external cards and other bits of bolt-on technology that professionals need at the highest end.I was lucky enough to get invited to Apple’s big unveiling of the currently shipping Mac Pro at WWDC a few years ago. At one point, they brought us into a series of rooms populated by some of these pro users. They were doing things like 3-D rendering, 8K movie editing, high-end sound work and video scoring, and many other creative endeavors that often lead people to buy Mac Pros. All of them were using specialized equipment inside their Mac Pros to get their work done.One conversation that stands out to me was with one of the pro users that spends time writing music for motion pictures. When writing music for a movie, you need an extensive library of musical instrument samples. The current technology for that involves large and processor intensive sound samples for each note of each instrument sample, some of which have multiple versions, like the plucking of a violin versus the bowing of a violin. Now multiply that times every instrument you could need when creating a music score for a motion picture.The creative professional explained that historically he would pull this off by having multiple computers chained together. As he explained it, his needs were a very powerful central computer supported by specialized expansion cards. Where historically, he was doing this with a collection of lesser computers, he was able to do the whole project with one Mac Pro.This was a common theme among the creative professionals. They all had some specialized card or peripheral they needed to get their work done. Thus far, with Apple Silicon, we’ve got a series of increasingly powerful Macs, but none of them have the external peripheral support that these pros require.Apple’s Pro User Group is still inside Apple and presumably still explaining how important it is to have this kind of expandability in a professional workstation. While the Mac Studio may be crazy powerful, it will not hold all of your violin sample cards.So getting back to the new Mac Pro, I think this sort of expandability will be table stakes. Moreover, I think Apple understands that. I don’t know if the new Mac Pro will be as expandable as a currently shipping Mac Pro, but I expect it to accommodate Pros’ specialized hardware.Compute PowerCompute power seems a little murkier. I could see an expandable Mac driven by something in the neighborhood of an M1 Ultra chip making the new Mac Pro, essentially, a Mac Studio Ultra + Expandability. But if I had to bet a nickel, I’d say that’s not the case. I think Apple will find some way to get a lot more compute power (Double the M1 Ultra?) from the new Mac Pro’s Apple Silicon. So the new Mac Pro would be something an order of magnitude more powerful than the Mac Studio and expandable.PriceI think the Mac Pro will be a computer with all the stops pulled out. And by all the stops I don’t just mean the hardware, I also mean the price. The existence of the Mac Studio gives Apple the ability to make a Mac Pro with a shocking amount of power and a shocking price to go with it. This will not be a computer you buy just because you like to have the latest and greatest. The people who want a computer like that will buy a Mac Studio. I expect the Mac Pro is going to be for serious professionals that will have no problem dropping tens of thousands of dollars on a computer for them to do their work better and faster.Adding the Mac Studio to the line gives Apple a lot more room at the highest end. The new Mac Pro will not be a computer that most people need or can afford (myself included). But I do expect it to be a rocket ship, and the people who need that kind of rocket ship power and are willing to pay rocket ship prices will get a genuinely remarkable Mac. This is all speculation, but it seems to me like the stars have aligned for just this type of Mac.When will we see it? Who knows, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Apple shares some details about the new Mac Pro at WWDC in a month.Still locked in your email all day? There is a better solution for that!  (Sponsor)posted in sponsoronMay 11, 2022Daylite is more than just a CRM app for small businesses. Its Productivity capability is what sets Daylite apart from other web-based competitors. Here is an example of one of Daylite’s unique features – Daylite Mail Assistant (DMA). Direct Apple Mail integration allows you to take action from your inbox and be more productive. Instead of drowning in emails all day, you and your team can capture all email communication, clear out your inbox and stay on top of the next steps. Save emails related to clients, appointments, and tasks, so you have a full history of conversations in one place. Plus, you can create tasks in Daylite right from Apple Mail.DMA automatically scans the email addresses in the “To” and “Cc” fields. If the person is a prospect and there is no prior correspondence, with two clicks, you and your team can store that first email as a piece of history in the Daylite database. DMA then searches for additional contacts or objects associated with that prospect. If another person at the prospect’s firm has been in contact about your offer and been identified as an open Opportunity in Daylite, that Opportunity and its related history will appear, allowing you to link it to the most recent prospect. DMA can also display upcoming Tasks and Appointments with prospects and customers and add new ones if required, providing a handle on deliverables to anyone for your business who needs to know. DMA is only one of the many productivity-boosting power features that thousands of Mac-based small businesses couldn’t do without. To learn more about how Daylite, the made-for-Mac, iPhone & iPad CRM and productivity app, has become a game-changer for Mac-based small businesses. Learn more here.Focused 151: The Bento Method, with Francesco D’Alessioposted in focusedonMay 11, 2022Francesco D’Alessio joins Mike and me on this episode of Focused to talk about the state of productivity apps, picking the right tools, and his new app, Bento.This episode of Focused is sponsored by:Kolide: Endpoint Security Powered by People. Try Kolide for 14 days free; no credit card required.Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code FOCUSED at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.Indeed: Get a free $75 credit to upgrade your job post.Early Access for the Shortcuts for Mac Field Guide (MacSparky Labs)posted in early access, field guides, macsparky labs, shortcutsonMay 10, 2022I’m happy to announce the early release of the Shortcuts for Mac Field Guide for MacSparky Labs Early Access members only. With Early Access, you get to see the Field Guide as it works through the final stages of getting built and prepared for release… This is a post for MacSparky Labs Level 3 (Early Access) Members only. Care to join? Or perhaps do you need to sign in?The May Virtual Meetup (MacSparky Labs)posted in backstage, early access, macsparky labs, virtual meetuponMay 9, 2022Over the weekend we had the MacSparky Labs Virtual Meetup. This one took place on Saturday, May 7, 2022. Topics include:0:00 Warming Up and New Mac Studios7:19 Docks and Cables18:14 Spending Bruce’s Money33:31 WWDC Hopes and Dreams46:46 Protecting Doc’s Whiskey50:07 Developer Wishes for WWDC51:20 The New Mac Pro56:42 WWDC Surprises …This is a post for MacSparky Labs Level 3 (Early Access) and Level 2 (Backstage) Members only. Care to join? Or perhaps do you need to sign in?Mac Power Users 639: Software Club: Greg Pierce and Draftsposted in mac power usersonMay 9, 2022In the inaugural meeting of the Software Club, Stephen and I talk about Drafts and our use of the application. Then, we are joined by Drafts developer Greg Pierce to talk about the app’s community of users, its 10th anniversary, and how Greg uses Drafts himself.This episode of Mac Power Users is sponsored by:SaneBox: Stop drowning in email!TextExpander: Get 20% off with this link and type more with less effort! Expand short abbreviations into longer bits of text, even fill-ins, with TextExpander.Fitbod: Get stronger, faster with a fitness plan that fits you. Get 25% off your membership.Electric: Unbury yourself from IT tasks. Get a free pair of Beats Solo3 Wireless Headphones when you schedule a meeting.Automators 101: Red Sweaters and AppleScript Fun with Daniel Jalkutposted in automatorsonMay 6, 2022In this episode Automators, Rosemary and I are joined by Daniel Jalkut, the man in the red sweater behind FastScripts, MarsEdit, and the Core Intuition podcast. Together, we ponder the future of AppleScript, the restaurant at the end of the universe, and just how fast is a script.This episode of Automators is sponsored by:TextExpander: Your Shortcut to Efficient, Consistent Communication. Get 20% off.Hunter Douglas: Take advantage of generous rebate savings opportunities on select styles.DEVONthink: Get Organized — Unleash Your Creativity. Use this link for 10% off.The MacSparky Labs Report (MacSparky Labs)posted in backstage, early access, labs report, macsparky labs, supporteronMay 6, 2022Today the latest episode of the MacSparky Labs Report Podcast was published. Topics include Apple trade-in prices, MacBook Pro availability, the Studio Display, the Camo App, Apple cable pricing, digital books, macOS, and … of course … Star Wars …This is a post for MacSparky Labs Members only. Care to join? Or perhaps do you need to sign in?Get It Together with Timing (Sponsor)posted in sponsoronMay 6, 2022https://timingapp.com/screens/videos/add_task.mp4This week MacSparky issponsored by Timing. Timing is a time tracking app that automatically records your time and then reviews it later.Making positive changes in your life requires good data. How much time are you spending doing your work versus planning your work? How much time do you sink into YouTube, Amazon, and the like on an average day? You might think you know these things, but until you run accurate timers, you really don’t know.That’s where Timing comes in. With Timing, you instantly see how you are spending your time so you can work more productively and make smarter decisions about how to spend your time.The Timing app makes recording and reviewing your time easy with automatic tracking and a simple interface for adding details about what you did each day so you can see how much time was focused on each task. In addition, you can use Timing to share projects and times across your teamwhile preserving each team member’s privacy.I use Timing for my time tracking because the data is so good, and catching up is easy. Some days I may forget to log time, but it is trivial for me to tell exactly when I finished one thing and moved on to another with all the Timing data. Want to hear more about how I time track? We covered that on a recent Mac Power Users episode.I run Timing on my Mac every day, and you should too.I even made somescreencasts on how I use Timing. Download the free 14-day trial todayand get 10% off for the first year!← Older posts