NotebookLM Plus

One of my most successful experiments with artificial intelligence has been with Google’s NotebookLM product. While preparing the update to the Productivity Field Guide, I fed it everything from the prior version, plus transcripts from about 50 videos I recorded, as well as twelve webinars. I also included my research notes prepared for the 2025 edition. This effectively created an AI trained on my own material.

I could then ask it questions that sometimes — though not always —returned insightful answers. This proved to be a valuable resource in completing the 2025 edition, and I believe the final product is better because of it.

Initially, my biggest limitation was the 50-resource cap in NotebookLM. That’s changed now. With a Google One AI Premium account ($20 monthly), you can access NotebookLM Plus, allowing up to 500 separate notebooks and 300 resources per notebook. While I’m comfortable with ChatGPT and Claude, I’m still exploring Google’s Gemini. However, these expanded resource limits in Notebook LM are exactly the kick in the pants I needed to dive deeper.

Apple’s Luxo

official poster of pixar animations studios with Luxo taking the place of the "i" in Pixar.

If you’ve ever watched a Pixar movie, you’re familiar with that cute little table lamp that bounces onto the screen as part of the Pixar logo. Given the extensive cross-pollination between Pixar and Apple, it doesn’t surprise me in the least that the Apple robotics team has built their own version of Luxo.

In a recent video, Apple demonstrates a robotic lamp with several innovative features. It follows your hand gestures and even tracks your book on the table to provide light where it’s needed most. Watch the lamp’s motion closely, and you’ll see that whimsy is deliberately built into its design.

All of this makes me wonder about the rumored wake-up call for Apple home products. Is Apple finally ready to extend itself into making innovative products for our homes and home automation? There are signs pointing to “yes” for the first time in a long time.

Amazon is Tightening the Screws on Kindle Books

Amazon is set to disable the “Download & Transfer via USB” feature for e-books starting February 26, 2025. You can get the full scoop at The Verge. If you feel like buying an ebook should include the ability to download said ebook, it’s time to start looking for alternatives.

Currently, Amazon allows users to download their purchased Kindle books to a computer and manually transfer them to a Kindle via USB. However, Amazon has decided to remove this option, requiring all Kindle books to be delivered directly to a WiFi-enabled Kindle through Amazon’s cloud service.

There is something about this that stinks to me. I pay for the books. I feel like I should be able to download them. I’ve bought hundreds of books from Amazon over the years and this push toward cloud-based model data control feels like crossing a line. Maybe this is a thing with me and I should have realized that I was only purchasing a “license” to read the books instead of “ownership” of the books all along.

Regardless, I’m now looking at alternatives.

Mac Power Users 784: Exploring AI & Productivity, with Michael Hyatt 

Michael Hyatt returns to talk with Stephen and me on this episode of Mac Power Users about the various tools in ChatGPT, including the ability to build custom GPTs. Michael also shares about some of his other favorite AI-powered tools, and some of his concerns about the future of AI.

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.
  • NetSuite: The leading integrated cloud business software suite.
  • Google Gemini: Supercharge your creativity and productivity.

The UK’s Encryption Backdoor and Apple’s Privacy Crossroads

For a long time, I felt it was only a matter of time before some nation called Apple’s bluff on iOS security and demanded a secret backdoor into user data. While the United States has made several threats over the years without following through, it appears the United Kingdom has now mandated access to end-to-end encrypted data, complete with a gag order preventing Apple from disclosing this fact. Apple hasn’t addressed this publicly, and it’s unclear whether they’ve taken any action to comply. My guess is that Apple will initially appeal and contest this order as far as they can take it.

If the UK is serious about this, Apple faces a real challenge. The thing about secret backdoors is that they never remain secret for long. The system is either secure or it isn’t, and adding a backdoor firmly places it in that second category. Moreover, I expect the act of adding a backdoor would jeopardize the European Union privacy compliance requirements.

This is a big deal for both Apple and us consumers. If the United Kingdom really presses this point, I could see Apple deciding to stop selling iPhones there altogether. If they do capitulate, you can expect every country to demand its own method of accessing end-to-end encrypted data. And any hope of user privacy will vanish. To add to our frustration, the existence of the gag order makes public discourse on this opaque demand difficult.