Many people have more PDFs and files than they’d like. This week on Mac Power Users, Stephen and I explore two great applications that make managing files more straightforward and efficient.
This episode of Mac Power Users is sponsored by:
I’m horrible at social media, but I’m pretty good at keeping my Now Page updated. I just did so this morning.
I want to explain a project I’ve been working on all year: An update to the Productivity Field Guide, due for release in January 2025.
I have to admit that it makes me a little nervous. I’m in the process of releasing the new Shortcuts for iPhone & iPad Field Guide (later this month!), and I’ve never released a new edition of an existing guide in just one year. But in the case of the new Productivity Field Guide, I think it is merited.
Having taught the course materials to many people over the past year ranging in age from 15 to 90, I’ve learned much about where the system gets hard for people and where the friction points are. Moreover, I’ve spent a lot of time researching the underlying principles of the system, and I’ve got additional thoughts about it. Perhaps the most crucial reason for the update is the messages and emails I’ve received from people who’ve gone through the course explaining how the ideas in the course changed their lives.
I can tell you that I’m always happy to release a new Field Guide and teach people how to master some element of their technology. This Productivity Field Guide, however, is different. In this course, I’m teaching you how to master your life. And if I’m being honest, at the end of the day, this course is probably where I will make the most significant impact with my life. So I’ve put a lot of wood behind the arrow on this one with this upcoming update.
Again, we’ll be running an extended webinar series. (Last year, it ran for 12 weeks!) There’ll be a lot of new material. But I wanted to give you a heads-up that this is coming down the pipe. The price will go up to reflect all the work I’ve put into this, but there will be a healthy discount for returning customers.
I can tell you my own relationship with productivity-style literature has always been somewhat skeptical. I don’t believe there’s some magic cure that will make you double the amount of your output or suddenly make a million dollars. Indeed, the only reason this guide exists is that I had to answer some tough questions for myself. I do, however, believe that in the modern world, it’s harder than ever to figure out what’s important and find a way to focus on that. We’re all here for just a limited amount of time, and if we’re going to make a dent, we should at least put that dent exactly where we want it. That’s ultimately my goal with this course: to help you figure out those things for which you resoundingly say yes, so that saying no to the other nonsense becomes easy.
Staying on top of your time is crucial–but it’s not always easy. Between juggling client work, creative projects, and the administrative overhead of running a business, time can slip through your fingers. That’s exactly why I’ve been so impressed with Timing. It’s a Mac app that automates time tracking, giving you a clear picture of how you’re actually spending your day.
Traditional time trackers force you to remember to click “start” at the beginning of a task and “stop” when you’re done. Forget to press that button? Your records become a patchwork of guesswork. Timing fixes that. It automatically records how long you spend in each app, document, and website–no manual input is required. The result is a richly detailed timeline of your day, presented in a way that’s intuitive and insightful.
Over time, Timing learns which activities belong to which projects. It uses intelligent rules and machine learning to categorize your work, so you can quickly see how your hours break down by client, project, or activity type. And when it’s time to invoice clients or measure project profitability, Timing’s reports practically build themselves. The app’s built-in reporting tools make it simple to generate clear, professional summaries you can trust.
Timing integrates with your Mac’s workflow without getting in the way. However, it is that you pay for your shoes and whatever apps you’re running, Timing runs quietly in the background, capturing the data you need. The app’s privacy features let you exclude sensitive activities, ensuring you’re only tracking what matters to you.
Timing helps you identify patterns you might never have noticed. Maybe you’re spending more time than you realize on email, or maybe your brainstorming sessions are shorter–but more frequent–than you’d think. Armed with this knowledge, you can make intentional adjustments: block out more time for deep focus, limit unproductive browsing, or optimize your meeting schedule.
If you’ve been frustrated by manual timers or unsure where your day really goes, give Timing a spin. It’s helped me better understand my workflow and given me the data I need to make meaningful improvements. Head over to Timing’s website to learn more, start a free trial, and see how much more productive (and confident) you can be with an accurate view of your time.
Thanks to Timing for sponsoring MacSparky this week!
Stephen Millard has been doing this wonderful project where he keeps all the Automators podcast episodes and resources in an Obsidian public vault. I felt awful telling him we were shutting the show down last month, but he has a plan for the maintenance of the vault going forward.
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 two years, I’ve been doing this post with an AI image of Santa playing the sax. Last year, the best I could do was a black-and-white illustration that was acceptable, but not cute.
This year, however, I upped my game. I have a one-month subscription to Magnific for a video I made for the MacSparky Labs. This is, by many accounts, the best AI image generator available. Although my testing and experience with it have been mixed, I must admit that it delivered (and then some) when it came to making a cute image of Santa playing the saxophone. I also note that it looks like Santa has a well-stocked bar in the background. It is remarkable how far this technology has come in just a year.
As an aside, I also gave it another prompt to make a cute image of Santa Playing a Yanagisawa tenor sax (I play a Yani.) It made a cute image, but it didn’t get the look of a Yanagisawa horn at all. I ended up using the above image instead because it’s so artistic (and shows Santa’s funny booze collection).
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 the tipping point was the recent release of The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt.
I talk to many educators in the MacSparky audience, and it seems all of them have read this book and are believers. California has passed a ban on using cell phones in schools. Australia is now considering banning social media used by kids outright. And it feels to me like things are just getting rolling.
The solution to this problem isn’t simply regulation, though. I think it’s going to require participation by all the major players. Governments need to set rules to put some limitations on the social media companies. There’s no way for-profit companies will put reasonable constraints on themselves.
I also think the hardware and platform owners need to play a role. One of the big challenges with regulation of social media and minors is figuring out whether the person signing up for the account is an actual minor. Setting a key or user age at the hardware level would make that much easier.
And most importantly, parents need to be involved. I’ve been talking to parents in my orbit and the reaction varies. Some people take it very seriously, and others don’t. The tipping point for me was the suicide rate among girls aged 10–14 skyrocketed 131% since the arrival of social media.
Finally, the 800-pound gorilla on the couch is that adults have a similar problem with social media, which none of this movement addresses.
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 this down into plain English and figure out which watch belongs on your wrist.
This is the Goldilocks watch — not too much, not too little, but just right for most users. This year it got a larger display, thinner and now it has sleep apnea detection as Apple continues to add more medical/health sensors.
What you get:
The sweet spot for: Most folks who want a great all-around Apple Watch without going overboard.
Remember when Apple used to run those “I’m a Mac” commercials? If they did that for Apple Watch, the Ultra 2 would be wearing hiking boots and a climbing harness. This thing is built like a tank, but a really smart, sophisticated tank.
The standout features:
The weird bit is that this watch is now over a year old. In some ways, the Apple Watch Series 10 is superior. It’s not clear yet but it may be that Apple only updates the Ultra model every few years only.
Perfect for: Outdoor enthusiasts, endurance athletes, and anyone who needs their watch to last more than a day. Also great if you just want the biggest, baddest Apple Watch out there.
Here’s the secret: the SE is probably all the Apple Watch most people need. It’s like getting 80% of the features for 50% of the price. No, you don’t get the fancy health sensors or Always-On display, but you do get a fantastic fitness tracker and notification machine.
What’s included:
Ideal for: First-time Apple Watch buyers, kids, or anyone who wants to save some cash without sacrificing the core experience.
After years of wearing various Apple Watches (and helping countless folks choose theirs), here’s my advice:
You really can’t go wrong here. Even the “budget” SE is a more capable device than the original Apple Watch we all drooled over back in the day.
My recommendation? Don’t overthink it. The SE is great if you’re on a budget, the Series 10 is perfect if you want it all, and the Ultra 2 is there if you need something more robust.
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 sponsored by:
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 is finally going to bear fruit.
But there’s another rumor about the spring. Specifically, we’re supposed to receive the M4 MacBook Air about that same time. If Apple can put their modem in an iPhone SE, why not a MacBook Air as well?
I have no sources or basis for this speculation except for the probable overlap in time. Over the years, I’ve heard from so many MacBook road warriors who desperately want a cellular-enabled MacBook. Wouldn’t it be nice to finally see Apple make one?