Sparky’s Monday Brief (MacSparky Labs)

I hope you are heading into a week that Wayne Campbell could only call “Most Excellent.” This is a podcast-heavy week for me with us recording episodes of MPU, Automators, and Focused. I’m looking forward to Focused this week when we’ll be talking to Joey Cofone about Creativity…

This is a post for MacSparky Labs Members only. Care to join? Or perhaps do you need to sign in?

Capture Any Text on Your Mac with TextSniper (Sponsor)

My thanks to TextSniper for sponsoring MacSparky.com this week. TextSniper is a Mac OCR app that can extract text anywhere on your Mac’s screen and automatically save it to your clipboard so you can paste it anywhere you need it. It can even read the text to you. The whole thing works a lot like the built-in screen capture on the Mac, just way more powerful.

Moreover, in an era where so much software is more about data mining than giving you a service, TextSniper doesn’t collect your data. The text recognition is processed on your Mac and does not require an internet connection. 

With TextSniper, you can:

  • Quickly get a text from PDFs, Zoom calls, Presentations, and Videos. 
  • Copy text from anywhere, even images and websites that don’t let you select text.
  • Quickly grab data like email addresses, phone numbers, and links.
  • Read QR codes and barcodes.
  • Get text out of just about any image format, including JPG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, and BMP.

I use TextSniper constantly. Anytime I need text from an image, TextSniper comes to the rescue. You can even use your iPhone or iPad camera to take a photo for TextSniper to perform its magic.

TextSniper works with macOS Catalina and later and also works with Parallels Desktop

Get TextSniper now and enjoy the fastest way to copy uncopyable text, wherever it may be. Use promo code TS2022 to get an additional 25% off. 

Automators 112: iOS 16 Focus Modes

Join Rose and me on the latest episode of Automators as we dive deep into the new iOS 16 Focus Modes. Do you think we’re just using a portion of the new Focus Mode features? Of course not! We’re going straight into the deep end.

This episode of Automators is sponsored by:

  • Amazon Pharmacy: The pharmacy that really delivers. Learn more now.
  • TextExpander: Your Shortcut to Efficient, Consistent Communication. Get 20% off.
  • Electric: Unbury yourself from IT tasks. Get a free pair of Beats Solo3 Wireless Headphones when you schedule a meeting.
  • Hover: Make a name for yourself. Get 10% off any domain name.

Quarterly Review Preparation (MacSparky Labs)

It’s less than an hour until my Quarterly Review session with Early Access members. Below is my prompt list. I thought it would be a good jumping-off point for the call and hopefully give you inspiration for developing your own prompts…

This is a post for MacSparky Labs Tier 3 (Early Access) Members only. Care to join? Or perhaps do you need to sign in?

Sharing My Bag on YouTube

Earlier this week, I did a live video event with Stephen Hackett where we shared the contents of our bags. It was fun, and an official shakedown event for Endor Studios! Either way, here’s the video where I spill the contents of my bag. Enjoy. (Links for items discussed are below.)

Waterfield Bags – (My bag from the video (Mezzo) is no longer for sale, but all of them are good.)

Waterfield Glass Case

Waterfield AirTag Holder

Anker Charger/Battery

Mini Flashlight

Outdoor Research Face Mask

Portable Apple Watch Charger

Apple AirTags

Studio Neat Gliff

Shure iPhone Mic

Corkcicle Star Wars Water Bottle

Peak Design iPhone Case and Accessories

Traveler’s Notebook

Quarterly Planning with Sparky (MacSparky Labs)

Now that things are settling down a bit, I’d like to resume doing quarterly planning with Early Access subscribers. So I’ll be doing just that this Friday at 10:00 Pacific. If you can’t make it, I’ll be releasing a recording later for Early Access Members. I hope to see you Friday…

This is a post for MacSparky Labs Tier 3 (Early Access) Members only. Care to join? Or perhaps do you need to sign in?

Pixelmator Pro 3.0

Pixelmator Pro 3.0 is out now, and this update is big. There are now over 200 built‑in ultra‑premium design templates and mock-ups. Other changes include: 

  • Easy‑to-use on‑canvas controls: Templates are incredibly easy to personalize, with simple controls.
  • Smart Replace: When replacing placeholder images, they are automatically optimized. Pixelmator’s machine learning can remove backgrounds, increase resolution, and even place them.
  • Brand templates: To make it easier to create consistent visuals across different platforms and mediums, Pixelmator has introduced brand templates, which are collections of templates created using the same design language.
  • One‑click template recoloring: You can completely change the colors of templates and mock-ups with just a click with the Document Colors feature. All color fills, effects, and other styles are changed automatically and non-destructively.

This is a major update and I can’t wait to play with all of these tools.

Mac Power Users 660: App Updates for iOS 16 & the Apple Watch Ultra

Stephen and I share some of the treats we’ve found as apps are getting updated for iOS 16 on this episode of Mac Power Users. Then, we talk through our first impressions of the Apple Watch Ultra.

This episode of Mac Power Users is sponsored by:

  • SaneBox: Stop drowning in email!
  • Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code MPU at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.
  • Memberful: Best-in-class membership software for independent creators, publishers, educators, podcasters, and more. Get started now, no credit card required.