Marco Arment joins Stephen and me on this episode of Mac Power Users to discuss his podcast app for iOS, Overcast, which just received a major rewrite for its 10th anniversary. We talk about that project, how he thinks through user feedback, and Apple’s annual release cycle.
This episode of Mac Power Users is sponsored by:
One of the best ways to remain productive on your Mac is through window management. There are many ways to do that, but for years now, my favorite has been Moom, which just got a nice update to version 4.
Moom has always been a favorite for quickly resizing and positioning windows, but the new version takes things to a new level. The hover-based pop-up palette is still there, but it’s become more powerful. With a simple mouse gesture, you can snap windows to predefined areas. Click, drag, and resize windows with pinpoint accuracy. It also lets you snap windows to edges and corners.
One of Moom 4’s standout features is the ability to save and restore window layouts. This is particularly useful for those of us working across multiple monitors or juggling different projects throughout the day. I’m a big fan of Mac setups, and this new version of Moom makes it so easy.
Moom also allows you to create custom commands, which can be triggered via hot keys. Imagine chaining a series of window adjustments to a single keystroke. You can also move, resize, and center, without touching your mouse.
The upcoming Sequoia release has the best iteration of window management Apple has ever shipped. That may be enough for many folks, but Moom 4 really takes it to the next level.
In this episode of Automators, Rosemary and I respond to some listener feedback and share updates on smart home technology and solutions.
My friend Andy Hall is both an engineer and a hardcore Star Trek enthusiast. He’s taken his passion to the next level by creating a free app for iPad (and now Vision Pro) called Starship SE Corps. With it, you can design the next generation of starships using real-world systems engineering techniques. It’s a niche app, no doubt, but if this sounds like your kind of thing, you’re going to love it.
It’s time for the Lab Report from the MacSparky Labs, covering this week’s Apple news and rumors. In this episode: Some changes to AppleCare+, one of my favorite games gets an update, my rant around screen recording permissions in macOS Sequoia, and I share a great album from Brad Mehldau.
… This is a post for MacSparky Labs Members. Care to join? Or perhaps you need to sign in?
It’s time for the Lab Report from the MacSparky Labs, covering this week’s Apple news and rumors. In this episode: Some changes to AppleCare+, one of my favorite games gets an update, my rant around screen recording permissions in macOS Sequoia, and I share a great album from Brad Mehldau.
… This is a post for to Early Access MacSparky Labs Members. Care to join? Or perhaps you need to sign in?
One of my favorite Apple Intelligence features is the AI-generated Memory Movie option available in the Photos app. They look great and are so easy to make. Here’s a demonstration.
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The Contact Photo & Poster is a delightful iOS 17 feature, and one I’ve noticed a lot of people don’t use or even know about.… This is a post for the Early Access and Backstage MacSparky Labs Members. Care to join? Or perhaps you need to sign in?
Apple Intelligence recently entered beta. Stephen and I have spent time with the features currently available on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac and share what we think on this episode of Mac Power Users. We look at writing tools, summarization Mail and Messages, and a new Focus Mode.
This episode of Mac Power Users is sponsored by:
We recently received beta 5 of iOS 18, which includes a new distraction feature called “Distraction Control.” This feature lets you hide distracting elements on web pages, like sign-in pop-ups and content overlays. It is not an ad blocker and does not permanently remove items, but it can be used to hide elements while you are reading a page. In short, it makes things less distracting.
I’d love to know the story behind features like this and Focus Modes. Clearly, there are some advocates at Apple for the problems, including features that combat the focus and distraction issues inherent in a smartphone. Indeed, Apple has been the best player among the big technology companies in tackling this in their devices, so much so that they get the ire of the advertising industry and Facebook aimed at them on occasion.
What we haven’t got is a clear statement from Apple on this issue, the same way we did on Apple’s privacy stance, declaring privacy a “human right.” Apple has not been so explicit concerning focus and distraction. Instead, we get these occasional features that pop up and help us.
I would like for Apple to be more declarative about the issue of distraction and focus. They are best placed to do so, and their words could impact this issue industry-wide. Moreover, it would be an excellent sales point for Apple devices over others.