Arc is a new browser that started life on macOS in 2022. Stephen and I have been using it for months, taking notes, and gathering thoughts. On this episode of Mac Power Users, we discuss Arc’s features, and how AI could change the way people browse the web.
Stephen Millard, one of our favorite automators, returns to Automators with ideas (and scripts) to automate Alfred and announces the public Automators Obsidian Vault.
In this week’s episode: Find My-compatible Tracking Card from Nomad, Apple Design Awards finalists are announced, more iOS and macOS rumors ahead of WWDC, some additional thoughts on Apple and AI, and I recommend an excellent book by John Buck.
… This is a post for MacSparky Labs Members. Care to join? Or perhaps you need to sign in?
Here’s what took place in the Labs for the month of May 2024:
If you’d like to be a part of the MacSparky Labs, you can get more information and join right here.
This week, I’m welcoming a new sponsor to MacSparky, Listen Later. It’s always nice when a new sponsor arrives for which I’m already a paying customer, and that’s the case with this one. Listen Later is a service that converts stories and articles you send them to a personalized podcast feed using their AI-based (and very believable) reader. You can take that long-form article you’ve meant to read and listen to it on your next drive. It’s a great service, and I’ve been enjoying it.
Their state-of-the-art AI not only narrates but brings life to the articles with a quality that I’d never heard before from an AI voice. You really should try it. Access your personalized podcast episodes on all devices through any podcast app. Stay connected with your preferred content anytime and anywhere, ensuring you never miss out on insightful articles.
Beyond articles, Listen Later can also convert emails and PDFs into podcasts. This feature is perfect for transforming work documents, newsletters, or any textual content into listenable formats.
Listen Later not only converts but can also translate content into multiple languages, making global content accessible and enjoyable in your preferred language.
Sign up for the service today, and you’ll get $2 of free credit. That’s an easy way to try it out for yourself at no risk. Go check it out.
Join me as I take OpenAI’s new GPT-4o engine for a spin. I did not edit the conversation or the pauses between answers for this one.
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We’ve had some nice Vision Pro content announcements over the last few weeks. There is a new adventure experience, Parkour in Paris. I watched it and realized halfway through that I must be developing a fear of heights because many shots terrified me. We also got Demeo, a role-playing game that now works on Vision Pro, and that has several interesting twists. At some point in the next few days, Disney will release the Vision Pro version of What if…, an ongoing Marvel series that looks at alternative timelines and ideas. The Vision Pro version is supposed to be both immersive and interactive.
I’m calling all this out because it is simultaneously promising and overdue on the Vision Pro. I expected more frequent releases like this when the hardware became available, and there hasn’t been enough of it. People talk about Vision Pro as if it’s a dud, and I don’t see it this way. I regularly watch videos on it and write on it. And yet…
There has been a dearth of content taking advantage of what makes the Vision Pro special. There are many great clips in the demonstration. I expected more like that to show up sooner on the device. I think a regular diet of content like this (along with more immersive sports and concerts) would help generate excitement for the platform and satisfaction for existing owners. One of the primary reasons to buy the Vision Pro is for content, so more exclusive content that takes advantage of the hardware would be welcome. What’s unclear is how invested Apple is in paying for that kind of content. I’m not sure if WWDC is the place for such an announcement, but a public declaration from Apple and promises of regular releases of future content Vision Pro would be welcome.
There is a new rumor that Apple is working on a foldable, keyboard-less Mac for release in a few years, which will get a 20-inch display in something resembling a 13-inch MacBook Air footprint. That would be impressive, but it would also raise many questions.
First, what about the keyboard? Once you take away a keyboard, is it still a Mac? I’d say it is so long as it’s running macOS. A lot of folks tend to like their keyboards. At the same time, voice-to-text dictation is moving rapidly as artificial intelligence kicks into high gear. I also can’t help but note the irony that I am typing this out on a virtual keyboard on my 13-inch iPad Pro without any trouble.
Second, if Apple released an all-screen Mac, wouldn’t it make sense to include a touch screen and maybe even Apple Pencil support?
Something different, for sure.
The Not Boring Apps are some of the most visually distinctive applications available on the App Store with opinionated, but delightful design. … This is a post for the Early Access and Backstage MacSparky Labs Members. Care to join? Or perhaps you need to sign in?
iMessage is one of the stickiest parts of the Apple ecosystem, and on this week’s episode of Mac Power Users, Stephen and I discuss some of its features, explore its security credentials, and share some tips for making it run smoothly.
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