In this week’s episode of The Lab Report: Some of what was announced at CES, an increase in memory requirements for Apple Intelligence, still waiting on CarPlay 2.0, and a music recommendation for the stars.
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RadioShack As a Brand
Back in 2017, RadioShack, unsurprisingly, went bankrupt, but now it looks like we will start seeing RadioShack-branded products. I must admit there’s a warm spot in my heart for RadioShack. When I was 12, I used ride my 10-speed to RadioShack every day, where they let me write text text adventure games on the in-store computers to help sell those old Tandy TRS-80s and color computers to customers. It was like I worked there. Then, of course, when I got just a bit older, I actually did work there, selling transistors and diodes, as any self-respecting nerd of the day would.
All that said, I can’t imagine myself buying any actual RadioShack branded products.
Script Debugger’s Retirement
Sad news to hear that Script Debugger is closing up shop. After 30 years, the application was the best for writing and troubleshooting AppleScript, and I’m sorry to see it go.
My thanks to Shane and Mark for 30 years of hard work on an excellent app.
Testing superwhisper
Here’s another speech-to-text tool for your Mac and iPhone that just keeps getting additional features and is faster. It has continued to impress me throughout its development, so I’d like to show it to you.
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Sparky‘s Happiness Formula
Over the past several years, I’ve spent a lot of time reading classic Hellenistic philosophy. I find those thinkers’ willingness to take on the big questions interesting. Because when it comes to thinking about philosophy, I’m practical. I couldn’t care less whether or not I’m living in a simulation. I am very interested, however, in finding and sharing happiness. And the Greeks thought about that question a lot. Maybe Aristotle said it best:
Happiness is an activity of the soul in accordance with virtue.
From Nicomachean Ethics, Book I, Chapter 7
That’s really the aim of my Productivity Field Guide. To get people to figure out what roles are important and how to become their best version for those. Having lived this system and now taught it to many people, I’m increasingly convinced that the payoff is more significant than being your best self. I believe I’ve found a formula for happiness. Put simply:
Pursuing your best self (Arete) + Ethical Living = Happy Life
That makes a lot of sense! Many of the ancients argued that living ethically and in accordance with virtue is key to achieving eudaimonia, often translated as happiness or flourishing. Arete can easily substitute in for virtue. It is very similar. Fulfilling one’s potential and living in line with one’s true nature along with ethical living gets you there. Or, at least, it gets me there and several others I’ve talked to going through the Productivity Field Guide.
Does this mean this formula makes you immune from suffering and disease? Of course not. It does, however, give you a mechanism to cope. True happiness can come from living a life of virtue and striving for personal excellence. The more I pursue these goals, the more I see it in myself and others.
I’ll cover this more in-depth in a new edition of the Productivity Field Guide, which will be released later this month. Stay tuned.
Apple’s Angle for HomeKit Products: Privacy
While Apple has been in the HomeKit game for many years, thus far they have shied away from making HomeKit products like locks and cameras. If the rumors are to be believed, that’s going to change over the next few years. Apple is rumored to be planning its own set of HomeKit cameras including a doorbell camera. I wouldn’t be surprised if they have other products on the drawing board as well. The question is: Why is Apple getting into this game now?
Apple normally doesn’t enter a space unless they have something to distinguish themselves from the competition. In this case, my guess is privacy. There have been a lot of stories about vendors mismanaging home security data and video feeds through a combination of mismanagement and malice. With its size and focus on privacy, Apple is in a unique position to make HomeKit accessories we can trust to put in our homes. Ideally, Apple would pair this move with a rebirth of their AirPort wireless routers to offer consumers the entire widget. And if Apple is getting into this game, I’d argue it’s because they can offer a level of consumer privacy not currently available.
Upgrade Photos with PowerPhotos (Sponsor)
The Photos app is great until it’s not. If you want to add power-user features to Photos, check out this week’s sponsor, PowerPhotos. It’s the ultimate toolbox for managing your photo libraries on Mac. There are some true power features here that really improve the Photos App:
- Duplicate Photo Finder: Identify and remove duplicate photos to free up space on your drive and in iCloud.
- Library Merging: Consolidate multiple libraries into one while preserving albums, edits, and metadata.
- Advanced Export Options: Export photos with customizable settings, including format, size, metadata inclusion, and folder hierarchy that mirrors your album organization.
There are many more and you can download the PowerPhotos free trial to explore its features, with advanced functions available upon purchasing a license. MacSparky readers can enjoy a 20% discount with the coupon code MACSPARKY25. Enhance your Photos app experience with PowerPhotos today.
Mac Power Users 778: Exploring the Task Management Environment
With the new year here, on Mac Power Users, Stephen and I discuss the task managers we tried in 2024, and what we are currently using to get things done at work and beyond.
This episode of Mac Power Users is sponsored by:
- Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code MPU.
- 1Password: Never forget a password again.
It’s Not Too Late For the 2025 Focused Wall Calendar
Hello 2025! It’s not too late to get yourself a Focused wall calendar. Mike and I put a lot of effort into making this calendar special.
The Lab Report for January 3, 2025
In this week’s episode of The Lab Report: More rumors of a folding iPhone, the Magic Mouse redesign, and a how-to Labs video on the Contact Photo and Poster feature. Sparky also shares a book he’s enjoying around thinking on paper.
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