A Different Take on Apple and AI

William Gallagher is a pretty clever guy, and I enjoyed his take on Apple and AI over at AppleInsider. Based on Apple’s latest paper, they seem (unsurprisingly) interested in looking for ways to run Large Language Models (LLMs) on memory-constrained local devices. In other words, AI without the cloud. We saw this a few years ago with image processing. Apple wants to have the tools while preserving user privacy. Just from speaking to Labs members in privacy-conscious businesses, I expect this will be very popular if it works.

Mac Power Users 724: Catching up with Mikah Sargent

Mikah Sargent returns to Mac Power Users to update us on his Apple hardware, talk about how he prepares for his various audio and video podcasts, and help explain what’s going on with the Matter smart home standard.

This episode of Mac Power Users is sponsored by:

  • 1Password: Never forget a password again.
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Get Your 2024 Focused Wall Calendar (There’s Still Time)

Focused 2024 Wall Calendar

There are a few days left in 2023, so why not get your Focused 2024 wall calendar today?

I’ve had mine for a while now and it looks great. This calendar puts your entire year on the wall so you can see how you’re doing and when you’re busy. I’ve been using them for years, and I find them an excellent way to control the flow of my year.

It’s also been nice for my wife to come into Endor Studios and look at the calendar to see at a glance when I’m available. This would be an excellent tool for anybody working at home or with a team.

We’ve put a lot of work into the design of this calendar over the years, and it’s both functional and attractive.

I always mount mine on foam in the vertical orientation and hang it on the wall.

You can get yours now.

Apple Notes Markdown Text Export in Minutes

I’ve heard from several labs members asking for the best way to export their Apple Notes to text. My favorite method is the Obsidian Importer plugin. Even if you intend to use something other than Obsidian, this plugin gets a reliable export of all your Apple Notes to markdown text in minutes.… This is a post for MacSparky Labs Level 3 (Early Access) and Level 2 (Backstage) Members only. Care to join? Or perhaps do you need to sign in?

Focused 193: The Problem with Mise en Place, with Justin Khanna

Chef, creator, and entrepreneur Justin Khanna joins Mike and me on this episode of Focused to share focus lessons from the culinary world.

This episode of Focused is sponsored by:

  • ExpressVPN: High-Speed, Secure & Anonymous VPN Service. Get an extra three months free.
  • Indeed: Join more than 3.5 million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast.
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Mac Power Users 723: State of the Platforms (December 2023)

2023 proved to be very busy for Apple, with updated hardware and software shipping, as well as a look at an entirely new platform coming early next year in the form of visionOS. This week on Mac Power Users, Stephen and I take a survey of the company’s year.

This episode of Mac Power Users is sponsored by:

  • TextExpander: Get 20% off with this link and type more with less effort! Expand short abbreviations into longer bits of text, even fill-ins, with TextExpander.
  • Electric: Unbury yourself from IT tasks. Get a free pair of Beats Solo3 Wireless Headphones when you schedule a meeting.
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