On this episode of Focused, Mike and I reflect on the things that worked—and the things that didn’t—in 2024 and set our intentions for 2025.
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
For years now, I’ve been ringing in the new year by watching Star Wars: A New Hope. If you start the movie (Disney+ Edition) at precisely 10:02:43 PM, you get a new year at the moment the Death Star blows up. During these years, I haven’t always paid close attention to the movie (we’re usually with friends and family), but I haven’t missed the inane New Year’s coverage either. (Fireworks are just never impressive on television.) You can learn more about this tradition from the Rebel Force Radio.
On Mac Power Users, Stephen and I reflect on our college Macs and how influential they would end up being on each of us.
This episode of Mac Power Users is sponsored by:
As we approach the end of the year, here’s an update on the MacSparky Labs and life in general. Also, I wanted to thank you for your support.
… This is a post for MacSparky Labs Members. Care to join? Or perhaps you need to sign in?
The new year is almost here, and with it comes fresh projects, big ideas, and opportunities to grow. Whether you’re writing your next novel, finishing a research project, planning your business, or journaling life’s moments for your loved ones, having the right tools makes all the difference.
That’s why I’m excited to have WinterFest 2024 as this week’s sponsor. This annual event brings together a curated collection of artisanal software–thoughtfully crafted tools designed to help you think, write, and create more effectively.
WinterFest is a celebration of software artisans–small teams of developers who care deeply about their tools and their customers. These aren’t cookie-cutter apps churned out by big corporations. These are finely honed tools that are constantly updated, well-supported, and built to help you do your best work.
No gimmicks. No bloated bundles. Just great software with a terrific discount for a limited time.
I’ve been using and recommending many of these tools for years. They’re the kinds of apps you rely on every day–apps that spark creativity, improve productivity, and make hard work feel a little easier.
With WinterFest 2024, you’ll find tools for:
Each tool works seamlessly on its own and plays well with others, creating a powerful and flexible workflow tailored to your needs.
For a limited time, you can grab these incredible apps at a significant discount. Just head over to the WinterFest website and check it out.
The Information is reporting that Google plans to add “AI Mode” to its search. This is not a surprise if you’ve spent any time with Perplexity or ChatGPT search; they’re both leaps and bounds ahead of traditional Google Search. Moreover, Google’s Gemini is pretty good, and I expect that it could be a real contender if they put it to work with their search engine.
However, the point is that it would be a contender and not the clear market leader. I remember the old days when we had a lot of search engines, and then Google wiped them all out overnight. I don’t think that will be the case with this next arms race of search engines. Google will be one of several good engines from which we’ll be able to choose. Hopefully, this leads to lots of innovation and the end of the search monopoly.
The ChatGPT integration on your iPhone may be the best Apple Intelligence “feature” yet. In this video I walk through the setup and basic usage.
… This is a post for MacSparky Labs Members. Care to join? Or perhaps you need to sign in?
Elevation Labs is at it again, tempting me with weird Apple-adjacent products. The TimeCapsule is an AirTag attachment that gives it a 10-year battery. Now, if I could just think of something I want to track for the next 10 years. It’s a clever design and can make a lot of sense if you’re on the road a lot.
Stephen and I use this episode fo Mac Power Users to reflect on some of the hardware and software that served us well over the last year.
This episode of Mac Power Users is sponsored by:
There’s an emerging scam where the crooks use the AI model a loved one’s voice and use it to trick you. That’s bad. But you can fight back with a secret word. Watch this to learn more. … This is a post for the Early Access and Backstage MacSparky Labs Members. Care to join? Or perhaps you need to sign in?