Now that I’ve installed the Sonoma beta on my production machine, it’s time to share some Sonoma tricks with you. In this video, I explain how to add and customize Widgets on the desktop, and I show you some of the new wallpapers and how they look on the Lock Screen, and reveal my favorite so far.
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On this Deep Dive for the Early Access members, I show you what my Ideal Week looks like, and then we share our stories around that topic and answer some questions.…
This is a post for MacSparky Labs Level 3 (Early Access) Members only. Care to join? Or perhaps do you need to sign in?
I have launched a new Field Guide, designed to take everyone’s Obsidian usage to the next level. Learn more on this episode of Mac Power Users.
This episode of Mac Power Users is sponsored by:
This week’s Home Screen features Andrew Hall. I’ve got to know Andy in the MacSparky Labs. He’s an engineer and an app developer (Lifeorities and Starship SE Corps). Andy is also a really nice guy. Show us your home screens, Andy.
What are some of your favorite apps?
I love the FotMob app. I use it to follow all my soccer action. I also love and daily use the App Store Connect app and, recently, the Disneyland app. Overcast is also a daily favorite.
Which app is your guilty pleasure?
What app makes you most productive?
Since my daily work is on a Windows PC, my productivity using my iPhone and other Apple devices is for personal and hobby productivity. I would say, for me, I use the Photos , Calendar, Reminders, Safari, Mail, Notes, and Messages apps. However, if I had to pick one, I would say Reminders because it is my daily task go-to app.
What app do you know you’re underutilizing?
Many. For work I use OneNote a ton. I definitely underutilize that for my personal use. Instead, I use the Notes app a lot, and it is great for my personal project notes.
How many times a day do you use your iPhone/iPad?
iPhone: many times an hour.
iPad: usually once a day — at night for YouTube and tv.
What Today View widgets are you using and why?
I have a ton of Today View widgets, mostly news-type widgets. However, I rarely swipe over to the Today View. Instead, I’ve got a lot of what I need on Home Screen widgets, particularly using Widgetsmith. My main Home Screen features the Siri Suggestions widget at the top.
What is your favorite feature of the iPhone/iPad?
Lately, the Dynamic Island.
In general, so many apps and content available on a great platform. That is why I enjoy my hobby of app development! I love how these devices can be so personal and become a great creative and information tool.
If you were in charge at Apple, what would you add or change?
I would improve/fix Siri.
What’s your wallpaper and why?
I have different iPhone wallpapers by Focus mode. Most of my Focus modes use the Photos wallpaper, and I have it randomly cycle through my favorite photos.
Thanks, Andrew!
September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and time for the annual Relay FM St. Jude Fund Raiser. St. Jude’s mission is simple. You give them money, and they use it to cure cancer in children. That’s pretty simple, and over the years Relay.FM has now raised over $2.2M for St. Jude. We’re at it again this September on all the Relay Shows. If you’ve got a little extra money that you would like to put to some use, I can’t think of a better way.
It’s time for the latest Lab Report from MacSparky, covering this week’s Apple news and updates…This is a post for MacSparky Labs Members only. Care to join? Or perhaps do you need to sign in?
Mike and I discuss the satirical self-help book How to Be Miserable by Randy J. Paterson on this episode of Focused, and we share the dysfunctional skills we are particularly good at.
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
With Audio Hijack, you can record any audio on your Mac. Save audio from individual applications such as Safari or Zoom, record from hardware audio devices like microphones and mixers, or even capture the audio output of the entire system. Whatever you need to do with audio on your Mac, Audio Hijack can help.
– Record conversations from Zoom, FaceTime, and other VoIP apps
– Create podcasts, both remote and in-studio
– Save streaming audio from the web
– Digitize vinyl
– And so much more
I use Audio Hijack daily. I don’t know how I’d be able to do my work without it. It’s powerful, stable, and constantly improving. If you want to do just about anything with audio on your Mac, this is the app you’ll need.
Check out the latest version of the award-winning Audio Hijack today. Through the end of September, MacSparky readers can save 20% when purchasing using coupon code MACSPARKY20. Learn more and download a free trial on the Audio Hijack site.
In the last week, we’ve had a lot of rumors that a gray iPhone Pro is in the works. If true, it will replace gold in the new titanium iPhone 15 Pro lineup.
My guess is that making a gold-colored titanium phone isn’t easy, so Apple decided to lean into the titanium gray.
Whatever the reason, I am down with it. I’m unsure if it is because I’m sick of the standard white and black iPhones or because my hair is also increasingly trending titanium gray. Regardless, I like the new look.
Source: 9to5Mac
Here’s what I sent out to Labs Members in August 2023:
If you’d like to be a part of the MacSparky Labs, you can join right here. Use the code “HEADSETS4EVERYONE” to get 10% off. That code expires tomorrow.