Mac Power Users 707: Workflows with Ryan Irelan

Ryan Irelan joins Stephen and me on this episode of Mac Power Users to talk about the current state of web development, digital training tools, and his expanding HomeKit rig.

This episode of Mac Power Users is sponsored by:

  • 1Password: Never forget a password again.
  • 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.
  • Indeed: Join more than three million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast.
  • CleanMyMac X: Your Mac. As good as new. Get 5% off today.

Automators 135: Vanilla HomeKit

In this episode of Automators, Rosemary and I talk about what’s happening with Alex Hay’s apps for Shortcuts, and then dive into the world of plain HomeKit without extra services.

This episode of Automators is sponsored by:

  • Vitally: A new era for customer success productivity. Get a free pair of AirPods Pro when you book a qualified meeting.
  • Electric: Unbury yourself from IT tasks. Get a free pair of Beats Solo3 Wireless Headphones when you schedule a meeting.
  • HelloFresh: Use code 50automators for 50% off plus free shipping.

Vision Pro in the Wild

AppleInsider’s Mike Wuerthele got some hands-on time with the Vision Pro and reports in. On the video passthrough, Wuerthele explains, “The part I’ve been most skeptical about is how well the Apple Vision Pro passes through the surroundings to the user. The short version is that it does it very well, with crisp and clear images most of the time.”

I think when it comes to this product, it’s going to need to be something you spend some time with before purchase. I’m curious how they will accommodate that in Apple Stores.

Mac Power Users 706: Media Management with Casey Liss

Casey Liss rejoins Mac Power Users to discuss his new app Callsheet, and to give Stephen and me a tour of the apps and services he uses to manage his media.

This episode of Mac Power Users is sponsored by:

  • 1Password: Never forget a password again.
  • NetSuite: The leading integrated cloud business software suite. Get a special one-of-a-kind financing offer: no interest, no payments for six months.
  • Indeed: Join more than three million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast.
  • Squarespace: Save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code MPU.

Build. That. Wall. (Sponsor)

I’ve talked previously about how Focus modes are underrated and underused. One of the first steps in setting up a Focus mode is having a wall in place to keep out distractions so you can get your important business done. With the help of SaneBox, MacSparky’s sponsor this week, you can start building this wall. 

SaneBox has a feature called Do Not Disturb. When you enable this nifty feature, you can take away the distraction of checking your inbox. SaneBox temporarily pauses new emails and moves them to your Do Not Disturb folder. Do Not Disturb is customizable so you can set your inbox to get these emails at a time and/or date of your choosing. You’re in charge of who passes through, so you can also choose if there are delivery exceptions, such as certain people or clients, that you don’t want to miss out on if there’s something really important going on. 

The battle to fight distractions is real, and with SaneBox and Do Not Disturb, you can keep interruptions at bay. Add SaneBox to your armor. Try it on with a free trial, and if you decide you like it, you’ll get a $10 credit you can use towards a SaneBox subscription. Focus on what matters and keep out the distractions with SaneBox.

All the Gory Details of The Apple Watch Survey

A few weeks ago, I did a survey on Apple Watch usage. I summarized the results in today’s newsletter (Sign up) along with some thoughts about how it relates to the future of the Apple Watch, but I wanted to share the entire survey results somewhere, so here you go.

There were just under 1,100 responses. I think you can assume the responses skew a bit on the nerdy side because, well, me. But overall, the data reflects that the vast majority of folks are very happy with their Apple Watches. 

The data below speaks for itself, but there were a few items that stood out to me:

  • The Apple Watch users are overwhelmingly satisfied with their watches. Those of us on the edges forget that most people just love their Apple products.
  • Many People (~40%) are wearing older Apple Watches (3+ years). At the same time, the Ultra is very popular (19.5%).
  • The big watch is much more popular than the small one. I know there are more men than women in my audience but I also suspect my gang thinks about battery life more than most consumers.
  • The cellular watch is more popular than I thought it’d be. I try not to think about the money I spend to have a cellular watch vs. the amount of actual usage it gets.
  • Seventy percent of those responding sleep with the Watch on at least sometimes. That is a much bigger number than I expected.
  • The feature usage numbers were not that surprising, except for Focus modes. I expected more people to be using the watch for Focus Mode shifting, and the numbers didn’t bear that out. I’ll be doing my next survey on how many people are actually using Focus Modes.
  • I got lots of email and comments from people using their Apple Watches in unique ways. While for most the watch is a time, notification, and activity device, for some users it’s a lot more.