Focused 211: The Focus MOB

On this episode of Focused, Mike and I consider the role of Margin, Ownership, and Boundaries in the pursuit of living a focused life.

This episode of Focused is sponsored by:

  • Indeed: Join more than 3.5 million businesses worldwide using Indeed to hire great talent fast.
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  • Vitally: A new era for customer success productivity. Get a free pair of AirPods Pro when you book a qualified meeting.

The Rumored AirPods Max 2

Rumors continue to swirl around the idea of updated AirPods Max. 9to5Mac did a nice summary of the anticipated features with a new hardware version, including the H2 chip, Adaptive Audio, conversation awareness, and personalized volume. The current iteration of AirPod Max (now four years old) has been lagging behind some of the newer features in other versions of the AirPods.

image of apple AirPods max, in silver, viewed from the front.
Image: Apple

I bought the original AirPods Max shortly after they launched, and I use them regularly. However, I rarely take them out of the studio. Sometimes I need really good audio as I edit screencasts and podcasts, and I am unable to or unwilling to use speakers. In these cases, they are excellent. (They’re also really good for listening to music louder than I want my wife to know I am listening to music.)

I went back and looked at my original impressions of these headphones, and most of it still holds true. I never really found the weight to be a problem. I sometimes have them on for two or three hours at a time, and it’s just not an issue for me.

Another use case for me with the AirPods Max is a backup set of podcasting headphones. I’ve had several occasions where I used them as monitors while recording shows, and they work just fine.

I don’t think I’ll rush to upgrade my original AirPods Max when the new ones come out, but some of those new features are tempting. Regardless, I hope we see the long overdue update to AirPods Max at the iPhone event next month.

Apple’s September 9 “It’s Glowtime” Event

poster for apple it's glowtime event, taking place on 9 september 2024

Apple announced this year’s iPhone event for Monday, September 9 at 10:00 Pacific.

A few things about it:

  • Monday is unusual for an Apple Event. My guess: they want to stay clear of the US Presidential Debate set for September 10.
  • Mark Gurman reports it’s another pre-taped event. I wonder if Apple will ever go back to the live events. They spent a lot of money on those Steve Jobs Theater seats.
  • For those of you in the MacSparky Labs, keep an eye on your email. I’ll set up a few events around the announcements.

Mac Power Users 759: The New Overcast, with Marco Arment

Marco Arment joins Stephen and me on this episode of Mac Power Users to discuss his podcast app for iOS, Overcast, which just received a major rewrite for its 10th anniversary. We talk about that project, how he thinks through user feedback, and Apple’s annual release cycle.

This episode of Mac Power Users is sponsored by:

  • 1Password: Never forget a password again.
  • NetSuite: The leading integrated cloud business software suite.
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Moom 4

One of the best ways to remain productive on your Mac is through window management. There are many ways to do that, but for years now, my favorite has been Moom, which just got a nice update to version 4.

Moom has always been a favorite for quickly resizing and positioning windows, but the new version takes things to a new level. The hover-based pop-up palette is still there, but it’s become more powerful. With a simple mouse gesture, you can snap windows to predefined areas. Click, drag, and resize windows with pinpoint accuracy. It also lets you snap windows to edges and corners.

One of Moom 4’s standout features is the ability to save and restore window layouts. This is particularly useful for those of us working across multiple monitors or juggling different projects throughout the day. I’m a big fan of Mac setups, and this new version of Moom makes it so easy.

Moom also allows you to create custom commands, which can be triggered via hot keys. Imagine chaining a series of window adjustments to a single keystroke. You can also move, resize, and center, without touching your mouse.

The upcoming Sequoia release has the best iteration of window management Apple has ever shipped. That may be enough for many folks, but Moom 4 really takes it to the next level.

Starship SE Corps

My friend Andy Hall is both an engineer and a hardcore Star Trek enthusiast. He’s taken his passion to the next level by creating a free app for iPad (and now Vision Pro) called Starship SE Corps. With it, you can design the next generation of starships using real-world systems engineering techniques. It’s a niche app, no doubt, but if this sounds like your kind of thing, you’re going to love it.

The Lab Report for August 23, 2024

It’s time for the Lab Report from the MacSparky Labs, covering this week’s Apple news and rumors. In this episode: Some changes to AppleCare+, one of my favorite games gets an update, my rant around screen recording permissions in macOS Sequoia, and I share a great album from Brad Mehldau.
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