Mac Power Users

Kathy Campbell is all over the Internet, as both a content creator and a business owner. She's a podcaster, artist, task-doer and so much more. Stephen and David talk with her about how she uses a mix of an iPad Pro, iMac Pro and a bunch of apps and services to keep all the plates spinning.

The Apple silicon transition continues to march on, so David and Stephen sit down to talk about how to migrate to a new Mac, and what settings and preferences they recommend changing from the defaults.

Dr. Drang returns to the show to discuss his recent Mac renaissance, the way he manages notes and some of his favorite utilities.

Our homes and businesses have become more technology-dependent, and having a solid network is more important than ever. This week, the guys talk about what goes into designing and maintaining reliable wired and wireless networks, and give some advice if you're looking to upgrade yours.

This week Apple enthusiast and lecturer, Brett Burney, joins Stephen and David to discuss differences between iWork and Microsoft Office, give presentations with your iPad and how to rock a TRS-80.

The App Store is a big place, and the iPhone can become anything you want it to be. Today, Stephen and David talk about 30 apps worth checking out — all on a budget.

Mike Vardy returns to the show to update David and Stephen on where he's found balance between the iPad and the Mac. Mike also discusses how he blends analog and digital tools, and how he shares tasks and ideas with his remote team.

It is feedback time, so David and Stephen are here with listener questions, their experiences with Apple's current crop of betas and the future of Day One.

Stephen and David are joined by Paul Kafasis to talk about Mac software development in the modern era, some of Rogue Amoeba's history and the tools Paul uses to get his work done.

WWDC 2021 has brought new versions of all of Apple's software platforms, with a large number of features coming to them all at once. This week, Stephen and David talk through the changes, and speak to Apple's Vivek Bhardwaj about the new Shortcuts for Mac and what it means for traditional (and future) Mac automation.

With over 30 years of history, TidBITs is the longest-running tech publication covering Apple in the world. This week, one of its founders, Adam Engst, drops by the show to talk about his writing workflow, unusual input devices and how WWDC has changed over the years.

David and Stephen are both working on more video than ever, so they compare notes on their processes, gear and editing tools.

David and Stephen are joined by Teddy Svoronos to discuss the tech that he has implemented for distance teaching and learning in his role at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

Stephen and David talk with Sal Soghoian on the history of Automator and Services on the Mac, both of which are cornerstones of automation on macOS today. The trio discusses how these tools came to be, and how Apple has evolved them over the years, in addition to what can be done with them.

Casey Liss drops by to chat with Stephen and David about waiting on the next Apple silicon announcement, his iPhone development work, home automation and how not to deal with digital photos.

As the computer that's almost always in our pockets, the iPhone can become a surprisingly useful tool for getting things done.

In the wake of Apple's spring event, Stephen and David cover the new iMac and iPad Pro, and also discuss changes to the Apple TV and some of Apple's services. In short, everything should be more colorful and some things more powerful.

It's feedback time, so David and Stephen answer listener email, talk about iOS apps running on Apple silicon Macs and preparing your tech for the afterlife. There's also new MPU merch for sale!

With the recent explosion in personal knowledge management tools, it is hard to know which one fits your needs the best. This week, David and Stephen talk through Obsidian, which builds on top of plain, old-fashioned Markdown documents.

Shelly Brisbin returns to the show to explain how she applies power user workflows to working across multiple mediums throughout a normal work week.

On this episode, David and Stephen discuss their work beyond MPU and what workflows and tools they use to keep things running smoothly in their small businesses.

After several years of development, Apple launched Mac OS X to the world in March 2001. The new operating system was vastly different from what it replaced, and ushered in a new era for Apple. This week, Stephen and David reflect on two decades of their beloved platform.

The ecosystem of Mac apps is small compared to what's available for iOS and iPadOS, but that doesn't mean there aren't some real gems out there to make working on macOS more productive.

David and Stephen are joined by August Bradley, an expert in Notion. They discuss the features of the app, as well as its pros and cons. August then explains Systems Thinking and runs through some favorite apps and services.

Shahid Kamal Ahmad drops by the show to tell David and Stephen about his ever-growing displays, game development on the Mac and creating music with a computer.

In this feedback episode, the guys revisit dictation, UUIDs, FileVault and the longevity of recent Mac hardware. Then, David talks about a new computer in his life and Stephen reworks his home screen.

John Siracusa joins Stephen and David to talk about the 2019 Mac Pro and what Apple silicon may mean for pro users. Then, John talks about his pair of Mac apps and what he wants out of the future of macOS.

This week, David and Stephen get back to the basics, and check on how calendars, contacts and tasks can be effectively managed across a range of devices and apps.

The Queen of Automation drops by to talk about her current gear and use of Plex, as well as how she is using HomeKit and managing files.

As the iPhone and iPad have become more full-featured, the software that runs them has gotten more complex and powerful. This time, David and Stephen run though a whole bunch of their favorite ways to get more out of these devices.

Writer and lawyer Jeff Richardson returns to the show to update Stephen and David on how he's working at a 12.9-inch iPad Pro most of the time, even when needing to use Windows.

From the beginning, Mac OS X was designed with security and privacy in mind, but over the years Apple has worked to make both the Mac's software and hardware more even more so. This week, Stephen and David cover what's what when it comes to Mac security.

This week, David walks Stephen through his concept of contextual computing, and why it's a lot easier to get started with than it sounds.

At the end of an unprecedented year, Stephen and David take some time to reflect on what it's meant for an Apple user, and what they'd like to see out of 2021 in terms of tech.

In this feedback episode, Stephen and David revisit bookmarks and Mail, M1 Macs and 32-bit apps, note taking and keyboards.

Stephen and David talk through paperless tools, apps, and workflows in 2020. Also, David's released his new Paperless Field Guide.

If you're shopping for a nerd in your life, David and Stephen are here to help.

David and Stephen talk with photographer Austin Mann about his work and his annual iPhone camera reviews, including what sets the iPhone 12 Pro Max apart from Apple's other new phones.

macOS Big Sur brings with it a new design and updated features. This week, Stephen and David wade in to macOS 11, before giving their impressions of the M1-powered MacBook Air.

This week, David and Stephen are joined by Kurt Knight, Senior Director, Platform Product Marketing at Apple to talk about the M1 chip and macOS Big Sur. After that, the guys talk about this first wave of new Macs.

MacStories Founder Federico Viticci joins David to talk about the iPad and its ecosystem of apps for power users. As the iPad itself becomes more capable, what users can do with it continues to expand, but as the guys discuss, there are still pain points.

Stephen and David are joined by Luc Beaudoin, a cognitive scientist, author and developer of the Mac app Hook. He explains how we typically gather, process and use data, and how our computing devices can assist — and detract — in that work.

A few new research applications have popped over the last year, joining some true Mac legends. To see what is what, David went on a quest, and has returned to share with Stephen the wisdom he gained while exploring.

Zac Hall from 9to5Mac and Space Explored joins David and Stephen to talk about the state of the Apple Watch's software and hardware, as well as Apple's new iPhones.

With Apple Silicon Macs coming soon, Stephen plays a montage for David that recaps the Intel era, featuring its highs and lows.

Liana Lehua joins in this week to share the best workflows and gear for improving video conferencing and home audio and video. Liana and David also discuss business apps, widgets, and revisit the iPad vs. MacBook question.

iOS 14 is here, bringing new features like widgets, the App Library, increased privacy and a lot more. This week, David and Stephen review the release and talk about how Apple could take some of these features farther in the future.

Read-it-later services can be a great way to save and enjoy an article later, away from the noise of social media or an overflowing RSS client. This week, David and Stephen talk about some of the popular choices, and how to keep them from becoming just another thing to check. Then, a recap of Apple’s recent media event.

On this feedback episode, Stephen and David talk more about HomeKit, Dropbox, photo management and much, much more.

Since its introduction, HomeKit has steadily grown into a wide-reaching ecosystem for smart home devices. This week, Stephen and David talk with Mikah Sargent about HomeKit hardware and software, as well as ways to extend what Apple allows it to do in its default app.