Mastodon: @jonathanreed@techhub.socialEmail: jonathan@macstories.net
Jonathan is a graphic designer at DesignStudio. As well as being a long-time Apple user he is a huge film and television aficionado and is very interested in the intersection between the two mediums and technology. He lives in London with his wife and daughter and is writing his bio in the third person.
Episode 22 — September 10, 2024
Club MacStories Town Halls are part of the monthly and other special live audio events we hold in the Club MacStories+ Discord community. The show is a recorded and lightly edited version of the Town Halls that we produce, so Club MacStories+ and Club Premier members who can’t attend the event live can listen later. To learn more about Club MacStories+ and Club Premier, visit our Club plans page.
Highlights of the latest Club MacStories+ happenings.
Among the highlights on the Club MacStories+ Discord:
Paul Stockton gave us a heads-up on a nice new feature coming to the RSS reader Unread.
Tips and tricks to master your apps and be more productive.
I’ve been using the Mac as my main computer for 30 years now, and I still find little secret ways of getting things done every now and then. Just before we launch into the new hardware and software season with all of its chaos, I thought I’d share some of my favorite lesser-known tips for Apple’s oldest platform.
The Finder is a bit underrated in terms of what it can do with the files it manages. Apple has added various quick actions for files over the years, but they’ve done so quietly, making them easy to miss.
Highlights of the latest Club MacStories+ happenings.
Among the highlights on the Club MacStories+ Discord:
There were some nice countdown app recommendations in the #apps channel.
More stories for Club members.
While traveling recently, I used several streaming services on my iPad. I usually watch TV and movies on my Apple TV, so it struck me how differently each service seems to approach the UI/UX in their websites and apps – and how bad some of them are. So I thought it was time for an audit.
While everyone might have a different opinion on the way a streaming app is laid out or how the player should look, to me, there are some critical, baseline requirements:
More stories for Club members.
The story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears is a current favorite of my daughter’s. The story of a girl who tries several porridge bowls, chairs, and beds until she finds the one that’s just right is weirdly reflective of my search for the perfect e-reader.
Let’s rewind a bit. Last week, I mentioned that I’d purchased the Boox Go Color 7 and had been testing it out on my recent solo trip to Spain. Originally, I thought I’d be able to write a straightforward story about how the device fit into my reading workflow, but that was not the case.
Highlights of the latest Club MacStories+ happenings.
Among the highlights on the Club MacStories+ Discord:
T.G. Cid recommended a nice app for transferring files between iPads, gaming handhelds, PCs, phones, and more.
Highlights of the latest Club MacStories+ happenings.
Among the highlights on the Club MacStories+ Discord:
Paul shared an incredible video of his dogs’ reaction to the Apple TV ‘home screen’ sound.
More stories for Club members.
This past weekend, I flew to Sitges in Spain for my friends’ wedding. The event was a no-kids affair, so my wife had to stay home in London with our daughter. It was a packed three-day celebration that included a boat party, pool party, and, yes, a wedding. This presented me with an opportunity to review the tech I pack for traveling, particularly what I bring to charge my devices.
I have always included a battery pack for my iPhone, and I’ve relied on the excellent Anker Mag-Go Power Bank for a few years now. It may not be MagSafe, but it charges reasonably quickly and is fantastic for just slapping on the back of my iPhone when I need some extra juice. However, this trip added an additional wrinkle to the setup: I was running betas on both my iPhone and Apple Watch. My phone was already struggling under the weight of the iOS 18.1 beta, and I anticipated it would be even worse in the extreme heat. But I also had my Apple Watch to think of. The battery life was not as brutal as my iPhone, but it certainly wasn’t going to last a full day of activity.
More stories for Club members.
Macro keyboards are custom keyboards with several programable keys or dials. They’re very simple, but they can become quite powerful when you customize them via software. Up to now, the world of macro keyboards has eluded me. With the exception of a couple of people – such as Comfort Zone host Matt Birchler – I’ve not seen many people using them or been fully convinced that they were for me. My thinking started to change, though, when I saw the Creator Micro from Work Louder. As I’m sure many of you have experienced, sometimes the looks of a piece of technology will leave you trying to work out how you could use it instead of why you actually need it.
That was the case for me with the Creator Micro. The layout of this macro keyboard, as well as the design of the dials and curved corners, just hit me hard. Several months after I’d first seen it, I was still thinking about buying it. The device isn’t wildly expensive at $129, but what made me hesitate was the considerable shipping costs to the UK from the US. However, I couldn’t shake this product, and after receiving a nice five-year bonus from my job, I felt I had no excuse not to purchase it.
