Fantastical Version 3.5

Flexibits released a nice update to Fantastical. This update continues to put the pedal down and simplify virtual meetings with the addition of Webex integration. This version also improves the toolset for big meetings with public meeting proposals via URL, granular control over guest permissions in Google events, and general performance improvements when dealing with lots of invitees.

My favorite thing about the new version, however, is the Shortcuts support. The Fantastical developers jumped in with both feet with their Shortcuts for Mac integration with a pile of new actions. If you want to automate calendar events on your Mac, make sure to check out this update. (I’ll be covering all of these Fantastical actions in the upcoming Shortcuts for Mac Field Guide.)

TextExpander (Sponsor)

My thanks to this week’s MacSparky sponsor, TextExpander. TextExpander works for you to take your time back by helping you work faster and smarter so you can focus your time on your most important work by instantly inserting your text snippets with just a few keystrokes. 

Think of all of the different kinds of links you share everyday with your friends, colleagues, or customers. You can turn all of these must-see links into TextExpander snippets in a way that won’t look like alphabet soup, but that will also save you time. Once you create a new Snippet Group for things you frequently link to, like “My GIFs” or “Work Links” or “Affiliate Sites”, you would just have to type the abbreviation you created for your link snippet, instead of copying and pasting an entire address. For example, you could set up a snippet “/twitter” or “/instagram” which will pop up your account URLs so you can share links to your social media accounts. Or a link snippet could save you time if you have to go to a recurring video conference room. If you’ve created a link snippet for this virtual meeting room, you don’t have to go searching for that URL or email that has it for you to join that meeting. Think of all the link snippets you could create. 

Just a couple of keystrokes can instantly expand your snippets with TextExpander. It’s an instant productivity booster. You can leave the boring, repetitive tasks in the past when you get TextExpander and focus on what matters most.

My Productive Mac's Todoist Course

For years now, Lee Garrett has been perfecting the art and science of screencasting over at ScreenCastsOnline. Just recently, Lee created his own online course about mastering Todoist. I spent some time in the course, and Lee did a great job. I'm so pleased for him in getting this school and course launched. I know it's not easy. If you're using Todoist and would like to get better at it, there's no better place.

Keyboard Maestro 10 Releases

Hooray! There’s a big update to Keyboard Maestro today. The new version 10 includes a pile of new features. Banner features include the ability to add data to menu bar icons, create “Favorite” actions, and subroutines. (That’s right, you can now program subroutines in Keyboard Maestro.) Below are some of my favorite new additions:

  • Added configurable Favorite Actions.

  • Added Select Macro by Name, as well as This Macro and This Macro Group options to the macro selector pop-up.

  • Added search field to macro selector pop-up.

  • Added search field to Insert All Actions, All Functions, All Tokens, and Variables menus.

  • Added Copy as Set Macro Group Enable and Toggle Macro Group actions to contextual menu for Macro Group column.

  • Support double-clicking dividers in the editor window to set the ideal size.

  • Added Edit ➤ Insert ICU Date Field menu to insert the various ICU Date components.

  • Added OCR Screen and Paste by Name to the Macro Library.

  • Added support for manipulating Keyboard Maestro Engine windows.

  • Added option to include Macro Groups in the status menu bar.

  • Added Return action to return a value from subroutine macros.

  • Several new triggers, including unlock, appearance changed, online and power status triggers.

  • Added “long press” option for Hot Key and USB Device.

  • Added support for selecting multiple files or folders in the Prompt For File action.

My congratulations go to Peter for shipping this update. I am kicking the tires on the new features now, and I will be doing a free update to the Keyboard Maestro Field Guide after the new year covering the new features.

Mac Power Users 612: macOS Monterey & MacBook Pro Impressions

On the latest episode of Mac Power Users, Stephen and I review macOS Monterey and cover the features and changes it brings to the Mac. Then, we give our impressions of the new M1 Pro and M1 Max MacBook Pros.

This episode of Mac Power Users is sponsored by:

  • TextExpander from Smile: 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 from Smile.

  • Electric: Stop stressing over scattered devices. Get a free pair of Beats Solo3 Wireless Headphones when you schedule a meeting.

  • Capital One: Machine learning at Capital One. What’s in your wallet?

  • Memberful: Best-in-class membership software for independent creators, publishers, educators, podcasters, and more. Get started now, no credit card required.

Satechi USB-C Hybrid Multiport Adapter

Satechi is out with a USB-C Hybrid Multiport Adapter. One of the cool features Satechi put in is a built-in SSD storage compartment. So not only does it have fast data transfer rates, up to 5 Gbps, to easily increase memory storage and hold important file backups all in one place, but also a sleek design. There is something so James Bond about a hidden SSD.

If you’ve got a direct HDMI connection, this USB-C Hybrid Multiport Adapter lets you enjoy 4K HDMI output on supported external monitors or displays with refresh rates up to 60 Hz for smoother streaming and an optimal view. Makes viewing real nice.

There are two USB-A 3.0 data ports for additional data transfer options for your USB devices peripherals—up to 5 Gbps—all using just a single USB-C port.

MacBook Pro M1 Max Initial Impressions

Last week I ordered a new MacBook Pro, and then a few days later, I changed my order to something even beefier. The net result was a ship date around Christmas. While I was okay with the idea of waiting for this dream Mac to arrive, I couldn't help but check the local store on Tuesday's public release, just in case. Since I'd upgraded to the loaded one, I figured there might be a chance. "Turns out" they had my exact build in stock: even my chosen color, Silver. So I canceled my online order and reserved the one in the store. A few hours later, I had a new precious on my desk. Here are a few thoughts after using the 16" MacBook Pro M1 Max for a few days.

The Build

  • Everyone has made the Titanium MacBook comparison, but it rings true. Particularly with my silver color, it looks familiar.

  • The radius of the curves on the bottom is bigger than that on top. I expect that is because they don't have the room on top, given that crazy screen, but I dig the look. Also, it's effortless to pick up with that nice curve underneath.

  • It's big and heavy compared to my prior M1 MacBook, but Apple makes it, so it is still pretty svelt and nothing like those massive gaming laptops on the market. Indeed, when I read reviews that list "big and heavy" as a downside of the MacBook Pro, it makes me want to throw something through the window. We finally got Apple to come around to the idea that "big and heavy" is a good idea for professional laptops. Please don't give them a reason to go back "thin and light" (and underpowered).

  • There are big vents on the underside. If you would like to set your laptop on your lap, I'd caution against it. Instead, get a lap desk, so you don't block those vents.

The Guts

  • Jason Snell called this MacBook Pro the Mac Pro that fits in your backpack. He was right. I've never used a computer so powerful. This shows itself in so many ways.

  • 4K Renders, no problem. I'm doing a lot more 4K video as of late, and the M1 was perfectly capable of handling it. However, it did require me to make tea and generally leave the computer alone for a while. I'm now getting 4K renders around three times as fast. Screencast renders are even quicker. It's just ridiculous.

  • The other thing that stands out is disk access speed. Moving data on the internal SSD (even massive files) feels near-instantaneous.

  • Overall, all the paper cuts that came with delays resulting from multiple builds and render times are gone. All that forced downtime is gone too. Now I can make tea when my body needs a break, not because my computer forces me to.

That Screen

  • The screen is fantastic. I don't know how else to put it. Vivid colors to the edge, all the way around the screen. Whether you are watching a video or working on your task list, you will love this screen.

  • A separate point about the screen is the text sharpness. I've been using an M1 MacBook for the last year, and I never had any problem with how it rendered text, but the MacBook Pro renders text just that little bit sharper (because it is genuinely a 2x screen), and it was immediately noticeable. It's like when you go to the optometrist, and they flip the lens in their lens doohicky, and suddenly everything is really clear.

  • Apple has a lot of statistics about the screen, but I'd recommend going in and looking at one at a local Apple Store if you can. I expect folks will buy these computers without needing all the processing power but just because they want that screen. It is that good.

  • I've heard from readers who say they won't buy this machine because of the notch. I disagree. The only reason the notch exists is that they pushed the screen so close to the top edge. It's been a few days, and I don't think about it. It is, however, to play hide and seak with the mouse pointer behind the notch. (You can do that.)

The Ports

  • Nice to have them back. I've got the new MacBook Pro hooked up to all my gear. The only dongle is an Ethernet to USB-C adapter.

  • The SD Card reader is really shallow. If third parties try to make a flush mount USB storage card, they aren't going to have much real estate to work with.

Heat and Fans

  • The fans, when they run, are not loud.

  • So far, I've only noticed the fans running when doing long 4K renders.

Battery Life

  • As with all Apple Silicon Macs, the battery life is excellent. Especially when you consider how much more power this M1 Max chip requires.

  • I ran it all day yesterday off the battery. That included a full day of work and a bunch of test renders. I made it through the day fine.

  • I think the M1 Pro/Max chips are being stingy about harnessing all that extra compute power. For most tasks, I expect it's doing most of the work off the two efficiency cores and turning off the more powerful cores until it genuinely needs them.

Comparison with M1

  • This is a professional laptop made for heavy lifting. It is shockingly better at big compute projects than the M1 (and the M1 is no slouch).

  • I can detect no performance difference between this fully loaded expensive MacBook Pro and my M1 MacBook for low-performance tasks like web browsing, writing, email, and the like. I expect that is because (as mentioned above) that work is not taxing and being done on the more power-efficient cores. Put simply, if that is the only type of work you do, the MacBook Air and fully loaded MacBook Pro are going to perform about the same for you.

  • The screen, however, is much better than the M1 MacBook screens. If that is the selling point for you, get the lowest-priced MacBook Pro (but make sure to get enough storage). If I were not doing so much video work these days, that is what I would have done.

Overall

I love this Mac and the options it gives me. I think Apple nailed the balance between power, efficiency, and battery life in my initial testing and usage. The screen is the biggest surprise for me. I knew it was better but had no idea how much better until I started using it.

Focused 137: Managing Busy

Mike and I return to the insidious problem of "busy" on the latest episode of Focused. We are not beyond getting caught in this trap, and we share some ideas about how to avoid it.

This episode of Focused is sponsored by:

  • Privacy: Smarter payments. Get $5 to spend on your first purchase.

  • Timing: The automatic time-tracking app for macOS. Use this link to save 10% on your purchase.

  • Setapp: More than 200 powerful apps for your Mac. Try it free for a week.

Shortcuts for Mac Field Guide Update

I had really hoped to be announcing the Shortcuts for Mac Field Guide this week but, alas, between some unexpected legal work and the rough Shortcuts for Mac beta, it's not done. When it comes to Field Guides, "Good" is always better than "Fast." What I can tell you is that I'm deep into recording now and making good progress. Moreover, the software is at a state where (most) of my planned videos can be recorded. I'm hoping to release it in November. I'll have more updates soon.

In the meantime, if you are playing with Shortcuts for Mac and have any particular issues or topics you'd like to see me cover in the new Field Guide, there is still time. Just drop me a note with "Shortcuts for Mac FG" in the title. I will read them all but no promises about what gets added. This one is already looking like it will be a long one.

Automators 87: Email Rules Automation

Email automation is a thing, but email rules-based automation is another thing entirely. Join Rosemary and me on the latest episode of Automators to learn more.

This episode of Automators is sponsored by:

  • Stripe: Learn more about how Stripe and their products can support your business.

  • LinkedIn Jobs: Post a job for free by visiting this link.

  • Hunter Douglas: Take advantage of Hunter Douglas’ ‘Season of Style’ rebate savings event – until December 6, 2021.

  • The Intrazone, by Microsoft SharePoint: Your bi-weekly conversation and interview podcast about SharePoint, OneDrive and related tech within Microsoft 365.

Eating Max Crow

So a few days ago I posted my new MacBook Pro spec and explained why I didn’t see the upgrade from M1 Pro to M1 Max as worth the $1,200 price increase for me. Then MPU Forum member MereCivilian pointed out that with my spec the actual difference in price wasn’t $1,200, but $200. (It was actually $400.) I don’ know whether to thank him or curse him.

So I slept on it.

And I woke up realizing that: 1) this will be my primary machine for years; and 2) every time I render a video (which in my case is almost daily), I’ll be reminded of the fact that if I had spent an extra $400 in 2021, it would render twice as fast. I realized that this fact will drive me nuts.

I don’t buy the fanciest cars … but I do like fancy computers. So this morning I got on the phone with Apple support and paid a few extra bucks (and managed to push my ship date back to December) with my new MacBook Pro holding an M1 Max chip. All that stuff I wrote a few days ago about me not needing this particular chip? Never mind.

The Future of Mac Reliability

I've been thinking a lot lately about Apple silicon and its implications for Macintosh reliability. Before the arrival of Apple silicon, a typical Mac logic board included a CPU, separate RAM, an Apple W2 or some other sort of secure enclave, chips to manage inputs and outputs, (often) a discrete video card, Apple's separate machine-learning chips, and a bunch more bits and pieces that all now exist as the single System on a Chip (SoC) that is Apple silicon. So does combining everything in one SoC make the Mac more or less reliable? A case could be made for both points. Without all the digital tethers needed to tie all those separate pieces together, Apple silicon should have less that can go wrong with it and be more reliable. On the flip side, if something does go wrong on Apple silicon, the machine is probably dead.

When trying to predict whether these new Apple silicon Macs will be more or less reliable, it is important to remember this is not Apple's first SoC rodeo. They've been making SoCs for the iPhone and the iPad for years.

A few days ago, I was on the telephone with an old friend, and he commented that his wife still loves the iPad I helped him set up about nine years ago. It is an iPad 2 and still working fine. I told him, "You should buy your wife an updated iPad. They have a good one for $329." He had me on speaker because then his wife chimed in, "I don't need a new iPad. This one still works like new." Her nine-year-old iPad running on an Apple SoC still runs "like new" after nearly a decade. I realize this is anecdotal, but looking at iPads in particular that have a bit more cooling (even if it is just a big aluminum heat sync) and don't get abused as hard as iPhones, I'm aware of a lot of very old iPads still in use.

Moreover, again anecdotally, I'm not aware of anyone I've spoken to who told me their iPad SoC failed. I know plenty of folks who broke the screen, but nobody who had the SoC fail them. Think about your friends and family circle. I suspect you've had the same experience.

I take this as a good sign for the new Mac SoC designs. The Mac SoC is a successor to those early iPad chips. Indeed, the new iPad Pros run on the current Mac SoC, the M1. If I were a betting man, I'd say that old running Macs are about to become much more common in the coming years. I sure hope so.

Assuming I'm right, the problem then becomes software. Even though my friend's wife still loved her iPad 2, I'm sure her operating system has to be years old. Apple is generally good about supporting old hardware with new software updates, but what will they do if it becomes common for Macs to run reliably for 10 or 12 years? There is just so much to this Apple silicon Mac transition that seems to be rewriting the rule book. Exciting, right?

Mac Power Users 611: Unleashed, Indeed

The latest episode of Mac Power Users is out now. Stephen and I talk through Apple's new batch of MacBook Pros, powered by the M1 Pro and M1 Max systems on a chip.

This episode of Mac Power Users is sponsored by:

  • 1Password: Have you ever forgotten a password? You don't have to worry about that anymore.

  • Capital One: Machine learning at Capital One. What’s in your wallet?

  • CleanMyMac X: Your Mac. As good as new. Get 5% off today. CleanMyMac X License

  • Shopify: Grow your business with Shopify. Start your 14-day free trial today.

Fix Your Email. Use SaneBox (Sponsor)

SaneBox.jpg

SaneBox is this week's MacSparky sponsor. There's a lot of email going around, and SaneBox and its A.I. helps me keep focused on actionable emails and takes the work of filtering what does not need to be read right now.

One of the ways SaneBox does this is with the @SaneCC. It's a filtering folder. What goes in there? It's the emails I'm CC’ed on. It just makes sense to me. When I'm not on the "To:" line, that means the email isn't necessarily an actionable item, more like I'm included on the information, a sort of FYI. So do I have to read it RIGHT NOW? No, and that's the beauty of SaneBox. Once I've trained @SaneCC, I can go to this folder and read these emails later when I have the time to read them.

But SaneBox doesn't just work for me, it works with me. If there's an email from someone who is Inbox-worthy, I can train SaneBox to put the email from them into my Inbox, even though I'm CC'ed because I can control @SaneCC from my Trainings list. Once a sender is trained, SaneBox knows to let this sender gets to pass through the velvet rope into my Inbox.

If you're curious how to get SaneBox identify your important messages, hide distractions, banish annoying senders, remind you to follow up and more, now is the time to try it out. You can sign up for a free trial and get a $10 credit you can use towards a SaneBox subscription.