Mac Power Users

547: Of a Certain Age, with Jim Metzendorf

02 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This week, the editor of Mac Power Users, Jim Metzendorf, talks to Stephen and David about his background in audio and photography, and how the gear a...

546: The Best Listeners

26 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On this feedback show, David and Stephen go through some listener email, revisit notes apps and discuss remote troubleshooting iOS devices.

545: State of the Apple Watch

19 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The Apple Watch has undergone massive changes since its introduction in 2014. This week, Stephen and David review some of that history, then launch in...

544: The Notes Roundup

12 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The market for note taking applications is huge. There are options that just deal in plain-text, apps that serve as "everything buckets," and still ot...

543: A Developer's Summer, with Underscore David Smith

05 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This week, Underscore David Smith joins the show to talk about what life as a developer is like between WWDC and the fall when new versions of Apple's...

542: Beta Tales

28 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It's beta season, and David and Stephen have reported for duty with reports of new features and general thoughts on macOS Big Sur, iOS and iPadOS 14 a...

541: WWDC 2020

23 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Recorded just a few hours after the WWDC keynote, Stephen and David share their reactions to iOS 14, macOS Big Sur, and the Mac's transition to Apple-...

540: Subroutine in the Brain

14 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On this feedback episode, David and Stephen talk more about email and working from home, but also get into what it takes to make a MacSparky Field Gui...

539: Back to Email

07 Jun 2020

Contributed by Lukas

David has finally roped Stephen into talking about email. Topics include email services, apps and strategies. Later in the show, they are joined by Ro...

538: I Predate the Home Computer, with James Thomson

31 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

PCalc developer James Thomson joins David and Stephen to talk about his background with the Mac, and what it take to build and maintain the same appli...

537: The Photos Field Guide and Apple Photos

24 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

From the early days of iPhoto to now, with Photos.app and iCloud, Apple has offered increasingly-robust photo management tools for its users. This epi...

536: Our Bags

17 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A nerd's bag can say a lot about them. This week, David and Stephen empty theirs to talk through their choices and how they've changed over the years.

535: State of the Platform: Apple Services

10 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

From iCloud to Apple TV+, Apple's range of services is broader then ever, but how do they all stack up? Is this shift to services changed how users sh...

534: The Business of Emoji, with Jeremy Burge

03 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Emojipedia founder Jeremy Burge joins David and Stephen to talk about emoji, how they're made and why they've found such huge success. Then, he explai...

533: Feeling Frisky with my Money

26 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On this feedback episode, David shares some about an upcoming studio move, and Stephen talks about recent experimentation with a teleprompter. Also on...

532: BetterTouchTool

19 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

BetterTouchTool takes a Mac's input devices and turns them into automation triggers. It can transform the Touch Bar into a customized set of tools and...

531: Teaching with GoodNotes, with David MacDonald

12 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Dr. David MacDonald is a musician and professor with a unique way of using the iPad, Apple TV and GoodNotes together to engage and equip his students.

530: Working From Home

05 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

All of a sudden, many people are working from their homes for the first time. This week, Stephen and David tap into their combined decade of experienc...

529: State of the Mac

29 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

For many of us, the Mac is the center of our computing lives, and it's no secret the Mac has had its up and downs over the last decade. This week, Dav...

528: The Merlin Awakens

22 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

MPU Hall of Famer Merlin Mann returns to discuss using plain text, home automation, the Apple TV and more.

527: Dictation and Text Capture

15 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Much of computing revolves around writing and text input, but most of us don't think about how to make that process more productive. This week, David ...

526: I Don’t Aspire to Anything Else

08 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

It's feedback time! David celebrates his 5th year of being independent, while Stephen has settled on an application to manage his tech history researc...

525: Workflows with David Wain

01 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Writer and director David Wain returns to the show to share how his creative process has changed over the years, and walks Stephen and David through t...

524: Photographing the Stars, with Andrew Burwell

23 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The stars and planets are within sight, given the right hardware and software. Andrew Burwell has been honing his astrophotography skills, using Apple...

523: State of the iPad

16 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In the last decade, the iPad has gone from a brand-new device into a wide-reaching line of products that meet the needs of a range of users. This week...

522: iCloud Family Sharing

09 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Family Sharing means that up to six people can share purchases, media and other Apple services. This week, David and Stephen walk through the features...

521: Taming Notifications

02 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

From messages and emails to sports scores and social media, our devices generate all sorts of notifications. This week, we discuss how to weed the gar...

520: Weather Apps & Gear

26 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Gone are the days of waiting for the evening news to find out the weather for the next day. Now, weather data is accessible anywhere. This week, David...

519: Workflows with Greg Pierce

19 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Drafts developer Greg Pierce joins Stephen and David to talk about his move to an iMac, his development career and when it is time *not* to upgrade to...

518: Technology in a War Zone, with Mark Hackett

12 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Mark Hackett runs a small non-profit working in Sudan, named Operation Broken Silence. This week, he joins David and some other Hackett guy to talk ab...

517: State of the iPhone

05 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The iPhone has become many people's primary device for many different types of tasks. On this episode, Stephen and David look at the current state of ...

516: Looking Toward 2020

29 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

David and Stephen review 2019, and the changes it brought to the Apple ecosystem before talking about their hopes for 2020.

515: Stephen Takes One for the Team

22 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It's feedback time! David and Stephen revisit media management and external drives, then talk about David's 16-inch MacBook Pro, meditation apps and U...

514: Apple is Listening — The 2019 Mac Pro, with Thomas Grove Carter

10 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

David and Stephen interview Thomas Grove Carter, a video editor who has been using Final Cut Pro X on the 2019 Mac Pro with the Pro Display XDR. They ...

513: Catalyst Apps on the Mac, with John Voorhees

08 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Stephen and David are joined by John Voorhees to talk about Mac Catalyst, which allows for iPad apps to be developed for macOS. They review some early...

512: Ask the Genius

01 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Stephen steps behind the Genius Bar — or into the Genius Grove, as it were — to provide tips for troubleshooting Macs, iOS device and iCloud. Then...

511: 2019 Developer Roundtable

24 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Ken Case of the Omni Group, Greg Scown of Smile and Dave Teare of AgileBits join David and Stephen to talk through Apple's year and the changes it bro...

510: The 2019 Holiday Gift Guide

17 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It's that time again; the annual MPU Holiday Gift Guide has returned.

509: Brent Simmons, Man of Many Hats

10 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Stephen and David are joined by Brent Simmons, who works in marketing at The Omni Group. They talk about the tools of the trade, including social medi...

508: One for Me and One for You, with Sara Dietschy

03 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

YouTuber and podcaster Sara Dietschy joins Stephen and David to share about her video work, from cameras to editing and beyond. They also discuss mana...

507: Ian Elsner & His Stick of Gum PC

27 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

David and Stephen talk with Ian Elsner, a museum exhibit creator who is using the iPhone SE, iPad Pro and an Intel Compute Stick together in some very...

506: iOS Accessories

20 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Our iOS devices go with us just about everywhere, and pairing them with some select accessories can make them more useful in more situations. This wee...

505: Chris Bailey and the Noah's Ark of Dongles

13 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Stephen and David are joined by Chris Bailey, an author and presenter with an undying love for TextEdit and getting focused work done with the Mac and...

504: The Release of macOS Catalina

07 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

macOS Catalina is here. It breaks with a lot of the past, while showing us a bit of what the future of the Mac may hold. In this special bonus episode...

503: Fax the Updates, with Dave Hamilton

06 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

David and Stephen are joined by Dave Hamilton to talk about his work at The Mac Observer and BackBeat Media, his approach to podcasting, how covering ...

502: I Saw Your Face on the Internet

29 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In this feedback episode, David and Stephen revisit Alfred and backups and talk about iOS 13's bumpy release and the new iPhone and Apple Watch. Steph...

501: iOS 13 and the Shortcuts Field Guide

22 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

iOS 13 is here, and is full of new features. This week, David and Stephen talk about some of their favorites, after talking through the changes Apple ...

500: David in the Hot Seat

15 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Stephen marks the 500th episode of Mac Power Users by interviewing David about his career, technology and choice of light saber color.

499: Backups and Updates

08 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Backing up our Macs, iPhones and iPads is easier than ever, but many people don't bother making sure their data is safe and sound. This week, David an...

498: Back to School with Jake Wilson

01 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Stephen and David chat with Jake Wilson, an elementary school principal — and a student himself — about using technology in and beyond the classr...

497: Spotlight, Alfred & LaunchBar

25 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

macOS' Spotlight feature has made serious strides in recent years, but many power users still turn to Alfred and LaunchBar for app launching, file sea...

496: Keyboard Hacking with Brett Terpstra

18 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Brett Terpstra joins in the Mac Power Users this week to talk about his keyboard hacks, planning workflows, some of Brett's favorite apps, and the loo...

495: Manning the Battle Bridge with Artist Thom Zahler

11 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Comic book artist Thom Zahler uses his Macs and iPads to create some incredible artwork and manage his indie business. This week Thom shares his apps ...

494: Our Home Offices

04 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This week, David and Stephen talk about their home offices: how they are setup, what equipment and furnishings are used and — of course — what ne...

493: My Life is an Edge Case, with TJ Luoma

28 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Pastor and Apple nerd TJ Luoma returns to the show to catch David and Stephen up on his journey with Apple's notebooks and the iPad, before sharing so...

492: All of the Ks

21 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In this feedback episode, David and Stephen talk about a borrowed MacBook Pro that Catalina tried melting into his desk, Voice Control and Dictation i...

491: Working Hard in the Gaming Industry, with Simone de Rochefort

14 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Simone de Rochefort is a video producer and podcaster at Polygon, and co-hosts Rocket on Relay FM. She walks Stephen and David through the process of ...

490: Surfin' with Safari

07 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Safari isn't the most popular browser on the planet, but its focus on speed, security and privacy set it apart from the competition. This week, David ...

489: Gear as a Motivator, with Tyler Stalman

30 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Tyler Stalman is a photographer, videographer, YouTuber and small business owner alongside his wife Ania Boniecka. Oh, and he loves gear... maybe too ...

488: How We Communicate

23 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Our digital devices make communicating with others easier than ever, but with that flexibility comes complexity. David and Stephen talk about what sol...

487: Josh Centers: Beta Spelunker

16 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Josh Centers is the managing editor at TidBITS, which has been covering the world of Apple for nearly 30 years and is a writer for the "Taking Control...

486: Essential iOS Apps

09 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Stephen and David scroll through their iPhones and iPads to collect some of their most-used iOS apps, across a wide range of categories.

485: WWDC and Interview with the Mac Pro Product Manager

04 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Stephen and David have boots on the ground in San Jose for WWDC 2019. In this episode, they interview Doug Brooks, the Apple Product Manager for the n...

484: Unlocking Keyboard Maestro

26 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

From trigger to actions, variables to debugging, David and Stephen go through the powerhouse that is Keyboard Maestro and discuss David's new Field Gu...

483: Being a Compulsive Maker, with Tiff Arment

19 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Artist and podcaster Tiff Arment joins David and Stephen to talk about her background in photography and analog and digital art, as well as the work t...

482: Color Me Interested

12 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

David and Stephen share their confessions about the iPad Pro, then discuss managing client data before doing some wishcasting for WWDC.

481: Finder and Its Alternatives

05 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

At the heart of the macOS experience is Finder, which is part file manager, part search tool and a whole lot more. Its smiling blue icon boasts many f...

480: Catching up with Michael Hyatt

28 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Michael Hyatt joins David and Stephen this week in an interview that ranges from how to get your life together and find a little focus to nerdy Keyboa...

479: 100,000 Subscribers, with Rene Ritchie

21 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Over a year ago, long-time Apple blogger Rene Ritchie launched Vector, a daily YouTube show covering the world of Apple and tech beyond. This week, Da...

478: Journaling with Day One

14 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Journaling can be an excellent way to collect your thoughts and reflect on the events of the day, and Day One makes it easy to do so with your Mac, iP...

477: Mobile Music and Production with Jakob Haq

07 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jakob Haq is a musician and YouTuber from Sweden who create, edits and publishes all of his content with his iPhone and iPad.

476: Exploring the Mac App Store

31 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Stephen and David talk through the ups and downs of the Mac App Store and share some of the hidden gems they've found there over the years. Then, they...

475: Something Smells Funny

24 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The guys work their way through some feedback, Stephen has feelings about his Apple Watch and David has switched notes apps ... again.

474: Using the iPad as a Laptop

17 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

When thinking about making an iPad a notebook replacement, there are a lot of factors to consider. David and Stephen talk through the hardware and sof...

473: Shawn Blanc’s Evolved Workflows

10 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Shawn Blanc returns to the show to talk about his move to the iPad Pro and how he manages the growing team behind projects like The Sweet Setup and Th...

472: Live in Chicago with Friends

03 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Live from Chicago, David and Stephen thaw out long enough to talk to a couple of very special guests about the MacBook Air and the friction between an...

471: Menu Bars, Docks & Startup Apps, Oh My!

24 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

David and Stephen talk through the Mac utilities and applications that are always at their fingertips.

470: From Computing to Sheep Farming, with Oogie McGuire

17 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Programmer and sheep farmer Oogie McGuire talks about LambTracker, her application for managing flocks and the hardware that goes along with it, as we...

469: Running a Business with G Suite

10 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

With G Suite, Google offers paid versions of its free web apps and services. This week, Stephen and David discuss their usage of these tools, and how ...

468: Mixing Macs and Microsoft with Christina Warren

03 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Christina Warren, tech commentator, podcaster and Cloud Developer Advocate at Microsoft drops by to talk about using a Mac at work, the state of Power...

467: Fitness Apps & Tech

27 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

The iPhone and Apple Watch can be helpful in managing health and fitness, and coupled with the breadth of options in the App Store, they can become po...

466: John Gruber Returns

20 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

John Gruber of Daring Fireball and The Talk Show join David and Stephen for a discussion about writing and podcasting, as well as WWDC and what the fu...

465: The Mighty Mac mini

14 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Introduced as a low-cost way to switch to the Mac, the Mac mini can now be found working quietly as home and office servers, hosting files, media, bac...

464: Stephen... Who?

07 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

David puts his new cohost, Stephen Hackett, in the hot seat to talk about his tech background, love of the Mac, and if Batman or Superman is better. A...

463: All Good Things...

31 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We cover feedback on subscriptions, iOS tips, and more. Katie and David look back on the last 463 episodes and discuss the origins of Mac Power Users....

462: Return to the Snell Zone

24 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Jason Snell returns to tell us about his iMac Pro, how he uses his Mac mini, Jason's move towards iOS, being an avid reader, making time for it all, a...

461: Little Known iOS Tips

17 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

There's a lot hidden in iOS. David and Katie run down some of their favorite iOS tips and tricks that you may not have known, or may have forgotten ab...

460: Casey Liss Returns

10 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Casey Liss returns to update us on his life as a free agent, his rekindled love with the iPad, becoming a YouTuber and more.

459: My Life is a Subscription

03 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Subscriptions! It seems the wave of the future but should we be happy about that? In this episode Katie and David talk about this trend towards subscr...

458: MPU+: There's Something You Didn't Tell Me

26 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Katie has a big announcement, David has a new Field Guide, we both have new iPads, we also discuss the new MacBook Airs, Apple’s pricing, our daily ...

457: 2018 Geek Gift Guide

19 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

It's time for our annual Holiday Geek Gift Guide. David and Katie run down their favorite gift picks for the year as well as what's on their own holid...

456: Workflows with Laura McClellan

12 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Katie and David chat with Laura McClellan of The Productive Woman Podcast to discuss her prospectives on productivity, finding and using the right vir...

455: Apple October 2018 Event

05 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Katie and David discuss Apple's October 2018 event, the MacBook Air, Mac mini, iPad Pro and their purchases.

454: MPU+: Did You Just Fall Down?

29 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Katie shares the end of her MacBook Pro saga and AppleCare Experience, David plays with his widget screen, moving out of Evernote, finding more uses f...

453: 30 Under $30

22 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

David and Katie run down 30 of their favorite apps and services under $30.

452: 2018 Developer Roundtable

15 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ken Case of the Omni Group, Greg Scown of Smile, and Dave Teare of Agile Bits join David and Katie to talk about the state of development for Mac and ...

451: Task Management Strategies

08 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

David and Katie revisit the topic of task management. We talk about digital task managers, our history managing tasks, various tiers of task managemen...

450: MPU+:I'm a Big Phone Guy

01 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This month in MPU+ we chat about David's new phone, Katie's broken Mac, iOS 12 follow-up, Siri Shortcuts, transitioning from Dropbox to iCloud, David'...

449: macOS Mojave

24 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

David and Katie talk about Apple's latest operating system, macOS Mojave. We discuss the state of the Mac, yearly release cycles, what we like, what w...

448: iOS 12 and the September 12th Event

17 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

David and Katie run through their favorite new features for iOS 12, WatchOS 5 and thoughts on the September 12th announcements.