Secure ShellFish is a SFTP client that lives in the Files app on iPad and iPhone. Access the directories on your Mac, Linux server or Raspberry Pi like you access Dropbox and iCloud Drive. Files are downloaded when opened with changes uploaded as you make them or as soon as possible if you temporarily lose the connection to the server.
It supports the Shortcuts app allowing you to automate file transfers and can be used from the share sheet for fast uploads.
The app is free to download with pro features requiring a single permanent in-app purchase.
Fortunately, video editor Thomas Grove Carter has since demonstrated that the iMac Pro can in fact drive the Pro Display XDR, but only at a 5K resolution. This is likely because the iMac Pro uses Intel’s older “Alpine Ridge” Thunderbolt 3 controller without enough bandwidth to drive a 6K display.
Of course, we had Thomas on Mac Power Users this week to talk about the Mac Pro and Pro Display XDR, but this topic didn’t come up, as the final list of supported Macs was still unknown when we recorded that episode.
I feel like this really starts the clock running on the future of the iMac Pro. It’s an amazing machine — my base model is fantastic — and I hope Apple and Intel can manage to get another one out the door soon. I expect there are people in the Pro Display XDR’s possible user base who are frustrated by this lack of compatibility.
The folks at Bjango have a new iOS weather app. I was able to use it during the beta process, and I’ve been really impressed with it.
It comes with all the data you could want, laid out in a compact, clean way. It’s complete with a Today View widget and Apple Watch app, and there are a bunch of ways to customize the data the app shows on its various screens.
According to an Apple support document, the Pro Display XDR with nano-texture glass must be cleaned only with the dry polishing cloth that Apple provides. No water or liquids should be used to clean the glass.
Apple warns that Pro Display XDR owners should never use any other cloths to clean the glass, and if the included dry polishing cloth is lost, Apple Support should be contacted so another cloth can be ordered. There’s no word yet on what Apple is charging for replacement cleaning cloths.
My guess is that most cloths would get torn up and maybe leave bits of lint embedded in the nano-texture glass.
When visiting Settings ⇾ General ⇾ Keyboard, at the bottom of the screen there’s now a toggle that can be used to remove Memoji stickers from the emoji keyboard altogether. Once removed, they can still be accessed from the iMessage app row that lines the top of the standard keyboard inside Messages.
The Mac Pro is back. Apple is finally delivering on a promise it made back in April 2017. Here’s John Gruber, writing at the time:
Apple is currently hard at work on a “completely rethought” Mac Pro, with a modular design that can accommodate high-end CPUs and big honking hot-running GPUs, and which should make it easier for Apple to update with new components on a regular basis. They’re also working on Apple-branded pro displays to go with them.
At the time, Apple said the new machine would “not ship this year,” and later said it was “a 2019 product.” At WWDC this year, Apple finally showed off the machine.
Today, several reviewers have been able to share their thoughts on the new Mac Pro:
Don’t miss episode 514 of Mac Power Users, where David and I interviewed Thomas Grove Carter, a video editor who has been using Final Cut Pro X on the 2019 Mac Pro with the Pro Display XDR for several weeks.
In addition to reviews dropping, Apple has finally shown its hand when it comes to pricing. As we knew at WWDC, the Mac Pro starts at $5,999 with the following specs:
3.5GHz 8‑core Intel Xeon W processor, Turbo Boost up to 4.0GHz
32GB (4x8GB) of DDR4 ECC memory
Radeon Pro 580X with 8GB of GDDR5 memory
256GB SSD storage
Stainless steel frame with feet
Magic Mouse 2
Magic Keyboard with Numeric Keypad
For comparison, my $4,999 iMac Pro stacks up this way:
3.2GHz 8-core Intel Xeon W CPU with 4.2 GHz Turbo Boost
Radeon Pro Vega 56 GPU with 8GB HBM2 memory
32GB 2666MHz ECC RAM
1 TB SSD with T2 encryption
… and it comes with a 5K display, complete with wide color support.1
So yeah, there’s no way around it. The Mac Pro is an expensive computer. And because we have to, a fully-loaded Mac Pro will run you over $53,000.If I wanted wheels on it, it’d be an extra $400. It seems that you have to choose if you want wheels or feet at time of purchase.
AppleCare is a cheap $299, and the rack-mountable Mac Pro starts at $6,499 and is not available yet. Customers will be able to buy kits of RAM, additional GPUs and the Afterburner card to install on their own, but that page doesn’t seem to be live yet.Update: Some Mac Pro accessories are showing up on this page.
The Mac Pro isn’t the most expensive Mac on sale without reason. Its power, flexibility and upgradability are unmatched, even by the old Mac Pro towers. It’s a return to form for a machine that many people will use to do the best creative work of their lives. It’s a finely-crafted tool, designed for users who need the most out of a box running macOS.
I was impressed when I saw it at WWDC, and I can’t wait to get my hands on one at some point in the future. The Mac Pro is not for everyone, but for those who need it, today’s a great day. Long live the cheese grater.
The Pro Display XDR, with stand, costs $5,999 a full $1,000 more than the iMac Pro on my desk. To be fair, I think most Mac Pro customers will end up with the $1,299 LG UltraFine 5K Display. Very few need the Pro Display XDR, and I think Apple knows they’ve created a very niche product. ↩
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 talk about the power of the new machine, it’s flexibility and how it unlocks new types of workflows for video editors.
Thomas was great to talk to, and it’s clear to me how this computer and display can change the workflows of video editors around the world. It’s not for everyone, but if it’s for you, today is a good day.
My thanks to our sponsors:
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An action is something you can add to Drafts to give yourself a button (and optionally a keyboard shortcut) to do something. What that something is, is entirely up to you. From integrations with WordPress and Dropbox, to scripting and custom HTML previews, the combination of steps you can combine to do your bidding is positively mindboggling.
Drafts for Mac ships with five action groups, which by themselves greatly increase the power of the app; these include: Basic, Editing, Markdown, Tools, and Processing. The names of these groups are fairly self-explanatory, and they deliver plenty of punch so you can easily do more with Drafts – even without looking into the wealth of actions available in the action directory.
Drafts is crazy powerful, and I’m excited to see it bloom into a full-blown Mac app its iOS most important features.
