Our phones are constantly vying for our attention. On this week’s episode, David and I discuss strategies for managing notifications and regaining control.
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How the Apollo Lunar Rover Worked⇢
I have a soft spot for 1960s space hardware, but the lunar rover is my favorite. It was designed to meet a ridiculous set of limitations, and achieved amazing success. Jared Owen’s new video breaks down how it was built, how it worked, and why it’s worth remembering:
MPU 829: Tech That Worked in 2025⇢
This week on Mac Power Users, David and I reflect on what went well in their tech stacks, touching on Apple silicon, the company’s default apps, AI tools, home automation, and networking.
Five Apps I Used in 2005
Yours truly in The Daily Helmsman newsroom as a freshman in August 2004. Names and phone numbers have been redacted to protect people who probably don’t remember me at all.
Twenty years ago, I was halfway through my first sophomore year of college1 and loving it. Moving into the dorm in August 2004 marked the first time I had access to the real Internet (not just AOL or Juno), and I dove into being a Mac nerd. I spent time on the Apple Discussion Boards and OS X forums across the web to learn everything I could about the PowerBook on my desk and what it could do.
Mac Power Users 828: Revisiting Keyboard Maestro⇢
This week, David and I talk through our uses of Keyboard Maestro, diving deep into automation, text expansion, and more.
Connected 583: The 2025 Annies⇢
The year is coming to an end, and to celebrate, Federico, Myke, and I score each month with the only unit of measurement that matters — the Ticci Scale:
Four Winners and Losers of Apple’s 2025
Apple’s year is just about done, so it’s time to pick some high and low points.
Winners: UI Experts on Social Media
macOS Tahoe, iOS 26, and their cousins will go down in history for being the releases that introduced Liquid Glass.
One of Apple’s stated desires with this design language was to unify its platforms with one universal look and feel, as shown off in the image at the top of the company’s press release about Liquid Glass:
Ford Has Steered Its Former EV Truck and Plant Plans in to a Ditch
Back in 2021, Ford unveiled the F-150 Lightning, an all-electric version of its venerable pickup. A single $100 payment would get your name on the truck’s waiting list, and production was expected to begin in 2022.
Despite being a twice-over Toyota Tacoma fanboy, I was excited about this announcement. The F-150 has been America’s best-selling truck for like 400 years, and making it electric seemed like a great way to get EVs into garages that would otherwise never see one. I even sent Ford $100.
Sponsor: Magic Lasso Adblock: YouTube Ad Blocker for Safari⇢
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Mac Power Users 827: Every Two Months or So⇢
On this feedback episode, David and I revisit the smart home, iPadOS 26, the lack of a big iMac, charging stations, and much more.
Seriously, much more:
Connected 582: The Biggest Chunk of the Smallest Chunk⇢
The guys catch up on more Apple leadership changes and talk about music streaming services before the alarm goes off for another round of The Quizzies.
On Connected Pro, my initial review of the Analogue 3D.
State Department Goes Back to Times New Roman for... Reasons⇢
I promise this is not from The Onion, but rather Michael Crowley and Hamed Aleaziz at The New York Times:
Secretary of State Marco Rubio waded into the surprisingly fraught politics of typefaces on Tuesday with an order halting the State Department’s official use of Calibri, reversing a 2023 Biden-era directive that Mr. Rubio called a “wasteful” sop to diversity.
While mostly framed as a matter of clarity and formality in presentation, Mr. Rubio’s directive to all diplomatic posts around the world blamed “radical” diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility programs for what he said was a misguided and ineffective switch from the serif typeface Times New Roman to sans serif Calibri in official department paperwork.