531: Teaching with GoodNotes, with David MacDonald
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.
Apr 12, 2020•1 hr 42 min•Ep. 531
Mac Power Users
Learn about getting the most from your Apple technology with focused topics and workflow guests. Creating Mac Power Users since 2009, one conversation at a time. Hosted by David Sparks and Stephen Hackett.
Episodes
530: Working From Home
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 experience to share some of what has worked well for them at home.
Apr 05, 2020•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 530
529: State of the Mac
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, David and Stephen discuss the current hardware and software that makes up our beloved computing platform. As a bonus segment at the end, they talk about the 2020 iPad Pros.
Mar 29, 2020•1 hr 39 min•Ep. 529
528: The Merlin Awakens
MPU Hall of Famer Merlin Mann returns to discuss using plain text, home automation, the Apple TV and more.
Mar 22, 2020•1 hr 55 min•Ep. 528
527: Dictation and Text Capture
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 and Stephen explore tools and techniques that make text easier to work with.
Mar 15, 2020•1 hr 33 min•Ep. 527
526: I Don’t Aspire to Anything Else
It's feedback time! David celebrates his 5th year of being independent, while Stephen has settled on an application to manage his tech history research. Then, more on Do Not Disturb and a whole bunch of listener questions.
Mar 08, 2020•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 526
525: Workflows with David Wain
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 the steps of making a show like *Medical Police.*
Mar 01, 2020•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 525
524: Photographing the Stars, with Andrew Burwell
The stars and planets are within sight, given the right hardware and software. Andrew Burwell has been honing his astrophotography skills, using Apple products to produce some amazing images of our universe.
Feb 23, 2020•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 524
523: State of the iPad
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, Stephen and David talk about the current state of the platform, and how it fits in with the iPhone and Mac.
Feb 16, 2020•1 hr 43 min•Ep. 523
522: iCloud Family Sharing
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, how to set it up and the possible pitfalls of this Apple service.
Feb 09, 2020•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 522
521: Taming Notifications
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 garden and tame the madness.
Feb 02, 2020•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 521
520: Weather Apps & Gear
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 and Stephen compare a bunch of different weather apps and services before picking their favorite.
Jan 26, 2020•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 520
519: Workflows with Greg Pierce
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 a new device.
Jan 19, 2020•1 hr 33 min•Ep. 519
518: Technology in a War Zone, with Mark Hackett
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 about data management so far from home, the power of Apple's apps like Pages and his move to the iPad Pro.
Jan 12, 2020•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 518
517: State of the iPhone
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 the hardware, software and services that make up Apple's most popular product.
Jan 05, 2020•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 517
516: Looking Toward 2020
David and Stephen review 2019, and the changes it brought to the Apple ecosystem before talking about their hopes for 2020.
Dec 29, 2019•1 hr 35 min•Ep. 516
515: Stephen Takes One for the Team
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 USB-C hubs. Then Stephen makes a confession, which David takes rather well.
Dec 22, 2019•1 hr 39 min•Ep. 515
514: Apple is Listening — The 2019 Mac Pro, with Thomas Grove Carter
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.
Dec 10, 2019•1 hr 37 min•Ep. 514
513: Catalyst Apps on the Mac, with John Voorhees
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 examples and talk about the technology and what it could mean for the Mac and iPad in the future.
Dec 08, 2019•1 hr 40 min•Ep. 513
512: Ask the Genius
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, he and David talk about the new 16-inch MacBook Pro and how someone should prioritize features when buying a new computer.
Dec 01, 2019•1 hr 41 min•Ep. 512
511: 2019 Developer Roundtable
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 brought for developers. Then, a conversation about app subscriptions, VC funding and more.
Nov 24, 2019•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 511
510: The 2019 Holiday Gift Guide
It's that time again; the annual MPU Holiday Gift Guide has returned.
Nov 17, 2019•1 hr 32 min•Ep. 510
509: Brent Simmons, Man of Many Hats
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 media and content creation before shifting gears to discuss Brent's RSS reader, NetNewsWire and where the Mac could be heading.
Nov 10, 2019•1 hr 26 min•Ep. 509
508: One for Me and One for You, with Sara Dietschy
YouTuber and podcaster Sara Dietschy joins Stephen and David to share about her video work, from cameras to editing and beyond. They also discuss managing large amounts of data across multiple locations, the role of the iPad and turning creative work into a business.
Nov 03, 2019•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 508
507: Ian Elsner & His Stick of Gum PC
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 interesting and unusual ways to help develop educational exhibits for kids and adults.
Oct 27, 2019•1 hr 29 min•Ep. 507
506: iOS Accessories
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 week, Stephen and David talk about some of the products that they rely on when using their iPhones and iPads, from cases and batteries to tripods and keyboard.
Oct 20, 2019•1 hr 37 min•Ep. 506
505: Chris Bailey and the Noah's Ark of Dongles
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 iPad.
Oct 13, 2019•1 hr 28 min•Ep. 505
504: The Release of macOS Catalina
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, David and Stephen dive into what's what in this year's release of macOS.
Oct 07, 2019•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 504
503: Fax the Updates, with Dave Hamilton
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 Apple has changed over the years and some software tools every Mac user should know about.
Oct 06, 2019•1 hr 25 min•Ep. 503
502: I Saw Your Face on the Internet
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. Stephen also gives a behind-the-scenes look at the recent Relay FM Podcastathon and closes the episode by reading a list of the iPhones he has broken over the years.
Sep 29, 2019•1 hr 46 min•Ep. 502
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