I can’t believe that 40 years of computer software design has led us to a world where we are all reliant on a range of entirely bespoke browser-based apps. The tech world has really ended up in a basket-case of UI design. I don’t mind server-based stuff, but I love a native front-end. … read more

Social Media Deathwatch II - Mark writes: When a site tells you they don’t want you using it, except by their captured clients, you should stop using it. All they want is to control you and put ads in your eyeballs, until you explode. … Reddit came out of Digg being fed into a woodchipper … read more

How good is the Mac indie developer community? Caddyshack Good GIFfrom Caddyshack GIFs I have been a long-time user of the SearchLink service developed by Brett Terpstra. I use it so regularly that I have it tied to a button on my Stream Deck, as well as keyboard shortcut, ⌃ + ⌘ + L. Last night I … read more

I’ve been a long-time user of Drafts, but my subscription is due to expire next month and I have been thinking that I’d let it go. I’ve been using Tot more these days, and Drafts had become an intimidating mess that I didn’t enjoy using. However, after listening to a Mac … read more

It’s that time of year when many are making lists and undertaking audits of their subscription services. I had an old list in Dynalist that was almost complete. I’ve updated it and moved it into Craft, where I will attempt to maintain it over time. read more

Update: 14 December 2021: John, a kind reader of this blog emailed me to correct the record regarding the age of these apps. I imply below that Quicksilver predated Launchbar when in fact Launchbar is the oldest of the crop. In my usage, Quicksilver was the first King - it was my gateway drug to … read more

By way of follow-up to yesterday’s review of Tot, I can confirm I’ve bought the iOS version. read more

Update: The day after writing this, I bought the iOS version of Tot. My friend and Hemispheric Views podcast co-host Martin Feld is Mr. Default. He likes Reminders. He like Mail.app. He likes Calendar. Not for him the world of OmniFocus, MailMate or Fantastical. No sirree. Keep it simple, keep … read more

I want to use and love BBEdit. I bought version 13 with a similar thought and feeling. That purchase seems like it was only a few months ago - in fact, I checked to see if I was eligible for the free upgrade. According to my receipt stored in 1Password, however, my v13 license was acquired on 21 … read more

The Archive owes its heritage to nvAlt, which owes its heritage to Notational Velocity — a unique piece of software that broke new ground by integrating new note creation with search in an Omnibar. I’m old enough to remember using the original Notational Velocity. The Archive is true … read more

I also own 1Writer, which also plugs directly into Dropbox, and is, arguably, a better editor. It’s certainly a more fully-featured one. Yes, I own many text editors. It’s the curse of the tinkerer. I also forgot that you can pretend a file name with _ in Blot and it won’t … read more

I’ve owned Byword for many years. I think it was the first Markdown editor I bought, for both iOS and macOS. I abandoned it a long time ago as well, as it seemed to pale in comparison with other Markdown editors. In looking for an easier way to post to Blot via Dropbox, however, Greg Moore suggested … read more

I’ve been consciously taking more and better daily notes. Part of this is to build a greater awareness of what I do and how I spend my time. Part of it is to be able to capture and later resurface information. I’ve tried a number of various solutions to this. I experimented with Bullet … read more

Have you ever used a pivot table in Excel, and thought that there must be a better way? Have you ever built a Kanban board in Trello but realised you need a second axis? Have you ever designed a table in OmniGraffle or PowerPoint and thought there must a more straightforward way? I have. So I … read more

Agenda and NotePlan: two apps that ostensibly do the same thing. They provide a method by which to take notes with regard to meetings, projects and daily happenings. Design Decisions Both apps have been carefully designed but have ended up operating quite differently to one another. Agenda feels … read more

At the beginning of 2020, an update on my current app toolbox. Of course, it is overflowing with too many tools. My ideal state would be to have one centralised repository for everything. Yet each app offers a different set of features and benefits, and scratch particular itches. So I think the … read more

I have bought a license for MailMate - a mail application for the Mac. This cost me AU$84. Why pay that kind of money for a mail app, when Apple provide Mail for free, and I have access to a good web app for Fastmail and Outlook for work email? I was happy to pay the money because MailMate is … read more

The search for the right Mac Markdown editor is like a quest for the Holy Grail. There are many options, but finding the ideal fit is a challenge. It got to the point where I had to do an audit of the options that exist on my computer, and consider which one might be best for my needs. The list I … read more

I’ve always had a version of BBEdit on my Mac. For a while it was TextWrangler, but now it’s back to BBEdit (unregistered). It’s one of those apps I don’t use very often, but when I want a pure Mac text editing experience, I know I can rely on it. BBEdit can do a whole … read more

I’ve used Instapaper relatively consistently since Marco Arment introduced it. Was that a decade ago now? Occasionally I’ve stopped using it, or toyed with other services like Pocket, or Safari’s Reading List feature. In the end, however, I’ve always gone back to … read more