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App Recommendations from Josh Ginter

Fantastical

The Best Calendar App for iPhone

Fantastical

A calendar app with delightful design, superior natural language text entry, and support for iCloud reminders.
Fantastical 3

The Best Calendar App for iPad

Fantastical 3

A calendar app with delightful design, superior natural language text entry, and support for iCloud reminders.
Lightroom for iPad

The Best App for Editing Photos on the iPad

Lightroom for iPad

For photographers on the general photography journey — from smartphone photography through to point-and-shoot, mirrorless, and DSLR photography — Adobe Lightroom for iPad is likely to be the last photo editing app you ever need.
Banktivity 7

The Best App for Managing Personal Finances and Budgets

Banktivity 7

Banktivity is our favorite budgeting app because it's easy to use, offers plenty of features and, most importantly, makes managing your finances easy and relatively hassle-free.
PDF Expert 6

The Best App for Managing, Editing, and Reading PDFs on Your iPad

PDF Expert 6

PDF Expert is easy to use, works with many syncing services, offers the fastest document reading experience, and has the most robust toolset available.


Gadget Recommendations from Josh Ginter

Our favorite iPhone 7 Plus cases

With every new iPhone comes a new wave of iPhone cases. Now, after one billion iPhones have been shipped to customers worldwide, every microscopic iPhone change causes waves in the case industry. Take the iPhone 7 Plus dual camera system this year as an example. I had an old Twelve South BookBook for iPhone 6 […] »

Our Favorite iPhone 6s and 6s Plus Dock

Unlike iPhone cases, I love iPhone docks. With the amount I use my iPhone, resting it in a proper, elegant throne at the end of the day only seems fair. It’s more than just aesthetics to me. When I turn over at 3:00AM as a half-zombie to check how much longer I can sleep, it’s […] »

Our favorite iPhone 6s case

iPhone cases: You either can’t live with them or you can’t live without them. For the longest time, I was one of those people in the first camp. I’ve always despised iPhone cases. Loathed them, even. I don’t minded wallet-equipped iPhone sleeves because I can take the phone out of them with relative ease when […] »



Blog Posts & Articles by Josh Ginter

Knowing How You Work Best is a Cheat Code for Better Productivity

Throughout the years and after countless experiments, I’ve discovered how I work best. This best version doesn’t involve the sexiest setup. It doesn’t involve the nicest mechanical keyboard or the most expensive camera. This version of “work best” is defined more as “more productive” than “more creative.” »

A Few Months with Notion Calendar

Calendars are in a weird metamorphosis period right now. How we use calendars is changing, this is clear. But where calendars are going is hard to pinpoint — we’ve seen calendar apps with to-do lists, AI integrations, and even full-on email applications built in. I’m not sure I can stand here and define what the winning calendar combination will be. »

How I Use Notion AI Q&A Each Day

Notion AI Q&A is the key to unlocking a new type of productivity in our office. It’s effectively the executive assistant in the office, ready with a quick answer whenever you have a question or ready to find an update for something you know you worked on months ago. »

Our First Look at Apple’s New Journal App

Let’s take a look at Apple’s new Journal app for iPhone and how it stacks up to one of the perennial apps on the App Store. The app has a long way to go, but it has some very intriguing elements to start. »

Comparing Apple Notes to the Latest Version of Bear Notes

It’s time we compare Apple Notes and Bear once again. Apple Notes vs. the new and improved Bear has made for some interesting experiments over the last few weeks. Perhaps our findings below will help others dial in their note-taking app choice once more. »

A Closer Look at Apple Notes’s Smart Folders

Right alongside the ability to tag your notes in Apple Notes is the ability to create smart folders. Smart folders are tags and folders on steroids — you can build out entirely custom ways to unearth and organize your notes. »

How to Use Apple Notes to Save Highlights

If you don’t believe personal knowledge management (PKM) isn’t in a hayday right now, go check out ToolFinder.co. You’re going to find the very best apps for note-taking, emailing, calendaring, to-doing, and producivitying across the wide internet. The list is long and the pocketbook requirements deep — you can spend a ton of money and a ton of time building out a system that works for you. »

A First Look at Heptabase, a PKM App for Research and Learning

One of the newest apps I discovered was Heptabase, a research-specific PKM app that uses a more visual approach to presenting your research and learning. Heptabase uses whiteboards, sections, and mind maps to connect your thinking and has unique PDF features that will be sure to catch the attention of professors, graduate and doctorate students, and more. »

A Guide to Determine if Apple Mail Is the Right Email App for You

Apple’s built-in Mail app has become pretty feature complete over the years. Though the latest email features take a year or two to show up in Mail, most have made their way into the app — features like Send Later, Snooze, Undo Send, and more are now all in Apple’s default Mail app and available to all iPhone, iPad, and Mac users. »

The Ultimate Guide to Apple Notes

Let's dive into what makes Notes so good. We’ll provide a few simple quick tips of things that make any Notes experience that much better, as well as the latest features coming to Notes in iOS 17. »

A Time Blocking Comparison: Sunsama vs. Fantastical

Habits change. Inspiration comes and goes. Workflows spring up and taper off. But for me, time blocking never changes. Time blocking has become fundamental to my work day, ensuring I have chunks of time to complete tasks and ensuring my colleagues know what I’m up to. Time blocking structures my day. Time blocking blocks out extra meetings. Time blocking pushes me forward. »

Josh’s Must-Have Productivity Apps

As Matt so wisely put last week, we’ll quickly run the risk here of replicating each The Sweet Setup contributor’s must-have productivity apps. By the end of this little series, you’re likely to see a few commonalities, such as Notion, Fantastical, Ulysses, 1Password and perhaps Things. Each of these apps rock in their own right. And we as a group have a great taste in productivity apps. »

Plotter, Sunsama, and Notion: A Simple Hybrid Productivity System

I can point to a sequence of events that led directly to my current hybrid productivity setup. It started last year when I attended Focus Course Academy. One of the mini-lessons nestled in the middle of the academy was a crash course in time-blocking. In hindsight, time-blocking is so obvious. If you want to ensure you get something done, it needs to be part of your calendar. But actually time-blocking isn’t all that obvious. Do you do the time-blocking in your digital calendar? Do you buy a physical notebook and sketch out each day? »

Ideas for Using Notion AI to Make Yourself More Productive

I’m a professional accountant, so my daily work consists of financial and tax reporting, consulting, and communicating with clients via video and written memos or emails. AI is useful for some of these, but certainly not all. Here are some ways I use Notion AI in my daily work. »

How to Startup and Shutdown Your Day with Sunsama

Way, way back when, Shawn showed off one of his cool tricks for spurring the creative juices each morning. Rather than sitting down cold turkey at the computer to begin work for the day, Shawn would leave a note right in front of his keyboard the prior evening outlining the next step, the next idea, […] »

How to Create Habits with Sunsama

Want to know the secret to creating new habits and sticking with them? Hint: It’s not Sunsama (though, as we’ll see, Sunsama can be a really big help.) There’s no app or workflow out there that will magically transform all your desired habits into actual habits. The key to developing habits is to perform the […] »

Using Web Apps in the New Arc Browser Rather Than Native Apps

If I had written about using web apps in Arc a month or two ago, I would have discussed how this was a failed experiment. Instead of using the native Notion, Hey, and Slack apps for macOS, I opted to create spaces and tabs inside the new Arc browser. The apps behaved super quickly in Arc and all the latest and greatest features were present from the start. »

How I Designed My New Office for Focus and Less Distraction

I can’t imagine too many folks have too many opportunities to design their own office from top to bottom. The fit, the finishes, and everything in between. I had the chance to do so over the summer and, though stressful at times, it was a pile of fun. Our small accounting office worked out of […] »

Setting Do Not Disturb With the Action Button on the Apple Watch Ultra

The Apple Watch Ultra’s Action Button is one of the biggest departures from standard Apple Watch design in, well, ever. Ever since the introduction of the original Series 1 Apple Watch, we’ve only had access to the Digital Crown and the Watch’s side button. The Action Button increases the onboard physical buttons by a full 50%! »

A Quick Review of the Logitech MX Master 3S Mouse

It may be the incremental upgrade of all incremental upgrades: The Logitech MX Master 3S — at least on paper — is one of the smallest gadget updates we’ve seen in recent memory. Put them side by side and you wouldn’t be able to see the difference (unless you were comparing to the newest “Pale Grey” Master 3S color), you probably wouldn’t physically feel the difference, and unless you have a trained eye, you probably wouldn’t notice an on-screen difference either. But rest assured, you’d instantly be able to tell the two top-end mouses apart once you’ve clicked them. »

A Few Weeks With the Always-On Display and Dynamic Island in the iPhone 14 Pro

The iterations are getting smaller, there’s no doubt about it. iPhone 12 Pro to iPhone 13 Pro included a substantially better battery, a smaller notch, and the standard camera improvements. I say “standard camera improvements” because Apple’s largely just playing the physics game here rather than the technology game — take a look at how much bigger the camera lenses are on the back of the iPhone 14 Pro and you’ll see where the year-over-year-over-year improvements are truly coming from. »

Looking at Notes in iOS 16

Here’s a roundup of iOS 16’s latest features for Notes, and a quick look at what we’re going to see in iPadOS 16’s Notes soon. »

A First Look at Mail in iOS 16

Remember the golden age of email apps? I remember Sparrow, the best email client to ever be made. I remember the wait line to get into Mailbox. I even remember the seemingly endless wait to get the new Outlook design just a few years ago. »

Elements of a Sweet Setup Part 3: Lighting and Desk Accessories

This is perhaps the most exciting section when building out your setup. Where desks, chairs, and computers are the backbone of many workspaces these days, desk accessories and other elements are key to bringing out your personality and inspiration. You can really venture down the rabbit hole here. »

Elements of a Sweet Setup Part 2: Computers and Accessories

If you’re in the middle of building a new workspace at home or at the office, you know just how many elements there are to consider. Desks and chairs are just the tip of the iceberg — anything from lighting through to plant life has likely played a role in your considerations. »

Elements of a Sweet Setup: Desks and Chairs

There’s a lot of hype around building out a home office right now given the dramatic shift toward work-from-home or hybrid remote work. There are so many accessories and so many ways to build your setup — it can be overwhelming. And it’s important, right? You’re spending 8-plus hours in your workspace every day, so you want the space to be inspiring, healthy, and productive. »

Quick Tip: How to Share Directly to Glass from Lightroom on iPad

Just under a year ago, Glass launched on iPhone, offering a genuine photo sharing alternative to Instagram. Glass launched to much fanfare — many folks (including myself) vowed to kick Instagram to the curb in favor of a fresh new start on a new and stylish platform. »

How to Create Text Snippets in Alfred

I had my first taste of text snippet expansion way, way back when everyone could use TextExpander without the subscription cost. There was a little bit of magic every time one of those snippets expanded. It was even cooler when you triggered a little dialog box that let you type in a custom bit of text to be added into the text expansion. »

Exploring Canary Mail’s SecureSend and Other Privacy-Focused Features

I’ve been working with Canary Mail over the last few weeks to better secure my email workflow. Canary recently debuted SecureSend, a smart encryption feature that secures your email and attached files. SecureSend also has revocation features, enabling you to revoke access to an email or attached files after a certain amount of time, or if the email security has been breached. »

Some First Impressions of Apple’s Studio Display

The Studio Display is one of the most giddy-worthy Apple products I’ve played with in a long time. Its design is impeccable, speakers deep and thorough, display bright and crisp, I/O usable and manageable. »

Three Tips for Making Windows 11 in Parallels Seamless on a Mac

A colleague on The Sweet Setup team recently asked me a profound question related to Windows on the Mac — a question wherein I completely dropped the ball in answering. The question was simple: Why would a regular Mac user choose to work in Windows on a Mac instead of macOS?" Tough question. In short, compatibility. »

GoodNotes is Now Free to Try

GoodNotes recently updated its pricing structure to allow new users to get a better grasp of the app before fully committing to the $8 purchase price. Now, you can create your first 3 notebooks inside GoodNotes for free. »

A Workflow Using Hazel, Alfred Snippets, and Automator to Rename PDF Documents

I generate a lot of PDF documents every March and April. Some back of the envelope math would clock in around 3,200 documents generated or so. Each tax return would require between 3 and 6 documents, each with their own unique filename. Our naming convention is pretty simple, but requires each client’s name. And each […] »

AirPods Max: A Parent’s Point of View

In one short swoop, the AirPods Max have nicely fixed my Madhouse distraction-maximalist home and my late evening television entertainment needs. I can now drown out most of the chaos swirling around when it’s time to work and I can enjoy a new level of audio when watching my favorite Disney+ shows. »

Magnet Snaps Windows to Where You Need Them

If you want Windows 11-level window management on macOS, you’ll need a third-party app. Many folks like Moom or BetterSnapTool, but I use Magnet for window management on macOS. Best of all, Magnet goes far beyond what you find as default in Windows 11. »

Event Notes in Craft Are Awesome for Time Blockers

Daily Notes became a hallmark feature in Craft in short order. The quick and easy ability to create a note, specific to a calendar date, that could be linked and back-linked across your entire Craft database made the feature a perfect option for collecting digital paraphernalia. »

Fantastical’s “Duplicate as Event” Has Changed My Time Blocking Routine

The transition from listing out all your tasks to putting them into your calendar has long been an annoyance of mine. Long list of tasks, check. Time blocking habit in a calendar, check. But how do you seamlessly transfer tasks to your calendar without manually inserting each task in its own block? Enter Fantastical. »

Bartender 4 Is a Must-Have App for Any MacBook Pro With a Notch

The iPhone is a much more popular product than the MacBook Pro, so naturally the discussion around the iPhone X’s notch was much larger than the discussion around the MacBook Pro’s notch. If we were discuss them relative to one another, I think more words have been spilled on the MacBook Pro’s notch. »

Developing a Fitness Habit with the Peloton App

It was January 2020. I hit the New Year with ambition. I wanted to read more, write more, and most importantly, exercise more. We had a dusty old exercise bike adopted from a family member in the corner of the basement. It hadn’t been used in years. »

Josh Ginter’s 2022 M1 Pro MacBook Pro Accounting Setup

My wish for an M1-powered MacBook Pro came true in October 2021, of course. And then some — not only can these new MacBook Pros drive two external displays, they can drive four displays, all while fast-charging, reading and writing directly to SD cards, and more. These new MacBook Pros are indeed dreams come true and I had to have one. »

A Professional’s Approach to the Creativity Flywheel

Way back in February 2021, I wrote about how I used the iPad to study for the biggest exam of my life. The iPad is the best educational tool in the world, and I had developed a bit of a process over the last 10 years to get as much out of the iPad as possible. Here’s how I’ve adapted the first two steps of Mike’s Creativity Flywheel (Capture and Curate) to my own personal workflows. »

A Complete Ulysses Writing Workflow

This is how I’ve set up my Ulysses app to fit my various writing adventures. I’ve worked to keep it simple and dumbed-down. This ensures it doesn’t require a lot of mental overhead to keep organized, and it ensures my brain is on the writing rather than the meta. »

The iPhone 13 Pro Camera Review

This is the first year that my entire photography workflow can be handled by my iPhone on its own, which has been quite empowering. »

Apps We’re Trying: Matter

App categories seem to go through rainy seasons and dry seasons — an entire category will go years without any major update, any major splash, or any major new competitor, then suddenly the entire category is uplifted from its roots and the cobwebs get shaken out. It’s quite the phenomenon to observe. »

How to Run Shortcuts From the Menu Bar

Shortcuts debuted in Monterey after a few years of baking in iOS and iPadOS. Automator workflows will be convertible to operate inside Shortcuts, and iOS and iPadOS shortcuts will be operable on a Mac. »

Our Favorite iOS and iPadOS 15 Updates for Your New iPhone 13 and iPad mini

Autumn means new iPhones, but it also means new iOS and iPadOS drops. With a push of a button in Cupertino, your year-old iPhone and iPad can feel brand new again. And though many are touting this year’s iOS and iPadOS updates as relatively iterative, there are certain features that are sure to be daily-use features in the months to come. »

A Beginner’s Guide to Craft: Daily Notes

Once you understand the ins and outs of what makes a block a block and how to link blocks together to both create documents and link your notes, you can begin to dive further into Craft’s more specific features. This week, we’re going to discuss Craft’s new Daily Notes feature. »

The iPhone 13 and 13 Pro Camera System: A Keynote Roundup

When Greg Joswiak first proclaimed the iPhone 13 Pro’s camera system was to undergo “the biggest advancement yet,” I quickly chimed into my friend group watching the keynote with a “How can they claim that every single year?” »

How to Quickly Tag Notes in Notes for iPadOS 15

Tags are present throughout the best apps on the App Store and work great for high-level organization and structure. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Apple’s introduction of tags to iPadOS 15’s Notes app is met with widespread excitement. »

A Beginner’s Guide to Craft: Linking

Blocks are the very core of Craft. They provide countless ways to format, structure, and build out your documents. They can take numerous forms, from text, audio, video, PDFs, sketches — there is very little Craft can’t handle thanks to its block-based system. »

Global Keyboard Shortcuts for Multitasking in iPadOS 15

The Globe key is going to get a workout in iPadOS 15. If you really want to take advantage of all the iPad’s greatest features, an external keyboard and the Globe key are going to unlock a new level of ease. »

A Beginner’s Guide to Craft: Documents, Pages, and Blocks

There is a plethora of note-taking and research-tracking apps available for the iPhone, iPad, and the Mac. Currently popular ones, like Obsidian and Roam Research, are tremendous for storing research and making connections between your discoveries. Others, like Apple Notes and Bear, excel at collecting all sorts of media types, including text, photos, URLs, and handwritten snippets. And still others, like Drafts, whip text and automations together to form ultra-fast workflows on your devices. »

Things 3.14 Debuts Markdown Note Formatting

It’s been awhile since our pick for the best productivity app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac received a notable update. Over the past year or more, Things 3 has slowly evolved under-the-hood, becoming one of the most stable and reliable apps available on the App Store. But Things 3.14, though a small update in relation […] »

How to Create Multiple App Icons in iPadOS 15

iPadOS 15’s big widgets and focused home screens provide the chance to dial in specific home screens for specific uses, and the ability to create multiple instances of an app is key to these focused home screens working properly. »

A Look at Big Widgets and Focused Home Screens in iPadOS 15

With big displays come big widgets in iPadOS 15. Though we had a glimpse of the “larger” widgets with iOS 14’s News widget (sort of), the larger horizontal widgets in iPadOS 15 mostly came out of left field. iPadOS 15 widgets are even larger than the vertical News widget in iOS 14, taking up three columns in the app spring board and displaying content in bold new ways. Apple touted these extra large widgets as being great for media apps like Music, TV, and Photos, where the media inside the app can shine brightly. »

Comparing Craft’s New Daily Note Features to NotePlan 3

I’ve bounced around daily note-taking apps for the last 18 months or so. The search started with Roam Research, then moved over to NotePlan 3, and now rests in Craft. Each has its own intricate set of features and shortcomings, and I’m still not perfectly jumping for joy with any option. »

Five Things We’re Most Excited for in iOS 15, iPadOS 15, and macOS Monterey

Guess what? It’s mid-week for WWDC 2021. It’s new beta time for iOS and MacOS. And we promise ourselves every year we won’t make the download and risk losing our precious digital lives to the ether. (So far, nobody on The Sweet Setup team has downloaded the betas just yet (except for Rose) and so […] »

A Roundup of Apple’s 2021 WWDC Keynote Announcements

If you had any inclination to think Apple’s pace of product development was slowing down during the global pandemic, today’s 2021 WWDC keynote event should knock you back into reality. At 1.75 hours, this was one of Apple’s longer pandemic-keynotes, but in the end we were left with a dizzying array of features destined for […] »

Using DEVONThink for Managing and Annotating PDFs

Back in December, I outlined how I studied course material for a major exam using Craft Notes. There were many positives, a couple negatives, and a whole bunch of naivety at that time. Craft Notes is still one of my favorite new apps of the last four or five years, but it didn’t end up sticking as well as I thought when the real studying began. »

A Review of the Twelve South HoverBar Duo

There are a few moments in Twelve South’s HoverBar Duo marketing video that surely garner a “wow” moment. The video starts out showcasing a multitude of ways you could use Twelve South’s new stand (like shooting a culinary video, recording an aesthetic video, or working at a desk with an iPad at an ergonomic height) and finishes off showcasing how easy it is to swivel, rotate, and maneuver the stand to fit your needs. »

How I Time-Block and Plan in a Traveler’s Notebook

When the group at The Sweet Setup suggested we'd be talking about knowledge and idea workflows in the early part of 2021, I couldn't pass up the chance to talk about my analog adventures that live alongside all the apps I use each day. We can't do everything on our iPhones, after all. »

How to Use the iPad for Study and Deep Learning

It’s my education experience that has led me to believe the iPad is the world’s greatest learning tool. Ever. In the history of humanity. The iPad is humankind’s greatest educational achievement. »

Using Craft Notes for Study and Preserving Long-Term Knowledge

I've been going to school for 10 years. It's been a long, long road, full of all sorts of amazing lessons, few of which have anything to do with the actual content I'm studying. These 10 years of school have been a testament to the "The journey is the destination" mentality. »

Twitter, But Without the Timeline

I've tried to "quit" Twitter a number of times over the last few years. The experiment generally lasted a week (often shorter) and resulted in my return. That return often led me to dig my heels in even deeper. A month ago, I tried again. In the month since, I haven't yet scrolled through my Twitter timeline. Something is different this time around. »

What Apple’s M1 Chip Means for Creatives

iPads and iPhones have long had more power housed in their tiny, fanless bodies than most people have been able to truly grasp. In the last few years, Apple’s A-class chips in the iPad have even outpaced the chips found inside Apple’s Intel-based Macs, allowing for a glimpse into the future of what an Apple-chip-enabled Mac could do. »

We’ve Updated Our Review of the Best Getting Things Done App

The last major update to our review of the best GTD app for Mac, iPhone, and iPad came in 2017, when Things 3 was still quite new and when many of the best GTD apps were in the midst of redesigns and major changes. Here we are, at the end of 2020, and though everything […] »

iPhone 12 Pro First Impressions

Though the iPhone 12 Pro is the most premium iPhone I've ever held, it's also clear this iPhone is meant to be used. It's been a fun weekend watching my wife discover new ways to use her iPhone. »

Things 3.13: Bringing Your Field Notes To-Do List to Things

iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 have debuted some handy and powerful new features, like Widgets on the iPhone and the ability to change your default email app and browser. Though Scribble may top Apple's list as one of the coolest new features for iPadOS 14, it's a particular use-case that appears to be limited in many ways. »

Command + Space on iPad: App Launching, Productivity, and More with the New Universal Search Feature in iPadOS 14

The new and improved Universal Search in iPadOS 14 is possibly one of the biggest power user improvements for the iPad in recent memory. Coupled with an external keyboard, iPadOS 14's new Universal Search can open notes, documents, folders, and webpages; it can start a FaceTime call or send a text message; it can help you play music in a flash; and with the power of Shortcuts, Universal Search brings automation to the iPad's Command + Space keyboard shortcut. Command + Space on an iPad with iPadOS 14 has a whole new meaning. »

A Review of the Artifact Uprising Photo Printing Service

As summer draws ever nearer to a close, it comes high time to review a bunch of the photos you shot over the summer. Whether you choose to edit, share, or publish the photos will be up to you, but I often find myself printing off my favorites each September, and I've been very pleased with how Artifact Uprising makes the intangible tangible on each print run. »

HEY Email: Two Months With the New Email Service

After two full months with the new email service, I’ve found myself settling into new email habits I never expected to form. Some of these habits are great (like checking The Feed only once or twice a week) while others are still forming, evolving, and restarting (such as how to handle emails I want to read, don’t want to miss, yet don’t need to keep for later or reply later). HEY’s consistent updates since debut have been met with much acclaim in my book. »

How I’m Using Roam Research for Bible Study

Roam is a masterful tool for creating your own rabbit holes. My biggest concern is whether the creation of these rabbit holes is creation for the sake of creation, or if an actual discovery or connection will be found as we go. Only time will tell. »

Two Weeks with the iOS 14 and iPadOS 14 Public Betas

Each year, the tech experts advise all bleeding edge iPhone and iPad users to stay away from beta software. Developer betas — especially iOS 13 — were particularly buggy, and the iOS 13 public beta wasn't notably better. Of all years to put a bad beta taste in your mouth, 2019 should have done the trick. »

Apps We’re Trying: GoodLinks

GoodLinks is a relatively new app in the read-it-later space, developed by the same folks behind 1Writer. We're giving it a try and comparing against the popular apps in this category like Pocket and Instapaper. »

HEY Email: How It Has Disrupted My Email Workflow

HEY has disrupted nearly every element of my email workflow. HEY has allowed me to experience a new level of email productivity, and it has even created a new sense of zen-like Inbox Zero in my Imbox, without archiving, deleting, or snoozing. »

A Review of the Vortex ViBE Mechanical Keyboard

Aside from the unique layout, I *really* fell for the ViBE's physical design. The floating keycap look is my favorite keyboard design so far, while the aluminum tray is both flashy and sturdy. The off-white keys have a retro vibe, while the keycap type face is easy to read and unique from the old-fashioned keyboards I associate with 90s-era computers. In short, the ViBE looks incredible. »

Mindfulness Monday: Using Day One Templates to Create a Toddler Quote Book

If you tend to journal or document standard or recurring events in your Day One, entry templates are an easy way to save time. They also provide a cohesive, standard, and consistent look for all like-entries across your entire Day One. For those of us with a perfectionist tendencies, templates are the key to consistency. »

How I’ve Set up iA Writer After Moving from Ulysses

Once every couple years, I find myself doing a deep clean of the apps on my iPhone and iPad. 2020 drew the short straw — in so many ways — and I've spent the better part of the last three months questioning each app on my home screen. »

We’ve Updated Our Review of the Best Photo Editor for iPad

This may amount to being one of our smaller updates on record, but we wanted to give credit where credit is due. Since we published our review of the best photo editor for iPad, each of our favorite apps have received some substantial updates worthy of being included in the review. Some of these new […] »

Magic Keyboard: Turning the iPad Into Something New

Our accounting office is right next to a Telus store full of Android and Windows fanatics. I haven’t been able to get any person in the store to even consider an iPhone or Mac for themselves, let alone convince them the iPad is a great business device. The Magic Keyboard is the first accessory that […] »

The Desks of The Sweet Setup

Here's Blanc Media's work-from-home setups, complete with a list of the main items in each setup. If you're anything like us, you're sure to be curious about a few of the coffee cups gracing these tables. »

Apps We’re Trying: AnyDesk

Our review of the best remote access solution for macOS and iOS may be a bit dated right now, but the pick likely hasn’t changed: Screens VNC is still as rock solid and as beautiful as ever before. In fact, Screens for iOS was just updated to properly support the new cursor support on the iPad, making for what should be an excellent experience zipping around on your Mac through your iPad. »

One Week With the New 2020 iPad: Moving Back to Small

The 2020 iPad Pro marked the opportunity for me to try out the smaller of the two iPad Pros. I’ve been using the 12.9-inch iPad Pro since debut day in 2018, and I know how that shoe fits after a few years. Throw that large iPad into a dock on a desk, connect a Smart Keyboard Folio or external keyboard, and hammer away to your heart’s content. With iPadOS 13.4, an external mouse or trackpad make the 12.9-inch iPad Pro really feel like a MacBook replacement. »

Three Ways Cursor Support in iPadOS 13.4 Changes How You Use an iPad

It’s been awhile since Apple released an iOS software update that received this much praise in such a short period of time. If you didn’t know any better, you’d think Apple had released a brand new version of iOS/iPadOS — one years in the making and sure to revolutionize the way everyone uses their devices. »

We’ve Updated Our Pick for the Best VPN Solution for iOS and macOS

Today, TunnelBear becomes our pick for the best VPN solution for iOS and macOS. TunnelBear offers great speed (not the fastest, but certainly not the slowest), a free 500MB data tier, a reasonable pricing structure, a great connection and setup process, and an overall great experience. »

One Switch is the Menu Bar App for Quickly Toggling Tedious Settings

One Switch is one of the handiest menu bar apps I’ve come across in recent years that excels at making quick system setting changes a one-click affair, and takes it a step further by offering additional switches for connecting to your Bluetooth headphones, locking your keyboard, changing screen resolutions (for those nasty screenshots), playing music, hiding desktop icons, and more. »

First Impressions of the Canon EOS R

After spending the better part of a month with the EOS R and the RF 35mm ƒ/1.8 IS STM Macro lens, I have some impressions on what it’s like to move from 2016 camera technology to 2018 camera technology, as well as some thoughts on the significant mindset change when flipping from the Fuji X-T2 to the EOS R. »

The Best Notes App for iPad

No matter your needs, one of the following notes apps are bound to have you covered on Apple’s latest iPads. »

How to Use Microsoft To Do as a Cross Platform GTD Solution

As it turns out, Microsoft To Do may end up being the single biggest surprise in our jump to Office 365. Having all your tasks in one place, scattered in from Windows, iOS, iPadOS, and macOS — and being able to nicely integrate your dreaded email list with your task list — could be a game changer for anyone wanting to use a Mac yet required to use a PC. »

The iPhone 11 Pro Battery Case Review

Despite the massive year-over-year improvements in battery life of the latest iPhones (all three, the 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max), there are still those who somehow find a way to crush their battery on a daily or semi-daily basis. »

Things 3.11 Brings Big Improvements to Quick Find Feature

The Things team may be one of the hallmark reasons for a wide swath of iPad-focused keyboard features over the last year to year-and-a-half. Ever since that huge Things 3.6 update back in late May 2018, the team at Cultured Code has always put iPad keyboard support at the top of the feature list. One […] »

A Review of the 16-inch MacBook Pro

As the 16-inch MacBook Pro stands, this is basically a perfect professional laptop. A big, wide color P3 display. Four extra-powerful Thunderbolt 3 ports. The best trackpad in the business. And finally, a physical escape key. »

Revisiting the Apple Stock App Experiment

In early September, I put myself up to the task of converting all my third-party apps in these categories to Apple’s own stock apps. After a few months, it's time to check in and see what Apple apps made the cut over my favorite third-party apps. »

Using Prizmo Go In a Long-Term Research Workflow

Prizmo Go is a powerful app that instantly converts pictures of physical book pages into digital text, and combined with a research app like Keep It creates a magical workflow for managing your notes and research. »

The Bellroy System Work Bag Review

The Bellroy System Work Bag is a stylish and functional messenger bag that delivers on both form and factor with the same level of quality as other Bellroy goods. »

Moving Back to Apple’s Stock Apps

I’ve spent the last week or so switching things back to Apple’s stock apps from the best third-party apps in the industry, and I’m going to give them a shot for as long as I can. Here are a range of initial impressions and frustrations in making the switch. »

A Roundup of Apple’s September 2019 iPhone Keynote

This morning’s Apple keynote was one of the more well-paced keynotes in recent memory. In case you weren’t able to catch the keynote live, or if you’re just looking for a healthy roundup of what Apple announced today, we’ve got you covered. »

Magnet Brings Windows 10-Style Window Management to macOS

There aren’t too many features that Windows 10 sports that I miss on macOS, but more than anything, I wish default Windows 10 windows management was more explicitly available in macOS. Thanks to Magnet, this is possible. »

The Twelve South StayGo USB-C Hub Review

Like everything else Twelve South has launched in the last few years, their new StayGo USB-C hub finds a way to justify its existence — both in price and in differentiation. »

Using the New Maps in iOS 13 for Better Travel Planning

iOS 13 appears to have finally solved the difficulty of travel research planning. Maps has been dramatically improved in the iOS 13 and iPadOS public betas and promises next-level features when the new iOS goes live in the fall. »

We’ve Updated Our Review of the Best macOS Launcher Apps

If there’s one way to really bend the Mac to your will, it’s by using a keyboard launcher app. Apps like Alfred, LaunchBar, and the built-in Spotlight make opening apps faster, make finding and opening files a breeze, and make short work of tedious tasks with automations. We’ve long held that Alfred is the best […] »

Due 3.0 Is My New App for Concurrent Timers

It’s summer time, which means it’s grilling season. Due is a great reminders and timers app that allows you to set multiple concurrent timers for keeping track of your grilling times and so much more. »

How to Watch Today’s WWDC 2019 Keynote

Today is one of the biggest days of the year for Apple — new versions of iOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and potentially even Apple hardware are all set to receive the spotlight. The WWDC keynote is one of the best of the year, so we recommend finding a great group of people, the best coffee, […] »

Our Review of the Best RSS App for the iPhone and iPad Has Been Updated

With the bevy of RSS app updates over the last few months, it was high time we gave our review of the best RSS app for the iPhone and iPad some polish. Over the last few months, we’ve seen some major updates to all the main competitors in this category: Unread has constantly been refined, […] »

A Review of the Twelve South BookArc

Twelve South’s BookArc has become a classic desk accessory over the years. It doesn’t do anything groundbreaking or flashy, but by changing the direction of your docked MacBook, it could open up a ton of opportunities to declutter your desktop and declutter your dual-display workstation. »

Apple News from a Canadian Perspective

For the most part, Apple News has been limited to users in the US and UK, but that changed last week. Josh shares his thoughts on the News platform as well as the new updates. »

A Review of the Bellroy Work Folio A4

The Bellroy Work Folio is a classy way to keep your papers, notebook, iPad, and other accessories organized as you tackle your everyday responsibilities, both at the office, at home, and everywhere in between. »

Three Apps We’re Trying This Week: January 28, 2019

There are many apps that grace the Mac and iOS App Stores that simply don’t get enough attention or admiration. Sometimes an app is so good at what it does, it becomes the default app for the task and is rarely questioned. Sometimes a new app debuts in a given category and, while it shows […] »

Apps for New Apple Watches

No matter how you use your Apple Watch, there’s always a better third-party app to complete the task at hand. These five Apple Watch apps will really help jump-start your new Apple Watch and get you hooked on the quality and utility of third-party apps. »

A Review of the New 2018 iPad Pro

The new iPad Pro seems to have struck a touchy chord since its debut three weeks ago, and the reason is probably twofold. First, Apple’s marketing campaign comparing it against standard PCs invites unnecessary criticisms and unrelated comparisons. And second, there seems to be a wide range of unrealistic expectations. I really like how Jason […] »

A Review of the 2018 MacBook Air

The latest iteration of Apple's industry-leading notebook provides the latest MacBook features to the masses in a familiar size and price. »

A Different Photography Workflow

iPads and cameras — it seems to be the name of the game these days. With the Fuji and the profoundly capable iPad Pro in hand, there’s little that gets in the way of making wonderful photographs. »

A Review of the Apple Watch Series 4

The newest Apple Watch packs a lot of new features and conveniences into a tiny case, while also adding more fit and finish to this high-tech timepiece. »

Apps We Love: Snapthread

Snapthread is a great option for anybody looking to share Live Photos with everyone in their contacts book. »

The iPhone XS and XS Max Review

The iPhone XS and XS Max offer a range of improvements over the previous generation iPhone X, including a new screen size, battery improvements, and major camera improvements. »

Apps we love: an ode to Live Photos

Today, Live Photos have become the foundation of my love for photography. They introduce new levels of emotion to my Camera Roll, capture sounds otherwise uncapturable, and make sure I never miss the shot. »

Apps we love: ImageOptim

ImageOptim is a delightful Mac utility that compresses and optimizes images (even in batches!), making them easier to share online. »

We updated our pick for the best Markdown editor for iOS

iA Writer has an exquisite writing and editing environment, it has an extra-customizable keyboard that you can tailor to your writing and editing needs, and it has great exporting options to send your Markdown wherever you need it to go. »

Apps we love: Blink

Blink makes finding, generating, and converting any iTunes, App Store, or Book Store app a piece of cake. And its ability to be maneuvered into any existing URL scheme makes it all the more powerful. »

Things releases version 3.5

Cultured Code recently released version 3.5 of their GTD app suite to add some polish and refinements to this incredibly useful tool. »

Darkroom releases version 3.5

With version 3.5, Darkroom introduces Depth Editing, integration with Halide, and plenty of other new perks. »

The Twelve South PencilSnap

The PencilSnap is the latest accessory from Twelve South that makes it easy (and stylish) to keep track of your Apple Pencil. »

Twelve South Curve Review

A quick review of the Twelve South Curve laptop stand and how the stand matches up with the ever-popular Rain Design mStand. »

The iPhone 8 Plus Review

The iPhone 8 Plus is too tried, too tested, and too trusted to be written off as last year’s technology. »

First Look: Cardhop for Mac

Flexibits, the makers of our favorite calendar app, Fantastical, launched Cardhop today, a brand new app designed to manage and interact with your contacts in a whole new way. »

A review of the 10.5-inch iPad Pro

The new 10.5-inch iPad Pro is a great balance of size, power, and convenience, which makes it ideal for getting work done quickly and delighting in the process. »