MacStories Team

387 posts on MacStories since July 2011

Articles by the MacStories team.

Founded by Federico Viticci in April 2009, MacStories attracts millions of readers every month thanks to in-depth, personal, and informed coverage that offers a balanced mix of Apple news, app reviews, and opinion.

This Week's Sponsor:

Copilot Money

The Apple Editor’s Choice Award App for Tracking Your Money. Start Your Free Trial Today


Honeybadger: Your Secret Weapon for Exception, Uptime, and Cron Monitoring [Sponsor]

Honeybadger is your one-stop solution for error tracking that combines error monitoring, uptime monitoring, and cron monitoring into a single, simple-to-use platform. It’s the only service that combines all those elements into one elegant solution that has your back when you need it most.

If your production site goes down, the last thing you want is to hear about it first on Twitter or by email from unhappy customers. With Honeybadger, you know the instant a problem arises. The included uptime and cron monitoring also let you know when your external services are having issues or your background jobs go missing or silently fail.

What’s more, Honeybadger is easy to set up, taking just minutes, not hours. The service hooks into popular web frameworks, job systems, authentication libraries, and front-end JavaScript. Most installations are just a few lines of code. Honeybadger also includes a comprehensive online dashboard and context-rich reporting system that helps you diagnose and resolve issues quickly.

Honeybadger is a bootstrapped company built from the ground up to serve developers. They answer to you, not VCs, and their mission is straightforward: tame production and make you a better, more productive developer.

Honeybadger is used by tens of thousands of customers of all sizes, including eBay, DigitalOcean, heroku, thoughtbot, and even MacStories. Sign up for Honeybadger’s 15-day free trial today and join the growing list of companies whose developers swear by Honeybadger. There’s no credit card required to sign up, so you’ve got nothing to lose. Give Honeybadger a try and see how it feels to stop wasting time tailing logs and spend more time doing the development work you love.

Our thanks to Honeybadger for sponsoring MacStories this week.


Boom 3D: Experience Immersive Audio on Your Mac [Sponsor]

Boom 3D by Global Delight is the premier app for enhancing your Mac’s audio whether it’s music, movies, games, or other content. The app produces exceptionally clear, clean, 3D sound without the need for added hardware – just use the headphones you already own.

The app’s 3D effect brings pro audio enhancement to all of your favorite apps on the Mac and Windows too. Boom 3D is the culmination of years of careful refinement by the team behind a long list of award-winning audio, video, and photography apps like Boom for mobile, Boom and Boom 2, Vizmato, Capto, and Camera Plus.

Boom 3D has been carefully crafted to take audio to the next level. The effect is the sort of thing that once you try it, everything else sounds lifeless and flat by comparison. It’s truly remarkable. Even if your source audio is only recorded in stereo, it will be up-mixed into an incredibly immersive audio experience.

In addition to its patented audio technology, the app features a 31-band equalizer that allows you to precisely tune your Mac’s audio to your tastes. The app has also received praise from hearing-impaired users who can adjust audio to boost frequencies they have trouble hearing. The app features its own audio player that supports a wide range of file formats, and it offers access to over 20,000 Internet radio stations. There’s even a mobile version for iOS and Android, which enhances audio played using the app.

Right now, MacStories readers can get a huge 70% off on Boom 3D by visiting the app’s website. Visit the site today to learn more and take advantage of this terrific offer. Boom 3D is also available on the Mac App Store, and the mobile version is available on the iOS App Store and the Google Play Store.

Our thanks to Boom 3D by Global Delight for sponsoring MacStories this week.


MindNode: Ever Had a Geistesblitz? [Sponsor]

A Geistesblitz is a flash of inspiration that hits you when you least expect it. For instance, when you’re in the shower or walking the dog. It can often lead to a flood of new ideas.

Hi! I’m Markus, the founder of MindNode. If you’re like me, then a moment like this soon leads to a head spinning full of fresh ideas. This can be easily overwhelming and also frustrating. It’s precisely this feeling that motivated me to create MindNode.

MindNode started as a simple mind mapping app with the purpose of making it easy to capture new ideas. It’s now evolved into a brainstorming app that helps users from their first spark of inspiration to fleshing out their ideas and bringing them to life.

Recently, we added outlining, a great way to seamlessly move between capturing and organizing ideas as a mind map or an outline. Although the app has grown throughout the past 13 years, I still believe that it’s during the first moment of a new idea where MindNode shines. So, the next time you have a Geistesblitz, why not give MindNode a try?

Try MindNode for free on iOS and macOS: mindnode.com/download.

I’d love to hear if MindNode was able to help you and how it went: Email Markus

Our thanks to MindNode for sponsoring MacStories this week.


Daylite: Do Big Things With Your Small Business [Sponsor]

This week MacStories is sponsored by Daylite, a real Mac and iOS app that empowers you and your team to handle more clients, close more deals, and execute more projects than ever before. Built exclusively for Apple users, Daylite is a native Mac CRM and project management app for teams. You can keep track of communication with clients and the status of projects and deals all in one place, even when you don’t have an Internet connection.

Compatible with Big Sur and M1-powered Macs, Daylite is designed to work seamlessly with many of the Apple features you love:

  • Integrate with Apple Mail on Mac
  • Share your Apple Contacts and iCal
  • Leverage features like Siri & Caller ID on your iPhone
  • FaceID and TouchID support
  • Create contracts, and other documents by pulling data from Daylite into Pages, Numbers, and Keynote

Daylite offers complimentary onboarding support to help you get the most out of Daylite. Ready to grow your business? Start your free 30-day Daylite trial today!

Our thanks to Daylite for sponsoring MacStories this week.


Concepts: Sketch, Note, Draw [Sponsor]

Sketch, note, and explore endless ideas with Concepts’ infinite canvas for iPad. Draw in designer COPIC colors with liquid pens and brushes, and organize images, text and sketches into visual moodboards. Used by creative professionals for visual thinking, note taking, team communication, storyboarding, product design and architectural planning, Concepts lets you sketch and share your ideas in the moment.

Everything you draw in Concepts is a flexible, editable vector. Nudge, edit and reorganize your ideas with natural finger gestures. Drag+drop images and objects onto the canvas for fast ideation and reference, use layers and grid layouts to organize your work, mark up PDF documents, and apply real-world scale for professional design projects. Export and share standard, high-res and vector file types for flexible work between teams and apps.

Concepts’ built-in Presentation Mode lets you connect with others for live sharing and graphic discussion. Whiteboard virtually with teams and clients using apps like Zoom, then instantly share your discussion.

The app comes free as a basic sketching tool, with the ability to unlock 200+ libraries of brushes, objects and services via subscription or one-time purchase. To learn more about Concepts visit their website today.

MacStories readers – Enjoy a special 1 month extended free trial when you sign up for an annual subscription. Get a month of infinite creativity before you are billed.

Our thanks to Concepts for sponsoring MacStories this week.


Ulysses: The Ultimate Writing App for Mac, iPad and iPhone [Sponsor]

Ulysses is an exceptional text editor for the Mac, iPad, and iPhone with an unrivaled set of advanced features and a beautiful design that is always being refined and improved. The winner of an Apple Design Award, Ulysses features a distinctive balance of power-user features that writers appreciate in a simple, elegant, distraction-free UI that makes the app a pleasure to use.

A terrific example of the power available in Ulysses is its publishing tools. Users can publish to the most popular blogging platforms from right inside Ulysses. The app includes deep integration with WordPress, Ghost, and Medium, allowing you to publish directly to them, complete with images, tags, and excerpts. Ulysses 22 was just released and added support for Micro.blog and the ability to update previously-published WordPress posts too.

Ulysses has built-in grammar and style checking for over 20 languages and a special dashboard in the sidebar that includes statistics, keywords, and footnotes. An outline of the headings in your writing provides a handy bird’s-eye view of your work and a way to navigate your document.

The app’s Library sidebar helps order your writing into groups that can be nested. Along with features like sync, powerful search and filtering options, keyword support, in-line images that can be stored locally or remotely on a server, and new customization options, Ulysses is as flexible as it is powerful.

You can also set character, word, and other types of writing goals that can be attached to a single document or entire group, which, combined with deadlines, is a fantastic way to form good writing habits. Then, when you’re finished writing, Ulysses has abundant export options, including plain text, Markdown, TextBundle, rich text, DOCX, ePub, HTML, and PDF. To learn more about Ulysses, visit ulysses.app.

Ulysses is free to try before deciding whether to subscribe for $4.99/month or $39.99/year. Students can subscribe for six months at a time for $10.99. MacStories readers can take advantage of a special extended three-month free trial for a limited time. It’s a terrific way to discover the app’s full capabilities, so be sure to check out Ulysses’ new features right away.

Our thanks to Ulysses for sponsoring MacStories this week.


Goodbye Spotlight, Hello Raycast [Sponsor]

Raycast is a native Mac productivity tool that defies definition because it’s so much more than just a replacement for Spotlight. By invoking Raycast from your keyboard, you can launch any app, but you can also:

  • Search for and access your files
  • Use third-party apps and services like G Suite, GitHub, Jira, Asana, Linear, and more
  • Check your schedule
  • Start, schedule, and join Zoom meetings
  • Access the clipboard
  • Set a reminder
  • Take a quick note
  • Control system functions on your Mac
  • And a whole lot more

Raycast is extensible with scripts too. Plus, the development team is working on an API that’s already in alpha that will make it easier than ever to get the most out of Raycast. See for yourself what you can do:

Raycast is a native app, which means it behaves as you’d expect on your Mac and is fast and responsive. The app also respects your privacy. There’s no login to use Raycast, your data doesn’t leave your Mac, and your credentials for third-party services are safely stored on your Mac in Keychain.

By letting you control your most important tools with just a few keystrokes, Raycast keeps you focused on what’s important to you. You avoid inefficient context switching and eliminate clutter, summoning what you need when you need it, so you can work smarter and more efficiently all day long.

Download Raycast for free right now to give it a try and level up your productivity.

Our thanks to Raycast for sponsoring MacStories this week.


DEVONthink: Get Organized to Conquer the World [Sponsor]

DEVONthink is the one-stop, comprehensive solution for all your document and information management needs on the Mac and iOS. With DEVONthink, all of your documents, snippets, bookmarks, and more are available in one place, paired with powerful tools for organizing, managing, and searching it all. And right now, MacStories readers can purchase DEVONthink for 10% off.

The Mac app takes advantage of integrated artificial intelligence to assist you with filing new materials finding them with the app’s powerful search. Advanced Boolean operators and smart groups of saved searches make it easy to create refined searches that you can return to whenever you need them.

Managing your collection of documents and information is easy with DEVONthink smart rules and flexible reminders system too. Instead of manually managing everything, set up rules once and let DEVONthink take care of filing, renaming, imprinting PDFs, and other repetitive tasks. It’s surprising how leveraging just a few rules can automate the process, keeping your database organized.

DEVONthink also includes built-in OCR, so every PDF you save, whether it’s user manuals or a personal database of academic research papers, is fully text-searchable. Combined with DEVONthink’s powerful search capabilities, it’s the perfect solution for collections of reference materials of all kinds regardless of their size.

Synchronizing DEVONthink’s databases is flexible too. You can do so locally or with cloud-based services. Either way, everything is encrypted and fast.

What’s more, with DEVONthink’s brand-new iOS app, you have access to everything in your database right at your fingertips, no matter where you are. The iOS app has been completely overhauled with an elegant, modern UI, integrated OCR, extensive Shortcuts support, and much more.

There’s never been a better time to bring order to your documents, webpages, bookmarks, and everything else. Visit devontechnologies.com/macstories right now to learn more about how DEVONthink can help you gain the upper hand on your data and take advantage of a special 10% discount for readers.

Our thanks to DEVONthink for sponsoring MacStories this week.


Organize Your Inbox (and Never Waste Time on Email Again) with SaneBox [Sponsor]

SaneBox is your personal email assistant that automatically organizes your inbox, saving you valuable time. SaneBox works with your existing email service, making sure that only the most important messages reach your inbox. The rest of your messages are neatly tucked away in designated folders like SaneLater and SaneNews for reviewing later. You can snooze emails, too, setting them aside to deal with when you have time.

Better yet, if there’s something you never want to see again, drag in into the SaneBlackHole folder. It’s far easier than the hit or miss process of unsubscribing from email lists.

SaneBox has a built-in reminders system too. SaneReminders are a terrific way to stay on task. Send yourself a reminder to do something later, or get a reminder when someone hasn’t responded to one of your messages. For example, bcc: [email protected] and the message will show up back in your inbox only if the recipient doesn’t reply within three days. SaneReminders is perfect for making sure that nothing falls through the cracks.

Also, because SaneBox works with your existing email setup, there’s no app to download or new email account to set up. You can use any email service and client you want.

Sign up today for a free 14-day SaneBox trial to take back control of your email. You’ll see big benefits immediately as the message count in your inbox drops, and you’ll be able to maintain control going forward with SaneBox’s help. MacStories readers can receive a special $25 credit automatically by using this link to sign up.

Our thanks to SaneBox for sponsoring MacStories this week.