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Posts tagged with "shortcuts"

How Federico Turns Voice Recordings into Searchable Obsidian Notes with Shortcuts, Hazel, and LLMs→

Automation on the Mac is powerful because you have so many choices when building a workflow. Now, with large language models, you can do even more, which is the approach Federico took in his latest Automation Academy lesson for Club MacStories Plus and Premier members:

I built a hybrid automation to bridge spoken words and Markdown – a system that combines the non-deterministic nature of human language and messy voice recordings with the reliability of Shortcuts, the power of Hazel rules on macOS, and the flexibility of LLMs, which are ideal for processing natural language. The system revolves around a shortcut called Process Transcript that takes the raw transcript of a voice recording and turns it into a structured note in Obsidian, complete with a summary, action items, an embedded audio player, and an internal link to the full transcript.

It’s an amazing automation that takes his audio notes, transcribes them into text, structures the results in an Obsidian template that includes extracted tasks, and embeds the original audio file and transcript for reference. Along the way, Federico used Simon Willison’s llm CLI, Google Gemini 2.5 Pro Hazel, Shortcuts, and other tools. It’s a great example of how to make the most of automation on the Mac.

Automation Academy is just one of the many Club MacStories perks.

Automation Academy is just one of the many Club MacStories perks.

Automation Academy is just one of many perks that Club MacStories Plus and Club Premier members enjoy including:

  • Weekly and monthly newsletters 
  • A sophisticated web app with search and filtering tools to navigate eight years of content
  • Customizable RSS feeds
  • Bonus columns
  • An early and ad-free version of our Internet culture and media podcast, MacStories Unwind
  • A vibrant Discord community of smart app and automation fans who trade a wealth of tips and discoveries every day
  • Live Discord audio events after Apple events and at other times of the year

On top of that, Club Premier members get AppStories+, an extended, ad-free version of our flagship podcast that we deliver early every week in high-bitrate audio.

Use the buttons below to learn more and sign up for Club MacStories+ or Club Premier.

Join Club MacStories+:

Join Club Premier:

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Using Simon Willison’s LLM CLI to Process YouTube Transcripts in Shortcuts with Claude and Gemini

Video Processor.

Video Processor.

I’ve been experimenting with different automations and command line utilities to handle audio and video transcripts lately. In particular, I’ve been working with Simon Willison’s LLM command line utility as a way to interact with cloud-based large language models (primarily Claude and Gemini) directly from the macOS terminal.

For those unfamiliar, Willison’s LLM CLI tool is a command line utility that lets you communicate with services like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude using shell commands and dedicated plugins. The llm command is extremely flexible when it comes to input and output; it supports multiple modalities like audio and video attachments for certain models, and it offers custom schemas to return structured output from an API. Even for someone like me – not exactly a Terminal power user – the different llm commands and options are easy to understand and tweak.

Today, I want to share a shortcut I created on my Mac that takes long transcripts of YouTube videos and:

  1. reformats them for clarity with proper paragraphs and punctuation, without altering the original text,
  2. extracts key points and highlights from the transcript, and
  3. organizes highlights by theme or idea.

I created this shortcut because I wanted a better system for linking to YouTube videos, along with interesting passages from them, on MacStories. Initially, I thought I could use an app I recently mentioned on AppStories and Connected to handle this sort of task: AI Actions by Sindre Sorhus. However, when I started experimenting with long transcripts (such as this one with 8,000 words from Theo about Electron), I immediately ran into limitations with native Shortcuts actions. Those actions were running out of memory and randomly stopping the shortcut.

I figured that invoking a shell script using macOS’ built-in ‘Run Shell Script’ action would be more reliable. Typically, Apple’s built-in system actions (especially on macOS) aren’t bound to the same memory constraints as third-party ones. My early tests indicated that I was right, which is why I decided to build the shortcut around Willison’s llm tool.

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Federico’s Latest Automation Academy Lesson: Working with Web APIs in Shortcuts→

Federico's Todoist shortcuts.

Federico’s Todoist shortcuts.

Earlier today, Federico released a collection of four advanced Todoist shortcuts as part of his Automation Academy column, an exclusive perk of Club MacStories+ and Club Premier.

Federico started using Todoist again a few months ago specifically because it has a robust web API:

There were several reasons behind my decision to return to Todoist, but the most important one was its web API. I’m convinced that our modern AI era is marking a resurgence of web services, and I wanted to find something that could theoretically support some kind of connection to an AI assistant (such as ChatGPT or Gemini) down the road. At the same time, I also wanted something that could be easily _and_consistently automated. With more responsibilities coming into my life, it’s essential for me to automate all the boring parts of my job that can happen without my manual, time-consuming input. With the combination of a REST API and native Shortcuts actions, Todoist simply felt like the perfect candidate.

Federico is absolutely right. As I recently wrote for Club members, web apps have been on the rise for a long time, and the trend is only accelerating with the ascension of AI tools. As a result, knowing how to use web APIs with Shortcuts is only going to become more important over time. Sure, you can often manage to scrape information from a website directly, but you’re much better off with a thoughtfully designed REST API that can fetch data for you in a structured way.

Today’s Automation Academy installment is the perfect place to get started. Todoist’s API is rich and thorough, and Federico takes readers through each of his four shortcuts in a methodical but conversational way that concludes with key takeaways readers can use in other contexts.

I struggled with implementing web APIs in Shortcuts for a long time. Web APIs aren’t easy. But today’s Academy lesson is the perfect introduction that starts with the basics and builds up to more advanced techniques, helping readers do more with Todoist and apply their new skills to other web APIs they encounter.

Discounts are just one of the many Club MacStories perks.

Discounts are just one of the many Club MacStories perks.

Automation Academy is just one of many perks that Club MacStories Plus and Club Premier members enjoy including:

  • Weekly and monthly newsletters 
  • A sophisticated web app with search and filtering tools to navigate eight years of content
  • Customizable RSS feeds
  • Bonus columns
  • An early and ad-free version of our Internet culture and media podcast, MacStories Unwind
  • A vibrant Discord community of smart app and automation fans who trade a wealth of tips and discoveries every day
  • Live Discord audio events after Apple events and at other times of the year

On top of that, Club Premier members get AppStories+, an extended, ad-free version of our flagship podcast that we deliver early every week in high-bitrate audio.

Use the buttons below to learn more and sign up for Club MacStories+ or Club Premier.

Join Club MacStories+:

Join Club Premier:

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BANG!CASE: Push-Button iPhone Automation

I’ve been intrigued by the BANG!CASE ever since it was introduced by Bitmo Lab as a Kickstarter campaign about a year ago. The case includes a programmable button that can be used to automate actions using your iPhone’s accessibility features. However, because I don’t normally use a case with my iPhone, I never followed through on buying the BANG!CASE.

Fast forward to early January at CES when I visited the booth for JSAUX, an affiliate of Bitmo Lab. In addition to JSAUX’s portable displays and gaming accessories, the company was showing off the BANG!CASE and GAMEBABY. (More on that on NPC soon.)

It just so happens that since the holidays, I’ve continued my quest to refine how I collect and process information throughout my day. That’s led me to test a dozen or so apps, build new shortcuts, and explore other new setups. As a result, I was primed to give the BANG!CASE a try when Bitmo offered me a review unit at their booth, and I’ve been using it for a couple of weeks.

The case has a couple of minor drawbacks that I’ll get to, but by and large, it’s the most unique and useful case I’ve ever put on an iPhone. After enjoying my iPhone without a case for nearly two years, I’ve found that the utility of the BANG!CASE is significant enough that I’ve decided to keep using it, which I didn’t expect. So today, I thought I’d lay out why I like the BANG!CASE so much and how I’m using it.

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Apple Frames 3.3 Adds Support for iPhone 16 and 16 Pro, M4 iPad Pro, and Apple Watch Series 10 (feat. An Unexpected Technical Detour)

Apple Frames 3.3 supports all the new devices released by Apple in 2024.

Apple Frames 3.3 supports all the new devices released by Apple in 2024.

Well, this certainly took longer than expected.

Today, I’m happy to finally release version 3.3 of Apple Frames, my shortcut to put screenshots inside physical frames of Apple devices. In this new version, which is a free update for everyone, you’ll find support for all the new devices Apple released in 2024:

  • 11” and 13” M4 iPad Pro
  • iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro lineup
  • 42mm and 46mm Apple Watch Series 10

To get started with Apple Frames, simply head to the end of this post (or search for Apple Frames in the MacStories Shortcuts Archive), download the updated shortcut, and replace any older version you may have installed with it. The first time you run the shortcut, you’ll be asked to redownload the file assets necessary for Apple Frames, which is a one-time operation. Once that’s done, you can resume framing your screenshots like you’ve always done, either using the native Apple Frames menu or the advanced API that I introduced last year.

So what took this update so long? Well, if you want to know the backstory, keep on reading.

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A Feature from 10 Years Ago Is Back – with a Twist – in My Favorite RSS Client

Unread's new custom shortcuts.

Unread’s new custom shortcuts.

When it comes to productivity apps, especially those that have to work within the constraints of iOS and iPadOS, it’s rare these days to stumble upon a new idea that has never been tried before. With the exception of objectively new technologies such as LLMs, or unless there’s a new framework that Apple is opening up to developers, it can often feel like most ideas have been attempted before and we’re simply retreading old ground.

Let me be clear: I don’t think there’s anything inherently wrong with that. I’ve been writing about iPhone and iPad apps for over a decade now, and I believe there are dozens of design patterns and features that have undeservedly fallen out of fashion. But such is life.

Today marks the return of a very MacStories-y feature in one of my longtime favorite apps, which – thanks to this new functionality – is gaining a permanent spot on my Home Screen. Namely, the RSS client Unread now lets you create custom article actions powered by the Shortcuts app.

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Building a Downtime Home Screen Featuring Louie Mantia’s Retro Gaming Icons

Louie Mantia has been making beautiful icons for many years, both as one of the owners of icon design studio Parakeet and as personal side projects. Recently, two of Mantia’s personal projects caught my eye because they combine my love of classic games with the technology I use every day.

The first set of icons includes eight Super Mario blocks. When these were released in October, I remembered I had an 8-bit Mario wallpaper tucked away somewhere that would work perfectly with the icons on my iPhone. I dug the wallpaper out (sorry, I don’t recall where I got it), set up four single-action shortcuts using the ‘Open App’ action, and assigned Mantia’s icons to them using ‘Add to Home Screen’ and the Files option for the images. I set the four shortcuts to open Lire, Apple Music, Play, and Readwise Reader. Then, I lined up the wallpaper to make it look like Mario was jumping to hit the last block in the row. I also added a large GameBuddy widget at the top of the screen to count down the days until the release of Mario and Luigi: Brothership.

I think the result, which you can see in the screenshot above, looks great. Mantia’s icons were designed for the Mac, which means they each have a white border around them on the iPhone, but it fits well with the wallpaper, so it worked out without any tweaking.

The second set of icons is based on Nintendo controllers, another of my obsessions. I was chatting with Federico about Mantia’s latest icon set, and he had a great idea: why not take advantage of Delta’s deep linking feature (also used by GameTrack) to create shortcuts that use Mantia’s icons to open individual classic games?

Retrieving a Delta deep link and setting up a simple shortcut with a Home Screen bookmark.

Retrieving a Delta deep link and setting up a simple shortcut with a Home Screen bookmark.

The process is simple. You can copy a deep link to a game in Delta by long-pressing it, selecting ‘Share,’ and picking ‘Copy Deep Link’ from the list of action extensions. After I did that, I set up more single-action shortcuts using the ‘Open URL’ action and again assigned Mantia’s icons to the shortcuts using the ‘Add to Home Screen’ option, adding The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords, Super Mario World, and F-Zero to my Home Screen. Then, so I could tell everything apart, I switched my Home Screen to use small icons so the labels I’d added to my shortcuts would be visible.

I’m pleased with the result and plan to tie this Home Screen to a Focus mode that activates in the evening for some downtime activities. I can always access other apps as needed via Spotlight Search or the App Library, but it’s sometimes nice to end the day with a simpler setup that invites me to play a game, listen to some music, read, or watch a video.

Louie Mantia’s icons are free to download, but there’s an option to make a name-your-own-price donation, which I highly recommend you do if you download these wonderful icons.

First Look: Logitech’s MX Creative Console Is Poised to Compete with Elgato’s Stream Deck Lineup

Source: Logitech.

Source: Logitech.

Today, Logitech revealed the MX Creative Console, the company’s first product that takes advantage technology from Loupedeck, a company it acquired in July 2023.

I’ve been a user of Loupedeck products since 2019. When I heard about the acquisition last summer, I was intrigued. Loupedeck positioned itself as a premium accessory for creatives. The company’s early products were dedicated keyboard-like accessories for apps like Adobe Lightroom Classic. With the Loupedeck Live and later, the Live S, Loupedeck’s focus expanded to encompass the needs of streamers and automation more generally.

Suddenly, Loupedeck was competing head-to-head with Elgato and its line of Stream Deck peripherals. I’ve always preferred Loupedeck’s more premium hardware to the Stream Deck, but that came at a higher cost, which I expect made it hard to compete.

The Logitech MX Creative Console slots nicely into my existing setup.

The Logitech MX Creative Console slots nicely into my existing setup.

Fast forward to today, and the first Logitech product featuring Loupedeck’s know-how has been announced: the MX Creative Console. It’s a new direction for the hardware, coupled with familiar software. I’ve had Logitech’s new device for a couple of weeks, and I like it a lot.

The MX Creative Console is first and foremost built for Adobe users. That’s clear from the three-month free trial to Creative Cloud that comes with the $199.99 device. Logitech has not only partnered with Adobe for the free trial, but it has worked with Adobe to create a series of plugins specifically for Adobe’s most popular apps, although plugins for other apps are available, too.

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Apple Marks Global Accessibility Awareness Day with a Preview of OS Features Coming Later This Year

Source: Apple.

Source: Apple.

Thursday is Global Accessibility Awareness Day, and to mark the occasion, Apple has previewed several new accessibility features coming to its OSes later this year. Although this accessibility preview has become an annual affair, this year’s preview is more packed than most years, with a wide variety of features for navigating UIs, automating tasks, interacting with Siri and CarPlay, enabling live captions in visionOS, and more. Apple hasn’t announced when these features will debut, but if past years are any indication, most should be released in the fall as part of the annual OS release cycle.

Eye Tracking

Often, Apple’s work in one area lends itself to new accessibility features in another. With Eye Tracking in iOS and iPadOS, the connection to the company’s work on visionOS is clear. The feature will allow users to look at UI elements on the iPhone and iPad, and the front-facing camera – combined with a machine learning model – will follow their gaze, moving the selection as what they look at changes. No additional hardware is necessary.

Eye Tracking also works with Dwell, meaning that when a user pauses their gaze on an interface element, it will be clicked. The feature, which requires a one-time calibration setup process, will work with Apple’s apps, as well as third-party apps, on iPhones and iPads with an A12 Bionic chip or newer.

Vocal Shortcuts

Source: Apple.

Source: Apple.

Vocal Shortcuts provide a way to define custom utterances that launch shortcuts and other tasks. The phrases are defined on-device for maximum privacy using a process similar to Personal Voice. The feature is like triggering shortcuts with Siri, but it doesn’t require an assistant trigger word or phrase.

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