Easy macOS and iOS Tips and Fixes
About macOS and Applications for Apple Mac computers.
Brett Terpstra reviews Bartender Pro, a macOS utility that organizes and manages crowded menu bars by moving icons to secondary bars and allowing quick access via search or hotkeys. The new Bartender Pro version introduces “Top Shelf,” a notch dock featuring widgets, clipboard management, and notifications, enhancing usability and stability. It is available via subscription or one-time purchase.
WhatCable is a macOS menu bar app that provides clear diagnostics on USB-C cables, revealing their actual data speeds, charging limits, and connected device details to eliminate guesswork. It decodes USB Power Delivery and e-marker data on Apple Silicon Macs, helping users identify bottlenecks, cable capabilities, and potential issues, with a free version for basic info and an optional Pro upgrade offering advanced live diagnostics and detailed metrics.
Knock is an app that allows users to control their Mac by tapping their MacBook, trackpad, or even their desk via iPhone, triggering shortcuts, apps, and actions instantly. It supports various tap patterns and can perform tasks like muting audio, launching apps, running shortcuts, and executing terminal commands, working on all Macs through trackpad or iPhone input, with native MacBook tapping available on select models.
SuperIsland is a free, open-source app that brings iOS-style Dynamic Island live activities to macOS, integrating notifications, music playback, battery status, calendar events, weather, file transfers, and system controls into the Mac's notch area. It also offers a JavaScript SDK for users to create custom modules easily without requiring compilation or Xcode, enhancing functionality and interactivity on any Mac.
Shortcuts Playground is a free, open-source plugin for Claude Code and Codex that enables users to create Apple Shortcuts using natural language prompts, producing ready-to-import shortcut files on Mac. Developed over six months by Federico Viticci, it uses extensive documentation, validation loops, and Apple's own command-line tools to generate mostly accurate shortcuts, allowing users to automate tasks without advanced Shortcuts knowledge. The project aims to democratize and simplify automation on Apple platforms while anticipating future native AI-based solutions from Apple itself.
https://www.macstories.net/stories/introducing-shortcuts-playground/
The article explains how the author improved their use of the AI chatbot Claude by adopting the RCCF method, which structures prompts by defining a Role, providing Context, giving a Command, and specifying a Format for responses. This approach leads to clearer, more focused, and useful outputs from Claude compared to vague or generic prompts, enhancing productivity and reducing wasted effort.
https://www.makeuseof.com/rccf-method-completely-changed-how-i-use-claude/