Easy macOS and iOS Tips and Fixes
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/
Black Ink 2.4.8 has been released on the Black Ink website and submitted for Mac App Store review, addressing bugs from version 2.4.7 including a crash for non-registered users and issues with the “Mark incorrect answers as they are entered” setting. Users are encouraged to review and rate the app on the Mac App Store or share it on social media.
https://redsweater.com/blog/4276/black-ink-2-4-8-quick-fixes-for-crash-on-launch-and-autocorrect
Apple has released new versions of corecrypto featuring quantum-secure ML-KEM and ML-DSA algorithms, accompanied by mathematical proofs ensuring compliance with FIPS 203 and FIPS 204 standards. Additionally, they have published formal verification libraries and tools designed to provide the strongest known correctness assurances for widely-deployed implementations of these algorithms.
https://security.apple.com/blog/formal-verification-corecrypto