Mac Power Users

David and Stephen take stock of where AI is actually useful right now. They cover dictation, browsers, agentic workflows, MCP, and Apple Intelligence, plus the real projects each runs today, including email triage and a customer-service robot.

After brief thoughts on John Ternus becoming Apple's next CEO, we dive into the current state of Apple Watch. We explore our setups, faces, complications, apps, and what we hope to see improve.

Patrick Rhone returns. The gang discusses Apple Silicon rewriting the Mac upgrade cycle, the Apple Refurb Store, and minimalist phones.

A comprehensive look at the state of Apple Smart Home in 2026. David and Stephen share their setups, cover the latest standards, new devices of interest, helpful automations, and how to get started with Apple Home.

Brett Terpstra and Christopher Gamblée-Wallendjack introduce Bear & Glass, their human-focused Mac automation consultancy. Brett shares his ultimate keyboard-driven workflow, previews Marked 3 and BlogBook. Then the gang geeks out on keyboard utilities.

Stephen and David dig into listener feedback on iCloud security, Dropbox alternatives, AI robot assistants, Apple Intelligence Shortcuts, Claude computer control, and more!

David walks through the AI robot assistant he built with Claude Cowork, from file management and email to invoicing and podcast production. Plus, why managed AI agents finally solve the memory and access problems that held chatbots back.

We break down Finder workflows, Hazel automations, Alfred shortcuts, and the systems that keep us organized on macOS.

Author and broadcaster David Pogue joins the Mac Power Users to talk about his new book, 50 Years of Apple, and his tech stack.

We break down our entire iPhone setups including Home Screens, widgets, Focus Modes, Control Center, Action Button, and more! Stephen *may* have inspired David on this one.

David and Stephen go deep on the Mac menu bar, comparing their contrasting philosophies and walk through their favorites. They also explore how macOS 26's multiple Control Centers are changing the game.

David officially welcomes Stephen as co-host, exploring his background in music, podcasting, and his Mac setup. Then, rapid-fire questions, putting Stephen on the spot for some Apple hot takes!

David and Stephen celebrate the last seven years of Mac Power Users, reflecting on the topics, episodes, and community that make MPU so special. Then, Stephen Robles joins to accept the baton before his first episode as David's new cohost.

Stephen starts the episode with an announcement, then he and David revisit writing workflows, Keyboard Maestro, notifications, and more. At the end, the guys attempt to answer some questions as quickly as possible... something they aren't great at doing.

Chris Bailey shares his unconventional tech stack: TextEdit for writing, SimpleNote for tasks, and printing research on paper. He also tried using an iPad mini as his phone to create friction with distraction.

After talking through the new Apple Creator Studio bundle, Stephen shares his notes with David after switching to the Apple Weather app for a month.

From fancy pens to blank screens with a blinking cursor, there are more ways to write than ever. This week, the guys discuss several of them, weighing their pros and cons, and share how they get the words out.

Our phones are constantly vying for our attention. This week, David and Stephen discuss strategies for managing notifications and regaining control.

With the year winding down, Stephen and David reflect on what went well in their tech stacks, touching on Apple silicon, the company's default apps, AI tools, home automation, and networking.

David and Stephen talk through their uses of Keyboard Maestro, diving deep into automation, text expansion, and more.

On this feedback episode, the guys revisit the smart home, iPadOS 26, the lack of a big iMac, charging stations, and much more.

The guys wrap up their review of Apple's 2025 with a look at the iPhone, Apple TV, iCloud, and Apple's other services. They then zoom out and look at the overall ecosystem.

This week, Stephen and David start their annual tour of Apple's products, beginning with the Mac, then they consider the Apple Watch, the Vision Pro, and the company's lineup of audio products.

iPadOS 26 introduced a new windowing system, improved audio recording, and more robust background tasks, making the iPad feel more Mac-like than ever. This week, David and Stephen discuss a range of workflows that benefit from these changes.

The end of the year is nearly upon us, so the guys are back to share their gift ideas. Stephen then goes on to share a new life philosophy, only to learn that David is already a master of it.

Tyler Stalman returns to the show to discuss the camera gains Apple has made with the iPhone 17 line. The guys also talk about the limitations of the iPhone Air and some of the apps Tyler uses to edit his images and videos.

Casey Liss, Charlie Chapman, and James Thomson join Stephen and David to discuss the state of software development on Apple's platforms in 2025. Topics include Liquid Glass, SwiftUI, documentation, subscriptions, and Apple Intelligence.

David has published a new course covering Apple Reminders, Calendar, Notes, and more. This week, he and Stephen walk through those apps and how they can be used together. Then, a conversation about the M5 and iOS 26 changes.

The guys discuss a bunch of listener feedback, the return of Slide Over, the state of iCloud Family Sharing, and check in on David's Rivian experience.

Everyone's favorite engineer-turned-blogger returns to the show to discuss the state of iPhone cases, the argument for LLMs, and his go-to automation tools — and why Shortcuts on the Mac isn't one of them.

From Liquid Glass to a stronger Spotlight, macOS Tahoe reshapes the Mac. Spotlight now remembers your clipboard and taps into App Intents, while Apple’s apps gain updates to match their mobile counterparts.

iOS and iPadOS 26 bring many changes, including Liquid Glass, updated first-party apps, and new multitasking features for iPad users. This week, the guys talk through these changes and share impressions of Apple's latest iPhones, AirPods, and Watches.

While Stephen is busy with the Podcastathon, Sal Soghoian joins David to talk about the state of automation and the best way to get started with automation in 2025.

Just hours after Apple's iPhone event, David and Stephen gather their notes and thoughts to discuss the company's latest hardware.

On this feedback episode, the guys talk about backing up iCloud data, read-it-later services, automation trigger conflicts, travel tech, converting Markdown, the No List, and a lot more.

Tyler McRae joins the program to talk about the role of AI in coding and his work in the world of church AV and technology.

Apple has been in the education market for decades, and over that time, Apple's position and offerings have significantly changed. This week, educator Steven Benner joins the show to talk about how his school district is using Apple gear in the classroom.

Brian Webster is the developer behind Fat Cat Software, home of PowerPhotos. The Mac app gives users a wide range of extra controls and tools to manage their Photos library. This week, he chats with Stephen and David about the app and its features.

Kagi is a search engine and browser company offering an alternative to products offered by the tech giants. This week, its CEO Vladimir Prelovac talks with David and Stephen about what Kagi offers its customers.

Simon Støvring is the developer behind some fantastic apps, including Runestone, Scriptable, Jayson, and Data Jar. This week, he joins the guys to talk about how he works on these apps, his use of Apple's default apps, and how he's thinking about iOS 26.

Federico joins the show to talk to David and Stephen about his Apple gear, iPadOS 26, running MacStories, and how AI is changing automation tools.

Stephen's unavailable this week, so Rosemary Orchard returns to the show to check in on the new Shortcuts Updates and Rose's new medication tracking app, Capsule.

On this feedback episode, Stephen and David answer listener questions about Apple's current betas, then revisit networking, dictation, email, going paperless, and more. This one really hits all the classic MPU topics.

Ken Case is the CEO at The Omni Group and has been developing for Apple platforms for decades. He shares with Stephen and David how he got his start in technology, what Apple gear he uses, his approach to customer communication, and his thoughts on WWDC.

David and Stephen are running early betas of the next version of macOS, iOS, iPadOS, and more. This week, they compare notes and share their experiences with Liquid Glass and new features coming to Apple devices this fall.

Stephen leads David through the maze of Ubiquiti's Unifi networking offerings. The company offers a wide range of equipment for home and business users, including routers, switches, access points, cameras, and more, but it can be confusing to navigate.

Apple's 2025 WWDC was jam-packed, from a new design system across its operating systems to updated iPad multitasking, a plethora of updates to apps like Messages and Phone, and new features for CarPlay. David and Stephen break it all down.

On this feedback episode, the guys talk about laminated windows, NAS options, scanning papers, email services, apps that work with Notes, work phones, and a lot more.

Jason Snell has been covering Apple since all the Macs it shipped were beige boxes. This week, he joins Stephen and David to discuss the company’s range of legal and technological issues that seem to be adding up rapidly.

David has been on a journey with his email setup, and as Stephen offers him a shoulder to cry on, Sparks drops a bombshell.