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Offsite Podcasts Siri Shortcuts

Mac Power Users – Mr. Automation: Matt Cassinelli

On Sunday, September 8, on the Mac Power Users podcast, I had the pleasure of joining hosts David Sparks and Stephen Hackett – here’s the show notes:

Matt Cassinelli joins the show to discuss his background with Workflow and Apple and how it led to him becoming the “Shortcuts Guy.” The group then discusses Apple’s automation tools across its platforms, and how those tools have extended to the web.

Check out the Mac Power Users in Apple Podcasts or listen to the episode below:

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Guest appearances Links Podcasts

Automators: Shortcuts Update with Matthew Cassinelli

On Friday, May 3, on the Automators podcast, I had the pleasure of joining host David Sparks for an excellent discussion:

Shortcuts guru Matthew Cassinelli joins to discuss the state of shortcuts and some of his favorite automations.

Check out Automators in Apple Podcasts or listen to the episode below:

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Guest appearances Links Podcasts

The MacRumors Show: Apple’s AI Powered Shortcuts for iOS 18

On Friday, April 12, on the The MacRumors Show podcast, I had the pleasure of joining hosts Dan Barbera and Hartley Charlton to talk about Shortcuts and what could happen with App Intents at WWDC:

Matthew Cassinelli, one of the minds behind Workflow, joins us on this week’s episode of The MacRumors Show to talk Apple Shortcuts and potential improvements and AI features coming to the app in iOS 18. Workflow was a unique iOS app that allowed users to create macros for executing specific sequential tasks on their device. In 2017, Apple acquired Workflow and, the following year, it was rebranded as “Shortcuts.” Shortcuts have since become a key part of Apple’s ecosystem and can be used for a huge range of powerful, automated actions. Matthew was present at Workflow throughout its transition to Apple and now offers his own library of complex Shortcuts, which you can access over on his website.

Last year, a report from The Information claimed that ‌iOS 18‌ will introduce some major AI features to Siri and the Shortcuts app. Apple apparently wants ‌‌Siri‌‌ to be able to help users automate complex, multi-step tasks with voice-based commands and have much deeper integration with Shortcuts, such as by potentially helping users build them. We break down Apple Shortcuts for beginners and look at some of the many use-cases for the app, as well as consider where it could go next with AI. 

Check out The MacRumors Show in Apple Podcasts or listen to the episode below:

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Guest appearances Offsite Podcasts

Guest spot — Rich On Tech: Emergency phone setup & smart holiday shopping

On Saturday, November 18, I had the pleasure of joining KTLA’s Rich DeMuro as a guest on Rich On Tech to talk about Shortcuts – my segment starts around 53:00:

Rich discusses iPhone 15 Pro impressions, using shortcuts on iPhones, Wi-Fi tips, and answers listener questions about laptop batteries, cleaning PCs, and using eSIM cards.

Check out Rich On Tech in Apple Podcasts or listen to the episode below:

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Guest appearances Offsite Podcasts

Guest spot — iPad Pros: Shortcuts 7 with Matthew Cassinelli

On Thursday, September 28, I had the pleasure of joining Tim Chaten as a guest on iPad Pros to talk about:

Matthew Cassinelli is back for our 6th annual catchup on what’s new with Shortcuts! Shortcuts 7 is now available for iPadOS 17, iOS 17, watchOS 10, and macOS Sonoma! If you want to listen to our past episodes; check out episodes 41, 42, 58, 90, 91, 122, 149, and 151.

Check out iPad Pros in Apple Podcasts or listen to the episode below:

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Membership Podcasts

Members-Only Podcast #2: Shortcuts Summer Recap

From episode 2 of my new members-only podcast:

Covering July 17 through August 31, this second member episode recaps everything I’ve shared this summer – and includes teasers for my in-progress workflows coming to the Catalog soon.

From episode 2 of my new members-only podcast:

Covering July 17 through August 31, this second member episode recaps everything I’ve shared this summer – and includes teasers for my in-progress workflows coming to the Catalog soon.

To follow the show, sign up to become a member and get your custom URL to add to your podcast player of choice.

Or, listen to the full episode below:

This content is marked as members-only – you’ll need a membership to access it.

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Links Podcasts

Guest spot — Clockwise: I Can See All the Electrons in the Universe!

On Wednesday, August 16, I had the pleasure of joining Dan Moren and Mikah Sargent as a guest along with Kathy Campbell on Clockwise to talk about:

Whether we speed up audio and video media, how we’d want Apple to change Disney Parks, our thoughts on new Apple Watch bands, and what we’re hoping to see from Apple’s Shortcuts.

Check out Clockwise in Apple Podcasts or listen to the episode below:

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Links Podcasts

Interactive Widgets Are Built Using App Intents: What That Means For Shortcuts »


Craig Hockenberry of Iconfactory speaking on The Talk Show #382, starting at 1:13:23 (transcribed and lightly edited for text):

I see a lot of opportunities there for developers to make the widgets just come alive. I think it’s a great little thing that they’ve done.

The side effect of this, I think is—even kind of probably better in the long term—is that that way you do this is something that’s sort of like a little shortcut. And it’s gonna expose a lot of developers to the Shortcuts technology.

So like that button that’s on your widget that says, oh, play this radio station? Well, I’m obviously gonna write a shortcut that says, play this radio station. So you can automate that. So, like, if I go into my Focus mode, or if I get home, it starts playing the radio station on the kitchen HomePod.

And for me that’s the thing that really is powerful because it takes that interaction and makes it something that you can use throughout your life. That’s for me the most interesting thing, that’s why we’re talking about vision OS and all these other things is interactions that fit into your life, are really – that’s the goal.

That’s the thing I love doing the most.

Lovely sentiment – Craig gets it.

Listen to the full episode and check out Iconfactory.

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Links Podcasts

Automators Talk Personal Automation Fun »

From Rosemary Orchard and David Sparks on Automators on Relay FM:

Rose and David share a collection of their favorite personal automations ranging from task and project management to home automation.

My pals Rosemary and David talked about their latest automation adventures on, well, Automators – highly recommend the show.

Listen the podcast.

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Podcasts

Members-Only Podcast #1: iOS 17 Public Beta

From episode 1 of my new members-only podcast:

Shortcuts has new actions in the betas, plus I recently published shortcuts for Threads, Shopping, and Apple TV – welcome to my first members-only podcast.

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From episode 1 of my new members-only podcast:

Shortcuts has new actions in the betas, plus I recently published shortcuts for Threads, Shopping, and Apple TV – welcome to my first members-only podcast.

Sign up to become a member and get your custom URL to add to your podcast player of choice. Or, listen to the full episode below:

This content is marked as members-only – you’ll need a membership to access it.

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Podcasts

Announcing My New Members-Only Podcast

Today I am very pleased to announce the latest addition to my membership program, my new members-only podcast!

When you sign up on my site to become a member, you’ll automatically receive an email with details on how to follow the podcast with your unique RSS feed link that’s uniquely tied to your subscription.

Every episode, I’ll be covering my recent material with a quick editorialization for each story, plus I’ll be teasing what I’m working on for upcoming projects – the first episode covers everything I’ve published this July so far alongside the return of my newsletter (coming later today).

Sign up to become a member today and listen to episode 1 – plus you’ll get access to all my members-only shortcuts on an ongoing basis.

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Guest appearances Offsite Podcasts

Clockwise 481: A Series of Shortcuts

I had the pleasure of being a guest on this week’s Clockwise podcast on Relay.FM alongside guest Kelly Guimont and hosts Mikah Sargent & Dan Moren. We talked about:

Whether we’d install a third-party app store on our phones, our most anticipated Matter devices, the tasks we’d pawn off onto an AI chatbot, and our non-holiday holiday traditions.

Always a pleasure to be a guest on Clockwise — and no I swear I’m not just a series of Shortcuts…

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Guest appearances Offsite Podcasts

iOS Today #611: Setting up Focus Modes on your iPhone

This Tuesday, I had the pleasure of being as a guest on iOS Today with Mikah Sargent:

Personalize your custom Focus modes in iOS 15 or iOS 16, from silencing specific notifications to switching screens based on location.

  • Home Screen customization
  • Lock Screen customization
  • Focus activation scheduling
  • Using particular colors for context

Watch the full episode on TWiT or  on Apple Podcasts.

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Guest appearances Links Podcasts

Guest Spot — Clockwise #454: Wednesday Is the Leaf

Last Friday, for episode 435 of the Clockwise podcast, I got the chance to join Dan Moren and Mikah Sargent again along with Rosemary Orchard to talk about:

Our excitement and trepidation regarding Passkeys, our thoughts on auto-generated Siri App Shortcuts, the most exciting features announced at WWDC, and our inevitable (?) USB-C future.

Check out Clockwise on Relay.FM, subscribe in Apple Podcasts, and listen to the episode below:

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Offsite Podcasts

Smart Tech Today 80: 2021 Smart Home Predictions ?

On episode 80 of Smart Tech Today, Mikah and I talked about the following:

Follow-ups from Google IO, Google Assistant tweaks, and smart home changes this week. Plus HomeKit gear, Apple Watch apps, and our thoughts on the latest Apple products. And our smart home predictions and picks of the week.

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Offsite Podcasts

Smart Tech Today 79: A Very Googley I/O Episode ?

On episode 79 of Smart Tech Today, Mikah and I talked about:

  • Global Accessibility Awareness Day
  • Apple’s new hardware releases
  • Google IO
  • Our latest picks
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Newsletter Offsite Podcasts

Smart Tech Today 78: Project CHIP Rebrands as Matter ?

On episode 78 of Smart Tech Today, Rosemary (in for Mikah) and I talked about:
– Project CHIP’s new name – Matter
– Amazon’s Sidewalk network and new product releases
– Apple’s AirTags and Rosemary’s 3D printing adventure

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Offsite Podcasts

Smart Tech Today 77: Interview with Jonathan Hui, Google & Thread ?

On episode 77 of Smart Tech Today, Mikah and I talked to VP of Technology for The Thread Group, Jonathan Hui – plus:

Laptops as smart displays, Nanoleaf’s smart remote, and ceiling fans with HomeKit

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Offsite Podcasts

Smart Tech Today 76: Explaining Thread Enthusiasm ?

On episode 76 of Smart Tech Today, Mikah and I talked about:

iOS 14.5’s changes to Apple Maps, Siri voices, default music services, and Fitness+ – plus AirTags, HomeKit devices, and Thread.

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Offsite Podcasts

Smart Tech Today 75: Project CHIP Nears ?

On episode 75 of Smart Tech Today, Mikah and I talked about:

Project CHIP, the Apple event, Google Assistant tweaks, WearOS, HomeKit products, and Homebridge. Plus, Mikah’s new iPad stand and upcycled smartphones.