5 ways to get more out of your Mac

These apps and tips will boost your productivity immediately.

Author

Lewis Wallace
March 11, 2023

“Productivity tips” doesn’t exactly sound sexy. But if you use a Mac, you owe it to yourself to check out the five great … performance enhancers in this week’s top how-to.

You won’t believe what you can do with your Mac — or how fast you can get it done!

Also in this edition of The Weekender:

  • The yellow iPhone 14 is just one of several new releases from Apple this week.

  • We’ve got stats on the iPhone’s utter dominance of the smartphone market — and on Tim Cook’s upcoming pay cut.

  • We’ve also got several hot Apple rumors and leaks to give you a look at what’s coming next on the hardware front.

  • And speaking of what’s coming soon, Ted Lasso’s third season premieres March 15. You better believe there’s news!

  • Finally, don’t miss all the deals on Apple gear and accessories. There are some really hot ones …

Enjoy your weekend!

— Lewis Wallace, managing editor

How-tos

5 must-have productivity apps for Mac

How to get instant window snapping on the Mac, powerful screenshot and recording tools, the clever clipboard manager that should be built into macOS, a simple tip for opening apps faster and the smart time tracking tool that'll keep you productive.

Always squinting? Zoom in on your Mac display.

If the text on your Mac's screen is just too small to read, built-in features will let you zoom in on your Mac display and get a closer look.

News

Apple launches yellow iPhone 14 and 14 Plus, plus new case colors

You can preorder the new yellow iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus now.

Plus, more new stuff from Apple:

iMessage vs. WhatsApp: Why Apple can't win the global messaging war

Apple pushes iMessage as the messaging service to use, but WhatsApp packs a lot more features. Is that enough to ditch Apple's Messages app?

A whopping 80% of the world's bestselling handsets are iPhones

Apple captures eight spots in the list of top 10 smartphones of 2022, including the top three.

Here’s your chance to pass out in the ‘Ted Lasso’ pub

You can sleep in the show's Crown & Anchor pub for just $13 per night, thanks to Airbnb -- and we don't mean passing out in a pool of Guinness.

Plus, more Ted Lasso news:

Why Apple should drop the iPhone 14 Plus

The iPhone 14 Plus isn't selling well, and the same was true for its predecessor. It seems reasonable for Apple to reduce the product lines it offers.

Dynamic Island won’t get any smaller before 2025

The iPhone screen cutout allegedly won't shrink next year, despite a previous report.

Plus, more Apple leaks and rumors:

Microsoft makes Outlook for Mac free for everyone

Microsoft no longer charges for Outlook for Mac. It's free to use, no subscription fee required.

Apple shareholders approve 40% pay cut for Tim Cook at annual meeting

Apple's CEO will earn considerably less in 2023 than he did in the last two years.

Deals

10.2-inch iPad gets a big $60 discount

Apple's entry-level tablet is more affordable than ever after a massive price cut.

Plus, more deals on Apple gear:

Grab a tiny, aluminum flash drive for just $14.99

This minimalist aluminum flash drive holds 64GB of data in a unit you can always have on you. Even better, it's now on sale for only $14.99.

Get 20% off rugged and refined AirPods 3 cases

The SwitchEasy Flash Sale -- you can get 20% off fun and rugged cases for AirPods 3 -- runs from Monday through Monday, March 13.

Anyone who writes will love this useful Mac app [New price cut!]

Scrivener 3 is a writing app and in-depth organizational tool that lets you visualize entire projects. Get lifetime access for less than $30.

Reviews and recommendations

Jimmy steps up this week on ‘Shrinking’ [Apple TV+ recap]

Alice goes missing this week on the Apple TV+ hit comedy, and Jimmy, Paul and Brian are on the case.

Plus, more Apple TV+ recaps and reviews:

7 reasons you should be slashing through ‘Oceanhorn: Chronos Dungeon’

Here's why you should be enjoying this multiplayer dungeon crawler on Apple Arcade.

Take your Apple Watch bands everywhere with this affordable canvas case

Keep all your bands safe and sound when you hit the road.

Plus, more great stuff from the Cult of Mac Store:

Keep your AirPods 3 safe in this rugged carabiner case cover from SwitchEasy [Review]

The SwitchEasy Odyssey Rugged Utility Protective Case shields your AirPods 3 from scratches and helps prevent accidental loss.

Setups

Here's how you put together a tight triple-display rig

The sometimes-overlooked heroes of computer setups are stands and mounts, which save space and make the most of device displays.

Small desk fits mini-but-mighty workstation

Even a small desk can't keep you from having a powerful computer setup -- if you get the right gear, starting with a MacBook Pro.

Dual-display outfit splits the keyboard and goes mouse-free

Instead of a mouse for input, this developer relies on a radically split keyboard with a trackball, plus a customizable macropad.