Issue #185 | Subscribe

The latest versions of macOS, iOS and iPadOS are here, and I'm loving them on all my devices.

Here are a few things that I've been enjoying so far:

1. Liquid glass

There has been a mixed reaction to this from the crowd, but I'm liking what I see on the screen every day:

Apple's apps and some tastefully redesigned third-party apps, such as Sequel, Sky Guide and Paste, do bring out the best in this design system.

Also, Safari on iOS is now the most gorgeous and immersive browser I've ever used:

2. Spotlight on macOS Tahoe

I've returned to Spotlight on my Mac after using Raycast for a while, and I recreated most of the custom actions I was using in Raycast.

For example, I used Quick Links in Raycast to open the Goodreads page of the books I recommend here. I set up a similar action for Spotlight using Shortcuts:

Another custom extension I created for Raycast to clean up copied links works the same on Spotlight via Shortcuts:

I can even activate Shakkei scenes from Spotlight now:

The only custom extension left to recreate for me is one for downloading YouTube Video thumbnails. I'm fairly confident I can recreate it using Shortcuts.

I'm not saying Raycast is completely useless now. For me, Spotlight can now do everything I used Raycast for.

3. Shortcut automation on macOS

Yes, finally.

I've been wanting this for so long, and now we can set up shortcuts to run automatically on specific triggers:

I'm thinking of some folder automation using this. I'll share more after I've done some experimenting.

4. iPad is now a Mini Mac

iPad is slowly transforming into a mini Mac with every release, and I love the new menu bar on apps:

This is a welcome step to utilise the bigger screen estate to add more power to iPadOS.

Have you updated to these new releases? What are your thoughts on these new OS versions?

The stock apps, Notes, Reminders and Mail received updates along with the latest operating systems, and I've started updating the Back to Basics guides with refreshed recordings and updated tips.

I finished updating the guide on Notes. Reminders and Mail will follow.

Now, let's move on to the rest of this newsletter issue:

Your Next Read

Health

Breath

How we breathe affects how our bodies function and ultimately shapes us. Although a simple and automated mechanism, there's more to breathing than you think.

Apps & Services

Ente

End-to-end encrypted photo storage

If you've been looking for alternatives to big-tech-owned photo cloud services, such as Google Photos and iCloud, this one might fit the bill. Your photos are E2E encrypted and hosted in up to three different EU locations for safety. You can even download their self-hosting package to host an Ente-powered photo cloud yourself. Available on all major platforms and is free for up to 10GB of storage.
Color Sort Therapy

A way to relax using your phone

This is a fun little app to decompress when you’re feeling overwhelmed. You get colours from a gradient in random order, and you have to sort them to complete the gradient. Feels therapeutic. Available on iOS and is free to start.
Momentum

Track your habit through daily photos

A new spin on habit tracking. Instead of marking a checkbox as done when you do something, you can take a photo and attach it to each day. This serves as a visual proof, and also results in a nice time-lapse progress video once you've recorded for a few weeks. Available on iOS and is free to start.

Handy Shortcut

⌘

3

Quickly switch to available actions within Spotlight in macOS Tahoe.

Interesting Reads

Notes

42 min read

Back to Basics

This was one of the most read and loved posts on Hulry last year. This year, I refreshed the entire guide with new media from the latest macOS and iOS updates, and included fresh tips and workflows that you'll find helpful. Apple Notes is ridiculously good, and this guide will show you how to use this tool for everyday note-taking and thinking.
Why We Choose to Avoid Information That’s Right In Front of Us

12 min read

Even though we have a world of information just a tap away, many of us have often opted to avoid unpleasant information at some point in our lives. This article explains why that happens, and it left me asking, “What am I afraid to look at?”
How I Designed a Font Inspired by a Technical Illustrator’s 1959 Schoolwork

6 min read

This is quite an interesting story about how sifting through an estate sale inspired a retro font. The Hulry website currently uses premium 3rd-party fonts, but I dream of creating bespoke “Hulry” fonts for the website one day.
How to Make Life Feel a Little Nicer

8 min read

Elaine from The Atlantic asked her readers what small moments of joy look like in their lives. This list is a compilation of the most interesting answers from that exercise.

Watch Next

I’m “excited” to try this excitement map approach in defining goals that come from within.

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