LM Studio

“Run local LLMs like gpt-oss, Qwen3, Gemma3, DeepSeek and many more on your computer, privately and for free.” LM Studio is the app I now use for running local LLMs.[^1] In LM Studio I mainly use gemma‑3‑12b, mostly for alt‑text generation, and the gpt‑oss‑20b model. Both run fine on my Mac equipped with 32 GB of RAM. lmstudio.ai/ [^1]: I switched from Ollama because LM Studio is much more versatile, and I don’t get their “sign‑up, log‑in, and run remote LLMs” options for a software that was designed for offline usage.

November 10th, 2025 macOS

Notebook Navigator

“Modern file explorer for Obsidian Full keyboard navigation. Dual-pane layout. Mobile optimized.” Notebook Navigator is a truly great plugin for one of my favorite apps, Obsidian. notebooknavigator.com/

September 20th, 2025 iOS macOS

Swift Shift

“Manage your macOS windows like a pro” "Swift Shift lets you move/resize windows with your mouse without searching for tiny arrows or window titles. It's the fastest way to organize your workspace to your liking." - just press and hold (custom) modifier keys and move your windows around. Gone are the days looking for a tiny free spot to grab a title bar 🤩. www.swiftshift.app/

June 3rd, 2025 macOS

PowerPhotos

“The ultimate toolbox for Photos on the Mac” If you need to split, combine, merge or somehow manipulate your Apple Photos.app library, PowerPhotos is the way to go.www.fatcatsoftware.com/powerphotos/

May 13th, 2025 macOS

Countdown Timer Pro

“Create highly customizable countdown timer overlays with ease using Countdown Timer Pro, a completely free macOS app.” There are several other apps like Countdown Timer Pro available for macOS, but it is very well executed and free. What more could one wish for? Mac App Store Countdown Timer Pro

May 12th, 2025 macOS

BookPlayer

“A wonderful player for your M4B/M4A/MP3 based audiobooks.” In addition to an eBook Reader I was looking for a dedicated audiobook player. I think, I've found it. BookPlayer leaves nothing to be desired. If you want, you can view its source code on GitHub, or support the developer with a Pro subscription, which then enables features like iCloud Sync and standalone Playback on the Apple Watch. BTW I use the ancient looking, but still working Audiobook Builder to convert countless separate mp3 files to one combined M4B audiobook. BookPlayer App Store

May 9th, 2025 iOS iPadOS

Yomu

“An independent reader for book lovers.” I was looking for a third party alternative to Apple's Books.app - found it: Yomu EBook Reader. Single purchase if you want pro features, like iCloud sync, or just support its developer. www.yomu-reader.com

May 8th, 2025 iOS iPadOS macOS

Folder Preview

“Quick look extension for folders.” Nice, little utility app that lets you preview folders and ZIP files by pressing space bar on your Mac. From the same developer as Anybox and Pinning. anybox.ltd/folder-preview

May 7th, 2025 macOS

BarCuts

“A Surprisingly Useful macOS Shortcuts Launcher.” "A macOS menu bar app that surfaces your relevant Shortcuts workflows when you need them. "Tag" workflows to an application, and when that app is in front, BarCuts will show its tagged workflows in a menu, ready for you to access." - nothing to add. One thing done right. Very useful, as Carlo's other apps. (I heavily rely on Actions For Obsidian for my Daily Notes in Obsidian.) actions.work/barcuts/

April 10th, 2025 macOS

Zero Duplicates

“Find and Remove Duplicate Files with Confidence” I was looking for an app that can easily remove duplicates from my hard drives. There is a fair number of apps available, but lots of them look shady to me. Not this one. The best thing is that it is free to use and has a very friendly and responsive developer.zeroduplicates.com/

April 9th, 2025 macOS

Unread

“Rediscover the joy of reading your favorite writers and publications with Unread.” Unread is a (not exactly cheap, subscription based) classic RSS client for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS with a strong focus on design and typography and a perfectly harmonised feature set. I am thrilled. www.goldenhillsoftware.com

February 20th, 2025 iOS iPadOS macOS

SwitchBuddy

“The unofficial companion app for Nintendo Switch” SwitchBuddy is a companion app specifically for the Nintendo Switch. You can easily transfer captured screenshots to your iPhone, stay informed about new releases, get an overview of the latest news, follow sales, and, of course, track your own game collection along with a wishlist, etc. It may not be the most beautiful app, but it is very functional. I use it daily.switchbuddy.app/

December 8th, 2024 iOS

Festivitas

“Festivitas brings the holiday spirit to your Mac with festive lights for the dock and menu bar 🎄” "Festivitas automatically adds festive lights to your menu bar and dock upon launch and you can tweak their appearance to match your preferences ✨" - nothing to add here. As written on my blog, it just makes me smile.www.festivitas.app/

December 7th, 2024 macOS

Picsew - Scrollshot & Collage

“Make Screenshot Stitching Easy with Picsew!” Picsew is IMHO a truly underrated app whose potential is not immediately apparent. Among scrollshot stitching and other things, you can e.g. effortlessly add device frames to screenshots and pay less for its full version than you pay for other apps in a single month. Highly recommended.apps.apple.com/us/app/picsew-scrollshot-collage

December 2nd, 2024 iOS

OK Video

“Tap. Record. Share. The easiest way to record anything, by far.” It’s actually just that simple. At first, I wasn’t sure if I needed an app like this or what I’d use it for. However, it turns out to be really handy for capturing a few moments over the course of the day and exporting them as a short movie to your photo roll at the end of the day. And, of course, it can be used for many other much more creative ideas as well.https://okvideo.app/

November 28th, 2024 iOS