Mac Power Users 806: Automators Takeover
166 snips
Jul 20, 2025 
Rosemary Orchard, an automation expert and developer known for her work on the Automators podcast and the Capsule app, joins the discussion. She shares insights on the new AI features in Apple’s Shortcuts, including improvements and limitations in Siri’s performance. The conversation dives into her five-year journey developing Capsule, emphasizing user-friendly design and customization. They also explore exciting gadgets and practical apps, rounding off with engaging soldering projects for young learners, blending creativity with skill-building.
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Capsule's Five-Year Development Journey
- Rosemary Orchard and friends spent five years developing Capsule, a medication tracking app focused on simplicity and ease of use.
- The app supports scheduling, tagging for different users or pets, and interval-based medication reminders.
Apple AI in Shortcuts Layers
- Apple integrated AI into Shortcuts as optional actions, letting users choose local, private cloud, or external AI models.
- This layered approach gives users privacy control and flexibility not common with other AI services.
Use AI for Thoughtful Questions
- Use AI in Shortcuts to ask thoughtful questions about your writing instead of rewriting content.
- This helps improve reflection and content depth without outsourcing authorship.