Evidence-first research

[OS] Neon Vision Editor v1.5.6 — major updates to the native Mac editor since my last post - Free

Hi r/macapps — I’m the developer of [Neon Vision Editor](https://apps.apple.com/de/app/neon-vision-editor/id6758950965). Since my last post in July, the app has moved from v0.9.7 to v1.5.6, with a lot of work focused on making the editor faster, more native, and more useful across Mac, iPhone, and iPad. >This is a follow-up to my [previous r/macapps post](https://www.reddit.com/r/macapps/s/MOgqP7QoH8), where I shared v0.9.7 and the first shared-file synchronization workflow. Since then, Neon Vision Editor has reached v1.5.6 with major improvements to the editor core, macOS rendering, Markdown, previews, project navigation, and mobile editing. # Problem I wanted a focused native editor for code, Markdown, notes, and large text files—without Electron, accounts, telemetry, subscriptions, or IDE-scale complexity. # Comparison Compared with Visual Studio Code and Cursor, Neon uses native Swift, SwiftUI, AppKit, and UIKit rather than Electron. Compared with Nova, it is free and open source, with a local-first workflow and versions for iPhone and iPad as well as macOS. # What changed since my last post * Reworked the macOS editor around a file-backed document model and bounded virtualized rendering, keeping large documents responsive without loading and measuring everything at once. * Added Focus Mode and improved macOS scrolling, selection, wrapped-line navigation, cursor placement, and tab state preservation. * Redesigned the Project Sidebar into a single Files, Search, Git, and T

The MOST satisfying way to change volume on a Mac

MacOS volume and brightness controls move in large steps. You can use smaller steps by holding shift+option, but when watching netflix in bed pressing 3 buttons at once is not ideal. The app has made around £650($876) so far from my website and setapp combined, with just under 16% conversion rate from free trials to purchase. BetterTouchTool (25$ lifetime) and Swish(15$ lifetime) are utilities that require setup and configuration. I realised from a LOT of beta testers that a lot of people want simplicity and convenience. If you prefer these apps or have them already then Slidr might not be for you. Slidr was made for simplicity. Download and slide your trackpad edge for smooth, precise volume and brightness control with haptic feedback. Native macOS HUD, no overlays, no config. Install and it just works. Why not lean forward to press your volume/brightness keys? I am lazy so I made a solution to make my netflix sessions even more chill. just slide Core features: \- Slide one edge for volume, the other for brightness \- Precision micro adjustments (no big jumps) \- Native macOS HUD (no custom overlays) \- Haptic feedback on every adjustment \- Menu bar app, minimal resource usage - UNDER 3MB \- Modifier keys to enable/disable slidr (toggle or hold) if you prefer The haptic feedback as you slide is quite addictive and you feel every tiny micro adjustment through the trackpad. I use it mostly in bed lying back to slide to the perfect volume while watching something and I haven't

Omarchy Histerya

Is it just me or that thing seems extremely annoying and disrespectful? It seems there is a flood of "influencers" spamming about how amazing it is, while it has 0 improvements over a normal modern distro (like fedora kde, I use it and it just works and has everything I might need). It is also extremely disrespectful watching how those aforementioned influencers claims that Omarchy "fixed Linux", "just works" and has amazing features like plugins (like kde widget or gnome extensions) and basic features linux DE have had for years or decades. The AI integration thing I think is incredible useless, and surely any good-for-all-distro AI integration could organize files or do whatever it is supposed to do in that. Is there any valid point on all this hype? Or is it just a bunch of people who never touched a Linux distro discovering freedom and open source potential just today?

MailVault 2.11: a NAS vault, nine languages, and a Mac mini that clicks the buttons

Posted here in February. 2.11.1 went out today. The archive is still \`.eml\` files on disk. What’s new is everything around them. The vault can live on an external drive or a NAS. Tracker pixels get named for free (about 500 known beacons) and stripped if you pay. Proton talks through Bridge. Drafts save locally as you type. You can send as an alias. A thread exports as a PNG or a self-contained HTML file that still reads with the network unplugged. Gmail’s 2,500 MB/day cap is a stop, not a 24-hour ban. Nine languages, none of which leave the machine. Quality: killed the Node sidecar (\~30 MB). A Mac mini opens the real app and clicks through it before a feature ships — 1,604 tests, 53 end-to-end. Coverage came back at 100% from someone who isn’t us. Linux exists. Windows still does not. [https://mailvaultapp.com](https://mailvaultapp.com)

Best screenshot/gif app for mac rn?

cleanshot is expensive....

Jott.it: The local-first bullet journal app built on text files

Hi! I'm Sean, the developer behind Jott it. I just launched the first version recently and I hope you like it! # Problem I've been Bullet Journaling for around six years. I love the method, but I kept running into one problem: the physical notebook. I once left my journal on a train and lost nearly a year's worth of notes. I tried moving to digital tools, but most felt like general-purpose productivity systems that required a lot of setup, or meant locking my journal inside someone else's platform. So I built **Jott it**. I wanted something that felt as straightforward as opening a notebook and writing: no databases to configure, no complicated productivity system to maintain, and no worrying about what happens to your journal if the app disappears. Jott it is essentially an interface over **plain Markdown files on your computer**. You choose a folder, Jott it handles the journaling workflow, and the files remain yours. You can open the exact same journal in any text editor from TextEdit to Obsidian or VS Code. Key features include: * **You control your data.** Your journal is just plain text files — Jott it provides the interface. No import, export, or lock-in. * **Full Bullet Journal workflow** — rapid logging for tasks, notes and events, with daily, monthly and yearly views. * **Task organisation** — projects, contexts and priorities without needing a separate task manager. * **Habit tracking** — track habits alongside your daily journal. * **Local-first and private** — yo

Show HN: I built a version of Omarchy that runs on Apple Silicon

I wanted to try out Omarchy before doing a full install, but I only have an M series MacBook so I would have to find a laptop and there's no official M support yet. So I decided to create something that allows people to test and run Omarchy on their devices so they can understand how it feels. So I built an app that allows you to run Omarchy Quattro as a native, hardware-accelerated app on your Apple Silicon Mac! It uses QEMU and Apple's HVF, a custom built Omarchy ARM image, a swift app enclosing it, and custom patches on Omarchy, QEMU, Hyprland and more. I tried many things, and this approach achieved the best results. The native keyboard experience with Super shortcuts works very well, along with all the rest. It supports any resolution (fixed ratio), retina or non retina displays, audio input / output devices, shared clipboard, and many other features. Since it runs on top of macOS, native features like universal clipboard and AirPods work smoothly. It takes ~3min to install, works the same as any other standard macOS app. The whole project is open source, so feel free it check it out on GitHub, install, PRs, etc.

I made a Mac app that gets in your face when you start procrastinating but never blocks anything

Hey [r/MacApps](https://www.reddit.com/r/MacApps/), I'm the developer of **StayInFlow**, a new native Mac app I just released on the Mac App Store. I kept having the same problem while working: I'd leave Xcode to "quickly check something" in Safari, Mail, Reddit, etc. Then at some point I'd realize the quick detour had become what I was actually doing. Most focus apps I found tried to solve this by blocking distractions completely. I didn't really want that. If I genuinely need Safari while working, I should still be able to use Safari. I basically wanted my Mac to tell me: **"You said you were working."** So I built StayInFlow. **Problem** StayInFlow lets you define which apps count as work using **Flow Sets**. For example, my Development Flow Set could contain Xcode, Terminal and my other development tools. Start a session and: 🟢 Apps in the Flow Set = **In Flow** 🔴 Anything else = **Drifting** 🔵 Sleep, lock, idle or manual pause = **Paused** Quick app switches are ignored using a configurable grace period, so checking something for two seconds doesn't immediately ruin your stats. And if I stay distracted for too long, this is my favorite part: **StayInFlow can throw a full-screen Focus Alert over whatever I'm doing and tell me I've drifted.** It's intentionally annoying enough to make me notice But it **never blocks anything**. I can dismiss the alert and continue if I'm intentionally using that app. You can configure when alerts appear based on drift duration, number o

Best screenshot/gif app for mac rn?

cleanshot is expensive....

Jott.it: The local-first bullet journal app built on text files

Hi! I'm Sean, the developer behind Jott it. I just launched the first version recently and I hope you like it! # Problem I've been Bullet Journaling for around six years. I love the method, but I kept running into one problem: the physical notebook. I once left my journal on a train and lost nearly a year's worth of notes. I tried moving to digital tools, but most felt like general-purpose productivity systems that required a lot of setup, or meant locking my journal inside someone else's platform. So I built **Jott it**. I wanted something that felt as straightforward as opening a notebook and writing: no databases to configure, no complicated productivity system to maintain, and no worrying about what happens to your journal if the app disappears. Jott it is essentially an interface over **plain Markdown files on your computer**. You choose a folder, Jott it handles the journaling workflow, and the files remain yours. You can open the exact same journal in any text editor from TextEdit to Obsidian or VS Code. Key features include: * **You control your data.** Your journal is just plain text files — Jott it provides the interface. No import, export, or lock-in. * **Full Bullet Journal workflow** — rapid logging for tasks, notes and events, with daily, monthly and yearly views. * **Task organisation** — projects, contexts and priorities without needing a separate task manager. * **Habit tracking** — track habits alongside your daily journal. * **Local-first and private** — yo

Show HN: I built a version of Omarchy that runs on Apple Silicon

I wanted to try out Omarchy before doing a full install, but I only have an M series MacBook so I would have to find a laptop and there's no official M support yet. So I decided to create something that allows people to test and run Omarchy on their devices so they can understand how it feels. So I built an app that allows you to run Omarchy Quattro as a native, hardware-accelerated app on your Apple Silicon Mac! It uses QEMU and Apple's HVF, a custom built Omarchy ARM image, a swift app enclosing it, and custom patches on Omarchy, QEMU, Hyprland and more. I tried many things, and this approach achieved the best results. The native keyboard experience with Super shortcuts works very well, along with all the rest. It supports any resolution (fixed ratio), retina or non retina displays, audio input / output devices, shared clipboard, and many other features. Since it runs on top of macOS, native features like universal clipboard and AirPods work smoothly. It takes ~3min to install, works the same as any other standard macOS app. The whole project is open source, so feel free it check it out on GitHub, install, PRs, etc.

I made a Mac app that gets in your face when you start procrastinating but never blocks anything

Hey [r/MacApps](https://www.reddit.com/r/MacApps/), I'm the developer of **StayInFlow**, a new native Mac app I just released on the Mac App Store. I kept having the same problem while working: I'd leave Xcode to "quickly check something" in Safari, Mail, Reddit, etc. Then at some point I'd realize the quick detour had become what I was actually doing. Most focus apps I found tried to solve this by blocking distractions completely. I didn't really want that. If I genuinely need Safari while working, I should still be able to use Safari. I basically wanted my Mac to tell me: **"You said you were working."** So I built StayInFlow. **Problem** StayInFlow lets you define which apps count as work using **Flow Sets**. For example, my Development Flow Set could contain Xcode, Terminal and my other development tools. Start a session and: 🟢 Apps in the Flow Set = **In Flow** 🔴 Anything else = **Drifting** 🔵 Sleep, lock, idle or manual pause = **Paused** Quick app switches are ignored using a configurable grace period, so checking something for two seconds doesn't immediately ruin your stats. And if I stay distracted for too long, this is my favorite part: **StayInFlow can throw a full-screen Focus Alert over whatever I'm doing and tell me I've drifted.** It's intentionally annoying enough to make me notice But it **never blocks anything**. I can dismiss the alert and continue if I'm intentionally using that app. You can configure when alerts appear based on drift duration, number o

I made a Mac app that gets in your face when you start procrastinating but never blocks anything

Hey r/MacApps, I'm the developer of **StayInFlow**, a new native Mac app I just released on the Mac App Store. I kept having the same problem while working: I'd leave Xcode to "quickly check something" in Safari, Mail, Reddit, etc. Then at some point I'd realize the quick detour had become what I was actually doing. Most focus apps I found tried to solve this by blocking distractions completely. I didn't really want that. If I genuinely need Safari while working, I should still be able to use Safari. I basically wanted my Mac to tell me: **"You said you were working."** So I built StayInFlow. **Problem** StayInFlow lets you define which apps count as work using **Flow Sets**. For example, my Development Flow Set could contain Xcode, Terminal and my other development tools. Start a session and: 🟢 Apps in the Flow Set = **In Flow** 🔴 Anything else = **Drifting** 🔵 Sleep, lock, idle or manual pause = **Paused** Quick app switches are ignored using a configurable grace period, so checking something for two seconds doesn't immediately ruin your stats. And if I stay distracted for too long, this is my favorite part: **StayInFlow can throw a full-screen Focus Alert over whatever I'm doing and tell me I've drifted.** It's intentionally annoying enough to make me notice But it **never blocks anything**. I can dismiss the alert and continue if I'm intentionally using that app. You can configure when alerts appear based on drift duration, number of drifts, AND/OR conditions, repeated

Show HN: Kekoso – On-device dictation and transcription for macOS

10 native Mac apps that solve one job really well

Native Mac apps are at their best when they solve one recurring annoyance and then get out of the way. There are already plenty of 100-app directories, so this list is deliberately short: ten apps, ten jobs, and one practical reason each is worth knowing. The filter is simple: built specifically for macOS, verifiably native where possible, and useful without a twenty-feature pitch. One necessary disclosure: hora Calendar is included below, and I am its founder and developer. That entry is obviously biased. There are no affiliate links, and nobody paid or asked to be included. The list is alphabetical, because ranking Mac apps is a reliable way to start a small civil war. 1. [**Bear**](https://bear.app/) **- notes, free tier plus subscription** Fast native notes with Markdown, tags, and a polished editor. Good when you want structure without turning note-taking into another project to manage. 2. [**CleanShot X**](https://cleanshot.com/) **- screenshots, one-time purchase with optional paid update renewal** Screenshots, annotation, scrolling capture, and screen recording in one native app. It quietly replaces a small pile of separate utilities. 3. [**Dropover**](https://dropoverapp.com/) **- files, free to try with a one-time Pro unlock** A temporary shelf for moving files, links, text, and images between places. A very small idea that removes a surprising amount of awkward dragging. 4. [**hora Calendar**](https://horacal.app/) **- calendar, subscription** Google Calendar witho

No BYOK in Raycast V2 for Free

As expected for an Alfred user, Raycast is giving people some features, then pulling the rug and locking them behind a paywall. Thanks to the Alfred team.. they’ve always been trustworthy.