1️⃣ macOS 27 Golden Gate is probably the most enjoyable macOS iteration to use in a long time. While Liquid Glass improvements are making a big difference for me, I feel Liquid Glass on the Mac makes the least sense, but it’s best on the Apple Watch, then the iPhone.

2️⃣ Stability and performance on these first betas are really impressive. This could have been so much worse. All my devices, except my M4 Mac mini and Apple TVs, are on beta 1. I just don’t have the time to upgrade my mini. 😅

3️⃣ I fail to see any issues with my apps. Everything just works. Very speedy betas! 😳

4️⃣ I still need to experiment more with Siri AI. I don’t like the dark theme and the big bubble that appears on the Dynamic Island.

5️⃣ The Image Playground redesign is so much better, but the possible use cases are still a mystery to me.

6️⃣ It will be interesting to see how much of an improvement a faster device will make for Apple Intelligence in general. So far, the execution speed is a bit slow, but how much of this depends on being on a beta cycle, network latency or running on an older device like an M2 MacBook Air?

I have finished my latest web app: a Path-like site for posting check-ins. It focuses on sharing images with a short accompanying note and does not resolve venue names beyond what an open-source map service can provide. The app organizes check-ins into trails, with each trail supporting multiple view types, including the default timeline, a grid view, a compact calendar, and a map view. It’s rather simple, but I like the end results very much. It’s the first publicly available web app (and will probably be the only one). I’ll have to check bandwidth consumption so that I don’t hit the free-tier limits on Vercel. 😅 Use cases are mainly about travel journaling and photo walks.

When reading about SwiftUI and how it leads to less than optimal Mac apps, I’m not convinced that rewriting Notion in SwiftUI is a good idea. Why not use Catalyst instead? Craft is a great example of a Catalyst-based app.

I chose to postpone purchasing the $1,500 Nikon 24-120 F4 lens to prioritize upgrading my home networking setup. This change is driven by my plan to turn the unused fireplace in the living room into a home theater space with related equipment. As shown in the photo, the items on and inside this small piece of furniture will be moved into a new structure to be built on the left, where the fireplace now is. Additionally, my Ubiquiti Wi-Fi router will be replaced with a ceiling antenna connected to a hub housed inside the new installation. More details about this coming later this summer.

I’m making great progress with my new web app. It’s already 90% feature complete and ready for my next trip to Paris, starting next week. When I started this project, I had a fairly clear idea of what I wanted, but as I made progress, it became easy to experiment with new features I didn’t think would even be possible. One such feature is the ability to securely share my check-ins publicly so you can follow me! It’s my only custom-built web app with a public-facing view.

I’ve been rather silent since the release of Apple’s latest major betas, except for a few reaction blips. While I love the new iOS 27 and iPadOS 27, I cannot install macOS 27 beta. Installation always fails at the very end of the download process. Go figure. 🤷🏻‍♂️

iOS 27 Liquid Glass is what it should have been from the start. Oh, and the speed and stability on my iPhone 15 Pro Max prove to be the best fest beta ever. I’m still waiting on the Siri AI waiting list.

I’ve been fiercely working on something new since yesterday. 😎 Stay tuned.

Apple embraces Lil Finder Guy with WWDC 2026 swag — 9to5Mac

There’s now a physical Apple pin for Lil Finder Guy, the adorable Finder-based Mac mascot who originated from MacBook Neo’s marketing campaign.

I want this little guy to pop up in tomorrow’s WWDC introductory video.

I think the time to upgrade to a beefier Mac is coming… maybe this fall. Even if it’s a native Mac app, I think I prefer my custom-built Microblog Poster web app. Now, returning to normal programming.

If you’re shopping for a Mac mini in Canada right now, the Apple Store configurator is both powerful and opaque. It shows you one combination at a time, with no easy way to compare shipping wait times across the full lineup. So I decided to do something about it.

Using Claude’s browser automation tools, I navigated the Apple Canada store programmatically, cycling through every possible Mac mini configuration: all 52 of them, spanning two chips (M4 and M4 Pro), two CPU/GPU variants, two memory tiers, five storage options, and two Ethernet speeds. I captured the live price and shipping lead time for each one directly from the store. No guessing, no third-party data. Everything you see was pulled in real time from apple.com/ca.

The result is the reference table below. The headline finding is blunt: if you want a Mac mini without a long wait, your options are narrow. Only the base M4 model ships in 3 to 4 weeks. Upgrade almost anything (memory, storage, Ethernet, or chip), and you’re looking at 10 to 12 weeks. The Mac mini may be Apple’s most configurable desktop, but right now it’s also one of its hardest to get quickly.