Skip to content
Thoughtful, detailed coverage of everything Apple for 34 years
and the TidBITS Content Network for Apple professionals
Jeff Porten

Jeff Porten

Jeff Porten provides consulting services on Mac, IT, and productivity, and is a freelance writer in Philadelphia. His most recent book is Take Control of Your Productivity.

Jeff Porten 64 comments

Apple Card: More Than Just a Credit Card

Apple’s forthcoming Apple Card and updated Wallet app promise innovative features and consumer-friendly particulars. But Jeff Porten thinks Apple Card will have a farther-reaching impact.

Jeff Porten 6 comments

Attach an iPad to Your MacBook as a Second Display with Mountie

If you’d like to use another screen with your MacBook while traveling but can’t figure out how to arrange and support it, Jeff Porten has found a simple clip that attaches an iPad to a MacBook for use as a second display.

Jeff Porten 10 comments

Locast Gives You No Frills Broadcast TV at No Cost

Thinking about dropping cable TV? Cord cutters may want to check out Locast, a Web site and mobile app that lets you watch your local TV channels for free, provided you’re in one of the nine cities where it works.

Jeff Porten No comments

CES 2019: Startup Gadgets at Eureka Park

The CES section for startups shows its usual creativity: portable insulin fridges, STEM education for girls, a wearable subwoofer. and a giant relaxing egg. Which you sit in, not on.

Jeff Porten 1 comment

CES 2019: Somewhere Between Star Trek and Harry Potter

Itty-bitty MacBook chargers, chocolate-based art, and batteries; backpacks; and toy cars with seemingly magical powers were all found on the main floor at CES.

Jeff Porten 3 comments

CES 2019: Health, Home, and Other Products at the Sands

Jeff Porten’s visit to the CES Home and Health show floor included a smart mailbox for your deliveries, a battery accessible to the blind, a smartwatch you never charge, and news of an embarrassing moment for the CTA.

Jeff Porten 2 comments

OmniFocus 3: What’s New and What’s Blue in Task Management

OmniFocus, the power user tool of choice for Mac task management, has reached version 3 on the Mac, the iOS version has caught up in features, and a Web version is in beta. Jeff Porten discusses task management in general, what’s new and great in OmniFocus, and where the trouble spots still are.

Jeff Porten 3 comments

CES 2019: ShowStoppers Demos Smart Ovens, Big Batteries, and More

One company lights the world, another proposes to cook for you, and Apple teases Google over privacy while an open-source voice assistant ups the privacy ante.

Jeff Porten No comments

CES 2019: Pepcom Shows Off Futuristic Displays and More

As CES continues, our roving correspondent Jeff Porten covers the Pepcom Digital Experience, another of the breakout shows that offers a somewhat curated collection of gadgets, gizmos, and pie-in-the-sky services.

Jeff Porten No comments

CES 2019: CES Unveiled Kicks Off the Annual Gadget-fest

Jeff Porten starts the CES tornado with a mere gale force wind at the kickoff press-only breakout show, CES Unveiled.

Jeff Porten 1 comment

CES’s 2019 Tech Trends: Big Data, 5G, AI, AR/VR, Autonomous Vehicles—and Bigger TVs

Our roving correspondent Jeff Porten is once again attending CES, and his first report comes from the Consumer Technology Association’s annual predictions of what’s coming for the year.

Jeff Porten 18 comments

Google Fi Comes to the iPhone… Mostly

Google's Project Fi phone service has become Google Fi, with official support for using the iPhone you bring to the plan. But the iPhone experience isn't the same as for Android phones using regular Google Fi. So for now, Google Fi is worthwhile only in select circumstances.

Jeff Porten 13 comments

No Snoozing Allowed: Better Ways to Deal with Email

Email management is, for most of us, a constant battle to deal with an uncontrollable number of messages in a finite amount of time. Many email apps try to “help” with tricks to hide email messages until later, but these are counterproductive. “Take Control of Your Productivity” author Jeff Porten suggests better methods.

Jeff Porten No comments

TechSoup: Get Deep Discounts on Technology for Your Nonprofit

If you’re involved in a nonprofit organization that has technology needs, TechSoup provides deeply discounted software and services. Jeff Porten is a fan, but he found that signing up for and making good use of TechSoup requires some effort. Here’s what he learned.

Jeff Porten 18 comments

Exploring Sinemia and Other Movie Subscription Service Alternatives to MoviePass

With the financial troubles at MoviePass making headlines, Jeff Porten reviews the competing service Sinemia, and rounds up similar subscription services offered by two theater chains.