Cam MacMurchy Media · Communications · AI
Weekly · Productivity & Automation

Weekly update on automation and productivity apps.

I use a handful of powerful productivity apps and automations, but have tried dozens and dozens more over the years. New apps, automations, and workflow ideas are being created — and killed off — all the time, so this report is designed to help you stay on top of it.
May 29 – June 1, 2026 Edition · 009 6 sections · 35+ items
This Week’s Headlines

Major product updates.

iA Writer · May 30

iA Writer brings its “Authorship” AI-transparency feature to Windows

iA Writer’s most-requested Windows feature has finally arrived. Authorship — first launched in 2023 — visually marks which parts of a document you wrote yourself versus text pasted or generated elsewhere, so writers can demonstrate their own work in an era of AI-assisted drafting. In plain terms: it’s a built-in way to prove authenticity, which matters for anyone whose credibility rests on their words. The company is also collecting user stories for a short documentary about software that made a difference.

Authorship on WindowsTell us your story
Descript · May 29

Descript teases an AI editor that adapts to your style

Descript is previewing a version of its built-in AI editor, “Underlord,” that recognises whether you’re producing a podcast or a short-form clip and adjusts its editing accordingly — without you having to spell out your preferences each time. For anyone producing regular video, this is the kind of quiet, compounding convenience that saves real time once it learns how you work. Billed as coming soon.

Watch the teaser
Version Releases

App updates & patches.

01
Yoink for Mac v3.7.3
The popular drag-and-drop “shelf” utility improves how it captures files and images dragged out of web browsers — a small but welcome fix for anyone who shuttles content between the web and the desktop all day.
Eternal Storms Software · June 1
Platforms & Services

Service changes.

01
iA Writer can now be bought directly, with a new account system
iA Writer for Mac and Windows is now available to purchase straight from iA, backed by a new account system that ends the old pain of managing license keys. Practically, that means simpler sign-in and license management instead of juggling activation codes.
iA Writer · May 30
Browser Watch

Orion browser.

Orion Feedback · May 29 – June 1

Stability wobbles on the newest Apple builds, plus a run of tab-group and extension bugs

Orion’s public feedback forum stayed busy this week, and stability on the latest Apple software was the through-line. Users reported the browser crashing instantly when using the new search, stalling (beach-balling) on DuckDuckGo searches, and broken 3D rendering, while Apple’s new “Liquid Glass” builds break the app’s safe-area layout. Tab groups were a recurring complaint too: several users found their tab groups had vanished or were placed in the wrong spot in the sidebar.

Password managers and extensions generated the most developer-facing reports — the iCloud Passwords extension stopped working on macOS Tahoe 26.5, Violentmonkey couldn’t save scripts, and there were bugs in how Orion reports private/incognito state (inIncognitoContext returning false, missing context-menu APIs). On the wish list: a more compact, minimalist desktop UI, sync across operating systems, and a page-cleanup tool on mobile. The takeaway is unchanged from last week: Orion is still rough on the newest macOS and iOS builds, so hold off before making it your everyday browser on Tahoe.

New Discoveries

New Mac utilities.

Vibedock

Manage your Claude Code MCP servers with a single click — enable or disable them, auto-restart sessions when things change, and keep per-project configurations in sync.

Tiny Remap

Remap almost any key system-wide in seconds. Handy for writers, developers, and multilingual users who want a more comfortable keyboard without a complicated setup.

Snapback

Save and restore complete workspace layouts, with window snapping, multi-display support, keyboard shortcuts, and fast switching between setups.

BarDict

Fast, fluid dictionary lookups from the menu bar, combining multi-dictionary search with trackpad gestures and keyboard-first navigation.

Worth Reading

Content & thought leadership.

01
Signal in the Noise: How Sponsorships Shape Reputation
Signal AI’s 2026 Sponsorship Benchmarking work argues that most organizations know what they spend on sponsorships but not what those deals do to their reputation — a sharp lens for any comms leader weighing brand partnerships.
Signal AI · June 1
02
How to build multi-agent systems with MCP
A clear primer on why a single AI agent struggles with complex, multi-tool tasks and how splitting the work across several specialized agents — connected via MCP — produces more reliable results.
Zapier · May 29
03
Why relying on AI content detectors is a bad idea — and what to do instead
As AI writing tools go mainstream, so do AI “detectors.” Zapier explains why these detectors are unreliable and what a smarter editorial approach looks like — relevant for any content team setting policy.
Zapier · May 29
04
The unmanaged stack: governing SaaS apps and AI tools outside SSO
A 1Password webinar recap on the growing security blind spot of apps and AI tools employees adopt without IT’s knowledge — useful framing for anyone thinking about how AI tools spread through an organization.
1Password · May 29
05
Technical breakdown of open-source Granola AI alternatives
A developer-oriented look at the self-hosted and open-source meeting recorders emerging in Granola’s wake — worth skimming if you use Granola and are curious about the trade-offs behind these tools.
Recall.ai · May 29
06
How to grow your podcast with YouTube Shorts and vertical video
Ecamm argues the fastest way to grow a podcast may be the footage already on your hard drive — repurposing existing episodes into short-form vertical clips to reach new audiences and drive viewers back to full episodes.
Ecamm Network · May 29
07
What is Lindy?
A rundown of Lindy, an AI personal assistant built around email, meetings, and the kind of admin work you’d normally delegate to a human — a useful reference point as AI assistants multiply.
Zapier · May 29
08
New in the Shortcuts Library: Ecobee shortcuts
Shortcuts expert Matthew Cassinelli has added a folder of ready-made Ecobee (smart thermostat) shortcuts to his library — handy inspiration if you build your own Apple Shortcuts automations.
Matthew Cassinelli · May 31