Nova, a Mac assistant that asks before it acts — now in public beta

https://reddit.com/link/1x86x6u/video/ltb6p86m90wh1/player

# Problem

Hi, I’m Christoph. Writing software isn’t my main job. Nova started because I wanted a small assistant on my Mac that I could talk to or type to.

Moving a meeting, setting a reminder, finding a note, drafting an email: none of that is difficult. But each one meant opening another app, and sometimes I’d lose the thread of what I was doing.

I wanted help with those tasks while still seeing exactly what would change.

If I ask Nova to move a meeting, it shows the existing event and the proposed new time on a confirmation card. Nothing happens until I confirm. A draft stays a draft; writing an email doesn’t mean sending it. Questions and searches don’t require that extra confirmation.

The other features grew out of my day too: meeting notes I could ask about later, recording only when everyone involved knows, music or radio without another detour, and access to documents I already keep in Paperless.

It became useful enough to me that I decided to let other people try it. I honestly don’t know yet which parts are useful only to me.

# Comparison

The alternatives I’d compare Nova with are **Siri** and **Raycast**.

Siri is already included with macOS and is an obvious starting point for voice requests. Raycast offers a fast launcher and a large extension library.

Nova’s focus is handling everyday tasks through voice or text while showing proposed changes before executing them. The confirmation card is central to the workflow I wanted. Nova also lets you choose a cloud model provider or run a local model through Ollama.

To avoid confusion about the name: this is a separate app, with no connection to Panic’s Nova code editor.

# Pricing

Nova is in **public beta**, with continuing **0.x releases**, and requires an **Apple Silicon Mac, M1 or newer**.

There is a **seven-day trial with no payment details required**. After the trial, the beta prices are:

* **$3.99 per month**
* **$29 per year**
* **$49 for a lifetime licence**

All three plans include the same features.

After version 1.0, prices for new customers will be **$5/month, $49/year, or $79 lifetime**. Beta subscribers keep their beta price while their subscription remains active. A lifetime licence continues beyond 1.0.

**Model usage is separate from the Nova licence.** You bring your own access to a cloud model provider, with any usage charges billed by that provider, or run a local model through Ollama. Privacy Lock turns off cloud connections while keeping local use available.

[Website](https://nova-assistant.io/) · [Full pricing](https://nova-assistant.io/pricing.html)

# About me and feedback

I’m Christoph Schumann. Here is my [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/christoph-schumann), and my contact details and links to the legal pages are in the [Impressum](https://nova-assistant.io/impressum.html).

The video shows a few ordinary examples.

If you try Nova in your actual work, I’d appreciate honest feedback. Especially on the confirmation card: does seeing the proposed change feel worth the extra step, or does it get in your way?

https://redd.it/1x86x6u
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Help finding the (free) software that was posted yesterday

Yesterday, a dev posted his free software (with a video attached) here on this subreddit (and the Github repo link).

The app let's you use you iPhone as an extension to your Mac as a e.g. media controler, steam deck, trackpad and even create your own.

Didn't save it yesterday, don't remember the name either and now it's nowhere to be found. 😞

Anyone remember the name? Seemed genuinely cool and impressive.

Update & answer:
In case anyone is looking for it as well it is CmdPalm. u/iotabyte solved the puzzle. Thanks!

https://redd.it/1x89gfd
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[OS] MacTools: a free Mac toolkit with plugins and custom panels

https://redd.it/1x8bb2r
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DrawSimple 1.2 -- The Simple-but-deep image editor your Mac: From Quick Edits to Vector and Paint Layers, Undo history, 30+ Tools/Shapes, WordArt, Full MCP/API support(!) -- Now with SimpleQR CodeTool, 简体和繁体 (full Chinese support), and more!
https://redd.it/1x8bqy5
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Prompt Deck - a native Mac app for your coding agents' prompts, memory files and chat history (Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Antigravity CLI + 7 more)

https://redd.it/1x8eqg3
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Clacky 2.7: track your site, schedule your posts, record your Mac, and watch a tiny harbour grow as you work

https://redd.it/1x8fdzj
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Free Hindsight: a local-first work timeline for macOS that records tasks, not just app names

I’m the developer behind Hindsight.

Mac App Store: https://apps.apple.com/app/id6806331002

# Problem

I could never answer “What did you do today?” with any real accuracy.

Most app-usage trackers can tell you something like “Chrome: 4 hours,” but that doesn’t really tell you what you did.

Hindsight is built around a different idea: track the work, not just the apps.

A task stays open as you move between apps, so working on the same thing across Xcode, Safari, and Terminal becomes one timeline entry instead of three rows of app names.

Every entry also has the evidence behind it — screenshots, OCR text, and the model’s confidence — so you can see why Hindsight classified something the way it did. You can confirm it, edit it, reclassify it, merge entries, or split them when the timeline gets something wrong.

# What it does

Today view — tracked time, focus, projects, and unaccounted gaps
Activity log — start/end times, durations, and a film-strip timeline
Daily journal & weekly review — exportable as Markdown. All durations and totals come from your actual timeline; AI only writes the descriptions
Ask AI — ask plain-language questions about your own tracked workday
Pomodoro timer — with distraction detection based on your own category settings

# Comparison

Timing, RescueTime
These are primarily app and website trackers. They can tell you how much time you spent in Chrome or Xcode. Hindsight tries to answer the more useful question: what were you actually working on? It also keeps the screenshot evidence behind each timeline entry.

Dayflow
Dayflow is probably the closest comparison, especially in its focus on reconstructing what you actually did rather than simply tracking apps. Hindsight takes a different approach to a few things:

You choose the analysis engine: Apple’s on-device models, a local model through Ollama or LM Studio, or your own cloud endpoint
The review workflow lets you merge, split, and bulk-reclassify entries
Journals and weekly reviews are generated from computed timeline data rather than asking the model to invent durations or totals

# Pricing

Free.

No subscription. No in-app purchases. No account required.

# Privacy

This app reads your screen, so you should be skeptical about it. I designed it with that in mind.

Manual tracking captures nothing and doesn't require any permissions.
Automatic tracking is opt-in and uses only Screen Recording permission. (plus Calendar access only if you turn on the optional calendar context).
It captures screenshots only — no video, no audio, and no streaming.
You choose where analysis happens: Apple’s on-device models, a local model such as Ollama or LM Studio, or your own cloud endpoint using your own API key.
With on-device or local analysis, your screen content never leaves your Mac.
With a cloud endpoint, data goes directly from your Mac to that provider. It never passes through a server of mine — I don't run one.
There is no analytics, telemetry, or crash-reporting SDK.
Password managers and authenticator apps are skipped automatically, and you can exclude additional apps yourself.
Screenshots are automatically deleted after a configurable retention period (7 days by default), with a storage quota.
Delete All Data removes everything, including stored API keys.

Privacy policy: https://static.dhrumilpatel.in/hindsight/privacy-policy.html

Requires macOS 26 or later. Honest caveat: on macOS 26, Apple’s on-device models handle OCR and text reasoning, but describing screenshots needs macOS 27 or a configured model endpoint. For zero network on macOS 26, use a local model through Ollama or LM Studio.

If you try it, I’d genuinely like to hear what works, what doesn’t, and where the timeline gets things wrong. Feedback, bug reports, and feature

requests are very welcome.

https://redd.it/1x8glbn
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Is some one building paid apps on current AI and Reverse Engineerinh era?(bc im worried 😬)

​

i was building an app which is "modern Ubersicht alternative" - "Rainmeter for macOS" like app i was planned make it subscription based at first then stronger AIs came and everyone is selling their app as one time then i planned instead of one time, cheap but yearly purchase, then nowadays i am seeing alot of apps getting open sources and ppl with ai reverse engineering everything then i worried, what do you think?

DISCLAIMER

That's not promote (not even released yet), that's showing what my app can do and asking is it worth to pay!!!

my apps few menubar widgets: https://www.reddit.com/r/MacOS/s/BLVnHoGWbY

and it's sub: https://www.reddit.com/r/Appinapp

Liquid clock widget: https://www.reddit.com/r/Appinapp/s/EdVcLKGgwa

answer to ppl who asks it dont have rainmeter like features:

it has now audio visualizes chunks pass to widget and now playing media apps and almost every control pass to widget features.

app website: https://appinapp.mutawirr.uz

https://redd.it/1x8fi6e
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Concept Launcher Design: What would you decide?

https://redd.it/1x8l0ln
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JustFlip: spaced-repetition flashcards that feel native on Mac, with Anki import and iCloud sync to iPhone, iPad and Watch

https://redd.it/1x8kdva
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What do you expect to buy from this BFCM?

Hey guys,

It’s that time of the year again, where this subreddit gets filled with BFCM deals and discounts. we still have around 40 days for BFCM, but I guess developers are already planning about what to offer this year. So I thought we’d start a discussion on what you guys expect to buy from this BFCM. This can also help developers to understand what users are looking for and provide us with a better deals that are harder to resist 😅

Here are mine:

**Lunar**

After contemplating between Lunar and BetterDisplay for a while, I have decided to go with Lunar as I only use MBP as my main driver without any external monitor. Based on my findings, BetterDisplay fits best when dealing multiple displays due to scaling and resolution functionalities. 

Regular price: $23

Anticipated discount: 20-30%



**OpenIn**

I found this one from a podcast episode I listened to, where the guest (professor) was talking about how he uses OpenIn to quickly open links in different browsers and profiles using rules. I am currently on my trial period, and honestly, I might buy it even before discount if it proves to be useful.

Regular price: $11.99

Anticipated discount: Undecided



**Little Snitch**

This is undisputably the best app to monitor network traffic and application firewall with great detail and control. However the price is very steep (for me) even though it’s kind of a swiss-army knife of Network monitoring. 

Regular price: 59€

Anticipated discount: 30-45% 



>Ps: I like this postby u/Downtown-Art2865 about his experiences with LS. Also read comments in that post, which are super valuable and informative.



**Cleanshot**

I know we have other options in this category, like Macshot (my current favorite), Shottr but still I’d like to try out Cleanshot. 

Regular price: $35

Anticipated discount: 20-25%



Comment the name(s) of the app(s) with the regular price, and your expected BFCM price. To avoid repetitive mentions, it’d be nice if we could have single thread!

https://redd.it/1x8mjcs
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Quick Look can do more than preview a file: four useful controls

If you're sorting screenshots or checking a short recording, there are a few useful controls tucked into Quick Look. They're built into macOS.

See several images together. Select the files in Finder, press Space, then Command-Return. That opens the Index Sheet, which shows the selected files in a grid. Useful when you're trying to pick one screenshot from a batch.

Run a quick slideshow. Select several images and open Quick Look. Click the full-screen button, then Play. You can also use the left and right arrow keys to browse the selection manually.

Mark up a screenshot or PDF. Open it with Space and click Markup to add notes or shapes. Work on a copy if you want to keep the original untouched.

Trim a clip. For a supported audio or video file, open Quick Look and click Trim. Drag the yellow handles to keep the section you want, check it with Play, then click Done. Choose to create a new file if you want to keep the original.

The available controls depend on the file type. Quick Look extensions can add previews for formats macOS doesn't handle by default.

Apple's Quick Look guide and Finder Quick Actions guide cover the steps.

If you use a Quick Look extension, which file type did you need it for?

https://redd.it/1x8giy8
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