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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SongForge: local ACE-Step music on Mac, three creations free then US$9.99 once

I'm the developer of SongForge at HighRoad Software.

Problem: You want to turn a musical idea into audio and keep the work in a Mac app. Describe a style, instruments or lyrics, generate a take, then listen and compare in the Library.

Comparison: Suno lets you create in a browser without setting up local model files. SongForge uses ACE-Step 1.5 on your Mac, with native creation controls and a local Library. It needs a compatible GGUF model set, about 6–15 GB, and macOS 14 or later. Apple silicon is recommended; loading and generation time depend on the Mac and model.

Pricing: Three completed creations are included free after model setup. SongForge Pro is $9.99 in the US Mac App Store today, one-time, with no subscription. It unlocks continued creation and MP3/WAV export. Apple shows the local price elsewhere.

Five unedited sample tracks, setup guide and Mac App Store link:

https://www.highroadsoftware.com/apps/songforge/#listen

https://redd.it/1x8p4p5
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Okeke Control (Computer Remote on the App Store) Use your iPhone as a trackpad, keyboard and voice remote for your Mac

I'm the developer!

Problem: I wanted to control my Mac from across the room without getting up: move the cursor, type, dictate, and jump into Netflix or YouTube from my phone.

Comparison: CmdPalm is an awesome open-source alternative (https://github.com/rahatsagor/cmdpalm). Okeke Control takes a different approach, with native apps for iPhone, iPad and Mac, voice typing, a joystick-style control pad, and Windows support.

Pricing: Free to connect, with a 3-day trial. Pro is $0.99/week or $1.99/month, or $7.99 for lifetime.

Same app for iPhone and Mac: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/computer-remote/id6754469628

Privacy: https://okekedev.github.io/controlla/privacy.html

Terms: https://okekedev.github.io/controlla/terms.html

https://redd.it/1x8m19q
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When you switched notes apps, what survived the move?

Images, attached PDFs, tags and links between notes seem worth checking before moving a few years of notes into another app.

I looked through the export docs for a few apps that come up here. Three details stood out:

- Obsidian: links to specific blocks inside a note are specific to Obsidian, so a Markdown file doesn't guarantee those links will work elsewhere. For new links between notes, its docs suggest turning off Use [Wikilinks] under Files and links if compatibility matters. That setting isn't a fix for existing block references. Docs
- Bear: its HTML export has an option to turn links between notes into working HTML links. It can also embed photos in the HTML files. Useful for keeping a browsable copy, although HTML export requires Pro. Docs
- Notion: you can export pages as Markdown and databases as CSV, but Notion says uploading an export won't instantly recreate the workspace. Worth knowing if you're treating that download as a full restore option. Docs

A small trial before committing seems sensible: make a few sample notes with a table, tags, an image, a PDF and links to each other. Export them, open them in the app you might move to, and check what still works. Keep the originals while doing this.

If you've made a move like this, which app did you leave, where did you go, and what needed fixing? Smooth moves would be useful to hear about too.

https://redd.it/1x8gtnw
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Swift Salamander: Multi-Pane File Manager for Mac with Verified Copies, Workspaces and 3D Previews. Free, or Pro $15 Once, No Subscription

https://redd.it/1x86utt
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