FreeFlow is a free, open source dictation app for Mac that uses AI transcription and context-aware cleanup to turn speech into text, replacing paid alternatives like Whisper Flow and Superwhisper. You bring your own API key (Groq or compatible), so there's no subscription or data retention on FreeFlow's servers.

• Hold Fn to dictate or use customizable keyboard shortcuts; Edit Mode lets you highlight text and transform it with voice commands like "make this shorter"
• Context-aware cleanup reads your current app to spell names and terms correctly, with support for custom vocabulary and simpler post-processing if you prefer
• Works with any OpenAI-compatible provider (Groq, Ollama, LM Studio) and supports local models with configurable timeouts for slower hardware

After six months and over 44,000 dictated words with Wispr Flow at 161 wpm, the author tried FluidVoice. It’s an open-source, local Mac app that corrects in real time without an API key and handles slang better. They canceled their paid plan in favor of FluidVoice.

• After 44,414 dictated words at 161 wpm (top 0.1% of Wispr users), the author switched from Wispr Flow to FluidVoice
• FluidVoice is open-source, runs entirely locally on Mac with no API key or cloud dependency, and corrects mistakes in real time
• It handled slang better than expected and matched or beat Wispr Flow's performance, prompting cancellation of the paid Wispr subscription

This guide shows how to use Apple Silicon and the Gemma 3 270M model to fine-tune a small language model offline in under 10 minutes. It walks through installing the uv/MLX toolchain, preparing a simple code-review dataset, and running the training on any M-chip Mac without a cloud GPU.

• Gemma 3 270M runs on ~830MB RAM and hits 150+ tokens/sec on an M3, fine-tuning in under 10 minutes via MLX's uv toolchain (as fast as 3 minutes on an M1 Air)
• A dataset of only ~60 Python code snippets paired with expert review notes was enough to teach the model to flag security issues (SQL injection, unclosed files, insecure shell commands) and style problems
• The entire workflow runs offline on Apple Silicon with no cloud GPU or rental fees required

Workbench lets you control your Mac from iPhone or iPad via high-fidelity streaming and voice dictation, with Apple Pencil, gesture, and middle-mouse support. It runs on Astropad’s proprietary LIQUID technology over a global relay network for low-latency, end-to-end encrypted sessions without port forwarding. You can also monitor and manage headless Mac minis running AI workflows remotely.

• Workbench streams your Mac's screen to iPhone/iPad via a relay network (11 regions), so there's no port forwarding or VPN setup needed
• Its LIQUID engine auto-switches codecs for low-latency, near-lossless visuals, with AES-256 end-to-end encryption
• It's built for remotely managing headless Mac minis running AI workflows—checking logs, restarting jobs, no monitor required
• Requires macOS 15+/iOS 26+, and Apple Silicon is recommended since Intel Macs lack H.265 support and use only a single codec