The Weekly Spark

By Mark Kelly

Weekly tech news and updates — covering tablets, E Ink devices, and the gadgets shaping how we read, write, and create.

... more

Download on the App Store

Download on the App Store

Get it on Google Play

FAQs about The Weekly Spark:

How many episodes does The Weekly Spark have?

The podcast currently has 25 episodes available.

The Weekly Spark episodes:

April 04, 2026 A Cheaper MacBook That’s Better Than the iPad Pro?
I didn’t expect to write this, but Apple may have just proved that my iPad Pro, the device I use for just about everything, isn’t actually the best tool for the job.
And the frustrating part is that it’s been beaten by a cheaper, “weaker” Mac.
📩 Subscribe to my regular(ish) newsletter - https://markdkelly.substack.com
☕️ Buy me a virtual coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/markdkelIy75
I've collated a massive list of all my favourite things on my website 👉🏻 https://www.markkelly.me/affiliate-links

Get full access to The Spark! at markdkelly.substack.com/subscribe
...more
13min
March 28, 2026 If Your E Ink Tablet Can Do Everything, Why Not Just Use an iPad?
Usually, in an episode of The Weekly Spark I’d round up what’s been happening in the worlds of Kindle, E Ink, iPad, and related tech. But this week I want to park the usual news format and focus on something that’s been rattling around in my head for a while now.
📩 Subscribe to my regular(ish) newsletter - https://markdkelly.substack.com
☕️ Buy me a virtual coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/markdkelIy75
I've collated a massive list of all my favourite things on my website 👉🏻 https://www.markkelly.me/affiliate-links

Get full access to The Spark! at markdkelly.substack.com/subscribe
...more
11min
March 21, 2026 BOOX Splits the Go 10.3, Apple Buys MotionVFX, and Alexa+ Lands in the UK
This week, BOOX doubles down on its latest E Ink tablets, Apple tightens its grip on the creative tools around Final Cut Pro, and Amazon is finally remembers that the UK exists!
The Apple Creator Studio focused post can be found HERE.
📩 Subscribe to my regular(ish) newsletter - https://markdkelly.substack.com
☕️ Buy me a virtual coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/markdkelIy75
I've collated a massive list of all my favourite things on my website 👉🏻 https://www.markkelly.me/affiliate-links

Get full access to The Spark! at markdkelly.substack.com/subscribe
...more
10min
March 14, 2026 Kindle Scribe Just Got a Massive Discount — Is It the Best Deal in E-Ink?
Over the last week or so, we’ve seen the new M4 iPad Air start shipping, iFLYTEK unveil its latest AI-powered E-ink notebook, Amazon get surprisingly aggressive with Kindle Scribe discounts, and a laptop concept emerge that replaces the palm rest with an E-ink display.
📩 Subscribe to my regular(ish) newsletter - https://markdkelly.substack.com
☕️ Buy me a virtual coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/markdkelIy75
I've collated a massive list of all my favourite things on my website 👉🏻 https://www.markkelly.me/affiliate-links

Get full access to The Spark! at markdkelly.substack.com/subscribe
...more
11min
March 07, 2026 Apple’s New iPad Air Is Better. But MacBook Neo Is the Real Story
Apple announced a stack of new hardware this week, but only two products really caught my attention.
The full list is fairly substantial: the iPhone 17e, a new iPad Air with the M4 chip, refreshed MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models with M5 chips, an updated Studio Display, a higher-end Studio Display XDR, and the all-new MacBook Neo.
I could spend ages going through all of them, but I want to focus on the two that sit right in the middle of what I talk about most: the new iPad Air and the MacBook Neo.
And of those two, one feels rather more important than it first appears.
📩 Subscribe to my regular(ish) newsletter - https://markdkelly.substack.com
☕️ Buy me a virtual coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/markdkelIy75
I've collated a massive list of all my favourite things on my website 👉🏻 https://www.markkelly.me/affiliate-links

Get full access to The Spark! at markdkelly.substack.com/subscribe
...more
9min
February 28, 2026 From Paper Replacement to Thinking Assistant
It’s been a fairly slow news week in the world of E Ink. Yes, Apple has an event on the horizon and there’ll no doubt be shiny new Macs and iPads to talk about. But I’d rather wait until the dust settles than add to the speculation machine.
So instead, I want to talk about something that’s quietly creeping into even the calmest corners of our tech lives: Artificial Intelligence
📩 Subscribe to my regular(ish) newsletter - https://markdkelly.substack.com
☕️ Buy me a virtual coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/markdkelIy75
I've collated a massive list of all my favourite things on my website 👉🏻 https://www.markkelly.me/affiliate-links

Get full access to The Spark! at markdkelly.substack.com/subscribe
...more
10min
February 21, 2026 Apple Wants Your Podcasts on Video. Amazon Wants Your Notes. And You Can Now Play Chess on a Kindle
Apple is turning Podcasts into something that looks a lot more like a proper video platform. Amazon is quietly nudging the Kindle Scribe further into AI territory. You can now play chess on a Kindle without resorting to hacks. And there’s a single iPad setting that gets you surprisingly close to a Kindle-style reading experience.
📩 Subscribe to my regular(ish) newsletter - https://markdkelly.substack.com
☕️ Buy me a virtual coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/markdkelIy75
I've collated a massive list of all my favourite things on my website 👉🏻 https://www.markkelly.me/affiliate-links

Get full access to The Spark! at markdkelly.substack.com/subscribe
...more
13min
February 13, 2026 Apple’s Budget Mac Rumour, Siri AI Trouble and The Kindle Oasis Isn’t Dead … Yet!
This week we’ve got a proper mix. Rumours of a cheaper MacBook. Ongoing delays to Apple’s much-promised AI-powered Siri upgrade. Kindle updates and Oasis sightings. And a new large-format E-ink rival that seems to be aiming straight at the Scribe.
📩 Subscribe to my regular(ish) newsletter - https://markdkelly.substack.com
☕️ Buy me a virtual coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/markdkelIy75
I've collated a massive list of all my favourite things on my website 👉🏻 https://www.markkelly.me/affiliate-links

Get full access to The Spark! at markdkelly.substack.com/subscribe
...more
8min
February 06, 2026 The Foldable iPhone Rumour That Puts the iPad Mini Under Pressure
Some weeks, there just isn’t much news happening with regards Kindles or iPads that is genuinely worth shouting about. An iPadOS update that’s mostly security patches might be important, but it’s hardly gripping. And moaning once again about how the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft still isn’t available in the UK starts to feel repetitive, even to me. So rather than forcing a news roundup that doesn’t really deserve the name, it felt more honest to focus on something that is actually worth paying attention to.
One rumour, in particular, has started to gather real momentum: Apple’s long-whispered foldable iPhone.
And for once, this isn’t just internet noise.
📩 Subscribe to my regular(ish) newsletter - https://markdkelly.substack.com
☕️ Buy me a virtual coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/markdkelIy75
I've collated a massive list of all my favourite things on my website 👉🏻 https://www.markkelly.me/affiliate-links

Get full access to The Spark! at markdkelly.substack.com/subscribe
...more
7min
January 30, 2026 Apple’s Creator Studio Is Here – And Not Everyone’s Happy
This week, Apple finally launches its long-rumoured Creator Studio subscription, and the reaction is already split. Instapaper makes a change that will affect how some of you read long-form articles on your Kindles. We’ve got an ambitious new colour E Ink tablet from Bigme, and Amazon adds a little colour to the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft … but still no sign of a UK release date.
📩 Subscribe to my regular(ish) newsletter - https://markdkelly.substack.com
☕️ Buy me a virtual coffee - https://www.buymeacoffee.com/markdkelIy75
I've collated a massive list of all my favourite things on my website 👉🏻 https://www.markkelly.me/affiliate-links

Get full access to The Spark! at markdkelly.substack.com/subscribe
...more
15min

FAQs about The Weekly Spark:

How many episodes does The Weekly Spark have?

The podcast currently has 25 episodes available.