Opinions on motorsports, technology, and media
Though I’ve done my fair share of tinkering with OmniFocus, my tried and true to-do app is Todoist, and today, they launched the Upcoming view across all platforms. The Upcoming view replaces the Next 7 Days view, and after being on the beta for the past few weeks, I can say that it is a welcome addition.
For more information, Ryan Cristoffel from MacStories has a good in-depth piece on the change and how it stacks up against other modern task managers.
A replica of the Apple-sponsored Porsche 935 driven by the legendary Bobby Rahal is for sale for the princely sum of $500,000. Even though it ran fifteen years before I was born, I still list it among my favorite liveries of all-time. I’d love to hear the full story on how Apple ended up sponsoring Dick Barbour Racing in the early 1980s.
For those stuck at home during the COVID-19 crisis (well, everyone, I guess), the fine folks at Card Against Humanity just released Cards Against Humanity: Family Edition as a free download, a well-timed treat for people who want to play a kid-friendly version of everyone’s favorite ribald card game.
I can’t help but be inspired by the following sentence on the official website:
We’ll figure out how to make money on it later.
As anyone who listens to the wonderful, CAH-adjacent podcast Do By Friday, the people at Cards are a mildly obscene bunch with hearts of gold. I’d be remiss to not provide a link to Do By Friday’s page for fans to support one another during these difficult times.
Drafts by Agile Tortoise, which is one of my favorite apps, released version 19 for Mac and iOS today, with exciting features for each platform.
The iPadOS version debuts improved cursor support, allowed by the operating system improvements incorporated during last weeks release of iPadOS 13.4. The macOS version is more exciting to me, as it enables AppleScript functionality. I am particularly excited by the new action to export to BBEdit.
Developers like Greg Pierce, the Agile Tortoise himself, are what make Apple software ecosystem so great. Indie developers can create unique platforms that inspire and enrich the lives of their users, and I struggle to find any other sort of technology with as vibrant a community as the one cultivated by Apple.
Today we have some important and exciting news to share: Dark Sky has joined Apple.
Our goal has always been to provide the world with the best weather information possible, to help as many people as we can stay dry and safe, and to do so in a way that respects your privacy.
There is no better place to accomplish these goals than at Apple. We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to reach far more people, with far more impact, than we ever could alone.
While the Apple’s acquisition of Workflow stands out to us nerds, its scale pales compared to the purchase. Dark Sky’s API, which powers indie darlings like Carrot Weather and Hello Weather will shutter at the end of 2021, and its Android app will no longer be available.
It’s hard telling what Apple plans to do with Dark Sky, but even if it advances the stock iOS weather app by a sizable margin, it will still leave a gap for developers and Shortcuts aficionados who rely on the API.
Missing college basketball after the NCAA tournament was cancelled? Don’t care about college basketball, but really like Apple computers? Stephen Hackett of 512 Pixels has just the thing for you!
This is just the type of fun my nerdy corner of the internet needs right now, and I’m excited to watch the results from Round 1 on the Relay FM Twitch channel this Friday. I’ll be voting for all of the Macs that have come out since I started following Apple in the last four years.
As we’ve expected for the last few weeks, Apple announced new versions of the iPad Pro and MacBook Air via press releases this morning. Looking at Apple’s announcement, the most exciting element came in the form of a software update and hardware accessory refresh.
Apple today also introduced the new Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro. With a floating design with smooth angle adjustment, a backlit keyboard and trackpad, the Magic Keyboard delivers the best typing experience ever on iPad. The Magic Keyboard will be available for purchase in May.
I absolutely adore the keyboard/trackpad combination, and even though the $299 and $349 price for the 11 and 12.9-inch models, respectively, are a bit high, I am lusting already.
As for the MacBook Air, I’m glad to see the failed butterfly keyboard leave another Mac, but I won’t be tempted to get a new machine until a 13-inch model of the new MacBook Pro is available.
According to code seen by 9to5Mac, Apple is set to roll out rich system-wide support for mouse cursors with iOS 14. Apple added rudimentary compatibility with external mice in iOS 13 Accessibility settings, but iOS 14 (iPadOS 14) will make it mainstream.
I’ve tinkered a little bit with the mouse support in iPadOS 13, and while it is better than nothing, it’s nothing like a mouse on a Mac or PC The feedback from iPad users has been such that Apple would be silly not to incorporate deeper mouse support into future iterations of iPadOS.
What is more interesting to me is the possibility of a trackpad in the Smart Keyboard, or at least a version of it. I like to use my iPad in my lap with the Smart Keyboard deployed, but a trackpad would be more comfortable than reaching out towards the screen. The one downside to this, however, would be the envy with which I’d look at new iPad Pros from my 2018 model.
In addition to the ‘AirPods X generation’, 9to5Mac received images showing that there are also dummy entries for ‘Apple TV Gen X’ and ‘Apple Watch Series X’ bands. There’s also listings for ‘Apple iPod Touch X Generation’.
I’m particularly interested in the potential Apple TV revision and new Apple Watch bands. I’ll hopefully be in the market for an Apple TV within the next few months, and the current model hasn’t been updated since 2017. I’m not sure what changes this new device would have in store, but the 4K and HDR features added in the last edition are still the standard in the streaming box market. Any change to the Apple TV would hopefully come in the way of a new form factor. Compared to similar products from Amazon and Roku, the Apple TV is enormous and expensive, but given the price of $179 listed in Target’s system, a new form factor might be the best we can hope for.
As for the Apple Watch bands, Apple typically releases new lines to coincide with seasonal fashion releases. I’m still kicking myself for not picking up a orange or forest green Sport Loop band when I had the chance, so maybe this release will see a worthy alternative.
The technology giant is discussing whether to let users choose third-party web browser and mail applications as their default options on Apple’s mobile devices, replacing the company’s Safari browser and Mail app, according to people familiar with the matter.
The former Android user in me is excited about this report, but the better part of me feels a bit underwhelmed. Since I started following Apple about five years ago, people have been clamoring for this feature to be added to iOS, and more recently iPadOS, but I don’t know if this would still be as relevant as it might have been.
Now more than ever, Apple’s default apps are very good. When I first started with iOS, I used alternatives to Mail, Music, and Notes to name a few, but most of these apps have turned a corner. Maybe the biggest exceptions to this trend would be Fantastical, Overcast, and Todoist but I find myself generally happy with the bulk of Apple’s default apps.
Michael Miller