The best task manager you can have is the one that's always with you, no matter which device you're using. Many people started with paper notebooks or index cards, and nowadays we have iPhones and iPads that can go with us everywhere, and even Apple Watches that can be independen … | Continue reading
Federico and I are excited to announce a new MacStories podcast called Dialog. The show is a seasonal podcast featuring weekly, in-depth conversations with special guests about the impact of technology on creativity, society, and culture. You can subscribe here and listen to the … | Continue reading
On this week's episode of AppStories, we talk about one of our favorite new iOS apps: Timery, a client app for Toggl's time tracking service. We also preview Dialog, a new seasonal podcast from MacStories featuring weekly, in-depth conversations with special guests about the impa … | Continue reading
Today Apple announced an updated version of its last remaining iPod product, the iPod touch. The device starts at the same $199 price as before, but it’s been upgraded in a couple of ways, such as adding an A10 Fusion chip to replace the previous generation’s A8, which among othe … | Continue reading
Earlier this spring, in its last major update, Ulysses added Split View editing on the Mac, a feature that was thoughtfully implemented and which I immediately wished existed on iPad. Today, in version 16 of the app, Ulysses on iPad gains its own powerful split view editor, plus … | Continue reading
Way back in 2016, in the era of iOS 9, I laid out the tentpole features I wanted to see come to iOS and the Mac. Now, three years later, so many things from that wishlist have become a reality that it's probably a good time to revisit the topics that haven't yet come to […] | Continue reading
GoodTask is a powerful task manager for iOS and the Mac that’s built on top of Apple's Reminders app. By leveraging Reminders, GoodTask syncs to all your iOS devices and Macs, supports Exchange, and works seamlessly with Siri shortcuts. But that's just the start. Tasks can be fil … | Continue reading
Myke keeps dropping his phone, Apple keeps releasing new MacBook Pros for Stephen to talk about, and Federico has published a magnum opus on the state of the iPad and iOS 12. On last week's episode of Connected, we discussed the updated MacBook Pros, the themes behind my iPad sto … | Continue reading
On this week's episode of AppStories, we discuss the process of creating Federico's story, Beyond the Tablet: Seven Years of iPad as My Main Computer and some of the topics from the story; later, we are joined by Brian King who worked with Federico on the introductory animation a … | Continue reading
Apple needed to show developers that Carbon was going to be a real and valid way forward, not just a temporary stopgap, so they committed to using Carbon for the Mac OS X Finder. The Carbon version of Finder was introduced in Mac OS X Developer Preview 2, before Aqua was revealed … | Continue reading
Panic, well-known for its thoughtfully-designed Mac and iOS apps, has announced that it's entering the hardware market with a portable gaming system called the Playdate, which will ship in early 2020 and cost $149. This isn't Panic's first foray into the game industry. With the r … | Continue reading
GIFwrapped has long been one of the best ways to store and access your GIF collection on iOS. Five years after our initial review of the app, developer Daniel Farrelly's GIF utility has received a big update today: version 2.0. GIFwrapped 2 completely rethinks the app's UI, strea … | Continue reading
On the heels of sending invitations to the press for the 2019 WWDC keynote that will be held beginning June 3rd, Apple has updated the WWDC app. Much of the app's UI is similar to the version released around this time last year, but now, the app's icon can be changed between eigh … | Continue reading
In mid-March Apple announced that WWDC 2019 would take place the first week in June, and today the company confirmed that, following past tradition, the keynote for that conference will take place on June 3 at 10:00 am Pacific. Obvious news, but yes – WWDC '19 keynote confirmed f … | Continue reading
I’m the type of person who tries to add a photo to each of my iPhone’s contact listings. I can’t stand having grey, initial-laden photo bubbles in Messages; while contact photos can be disabled in Messages’ settings, I’ve never done that because once photos are added, it gives th … | Continue reading
Apple updated its MacBook Pros today with new, faster processors and changes to the notebook line's keyboard mechanism. According to an Apple press release: The 15-inch MacBook Pro now features faster 6- and 8-core Intel Core processors, delivering Turbo Boost speeds up to 5.0 GH … | Continue reading
Today, Federico published Beyond the Tablet: Seven Years of iPad as My Main Computer, a comprehensive evaluation of the advantages and shortcomings he’s experienced using an iPad as his primary computer. Weighing in at around 50,000 words, Beyond the Tablet rivals Federico’s annu … | Continue reading
For the past seven years, I've considered the iPad my main computer. Not my only one, and not the most powerful one I own, but the computer which I use and enjoy using the most. | Continue reading
The latest update to CARROT Weather was released today, version 4.11, which is centered entirely around notifications. Though the types of notifications available depend on your subscription plan due to the different costs associated with each data source, in total there are a to … | Continue reading
I have a long, rocky relationship with time tracking. For years I tracked my time because I had to; clients were billed by the hour. I hated the tedium of it. A big part of that was because I didn't have access to time tracking apps. Instead, I kept track of my time in a […] | Continue reading
iMazing is a Mac app that provides unparalleled access to everything on your iOS devices. The app works over both WiFi and USB, so it’s ready whenever you are. With it, you can take control of your iOS data: make Time Machine-style backups, easily transfer documents, media and co … | Continue reading
Fiery Feeds, the modern, flexible RSS client for iOS, was updated today with a variety of new features that take the app to new heights: enabling iCloud-based accounts for RSS and Read Later so you don’t need third-party services, adding a three-pane layout on iPad, offering new, … | Continue reading
Introducing Adapt, a show where Federico Viticci and Ryan Christoffel challenge each other to do new things on the iPad. On this debut episode, Federico investigates being productive using third-party software keyboards, then he and Ryan discuss ways they use the iPad’s multitask … | Continue reading
This week, Federico floats a conspiracy about iTunes, the crew check in on their 2019 predictions, and Myke makes a huge promise before Stephen shares about his Pixel 3a. On this week's episode of Connected, we revisit our Apple predictions for 2019 and discuss a fun variety of t … | Continue reading
Nearly 11 years into the App Store, it isn't often that an app surfaces that does something unexpected which no one else seems to be doing, but Perfect Tempo by developer Open Planet does precisely that. The app is a simple utility designed for musicians and dancers who want to s … | Continue reading
The iPad has been a key subject at MacStories for years. In fact, it was Federico’s exploration of using the iPad as his primary computer that first led me to become a reader of the site, and subsequently an iPad-first user myself. Today, I’m thrilled to introduce a new podcast o … | Continue reading
On this week's episode of AppStories, we share our thoughts on the latest iOS 13 app rumors reported by Mark Gurman and 9to5Mac and other features and updates we'd like to see Apple implement this year. Sponsored by: Luna Display - The only hardware solution that turns your iPad … | Continue reading
When I first covered Snapthread early last year, you could tell where it was headed. The app was conceived initially by developer Becky Hansmeyer as a way to combine Snapchat videos. By last January though, the app had evolved into a general-purpose solution for quickly and easil … | Continue reading
Today Apple released iOS 12.3 and tvOS 12.3, both of which center around one main user-facing feature: the new and improved TV app. Apple first shared details of the TV app in its March event, and I reported my hands-on impressions last month, but today the app finally arrives fo … | Continue reading
Hot on the heels of Apple’s own release of updates to iOS and tvOS that include the company’s new TV app, Samsung has announced that it too is launching the TV app today. Select models of Samsung smart TVs – all 2019 models and certain 2018 models – will receive a firmware update … | Continue reading
Vidit Bhargava, UI designer for the excellent LookUp dictionary app, details in a Medium post how implementing an OLED-friendly dark theme in an app is more complicated than one might think. For example: When an interface that uses a black theme for its background starts displayi … | Continue reading
Your search for the perfect Mac CRM ends here. Built exclusively for Mac, iPhone, and iPad, you can win more business and get more done with Daylite. If you're tired of relying on your brain to remember when to follow up and remember tiny details, then Daylite was created for you … | Continue reading
Earlier this week I had the opportunity to sit down with Khoi Vinh, Principal Designer at Adobe who leads its Design Practices group and author of Subtraction.com. Vihn, who was in Chicago to speak at the HOW Design Live conference, talks about how Adobe is using Adobe XD to inte … | Continue reading
Warren Buffett and Tim Cook star in a new iPhone game, Stephen and Myke tried the official Twitter app for a week and Federico is exporting his notes. Elsewhere, Mark Gurman has reported on iOS 13 and new versions of macOS and watchOS. A very special episode of Connected this wee … | Continue reading
Edgar Alvarez reports for Engadget on an upcoming AR feature I can’t wait to try: Nike has been experimenting heavily with augmented reality for a few years now, and the company is continuing to work on new experiences powered by the technology. The sportswear giant is now introd … | Continue reading
Craig Hockenberry of The Iconfactory has an in-depth look at the challenges developers, designers, and marketers will face bringing their iOS apps to the Mac. Although Marzipan may make it possible to simply flip a switch in Xcode to build Mac and iOS versions of an app simultane … | Continue reading
Today my favorite dictionary app, LookUp, was updated to version 5.2 on iOS and watchOS. The update centers around a new, modernized Watch app with a feature I'm really excited about: Siri face support for the word of the day. The Watch app isn't the only noteworthy improvement t … | Continue reading
Developer Jeff Johnson, the maker of StopTheMadness, has released a free Mac utility called StopTheNews that forces Apple News links to open in Safari instead of the News app. The app works with Safari and Safari Technology Preview by registering itself as the default handler for … | Continue reading
On this week's episode of AppStories, we revisit our discussion of the breakup of iTunes from Episode 21 in light of the latest Marzipan rumors. Sponsored by: Hype Professional – Design beautiful HTML5 interactive pieces and animations. Linode - High-performance SSD Linux servers … | Continue reading
Chris Welch of The Verge, reporting on a new Twitter feature rolling out today: Beginning today, Twitter users can add images, videos, and GIFs to their retweets / quoted tweets. The company is rolling out this new feature across Android, iOS, and Twitter’s mobile website; it’s n … | Continue reading
Most of the apps I cover for MacStories relate in some way to productivity, a theme that extends to the apps normally dominating my iPhone’s home screen. Writing and note-taking apps, task managers, communication apps, and tools like Shortcuts all help me get things done each day … | Continue reading
Backups of your computer’s files have to be trustworthy. If you can’t trust your backups, they’re not really backups. The reason Stefan created Arq Backup for the Mac back in 2009 was because he couldn’t find an online solution that felt like real backup. Most online backup provi … | Continue reading
Thoughtful take by Jason Snell on the recent discussion around the idea that Shortcuts may be coming to the Mac and what that could mean for macOS automation. Snell imagines a scenario where Quick Actions, introduced last year with Mojave, could act as a bridge between old-school … | Continue reading
Stephen returns order to the podcast after two weeks away, Myke reads some Hex color codes and Federico turns on his hype machine. Some interesting discussions about apps and using Twitter on this week's episode of Connected. You can listen here. Sponsored by: Hover: Extensions f … | Continue reading
Where better to get a little 'color' on Apple's earnings than from a full transcript of the company's earnings call with Wall Street analysts published by Six Colors? As in the past, Jason Snell has transcribed Apple's presentation to Wall Street analysts along with the question … | Continue reading
Apple has just published its financial results for Q2 2019, which is the company’s holiday quarter. The company posted revenue of $58 billion. Apple CEO Tim Cook said: Our March quarter results show the continued strength of our installed base of over 1.4 billion active devices, … | Continue reading
HomeRun 1.2 was released today from developer Aaron Pearce, the latest evolution of the Apple Watch app for controlling HomeKit scenes from your wrist. Its last big update introduced the ability to create custom complications on the Watch, which was a fantastic addition because i … | Continue reading
On this week's episode of AppStories, we take a deep dive into two apps we’ve been using a lot lately, Moment Pro Camera and the recently-released MindNode 6. Sponsored by: Hype Professional – Design beautiful HTML5 interactive pieces and animations. Direct Mail – Create and send … | Continue reading