Chris Plante, writing for Polygon on today’s major Apple Arcade news: Microsoft’s and Apple’s bets on downloadable subscription services would seemingly place them behind their streaming counterparts in the long run, but that’s not quite the case. Their success shows that they’re … | Continue reading
[audio_player src=”https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/0de98bba-5e4d-4879-94dc-8c76a3a88322/episodes/be44666f-7fd2-456e-82eb-e801d3a55e99/audio/5ecdf8da-566c-4355-9641-3c1a2cd42940/default_tc.mp3” mime_type=”audio/mpeg” total_duration=”00:32:33” caption=”“] [subscribe_to_unwind] Spo … | Continue reading
Apple announced a significant expansion of Apple Arcade today, releasing more than 30 new games, bringing the total catalog to more than 180 titles. There are a couple of new aspects to today’s release. First, Apple has added new exclusive Arcade Originals, including NBA 2K21 Arc … | Continue reading
Jason Snell writing on Six Colors: The more I use Shortcuts, the more I realize that in many ways, user automation on iOS has outpaced automation on the Mac. Let me give you an example: On iOS I built a shortcut to grab the contents of selected text in Safari and open the results … | Continue reading
Matthew Panzarino, reporting for TechCrunch says the latest beta version of iOS and iPadOS 14.5 includes two new English Siri voices. The report elaborates that the existing female voice is no longer the default and that users will choose the voice they want to use with Apple’s v … | Continue reading
There is no shortage of iPad stands. Search for one on Amazon, for instance, and you’ll be met with page after page of results. Most stands are unremarkable, with little that distinguishes one from another. Twelve South’s HoverBar Duo is different, though. The black aluminum and … | Continue reading
Earlier today, Spotify announced their latest feature rollout for both free and premium users: Spotify Mixes. Inspired by the Daily Mix, which the company introduced in 2016, Spotify Mixes are a collection of personalized playlists tailored specifically to each user and available … | Continue reading
Apple quietly acquires companies with products and teams that complement its own offerings all the time, but it’s not often an investor, which makes the company’s recent investment in UnitedMasters notable. As reported by Matthew Panzarino at TechCrunch, Apple is joined by Alphab … | Continue reading
In more mapping news, Google announced several new features that are available in its Maps app now or are coming later this year, including improvements indoor navigation, weather and air pollution data, eco-friendly driving directions, and delivery and pickup information. Google … | Continue reading
This week on AppStories, we scrutinize Apple’s home strategy from its discontinued Airport routers and HomePod to the Apple TV, HomePod mini, HomeKit routers, the Home app, and more, plus ongoing browser and calendar experiments, and the hunt for an elusive keyboard continues. Sp … | Continue reading
With more people being vaccinated all the time, air travel has picked up too. To help iPhone, iPad, and Mac users understand each airport’s health requirements, Apple has begun adding COVID-19 travel guidance to airport place cards in Maps. The data includes information like requ … | Continue reading
Shortly after announcing WWDC will be held online again this year from June 7 - 11, Apple released a significant update to its Developer app, which serves as a hub for news and watching WWDC sessions. The sidebar of Developer is now easier to navigate. On the iPhone and iPad, con … | Continue reading
Apple has decided to make WWDC an online-only event again for 2021, which is no surprise given the on-going global pandemic. Before going online-only last year, WWDC was held at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, California, from 2017 - 2019. The event has been s … | Continue reading
One of the greatest advantages of the iPhone’s camera hardware is that it’s easy to take photos wherever you are. That’s also a bit of a curse because there’s probably no greater friction in managing a photo library than sifting through a large stack of images looking for the one … | Continue reading
Sketch, note, and explore endless ideas with Concepts’ infinite canvas for iPad. Draw in designer COPIC colors with liquid pens and brushes, and organize images, text and sketches into visual moodboards. Used by creative professionals for visual thinking, note taking, team commun … | Continue reading
[audio_player src=”https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/0de98bba-5e4d-4879-94dc-8c76a3a88322/episodes/a315d22d-8b6b-42b4-9f52-eb5148f74f1e/audio/4db1d1d1-464d-4b32-b1f7-40291d4e77e4/default_tc.mp3” mime_type=”audio/mpeg” total_duration=”00:27:02” caption=”“] [subscribe_to_unwind] Spo … | Continue reading
iCloud links to shortcuts broke sometime in the past 24 hours. Instead of opening the Shortcuts app and allowing users to install a shared shortcut, tapping a shortcut link displays an alert with the message ‘Shortcut Not Found,’ explaining that the link may be invalid or the sho … | Continue reading
It’s hard to believe that it’s been two decades since Mac OS X was released. I wasn’t a Mac user in 2001, but as a tech fan, I followed the release of OS X and the later switch to Intel closely, which was what finally convinced me to buy my first iMac. https://youtu.be/SjlLG1EzJ2 … | Continue reading
This week on AppStories, we discuss the features and approaches we’d like to see in the ideal read-it-later app. Sponsored by: DEVONthink – The one place for storing and working with all your documents, snippets, and bookmarks RevenueCat – In-app subscriptions made easy. Get star … | Continue reading
As announced by Spotify last week, the company is rolling out a refreshed home hub in its mobile app featuring a new Recently Played section, an easier way to stream new releases from your favorite artists, and shortcuts to play and resume podcast episodes with one tap: About a y … | Continue reading
Fun story by Rachel Syme, writing for The New Yorker last week, on rediscovering the simple pleasure of sending audio messages (voice texts) to friends during the pandemic: Voice texts (also called audio messages), by contrast, are text messages with a pulse, phone calls with non … | Continue reading
Reflector 4, an app for mirroring iPhones, iPads, and other devices to the Mac, has been updated with a new design, M1 Mac support, and new onscreen device frames. Whether you’re making screencasts, demoing apps for a group, or in a classroom environment, Reflector lets you wirel … | Continue reading
Ulysses is an exceptional text editor for the Mac, iPad, and iPhone with an unrivaled set of advanced features and a beautiful design that is always being refined and improved. The winner of an Apple Design Award, Ulysses features a distinctive balance of power-user features that … | Continue reading
[audio_player src=”https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/0de98bba-5e4d-4879-94dc-8c76a3a88322/episodes/ed41c727-3c0d-4e0e-a8a3-ea690eb381bc/audio/507b95d9-c76d-4cf9-aa04-a977bcf479ec/default_tc.mp3” mime_type=”audio/mpeg” total_duration=”00:32:37” caption=”“] [subscribe_to_unwind] Spo … | Continue reading
This week on AppStories, we consider why surprising apps seem increasingly rare and share some of the apps that have surprised us the most over the past year. Sponsored by: Crypto Pro – Cryptocurrency portfolio tracker app. Get month of Premium with code AS2021. DeleteMe – Remove … | Continue reading
I’ve been writing code for nearly a decade, and throughout all of that time, I’ve never quite been satisfied with a code editor. Each one I’ve tried has annoyed me in various ways, and eventually, I find myself looking elsewhere. My code editor is the app I use more than any othe … | Continue reading
Zac Hall, writing for 9to5Mac, explains why Apple’s move to discontinue the original HomePod last Friday raises a number of questions about its home strategy and is cause for concern that extends beyond the HomePod itself: Apple discontinuing HomePod isn’t impossible to understan … | Continue reading
In a press release today, Apple announced that its Maps app has been updated to include the COVID-19 vaccination locations. According to the company: Apple today updated Apple Maps with COVID-19 vaccination locations from VaccineFinder, a free, online service developed by Boston … | Continue reading
Sofa is a terrific downtime organizer. Since its release, the app has seen frequent updates that have added features and refinements that make it an excellent one-stop destination for collecting media you want to enjoy later. We’ve covered the app before, so I won’t revisit its c … | Continue reading
Nearly a year ago in the middle of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic here in Italy, I published an article that would turn out to feel obsolete in less than a month: in my Modular Computer story, I detailed my experiments with various accessories for the iPad Pro and how th … | Continue reading
Raycast is a native Mac productivity tool that defies definition because it’s so much more than just a replacement for Spotlight. By invoking Raycast from your keyboard, you can launch any app, but you can also: Search for and access your files Use third-party apps and services l … | Continue reading
Matthew Panzarino at TechCrunch broke the news late Friday that Apple has discontinued the original HomePod. In a statement to TechCrunch Apple said: HomePod mini has been a hit since its debut last fall, offering customers amazing sound, an intelligent assistant, and smart home … | Continue reading
[audio_player src=”https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/0de98bba-5e4d-4879-94dc-8c76a3a88322/episodes/5c4e7649-1068-4f42-be93-d940fb417975/audio/c6580ca9-bc79-46de-aa51-c872fbbecebb/default_tc.mp3” mime_type=”audio/mpeg” total_duration=”00:27:28” caption=”“] [subscribe_to_unwind] Spo … | Continue reading
Sonos has officially announced the Sonos Roam, a battery-powered, portable speaker that supports AirPlay 2 and several other interesting features. The speaker, which comes in white and black, doesn’t ship until April 20th, but you can preorder it now. It remains to be seen how th … | Continue reading
I’m not an artist by any stretch, so when I started poking around Adobe’s Fresco, the drawing and painting app for the iPad and iPhone, I approached the app with trepidation. I shouldn’t have. Fresco is undeniably a ‘pro’ iPad app. The app has a deep set of sophisticated features … | Continue reading
This week on AppStories, we dig into how we manage and read email newsletters. Sponsored by: Microsoft Lists – A Microsoft 365 app that helps you track information and organize work. Privacy – Smarter payments. Get $5 to spend on your first purchase. [subscribe_to_appstories] | Continue reading
Apple has partnered with Common Sense Media to curate collections of podcasts for kids in the US. The shows are picked by Common Sense Media, an organization whose editors have a long history of helping parents and educators find age-appropriate media for children. The shows curr … | Continue reading
DEVONthink is the one-stop, comprehensive solution for all your document and information management needs on the Mac and iOS. With DEVONthink, all of your documents, snippets, bookmarks, and more are available in one place, paired with powerful tools for organizing, managing, and … | Continue reading
Men’s Health was given a behind-the-scenes tour of Apple’s 23,000 square foot Fitness+ studio in Santa Monica, California. The publication also interviewed Jay Blahnik, Apple’s senior director of fitness for health technologies, and COO Jeff Williams for the story. From the story … | Continue reading
Apple hasn’t made an official announcement the iMac Pro’s future, but the Mac’s product page speaks volumes. As first reported by MacRumors, the configurable models of the iMac Pro are no longer available for purchase. The only remaining iMac Pro on Apple’s online store is the $4 … | Continue reading
[audio_player src=”https://cdn.simplecast.com/audio/0de98bba-5e4d-4879-94dc-8c76a3a88322/episodes/eaf5e023-09e1-4a77-adb9-9d7880ca63a8/audio/16d6e6e9-11ea-4964-8f63-ca02d4d6273a/default_tc.mp3” mime_type=”audio/mpeg” total_duration=”00:24:16” caption=”“] [subscribe_to_unwind] Spo … | Continue reading
Earlier today, Apple provided TechCrunch with a fascinating clarification regarding the ability in iOS and iPadOS 14.5 to pick “default” audio apps for music, podcast, and audiobook playback. From Sarah Perez’s article: Apple has clarified that the iOS 14.5 beta is not actually a … | Continue reading
Ever since I got a glimpse of what Thread could mean to home automation by pairing a Nanoleaf A19 bulb with a HomePod mini, I’ve been excited about the technology’s future. We’re still in the early days of adoption by device manufacturers. However, today, Eve Systems announced a … | Continue reading
As reported today by Juli Clover at MacRumors, Apple is now allowing iCloud Photos users to transfer a copy of their data to Google Photos. This joins the growing suite of tools provided on Apple’s Data and Privacy web page, which also include downloading copies of your data, cor … | Continue reading
Apps that help you organize and connect ideas aren’t new, but it’s a hot category right now. There are note-taking apps, many of which offer wiki-style back-linking, outliners, diagramming apps, mind mapping apps, and more. The approaches vary as widely as the ways people process … | Continue reading
This week on AppStories, we take a hard look at Shortcuts, an app we rely on every day, and consider how we’d like to see Apple evolve the app this year and beyond. Sponsored by: Fitbod – The fitness app for personalized exercise plans. Get 25% off your membership. Impending: The … | Continue reading
Fascinating new option announced by Spotify last week, coming soon to the app’s ‘Liked Songs’ default playlist: Your “Liked Songs” on Spotify are a collection of you—spanning every genre you’ve ever enjoyed and each mood you’ve experienced. Some days, you might be looking to play … | Continue reading
SaneBox is your personal email assistant that automatically organizes your inbox, saving you valuable time. SaneBox works with your existing email service, making sure that only the most important messages reach your inbox. The rest of your messages are neatly tucked away in desi … | Continue reading