Last summer, I wrote about the history of iOS gaming to mark the App Store’s 10th anniversary. After weeks of research, I came away pessimistic about the future of quality games on iOS. From the outside it seemed as though Apple stumbled into gaming by accident, thanks to the iPhone’s unique interaction model and...
App Debuts
RyanThings Things was updated to version 3.9 this week, yet despite the update being a few months in the works, and a major point release, from a user-facing standpoint there was almost nothing new worth highlighting. However, that’s for a reason: the app has gone through a major under-the-hood restructuring that is largely for...
Perfect Tempo Brings Tempo Control to Apple Music Tracks
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 slow down or speed up music without affecting its pitch and loop it as they learn a song. Other apps have similar functionality that I’ve covered before, but what makes Perfect Tempo unique is that it can slow down and speed up streamed Apple Music tracks, which other apps can’t do.
AppStories, Episode 111 – iOS 13 App Rumors and Wishes→
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 into a wireless display for your Mac. Use promo code STORIES at checkout for 10% off.
- Moo - Custom business printing and design. Use promo code PRINT15 for 15% off.
https://staging.macstories.net/podcasts/appstories/episodes/111/embed/
Snapthread 2.0 Adds a Refined UI, an Improved iPad Experience, and New Tools
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 easily stitching together Live Photos, still photos, and short videos that could be shared on any social network or directly with friends and family. With version 2.0, which is out today, Hansmeyer has refined the existing user experience, added useful new functionality without complicating the app, and leveraged the iPad to create a more versatile video creation tool that works equally well for quickly sharing your creations on social networks as it does with small groups of friends and family.
iOS 13 App Rumors and Wishes
Federico
AppStories Episode 111 - iOS 13 App Rumors and Wishes
0:00
33:53
33:53
This week, Federico and John share their thoughts on the latest iOS 13 app rumors reported by Mark Gurman and 9to5Mac and other features and updates they’d like to see Apple implement this year.
An Interview with Khoi Vinh, Principal Designer at Adobe
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. Vinh, who was in Chicago to speak at the HOW Design Live conference, talks about how Adobe is using Adobe XD to integrate UX and UI design and prototyping into the product creation process for everyone from freelancers to big companies. He also discusses designers’ role in addressing the problems social media is facing, how artificial intelligence is beginning to play a role in design, and his podcast, Wireframe.
(The following has been condensed and edited for readability.)
Tell me a little bit about what you’re working on at Adobe these days.
Adobe XD is one of the main priorities at Adobe. We’re really passionate about the experience design space; really passionate about how product designers, UX/UI designers, they’re really kind of leading the way for how professional creativity is changing and XD is more than just an app, it’s a platform to help us build what designers need. So we see it as more than just a design app. It’s also prototyping and sharing, and so it’s really meant to help designers, and also the people who work with them, get more value out of the design process and be more productive in general.
App Debuts
GoodTask GoodTask, the powerful third-party Reminders client, was updated this week with a handful of useful improvements. There’s a new gesture for activating search from within a list where you can simply pull down anywhere on the screen to have the search field pop in from the top of the screen. If you’d prefer...
Hardware Matters: CarPlay Then and Now
I’m not that into cars, but I’m very into CarPlay. The feature, which makes some of an iPhone’s apps available from a car’s entertainment system, is a close third place in importance to me after finding a vehicle that’s affordable and reliable. After years of tolerating flakey Bluetooth connections and terrible car entertainment systems,...