Posts in Linked

Apple Rolls Out Searchable WWDC Session Transcripts with Timestamp Links→

From Apple’s developer blog:

Now it’s easier to discover and share information presented in WWDC videos with our recent search update. You can search a keyword and find all the instances of it mentioned in the videos. Go straight to the time the keyword was mentioned in the video or easily share a link to it.

Not only does Apple now allow you to search the WWDC session transcripts – which ASCIIwwdc has been doing for a while – you can tap on a result (like this) and be taken to the relevant point in the video from your web browser. There are also filters to select returns from specific WWDCs and you can filter by platform, too.

Extremely useful, and I wish I had this when I was writing my iOS 9 review this summer.

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iOS 9 Universal Links and Forgotten Passwords→

Slopes developer Curtis Herbert has been thinking about how to create a better password reset flow for apps on iOS 9 with Universal Links:

With universal links we can remove Safari from that process entirely. Users can now reset their password in-app, allowing the app to also automatically log them in after the reset. This is all possible while still having the security of the reset password email to confirm identity.

Good idea, and one of the many advantages of Universal Links (check out his demo to see how native 1Password integration makes everything easier).

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Apple Working on Universal Search API for Apple TV→

John Paczkowski, writing for BuzzFeed:

In a recent interview with BuzzFeed News, Apple CEO Tim Cook said universal search in Apple TV is not something that the company plans to reserve for key content partners. “At launch we’ll have iTunes, Netflix, Hulu, Showtime, and HBO — so we’ll have five major inputs into universal search initially,” Cook said. “But we’re also opening an API, so that others can join in.”

And Apple’s confident that they will do just that. “I think that many, many people will want to be in that search,” Cook said. “And that’s great for users. Think about your experience today. Even if you’re fortunate enough to have the content you want to watch in an app, you sometimes don’t remember exactly where that show is, so you’re going to Netflix or Hulu or Showtime. You shouldn’t have to do that. It should be very simple.”

It does sound like the technology behind iOS 9 search will be reused to plug into apps on the new Apple TV. Smart move.

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Apple Leather and Water→

Greg Koenig has been running some (unscientific) tests on Apple’s Leather Loop band:

So far, this chunk of strap has been through 4 different soak cycles. Three of those cycles were a 10 minute soak, followed by air drying at room temp. The latest cycle was a full 8 hour overnight soak. Drying takes about 3 hours.

The result? The leather shows zero visible signs of damage, zero texture change. As far as these (again, unscientific) tests are showing, the leather on Apple’s Loop band is essentially waterproof.

(Make sure to read his disclaimer.)

Anecdotally, my Leather Loop band has been through showers, sea water, rain, and sweat. I took basic care of it, and it’s exactly like the day I bought it. One of my favorite Watch bands.

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Photo Extensions on El Capitan→

Jason Snell has tried a few photo editing extensions on OS X El Capitan:

Like the built-in editing tools, you can actually stack multiple extensions while editing a photo, so you can combine third-party editing extensions with Apple’s own tools to get exactly the image that you want to see. However, each extension edits a “burned-in” version of your photo, so you can’t edit a photo with three extensions and then go back and turn off the first of the extensions. Instead, you’d need to revert back to the original photo (which is always retained by Photos) and start again from the beginning. You can also use the editing tools built in to Photos on images that have already been edited by an Extension, so you can really mix and match. You just don’t get the always-undoable, always-editable flexibility you get when you stick entirely to the native editing tools in Photos.

A good roundup, with some extensions I’ll have to try out.

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Virtual: 70% Sad→

This time Myke is sad about THPS5, Federico is sad about the Vita, but they are both very happy with Shooty Skies.

On this week’s Virtual, we explore more instances of videogames making us sad, but we make up for it with some fun iOS games. You can listen here.

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Connected: Built for Experimentation→

This week, the guys talk about their new iPhones, 3D Touch and El Capitan.

On this week’s Connected, we also talked about how we’re using the Apple Watch and our favorite watchOS 2 apps so far. You can listen here.

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Apple’s Updated Privacy Website→

Apple updated its Privacy website earlier this week with new details on iOS 9 and El Capitan. Matthew Panzarino writes:

If you click your way through it, you’re going to see a product that looks a lot like the pages that are attempting to sell you iPhones. There is a section that explains Apple’s philosophy; one that tells users in practical terms how to take advantage of Apple’s privacy-and security-related features; an entire section on government information requests; and, finally, its actual privacy policy.

Some of the highlights for me, as I didn’t know these details before:

To make it even easier to get to just the right spot in your favorite app, we’ve built support for deep linking into iOS. A user can tap a link and it will open in the corresponding app if the app has been installed and supports deep linking. We do not associate this with your Apple ID, and Apple does not know which links you tap.

On HomeKit:

Apple does not know what devices you’re controlling, or how and when you’re using them. Siri only associates your HomeKit devices with your anonymous Siri identifier, not you personally. Apps supported by HomeKit are restricted by our developer guidelines to using data solely for home configuration or automation services. Data related to your home is stored encrypted in the keychain of your device. It’s also encrypted in transit between your Apple device and those you’re controlling. And when you control your accessories from a remote location, that data is also encrypted when it’s sent. So HomeKit doesn’t know which devices you’re controlling or how you’re using them.

On Siri’s suggestions:

Certain features do require real-time input from Apple servers. For example, event addresses and a user’s location are sent to Apple so that we can provide accurate Time to Leave predictions that take into consideration traffic and local transit schedules. Information like a user’s location may be sent to Apple to provide localized suggestions as well as relevant news and search results. When we do send information to a server, we protect your privacy by using anonymized rotating identifiers so that searches and locations can’t be traced to you personally. And you can disable Location Services, our new proactive features, or the proactive features’ use of your location at any time.

One thing’s for sure – Apple is going all-in on protecting privacy and user data as much as possible.

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