Okay, I admit it: I am linking to this almost solely because the animated GIF he used is *amazing.*
(h/t [Shawn Blanc](http://shawnblanc.net))
Category: Apps
[Countdone](http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=r*bqlTuiXSo&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=https%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Fapp%252Fcountdone%252Fid659428913%253Fmt%253D8%2526uo%253D4%2526partnerId%253D300)[^f5309], the new app from designer Elliot Jay Stocks, is now available in the App store. I really like the description:
> In case you’re wondering what exactly Countdone is, it’s essentially the essence of the Pomodoro Technique, distilled into a beautifully simple interface. Set time limits for your to-dos and watch as the timer counts down and the screen turns from green to red, motivating you to get things done by applying a gentle amount of pressure. For added motivation, turn on the optional sounds for a further indication of how much time you have left and hit that ‘done’ button as fast as you can!
[^f5309]: Affiliate Link
One of the most popular RSS readers for iOS, [Mr. Reader](http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=r*bqlTuiXSo&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=https%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Fapp%252Fmr.-reader%252Fid412874834%253Fmt%253D8%2526uo%253D4%2526partnerId%253D30)[^f1319], has just been updated to sync with a variety of Google Reader alternatives, including:
* Feed Wrangler[^fn1]
* Fever
* Feedbin
* Feedly
* FeedHQ
* BazQuz Reader
Mr. Reader 2.0 appears to be a free upgrade for existing users, and the developers have [posted a FAQ on their website](http://www.curioustimes.de/mrreader/faq/) that gives detail on some of the changes.
[^f1319]: Affiliate Link (as is the link post.)
[^fn1]: My choice to replace Google Reader.
Instacast for Mac is going to upgrades to make it work better with Mavericks. On the other hand, Instacast for iOS is going to get a whole new version to take advantage of the new features of iOS. Needless to say, [people are not pleased with that decision](https://alpha.app.net/zero/post/6952033).
After a few years of dealing with shortcomings of various iOS podcasting apps, I can now finally say that I am happily living in the Instacast ecosystem.
(Fairly) Reliable Syncing
If iCloud has shown anything, it is that syncing is hard. After fighting with iCloud syncing for approximately a year, Instacast developer Vemido moved to its own syncing solution for Instacast 3 for iOS[1]. This was a great move. The new sync is faster and more reliable than any other alternative I have seen, including iCloud. Though there are occasional hiccups in the sync[2], I rarely run into problems if I consistently use my various devices. Also, as an added major benefit, the new syncing solution does not result in the battery drain that I felt was prevalent among iCloud podcast syncing solutions.
Instacast for Mac
Though syncing across my iPhone and iPad was a huge feature, it was actually the release of Instacast for Mac that really made me love the Instacast ecosystem.
I admit, when I first downloaded the Instacast for Mac, I thought I would have little use for a podcast client on my Mac. I was completely wrong. I use Instacast for Mac all the time. Aside from Instacast for Mac’s ability to easily play all of my favorite podcasts, what really makes it such a major part of my podcast listening and managing experience is its excellent podcast and playlist management features. In Instacast for Mac, you can easily drag and drop individual podcast episodes from your podcast subscriptions into the various playlists that you have created. This is especially helpful for dealing with feeds like Grantland’s Pop Culture podcast, where I only listen to 1 out of the 3 or 4 shows that are put in the feed. Before Instacast for Mac, I would have to notice when the one show I actually like was added to the feed, and then manually add it to the playlist in the iOS app via a playlist’s “Add Episode” menu. Since the “Add Episode” menu is just a chronological list of all episodes in Instacast, it could be quite difficult to find the actual episode that I wanted to add if I did not get it within the first day or so of it being available. Now, I can just go to the specific subscription, drag and drop a particular episode to given playlist, and I’m done.[3] This means that I can easily create small, custom playlists whenever I want, something that is especially useful when long car drives are coming up.
Adding episodes to playlists, however, is only one of the excellent podcast and playlist management features found in Instacast for Mac. Tasks such as re-ordering subscriptions and playlists, renaming playlists, and even subscribing to podcasts, seem much easier on Instacast for Mac than they ever were in the iOS version. Of course, what makes these features so important, is that the results are synced almost instantly to your iOS devices.
One (Minor) Remaining Issue – Feed Refresh
The one minor remaining issue that I have with the current Instacast ecosystem is feed refreshing in the various apps. Currently, the refresh mechanism takes approximately 20–40 seconds for my 73 podcast subscriptions.[4] Though that refresh can be annoying when it forces me to wait for that new episode of a given podcast that I know is available, the bigger problem is that this refresh makes the Instacast iOS app unresponsive for about 10–15 seconds when it occurs. Now, iOS 7 will alleviate some of this hassle, with its new background downloading APIs[5], but I think that does not go far enough. Instead, I hope that Instacast implements a server-side refresh of feeds, similar to the one found in Shifty Jelly’s Pocketcasts. Obviously, if Vemedio had to implement this type of server side processing on its own, it could be a time consuming, labor intensive, and resouce-costly process. Thankfully, David Smith, creator of Feed Wrangler, mentioned in a recent interview on the 15 Minutes with… podcast that he felt Feed Wrangler could be easily integrated into podcasting clients for a feed refreshing back end. I think adding “Feed Wrangler feed refresh” as an option in Instacast could be a major performance and, possibly, usability improvement. [6]
Conclusion
Ultimately, the combination of custom Instacast cloud syncing and the release of Instacast for Mac relieved almost all the issues I previously had with iOS podcasting apps. At this point, I feel that I listen to more podcasts then I ever have before, but I spend much less time managing them. Consequently, I had no problem signing up to become an Instacast member. I really enjoy Instacast’s podcast ecosystem and I want to do what I can to help support Instacast’s ongoing development.
If you are someone who enjoys listening to podcasts on your Mac or iOS device, I highly recommend giving Instacast a try. If you are already an Instacast user, then I suggest that you at least consider becoming an Instacast member to help support a great ecosystem of podcasting apps.
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Affiliate Link (as are other App Store links in this post). ↩
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For example, my iPad seems to overwrite the played status of certain podcasts if I have not opened the iPad version of the app in a few days. This normally means I have to "Mark as Played’ an episode or two that I listened to a few days ago, but Instacast now thinks is unplayed. It does not happen all the time, but it happens enough to be noticeable. ↩
-
I have to point out that implementation of the drag-and-drop functionality in Instacast is especially awesome. If you are viewing “Subscriptions” in the left panel, but drag a single podcast episode over that panel, the panel automatically switches to “Lists” so you can drop that episode into a playlist. It’s brilliant. ↩
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I have managed to cut down my number of subscriptions substantially, from a high of around 150. Now, instead loading Instacast with any feed I think I may want to listen to, I put a lot of podcast feeds into a Feed Wrangler smartstream. I then use the amazing HuffDuffer to build up a custom feed of just episodes from those shows that I want to listen to and I put that HuffDuffer feed into Instacast. ↩
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At this point, there is no reason for Vemedio to implement one of those geo-fencing hacks like Downcast has. Time would be better served making sure Instacast works with the new background API. ↩
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I can see at least two ways that Instacast could integrate with Feed Wrangler. One, Instacast could have an option where you log into an existing Feed Wrangler account, select a particular smart stream, and that smart stream is your subscription list from that point forward. This could obviously result in some interesting usability issues (e.g. can someone update his or her subscription list from both Feed Wrangler and Instacast?, does the initial smartstream selection replace your existing subscriptions or does merge take place?), but it would allow for people who have a Feed Wrangler subscription to leverage Feed Wrangler in Instacast, while allowing those who do not have a subscription to still use Instacast’s built in RSS refresh functionality. Alternatively, Instacast’s sole method of feed refresh could be offloaded to the Feed Wrangler cloud, no individual user accounts would be required, and Vemedio and David Smith could work on some kind of revenue split for copies of Instacast that are sold. This would probably take more custom integration with Feed Wrangler than the other alternative. Of course, I am probably missing a much better alternative, and I have complete confidence in Vemedio and David Smith to develop an awesome feed refresh solution, should Vemedio choose to go this route. ↩
As July 1st approaches, and the prospect of Google Reader going dark looms, I have started to more actively explore the available Google Reader alternatives[1].
Last week, when Gabe Weatherhead posted his NewsBlur Review, I was optimistic that my work in searching for a Google Reader replacement was complete. Unfortunately, a subsequent blog post by the developers of Mr. Reader[2] pointed out some flaws in NewsBlur’s API and caused me to shy away from naming NewsBlur as the prohibitive favorite in the RSS syncing space.[3].
Then, on Monday, news broke that popular iOS RSS Readers Reeder and Mr. Reader will be supporting Feed Wranger[4], the interesting new RSS syncing solution from developer David Smith. Since Feed Wrangler was my favorite of the new RSS syncing alternatives, I am quite pleased.[5]. If I can take advantage of the functionality that is built into my favorite iOS RSS Apps, while leveraging David Smith’s excellent Feed Wrangler backend, I think I am going to really enjoy the post-Google Reader world.
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For those looking for a more comprehensive look at the state of Google Reader alternatives, I suggest a recent post by Gabe at MacDrifter on the Great RSS Infrastructure Race of 2013 and a full listing of Google Reader alternatives compiled by Hrishi Mittal ↩
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Affiliate Link (as are all App Store Links in this post). ↩
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I also decided I would not try Dr. Drang’s approach of attempting create a RSS syncing system with email and IMAP. ↩
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There is currently no timetable for when Reeder will be updated to include Feed Wrangler integration. I suspect it be be after Google Reader is turned off. On the other hand, the post on the Mr. Reader Blog indicates that the Mr. Reader update will be available before Google Reader goes dark on July 1st, 2013. ↩
-
Shawn Blanc has also said that Feed Wrangler is his favorite new service](http://shawnblanc.net/2013/06/reeder-feed-wrangler/). ↩
Speaking of Marco, he has been busy.
Really great beta release for the Mac version of my iOS podcat client of choice. The little details in the UI are particularly impressive[^fn1].
[^fn1]: For example, select a podcast while in “Subscriptions” mode, and then drag an episode to the left bar. A surprising, and well done, UI experience occurs.
The iOS looks really slick. I have a feeling his servers are getting just crushed at the moment though.
A slightly [different take than he had on ATP](http://hypercritical.co/2013/04/26/the-lottery)[^fn1]:
> Many more people want to attend WWDC than the conference can accommodate. There has been no shortage of interesting suggestions for how to fix this. Broadly speaking, WWDC has not changed in decades. Apple and its developer ecosystem, on the other hand, are radically different than they were just five years ago. Something has to give.
I think he also has a good, at least partial, solution:
> Many more people want to attend WWDC than the conference can accommodate. There has been no shortage of interesting suggestions for how to fix this. Broadly speaking, WWDC has not changed in decades. Apple and its developer ecosystem, on the other hand, are radically different than they were just five years ago. Something has to give.
[^fn1]: On the podcast, he thought that everyone would get a ticket.
Categories
Scrivener for iOS Delayed
What a major bummer. On the plus side, I can fully commit to switching over to Ulysses III.
(h/t [Curious Rat](http://curiousrat.com/scrivener-for-ios-delayed))
TUAW’s review of [Ulysses III](http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=r*bqlTuiXSo&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=https%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Fapp%252Fulysses-iii%252Fid623795237%253Fmt%253D12%2526uo%253D4%2526partnerId%253D30)[^f0200], in case you are still on the fence.
[^f0200]: Affiliate Link
> The worst part about this is that the quality of apps can’t and won’t improve if developers aren’t properly compensated for their time. This worries me the most, that despite my emphasis on paying, in the end it won’t matter because I’m one of the few paying and it won’t be enough to support excellent ad-free apps.
I am with Ben in the group of people more than willing to pay for quality apps. I hope we do not end up in a future where developers are unwilling to create quality apps because people simply refuse to pay more than 99 cents for things.
*NOTE: Lex Friedman’s original article that prompted Ben’s post, [A $5 app isn’t expensive: Customers need to help fix the App Store economy](http://www.macworld.com/article/2032847/a-5-app-isnt-expensive-customers-need-to-help-fix-the-app-store-economy.html), is well worth a read as well.*
Earlier this week, Soulmen GBR released an major new update to their text editor: [Ulysses III](http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=r*bqlTuiXSo&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=https%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Fapp%252Fulysses-iii%252Fid623795237%253Fmt%253D12%2526uo%253D4%2526partnerId%253D30)[^fn1] I did not use the previous versions of Ulysses, but the buzz surrounding this version[^fn2] prompted me to give it a try. I am extremely glad that I did.
Ulysses offers a minimalist Markdown editor, with some basic [Scrivener](http://literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.php)-like project / file management. It also syncs to [Daedalus Touch](http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=r*bqlTuiXSo&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=https%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Fapp%252Fdaedalus-touch-text-editor%252Fid406964546%253Fmt%253D8%2526uo%253D4%2526partnerId%253D30) on iOS. Basically, it gives me the Markdown editing I was using [iA Writer](http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=r*bqlTuiXSo&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=https%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Fapp%252Fia-writer%252Fid392502056%253Fmt%253D8%2526uo%253D4%2526partnerId%253D30) for and the document management I missed while I was not using Scrivener. I am really, really liking it.
That said, I am making this post before really putting the app through it’s paces to make sure potential purchasers can take advantage of it’s current introductory sale.[^fn3] Thankfully, there are a lot of good write-ups about the the update, including:
* [Ben Brooks](http://brooksreview.net/2013/04/ulysses-iii/) – This is the review that convinced me to give Ulysses a shot. Since he said he replaced iA Writer with it, I figured that it would work for me.
* [Brett Terpstra](http://brettterpstra.com/2013/04/03/mac-app-review-ulysses-iii/)
* [Gabe Weatherhead](http://www.macdrifter.com/2013/04/ulysses-3.html) – *NOTE: Gabe seems to have beaen considering Ulysses as replacement for his directory of text files / [nvAlt](http://brettterpstra.com/projects/nvalt/). This is different than my use case, where I use Ulysses for documents I am drafting.*
* [David Sparks](http://macsparky.com/blog/2013/4/looking-at-ulysses-iii) – *Same comments as the Gabe Weatherhead review*
If you are on the fence, I encourage you to read some of the reviews and decide if Ulysses is a good fit for you.
[^fn1]: Affiliate Link (as is the post link and the other links to apps in this post)
[^fn2]: I will get to that buzz in a second
[^fn3]: It’s currently $19.99, but is expected to go up to $39.99
I previously posted an (https://johnkiv.us/2013/01/23/clearing-flipboard-image-cache-on-ios/). Unfortunately, that procedure is no longer valid in Flipboard 2. Fortunately, the new procedure is much, much simpler:
1. Tap the red bookmark / ribbon thing in the upper right corner.
2. Tap on the gear icon in the upper right of the “My Flipboard” panel the slides out.
3. Choose “Settings” from the popup menu.
4. Scroll down to and tap “Clear Cache” at the bottom of the settings window.
That should do it.[^f2017].
[^f2017]: Be warned, the cache clearing process appears to take a long, long time.
Categories
The Future of Reeder
I am glad to hear that [Reeder](http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=r*bqlTuiXSo&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=https%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Fapp%252Freeder%252Fid325502379%253Fmt%253D8%2526uo%253D4%2526partnerId%253D30)[^fn1] will continue despite Google Reader going away. It has been my “go to” RSS app for some time, and I would have been sad to see it go. That said, making the existing versions of Reeder free worries me. I hope that does not mean Mr. Rizzi thinks new versions of Reeder for iPad and Mac will not be ready by July 1st when Google Reader shuts down.
[^fn1]: Affiliate Link
Categories
Textastic Now Available for Mac
One of the most popular text / code editors for iOS is [now available for Mac](http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=r*bqlTuiXSo&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=https%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Fapp%252Ftextastic%252Fid572491815%253Fmt%253D12%2526uo%253D4%2526partnerId%253D30)[^ffaff]. It’s currently on sale for $2.99[^fn1]
[^fn1]: Which, according to the developer, is 50% off what it will ultimately retail for.
[^ffaff]: Affiliate Link (as is the post link.)
No longer can you just pay $5 and get all of the out-of-market NCAA games. You have to subscribe to TBS, TNT, and TruTV if you want to view them on your iPad or iPhone.
This kind of “we’ll let you watch things on your mobile device, **if** you subscribe to our cable channels at home” seems to be the way that cable networks are trying to go.
Smile Software has released [PDFPen Pro 6](http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=r*bqlTuiXSo&offerid=146261&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=https%253A%252F%252Fitunes.apple.com%252Fus%252Fapp%252Fpdfpenpro-6%252Fid609313570%253Fmt%253D12%2526uo%253D4%2526partnerId%253D30)[^f5946], an update their PDF editing application for the Mac. At $40 (which is 50% off the normal price) it’s a no-brainer for anyone who uses PDFs on his or her Mac.
[^f5946]: Affiliate Link (as is the post link).
> I don’t need a new front-end for my email. I need a new back-end.
Yes. Exactly. I have been looking to move from free Google Apps for my email, and I cannot imagine a company I would trust more with my data than Dropbox. Charge a reasonable monthly fee and I’m in.