I am really looking forward to this update.[^f2948].
[^f2948]: An update that I never thought would actually come.
Category: Software
OmniOutliner is coming to iPhone!! Woo hoo!!
It’s awesome that Disney is getting behind this. If you know a child who is even semi-interesting in learning to program, point them in the direction of [Code.org/frozen](http://code.org/frozen)
This is an awesome tip.
(h/t [The Loop](http://www.loopinsight.com))
Categories
Federico shows what’s new in iOS 8.1
I am intrigued by the iCloud photo library beta, but I also don’t trust Apple to actually keep all my photos properly backed up.
If this kind of app is possible in iOS 8, I have a feeling that release is going be a proverbial “game changer.”
This excellent guide to *TextExpander* has been heavily linked to recently. Take a few minutes to dig into all the information available in this post, and you’ll see why.
A great tip from David Sparks about a TextExpander trick that I have been using for years.
Not a surprising development after the last few years. I am glad I made the switch to Lightroom earlier this year, but I am still going to miss Aperture existing.
Word is *by far* the crashiest program on my Mac. I am going to try this tip from David Sparks in hopes that it help alleviate some of Word’s problems.
Wow. I had no idea these options existed. I have been looking for a good way to “Mark items older than 2 weeks as Read” since FeedWrangler first started. Well done, [Mr. Reader](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mr.-reader/id412874834?mt=8&at=10l5TL). [^f1526]
[^f1526]: Affiliate Link.
This piece by Phillip Gruneich is a great starting point for people who want to understand how to use URL schemes in iOS.(*Or a good refresher for people who have used them before.*) Gruneich’s piece won’t explain how to use URL schemes, but it will give you the foundation you need to understand the way URLs are encoded.
I did not know this was possible.
These tweaks has made it pretty easy for me to replace the regular Facebook app with the new Paper interface. I am still getting used to the gestures, but I think I like it a lot more than the old app.
Some of the developers behind some of the best apps for iOS have combined forces to bring us [AppSanta](), a special Christmas sale. Apps included in the sale are:[^f4305]
* [DayOne](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/day-one-journal-diary/id421706526?mt=8&at=10l5TL)
* [Delivery Status](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/delivery-status-touch-package/id290986013?mt=8&at=10l5TL)
* [Perfect Weather](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/perfect-weather-noaa-radar/id695709241?mt=8&at=10l5TL)
* [Vesper](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/vesper-elegant-notes/id655895325?mt=8&at=10l5TL)
* [Tweetbot](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tweetbot-3-for-twitter-iphone/id722294701?mt=8&at=10l5TL)
* [Scanner Pro](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/scanner-pro-by-readdle/id333710667?mt=8&at=10l5TL)
* [PDF Converter](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pdf-converter-save-documents/id447444215?mt=8&at=10l5TL)
* [PCalc](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pcalc-the-best-calculator/id284666222?mt=8&at=10l5TL)
* [Screens VNC](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/screens-vnc-access-your-computer/id655890150?mt=8&at=10l5TL)
* [Calendars 5](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/calendars-5-smart-calendar/id697927927?mt=8&at=10l5TL)
* [Printer Pro](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/printer-pro-print-documents/id393313223?mt=8&at=10l5TL)
* [Mileage Log](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mileage-log+/id723129092?mt=8&at=10l5TL)
* [Clear+](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mileage-log+/id723129092?mt=8&at=10l5TL)
* [1Password](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/1password-password-manager/id568903335?mt=8&at=10l5TL)
* [Launch Center Pro](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/launch-center-pro/id532016360?mt=8&at=10l5TL)
[^f4305]: All links are affiliate links.
There has to be a better way to get reviews for apps than those annoying pop-ups.
You can tell this website was made by knowledgable geeks:
> SoundCloud provides one of the best inline players around. It can play in the background on iOS and doesn’t require flash. But it stinks with HuffDuffer. If that’s your thing, then you can use the regular link on the same page. It uses our current CDN, Buzzsprout.
I wish more shows would make their episodes so easy to use with HuffDuffer. That would make my listening experience so much nicer.
> Microsoft Word is a tyrant of the imagination, a petty, unimaginative, inconsistent dictator that is ill-suited to any creative writer’s use. Worse: it is a near-monopolist, dominating the word processing field. Its pervasive near-monopoly status has brainwashed software developers to such an extent that few can imagine a word processing tool that exists as anything other than as a shallow imitation of the Redmond Behemoth.
I completely agree. I want Word to just go away. I am sick of people wanting “Word versions” of this document, or “track changes” of that one. Unfortunately, the format is just so ubiquitous, it is impossible to avoid.
My hope is, as more and more people start doing work on tablets and other devices, some other document format[^f0749] emerges as the new standard. Until then though, I do whatever I can to avoid using Word whenever I can.
[^f0749]: Preferably, plain text with some markup.
Reading tech news would be so much better if everyone followed these rules from Mr. Marks. My favorites are:
> **3. The only numbers that matter are real ones.**
> Wall Street is an enigma wrapped in a poorly tailored suit and a tacky tie. Its reality is different from our own and yet, the made up numbers coming from analysts and traders matter more than the actual numbers being reported by companies. Apple made $37 billion last quarter, but fell short of The Street’s imaginary math? Amazon’s stock shot up on a billion dollar loss because it has “potential” it keeps failing to meet? Doesn’t matter anymore.
> All journalists must henceforth report the facts. Unless a company reports a loss or does not meet or beat last quarter’s numbers, the word “disappointing” should appear nowhere in an article, nor a headline.
and
> **10. No more article rewrites.**
> It’s habit for large sites like Business Insider and the Huffington Post to take an original story from somewhere else and repurpose it for their own publications. What’s easier than actual journalism? Rewriting someone else’s work.
> Unless there’s new information or a unique take on a story, leave the original piece where it is and provide a link.
Doing just a few of these would be a huge leap forward.
Not a surprising move, but a welcome one.