I never used Vesper (because it didn’t have sync or a Mac version), but if you did, this is a good way to make the switch.
Tag: ios
It took a little longer than I would have liked, but this is the right decision.
It’s crazy that Apple keeps updating such old devices. Impressive, but crazy.
Ars Technica breaks down everything you might want to know heading into the Apple Keynote next week.
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 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.
In a sponsored post on *MacDrifter*, Gabe shows the power of my favorite iPad RSS reader, [Mr. Reader](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mr.-reader/id412874834?mt=8&at=10l5TL)[^f4236].
If you like what you see in Gabe’s post, I also recommend checking out Federico’s tips for [creating custom Mr. Reader actions and services](http://www.macstories.net/reviews/mr-reader-and-the-services-menu-for-ios/).
[^f4236]: Affiliate Link
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.
Speaking of gimmicks, I just bought this. It works just as advertised.
The updated version of Fantastical is [now available in the App Store](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/fantastical-2/id718043190?mt=8&at=10l5TL)[^fn1]. It is available for a launch-day sale price of $2.99.
[^fn1]: Affiliate Link (as is the post link.)
One of the most useful apps for the iPhone has now been updated to work with iOS7. It is available in the App Store1 and is a free upgrade for owners of the original Launch Center Pro.
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Affiliate Link (as is the post link.) ↩
There are so many places that allow you to automatically upload and backup your photo now. As people are taking more and more pictures, that is a welcome development.
Raleigh, NC development shop Might Rabbit Studios has released their newest game: *Breach & Clear.*
It is available for [iOS](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/breach-clear/id655749677?mt=8) and [Android](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gun.bnc&hl=en)
One question: Why did he[^fn2] not call it Step Wrangler?
[^fn2]: Side note – I will now refer to David Smith as “Underscore” on this site.
Here are some notes that Marco included with the announcement:
Overcast 1.0 will be an iPhone app. I plan to get iPad support done relatively soon, but probably not for 1.0. I may never do a Mac app — that’s still up in the air, but definitely not for 1.0. And I have no plans to support Android — if you want an Android app, I hear Pocket Casts blows away everything else available, and they’re nice guys.
I have no plans to support video podcasts. That’s an entirely different medium with very different consumption habits, priorities, and needs. I can make a better app for audio podcasts by not supporting video at all.
I don’t plan to support streaming in 1.0, and may never add it. Overcast 1.0 will only play downloaded files. iOS 7’s background downloads, faster cellular networks, and larger-capacity phones have greatly reduced the need for streaming, and by not supporting it, I’m able to add some cool features and simplify a lot of the code and interface.
I give credit to Marco for determining what he thinks is the best solution for a podcasting app. Personally, I need a lot more from my podcasting applications than Marco is going to give initially,1 but Overcast might be a good fit for some people.
Relatedly, David Smith of Feed Wrangler just released a new podcatcher called Pod Wrangler which seems to have a similar approach to Overcast.2 If you are looking for a new podcatcher while Overcast is developed, it might be worth it to give Pod Wrangler a shot.3
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As I have stated many times, I am firmly entrenched in the Instacast ecosystem. ↩
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i.e. Fast syncing, no frills, reliable background dowloading, first version iPhone only, etc… ↩
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Federico Viticci wrote a review of PodWrangler over at MacStories if you want more information. ↩
In a bad piece by Ellis Hamburger on *The Verge*, this might be the worst paragraph:
> Even so, and despite Clear’s very low price tag, your frustration is warranted if you bought Clear within the last couple months and now have a to buy a new version, or if you bought Reeder, an RSS app, expecting months or years of updates and now have to buy a new version. Reeder developer Silvio Rizzi left his iPad users out in the cold by abandoning the app when its syncing engine, Google Reader, was killed off by Google. Several months later, Rizzi debuted Reeder 2, which works on both iPhone and iPad, but many of his Reeder for iPad users were appalled. The previous version of Reeder for iPhone still works, while Reeder for iPad users were forced to upgrade or find another RSS app. Some of them likely would have been more forgiving had Rizzi been more communicative during the process, but the developer is notoriously quiet online in comparison to others in the iOS community.
This whole paragraph is completely wrongheaded. People’s expectations for what applications, mobile or otherwise, should cost are completely out of touch. Developers spend weeks, months, and even years developing these applications and people get upset because a developer charges 99 cents for them? It is beyond ridiculous.
I have utmost respect for the [Omni Group’s](http://omnigroup.com) decision to release new, $20 versions of its apps as part of the iOS 7 upgrade cycle. I wish more developers would follow in Omni Group’s footsteps, and, relatedly, that people would recognize the value they are getting from their applications.