Federico Viticci's Overview of iOS 9

As every Apple nerd on the planet is more than aware of, today was the big WWDC 2015 Keynote. Loads of interesting things were announced, including OS X El Capitan (I'm still not sure about that name, but moving on…) and watchOS 2.

As a full-time iOS user though, the announcement of iOS 9—particularly the iPad productivity enhancements coming with it—were easily of most interest to me. I would explain more about these new features myself, but Federico Viticci already has it completely covered.

He sums it up nicely in the “iPad and Multitasking” section:

As someone who uses the iPad as his primary computer, the productivity and multitasking features announced today seem spectacular. The iPad was at an inflection point — still failing to convince some tech circles of the benefits of a tablet — and the changes coming with iOS 9 are a reassuring sign of Apple's commitment to the uniqueness of the device. With Slide Over and Split View, Apple isn't trading off the inherent simplicity of the one-app-at-a-time model for more complexity: they're adding an option for those who, like me, want to work with an iPad and do more at once.

I love that Apple is acknowledging how great the iPad can be as a primary device. Hopefully more 3rd-party developers take note and stop treating the iPad like a second citizen.¹

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1. I'm looking at you, Squarespace. Managing pages and site design is still a joke on iPad. How about a full-on iOS app for such things? I still don't understand why something like that doesn't exist and yet Portfolio and Note do. ↩

Act 2 of 'Broken Age' for iOS is Here! [App Store Link]

It's been nearly a year since I played Act 1 of DoubleFine's point-and-click adventure game, Broken Age for iOS. All the while, I've anxiously awaited the second act to drop so I could complete this wonderful story.

Now that Act 2 is finally here, I may have to clear my schedule for the rest of the day.

[PSA: I've only ever played the iOS version, but if you're more of a Mac gamer, Broken Age for Mac is currently on sale for $18 (down from $25).]

Our New Favorite Podcast App for iOS

Over at The Sweet Setup, we've chosen Overcast as our new favorite podcast app for iOS, edging out Pocket Casts as our previous top pick.

Once we have a top app pick—in any category—it's very rare that we switch to anything else. In fact, as of this writing we've only done it one other time. So, trust me when I say it was a tough decision, especially because we still love Pocket Casts to death. In the end however, it was the right call.

Suggested Uses for Day One

In my recent review of Day One, I listed a few ways to put the journaling app to good use. Over at The Sweet Setup, Shawn Blanc's review of the same app contains a running list of other great ideas worth checking out.

This bit at the end is so true:

“Thanks to tagging and searching, Day One can serve as all of these things at once. That’s the beauty of a personal journaling app, it can be filled with all sorts of topics and media types, with no need to keep it “focused.” And I think that’s the road best traveled. Because a huge part of what makes a successful journal is constant use.”

VSCO Cam 4.0 Released

I don't often make a habit of linking to app updates on this site, unless there is good reason. Today's release of VSCO 4.0 provided one very good reason: iPad support.

That's right, the interface has been retooled for the iPad display. Let's just say I might have jumped up and clicked my heels when I found out.

Last Year's New Tech

Shawn Blanc:

“If you’re in the market for a new iPhone, iPad, and/or Kindle — this is a great year to buy. Each device is the best its ever been. But…

Despite the fact that there are all these new and amazing gadgets, I think it’s legitimately safe to say that many folks will prefer the tech that was new last year. And, in many cases, there are some people who would be better served by getting last year’s gadgets.”

He's absolutely right. My iPhone 4s is in desperate need of an upgrade, but I'm not entirely sure I want the iPhone 6. It's a lovely device, don't get me wrong. I just don't feel like I need that big of a screen on a phone—that's what my iPad is for.

What I'm really tempted to buy is the iPhone 5s, which I consider to be Apple's best and most beautiful iPhone yet.

My one worry is that, since the 5s is already a year old, it will be obsolete that much sooner. And I don't mean in a "keeping up with the Joneses" way, but rather that Apple may stop supporting it too soon for me.

Drafts 4 for iOS

Huge update to one of my favorite apps. There are more new features than you can shake a stick at, some of which I listed in this Tools & Toys post only minutes ago.

Drafts 4 is a $5 paid upgrade for existing users, which I hope I never see a complaint about because Greg works hard to keep the app up-to-date and relevant. This is an app I use all the time, and I'm happy to support him again.