Lovely deep dive by Mattt Thompson on one of macOS’ most powerful Accessibility features – the Accessibility Keyboard:
Today, what’s the difference between a MacBook and an iPad? Practically speaking, you might point to the presence or absence of a physical keyboard, a SIM card, or an ARM processor (and if the rumors about next year’s MacBook models are to believed, those latter two may soon cease to be a distinction).
For many of us, a physical keyboard is the defining trait that makes a computer a “desktop” computer in the traditional sense; when you purchase an external keyboard for your iPad, you do so to make it “desktop”-like. But for many others — including those of us with a physical disability — a typewriter-like keyboard is but one of many input methods available to desktop users.
This week on NSHipster, we’re taking a look at the macOS Accessibility Keyboard. Beyond its immediate usefulness as an assistive technology, the Accessibility Keyboard challenges us to think differently about the nature of input methods and any remaining distinction between mobile and desktop computers.
Combined with the Panel Editor app, macOS allows you to design any kind of “keyboard” that goes beyond text input. I’ve written about this topic before when I shared my custom Accessibility Keyboard setup to launch AppleScripts, which you can find here.
This week, John is joined by Casey Liss to dig into the big changes coming to CarPlay in iOS 13 and the story behind Vignette, Casey’s app for assigning profile pictures to contacts.
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On this week’s episode of Connected:
Federico is just a pile of recurring automations now, so Myke and Stephen discuss the rollout of Apple Card and the macOS bounty program, before a dive into FileMaker’s history and recent rebranding and a discussion of moving on from the Apple Watch.
You can listen below (and find the show notes here).
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On this week’s episode of Adapt:
With September fast approaching, Federico and Ryan reflect on iPadOS 13 after two months of use, then Ryan does a deep dive on Apple Mail – how he uses it, what power user features it offers, and where it’s still lacking.
You can listen below (and find the show notes here), and don’t forget to send us questions using #AskAdapt and by tagging our Twitter account.
This week, Federico and John consider the state of Apple’s built-in apps and whether it’s getting harder for third-party developers to compete with them.
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On this week’s episode of Connected:
Stephen is back from repairing Macs and ruined the intro. Federico explains what’s going on with iOS 13 Beta 5, and Myke is excited about the second coming of the Galaxy Fold. Then, the guys discuss Apple’s Q3 results.
You can listen below (and find the show notes here).
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This week, Federico and John talk about pro app subscriptions in the context of the recently-released flight tracker, Flighty, and the new home automation possibilities available when combining new features of iOS 13 with an app/service like Pushover.
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On this week’s episode of Connected:
Federico and Myke are interested in expanding their smart home devices, wondering if Apple will buy a chunk of Intel, and considering the possible new features of the iPhone 11.
You can listen below (and find the show notes here).
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On this week’s episode of Adapt:
Federico is challenged to use the iPad for a whole day without touching its display, and the guys discuss a grab bag of iPadOS 13 features they’re enjoying.
You can listen below (and find the show notes here), and don’t forget to send us questions using #AskAdapt and by tagging our Twitter account.
John
