Editorial Updated with 12.9-inch iPad Pro Support, Split View Multitasking

By Federico Viticci

Ole Zorn’s Editorial was the text editor that completely reimagined how I could work from iOS. While I have since moved to Ulysses as my primary text editor, I still use Editorial almost daily for its unique Markdown automation. Editorial’s combination of Python scripting and visual workflows for plain text editing is unparalleled and there’s nothing else like it on the App Store.

After a couple of years without updates and a long TestFlight beta period, Editorial has been updated for iOS Split View and the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. There are other changes (the workflow editor has been moved to the accessory panel and the Python editor now opens in a separate tab), but, overall, it’s still the same Editorial you know and love, updated for the latest iOS devices. I’ve been using the beta version of Editorial 1.3 for several months now – being able to keep Editorial next to another app is great for editing and research, and moving back and forth between a document and a workflow is easier.

As for everything else, my coverage of Editorial 1.0, 1.1, and 1.2 still stands; Editorial is the text editor for iOS power users thanks to its excellent automation features, advanced Markdown editing, and TaskPaper integration. As I wrote in November, I still edit all my longform stories in Editorial. Despite the paucity of updates, I love the app as it’s a shining example of pro software for iOS.

If you haven’t played with Editorial in a while, now’s a good time to check it out again (the app is also available at a discounted price of $4.99).

Daylite – Business Productivity App for Mac & iOS [Sponsor]

By Federico Viticci

This week is sponsored by Marketcircle, makers of Daylite – the business productivity app made for busy entrepreneurs and teams on Mac, iPhone, and iPad. If you’re struggling to juggle business coming in, and managing current projects, then Daylite is a tool you definitely want to check out.

If you need to be able to share client and project information, delegate tasks, share calendars and emails, and track projects – Daylite can help you do this all in one app.

Daylite is used by lawyers, consultants, real estate agents, photographers, designers, and other small businesses all over the world. It helps you organize and share information so you save time and get more done.

The best part about Daylite is it’s not a web app, so you can keep working even when you don’t have an Internet connection. And, new in Daylite 6.1 is support for multitasking on the iPad.

Try Daylite for free for 30 days starting today.

Our thanks to Marketcircle for sponsoring MacStories this week with Daylite.

Nintendo Switch Parental Controls App Coming to iOS →

Linked By Federico Viticci

Speaking of the Nintendo Switch, the company posted a video earlier today showcasing the functionalities of an upcoming Nintendo Switch Parental Controls app for iPhone, which will allow parents to monitor usage of the Switch console directly from iOS.

Sam Machkovech, writing for Ars Technica, describes how the app will work:

Parents who use the app will be able to remotely monitor the full log-in and gameplay record of any child account, showing game starts, durations of play, and which games kids play. App users can also enforce gameplay time limits, and the video shows a per-day “screen time” allowance. This defaults as a baseline time-per-day rule, though parents can also choose a more granular number of hours on specific days (including a suggestion that perhaps kids get to play the Switch more on weekends).

Should a kid go over his or her allotted time, the app gives parents two options: send a on-screen warning to the child that time is up, or immediately lock the system. Nintendo is giving parents the option to let kids police their own over-time gameplay, perhaps to find a save point or other logical stoppage, but parents can send a remote account shutdown should the child disobey such an alarm’s warning. In one sequence, the video shows Bowser Jr. continuing a full hour past his alarm (the little brat). What the video doesn’t clarify, however, is whether parents will be able to send remote shutdown notices, or if they only find out about kids’ time overages after the fact.

Aside from the tiny iPhone used by Bowser in the video, the app looks fairly impressive – it can send notifications to a Switch, set daily limitations, and even display gameplay stats collected by the console. Between parental controls and the upcoming online services, it seems like Nintendo will be delegating key features of the Switch to dedicated iOS apps. Interesting strategy.

Permalink

Remaster, Episode 26: The Nintendo Switch Presentation →

Linked By Federico Viticci

Myke, Federico, and Shahid break down Nintendo’s Switch presentation.

On today’s Remaster, we went over all the announcements from Nintendo’s Switch presentation – including games, pricing, the new online service, what Nintendo didn’t announce on stage, and more. You don’t want to miss this one. You can listen here.

Saving Emails from Airmail as Tasks in Todoist

By Federico Viticci

Federico

Among the new features in Airmail 1.5 (which I detailed on MacStories earlier this week), there is a new integration to add a Workflow step to any custom action. This new Workflow action makes it possible to share details of email messages – including body text and a callback URL – with an existing...

Member Requests

By Federico Viticci

Question: I recently started using DEVONthink. My current workflow is to scan with my iPhone or ScanSnap to Dropbox, then, when I have time, I rename the file and import to DEVONthink on iOS. After that, I manually delete the file in Dropbox. I’m looking for a way to automate this so I don’t have...

Apple Increases tvOS App Size Limit to 4 GB →

Linked By Federico Viticci

Nice change for tvOS app developers announced today by Apple:

The size limit of a tvOS app bundle has increased from 200 MB to 4 GB, so you can include more media in your submission and provide a complete, rich user experience upon installation. Also, tvOS apps can use On-Demand Resources to host up to 20 GB of additional content on the App Store.

On one hand, this prepares the platform for 4K support and larger file sizes in the future, and it makes another step towards legitimizing the Apple TV as a micro-console (in addition to bigger app downloads, developers can also require controllers in their games for tvOS 10).

However, the 64 GB version of the 4th generation Apple TV has been around for over a year now with little explanation from Apple as to why customers would want to spend more for increased storage, and this feels like lifting a limitation because why not.

I’m curious to see what happens now, particularly in terms of game releases on tvOS. This is a welcome change for game developers, but we haven’t seen any major tvOS exclusives so far.

Permalink

Apple in 2016: The Six Colors Report Card →

Linked By Federico Viticci

Jason Snell:

As we close the door on 2016, I thought it would be useful to look back at the year gone by and ask a panel of my peers who pay attention to Apple and related markets to take a moment and reflect on Apple’s performance in the past year.

This is the second year that I’ve presented a survey to a group of writers, editors, podcasters and developers. The survey was the same as last year’s. They were prompted with 11 different Apple-related subjects, and asked to rate them on a scale from 1 to 5, as well as optionally provide text commentary on their vote. I received 37 replies, with the average results as shown below.

I participated in this year’s edition of the Six Colors Apple report card, which features average scores and answers on a variety of Apple topics. It’s a good overview of where Apple stands today and where it could be going next.

Permalink

Why a 10.5” iPad Would Make Sense →

Linked By Federico Viticci

Dan Provost:

Rumors have been swirling about Apple working on an iPad that falls inbetween the 9.7” and 12.9” sizes they currently offer in the Pro lineup. John Gruber and Jim Dalrymple briefly discussed this on the latest episode of The Talk Show, with Gruber saying: “It doesn’t make any sense to me.” (discussion at 1 hour 41 minute mark). There is, I believe, one explanation that makes too much sense not to be true.

His numbers check out. An iPad with the same footprint of the 9.7” iPad Pro but a bigger display with the same pixel density of the iPad mini sounds like a very compelling iPad to me.

Permalink