As first noted by 9to5mac, Apple has confirmed they will live stream the WWDC 2014 keynote on June 2. Speakers haven’t been revealed yet, but, considering the company’s history over the past few years, CEO Tim Cook will likely kick off the keynote, with SVPs Federighi, Schiller, and Cue assigned to announcing new versions of iOS, OS X, improvements to iCloud and iTunes, or new hardware. According to the company’s website, “exciting announcements” will be revealed during the special event, which will start at 10 AM PDT.
Vesper 2.0 with Sync→
Vesper, Q Branch’s note-taking app for iPhone that I reviewed last year, added sync support with version 2.0, available today on the App Store. Q Branch is calling the (optional) service “Vesper Sync”, but right now it’s primarily intended to serve as a backup for your notes because Vesper is still iPhone-only (of course, there are also people who use two iPhones).
I’ve been following the development of Vesper Sync through the excellent Vesper Sync Diary series on Brent Simmons’ blog. It sounded like Q Branch wanted to ship fast, reliable, and invisible sync with the app and that’s exactly what they did. I like how Vesper Sync updates in (almost) real-time and how it doesn’t feel like something that you have to manage inside the app – you only see a network spinner for a second in the status bar and then sync disappears in the background. It’s a pretty sweet and elegant implementation, and it bodes well for Vesper’s likely future availability on more platforms.
Vesper 2.0 is available on the App Store as a free update.
Reeder 2.2→
Reeder 2.2 for iOS, out today on the App Store, fixes one of the major annoyances that I mentioned in my original review: lack of background app refresh on iOS 7. I find having content from feed readers or podcast clients ready when you launch an app is a great experience, and now Reeder can download articles in the background on a per-account basis (smart choice).
In the update, Silvio Rizzi also switched to new authentication methods for Pocket and Pinboard (nice), updated Messages sharing (much better now), and increased gesture support for navigation inside the app.
Reeder 2.2 is available on the App Store.
The State of the Apple Developer Ecosystem→
There’s no denying that WWDC 2013 was one of the most exciting in recent years - however, for all the new technologies Apple announced the thing that struck me most - the thing that excited me most as someone building things for the Apple ecosystem - was a single phrase in many of the sessions: “Also available on the Mac”.
A thoughtful article by Nik Fletcher, who takes a look at the state of developer technologies for iOS and OS X. Better developer tools typically equal less time spent working around OS limitations or outdated web interfaces, resulting in leaner development workflows, more apps, and faster updates – which is what everybody wants. Nik offers some great suggestions.
iPhone Ringtone Remix→
I don’t usually link to dance remixes of popular songs, but this remix (via TechCrunch) of the default iOS 7 ringtone is simply great. MetroGnome did an impressive job with the various sections of the remix (I especially like the build-up in the middle) and the end has a nice surprise.
Download links for the MP3 and ringtone versions are available on MetroGnome’s YouTube channel.
The Prompt: Nights In The Other Room→
Shawn Blanc’s Review of OmniFocus 2 for Mac→
If you’re looking for an in-depth review of the just-released OmniFocus 2, Shawn Blanc did a great job at explaining what OmniFocus does and documenting its evolution through the years.
I don’t need OmniFocus, but just reading Shawn’s review makes me wish I had more projects to love the app as much as he does.
OmniFocus 2 for Mac from a Reminders User’s Perspective
There was a time when I thought that I needed a powerful GTD app to be productive. Over the years, I’ve come to realize that all I need, really, is just a list of things to remember and some calendar events. I’ve been using Apple’s Reminders and Calendar with iCloud as my primary todo systems for over a year now, and my schedule hasn’t been disrupted by a cataclysm of missed appointments and overflowing todo lists.
It’s with this mindset that I approached OmniFocus 2 for Mac, released today as a new version of The Omni Group’s popular GTD software: fundamentally, I don’t need the app. But as an old OmniFocus user who switched over to Apple’s less flexible Reminders and stayed with it in spite of its (sometimes disarming) simplicity, I thought it’d be interesting to evaluate OmniFocus 2 with a fresh pair of eyes and a genuine curiosity for the work put into this new version.
Review: djay 2.5 Adds Spotify Integration, Automix Radio
Since its first release in late 2010, Algoriddim’s djay was always met with the same question: without the right songs on your iPad, how can you fully enjoy the app? Three years and numerous awards later (including an Apple Design Award in 2011), Algoriddim wants to tear down the barrier to entry for its popular DJ software with a simple, yet technologically complex solution: full Spotify integration.