AppStories, Episode 367 – Apple Vision Pro Preparations, Questions, and Apps→

This week on AppStories, we kick Apple Vision Pro preparations into high gear, sharing the questions we still have about the device and discussing the apps developers are working on.

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On AppStories+, we look back at CES and the gadgets we’re excited about and disappointed with.

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Hands-On: Ford Debuts New in-Car Digital Platform with Dual-Screen Apple Maps via CarPlay→

Today, Ford announced its next-generation in-car infotainment system built on Google’s Android Automotive platform, which includes an expansion of its CarPlay support.

Chance Miller at 9to5Mac got a preview of the new system last week, which includes support for a variety of built-in apps but can also run Android Auto and CarPlay. As Chance explains, this isn’t the next-gen CarPlay Apple showed off at WWDC 2022, but it does represent an extension of CarPlay onto more screens in Ford vehicles:

As part of the new Ford and Lincoln Digital Experience, Ford is adding support for dual-screen Apple Maps for the first time. This means that when you start Apple Maps navigation on the primary CarPlay screen, the Apple Maps interface will expand into the instrument cluster display.

Be sure to catch 9to5Mac’s full hands-on video because it’s interesting to see how CarPlay has been embedded in a sort of Android Automotive wrapper, allowing drivers to access the apps chosen by Ford or the CarPlay apps are on their iPhones.

This approach makes far more sense to me than GM’s abandonment of CarPlay. However it also comes with a certain amount of visual dissonance between the design of the two systems, which I find jarring.

Also, don’t miss the end of the video where the person demoing the system breaks out a foldable Bluetooth keyboard and starts browsing the web because it has some very big in-car Viticci productivity vibes.

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Apple Releases iOS and iPadOS 17.3 with Collaborative Playlists, Stolen Device Protection, New Black Unity Wallpaper, and More

Update: This story previously listed paying with Apple Pay as one of the actions protected with Stolen Device Protection on. Apple has since clarified in a Support document that paying with Apple Pay can still be performed using the iPhone passcode.

Today, Apple released iOS and iPadOS 17.3, the third major updates to the operating systems that launched in September and Federico reviewed on MacStories.

iOS and iPadOS 17.3 bring only a couple of major new features, including one that was previously expected to be released in iOS and iPadOS 17.2 (but was then delayed), a welcome new layer of protection and security for your Apple ID, and a set of new dynamic wallpapers.

Let’s jump in.

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The Vision Pro’s Most Important App Is Safari→

Interesting perspective by David Pierce, writing for The Verge, on how, for the time being, Vision Pro users may have to use Safari to access popular services more than they anticipated:

But what if you don’t need the App Store to reach Apple users anymore? All this corporate infighting has the potential to completely change the way we use our devices, starting with the Vision Pro. It’s not like you can’t use Spotify on the headset; it’s just that instead of tapping a Spotify app icon, you’ll have to go to Spotify.com. Same for YouTube, Netflix, and every other web app that opts not to build something native for the Vision Pro. And for gamers, whether you want to use Xbox Game Pass or just play Fortnite, you’ll also need a browser. Over the last decade or so, we’ve all stopped opening websites and started tapping app icons, but the age of the URL might be coming back.

If you believe the open web is a good thing, and that developers should spend more time on their web apps and less on their native ones, this is a big win for the future of the internet. (Disclosure: I believe all these things.) The problem is, it’s happening after nearly two decades of mobile platforms systematically downgrading and ignoring their browsing experience. You can create homescreen bookmarks, which are just shortcuts to web apps, but those web apps don’t have the same access to offline modes, cross-app collaboration, or some of your phone’s other built-in features. After all this time, you still can’t easily run browser extensions on mobile Safari or mobile Chrome. Apple also makes it maddeningly complicated just to stay logged in to the services you use on the web across different apps. Mobile platforms treat browsers like webpage viewers, not app platforms, and it shows.

As we saw when we surveyed the state of apps already submitted to the visionOS App Store, more companies than we expected have – for now – decided not to offer their apps on the Vision Pro, either in the form of native visionOS apps or iPad apps running in compatibility mode.

I think that “for now” is key here: if visionOS proves to be a successful platform in the long term (and early sales numbers for the Vision Pro seem encouraging), most companies won’t be able to afford ignoring it. And why would they? If the users are there, why shouldn’t they provide those users with a better app experience?

This idea is predicated upon the assumption that native apps still offer a superior app experience compared to their web counterparts. The tide has been turning over the past few years. Workflows that would have been unthinkable in a web browser until a few years ago (such as design and collaboration) can now live in a browser; the most popular AI service in the world is literally a website; the resurgence of browsers (with Arc arguably leading the space) proves that a new generation of users (who likely grew up with Chromebooks in school) doesn’t mind working inside a browser.

With this context in mind, I think Apple should continue improving Safari and extend its capabilities on visionOS. My understanding is that, in visionOS 1.0, Safari cannot save PWAs to the user’s Home Screen; I wouldn’t be surprised if that feature gets added before visionOS 2.0.

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Textastic Code Editor [Sponsor]

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This begins with support for syntax highlighting of more than 80 programming and markup languages: Textastic covers a wide range, including HTML, JavaScript, CSS, C, C++, Swift, Objective-C, Rust, Go, Java, PHP, Python, Ruby, Perl, Lua, Markdown, LaTeX, YAML, JSON, and more. If your preferred language isn’t on the extensive list, you have the flexibility to add your own syntax definitions and themes, compatible with Sublime Text and TextMate.

With clients for SFTP, FTP, WebDAV, Dropbox, and Google Drive, however, Textastic goes well beyond the capabilities of a traditional text editor. The integrated SSH terminal further extends its functionality. With support for tabs, you can have multiple files and SSH terminals open simultaneously, even opening them in multiple windows side by side on iPad.

Whether crafting web pages, performing code reviews, or editing server configuration files, Textastic proves to be the ideal tool for your mobile workflow.

Customizable keyboard shortcuts, extensive configuration options, support for Git repositories using the Git client Working Copy, and powerful find and replace turn this app into the most powerful code editor you’ll find on iPad.

The long list of features also includes support for iCloud Drive, the Files app, drag and drop, trackpad and mouse, printing, Split View, multiwindowing, and a whole lot more.

In moments of uncertainty, the in-depth manual, with detailed descriptions and nearly 150 screenshots, is your comprehensive guide.

With the recent update to version 10, the user interface received a refreshing makeover, boasting new icons and a modern look across all areas of the app. Notably, Swift syntax highlighting has seen substantial improvements, and file uploads have been simplified.

Limited-Time Offer: Get Textastic at a 20% discount on the App Store ($7.99 instead of $9.99 in the US). This special pricing lasts only until January 28, 2024, giving you the perfect window to enhance your coding toolkit.

Our thanks to Textastic for sponsoring MacStories this week.

Federico’s Evolving Setup→

Federico with the Z13 Acronym.

Federico with the Z13 Acronym.

Just like the App Store Review Guidelines, our Setups page is a living document. Federico and I are always tweaking and refining the gear we use, so it should come as no surprise that today, Federico updated his sections of the Setups page with new items, including his Asus gaming tablet from this week’s episode of MacStories Unwind and the accessories he used to mod his iPad Pro. He dropped a few items too.

Federico's iPad Pro mods.

Federico’s iPad Pro mods.

We’ve included a handy changelog at the top of the Setups page if you want to see the latest changes and will be linking updates here on the homepage to make it easy to follow along. I’ll have some updates soon too, but I’ve been waiting for a package for over a month that got stuck in Cologne, Germany. I’d love to spill the beans today, but what fun would that be? I’ll reveal what I’ve been up to soon enough.

Until then, here are the latest changes to Federico’s setup:

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MacStories Unwind: Godzilla vs. Ticci’s Surprise, Part 2

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This week on MacStories Unwind, I recommend Godzilla Minus One in honor of Magic Rays of Light joining MacStories and Federico shares part two of his big gaming surprise, explaining the hardware he’s using to emulate Switch games and more.

John’s Pick

Ticci’s Absolutely Bananas Gaming Tablet

Strap included.

Strap included.

The Ultimate lifestyle shots

The Ultimate lifestyle shots

Ticci and ACRNM.

Ticci and ACRNM.

Who doesn't love a kickstand?

Who doesn’t love a kickstand?

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Apple Releases a Guided Tour of Vision Pro and Shares a Making Of Video

Source: Apple.

Source: Apple.

Apple has released a guided tour of Vision Pro on its website that walks through a bunch of its features. Whether or not you’re planning to purchase Apple Vision Pro, this video is worth taking the time to watch. It’s about ten minutes long and covers many of the device’s core features from the perspective of someone using it for the first time.

I wish I’d seen this guided tour earlier. As someone who hasn’t had a hands-on demo of Apple Vision Pro, this video has done far more to get me excited to try it myself than anything else.

Tim Cook also shared a montage video on X/Twitter of the Vision Pro being manufactured, which can also be viewed on YouTube. The careful orchestration of robots milling parts and stitching bands together is mesmerizing to watch.

Every Apple Vision Pro Accessory Option

The Vision Pro Travel Case.

The Vision Pro Travel Case.

If you finished the Apple Vision Pro checkout process with any money left in your bank account, Apple has several accessories available for its new spatial computing headset.

The Vision Pro battery.

The Vision Pro battery.

At the $199 price point, you have three options:

The light seal.

The light seal.

The light seal cushion.

The light seal cushion.

However, if all you need is the light seal cushion, you can order that for $29. The Apple Vision Pro Solo Knit Band and Dual Loop Band are also available for separate purchase for $99 each.

The ZEISS lenses.

The ZEISS lenses.

If you forgot to order ZEISS lens inserts during checkout or your prescription changes, they can be purchased separately starting at $99 for non-prescription ‘reader’ lenses and $149 for prescription lenses.

The Dual Loop Band.

The Dual Loop Band.

The Solo Knit Band.

The Solo Knit Band.

As previously reported, Belkin is offering a battery clip that includes a case with a clip for the battery and a smaller clip for the power cable for $49.95. Apple also lists a 30W power adapter, USB-C charging cable, the Magic Keyboard, Magic Trackpad, and AirPods Pro (2nd generation) alongside the Vision Pro.

Oh hey, here's an accessory for less than $100. Thanks Belkin.

Oh hey, here’s an accessory for less than $100. Thanks Belkin.

Thankfully, it looks like Apple heard the critics of its AirPods Max case and built a polycarbonate protective case with a ‘ripstop outer shell’ and spots to tuck the device’s battery, optical lenses, and cover, along with ‘other accessories.’ The case looks nice, but I took a pass, figuring I can always pick one up in advance of my next trip if I decide to take the Vision Pro on the road with me.

I did, however, buy a spare battery. I expect that I’ll connect the battery that comes with the Vision Pro to power a lot of the time to get more than two hours of use out of it, but a spare battery will allow for greater portability.