On this week’s episode of AppStories, we look at the apps Apple has acquired over the years and where they are now.
Sponsored by:
- FlightLogger: real-time flight tracking on iOS for worry-free travels.
AppStories, Episode 47 – Apple App Acquisitions→
Sleep++ 3.0 Brings Automatic Sleep Detection on Apple Watch
Sleep++, developed by _David Smith, was one of the first apps to experiment with the idea of using the Apple Watch as a sleep tracker. Using physical movement data collected by the Watch overnight, Sleep++ allowed you to keep track of time spent sleeping without having to buy a separate device (funnily enough, exactly what Apple itself acquired).
Linea Sketch 2.0: Elegant, Approachable Sketching for the iPad
Today, The Iconfactory released a major update to its iPad sketching app, Linea. Version 2.0, which has been renamed Linea Sketch, takes what was already one of my favorite Apple Pencil-enabled drawing apps and has extended it with new features that make it more powerful than ever before. Most importantly though, the new features don’t come at the expense of the app’s usability.
When I reviewed Linea 1.0 last year, I was struck by how approachable yet capable the app was. That’s still the case, but The Iconfactory has added several new features that should make it appeal to an even broader audience.
Setapp: An App for Every Job, Already on Your Mac [Sponsor]
Setapp is a Mac app subscription service created by MacPaw, the maker of CleanMyMac. For one low monthly fee, Setapp offers more than 110 of the very best Mac apps from big names like Ulysses, Bartender, and iMazing. It’s a collection that grows every month becoming more and more valuable to subscribers.
Setapp includes a vast array of apps. There are productivity apps like task managers, time trackers, and text editors, as well as photo editors, developer tools, and much more. When you sign up, Setapp installs a handy catalog on your Mac that lets you easily browse its offerings. Nothing is downloaded until you decide to install it.
The app is designed to make finding just the right app easy too. The included apps are carefully vetted and curated, so you know that only the highest quality apps from the best developers are included. The business model couldn’t be more clear either. There are no hidden costs or gimmicks. You pay just $9.99 per month for access to the entire catalog of apps including any updates. There are no fees for upgrades, no In-App Purchases, or other hidden costs. Every app is a fully functional version that updates automatically.
Sign up today to unlock this amazing collection of Mac apps. Setapp is free to try, and you can extend the trial period up to six months by referring friends.
Our thanks to Setapp for sponsoring MacStories this week.
Apple Promotes Face ID with a Video That Asks What if You Could Open Anything by Looking at It?
A new tongue-in-cheek ad from Apple highlighting the power of Face ID has been published on YouTube. The ad begins with a girl walking through the halls of a high school who looks startled when she unlocks her iPhone X by looking at it. Next, she looks at a locker in the hallway that unlocks too, spilling its contents onto the floor. From there, the girl runs through the school unlocking and opening everything in sight, wreaking havoc to the beat of Bang Bang by Pete Cannon, a single that was released on Apple Music today.
The video is fun way of promoting Face ID by imagining what it would be like if you could unlock anything with just a glance.
Apple Invites Press to An Event For Teachers and Students in Chicago
Last December, Apple announced a partnership with the Chicago Public Schools to bring Apple’s Everyone Can Code program to the city’s students. Today, Apple sent invitations out to members of the press about an event that will be held at Lane Tech College Prep High School in Chicago. The invitation, which is titled ‘Let’s Take a Field Trip,’ says ‘Join us to hear creative new ideas for teachers and students.’ The event is scheduled for March 27, 2018 at 10:00 a.m.
https://twitter.com/reckless/status/974640632697368576
The invitation doesn’t provide details of what Apple has in store for the event, but the debut of iOS 11.3, a new Apple Books app, and new entry-level iOS hardware targeted at the education market are all possibilities.
Jot Takes a Stripped-Down Approach to Note Taking
Jot is a simple note taking app that collects the little bits of textual ephemera that come at you throughout the day. True to its name, Jot makes it easy to take down notes quickly. Although I think there’s room for a few more features that would enhance the app without compromising its simple approach, anyone with basic note taking needs that is looking for an app that focuses first and foremost on the words captured should appreciate Jot.
The Initial iPhone SDK
As noted by Craig Hockenberry, it has been a full decade since Apple shipped the first version of the iPhone SDK to developers.
It’s hard to remember today that, in the beginning, the iPhone didn’t have third-party apps. It came with a handful of built-in apps written by Apple for things like checking stocks and the weather, jotting down quick notes, making calendar events and reviewing contact information.
These apps were, for the most part, self-contained. The rich environment we enjoy on iOS today where apps can share lots of data with each other just wasn’t present in 2007.
The outlier in this paradigm was Safari, which put the Internet — or at least the parts that didn’t require Flash — in the palm of our hands.
What HomePod Should Become: A Hub for All Apple-Centric Needs
Today the HomePod is all about music, but it could be so much more.
From its debut last June at WWDC to launch day this February, HomePod’s primary purpose has been clear: it’s an Apple Music accessory. Music has been the sole focus of Apple’s marketing, including the recent Spike Jonze short film – yet it’s an angle many have trouble accepting.
In a pre-Amazon Echo world, HomePod being a great Apple Music speaker would have been enough. But in 2018 we expect more from smart speakers, and we expect more from Apple.
HomePod succeeds as a music speaker, but it’s not the device we expected – at least not yet. Due to its arrival date more than three years after the birth of Alexa, we expected a smarter, more capable product. We expected the kind of product the HomePod should be: a smart speaker that’s heavy on the smarts. Apple nailed certain aspects with its 1.0: the design, sound quality, and setup are all excellent. But that’s not enough.
HomePod isn’t a bad product today, but it could become a great one.
How?
By becoming a true hub for all our Apple-centric needs.