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Single Sign-on Launches for tvOS and iOS

Today Apple launched its new Single Sign-on feature to all devices running version 10 or later of tvOS and iOS. The feature requires no software update or any other user action to get it.

Announced at this year’s WWDC, Single Sign-on was originally intended to ship with tvOS 10 in September, but ended up being delayed to later in the fall. The feature, which is available only in the U.S., allows users to enter their TV credentials once to gain access to content their TV plan entitles them to from a variety of video apps like NBC or USA NOW. Its delay was a disappointment to anyone who has experienced the annoyance of repeatedly proving that they pay for cable or satellite service. Now that Single Sign-on has officially arrived, its usefulness depends entirely on whether your TV provider is a launch partner.

Apple has a support page listing the details of which TV providers currently support Single Sign-on, and also which apps support the feature.

TV Providers:

  • CenturyLink Prism
  • DirecTV
  • Dish
  • GVTC
  • GTA
  • Hawaiian Telcom
  • Hotwire
  • MetroCast
  • Sling

Apps:

  • A&E (iOS only)
  • Bravo Now (tvOS only)
  • E! Now (tvOS only)
  • Hallmark Channel Everywhere (iOS and tvOS)
  • History (iOS only)
  • Lifetime (iOS only)
  • NBC (tvOS only)
  • Syfy Now (tvOS only)
  • Telemundo Now (tvOS only)
  • USA NOW (tvOS only)
  • Watch HGTV (iOS and tvOS)
  • Watch Food Network (iOS and tvOS)
  • Watch Cooking Channel (iOS and tvOS)
  • Watch DIY (iOS and tvOS)
  • Watch Travel Channel (iOS and tvOS)

Look for Apple to update these lists in the weeks and months to come as more TV providers and apps come on board.

WWDC App Updated With Filters, 3D Touch, and Apple TV Dark Mode

Apple’s WWDC app typically gets a major update in the run-up to its annual developer conference. The remainder of the year, it’s unusual for the app to receive updates other than bug fixes and compatibility updates.

Now, you can filter WWDC session videos by whether they have been downloaded or watched.

Now, you can filter WWDC session videos by whether they have been downloaded or watched.

Today’s update of the WWDC app is a little different. Apple has introduced three substantive changes to the WWDC app:

  • Filters to show whether a session video has been downloaded or watched;
  • 3D Touch support for peeking and popping session lists; and
  • Support for dark mode on the Apple TV.

For developers, the WWDC app’s utility extends beyond the conference itself, so it’s nice to see Apple refining the app this late in the year. With hundreds of videos available, the new filters are a welcome way to weed out watched, space-hogging videos.

Apple Posts iPhone 7 Plus Portrait Mode Tips from Professional Photographers→

The iPhone 7 Plus features a dual camera system that enables a special Portrait mode in the Camera app. Apple has collected tips for using Portrait mode from professional photographers, like this tip from photographer Pei Ketron:

”Portrait mode on the new iPhone 7 Plus creates beautifully realistic background bokeh that rivals DSLRs.” When taking photos of pets and animals she advises, “give your pup some space. Portrait mode uses the telephoto lens, so a distance of about eight feet away is recommended. Have treats ready. You’ll get the best results when your subject isn’t moving.”

Under the right conditions, Portrait mode can take some wonderful photographs as these demonstrate. The rest of the photographs and tips posted by Apple are available in the Apple Newsroom.

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Setapp From MacPaw Enters Beta Testing

MacPaw, makers of popular Mac utilities CleanMyMac, Gemini II, and other apps, wants to become the Netflix of the Mac app world. MacPaw’s new subscription service called Setapp, which entered public beta today, gives users access to a wide variety of macOS productivity apps for $9.99 per month. Developers who participate in Setapp are paid based on a formula that accounts for the price of the app outside the service and the number users after MacPaw takes a 30% cut.

I’ve spent time with a preview version of Setapp, and it couldn’t be easier for users to set up. After signing up and installing Setapp, it appears as a folder in Finder with icons for each of the apps that are part of the service, but the apps aren’t installed until you are ready to use them. When you’re ready, double-clicking an app’s icon opens a preview with an app description and screenshots so you can take a closer look at what the app does before installing it.

Double clicking an app in Setapp opens a summary of the app so you can check it out before installation.

Double clicking an app in Setapp opens a summary of the app so you can check it out before installation.

For developers, Setapp is an opportunity to stand out in a much smaller store than the Mac App Store, albeit one with competition from very well-known, quality apps like Ulysses, iThoughtsX, iStats Menu, Marked, TaskPaper, and MacPaw’s own apps, CleanMyMac and Gemini II, to name a few of the nearly 50 available as of the beta launch. By teaming up, the service should also help developers avoid subscription fatigue among customers who can pay one monthly fee for the apps they want instead of a number of small fees to several developers.

Setapp is an interesting option for consumers and, based on the lineup of apps already in place, appears to be an attractive one for developers too. We will continue to use Setapp during the beta period and take a closer look at the service when the final version launches.

Note: We will be giving away immediate access to the Setapp beta to 50 Club MacStories members in this week’s issue of MacStories Weekly, which will bypass the usual period between signing up for the beta and receiving access to the app.

New Apple Ad: Romeo & Juliet→

Apple released a new ad in its ‘practically magic’ series highlighting the video recording capabilities of the iPhone 7. The ad begins with a cinematic scene of two young actors performing Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet. The camera cuts to a third person perspective to reveal that it’s not a film playing in a theater, but a school play being recorded by a dad in the audience with his iPhone 7. The ad ends with the tag line ‘your movies look like movies on iPhone 7.’

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Twitterrific Adds Enhanced Media Browsing with Center Stage

Twitterrific 5.16 is out with a new media browsing feature called Center Stage. The feature, which has multiple entry points in the app, lets you dive into images, GIFs, and videos without losing where you were reading in your timeline. I like the design of Center Stage a lot and appreciate that it’s been thoughtfully implemented to enhance the Twitter reading experience without getting in the way.

Center Stage is a parallel way to browse Twitter focused primarily on media. One way to get started with the new feature is from the top of your timeline. If you tap the icon to the right of the search box that looks like as stack of photos, the most recent media in your timeline will animate into view from the bottom of the screen on a dark translucent backdrop with the related tweet at the bottom of the screen.

To navigate Center Stage, you swipe left or right through media. The options for interacting with tweets in Center Stage are more limited than from your regular timeline, but you can still retweet and like tweets. Depending where you enter Center Stage, a rewind button will appear on the left or right that takes you to where you began browsing media. In addition, tapping on the screen hides onscreen controls so you can focus on the media without any distractions.

From Center Stage, swipe down to dismiss the tweet and tap to hide controls.

From Center Stage, swipe down to dismiss the tweet and tap to hide controls.

The tweet at the bottom of Center Stage can be dismissed with a downward swipe leaving just the media. When a tweet is dismissed, the Center Stage icon appears in the lower right-hand corner of the screen. That’s because dismissing the tweet takes you out of Center Stage and into the standard media-preview mode. Tapping or swiping a media preview closes the view and returns you to your timeline. To jump back into Center Stage from preview mode, just tap the Center Stage icon. You can also exit from Center Stage and return to your timeline by tapping the close icon in the top-left corner of the screen or tapping the tweet at the bottom of the screen.

Another way to enter Center Stage is from a media preview. Instead of scrolling to the top of your timeline, you can preview something from anywhere, tap the Center Stage icon, and the related tweet will animate into view, ready for you to swipe through the surrounding media. Center Stage is also available from user profiles. If you tap on a media thumbnail in someone’s Twitter profile, Center Stage opens, immediately allowing you browse among the photos, GIFs, and videos someone has posted with the added benefit of the related tweets.

Timeline, media preview, and Center Stage modes.

Timeline, media preview, and Center Stage modes.

Center Stage is great for casual browsing of media in your timeline, but I expect I will use it most at events like WWDC. When I’m in San Francisco for Apple’s developer conference, I don’t want to miss friends’ photos and videos of the event, but I also don’t have time to read every tweet in my timeline. With Center Stage I can go straight to those photos and videos and dip into my timeline later when I have more time.

The Iconfactory has raised the media browsing bar among third-party Twitter clients with Center Stage. The feature does a fantastic job of working hand in glove with the traditional browsing experience, enhancing and supporting it rather than getting in the way.

Twitterrific is a free download on the App Store with In-App Purchases for certain features.

Game Day: Apollo Justice Ace Attorney

Apollo Justice Ace Attorney was originally released in 2007 by Capcom for the Nintendo DS in Japan. This week, it debuted on iOS, remastered to take advantage of the iPhone’s and iPad’s touchscreens.

Apollo Justice is the fourth game in the Ace Attorney series. In the earlier games, which are available as a single iOS app, you play as attorney Phoenix Wright, but in Apollo Justice, Wright has been disbarred and accused of murder. Your job as Apollo Justice is to defend Wright at his trial.

This is not your typical courtroom drama. The storyline and flamboyant characters are bit bizarre. Consider this Capcom description of Apollo Justice’s nemesis for instance:

Facing Apollo across the courtroom is the highly talented and flamboyant prosecutor Klavier Gavin who, in addition to being a legal genius, is also lead singer with Gavinners, a highly successful rock band with a string of hits to their name.

As odd as the backstory is at times, it’s a quirkiness that works, adding a level of humor and intrigue that held my interest.

The story of the murder plays out in and out of the courtroom as you tap through the dialogue among the characters. At numerous points during the trial, you have the opportunity to press witnesses for additional information. Along the way, evidence is also gathered that you can examine. When you discover a contradiction between the testimony and evidence, you present it to the judge who decides whether you have advanced your client’s case.

This isn’t a realistic courtroom simulation game and the story is better for it. Instead, the trial is the conceit for exploring a mystery. You’re challenged to think and examine details in a sort of interactive mystery novel. It’s a format that you can play through in a leisurely, self-paced way that I enjoyed.

I didn’t play the original Apollo Justice on the Nintendo DS. This is my first encounter with the game and the Phoenix Wright series. Comparing the iOS version to screenshots of the original, Capcom has done a great job updating Apollo for iOS, which should make the game a no-brainer for fans of the original series. But even if you are new to the franchise as I was, Apollo is worth a try at just $0.99 for the first half of episode 1 if you enjoy mysteries and puzzle-solving.

The first half of episode 1 of Apollo Justice is available on the App Store for $0.99. That’s more game for your dollar than it sounds like and plenty to determine if you want to play through the rest of episode 1 and episodes 2-4. The remainder of episode 1 is $1.99 and episodes 2-4 are $4.99 each, or you can buy everything for $14.99.

Amazon’s New AI Tools for Developers→

Interesting announcements from Amazon at its AWS event this week: the company is rolling out a suite of artificial intelligence APIs for developers to plug their apps into. These tools are based on the AWS cloud (which a lot of your favorite apps and services already use) and they leverage the same AI and deep learning that has also powered Alexa, the software behind the Amazon Echo.

Here’s April Glaser, writing for Recode:

Drawing on the artificial intelligence that powers Amazon’s popular home assistant Alexa, the new tools will allow developers to build apps that have conversational interfaces, can turn text into speech and use computer vision that is capable of recognizing faces and objects.

Amazon’s latest push follows moves from Google and Microsoft, both of which have cloud computing platforms that already use artificial intelligence.

Google’s G Suite, for example, uses AI to power Smart Reply in Gmail, instant translation and smart scheduling functions in its calendar. Likewise, Microsoft recently announced it’s bringing artificial intelligence to its Office 365 service to add search within Word, provide productivity tracking and build maps from Excel with geographic data.

It’s increasingly starting to look like “AI as an SDK” will become a requirement for modern apps and services. Deep learning and AI aren’t limited to playing chess and recognizing cat videos anymore; developers are using this new kind of computing power for all kinds of features – see Plex, Spotify, and Todoist for two recent examples. I’ve also been hearing about iOS apps using Google’s Cloud Vision a lot more frequently over the past few months.

I think this trend will only accelerate as AI reshapes how software gets more and better work done for us. And I wonder if Apple is considering an expansion of their neural network APIs to match what others are doing – competition in this field is heating up quickly.

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Connected, Episode 119: Tiered Levels of Surprise→

This week, Stephen and Myke talk about CNN’s acquisition of Beme before answering questions about Relay FM, self employment and Casey Liss.

Myke and Stephen (for whom, by the way, I issued an official pardon) had a fun episode of Connected without me this week. You can listen here.

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