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This week, Federico and Myke discuss the Amazon Echo, Tim Cook’s letter to the FBI and Apple executives on The Talk Show.
A solid episode of Connected this week, with an interesting discussion on software quality and Apple’s focus. You can listen here.
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I’m a big fan of 2Do, and today’s 3.8.1 update packs some neat additions that heavy users of the app should check out.
Besides new settings for due dates and default collection lists, 2Do now comes with new search presets for dates, which will allow you to create smart lists for tasks due today, tomorrow, this week, and more. You can also look for tasks that have been completed within a specific date range – useful to build filters to see how much you’ve been productive in, say, the past week.
There are enhancements for automation with URL schemes, too: you can now perform quick searches without creating a smart list every time (imagine the possibilities with Workflow and Drafts here), and – this is something a lot of users were asking for – the URL scheme has a new parameter to pick an existing project/checklist to add a new task to.
2Do keeps getting more powerful on each release. You can get version 3.8.1 here.
No new information or interesting tidbits from this brief profile of Apple’s CEO and CDO on Vogue, but I liked this bit from Ive at the end:
“Both the hand and the machine can produce things with exquisite care or with no care at all,” says Ive. “But it’s important to remember that what was seen at one time as the most sophisticated technology eventually becomes tradition. There was a time when even the metal needle would have been seen as shocking and profoundly new.”
Big news for those who are into sharing GIFs on Twitter: the company has announced today a GIF button that will make it easy to do so.
Whenever you’re composing a Tweet or Direct Message, you can search and browse the GIF library. So if you’re looking for the perfect cat yawn or dance move to express exactly how you feel, just click the new GIF button. You can search by keyword, or browse categories of different reactions like Happy Dance, Mic Drop, or YOLO.
The new button isn’t available for everyone yet – as usual, it’ll roll out “in the coming weeks”. As Jack tweeted, it’ll show up in the “Tweetbox” (I can’t be the only one who misread that as Tweetbot at first).
In related GIF news, GIPHY is now integrated with Outlook on the web as well.
Yesterday, Droplr released a version of its online file sharing service as a Mac-only integration with Slack called Screenbot. Like Droplr, which I covered in my roundup of Mac and iOS screenshot apps, Screenbot makes it easy to share screenshots, screencasts, the clipboard, and other items.
Screenbot has a free tier that permits you to share a rather anemic 20 items per month. For unlimited sharing, you will need to pay $5 per Slack user, per month, which could get expensive fast if you have a lot of users. Given the amount of time so many teams spend in Slack, Screenbot is a smart move by Droplr, but I am skeptical about whether it is economical, unless you have a big budget and your file sharing needs are simple.
A Californian court yesterday ordered Apple to provide the FBI with a custom version of iOS that would circumvent security measures and allow the FBI to unlock the iPhone of one of the San Bernardino shooters.
Just a short time ago, Apple CEO Tim Cook published an open letter on Apple’s website. In his letter to customers, Cook explains why Apple opposes the order and warns of the implications should Apple be forced to do what has been ordered. Cook calls for “public discussion” of the issue and notes that “we want our customers and people around the country to understand what is at stake”.
Specifically, the FBI wants us to make a new version of the iPhone operating system, circumventing several important security features, and install it on an iPhone recovered during the investigation. In the wrong hands, this software — which does not exist today — would have the potential to unlock any iPhone in someone’s physical possession.
The FBI may use different words to describe this tool, but make no mistake: Building a version of iOS that bypasses security in this way would undeniably create a backdoor. And while the government may argue that its use would be limited to this case, there is no way to guarantee such control.
This is Apple at its best. Using its stature to cogently make the case for better public policy – in this case the need for encryption and standing strong against any attempt to undermine it. I would highly encourage you to read Cook’s entire letter.
The government is asking Apple to hack our own users and undermine decades of security advancements that protect our customers — including tens of millions of American citizens — from sophisticated hackers and cybercriminals. The same engineers who built strong encryption into the iPhone to protect our users would, ironically, be ordered to weaken those protections and make our users less safe.
We can find no precedent for an American company being forced to expose its customers to a greater risk of attack. For years, cryptologists and national security experts have been warning against weakening encryption. Doing so would hurt only the well-meaning and law-abiding citizens who rely on companies like Apple to protect their data. Criminals and bad actors will still encrypt, using tools that are readily available to them.
Terrific update to Panic’s SSH client for iOS, Prompt. The new version brings iOS 9 features such as Spotlight search and 3D Touch, but, most of all, it adds Split View support on the iPad and the ability to open multiple connections in separate tabs.
I’m planning to install AirSonos on my Synology DS214play soon (I haven’t gotten around it yet because the instructions aren’t exactly…user-friendly), and I plan to use Prompt for the job. What a great iOS app.
See also: Dan Moren at Six Colors.
Dave Teare, writing on the AgileBits blog about the latest addition to 1Password – a way to share 1Password securely with your family:
1Password for Families builds on our new Teams infrastructure to give you everything you need to protect your loved ones. And it’s only $5 a month for your family of 5.
It’s never been easier to share 1Password with your whole family. There’s no sync service to set up, vaults appear automatically, and there’s an Admin Console where you can invite people and manage sharing with your family.
Every family member gets their own copy of 1Password, and their own personal space to store private information. With this, you can give them the tools they need to stay safe without taking away their independence.
The service costs $5/month and it comes with the full suite of 1Password apps for every platform. It also offers 1 GB of document storage for attachments (2 GB if you’re already a 1Password user and sign up before March 21), and the interface to manage access and review permissions looks polished and friendly. I should seriously consider this so my parents can stop calling me about their forgotten passwords (I love them, but they’re terrible with online accounts).
You can read more and sign up for 1Password for Families here.
We all struggle with productivity. We are constantly pressured to accomplish more, and to do it quicker. There is no one definitive way to accomplish that, and we have all devised our own little method to make things work.
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Our thanks to Igloo for sponsoring MacStories this week.
