Screens 3.2 Adds Trackpad Mode For VNC Control

Edovia’s Screens, my favorite VNC app for iOS, has been updated to version 3.2, which, among other minor additions and improvements, brings a new mode to control a computer’s screen using an iOS device like a regular trackpad. As people who have been using Screens since the first version may know, this is a big change for the app, and I’m glad that Edovia integrated it perfectly with Screens.

It used to be that Screens could only control a computer not by letting you drag the cursor around as other VNC apps do, but by letting you tap to click and move the cursor. In version 3.2, there’s an optional Trackpad Mode in the app’s settings that allows you to activate the traditional behavior of VNC clients: your finger becomes the cursor as you move it on the screen and taps still trigger mouse clicks. You can control the cursor on any area of the screen (including the gray background), and, in my tests, cursor movements have been quick and smooth both on a local WiFi network and when connected to a remote Mac mini.

While I’m a fan of Screens’ gestures, I’ve always wished for an option to enable trackpad mode for precision controls. Before today’s update, I would find myself constantly zooming in and out in Screens to tap small buttons or menu items, whereas trackpad mode enables better precision controls that work well in the app – all while retaining gestures.

Screens 3 remains a fantastic VNC client for iOS 7 – the best in my opinion. The app is Universal, syncs with iCloud (now comes with iCloud Keychain support too), has full hardware keyboard support, and it can send/receive pasteboards and grab a screenshot of a remote computer. Most VNC apps for iOS tend to be poorly designed and difficult to master or navigate in their Preferences; Screens is easy to use, it’s packed with features (it even has URL schemes), and it puts the focus on – as the app’s name implies – your computers’ screens.

Screens 3.2 is available on the App Store.

WhatsApp: The Inside Story→

From an excerpt of David Rowan’s profile of WhatsApp, which was acquired today by Facebook:

We’re the most atypical Silicon Valley company you’ll come across,“ says Acton, a clean-cut, red-faced 42-year-old from Michigan, whose appearance contrasts markedly with Koum’s 188cm-tall, dark, unshaven look. “We were founded by thirtysomethings; we focused on business sustainability and revenue rather than getting big fast; we’ve been incognito almost all the time; we’re mobile first; and we’re global first.” He and Koum, he adds, are “the yin and yang – I’m the naïve optimist, he’s more paranoid. I pay attention to bills and taxes, he pays attention to our product. He’s CEO. I just make sure stuff gets done.

One of the reasons WhatsApp worked was its simplicity. There was no “bloat”, as the WhatsApp co-founders told Wired. That’s not a concept that’s usually associated with Facebook.

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Multiple Counters with Touch Counters

In episode 34 of The Prompt, I mentioned Touch Counters as my app pick. Touch Counters is a simple counter for iPhone that lets you display up to four counters simultaneously on screen, touching each corner to count up or down.

Touch Counters is the only iPhone app with support for multiple counters I could find on the App Store, and it could be improved in several ways. Some of the UI assets aren’t Retina-ready (seriously), there are typos in the interface, and sometimes the app plays the sound associated with taps when you just want to swipe the sidebar away. From a design perspective, it’s not great.

However, in spite of these flaws and general lack of polish, Touch Counters works as advertised: when I need to count different sets of items at the same time, I can create counters and tap on separate areas of the screen, which are visualized with different colors. Each counter can have a text label, and you can customize the background and font color in a counter’s settings; counters can be saved with totals and notes, but they can’t be exported from the app. You can even change the default increment or decrement of individual counters in the Settings.

There are probably other apps that do what Touch Counters does with a more refined UI, but Touch Counters works and I wish I used it when I had to compile posts like this. Touch Counters is $0.99 on the App Store, and I hope the developer will soon release an update.

Elevating The Expedition→

Apple:

Mountaineers Adrian Ballinger and Emily Harrington have scaled many of the most renowned – and feared – mountains on Earth. In exploring frigid and unforgiving altitudes that most humans visit only in the comfort of a pressurized jet cabin, one piece of equipment has become essential to them: their iPad.

Earlier today, Apple posted the second profile of the Your Verse campaign for the iPad. The webpage has a neat layout and there are notes about the GPS app Ballinger and Harrington use, but I was hoping Apple would also specify whether or not 3G/LTE coverage is usually available and/or reliable at base camp. Overall, a good showcase of the iPad’s portability.

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Directional: The New Blue Ocean→

Myke and Federico introduce Directional and discuss what they want the show to be, before going on to discuss Nintendo. They talk about Nintendo’s current position, investigate the idea of integrated hardware and software and look at some potential avenues for evolution.

In our inaugural episode of Directional, we talk about Nintendo. I thought that we could sum up our point of views and notes in a single episode, but I was wrong. Look for more Nintendo discussion (alongside follow-up, new picks, and more) next week.

I’m extremely grateful for the positive feedback, constructive criticism, and support we’ve received on Directional so far. You can follow the show on Twitter as @DirectionalShow (managed by Myke and I), and get Level 1 here.

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Realmac To Migrate Clear+ Customers Back To Original Clear App

Realmac Software, makers of Clear and Ember, today announced they will revert to a single, Universal version of Clear after the heavily criticized launch of Clear+ in September. Clear+ was a paid, separate version of Clear that added iPad support, but several existing Clear customers responded negatively to the launch as the original Clear app would no longer receive updates. Following feedback, Realmac then tried to keep two versions of Clear on the App Store – the original Clear app as an iPhone-only version, and Clear+ as a Universal app – but that only generated further confusion.

In a letter to customers published today, Realmac’s Dan Counsell explains the company’s new strategy for Clear:

We’re going to be returning to just one, universal version of Clear for iOS, with the original version of Clear gaining iPad support. If you already own a copy of Clear, you don’t need to do anything as we’ve just launched an updated version of Clear with iPad support.

As Apple doesn’t offer a way to migrate users between copies of an app, we’re going to make Clear free for 24 hours so owners of Clear+ can move to the correct version free of charge.

To make sure as many people as possible can move to Clear, we’re going to do this twice in the next few weeks. We know this is risky - we rely on the income from Clear to run our small, independent company - and so whilst this was by no means an easy decision for us to make, we simply want to do the right thing for you, our customers.

Realmac has also posted a FAQ page with details on how to migrate lists from Clear+ to Clear – the migration is handled locally on iOS upon launching the original Clear app, which was updated today.

As part of the transition from Clear+, Clear will be available for free on the App Store for a limited time as a Universal app for iOS 7; Realmac will communicate details of the 24-hour sale through the company’s newsletter.

Take Control Of Apple TV→

Written by TidBITS managing editor Josh Centers, the ebook walks new owners through setup, and then dives into explaining how to best control the Apple TV with the included remote, Apple’s Remote app, or another TV remote. You’ll learn to customize the icon grid on the main screen, enable parental controls, and make your screen saver look awesome. Josh also covers uses of AirPlay, the Apple technology that lets you beam audio and video from an iPhone, iPad, or Mac to the Apple TV, and lets the Apple TV send audio to compatible speakers anywhere in your home.

Last December, I decided to connect my second-generation Apple TV to my television again because I wanted to check out the progress Apple had made with channels and the user interface. I ended up “using” the Apple TV a lot with Plex and Infuse, both set up to stream videos over AirPlay. Each weekend, my girlfriend and I watch a couple of movies on the big screen with our Apple TV, and I’m constantly impressed by the simplicity and reliability of AirPlay.

However, the Apple TV’s interface can be clunky and there are a variety of settings that aren’t immediately clear. That’s why I wish I had a copy of Josh Centers’ new book three months ago: from first setup to advanced tips such as installing PlexConnect, Josh covers every aspect of the Apple TV to get the most out of the device, AirPlay streaming, compatible iOS apps, and more. The book’s layout is easy to parse and navigate, there are handy illustrations and tooltips, and, in general, it has the usual degree of quality and care that you can expect from the Take Control eBooks.

A must-have for Apple TV owners interested in knowing everything about it, and well worth $10.

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Time Zone Conversions with TimeZlider

I previously wrote about my need for a time zone conversion utility for iOS when I covered Living Earth, an app that mixes global weather information with regular clock functionalities. I’ve been using Living Earth regularly, and I like it a lot, especially because I find its design polished and interesting. I’ve been wondering, though, whether a simpler approach to quick time zone conversions could work better for me, and I came across World TimeZlider, developed by Creo and available at $0.99 on the App Store.

Read more

Docsforce→

Our thanks to Docsforce for sponsoring MacStories this week. Docsforce is a new service that delivers electronic statements and invoices from companies (providers) to their clients (consumers) securely and privately.

Businesses – Tired of sending paper invoices to your customers or maintaining a download site? Use Docsforce to deliver electronic statements to your customers. We offer a secure download site private to your business. Keep using your PDF statements, invoices and accounting system. Sign up for a free trial, invite your customers. It takes just minutes.

Are you a service provider preparing statements? Whether you are a cloud company with lots of consumers, or a provider of accounting solutions, we can integrate Docsforce into your organization and turn your business into a magnet for growth.

Consumers – tired of dozens of websites and receiving paper statements? Automatically receive all your Docsforce statements in one place, no manual downloading from every provider. Our consumer apps or a browser let you view and export. We keep your statements stored in a super-secure cloud.

Visit docsforce.com and start living your paperless future today.

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