Posts tagged with "iOS"

Poking A Hole In The Sandbox: Using URLs on iOS→

Poking A Hole In The Sandbox: Using URLs on iOS

Using URLs on iOS

Using URLs on iOS

Just yesterday I wrote extensively about URL schemes and, specifically, x-callback-url in my review of Pythonista:

I believe that, going forward, Pythonista and other similar apps will show a new kind of “scripting” and task automation built around the core strenghts of iOS. As we’ve seen, x-callback-url is a standard that leverages a part of iOS – URL schemes – to achieve simple, user-friendly and URL-based inter-app communication that can be used in a variety of ways. Looking ahead, there’s a chance rumored features such as XPC will bring more Mac-like functionalities to iOS, but developers will still find new ways to make iOS more powerful without giving up on positive aspects such as increased security and the simplicity of the app model.

My workflow focused on x-callback-url, a protocol created by Agile Tortoise’s Greg Pierce. Thanks to 360|iDev, you can now watch a free session video of Greg Pierce himself explaining the basics of URL schemes on iOS as well as techniques to properly implement his specification, x-callback-url, to allow for more advanced inter-app communication, such as the one I’m using with Pythonista.

If you’re a developer and you’re interested in knowing more on the subject, check out the free video here.

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StatNut for iPhone

I’ll admit it: I am crazy about the details. I enjoy numbers, statistics, and as much info about my interests as humanly possible. Sometimes I wonder if my brain will collapse with all the data I try to absorb. I’m one of those people who reads the manual every time I get a new gadget because I want to know the ins and outs of how everything works.

Most of us enjoy seeing stats for our social networks; we like to know how many followers, clicks, etc. we have across the Internet. There are a few iOS apps out there that do so, like Ego or Birdbrain, but I’m always curious to try something new. StatNut is a new iPhone app from Shiny Frog and FFFABS that lets you add accounts from many social services and displays them in one easy to read mobile interface. Services include Instagram, Twitter, Dribbble, Facebook, Tumblr, Vimeo and YouTube.

Setup is easy: just enter your usernames and you’re ready to go. Once you enter your accounts you can access the settings for each by swiping to the right to reveal an animated gear icon; from there you can change your username or delete the account. Swiping to the left reveals more details like follows, lists, tweet counts, likes, shots, and favorites. A full swipe to the left reveals an animated opening eye, and this will take you to the mobile site of each service except Instagram; StatNut will open the Instagram app if you have it installed.

If you want to reorder the services, simply tap and hold to move them up and down. Some services will let you enter more than one username if you have multiple accounts, like Twitter or Dribbble. We have included a promo video below so you can see it in action. Read more

Apple Releases iOS 6.0.1 [Direct Links]

Apple just released iOS 6.0.1. The software update has hit Apple’s servers and is propagating now; iOS 6.0.1 is a bug fix release, which improves reliability of the iPhone 5 and iPod touch 5th gen on WiFi networks with WPA2 encryption, fixes the widely-reported issue of horizontal lines showing up on the software keyboard, and improves the behavior of the Camera flash.

iOS 6.0.1 changelog

  • Fixes a bug that prevents iPhone 5 from installing software updates wirelessly over the air
  • Fixes a bug where horizontal lines may be displayed across the keyboard
  • Fixes an issue that could cause camera flash to not go off
  • Improves reliability of iPhone 5 and iPod touch (5th generation) when connected to encrypted WPA2 Wi-Fi networks
  • Resolves an issue that prevents iPhone from using the cellular network in some instances
  • Consolidated the Use Cellular Data switch for iTunes Match
  • Fixes a Passcode Lock bug which sometimes allowed access to Passbook pass details from lock screen
  • Fixes a bug affecting Exchange meetings

For over-the-air updates, iPhone 5 users will have to install an iOS Updater utility first, which requires a full reboot of the device before installing iOS 6.0.1. After the restart, the Software Update panel in settings will allow you to download iOS 6.0.1.

iOS 6.0.1 direct download links below (build number 9B206).

The Future of iOS→

The Future of iOS

Kyle Baxter writes about the future of iOS from a functionality standpoint. He uses his app Basil as an example for what better communication between installed apps could lead to:

For example, Basil could declare that it handles web URLs. Then, I could build the recipe saving feature of Basil as a mini application (stored in Basil) that users can use from any other application that deals with the web. If someone who uses Basil is browsing recipe websites in Safari, they could tap a “Basil” icon in the action sheet, and my mini application would pop up, save the recipe to Basil and get out of the way—all without the user ever leaving Safari. The same could be true for Reeder (save recipes from cooking websites you subscribe to while browsing your feeds), Twitter applications, or anything else—and those developers wouldn’t have to know that Basil even exists.

This is a shared sentiment among developers. In my interview with Loren Brichter, the man behind atebits said there will be an “explosion in innovation” when Apple will allow XPC (the technology Kyle refers to) to work with third-party apps – more specifically, he mentioned “faceless apps, doing neat things for you in the background without presenting any UI and using minimal hardware resources”.

This is a subject I’ve been writing about for the past two years as well. In using my iPad as my main “computer” regularly every week, I have come to the conclusion that what I’m missing from the Mac isn’t multiple windows – it’s the glue that allows apps to work together in harmony. Maybe it’s a service to send text from Safari to Evernote. Or perhaps a simple script that puts a Mail message into OmniFocus. This kind of trusted, efficient communication between apps is what I’m really looking forward to seeing on iOS. This is why we should be excited for the future: it feels like we’ve only scratched the surface with third-party software on iOS.

Read Kyle’s post here. See also: Ole Begemann’s series on Remote View Controllers.

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