With the latest update to Things 3, version 3.17 to be precise, users have been given what feels like super powers to automate a crazy amount of the ways they use Things thanks to the wonderful integrations with Shortcuts that the fine folks at Cultured Code have introduced. It was enough for me to scrap my previous system, which I explained on episode 63 of Inner Dialogue.
Read MoreIf you've been following these monthly Home Screen updates you know that I've been on a mission to find the perfect Home Screen setup. Each month has been an iteration getting closer to what I want. Sometimes in these iterative cycles you see small changes, sometimes you see huge ones. This month definitely falls into the latter category...huge change.
Read More“Hey I know we’ve proven ourselves to be incapable of keeping your information secure, that we’ve allowed fake news to possibly sway the outcome of a Presidential election, that 50 Million users’ information just got stolen two weeks ago, and that we logged an additional 40 million users out of their accounts just in case their info was stolen as well…but hey, we’ve got this fancy new Portal thing that puts a microphone and camera inside your home. You should totally try it out, I mean what could go wrong?”
Read MoreMy favorite update rolling out in the new Google Maps is the ‘Mixed-Mode Commutes’ feature. This allows you to customize your commute to include driving, walking, and using public transit. Using this mode will give you traffic info for the driving leg, departure times for the next train, and give you a time estimate for any walking portions. In addition to this, you will be able to see in real-time on the map where your bus or train is, so you’ll know if can finish reading this article or if you need to head to your pickup location.
Read MoreSince last month’s Home Screen article I’ve moved 500 miles, stopped working at the Coffee Shop, and begun focusing more intently on my Podcast Network, Super Mega Corp, and this website. As such, my Home Screen has changed to accommodate this major shift in my life.
My apps are still arranged by color but due to the number of changes this month I’ve had to get a little creative with the finish product. My white row is now vertical, leaving room for four rows of three apps to complete the square. I now have a red/orange row as well as the ever present green row, purple row, and now an almost perfect blue row.
Read MoreI love photography, and while I prefer shooting with my DSLR, there is no denying that the cameras on today’s smartphones are incredibly capable, especially when paired with high quality apps that allow you to shoot, edit, and share all on the same device. Recently, there have been a few articles on the App Store aimed at helping you get better at photography with your phone that I have found helpful:
Long Exposure
Urban Photography
A few things have changed on my Home Screen but overall this month maintains the organizational ideas from last month.
The biggest change is the absence of a Blue row. I've kept Trello and Day One (Which just received a big update) but gotten rid of the dedicated icons for my Toggl timer Workflows. I did this because the Workflows themselves are better when triggered from the Workflow widget itself. When launched from the Home Screen the Toggl Workflows open the Workflow app, run the Workflow, and then show on-screen popups with the relevant information. When triggered from the Workflow widget, however, the Workflow runs in the background and then displays the relevant information from within the widget itself. No app switching, no popups...much nicer to use and to look at, plus this decision frees up two slots on my Home Screen, so I consider this a big win.
Read MoreMonument Valley 2 is a stellar game and this little behind the scenes editorial article on the iOS App Store is a neat look at the concepts and designs that didn’t make it into the final game. Highly suggest clicking the title of this article to go read the App Store editorial.
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Instagram is an amazing platform. You can use it to meet new people, see new places, find inspiration, and even grow your business if you are so inclined. In other words Instagram is an app that can open the world to you and, as such, a proper review of the entire app would take seven thousand of words at minimum. In this article, a mere three thousand four hundred words, I want to focus on one key feature of Instagram, the Story.
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My iPhone is a tool that I love to use. As such, I take particular care to make sure that my home screen is set up to work for me (link to taking back my iPhone). Each month I plan on sharing my home screen with you all as a way to let you know about any new cool apps I’m using, to provide my thoughts on productivity and technological usefulness, as well as to provide an online archive for myself of how I was thinking and working in the past. Ultimately, however, I hope you will find these posts helpful and informative.
Read MoreWorkflow is an incredible app for iOS. It takes what I love about Launch Center Pro, powerful actions covered in a friendly UI, and couples it with unparalleled power to automate iOS. I didn't expect an app that can do more than LCP while also making it easier to understand and build complex workflows, for at least another year...but I'm happy to be wrong in this instance. Workflow is incredible. Instead of telling you why I think Workflow is so amazing, I decided to just show you. The rest of this post will be filled with some useful and fun worfklows that I built as well as some built by more practiced iOS gurus. With each workflow I'll include pictures, explanations and a link to install the workflow right on your very own iOS device.
By clicking on each workflow, inside the app, you are able to see and edit the workflow's components, as well as run the workflow. You can also add the workflow to your homescreen, add it to LCP, share the workflow, or submit it to the 'Gallery', a curated selection of quality workflows. But enough of the preliminary stuff, let's dive in.
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