App Intent Overload

• Devon

If you’ve been following the development of Apple’s operating systems and software features over the past several years, you’re well aware of the foundational role App Intents play in so many parts of the ecosystem. From Shortcuts actions and interactive widgets to system-wide controls and Spotlight’s upcoming quick key feature in macOS Tahoe, App Intents are everywhere. And of course, they’re going to play a key role in the more personalized version of Siri that’s still in the works.

At its most basic level, an App Intent is a way for an app to offer a piece of its functionality to the operating system outside of the app itself. Rather than remaining self-contained, an app can use App Intents to become modular and integrate not only with the operating system, but even with other apps in Shortcuts automations. If you’ve ever added a control from a third-party app to Control Center, you’ve benefited from App Intents. It’s truly incredible what they’re capable of, and their expansion has made Apple’s platforms more customizable and automatable than ever.

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Adding an On This Day Feature to My Collections Databases

• Devon

This time last year, I wrote a couple of stories for the Club about how I was using the Collections app to create databases and fill some gaps in my workflows. I still use the app daily, and over time, I’ve discovered even more scenarios where it comes in handy. I’ve even found myself creating simple, quick collections for short-term projects and tossing them out when I’m finished because they’re just that easy to make.

What really continues to draw me to the app, though, is its flexibility. I can use it to make databases that fit my exact needs, and I can make adjustments over time as those needs change. Recently, I had an idea for a new way I’d like to access my data in Collections: an On This Day view.

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Bringing My Social Media Timelines Into Reeder

• Devon

When Silvio Rizzi released the new Reeder last fall, it was a bit of a controversial update, breaking away from the app’s history as an RSS reader in order to become a holistic timeline app for all your online feeds. I reviewed the app and came away impressed. In fact, it has been my go-to for keeping up with RSS feeds, YouTube channels, subreddits, and more for over a year now, and its feature set has continued to grow.

But as much as I enjoyed it at launch, even I didn’t take Reeder to its furthest possible use case. As I wrote at the time:

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Mac Automation: An Outsider’s Perspective

• Devon

I am not a day-to-day Mac user. The vast majority of my digital life – all of my writing, podcast planning, editing, journaling, task management, web browsing, chatting, and more – happens on either my Vision Pro or iPad.

And yet, there are key parts of my day job that still require me to use a Mac, particularly those pertaining to live event production and livestreaming. As a media director, it’s my responsibility to put together presentations, graphics, sound setups, lighting scenes, and camera cues for multiple events per week and oversee the team that executes all of those elements. Much of that work is done on a Mac because the software for it simply isn’t available on Apple’s other platforms.

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A Life Timeline Check-In

• Devon

In the March 2024 edition of the Monthly Log, I wrote about using Everlog to create a timeline of my life with the help of Apple’s journaling suggestions. Here’s how I wrapped up that story:

How cool is it going to be to see a list of today’s entries, including my core workout, the podcast I listened to on my commute, my latest blog post, and the TV show I watched, in a year’s time? I can’t wait to find out.

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Knowing When to Keep an Old App Around

• Devon

On a recent episode of AppStories, John made an irregular app recommendation. It’s certainly not out of the ordinary for a MacStories team member to share an app that they find useful; that’s a good bit of what we do around here. But in this case, the recommendation came with a forewarning that it might be “controversial” due to the fact that the app he was sharing, MassReplaceIt, hasn’t been updated in a number of years.

This got me thinking about the tools that I use and my own reaction when I find that an app has stopped receiving updates. As someone who likes to be on the cutting-edge, I tend to shy away from software that isn’t being actively maintained and improved. But there are certain apps that I keep around even as the timestamp next to their version number in the App Store progressively increases.

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How I Solved My Biggest Vision Pro Pain Points with Accessories

• Devon

Nearly a year after its debut, I am still just as enamored with the Vision Pro as I was when I first tried it. It’s my favorite way to watch TV shows and movies, communicate with colleagues and friends, and – yes – even do real work. I’ve incorporated it into more and more of what I do to the point that I’d consider it my primary computer. I just can’t get enough of the thing because it makes me feel like I’m living in the future every time I use it.

At the same time, spatial computing comes with its compromises, especially when it comes to the Vision Pro’s current form factor. We’ve become accustomed to thin, light computers in the forms of laptops, tablets, and phones that we can easily take anywhere. Keeping our devices charged and using them in a variety of circumstances are solved problems… until something new comes along that doesn’t fit the mold. The Vision Pro very much falls into that category.

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To Track or Not to Track?

• Devon

I started habit tracking over a decade ago, and I’ve found it to be beneficial in a lot of ways. But as with anything, it’s possible to take the practice too far. At the end of last year, I started to feel like my approach to tracking wasn’t actually helping me. I’d gone overboard with the number of behaviors I was keeping tabs on and turned the entire thing into a chore. And so I hit the reset button and started over with a very basic setup in Awesome Habits.

Although I’m tracking fewer habits now, I’m getting more out of the process because I can prioritize what matters instead of stressing about things that don’t. A year later, I’m glad that I made the change. It’s not only made my habit tracking more impactful, but also given me an opportunity to consider my approach to tracking in general. How do I decide what I should track and what I shouldn’t?

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Tips to Go Beyond Simple Countdowns with Pinning

• Devon

Pinning is a countdown app from Francis Feng (whom you may recognize as the developer of Anybox) that came onto the scene early this year and instantly hooked me. Its Reminders-style design, ease of use, and availability across Apple’s platforms – including Vision Pro! – make it a compelling tool for keeping track of upcoming events as they approach. Another thing I find impressive about the app is its pace of development; it’s getting new features and refinements constantly, and Francis is always open to feedback and discussion about the app’s direction.

I’ve never considered myself a power user of countdown apps, but the more time I spend diving into Pinning and its features, the more value I find in the app and in the very concept of tracking countdowns. If you’re interested in counting down to upcoming events with Pinning, here are some tips for getting the most out of it:

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