LINKDING

Similar in concept to Noteplan (todos mixed with notes, plain text storage), but using Org mode files, syncable with any cloud service. iOS/WatchOS only, but the files are accessible with Emacs or other editor anywhere. From the creator of TrunkNotes, which was one of my favorite personal wikis back in the day.

You probably know I'm an OmniFocus guy, but I'm always trying the latest and greatest in todo apps. This one bills itself as "a todo app for people who hate todo apps," and it looks pretty great for exactly those people. "Works just like Notes, with smarts of a calendar"

Pixelmator is now Photomator, and comes with AI selection tools that are very tempting.

[Workona](https://workona.com/) is the browser extension (Chrome, Firefox, Edge) I wouldn't want to be without (I'm still hoping for a Safari version). They now have an iPad app that lets you access all of your workspaces and open tabs from the iPad, and you can add a tab or resource to a workspace from the iOS share button. Very handy. Hope it's eventually available for iPhone as well...

"A modern Pinboard app for 2021." Mac and iOS. It's new and currently being developed, which sets it apart from every other Pinboard app available on macOS right now. I would be sold on it if I could find a URL handler for adding a new bookmark. Maybe it's there, but not documented...

I've mentioned NotePlan before, the Markdown-notes-meets-calendar-meets-tasks app for Mac and iOS, but it's worth pointing out again. Eduard recently added text folding and hidden Markdown links, among other things. Check out [this YouTube video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKOrZ554Ag8&feature=youtu.be) for details, as well as a look at how he uses NotePlay for Zettelkasten.

: I've mentioned Slow Feeds in the past. It's an iOS RSS feed reader that lets you filter your feeds by posting frequency. : > Now, back and at version 6, Slow Feeds is simpler than ever. It’s a free download, but you can buy an upgrade to Super Slow Feeds to get unlimited access to older posts and lower posting frequency filters.

Still wrestling to get this working, but tbe newly-available Clip (iOS clipboard manager) makes me willing to continue trying. It's a cool idea for sideloading iOS apps without a jailbreak...

I mentioned [Zenia](https://zenia.app/) recently, a camera-based AI yoga instructor. This one looks to offer the same kind of guidance, but using wearable sensors instead of relying on the camera, which I have to assume would offer more reliable feedback. I haven't tried this yet, given I live with a yoga teacher and the investment seems extravagant, but I'm infinitely curious. As always.

A free iOS app that turns your voice into MIDI notes. That part of it is solid and worth the download on its own if you're looking to turn musical ideas into actual notes on the page. The multi-track feature isn't as polished or useful, but the quantize, key magnet, and auto-chord features work quite well.

From the Ulysses blog but not Ulysses-specific, a rundown of new gestures for text editing on iOS 13. Did you know there are 3-finger pinch commands for copy, cut, and paste? I didn't.

In the vein of [TableFlip](https://tableflipapp.com/), Markdown Tables is an iOS app for the creation and editing of Markdown-formatted tables for use in combination with your favorite Markdown editor.

A tool similar to calend.ly or WhenWorks, but built for Messages. Nail down a meeting time by offering available slots and letting the correspondent just pick one.

An app that lets you easily create limited sets of pictures so you can hand your phone to a friend without concern that they'll swipe... too far.

This is what it's come to, a call blocking app that only allows calls from your contacts (without modifying the rest of your notifications). Even with 3 call blockers running I still get multiple robocalls every day, so I don't see any other option.

An iOS app that can trigger iOS shortcuts (and webhooks) from push notifications. For example, a notification that appears at sunset asking if you want to turn lights on, rather than just having a timed action do something you might not always want. Lots of possibilities!

I learned about this clipboard manager for Mac and iOS via [Macdrifter](http://www.macdrifter.com/2018/09/the-missed-opportunity-of-shelf-apps-on-ios.html) and am really impressed with it on my MacBook Pro and iPad Pro.

If you're into iOS Shortcuts, you've probably already seen this, but if you're curious about the capabilities, this is a great site to explore.

I haven't had a chance to test this out yet, but I love the idea of it and look forward to the excuse to try it. It's a lot like [Clarify](http://brettterpstra.com/2015/11/26/clarify-make-your-instructions-impossible-to-misunderstand/) was on the Mac, allowing you to turn images into step-by-step instructions quickly and easily. I have high hopes.

This is a great sound generator for work or sleep. Use sliders to set tone levels and then turn on the automation to have it shift over time for random soundtracks to fit your mood. Nicely done with [online, Mac, and Windows versions](https://mynoise.net/NoiseMachines/sleepingDragonToneGenerator.php) as well.

Memento Mori. This iOS app sends you notifications reminding you that eventually you're going to die, and then offers you a random quote on death (and life, as the two are fairly entwined). My dark sense of humor and I find this delightful.

A delightful, node-based music generation app for iOS. Combine generators and nodes to start building songs and rhythms visually. I've spent way too long getting lost in this one.

A cool $1 utility for iOS that takes selected or copied text and performs case transformations: title case, URL Encoded, uppercase, lowercase, capitalized, reversed, and "Mocking Spongebob" (random capitalization). Available through a share sheet in any editor or text field.

A free app with no ads, CatchUp simply reminds you to keep in touch with the people you want to. Add a contact, set an interval, and CatchUp reminds you to reach out. This is ideal for people like me who can go years without hearing from someone and still consider them great friends, but who learn in the harshest ways that not everyone else reacts the same way.

ARKit+CoreLocation is an open source library that allows items to be placed within an AR world using real-world coordinates and, by using CoreLocation, improves accuracy to a point where things like Point-of-Interest AR get easier. I'm not currently working on any AR, but it's exciting to watch the apps and the tools grow.

The app formerly known as MacID has been [renamed to Unlox](https://unlox.it/blog/2017/12/29/hello-unlox-goodbye-macid) and updated to work with Face ID on the iPhone X. If you fancy unlocking your Mac with your face, here you go.

I'm linking this for now because the dev asked me to review it and I don't feel qualified but it looks amazing. A lab notebook: organize experiments, track results, and manage protocols. Free for Mac (Basic version), iOS and Watch.

If you happen to be a researcher and interested in doing a guest review, please let me know!

An AI-based notetaker for phone calls. You can tag a spot in the conversation as a marker, and get a summary of the call afterward. I would love to figure out a way to do this with podcasting, getting show notes and markers delivered to me automatically...

An intriguing new document scanner app for iOS. It features rules and workflows for automating the sorting, organization, and archiving (with folders, tags, and drag-and-drop) of the documents you scan.

As mentioned by [Sal Soghoian on Systematic](http://esn.fm/systematic/198), Omni Automation represents a huge step forward for iOS scriptability. Currently implemented in all Omni apps, this could essentially add AppleScript-like automation power to iOS.

A fun app for visualization of travel and communication connectedness around the globe. From the developers of [Cosmic Watch](https://itunes.apple.com/ch/app/cosmic-watch/id971231853?mt=8&at=10l4tL&ct=blog).

A "hand-picked curation of the coolest stuff made with ARKit." [This one](http://www.madewitharkit.com/post/162437137008/arkit-inter-dimensional-portal-by-nedd-music) is one of my favorites.

Perhaps overly similar to [Clear](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/clear/id493136154?mt=8&at=10l4tL&ct=blog) as far as the UI goes, Sorted is a handy todo list app that incorporates due dates and daily task lists in an easy-to-use swipe interface. Customizable colors, tagging/categorization, calendar and day views, and easy pushing of overdue tasks to the current day. I especially like the ability to select multiple tasks and pinch them apart to spread their due times out.

I'm in love with this one right now. It works with the Apple Watch to track your sleep, including heart rate and other Apple Watch health data, but reads it without needing an Apple Watch app. It figures out when you're sleeping automatically, no app to remember to start up when you're going to bed.

An iOS app that helps organize info about your pets, including contact info and records for vets, groomers, and pet sitters, plus notes, todo lists, and reminders synced to your calendar. Share the info easily with anyone who needs to know.

Cassette for iOS records interviews and offers real-time speech-to-text transcription, and you can tap to bookmark and tag highlights in the moment. Built in search and summarization, and easy sharing. I've been wanting to build a podcasting app with a similar feature set, so this is inspiring.

I've mentioned this iOS keyboard before (Android version available now), but it's worth mentioning again (and it's a winner of a Product Hunt Golden Kitty award). It's my absolute favorite replacement for the default iOS keyboard, with swipe typing, built in Google search, GIF search, emoji search (though iOS has this by default now) and other niceties that make it amazing to use.

This looks like a really smart way to handle email threads. I doubt it would suit my needs the way [Spark](https://itunes.apple.com/app/id997102246?mt=8

I'm enjoying this one. Openwhyd lets you gather songs and playlists from YouTube, Soundcloud, Vimeo, Deezer, and more, with community sharing and music discovery. The [web app](https://openwhyd.org) is slick as well.

For those who revel in critiquing other's grammar, even in text messages, a sticker pack that lets you add edit marks and corrections in Messages on iOS 10. This will not go over well with spouses, friends, or enemies. But you're used to that.

I like this typing interface, designed for rapid typing with two thumbs. I'm sticking with [Gboard](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/gboard-search.-gifs.-emojis/id1091700242?mt=8&at=10l4tL&ct=blog) (there's just too much good stuff there), but it's nice to see innovative changes to default typing styles.

One of my early favorites on the iPhone, Trunk Notes has continued to improve. Definitely worth checking out the latest version.

A Visual directory of iOS app development tools.

I've used Launch Center Pro on and off, but the addition of shortcuts you can add to a force touch from the homescreen and a customizable Today Widget pallete make it extremely handy.

A free UI kit for creating landing pages in Sketch or Photoshop.

I'm a little jealous that Bear from Shiny Frog is ahead of BitWriter on its beta release, but I've been testing it for a while and it's a gorgeous note-taking app with sync across macOS and iOS. Elegant editing with a Markdown-esque syntax, and solid export options.

John Voorhees offers a 4600-word piece detailing the shortcomings (and potential fixes) of Apple's App Store search, an issue near and dear to my developer heart.

Some good iOS tips, including a few I didn't know but really wanted.

"An RSS reader for power users." A lot of useful features in this RSS reader, including keyword filters and powerful search.

A smart new contact management app from Agile Tortoise. It can create contacts from things like Drafts notes and email signatures with a single tap. It allows group management and works with third party apps.

SketchParty TV is my favorite party app. My friends love it, my parents love it, it's basically awesome for any gathering that includes a TV. It's now available natively for the new Apple TV. This post from the developer (Matt Braun) offers intriguing details about the development and marketing process that will be of interest to both developers and users.

Nice to see NetNewsWire back! iOS version, too!

A handy framework for easily implementing deep links in iOS 9 and Android apps, including metrics.

XARA—an acronym for unauthorized cross-app resource access on Mac OS X and iOS—describe a series of exploits that you need to know about.

The report

The first report I saw on the vulnerability.

Does the Indiana University XARA whitepaper make your head hurt? Here's an in-depth look at what "cross-app resource attacks" actually mean for your iOS and OS X systems.

The fact of the matter is that specialized malware can capture some of the information sent by the 1Password browser extension and 1Password mini on the Mac under certain circumstances. But roughly speaking, such malware can do no more (and actually considerably less) than what a malicious browser extension could do in your browser.

Researchers sneak password-stealing app into Apple Store to demonstrate threat.

This is great. An iOS/Mac combo app that lets you unlock your Mac using Touch ID on your iOS device. It lets you to define custom tap sequences for trackpad unlocking.

A third-party keyboard for Android and iOS that lets you schedule one-to-one meetings with invites and calendar integration from any app. For me---someone who only meets with one person at a time anyway---this is awesome.

A gesture-based fullscreen web browser for iOS that happens to use [Marky](http://markdownrules.com) to offer web page "markdownification" as a built-in service and an iOS 8 Action Extension.

Just in case you didn't have enough tools for annoying people with memes, Blippy lets you build a "gif keyboard" for iOS 8 to easily save and use animated gifs in your communications. Also check out [blippybot](http://blippybot.com/).

This looks like a cool service from Placeit. When I finally get around to making an iOS app...

Three iOS/Android apps from [IFTTT](https://ifttt.com/) to give you one-tap access to a variety of actions. The main "Do" app can connect to any of your IFTTT recipes, and the camera and notes app provide additional features specific to their respective functions.

The usual in-depth and highly informative review from Federico Viticci over at MacStories. Workflow 1.1 adds a lot more to the iOS automation app than I would have expected for an incremental update.

iOS app of cocktail recipes using what you have on hand.

A handy tool for App Store developers who use [Sketch](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pencil-sketch-ez/id493840586?mt=12&uo=4&at=10l4tL&ct=webexc).