WWDC23 is officially one week away, and my anticipation is building. After a year of being somewhat checked out of the beta train, I’m ready for some good ol’ fashioned keynote day buzz. Rather than a detailed explanation of each thing I’m hoping for this year like I did in 2021, you’ll have to be satisfied with pretty much a copy-and-paste of my running wish list straight from the Notes app.
I’ve yet to listen to many podcast episodes or read many articles with other people’s wish lists and predictions, and we haven’t yet had the annual last-minute rumor dump before the keynote. So you’re getting my uninfluenced hopes and dreams.
I wouldn’t consider the following a set of “predictions” since I highly doubt we’ll get most (or even many) of these requests fulfilled. It’s just that I write down the annoyances I feel throughout the year (using a shortcut, of course), and they all end up on this wish list. Let’s dive in.
Hardware
Preview of AR/VR headset
Mac Pro gets a reveal
Larger iMac returns, but probably isn’t called ‘iMac Pro’
Software
Let me use the full maps application on iPhone when navigating with CarPlay rather it being stuck on the text directions
Option to sync CarPlay app home screens between cars
Lock any app or folder of apps with passcode/FaceID
Pinned playlists in Music
PiP video for Apple News videos
‘Quick Open’ in more apps (based on Files Go-To menu? CMD-Shift-G)
Extensions and Safari shortcuts actions available in Safari View Controller
Smart rotation lock (based on face recognition?) that can be specified per app
Health widgets with trends
Shortcuts actions for TV app (and/or widget to search TV app)
System-wide highlighting (bonus points for allowing to hook into an API like Readwise)
Allow alternate launch phrases for shortcuts for Siri (like synonyms for menu items)
Option to pull notification settings from other devices using iCloud upon app install
When adding shortcuts to folders, add them to the bottom so as not to disrupt widgets and other shortcuts which display from folder order
On-device transcription (offline) for watchOS
Clipboard manager support for iOS/iPadOS
SF symbols everywhere
Add to Control Center option for Shortcuts
Fix handed-off music playback via third-party apps and widgets
Dismiss Share Sheet after completing a shortcut (could be an action to be added in the shortcut)
Reorder spotlight results
Multiple conversations with the same person in Messages
Downloadable Offline Maps
Make the Now Playing app on Apple Watch launch to the currently playing audio regardless of device. I don’t need an empty Now Playing for audio on the Apple Watch.
Let me name Shortcuts Automations
Select arbitrary shortcuts for medium and large Shortcuts widgets rather than just the first few shortcuts in a folder
Make running shortcuts on the Apple Watch vastly faster, require fewer confirmations, and build out more actions that can change settings on the watch itself rather than changing a paired iPhone’s settings
Overhaul widgets on macOS. They suck being constrained to Notification Center
Bring on a Passwords/Credentials/Authentication app with family-sharing support
Always-on system extensions to iOS/iPadOS to enable things like third-party clipboard managers, text expansion, and launcher apps
Music app overhaul that focuses on speed, Handoff support, and slicing and dicing my music library
A compelling fitness story for the XR headset
The Reality headset will run ‘realityOS’
Gotta let me turn off the ‘Hide My Email’ feature; I never use it and it gets in the way
Capturing and sending photos in Messages has to be fast; it’s very slow right now
Services
Improvements to in-app purchases with third-party payment processing
Solution for cloud gaming services in the App Store
In-personal group workout support in Fitness+ (multiple Watch metrics on screen, both get credit)
Personal training plans, like a working up to a marathon, that adapt over time to your actual performance and workouts
Initiatives
Overhaul of Bug Bounty Program with promises of faster turnaround and better communication/transparency
Overhaul of Feedback/Radar system with promises of better communication/transparency (The Casey Liss request)
Well, there you have it. I’d say my imagination for exciting new things is somewhat lacking as I’ve settled into how I use my devices day-to-day. This list, as noted above, is mostly a collection of bug fixes or feature enhancements I’d like to see.
Either way, I’ll likely come back and grade again these after the keynote. And I’m considering doing an old-school live blog of my reactions throughout the keynote. Stay tuned, I have a feeling it’s about to get wild for the summer.
If you didn’t check out Apple’s Accessibility page earlier this month when they announced new updates coming to their operating systems for Global Accessibility Awareness Day, you owe it to yourself to make a visit. For one, it’s an impressive testament to the dedication Apple’s had to improving and expanding the accessibility features that they’ve built into their software over the last several decades. More on that below. But I also wanted to draw your attention to the lovely hero animation that plays when you open the page. Below is a GIF of it, and I’ve also recorded a video for posterity.
I love how the UI elements are paired with text that shows how each accessibility feature adapts it. I’ve watched this dozens of times, and I can’t get enough. (Image: Apple) ⌘
If this style looks familiar, it might be because it harkens back to that exquisite “sign our work” Apple keynote opener video from a decade ago, which is when I feel Apple started going all-in on text-based animations.1 They’ve only gotten better and more ubiquitous over the years.2 Nowadays, most Apple Support videos lean on text that fades, jumps, expands, and morphs to drive and summarize the content. And the style makes the content itself more accessible. You can follow along with these videos without needing to listen to them.
Speaking of making things more accessible, let’s get back to what else you’ll find at www.apple.com/accessibility. Seriously, you’ll be astounded by all the features that they’ve built up. Voice Control. Eye-tracking support. Live Listen. AssistiveTouch. Back Tap. VoiceOver. Dynamic Type. Sound Recognition. These are just a few of the features that have become mainstays in the Apple ecosystem and that people use every day to make their devices work better for them. Odds are good that everyone will use an accessibility feature in their lifetime — I know I use a few today! — so it’s worthwhile to stay on top of what’s added each year. Apple’s been at the top of their game in the accessibility field for years, and I’m always happy to see them pushing forward in this area.
Although, you could argue that the style’s true origins rest with the Keynote application, which has always had the best animations and transitions. Magic Move, baby. 👌↩︎
Here’s a bonus favorite video of mine that doesn’t use text, but instead beautifully morphs Apple’s physical products and UI elements into one another. I’m always struck by the incredible cohesion they’ve achieved between the software and hardware throughout their lineup these days.↩︎
I’ve had some things bouncing around my mind for a while that I’ve wanted to try out on HeyDingus. I’ve also been feeling under the weather the last few days. So, naturally, instead of taking my afternoon off to rest, I did a bunch of typing and formatting and tweaking, and am putting several of those ideas out all at once!
I’m considering them “experiments” so that I don’t feel pressured to fancy up their pages, promote them too much, or stick to a regular update schedule. And to give me the wiggle room to change my mind about them later. I hope you’ll charitably consider them the same. 😉
This is the one that’s been clattering around my head for the longest. I’m always noticing funny little things and phrases, and thinking “I should write that down. I could make a good list of things like that one day!” Well, today’s that day. You can find it linked on my Projects page.
A primary list published there that I want to call out is the ‘Where Have I Been?’ one. It was Manton Reece’s post today that put a pep in my step to get all these projects out. I wrote up my places list but it needed a home, so the Lists page came together. But the List page would have been sparse with just the places entry, so I filled it out with the other bits I’ve had waiting in the Drafts wings. There are lists of icebreaker questions, business name puns, secret weird things, and more.
I’m making fewer shortcuts for the Shortcuts Tips collection these days because the reality is that my day-to-day life is less computer-focused than it used to be. And I use a Windows computer at work, so it wouldn’t benefit me to try to optimize those workflows with my Apple devices. But I like making shortcuts. It engages the problem-solving bits of my brain as few other things do. And I like helping people. So I thought I’d smoosh those interests together, and try to make a few bucks along the way by accepting commissions for made-to-order shortcuts.
If you’ve got a workflow problem that you’re trying to solve — like massaging data around, getting things formatted the right way every time, or trying to get several apps to play nicely together — I’d love to try to help you find an automated solution. You’ll get a shortcut that saves you time and effort, and I get to use my favorite tool to solve new and interesting problems. I’ve got a collection of shortcuts housed on RoutineHub, and detailed write-ups here at heydingus.net/shortcuts if you want to check out my work.
Commission requests are open at my BuyMeACoffee page, and they start at just $5.
(There are a couple of bonus new experiments hiding there, too. 🥇🎁)
After 95 issues of the 7 Things weekly roundup, I’m adjusting the naming scheme. Rather than each post being identified by the publish date, I’ll be swapping it with a publication number in the title instead. I’ve never quite been satisfied with the date being in the title since the items contained within are rarely day-dependent. The publish date will still be visible on the post, just like every other entry here, so I don’t see the point of having it listed twice.
The new scheme will bring the project more in line with how I think of 7 Things: An ongoing, newsletter-like web series that catalogs what’s capturing my interest over time. ‘7 Things This Week [#96]’ is out now under the new format, and I’ll be working on refreshing the back catalog without, fingers crossed, breaking any permalinks.
And, to be frank, I’ll be pretty jazzed to see that number go up each week.
Inspired by Jose Munoz’s version, I made a last-minute addition late this tonight (read: early this morning). I created a changelog where I’ll keep track of the major updates for this site. Things like new pages, changes to the header or footer, and design updates will make their way onto this page. I’ll personally use it as a reference, but perhaps others, too, will find it interesting to see how the site evolves over time.
If I get a wild hare and can track down approximate dates, I’ll try to add notable updates from the first two years of HeyDingus onto the log as well.
Although they’re not revolutionary, I am pretty excited to be getting these projects off the ground. If you have ideas, questions, or suggestions, I’m all ears.
A weekly list of interesting things I found on the internet, posted on Sundays. Sometimes themed, often not.
1️⃣ The idea that any species on Earth could be older than Saturn’s rings is absolutely bonkers. [🔗 phys.org] (via Jason Kottke)
2️⃣ I don’t use the Arc browser, but this showcase by Matt Birchler of the Boosts and Zaps you can do to webpages looks pretty awesome. The visual interface of just clicking the things you don’t want to see is so smart. [▶️ A Better Computer // youtube.com]
3️⃣ Elon Musk’s (and many others) facade of standing for “free speech” really grinds my gears. It’s too bad that terms like “free speech” and “censorship” have become so loaded and so widely misunderstood. They give me that sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach when invoked these days. The classic McSweeney’s dry humor takes the sting off while pointing out the absurdity. [🔗 Mike Langley // mcsweeneys.net] (See also, Wikipedia’s Jimmy Wales’ response to Musk)
4️⃣ I’m fascinated by how Manton’s I-don’t-want-to-call-it-a-throwaway-post-but-I’m-sure-he-didn’t-expect-it-to-take-off-like—this post listing all the places he’s visited has taken Micro.blog by storm today. Check out all the replies to his post, and others his inspired. [🔗 Manton Reece // manton.org]
5️⃣ I happened across a sped-up version of ‘This Is The Life’ in a random Instagram Reel and then proceeded to listen to the normal version and faster one on repeat. I’m listening again now. It’s simple but there’s something extra catchy about it, and I like both versions. [🎵 Amy MacDonald // album.link]
6️⃣ Squarespace is now the granddaddy of drag-and-drop website building, but there’s a flashy new kid on the block. MMM takes the dragging mechanism to the next level with everything being movable to any arbitrary position. No snap-to-grid constraints. It’s a beta, but the demo edit page you can try is super solid and easy to use even on an iPhone mini. [🔗 mmm.page] (Via Vincent Ritter)
7️⃣ Lex Friedman’s Avenue Q audition saga has finally come to a close. It sounds like I wasn’t the only one on the edge of my seat wondering if he’d get a part. I won’t spoil it because the Your Daily Lex podcast episodes are super short, and it’s an entertaining arc that you should listen to. The final episode is linked. [🎧 Lex Friedman // lex.micro.blog]
Not too long ago, Greg Morris asked, “I need some more RSS feeds in my life. Who’s in your feed that you can’t live without?” I didn’t have an answer for him at the time, but it prompted me to start to build out my own RSS feed list with more diverse voices than I was used to getting. One feed that made its way into my RSS reader (and I wish I could remember where I discovered it) was the one for the top trending posts using Bear Blog.
I don’t know much about Bear Blog, but I understand it to be a drop-dead simple blogging platform. With little room for CSS tweaks or much customization at all, instead, Bear Blog simply encourages folks to fill the blank page with words and publish to the web. Bear Blog posts can be upvoted, or “toasted” in their parlance, and the ones receiving the most toasts each day end up in this RSS feed.
It’s a pretty genius idea. It’s like bare-bones blogging meets upvote-only Reddit. And since I’m subscribed to this aggregation feed rather than ones for individual authors, I never know what’s going to end up in my lap. It could be an intimate account of one’s day. It could be a brain dump for one’s personal knowledge management system. It could be a lovely short essay about the nature of blogging itself and sharing things online.
One thing that I appreciate about this random assortment of letters from the web is that they don’t all come from internet nerds like myself. Many of these writers just wanted a text box to funnel thoughts into. They didn’t set out to fiddle with their pages, themes, feeds, and links. They don’t worry about where each particular post should live. They just needed an outlet for their thoughts. They write about things far outside the tech-related bubble I’ve formed around myself. It’s refreshing.
I often find myself tapping through to get to the author’s home page and getting lost in their archives. Rarely do I subscribe to a Bear Blog author’s feed — I’m trying to cut down on inputs — nor do I read every trending post. But I can tell you that it feels like I’m opening a delightful little mystery box every time I tap into a Bear Blog post in my feed reader. You just never know what you’re gonna get.
1Password customers are finally gaining access to the passwordless future we’ve been promised. Starting from June 6th this year, anyone with a 1Password account will be able to save and manage their passkeys— a biometric-based login technology that allows users to ditch passwords in favor of their device’s own authentication.
“Finally” seems a bit harsh seeing as the commitment to passkeys by the major tech platforms was only made a year ago, and widespread rollout for the public to use them started just last fall.
But their announcement comes at a time when I’m reconsidering my 1Password loyalty. The only things keeping me there are (1) a pretty great discount I scored a couple of years ago (but will be running out soon enough), and (2) effortless password sharing with my family. And things like their “telemetry system” announcement that reeks of growth-hacky metric chasing actively push me away.1
I’ve got my fingers crossed that WWDC will bring some iCloud Keychain enhancements regarding the latter (i.e. iCloud Family Sharing for Keychain). And since sharing would likely be free or rolled into iCloud+, the former would become a non-issue. Having my chosen platform, rather than a third-party app, handle creating/storing/auto-filling my credentials is ever more appealing.2
I’ll concede that I appreciate that 1Password made the announcement at all and that they announced it while still beta-testing the feature only on employee accounts. But it still feels icky, and I’m sure is a direct result of their newish venture capital-influenced direction.↩︎
On the other hand, I’m all for 1Password making it easy for other third parties to implement passkeys alongside, or instead of, their current authentication systems. And that’s what they’re doing with Passage.↩︎
When it comes to what’s most popular between MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, you might guess it’s the more affordable Air. But as it turns out, MacBook Pro is the leader accounting for 54% of Apple’s laptop sales which also makes it the most popular Mac overall.
For desktop Macs, iMac makes up 50% of sales while somewhat surprisingly, Mac Pro isn’t far behind at 43%.
Interestingly, Mac mini and Mac Studio are a tiny sliver of Mac desktop sales at 4% each and a minuscule piece of the big picture with just 1% each of total Mac sales.
We, Apple commentators, often bemoan the existence of the continued existence of the M1/M2 MacBook Pro with TouchBar, but sales numbers talk. Between its more approachable price point of a “Pro” level computer for consumers who want that distinction and businesses that feel like they have to deploy machines with “Pro” in the name, I’d wager big that the 13” MacBook Pro accounts for a surprising chunk of that 54% of laptop sales.
Still, color me shocked that the MacBook Air isn’t Apple’s most popular Mac model. It seems the Mac is following in the iPhone’s footsteps in that the Pro models which cost the most also happen to sell the most.
A weekly list of interesting things I found on the internet, posted on Sundays (and sometimes Thursdays when I’m camping in the boonies). Sometimes themed, often not.
I just got back from an excellent camping trip down in the Smokey Mountains with my wife, sister, brother-in-law, and young niece and nephew. Sorry about the late post, and you can expect a return to regular 7 Things programming this weekend.
But in honor of that camping trip, here are 7 Things that I always take with me when camping.
1️⃣Patagonia R1 Hoodie. My favorite piece of clothing, ever. It’s so cozy and versatile.
2️⃣ENO SingleNest Hammock. Don’t let the name fool you, we (somewhat) comfortably snuggled me, my wife, and our niece an nephew all into one hammock.
3️⃣Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol Pad. Honestly, this comes with me anytime I’m out hiking, too. It’s just so convenient to have a dry, comfortable sit pad that also doubles as overnight insulation from the ground. I use the small size to save bulk and weight.
4️⃣Petzl Actik Core Headlamp. Don’t mess around with any other kind. This one functions with just one button (important when wearing gloves and don’t want to press the wrong one), has plenty of lumens, and can be powered by both Petzl’s rechargeable Core battery and standard AAA batteries.
5️⃣Jetboil Stove Kit. I’m all for minimal dishes when camping. For most meals, boiled water is all I need so no cleanup is necessary, and the Jetboil is the best. For others, I can usually cook whatever I need right in the pot and eat out of it too. It also holds my lighter and spork.
6️⃣Sea to Summit Aeros Ultralight Inflatable Pillow. It’s only recently that I’ve converted from a shirt stuffed with other clothing as my pillow to an inflatable one. It’s so worth it. And by worth it, I mean you’re carrying something that packs down to the size of a salt shaker, so it’s hardly noticeable.
7️⃣Kobo Libra 2. I had to throw a tech thing in here. When I’m outdoors, I try to disconnect completely, so I get a lot more book reading done. The Kobo is my favorite e-reader so far. It’s waterproof, so no worries about it getting a little wet, and I can pack it with books (and Pocket articles if I want). This trip, I got a little further into Rabbits.
Right before WWDC always seems to be when my software paper cuts sting the most. It’s probably because the anticipation of secretive new features creates a Schrödinger’s Box of sorts: Since any bug fix or feature could be announced, it feels like all the improvements are possible.
This time, it’s a CarPlay improvement that I’m seeking. Rarely a major callout in the keynote, CarPlay did get its 15 minutes of fame last year when Apple pre-announced the “next generation of CarPlay” that will supposedly ship to real cars in late 2023. The fact that this major refresh and expansion of the CarPlay interface is slated for later this year gives me hope that all CarPlay interfaces will see some sort of update, not just the cars that support the next generation.
With all that said, I should probably get to the actual request: Apple, please let me customize the default Maps search items in CarPlay. Here’s what bugged me over and over again on my recent 2,000-mile road trip.
When I’m driving, I want my distractions from the road to be at a minimum. That’s the whole point of CarPlay, to be a quick and easy interface to use rather than fiddling with other less intuitive car software or your actual phone. So, when I need to add a stop to my existing route, I’d like to make as few taps as possible.
There are only a few things that I ever search for while driving: gas stations, fast food, rest stops, and hotels. Only one of those items, gas stations, is surfaced by default in the Maps search interface. I never search for groceries or coffee, and I’ve never trusted the parking option enough to try it.
You’re Holding It Wrong
I expect that Apple’s intent is for Maps to learn what you search for over time, and then surface those options. But that, by definition, takes time and I shouldn’t have to wait for my phone to “figure it out”. I should be able to specify a few search terms that I always want at my fingertips. I’d even settle for a sortable list of Apple’s presets where I can put the most important ones to me at the top.
Yes, I could use the ‘Ask Siri’ button at the top to search for any business or type of stop. But I often have sleeping passengers on road trips whom I’d rather not awaken with the Siri chime or by annunciating my request loudly into the car’s cabin. And even if I did, Siri is inconsistent. It often doesn’t search for the right thing, or it takes too long and I miss my turn. Dedicated buttons are more reliable, and therefore are faster and less distracting, which is what I desire when operating a large metal tube at high speed.
So, I’m putting in my request to the all-powerful software development team in Cupertino, please let me customize your software more to how I know I actually use it.1
A Potential Workaround
In the meantime, and if Schrödinger’s Software doesn’t come to my rescue, I suppose I’ll resort to using the Shortcuts app to create a preset Maps search and hope that (1) Siri will understand me when I request it, and (2) that it adds in the stop appropriately to my existing route. Perhaps this will be an opportunity to test hot-swapping Action Button actions with the current context. I can imagine pressing the Action Button on my Apple Watch Ultra to run a shortcut that checks for your Driving Focus and then presents the appropriate shortcuts (like a rest stop search) for a quick and silent launch.
A few minutes later…
Okay, so I took a few minutes and built just such a shortcut system. There are, so far, untested while driving, but I expect them to work. Just make sure your Driving Focus is set to enable when plugging into CarPlay and disable when disconnecting using Shortcuts automations.
More workarounds since you can’t trigger a Focus to toggle with CarPlay directly. ⌘
Get the ‘Action Button’ shortcut. I have this shortcut set to run when I press the Action Button on my Apple Watch Ultra2, but you could also install it on your home screen, as a widget, or to start with Back Tap. It first checks the current Focus, and if it’s a Driving focus, then it presents a menu of map searches. For it to work, you’ll need to also install the following two shortcuts. (I designed it this way so that I could also just shout to Siri, “Hey Siri, find a rest stop.”)
Get the ‘Find Fast Food’ shortcut. Searches for rest stops within 20 miles, has you choose one from the list, and starts driving directions to it.
While we’re making CarPlay enhancement requests, I’ll also throw my hat in the ring with Stephen Hackett, who wishes for CarPlay to better adapt to large screens. As someone who also recently purchased a vehicle with a screen bigger than the biggest iPad, the stretched nature of the CarPlay interface leaves much to be desired.↩︎
You’re also getting a sneak peek at a future blog post topic in which I explain how I’m using the Action Button and Shortcuts to make starting common actions on my watch more frictionless.↩︎
First, publicly backing CarPlay, and now adopting the Tesla charging plug standard. This is the second time in as many weeks where I’ve been nodding my head in agreement with a Ford decision. It shouldn’t be a surprise when an auto maker commits to logical, consumer-first choices, but at least it’s a happy surprise.
Call me optimistic, but with Tesla opening up their Supercharger network and Ford throwing their weight behind it, United States may yet get — ahem — into gear and build a functional nationwide electric vehicle charging system.
Update (2023-06-11): The next domino, GM, has tipped.
