Nick Bryner, a high school senior in Los Angeles, had just completed his AP English Literature and Composition test last week. But when he snapped a photo of a written answer with his iPhone and attempted to upload it to the testing portal, it stopped responding.
The website got stuck on the loading screen until Bryner’s time ran out. Bryner failed the test. He’s retaking it in a few weeks.
Category: Apps
The New MacSparky Photos Field Guide ⇢
David is back with another new Field Guide, this time covering the world of Apple’s Photos app and its accompanying iCloud features. I’ve spent some time in the course, and as always, it is fantastic. The next episode of Mac Power Users will cover some of this as well, so look for that on Sunday.
Apple Books for Authors ⇢
Apple has a new site up touting its Books store and a bunch of apps that make writing and designing a book easier for do-it-yourself types.
I used iBooks Author for Aqua and Bondi, and it was a bit of a nightmare, so I’m glad to see Pages and other apps highlighted here as well.
The Role of FileMaker in Apple’s COVID-19 Strategy ⇢
Eric Rosenbaum, writing at CNBC:
Apple’s iPhone revenue declined in the first quarter 2020, but a big jump in services revenue and more than $10 billion from its wearables category highlight newer sources of growth. The Covid-19 pandemic hurt the quarterly earnings overall, but Apple CEO Tim Cook indicated that more recent sales numbers provide reason for optimism, and at least one Apple business expects the coronavirus to accelerate rather than hinder its near-term success.
CleanMyMac X Now in the Mac App Store ⇢
Oleksandr Kosovan, the CEO of MacPaw, sharing the news that CleanMyMac X is now on the Mac App Store:
In 2018, CleanMyMac X switched to a subscription model — a ubiquitous way of getting apps on the Mac App Store. The same year (2018), Apple significantly improved the store itself with a new design and curated content. The fact that the Mac App Store became much better and that it supported subscriptions, made us work on building CleanMyMac X for the Mac App Store.
Todoist Adds ‘Upcoming’ View ⇢
Ryan Christoffel has the details, but I am really liking what I’ve seen of this so far.
Arq 6 (Updated) ⇢
A solid update to one of the most powerful backup applications on the Mac. Version 6 includes official support for APFS, the ability to run multiple backup tasks at once and more powerful scheduling options.
April 11 Update: After seeing this thread on the MPU Forums, it seems that the update to version 6 isn’t going super well.
Watchsmith ⇢
Underscore David Smith has launched a new Apple watch app that — quite frankly — blows my mind. Named Watchsmith, it makes Complications a lot more useful and flexible, as he writes on his blog:
First, it provides a wide array of complications. Each of these is completely customizable, with controls for things like font, color, hand type and location. The initial set is just over 50 unique complications, with dozens more planned down the road. My goal is to provide a complication for just about every use and let you make it look just how you want. In the absence of 3rd-party watch faces, this is the closest I can get to making my own watch faces.
Apple Buys Dark Sky ⇢
Today we have some important and exciting news to share: Dark Sky has joined Apple.
Our goal has always been to provide the world with the best weather information possible, to help as many people as we can stay dry and safe, and to do so in a way that respects your privacy.
There is no better place to accomplish these goals than at Apple. We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to reach far more people, with far more impact, than we ever could alone.
Apple Releases Beta of ProRes RAW for Windows ⇢
This software enables playback of ProRes RAW and ProRes RAW HQ video files in compatible applications on Windows systems.
It works with beta versions of the following software:
- Adobe After Effects
- Adobe Media Encoder
- Adobe Premiere
- Adobe Premiere Rush
Apple working to get its codec better supported across the industry is a smart move. Now we have to see how it performs. I suspect we’ll see real-world demos of this sooner rather than later.
Apple Launches COVID-19 Screening App and Website ⇢
Apple today released a new screening tool and set of resources to help people stay informed and take the proper steps to protect their health during the spread of COVID-19, based on the latest CDC guidance. The new COVID-19 website, and COVID-19 app available on the App Store, were created in partnership with the CDC, the Coronavirus Task Force and FEMA to make it easy for people across the country to get trusted information and guidance at a time when the US is feeling the heavy burden of COVID-19.
Apple Offers 90-Day Free Trials for Logic and Final Cut ⇢
Binging stuff on Netflix is good; tackling a new creative project is better.