On episode 78 of Smart Tech Today, Rosemary (in for Mikah) and I talked about:
– Project CHIP’s new name – Matter
– Amazon’s Sidewalk network and new product releases
– Apple’s AirTags and Rosemary’s 3D printing adventure
Author: Matthew Cassinelli
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What’s New in Shortcuts? Issue 34
Originally posted as What’s New in Shortcuts? Issue 34 – sign up for the newsletter here.
Welcome to Issue 34 of “What’s New in Shortcuts?”
Hello folks,
This week we’re in the shortcut dip between new Apple products shipping – but that just leaves more room for Shortcuts fun really.
Next week I’ll have more fun stuff to share, especially as we head towards the summer beta season – and be on the lookout for new streams in the calendar too.
🆕 NEW FROM ME THIS WEEK
My video on what’s beyond the surfaces of AirTags, a shortcut for importing Castro’s OPML to podcasts, and one of my first Mac shortcuts:
- The AMAZING AirTags feature Apple hasn’t added (yet?)
My new video on the automation possibility with AirTags and the U1 chip is up on YouTube – I’m calling it “Spatial Awareness for Siri.” Check out the short video and let me know what you think in the comments! - Export podcasts \> Podcasts
I came across this thread between Stephen Aquino (Accessibility writer at Forbes) and Oisin Prendiville (co-founder of Supertop) talking about a possible method of moving from Supertop’s podcast app Castro into the main Podcasts app using the OPML file and built a shortcut to solve the problem. I was hoping Shortcuts could automatically parse the OPML with a simple file rename, but that didn’t work, so I built a somewhat-shaky converter that just scrapes the RSS feeds out and passes them into “Subscribe in Podcasts” – and it worked! I’m going to build a more universal version, but feel free to try it out now if you use Castro. - Open the Mini Player
I’ve spent some time setting up my own versions of Federico’s Mixed Automation shortcuts for Mac, mostly around opening specific apps as well as a few URLs in specific browsers – members can access one of my first tests that opens the Mini Player of the Music app on the Mac, which simulates key presses in combination to activate the keyboard shortcut.
Apple’s new AirTags are their cheapest standalone product, yet I think they’re one of the most interesting released in a while.
And that’s because of the U1 chip inside – now the fourth Apple product besides iPhone, Apple Watch, and HomePod mini to include one.
This ultra-wideband technology has super-precise tracking technology, which I think could enable a whole new wave of automation capabilities for Apple devices.
I made a video that explains my thoughts on what I’m calling “Spatial Awareness for Siri” – you can watch the whole thing on YouTube in under 3 minutes:
On episode 77 of Smart Tech Today, Mikah and I talked to VP of Technology for The Thread Group, Jonathan Hui – plus:
Laptops as smart displays, Nanoleaf’s smart remote, and ceiling fans with HomeKit
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What’s New in Shortcuts? Issue 33
Originally posted as What’s New in Shortcuts? Issue 33 – sign up for the newsletter here.
Welcome to Issue 33 of “What’s New in Shortcuts?”
Last Friday, the iPad Pro went up for pre-order as AirTags were arriving – I’m getting the 12.9″ 1TB model to review and will be sharing my thoughts with members soon after I get my hands on one.
As for AirTags, there’s not a whole lot related to Shortcuts–Chris Lawley determined that they can indeed be used for NFC automations–but I’ve got an inkling of how they might be useful in the future& I’m making a whole video on it, so stay tuned to the YouTube channel this week.
Otherwise, I’ve got productivity shortcuts, conversations from the User Group, and quick links for you to check out this week – plus a blurb about the return of Get Variable:
🆕 NEW FROM ME THIS WEEK
This week we’ve got a bunch of productivity shortcuts! I’ve updated my Routine Checklist to use Things and added it to the Catalog, plus there’s a new Morning Agenda for Siri and Day One shortcut for journaling:
- Routine Checklist
I’ve updated my Routine Checklists shortcut to use a better method and made it free – it uses Things again, plus adds them individual tasks rather than a single task with a checklist so that they are easier to check off from the Apple Watch. Members can also get the full checklists on the Extras page. - Morning Agenda
I’ve created the first version of my morning agenda shortcut, which speaks out the weather, reminders, & your calendar events, shows any notes created the day before, and then presents options for media to start your day with. I’ll be updating this over time with more sections and more advanced logic, but this first version works well enough to share now rather than wait. - Day One
I’ve created a Day One shortcut that takes advantage of many of their excellent shortcuts, from templates to rich media entries to searching through your journal. This is also my v1 shortcut for Day One – I plan on adding more or splitting this into multiple shortcuts in the future, so expect updates down the line.
On episode 76 of Smart Tech Today, Mikah and I talked about:
iOS 14.5’s changes to Apple Maps, Siri voices, default music services, and Fitness+ – plus AirTags, HomeKit devices, and Thread.
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What’s New in Shortcuts? Issue 32
Originally posted as What’s New in Shortcuts? Issue 32 – sign up for the newsletter here.
Welcome to Issue 32 of “What’s New in Shortcuts?”
iOS 14.5 is out!
That means the three new actions for Shortcuts (that I originally shared about two weeks ago) are now available: Set Voice & Data Mode, Set Orientation Lock, and Take Screenshot.
I’ve got new pieces out explaining how to use them all, so read on for everything new this week:
🆕 NEW FROM ME THIS WEEK
My video and article on iOS 14.5, plus I’m streaming this morning – maybe even right now!
- My YouTube video on iOS 14.5
I published my latest video on the new actions in iOS 14.5 and showed some new shortcuts for you to try out – check out the shortcuts in the description and try out the actions yourself if you’re updated. - My iMore article on iOS 14.5
I also published a write up on iMore of the new actions – I include step-by-step instructions showing you how to set up per-app automations for Orientation Lock if you want to do it yourself.
On episode 75 of Smart Tech Today, Mikah and I talked about:
Project CHIP, the Apple event, Google Assistant tweaks, WearOS, HomeKit products, and Homebridge. Plus, Mikah’s new iPad stand and upcycled smartphones.
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What’s New in Shortcuts? Issue 31
Originally posted as What’s New in Shortcuts? Issue 31 – sign up for the newsletter here.
Hello folks,
Yesterday, Apple announced a new iPad Pro, new iMacs, an upgraded Siri remote alongside a new Apple TV, and AirTags – lots to digest.
I’m super excited about Apple bringing the M1 chip to the iPad Pro – it means there’s more power coming to iPad, it shares a chip architecture with Macs, and that means more attention as well as opportunities for users.
I’m hoping that also means Shortcuts for Mac is less a question about how it’d work being built for iOS instead of Mac, which I thought would be preventative in the past… very interesting times we’re in right now.
There wasn’t a mention on-stage or in the one-shot slide of AirTags features whether there’s any type of Automations support for AirTags, so I’m hoping that’s a feature we’ll figure out or get later on.
Until pre-orders kick off this Friday, here’s what’s new in Shortcuts this week:
🆕 NEW FROM ME THIS WEEK
Lots of member materials this week (I’ve got a slew of public shortcuts coming soon), so sign up to get the goodness:
- New Screenshot workflow
My new Screencap shortcut and Screenshot Multitool are available for members – this lets you capture screenshots on iOS and save them with macOS-style naming in iCloud Drive, the multitool lets you export existing screenshots (along with other functions), and a Hazel workflow I’ve shared moves your Mac screenshots into the same place. Members can read the write-up in a new members-only post.
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My Screenshot Workflow 🔐
Hello members!
This post will walk you through my new Screenshot Workflow, which consists of two shortcuts… and a Mac app!