On Friday, February 23, on the Automators podcast, hosts David Sparks and Rosemary Orchard talked about:
David’s strapped on his Vision Pro and the Automators take a look to see what can (and can not) be automated on Apple’s new platform.
Great episode – good summary of what’s possible with Shortcuts in visionOS 1.0.
Check out Automators in Apple Podcasts or listen to the episode below:
From Jonathan Reed on MacStories:
There are quite a few new Shortcuts actions, so I’m going to list them all first before going into detail on several of them and how they could be used within the app:
- Create scheduled posts
- Get, reschedule, or delete scheduled posts
- Send posts with media or poll attachments
- Send replies to a specified post
- Get the character limit of certain accounts
- Split text for threading
- Get, add, modify, or delete server-side filters linked to your Mastodon accounts
- Get the post or profile currently displayed in the Mona app
- Open the in-app post composer or search view
- Adjust settings for video autoplay
- Get and set image caption (e.g., combining with a third-party caption-generating action)
- Get accessibility text of accounts or posts
- Take a screenshot of a Mastodon post
Great set of options for Shortcuts users – I’ll definitely be testing Mona for scheduling posts.
From Stephen Robles on YouTube:
Eek out every percentage of iPhone battery with these 10 Shortcuts and automations! From low power mode to adjusting brightness and disabling always-on display at critical battery levels, this video is your ultimate guide to extending your iPhone’s battery life.
📲 Get the Shortcuts
Lower Brightness + Toggle Auto
Auto-Brightness URL Scheme: prefs:root=ACCESSIBILITYu0026path=DISPLAY_AND_TEXT
I’ve just added a new folder to the Shortcuts Library — my set of YouTube app shortcuts:
https:// with youtube:// in the link.Check out the folder of YouTube app shortcuts on the Shortcuts Library.
In Stephen Robles’ “Inside My iPhone Setup” video on YouTube, starting at 3:15, he talks about using the Today view to store the Shortcuts widget:
Dive into my full iPhone setup tour for 2024, where I showcase customized Home and Lock Screens, Today View widgets, Shortcuts, Focus Modes, and filters for maximal productivity. If you’re curious about how to tailor your iPhone to fit your daily routine or have any setup questions, drop them below!
I agree that this is the best place to start out when using Shortcuts – it’s always available, even from the Lock Screen.
From Stephen Robles on YouTube:
After 5 months of experimenting with the iPhone Action Button, I’ve settled on one daily use that stands out above the rest. Discover the top 3 alternate uses that almost made the cut and why simplicity won the day for my action button setup.
I mentioned this video on Clockwise this week – my usage has definitely changed. And, as a teaser, Apple is making more actions for Shortcuts in iOS 17.4 that make dynamic Action button shortcuts easier to create…
From Christopher Lawley on YouTube:
Let’s talk about my Shortcuts automations and what’s on my iPad.
Shortcuts:
From Federico Viticci on MacStories:
In version 1.0 of Juno, there wasn’t a way to take a YouTube URL from Play (or any other app) and instantly open it in the app. Whenever I clicked a YouTube link in a visionOS app, it would take me to Safari, with no way to redirect that video to the Juno app instead. With the new Juno URL scheme in version 1.1, this is now possible. Simply replace https:// with juno:// in a YouTube URL, and you’ll be able to watch that video in Juno rather than YouTube’s website.
But we are refined and tasteful people with our Vision Pros, and no one should edit URLs by hand to watch a YouTube video in 2024. So I’ve built two shortcuts that you can install on your Vision Pro to simplify the process of reopening those links in Juno.
The first one is a basic shortcut that you can run on YouTube.com in Safari to open the video you’re watching in Juno. To use it, just select ‘From YouTube to Juno’ in the Safari share sheet, and the video will be opened in Juno, where you can watch it with a superior interface.
The second shortcut I’ve created is one to pick from a list of videos saved in the Play app and watch the selected video in Juno. Aptly named ‘From Play to Juno’, the shortcut is a nice way to go through your Play queue on the Vision Pro and take advantage of Juno’s native YouTube UI to watch your saved videos.
From Federico Viticci on Club MacStories:
A few months ago, I decided to switch to Things as my default task manager. As I shared multiple times on AppStories and MacStories Weekly, I’m really happy with my decision: not only does the design of the Things app create a more relaxed environment for me to manage my responsibilities, but Cultured Code’s embrace of Shortcuts automation has allowed me to create dozens of custom enhancements for Things.
This is the reason why I fell in love with Things: the app’s “simple” design and structure leaves room for power users to make their own functionalities by taking advantage of the app’s integration with Shortcuts. Things doesn’t have a feature you need? Just make it yourself by choosing from the large catalog of Shortcuts actions available in the app.
I previously shared an initial set of shortcuts I created for Things; I also created ThingsBox, an advanced shortcut to intelligently save tasks to the Things inbox. Since those articles, I’ve built several more shortcuts and created personal automations to script certain behaviors of Things on a daily basis. So, exclusively for Club Plus and Premier members, today I’m sharing my full collection of Things shortcuts, which have vastly improved how I manage my tasks on the iPad Pro and capture them on the iPhone.
Let’s take a look.
Great set of shortcuts that solves some of the pain in managing tasks daily in Things.
From Issue 103 of my Shortcuts newsletter:
This issue is full of Apple Vision Pro links, and my return to YouTube with one unboxing video, a livestream, and a concept video – plus handy media shortcuts, a fix from Feedback, app updates you might’ve missed, and new Tim Robinson-inspired AirTag gear?
And, to finish it all off, two announcements!
On Wednesday, February 21, I had the pleasure of joining Dan Moren as a guest along with James Thompson and Rosemary Orchard on Clockwise to talk about:
How we’d use a HomePod with a screen, Apple’s new Sports app, Vision Pro impressions after a couple weeks, and what we use our iPhone’s Action button for.
Check out Clockwise in Apple Podcasts or listen to the episode below:
Last week, in a special livestream for members, I tested using the Apple Vision Pro developer strap to capture my perspective in real-time and share what it’s like to use spatial computing:
In this video, I’m testing how to capture, record, and stream using the Apple Vision Pro and Ecamm Live.
This method requires the Apple Developer strap, a USB-C cable (preferably extra long), and QuickTime for Mac, plus Ecamm Live and an Apple Vision Pro.
Become a member to get access to access to the video, plus:
From @elgato:
Stream Deck integrates seamlessly with Prompter:
🏃♂️ Control scroll speed
⚙ Text size
⏯ Pause/start/stop
↕️ Scroll up and down with dials
…And more!
Dang, the Stream Deck +’s dials really are overpowered when paired with the Prompter. Might be time to put in a request…
View the post and get the Stream Deck + and Prompter from Elgato.
P.S. You can use my Elgato Partner code ZZ-CASSINELLI for 5% off at checkout.
This Monday morning, I published a short concept video on YouTube built using Shortcuts and Apple Vision Pro:
This video demonstrates my concept for how Shortcuts can be used with Apple Vision Pro in visionOS 1.1 and beyond
In visionOS 1.0, Shortcuts can only open apps one-at-a-time. In the beta for 1.1, however, Open App can be used multiple times to open a set of apps.
Then, with Shortcuts, you can set up a folder for different contexts in your home. For this video, I’ve done just that – here are the apps I used in the video:
To film the video, I first opened all the apps, placed them in position, and then use Hide All Other Apps to close them all.
What you see in the video is me running each shortcut and opening the already-running apps one-by-one.
Beyond visionOS 1.1, Apple needs to add a way to pin apps to specific locations – I propose the Find Windows, Move Windows, and Resize Windows from macOS get added to visionOS. Perhaps there’s also a tie-in with the Rooms from the Home app?
Check out the video on YouTube and get the folder of shortcuts.
I’ve just added a new folder to the Shortcuts Library — my set of Rooms shortcuts designed for my Apple Vision Pro concept video:
Note: these shortcuts require visionOS 1.1, which is, as of publishing, in beta – that means it requires a developer or public beta installed on your Apple Vision Pro to work as intended.
Second note: Be sure to read the description of my concept video to understand how these work – these shortcuts won’t place your apps for you, but will reopen them in the same place once closed (assuming you haven’t reset your position).
Check out the folder of Rooms shortcuts on the Shortcuts Library and watch the concept video.
From @elgato:
Your lighting should be as dynamic as your content.
Control Key Light Mini with:
⚙ Onboard Jog Wheel
🧮 Stream Deck
📱 iOS/Android
💻 Windows/Mac
The fact that the Key Light Mini works wirelessly with the Control Center app while on battery power — and it actually lasts a long time — is amazing to me. Plus the quality of light is excellent too.
View the post and get the Key Light Mini from Elgato.
P.S. You can use my Elgato Partner code ZZ-CASSINELLI for 5% off at checkout.
Hello brands, businesses, and developers – I’m excited to announce that my work is now open for sponsorship opportunities, starting with YouTube!
If you’re a brand or business looking to connect with a passionate audience through high-quality media, let’s talk! Whether it’s through product reviews, sponsored content, or more unique collaborations, let’s explore how we can work together.
To register your company’s interest, fill out this form – and if you’re particularly interested in being first in this process, feel free to reach out directly.
Thank you for your support, and I look forward to sharing about the fun new projects this will enable.
Last week, I shared a great set of apps for Apple Vision Pro from developers who shared their links on Threads.
However, since I am apparently somewhat blending reality and spatial computing, I apparently forgot to collect the other half the people I asked – here’s more apps you can try on the headset:
Check out the first post “26 New Apps for Apple Vision Pro” and check out the Apple Vision Pro tag on my website – I have many more apps to share coming soon!
From @elgato:
Mini Mount features a built-in device stand for your phone or tablet for easy mounting. 📱
I didn’t realize the Mini Mount worked so well with an iPad – perfect for Stream Deck Mobile… 👀
View the post and get the Mini Mount from Elgato.
P.S. You can use my Elgato Partner code ZZ-CASSINELLI for 5% off at checkout.
From Stephen Robles on YouTube:
Supercharge your iPhone with these 7 essential shortcuts, from instant screenshot sharing to smart hotel hacks for travelers. Plus, add convenient features to Apple Podcasts like skip ahead more than 1 minute and skip intros for podcasts.
