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:
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.
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:
Open Studio apps: Widgetsmith, Fantastical, Freeform, Music, and Photos.
Open Living Room apps: Books, Home, Calendar, Podcasts, News, Streaks, and Structured.
Open TV apps: Letterboxd, TV Forecast, Fandango, IMDB, and a menu choosing between TV, Disney, Amazon Prime, MAX, Plex, or Juno.
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?
Open Studio apps: Opens a set of apps designed for everyday use in the studio – includes Widgetsmith, Fantastical, Freeform, Music, and Photos.
Open Music Room apps: Opens a set of apps designed for everyday use in the music area of my family room – includes the MusicHarbor, MusicBox, and Ultimate Guitar Tabs apps.
Open Video Game apps: Opens a set of apps designed for everyday use in the family room with a game console – includes Twitch, GameTrack, Xbox, Discord, and Telegram.
Open Living Room apps: Opens a set of apps designed for everyday use in the living room – includes Books, Home, Calendar, Podcasts, News, Streaks, and Structured.
Open TV apps: Opens a set of apps designed for everyday use near your living room couch – includes Letterboxd, TV Forecast, Fandango, IMDB, and a menu choosing between TV, Disney, Amazon Prime, MAX, Plex, or Juno.
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).
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.
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:
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.
If you find yourself creating custom buttons on the Stream Deck from Elgato, you will likely run into an issue – how do I create icons that fit my style?
Elgato helpfully provides a dedicated section for Stream Deck icons in their Marketplace, where you can install icon packs from a variety of creators across various categories – this is a great one-and-done solution to get icons at-scale.
If you’re looking for further customization, however, you might end up in that awkward gap between trying to design your own in tools like Canva or Figma, or feeling like you’d need to request an entire custom set from someone with more creative skills than yourself (this is about me).
With Button Creator, you can customize the foreground or background colors, pick a glyph using the SF Symbols library, emoji, or your own images, and even customize a text label so you don’t have to duplicate the title in the Stream Deck app.
Plus, you can save your creations as templates, making it easy to start again with the same style and have a consistent look across your icons.
So far, I’m quite happy with the customization features of Button Creator – there’s lots of control and, in most places, more than enough for what I need. I’d like to see more text styling controls, and I’d potentially also like more Gradient controls, including the option to change the rotation by a specific degree, change from linear to radial or angular, and handles to control the placement. Admittedly, that might be a lot for what’s otherwise a simple app, but it’d add a cool layer of customization – I’ve been trying to make better gradient maps in Pixelmator Pro and want to get really nice-looking icons over time.
Otherwise, Shortcuts support could take this app very far – letting me pass in parameters and output icons would be incredibly powerful, and I could programmatically create icons for my entire library in seconds. Right now I’m able to use Get My Shortcuts to export exact icons, but without any customization – combining that with Button Creator actions could let me automatically apply short titles and avoid manually adding them in the Stream Deck app, for example.
As you can guess from the name, Button Creator for Stream Deck is, well, designed pretty specifically for Stream Deck users – however, these icons can also be repurposed as Home Screen icons using the “Add to Home Screen“feature in Shortcuts on iPhone and iPad – or for any other purpose, for that matter.
Hey members! I have a special new video for you – my unboxing experience with the Apple Vision Pro, available now privately through YouTube.
Coming in at a little under an hour, I tried to capture a simple walkthrough and first-run experience with the device – complete with small observations, initial confusions, and the inevitable screen recording issues.
I’ve included chapter markers so you can jump through and watch the most interesting bits, and will clip out my favorite moments as well – for example, the first good screen recording starts at 35:22 in.
Admittedly, this may not be a thriller to watch from start to finish; but, I am experimenting with deeper access videos like this, as well as testing different filming techniques or editing processes – this is shot in a 4:3 aspect ratio, for example. Plus, since I don’t have to optimize for a massive audience or “the algorithm,” I can be a little more relaxed and natural, like the way I settle into things during livestreams.
I loved this initial test of a members-only video, and I hope you enjoy it too – let me know if you’d like to see other videos like this in the future!
Good set of Apple Vision Pro tips from Andru Edwards on YouTube:
Here’s your key to unlocking the full potential of the Apple Vision Pro secret features. Get a look at a bunch of hidden features that Apple has seamlessly integrated into this device. From discovering quirky Easter eggs in various Environments to mastering the use of spatial audio in FaceTime calls, these Apple Vision Pro tips and tricks will change how you use your Apple Vision Pro.
You’ll also learn how to effectively utilize the unique gesture controls, optimize your device for the best viewing experience, and much more. Don’t miss out on the bonus feature at the end, showing you how to get the perfect fit with the solo knit band vs dual loop band.
CHAPTERS
00:00 – Apple Vision Pro Secret Features
00:18 – Apple Vision Pro Environment Easter Eggs
00:50 – Apple Vision Pro Environments Have Different Sound Profile
01:14 – Change Volume of Environments
01:33 – Apple Vision Pro Apps Will Stay Where You Leave Them
02:25 – Transport Apps
02:46 – Bring Apps With You
03:07 – Touch Vision Pro Apps
03:39 – Apple Vision Pro Pinch and Hold Gesture
04:09 – How to Force Quit Apple Vision Pro Apps
04:30 – Apple Vision Pro Light Seal Cushions
05:11 – Increase Apple Vision Pro FOV
05:47 – How To Enable Apple Vision Pro Guest Mode
06:32 – Mirror Apple Vision Pro Display
06:58 – Fast Charge Apple Vision Pro
07:29 – Free iTunes Library 3D Upgrades
08:19 – Apple Music Mini Player
08:58 – Make A Better Apple Vision Pro Persona
10:28 – Apple Vision Pro Personas Work In Several Apps
10:44 – How to See Your Own Apple Vision Pro EyeSight
11:17 – Separate Volume Settings in Apple Vision Pro
11:36 – Use Mac Keyboard u0026 Trackpad with Apple Vision Pro Apps
12:04 – Solo Knit Band vs Dual Loop Band
I knew you could AirPlay to Mac displays, but I’ve never had an iPad or iPhone open while trying to share my view – perhaps there’s a convoluted solution for live-streaming here where I film my iPad screen showing what I’m doing in visionOS…
Also, this is by no means a comprehensive list of Apple Vision Pro apps I’m testing – I have many, many more installed currently. Come back to the Apple Vision Pro tag on my site for more coverage soon!
Hey everyone! I’m excited to announce that I’ve agreed to be an Elgato Partner for 2024, where I’ll be working with the brand throughout the year to share about new gear and how to use it for Mac users in particular.
I’ve long been a fan of Elgato and have been sharing for over 5 years about the Stream Deck and how great it is for Apple users, starting from using it simply as a streaming device, morphing into a daily productivity tool and, then fully evolving into a tool for complete access to all my shortcuts.
Before I ever thought about partnering with Elgato, I’ve thought the Stream Deck was the ultimate macOS accessory – now, I get to work with them directly to help more people reap the benefits (of all their other products too).
Plus, with my partnership, I will soon be able to offer my community 5% off all Elgato products, even beyond the Stream Deck – they make capture cards, lights, webcams, green screens, mounts, teleprompters, and even acoustic panels for audio treatment.
Once the discount is available, I’ll update this post – I’ll also include it when I share product links in the future.
Throughout the year, I’ll be sharing different tips and tricks, unboxing and setting up new gear, and building out different setups for Elgato’s Marketplace, where you can download Profiles for the Stream Deck and install them yourselves – look for #ElgatoPartner on relevant posts.
Plus, I have long been developing Stream Deck profiles for my own shortcuts to share – there’s lots of fun opportunities ahead.
Thanks to Elgato for the opportunity – I hope you all take advantage of the upcoming discount should you choose to get something after seeing my work! And let me know if you have any questions – I’m happy to help guide you to the right solution 🙂
Finn Voorhees, developer at Detail and creator of apps like Unsqueeze and Castaway, has announced an app for Apple Vision Pro called Shortcut Buttons. The app, available now, lets you place a floating tile for a shortcut in your spatial computing environment and run it instantly – how freaking cool is that?!
According to the site, here’s what Shortcut Button is for:
Shortcut Buttons is great for placing relevant automations nearby when working on notes, calendars, tasks, and other productivity apps. You can avoid switching over to the shortcuts app running in iPad compatibility mode and instead just tap a small nearby button, similar to how you might run a shortcut from the Shortcuts widget on iOS/iPadOS.
Shortcut Buttons is also useful for setting up home automation shortcuts in relevant places. Easily dim the lights or order food when watching a movie, or start a timer when cooking in the kitchen.
With Shortcut Buttons, you can place as many shortcuts as you want, which will anchor-in-place in your spatial computing environment, making it easy to launch your shortcut from anywhere, just by looking at it.
Plus, you can style your Shortcut Buttons according to your preferences, making sure they fit into your environment nicely.
Particularly useful will be the clipboard access, which will let you copy something in visionOS and send it to the Shortcut Input of your shortcut – while browsing for recipes in your kitchen, you could easily copy one and send it to your Recipes list with your Shortcut Button floating over the countertop.
The History view is also incredible, because most Shortcuts users run the same shortcuts over time – this will be super handy for your most-used shortcuts on Apple Vision Pro.
Shared alongside with their videos today, YouTube creators iJustine, MKBHD, and Brian Tong appeared in a FaceTime call together to discuss Apple Vision Pro – or, should I say, their Personas did?
On Justine’s page, she posted a video of the call as the three demo their Personas, generated from scans taken with Apple Vision Pro, where Marques Brownlee says:
The faces are impressive… I think…
It’s very, very… it’s just at the edge of uncanny valley. I know what you guys look like so I know they look like you…”
The effect is almost unsettling, and yet obviously them – it’s sort of like a previous generation video game character version of each person.
Brian Tong says:
I feel like this is a 9/10 to how we actually look
And Justine agrees, continuing:
It’s pretty good. And also skin tones too, because all three of us have very different complexions and I feel like it actually (laughs) It actually did a pretty good job.
Marques continues:
Every single time I’ve gotten on a FaceTime call with this, it’s the same reaction of “Whoa!” Like, “This is weird…
And I realize I’ve gotten used to it, and I think after a while everyone using this is just going to get used to using it after getting over the initial “Holy crap, look at this thing.”
PSA: Test your App Shortcuts via Siri on Apple Vision Pro if you’re shipping on Friday.
A bunch of things don’t work, including NavigationLink, GroupBox, and more, resulting in the “McDonald’s box of death”.
Once you’ve tweaked them though, they feel so great.
As for the “McDonald’s box of death,” Emmanuel describes it in another reply:
Haha yellow box with the red slash across it. What you surely saw with your widgets when iOS 17 came out and didn’t have the widget background stuff set.
