Welcome to Issue 40 of “What’s new in Shortcuts” – and to mid-summer!
With the public betas out last week and another developer beta still on the way, we’re in between the latest features and fixes for common bugs – but this time I’ve pushed through the issues and made some new shortcuts for all you folks.
Plus, I discovered a handful of actions for Apple Watch and Files that I’d missed – read on to get all the details:
Welcome to Issue #39 of “What’s New in Shortcuts” – the public betas are out!
The brave-hearted can sign up here on Apple’s website, but be cautious as there are many Shortcuts-related bugs specifically that you are almost guaranteed to run into.
That being said, the more Feedback filed to Apple, the merrier we’ll be with a fully-operational version of Shortcuts – I’m submitting my own regularly, so I hope you are too.
Along with that, I’ve got a lot of links to share, updates on more Mac apps getting Shortcuts support, and a preview of how Mac users can script Shortcuts itself:
Welcome to Issue #38 of “Welcome New in Shortcuts”!
We’re now two weeks out of WWDC and, with the second developer beta now out, there’s plenty to learn about Shortcuts before the public betas come out in July.
This week, I’ve got a new interview, tons of information about Shortcuts for Mac, great ideas from r/Shortcuts, more podcast coverage, tweets about the betas from Ticci, and one previously unknown feature coming to the Mac:
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Welcome to “What’s New in Shortcuts?” Issue 1 of the iOS 15 season!
Before we dive in to all the exciting changes announced at Apple’s WWDC, some housekeeping:
And finally, thanks for reading!
I love sharing what’s happening with Shortcuts, passing along everything new I’m creating for the Catalog and Membership, and hearing from readers about what you’re learning – I hope you get something useful from it every week.
With all that said, here’s everything you need to know about Shortcuts coming out of Apple’s annual developer keynote – let’s dig in:
On episode 80 of Smart Tech Today, Mikah and I talked about the following:
Follow-ups from Google IO, Google Assistant tweaks, and smart home changes this week. Plus HomeKit gear, Apple Watch apps, and our thoughts on the latest Apple products. And our smart home predictions and picks of the week.
Last time we covered the basics, got our database IDs, pulled & opened posts, and created new entries – check out the member post to get the shortcuts we created in the first session.
This time, we went into more specific data objects as well as updating pages and creating more of a Shortcuts system on the front-end.
Become a member to get access to the stream, plus you’ll get:
Welcome to Issue 36 of “What’s New in Shortcuts”!
I’ve had the new iPad Pro and the Siri remote for Apple TV in my hands for a few days now and I wanted to give members a digest of my thoughts before I create videos on each.
Plus, I’ve got a new set of shortcuts to go along with Flexibits’ apps, new Notion shortcuts, and a bundle of good links for you all – plus how I’m using Shortcuts with Apple TV:
On episode 79 of Smart Tech Today, Mikah and I talked about:
Hello folks,
This week we’ve got new iMac and iPad Pro reviews, my iPad Pro is arriving Friday, and we’re just weeks away from WWDC and new announcements for the next year of software for Apple devices.
Plus, there are new APIs to tap into, a new IDE for Shortcuts that more coding-oriented folks can use to build shortcuts, and I’ve been playing around with several fun shortcuts as I prepare for my last few videos before the beta season – check it all out:
Here’s my livestream for the Notion API where I guide you through how to use Shortcuts with the Notion API.
We covered API basics, learned details on Notion’s specific JSON architecture, and experimented with the type of content we create in Notion – we ended up with three shortcuts (linked for members):
Catch the replay below to go back through everything – and check out part 2 as well.
Access the stream by becoming a member – plus you’ll get access to all the members-only shortcuts plus:
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
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:
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
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:
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.
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:
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.
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:
I’ll be walking through my Screenshots workflow, sharing about the new actions coming in iOS 14.5, teasing some of my SSH experiments, and giving hot takes on the Apple event.
Tune in live using Shortcuts.Live when it’s time – or add the calendar to see when future streams are scheduled.