Structured Cloud

Planning my days with Structured is one of the most impactful habits I practice. With its unique combination of Calendar events, Reminders to-dos, and custom tasks on a daily timeline, the app helps me stay on top of what I need to do and, more importantly, go into each day confident that I can accomplish what's necessary in a manageable way. The value of that feeling can't be quantified.

One of the very few sticking points I've run into with Structured has been syncing. From the beginning, the app relied on Apple's iCloud backend for keeping tasks in sync across devices. iCloud does a great job of making sure all of the data goes where it's supposed to go, but it is limited in certain ways, too. The big one for me is backgroud syncing. For whatever reason, syncing in the background isn't a built-in feature of CloudKit the way it is in Apple's first-party apps. Because of that, editing my day plan on one device wouldn't automatically update it on another device until the app was actually opened, rendering features like widgets and watch complications much less useful.

All of that is in the past now, though, thanks to Structured Cloud. The Structured team has rolled out their own custom syncing solution in beta as an optional alternative to iCloud syncing. I turned it on as soon as I possibly could, and I've been quite pleased by the change. Signing up was as simple as providing my email address. After entering a one-time code sent to my email, I was signed in and ready to go. Tasks now sync just as seamlessly as they did before, with the added benefit that it all happens in the background without any extra effort on my part.

Where I've noticed this change the most is on my Apple Watch. My main watch face complication is the Structured timeline because I want to be able to quickly glance at my wrist and see what I should be up to and how long I have to until my next task. Because of the quirks of iCloud, I used to manually open the Watch app every day to force a sync and keep my day plan up-to-date. Now, that information is always accurate whether I manually open the app or not. Amazing!

Structured Cloud also sets the stage for future additions like a web version and integration with Structured's Android app. The mixture of Reminders and Calendar data with custom, cross-platform sync is intriguing, and I can't wait to see where the team goes with it.

To be completely honest, this experience has changed the way I think about iCloud. I've often looked at apps that use their own syncing solution and thought, "Why don't they just use iCloud? It's so much simpler and doesn't require me to set up another account." Having seen what Structured Cloud is capable of, I now understand the benefits of looking outside of CloudKit for syncing, though I'm still glad that it's an option for developers.

I'm so impressed by what the Structured team has done here. If you're a user on the fence about trying their new cloud solution, I can say with confidence that it's an improvement and worth switching to. Go for it! And if you're reading this and haven't given Structured a spin yet, you know I'm going to recommend it. I've only written about the app three times now. So here's your opportunity to try it for yourself, new cloud syncing and all. An app's syncing experience is so important, and Structured Cloud gets it right.

Check-In: Fixing the iPad Lineup

Nearly a year ago, I lined out my plan for how Apple could improve the iPad lineup to make it more sensible. With the much-anticipated iPad Pro and iPad Air updates now out the way, I figured I should check in and see if my ideas panned out.

Rebrand the iPad 9 as iPad SE. On first glance, it seems like this idea didn’t go anywhere. Officially, the iPad 9 has been discontinued and is no longer a part of Apple’s lineup. But it’s still available from third-party retailers for $250, significantly lower than any iPad has ever been sold for before. I have a hunch that this is part of a low-key strategy on Apple’s part to keep this model in the channel without selling it officially, similar to what the company is doing with the M1 MacBook Air. It’s not the rebrand I was hoping for, but it has the same effect: making the 10th-generation iPad the official base model while keeping the classic version around somewhere at a steep discount.

Bring compatibility for the latest Apple Pencil to the iPad. The Apple Pencil story is still a bit confusing, but it’s getting better, and Apple did technically do this. The Apple Pencil (USB-C) introduced last fall is the new base model pencil, and it’s compatible with the base model iPad. In fact, it’s compatible with all iPads currently sold by Apple. The Apple Pencil Pro only works with the new iPad Pro and iPad Air, but I imagine the iPad mini will support the newest Pencil the next time it’s refreshed. Then, every current iPad model will be compatible with the regular Pencil, and the mid-tier and high-end models will offer a premium Pencil option as well. We’re moving in the right direction here.

Raise the base storage on the iPad Air and iPad mini. The new iPad Air starts at 128 GB of storage, double the previous generation. I have to believe the iPad mini will follow suit when it’s updated next. This is the right move, and I’m happy to see it.

Bring the XDR display to the 11” iPad Pro. Joke’s on me, because Apple didn’t bring the XDR display to the smaller iPad Pro, but the company did update both sizes of the iPad Pro to OLED, bringing their screen technologies back in sync. That’s what I really wanted; my suggestion was just too specific. The iPad Pro should have the best screen available regardless of its size, and that’s now the case.

Move the front-facing camera to the long edge on every model. Once again, this is true for every model except for the iPad mini, which hasn’t been updated since I wrote these suggestions. I believe the trend will be completed by the next-generation iPad mini.

Simplify the accessory options. The keyboard situation with the iPad was too confusing a year ago, and it’s better now, though not in a way that makes everyone happy. The company seems to be phasing out the Smart Keyboard line, leaving only the Magic Keyboard as options for new iPad models. This is a classic “be careful what you wish for” situation. I’m sad to see the Smart Keyboard Folio go and was hoping for a good/better offering across the line rather than a “better only” offering for each model. My apologies to all Smart Keyboard fans for single-handedly killing your favorite accessory with this suggestion.

Bonus points: Bring ProMotion to the iPad Air and iPad mini. This was a stretch then, and it remains a stretch now. I still hope it will happen one day, but it’s going to be some time before the screen technology in Apple’s Pro devices is advanced enough that ProMotion can shift down to the mid-tier line.

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Looking back at these ideas, most of them actually came to fruition, if not in letter then in spirit. The overarching vibe when it comes to the iPad lineup seems much more positive since the Let Loose event – software complaints notwithstanding. I think the iPad is in the best place it’s ever been, and an update to the iPad mini (hopefully this fall 🤞) will only seal the deal.

Folks, I think we fixed it.

Sequel Adds Shortcuts Actions, Magic Lookup, and Personal Notes

In my post announcing Watch History Journal 2, I mentioned that the shortcut relies on new Shortcuts actions from Sequel, the media-tracking app from Romain Lefebvre. What I didn’t get to include was the fact that these actions come as part of a really nice update to the app, version 2.3, which includes some other great features as well.

Shortcuts actions have been my biggest feature request for Sequel since I started using it, and the way they’ve been added is exactly what I was hoping for. Thanks to these new actions, I can accomplish so many of my regular media-tracking tasks, including marking titles as complete and checking on upcoming releases, without ever opening the app. I’ve added a Sequel super shortcut to my iPhone’s Action Button and use it multiple times a day, and that’s just a fraction of what these actions are capable of. They are so, so well done.

Magic Lookup is my second-favorite new feature that came to Sequel this week. It adds share sheet support to the app in the most unique way I’ve ever seen: when you share a webpage or bit of text to Sequel, it uses AI to analyze the contents of what you sent and return matched titles from the app’s media databases. It’s the quickest way possible to get from reading about a title to tracking it, and it really does feel like magic. When I’m watching a movie trailer or reading an Apple Newsroom article about an upcoming series, I’ve gotten in the habit of sharing it to Sequel with Magic Lookup and adding it to my library that way. I love it.

I haven’t spent as much time with Personal Notes as I have the other new features, but I know it’s something that a lot of people are quite happy about. You can now add notes in Markdown format to any title in Sequel, allowing you to record thoughts on a movie or log game progress within the app you’re already using to track these titles. It’s a great idea, and as with everything Romain does, it’s done in a way that’s both attractive and useful.

The update includes a handful of new library options, too, including the ability to search within a particular library, change the size of title images, and remove title labels in the library view. For more details about all of these additions, check out John’s review on MacStories.

I’d say that Sequel 2.3 is the biggest update to the app since 2.0 last year. It’s brought about huge changes for the way I use it every day, making so many aspects of media-tracking faster and easier than ever. Sequel has been my favorite app in its category for some time now, and this update just further solidifies its place as the perfect solution for me.

WWDC 2024 Predictions

Every year, Sigmund and I share our predictions for WWDC on our podcast Magic Rays of Light. This year was no different. On the latest episode, we gave our picks for what we think Apple will announce on Monday.

In the spirit of full transparency, I thought I’d also publish them here. That way, my shame (or glory!) can be on full display after the keynote.

Here’s what I think is coming at WWDC this year:

• Apps and widgets on the Home Screen can be placed arbitrarily on iOS 18.
• Siri will gain the ability to have context-aware conversations.
• Support for multiple simultaneous audio sources will come to iPadOS and visionOS.
• visionOS 2 will feature a revamped notification system, an app switcher, and the ability to group windows together and switch between groups.
• Hardware-limited features will be available on devices with the M1 chip, A14 chip, and later.
• The number of new changes that will debut for tvOS 18: nine.
• The number of times artificial intelligence will be mentioned: 35.

Will any of these come true? Who knows. But it’s fun to try to guess what will happen. Regardless, I’m excited to see what Apple has in store for us on Monday. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun. I’ll be helping cover all the announcements on MacStories if you want to keep up with things there throughout the conference.

Apple TV Go →

My friend and podcast co-host Sigmund Judge, writing at MacStories:

Somewhere in the Apple TV multiverse, there was a USB-C powered device that I could carry with me for quick reference, whether at Apple Park or a south London coffee shop during my writing process for last year’s tvOS review. Somewhere, there was an iPad-like device that could run tvOS, offering a superior software alternative to the plentiful supply of affordable, battery-powered Android portable projectors…

I needed to become the hero of my own story and create the on-the-go tvOS workstation I envisioned by braving the world of hardware modification and building my very own Apple TV Go.

What Sigmund has created – a portable tvOS workstation incorporating a modified Apple TV, an iPad Pro, a custom Magic Keyboard, Velcro, and much more – is so wonderfully out-of-this-world, you just have to read about it to believe it. Or if you prefer, you can listen to the latest episode of Magic Rays of Light, where we discuss it in audio form.

It was a pleasure getting to help bring Sigmund’s Apple TV Go story to the world in a small way. If you spend much time with him, you’re going to be challenged to think creatively and start making the change you want to see. That’s what this story reflects to me – in addition to an awesome bit of custom tech, of course – so I hope you’ll give it a read.