Canvas

77: Future of iPad - Ecosystem Dec 21, 2018

In this, final, episode of Canvas, Fraser and Federico look into the future of the iPad ecosystem.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

Pingdom: Start monitoring your websites and servers today. Use offer code CANVAS to get 30% off.
Luna Display: The only hardware solution that turns your iPad into a wireless display for your Mac. Use promo code CANVAS at checkout for 10% off.

Links and Show Notes

In this episode, we look at the future of the hardware, software, platform, app and service ecosystem.

76: Future of iPad - Automation Dec 07, 2018

Fraser and Federico open with an important announcement about the future of Canvas, then speculate on how iOS automation might move forward in the future.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

Luna Display: The only hardware solution that turns your iPad into a wireless display for your Mac. Use promo code CANVAS at checkout for 10% off.
Away: Travel smarter with the suitcase that charges your phone. Get $20 off with the code ‘canvas’.

Links and Show Notes

Featured Links

The Verge: iPad Pro Review

Support Canvas with a Relay FM Membership

75: Future of iPad - The Cloud Nov 23, 2018

In this episode on the future of the iPad, Fraser and Federico take a look at cloud services - both Apple's and third parties.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

Pingdom: Start monitoring your websites and servers today. Use offer code CANVAS to get 30% off.
Luna Display: The only hardware solution that turns your iPad into a wireless display for your Mac. Use promo code CANVAS at checkout for 10% off.

Links and Show Notes

Featured Links

Fraser Speirs: The Post-Digital Era (2014)

Support Canvas with a Relay FM Membership

74: Future of iPad - Hardware Nov 09, 2018

In this post-event episode, Federico shares his impressions of the new 3rd generation iPad Pro and we look to the future of iPad hardware.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

Pingdom: Start monitoring your websites and servers today. Use offer code CANVAS to get 30% off.
Luna Display: The only hardware solution that turns your iPad into a wireless display for your Mac. Use promo code CANVAS at checkout for 10% off.

Links and Show Notes

Featured Links

iPad Pro - Apple

Support Canvas with a Relay FM Membership

73: Future of iPad - Software Oct 26, 2018

In this forward-looking episode, Federico and Fraser try to imagine what the future of the iPad might be, with particular consideration of the software it runs.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

Pingdom: Start monitoring your websites and servers today. Use offer code CANVAS to get 30% off.
Luna Display: The only hardware solution that turns your iPad into a wireless display for your Mac. Use promo code CANVAS at checkout for 10% off.

Links and Show Notes

Featured Links

Support Canvas with a Relay FM Membership

72: Fraser Goes to the Dark Side Oct 12, 2018

In a surprising turn of events, Fraser buys an Android phone and Federico demands to know why.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

Pingdom: Start monitoring your websites and servers today. Use offer code CANVAS to get 30% off.
Hover: Get a .DESIGN domain with 85% off your first year.

Links and Show Notes

Fraser has picked up a Google Pixel 2XL as his next smartphone. The reasons are explained inside but the episode turns into a reflection on just how similar and different the two main smartphone platforms are in 2018. There is some discussion of Google using their apps as an Android ‘beachhead’ on iOS and the implications of Apple’s pricing strategy.

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71: Shortcuts, Shortcuts or Shortcuts? Sep 29, 2018

This week, Federico spends a quarter of the show saying "Shortcuts", Fraser invents a morse code Shortcut and OpenDoc is referenced in the passing.

Links and Show Notes

Featured Links

Support Canvas with a Relay FM Membership

70: Task Managers in 2018 Sep 18, 2018

This week, Fraser and Federico take a look at the "Big Four" task managers on iOS - Things, OmniFocus, Todoist and Apple Reminders - and consider how the iOS ecosystem has changed since the early days.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

Hover: Show the world what you’re passionate about with 10% off your first purchase

Links and Show Notes

Featured Apps and Resources

Support Canvas with a Relay FM Membership

69: Getting Ready for iOS 12 Aug 31, 2018

This week, Federico leads us through an exploration of the new features coming (soon!) in iOS 12.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

Pingdom: Start monitoring your websites and servers today. Use offer code CANVAS to get 30% off.

Links and Show Notes

Featured Links

Canvas Episode 65 - Hands-on with the Shortcuts App with Jason Snell

68: Cloud Storage in 2018 Aug 17, 2018

Fraser is joined by David Chartier for a wide-ranging discussion on the state of cloud storage in 2018 and its impact on our lives.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

Pingdom: Start monitoring your websites and servers today. Use offer code CANVAS to get 30% off.
Molekule: The only air purifier that actually destroys pollutants. Use canvas for $75 off.

Guest Starring:

David Chartier

Links and Show Notes

Featured Links

66: Living the Google Lifestyle on iOS Aug 03, 2018

This week Fraser walks through the details of living the Google Lifestyle on iOS.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

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Links and Show Notes

Like Fraser, many iOS users live in a world dominated by Google services. At Fraser's school, GSuite is the back-end service that manages cloud storage, email, calendaring and all those businessy things that we do every day.

So, how do the options for accessing and working with Google services on iOS stack up? Listen in to find out.

65: Hands-On with the Shortcuts App Jul 20, 2018

Federico is joined by Jason Snell to talk about Shortcuts.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

Pingdom: Start monitoring your websites and servers today. Use offer code CANVAS to get 30% off.
Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. Ever.

Guest Starring:

Jason Snell

Links and Show Notes

Six Colors: Apple, technology, and other stuff from Jason Snell and Friends

Coda for iOS

Workflow – Tag Archive - MacStories

Shortcuts: A New Vision for Siri and iOS Automation – MacStories

64: Summer Travel with iOS Jul 06, 2018

Appropriately for the topic, Federico is away so Fraser is joined by Bradley Chambers to share tips and tricks for managing summer travel with iOS.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

Caffeine Security: Boutique cyber-security consulting services. Free quick-start cyber-security roadmap for the first five listeners who request it.
Pingdom: Start monitoring your websites and servers today. Use offer code CANVAS to get 30% off.

Guest Starring:

Bradley Chambers

Links and Show Notes

Featured Items and Links

63: iOS 12 First Impressions Jun 22, 2018

Fraser and Federico have been living on the early betas of iOS 12 for a couple of weeks now and they really like it.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

Sanebox: Clean up your inbox in minutes. Sign up for a two-week free trial and a $20 credit.
Pingdom: Start monitoring your websites and servers today. Use offer code CANVAS to get 30% off.

Links and Show Notes

Featured Links

62: WWDC 2018 with David Chartier Jun 08, 2018

With Federico at WWDC, Fraser is joined by David Chartier to evaluate the announcements of Apple's Keynote.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

Sanebox: Clean up your inbox in minutes. Sign up for a two-week free trial and a $20 credit.
eero: Never think about WiFi again. Use code CANVAS for free overnight shipping.

Guest Starring:

David Chartier

Links and Show Notes

Fraser and David dig into Apple's announcements in iOS 12, watchOS 5 and even say a few nice things about macOS Mojave.

61: Parental Controls May 25, 2018

In this solo episode, Fraser takes you through four techniques for restricting the function of an iOS device in different scenarios.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

Pingdom: Start monitoring your websites and servers today. Use offer code CANVAS to get 30% off.
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Links and Show Notes

"Digital Wellbeing" is the new hotness when it comes to devices, but iOS has long provided controls for restricting or limiting the operation of device features.

Fraser covers:

Featured Apps

60: Watching TV on iOS May 11, 2018

Turns out™ that iOS was for content consumption all along! This week, Fraser and Federico look at ways to watch TV and video content on iOS.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

Sanebox: Clean up your inbox in minutes. Sign up for a two-week free trial and a $20 credit.
Pingdom: Start monitoring your websites and servers today. Use offer code CANVAS to get 30% off.

Links and Show Notes

Featured Apps and Services

BBC iPlayer
Sky Go
Sky Q
NOW TV: Movies, TV & Sports
RugbyPass
Plex - Supported TV Tuners
Plex Companion (Casting from one Plex to another)
Hauppauge TV Tuners
YouTube Red
YouTube Offline
TunnelBear
Encrypt.me (formerly Cloak)
HDHomeRun
Channels
[CEEFAX}(https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ceefax)

59: Keeping Track of the Weather Apr 27, 2018

In this episode, Fraser and Federico chat about the weather and how to keep an eye on it digitally through iOS.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

Pingdom: Start monitoring your websites and servers today. Use offer code CANVAS to get 30% off.
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Links and Show Notes

Featured Apps

Featured Links

The Making of the CARROT Apps with Brian Mueller - Appstories Episode 6

58: The Multi-Pad Lifestyle, with Myke Hurley Apr 13, 2018

Myke Hurley joins the show to discuss why and how he uses multiple iPads for his work.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

Sanebox: Clean up your inbox in minutes. Sign up for a two-week free trial and a $20 credit.
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Guest Starring:

Myke Hurley

Links and Show Notes

Cortex #27: Danger Inches Away - Relay FM

Leuchtturm1917 Pen Loop | Cult Pens

Brydge 12.9 - Apple iPad Pro Keyboard | Brydge

Kaweco pen sleeve GRIP for Apple Pencil black | Mostwanted Pens

57: Apple Education Event 2018 Mar 30, 2018

On March 27th, Apple held its 2018 Education Event showcasing the 6th Generation iPad and various new education apps and features. We dig into these announcements and look at iOS' role in education.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

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Links and Show Notes

Featured Links

56: eBooks on iOS Mar 16, 2018

In this episode, Federico and Fraser look at your options for reading and creating eBooks on iOS. From mainstream apps like iBooks and Kindle to Marvin, Hyphen and creation tools like Book Creator, we cover it all.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

Sanebox: Clean up your inbox in minutes. Sign up for a two-week free trial and a $20 credit.
Pingdom: Start monitoring your websites and servers today. Use offer code CANVAS to get 30% off.

Links and Show Notes

Featured Apps

55: Getting the Most out of Find My Friends Mar 02, 2018

This week, Fraser leads us on a deep-dive into the feature set of Find My Friends, the built-in location sharing app in iOS.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

Eero: Never think about WiFi again. Use code CANVAS for free overnight shipping.
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Links and Show Notes

Find My Friends is a well-designed location sharing app that is built into millions of iOS devices, yet it is not as well-known as it should be.

Find My Friends features fine-grained control over who can see your location and when. You can set up permanent or temporary location sharing, provide notifications of your movements to others and get notified when other people are on the move.

Siri knows about Find My Friends so you can ask questions like "Where is Bob?" or "Let me know when my wife leaves work."

Featured Links

54: Managing Your Smart Home from iOS Feb 16, 2018

This week, Federico schools Fraser in the ways of Apple HomeKit and HomeKit compatible accessories.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

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Links and Show Notes

With the advent of HomePod, Apple's push into the home is beginning in earnest. Federico walks us through the rooms of his virtual home and explains how to make coffee, check the temperature and turn the lights red all from your iOS devices.

Featured Apps

53: Remote Screens on iOS Feb 02, 2018

This week, Federico and Fraser continue discussing techniques for connecting to remote computers using screen-sharing protocols like VNC.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

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Eero: Never think about WiFi again. Use code CANVAS for free overnight shipping.

Links and Show Notes

Featured Apps

52: SSH from iOS Jan 19, 2018

This week we dive into a nerdy topic: working with SSH connections on iOS.

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Links and Show Notes

Using SSH is not necessarily part of every computer user's daily life but, for those who know they want it, iOS has a number of good options for making SSH connections on the go.

Featured Apps

Prompt 2
- iSSH 2
- Blink Shell: Mosh & SSH

Featured Links

Teaching Programming on iOS - Speirs.org
Teaching Programming with iOS and Amazon EC2 - Speirs.org
Can You Write Code on an iPad? - Andrew Brookins

51: Apple Watch Dec 22, 2017

With Christmas just around the corner, we bet some listeners might be the new owners of a shiny Apple Watch quite soon. Here are our favourite apps and tips!

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

Sanebox: Clean up your inbox in minutes. Sign up for a two-week free trial and a $20 credit.
Eero: Never think about WiFi again. Use code CANVAS for free overnight shipping.

Links and Show Notes

Featured Apps

OmniFocus
Things
Overcast
CARROT Weather
Workouts++
AutoSleep

50: The Things We Carry Dec 08, 2017

For our 50th episode, we take a look at the outside of our iPads instead of the inside. Fraser and Federico open up their kit bags and show what they carry alongside their iPads.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

Balance Open: Find out more about Balance Open and get $2 in Ethereum.
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Links and Show Notes

Here are all the things we refer to in the show:

49: Long-Form Editors - Honourable Mentions Nov 24, 2017

In this episode, we wrap up our look at long-form editors with a look at the honourable mentions for other interesting apps on iOS.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

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Links and Show Notes

We look at other apps you might be interested in for long-form writing on iOS.

Featured Apps

48: Long-form Writing in Scrivener Nov 10, 2017

We continue with our mini-series on long-form writing apps with a look at Scrivener.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

Balance Open: Find out more about Balance Open and get $2 in Ethereum.
FlightLogger: Real-time flight tracking for worry-free travel

Links and Show Notes

Scrivener is the other one of the “big two” long-form writing apps on iOS outside of traditional word processors like Pages and Word.

We dive into the powerful research and structuring features that are the central features of Scrivener.

Featured Apps

Scrivener

47: Long-form Writing in Ulysses Oct 27, 2017

In this first episode of a mini-series on long-form writing on iOS, Fraser and Federico go deep on one of their favourite applications: Ulysses.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

Balance Open: Find out more about Balance Open and get $2 in Ethereum.

Links and Show Notes

Ulysses is one of the deep professional applications on iOS. Federico wrote and managed his entire iOS 11 review in Ulysses We could talk all day about this app!

Featured Applications

Ulysses

Featured Links

Nitti Typeface

46: Versions Oct 13, 2017

Making, accessing and using versions of files is something that has been built into some iOS apps for a while now but few know how to access the feature.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

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Links and Show Notes

In this episode, Fraser and Federico go into detail about how to access file versions in iCloud-backed apps like iWork. Federico then goes into the nuclear option and explains how he uses Working Copy and Git to maintain versions of the articles that end up on Macstories.net.

Featured Apps

45: Files and File Providers in iOS 11 Sep 29, 2017

With iOS 11 released, apps are starting to receive updates to be compatible with features like the new Files app. In this episode, Fraser and Federico dig into what’s possible for cloud storage.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

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Links and Show Notes

Featured App’s

44: Getting Ready for iOS 11 Sep 15, 2017

In this solo episode, Fraser shares information about iOS storage management, backup and OS updating in preparation for iOS 11.

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Links and Show Notes

When a major new iOS version lands, you’re going to want to update soon but do you have enough free space on your device and are you fully backed up? This episode will help you get ready on both counts.

Featured Links

Appstories Podcast: iOS 11 Files

43: iOS 11 Notes Sep 01, 2017

This week Fraser and Federico take a look at the changes coming to one of the most-used applications in iOS: Apple Notes.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

Balance: Find out more about Balance Open and get $2 in Etherium.

Links and Show Notes

Apple Notes is now a seriously full-featured application, incorporating styled text, attachments and, in iOS 11, tables, inline sketches and a new Instant Notes feature. In this episode we look at many of the new features as well as a few old favourites (and old pain points!).

42: iOS 11 - Multitasking Aug 18, 2017

This week Fraser and Federico resolve their differences over another major iOS 11 feature: Multitasking.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

Eero: Never think about WiFi again. Use code CANVAS for free overnight shipping.
Away: Travel smarter with the suitcase that charges your phone. Get $20 off with the code ‘canvas’.

Links and Show Notes

The changes to Multitasking in iOS 11 are probably the most extensive re-working of any part of the iOS user experience in a long time. There’s a whole new set of behaviours for the Dock, Split Views and Slide Over. In this episode Fraser and Federico explore what they love (Federico) and hate (Fraser) about this new system.

Featured Links

Fraser’s Twitter Thread about improvements to iOS 11 multitasking.

41: iOS 11 - Drag and Drop Aug 04, 2017

In this episode, Fraser and Federico dive deep on the topic of Drag and Drop in iOS 11.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

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Links and Show Notes

Drag and Drop is one of the cornerstone features of iOS 11, but how does it really work and how can you expect it to change your approach to working on iOS?

40: Mind Mapping Jul 21, 2017

This week Fraser and Federico really explore the space looking at Mind Mapping tools on iOS.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

Ministry of Supply: Dress smarter. Work smarter. Get 15% off your first purchase.

Links and Show Notes

As promised in Canvas 35 (Outlining), mind mapping is the other side of that coin. In this episode Federico talks us through some of the mind mapping tools that he uses when building his famous iOS review articles.

Featured Apps

Featured Links

MacStories Mindscope Review

39: Everyone Can Code on iPad Jul 07, 2017

This week Fraser flies the show solo and brings an update on programming on iOS by going into detail on Apple’s Everyone Can Code initiative.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

Ministry of Supply: Dress smarter. Work smarter. Get 15% off your first purchase.

Links and Show Notes

Everyone Can Code is Apple’s company-wide program for introducing coding techniques to interested students in schools and at home. Swift Playgrounds on iPad is one of the biggest features of this but there are other parts of the program too.

Featured Apps

Featured Books

38: 21 Days Later Jun 23, 2017

This week Fraser and Federico reflect on a couple of weeks of intensive use of iOS 11.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

Pingdom: Start monitoring your websites and servers today. Use offer CANVAS to get 20% off.

Links and Show Notes

There is so much for iPad users to love in iOS 11. Files, drag and drop, multitasking, screen recording and the like. In this episode, Fraser and Federico dive into the excruciating detail of the impact on productivity of some of these changes. Sometimes they are much for the better but your hosts share their spidey-sense that some of this might not be fully baked just yet.

Featured Links

iOS 11 Preview - Apple

37: WWDC 2017 with Tom Bridge Jun 09, 2017

This week, we go in-depth on the iOS-related announcements from WWDC 2017.

Guest Starring:

Tom Bridge

Links and Show Notes

This week Tom Bridge of the MacAdmins Podcast is sitting in for Federico, who is on location at WWDC 2017.

Tom and Fraser go in-depth on the new iPad hardware announcements and the major features of iOS 11.

Featured Links

36: Wishes for iOS 11 May 26, 2017

This week Fraser and Federico welcome special guest Merlin Mann to discuss opportunities for improvements that may - or may not - arrive in iOS 11.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

Sanebox: Clean up your inbox in minutes. Sign up for a two-week free trial and a $20 credit.

Guest Starring:

Merlin Mann

Links and Show Notes

iOS is an increasingly mature operating system but nothing is perfect and there are so many things - large and small - that we want to see tweaked and improved in iOS. This wide-ranging discussion covers some of our major pain points and wishes for the future.

Featured Apps

Just Press Record

Featured Links

35: Outlining May 12, 2017

This week Fraser and Federico look at two options for outlining on iOS.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

Pingdom: Start monitoring your websites and servers today. Use offer CANVAS to get 20% off.

Links and Show Notes

Outlining is a powerful software technique that goes far beyond the bullet list in a word processor. Outliners let you create structured documents and - crucially - expand, collapse and restructure them at will.

If you haven't used an outliner before, we look at two options: one that gives you a stripped-down Markdown-style editing experience and one that lets you do, well, everything in one place.

Featured Apps

Featured Links

OmniOutliner Manual on iBooks

34: Password Managers Apr 28, 2017

This week Fraser and Federico look at another aspect of personal security on iOS: password managers.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

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Links and Show Notes

Many people have looked at password managers and decided they are too complex, too annoying or just too geeky for daily use. This episode is here to convince you or your friends and family of all the great and important reasons why you should be using a password manager

Featured Apps

33: iOS Device Security Apr 14, 2017

This week, inspired by true events, Fraser and Federico look at the user-facing security technologies available in iOS.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

Pingdom: Start monitoring your websites and servers today. Use offer CANVAS to get 20% off.

Links and Show Notes

iOS is a very secure operating system but there are settings and controls that you might set in various ways to enhance or reduce your security. This episode dives deep into the settings available to users to protect themselves.

Featured Apps

Find My iPhone (part of iOS)
1Password - Password Manager and Secure Wallet

Featured Links

32: iWork 3.1 Update and Apple Classroom Mar 31, 2017

This week Fraser and Federico dig into the changes in Apple's recent iWork 3.1 update and explore Apple Classroom 2.0.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

Sanebox: Clean up your inbox in minutes. Sign up for a two-week free trial and a $20 credit.

Links and Show Notes

iWork is a great suite of apps that comes for free with iOS devices. There's a lot of power in there and Apple has recently expanded these capabilities with iWork 3.1. This show discusses some of the additions and looks at Apple Classroom 2.0, the iPad management tool that is now open for use by anyone with any device, not just schools.

Finally, we run the rule over Apple's new lower-cost iPad 5th Generation.

Featured Apps

31: Note Taking with Apple Pencil Mar 17, 2017

This week Fraser and Federico take their Apple Pencils in hand and share some notes on taking notes with the iPad Pro.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

Sanebox: Clean up your inbox in minutes. Sign up for a two-week free trial and a $20 credit.

Links and Show Notes

Many people dream of the fusion of paper and digital and, for many years, we tried to make the iPad work for this. Rubbery styli, wide parallax error and low-resolution digitizers were the enemy of anything particularly good happening, despite the best efforts of many stylus makers and app developers.

With the iPad Pro and the Apple Pencil, however, everything has changed. The Apple Pencil is really the only stylus worth mentioning in the context of iPad note taking. Nothing else comes close.

Featured Apps

Featured Links and Workflows

30: The Share Sheet Mar 03, 2017

This week Fraser and Federico tackle a core part of iOS: the Share Sheet.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

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Links and Show Notes

The Share Sheet is a fundamental tool for getting work done on iOS but how does it work? How does iOS decide what to put in there? And what is the deal with those apps that appear twice? All is explained in this episode.

Featured Apps

Featured Book

The Design of Everyday Things - Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk

29: Workflow - Magic Variables Feb 17, 2017

In this episode, Fraser and Federico update the Workflow series for the major new feature that debuted in Workflow 1.7 - Magic Variables.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

Ministry of Supply: Dress smarter. Work smarter. Get 15% off your first purchase.

Links and Show Notes

Magic Variables solve a major problem that we identified in episode 23. Namely, the need to constantly "get details of" and then store the result in a variable over and over until you have all the properties you need.

Magic Variables reduce this to one button in a Workflow now. You're going to want to use these!

Featured Workflows and Links

28: Read Later Services Feb 03, 2017

This week Fraser and Federico change gears and focus on Read Later services.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

Pingdom: Start monitoring your websites and servers today. Use offer CANVAS to get 20% off.

Links and Show Notes

On iOS, three of the big services for "reading later" are Safari Reading List, Pocket and Instapaper. In this show, we discuss the features that are desirable for these kinds of services and review each of the big three, highlighting their best side.

Featured Apps

27: Advanced Workflow Programming Part 2 Jan 20, 2017

This week Fraser and Federico close out the Workflow programming series with some of the more advanced techniques in Workflow programming.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

Pingdom: Start monitoring your websites and servers today. Use offer CANVAS to get 20% off.

Links and Show Notes

This week, we look at:

Debugging Workflows
Encoding Media inside Workflow
Using Rich Lists to enhance a workflow's interface
Using the Safari Document Object Model

Featured Apps

Featured Workflows

Previous Episodes in this Series

26: Advanced Workflow Programming Dec 23, 2016

This week Fraser and Federico take a look at some of the advanced programming structures in Workflow.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

Pingdom: Start monitoring your websites and servers today. Use offer CANVAS for a special 50% off.

Links and Show Notes

There are a few things we haven't yet looked at in our Workflow series and, in this episode, we address some of them. We discuss using conditional (or "IF") statements to control code execution. We talk Repeat blocks for looping, explain the difference between Arrays and Dictionaries and, finally, we help you discover the superpower that is Regular Expressions.

Featured Links

Featured Workflows

25: Workflow - Web APIs Dec 09, 2016

This week Fraser and Federico dive into Web service API programming in Workflow.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

Tom Bihn: Bags made in the U.S.A. Lifetime Guarantee. Superior Construction. Thoughtful Design.
Sanebox: Clean up your inbox in minutes. Sign up for a two-week free trial and a $20 credit.

Links and Show Notes

Many web services publish an Application Programming Interface (API) to allow other programs to work with their service.

Workflow provides two approaches to programming web APIs. The first is a series of built-in Actions that let you complete a form interface and then send the request to the web service.

Beyond that, Workflow also includes a powerful Action called Get Contents of URL that has an advanced set of capabilities for talking to REST APIs on the web directly.

Federico shares a number of great examples and Fraser brings the theory about web API programming.

Featured Apps

Featured Workflows

24: Workflow - Third Party Applications Nov 25, 2016

This week Fraser and Federico continue the Workflow series by looking at integrating Workflow with third-party apps.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

Pingdom: Start monitoring your websites and servers today. Use code BLACKFRIDAY for 50% off your first invoice on all annual plans (excluding Enterprise).

Links and Show Notes

Scripting Workflow itself and its built-in Actions is great fun but the real magic happens when you integrate Workflow with third-party apps. In this episode, Fraser and Federico go deep on URL schemes and then explain how to use Workflow's friendly Action interfaces to many of these app URL schemes.

Fraser and Federico cover real-world examples from apps such as Blink, Ulysses, Due, OmniFocus, Transmit and Bear.

Featured Apps

Featured Links

Featured Workflows

23: Workflow - Variables and Built-in Actions Nov 11, 2016

This week Fraser and Federico continue the Workflow series with a look at how to use Variables and Workflow's built-in actions.

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Links and Show Notes

Variables are a fundamental part of all even slightly-complex programming and Workflow is no different. The show opens with a discussion of how to create and access variables in workflow. After the break, we dive into Workflow's built-in actions for areas of your iOS life such as Calendar, Contacts, Music, Location and Photos.

Featured Apps

Workflow: Powerful Automation Made Simple

Featured Workflows

Log Weight

22: Workflow - The Basics Oct 28, 2016

This week Fraser and Federico begin a multi-part series on the iOS automation app Workflow.

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Links and Show Notes

Workflow is the premier app for automation on iOS and unlocks a whole other level of utility on the platform. It can, however, be intimidating for new users. In this first episode, we attempt to demystify Workflow in preparation for getting into more advanced topics in weeks to come.

Featured Apps

Workflow: Powerful Automation Made Simple

Featured Workflows

Translate to Italian

21: Office and Google Docs Oct 14, 2016

This week Fraser and Federico complete the set and talk about Microsoft Office and Google Docs on iOS.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

Boom for iOS: Redefine the way you listen to music on your iPhone and iPad.

Links and Show Notes

iOS now has all three major productivity suites available at some level on the platform. In this episode we discuss Microsoft Office and Google Docs from the perspective of how good they are on iOS. Spoiler: Google Docs doesn't feel the love in this episode.

Featured Apps

20: iWork 3.0 Sep 30, 2016

This week Fraser and Federico take a tour of iWork 3.0.

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Links and Show Notes

iWork has been through numerous changes over the years, including being ported to iOS and the web. More recently, collaboration features and web broadcasting of Keynote presentations have all come along to join the party.

Featured Apps

19: iOS 10 Sep 16, 2016

This week Fraser and Federico discuss - what else? - iOS 10.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

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Links and Show Notes

iOS 10 is the next major release of Apple's mobile operating system. While perhaps not as "power-user" focused as iOS 9 was, it will smooth the rough edges off many of our daily interactions with our devices.

Featured Links

18: Watching Video on iOS Sep 02, 2016

This week Fraser and Federico take a look at a leisure activity on iOS: watching video.

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Links and Show Notes

When people contemplate switching full time to iOS, it's not always the productivity aspects that are the hardest, but bringing over some of your leisure activities too.

This week, we look at watching video on iOS. Some say that watching video is the main function of an iPad. We couldn't disagree more here at Canvas but we do like a good box set.

Featured Apps

Featured Workflows

Download YouTube

17: 2Do with Ben Brooks Aug 19, 2016

This week Fraser talks with Ben Brooks about the third major task manager on iOS, 2Do.

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Guest Starring:

Ben Brooks

Links and Show Notes

In this mini-series on task management, we have covered Todoist, OmniFocus and we wrap up with a look at the third major app 2Do.

2Do is a task manager that includes several powerful features including TouchID protection for lists, calendar management inside the app and a unique information density control.

Fraser and Ben cover these areas of the app as well as a discussion of Ben's journey to being iPad-only.

Featured Apps

Featured Links

Ben Brooks on Twitter (@benjaminbrooks)
The Brooks Review
Federico's 2Do Review: Why 2Do Is My New Favourite iOS Task Manager
How Email to 2Do Has Improved My Daily Email Workflow - Macstories.net

16: Task Management Part 2 Aug 05, 2016

This week Fraser and Federico take another pass at managing tasks on iOS, this time looking at implementing Getting Things Done with OmniFocus on iOS.

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Links and Show Notes

OmniFocus is one of the big beasts of the task management arena on iOS. OmniFocus of course started as a Mac app in 2008 and has migrated onto iOS as time has gone by.

Omnifocus on iOS is one part of a whole system that includes OmniFocus on the Mac, Apple Watch and Omni's syncing service. All of these parts work together but you don't need the Mac app to get the best out of your OmniFocus system. We show you how to live the iOS lifestyle with a full-power GTD system.

Apple Notes is our 'lightweight' task manager of the week. There's so much to like about Apple Notes since iOS 9. As any reader of Getting Things Done will tell you, you don't need a super-powered task manager to implement the process - even plain old paper would do.

Featured Apps

OmniFocus 2
Apple Notes

Featured Sites, Links and Books

15: Task Management Part 1 Jul 22, 2016

This week Fraser and Federico take a pass at task management on iOS. This is another area of productivity where iOS is very well served for options.

Links and Show Notes

There are thousands of to do list applications on the App Store, but we take a look at one heavyweight app and one lighter app this week. Our heavyweight app is Federico's task manager of choice, Todoist.

For our lighter, simpler, option we also take a look at Apple reminders which, despite its simplicity, still has a level of integration with iOS that no other task manager can match.

14: Calendars Jul 08, 2016

This week Fraser and Federico dive into managing your calendar on iOS.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

Tap Coding: A brand new app to help you learn Swift programming on your iPad or iPhone.

Links and Show Notes

Many of us live and die by our calendars. Having a digital calendar in your pocket has been an important use case for mobile professionals since the early days of Psion organisers and Palm Pilots. Today, we have a huge range of options for calendaring on iOS. Let's look at some of them.

Featured Apps

Featured Workflows

Featured Links

Fraser's Barefoot College Fundraising Project

13: Weird iOS Jun 24, 2016

This week Fraser is joined by writer David Chartier to explore some of the stranger things you can do with iOS.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

MartianCraft: Training crafted just for you.

Guest Starring:

David Chartier

Links and Show Notes

Canvas listeners are used to discussions of email clients, file management and ways to handle the web. Have you thought about turning iOS devices into baby monitors, music stands, DIY tools and display screens? We'll get into all of that this week.

Featured Apps

Featured Links

12: Programming on iOS Jun 10, 2016

The mission of Canvas has always been to illuminate the parts of iOS that people think can't be done. In that spirit, this week Fraser and Federico dig into how to program on iOS.

Links and Show Notes

The mission of Canvas has always been to illuminate the parts of iOS that people think can't be done. In that spirit, this week Fraser and Federico dig into how to program on iOS.

We take a look at both traditional Integrated Development Environment tools such as Pythonista and Codea and block-based programming tools like Editorial, Workflow and Hopscotch.

Featured Apps

Featured Links

iPads for Barefoot College

11: Travelling with iOS May 27, 2016

This week Fraser and Federico discuss travelling with iOS devices.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

Airtable: Organise anything you can imagine.

Links and Show Notes

With summer - and WWDC - coming up, Fraser and Federico bring you advice on the equipment, apps and tweaks for your iOS devices that you need when travelling with your iOS devices.

The the travel bags are opened to reveal the essentials within. Fraser and Federico share their favourite travel accessories, techniques for getting online abroad and their preferred iOS settings tweaks and Apple Watch complications for having fun and staying safe abroad.

Featured Travel Kit

Featured Accessories

Featured Apps

Featured Travel Tips

10: Third Party Email Clients May 13, 2016

This week Fraser and Federico (particularly Federico) drop serious knowledge on 3rd party iOS mail clients.

This episode of Canvas is sponsored by:

Airtable: Organise anything you can imagine.

Links and Show Notes

What are they good for? Where do they have hard limitations? Which ones are the best? Federico makes his picks and explains how these clients can hook into other parts of your workflow to really enhance your mail processing on iOS.

Featured Apps

9: Presenting with iOS Apr 29, 2016

This week Fraser flies the show solo to talk about his experience in creating, delivering and sharing presentations with iOS.

Links and Show Notes

Travelling with such light and simple devices is a dream come true for many road warriors, but can iOS truly deliver the power required to be an end-to-end presentation platform?

Featured Apps

Featured Workflows

Force Open In (to access the full Share Sheet from Office apps)

8: Apple Mail Apr 15, 2016

This week Fraser and Federico tackle email on iOS using everyone's default client Apple Mail.

Links and Show Notes

You might think of Apple Mail as being a slightly weak client but, as we shall see, it's more powerful than you think. We tackle some of the special smart mailboxes that exist in Apple Mail, look at notifications and composing mail.

This week, it's Federico's turn to confess something.

Featured Apps

Airmail
Dispatch
Apple Mail

Featured Workflows

Probably our biggest complaint about Apple Mail is that there's nothing to put in here.

Links and Show Notes

Scanning with just the camera on the back of the device is an area of iOS that has been around for many years and has matured significantly over that time. The latest generation of iOS scanner apps, coupled with ever-better cameras on our devices are really very usable scanners indeed. Couple that with increasingly sophisticated post-scan workflows and you have a tool that James Bond could only dream of.

Featured Apps

Featured Workflows

Federico's Project Oxford Python script

Featured Links

6: Creating and Managing PDFs Mar 18, 2016

This week Fraser and Federico talk about generating, managing and annotating PDF files on iOS.

Links and Show Notes

iOS is a platform with an embarrassment of riches when it comes to PDF creation, management and annotation. Most major iOS apps will allow you to convert their documents to PDF (we'll teach you how to make Word do the right thing). There are tools galore for managing PDFs and tools like PDF Expert - along with Apple Pencil allow very natural marking up and annotating on PDF documents.

Featured Apps

Featured Workflows and Links

Force Open In for Microsoft Word
CGP Grey's Document Editing Process

5: Typing Mar 04, 2016

This week Fraser and Federico dig into how to be more efficient with typing and text entry on iOS.

Links and Show Notes

There are several things you can do to become a better keyboard user on iOS. Some of the areas we cover include:

Learning the 'swipe up' shortcut on several keys such as comma and period.
Tap and hold on certain keys for alternate characters such as accented characters.
Mastering the Trackpad Mode on iOS 9.
Using the keyboard's shortcut bar.
Using the iOS system-wide Text Replacement feature
Adopting some of the more powerful iOS custom keyboards
....or amusing yourself with some of the crazier ones.

Featured Keyboards

Featured Workflows

Photo Duplication Workflow

4: Photo Editing Feb 19, 2016

This week Fraser and Federico go in-depth on serious photo editing on iOS.

Links and Show Notes

In this show, Fraser and Federico look at four major applications for iOS: Photos itself, Pixelmator, Adobe Lightroom Mobile and Snapseed. All of these are very powerful applications for serious photo editing on iOS, each with their own particular strengths.

We also look at apps which provide Photo Editing Extensions. These are small bundles of features that can be accessed directly inside the editing view of the Photos app itself.

Featured Standalone Editing Apps

Featured Apps with Photo Editing Extensions

Afterlight
Scanner Pro
Quick
iMask
iMovie (for video editing)

3: Photo Management Feb 05, 2016

Federico and Fraser go in-depth on modern photo management on iOS devices.

Photo management is traditionally one of the trickier areas to deal with in an iOS-only lifestyle. This week, we focus on the modern era of photo management by looking in-depth at iCloud Photo Library, which can minimise or even eliminate many of the difficulties in handling a large library of photos. We also discuss apps that work well with iCloud Photo Library and tell you how to spot ones that don't.

Links and Show Notes

Our featured apps this week are:

Screenshot managers: Screenshot++ and LightScreen.
Image editing: Snapseed.
Screenshot stitching: LongScreen and Tailor.
Photo library cleanup: Flic.
Photo metadata inspectors: Metapho, PhotoMeta and ViewExif.
Live Photos: Lively, Alive and Lean.
Burst Photo converter: Burstio.
Photos from times past: Photo Flashback.
Scanners: Scanbot and Scanner Pro.

Workflows

Workflow: Export image to document providers
Workflow: Rename images and save to iCloud Drive
Workflow: Combine screenshots and save
Workflow: Pick Live Photo and Make GIF

2: Document Providers Jan 22, 2016

Federico and Fraser go in-depth on the Document Picker and Document Provider system in iOS 9.

Links and Show Notes

Apps of Note

Workflows

1: Download and Upload Files Jan 08, 2016

In this initial episode of Canvas, Federico and Fraser discuss the available tools and techniques for downloading files from the web and uploading files back to websites. This is a task that was difficult-to-impossible on iOS before iOS 9 was released but is now easy.

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