Linked List: July 16, 2015

Thursday, 16 July 2015

Coda for iOS 2.0 

Jaw-dropping update to Panic’s remarkable iOS text editor (formerly known as Diet Coda). Unbelievable value: free for existing users, and now just $9.99 for new ones.

Swimming With Apple Watch 

Craig Hockenberry:

After the watch shipped, I discovered that I wasn’t the only person interested in the watch’s ability to be used during swim workouts. Ray Maker at the DC Rainmaker blog did a series of tests, including diving off a 10 meter (33 foot) platform and 40 meter (130 foot) pressure test. The Apple Watch passed these tests with flying colors, and along with the research below, I was convinced I wouldn’t have any problems. So far, that analysis has proven correct. I suspect that the watch’s water resistance has been undersold by Apple just like battery life: it’s better to under-promise and over-deliver. Still, it’s a personal decision on whether you want to ignore Apple’s recommendation. You’re not likely to get much sympathy at any subsequent trips to the Genius Bar.

Lots of great information on what makes water so problematic for electronics. Loved his suggestion on the side button and workouts, too:

This situation reminds me a lot of the problem with a shutter switch on the iPhone. When your attention needs to be focused on framing your photo, finding a virtual button is counterproductive. A physical button is much simpler and more practical, even if it’s normally used to adjust the volume.

So why can’t the side button be used during a workout? A single click could start or pause the workout; a double-click could stop the workout. Maybe a triple-click could do something more advanced like a lap time.

Be Careful Moving iCloud Drive Folders 

Long story short: bad stuff happens if you try moving an iCloud Drive folder containing files that haven’t finished syncing to a location outside iCloud Drive. The Finder probably shouldn’t let you move a folder that contains unsynced files, or at the very least it should give you a clear warning. The good news if you ever run into a problem like this, there’s a good chance you’ll be able to recover the missing files using iCloud.com’s Recover Documents feature.

Is the New iPod Touch a Harbinger of a 4-Inch iPhone 6C? 

Jason Snell:

The new iPod touch, for all its advancements, still sports the same 4-inch Retina display as the iPhone 5, 5S, and 5C. And it makes me wonder if maybe, just maybe, it’s the first hint that we’ll be seeing an updated 4-inch iPhone – let’s call it the 6C – this fall.

This would fit the pattern from two years ago, when the 5C debuted alongside the 5S and the iPhone 5 just disappeared. I think Apple’s logic is that they want top-tier iPhone industrial designs to sit atop the lineup for two years — so they might let the upcoming 6S stay around next year, when (if they hold to their usual pattern) they introduce an all-new design with the iPhone 7, but this year, they want the mid-tier model with last year’s specs to look different than the 6S and 6S Plus.