Charlie Chapman, Developer of Dark Noise, joins the Automators to talk about his automation journey and implementing it in Dark Noise. They discuss the standout design of Dark Noise, simulating office or coffee shop sounds, automating with calculators and PowerShell, running shortcuts from the home screen, automating social media platforms, and integrating with Apple's backend services. They also discuss the benefits of incorporating shortcuts into app development and showcase Dark Noise.
Dark Noise app offers a user-friendly interface and robust automation features.
Chapman balances adding diverse sounds with maintaining app simplicity and a seamless listening experience.
Shortcuts and widget features enhance app organization and social media automation.
Deep dives
The Development of Dark Noise and its Automation Friendliness
Charlie Chapman, the developer of Dark Noise, joins hosts David Sparks and Rosemary Orchard on the Automators podcast to discuss his app and its compatibility with automation. Dark Noise is a noise app designed to provide background sounds, such as white noise or thunderstorms, and it stands out from other similar apps due to its user-friendly interface and customization options. Chapman's app integrates well with Apple's Shortcuts app, allowing users to create their own automation workflows and easily incorporate Dark Noise into their daily routines. Users have praised the app for its automation features, with many sharing anecdotes about how they use shortcuts to trigger specific sounds or create personalized audio environments.
Behind the Sounds: Recording and Selecting Audio for Dark Noise
Chapman shares insights into the process of selecting and recording the audio for Dark Noise's various sound options. Some sounds were recorded by Chapman himself, such as airplane interiors and waterfalls, during a vacation trip to Seattle. Other sounds were added based on user requests and specific use cases, like using thunderstorms to train pets or replicating familiar sounds to create a comforting environment. Chapman strives to strike a balance between offering a diverse range of sounds while avoiding app bloat. He is constantly considering which sounds to add to maintain the app's simplicity and ensure a seamless listening experience.
Future Plans for Dark Noise, including Apple TV Support
Chapman discusses his future plans for Dark Noise, including the possibility of Apple TV support. Currently, Dark Noise focuses on fully developing its iOS app and optimizing its automation features before expanding to other platforms. Chapman acknowledges the potential demand for Apple TV compatibility and expresses an interest in exploring this option in the future. He aims to strike a balance between functionality and simplicity while continuing to listen to user feedback and improve the app's features and performance.
Using Shortcuts to Organize and Streamline App Usage
The podcast episode discusses the use of shortcuts in organizing and streamlining the usage of apps. The speaker shares their personal experience of utilizing the widget feature to easily access frequently used functions, such as launching specific apps or accessing menus. They also highlight the convenience of organizing shortcuts into folders to maintain a clean and clutter-free home screen. The speaker further mentions the improvements in shortcut functionality, eliminating the need to open Safari before accessing shortcuts. Overall, they emphasize the effectiveness and efficiency of using the Today View widget for app management.
Automating Social Media Posting and the Limitations of APIs
In this episode, the speaker discusses the automation of social media posting through the use of shortcuts. They share their personal experience with a shortcut they created to post on various social media networks, including Mastodon and Reddit. However, the speaker highlights the challenges and limitations they faced due to changes in API support and broken shortcuts. Despite these obstacles, they express the value of exploring automation through query string parameters and how it can enhance social media sharing. The discussion also touches on the topic of potential future API changes and the impact on automating social media posting.
Dark Noise Developer Charlie Chapman joins the Automators to talk about his automation story and how he implemented automation in his Dark Noise application.
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