Dive into the cutting-edge features of iOS 16, with discussions about personalized lock screens and the frustrations of focus modes. Discover productivity app favorites and how they manage daily tasks, fitness tracking, and automation to enhance routines. There's also a light-hearted critique of media recommendations and a focus on the integration of task management with innovative writing techniques. Plus, learn about exciting new apps that make life easier and more enjoyable!
The hosts discuss the benefits of focus modes and how they enhance their user experience by allowing them to set up different home screen layouts, widgets, and app notification settings for specific activities or modes-like work, travel, weekends, and holidays.
App recommendations are given to enhance different focus modes, such as Flighty for travel tracking, Craft for note-taking, and Carrot Weather for weather updates, emphasizing the importance of visually matching wallpapers and widgets to create an immersive and customized experience.
Notion is highlighted as an essential tool for project management at Grey Industries, despite some interface and search functionality issues, with its flexibility and sidebar conversation feature proving invaluable for fact-checking projects and keeping track of shared knowledge.
Timery is praised for its recent new features, including a menu bar app for easy timer management and a Live Activities feature that incorporates dynamic islands and always-on display, making it an even more powerful tool for time tracking.
Widgetsmith's inclusion of time zone functionality from Fantastic Calzones, along with the recent addition of autocomplete when starting a timer, has improved efficiency in managing tasks and scheduling across different time zones.
Sonos speakers are recommended for their smart and seamless way of controlling and playing music throughout the house, with the Sonos app providing intuitive control of music playback, grouping speakers together, and compatibility with multiple music streaming services.
Deep dives
Overview of State of the Apps Episode
In this episode, the hosts discuss their annual 'State of the Apps' episode, where they take stock of the apps and services they use on their devices for work and entertainment. They share their favorite apps, highlight the value they get from these apps, and discuss the changes and improvements in the iOS 16 update. The hosts also talk about the customization options, focus modes, and lock screen widgets that enhance their user experience.
Uncovering the Power of Focus Modes
The hosts delve into the benefits of focus modes, which allow them to set up different home screen layouts, widgets, and app notification settings for specific activities or modes-like work, travel, weekends, and holidays. They share their personal focus modes, such as 'Core' for workdays and 'Holiday' for vacation time. The hosts explain how the features of focus modes, including lock screen widgets, dynamic wallpapers, and app restrictions, help them stay focused and create a distinct visual experience for each mode.
App Recommendations and Customization
The hosts give app recommendations that enhance their different focus modes. They mention apps like Flighty for travel tracking, Craft for note-taking, and Carrot Weather for weather updates. They discuss the importance of visually matching wallpapers and widgets to the specific focus modes, creating an immersive and customized experience on their home screens. Additionally, they emphasize the value of creating shared reminders and lists for errands and tasks during specific modes or trips.
Using Notion for Project Management
Notion has become an essential tool for project management at Grey Industries, despite some complaints about the interface and search functionality. It has proven invaluable for fact-checking projects and keeping track of shared knowledge. Its flexibility allows for easy organization of information, such as tables for fact-checking with categorization options. Notion's sidebar conversation feature is also helpful for discussing specific details or seeking clarification. The key to using Notion effectively is designating someone to be in charge of maintaining order and overseeing the organization of pages.
The Power of Timery
Timery has introduced several great new features since the last episode, including a menu bar app for easy timer management and a recent time entries feature for quick access. The Live Activities feature, which incorporates dynamic islands and always-on display, allows for a visual indicator of active timers on iOS devices. This feature is particularly useful when running timers, and the recent additions to Timery make it an even more powerful tool for time tracking.
The Benefits of Using Fantastic Calzones in Widgetsmith
Widgetsmith now includes the time zone functionality from Fantastic Calzones, making it even more convenient to track time zones. The recent addition of autocomplete when starting a timer in Widgetsmith has also improved efficiency. These features are particularly helpful in managing tasks and scheduling across different time zones.
The Power of Sonos Speakers
Sonos speakers offer a smart and seamless way to control and play music throughout the house. The Sonos app allows users to connect multiple music streaming services, like Apple Music and Spotify, and easily switch between them. The app also provides intuitive control of music playback and allows for grouping speakers together. Additionally, Sonos speakers can be connected to the Apple TV, making it a versatile audio solution. The app and speakers provide a great user experience and sound quality.
The Benefits of Obsidian for Writing and Research
Obsidian is a powerful note-taking app that is particularly useful for writing and research projects. It allows users to organize their notes in a flexible and interconnected way, making it easy to link and reference information. Obsidian's plugins, such as typewriter mode, advanced tables, and outliner, enhance the writing and note-taking experience. The app also supports syncing with Dropbox, making it accessible across devices. Obsidian's combination of features makes it a great tool for writers, researchers, and anyone looking to organize and visualize their ideas.
Recommendations for Magic: The Gathering Arena, Hades, and Dungeon Wars 2
Magic: The Gathering Arena offers a fantastic online version of the popular trading card game. With great gameplay and regular updates, it provides a highly engaging experience for fans of the franchise. Hades, a dungeon roguelike, has gained widespread acclaim for its captivating story, tight gameplay mechanics, and stunning visuals. Lastly, Dungeon Wars 2 is a tower defense game that offers a unique twist on the genre. It provides challenging gameplay and strategic depth, making it a must-play for tower defense enthusiasts.
Revitalizing the Tower Defense Genre
The podcast episode discusses the decline of the tower defense genre in the mobile gaming industry and highlights one particular game, Dungeon Warfare 2, as a standout title that offers a refreshing and satisfying tower defense experience. The host expresses his disappointment with the lack of innovation and interesting gameplay in recent tower defense games, except for the Kingdom Rush series. Dungeon Warfare 2 is praised for its variety of towers, upgrades, abilities, and challenging levels, making it a must-play for fans of the genre.
Exploring Useful Apps and Features
The episode features a lightning round discussion where the hosts recommend various apps and features. The recommendations cover a wide range of functionalities, including sleep tracking with Sleep Plus Plus, productivity tools like Elsewhen and Setapp, navigation apps like CityMapper and Luminos, and useful apps for counting and organizing tasks like Talley and Brain.fm. The hosts also mention apps for managing windows, tracking tides, taking screenshots from videos, and creating custom stickers for iMessage. These app recommendations are described as practical and beneficial tools for enhancing productivity and enjoyment in daily life.
