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While prepping my recent M2 iPad videos, I got hooked on researching new iPad apps that
I could potentially integrate into my workflow.
I have shortlisted 10 apps I intend to keep on my tablet, and I'd love to share them with
you.
BTW, feel free to recommend your recent app discoveries in the comments below or discuss
them in my new chat room, which I'll share more about in a moment.
Let's warm up with a simple app that I find priceless for my evening iPad sessions.
It is called Noir and is fundamentally a dark mode toggle for Safari.
Once installed, Noir needs to be activated as an extension to Safari.
Once this is done, every light-and-white website becomes dark or black, depending on my preference.
I can choose if I want to darken the website images and even create a schedule for activation,
which matters most to me.
I've set it up to turn on automatically at 10PM on both the iPad and iPhone, and I've
kept all images as is, although having the ability to darken them as well.
There are a few themes that I can choose from and even shortcuts for toggling the app on
and off when necessary.
Definitely one of my must-have apps.
Moving on to some writing tools, there is the AI writer.
This is an App that I came back to after it got lost during device transitions.
It's a writing app unlike no other I've seen before.
First and foremost, it is focus centric.
Despite offering plenty of functionalities like connecting documents to one another,
markdown, or the ability to move around docs via shortcuts, essentially being as efficient
as possible, I came back to it for another reason, and that is the focus writing experience.
When enabled, I am saved from all potential UI distractions and presented with interface
zero, as I like to call it.
In that mode, I write one sentence at a time, which allows me to focus on the flow of my
written word.
The built-in Style Check also lets me eliminate clichés and filler words by striking them
as I type.
The script for this video was entirely written in the AI writer app, and I am delighted I
returned to it.
The following writing tool that I absolutely love is called Substack.
Substack is an email newsletter platform that I use to send my Sunday tech letters, as I
call them.
Substack is a publishing platform that can be used as a blog space that allows you to
send newsletters, but there's much more to it.
Its simple interface and ability to publish on the web have made it a game changer for
writers of any skill level because one can quickly and easily publish posts to the web
or as emails in a matter of clicks.
What I admire most is the simplicity of the interface.
Instead of getting lost in HTML templates and unnecessary visual complications, Substack
leaves room only for what matters most - writing and communicating with the audience.
A post can be as simple as a combination of words and images or as cool as a podcast where
I can record and upload voice segments alone or as part of my newsletters.
If you want to see an example of a mix of text, visuals, and audio, you can check out
one of my posts about monitor resolutions, which I'll link below.
Feel free to subscribe to my newsletter while at it and, of course, this channel, because
WHY NOT?
Substack recently launched a new chat feature we turned on last Sunday, and few people have
joined the experimental thread.
Feel free to hop along.
Post It is the nest app which, as you can guess, is all about Post-it notes.
Developed by the 3M company this app embeds real-life Post-it notes into the digital world,
allowing me to create all sorts of Post-it boards.
Aside from creating digital notes, Post-it also can scan analog notes, which is fantastic.
Apple Pencil is, of course, supported, which ties everything together quite nicely.
It's a great tool to transfer analog notes from a meeting into a digital board where
things can be moved around and organized on the go to help ideas flow.
I personally use it when gathering ideas for videos, primarily when organizing my calendar.
Everything I am planning is set in stone in Notion, but before that, I prefer to keep
things visual and move around notes to see how everything might stack up.
Another example would be digitizing actual sticky notes we've used while prepping and
collecting product ideas for content like everyday carry and desk setups.
With iPadOS 16.2, Apple is introducing a free app called Freeform.
Freeform is a virtual whiteboard that can gather all sorts of information in one place.
Unlike Post-it, which is focused on Post-it notes, Freeform can collect sticky notes,
images, text fields, drawings, vector shapes, and anything you want to throw into one endless
canvas.
Freeform is unique for a few reasons.
Reason number one is that it has full support for Apple Pencil, which, unlike paid competitors,
makes it very powerful.
Reason number two is not here yet, but it will come soon: the ability to get together
with people and collaborate on a Freeform project that will become very popular in my
opinion.
If you want to know more about Freeform, you can check out my friend Chris from Dailytekk's
channel as he deep dives into the various functionalities of the app.
Currently, I've started using the app to gather ideas and mood boards for wallpaper concepts
and new widget designs.
Moving on to some graphic apps.
A recent discovery of mine was an app called Vectornator.
Despite being an avid Affinity fan and pretty good at creating vector artwork in Affinity
Designer, the iPad versions of the Affinity apps are a bit cumbersome, or so I realized
when I tried Vectornator.
It is clear that the interface of Vectornator was built with the iPad in mind, and all the
tools are fluid are laid out perfectly.
For example, instead of having a fixed menu that takes up screen real estate for inspector
panels, menus change and appear according to what is selected.
Shortcuts, like CMD plus and minus, work as well, and I am very excited to explore the
app further and potentially build an interface for an app I've been throwing around in my
mind.
Apps like Vectornator unlock new productivity opportunities because they can be used anytime,
eliminating the need to use a dedicated computer or be tethered to a desk.
I am not very good at organizing links, and I know that because I can recognize lazy habits
when I pin a link instead of placing it in the correct place.
In an effort to build a sound library of useful links that I can always go back to, I purchased
an app called GoodLinks.
Despite sounding like an app many people would be familiar with, I just learned about it.
What got me hooked up in the app is that it doesn't require an account.
There's no registration involved, and in a world where you need to create an account
to go to the bathroom, this sounded like something I could spend 10 bucks on.
GoodLinks helps me save links and organize them neatly, thanks to the provided iPad Safari
plugin.
What's more, all links I save I can later pull up in reader mode, enjoying content at
its best and free of ads.
Whenever I stumble upon an article I can later refer to, I can press the puzzle icon and
select GoodLinks to save it.
I can tag it, mark it as read and even star it if it's important.
The next app that I am super excited about is called Portal.
This is one of the most beautiful apps I've seen recently.
It is an escape app that helps me enjoy beautiful sceneries and step away from the jam-packed
sounds of life in a unique way.
At a glance, it's just a white noise app, but in reality, it is much more, and that's
why the developers call it Immersive Escapes.
It can help you sleep, be productive, and, most importantly, help you reduce stress in
a beautiful mix of ambient sounds and immersive visual representations.
The app's developer created it during an episode of depression, which speaks a lot.
With a library of 50 locations in its premium version and additional functionalities like
breathing exercises, timers, and even smart-bulb integrations, it's an app worth exploring.
Just as immersive and unique are the next two games that I'd like to show you.
Created under the same umbrella, they offer diverse approaches to achieve odd satisfaction.
The first one is called Blek, and it's available as a standalone game or an Apple Arcade alternative
if you have a subscription.
Blek is a puzzle game that can be played with just a finger or the Apple Pencil, and the
way I describe it is a line that comes to life that you have to control to pass through
the different levels of the game.
It's full of funky and relaxing sound effects and visual experiences.
The next game is called Frost, and getting lost in it is just as satisfying.
You draw paths to guide flocking spirits to their home planets - or at least that's how
it is described.
I define it as a mind fidget spinner.
Ending the game segment, I want to show you an old-school game called Shadow Blade +.
Available on Apple Arcade, Shadow Blade + is a fast-paced action game that provides
an unpretentious storyline and a massive dose of fun, especially when playing with a controller.
We are talking about ninjas, weapons, and silky smooth animations, which sometimes is
all a person can ask for.
The next app and the app I always go back to is Brilliant.
With thousands of different courses to choose from in Science, Math, and Computer Science,
it's like a bicycle for the mind.
Let's take a favorite of mine - the Introduction to Probability course.
A lot can be done with abundant data, but how about when you lack enough of it?
This course will teach you how to build models and make forecasts in order to make decisions
with scarce data.
In one of the fun examples, you need to answer the question, "if an asteroid hit planet earth,
how likely is it that it will hit a city?".
You'll go on to narrow down the available data in small steps while everything in your
head goes "click!".
The lessons work with visual queues to make things as intuitive and satisfying as possible.
To get started with the app for free, visit http://brilliant.org/thisise.
or click on the link in the description.
The first 200 of you will get 20% off Brilliant's annual premium subscription, with challenging
new content added monthly.
If you just got your iPad or are about to get one soon, check out my recent video on
how I set up a new iPad, as it can give you good ideas on integrating focus modes and
shortcuts into your workflow.
If you enjoyed this video, give it a like and subscribe to the channel as well as my
newsletter and as always, it's been an absolute pleasure,
This is E Over & Out