Jeff Benjamin

When the news broke that Ulysses was moving from a one-time payment strategy to a subscription-only strategy, the reaction was unsurprisingly polarized. Many people empathized with how hard it is for developers to make a living with the modern realities of software development, while others were less forgiving and vowed to vote with their wallets.

Being that it’s my number one favorite writing app on iOS and Mac, I’ve personally decided to stick with Ulysses, taking advantage of its discounted subscription rate for existing customers. That said, I understand that subscriptions are not for everyone, and there will be a point in most of our lives where piling on subscription after subscription proves to be unsustainable from a financial perspective.

In this week’s Friday 5, I discuss five more of my favorite universal writing apps for iOS. To qualify for this list, each app must feature a one-time purchase and no additional subscription fees. These apps also support Family Sharing, and as of this writing, feature no additional in-app purchases. Have a look at our video walkthrough inside for a brief hands-on look.
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We’re just weeks away from the official launch of iOS 11, and after covering literally hundreds of features over the past few months during iOS 11’s beta phase, it’s time to begin focusing on the features that will make an immediate impact on day-to-day usage.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll break down some of our favorite new features included in iOS 11. One outstanding example of such a feature is the revamped iPad dock in iOS 11. Have a look at our hands-on video walkthrough inside to see what makes the new and improved dock so special.
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Final Cut Pro X is by far my most used app on the Mac, as I use it to produce a large swath of the content on our YouTube channel. As a long-time proponent of Apple’s flagship NLE, I’d like to use this week’s edition of Friday 5 to share some of my favorite Final Cut Pro X tips for those of you who use the app to create content for YouTube. Watch our hands-on video for a brief look at five handy tips.

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Ever since I wrote about installing Windows 10 on a Mac earlier this year, I’ve received tons of questions about installing Windows 10 on an external drive using Boot Camp drivers. The truth is, this is a workaround using Windows To Go, and the process for doing so is a bit more in-depth than it is for installing proper Boot Camp on your Mac’s internal disk, but it’s still very easy to do, and only takes about 30-40 minutes.

In this hands-on step-by-step walkthrough, we show you how to install Windows 10 on your Mac using an external drive. Watch our video inside to see how.
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I’ve been using the Smart Keyboard + iPad Pro combination since the updated versions launched a couple of months ago. This combination has outright replaced my MacBook Pro for work on the go, but I still use a 5K iMac as my main work machine while in the office.

As an iMac owner who wields a Matias Wireless Aluminum Keyboard, the Magic Keyboard that came with the 5K iMac has remained tucked away in its original box up until recently. Since it was collecting dust in the closet, I decided that I should give the Magic Keyboard + iPad Pro combination a try to see how I liked it. Is it better than the Smart Keyboard? Here are a few of my observations.

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YouTube TV just became available in my area last week, which allowed me to take it for a test drive for the first time. What I found was a service that, although definitely not perfect, has plenty of potential. In this week’s edition of Friday 5, I showcase some of the app’s best features.

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iOS 11 beta 7 was released earlier today to developers, and as we get closer to the GM release, there are less and less readily apparent changes present. Despite this, there are a handful of differences to be found in this latest beta. Have a look at our hands-on video walkthrough for the details.
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Affinity Photo developer, Serif, is continuing to add big enhancements to the iPad version of its professional photo editing app. Version 1.6.4 of Affinity Photo for iPad, which comes not long after the app’s first big update, brings some compelling new features to the table for photo editing enthusiasts.

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Samsung just released the follow-up to its T3 line of portable, external SSDs. Sticking with the same nomenclature of the previous T1 and T3 drives, Samsung’s new T5 external SSDs include USB 3.1 Gen 2 support, making it the fastest T-series drive yet. With an included USB-C to USB-C cable, the T5 makes a great companion for recent MacBooks or MacBook Pros, or even the newest iMac models.

If you edit videos, photos, or just need a small and compact external storage solution, then Samsung’s diminutive T5 drive may be a worthy solution. It provides speeds that are normally associated with internal SATA SSDs in a compact, external form factor. Have a look at our hands-on video walkthrough inside for more details.
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Taiwanese-based Quanta Computer, an integral part of Apple’s supply chain as a maker of MacBooks and the Apple Watch, is ramping up to begin producing the Apple Watch Series 3, according to Chinese news outlet Economic Daily. Expected to launch later this year, the report notes that Quanta has entered the final testing phase for the Apple Watch Series 3 and is on the cusp of mass production.

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Upcoming support of the HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding ) codec in macOS High Sierra and iOS 11 will help to improve file efficiency of high quality video files. With an added emphasis on high quality 4K content in upcoming Apple hardware and software, the deployment of such technology is occurring at an ideal time.
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Today Instagram unveiled support for threaded comments on its popular social media platform. The introduction of comment threads follows in the footsteps of parent-company platform Facebook, making it easier to track and follow conversations related to the photos and videos posted on the service.
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Earlier today Apple released iOS 11 beta 6 to developers, and like previous beta iterations, it comes with several new updates and changes. The most obvious change is found in a new controversial App Store icon update, along with an update to the Apple Maps icon that highlights the company’s new Apple Park campus. Have a look at our video inside for a brief hands-on walkthrough.
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From 9to5Toys:

The 5K iMac features a great display, but it comes with no built in input options for connecting external media sources like gaming consoles. Yet, there is a way to play gaming consoles like Nintendo Switch and PS4 on the iMac’s display. By wielding the Elgato Game Capture HD60 S external capture device, it’s easy to direct video output from you favorite gaming console to your iMac’s display.

Normally thought of for its capturing abilities, the HD60 S, is headlined by its superior low-latency properties. The low latency makes the HD60 S an ideal solution for displaying the Nintendo Switch in full screen at up to 1080p at 60 fps. It’s not perfect, and at over $150 it’s definitely not cheap, but it’s the best solution that I’ve found for using the iMac as an external display. Watch our hands-on video walkthrough for an explanation.

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I’ve used a handful of NLEs on macOS, and each has their strength, but Final Cut Pro X gets so many of the little things right that my appreciation for the app grows a little bit each time I use it.

Final Cut Pro X may not be the most powerful way to edit videos, but it blends ease-of-use with power user features like no other app in its class. One such example of this graceful balance can be seen by observing the app’s many media management functions. Have a look at our hands-on video walkthrough for more details.

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The recurring subscription model is a business strategy that a growing list of app developers have decided to adopt, and the latest such move comes from the folks behind the stellar iOS and Mac writing app Ulysses. Users can now enjoy a 14-day Ulysses trial, and thereafter subscribe for $4.99 per month or $39.99 per year.

Subscriptions are beneficial to developers because it provides them with a recurring source of revenue as they work to continually update the app, provide fixes and support, and develop new features. Software products are never “done” and software engineers, designers, and support staff never stop working, so it makes sense from a sustainable business perspective.

That said, it’s also understandable that, despite the considerably lower cost of entry, there may be pushback among consumers who aren’t interested in yet another subscription fee to add to their ever-growing list of recurring payments.

So the folks at Ulysses are sweetening the deal for already-existing customers, providing a lifetime 50% discount off the $5 monthly, which means paying $30 a year for full access to Ulysses on Mac and iOS.
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Following the July 19th release of iOS 10.3.3, Apple has this evening stopped signing iOS 10.3.2. It means that, from this point forward, users will no longer be able to upgrade or downgrade their devices to iOS 10.3.2.
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iOS developer Guilherme Rambo has unearthed even more strings hidden inside of Apple’s HomePod firmware, which could possibly point to new features in upcoming iPhone hardware.

The strings point to the presence of a camera capable of supporting 240 fps video capture at 1080p. The current iPhone 7 is also able to capture video at 240 fps, but it’s limited to just 720p resolution. 240 fps video capture results in smoother slow motion video, and having that video at full HD resolution would make for a significant increase in quality.

But that’s not the only new string that Rambo was able to dig up from the HomePod firmware…

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Nintendo has been on a path that I, and a lengthy list of other tech-invested people, have long warned about. Its tone-deaf approach to online, its resistance to adopt new technologies, and most importantly — the existence of the iPhone — have all been bad signs for Nintendo. My advice to the Kyoto-based company up until now? Adapt, or succumb to a slow, painful death at the hands of mobile.

That was the way I used to think just a mere six months ago. Then the Switch happened…

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iOS 11 beta 5 has been released to developers, and as expected, it contains quite a few changes and tweaks. A new FaceTime dial out tone makes an appearance for the first time, along with an updated iPad multitasking splash screen, and a needed security enhancement for trusting connected computers. Watch our hands-on video walkthrough for a brief look at each change.
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