AppIntents: How to Set a Background Color for Your App Shortcuts
In WWDC22's Design App Shortcuts session, Lynn mentions:
And one last thing -- pick a color for your shortcuts in the Shortcuts app. We have a bunch of great colors for you to choose from, and all your shortcuts will use this color in the app. So pick one that complements your app icon nicely and don't just stick with the default.
To do that, you will override the shortcutTileColor in your AppShortcutsProvider like this:
struct MangoBabyAppShortcuts: AppShortcutsProvider {
static var shortcutTileColor: ShortcutTileColor = .red
static var appShortcuts: [AppShortcut] = []
}
∞ People Spend Too Much Time On Decisions with Equally Satisfying Outcomes
Rob Henderson writes,
The researchers conclude, “people apparently misallocate their time, spending too much on those choice problems in which the relative reward is low.”
In software engineering, I'm sure a lot of us have spent way too much time on deciding an implementation detail. Rather, we should just pick one and move on. If it's really the wrong decision, it will come back at you later. There are surprisingly more decisions you can reverse at a later time.
∞ Selective Empathy Prevents Us From Making Connections
If we Americans are appalled at the Russian killing of children, why don’t we teach to our own children the words of Gen. Jacob H. Smith, who ordered his soldiers to “kill everyone over 10” in the Philippine-American War? Or the 1864 Sand Creek massacre, when US Army troops massacred about 150 Cheyenne and Arapaho people, two-thirds of whom were women and children?
Great piece by Viet Thanh Nguyen.
Mango 5Star v2022.1
Image shared via Mango 5Star v2021.1
Mango 5Star v2022.1 is now available. What's new:
- DA 5Star is now Mango 5Star, a product under the Mango Umbrella.
- Support sharing reviews as an image.
Happy cheering yourself up with the 5-star reviews ^_^
Finally scheduled my long overdue car service appointment, and just realized that I can carry my bike in my car, drop off my car, and bike back home.
Why hasn't this idea occurred to me before? What has US done to me?
I need to change.
DA 5Star v2021.3
DA 5Star v2021.3 for both iOS and macOS is now available:
- Added a button in Diagnostics to refresh app icons / podcast artwork images.
- It now clears the local artwork images when an app is deleted.
Happy cheering yourself up with the 5-star reviews ^_^
DA 5Star for macOS Is Now Powered by Catalyst
Here is what’s new in the latest DA 5Star macOS version updates:
- The macOS version is now powered by Catalyst.
- Added Big Sur widgets support.
- Added iCloud sync to the macOS version.
Happy cheering yourself up with the 5-star reviews ^_^
What's New in dA 5Star v2020.4
dA 5Star v2020.4
DA 5Star v2020.4 is now available. What's new:
- Added the ability to filter reviews by apps and podcasts in widget settings.
- Added smaller fonts options in widget settings. Also slightly improved the layout in the small widget.
- Fixed a bug where you can not add apps or podcasts not available in the US store.
- Improved iCloud sync after reviews are re-downloaded.
Happy cheering yourself up with the 5-star reviews ^_^
What's New in dA 5Star v2020.3
Thank you all for the great feedbacks for DA 5Star. I just released v2020.3 including the following most requested features:
- Added the ability to filter reviews by apps and podcasts in widget settings.
- Added smaller fonts options in widget settings. Also slightly improved the layout in the small widget.
- Fixed a bug where you can not add apps or podcasts not available in the US store.
- Improved iCloud sync after reviews are re-downloaded.
I am also working hard to bring the rest of your feedbacks to you in the future releases. Stay tuned.
Happy cheering yourself up with the 5-star reviews ^_^
DA 5Star for iOS and iPadOS is Launched
DA 5Star is 33% off until 2020-10-21.
To celebrate the launch, DA 5Star is 33% off until 2020-10-21.
App Store link: https://apps.apple.com/app/da-5star/id1473088658. If you already purchased the macOS version, you can get the iOS and iPadOS version for free.
What is DA 5Star?
DA 5Star is an iOS and iPadOS 14 home screen widget app that displays a random 5-star review of your apps and podcasts, and refreshes after however long you choose. It also has a macOS version that displays 5-star reviews as wallpapers.
Features
- Widgets: This is the sole purpose of DA 5Star. It displays a random 5-star review of your apps and podcasts in the widget, and refreshes after however long you choose.
- Apps and podcasts: It supports 5-star reviews of apps and podcasts on Apple platforms.
- Custom themes: You can customize the widget themes so they fit on your home screen.
- Review list: You can view the list of 5-star reviews of your apps and podcasts.
- iCloud sync: Your added apps and podcasts are synced with iCloud (macOS version is not yet supported).
- Custom app icons: It provides 5 alternative app icons.
- Dark mode: Yes.
The story behind DA 5Star
On July 6, 2019, I was listening to EP 56: The happiest Customer of the Independence podcast. Curtis pitched this app idea:
A mac app, that will sit in your menu bar. You can feed it your iTunes connect information. And it will go to your ratings, pull random 5-star rating every however many hours. And have like kind that those motivational quote things, but have in your wallpaper.
After hearing it, I just couldn't stop thinking about it. As developers, we all experienced those 1-star ratings that ruin our day or week. We humans are bad at ignoring them. We fail to remind ourselves that there are more important 5-star customer ratings out there. So I immediately created the Xcode project and started implemented. On the next day I sent the hosts @eataduckimust, @parrots, @jellybeansoup a demo. I got great feedbacks and launched the first version in two weeks. I later then released 5 updates to improve it.
I didn't expect other huge updates to the app. Until one day after 2020's WWDC, I realized that this app is now viable after the introduction of iOS 14 home screen widgets. So the iOS version was born.
NOTE: The initial macOS version was a $1.99 (USD) paid upfront app. I decided to raise the price to $2.99 (USD) with the launch of the iOS and iPadOS version (it's a universal purchase). But I'm keeping the original price for another three days, so it's effectively a 33% off launch sale.
Again, you can purchase DA 5Star here: https://apps.apple.com/app/da-5star/id1473088658.