On Sun, 1 Dec 2019 12:45:24 +0000 (UTC), badgolferman wrote:
> 1. There is a new icon titled Shortcuts. Do any of you use that and if so
> for what?
Hi badgolferman,
I'm glad you bring up what's new with the iOS 13.x release since I, for
strategic reasons, have learned the hard way not to update iOS unless
there's something that is particularly useful to me in the iOS update.
(In actuality, there is almost never any reason to load the latest iOS
releases, and, almost always, good reasons _not_ to update to the latest
iOS release, simply because Apple themselves says they don't support the
real world (which they don't mind breaking left and right), which I live in
every day, and it's well known by now Apple has never sufficiently tested
iOS releases for bugs - where Apple prefers to ship bugs "on schedule"
instead of holding back highly insecure releases (as they did with the
broadcom fiasco where they had to beg people to overwrite the release, 10
days later, where Apple had to then DESTROY the scheduled release).
However, I did look up what these reputed new "shortcuts" are, in iOS 13.x.
o Features of iOS 13: Shortcuts (Note this is based on iOS 13.0.)
<
https://sixcolors.com/post/2019/09/13-features-of-ios-13-shortcuts/>
The best news is that Apple, one by one, is playing catchup to Android, in
that Android has had a similar (more powerful) feature for quite some time:
o Tasker: <
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=net.dinglisch.android.taskerm>
Total Automation, From Settings to SMS.
<
https://www.androidauthority.com/how-to-use-tasker-199872/>
* Triggers: App, Time, Day, Location, Hard/Soft State, Event, Shortcut, QS
Tiles, Widget, Timer, Plugins
* Actions: 200+ built-in, plugin support
* Tasks: loops, variables, conditions
* Scenes: design your own screen overlays
* App Creation: create your own standalone apps to share or sell! (Android
2.3+)
Trial:
https://tasker.joaoapps.com/dl
Starter Guides:
https://tasker.joaoapps.com/guides.html
Pre-made projects:
https://forum.joaoapps.com/index.php?resources/
Official Support Forum:
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/tasker
Community full of people willing to help:
https://www.reddit.com/r/tasker/
Queries, Problems: see Menu / Info / Support in-app
It's not possible to fix problems reported via Play Store Comments...
**** Actions By Category ****
[not all actions available on all devices]
* ALERT: Flash, Notify LED/Sound/Vibrate, Cancel Notification, Popup
Timed/WithTaskIcons/Names, Torch, Vibrate, Vibrate Pattern
* APP: Calendar Insert, Go Home, Kill App, Load App, Open Map
(/StreetView/Nav)
* AUDIO: Alarm/Call/DTMF/Media/Notif./Ringer/System Volume, Haptic Feedback
Toggle, Mic Mute, Notification Pulse, Notification(<4.1)/Ringer Vibrate
(<4.2 or root), Silent Mode, Speakerphone, Sound Effects toggle
* DIALOG: 28 System Settings dialogs
* DISPLAY: Auto-Brightness, Close System Dialogs, Keyguard, Keyguard
Pattern, Display Brightness, Display Off Timeout, Display Rotation, Set
Wallpaper, Stay On, Status Bar (expand/collapse), System Lock
* FILE: Browse Files, Directory Create/Delete/Move, File
Copy/Delete/Move/Open, Write To File, Read Line, Read Paragraph, Zip/Unzip
File
* INPUT: Button, Dpad (root only), Type (root only), Input Method Select,
Soft Keyboard (show)
* MEDIA: Media Button Events (grab), Media Player Control, Music File/Dir,
Play/Forward/Back/Stop, Photo/Series/TimeSeries, Record Audio, Record Audio
Stop, Ringtone, Scan Card
* MISC: (Broadcast) Action Intent, Component Intent, Get Location, GPS
Status (<2.3 or Cyanogen/submod), Run (ASE) Script, Say, Say To File, Shut
Up, Search For, Set Clipboard, Reboot (root only), Set CPU (root only) Set
Timezone
* NETWORK: Airplane Mode (<4.1 or root), Autosync, BT, BT ID, Compose
Email, Browse URL, HTTP GET, HTTP POST, Mobile Data (on/off), Mobile Data
2G/3G (Cyanogen only), USB Tether, WiFi Toggle, Wifi
Disconnect/Reassociate/Reconnect, Wifi Sleep, Wifi Tether, Wimax Toggle
* PHONE: Call, Call Log, Call Block/Divert/Revert, Compose MMS/SMS,
Contacts, End Call, Radio, Send SMS, Send Data SMS, Silence Ringer, Take
Call
* TASKER: Change Icon Set, If, End If, Goto Action, Perform Task, Profile
Toggle, Query Action, Set Widget Icon, Set Widget Label, Stop, Wait, Wait
Until
* VARIABLES: Set, Clear, Inc, Dec, Query, Randomize, Split, Join, List
* 3RD PARTY: Android Notifier, Astrid, BeyondPod, JuiceDefender
Data/Toggle, Gentle Alarm, NewsRob, OfficeTalk, SleepBot, SMS Backup+,
TeslaLED, WidgetLocker
**** States ****
Airplane Mode, BT Connected, Calendar Entry, Docked, Headset Plugged,
Incoming Call, Keyboard Out, Light Level, Media Button, Missed Call, Mobile
Network, Device Orientation, Power, Various Sensors, Signal Strength,
Unread Text, Variable Value, Wifi Network, Wifi Near
**** Events ****
Alarm Clock/Done, Date Set, Time/Date Set, Timezone Set, Display:
Off/On/Unlocked, File Closed/Deleted/Modified/Moved/Opened/Attributes
Changed, Camera/Search Button Long-Press, Card Mounted/Removed/Unmounted,
Gesture,Missed Call, Phone Changes, Received Text, SMS Send
Success/Failure, Battery Changed/Full/Low/Overheating, Device Boot, Device
Shutdown, Storage Low, Locale Changed, New/Removed/Updated Package,
Wallpaper Changed, Button Gadget Clicked, New Window, Notification,
Notification Clicked, Zoom Click, Variable Cleared/Set, K9 Email Received,
Gentle Alarm, Kaloer Clock, OpenWatch, Reddit Notify, Screebl, Widget
Locker
Note: Tasker uses the BIND_DEVICE_ADMIN permission in order to provide the
System Lock functionality.
As expected, Apple didn't create the technology; they simply bought it:
"Formerly the third-party app Workflow, Shortcuts was bought by Apple and
integrated with iOS last year - but it was a first step."
Apparently, Apple is using this purchase for strategic modernization:
"This is Apple’s vision of how user automation will work in iOS"
Since you're new to Shortcuts, you shouldn't have too many teething pains,
but those already using them will have issues, according to that article:
"With Shortcuts in iOS 13, I’ve gotten at least a taste of that feeling,
because upgrading to iOS 13 required me to do some work to get my Shortcuts
working again. That’s life on the cutting edge, and the changes are for the
better, but be warned—you may have to do some work to get your Shortcuts
functioning to your liking on iOS 13."
I searched for a momentfor what was in the updated version of iOS, but most
hits were for the original 13.0 version, so I left this post at that.
It's pretty clear Apple is playing catchup to Android, which is fine, as
iOS users deserve automation as much as Android users do, don't you think?
Please let us all know what you find useful with these new "Shortcuts" in
iOS 13.x, so that we all benefit from your actions.
--
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