If you've been following my writing over the last few weeks you might have noticed I am trying to keep to a very regular posting schedule. Every Friday I've been sharing links to cool things, usually apps for iOS, Mac, and the web.
A few recent issues:
- Friday Finds 1 which includes the most radically crazy way to delete apps from your Mac.
- Friday Finds 2 which includes a site dedicated to past (imperfect) predictions of how key technologies will transform society.
- Friday Finds 3: which includes a Swiss government website to help you prepare for Doomsday.
But this week, it's all about Apple's latest little gadget, the iPhone Duo. I will assume you are aware of this device as Apple has done a teeny little bit of marketing about it.
While I'm not buying one (which may come as a surprise to anyone who knows me as Apple's #1 fan), it doesn't mean I can't appreciate the work developers have done to bring beautiful and useful apps to the new device.
Here are a few apps that have caught my eye:
- Things. I have been a user (and fan) of Things for a very long time. They're the ultimate definition of what it means to be a great Apple developer. They of course have a beautiful and well-considered update of the todo app ready to go on day one.
- Flighty. If you fly a lot (or at all) and you don't have Flighty, you need to change that immediately. It's one of the best iOS apps, period. And of course they're ready to go for Duo on day one.
- Fantastical. If you want more than the built-in calendar app on iOS, then Fantastical is the app you are looking for. They've been developing Fantastical for as long as I can remember, and they've built one of the best reputations for being great developers for Apple platforms. Fantastical is of course ready for the Duo already.
- Check the Weather. I only came across this today but it's an old app that has received a big update. If you like to know the weather like a weatherman, then this is worth a look. Beautiful large weather maps and it makes great use of the extra screen real estate of the Duo.
- Quiche Browser. This is an alternative browser to Safari. I love how thoughtfully designed, minimal, and yet utterly customisable it is. An incredibly thoughtful browser app
that is ready for Duo on day one. Update: I got this wrong, it’s coming soon! Still great for all non-Duo iPhones today. - Monzo. I have to give Monzo a shout-out for being, what I can only assume, the only bank to be ready for iPhone Duo on day one. So many people have joked that "your bank will only get around to supporting iPhone Duo for the next model", but most banks aren't like Monzo. Their app has always been a remarkably good example of what a well-built native iOS app should be.
- Countdown Stack. A helpful little app to help keep track of important dates. This was brought to my attention after I shared the original version of this post on Threads.
There are plenty more apps ready for iPhone Duo already, of course. Apple has compiled a list of 50. I must also unironically recommend the App Store itself — it's actually a great place for discovering good apps these days, with a lot of editorial pieces, handy roundups, and helpful selections that might pique your interest.
I must also mention that my little caffeine tracker, Hotshot, is ready for iPhone Duo as well. If you're lucky enough to be unboxing a beautiful new device, and you drink coffee, then I welcome you to give it a try!