Tap.Count v.4.1 – Midnight Edition

Tap.Count App Icon

Tap.Count version 4.1 is now available. This version is known as the Midnight Edition; featuring a watchOS companion app, sleek new colors, simplified user controls and new features that will spark curiosity. Whatever the spark, you are sure to enjoy the newest version of the app.

What’s new?

New! watchOS companion app
  • A watchOS companion app with built in iCloud syncing – making the watch fully independent of the iPhone app.
  • A search bar now sits proudly at the top – allowing you to quickly find the count you’re looking for.
  • A new, more modern color palette now christens the app from beginning to end. The app also enjoys being in dark mode.
  • Helpful buttons are now branded with a simple and understandable icon; i.e., if you make a mistake counting, hit the all-too-familiar undo icon to subtract from the count total. These controls are now centralized at the bottom of the screen to make them easier to reach.
  • A note box is now available on each count; this allows you to write down some important information as you’re counting so you remember what was happening later on.
  • And, last but not least, a new control button allows you to quickly export your counts to an easy to understand CSV file. No more copying and pasting between apps, simply export your counts to a CSV and you’re off to the races with a spreadsheet software like Excel.

Why “Midnight Edition”?

I chose the name this edition of the app because I feel it was needed. This has been a helpful counting utility to me and others around the world; however, there were some flaws and missing features. Many of these were corrected in this release and I’m always looking to improve. The color palette is sleek, elegant and more modern and I believe it fits the name “Midnight Edition” quite while. I sincerely hope you enjoy this app and that it serves you well in your day-to-day adventures.

A Sneak Peak at the New Version of Tap.Count – Coming Soon!

Tap.Count on Apple Watch w/watchOS

Tap.Count has become a useful utility to many. Admittedly, it has gone through some significant changes from version to version, but I believe with each one it continues to get better. I’m excited to announce some of the new features coming in an upcoming update – the Midnight Edition.

The Midnight Edition will feature a new color palette throughout the app, bringing a refreshed feel across the software. This color palette will also be brought to the icon of the app to tie it all together. Important buttons and controls are also getting a facelift, making it easier than ever to use.

Also included with the Midnight Edition is support for Apple Watch! The watchOS experience is one unlike any other wearable technology available today. It has become a vital source of health, activity, notification and communication. The watch also serves as a utility. Tap.Count is taking advantage of this powerful platform and delivering an app that is standalone; meaning, with or without your phone the app will allow you to take a quick count and save it for later.

Tap.Count is also utilizing iCloud and CloudKit to keep your devices up to date with the latest counts. Most notably, there is no additional setup on your part. The Midnight Edition will have this support built in and your counts will automatically switch over. Your data remains with you and safely synced via iCloud.

These are but a few of the many exciting updates coming to Tap.Count in the Midnight Edition. Please stay tuned for more announcements here!

The Terms You Didn’t Read

Tell me if this sounds familiar: You just found this cool new and shiny app on the App Store and you’re eager to get started with it. It’s supposed to take photos of you and then morph them into an older version of you or append these filters on top of your photo. Then to top it all off, you get to post this photo straight to Facebook and Instagram. The only thing standing in your way is the login window – where you either sign in with an existing account or are forced to create a new one. All your friends are around, you’re eager to get going and just to be done with that process – you enter your real everyday-use email address, first, last, date of birth, and a password you’ve used a 100 other times with the same information (separate problem I’ll address later) and you tap that check box. You know the one where it says “I agree to your terms of service?” You tap that you read it, but you really didn’t – all to start snapping cool new photos of you and your family.

Have you ever wondered what the Internet would look like if we (the consumers) started reading those terms and conditions? I think we’re on the verge of something truly great on that front, but we won’t know for sure for a while still. Think about it this way: you wouldn’t accept a new job without knowing what all you would be doing. And you certainly wouldn’t sign a contract with that employer until you had read it and were happy with what it bound you to. Here’s another way to think about this: Let’s say that you have taken a hundred family pictures while you had a long trip to the beach. Pictures of you and your spouse, your children, the food you had eaten and places you visited. It’s one thing to show family and close friends the highlight photos after you return. It’s an entirely different thing to bundle up all of the photos (not just the highlights), and hand them to the next stranger that passes your house. Why would you treat your online data and personal information any differently?

In our world today – we’re consumed with technology. It surrounds us and while much of it is very useful and serves to improve our daily lives, there are some aspects where we are ready and willing to trade our personal privacy for convenience and past-times.

In this post, I thought I would share a great resource I’ve stumbled across in the last couple of months: The Terms of Service We Didn’t Read (https://tosdr.org/en/frontpage)

It’s my opinion that this website does a great job of examining the Internet’s most popular services and their terms of service. It does a great job in examining what data is shared and what rights you as the user are entitled to when using the service. I’ll spare you my opinion of which “Big Data” companies I have reservations about, but I encourage you to take some time and review all the terms you didn’t read and consider these questions:

  • Am I okay with this company building a database/profile about me both on and off their site(s)? Am I okay with being followed online?
  • Am I putting my personal information (name/email/dob/SSN/etc.) at risk by using this service?
  • If I were to have photos or information about my children on this service – am I okay with the service and the rights they proclaim over the data I add?
  • Am I okay with this service knowing my physical location?

To finish this entry – let’s return to my leading example. You’ve successfully created an account with said app and were able to accomplish what you set out to do. A few months down the line, this app/company is breached and all of the information you’ve entered is now compromised, including the data you created (your photo(s)). Consider the information about you that’s now been breached:

  • Your name (first and last)
  • Your date of birth
  • Your email address and/or phone number if you’ve entered it
  • Your favorite re-used password
  • At least one, if not multiple, high-resolution photos of you and those around you
  • A link to your social media accounts
  • Possibly your location if you just hurriedly clicked through the “allow” screens
  • Possibly your audio recordings if you just hurriedly clicked through the “allow” screens

Just some things to consider and I hope you do.

The Option Key Secret

In my line of work, I come across quite a few things on a daily basis. No one has ever said we have a boring job; there is something new and interesting happening everyday. One thing I do witness a lot of though: a long time PC user moving to a Mac for the first time or the first time in a long time. There’s something unique about that “step in life” as I like to call it. Usually you don’t see the step in the other direction, for obvious reasons, either.

In seeing this evolution from PC to Mac, there are sometimes big questions from the former PC user. And the one that stands out to me the most is: “How do I move a file?”

This has become such a second nature thing that many times we develop an expectation that it can happen, even if the software we’re using doesn’t support it. In a roundabout way, I’ll be answering this question today, and hopefully explore the Option key on a Mac in more detail. This is a nifty key for a Mac user and just when you thought the Mac was done delivering—you find a whole new way to do something.

What is the Option key?

Option key symbol

Okay, there is not a trick in that question. The Option key is just that: the Option key. It’s the key on your Mac’s keyboard just to the left of Command on the bottom row. If you have a Windows style keyboard connected to your Mac, Option is linked to the Alt key.

Now, you said something about moving a file on my Mac?

Yes. Perhaps the best way to explain the Option key is to teach you the concept of moving a file. First, copy a file or folder like you’re used to, either by right clicking and choosing Copy or by going to Edit > Copy. Now find the folder you want to move the file into. Right click again and notice that the only relevant option there is to paste the file. This will only copy it. However, with that context menu up (or the edit menu) – now hold the Option key down. Did you see what happened? Release the key and hold it down again – this time watching the context menu. With the Option key depressed, additional options are shown – this time including a Move command.

There’s more to this key than simple cut/copy/paste functions. Open a new Finder window and start clicking through the File, Edit, View and other menus. Each time alternate holding Option. Do you see the all the new world of commands?

The truth is, this functionality is spread all throughout the macOS environment. It’s a little known secret that typically only pro and power users are aware of. And if you want to go even further, watch what happens when you click the Wi-Fi icon in your toolbar while holding Option. All you pro users out there – no more opening a Terminal window and entering a bunch of commands to find your IP and other network data. And just in case you want to go a little further in your exploring, there are some instances where you may need to hold Command in addition to holding Option. Think of this combination like “option 2.0” – to go a little further.

Introducing Tap.Count v.3.0

Introducing the newest version of Tap.Count. This version of the app overhauls the interface. Built entirely on SwiftUI, Tap.Count loads quickly and had a more coherent interface. Also introduced in this version, a new app icon and you now have the ability to save your counting sessions and resume them later. Compatible with iPhone & iPad of all screen resolutions. And, as always, built on a strict privacy policy where no private information is collected or stored. Tap.Count is available for purchase on the App Store and is 100% ad-free forever. Download today!

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Introducing Tap.Count v2.1.1

Version 2.1.1 of Tap.Count released on the App Store this morning. This update changes the button in the upper right corner of the app. Instead of a window being presented with the app name, the Tap.Count user guide published on my website appears where you can browser the user guide from inside the app. If you haven’t already, check the App Store for the update.

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Apple Family Sharing Tips and Tricks

What is Apple Family Sharing?

Family Sharing icon

Before I go any further, it might be helpful to explain what Apple Family Sharing is. This is a service offered by Apple for free to keep families together when it comes to their Apple IDs and content. Once you setup a family, everyone can access the iCloud storage plans, any purchases of apps and media through iTunes and some of the core features that make iPhone unique like Find My iPhone and Find My Friends consolidate. Everyone will be able to track family members and their devices on a map with ease. Apple Family Sharing also allows for families to track screen time.

I highly recommend Apple Family Sharing if you’re an Apple house like mine. Here are some practical ways of incorporating this service.

Notes

I will be up front – this is available to anyone, regardless if you’re using Family Sharing. We use a couple of shared folders in our Notes app to keep track of important notes. Both individuals will need to be running iOS 13 or newer and/or macOS Catalina or newer and have their own Apple ID. The owner will share either the note(s) individually or an entire folder of notes.

Reminders

Another great way to keep family members up to speed is by sharing a list of reminders with them inside the Reminders app. We use this feature to keep up with what we need at the grocery store. We both can add to the same list and whoever ends up at the grocery store has the most up-to-date list.

Shared Purchases

Do you buy a lot of content on the iBooks Store? How about movies and music from iTunes? When Rachel and I got married, we setup our Apple Family. She was able to access all of the books I had bought and my iTunes library.

Location Tracking

Location tracking is a great feature that comes as part of being in a family. This allow other family members to view your location and track your devices. Ever misplaced your iPhone? Instead of having to borrow another person’s device to log into iCloud.com and track it that way, other family members can view its most updated location quickly from their own device. They can even put it into lost mode or lock it for security. This has become an essential feature for us!

Screen Time

This one is for parents! Add your children to your Apple Family and you will be able to track their device usage. You can even set restrictions as to what they can view and how often they can use a device. This feature works with iPhone, iPad and now Mac. Screen Time will also summarize your device usage on a regular basis to allow you to review your time. This is a great feature to make sure you’re not becoming addicted to your device!

Apple Music

The last awesome feature I want to mention about Apple Family Sharing is Apple Music. This has quickly become one of my essential subscriptions. I’m always listening to something. Before getting married, Rachel and I decided to each pay for a subscription separately. At that point, together we were spending $20 a month total. Now, with a family plan, we’re only spending $15 a month total. Not a huge savings-but now it is only one bill. All members of the family can access Apple Music at no additional charge.

I highly recommend everyone take a look at this page on the Apple website. It gives a much more thorough explanation of Apple Family Sharing and its features. If you’re not already using an Apple Family – I don’t think you will be disappointed.

If you have other tips or tricks about using an Apple Family, please share in the comments below!

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Introducing Tap.Count v2.1

Version 2.1 of Tap.Count released on the App Store this morning. This update has introduced full dark-mode support for both iPhone and iPad. It also fixed some constraint issues on smaller iPhone screens. If you haven’t already, check the App Store for the update.

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