Two neat new iPhone things [WITH VIDEO!]
When a person has an idea for software and puts together an engaging piece of video to demonstrate it, everyone wins. Today everyone wins twice.
First, the app known as MagicPad, which will soon be in the App Store, seems to be the closest thing to a real(ish) text editor to make it to the iPhone. Little things we take for granted on the desktop, such as variable fonts, have made their way into the app. But the attention-getter is its implementation of copy and paste. It differs from my fake multitouch implementation in that the highlight method involves a single touch and hold to enter select mode, and the clipboard functions only within the application, but it’s so good to see this level of functionality in action. I worry that the touch, hold and drag method might be cumbersome for selecting larger blocks of text that span multiple screens (as it is in the Home Screen icon manipulation). But A) I could be wrong and B) it doesn’t matter because an iteration is better than nothing. Check out the MagicPad demo video here.
UPDATE: MagicPad’s Phil Larson wrote me to set the record straight on his text selection method:
You actually DOUBLE tap and hold, then drag to do word selection. It starts selection at the beginning of the word if you are in the first half, and starts selection at the end of the word if you’re in the second half (say you’re trying to select backwards). There is also a precise selection mode, where you use the loupe as normal and if you activate the loupe within half a second after releasing the first loupe, it will start a selection with the precise start point.
This method seems like it could be pretty usable once the hang of it is gotten.
Second is the MultiTouch.framework which has a neat video demonstrating the use of a desktop in tandem with an iPhone for developing and testing your multitouch app, and is especially great because you can just close your eyes and the music will transport you to the rainforest section of your favorite world music retailer.
Also worth combining into one big iPhone nerd post, 1Password just released its magical and FREE iPhone app AND an update to its indispensable $35 Mac app which will let you wirelessly sync all your secrets, of which there are many, you’re not fooling anyone, pervert.
via Apple iPhone apps and clusterflock
