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Fleksy will let developers bake its keyboard into iOS apps
At long last, the default iOS keyboard is no longer your only option when it comes to text input on an iOS device. That is, if the app you're using has signed on to a new SDK released today by Syntellia's Fleksy, a predictive touch keyboard that exited its Android beta just last week. Fleksy actually debuted a standalone iOS app over a year ago as an option for those with visual impairments, which was recently updated to 2.0 to play nicer with iOS 7. Its new SDK, however, lets developers incorporate Fleksy as an alternate keyboard in any app, a first in iOS history. So far the only programs that have confirmed Fleksy as a keyboard option are Wordbox, GV Connect, Launch Center Pro and Blindsquare. Unfortunately, users are unable to install Fleksy on a deeper OS level, so you'll have to be on the lookout to see if any of your favorite apps get on the Fleksy bandwagon. While we wait for that to happen, iOS users can go on and try any of those aforementioned apps to finally get a feel for a freedom Android users have had for awhile now.
Launch Center Pro 1.1 adds native in-app actions, Action Composer, more
AppCubby has released Launch Center Pro 1.1 (US$2.99, currently on sale), a major update to its very useful utility for the iPhone (here's our full review of Launch Center Pro 1.0). This update brings many big additions, including native in-app actions, a re-designed Action Composer and TextExpander support in URLs. The new Action Composer is beautiful and so much more intuitive than its predecessor. When you're making a new action, a new screen appears listing system actions, installed apps, all supported apps, featured apps and those recently added. There's also a button for using a custom URL. It's very neatly organized and presented, which makes it easier to use. That's great, but support for TextExpander snippets is even better. If you've got TextExpander touch installed (and why wouldn't you?), launch it and enable snippet sharing. Now you can use snippets within Launch Center Pro, which is immensely handy. There's more, of course, and we'll have a full review up soon. For now, Launch Center Pro 1.1 is a great updated to one of my favorite utilities. Stay tuned for my full run-down of this useful app.
How to tailor Launch Center Pro to fit your specific needs
It didn't take long before people started tailoring App Cubby's recently overhauled iOS shortcut tool Launch Center Pro to fit their specific needs. Users of OmniFocus will appreciate Michael Schechter's templates that bring some degree of desktop snippet customization to iOS. Schechter created a custom group tailed to OmniFocus features, such as adding a task with a prompt. Veritrope's Justin Lancy created a Storify account of OmniFocus' Ken Case's tweets documenting how URL schemes can be utilized to create deep links into the app. You can see other examples of OmniFocus workflows on Launch Center Pro from Hack/Make's Nick Wynja and MacStories' Federico Viticci. One thing that might cause some new Launch Center Pro users to scratch their heads is how to add such deep customizations to begin with. The app comes with a few built-in tasks, and as Dave Caolo's review shows, it's easy to add more. To go beyond the suggested shortcuts, you'll need to know a bit about iOS's support for URL schemes and be familiar with the list of Launch Center Pro's supported apps. What is a URL scheme? It allows apps to interact with each other using links. For example, tapping on a phone number in Mobile Safari will launch the Phone app. In Launch Center Pro's case, using a URL scheme from a supported app will launch that app, and supported actions encoded into the URLs will automatically perform tasks within the app. Here's how to add one of Schechter's custom OmniFocus tasks: 1. From Launch Center Pro's start menu, tap the pencil icon and create a new action. If you want to create a number of actions, create a group for them first. Under the action menu, select the "custom URL" option. 2. Name your action, then type in the URL beneath it. You can do everything from launching a specific website to performing certain tasks within an app, as long as it supports URL prompts. Here, I've entered the first of Schechter's prompts. 3. Save the action, and it will appear in your group. In this case, the OmniFocus app button is automatically added to the action to make it easily identifiable. However, this is not the end of the customization that's available. You can edit the action you just created, or change the icon or schedule the action to occur at a specific time. For example, schedule the above action to happen at noon. A reminder will pop up in the notification center at that time. Swipe the reminder, and it will launch Launch Center Pro and automatically bring up the create new task screen. Here's one of the shortcuts in action. This one is the second shortcut that Schechter came up with, which automatically adds text from the clipboard as a note. Here, I used the prompt in Launch Center Pro to name the task. It then switches to OmniFocus to complete the task, but has automatically filled in the note field with text I copied from a work email. To learn the latest about URL support within Launch Center Pro, follow the app's Twitter feed.
Launch Center Pro a very useful utility for iPhone
I love useful, time-saving utilities. When David Barnard of App Cubby gave us a demo of Launch Center's first iteration in January, I knew he had made one. Now, Launch Center Pro is available (US$2.99 for a limited time), improving upon its predecessor and earning a spot in my iPhone's dock. With a simple tap-and-slide, you can launch apps, perform actions and more. Here's my look at Launch Center Pro. An action app Launch Center Pro is an app of verbs. Search. Shoot. Call. Text. Add. In creating shortcuts you must pause and think about what you actually want to do. In a way, it's akin to creating an effective to-do list. For example, "Friday's presentation" is not an action step, but "outline presentation" is. The difference, of course, is the verb "outline." As the clever demo video above explains, "Messages is an app. Messaging your friend is an action." Use Think of Launch Center Pro as an intelligent iOS folder, or even a second Springboard, with two main benefits. First, it lets you launch applications. There are many apps that I use often enough to warrant addition to Launch Center Pro, but not quite enough to keep on my home screen. 1Password is a good example. Other apps are buried in folders. For example, Instacast and Rdio live in a folder labeled "Listen." Launch Center Pro lets me get right at them. The app's other benefit is performing actions that are typically only available within apps themselves. For example, you can add an item to OmniFocus, add an event with location data to Agenda or view Facebook notifications. This is where the app really shines and saves so much time. %Gallery-158814% Here's how it works. Launch Center Pro features three screens, or "groups," by default. Each group provides a 3x4 grid, and you can add one action per square, for a total of 12 actions per group. To add an action, tap the Edit button in the upper right-hand corner to enter edit mode. The background changes from grey to a cute "blueprint" layout. From there you have several options: Tap the "+" to add a new app or action or group Tap the "X" in each actions left-hand corner to remove its action Tap and drag to re-order actions If you create a new group, you get an additional 3x4 grid which you can name however you like ("Work," "Kids," etc.) and identify with a custom icon. Adding an action brings up the Action Composer. Your options are sorted into three categories: Common, Installed and Featured. Common actions include tweet, brightness and flashlight, plus options for sending mail, text messages and making phone calls. Some apps support running an action from within Launch Center Pro, and some don't. You'll find a full list of compatible apps here. If you're favorite isn't listed, there's still hope, as Launch Center will work with any app that has a valid URL scheme. Once you're set up, you're good to go. Launch the app and tap and hold on the desired group. Slide your finger to the action or app you're after and finally let go to execute it. It's so simple and fast that before long your muscle memory takes over and you don't even have to look. For instance, I know I can check my Mint stats by tapping on the center and sliding to the upper right. It's second nature and I don't even think about it. Conclusion You start to think as you use Launch Center Pro. First, about being deliberate about what you want to do, like compose an email to a certain contact or create a well-worded note in OmniFocus. You consider how Apple's iOS Springboard could be different. Launch Center Pro feels like an evolved, intelligent iOS folder. It stores frequently used or coherently-grouped apps and actions. That last bit is a real time-saver. Launch Center Pro is available in the App Store now at a limited time price of $2.99. Those who love handy utilities that save time and let you work faster will want to pick it up. It's in my iPhone's dock to stay.
