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Apple Inviting Developers to Online Events on Building Widgets, Creating App Clips and Bringing iPad Apps to Mac

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Apple today sent out email invitations to developers inviting them to join various events focused on specific iOS, iPadOS, and macOS features like widgets and App Clips.

ios-14-third-party-home-screen-widgets-1.jpg

A widget-centric event called "Building Great Widget Experiences" is set to take place on February 1, 2021, and will provide developers with opportunities to learn new techniques for creating useful widgets for their apps.
We'd like you to join us for Building Great Widget Experiences on Monday, February 1, 2021. This event will be conducted online.

Useful and delightful, widgets let you elevate key content from your app and display it where users can see it at a glance on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. They can also help users personalize their Home screens in unique ways. Join us for an in-depth look at building great widget experiences.
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There's a separate event on Monday, February 15 titled "Bring Your iPad App to Mac," and another event called "Building Great App Clip Experiences" that's focused on the App Clips feature introduced in iOS 14.


Developers who have been invited to these sessions are able to ask Apple employees questions, much like the online events that Apple held last year for WWDC.


Apple occasionally hosts these special session events focused on different iOS and macOS features. Last year, for example, Apple hosted an event focused on accessibility features.

Article Link: Apple Inviting Developers to Online Events on Building Widgets, Creating App Clips and Bringing iPad Apps to Mac
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2021/01/26/apple-developers-online-events-ios-14/
Apple needs to empower the devs. They can start by allowing 1x1 widgets. I sure would like to fit 4 bits of information in the space of a single 4x4 widget. Also adding a transparency option would be nice too. Thats the big problem with Apple though. They always give us 80% and always withhold the other 20%.
 
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tgwaste said:
Apple needs to empower the devs. They can start by allowing 1x1 widgets. I sure would like to fit 4 bits of information in the space of a single 4x4 widget. Also adding a transparency option would be nice too. Thats the big problem with Apple though. They always give us 80% and always withhold the other 20%.
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I just want to be able to place my icons anywhere that’s not a grid.
 
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Spock said:
I just want to be able to place my icons anywhere that’s not a grid.
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My friend you are preaching to the Choir.

You know why Apple doesn't do this? GREED.
Apple wants to make sure the person next to you can easily identify the device you're using is an iPhone. They don't want there to be any confusion. Which is why they are so OCD over the HomeScreen and why we fail year and year to see innovation. I mean we got half baked widgets so at least thats something but Apple could very very easily give us more control there and they refuse.
 
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tgwaste said:
My friend you are preaching to the Choir.

You know why Apple doesn't do this? GREED.
Apple wants to make sure the person next to you can easily identify the device you're using is an iPhone. They don't want there to be any confusion. Which is why they are so OCD over the HomeScreen and why we fail year and year to see innovation. I mean we got half baked widgets so at least thats something but Apple could very very easily give us more control there and they refuse.
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“Apple greed” is so overused and worn out. Your point was lost.
 
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Didn’t Apple kill off Dashboard? How are these Mac widgets different?
 
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Marco Arment has had his Overcast iPad App in the Mac App Store since the release of the M1 Macs. It works very well -- better [IMHO] than Apple's Podcast App for Macs. It's very nice to have exactly the same iOS interface I'm used to using. It even resizes up to full screen -- with no modification of the source of the iPad App. Neat trick, that.
 
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Finally, years after Android innovates and brings widgets to smart phones Apple follows suit yet they can't even do it properly. El oh el.
 
tgwaste said:
My friend you are preaching to the Choir.

You know why Apple doesn't do this? GREED.
Apple wants to make sure the person next to you can easily identify the device you're using is an iPhone. They don't want there to be any confusion. Which is why they are so OCD over the HomeScreen and why we fail year and year to see innovation. I mean we got half baked widgets so at least thats something but Apple could very very easily give us more control there and they refuse.
Click to expand...
They also want to stop people from treating their phone like it's their desktop. I prefer only using the Siri widget for icons. If I want an app I either just used it, go a widget, or I can search for. I die inside when I see icons on someone's desktop. If I was Tim I would fire anyone who brought this point up. It's one of the few things I think we should have control over how other people act.

Now a grid that can have empty spaces is a compromise towards getting rid of them all together. That way you can have icons on the bottom but not the top.

now i see it said:
The battery level widget is the only one that matters
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That's hands down the best, but it would be nice if I could hide the tab battery level icon when on the home screen. Clocks are useless. Calander's nice but why can't I have a month view without seeing my days activities? I also like the way the did Apple Music and Podcasts.
thejadedmonkey said:
I can't imagine why developers aren't prioritizing a half-baked and useless feature ;)
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It's only half baked on the Mac. On iOS Apple needs to demonetize apps fail to invest in modern features.
Apple_Robert said:
Good move by Apple. Hopefully, more developers will offer Mac versions of their app, and many folks here can stop with side-loading through iMazing.

We definitely need to see better widget use on the Mac.
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I think we need better widget implementation on the Mac. Even on a 13" screen there is plenty of room for widgets to sit on the desktop.
and 1989 others said:
Hand up, who uses widgets on their mac? I remember using one back in 2005. Non since.
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The whole notification panel needs to go. OOSOOM. I don't use the widgets because I forget they are there and most of the content is within Google. The only time I see them is when I have to clean out my notifications - which are also a hot mess of outdated alerts stacked on top of each other.
 
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iOS homescreens are garish.

Apple, please grasp that some of us want a zen approach.

Android allows me to have a minimalist setup with several tastefully-placed apps.

Please don't force me to fill each screen from the top with violent colours.

Just give me this:
  • Freedom to place each app, anywhere.
  • Compulsory dark versions of each icon.
 
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