I wasn't sure I needed a 12.9-inch iPad when Apple announced the iPad Pro in September 2015. And yet, over a year later, the iPad Pro is, by far, the best computer I've ever owned. I've never felt so satisfied with any other Apple device before – but the transition wasn't easy.
After years spent adapting what I learned from the Mac to bring it to iOS, what I found on the other side was a more focused, efficient way of working and communicating with people. The iPad Pro accelerated my move to an iOS-only setup; today, I genuinely don't know how to perform certain tasks on a Mac anymore.
I use my iPad Pro for everything. It's my writing machine and favorite research tool, but I also rely on it to organize my finances, play games, read books and watch movies, program in Python and Workflow, and manage two successful businesses. While I've been advocating for such multi-purpose use of the iPad platform for a while, the iPad Pro elevated the threshold of possibilities, reaching an inflection point that has pushed others to switch to an iPad as their primary computer as well.
Much of the iPad's strength lies in iOS and its app ecosystem. If Apple were to stop making iPads, I'd still prefer to work on a device that runs iOS rather than macOS. iOS is where app innovation happens on a regular basis with developers one-upping each other in terms of what software can achieve; I also prefer the structure and interactions of iOS itself. The iPad Pro is the purest representation of iOS: it's a computer that can transform into anything you need it to be.
Even if this discussion was settled a long time ago, it bears repeating: millions of people today like working on iOS more than they do on macOS, and the iPad Pro is the best machine to run iOS. There is no sarcastic subtext about the Mac here, which is still a fantastic environment that many Apple users love and need for their line of work. The Mac and the iPad can coexist in a market where customers believe one is superior to the other. I prefer working on the iPad; others like their Macs more. And that's fine because, ultimately, the Apple ecosystem as a whole grows stronger and we all reap the benefits.
The iPad Pro is the purest representation of iOS.
Over the past year of daily iPad Pro usage, I've made it my personal goal to optimize my iPad workflows as much as possible. This is one of the best aspects of the iOS platform: competition between developers is fierce and you can always choose between different apps to get work done – apps that are improved on a regular basis and are constantly updated for the latest iOS technologies. With enough curiosity and patience, iOS rewards you with the discovery of new ways to work and save time.
Since my last iPad story in February, I've taken a hard look at my entire iPad setup and rethought the parts that weren't working. I tried new apps, created new automations, and optimized every weak spot I could find. I improved how I collaborate with my teammates and produce weekly content for Club MacStories members. Thanks to the time I invested in understanding and fine-tuning my iPad Pro, I was able to embark on more projects, double MacStories' growth, and manage a larger team.
As a result, my iPad Pro today is noticeably more capable than it was a year ago – all without the need for a hardware refresh.
Here's what I've done.
eBook Version
An eBook version of this story is available exclusively for Club MacStories members. Club MacStories offers access to weekly MacStories extras – including workflows, app recommendations, and interviews – and it starts at $5/month.
The eBook can be downloaded from the member Downloads area (to download files on iOS, read this).
Get exclusive extras and support MacStories by signing up for Club MacStories today.
Table of Contents
File Management
Due to the lack of a traditional, Finder-like way to browse the local iOS filesystem, file management is one of the toughest challenges of switching to an iPad-first lifestyle. After years of experiments and workarounds, I've come to terms with the fact that file management on iOS requires a new mindset altogether.
The best way to manage files on iOS is to go all-in with cloud storage and rely on native apps and integrations to access your files everywhere and minimize duplicates.
Over the past year, I've consolidated all my file storage needs in Dropbox and iCloud. I use iOS apps to open and manage files that live in a cloud service, and I leverage iOS' document providers to open and import files in apps that don't integrate with Dropbox. While the document picker and document providers get a bad rap, they have improved since the days of iOS 8. I use document providers every day for collaboration with the MacStories team.
Accepting this new reality – that an iPad can't manage local files and folders like a Mac – took time and dedication. If you don't adapt – if you think you can force iOS to be more like the Mac's Finder – you're going to have a bad experience in your transition to iOS. Alas, this also means that people who want to, but can't adapt – either because they can't use cloud services at work or prefer not to store personal files anywhere online – will have to work harder to make an iPad their primary computer. It is possible to create your own centralized, Finder-like setup on an iPad, but it comes with substantial trade-offs.
Dropbox is my primary cloud filesystem and backup service. All my work-related text files and documents are stored in Dropbox, which continues to offer specific advantages over Apple's iCloud Drive: Dropbox integrates with hundreds of iOS apps, it supports public sharing on a file and folder-based level (fantastic for collaboration), and it even works with external web automation services such as IFTTT and Zapier. I don't subscribe to the theory that Dropbox is a feature, not a product, when Apple's implementation of file management in iCloud Drive doesn't even come close to Dropbox's feature set. As an extensible file management platform, Dropbox rocks.
However, iCloud isn't as bad or limited as some are painting it. iCloud is an umbrella term that covers multiple parts of the modern iOS experience – it's more in line with Apple's original goals today than it was when it launched five years ago.
I use two iCloud features for my files and documents:
- iCloud Photo Library, for photos, videos, and, more importantly for MacStories screenshots;
- iCloud Drive, for secondary file backups and quick access to documents in some apps.
Thanks to the multiple layers of Dropbox and iCloud, I can set up a new iPad every year with relative ease – all I have to do is log into my iCloud and Dropbox accounts and point apps to their associated storage space. In addition to being an easier way to work with files than shuffling local documents around, this cloud-first approach is an utmost necessity as you can't backup an iOS device like you would with a Mac, using external drives and apps like Time Machine or SuperDuper. When everything is already stored in Dropbox and iCloud, managing iOS apps becomes easier, and I feel safer because my files are also backed up and I have virtually infinite copies of them.
Google Photos
I’m terrified of losing my photos and videos, so I also pay for Google Photos storage to keep original copies on Google’s servers. Google Photos isn’t my primary app to browse photos, but I like keeping tabs on the company’s machine learning efforts, feeding its engine the contents of my photos so it can grow smarter over time. I find Google Photos to be superior to Apple’s Photos app to delete multiple photos at once and to create shared albums for other people. Photo content search is also slightly more intelligent than Apple’s take on iOS 10.
All my most important files and folders (work PDFs, podcast audio files, invoices, etc.) and app-specific libraries are either stored in iCloud (with iCloud Drive and CloudKit) or Dropbox. This isn't new – I've been storing app documents in Dropbox since they launched an iOS SDK in 2010 – but being religious about cloud storage entails a deeper optimization of iOS to go beyond Apple's tools as well as the limitations of the official Dropbox app.
I find Readdle's Documents app to be the best file manager for iOS. Documents is available on both the iPhone and iPad and it's the closest alternative to a Finder you can have on iOS. The app supports Split View on the iPad and you can throw anything at it with a share extension; Documents will store files and organize them with an interface that mirrors what we're used to having on desktop computers.
I like Documents for two reasons: it's built with serious file management in mind (unlike the iCloud Drive app, which is severely limited on iOS) and it's meant to be used as a bridge between the local filesystem and the cloud. Because of these design decisions, Documents is my main app to manage files in Dropbox and iCloud Drive instead of the official apps from Dropbox and Apple.
Documents unifies local and cloud-based file management with tools to quickly move files between locations. This may sound trivial, but Apple doesn't provide such an integrated solution for iOS. In the Documents sidebar, you have three types of locations:
- Local documents (stored on-device);
- iCloud Drive (Documents' own iCloud Drive folder);
- Synced folders.
The latter is what ties everything together and allows you to seamlessly integrate iCloud Drive and Dropbox. Documents supports a variety of third-party cloud accounts, including Dropbox, Google Drive, Box, or your own WebDAV and FTP servers. Each service can be added as a remote location, which lets you browse cloud storage directly in Documents and take advantage of the app's features. Among these, you can enable two-way sync for individual folders: a synced folder will be available in the app's sidebar for faster access, and its contents will be automatically synced with the cloud.
Documents lets you sync Dropbox folders for offline access on the iPad.
This is a terrific idea to bring multiple services together in a single file manager. From one screen, I can quickly access Dropbox files that are nested into sub-folders on my account; any folder is only two taps away because Documents can sync it as a bookmark. The best part, though, is the interoperability for files between different services: files can be moved across iCloud, local storage, and third-party cloud services – something that isn't possible (or as intuitive) on iOS by default.
Moving a file from Documents' iCloud Drive storage to another location.
There are other details and features worth noting in Documents that make it the missing Finder for iOS. You can save specific files (from any storage location) as favorites, and there is a Recents view that lists files you've recently viewed; files from multiple services are consolidated on this page, which helps you jump between documents stored across separate services and folders. Thanks to Documents' solid preview capabilities, most file types can be opened and previewed in the app. I do this regularly for audio clips, images, and text files.
Documents can also unzip compressed archives in the current directory (like the Finder on macOS), and it has proper download management features with an interface that displays progress for file downloads. To download files with Documents, you can browse the web with an in-app browser, or you can send a download URL to the app by prefixing it with rhttp. I use this workflow from a widget to open a download URL from the system clipboard into Documents and queue the download there.1
Using the Documents browser to download a file from the web.
Documents' in-app browser isn't great for browsing sessions that involve multiple tabs and logins2, and, unfortunately, it doesn't integrate with the 1Password extension either. Documents' browser gets one aspect right, though: when you tap on a link that redirects to a downloadable file (such as a .zip archive), Documents prompts you to download the file and save it in a folder. After 9 years of iOS, Apple's Safari still doesn't offer this basic functionality.
Not only can Documents download files in a local directory, it can even put downloaded files into iCloud Drive (so they're immediately available across all your devices) and save them into synced folders. This means you can go from a download link to a copy of the file instantly pushed to your Dropbox account or FTP server, which is great. This is my favorite way to download files on the iPad.
I should also point out that Documents supports viewing revisions of a Dropbox file – a feature that Dropbox itself hasn't enabled in their iOS app. I don't always have to revert to an older version of a file, but having the option in an iOS app makes me feel better than not having it.
Generally speaking, Documents, unlike Apple's iCloud Drive app, provides common features you'd expect from a file manager in 2016. You can switch between grid and list views, sort files by name and date, search across their filenames and contents (the latter only if indexed beforehand), perform operations such as moving, renaming, copying, and tagging files and folders, and, of course, upload files to cloud services or share them locally with iOS apps and extensions. We've covered Documents on numerous occasions at MacStories in the past; time hasn't made the app obsolete at all. If anything, after iCloud Drive's regression in iOS 10, Documents is more relevant than ever.
There is, however, some merit to iCloud Drive and its integration with the rest of iOS. In fact, I like using iCloud Drive for some apps and workflows where iCloud is faster than Dropbox.
As I wrote in my review of iOS 10, the design of the 'Save to iCloud' extension is the kingpin of inefficiency in how it defaults to expanding every folder and sub-folder upon saving a file. But, the extension works everywhere and it doesn't make you wait for a progress bar to finish uploading thanks to iCloud Drive's background privileges.
Good design (left) vs. Design by someone who doesn't use iCloud Drive.
Conversely, while the 'Save to Dropbox' extension is better designed and more functional, it requires you to stare at an 'Uploading...' animation without being able to do anything else because the upload has to finish in the foreground, otherwise the system may suspend it. I'm not fond of it, but I use the 'Save to iCloud' extension to put files in the Documents app folder, and it works.
Speaking of which, I initially thought iCloud's premise of app folders wouldn't gel with me, but, in practice, the metaphor has been surprisingly apt. After years of iOS, my brain has been rewired to think of documents in terms of which app contains them and where I was working with them. iCloud Drive makes this logical association a centerpiece of the experience by overlaying app icons on folders.
I find it more intuitive to think of my iCloud files as an archipelago of items rather a lot of files all stuffed on one big island. I know that my text documents are in the iA Writer folder in iCloud while images are in the Pixelmator folder. I can use their respective apps to access them, or I can open the iCloud Drive app and take a tour of every island and check where each item lives.
In addition to iCloud Drive's system integrations, Workflow is the other connective tissue between my files and cloud accounts. Workflow has excellent support for both iCloud Drive and Dropbox, letting you create file management automations that can save a lot of time.
For iCloud Drive, Workflow is limited to accessing files from the app's own container – Workflow can't poke around and get files from Documents' iCloud Drive sandbox, for instance. Still, because it can read and save files programmatically, Workflow enables you to create reusable templates to speed up file management.
Creating a better iCloud Drive extension takes one action with Workflow.
You can create a workflow that returns a specific file stored in a sub-folder inside /Workflow/ and that tells you its size or last modification date. Alternatively, you can create workflows that save new files into iCloud Drive, taking advantage of the app's hundreds of actions for data manipulation. Want to save multiple images passed to the Workflow extension into iCloud Drive at once? No problem. How about renaming a file before saving it to iCloud Drive (something Apple's iCloud Drive extension can't do)? Workflow has you covered there as well. And because iCloud Drive files are cached by iOS for offline retrieval, it's usually faster to work with documents and other assets in Workflow using iCloud Drive as you won't have to wait for a download from the cloud.
Dropbox actions in Workflow grant you more freedom than iCloud Drive.
Dropbox support in Workflow is a lot more powerful than iCloud Drive, though. Thanks to the Dropbox web API, Workflow can automate advanced functionalities such as getting files from any directory, deleting them, creating shared links, adding folders, and saving new files into any folder on your Dropbox. Because it's an API, you don't even have to keep the Dropbox app installed to use these actions.
Workflow Downloads
Workflow can also automate file downloads from the web using the ‘Get Contents of URL’ action. For those times when I don’t want to use Safari or Documents to download a file, I can fire up this workflow, get a file from the Internet, and share it with any iOS extension I want.
Workflow has been a strong incentive to use Dropbox as my primary filesystem as it allows me to fully control my files with automation, which I find essential to speed up common and boring tasks on the iPad. With Workflow, I can copy shared links for files I frequently access with two taps, I can fetch assets from any directory (including folders other people have shared with me), and I can append text to an existing plain text document.
A good example of the versatility granted by Workflow and Dropbox actions is the automation I've been using to create a copy of an iA Writer document every time I want to publish it. By default, iA Writer text files are stored in iCloud Drive; for longform stories, I also create manual backups in GitHub using Working Copy. Because I want the shorter posts I publish on MacStories to be permanently archived on Dropbox, I added a Dropbox step to my Publish to WordPress workflow that, right after publishing, puts a .txt copy of the post in a Dropbox folder. This way, I don't have to think about saving files to Dropbox – it happens automatically when I run the publishing workflow.
There's an incredible freedom to using Dropbox in Workflow, and I wish the Workflow team would add more actions based on the Dropbox API.
I want to mention iA Writer, too. iA Writer is one of the few iCloud-based apps to support viewing and restoring versions of a file natively on iOS.3
File versions in iA Writer.
A lot of iPad users don't know that iCloud has support for file revisions like Dropbox, and I like how the feature has been implemented in iA Writer with the ability to revert the current file to an older copy or create a duplicate of it.
The Downsides of iOS File Management
There are still downsides to managing files on an iPad-only setup. Some of them have been around for a long time; others are a by-product of recent additions to the iOS platform.
iCloud Drive app folders are isolated from each other. iOS apps like Documents and Workflow can't access or display the contents of other apps' folders. This prevents the existence of a full-featured iCloud Drive file manager that offers functionalities Apple doesn't want to build in their iCloud Drive app. There should be an API to allow third-party apps to gain access to the entire contents of your iCloud Drive filesystem, just like there are APIs for photo and music access.
You can't pass around multiple files at once. Something I miss from macOS is the ability to move multiple files around from one location to another. If you want to copy multiple files to another app on iOS, your best chance is to compress them as a single .zip archive or upload them to the cloud and download them again afterwards.
This shouldn't be the case. Apple needs to rework the entire 'Copy to/Import with' extension system (the former 'Open In' menu) and the document picker with support for multiple items.
iCloud Drive is missing features available on the web app. Did you know you can view recently deleted files and restore them in iCloud Drive? I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't, because this option is only available on the iCloud web app, which isn't even supported on Safari for iOS. The iCloud Drive file management UI needs to be completely revamped, and Apple has to include these hidden features in the redesign.
No drag & drop for files on the iPad. This applies to Split View in general, but there should be an easier way to move files between two apps that doesn't require tapping multiple times through menus and share sheets. Drag & drop is an obvious solution: it would be nice if I could drop an image from iCloud Drive into an image editor, or if I could drag a file from Dropbox into my email client to quickly attach it to a message. This is basic stuff for the Mac; the iPad should have this feature, too.
File management on iOS has a long way to go. Compared to macOS, the iPad is still in its infancy when it comes to managing files across multiple apps.
Unlike a couple of years ago, however, managing files on iOS has improved and developers have been clever in supporting new technologies such as document providers and Split View, which cut the time required to move files between locations. Adopting cloud storage with Dropbox and iCloud for everything has made managing files on my iPad easier, but Apple has to reconsider some iOS limitations and redesign the iCloud Drive experience from the ground up.
With Dropbox, iCloud Drive, and third-party apps that integrate with them, I don't need a Mac to manage my files, but I wish iOS could be a little more flexible.
Hardware
If I had to, I could get by with an iPad Pro and the Apple Smart Cover as a basic iPad setup. To complement my writing workflow and get the most out of the iPad's hardware, though, I've tested several accessories over the past year from stands and covers to keyboards and Bluetooth headphones. These are the ones I like and use the most.
Twelve South ParcSlope
When I want or need to use the iPad Pro primarily with multitouch, I think Twelve South's ParcSlope provides the best angle and grip for any kind of flat surface.
Originally conceived as a MacBook stand, the ParcSlope tilts the iPad Pro at a higher angle (18 degrees) than a folded Smart Cover, which helps me hunch over the screen less. The ParcSlope is made of sturdy aluminum with a soft rubber pad to hold the iPad in place. Similarly to other Twelve South products, it almost looks like an accessory Apple would make.
If I know I'm going to use the iPad Pro via touch for several hours, I grab the ParcSlope and put it on my desk.
Razer Keyboard Case
As I wrote last month, I typed my entire iOS 10 review on an Apple Magic Keyboard (held in place by the Studio Neat Canopy stand) and used it every day until I discovered the Razer Keyboard Case for iPad Pro in mid-September. This keyboard is flawed in many ways and it's not for everyone, but it's also the kind of accessory I needed to comfortably type from anywhere during my average writing day.
What sets the Razer keyboard apart is the case that holds the iPad. Unlike other keyboard-case combos, Razer added an adjustable metal kickstand that allows you to change the viewing angle of the iPad's screen while retaining a firm position that prevents the device from wiggling too much when typing.
This has been a revelation for me as I spend a lot of time waiting in my car and I want to get work done in those hours; with the Razer keyboard, I can type on a full-size laptop keyboard with the ability to adjust the iPad's angle.
Furthermore, Razer built a mechanical keyboard that is backlit (with multiple illumination levels) and features iOS-specific media keys. This is great to type at night and to access functions like screenshots and playing music without having to touch the screen. When I'm not typing on it, I usually detach the keyboard and put the iPad Pro inside the case on my lap to watch TV shows or play videogames.
For more details and impressions, you can read my original review here.
Anker PowerCore 20000 Battery
I bought this external battery earlier this year and I've been carrying it around with me everywhere I go.
The PowerCore 20000 gives the best results when used with devices with smaller-capacity batteries (like iPhones), but I've found it to provide enough power to keep an iPad Pro alive until I get home and can use a real charger. Effectively, I use this to keep the iPad Pro around the critical 10% of battery left so I can finish what I'm doing. When I don't use it with the iPad Pro, my girlfriend and I fully recharge our iPhones with it.
Apple 29W USB-C Charger
Speaking of chargers: if you have an iPad Pro 12.9-inch, you need to upgrade to the 29W model and get a USB-C to Lightning cable. The 12.9-inch iPad Pro is the only iPad to support USB Power Delivery with fast charging, which enables the device to recharge considerably faster than when using the default 12W charger.
Earlier this year, I ran a series of tests and discovered that the 29W adapter took 90 minutes to charge an iPad Pro from 0 to 80%; the 12W model needed 3.5 hours to perform the same charge.
Anyone who works on a 12.9-inch iPad Pro every day needs to buy one of these.
Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 Wireless
I've bought several headphones this year.4 After months of testing, I realized that I liked the B&O H6 (2nd generation, over-ear) wired headphones best, but I wanted to have a wireless version with the same benefits. Reviews for the wireless H7 variation weren't positive, so I set out to find something comparable that would be just as light and elegant, with good Bluetooth performance, decent battery life, and large over-ear cups, and that I could wear for many consecutive hours with noise cancellation.
After weeks of research and reading other people's reviews, I went with the Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 Wireless and I'm extremely happy with my purchase. These are my ideal wireless headphones for prolonged listening sessions and I love the sound they produce as well as their design.
The Momentum 2.0 are comfortable thanks to an over-ear design that I barely feel around my ears (unlike the Beats Solo3, which are on-ear and I mostly use when working out in shorter bursts of time as they press against my head too much). The memory foam material of the ear cups is soft and has a premium feel to it. The headphones' overall build quality is top notch – I particularly like the adjustable steel arms and texture of the headband.
Connection with the Momentum 2.0 happens over Bluetooth, which isn't as fast or reliable (or as impressive, range-wise) as the W1 chip found in the Solo3, but because I use them when I'm listening to a nearby device (usually my iPad), Bluetooth hasn't been an issue. One of the Momentum's best features is that they can pair with multiple devices at once: when I turn them on, they connect to both my iPhone and iPad and I can switch between audio sources seamlessly. If I only want to hear sounds from my iPad, I disconnect the headphones from the iPhone's Control Center – a constant reminder that Apple made a good choice in simplifying wireless headphone management with iOS 10.
The Momentum 2.0 Wireless sound great: they don't have the heavy bass of the Beats Solo and Studio, and they're fantastic for alt-rock, pop, and post-rock (my three top genres). Active noise cancellation is good as it muffles a lot of what goes around me (though it doesn't completely mute loud sounds); I've been leaving the headphones on even when not listening to music because I like the increased isolation when I'm writing.
The Sennheiser Momentum 2.0 Wireless are one of my favorite purchases of the year – they are the culmination of months of testing different headphones, and I'm carrying them everywhere I go.
SteelSeries Nimbus Controller
The iPad Pro's large screen makes it a fantastic device to play videogames. And while iOS is best experienced with multitouch, an increasing amount of quality iPad games have added support for MFi controllers over the past two years; despite some limitations, I find playing with a controller and the iPad Pro in front of me surprisingly engaging.
The SteelSeries Nimbus is one of the best console-like controllers you can find for iOS and tvOS. There are two analog sticks at the bottom, a d-pad in the top left, and four buttons on the right side. There are four shoulder buttons and a central menu button to access multiple functions in games, too. The Nimbus feels like a mix of the Wii U and Xbox One controllers – I think it looks nice and, more importantly, it feels good. Buttons are clicky enough, the d-pad is okay, and even the analog sticks – while not as good as the DualShock 4's ones, in my opinion – are superior to other MFi controllers I've tested, including the Gamevice for iPhone (which I own and regularly use).
Everyone has different preferences for analog sticks and buttons, but the Nimbus strikes a good balance of premium quality and comfort across the board. I've enjoyed playing Oceanhorn and Crashlands with the iPad Pro propped up on my lap or a desk. I look forward to playing more games this way next year.
Tom Bihn Daylight Briefcase
After almost five years of using a Tom Bihn Ristretto bag every day, earlier this year I decided to upgrade to a bigger bag to accomodate the iPad Pro and wireless headphones. I had no doubt I was going to get another Tom Bihn product (I'm a huge fan of the company); after some de rigueur research, the Daylight Briefcase seemed like the best option for me. I ordered one before WWDC and I went to San Francisco with it.
The Daylight Briefcase is a laptop bag that can fit the 12.9-inch iPad Pro perfectly. Like other Tom Bihn bags, there are plenty of compartments and semi-hidden pockets in and out, which I use to hold accessories and cables. The Daylight Briefcase is made of a high-quality nylon material that is durable and can resist a variety of scenarios such as rain, relaxing at the beach, and being walked over by people and dogs (all personally tested). The Absolute shoulder strap (a $20 upgrade) is comfortable and adjustable, and I like the sober-but-not-boring look of the whole product.
In more extreme situations, the Daylight Briefcase has acted as a carry-on bag for flights with tons of hardware and even t-shirts inside. I wouldn't use any other bag for my iPad Pro and related accessories. I can't recommend this bag enough.
Entertainment
Besides work, I use my iPad Pro for entertainment. I'd say that, over the past 12 months, I've optimized the way I work from my iPad just as much as I've changed how I consume media on it. I don't want to be tied to a television set for TV shows and video games anymore; once again, I prefer the freedom an iPad gives me.
With a four-speaker system and a large Retina display I can hold and put anywhere, the iPad Pro has become my favorite computer to listen to music, watch movies, and play games, too.
Music
I'm one of those people who can't choose between Apple Music and Spotify. I like that Apple Music has lyrics and I want to follow Apple's progress on streaming and iOS integrations; on the other hand, Spotify has superior discovery features and algorithmic enhancements that let me find new music every week. I pay for both and I listen to a lot of music, both old and new.
I've written about Spotify and Apple Music on separate occasions before, and this is not the time for a proper review of the two services. From an app standpoint, though, Apple is ahead of Spotify: Apple Music for iPad supports Split View, it has built-in lyrics, and it features an easier activation of the share sheet, which is buried into a sub-menu on Spotify.
Apple Music supports multitasking; Spotify for iPad doesn't.
Spotify has a different advantage over Apple Music: thanks to Spotify Connect, it can pair directly with audio devices in my house without using Bluetooth and thus redirecting all system audio to a speaker.
Spotify Connect makes it easy to connect to external speakers directly.
Spotify Connect can beam music to my two Echo devices and it has recently gained integration for streaming to Sonos speakers. It's nice to be able to browse music and control playback on my Echo from Spotify on the iPad without interfering with system sounds or YouTube videos. I wish Apple Music could stream to the Amazon Echo over Wi-Fi instead of Bluetooth, but I know such partnership is likely never going to happen.
Video
For a long time, downloading torrents was one of the reasons that prevented me from using the iPad Pro as my only computer. I kept an ailing MacBook Air around for two reasons: recording podcasts and downloading torrents with Transmission. I'm still working on a native iOS solution for the former; due to Apple's App Store rules, I had to offload the latter to a device that is neither an iPad nor a Mac.
At the beginning of the year, I bought a Synology NAS (a DS214Play) and have been using it as a home server and media center. The Synology handles torrent downloads now, keeping video files organized in its local storage (4 TB in RAID1) and ready for streaming through iOS clients. I don't use my MacBook for torrents anymore, and, as an added benefit, I can also start downloads from outside my home network on the iPad Pro.
Synology has a collection of dedicated iOS apps to manage various server-related activities. Among these apps, there are DS Get and DS File: the first app can send torrent files to the Download Station app on the Synology to start downloading them; the second one is a file manager to log into the NAS and manage files and folders other apps can access. You can use these apps on a local Wi-Fi network; if you're not at home, a free dynamic hostname service called QuickConnect lets you log into the Synology remotely to manage everything from iOS. You can leave a Synology running at home while plugged into Ethernet, and log in and access files from iOS over cellular or another Wi-Fi network.
The DS Get app registers on iOS as a handler of .torrent files. When I open a torrent in Safari on my iPad, I use the 'Copy to' extension to send the file to the DS Get app, which logs into my Synology and starts the download. There are workflows and APIs to download torrents without sending a file from the browser, but I've found the manual process in Safari to be faster and more intuitive.
DS File isn't spectacular but it gets the job done.
Once a download is completed, I open DS File and move the video file into the appropriate directory. There are applications for Synology servers that can take care of renaming, transcoding, and organizing files into folders automatically, but they require a bit of initial setup I haven't had the time to go through yet. Apps on my iPad can stream most types of video formats anyway, and I like the fact that I choose where to move files so I know where to find them at all times. For those few occasions when my iPad can't stream an .mkv file, I use my girlfriend's 2015 MacBook Pro to download it and re-encode it to MP4 with HandBrake. I should probably research automated transcoding options for the Synology itself.
Infuse 5.
My favorite app to stream videos on the iPad is Infuse Pro. I covered the app before (most recently, with the launch of version 5) and I think it's the richest, easiest-to-use video player for iOS. Infuse 5 features automatic subtitle downloads from Open Subtitles; it can output Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD MA audio; and it plays just about any video format you throw at it. Plus, Infuse looks great, it syncs with trakt.tv, and it adds contextual information to movies and TV shows such as posters, descriptions, and cast details.
I start watching videos with Infuse in two ways. Both DS File and DS Video (Synology's take on a Plex-like media center) can send streamable video URLs to Infuse with the tap of a button.
Sending a file to Infuse from DS Video.
After moving files with DS File, I can navigate to a folder, tap a file, and choose Infuse as a compatible player. Doing this sends a URL (either a local one for your home network or an authenticated QuickConnect one) to Infuse, which will start streaming right away.
Alternatively, Infuse lets you browse servers and network-attached storage devices via UPnP and DLNA. My Synology NAS shows up in Infuse's list of available devices, so I can navigate into it with a file management UI and pick a video to play. What's even better, though, is that Infuse lets you save individual Synology folders as favorites for quick access.
Synology folders as favorites in Infuse.
I created bookmarks for my Media and Downloads folders, and I can view their contents from the main page of Infuse without opening the network discovery screen.
Infuse Pro can stream videos to a Google Chromecast as well. I use the Chromecast to stream YouTube videos on the big screen with one tap from the official YouTube app, but I like to watch TV shows and movies on my TV, too, especially when I have some friends over.
"Casting" from Infuse.
I upgraded from a first-generation Chromecast to a second-gen model this year for faster performance, and the integration with Infuse is fantastic. There's a button in the video playback UI to "cast" a video to a television; streaming with the Chromecast is usually faster and more reliable than AirPlay because Google's service fetches videos from a URL instead of buffering a video file on the local network. Using Infuse as the middleman between my Synology and the Chromecast works without a hitch.
I also created an Alexa-Logitech Harmony routine that lets me say "Alexa, turn on Chromecast". When I utter that command, my TV and Sony soundbar turn on, switch to the correct HDMI input for the Chromecast, and I can start streaming. No more fiddling with a bunch of remotes, as all it takes is a tap of the Chromecast button in Infuse. If I can't (or don't want to) summon Alexa verbally, I run a routine in the Yonomi iOS app, which has the same effect thanks to its Harmony support but doesn't require voice input.5
The combination of a Synology NAS and Infuse has singlehandedly solved the problem of not being able to download torrents on my iPad Pro. Sure, I didn't "fix" the problem per se – I circumvented it with an external device that isn't a Mac – but I'm deeply satisfied with the results. Video files aren't taking up storage on my iPad Pro and there's a server always ready to download torrents on a fast fiber connection that I can interact with using iOS apps. I don't see myself ever moving away from this system; if anything, I might upgrade to a more powerful Synology next year.6
Synology Web App and Plex
Synology servers can also be accessed from a web app that requires reloading Safari in desktop mode (or using iCab with a custom user agent for the NAS’ IP address). I prefer the native experience of the single-purpose DS apps for iOS, but the web app is necessary for certain server management features.
I’ve also been testing Plex again, which launched several new features this year and improved their iOS app. Plex looks great, but it seems to be more aimed at users who maintain large libraries of movies, photos, and music, whereas I only care about video. Plex indexing also seems to slow down my Synology quite a bit. As soon as I upgrade to a faster Synology, I’ll try to put everything in Plex and see what happens. I’m intrigued by their new updated photos experience with AI search.
Television Time, a TV show tracker developed by Maximilian Litteral, deserves a special mention. I've tried dozens of TV show trackers over the past 7 years of MacStories and Television Time is the first one that doesn't make me feel like there's something missing.
Television Time has it all: there's Trakt sync (I'm obsessed with my Trakt stats), support for the latest iOS features such as haptic feedback on the iPhone 7 and rich notifications for iOS 10, settings to hide spoilers and add notification offsets, and, of course, an iPad app.
I use Television Time to view synopses of upcoming episodes and check off what I've watched. Coupled with Trakt VIP (which recently launched a useful Alexa skill and comes with nice extras), Television Time has gained a permanent spot on my iPad.
Console Gaming
I don't only play iOS games on my iPad Pro. I've also been using it to play old Nintendo games and even modern PlayStation 4 titles.
A few weeks ago, I took the plunge and installed Provenance, a third-party emulator for old Nintendo consoles like the NES, SNES, and Game Boy.7 Provenance isn't allowed on the App Store: you have to download an Xcode project, sign it with a developer certificate, and install it over USB on an iOS device. That may sound overly complicated, but the instructions are clearly laid out and I was able to follow them and get everything working in less than 30 minutes. You can do this, too.
A Link to the Past running on Provenance on my iPad Pro.
I'm not new to Nintendo emulators. I started following tech blogs because I used to run homebrew software on my PSP8 and I spent hundreds of hours playing with Snes9x. Provenance falls in line with similar apps for desktop computers and jailbroken devices. Emulation isn't perfect but it's acceptable, there's auto-save, and the app automatically categorizes games with titles and artwork downloaded from the Internet.
Provenance's main interface is not too exciting, unlike OpenEmu.
What I love about Provenance is that it takes advantage of the Game Controller framework on iOS to let you play with any MFi controller. As you can imagine, I've been using my Nimbus to play A Link to the Past and Super Metroid on my iPad Pro, and it's glorious. If you told me when I was 9 that I'd be playing SNES games on a Retina display that could always be with me, I would have thought you were as crazy as Miyamoto's team back in the Stunt Race FX days.
When I'm in the mood for a more modern gaming experience but can't sit in front of my PS4, I use PlayMira. This app (previously called PlayCast) uses PlayStation's Remote Play APIs to let you control your console and play games from an iOS device. You have to follow the instructions to configure your PS4 for Remote Play with the app, but once you're set, PlayMira lets you wake up a PS4 and start playing anywhere you are.9
Playing Final Fantasy XV with PlayMira.
And it's amazing. I've used PlayMira to play No Man's Sky, Battlefield 1, and Final Fantasy XV on my iPad Pro and I almost couldn't believe what I was doing. If you have a fast Internet connection, performance is good on both Wi-Fi and cellular access from iOS, though you should expect the occasional frame rate drop or graphical glitch.10 Like Provenance, PlayMira lets you use virtual onscreen controls that replicate a DualShock 4, but you'll want to get an iOS game controller and use that instead. I had to remap some buttons to different combinations on my Nimbus, and it'd be better if my DualShock could directly connect to the iPad, but it works well enough.
Part of the reason I've always remembered portable game consoles fondly is the fact that games could always be with me. With PlayMira, I can turn my iPad into a portable screen for my PlayStation 4 games wherever I am. This app is one of my favorite surprises of the year.
Calendars
I'm not a heavy calendar user. I don't have a lot of events going on at specific times and locations; I tend to have a series of tasks that have to be completed within a certain time frame, so I use my task manager more than my calendar app. However, I'm trying to be more disciplined about adding all kinds of personal and work-related events to multiple calendars, and I found an app that suits my taste better than others.
Timepage launched on the iPad earlier this year, and I switched to it as my main calendar app as soon as it came out. We have reviewed Timepage on MacStories multiple times, and I believe it is one of the best app launches of the past year.11 Developed by Bonobo in partnership with Moleskine, Timepage makes calendars beautiful and smart with some of the most clever interactions I've seen on iOS in a while. This is true for both the iPhone and iPad versions, but the app truly shines on the iPad Pro's large display.
Timepage's Scarlet Red theme is gorgeous.
There's no calendar client as elegant as Timepage. The app comes with multiple themes to choose from, and there's a unique use of pastel tints, bold typography, and colored accents throughout the interface that make your daily agenda stand out. On the iPad, days are displayed in a vertical strip on the left, with events in the middle and details for individual days and events on the right.
There are tons of delightful touches everywhere, such as integration with weather forecasts, estimated travel times, and a morning briefing that tells you what your day is going to be like. Even adding a new event eschews the paradigms of traditional calendar clients.
Timepage's unique event creation UI.
Timepage isn't just about the novelty effect of a unique calendar visualization, though. The app is built on new types of interactions that simplify navigation in intelligent ways. In the month sidebar, for instance, there's a heatmap that indicates how busy each day is through different levels of shading.
Calendars displayed in the app are available as large bubbles at the bottom; if you tap and hold one, you can drag the finger around to switch calendars and update the heatmap above to only show events for the current selection. It's a genius solution for the problem of filtering month views by calendar. But I could also mention how swiping horizontally expands the sidebar into a full month view, or how the event creation panel pairs relative times of the day with more precise hours and how you have to scrub through a progress bar to set the time quickly.
Timepage is filled with ideas, design choices, and interaction patterns I've never seen in any other iOS calendar client before. It's a joy to use and look at, it's fun, and the developers are constantly improving it with new integrations and features. Managing my schedule with Timepage on the iPad makes me want to use my calendar more.
Email Management with Airmail and Sanebox
I switched to Airmail as my primary email client in April. While I've kept tabs on other email apps, I always go back to Airmail because of its power-user features and integrations. I explained my reasons for switching in my previous coverage of versions 1.0 and 1.1, but there are some recent developments that have improved how I manage email on my iPad even further.
As I shared in the October 2016 Monthly Log newsletter for Club MacStories members, I started using Sanebox a couple of months ago. Sanebox is a web service that connects to your email provider (in my case, Gmail) and separates messages in categories based on importance and type. It's the same concept as apps like Inbox and Spark, but it happens in the cloud and it uses mailboxes/labels, which means you can change email clients and Sanebox will continue to operate because it's not a proprietary feature of an app. As long as it's connected to your email account, Sanebox will remove unimportant messages from your inbox and file them into a folder. Even if you switch email clients, you'll be able to take advantage of Sanebox because it's just a brain in the cloud, independent of the app you use to read emails.
Sanebox seemed to be tailored precisely for my problems. I like modern email clients that try to guess which emails are more important than others, but I don't want to start this training process from scratch every time I switch apps. And because of my job, I have to try different email clients quite often. After forwarding every Gmail account I previously had to a single address, I turned on Sanebox and let it organize email for me.
I’ve never had a better relationship with email than with Sanebox.
Two months in, I can say I've never had a better relationship with email than with Sanebox. The service's marquee functionality is the ability to discern messages you don't need to see right away. Those messages are automatically moved to a SaneLater folder as soon as they hit my account. Similarly, newsletters and other "announcement" emails go into a SaneNews folder. Messages that Sanebox deems important stay in the inbox. If you don't agree with Sanebox's intelligence, you can train it by filing messages into a different folder or by creating more advanced rules on the Sanebox website.
Thanks to Sanebox, I've gotten used to a new kind of email triaging workflow: the few messages in the inbox are acted upon as soon as possible, while SaneLater and SaneNews emails wait until the evening or the weekend, when I have more time to read. Sanebox has learned from my training and it knows where to file messages from important people. Thanks to the SaneBlackHole (another folder), I also have an easy way to make sure I'll never see a message from a specific sender again. All of this works in any email client.
My Airmail setup.
With its deep customization, Airmail can handle this type of email workflow beautifully. Sanebox folders I use daily are saved as favorites in Airmail, where I can put them at the top of the sidebar for quick access. Favorites let me move between different groups of emails with a couple of taps; they can also have custom colors, which helps spotting them at a glance.
Filing messages into mailboxes is key to Sanebox, and Airmail has the most powerful Move interface of any email app on iOS.
Airmail's move UI.
With favorite folders at the top, I can file a message into any Sane-folder without having to scroll a long list of mailboxes from my Gmail account. Fast message filing also means I'm training Sanebox more often because it's not a chore, which results in smarter email organization every day. It's a win-win.
I've described both in detail before, but Airmail's Smart Folders and app integrations are outstanding. To my knowledge, Airmail is the only iOS email app that lets you create complex smart folders that work for any type of email account. I have smart folders that act as saved searches (built using the Gmail search syntax) and they help me find messages that are addressed to a specific person or that contain words I'm often looking for. App integrations are equally impressive: Airmail can work with task managers, cloud storage services, document providers, and even the package tracking app Deliveries to turn messages into actions. The list of services and apps supported by Airmail is the new standard for power-user email clients on iOS.
I try not to spend too much time managing email, but there is still a lot of value in it for me because of the connections I make and new products I discover with email. The combination of Sanebox in the cloud and Airmail on iOS helps me be more efficient with the important messages I need to take care of, but more relaxed with everything else. Sanebox and Airmail have saved me dozens of hours.
GitHub and Markdown Editing
Here at MacStories, we like to write in Markdown. We appreciate the portability of plain text and how it enables us to try different text editors for iOS and macOS. Markdown and plain text are also easily scriptable, which saves us time when editing stories. Unlike most tech publications, we never collaborate on articles using Word or Google Docs because I don't want to deal with rich text or HTML code. I like plain text and John Gruber's invention so much, we even rebuilt MacStories to accept native Markdown text for every post.
Over time, as the MacStories team expanded and multiple writers had to provide feedback on drafts, my stance on not using collaborative rich text services was becoming a hurdle for everyone. For a while, if we wanted to check out a story someone was working on, we had to exchange files, create duplicates, and then compare differences between two text files with a diff tool on the Mac before sending the annotated version back. It was less than ideal.
The system we've been using over the past year relies on GitHub and has native support for Markdown and iOS. This is how we've been collaborating on stories – including my iOS 10 review – throughout 2016 for both MacStories and Club MacStories, and I couldn't be happier with it.
GitHub is mostly known as a code hosting platform that enables programmers to collaborate on code and keep track of changes in shared projects called repositories. At a fundamental level, however, GitHub deals with text and compares differences between versions of the same text file. The same principles that allow programmers to host their code on GitHub can be used for collaborative Markdown writing, which is what we've done through several GitHub repositories.
Each MacStories writer has their own private GitHub repository where they can save drafts of articles currently being worked on. Other members are invited to the repository so they can read each other's stories and provide feedback. We have a general Club MacStories repository that John and I use to assemble issues of our newsletter every week, and I also have a personal repository where I save drafts I would like others to read in advance.
Most programmers interact with GitHub from a command line interface (CLI) on desktop computers, which isn't exactly user-friendly; much of the GitHub terminology is already quite obscure, and using the service from a terminal only adds to that complexity. Fortunately, there are great GitHub clients for iOS with a proper GUI to manage repositories and commits, making the GitHub experience on iOS visually appealing and integrated with iOS apps.
My favorite GitHub client for iOS is Working Copy by Anders Borum. Working Copy is a power-user GitHub client with Markdown support, app integrations, automation features, and ongoing support from its developer. Working Copy is one of the apps I've used the most this year and it played an important role in convincing me GitHub was the right service for us.
Working Copy lets you commit (save) files from other iOS apps with a share extension. This allows us to save Markdown documents from any text editor, screenshots from an email client or the Photos app12, and so forth. As long as a file can be shared with extensions, we can commit it to our repositories with Working Copy.
Both Markdown files and images can be committed to a repository with the Working Copy extension.
This even works for overwriting an existing document with a new version: if I have an updated draft of a document I've already saved in Working Copy, I just need to share it to the app again, tap the existing file, and commit it to add a new version.
Overwriting a text file with a new commit from Ulysses.
The most useful features of Working Copy are revealed in the app. For every file, Working Copy keeps a list of commits (versions) from GitHub and allows you to view titles and comments for each version. Then, the best part: Working Copy supports GitHub's diff highlights for individual words in addition to entire paragraphs, which is exactly the kind of tool we needed for collaboration. Not only can Working Copy highlight in red/green the paragraphs that changed from one version of a file to another – it can also highlight individual word changes with a darker shade.
Diff highlights in Working Copy.
Working Copy's diff support has been a boon for how we edit Markdown and collaborate on articles. We can keep track of every edit and comment in a centralized location without creating duplicates. Working Copy makes it easy to follow the evolution of a document through multiple commits; every writer can chime in with their own suggestions and Working Copy will handle file merging and conflict resolution thanks to GitHub. Version control and diffs are integrated in the same app, and everyone is always looking at the same (and most recent) copy of a file. Thanks to Split View on the iPad, I can keep iMessage or Slack open on one side, put Working Copy on the other, and discuss edits and comments with someone else.
Multiple commits from different writers.
Working Copy supports Markdown syntax highlight and it ships with a basic text editor, but I prefer to read and edit articles in other apps. There are a few options available and they're all made possible by Working Copy's integration with iOS frameworks.
Working Copy can be used as a document provider to import files from repositories into external apps. Furthermore, files provided by Working Copy can be opened and edited in another app and the changes will be reflected directly in Working Copy; the app essentially gives access to its sandbox scoped to an individual file.
iA Writer is one of the few text editors I know that supports this "open and edit" mode: by tapping File > Open in iA Writer, I can select Working Copy, pick a file, and iA Writer will open it without creating a duplicate.
Opening a Working Copy document in iA Writer via the document picker.
In this case, iA Writer is accessing a file directly in Working Copy. I can read, edit, and preview the document in iA Writer and every change I make will be saved back into the file stored in Working Copy. With this system, I can replace Working Copy's barebones text editor with iA Writer's richer selection of editing tools and beautiful interface. This is my favorite way to read and edit longform pieces from other writers, and it's all based on a solid GitHub workflow for iOS.
I can even manage entire repositories as bookmarked folders outside of Working Copy. This is one of the most impressive implementations of document providers I've seen to date. Textastic, the popular code editor for iOS, can open repositories from Working Copy and save them as bookmarked locations in its sidebar.
This file, displayed in Textastic, is stored in Working Copy.
Think of these folders as aliases of a document provider's sub-directory that are automatically updated alongside the original storage. I can open a Working Copy repository in Textastic, create directories, move files around, and even edit text documents with Textastic's own editor instead of Working Copy's.
Changes made in Textastic (left) are reflected in Working Copy's repository.
As with open mode in iA Writer, any change I make in Textastic is saved back into Working Copy thanks to the iOS document provider API. I don't have to create duplicates or copy files around with extensions. Every week, I archive old GitHub documents from Textastic on iOS, committing changes in Working Copy with GitHub notifications that are delivered to multiple Slack channels at once – no Mac involved.
I wouldn't be able to switch to any other collaborative Markdown environment now. Working Copy and GitHub have enabled us to be faster and more consistent at proofing each other's stories with a fantastic set of integrations on iOS. As a side benefit, relying on GitHub for collaborative editing has resulted in a third layer of backups for my drafts and it's making me consider GitHub as an internal wiki tool to create nicely formatted Markdown guides for the MacStories team.
It’s possible to work with the same version of a file between multiple iOS apps now.
There's also an argument to be made about document providers and filesystem preconceptions on iOS. I bet most iPad users have no idea that document providers can be so flexible these days – in fact, I believe a lot of iOS app developers don't even bother to add deeper support for document providers. But as Working Copy, Textastic, and iA Writer show, it's possible to work with the same version of a file between multiple iOS apps now – with a streamlined workflow that is comparable to a Mac. I wish more app developers and Apple itself would consider this.
Automation
Much of what I do on the iPad is facilitated by automation. I've been writing about iOS automation for several years, and I've seen all the forms it's taken so far – from the humble beginnings of URL schemes to callback URLs, Python scripts, and, finally, Workflow.
There's an important difference between the old iOS automation kin and the modern wonders of Workflow. Four years ago, URL schemes were the only way to turn an iPad into a passable work device for advanced tasks. Automation was an escape hatch from Apple's limitations and the immaturity of iOS. Today, iOS is a stronger, more capable platform that, for many, is superior to macOS. There's still work to be done, but, for the most part, iOS automation today is an optional enhancement – a way to speed up tasks and make them more accessible. In four years, and largely because of iOS 8 and iOS 9, iOS automation has evolved from a workaround into a creative optimization.
It would be impossible to recall all the workflows and scripts I've put together over the years. You can find previous examples in the dedicated Workflow, Pythonista, Drafts, and automation pages on MacStories – I highly recommend going through the archives. And, of course, you can also receive fresh workflows and explanations every week with the MacStories Weekly newsletter.
As you can see, most of my recent automations happen in Workflow, and I rely on the app quite a bit:
Many of my workflows are specific to the MacStories team and I only use them a few times per week, so there would be little value in sharing them. Furthermore, many of them are based on web automation with Zapier, which I plan to discuss in a separate story in the future.
Instead, below you'll find a collection of my most used general-purpose iOS workflows and automations. Hopefully, these will give you an idea of how automation can enhance and speed up the modern iOS experience.
Time Tracking
As I shared in the latest Monthly Log newsletter for Club MacStories members, I've started tracking my time with Toggl to optimize how I get work done and understand where my time is going. The experiment is going well, but time tracking is the kind of habit that needs to be ingrained in your memory until it becomes second nature. The best way to do so is to make it easy to start new timers.
I previously detailed my Toggl automations with the release of Workflow 1.6. I have two separate workflows to start new timers from pre-built templates and check for how long an existing timer has been running.
The advantage of using these workflows in lieu of the Toggl web app is that they can be triggered as widgets in a couple of seconds. With iOS 10.2, interacting with widgets is even faster than before as iOS now remembers your position when you pull down from the status bar. If you are viewing widgets before dismissing Notification Center, iOS won't re-open notifications by default the next time you pull down. This minor change allows me to track my time on the iPad more easily as all I need to do is swipe down, run my timer workflow, and return to what I was doing.
You can learn more and download my Toggl workflows ...
Consumerist.
Dropbox founders hosting senior women leaders at a networking event in December 2016. From left to right: Arden Hoffman, VP of People; Amber Cottle, VP of Global Public Policy & Government Affairs; co-founders Arash Ferdowsi and Drew Houston; Lin-Hua Wu, VP of Communications; and Carolyn Feinstein, Chief Marketing Officer.
Dream Reflector
Quam Valley Observers
Emerging
Reganna Valley
