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Illya Starikov

The Monty Hall Problem

The Monty Hall Problem

You've seen it in movies or read about it in books: the Monty Hall Problem. Here's how it works: you're on a game show. There are three doors—behind one is a prize, behind the other two is nothing but disappointment. You pick a door. The host, Monty Hall, opens one of the other doors and reveals there's no prize behind it. Keeping the other two doors closed, he asks if you'd like to switch your choice or stick with your original pick. What should you do? Ben Campbell has a solution.

You mean to tell me that switching mid-game—an offer from the man who set up all the doors and prizes—gives me better odds of winning? How is this possible? Seems a bit counterintuitive. Seems almost wrong. Fortunately, we can test this with a simple program.

import Darwin // for arc4random_uniform

func random(from from: Int, to: Int,
            except: Array<Int>? = nil) -> Int {
    // Produce bounds, +1 to make inclusive
    let number = Int(arc4random_uniform(UInt32(to - from + 1))) + from

    if except != nil && except?.indexOf(number) != nil {
        // Recursively call until we find a valid number
        return random(from: from, to: to, except: except)
    }

    return number
}

// Returns if you won when you stayed and switched, respectively
func montyHall(doors: Int) -> (Bool, Bool) {
    let originalDoor = random(from: 1, to: doors)
    let correctDoor = random(from: 1, to: doors)

    // The door the host reveals
    let revealedDoor = random(from: 1, to: doors,
                              except: [correctDoor, originalDoor])
    // If you switched, this would be your new door
    let switchedDoor = random(from: 1, to: doors,
                              except: [revealedDoor, originalDoor])

    return (originalDoor == correctDoor, switchedDoor == correctDoor)
}

let testValues = [100, 1_000, 10_000, 100_000,
                  1_000_000, 10_000_000]
let actualNumberOfDoors = 3

for value in testValues {
    var stayingCounter = 0, switchingCounter = 0

    for _ in 0...value {
        let (stayedWon, switchedWon) = montyHall(actualNumberOfDoors)
        if stayedWon { stayingCounter += 1 }
        if switchedWon { switchingCounter += 1 }
    }

    let output = "Test Case: \(value). " +
                 "Staying Won: \(stayingCounter), " +
                 "Switching Won: \(switchingCounter)"
    print(output)
}

There's no tricks in the code. No gimmicks. So, the results?

Input Staying Won Switching Won
100 42 58
1000 344 656
10000 3289 6711
100000 33203 66797
1000000 333178 666822
10000000 3335146 6664854

It appears that Ben[1] was right. Taking the limit as the input gets higher, switching won roughly $66%$ of the time—compare that to the original $33%$ you got before you were given the option to switch doors. So, how is this possible? I'll explain.

For simplicity, suppose the prize is behind door A out of doors A, B, C. The argument can be made for any initial door, but A makes it easier. At this point, you have a $\frac{1}{3}$ chance of picking the prize no matter what you pick. If you pick door A, the door which contains the prize, the host will definitely want you to change so he will offer you either door B or C. Now suppose you choose a door without the prize, either door B or C. The host has no choice but to eliminate the door without the prize. Meaning if you switch, you have the winning door.

So, why $66%$? Computationally, if you always switch and you picked the wrong door initially, your switch will win every time. There are two incorrect choices out of three, meaning $\frac{2}{3}$ of the time you will win.

You've just had your first lesson in conditional probability.

  1. 21 main character, played by Jim Sturgess ↩︎

,   &  Illya Starikov
Code, Mathematics

Apps of 2014

My favorites from a landmark year.

As this is my first year of writing about apps, I wanted to do something this Christmas: thank the apps and writers that made this year such a special year. I have broken down my favorite iOS and OS X apps and articles.

As there are many great apps this year, it is impossible to catalog them all. So I have decided to break it down to my personal favorite, runner-up, and a selected few honorable mentions.

Congratulations to everyone who made the list, and I hope to see you all next year with the wonderful things you create in the coming year.

iOS

This was the second biggest year for iOS developers, runner-up to the introduction of the App Store. iOS 8 expanded the capabilities of what the iPhone and iPad could do. Thanks to extensions and continuity, iOS has never been more powerful. A more powerful iOS means more powerful apps.

With so many apps, there are equally so many opportunities. Applications that were never possible before are now on the App Store—not to mention the Today View widgets, keyboards, extensions, and so much more.

This is why the runner-up Workflow is such an intriguing, new app; it builds on the power and functionality of iOS. However, the winner this year is Overcast.

Winner: Overcast

Among the podcast renaissance, Overcast shines as the most notable choice for iOS enthusiasts. There are many features that make Overcast shine, apart from the developer and Accidental Tech Podcast host Marco Arment. The favorite features: Smart Speed and Voice Boost.

Smart Speed is without a doubt my favorite feature in any podcasting app. It builds upon the current speed setting, and skips pauses and gaps in audio to save minutes or hours a week. The best part of it all? The fact that I never notice the boost in speed. Sometimes I don't believe that Smart Speed is on, only to check and realize it's on 1.2x or even 1.3x speed. Furthermore, the Voice Boost works just as the name suggests, boosting the voice and nothing more. With the suppressed iPhone speaker, sometimes it is impossible to hear podcasts through the background noise when I'm doing dishes, laundry, or just dealing with outside noise. The accuracy of Smart Speed and Voice Boost is unmatched, and quite frankly I don't think there is any podcast app that is comparable to it.

In addition to Smart Speed and Voice Boost, Overcast also features intuitive playlists, a customary and elegant iOS 8 appeal, a huge directory of podcasts, Twitter recommendations, and curated playlists. There are other things that Overcast doesn't do that simply delight me: it never pesters you to buy the in-app purchase if you haven't purchased it, never nags for a review, and the decision to not incorporate top lists. Plainly, everything about Overcast delights me.

Overcast is free on the App Store, with a $4.99 in-app purchase to "unlock everything"—Smart Speed, Voice Boost, unlimited playlists, and more.

Runner-Up: Workflow

The newly-released app by the team at DeskConnect is an exceptional example of iOS automation. With many powerful actions, variables, and automation tools, Workflow is amongst the most powerful apps within the App Store. The possibilities are almost endless.

Of the many things possible via Workflow, some of the workflows I have forked and created from the internet can do things never before possible on iOS, such as:

  • Markdownifying webpages
  • Cross-posting images to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
  • Annotating and deleting screenshots
  • Getting all my calendar events and sharing availability
  • Getting a random dining option

Though it is most certainly a power-user app, the interface is simplistic enough that just about any user can unlock its full capacity.

Workflow is $2.99 on the App Store.

Honorable Mentions

  • 1Password: my go-to password manager, an app that I use religiously. With an encrypted vault, powerful password generator, and Launch Center Pro capability, I could not think of an app that deserves a more honorable mention.
  • Launch Center Pro: an application that takes advantage of iOS's URL schemes, adding the potential to create powerful shortcuts and workflows.
  • Editorial: the most powerful text editor on iOS. Editorial supports Markdown, plain text, TextExpander, custom workflows, and so much more.
  • Evernote: my central note-taking app. On iOS, I use the Evernote share sheet more than any other, simply because it's so simple yet powerful.
  • Tweetbot: my Twitter experience. I use Tweetbot over Twitter simply because of the iCloud syncing, no advertisements, more powerful mute filters, better font options, and better appeal.

OS X

I took a different approach than what most people are doing—instead of showcasing apps that took full advantage of Yosemite, I wanted to show off the most-used applications on my Mac.

Granted, Yosemite did bring a visual redesign that brought a downright beautiful experience to the Mac; however, this was not the only change to the Mac. Continuity brought about a more seamless Mac experience, making things like Handoff and Text Message Forwarding possible. Many other little things got an upgrade, like Mail, Notification Center, and Spotlight.

Ironically, even though Spotlight got a major improvement, this year's winner is Alfred 2, with runner-up being 1Password.

Winner: Alfred 2

As this is my first year doing favorite apps, what better app to introduce than one I use most: Alfred. Alfred was amongst the first set of apps I downloaded on my first MacBook—it was the best decision I have ever made. Since January 27, 2014, I have used Alfred 15,867 times, averaging 49.0 times per day. There is no app that comes to mind that I have used nearly as much.

After the Yosemite reveal, Spotlight was revamped to have more of an Alfred appeal; however, Spotlight cannot replace Alfred (and will unlikely ever replace Alfred). Granted, Spotlight and Alfred do similar things: they launch files, can give directions and addresses, provide contact information, and offer many shortcuts that save me hours a week.

So why is Alfred so important to me? Simple: workflows and expanded functionality. I am not confined to the default features of Spotlight—I can make or fork workflows. Instead of just launching apps, I can also kill and quit apps. If I have an app to look up, I don't have to search via the Mac App Store. That would be tiring. Instead, I search via Alfred. Find Evernote notes? There's a workflow for that. Netflix search? Workflow for that. The possibilities are only constricted by my imagination.

Alfred 2 is free via their website, and the Powerpack price varies.

Runner-Up: 1Password

1Password is an application that I use religiously—on iOS and OS X both. With a visual overhaul to match Yosemite's flatter and translucent design, 1Password makes password management actually enjoyable.

1Password brings 21st-century peace of mind in an internet filled with malicious intentions. Being the powerhouse of security, password storage, and password management that 1Password is, you can sleep safe and sound knowing your passwords won't be compromised.

1Password is $34.99 on the Mac App Store or the AgileBits website.

Honorable Mentions

  • TextExpander: saves time by expanding short abbreviations into frequently-used text.
  • OmniFocus: my choice for task management. OmniFocus is an unparalleled task manager that is simply unmatched by any other application on OS X.
  • iStat Menus: a utility that quickly displays the statistics of my MacBook. Currently, I have many items enabled: CPU history and CPU cores, memory used/free, disk activity, bandwidth and bandwidth history, sensors, and time. Everything I need quick access to is a glance away, and more in-depth statistics are a click away.
  • Bartender: with so many iStat Menus enabled, there is no space for menu items—my solution is Bartender. Bartender has all of my menu items outside of iStat Menus, including Backblaze, Dropbox, TextExpander, and 1Password.
  • Yoink: after dragging and dropping time and time again, you might realize how frustrating it can be sometimes; Yoink brings a solution. Every time you drag something, Yoink slides a little window to store that file in—and keeps it there until you're ready to drop it somewhere. Simple yet so powerful.

Merry Christmas!

,   &  Illya Starikov
Technology

iOS 8 Guide

Your complete guide to iOS 8.

App extensions. PhotoKit. HealthKit. Touch ID for all. Those are few of the many capabilities iOS 8 has brought as it has finally shipped to the public as of 12:00 PM on September 17th. iOS 8 brings much more capabilities to your phone, and Tim Cook even said it will be the biggest update since the App Store. On the Apple developer site, a basic gist of iOS 8 can be described as:

iOS 8 includes over 4,000 new APIs that let you add amazing new features and capabilities to your apps. Deeper integration with iOS means you can extend the reach of your app content and functionality. And with bold new technologies for game development, you can create even more incredible, responsive, and immersive gaming experiences.

Here is our breakdown of the most important features of iOS 8.

The Compatibility

First things first, no need to get hyped up if your phone is not supporting iOS 8. The devices that support iOS 8 are as follows:

  • iPhone 4s
  • iPhone 5
  • iPhone 5c
  • iPhone 5s
  • iPod touch 5th generation
  • iPad 2
  • iPad with Retina display
  • iPad Air
  • iPad mini
  • iPad mini with Retina display

App Extensions

Quite possibly the biggest feature of iOS 8 has to be the added extensions, which allows extending an "app's functionality and content throughout the system by supplying an app extension—code that enables custom functionality within the context of a user task."

It may be difficult to grasp at first, but essentially it allows the app to reach bounds outside of just within the app. An example of extensions would be the Today View, like OmniFocus's Today View widget.

Another popular example is 1Password—the popular password manager. Instead of having to constantly exit an app or webpage that requires a password to go into 1Password, it is much easier to have 1Password allow a popup with a Touch ID request to give you access to that particular app or webpage.

Which brings us to another new capability: Touch ID.

Touch ID

Touch ID had very limited usage in iOS 7. It was restricted to first-party apps made by Apple and the lock screen. With iOS 8, this is no longer the case. Apple has created an API that allows third-party developers access to this capability. And do not worry, it is completely secure.

Instead of getting the actual user fingerprint, the API simply asks iOS if the fingerprint provided matches the fingerprint initially provided and returns a yes or no token. No third-party developer will have access to user fingerprints.

HealthKit

Coming into iOS 8, something that might jump right out is the new Health app.

The Health app synthesizes all the health apps' information, fitness devices' information, and M7 processor information (for distance traveled and steps traveled) and brings all of it into one, safe location.

HealthKit enables third-party developers to provide data for the new Health app, upon which you can choose which sources are allowed to provide data for the Health app.

Continuity - iPhone, iPad, and Mac Connected Like Never Before

Continuity provides a seamless experience when collaborating with an iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Apps work beautifully together, making a transition from a Mac to iPhone/iPad and vice versa easier than ever—and in some cases, eliminated.

The three main counterparts of Continuity are Handoff, SMS Relay/Phone Calls, and Personal Hotspot.

Handoff

Imagine this: You get an email, read it, start typing back and realize something—the reply is going to be longer than you expected and you really wish you used your MacBook. You wish you could simply just open your Mac and there it is for you to finish typing. With Handoff, this is easier than ever.

Handoff lets you pick up where you left off. Not only does it do this in Mail, but Safari, Messages, Calendar, and you can expect many more from Apple and plenty of third-party developers.

SMS Relay and Phone Calls on the Mac

One of the biggest frustrations with Messages on the Mac was that it was limited to iMessage only—this is no longer the case. Macs are now empowered to send text messages through your iPhone.

Personal Hotspot

Not connected to WiFi? No problem. If your carrier supports tethering, just by clicking WiFi and having Bluetooth enabled, you can enable your iPhone's WiFi hotspot.

Interactive Notifications

Tired of having to unlock your iPhone to reply to a message? Want to archive a mail message by swiping down on the notification? Accept or decline an invitation in a snap? You got it.

More Powerful Messaging

Apple has now entered the messaging wars, and iMessage has never been more powerful.

In a standard message screen, the biggest difference is the send button is replaced by a microphone icon and the contact is replaced by details. The microphone is used for audio messages, but in a more simplistic way than ever before. Holding down the icon records a message, sliding up sends the message, and sliding left deletes the message. The messages are then only kept after playing once to conserve storage. As for the details, it breaks it down into multiple items:

  • Contact
  • Send My Current Location
  • Share My Location
  • Do Not Disturb
  • All Attachments

Muting a noisy conversation is finally possible. Finding an image that was sent a long time ago is now easier than ever. Finding out when your spouse is home from the grocery store (or other, more curious reasons).

Spotlight Search - Bigger. Brighter.

Spotlight is no longer restricted to apps and data specific to your iPhone only. Spotlight can now suggest websites, apps, give showtimes, find iBooks, and more.

iOS 8: The World's Most Advanced Mobile OS

iOS 8 brings more functionality than ever before. Extensions, Touch ID compatibility, interactive notifications, and a seamless experience are only a few of the many features brought about. Not only is iOS more intuitive than ever, but it is more elegant than ever. The hardware works perfectly with the software. It is no question: iOS 8 is the most advanced mobile operating system.

,   &  Illya Starikov
Technology

Apple Keynote: September 9th, 2014

iPhone 6, Apple Pay, and One More Thing.

In January of 1984, the Macintosh was unveiled to the world. In January of 2007, the first iPhone was introduced. Now, in 2014, the... Oh. My. God. This can't be happening. This isn't happening. There's no way. How is this possible?

As tones of mellow and hipster-like music filled the room, crowds of reporters, bloggers, and fashion critics started flooding the Flint Center. As you overlooked the crowd, you could see the enormous amount of light emanating from the iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks. Everyone was eager, everyone was curious. What would Apple introduce to the market? Was it an iWatch? Was it a new iPhone? A new iPad? As Tim Cook appeared on stage, the apex of the curiosity and suspense had been reached. The keynote had begun.

iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus: Bigger Is Better

Tim Cook started by going straight into the new iPhones, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. They were the biggest iPhones Apple has ever created, and Cook claims they are the best iPhones Apple has created.

By just catching a glimpse, you could see there was no drastic difference between the iPhone 6 and iPhone 5s apart from the size and the continuous design. The continuous design can be quoted as more "curvy," no longer having those sharp edges of the iPhone 5s. This is done to ensure better grasp of the larger phone. As for the size, as rumors had claimed, it was a 4.7-inch and a 5.5-inch. Naturally, the new sizes did constitute a new resolution. The new iPhone 6 runs a resolution of 1334 by 750 with 326 pixels per inch; the iPhone 6 Plus runs a resolution of 1920 by 1080 with 401 pixels per inch.

Thanks to these beautiful new resolutions, the text is sharper. The images are crisper. Graphics are beautiful. In compliance with the new resolution, there is also now more in store for the iPhone 6 Plus. It truly is a "phablet," for when you turn your phone in landscape, there is a new view.

In addition to the new landscape view, there is a new landscape home screen.

With over 1.3 million apps within the App Store, it would be irresponsible of Apple to be negligent to iOS developers. With the newly assembled Xcode, iOS 8 with the capability to run Metal, it's time for change. That change is going to be coming with Apple's A8 chip. Not only are graphics 84 times faster than the original iPhone, but processor performance is 50 times faster than the original iPhone. Talk about one-upping yourself. The new processor and Metal capabilities add the ability for higher frame rates, higher sustained performance, and games are now at a new standard. Now, it's up to the gaming industry.

Apple can only do so much when it comes to games. As they set the foundation for the gaming community with iOS 8 and Metal, the titles are coming. Big, industry-leading companies are now developing for Apple.

One of them, Super Evil Megacorp, gave a live demo from a game they are developing: Vainglory. Stephan Sherman of Super Evil Megacorp said, "We are so thrilled about the performance of iPhone 6 and Metal." That enthusiasm pours into the game, which is downright beautiful.

Naturally, none of this would be possible without iOS 8. Although it was not available to the public outside of the developer community until September 17th, iOS 8 was already causing quite a stir. Most of the commotion was due to the Health app. It can measure all physical activity, it adds interactivity to notifications, and will be able to support the groundwork for NFC. Essentially, iOS 8 laid down the foundation for Apple Pay and the Apple Watch.

So we've seen the new iPhone design, we've seen the games—what's left? The camera. The iPhone 6 camera has a better 8MP iSight camera, True Tone flash, new sensors, and focus pixels (which allow it to have better tone mapping, noise reduction, and can focus up to twice as fast). The video is now full 1080P with 30-60 fps. That is quite a bit; scratch that, that is a lot. The new camera is no doubt Apple's admission into the higher-end camera market.

Finally, the financial side. The lowest tier is naturally $199 and unfortunately a 16GB model. However, the second tier is a 64GB costing $299. Finally, the highest tier is a new 128GB tier costing a whopping $399.

Apple Pay: The Faster, Smarter Way To Pay

Apple, along with many other companies, have all had the vision to replace the wallet. With over 200 million daily transactions, a debit or credit card is no longer enough. A piece of plastic that has all your numbers exposed, is easy to steal, and is utterly unsafe should by no means be the standard for transactions. And thanks to Apple, it no longer might be.

Apple Pay is a faster, smarter way to pay. Tim Cook showed a comparison of two videos showing a traditional way to pay and Apple Pay. The difference was approximately about twenty-five seconds, with the traditional way taking about thirty seconds overall and Apple Pay taking five. Twenty-five seconds doesn't seem like a big difference? Well, put into perspective that 25 seconds is more than 80% time saved on every transaction. Not only is it faster, it is more secure.

First off, Apple Pay uses NFC. NFC is very secure and reliable. Second, you need Touch ID to allow any transactions. No fingerprint, no money. Third, it uses tokenization. Tokenization ensures that your card number is not saved, but a one-time payment number is used. Not only does the store not really know who you are or what your number is, Apple won't know what the store is or what you bought. Security and privacy going hand in hand, as it should.

The simplistic approach is applied online too. One-time checkout with the merchant with no real data being interchanged. Major companies like Uber, Groupon, Panera, MLB, OpenTable, and naturally Apple are adopting this method. With a new Apple Pay API soon to be available, there should be no reason why apps won't support this either.

Apple Watch, Available Fashionably Late

As Tim Cook got back up on stage, the favorite words any Apple enthusiast likes to hear. As Cook said "One more thing..." with a sheepish grin, everyone went dead silent. Everyone knew it was time for the Apple Watch.

In the announcement video, Jony Ive talks about the user interface of the new Apple Watch. Ive shows the great consideration taken to get to this point, and what were the ultimate deciding factors. Apple knew they couldn't just take the iPhone and squish it down into a watch, so they had to find alternatives to making a smartwatch.

The Apple Watch's functionality lies within the crown (the dial on the side), simply called the Digital Crown. With the Digital Crown, you can scroll, zoom, and navigate Apple Watch without covering the display, a problem that Tim Cook pointed out. The user interface is mostly simplistic, as that is the only thing it can be. The home page is round apps, upon which you can use the crown to zoom in and zoom out and touch interface to select the apps you want to use.

Kevin Lynch, a software engineer, took over as he did a live demo. He showed off the multiple watch faces, notifications, and maps.

As for the specs, it features a flexible Retina display, force integration, heart rate detection, and genuine craftsmanship. Other hardware specs lie within the different models. There will be WatchKit within Xcode, allowing third-party developers to create apps, notifications, and other Apple Watch-related software.

As Tim Cook gets back on the stage, he demonstrates the fitness and health portion of the watch. Apple Watch comes with two apps that give a complete picture of your health and fitness. The Activity app monitors movement throughout the day. The Workout app tracks dedicated workouts. Cook also emphasizes how the watch gets to know you. The more you use it, the more it can provide goals and accurate data. He also mentions the ability to control Apple TV, walkie-talkie apps, Apple Pay integration, and ensures that as developers use it more, it will get better.

An iPhone is required for the Apple Watch, however it does not have to be an iPhone 6; iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, and iPhone 5s are all supported. The price, however, is not so flexible. The starting price is $349 in early 2015, but he ensures it is worth the wait.

One More Thing

As fanboys all over the internet had guessed, Tim Cook went into the details of Apple's relationship with the music industry. Reminiscing how iTunes changed the music industry, he commented saying "Music runs deep within Apple." And he was right. With iTunes Festival this month, iTunes still bringing in huge profits, Apple did have a strong connection with the music industry.

All the more reason to bring U2 into the mix.

As they were finished, Apple had a surprise for the people with an iTunes account. They were giving away U2's latest album for free. It is within your iTunes library now.

Time of My Life

What was clearly a monumental day for Apple, Tim Cook looked pleased as he walked off the stage.

"One More Thing. Having the time of my life. It's a privilege to work with everyone at Apple." — Tim Cook

,   &  Illya Starikov
Technology

Into The Rabbit Hole of Markdown Editors

My deep dive into Markdown editors.

When I started writing, I started working in Pages. The general-use word processor provided by Apple was my preferred choice in college because writing papers in Pages seemed to, well, make sense. It was satisfactory for the time being; I could write and format the way I wanted to, save my work in a designated folder, and Pages had the functionality I needed.

Needless to say, soon after my tenth article, I thought there had to be something better. I grew tired of manually hyperlinking everything in Pages. I grew tired of actually bulleting items in Pages. I grew tired of the constant crashes of Pages. I grew tired of Pages.

Writing became such an enjoyment to me within the last couple of months, mostly because it brings me solace and gives me the peace of mind I need. Writing and programming are the two productive things that captivate my creativity; I say productive because I could spend all day with my attention directed towards YouTube or Netflix without getting anything accomplished. I knew there was no alternative to Xcode—besides maybe CodeRunner, but it was never to be as powerful as Xcode—but there were plenty of alternatives to Pages. Little did I know that plenty would turn out to be many. I couldn't use Sublime Text because I used that for front-end web development, and I did not want to mix the two.

So I sought out to find a better experience, an experience that delighted me as much as the writing did and continues to every day. I assumed there had to be something that captivated my passion for writing—something more efficient than common plain text or even formatted text. That's how I stumbled upon Markdown. It was quick, efficient, and ultimately the preferred choice for blogging. I knew so because John Gruber created and used it, Federico Viticci used it, and my friend and colleague Amit Jain recommended and used it. At the time, it was unknown to me that Markdown was actually "the norm" for blogging. So Markdown was the platform, but what Markdown editor to use?

I never realized that question would send me down a rabbit hole with no true ending. To this day, I still find myself experimenting with text editors. There are no clear-cut winners in OS X writing besides possibly Sublime Text—but like I said, I wanted to reserve it for web development. As I plundered deeper, I found more editors to evaluate. Regardless, I went further down the rabbit hole.

This is my adventure into the rabbit hole—my deep dive into Markdown editors.

Notes

This is mostly Mac-centric. When I use iA Writer Pro on the Mac, I use iA Writer Pro on iOS because of the iCloud Drive syncing—I know, shocking. They work without friction together during the time of my writing, something also quite shocking.

This is ordered chronologically. I could have written something along the lines of "My Favorite Markdown Editor" or "Top Markdown Editors," but I wanted to make it a little more personal.

As I tried to make it as personal as possible, I also wanted to make it objective. This goes without saying: there is some arbitrary reasoning behind my writing workflows and preferred text editor. I will get to those later, and describe my reasoning.

That said, let us start with my first Markdown editor: iA Writer.

iA Writer

As I started searching for Markdown editors, my first stop was iA Writer. It was the first writing app I stumbled upon on my iPhone—it happened to permeate over to my MacBook. However, iA Writer was short-lived in my writing career.

I loved the ideology of iA Writer: simple, elegant, and left me just to write. The support for Markdown was exactly what I wanted. I found myself enjoying the simplicity of it. There was nothing to see apart from the writing, the statistics, and formatting options.

The ultimate downfall is an arbitrary one yet one that I strongly support: the aesthetics. iA Writer had only one option for font and one color scheme. The font may be a very diminutive, arbitrary reason to leave a text editor, but when you write so much (multiple hours a day), the font starts to wear on you.

Using iA Writer for an extensive time, I had the urge for change. The simplicity was great and robust—but there was something else out there. I knew that iA Writer was always there if I wanted to retreat back, but with the time being I sought after a better writing tool.

I did not completely leave iA Writer; I only transitioned from iA Writer to iA Writer Pro.

iA Writer Pro

I really enjoyed iA Writer, and still do to this day. Its simplicity and elegance is something that I find unmatched to any other writing apps. There were many different things I loved about iA Writer Pro, making me happy with the switch.

From the start, I really enjoyed the different formats known as Workflows. The Workflows break down into four categories: Note, Write, Edit, and Read. The Note and Write Workflows were respectively dedicated to note-taking and writing, while the Edit and Reading were dedicated to editing and reading—made sense to me. I never truly followed these guidelines, mostly sticking to Note as my main source for writing, Edit for proofreading, and Read to mark an item as completed and receiving a stamp of approval to be published. With more use of the different Workflows, the more I grew accustomed to them. The subtle formatting changes were a pleasure to work with. They were the main reason I bought iA Writer Pro, along with the much approval I saw from Apple.

The distraction-free writing was also a very nice feature. At the time, I was ignorant to the fact that distraction-free writing was included in most Markdown editors—that was something I thought only iA Writer did. Now knowing that is a common practice, it still doesn't take away the appeal of iA Writer Pro's. It is still amongst my favorite.

The time I left iA Writer Pro was when I started getting into much more serious writing. iA Writer Pro just felt incomplete to me. I gave iA Writer Pro the light of day when somehow my 3,500-word review of 1Password somehow disappeared out of my iCloud Drive, and the apps that used that specified folder. Disregarding this mishap, there were still little details that bothered me.

To start, it wouldn't complete lists—I would have to keep inserting a "-" character or "1, 2, 3" to keep a numbered list going. If I wanted to throw a number in the middle, I would have to copy and paste everything over; it was frustrating. The sidebar is impossible to hide; literally, there is no hiding it. It is stuck there. If I didn't save a file fast enough, it would be titled "Untitled" with an extension of whatever the last workflow was. The fact that iA Writer Pro never remembered I wanted to check spelling while typing really annoyed me and broke my workflow constantly. These are all minuscule, I know. It may seem like I am complaining, but I articulate every little detail when I write. There is another big reason that I mostly left iA Writer Pro, and it has to do with the central ideology.

Ironically, the biggest reason I left iA Writer is the workflows. The default Markdown workflow is Write, which was my least favorite workflow—again, because of the font. Write felt more like a programming scheme. To keep my programming and writing partitioned, I used other workflows. If I wanted to write with a Markdown extension, I had to use the Write workflow.

Essentially, I felt tied down by the different Workflows. The tediousness of keeping up with the workflows was trivial yet exhaustive. At one point, I felt the need of having a workflow for the workflows. That is when I drew the line: there has to be something better.

So I switched to relying on Dropbox syncing, and sought after a new Mac Markdown editor—so I stumbled upon Write.

Write

Write was first introduced to me by the same person that introduced me to Markdown, Amit Jain. It was never explicitly endorsed; I just saw a screenshot that showcased it. When I started to leave iA Writer Pro, I was looking on the App Store in Apple's dedicated "Apps For Writers" section. I didn't want something heavy like Ulysses, but nothing as simple as iA Writer—or so I thought. It appeared to me that it had just the right feature set: a dark theme for writing at nighttime, visually appeasing, a centralized hub for all of my files, iCloud syncing (which was a nice bonus), and just the right amount of customizability. I bought it and made it my main writing client for a lengthy period of time.

The upfront functionality that I liked most was the centralized hub for all my Markdown files. I didn't have to go through Finder or Alfred to find the files that I needed; it was always a few clicks away. It had all the integrated storage services that I needed, particularly Dropbox, iCloud, and local files. No longer did I have to switch around in Finder to find what I was actually looking for. After incorporating all the services I needed, it was very satisfactory.

I grew to like the customizability of Write. The geeky, web development side of me loved playing around in the CSS to format things just as I liked it. It really disappointed me, however, when I realized that CSS changes were only applied to the editor itself, and not the surrounding content—meaning the library, file lists, and essentially everything else. I reverted everything back to default; the mismatched themes distracted me.

As the joy of the customizability was gone, I still enjoyed the outside services that it provided; particularly, my favorite was the post to WordPress. There are workarounds for just about any app to post to WordPress, but I didn't want a workaround—I wanted something native. Also, the included FTP and Tumblr integration was an added bonus. Months ago when I was writing to Tumblr, I would have particularly enjoyed it.

One day I came upon a revelation: I was enjoying the feature set more than the writing itself. I decided to go back to the iA Writer days: a simple Markdown editor that was delegated to writing. I came back to the ideology of simplicity. It was back to the drawing board.

Sure enough, the drawing board was "Apps For Writers" again. I searched everything, ultimately making the decision to try Byword.

Byword

Byword was simple enough from the start, and provided the main utilities that were needed. Off the bat, I enabled Dark Mode, changed the font to Source Sans Pro, and changed the width to as wide as possible. The pre-Yosemite appeal did pester me some, considering this was already months after Yosemite was unveiled at WWDC. In distraction-free writing, I couldn't really tell because the app icon and the gray-scale menu bar were not visible to me.

For the time being, it was excellent. Not only was Byword reliable and minimalistic, it also provided the option to publish to WordPress, a feature I still used Write for. It never gave me any trouble, never crashed, and was the text editor I loved.

There was nothing that explicitly made me leave Byword due to the app itself—it was everything that I was searching for. Except one day, I got an email from the people at Realmac Software (I was on a mailing list because of Clear, I believe) to try out a new product that was just launched: Typed.

When first using Typed, there was nothing truly different that stuck out at me. As I started writing more lengthy articles, that is when I fully transitioned from Byword to Typed.

Typed

I fell in love with Typed because of its elegance and design. It appeared to be a more aesthetically appealing version of Byword, but just without the publishing option. That is why I am currently using Typed, and will continue to do so until something of its nature releases. Typed is an integral part of my workflow.

The little details about Typed make me like it more and more to this day. The fact that the word count is on the top right corner for distraction-free writing is perfect; no way can I ever get distracted by it. The transparency in the white and gold writing formats makes me feel at home on Yosemite. The gold format in itself is something worth mentioning—I never really realized how much I didn't like white formatting until I used the gold theme. The dedicated writing font named "Typed Pro" is a nice change of pace. I never realized how much better Typed Pro is compared to Source Sans Pro until I ran Byword and Typed side by side.

As this was an initial release, I give Typed the light of day for little mistakes. It crashes occasionally; luckily, I save frequently. Sometimes it bobbles sections of text up and down. When formatting something like a header (# header), it changes from the original text to the larger font size in a second—I don't know if this is intentional, but it feels awkward to me. Regardless, it is still my favorite distraction-free writing tool, and I can't wait to see where the team at Realmac Software takes it.

To compensate for the lack of ability to publish to WordPress, I use Write to this day. I like that it can be used as a quick replacement for Finder, and if I need to do extensive editing that I did not account for, Alfred is always there to open it. I use a mixture of Write and Typed, something I never really thought of doing until I started to use Typed so much.

To conclude, Typed is simply my choice for Markdown editors. Its grace and finesse when handling writing is something I like. The little bugs don't bother me so much as other writing platforms do. I cannot recommend trying Typed enough.

The State of Markdown Editors

All said and done, every text editor on my list is still a great choice. Don't let my little nitpicking discourage you from using and trying your own workflows. While the Typed and Write combination is okay for me, it may bother someone switching back and forth. Maybe you like Byword and choose to stick with it; there is certainly not a problem with it. iA Writer and iA Writer Pro serve as a great writing platform for anyone. And this is not to say that one app may not update and grant a new feature set that will completely sweep me off my feet. It is still a level playing field. The choice is yours to make, not mine. But, after trying so many writing platforms and applications, something did occur to me.

Anyone you ask about writing on the iPad or iPhone will typically say the same thing: Editorial for productivity and workflows, iA Writer Pro for aesthetics. And that is the logical answer; Editorial is a powerhouse on the iOS platform, and iA Writer Pro is a downright beautiful application. Asking this same question about the Mac, you will get a mixture of answers—Write and Byword for functionality, iA Writer Pro for the beautiful interface, Typed and iA Writer for the distraction-free writing. Not to mention the many, many blogging applications for the Mac—Blogo, MarsEdit, and Desk to only name a few.

Nearing the end of 2014, there is still no dominant application—excluding Sublime Text. I'm sure many people share my belief that Sublime Text's functionality lies elsewhere outside of Markdown editing. Frankly, some people might get scared by all of the features that Sublime Text provides, especially package control. Still, there is no dominant text editor within the OS X community. It is still an even playing field.

For now, enjoy the little things. Enjoy the simplicity of the many distraction-free writing tools. They may have their quirks, some more than others. However, distraction-free writers today are at the pinnacle of their popularity and ability. Blogging is more popular than ever. Writing is still popular, which I cannot stress enough. And with Yosemite, design has never been so elegant.

To those who made this list, congratulations—it is well deserved. To those who didn't, there is a great chance I will try your application soon enough, and will probably update this list with your application in it. I might even come back in a year or two and revamp the list to include the many new and wonderful editors people bring forth in 2015.

And to those in development on the next distraction-free writer or Markdown editor, thank you for all your work. Thanks to developers like you, there is an ecosystem of apps that can thrive. The reason that I found such a beautiful workflow for myself is because developers like you provide people like me with so many options. Thank you.

My gratitude to everyone who has made this article possible, and especially the developers of iA Writer and iA Writer Pro, Write, Byword, and Typed. I hope to see you again soon in the things you do in 2015.

,   &  Illya Starikov
Technology

Breakdown of My Homescreen

A method to the madness.

Two months into the release of iOS 8, many of my workflows have changed. With new workflows come new apps—likewise, new apps lead to new iOS homescreens. I thought it would be appropriate to take the time to talk about my post-iOS 8 home flow.

Something to note: my homescreen is not the first page—it's actually the second. The first page is all iOS default apps that come with iOS 8, and the third screen is apps that I usually use monthly or weekly. The last page is all folders and one beta (Sunrise).

Before we get started, I'd like to talk about the overall layout—there is a method to my madness. The top row is dedicated to news—including Pocket, Pinner, Reeder, and Flipboard. The second row is dedicated to applications I access at least one time a day, if not multiple times a day. Tweetbot is far right because I access it many times a day, Day One because I typically access it once a day. The middle row is dedicated to writing—for blog posts and for Evernote, typically. The last two rows are just miscellaneous utilities that I like to access often, and obviously messages are at the far right for quick access.

My dock is for apps that I would need for quick access anywhere, anytime—as most docks are used. Because of interactive notifications, I no longer use Messages nearly as much; Mail is different. I cannot reply with a single gesture, so I have to actually click the app. OmniFocus is my task manager that I use so often that it has to be in my dock. Launch Center for shortcuts, and Safari for my default and only browser.

Here, I will further break down my apps, how I use them, and why I use them.

Homescreen

Pocket and Pinner

Pocket and Pinner are my "Reading Lists" from Safari, but better. Pocket is for any article that I come across that I might want to read later, and just archive. Likewise, Pinner works the same—but with a twist. Pinner I use for more referencing material that couldn't be part of Evernote. Articles I might want to quote, links that I may like and want to reference, essentially anything that would go into Evernote—but doesn't quite fit.

Reeder and Flipboard

Reeder is for all of my RSS needs. Any blogs that my internet acquaintances post to (Spinhalf, Casey Liss's blog, Mark Gurman's blog) typically go here. Furthermore, more Apple-related blogs (MacStories, Daring Fireball, AnandTech) reside within Reeder. Furthermore, I like subscribing to Apple PR, Developer News, and "Hot News."

Flipboard is more generalized news. I don't like the idea of having RSS for everything, and I like bigger stories curated. Listing out all of what I subscribe to—with the addition of the new categories the Flipboard team threw in—would probably be longer than my list of apps on my homescreen.

Day One

Day One is my personal Twitter. Any minuscule highlight of my day goes into Day One, and I love going back and seeing what I was doing months from now. I try to use Day One daily, because I know there are things that I want to go back and see what I was doing months from now. I don't always succeed.

Hours

Hours is more motivation for me than anything else. Currently, I am logging all the time that goes into my studies outside of school—mostly homework and studying. During winter and summer break, I will likely be using it to track how much time I put into writing.

Evernote

Evernote is one of my highest-used apps. It's marvelous on iOS, and I can refer back to anything I typed on my Mac. Here are a few of the many uses of Evernote I have:

  • School Notes
  • Programming Notes
  • Gift Ideas
  • Terminal Tidbits
  • Recipes I Like
  • Research

The list goes on continuously. Anything I want to reference goes into Evernote.

Tweetbot

On-the-minute news is mostly thanks to Tweetbot. Tweetbot is my favorite Twitter client, and it is my only means of accessing Twitter. The fast timeline sync, share sheets, Tweet counter—basically every little detail of Tweetbot is amazing. I have tried going to Twitter, and the things they are doing simply do not interest me. Since Twitter cards were introduced, I have actually only seen one—and it was an advertisement from a parody account.

Also, something very underplayed: the Avenir font option. When using something so extensively, it's nice to get away from the system standard Helvetica font. For reading, I prefer Avenir more than Helvetica.

Clips

Simply put, Clips is for all of my miscellaneous short snippets of text. The keyboard seems like too much, but the Today View widget is simply amazing. Nothing is faster than copying a snippet, pulling down Notification Center and saving it, and moving on. Fast, simple, and efficient.

Drafts

Drafts is for, well, drafts.

Anything I want to jot down really quickly, I use Drafts. It's much faster to click Drafts and write down "mom wants $10,000 diamond necklace for Christmas" than to click Evernote, find my mom's gift ideas, and then write it. Also, mom is going to be disappointed this Christmas.

Editorial and iA Writer Pro

Something I might get grief for: Editorial is not my main writing client; iA Writer is. Yes, I do love the many workflows Editorial has. I love the many things that Editorial can do. Editorial is simply not for me.

However, I do use Editorial for just that. All the workflows make editing snippets of text remarkably easy. I sometimes write whole articles or reviews in Editorial. Simply, Editorial is the best text editor on iOS without a doubt. If I wrote in iOS more, I would probably use it much more.

Now, for iA Writer Pro. As Editorial is the most functional, iA Writer is the most visually appealing. When I'm writing much more, I am really oriented about how the text editor is aesthetically. iA Writer has iCloud Drive support, which is a big win for me. I know many are skeptical, but I want to invest my time (and money) into something that is more native. Finally, the Mac iA Writer is what really sells me. The iA Writer for the Mac is just as appealing, and the support of iCloud Drive makes picking up where I left off a breeze. Since most of my writing is done via my MacBook, iA Writer really wins here.

Clear

Clear is for all general list needs. As strange as it may sound, I do have a dedicated list app. Normal lists, such as shopping lists and expensive toys I want to buy, can be found here—along with strange ones, like states I want to visit.

Sunrise

My favorite calendar application. Sunrise can vary from the official app to the betas they distribute—but it always has a special spot on my homescreen.

I also have Fantastical, which I use for the natural language event creation.

Spotify and Overcast

Spotify is by far my favorite streaming service. I very regularly listen to music offline, and Spotify handles offline content much better than other services that I have tried.

Overcast is not only my favorite podcast client, but many would agree that it is the best podcast client. Handling background downloads works flawlessly, the Smart Speed option has saved me plenty of hours (seven to be exact), Voice Boost is ideal for listening on a speaker, and it simply works intuitively. Also, I listen to the developer (Marco Arment) weekly on Accidental Tech Podcast, which shows me how much thought and effort really went into Overcast.

1Password

I use 1Password religiously. Storing all of my long, complicated passwords isn't just amazing because it works for what it should, but it goes above and beyond. All the little details of 1Password make me more comfortable using the app. 1Password simply gives me peace of mind every time I have to use the internet.

iWork

I don't use iWork daily—but when I do, it just works beautifully. Pages are for mostly essays and longer pieces of narrative. Numbers are for spreadsheets and graphs that I may use. Keynote, granted I use Keynote a lot less, is for presentations I may give.

Phone and Messages

Staying connected to friends and family is something I very regularly do. I don't like keeping Phone and Messages in my dock, because with interactive notifications, I never need to. I use OmniFocus, Mail, Launch Center Pro, and Safari far more than Messages, so Phone and Messages stay at the bottom left of my homescreen for quick access.

Dock

Mail

I use Mail enough to the point where it is a necessity to have in my dock. Emails from work, friends and family, and from people writing me are something I want quick access to. Therefore, Mail is one of my dock apps.

OmniFocus

I've tried many task-managing apps, and OmniFocus has been my favorite because of its ease of use, functionality, and amazing syncing. As a regular iPhone/Mac user, syncing is something I very regularly use. OmniFocus is the most functional for me, because it doesn't tell me when to do something, but tells me when it is due. OmniFocus is by far my favorite task-managing app.

Launch Center Pro

Since Federico Viticci's many great articles on Launch Center Pro, I decided to give it a shot; I have not looked back since. Launch Center truly is a step towards iOS automation. It does have stipulations, like the fact that it is so reliant on URL schemes, but it is worth the time it can save you.

Safari

Safari is likely to be my favorite app made by Apple. It is an amazing web browser, and works so seamlessly between OS X and iOS. Many of its great features—iCloud Sync, Keychain, etc.—are very valuable assets to me in my everyday workflow.

Honorable Mentions

I have a few honorable mentions that didn't quite make the cut to my iOS homescreen, but are still apps I use pretty much day to day.

  • Pillow: a smart alarm app that works with Apple's Health app.
  • Skitch: for all my annotations.
  • Weather Line: general use weather widget—since widgets, I use weather apps much less.
  • Wolfram Alpha: a calculus survival tool.
  • Elevate: beautiful brain training game that I play when I have free time.
  • Mint: money management, because believe me, I need it.
,   &  Illya Starikov
Technology