Image rights from top: Blueshift Development LLC, Information Architects GmbH.
If you’ve ever found
dictating text a little
frustrating, Dictation by
Blueshift may be the
answer. It leverages the power of
machine learning to deliver
automatic transcription of live or
recorded audio, and unlike similar
apps it doesn’t send your audio to
the cloud for processing. It’s
processed on your iPhone or iPad,
where it can’t be intercepted.
The core app is free and gives you
xs#wr#Ľyh#plqxwhv#shu#uhfruglqj/#dqg#
unlimited recording time is available
via an in-app purchase.
iA Writer is one of the best
distraction–free writing apps
on iOS and on the Mac. Its
minimal but deceptively
powerful interface enables you to write
and save in plain text and export
formatted documents in PDF, Word and
HTML format, as well as in Markdown.
Version 5.3 adds some important new
features for iOS 13 and iPadOS 13,
including Dark Mode support with
manual override, improved Handoff
support, and support for external storage
devices. That’s also handy for accessing
notes on shared devices, which you can
make private so others can’t read them.
Dictation by Blueshift
Simple, easy offline dictation
Free (IAPs) From Blueshift Development, dictationbyblueshift.com
Made for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch Needs iOS 13.1 or later
iA Writer
A superb tool for any writer
$8.99 From Information Architects, ia.net
Made for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch Needs iOS 10.0 or later
GREATAWESOMEWith this app, speech is automatically turned
into editable text.iA Writer looks great in Dark Mode, where its
syntax coloring really stands out.You can swap between the audio
waveform and the transcribed text
with a single tap, jump to the
appropriate part of a transcription by
tapping on the audio waveform, and
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It’s simple to use, works in
multi–window mode on iPad, and
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a quiet environment using just our
iPhone’s microphone we found the
dictation accuracy to be good but not
perfect. For example, A Tale of Two
Cities became very garbled, but a
Mac|Life article was recognized with
excellent accuracy apart from a fewThe new multi–window support on
iPad is a fantastic addition. You can easily
open a second document in Split View by
tapping and holding it in the Library or
by dragging the app icon from the Dock
to the edge of the screen. The result is
a two– or three–panel view that makes it
easy to work on one document while
referring to or copying from others.
iA Writer now supports iOS’s new text
editing gestures, such as the three–finger
pinch for copying and pasting. We also
love that you can customize the on–
screen formatting keyboard to put the
Markdown commands you use most
wherever suits you best.issues with acronyms and the
reader’s Irish twang (so “Files”
became “foils”). Not to worry:
in–app editing is simple and quick.
THE BOTTOM LINE. This app is a
useful, fast and privacy–protecting
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CARRIE MARSHALLIt’s a great tool for any kind of writer,
and the new features make it even better.
Its pricing is appealing too. Rivals often
charge on a subscription basis, iA Writer
is old–school: buy it and it’s yours forever.
THE BOTTOM LINE. Dark Mode and
multiple window support make a great
app even stronger. CARRIE MARSHALLTough testing, trusted ratings
maclife.com FEB 2020 63