SSPAI

Category: App Dev

  • SSPAI Review | Best New Apps to Try This Week

    SSPAI Review | Best New Apps to Try This Week

    Welcome to this episode of SSPAI Review. You can use the table of contents to quickly jump to the sections you’re interested in. If you’ve discovered other apps worth checking out, or topics you’d like us to cover, feel free to join the discussion in the comments.

    Stuff: A To-Do App with Smart Input Support

    • Platform: iOS, iPadOS
    • Keywords: to-do, todo

    @ElijahLee: Stuff is a newly released to-do app for iOS. It is lightweight yet feature-rich, focusing on natural language input, task relationships, automation, and tag-based organization. It offers core task management features while incorporating a range of intelligent input and automation capabilities.

    First, Stuff features a very clean interface, closely resembling the minimalist style of Things—so much so that it might be mistaken for a redesigned version of Things. On the home screen, there are two large skeuomorphic inboxes at the top: Inbox and Today. Below them are Collections, which automatically organize tasks into Future, Upcoming, and Log based on deadlines. Finally, the app includes a three-layer GTD framework. Overall, the interface is highly appealing.

    Stuff organizes tasks into a three-layer structure: Spaces, Lists, and Tasks. Users can create categories such as work, personal, or family within Spaces, then create multiple Lists under each Space, and add specific Tasks within those Lists. Tasks support adding planned dates, due dates, recurrence, task dependencies, tags, and collaborators.

    Stuff introduces several innovations in task input. The first is natural language input—for example, typing “Remind baby to take a bath on Friday” allows the app to automatically recognize dates and tags, which can be confirmed with a tap. The second is Listen Mode, where users can speak tasks directly and have them converted into a task list. However, this feature relies on Apple Intelligence and is currently unavailable in mainland China. The third is Scan Mode, which supports photographing handwritten task lists and automatically converting them into tasks.

    Another highlight of Stuff is task dependency support. Adding a prerequisite task B to task A means that B must be completed before A can be finished. This feature is relatively rare among to-do apps. In terms of iOS integration, the app supports widgets, Siri, Shortcuts, Spotlight search, and integration with Apple Calendar and Reminders, achieving system-level automation and functionality.

    Stuff is available for free on the App Store. The app is currently only available in English and has not yet been localized into Chinese. Most features are free to use, while purchasing Extra Stuff unlocks advanced features such as archived lists, templates, and support for up to 25 collaborators. Pricing is RMB 22 per month, RMB 198 per year, or RMB 798 for a lifetime purchase, with a 7-day free trial available.

    Craft Agent: A Document-Centric AI Agent Client

    • Platform: macOS / Windows / Linux
    • Keywords: AI Agent

    @Vanilla: “The era of AI Agents has arrived”—this is now widely accepted. But one question hasn’t been seriously answered yet: what should an Agent actually look like? A terminal (Coding CLI)? A chat interface (Chatbot)? Or a workflow canvas (Canvas)? Craft Agent offers a completely different answer—and packages that answer into an open-source desktop application.

    When I first heard that Craft had built an AI Agent app, my initial assumption was that it would be a product competing with Notion AI Agent. However, the Craft team surprised me this time. It can be said that Craft Agent has almost nothing to do with the Craft app itself. Instead, it is a desktop-level GUI designed specifically for AI Agents with a document-centric approach. In other words, if you’ve used Codex’s desktop app, you can understand its positioning—it brings together AI Agents, Skills, MCP, and more, but presents everything in the form of “documents/sessions,” making them readable, manageable, and traceable.

    According to the official GitHub repository, Craft Agent is built on the Claude Agent SDK and Pi SDK. It supports multiple ways of accessing LLMs, including Claude subscriptions, ChatGPT subscriptions, GitHub Copilot subscriptions, API keys, and local models (Ollama). The application is open-source under the Apache 2.0 license, allowing for self-hosting and secondary development.

    At this point, you may realize that Craft Agent is essentially a third-party GUI client for today’s popular Coding CLI tools, targeting users who prefer not to operate Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, Opencode, and other TUI-based tools in a terminal. Next, let’s take a look at its core features.

    Document-Centric Management

    In Craft Agent, sessions are managed as documents. They can be labeled by status—such as backlog, todo, needs review, done, or cancelled—and also tagged with labels based on content. You can flag, archive, and organize these sessions easily. Under this document-centric approach, all sessions can be managed, searched, and reused in a highly intuitive and efficient way, often providing a better experience than TUI-based agents in terminal apps.

    Within each session, you can easily switch between operation modes (explore, ask to edit, execute) and update task statuses directly. One of my favorite aspects is Craft Agent’s Markdown rendering. The app presents outputs as rich text, displaying mixed content elegantly and cleanly, perfectly aligning with Craft’s product aesthetic.

    When you need to export a session, you can share the entire session as an online document via a link, or copy content as rich text or raw Markdown from within it.

    Extension Management

    When using AI Agents, it’s inevitable to rely on various Skills, APIs, and MCPs. In TUI environments, these configurations are stored as local files and accessed via commands. In the Codex app, they are managed through a settings interface. In Craft Agent, however, you can directly manage, view, and add Sources (including APIs, MCPs, and local folders) and Skills from the sidebar. These configurations are still stored locally, making them easy to sync and back up.

    Automation Management

    A standout feature of OpenClaw is its Cron task capability, allowing AI Agents to run tasks automatically at scheduled times and return results. Craft Agent also makes it easy to create automated tasks, supporting three trigger types: Scheduled, Event-Based, and Agentic. I created a simple diagram in Craft Agent to illustrate how these three automation types work and differ from each other.

    After using it for a while, I believe Craft Agent is an excellent AI Agent client. Compared to TUI interfaces, it is better suited for most users—especially as a primary tool—because it enables intuitive and efficient management of sessions, extensions, and automation tasks. If there’s one drawback, it’s that Craft Agent is currently desktop-only. If mobile support and remote operation capabilities are added, it could have an even broader future.

    Craft Agent is available for download on its official website, supporting macOS, Windows, and Linux. You can also install it directly via terminal using curl -fsSL https://agents.craft.do/install-app.sh | bash or irm https://agents.craft.do/install-app.ps1 | iex.

    Lux Alarm: Start Your Day by Embracing Light

    • Platform: Android
    • Keywords: alarm

    @Peggy_: Many popular science articles have pointed out the importance of getting sufficient light exposure in the morning to boost alertness and energy. However, for those who struggle to wake up, even knowing that immediate light exposure is beneficial doesn’t help—because getting out of bed is already difficult enough. This creates a vicious cycle: “not having enough energy to do small things that improve morning energy,” especially when most alarm apps encourage us to “snooze for a bit.”

    Today’s Lux Alarm takes a different approach by making light exposure the condition for stopping the alarm. Want to comfortably turn off the alarm and go back to sleep? Not happening—you must receive sufficient light before the alarm can be dismissed.

    Illuminance is the physical quantity used to measure the intensity of light. Simply put, it reflects how “bright” a surface is when illuminated. Its international unit is lux (symbol: lx).

    In terms of setting and adding alarms, Lux Alarm is no different from the system’s built-in alarm app. You simply choose the time you want to wake up, select the desired days, and optionally customize the alarm sound.

    In the settings interface, Lux Alarm displays the real-time illuminance of your current environment. Since illuminance is not a commonly understood concept for most people, seeing real-time values helps you better understand how to configure the app. For example, in my office environment, the illuminance at my desk is around 300 lux, but when I step outside, it jumps to over 11,000 lux. This means that if you set the condition to turn off the alarm at 10,000 lux, you would need to open the curtains and bring your phone near a window on a relatively sunny morning.

    With this understanding, the next step is to set a reasonable threshold for dismissing the alarm. As a result, when the alarm goes off in a dark bedroom, the alarm screen will not provide any “snooze” or “dismiss” options—you must get out of bed and expose your phone to sufficient light before the option to turn off the alarm appears.

    If you’re determined to become someone who wakes up early, Lux Alarm is worth a try. It not only reliably wakes you up but also encourages you to get some sunlight. You can download Lux Alarm via F-Droid—it is open source and completely free to use.

    LocalMusic: A Free AI Music Creation Tool

    • Platform: macOS
    • Keywords: music, AI

    @化学心情下2: Today’s featured app, LocalMusic AI, is a music creation tool built on the recently popular open-source music model ACR-Step 1.5 and Apple’s MLX framework. It’s especially suitable for users without much background in music theory. After installation, the app will automatically download the required local models for you to use. You can also switch to cloud-based model services if needed. Once the environment is set up, you can start “creating music.”

    Click the Create option at the top of the left sidebar to open the creation template. You can name your music, describe what kind of music you want to generate in the Prompt field, and select style tags under Style. If you need lyrics, you can fill them in under Lyrics following the provided format. You can also upload reference audio in Persona or choose predefined styles to help generate music with a similar feel.

    On the right-side Controls panel, you can adjust parameters such as Steps, duration, tempo, key, and time signature. For beginners unfamiliar with music theory, these settings might be difficult to customize, so it’s recommended to start with default values and adjust later if needed. Once everything is set, click Generate and wait for the music to be created. The generated tracks will appear in the Previous section below, where you can preview them by clicking play.

    The generated music can also be further processed and edited. For example, by clicking Stem Separation, you can split a track with vocals into separate vocal and instrumental tracks, making it easier to refine using professional audio editing software.

    Clicking Audio Editor allows you to perform basic edits on the generated music, such as slicing clips, adjusting EQ, and modifying waveforms. The Video Generator feature lets you create a simple music video using templates, where you can add visual effects and enhancements before exporting and sharing to platforms like YouTube.

    Overall, LocalMusic AI offers a free, local-first “text-to-music” experience. Even if you have little to no knowledge of music theory, creating a listenable piece of music is no longer out of reach.

    You can download the app for free from the Mac App Store. It requires macOS 15.0 or later, an Apple Silicon processor, and at least 16GB of memory.

    iMazing 3.5: Adds iOS Screen Recording and New Developer Tools

    • Platform: macOS / Windows
    • Keywords: iOS management

    @Snow: Two weeks ago, the data management app iMazing released version 3.5. This update expands across UI design, data management, and productivity tools, further showcasing iMazing’s evolution toward a more professional, developer-oriented tool.

    After updating to version 3.5, you can easily find a “collapse” icon at the bottom right of the left sidebar. Clicking it compresses the device panel—previously occupying a large portion of the interface—into a slim strip, giving the main window more space. Within this area, you can take advantage of enhanced search functionality. Version 3.5 supports searching files and folders across connected iOS devices and local backup data. If you don’t know the exact path or file name, you can use wildcard (*) matching to perform partial searches, making it easier to quickly locate the files you need.

    Message management has always been one of iMazing’s core features, and this update further enhances it. The new version supports displaying quoted messages in Messages and WhatsApp, adds detailed timestamps for sending, receiving, editing, deleting, and read status, and allows users to filter messages in conversations by participant or service type. Export capabilities have also been improved, with better formatting and data completeness in formats such as PDF and CSV.

    If you’re a macOS user, this update enables iOS screen recording via a wired connection. By connecting your macOS device to an iPhone or iPad, you can access screen recording in “Tools – General – Screen Recording,” capturing footage in H.264 format. With a wired connection, enabling “Tools – Advanced – Enable IDAM” also allows your iPhone or iPad to function as an audio input device for your desktop.

    For advanced users and developers, this update introduces a range of lower-level device tools, including a device console, battery diagnostics export, pairing record export, and network and Bluetooth packet capture. When Developer Mode is enabled, it also supports features like simulated geolocation, making it more convenient for debugging and data analysis.

    Some features in this update, such as file search and simulated geolocation, are only available in the paid version of iMazing. You can visit the official website to learn more about different pricing tiers and their corresponding features.

    App Updates

    • Moment Pro Camera (iOS): Updated with support for Profile presets, allowing users to save various shooting parameters into different presets for quick one-tap access in suitable scenarios.
    • Apple announced that starting March 16, it will reduce App Store commission rates in mainland China. The standard commission for in-app purchases and paid apps will drop from 30% to 25%, while the Small Business Program renewal rate will decrease from 15% to 12%.
    • Google announced that, in order to resolve its antitrust dispute with Epic and respond to regulatory pressure, it will adjust Play Store fees and distribution policies starting March 2026. The standard service fee for most in-app purchases will be reduced to 20%, subscription fees will drop to as low as 10%, and an additional 5% fee will apply when using Google’s billing system. At the same time, Google will open up more standardized access for third-party app stores and external distribution channels.
  • SSPAI Review | Best New Apps to Try This Week

    SSPAI Review | Best New Apps to Try This Week

    Welcome to this episode of SSPAI Review. You can use the table of contents to quickly jump to the sections you’re interested in. If you’ve discovered other apps worth checking out, or topics you’d like us to cover, feel free to join the discussion in the comments.

    ScreenKite: A Lightweight and Efficient Screen Recording Tool

    • Platform: macOS
    • Keywords: screen recording, camera movement, focus, zoom, quick export

    ScreenKite is a lightweight yet powerful screen recording app for macOS. Its key features include automatic zooming, fast export, a built-in editor, and transcription-based subtitle generation. It is particularly suitable for scenarios such as product demonstrations, software tutorials, and course recordings.

    Traditional screen recording apps simply capture the screen or a window. ScreenKite takes a different approach by emphasizing its automatic zoom feature. During recording, the app detects mouse clicks and keyboard actions, automatically zooming in on relevant areas and focusing on important content, making it easier for viewers to see key operations. Notably, this feature works automatically without requiring manual post-production editing.

    ScreenKite also includes a simple yet capable video editor. After completing a screen recording, users can perform basic editing directly within the app without importing the footage into other video editing software. The editor uses a traditional layout: the preview area is placed in the center, the timeline below allows manual adjustment of the automatic zoom track, and the settings panel on the right provides a variety of configuration options.

    Within the background settings, users can also change the recording background. ScreenKite provides classic macOS desktop wallpapers from different versions, along with solid color and gradient backgrounds. It also offers customization options such as blur effects, padding adjustments, rounded corners, and shadow effects. The automatic zoom feature allows further customization, including zoom ratio, delay effects, and automatic cursor following. Cursor styles include pointer, text, hand, and others, with options to change colors and configure the zoom effect when clicking.

    In addition, ScreenKite offers practical features such as recording with a webcam overlay and generating subtitles through transcription. For tasks like recording lessons or demonstrating product workflows, these features can significantly simplify post-production and help produce professional-looking videos quickly.

    Beyond the convenience of recording, ScreenKite also exports videos very quickly. It leverages macOS’s native ScreenCaptureKit framework along with Metal hardware acceleration, enabling extremely fast export speeds. On Apple Silicon devices in particular, the performance is even more noticeable—users can obtain the finished video file just seconds after stopping the recording.

    ScreenKite is currently in Beta, and all features are available for free. No account is required, and exported videos contain no watermark. You can download and try it directly from the official website.

    ShizuWall: A Network Access Controller That Requires No Root and Doesn’t Occupy the VPN Channel

    • Platform: Android
    • Keywords: network access control

    Although most Chinese-market devices now include built-in network access controls, if you are an AOSP enthusiast or a Pixel user who wants to manage whether an app can access the internet, your options are usually limited to rooting the device or installing tools like NetGuard that rely on the system’s VPN interface. The former has become increasingly difficult, while the latter may prevent you from connecting to your company’s internal network via VPN.

    ShizuWall, an open-source utility, solves this problem in a more elegant way with the help of the “万能的 Shizuku.” The app fully adopts the Material You design language, with dynamic color support that keeps the interface clean and visually pleasing. The home screen displays a list of all installed apps, allowing you to quickly search for and select the ones whose network access you want to control.

    ShizuWall implements its functionality through Shizuku by using system shell commands to toggle an app’s network access rather than intercepting data packets directly. As a result, it does not conflict with VPN functionality. You can block network access for apps that raise privacy concerns while still maintaining a VPN connection to your company’s internal servers, such as when logging into office systems.

    ShizuWall provides four firewall control modes. The default and whitelist modes determine whether selected apps are blocked from or allowed to access the network—so the default mode can effectively be seen as a “blacklist.” However, in these two modes the control list can only be updated when the firewall is disabled. The “Adaptive” mode allows updating selected items while the firewall is active, though it may occasionally fail to refresh the cache successfully.

    There is also a testing mode called “Smart Foreground.” In this mode, only the currently active foreground app is allowed to access the internet. As a result, messaging apps such as WeChat will not receive background messages, making this mode more suitable for secondary devices.

    Beyond the core toggle controls, ShizuWall also provides ADB broadcast command support for advanced users. Combined with tools such as Tasker or Home Assistant, it enables scenario-based automation. It also supports monitoring newly installed apps, allowing you to update your control list promptly.

    One thing to note is that the network permissions controlled by ShizuWall will reset after the device reboots (Shizuku itself may also lose permission after a restart), so you will need to re-enable it. If you are using a near-stock Android system or looking for a lightweight and practical network control tool, you can download ShizuWall for free on GitHub and give it a try.

    Mos: Make Your Mouse Smoother on macOS

    • Platform: macOS
    • Keywords: mouse, customization, buttons, scrolling, third-party, utility

    Although using a trackpad on macOS generally provides a better experience than using a mouse, there are still many situations in daily work where a mouse is unavoidable.

    Some major peripheral manufacturers (such as Logitech) provide comprehensive drivers and configuration tools for their own products. But if you’re using a mouse from another brand and want to customize scrolling behavior or button actions, you’ll have to rely on third-party applications. For example, I recently tried optimizing the experience of using the Keychron M6 on macOS. Since this mouse doesn’t have a configuration tool like Logitech Options Plus on macOS, I had to rely on third-party software to customize buttons and adjust scrolling behavior.

    Mos is another open-source solution I recently discovered. It is designed specifically for configuring mouse behavior on macOS. It allows deep adjustments to scroll wheel feedback and extends into a tool that supports various custom mouse button actions. In Mos’s preferences panel, the second tab contains detailed scrolling settings. For example, it supports enabling smooth scrolling and inverted scrolling. Once enabled, additional options appear—for smooth scrolling you can enable smooth vertical scrolling, smooth horizontal scrolling, and even simulate the trackpad scrolling experience. Inverted scrolling works similarly, supporting both vertical and horizontal directions. Since I prefer the traditional scroll wheel direction, I didn’t enable inverted scrolling.

    The second section of the scrolling settings focuses on general mouse behavior. For instance, the acceleration key allows you to speed up scroll wheel movement while holding the key, the transform key switches scrolling from vertical to horizontal when held, and the disable key temporarily disables smooth scrolling. These shortcuts aren’t particularly useful for my own workflow, so I left them unchanged.

    The third section of the scrolling settings is particularly important. Here you can adjust parameters such as the step length of each scroll wheel movement, the tracking speed gain for continuous scrolling, and the easing duration of scrolling animations. Mos already provides fairly reasonable preset values, but you can fine-tune them according to how your mouse feels during use.

    Beyond its flexible and highly customizable scrolling adjustments, Mos also allows you to customize mouse buttons. In the “Buttons” tab of the preferences panel, you can assign custom actions to various mouse buttons. For example, the two side buttons on my M6 can be mapped to Back and Forward actions—similar to how I had configured the side buttons on my previous Logitech Master 2S.

    Sometimes we may also want different scrolling rules for specific applications. For instance, I prefer different scrolling behavior in my browser compared to the global settings. In Mos, you can open the “Applications” tab, add an app, then click “Scrolling” on the right side and uncheck “Inherit global settings.” This allows you to create a separate scrolling configuration for that application, such as increasing the minimum step length or speed gain.

    After making all these adjustments in Mos, I finally got comfortable using the Keychron M6 on macOS. Aside from the mouse feeling a bit too light when moving, the global smooth scrolling and fine-tuned adjustments now feel much closer to the experience I had with my Logitech Master 2S. If you’re using a mouse from a smaller brand on macOS, Mos might be worth trying to fine-tune your setup. Mos is free and open-source—you can download it from the official website or install it via Homebrew.

    Appboard: A Treasure Chest for Heavy App Enthusiasts

    • Platform: iOS, iPadOS
    • Keywords: apps, discovery, information, rankings

    In today’s era, an app like Appboard feels a bit “retro.” That’s because it is essentially an advanced utility built around the App Store ecosystem. For industry professionals and app enthusiasts, however, it can be a very useful tool. Recently, Appboard’s Plus membership has been temporarily free, so this is a good opportunity to introduce the app.

    Appboard’s core features are divided into three main categories: searching the store, quick search, and viewing rankings. The “Apps” tab serves as a centralized entry point that aggregates these functions, allowing you to access them quickly.

    In the “Rankings” tab, you can choose any country or region from either a list or a map. You can then apply multiple filters based on device (iPhone or iPad), price (free or paid), and category (Apps: sports, health & fitness, medical, reference, business, books, etc.; Games: casual, sports, adventure, action, card, etc.). The result is a customized ranking list tailored to your selection.

    By tapping any app in the ranking list, you can view its overview information, version release history, screenshots, description, and other details. You can also use the system translation feature to translate the description text.

    Appboard also integrates with AI tools, but instead of embedding or wrapping AI features directly, it uses prompts to call external AI services for various tasks. For example, in the overview module there is a feature called “Global Rankings.” After tapping it, you can choose to query large AI models such as Claude, Kimi, or ChatGPT to retrieve the app’s ranking across different countries or regions worldwide. The results can be displayed in either list or map form, and you can export them as images or text.

    Additionally, in the rankings interface you can see an “Export to AI” button in the top-right corner. Tapping it opens a prompt editing interface where you can choose preset prompts or create custom ones. The prompt, combined with the app’s detailed information, can then be exported to external AI tools for analysis.

    In the “Store” tab, you can browse App Stores from all countries and regions. Tapping any country or region allows you to bookmark or unbookmark it, or switch to that store. One important feature here is the store-switching function, which lets you view different App Store content and in-app purchase information without logging into an Apple ID. However, you can only browse—you cannot purchase or download apps.

    By tapping the “Search” button, you can perform advanced searches within the App Store of the currently selected country or region. You can choose different languages and devices, then match results using keywords. If you are an Appboard Pro member, you can also save search keywords, manage keyword lists, and track keyword rankings.

    Overall, Appboard is a feature-rich enhanced tool for exploring and analyzing apps, cleverly extending its capabilities through AI integration. You can download it for free from the App Store. The Plus membership is currently available for free, while the Pro subscription costs RMB 15 per month, RMB 128 per year, or RMB 268 for a lifetime purchase.

    MoePeek: A Lightweight Pop-Up Translation Tool

    • Platform: macOS
    • Keywords: text selection, translation, lightweight

    MoePeek is a lightweight pop-up translation tool recently released. If you have previously used translation features in apps like Bob or PopClip, you will likely find MoePeek’s design easy to understand. With its built-in or customizable translation engines, it allows efficient text selection translation and screenshot translation on macOS.

    The installation package of MoePeek is only 5 MB, and its overall design is very similar to early versions of Bob. It currently supports text selection translation, screenshot OCR translation, clipboard translation, and manual input translation. Once launched, the app stays in the top menu bar, and you can trigger various translation functions either by clicking the menu bar icon or by using keyboard shortcuts.

    After launching the app, whenever you select text on any interface, a small “translation bubble” will appear below the selected content. Moving the cursor over the bubble or pressing ⌥+D will open the translation window, displaying one or more results depending on the translation engines you have configured.

    You can also press ⌥+S to activate the OCR screenshot translation feature. The app will automatically recognize text within the selected screenshot area and extract it for translation. MoePeek includes intelligent language detection and supports 14 languages, automatically switching translation directions. This means you don’t need to carefully select text of a specific language when highlighting or capturing screenshots, lowering the barrier to use.

    MoePeek integrates 16 translation services, including Apple Translate, Google Translate, DeepL, and OpenAI. Among them, Google Translate, Bing Translate, Youdao Translate, and Apple Translate can be used for free. Apple Translate runs locally and requires downloading language packs in advance, while other services require configuring an API key. For LLM engines, MoePeek provides support for Ollama and LM Studio, allowing users concerned about privacy to rely on locally deployed AI models for translation.

    MoePeek is not currently available on the App Store and must be downloaded from GitHub Releases. If you find existing translation tools too heavy or are trying such apps for the first time, MoePeek is a free option worth exploring.

    Muviz Widgets: Create Endless Styles for Your Home Screen

    • Platform: Android
    • Keywords: widgets, music, clock, customization

    Home screen customization used to be one of the hottest topics in the Android community. In recent years, with Google’s Material You and Apple’s Liquid Glass design language, a subtle retro breeze seems to be blowing again. Muviz Widgets aims to rekindle your passion for personalization and desktop styling on your Android home screen.

    As the name suggests, Muviz Widgets focuses on providing a wide variety of functional and stylish widgets to enhance your home screen. It mainly includes the following categories: clock widgets inspired by different generations of Android system styles, calendar widgets, system utility widgets, and iOS-style music widgets.

    Taking the clock widget as an example, you can select any style you like and tap the plus button to adjust details such as position, size, and transparency. Color customization, however, requires unlocking the premium version. The free version only offers built-in monochrome themes by default. While the aesthetics are relatively basic, you can still improve the look by adjusting transparency.

    In addition to standard clock widgets, Muviz Widgets also offers more complex widgets that combine elements such as date and weather. You can even find pixel-style widgets inspired by Nothing’s design language.

    Adding a music widget follows a similar process, but you will need to grant Muviz Widgets notification access so it can read the currently playing song information. The app also allows you to select the content source to display. For example, if you only want to show notifications from a specific music player, you can simply select it in the source settings. Once added, the widget dynamically adapts its color based on the currently playing music and allows you to control playback directly from the home screen.

    You can download and try Muviz Widgets from the Play Store. The app’s core features are free, while unlocking additional styles and color options requires a one-time purchase of $1.99 (early-bird price).

    App Brief

    • WPS for Pad: On March 9, Kingsoft WPS announced that WPS for Pad has officially launched on the App Store in mainland China, with support for Simplified Chinese. The app requires iPadOS 15.0 or later. According to the company, WPS for Pad closely replicates the desktop experience, with an interface largely identical to the desktop version of WPS Office. Its core functionality is aligned with the Windows client and supports seamless collaboration across mobile devices and computers.

  • Best Productivity Apps to Try in 2026

    Best Productivity Apps to Try in 2026

    Snapseed: Adds Built-in Camera and Vintage Film Filters

    • Platform: iOS
    • Keywords: Mobile Photography, Vintage Film Filters

    @ElijahLee: Since the iOS version of Snapseed entered version 3.0, it has maintained an active update schedule. Recent updates, including versions 3.13 and 3.15, introduce new features such as the Snapseed Camera, vintage film filters, and lock screen widgets.

    A new camera button has been added to the app’s homepage, located in the upper-right corner. The Snapseed Camera currently focuses on film-style filter effects, offering over ten free film filters inspired by Kodak, Fujifilm, and other classic film stocks, primarily designed to create a vintage aesthetic.

    When shooting, Snapseed Camera provides both automatic and manual modes. Users can switch to manual mode using the dial beneath the viewfinder, allowing adjustments to ISO, shutter speed, focus, as well as flash and zoom functions. Once manually adjusted, parameter values and visual effects update in real time within the viewfinder, providing a true what-you-see-is-what-you-get experience. To return to automatic mode, simply tap the parameter box.

    The introduction of Snapseed Camera signals a shift for Snapseed from being solely a photo editing app to a lightweight shooting tool.

    Photos taken with Snapseed Camera retain both the original image and editable layers, allowing further adjustments within the app while also supporting saving changes to the original image.

    The film grain style added in version 3.13 introduces granular texture to photos, recreating the retro feel of analog photography. In the editing interface, users can access the grainy film adjustment page from the top menu, where sliding vertically selects grain presets and the dial below allows fine-tuning of intensity.

    Additionally, Snapseed now supports lock screen widgets on iPhone, enabling users to launch the Snapseed Camera directly from the lock screen or via the camera control button. A new dehaze tool analyzes haze and shadow in photos to enhance contrast and sharpness, effectively reducing atmospheric distortion. The upgraded color tool can identify areas with similar tones within an image, allowing for quick localized color adjustments.

    Snapseed is available for free download on the App Store.

    CoPaw: A Low-Barrier “Domestic OpenClaw Alternative”

    • Platform: Windows / macOS / Linux / Web
    • Keywords: AI, AI Assistant

    @大大大K: If there’s one tool that’s been making waves in the AI community recently, it’s OpenClaw. However, its relatively high barrier to entry — requiring many configuration options to be modified via JSON files — and less-than-ideal Windows support have made it difficult for some users to adopt. Recently, a team under Alibaba open-sourced a similar tool called CoPaw, whose native Chinese language support and GUI-based configuration interface tailored to local user environments significantly lower the barrier to entry.

    Like OpenClaw, CoPaw also offers a one-click installation command-line tool. Thanks to its accessibility-focused design, the app can be launched immediately after installation without requiring a series of complex configuration steps. However, it’s worth noting that CoPaw’s console runs on the commonly used port 8088, which may conflict with other tools in production environments — be sure to check before deployment.

    CoPaw is essentially another take on OpenClaw, with the project team explicitly stating that its personality and memory system were inspired by OpenClaw. Within the “Workspace” tab, users will find familiar Markdown files such as AGENTS, SOUL, and MEMORY. If you’re already using OpenClaw, you can even import these files into CoPaw to maintain consistency.

    For general users, CoPaw’s console-based configuration is already quite practical. For instance, configuring cloud-based models in OpenClaw’s console can be obscure and complex, making manual JSON editing risky for inexperienced users. Letting OpenClaw auto-configure can also lead to system crashes due to discrepancies in large model capabilities — something that has even occurred with models as capable as Gemini.

    In contrast, CoPaw allows users to manually add and switch models directly within the console. Errors such as incorrect Base URLs or model IDs will not prevent the main app from launching. That said, the trade-off for this ease of use is the lack of automatic model fallback or switching. When connections drop or rate limits are triggered, users must manually switch models via the console.

    In other areas, CoPaw supports integration with platforms such as DingTalk, Feishu, iMessage, Discord, and QQ — reflecting a strong localization focus. The capabilities of each channel vary, with further details available in the official documentation. CoPaw also supports Skill installation: aside from allowing the agent to discover them automatically, users can install Skills directly via the console’s “Skills” tab by entering links from platforms such as ClawHub or GitHub.

    Additional features such as scheduled tasks and MCP support are also included. While not as comprehensive as OpenClaw overall, CoPaw remains an excellent entry-level choice for users looking to experiment with AI agents. It currently supports Windows, macOS, and Linux platforms, though mobile Node functionality is not yet available. Installation instructions can be found in CoPaw’s official documentation and GitHub repository.

    Raindrop Update: Bookmark Manager Gains an AI Brain

    • Platform: iOS / iPadOS / macOS / Windows / Android / Web
    • Keywords: AI, Read-it-later

    @Vanilla: The AI wave has finally reached bookmark management apps. After two years in development, the well-known bookmarking service Raindrop has launched a beta version of its AI Assistant — Stella. If you’re already using a paid bookmark manager, the new Raindrop update may be worth trying. At the very least, this AI Assistant is more than just a chatbot — it delivers some AI Agent-like capabilities, similar in concept to Notion AI. We’ll get to the differences later, but first, let’s take a look at what Stella can actually do.

    First, Stella enables natural semantic search. Unlike traditional keyword-based search, Stella understands the intent behind your queries, meaning you no longer need to remember exact titles or links — significantly improving search efficiency.

    Second, Stella can help interpret the content of saved bookmarks. This functionality is familiar from most LLM-powered tools, including tasks such as summarization, explanation, and comparison, helping to improve overall reading efficiency.

    Finally, Stella assists in organizing your bookmark library. Compared to embedding a chatbot, Stella’s organizational capabilities are its real strength. Acting as an Agent, it can directly sort, clean up, move, and modify bookmarks based on user intent, significantly reducing manual effort.

    Both Stella and Notion AI share the trait of operating within a “sandbox,” giving the AI Assistant full control over content within that environment. The key difference is that Stella remains at a relatively early stage — all operations must still be manually initiated — whereas Notion AI already supports automation and connectors, making it a more fully developed AI application.

    Additionally, Notion AI integrates with top-tier models such as GPT 5.2, Opus 4.6, and Gemini 3.1 Pro, while Stella relies on the open-source GPT OSS LLM, running on Raindrop’s own servers. The trade-off is lower peak model performance, but improved privacy, as user data is not uploaded for training — assuming, of course, that Raindrop is a service you trust.

    If Raindrop’s AI Assistant is not subject to additional fees, it would be a welcome update. While the functionality is relatively simple, it still offers meaningful value. Raindrop is available across iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, and major browsers, and can be downloaded for free from its official website. To use the AI Assistant, a Pro subscription is required, priced at HKD 23.47 per month or HKD 219.03 annually.

    Acme Weather: Embracing the “Uncertainty” of Forecasting

    • Platform: iOS
    • Keywords: Weather, Dark Sky

    @Snow: As we all know, no weather app can deliver forecasts with absolute accuracy. In daily life, we often rely on them with a bit of a gamble — if sudden weather changes catch us off guard, we chalk it up to bad luck. When important plans are at stake, however, we tend to consult multiple weather sources for cross-verification or prepare contingency measures. Last week, the core development team behind Dark Sky — the pioneer of minute-level precipitation forecasting — launched a brand-new weather app called Acme Weather after Dark Sky was acquired by Apple. It may completely change how you perceive and use weather forecasting apps.

    Acme Weather puts forecast “uncertainty” front and center. The app integrates multiple weather data sources and visualizes multi-source predictions — including temperature changes, precipitation probability, and perceived temperature — within a single timeline. The dark line represents Acme Weather’s most reliable forecast, while the lighter gray lines display alternative predictions from other sources.

    Compared to relying on a single data source or manually comparing multiple forecasts, Acme Weather’s aggregated prediction chart enables more efficient and precise decision-making. If the gray lines cluster closely around the dark line, it indicates consistent predictions and higher confidence in the forecast. Conversely, if the gray lines are widely dispersed, it suggests that weather conditions are unpredictable — and it may be time to prepare backup plans.

    Acme Weather also offers weather maps and reporting features similar to those found in Caiyun Weather. By tapping the map icon in the bottom drawer, users can access a full range of meteorological maps, including precipitation, temperature, cloud cover, air quality, and even aurora activity. The precipitation map supports hourly playback of changes throughout the day via a slider beneath the map.

    The Community button in the center of the bottom drawer enables real-time weather reporting. Users can submit current weather conditions from their location, which nearby users can view instantly — after all, nothing is more reliable than local observations. In addition to standard feedback options like sunny, cloudy, rain, snow, or thunderstorms, Acme Weather allows users to report romantic sunsets and rainbows, as well as mark conditions using emoji. If the weather is truly terrible, don’t forget to use that “pile” emoji to warn those around you.

    Acme Weather requires a subscription to use and currently offers a single annual plan priced at $25 per year, with a 14-day free trial for first-time subscribers. As some international weather apps may struggle with regional accuracy, it’s advisable to test the trial before committing to a subscription.

    Acme Weather is not yet available on the China App Store but can be downloaded from the U.S. App Store.

    Unitto: A Calculator and Unit Conversion Assistant Within Reach

    • Platform: Android
    • Keywords: Calculator

    @Peggy_: The calculator plays a rather special role on my phone — tucked away in the app drawer, unworthy of occupying any space on the home screen, yet always ready to provide precise answers whenever numbers come into play. For most users, the built-in system calculator is sufficient for everyday arithmetic, and nearly all smartphone manufacturers continue to refine this essential utility with additional features.

    If your phone’s default calculator feels lacking, you might want to give Unitto a try. In addition to basic calculation functions, Unitto integrates closely related features such as unit conversion, along with small but practical tools like time conversion and duration calculation.

    Starting with the basics, Unitto’s main interface presents a simple calculator layout composed of standard mathematical symbols and numeric keys. For more advanced calculations, users can tap the expand button in the upper-right corner of the interface. Unitto also supports calculation history, allowing users to review previous results at any time.

    Moving on to unit conversion, Unitto supports a wide range of units, including length, mass, speed, area, and volume, as well as currency conversion. Each category allows users to bookmark frequently used units for quick access in future conversions.

    In terms of time-related calculations, Unitto supports time zone lookup and the calculation of time differences across regions. It also enables users to calculate time intervals — whether determining the exact date and time years, months, or even seconds from now, or measuring the duration between two points in time.

    Beyond the functions mentioned above, Unitto includes body data calculations, allowing users to estimate weight levels based on input height and weight. All of these features can be configured within the app’s settings as primary functions, enabling a personalized experience tailored to individual needs.

    Finally, and perhaps most practically, Unitto allows users to add calculator or unit conversion widgets directly to the home screen, covering most basic usage scenarios. If you frequently rely on these features, Unitto could be a worthwhile option.

    If you’re interested in trying Unitto, it is available for download via F-Droid. The app is open-source and completely free to use.

    Cape 4.0 Update: Limit App Usage to Stay Focused

    • Platform: iOS / iPadOS
    • Keywords: App Blocking

    After a long day of work, I often find myself habitually picking up my iPad and scrolling through social media or short-form videos. Even though I know it’s not particularly beneficial, two or three hours can pass in the blink of an eye — and suddenly it’s time for bed again.

    Cape is a management tool that helps limit access to specific apps. Based on your screen time usage, it can regulate potentially addictive applications by prompting you when you attempt to open them, using various methods to reduce usage and achieve an anti-distraction effect. Recently, this focus-enhancing app received its 4.0 update, bringing a range of optimizations and improvements over previous versions.

    First, the scope of restrictions has been expanded. Previously, users could only limit or disable individual apps. Now, you can also restrict access to specific websites through browsers, or even set limitations for entire categories of apps and websites. For example, you can restrict social media apps and websites so that whether accessed via an app or directly through a browser, you’ll still receive a reminder.

    In terms of how app blocking is implemented, aside from on-demand prompts that remind users to stay focused before launching an app, the new version introduces a delayed launch feature. This requires you to wait for a set period before opening an app, effectively reducing impulsive usage.

    Another highly practical addition in this update is notification support. Users can receive daily alerts when approaching their app usage limits, along with rest reminders if usage exceeds a certain threshold. Notifications are also available when region-based or schedule-based restrictions are enabled.

    Additionally, the homepage’s app management interface now provides detailed usage reports. The daily usage card on the left displays screen time, number of launches, specific app usage, and timestamps for each session. The weekly usage card on the right summarizes total screen time and daily launch counts throughout the week, with average daily app usage displayed below — giving you deeper insight into how often and how frequently you access restricted apps.

    Most of Cape’s core features are available for free download on the App Store. To unlock additional features such as notification alerts, users can opt for an in-app purchase, choosing either an annual subscription priced at RMB 48 or a lifetime license for RMB 148.

    App Updates

    • 1Password has announced a subscription price increase effective March 27, with the Individual plan rising from $35.88 per year to $47.88 per year, and the Family plan increasing from $59.88 per year to $71.88 per year.
    • Notion has introduced custom agent functionality, enabling intelligent tasks to be executed continuously in the background.
    • Craft has launched Craft Agents, which support researching, modifying, and editing document content in read-only mode, with pre-execution prompts, or through automatic execution.
  • Editor’s Picks: The Best New Apps to Try

    Editor’s Picks: The Best New Apps to Try

    Cubox: A Brand-New Desktop Web Version

    • Platform: Web
    • Keywords: Read It Later, AI Assistance

    @ElijahLee: The read-it-later and knowledge management app Cubox has launched a brand-new desktop Web version, featuring an all-new visual design, multiple layout options, a powerful detail control panel, and support for AI-assisted reading.

    First, the desktop Web version adopts a multi-column layout that follows common productivity software conventions. From left to right, the interface is divided into article categories, article cards, the reading area, and an information panel on the far right. The article cards themselves also offer multiple layout styles: the default single-column, dual-pane layout combining cards and reading; and a multi-column grid that lays out all articles as cards on the screen, requiring a click to enter reading mode—ideal for users who primarily filter content by titles.

    In the upper-left corner of the reading area, an expand button allows you to collapse all functional panels and retain only the reader, enabling a full-screen immersive reading mode. In this state, using Command + arrow keys lets you quickly switch between the previous and next articles without returning to the multi-column layout, preserving the continuity of the immersive experience.

    Cubox also integrates AI-assisted reading. By opening the right-side information panel, users can access AI-generated quick interpretations of articles, key questions, and rapid highlights. The Q&A feature enables AI-based conversational queries, allowing users to type questions or topics related to the article and quickly receive answers. The app also provides a wide range of preset prompts, such as generating a brief summary, extracting key arguments, or writing a short shareable blurb.

    On the far right of the information panel is a detailed control panel that allows full customization of an article’s metadata, including the title, description, category assignment, and added headings. When you come across an interesting article, you can edit and organize it here at any time—adding it to favorites or assigning category tags to quickly save important materials for future reference or review.

    Batch editing is another standout feature of the desktop Web version. When you move the cursor to the checkbox in the upper-right corner of an article card, the selection box automatically enlarges. Clicking it enters batch selection mode, allowing you to quickly select multiple articles and edit their information, add tags, or apply star ratings from the right panel. In the multi-column grid layout, batch editing becomes even more efficient: all actions are arranged at the top, and you can complete operations by dragging multiple items to the target function, making the workflow extremely efficient.

    For features that users have frequently requested, the desktop Web version also introduces several improvements. These include: text items in the Inbox being marked as unread by default and disappearing automatically once reading is completed; annotation lists supporting both single-column and multi-column views, as well as batch operations. The search function retains both quick search and detailed search modes—the former for fast content location, and the latter for browsing or managing groups of items in bulk.

    Overall, Cubox’s desktop Web version is optimized for web performance, supporting immersive reading, batch organization, detailed annotations, AI assistance, and real-time syncing, while setting aside some non-core features. It is well suited for high-density long-form reading scenarios, as well as for systematic organization and repeated reference later on. You can access it via the official website.

    Cubox Pro is available for purchase on SSPAI, and the app supports iOS, iPadOS, macOS, Android, Windows, and more.

    Updatest: One-Stop Management, Updating, and Migration for Mac Apps

    • Platform: macOS
    • Keywords: App Updates

    @Vanilla: As Apple continues to tighten permission controls in macOS, more and more developers are choosing to distribute their apps outside the Mac App Store in order to offer more powerful features. At the same time, a large number of independent developers prefer not to pay the “Apple tax,” opting instead to distribute open-source apps through platforms like GitHub.

    As a result, I’ve found that the sources of apps installed on my Mac have become increasingly fragmented—ranging from the App Store and official websites to GitHub and Homebrew. Unless an app pops up an in-app update notification, I rarely think about proactively updating these apps scattered across so many channels.

    This is where Updatest comes in. It neatly solves this problem by automatically scanning all apps on your Mac and displaying real-time update information. With the exception of apps downloaded from the App Store, most updates can be completed in Updatest with a single click. Beyond that, Updatest also offers a complete solution for migrating apps between distribution channels, along with a range of other practical features.

    After being granted the system “App Management” permission, Updatest can scan all installed applications and CLI dependencies on your Mac. In the INSTALLED section, you can view a complete list of installed apps under the Apps tab. The app list also shows version information for apps with available updates, and clicking the Update button allows you to update them directly. Clicking on any app takes you to its detail page, where you can update it, migrate it, add a source, or skip/ignore updates.

    On the detail page, Updatest also displays the app’s release notes, update sources, app information, permission requests, and security details—much like an app page in the App Store.

    Under the Adoptable tab, you can see apps that are suitable for migration to Homebrew for unified management. Updatest intelligently matches these apps with their corresponding Homebrew cask names, saving you from manual searching or guesswork. Before migrating, you simply need to ensure the app is updated to the latest version, select your preferred version under Cask Options, and then click Adopt to complete the one-click migration. Once migrated, apps installed from other sources can be managed and updated through Homebrew going forward. All app data is preserved during the process, so there’s no need to start from scratch.

    In the CLI tab, you can view all dependency packages installed on the machine. If you do development work on this Mac, or use services that rely heavily on CLI tools, it’s easy to accumulate a large number of dependencies. Through Updatest’s interface, you can inspect each dependency’s details and relationships, and perform actions such as refreshing, ignoring, or uninstalling them.

    The UPDATES and SOURCES sections are essentially extensions of the INSTALLED section. The former filters out apps and Homebrew formulae that currently have updates available, while the latter categorizes all apps by source—including App Store, Homebrew, Sparkle, Metadata, Electron, GitHub, and Manual—making it easy to quickly review and manage them in batches.

    Updatest can be downloaded for free from the official website, or installed via Homebrew:

    brew tap updatest/tap https://github.com/updatest/tap.git && brew install –cask updatest

    After the initial installation, Updatest offers a 14-day free trial. Once the trial expires, a one-time license purchase is required: a personal license costs $12.99 and supports up to three Macs; a family license costs $24.99 and supports up to ten Macs; enterprise licenses require contacting the developer directly for pricing.

    Repo Store: A GitHub-Style Google Play

    • Platform: Android
    • Keywords: App Store

    @大大大K: Not long ago, we introduced GitHub Store, an “app store” that aggregates open-source app projects published on GitHub, making them easier for users to discover and install, while also helping developers promote their work. The app we’re introducing today—Repo Store—is a similar project, but with more effort put into its UI.

    At first glance, Repo Store looks exactly like an old version of Google Play. The UI structure of the “Apps” tab in particular—the search bar, category tabs, and bottom navigation bar—feels almost like a 1:1 recreation of the previous-generation Google Play design. The layout of the content area is also strikingly similar.

    That said, as a new product, its content is still relatively sparse, and there are no custom banner images. But this doesn’t mean Repo Store is just a pretty shell with no substance. Even without an “editor’s picks” section, you can still use the search function to find any project on GitHub that has a release. Just like GitHub itself, Repo Store lets you view the content of a project’s homepage. With a README.md serving as a built-in introduction, who understands an app better than its own developer?

    If you plan to use Repo Store as your primary tool for discovering open-source apps, it’s recommended to authorize GitHub access in the settings to avoid hitting API rate limits. Repo Store also supports GitHub mirror proxies—simply enable the proxy option in the download settings and enter the address.

    If you compare Repo Store with GitHub Store, the latter does feel more “down to earth,” as it directly pulls curated project lists and saves users the trouble of manually browsing recommendations. Repo Store, on the other hand, seems to have ambitions to grow bigger and stronger—given time, it might truly become a “GitPlay Store.” If this app store interests you, you can download it for free from GitHub or IzzyOnDroid, and users of the Obtainium manager can add it directly as well.

    BooxReader: A Local E-Book Reader App by Boox

    • Platform: Android
    • Keywords: E-reader

    Taking advantage of the tail end of the recent Double 11 sales, I bought a Boox Leaf 5 and started a very pleasant reading journey. After importing a few books into the device, I was pleasantly surprised by how good Boox’s built-in local reader felt, and ended up alternating between it and WeChat Reading. Recently, I learned that Onyx Boox has also developed a local e-book reader app for Android, so I decided to download it and give it a try—mainly to see whether it can deliver a good reading experience even without buying a Boox e-ink device.

    At the moment, BooxReader can be downloaded from the Play Store and various Chinese app marketplaces, though there is no obvious promotion on Boox’s official website. After installation, books can be added to the bookshelf either from within the app or by sharing them from other apps. In-app book importing supports automatic scanning, manual selection of local files, and even Wi-Fi transfer. The Wi-Fi transfer feature makes it easy to share books from other devices over the network, offering both browser-based transfer and QR-code transfer options, which work well whether you’re using a computer or another mobile device.

    For books on the bookshelf, you can choose between a list view and a cover view. You can also create book collections to better manage different categories. Tapping into a book’s detail page shows information such as reading progress, number of notes, and total reading time.

    When you enter the reading interface, the app’s onboarding is very minimal, covering only basic page-turning gestures and settings. Tapping the center of the screen brings up the settings panel. BooxReader includes four built-in reading themes—Default, Vintage, Focus, and Relax—each with its own preset font size and line spacing. You can select a theme and then further customize it. The customization options are quite rich and are almost identical to those found on Boox’s e-ink readers.

    Font selection, which has a significant impact on the reading experience, is another strong point. BooxReader comes with 18 built-in fonts, including six Chinese fonts such as Jinghua Old Song, Hanchan Regular Script, and Zhuque FangSong, all of which are also available on Boox devices. Some additional supplementary fonts are included as well. If these still don’t meet your needs, there is also a font import option, although at present it doesn’t seem possible to directly import fonts already downloaded locally.

    Beyond appearance, BooxReader offers a wide range of settings related to reading habits, allowing you to fine-tune the experience until it feels just right. Outside of reading, BooxReader also includes a text-to-speech feature. It supports multiple languages and offers different voices for each. When your hands or eyes are occupied, listening to a book can be a good alternative—provided you’re willing to spend a bit of time getting used to the machine’s flat, emotionless delivery.

    If you’re interested in BooxReader, you can download it from the Play Store or your phone’s built-in app marketplace and give it a try. The app is currently completely free to use.

    LiveGrab: Make Your Own Live Photos

    • Platform: iOS
    • Keywords: Live Photos

    @化学心情下2: Recently I came across a small utility app called LiveGrab. Its core features are extracting high-resolution still images from videos, and turning video clips into Live Photos.

    The app’s functionality is split into two parts: extracting HD photos and creating Live Photos. Extracting HD photos essentially means capturing specific frames from a video. You can choose the default preview album view, or tap the “Frame View” at the bottom to select frames. Personally, I prefer the frame view—it feels more like picking shots from a strip of photographic film.

    Once you’ve chosen a frame you like, simply tap Export in the bottom-right corner to share the extracted frame. You can save it to the system photo library, or send it to other devices or third-party apps for further editing.

    Creating a Live Photo works much like selecting a clip from a video. After choosing a video from your photo library, you can select a segment in the slicing window at the bottom. You can also drag the ends of the clip selection to adjust the range and duration. In the editing area above, you can control options such as whether to keep the audio and whether the clip should loop.

    You can download LiveGrab from the App Store.

    Desktop Composer: One-Click macOS Appearance Switching

    • Platform: macOS
    • Keywords: Desktop Themes

    @Snow: Desktop Composer is a theme-switching app for macOS. Unlike most similar apps that only change wallpapers and toggle light/dark mode, Desktop Composer lets you preset a wide range of appearance options within a theme—including wallpapers, system appearance, liquid glass effects, accent colors, icon styles, folder colors, and more. It even supports personalized theme color management for third-party apps such as Alfred and Bear.

    Desktop Composer divides its configuration into four columns. The first column is dedicated to wallpaper management. The app includes 23 built-in wallpapers across three categories—color blocks, solid colors, and gradients. You can also import custom wallpapers in advance based on these categories, making them easy to call up later when configuring themes.

    The second column focuses on system appearance adjustments. It covers most options found under “System Settings → Appearance,” including system appearance, liquid glass effects, accent colors, icon and widget styles, and folder colors. In this section, Desktop Composer also provides the Stage Manager toggle from “System Settings → Desktop & Dock,” along with various Dock-related settings. You can also choose whether to automatically hide the menu bar.

    The last two columns primarily serve third-party apps. Desktop Composer currently supports 10 apps, including Alfred, Bear, and Obsidian. If these apps are installed on your macOS system, you can customize their color schemes for the current theme under the Apps or Tools sections.

    Desktop Composer comes with nine built-in theme presets, and you can click the “+” button in the left sidebar to add new themes. After selecting a theme, simply click the activate button in the top-right corner of the configuration page to apply it instantly. The app also offers a menu bar shortcut: click the menu bar icon and select the desired theme from the pop-up window. If your daily work or study routine follows a relatively fixed schedule, you can set up timed automation in the app’s settings to switch themes automatically based on the time of day—useful both for adapting to different workflows and for avoiding being blinded by a light theme late at night.

    Desktop Composer is currently priced at $19.99 on the official website and offers a 30-day free trial. Since changing appearances is not a frequent need for most users and the app’s price is relatively high, it’s recommended to try it out first before deciding whether to purchase. Desktop Composer is also available on Setapp—if you’re already a Setapp subscriber, you can use it at no additional cost.

    App Brief

    ByteDance has released a new version of its video generation model, Seedance 2.0.

    After deepening AI integration, Windows 11 has faced considerable user skepticism. Recent reports suggest that Microsoft may scale back some AI feature expansion plans and refocus on improving the core user experience. Source

    Apple announced in a U.S. press release that the Xcode 26.3 update will introduce coding agents from OpenAI and Anthropic, enabling AI to directly manipulate code and execute tasks within Xcode.

  • SSPAI Morning Brief: Firefox Adds an AI Toggle, OpenAI Launches Codex Desktop App

    SSPAI Morning Brief: Firefox Adds an AI Toggle, OpenAI Launches Codex Desktop App

    Morning Brief

    1. Firefox introduces an AI feature toggle
    2. OpenAI launches the Codex desktop app
    3. Xbox PC client update integrates NetEase UU Accelerator
    4. Nintendo Switch family sales surpass 155 million units
    5. Crunchyroll announces across-the-board subscription price increases
    6. Rumors You Can Just Glance At

    Firefox introduces an AI feature toggle

    Mozilla announced on February 3 that it will offer Firefox users an option to disable all AI features. Starting with Firefox version 148, scheduled for release on February 24, users will be able to enable a “Block AI enhancements” option in settings. Once enabled, this will block AI-related pop-ups and prompts in the current version as well as in future updates. In addition, users can use the new AI control switches to manage individual AI features separately. Source

    OpenAI launches the Codex desktop app

    OpenAI announced on February 3 the release of a desktop Codex app for macOS, designed to help developers manage and coordinate multiple AI agents. The app supports parallel task execution, long-running projects, and intelligent automated workflows. Positioned as a developer’s “central command hub,” it connects workflows and tools through Skills, allows users to define scheduled automated tasks, and adapts to individual developers’ usage habits.

    Codex is included with existing Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Edu subscriptions, while Free and Go users are subject to certain rate limits. OpenAI also plans to release a Windows version of the Codex app in the future. Source

    Xbox PC client update integrates NetEase UU Accelerator

    Microsoft announced on February 3 that the Xbox PC client will now directly integrate the NetEase UU Accelerator. According to the official Xbox statement, this update is “based on a deep understanding of Chinese players’ gaming habits.” After launching the Xbox PC client, users can find the UU Accelerator under “My Apps.” It should be noted that using the NetEase UU Accelerator may require a UU membership. The service is provided by NetEase UU Accelerator and must be purchased separately. Microsoft does not sell, manage, or operate UU membership services, and bears no responsibility for any transactions, content, or services related to UU membership. Source

    Nintendo Switch family sales surpass 155 million units

    According to Nintendo’s latest financial report released on February 3, cumulative sales of the Switch family reached 155.37 million units as of December 31, 2025. This officially surpasses the 154.02 million units sold by the Nintendo DS, making the Switch the best-selling game console in Nintendo’s history. The second-generation console, Switch 2, delivered a strong performance during the holiday season, selling 7.01 million units in the quarter and 17.37 million units over the first three quarters of the fiscal year, and was described by Nintendo as “the fastest-selling dedicated gaming platform in the company’s history.”

    Driven by strong hardware and software sales, Nintendo reported revenue of ¥803.32 billion (approximately USD 5.2 billion) for the third quarter of fiscal year 2026, up 86% year over year, while profit rose 20% to ¥159.93 billion (approximately USD 1.03 billion). Source

    Crunchyroll announces across-the-board subscription price increases

    On February 2, Sony-owned anime streaming platform Crunchyroll announced a price increase for all membership tiers in the United States and select international markets. Each plan will see a USD 2 monthly increase. Following the adjustment, the Fan plan will cost USD 9.99 per month, the Mega Fan plan will rise to USD 13.99 (supporting streaming on up to four devices simultaneously and offline viewing), and the Ultimate Fan plan will increase to USD 17.99 (supporting up to six devices and including access to the manga library).

    As compensation, the Fan plan now adds offline downloads on a single device. The platform has also recently rolled out several feature updates, including multiple profile switching, parental control locks, and “skip intro/ending” options. The new prices take effect immediately for new users, while existing subscribers will be charged at the new rates starting with their first billing date after March 4, 2026. Source

    Rumors You Can Just Glance At

    • The Verge reports, citing court documents it obtained, that Google is developing a desktop operating system called Aluminium OS based on Android. The OS is expected to open testing to commercial partners in 2026, while the full official release aimed at enterprise and education users has been delayed until 2028. Affected by existing Chromebook hardware compatibility limitations and Google’s promised ten-year support period, the current ChromeOS will enter a gradual phase-out, with plans to be officially discontinued in 2034. Source
    • Detailed specifications and official renders of the Sony WF-1000XM6 were accidentally leaked on the website of Thai retailer Power Buy. According to the leaked information, the WF-1000XM6 features a fully matte finish, with significant changes to the earbud design, while the charging case adopts a more angular, faceted shape. Based on information from Dealabs and retailers, the earbuds are scheduled to open for pre-orders on February 12, 2026, with official shipments beginning on February 23. The expected U.S. price is USD 329.99. Source
  • Best New Apps to Try: PReview’s Latest Recommendations

    Best New Apps to Try: PReview’s Latest Recommendations

    OpenClaw: A Personal Digital Assistant AI Tool

    • Platform: macOS / Windows / Linux
    • Keywords: AI, Personal Assistant

    @Vanilla: Over the past week, the locally self-deployed AI tool OpenClaw (originally named Clawdbot, later renamed Moltbot) has truly taken over timelines, even sparking a small wave of Mac mini purchases. Unlike traditional chatbots, OpenClaw’s biggest strengths lie in three areas: controllable privacy, freedom of model choice, and convenient invocation.

    In this installment of PReview, I don’t want to dwell on dry parameters or technical principles. Instead, I’d rather talk about what OpenClaw actually is—and what it can do for your digital life.

    OpenClaw is neither a simple large language model nor a plain coding CLI. It is, in essence, a local “digital life hub.” It integrates a modular architecture including Model, Agent, Skill, and MCP, and achieves cross-platform access and asynchronous scheduling through a Gateway that resides on a Mac mini or a server. No matter where you are, you can interact with it in real time through various instant messaging tools.

    At the same time, all memories, file indexes, and personal habits generated within OpenClaw are stored in your own local workspace (such as Memory.md, index databases, and Skills scripts). According to the official claims, you retain full control over your data sovereignty, with no need to worry about privacy leaks.

    If you happen to own a Mac mini, that’s naturally the best option—it effectively gives you a low-power personal server running 24/7, with seamless access to Apple-ecosystem-related Skills. If you don’t have a Mac mini, there’s no need to buy one specifically: cloud providers like Tencent Cloud, Alibaba Cloud, Cloudflare, and DigitalOcean all offer OpenClaw-specific server images, making one-click deployment extremely convenient.

    Next, I’d like to share two real-world use cases from my recent experience with OpenClaw.

    In the past, doing Vibe Coding usually meant sitting in front of desktop clients like Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, or Antigravity. Now, I simply send instructions to a bot via a chat app on my phone, and OpenClaw automatically handles all the logic writing and debugging on the server side, returning the results in real time.

    For example, I recently switched my primary iPhone input method to “Cang Input,” but wasn’t satisfied with its default skin. I took an existing hskin theme file and dropped it directly to the bot, asking it to precisely tweak the skin code based on my aesthetic preferences and typing habits. Once the adjustments were done, I imported the generated skin file directly on my phone—the entire process without touching a computer keyboard.

    I’ve also created a personal knowledge base locally on my computer, complete with source files, indexes, and management scripts. Through OpenClaw, I can issue commands to this knowledge base remotely—whether it’s syncing newly added file indexes or invoking Python for deep full-text search, analysis, or even assisted writing, all of it can be done instantly from a mobile device. This way, I get the comprehension power of large models without uploading my private database to cloud services, truly achieving “data stays local, compute goes with you.”

    For now, I’ll stop here with the introduction to OpenClaw. I plan to write a more in-depth article later to explore it in greater detail. In my view, OpenClaw’s greatest success isn’t some revolutionary technological breakthrough, but rather how precisely it captures real user needs—vastly expanding the boundaries of AI usage through its Gateway and Channels.

    While there is still ongoing discussion around its local control permissions and privacy boundaries, it’s hard to deny that the world depicted in the film Her feels closer than ever. And OpenClaw might just be the first truly handy tool to help you build your own version of “Samantha.”

    Celestia: A Universe Database You Can Freely Roam

    • Platform: iOS / iPadOS / macOS / Android / Windows
    • Keywords: Universe, Science Education

    @大大大K: When it comes to “star map” tools, most of us probably think of apps like Stellarium. That said, Stellarium focuses more on observing the night sky from Earth’s perspective, and the sense of scale at a truly cosmic level can feel a bit limited. If what you want instead is the experience of freely roaming through space and landing on planets, then Celestia is well worth a try.

    In fact, Celestia is far from a newcomer—its initial release even predates Stellarium, with mobile apps arriving around 2020. As an open-source project, it never achieved the same level of mainstream recognition as Stellarium. I only discovered Celestia recently, after being inundated with space-related short videos and wanting a more “immersive” experience.

    What sets Celestia apart is that it doesn’t just let you observe the universe—it lets you move through it freely. By default, Celestia locks the view onto a celestial body itself, and swiping the screen allows you to view it from different angles. Switch from the “Object” perspective to “Camera” mode in the toolbar, and you can observe the universe in a full 360 degrees centered on your current position (though most of the time, all you’ll see is darkness). If you spot a celestial object that catches your interest, simply long-press on it to bring up a menu and select “Go To,” and Celestia will whisk you at light speed to hover above it.

    Even better, Celestia offers a wealth of deeply immersive features. Take the time control function in the menu, for example: it allows you to observe changes in celestial bodies across different time scales at any speed you choose. Using the “Lambda Aurigae binary system” that I stumbled upon by chance as an example—when I cranked up the time flow to extreme speeds, I could see the two bodies performing a kind of cosmic “waltz” in space. That, in turn, sparked my curiosity about this special type of system, leading me to learn that “Castor” and the famous “Sirius” are also similar binary systems.

    Beyond that, thanks to the power of the open-source community, Celestia supports a highly extensible plugin system. Whether it’s real-world spacecraft, higher-resolution nebulae and galaxy packs, or even fictional celestial bodies and spacecraft from works like 2001: A Space Odyssey and Star Trek, all of these can be loaded into Celestia. Hardcore sci-fi fans can even install script plugins and treat Celestia as a sandbox game set in space.

    Overall, while Celestia may not boast a flashy UI, it offers extremely robust functionality and impressive depth. Whether you use it as a pocket science education tool or as a way to spark children’s interest in space exploration, it’s an excellent choice.

    Celestia also supports a remarkably wide range of devices and platforms. On desktop, it runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux and can be downloaded from the official website, though the source code itself hasn’t seen updates for many years. On mobile, it supports Android, iOS, and even visionOS, and is still actively updated as of 2026. You can download it from the official website, Google Play, the App Store, and F-Droid.

    Halide Mark III: A New Approach to Photographic Style

    • Platform: iOS / iPadOS
    • Keywords: Camera, Style Photography

    @ElijahLee: The renowned mobile photography app Halide has released a public preview of Mark III, introducing a new image style system called Looks. Looks are not simple color filters; instead, they are stylistic processing methods embedded directly into the act of shooting. Unlike traditional preset filters, they capture and process the image algorithmically at the moment of exposure.

    After downloading the latest version of Halide from the App Store, open the app and tap the new “③” button on the screen to switch to Mark III. The app currently offers two Looks: Process Zero II and the black-and-white film style Chroma Noir.

    Process Zero II is an upgraded version of the original Process Zero. During capture, it disables all computational photography features, resulting in images with stronger contrast, finer detail, and a more natural overall look. The upgrade adds HDR support, improving performance in high-contrast scenes such as sunsets and vivid color environments, and it can also be used in conjunction with ProRAW. Of course, if you ultimately feel that HDR isn’t right for you, it can be turned off in Settings → Looks.

    Mark III can also apply Process Zero II to ProRAW files, preserving both the flexibility of Apple ProRAW and the natural rendering of Process Zero. If you don’t want to completely eliminate the influence of computational photography, Mark III includes a Tone Fusion slider for this exact need. It allows you to adjust highlights and shadows, restoring detail in bright and dark areas.

    Chroma Noir is a moderately high-contrast black-and-white film look designed to more faithfully simulate film characteristics. The team emphasizes that it’s not just about tonal adjustment—it also incorporates physical effects such as enhanced halation, using real-world light values to build its imaging engine.

    Finally, Halide is experimenting with bringing HDR support to film simulation. Traditional film, despite its centuries-long history, has been constrained by the low dynamic range of print media, making it incapable of truly representing high dynamic range imagery. If film aesthetics don’t appeal to you but you still enjoy black-and-white photography, you can disable film simulation in the app’s settings.

    Halide Mark III is expected to officially launch in the summer. What’s currently available is a public preview that can be accessed via an in-app toggle, with incomplete features and a limited selection of Looks. More carefully designed Looks will be added in the future. You can download Halide for free from the App Store, but experiencing Mark III requires a paid subscription: ¥68 per month, ¥148 per year, or ¥398 for a lifetime license.

    Escape Launcher: A Minimalist Home Screen to Help You Escape Your Phone

    • Platform: Android
    • Keywords: Home Screen, Launcher

    @Peggy_: Many years ago, the Android ecosystem was a vibrant landscape of diverse apps. Even within the niche of third-party launchers, there was no shortage of well-known options like Nova Launcher and Lawnchair. As Android has gradually matured and refined its own system features, however, many of these third-party launchers have faded away. In contrast, a new wave of minimalist third-party launchers—built around design philosophies entirely different from stock Android—has begun to flourish.

    Escape Launcher is one such app. Its developer has been quietly updating it for over a year now. Through a series of deliberate design choices, Escape Launcher maintains minimalism in both form and function. Visually, its main screen contains nothing but a text-based list of apps. Swiping right brings up phone-wide and per-app usage statistics, while swiping left reveals the full list of installed apps.

    The apps shown on Escape Launcher’s home screen are entirely user-defined. On first launch, you’re asked to select a set of essential apps to appear on the home screen, and you can add or remove apps later via settings. Other customizable options are limited to whether the time and date are displayed, and the size and style of the time. As for widgets, testing shows that Escape Launcher only supports displaying a single widget above the app list on the home screen—minimalism taken to an almost frugal extreme. Adding a widget also tends to hurt the visual balance, so it’s probably best to skip widgets altogether.

    On the usage statistics screen, Escape Launcher shows your total phone usage for the day, what percentage of the day that usage represents, and whether it exceeds the app’s recommended limit. The main panel then breaks things down by individual app, using red and green arrows to clearly indicate whether usage has increased or decreased compared to the previous day. To further reduce screen time, Escape Launcher also includes an app countdown feature: when enabled, a selected app will display a countdown every time you open it, and only launch once the timer finishes.

    In the app list view, while I understand the good intentions behind minimalist launchers avoiding icons altogether, searching for apps in a wall of text undeniably adds friction for users. Fortunately, Escape Launcher puts real thought into lowering that barrier. A prominent search bar makes manual searching easy, and if even tapping that feels like too much, you can enable “auto-start search” in settings. With this turned on, every swipe to the app list immediately brings up the keyboard, allowing you to type and launch apps almost instantly.

    Overall, Escape Launcher’s design is clean and restrained, with built-in color themes that are easy on the eyes. Customization options are limited, but the details are thoughtfully handled—for example, long-pressing anywhere opens settings, tapping the clock jumps straight to the system clock app, and tapping the date opens your default calendar. If you’re looking for both a third-party launcher and app usage tracking in one place, Escape Launcher is well worth considering.

    Escape Launcher is open source and completely free. You can download and try it via F-Droid.

    Posturr: A Posture-Reminder Utility for Mac

    • Platform: macOS
    • Keywords: Posture Reminder

    @化学心情下2: Perhaps because I’m fairly tall, I often find myself unconsciously hunching forward when using a computer. After years of this habit, it’s taken a toll on my neck. So the question becomes: is there a way to constantly nudge myself into maintaining proper posture while working at my desk?

    Posturr is a small utility I recently discovered on GitHub that does exactly that—reminding you to sit properly while using your computer. The idea behind it is fairly simple: using Apple’s Vision framework, Posturr accesses your device’s camera to detect your posture. When you start slouching or bending forward, it immediately blurs the screen so you can’t see anything clearly. Only when you straighten up and sit properly does the screen return to normal.

    On first launch, Posturr walks you through a visual calibration process for your posture. You just need to follow the on-screen instructions: when a focus point appears in one corner of the full-screen black calibration page, look at the screen and press the spacebar to complete the setup.

    After that, Posturr minimizes itself to the menu bar and begins monitoring via the camera. When your posture starts to slip or you hunch forward, not only does the screen content instantly blur, but the Posturr menu bar icon also changes—from a “standing figure” to a “slipping figure”—as a clear reminder that your posture is off. If you don’t sit up straight, you won’t be able to see the screen properly. In practice, this pushed me to sit more upright just so I could see what I was doing. While it’s admittedly less comfortable than slouching forward with my neck stretched out, it feels well worth it when I think about my long-term health.

    In the settings, you can also fine-tune a number of options. For the blur effect, in addition to the default Blur, you can choose Vignette (where the screen gradually darkens) or Border (where the screen edges change color). You can also enable options like automatically pausing the blur when you step away, or when your laptop display becomes the only active screen—adding a bit more flexibility and personalization.

    There’s also a statistics section that shows roughly what percentage of your total computer usage time was spent with incorrect posture while detection was enabled.

    Overall, Posturr has been extremely useful for someone like me who already struggles with poor posture. This kind of strong, enforced feedback helps me gradually break the habit of slouching and craning my neck while using a computer. If you’re like me and tend to sit poorly when working on a Mac, this is definitely a tool worth trying. You can download and install Posturr for free from its GitHub page.

    Sidebar Calendar: A Sidebar Calendar Widget

    • Platform: macOS
    • Keywords: Calendar, Widget

    @Snow: Sidebar Calendar is a desktop widget app that brings your schedule to the edge of the screen for constant visibility. Whether you’re overwhelmed by a packed workload or hopping from one online meeting to another, simply turning on your screen ensures you won’t miss important events.

    Unlike typical apps that live in the menu bar or appear as desktop widgets, Sidebar Calendar places your schedule along the left or right edge of the screen. No matter what’s currently on display, clicking the corresponding screen edge reveals a vertically arranged, hour-by-hour agenda for the day, sliding out from the sidebar. From here, you can view or edit events directly, or quickly create new ones by click-dragging to select a time range. To provide clearer reminders, the app also shows explicit text prompts in the menu bar while an event is in progress.

    Right-click within the agenda to open the settings panel, and enable “Settings – Display Reminders” to manage your to-dos for the day directly in the schedule view. The app automatically pulls relevant items from the system Reminders. Double-clicking an empty spot on the timeline lets you quickly add a to-do with the selected time set as its deadline.

    In the app’s settings, beyond toggling whether to display to-dos, you can customize theme colors, time formats, hide/show behavior, interface width, keyboard shortcuts, and more. For better schedule awareness, I recommend enabling “Settings – Collapsed Calendar” and “Time Indicator.” The former condenses your events into semi-transparent colored bars pinned to the screen edge, while the latter adds a red time line to clearly show the current moment. Used together, a quick glance at your screen is enough to understand your schedule’s progress and what’s already been completed—helping you avoid missing important tasks.

    Sidebar Calendar is currently priced at ¥38 and is available for download on the App Store.

    App News

    Google has recently and unexpectedly leaked a preview of the interface for Aluminium OS, a new desktop operating system based on Android and ChromeOS. The preview showcases a multi-window environment and a taskbar-style interface. The system is reportedly expected to see an official release in 2026. Source

  • SSPAI App Picks: Must-Try Apps This Month

    SSPAI App Picks: Must-Try Apps This Month

    TabTab: A Feature-Enhanced Window Switcher

    • Platform: macOS
    • Keywords: window switching, tab switching

    @ElijahLee: TabTab is a window switcher designed specifically for macOS. It is similar to macOS’s native ⌘ Command + Tab feature, but more powerful. In addition to switching between application windows, TabTab can also switch browser tabs and tabs within certain apps, helping you quickly locate your target among multiple windows and tabs and improve multitasking efficiency.

    First is the window-switching feature. To distinguish itself from the system’s default shortcut, TabTab uses ⌥ Option + Tab to trigger window switching. Its switcher interface is displayed in a vertical layout, and the app offers three positioning options: docked to the left edge of the screen, the right edge, or centered, which users can choose freely. Holding down the shortcut cycles through app icons, and releasing it switches to the selected window, consistent with the native behavior. For users accustomed to the default shortcut, the app can also be configured to use ⌘ Command + Tab to replace the system’s built-in function.

    TabTab supports search. Using the shortcut Shift + Command + L brings up the switcher window and activates search. By typing keywords, you can search across app names, window contents, and more. It supports searching by app name, window title, tab title, and even URL.

    Based on this, TabTab also supports tab switching. For applications that support tabs—such as browsers (Safari, Google Chrome, Arc, etc.), development tools (VS Code, Xcode, Cursor, etc.), system apps (Finder, Terminal, etc.), as well as apps like Notion and Figma—it allows you to search directly for content, locate the corresponding tab, and switch to it. This is faster and more precise than macOS’s native switching. However, based on my brief testing, the search function is basically unusable on systems set to Chinese.

    TabTab emphasizes an experience close to native macOS usage. Its interface is clean, performance is lightweight, memory usage is extremely low, and everything runs locally. In the settings, the app also provides various customization options. The mouse-trigger feature is disabled by default; when enabled, moving the cursor to the edge of the screen will bring up the switcher. The tab-group feature is enabled by default; disabling it will list all tabs individually. You can also set a blacklist for specific apps to prevent them from being included in window or tab switching.

    You can download TabTab for free from its official website. The free version supports switching between only five windows and tabs, and search is also limited to five windows and tabs. The paid version unlocks all features, including unlimited windows and tabs and full search functionality. Pricing is based on the number of devices activated: USD 15.19 for one device, USD 19.99 for two devices, and USD 26.39 for three devices. It is a one-time purchase with lifetime access.

    KashCal: Syncing Your Calendar with iCloud on Android

    • Platform: Android
    • Keywords: calendar sync

    @Peggy_: For many users who use both iOS and Android devices, keeping data in sync has always been a headache. As a syncing solution deeply rooted in Apple’s ecosystem, iCloud can be said to be almost unbeatable within that ecosystem.

    However, for various reasons, I first used a Google account as my primary account, then later switched to Outlook because of syncing issues. After all that back and forth, calendar syncing—something that was never a problem before—has now become one. At present, I mainly use Apple products, and while iCloud’s syncing is far from perfect, it is indeed the most convenient option. So I started thinking about migrating my data again. Around that time, I came across a calendar app that can sync iCloud account data on Android: KashCal.

    As a calendar app, KashCal claims to prioritize privacy, so it can be used completely offline. However, doing so means giving up syncing, making the data visible on only a single device—something most of us probably don’t need from a fully offline local calendar app.

    When it comes to data syncing, KashCal says it has implemented multiple security measures. It does not analyze user data, and its codebase is open source, which means anyone can audit the code to help ensure security. As its killer feature, KashCal allows you to use your iCloud account as the syncing account.

    Open the app’s settings, and you can choose to sign in to iCloud. On this screen, you need to enter your Apple ID and generate an app-specific password online exclusively for this application. The app provides detailed instructions on how to generate this password on the login page. This way, you don’t have to worry about your main Apple ID password being exposed. Once logged in, you can use your iCloud account to sync calendar events across devices.

    Of course, KashCal also includes the basic features found in other calendar apps. For example, you can subscribe to calendars to bring in calendars from other accounts or even shared calendars created by other people. You can also import local calendar files in .ics format, or export the calendar data from within the app.

    If you want to use your iCloud account to sync schedules across both iOS and Android devices, there are currently not many options available. KashCal may be one of the more hassle-free solutions you can find right now. You can download and try KashCal via F-Droid. The app is open source and completely free to use.

    aShell You: An ADB Command Tool with Material You Design

    Platform: Android
    Keywords: command-line tool, ADB

    @大大大K: The fun of tinkering with Android is not just about installing countless apps. A deeper level of play lies in using ADB commands to query system outputs and parameters. In the past, using ADB usually meant connecting to a computer. Later, a number of apps emerged that made it possible to run ADB commands locally through various methods—one of which is the aShell You app introduced here.

    Unlike the “clunky and utilitarian” command-line tools people might be used to, aShell You adopts a Material You design. Its interface is not only modern and visually appealing, but also supports dynamic theme colors and linear motor haptic feedback. Even the gear icon on the settings page has an animation, giving the whole app a very polished feel.

    In terms of functionality, aShell You supports three ADB debugging modes. If you want to run higher-privilege commands directly on the local device, you must execute them via Root or Shizuku. Given that rooting phones has become increasingly impractical in recent years, Shizuku is probably the simplest and most straightforward option. Alternatively, you can connect to the current device via wireless ADB debugging, similar to how Shizuku is activated. aShell You also supports connecting to other Android devices via wireless debugging and OTG mode, making its usage highly flexible.

    In practice, however, aside from professional developers, even Android enthusiasts with some technical background are unlikely to remember so many ADB commands. To address this, aShell You has many of them built in. Tap the button to the right of the input box to view and search preset commands. For each command, the app thoughtfully adds attribute tags, such as whether it accesses a file or a directory, or whether it is a system command.

    For your own frequently used custom commands, in addition to adding them to the preset list, you can also bookmark them for easier access. If you use many custom commands, it’s recommended to save them as bookmarks to avoid mixing them up with the built-in presets.

    ADB command functionality is already included in many all-in-one system utility apps, but few do it with this level of refinement and attention to detail. If you’d like to try this convenient tool, aShell You is available for free on GitHub and F-Droid.

    Lexibird: An All-Around AI-Powered Translation Tool

    AI-based applications have been booming over the past year or two, and translation tools are one of the most important categories among them. However, few products truly integrate language translation with language learning. The tool introduced today, called Lexibird, is more like a comprehensive AI toolkit designed to help users learn languages more effectively.

    In addition to the text translation features commonly found in translation apps, Lexibird also bundles a series of tools useful for language learning, including a built-in dictionary, text-to-speech, writing tools, and transcription. Take text and image translation as examples: compared with web-based translators that we often use, I personally encounter far more situations where I need to translate local documents.

    When I want to check the meaning of a paragraph of English or another language in a document, I used to open Google Translate and copy and paste the text. Lexibird solves this pain point: I only need to copy the text into the app’s translation dialog box to get the result instantly. What’s more, I can choose different types of large language models to make the translation sound more “human.”

    Beyond text translation, Lexibird also supports image OCR translation and voice translation. For images, you simply upload the file, and Lexibird will first perform OCR recognition and then translate it into your target language. As for audio translation, you can upload an audio clip and have it converted and translated into the desired language, which is especially useful for work scenarios that involve speech transcription.

    Another highly practical feature of Lexibird is its writing tools, which are particularly useful for people working in publishing, journalism, or self-media. For example, if I need to adjust the style of a piece of English news text, I can open the “Rewrite” option, paste the text directly, and wait for the model to analyze and rewrite it. For more fragmented content such as meeting minutes or communication records, the “Summarize” function can be used to extract key points. And for content you’ve already written, you can use “Proofread” to check and correct it.

    The final feature, in my view, is even more helpful for language learning: the dictionary. If you encounter a word you don’t understand at all during your studies, you can look it up to see its meaning, example sentences, and translations, helping you quickly grasp how the word is used.

    Overall, Lexibird covers most of the scenarios involving language translation and learning that we encounter in both work and daily life. With AI, tasks that used to be time-consuming—such as transcription, organization, and proofreading—become much easier. In terms of pricing, the free basic version provides 100,000 AI credits per month along with full access to features like text translation and transcription. You can also purchase a Pro subscription to get more credits or use more advanced AI models. You can download the desktop client from the official website or use the web version directly, and you can also pair it with a browser extension for better translation while browsing the web.

    Halo: Can AI Really Help You Build Better Habits?

    • Platform: iOS
    • Keywords: habit building

    As one of the evergreen categories on the App Store, habit-tracking apps should be familiar to almost everyone. SSPAI has also published detailed reviews and comparisons of various popular habit apps in previous articles. With the arrival of the AI era, habit-building apps have naturally entered a phase of “upgrading and transformation.” Halo is one such app. It comes from the developer of the well-known read-it-later tool Matter and adds an AI assistant on top of traditional habit-tracking features, aiming to help users cultivate habits more effectively.

    When you open Halo for the first time, the app guides you to create a habit you want to build. Most habits can automatically pull data from system APIs such as HealthKit and Screen Time to complete check-ins automatically. This is nothing new—veteran habit apps like Streaks have been doing this for years. Tap the plus button in the top-right corner to add new habits. Halo provides many built-in templates you can use directly, and of course you can also create custom habits based on your needs. For each habit, you can freely adjust the check-in frequency, reminder method, and detailed goals.

    After completing a habit for three consecutive days via the app or home screen widgets, you unlock Halo’s Progress and Toolkit sections. As the names suggest, the Progress page shows each habit’s development score and duration, while the Toolkit page offers a collection of video tutorials about habit building. Halo categorizes and organizes these YouTube videos to help you acquire relevant knowledge and build habits more effectively.

    Naturally, the most eye-catching feature is Halo’s AI Coach. However, Halo’s AI functionality is not built directly into the app. Instead, it provides an entry point to the Messages app, where all interactions take place. Before starting a conversation with the Coach, you need to add Halo as a contact, verify your phone number, and then communicate with the Coach via SMS. The AI Coach provides personalized advice based on your habit-building progress.

    If you have a strong need for a habit-tracking app, Halo is worth trying. Its basic features are free to use, and its overall design and interaction are quite polished. As for the AI Coach, however, it feels more like a gimmick—the annual subscription price of RMB 398 is hard to justify.

    WidgetWall: A “Wall” of Desktop Widgets for macOS

    • Platform: macOS
    • Keywords: widgets

    @Snow: Since macOS Sonoma introduced support for desktop widgets, the macOS desktop—long overlooked—has returned to users’ attention. Unlike the “Swiss Army knife” widget apps on iOS, which let standalone widgets of different sizes blend into the native home screen layout and truly shine, similar apps on macOS—such as DeskWidgets or Widgetify—mostly adopt the approach of creating a new “desktop overlay.” It’s like a transparent glass wall attached to your desktop, on which you can freely arrange built-in widgets. WidgetWall, which we introduced previously, has recently added multiple style options and new widget choices in its latest update, so it’s worth revisiting.

    The current version of WidgetWall includes 29 functional widgets. Common tools such as clocks, timers, photos, calculators, and music controls are all there, along with some widgets designed to boost your work (or “slacking-off”) efficiency. The app provides a web browser widget that supports layouts up to 2×4 and 4×2, adapting well to both landscape and portrait screens. You can “pin” any webpage to your desktop for quick viewing. On top of that, it comes pre-optimized for TikTok and Pinterest—after logging in, you can start scrolling short videos and image feeds right away.

    WidgetWall is also one of the few apps that supports video widgets. You can play specified video files or videos from the system photo library, and it even supports playing Live Photos as videos on the desktop. The video widget offers basic playback controls such as a progress bar and play/pause, as well as adjustable size and volume, making it a very practical video preview tool.

    Pomodoro timers and white noise have both been proven to help improve focus. If you don’t yet have tools you’re satisfied with in these areas, you can make do with the built-in widgets here.

    Beyond productivity, WidgetWall also includes some widgets with a strong sense of ritual. One example is the nostalgia-filled iPod widget. Functionally it’s just a simple music player, but its four size options mimic several generations of classic products like the iPod shuffle and iPod nano. Long-buried memories start flooding back.

    If you’ve just finished writing a piece of code or completing a proposal, you can enable the built-in confetti widget and treat yourself to an explosion of colorful paper as a burst of positive energy. And if confetti alone isn’t enough to brighten your dull workday, you can also use the built-in sticker tool to further decorate your desktop and add a bit more fun.

    WidgetWall’s desktop overlay is adapted to the grid size of macOS native widgets, so you can either use it on its own with freely arranged widgets or combine its grid with native widgets. Unfortunately, WidgetWall does not currently support automatically changing colors based on desktop activity. Even though it supports light and dark modes and offers four levels of adjustable widget materials, there is still some visual mismatch when used alongside native widgets.

    The app includes an in-app “Pro” upgrade that unlocks all widgets and stickers. You can subscribe for RMB 15 per month or RMB 148 per year, or make a one-time purchase of RMB 298 for lifetime access. If you are a Setapp subscriber, you can use the Pro version for free.

    You can download WidgetWall for free from the App Store.

    App Brief

    • Dozens of iOS apps have been found by security agencies to contain serious vulnerabilities that could lead to the leakage of sensitive information such as chat records, user IDs, and contact details. Most of these apps are related to AI technologies or categories. Source
    • A cooperation agreement worth USD 800 million between Epic Games and Google has come under court review. The deal involves licensing of Unreal Engine technology and joint promotion efforts. The court’s focus is on whether the transaction could affect Epic’s stance on the Android app ecosystem and its antitrust claims. Source
  • SSPAI Morning Brief: Honor Launches Magic8 Pro Air and More

    SSPAI Morning Brief: Honor Launches Magic8 Pro Air and More

    Morning Brief

    1. Honor releases new models including the Magic8 Pro Air
    2. Anker and Feishu jointly launch the Anker AI Voice Recorder Buds
    3. Xiaohongshu rolls out Community Guidelines 2.0
    4. ASUS stops releasing new smartphones
    5. Rumors You Can Just Glance At

    Honor releases new models including the Magic8 Pro Air

    On January 19, Honor held a product launch event, unveiling new devices including the Honor Magic8 Pro Air, Honor Magic8 RSR, and the Honor 500 Pro MOLLY 20th Anniversary Limited Edition.

    The Honor Magic8 Pro Air is powered by the Dimensity 9500 processor and features a 6.31-inch Honor Oasis Eye-Care display. It measures 71.9 mm in width, just 6.1 mm in thickness, and weighs 155 g. The rear camera setup includes three cameras: a 50-MP 1/1.3-inch f/1.6 main camera with a 23 mm equivalent focal length and OIS support; a 50-MP f/2.2 ultra-wide camera; and a 64-MP periscope telephoto camera with 3.2× optical zoom, f/2.6 aperture, and OIS support. It also includes a color temperature sensor and a flicker sensor. The phone is equipped with a 5,500 mAh battery and supports IP68 and IP69 dust and water resistance. It supports eSIM and has dual physical SIM card slots. Color options include Light Orange, Fairy Purple, Feather White, and Shadow Black. Pricing ranges from RMB 4,999 (12 GB + 256 GB) to RMB 5,999 (16 GB + 1 TB), with an additional RMB 500 discount available through government subsidies.

    The Honor Magic8 RSR is a co-branded model created in collaboration with Porsche Design. It features an ultra-microcrystalline nano-ceramic body and has largely the same overall configuration as the Magic8 Pro, powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset. The Magic8 RSR supports Honor’s Hongyan dual-satellite communication (Tiantong satellite calling and BeiDou satellite messaging) and offers an optional professional imaging kit. It is available in Moonstone and Slate Gray, priced at RMB 7,999 (16 GB + 512 GB) and RMB 8,999 (24 GB + 1 TB).

    The Honor 500 Pro MOLLY 20th Anniversary Limited Edition is a collaboration with POP MART and comes with an exclusive gift box containing various themed accessories. It is priced at RMB 4,499 (16 GB + 512 GB). Source

    Anker and Feishu jointly launch the Anker AI Voice Recorder Buds

    On January 19, Anker announced via its official WeChat account that it has partnered with Feishu to introduce a new form-factor hardware product—the Anker AI Recording Bean. The device weighs just 10 grams, roughly the size of a broad bean, and features a dual MEMS microphone array. With the charging case included, the total weight is about 48 grams. It supports both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi transmission modes, offers up to 8 hours of battery life on its own, and up to 32 hours when used with the charging case. The product focuses on unobtrusive wearability and instant recording, supporting AI-powered visual real-time summaries, multilingual transcription and translation, and the generation of illustrated “fishbone diagrams” that can turn messy discussions into clear conclusions and to-do lists. It also supports one-tap syncing of recording summaries to Feishu multi-dimensional spreadsheets, where quality checks and analysis can be completed automatically based on user-defined rules. The hardware is now available on JD.com, priced at RMB 899. Source

    Xiaohongshu rolls out Community Guidelines 2.0

    On January 19, Xiaohongshu rolled out Community Guidelines 2.0, which merge the previous Community Guidelines and Community Business Guidelines into a single framework with three sections: sincere sharing, friendly interaction, and orderly operations. In the “sincere sharing” section, Xiaohongshu calls on users to proactively disclose the use of AI-assisted tools, avoid creating false personas, and refrain from flaunting consumption levels far beyond those of ordinary people. The “friendly interaction” section requires users not to maliciously speculate about the motives of content creators, to engage in rational dialogue, and to avoid posting inflammatory remarks or making unfounded accusations against others. The “orderly operations” section prohibits marketing practices such as posing as ordinary users or manipulating reviews, as well as the abuse of the reporting mechanism. Source

    Rumors You Can Just Glance At

    • According to foreign media outlet Windows Central, Microsoft is introducing an “ad-supported model” to Xbox Cloud Gaming. This would allow users who have purchased digital Xbox games but are not subscribed to Xbox Game Pass to play cloud games for free by “watching ads.” In cloud computing, “idle computing power” is one of the most expensive forms of waste. By rolling out an ad-supported Xbox Cloud Gaming service, Microsoft could increase Azure server utilization during low-demand periods, while also providing stronger commercial justification for the continued expansion of its data centers, as cloud and AI become core parts of the company’s strategy. Source
    • There are rumors that the Google Pixel 10a will be announced on February 18 and go on sale on March 5. The device is said to feature 8 GB of RAM, with overall specifications largely similar to the Pixel 9a, and a starting price of EUR 549. Source
    • Matthew Forsyth, Director of Developer Experience Product Management and Chief Product Evangelist for the Google Play Store, said on X that Android’s app sideloading process will add extra steps to ensure users fully understand the risks of installing apps from unverified developers. However, advanced users will still be able to choose “skip verification and install directly,” and sideloading will not be restricted. This explanation is largely consistent with what has been observed in recent versions of the Google Play Store: while new warning messages pop up emphasizing developer verification requirements, the need for an internet connection, and potential risks, users are still allowed to proceed with installation. Source
    • Apple’s U.S. website shows tightening supply of M4 Pro / Max MacBook Pro models, with delivery dates pushed back to after February 6. Custom configurations of the 14-inch MacBook Pro with a 16-core M4 Max chip and 128 GB of memory are now scheduled for delivery as late as March 17. Combined with earlier rumors—and considering that Apple often extends shipping times for current models ahead of new product launches—this may indicate that the M5 Pro / Max MacBook Pro lineup will quietly appear on Apple’s website on January 28. Source
    • According to insiders, Xiaomi’s second-generation in-house SoC, Xuanjie O2, may adopt TSMC’s N3P process (third-generation 3 nm) rather than the company’s latest 2 nm node. Xiaomi is also planning to apply the Xuanjie O2 to “non-smartphone” products to further expand the use of its self-developed chips, including tablets, cars, and computers—starting with tablets, followed by PCs and vehicles. Source
    • According to TechCrunch, Meta’s social platform Threads has surpassed X in mobile daily active users, reaching 141.5 million, compared to X’s 125 million. Source
    • Bungie, a studio under Sony, has announced that its new shooter Marathon (also known as Lost Starship: Marathon) will launch on March 5 at a price of USD 39.99, and will be released simultaneously on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5. Source
    • Zootopia 2 has surpassed Inside Out 2 at the box office, reaching USD 1.703 billion, becoming the highest-grossing Hollywood animated film of all time and ranking ninth in global box office history. Source
  • SSPAI Review | Apps Worth Watching Recently

    SSPAI Review | Apps Worth Watching Recently

    Welcome to this episode of SSPAI Review. You can use the table of contents to quickly jump to the sections you’re interested in. If you’ve discovered other apps worth checking out, or topics you’d like us to cover, feel free to join the discussion in the comments.

    Focast: A High-Fidelity Ambient Sound App for Focus

    • Platform: macOS
    • Keywords: white noise, focus timer

    @ElijahLee: Focast is a focus app developed specifically for macOS. It offers a rich collection of high-fidelity natural ambient sounds combined with focus timers, helping you enter a concentrated state while studying, working, or reading.

    One of Focast’s biggest highlights is its library of more than 90 high-quality ambient sounds, including rain, ocean waves, forests, campfires, birdsong, and other natural soundscapes. Beyond these common options, the app also features many unique everyday ambience recordings, such as ducks quacking, the sound of whisking eggs, or footsteps walking through thick snow. All sounds are recorded on location by sound artists and can loop seamlessly without breaks, allowing you to quickly immerse yourself and stay focused while listening.

    Unlike typical white-noise apps, another distinctive feature of Focast is its mixing (Mix) function. For the built-in ambient sounds, the app offers two modes. Solo Mode allows you to play only one sound at a time, while Mix Mode lets you layer multiple tracks together—for example, rainforest (raindrops hitting leaves), birdsong (distant chirping), and backyard ambience (insects and birds at night). By combining different sounds, you can create rich, realistic soundscapes that recreate scenes from the real world. In Mix Mode, you can also save your favorite combinations for one-click playback later.

    In addition to mixing its own ambient sounds, Focast supports playing alongside Apple Music, Spotify, or YouTube. The app overlays the ambient sounds in the background and allows you to control their volume independently.

    With Focast, you can freely create focus and break sessions. The app provides default timers of 10, 25, 40, and 60 minutes, and also supports custom durations. You can start sessions quickly using keyboard shortcuts. Once a focus timer begins, the menu bar icon displays a visual countdown, making it easy to keep track of your session. When the timer ends, Focast plays a gentle notification sound to signal completion, and this sound can also be customized—a thoughtful touch.

    The Focus Calendar View lets you review your focus days and streaks. If you’re serious about building a habit of concentration, maintaining a streak through these records can be very motivating. The app also supports iCloud sync, so your sound settings, timers, and statistics can be synchronized across devices.

    You can download Focast for free from the App Store. The free version includes only very limited basic features. After subscribing, you unlock all ambient sounds, custom mixes, custom timers, and more. The price is 38 RMB per year or 88 RMB for a one-time purchase. For the annual plan, the app offers a generous 14-day trial period, so if you’re interested, you can fully experience it for two weeks before deciding.

    Samsung Internet Windows Beta Update: Regional Restrictions Lifted

    • Platform: Windows
    • Keywords: Samsung, browser

    @大大大K: Samsung Internet had previously been released on Windows, but installation was later discontinued for various reasons. Recently, however, Samsung unexpectedly relaunched a Windows Beta version, and users from any region can now download and install it via a designated link (even though the page still states that it is limited to South Korea and the United States). If you are using the international version of Samsung Internet on Android, you will also see the download link promoted on the browser’s homepage.

    In terms of UI, the new client is not very different from the version released two years ago, and it still retains the highly distinctive sidebar feature. The “Synced Devices” section can synchronize the quick-access page from the mobile browser and display web content in a mobile-device view. The calendar feature syncs directly with events in your Samsung account and also supports adding a Google account to display Google Calendar. If needed, you can add new website shortcuts at the bottom of the sidebar.

    The quick-access page has received a minor upgrade, now supporting background changes and the addition of small widgets such as device sync, privacy reports, and a weather clock. Notably, the device sync feature can display tabs from the mobile browser here. In actual testing, newly opened tabs on the phone sync very quickly, but syncing after closing tabs is noticeably slower.

    The “Browsing Assistant” feature in the Windows Beta includes summary extraction and translation. The summary function is powered by Galaxy AI, and its performance is similar to that on mobile, allowing AI to summarize webpage content for reference. However, possibly due to network or other limitations, errors may occur when connecting to the cloud-based AI, so users with the right conditions may want to test it themselves.

    The translation feature appears to be powered by Google Translate, and the browser supports a split-screen view of the original text and the translation, which is especially convenient for academic users.

    In addition, the mobile version of Samsung Internet supports saving login credentials to Samsung Pass (including for users in mainland China). The Windows Beta also supports this feature, but it requires the Samsung Pass client to be installed on the computer. Since the Samsung Pass client has device restrictions, it is currently unusable for most users. That said, as the Windows Beta is based on the Chromium 136 engine and supports Chrome extensions, it is still recommended to use a dedicated password manager and browser extensions.

    If you are a Samsung user and want a more complete Galaxy Ecosystem experience, you can try this Beta version via the official website. The browser is forcibly installed on the system drive, and during installation it will also install Samsung Account and Samsung Smart Service components and create Start Menu entries, so be sure to leave enough disk space.

    Quiche Browser: A Browser with Customizable Layout

    • Platform: iOS
    • Keywords: browser

    @Snow: Quiche Browser is a third-party browser app on iOS. In an era where everyone is “racing to add AI,” it doesn’t introduce an advanced conversational engine or use algorithms to intelligently prioritize tabs. Instead, it hands interaction control back to users, allowing them to freely arrange and combine a rich set of functional buttons to build their ideal browser.

    The toolbar at the bottom of the browser is the area with the highest degree of freedom in Quiche Browser. However, the app doesn’t simply give you a “blank sheet of paper” to do whatever you want. Instead, it offers 16 layout presets in the settings. You can choose one based on your habits and then fine-tune it further on top of the preset.

    The app provides more than 40 interactive buttons, covering everything from frequently used actions such as forward, back, refresh, and new tab, to functions usually paired with shortcuts like zoom, find, and quick navigation. You can freely select the buttons you need and arrange them within the preset framework. Taking the standard two-row layout as an example, the first row can hold up to four buttons in addition to the address bar, and the second row up to seven buttons. If you still have more frequently used functions, you can place them in the “More” menu.

    Through this kind of “limited freedom,” Quiche Browser manages to meet users’ personalization needs while still maintaining a clean and aesthetically pleasing design.

    Quiche Browser also allows fine-grained customization of how the address bar is displayed. For example, you can choose to show only the domain, the full URL, the page title, and/or the site icon, adjust the text to be left-aligned or centered, and display estimated reading time. In terms of interaction, you can assign different actions to short-press and long-press gestures on the address bar, further improving efficiency.

    Beyond page interaction, Quiche Browser adds several functional features to compensate for its lack of third-party extension support. The app enables ad blocking by default and includes three built-in rule sets that you can toggle as needed, although adding custom rules is not currently supported.

    It also supports forcing dark mode on all webpages. If you subscribe to the Quiche Plus service, you can additionally choose custom theme colors. The app further allows you to adjust many other options such as the default search engine, private browsing mode, background refresh behavior, and user agent (UA). For a more detailed introduction, you can click here to learn more.

    The app includes a subscription-based in-app purchase, priced at 22 RMB per month or 198 RMB per year. After subscribing, you can unlock multi-theme dark mode, one-handed mode, more button styles, and additional app icons. Since these features do not significantly affect the core browsing experience, it’s recommended to use the app for a while before deciding whether to pay.

    You can download Quiche Browser for free from the App Store.

    Activas: A Local AI Health Analysis Assistant

    • Platform: iOS / iPadOS
    • Keywords: health tracking, data analysis

    Some time ago, OpenAI introduced the ChatGPT Health feature, which on iOS can even directly import data from the Health app for analysis and suggestions. One can’t help but wonder whether this made Apple feel a bit uneasy, considering that its own promised “enhanced health assistant” has yet to materialize.

    If you can’t wait for that day to come, and you’d rather not share your data with OpenAI, you might want to try Activas. This app uses Apple’s on-device ML APIs to analyze data and provide corresponding suggestions based on your health information.

    After opening Activas, the app will request permission to access Apple Health data. Once you complete some basic setup, you’ll enter the Dashboard. Here, you can see an overall score summarizing your physical condition. Tapping into the details page shows the specific factors behind changes in the score.

    In the Insights module, the AI generates a summary based on your current health data. Scrolling down, you’ll find data across different categories such as Activity, Nutrition, Sleep, Vitals, and Body Measurements. Tapping any of these modules takes you to the Activas AI tab, where the AI provides analysis and recommendations tailored to that category.

    However, this health chatbot can only respond to preset questions and doesn’t allow you to freely type in your own queries, which feels somewhat limiting.

    Overall, the app’s functionality is quite simple and serves more as a technical showcase of Apple’s on-device AI capabilities. Activas can be downloaded for free from the App Store (in regions outside mainland China) and has no in-app purchases. The Insights and chat features require Apple Intelligence to be enabled, while basic functions such as data display and trend charts are available without restrictions.

    “What Time Is It”: A Fun Time App Combining Calendar, Perpetual Calendar, and the Chinese Almanac

    • Platform: iOS / iPadOS / macOS / watchOS
    • Keywords: calendar, perpetual calendar

    @化学心情下2: As a fairly traditional Chinese person, I see a calendar as more than just a way to know what day of the week it is, the date, or what appointments I have. It’s also for checking solar terms and flipping through the old Chinese almanac—functions that may look a bit “superstitious,” but are in fact part of traditional Chinese folk culture. In practice, I’ve seen many standalone almanac or perpetual calendar apps, but far fewer that combine a modern calendar, a perpetual calendar, and the traditional almanac into one. “What Time Is It” is a beautifully designed and playful time-related app I discovered recently that does exactly that.

    From the app’s name alone, it’s easy to tell that it emphasizes traditional Chinese timekeeping. When you open the home screen, you’ll see a clock along with the corresponding traditional two-hour time period (shichen), as well as the lunar month and date. The app also annotates each shichen with its pinyin pronunciation—for example, if the current time is “Wei hour (未时),” it will display the pinyin “Wei” next to the character.

    Taking the macOS version as an example, you can switch between different calendar views via the tabs at the top. In the perpetual calendar section, you can not only view dates by month, but also see the corresponding lunar calendar information, today’s “auspicious and inauspicious” activities from the almanac, and upcoming 24 solar terms and holidays. Switching to the calendar events view allows the app to read system calendar events from macOS or iOS.

    Switching to the traditional almanac view shows information such as today’s recommended and avoided activities, the auspicious and inauspicious hours of the day, today’s “fetal god” position, favorable deities to approach, and unfavorable deities to avoid. For users who are not familiar with these concepts, you can tap the help button in the top-right corner to see explanations.

    “What Time Is It” also offers two small features that I find particularly practical. The first is festival notification reminders: in addition to receiving alerts for festivals on the day itself, you can choose to enable specific categories of holidays. Currently supported categories include statutory public holidays, traditional festivals, solar terms, domestic holidays, international holidays, Taoist festivals, Buddhist festivals, the 72 pentads, the Sanfu days, and the “Shujiu” cold-day periods.

    The second is its widget support. macOS now allows widgets to be added directly to the desktop, and “What Time Is It” happens to provide a wide variety of them. Personally, I really like the widget that combines a clock with the current shichen, so I can tell the time at a glance on my desktop—it’s even more convenient than looking up to the top-right corner of the screen.

    Overall, both in terms of functionality and design, “What Time Is It” cleverly integrates multiple calendar formats into a single app, allowing you to check the modern calendar, the perpetual calendar, and the traditional almanac all in one place. If you’re looking for an elegant and full-featured traditional time app, it’s well worth a try. You can download it from the App Store, and it is priced at 8 RMB.

    App Express

    • Apple announced that it will launch the Apple Creator Studio subscription service on January 29. The service will include Apple’s professional creative apps on Mac and iPad, and Pixelmator Pro will also release an iPad-compatible version. In addition, Apple will introduce premium templates and subscription content for the iWork productivity suite and the Freeform app (at a later date). The subscription is priced at 38 RMB per month or 380 RMB per year.
    • Apple and Google also announced that Gemini will provide AI technology support for the new version of Siri.
  • SSPAI Morning Brief: ChatGPT to Introduce Ads

    SSPAI Morning Brief: ChatGPT to Introduce Ads

    Morning Brief

    1. ChatGPT to introduce ads
    2. National rollout of the medical insurance drug price comparison mini program
    3. New regulations ban the sale of 13 categories of food in livestreams
    4. Setapp abandons plans to open a third-party iOS app store in Europe
    5. NVIDIA blog typo misstates a unit, correction triggers copper price fluctuations
    6. Huawei smartphone shipments return to No.1 in China for the first time in five years in 2025
    7. Rumors You Can Just Glance At

    ChatGPT to introduce ads

    On January 16, OpenAI announced plans to begin testing ads in ChatGPT over the coming weeks. The initial rollout will target users in the United States, before gradually expanding to other regions worldwide. Ads will primarily appear in the free version and the low-cost “Go” plan priced at USD 8 per month (which has been tested in India for several months and will be rolled out to more markets). Users on Plus, Pro, and Enterprise tiers will not see ads for now.

    OpenAI stated that ads will not interfere with or alter the content of ChatGPT’s generated answers. They will appear as clearly labeled standalone boxes placed below the chatbot’s replies. For example, when a user asks for travel advice for New York, ChatGPT will first provide a standard itinerary, and may then display ads for local hotels underneath. The head of OpenAI’s app division also said the company will explore more interactive ad formats in the future, such as allowing users to ask questions directly about the advertised content to assist with purchase decisions.

    Regarding privacy concerns, OpenAI emphasized that it will not sell user data to advertisers, nor will it disclose specific conversation content. Advertisers will only receive aggregated performance metrics such as impressions and clicks. While the system will match ads based on conversation topics and some personalization data, users can disable data usage for ad targeting at any time in the settings. In addition, OpenAI has implemented strict restrictions: ads will not be shown in conversations involving sensitive topics such as health or politics, nor in chats with underage users.

    OpenAI is under significant pressure to commercialize. Although ChatGPT now has more than 800 million weekly active users, the vast majority are free users who generate no direct revenue. As a company founded a decade ago with roughly USD 64 billion raised in total funding, OpenAI urgently needs to develop new revenue streams beyond subscriptions to support the high costs of model training and operations, and to meet increasingly fierce competition from rivals such as Google Gemini.

    National rollout of the medical insurance drug price comparison mini program

    On January 16, China’s National Healthcare Security Administration announced that the “Designated Pharmacy Medical Insurance Drug Price Comparison” mini program has been rolled out nationwide. The program integrates real-time data from designated retail pharmacies covered by medical insurance across the country, providing regularly updated information on drug prices, stock availability, and manufacturers.

    According to the announcement, insured users can access the feature by searching for their local medical insurance service platform on WeChat or Alipay, or by using the official National Medical Insurance Service Platform app and locating the price comparison module. After entering a drug name, the system displays the price range at designated pharmacies in the user’s area along with detailed stock information, and supports sorting and filtering by options such as lowest price first or nearest distance. Once a pharmacy is selected, users can navigate to it directly using the built-in map function or place a call with one tap for inquiries, helping reduce unnecessary trips and avoid extra expenses.

    Building on the full rollout of the basic price comparison feature, local medical insurance authorities are continuously expanding service scenarios and functionality based on user feedback. For example, to address typing difficulties among elderly users, mini programs in several provinces have added a “photo-based drug recognition” feature, allowing users to simply take a picture of a medicine box to automatically identify the drug and retrieve price comparison information. Some regions have also integrated online purchasing and home delivery services, providing added convenience for residents with limited mobility or urgent needs.

    In addition, certain areas are further exploring features such as medical consumables price inquiries, prescription-based drug matching and search, and analysis of drug price fluctuation trends. These regions also display index ratings for pharmacies based on “volume–price comparisons” of insured drugs, helping the public make more informed purchasing decisions.

    New regulations ban the sale of 13 categories of food in livestreams

    According to Xinhua News Agency, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation recently issued the Regulations on the Supervision and Administration of Livestream E-commerce Operators in Fulfilling Their Primary Responsibility for Food Safety, which will take effect on March 20, 2026. The regulations clearly specify 13 categories of food that are prohibited from being sold via livestreaming, including: food produced using non-food raw materials or containing toxic or harmful substances; food with pathogenic microorganisms or heavy metals exceeding safety limits; expired, spoiled, deteriorated, moldy, or insect-infested food; meat and aquatic products from livestock or poultry that died of disease or poisoning, or that failed quarantine inspection, as well as their processed products; prepackaged food without labels; and food whose production or sale is explicitly prohibited by the state, among others.

    The regulations bring livestream e-commerce platform operators, livestream channel operators, livestream marketers, and livestream marketer service agencies all under regulatory oversight. All of these parties are required to fulfill their respective primary responsibilities for food safety in accordance with the rules. Food producers and distributors that operate livestream channels must disclose their licensing information and verify supplier qualifications, while non-food producers and distributors are required to establish strict product selection systems. Livestream marketers must strengthen screening and vetting of products. Platforms, for their part, must set up systems for review and registration, training, and risk control, appoint food safety management personnel, formulate food safety risk control lists, and establish working mechanisms for “intelligent monitoring, investigation and scheduling, and rapid response.”

    To strengthen regulatory enforcement and improve consumer protection, the regulations require market supervision authorities to include food sold via livestreaming in routine inspections and annual sampling and testing plans, and clarify that technical monitoring records may be used as electronic evidence. Platforms are also required to provide convenient channels for complaints and reports and to handle consumer requests in a timely manner.

    Setapp abandons plans to open a third-party iOS app store in Europe

    Ukrainian software developer MacPaw recently announced that it will officially shut down its third-party iOS app store for users in the European Union, Setapp Mobile, on February 16. On its official support page, MacPaw explained that the decision was made because the app marketplace’s “constantly evolving and complex commercial terms” no longer align with the company’s current business model, hinting at difficulties in achieving profitability.

    Setapp Mobile launched a public beta in the EU in September 2024, offering iOS app distribution through a subscription model. After the service is officially discontinued, all apps obtained through the platform will be removed. The company advises users to back up important data before the deadline to avoid losing access once the service ends. The Mac version of Setapp, which is also subscription-based, will continue to operate normally and will not be affected by this adjustment to the mobile business.

    Setapp Mobile came into existence thanks to the enforcement of the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which requires Apple to allow third-party app sideloading in the region. However, this emerging distribution channel faces serious challenges. In particular, Apple’s introduction of the “Core Technology Fee” rule requires apps that exceed a certain installation threshold to pay Apple a fee for each first annual installation, significantly increasing operating costs for third-party app stores and their developers.

    At present, there are still five other third-party app stores operating in the EU market, including the Epic Games Store. Epic has repeatedly criticized Apple’s fee policies for hindering competitors from gaining a foothold, but it continues to operate while awaiting further scrutiny of Apple’s rules by EU regulators.

    NVIDIA blog typo misstates a unit, correction triggers copper price fluctuations

    According to Caixin, a blog post published by NVIDIA in May 2025 has recently drawn renewed attention from the market. In the article, NVIDIA stated that a 1-megawatt (MW) rack requires 200 kilograms of copper busbars, and that the rack busbars of a 1-gigawatt (GW) data center would require 500,000 tons (half a million tons) of copper.

    Since 1 GW equals 1,000 MW, a proportional calculation would mean that a 1 GW data center should require 1,000 times 200 kilograms of copper, or 200,000 kilograms. Therefore, the “500,000 tons” figure in NVIDIA’s original text was clearly a typo. NVIDIA later corrected the mistake.

    However, the figure had already been cited by many market research reports, and NVIDIA’s correction directly led to a short-term drop in international copper prices. After reaching a record high of USD 13,407 per ton on January 14, LME copper futures retreated for two consecutive days, with a cumulative pullback of about 3.4%, temporarily falling below the 10-day moving average (MA10).

    In fact, driven by factors such as tariff arbitrage in the United States, constrained copper mine supply, and new demand from AI, copper prices had repeatedly hit new highs in the second half of 2025. LME copper rose from around USD 9,900 per ton in early September 2025 and, for the first time in history, broke through USD 13,000 per ton in January 2026. Citi expects copper prices to reach USD 14,000 per ton over the next three months.

    Huawei smartphone shipments return to No.1 in China for the first time in five years in 2025

    According to data released by IDC and cited by Nikkei, Huawei reclaimed the top position in China’s smartphone shipments in 2025, returning to No.1 for the first time in five years. In absolute terms, Huawei shipped 46.7 million smartphones in 2025, a year-on-year decline of 1.9%. However, as vivo—the top vendor in 2024—saw a sharp drop of 6.6%, Huawei overtook it to claim first place.

    Previously, Huawei had been restricted in procuring high-performance semiconductors and was unable to offer 5G, which drove consumers away. In recent years, however, the company has revived sales with its Kirin chips. The launch of its latest model, the Mate 80, in November 2025 further boosted performance, added AI features capable of automatically handling various tasks, and was priced lower than its predecessor.

    Apple of the United States ranked second, with shipments rising 4% to 46.2 million units. Sales of the iPhone 17 series, launched in September 2025, were strong. Toward the end of 2025, Apple also stimulated demand by offering a 300-yuan discount on its high-end Pro and Pro Max models through official sales channels.

    Overall smartphone shipments in China fell 0.6% in 2025 to 284.6 million units, the first year-on-year decline in two years. Although government subsidies encouraging trade-ins provided some support, in certain regions the subsidy quotas were used up early, weakening momentum. Against the backdrop of subdued consumption, IDC forecasts shipments of 278 million units in 2026, continuing to fall below the previous year.

    Rumors You Can Just Glance At

    • On the afternoon of January 16, Jia Guolong, founder of Xibei Oat Noodles Village, announced on his personal Weibo account that he would give a comprehensive response at 10 p.m. to what he described as serious slander and defamation by Luo Yonghao against Xibei, and invited media, netizens, and relevant government departments to follow the matter. Luo Yonghao soon reposted the message, saying he would try to remain patient. However, when 10 p.m. arrived, Jia Guolong’s personal Weibo account did not publish any update. At present, the accounts of both Luo Yonghao and Jia Guolong have been muted. The response Jia mentioned was eventually published in text-and-image form on Xibei Group’s verified account (@西贝人心声). Jia stated that Luo had implied in a previously published article that Jia had colluded with relevant authorities to carry out a “cross-province arrest” against him, which Jia said maliciously incited public sentiment. He demanded that Luo explain the matter clearly and go together to the relevant government departments to verify whether there had been any report to the police or request for an arrest. The post was later deleted. Weibo CEO Wang Gaofei (@来去之间) then posted, citing the Cyberspace Administration of China’s “negative behavior list for online celebrity accounts,” saying that “in the future, if people want to engage in public disputes, they should probably do so through media interviews.” Luo Yonghao later acknowledged that he had been muted for 15 days and said he would no longer comment on the Xibei incident.
    • On January 15, the mainland China App Store could no longer find the solo-living safety app “死了么” (“Are You Dead Yet”), which had recently drawn attention for its unusual name, while it remained available in App Stores in other regions. Previously, on January 13, the app announced on its official Weibo account that it would officially adopt the global brand name “Demumu” in its upcoming new version. On January 14, its official account said that the previous renaming attempt had not been satisfactory and that it was soliciting creative ideas from across the internet.