I’ve been spending more time in Bear recently, migrating my old DayOne journal entries into a more portable system… and I’ve been doing a lot of headings and tagging which means I’ve been hitting that # symbol a lot.

On a macOS British keyboard layout this requires the option + 3 key combination, which requires a little keyboard gymnastics and interrupts my flow. Wouldn’t it be better if there was a simple keystroke for this? Looking at the keyboard, I can’t say that I’ve ever had cause to use the §/± key at the top left of my British keyboard. It’d be perfect if I could remap this to #.

The journey

After some searching, I discovered the hidutil in an Apple Tech Note that allows native keyboard remapping, but after some trial and error this only seems to allow mapping of single keys and not key combinations.

The next option I discovered was a free utility called Karabiner-Elements. This looked legitimate enough so I downloaded it to try it out. The installation process requires permission to allow it to run in the background and more alarmingly to monitor all keyboard input. I’ve nothing against the developers of this tool and I’m sure it’s probably fine but giving that level of permission doesn’t sit well with me and could present a security risk. So, that was a no go.

The final stop on this journey was with Ukelele, a tool I’d seen mentioned on a couple of other posts but which suggested it was no longer maintained. Thankfully this build provided by SIL has been kept up to date. Again, there is an inherent risk to downloading an unsigned application, but the difference here is that it’s just a configuration tool that generates an XML keyboard layout file and isn’t required to run in the background to remap the keys.

To cut a long story short, I followed a couple of simple steps and created a new British Markdown keyboard bundle that’s identical to the standard layout except for swapping out the § symbol for#. This produced a simple British markdown.bundle file, provided as a zip file for your convenience below. After unzipping, if you wish you can right-click to choose Show Package Contents and check it’s nothing more than a few text files and an icon.

British Markdown.bundle (zip)

Installation and setup

First open Finder, click on the Go menu whilst holding down the option key to reveal the Library and drop the file into Library/Keyboard Layouts folder.

Library / Keyboard Layouts folder

To enable this layout, open System Settings and go to Keyboard > Text Input and click the Edit button on Input Sources. On the modal window, click the + at the bottom left to add a new layout. Under English you should see the British Markdown bundle.

Add this and make sure Show input menu in menu bar is enabled. You should now be able to choose between your standard British keyboard and the modified one.

System Settings > Keyboard Input Sources

Conclusion

This makes writing markdown a lot more fluid. I just need to retrain my muscle memory now to use the new key rather than the old key combination. Unfortunately it’s only a macOS solution. I’d like to find a way to replicate this on iPadOS too.

Troubleshooting

If the keyboard layout doesn’t appear, you may need to restart or check in the Other section at the bottom of the Languages menu.

Despite still using Evernote as my Second Brain, I still use Apple Notes on occasion. While it’s gained more features over the years, one thing that really irritates me is the lack of simple customisation, especially the awful yellow colour of links.

Perhaps it’s just me and my colour blindness but it does seem an odd choice. You’d think that someone at Apple would notice it’s really bad, or at least provide an obvious way to change it across all platforms. There are ways, but it’s not as straightforward as it should be.

macOS

Turns out the colour on macOS is linked to the system wide Accent colour. To change it, you need to go to System Settings > Appearance and then change the Accent colour.

Change the Accent and Highlight colours

I’ve altered the Accent colour to Blue. Also note that this changes the Highlight colour by default. I’ve set mine to Yellow. It’s a universal rule, links are blue, highlighter pens are yellow. That’s the way it’s supposed to be.

Much Better!

iPadOS and iOS

On the mobile OS it’s not possible to change the colour completely, but it can be improved with an Accessibility feature. This works the same for both iOS and iPadOS. Settings > Accessibility, scroll to the bottom and select Per-App Settings. Select Add App and search for Notes. You’ll want to turn Increase Contrast to On.

Once you change it, the original setting just looks wrong

Is it just me?

For anyone who is interested, I picked out the text and background colours and ran them through the WebAIM Contrast Checker and, of course, it fails with a contrast ratio of ~2:1. The fix on iOS does improve this number to ~3:1, but still reports as a failure. Here’s hoping this gets better in a future release.

Screen capture of the WebAIM Contrast Checker

I needed a case for my new iPad Pro that offered protection for daily use and is still versatile enough for trips overseas where my MacBook will be staying at home as space is limited.

Although I do need to use a ‘proper’ computer for work (for now at least), I can manage on my iPad for short periods. I also prefer to use the iPad for non-developer tasks and dislike typing on the glass screen, so wanted a keyboard folio to give maximum flexibility.

I previously owned an Apple Magic Keyboard and whilst the typing experience was good, using it day to day was awkward. If you need a keyboard that never leaves your desk, then it makes an excellent accessory. The problem comes when you need to take the keyboard with you, but don’t need to use it all the time. Then begins the ridiculous dance of getting the iPad and Magic Keyboard combo out of your bag, unfolding it, and pulling on the magnetically attached tablet, folding up the keyboard with its stiff hinge one-handed and putting that back in your bag. You’re then left with a naked iPad that has no protection and no way to prop it up. The solution is to carry the Apple Smart Folio with you and use that alongside. Unbelievably, I did this a few times and it got ridiculous quickly.

In between owning iPads, I had a Microsoft Surface and loved how the kickstand and detachable keyboard made it into such a flexible device for both work and leisure. So, this time around, I was drawn to the Logitech Combo Touch. It’s cheaper than the Magic Keyboard and for me offers a good, if not better, experience when you consider the whole package.

Of course, on an 11” device the keyboard is going to be a little cramped, but the Combo provides an excellent typing experience and I’d say it’s on par with the Magic Keyboard. It uses the pogo pins to connect and doesn’t require a Bluetooth connection or its own power, so you never need to worry about charging. It’s backlit for late night typing and an advantage over the Magic Keyboard is that you get the extra row of function keys. My only gripe with this is the Home button at the top left. I wish this were switched to the right-hand side in place of the Lock button, leaving room for a real Escape key instead. To get around this, I’ve mapped the Caps Lock key to Escape in settings, which isn’t so bad once you get used to it. I also appreciate that the keyboard sits flat when open, unlike the Surface keyboard that can stick to the screen. This avoids the whole keyboard deck bouncing on every key press and makes everything feel much more solid.

Mapping the Escape key to Caps Lock in Settings > Modifier Keys

Whilst you can detach the whole iPad from the Magic Keyboard, the signature feature of the Combo is that you can remove the magnetically attached keyboard and use the iPad with just the kickstand or fold that away and use it in your hand. If you don’t have a place to put the keyboard, this can be flipped around and attached back on, meaning you don’t feel the keyboard when holding it. Although this does make it heavier.

The trackpad is slightly bigger than the one on the Magic Keyboard too and does the job nicely handling clicks anywhere on its surface and iPadOS. The click requires a bit more force than I want to use and is a bit noisy for late night writing sessions so I’ve turned on Tap to Click in the Trackpad settings and increased the speed a little. Otherwise, it’s simply fine.

Increase speed and click options for the Trackpad in Settings

The hinge on the kickstand sits in the middle, so the whole flap is not as sturdy as the one on a Surface. I’m also not sure what it’s made of as it’s disguised by the cover fabric, but it does feel a little flimsy. I make a point of pulling it out in the centre to apply the opening force close to the hinge. It allows the iPad to sit at a wide range of angles from almost 60 degrees right down to 10 degrees. A negative point here, again due to its slightly flimsy nature is that on a slippery surface applying pressure to the screen does cause the hinge to bob around a bit. This doesn’t bother me because I’d use the iPad completely flat if I were to use an Apple Pencil. I tend to use the kickstand when I’m watching content or typing, so will only make the odd jab at the screen.

Whilst the Apple Magic Keyboard ergonomically elevates the iPad over the keyboard and brings it closer to your eyes, the Logitech sits it at desk level and further away. I don’t really mind this as it’s what every other laptop does, and more importantly, it avoids a problem I had sometimes hitting my hands on the bottom of the iPad when reaching for the numeric keys under the overhang of the Magic Keyboard.

One of the main attractions of this case is that whilst it fully covers the front and back of the tablet, there’s a rubber bumper running all the way around the edges (save for a cutout to allow Apple Pencil attachment). This gives me more confidence when the device is in a backpack that it won’t get scratched and although I hope I never find out, some drop protection on those vulnerable corners. The back of the case is easily thick enough that the camera bump is not an issue so there’s no wobble when you put the iPad on a table. The keyboard cover activates the iPad’s sleep/wake function and magnetically attaches when closed so it doesn’t slide and there’s no chance of it flopping open on its own. There also seems to be enough of a gap that the keyboard doesn’t leave an impression on the display when it’s closed. Something I noticed on my Surface devices.

I rarely, if ever, have this on my lap or a soft surface so any complaints I’ve read about the instability and length of the device in its keyboard mode are a non-issue.

Side view of the iPad and Logitech Combo Touch showing kickstand

Overall, the Logitech Combo Touch feels more discreet than the Magic Keyboard when in public and the outer fabric doesn’t attract greasy fingerprints in the same way. Its slightly grippy woven fabric is nice to the touch and feels premium. I do have a concern whether the crease around the hinge will start to wear, but only time will tell. The tight design and strong magnets do have the slight drawback that it’s not the easiest to get into as there aren’t any indentations around the case, so you are required to prise it apart along the seam. It’s fine once you get used to it, but it’s no one-handed opening experience. There’s no doubt that this is a heavy case. However, because you can detach the keyboard, you can reduce the weight by more than half if you’re holding it in your hand. Here’s a summary of the weights. I weighed my wife’s iPad mini in her folio case for comparison.

Comparing weights of the Combo Touch

• Logitech Combo Touch – 568g
• Back section including kickstand – 245g
• Keyboard – 323g
• iPad Pro 11" + Logitech Combo Touch back combined – 715g
• iPad Pro 11" + Apple Smart Folio – 767g
• iPad mini in folio case – 500g

I no longer have one to test myself, but a quick search showed that the Apple Smart Folio weighs in at 297g, which is heavier than using the Combo with keyboard detached.

Conclusion

One month into using the Logitech Combo Touch including a week overseas and does it deliver? Is short, yes. I feel confident that my iPad has sufficient protection for travelling, the keyboard is great and gives me a nice alternative to using my MacBook Pro for typing. The kickstand provides a stable base for when I just want to watch something. I look forward to seeing how it performs longer term.

I recently bought an 11-inch iPad Pro (3rd generation) 2021 edition rather than the new M2 variant, and I think this represents a fantastic deal.

After selling my iPad Air 4 a while ago and dabbling with a couple of Microsoft Surface products, I decided it was time for another iPad.

I very nearly bought the darling of YouTubers, an iPad Mini, but decided that whilst it is certainly more portable and easier to hold one-handed, I still wanted a device that could do more. Even though, despite my previous attempts, I know that an iPad still can’t be a full MacBook replacement. It has reached a point where it is certainly good enough, if not better in some cases, for all my non-developer tasks.

As I ruminated over various models and use cases, I decided the must-haves were:

• An 11-inch (ish) display – which I find personally to be the sweet spot between hand-held and portable, yet still large enough to use with a keyboard folio case for a reasonable typing experience.
• At least 256Gb storage – I prefer to keep my iCloud Photo library local and as much other stuff as I can with room to spare for media downloads.
• A cellular connection – one of the quirks of living on the Isle of Man is that we have our own mobile networks, so even if I’m visiting the UK then I’m roaming and subject to a fairly limited quota. Having a pay-as-you-go SIM on a UK network makes a big difference here. I also like to work from our camper van from time to time, so I can tether my MacBook to the Wi-Fi rather than using my phone.
• The ability to run Stage Manager on an external display, which limited me to M-series devices.

There have been many articles about the overlap of the current iPad line up and how pricing ladders are used to increase spend. There is always that thought that maybe spending another £50 or £100 could be worth it in the long-run. As I worked through the configurator on the Apple website, I was pleasantly surprised when I checked out the Certified Refurbished store.

Comparing all models with Wi-Fi and Cellular, 256Gb storage

• iPad Air 5 — £1,029
• iPad Pro 11-inch M2 (2022) — £1,199
• iPad Pro 11-inch M1 (2021) — £999 Sale Price £849

It’s notable that along with the new iPad releases in 2022 came a price-hike across the line-up, no doubt down to supply chain issues and also not helped in the UK by the weak British Pound at the time. The Certified Refurb store offers a flat 15% discount based on the original release price, which represents a massive saving in real terms.

Although released 18 months prior, as far as I could tell, the only real difference between the 3rd and 4th generation iPad Pro was the M2 chip itself and the Apple Pencil Hover feature. Both nice to have, but not a deal-breaker. However, compared to the iPad Air 5, you get the improved 120Hz Pro Motion display, better cameras, speakers and microphones, and Face ID for less money. Kind of a no-brainer.

Paired with a Logitech Combo Touch case, it’s great for non-developer tasks and I can pull the keyboard off and use it hand-held. Stage Manager works fantastically with my external 32” display too.

Based on the announced iPadOS 17 feature set and the recent release of Final Cut Pro, the message I’m hearing is that the cut-off is the line between A series and M series chips. Although, you can never tell, I hope this iPad should be future-proof for a while yet.