Tool of the iPad

Part VII: To Fix iPad OS

Good Day, Adam

Published in

Mac O’Clock

13 min readJul 28, 2024

return to How Fix iPad OS

THE MOMENT YOU’VE BEEN WAITING FOR:
Let’s Make a Tool on an iPad!

On the chart screen, open up the Apple Menu by pressing the Apple icon, lower right.

Now, tap the Apple Track Wand, to activate it. Then tap the white wand wheel. This will unveil the Track Wand Options:

The circle plus icon is the “Add Tool” button.
The bordered rounded edge square is the “Create a Purpose App” button, and the two arrows pointed at a line is the “Merge” button.

There will be more options as toolOS updates over time.

To close the Track Wand options, just tap the white wand wheel again.

Let’s press the “Add Tool” button, and the Track Wand will enlarge across the screen. This is called Unravel / Unraveling:

This is the Tool Space

This whole screen has become a track wand through unraveling; and it’s an app… and it’s still a part of the main Apple Menu.

This is the world’s biggest track wand brought to you by Apple.

This track wand also has some familiar interactions to the traveled track wand which we played with before, but with a twist. Let’s tap and hold the wand wheel and slightly move it away:

Ravel — go back into [ a wand stack] | G.D.A.

Then, just lift up, and your Track Wand will ravel into a track wand icon below (a stack).

The Tool Space with the Wand Stack (third icon with white wheel) | G.D.A.

Let’s repeat the track wand ravel two more times. Great!
Now, tap the track wand icon wheel stack, and watch as the three raveled tool spaces unfurl into smaller preview windows.

Tool Spaces revealed which also resemble Track Wands (and this is intentional) | G.D.A.

To unravel one of the tool spaces, just tap the white wand wheel of the tool space you would like to unravel, and it will cover the screen. To the right will be section scroll dots — to scroll to the next set of tool spaces.

If a preview space is selected, your present tool space will ravel into a preview space (replacing the space just unraveled).

To return to your present tool space, just tap the darkened grey wand icon wheel below.

Now, let’s tap the white wand wheel on our tool space in the upper right corner.

The Tool Space Wand Menu & Layout

Options opened on the Tool Space- unlocked and unloaded. | G.D.A.

Now that all of the menu icons are present, let me do the honor of introducing members of the tool space.

The layout except for some design elements, is in greyscale to capture a sort of chalkboard-meets-minimalism-meets Macintosh layout. The tool itself and interactions related will be in color, however.

Tool Space Layout Legend by image:

These are different grayscale palette color options used to write, type, touch, and display voice subtitles from.

The waste basket is used to delete the current tool space screen you are in. Press and hold, and the waste basket will turn purple. Then confirm that you would like to delete the tool space screen. To return a space from the waste basket, tap and hold it. You will then get an option to “put back content” or to “empty waste basket”.| The white wand wheel in the Tool Space is used to show and hide the **Wand Menu**, and to ravel the current tool space screen into a the wand icon stack in the lower menu. Raveled screens can be re-accessed by tapping the white wheel in the wand icon stack.

The **Purpose App icon** opens the **Purpose Space**. The purpose space is used to create apps which serve a purpose in the tool and are not separate runnable apps. Think of them as elaborate function-based programs serving the purpose of a tool. The Purpose Space is where you can create **Wand Track “Spells” or Custom Wand Gestures and/or your own written/drawn/verbal phrases.** Spells will be recorded to both the Tool Library and the Spaces.

The Merge icon allows you to merge a variety of different tool creation elements including purpose apps with store bought apps, tooling processes with other tooling processes, and to improve on connecting instructions to function at exact moments rather than a general time estimation of action/reaction.

The Tooling Process icon: this takes you to the Tooling Process Space . From Prosslink to Cycle, there is a wide collection of different tooling processes to learn, and develop with.

The **Phrase Source** icon: Combining both Spotify and Apple Intelligence, users create their information tab, browse previous wand tasks, use Math Notes, Formulas, Functions, and Graphs to produce calculations, implement Freeform sketches, write down programming elements as actual sentences, and develop orders and instructions for your tool to abide by. Apple Intelligence **“Being”,** a type of tooling process, is also developed using Phrase Source.

The **Device Link** Icon: Device Link is set up through iCloud between a Toolmaking (maker) Device (iPad with toolOS) and a Tool Device (which has the same Apple ID logged into it). On setting up a Device Link, users can choose the type of security and locking process between the devices through Settings in iCloud. Users can toggle connected Tool Devices, just as long as the Tool Devices are Apple-ID logged in, and you have established a Device Link with them. You test your tool in up to two Apple Devices at one time; for Business accounts, you will be able to test up to 20 Tool Devices at once. If not linked to a device, there will be a red indicator; if connected — a green one.

The **Power Space** Icon: With Power Space, you can evaluate how much power it takes to run your tool, and each of its individual tooling processes. You can even learn to develop your tool towards a smaller environmental footprint. Power Space keeps track of the battery levels of your toolmaking device, your tool devices, and other electronics connected to your tool device (other apps might apply) . In addition, Power Space can keep track of your estimate battery life when charged or not. When your tool is published in the App Store, a Power Space report will be required for customers to examine your tool’s power, battery strength, and electrical capabilities.

The Tool Play icon: While in Scheme Mode, this tool play icon plays the scheme player with the direction of different tool processes, in Tool Space, the tool play icon allows you to see your tool run in real-time (both with or without a tool device). When not connected via Device Link, Apple Intelligence will generate a simulator of your device and how it may or may not behave based on the tooling processes involved, and expected results based on developed research over time (each rendition of toolOS will improve on **AI Tool Intelligence)**. | The Tool Play icon will morph into a Tool Pause button. When the Tool Pause button is pressed, you can work with your tool in its paused state rather than re-running the tool from the beginning. Errors and recommendations will be displayed while your tool is in a state of play (similar to Scheme Mode).

The **Tool Space Undo icon**: This icon reacts slightly different than the Tool Undo icon from Scheme Mode. Instead of just undoing the last tool space process, when the Tool Space Undo icon is tapped a prompted will appear with the options to: A. Undo last Action, B. Return Undo, C. Access Wand Task Menu, and D. Access Tooling Processes Menu. If you misstep with an undo, you can “Return Undo” and go forward. Since we are in the Apple Menu, we have access to the Wand Task Menu and the Tooling Processes Menu for further editing capabilities from the Tool Space.

The App Store Icon: As before and on other Apple devices, you have access to the App Store online experience with one major catch. When you find apps which are (or have an iCloud Target of, being) Tool-Ready, there will be a Tool Library icon below these apps’ app icons. When tapped, the Tool Library on your device will open up to display this app’s **App Traits**. App Traits allow you to enhance your Phrase Sourcing and produce your desired reactions and interplay from tooling processes. Think of these like specific super powers a tool-ready app bestows upon you for using it. The next major difference of using this App Store icon in the Tool Space, is that apps which are tool-ready will display a white wand wheel icon. This means you can travel the app icon to your Track Wand. You will receive two versions of the app (at this point), a tool version, and the regular app version, which will load into the your iPad App Library. | The App Store is where your Purpose Apps will load into when you create them; there will be a new “Purpose” section in the App Store, too. You will be able to travel your purpose apps in the same manner, as each will have white wand wheel icons on them. The **Tool Library** icon will be available below them as well for further details explaining their purposes and App Traits.

**The Tool Library icon**: This icon gives you access to a lot of tool resources, including the tools you create, app traits for apps that you have and apps which are tool-ready on the App Store, and it is the place to learn about your Track Wand and its many capabilities, travels, unravels and conceals/reveals (you can drag “shades” up and down on tools and other items) . The App Store will have support and tips content and will explain about the different tooling processes, and how to use them. While creating a purpose app, the Tool Library is an important source for translating what App Traits mean and relate to; and yes you can drag out tooling processes directly onto the Tool Space from the Tool Library (when accessed in Tool Space). The Tool Library will prepare users for App Store regulations and verifications. There will be new tool copyright laws put into affect for apps created by others (and sold on the App Store) — if implemented into your tool. You may have to pay them a monthly royalty fee. The Tool Library is a major artery in toolOS.

It’s Tool Time!

[ Follow along with the series of images and instructions. This is Prototype-based and if functional, a real rendition would work differently or similar to the nature of the content expressed in these images — of which represent a Tool Space tool creation process.]
Note: While I won’t show you every single process, as this could easily turn into a 300-page guide, I will give you a run through of some of the basic processes:

Let’s make a Tool using the Tool Space #1 and #2 | G.D.A.

Let’s make a Tool using the Tool Space #3 and #4 | G.D.A.

Let’s make a Tool using the Tool Space #5 and #6 | G.D.A.

(“Be” prompts Being tooling process).

The Tooling Process area of the Tool Space. Check the progress and process of your tools and Apple Intelligence suggestions to adjust your tools as needed. | G.D.A.

Suggestions can become live tag forms, and other suggestions can be scribbled out. | G.D.A.

After several minutes of discovering and organizing traits (App Traits), and bridging Xcode Tool with cross OS app coding, here’s a Purpose App Board created for analyzing oxygen at a certain visual parameter:

Combining App Traits with Xcode, you can work out purposes through an interwoven process. In the black window would be a live preview of the functionable. | G.D.A.

To start a new Purpose App, just use ravel with the top right white wand wheel and ravel diagonally down (left). Here, I’ll demonstrate:

Just like the layer of an onion, the Purpose Space peels away when raveled. As it does the space goes into the wand stack, below. | G.D.A.

To reopen your Purpose app, just press the wand icon stack on the bottom of your Purpose Space. In addition, this means that you can access your former spaces from the wand icon regardless of the Space you are working on.

Instead of showing the Purpose App in the wand space, it displays our Purpose (tool) icon. Just tap the track wand to reopen where you left off. | G.D.A.

Let’s see our Tool progress. Just double-tap the white wand wheel in the far right corner, and we will return to the Tool Space:

We are now back in the Tool Space, and we have started an app buoy! | G.D.A.

Yes: our Purpose App is in our first created buoy! But the Tool Space looks nearly identical from before. Hmm, aw yes, let’s go and check if our Being is ready. Just tap the Tooling Process icon to see what’s going on:

Our Being, Flora, is now ready for use in our Tool Space! | G.D.A.

Great, Flora is ready. Before Flora’s grand entrance, single-tap the white wand wheel to the left of Flora’s hot-pink Being (Finder-like) icon.

Tooling Process icons appear (in white) when the Tooling Process icon is tapped. | G.D.A.

To the bottom right of the “Being Tooling Process” link (that links to the Being Tooling Process resources in the Tooling Library), there are a few icons. The first (a gear with a pencil) is the edit icon; the second is a merge icon; and the third is a waste basket.

The Edit icon allows you to browse your inputs (such as the Being’s name) its Mode (currently Flora is in Receptionist Mode) and its generated behaviors — and you can edit all of it!

For larger content, you can communicate directly with a Being Tooling Process and ask them directly to fix or update a behavior. It’s like if you could have a conversation with your thesis or your own painting, to then work … with your work… to collaborate and improve.

Next up, is the Merge icon, but it’s placed conveniently in the Tooling Process space. Let’s press it.

Since the Being (Flora) is in Receptionist Mode, it has app traits involving support and assistance. When you select to merge, you can improve your being’s capabilities to serve and assist your users through the other components that you create for your tool. Let’s double-tap our created purpose app to improve Flora’s capabilities:

After the upload of the purpose app functions to “Flora”, a badge indicator of the app, or tooling process behavior will be added to the Being in the Tooling Process Space.

To delete the Tooling Process just press and hold the waste basket and a prompt will explain that if you delete this tooling process you will also remove their capabilities. Once confirmed the tooling process will be removed.

Now, let’s bring Flora (now enhanced with an understanding of our Purpose App) to our Tool Space. To do so, just tap and hold the white wand wheel to the left of Flora (instead of single-tapping it), and watch as the Tooling Process Space fades away to become the Tool space.

From the Tooling Process page and into the cauldron that is the Tool Space, Flora goes. | G.D.A.

Now, release Flora.

Poof! Flora has transformed into a Cycle. | G.D.A.

Is that a pinball machine part or a part of a motor? This is actually a tooling process called Cycle / Cycling. While this tooling process can be made independently, other tooling processes such as a being (Flora) in receptionist mode, use cycles when in the Tool Space. The reason is that if a user is guided at any point, in an app to obtain data, the user will eventually return to a main menu (or assistant like Flora).

A Prosslink Board differs in that the user does not need to return to an original process or menu if the tool functions as a toggle switch.

I see you’re catching on, and want to know what that cycle white wand wheel does on the other end of that cycle.

To delete the cycle (and Flora) from the Tool Space, tap and hold the cycle wheel and wait for a deletion prompt. You can also tap and drag the cycle like turning a hand on a clock.

Look, let’s move the Cycle around on the Tool Space. | G.D.A.

While this doesn’t seem like it serves a purpose, and is just fun to look at, there is, indeed — a need.

Time to apply our purpose app. Just travel the Purpose App onto that same white wand wheel in the cycle. As soon as you travel it there, the wheel readjusts its position next to the purpose app.

Our created Purpose App can travel into the Cycle. | G.D.A.

This would reveal that you can use your Purpose App again, and again, since it can, indeed, travel.

In addition to dragging tool-ready App Store icons into your buoy (and tool space), you can use included Apple Apps. Note that having Apple Apps in your tool may prevent you from selling your tool in the app store.

For my next act, let’s introduce…

Maps and Numbers have entered the Tool Space. Should your screen have apps and tooling processes all over, you can zoom in or out using a gesture or communicating with your device (touch, draw, voice, etc.). Secondarily, you can also use a blank tool space page (via raveling to create another space (still linked to the main space)) in your wand icon stack to communicate with your tool app and drag your other tool elements from one space to the next. After all, the spaces of a single tool are very much linked … inside a single Apple Menu.

Now, that iPadOS has provided toolOS with the apps, let’s up our being’s capabilities.

Want to expand your buoy, just cast a message and ToolOS will bring in those apps. Note, third-party apps must be Tool-Ready. | G.D.A.

Now, I’ll continue on:

With our Cycle created from the Tool Space (with our Purpose App), we can connect or merge Flora’s assistant capabilities to the apps we brought into our buoy. | G.D.A.

Now, that Numbers and Maps have Flora’s assistant capabilities, let’s travel them into the Cycle. | G.D.A.

Numbers made a linked cycle and became a part of Flora’s Cycle. | G.D.A.

Here’s where “cycle move” comes into place:

At any point during Tool creation, you can rename your Tool. | G.D.A.

Let’s use “Merge” in Tool Space.

Tape the Merge icon, and lets draw over the tool elements or in this case, the purpose apps we would like to merge. Then a Merge Type tag selection will appear. | G.D.A.

With Tug Wire, one tool process results in the next, when two are are connected to a single app, you can synchronous a lot of activity from one process. Similar to the Scheme, you can choose the direction of the process; additionally, with Tug Wire you can choose both arrows at once. For simplicity, we have chosen one of each in coordination with our Air Trees purpose app. | G.D.A.

Next up : The special connection between your toolmaking iPad and the device you choose to wield your creation…

Tap the Device Link icon, and enter the Apple Device link space:

When you tap the Device Link icon (which has a red dot since the tool is not connected) you are take to this mysterious and colorful Apple Device Link Space. I bet you saw that wand wheel circle, and curiosity hit. | G.D.A.

To see your current device or devices, just tap the middle white wand wheel (on the grey Apple icon) once. Today, we’re going to link our first device to our toolOS and this iPad. Make sure both devices are updated to the latest iOS, and that your Apple Account is logged into both devices.

Then, tap and hold the same wand wheel and drag it left. Watch as the colorful Apple icons converge together to make a moving huddle. A white wand wheel will replace where the gray Apple icon was, and a purple line will extend with the grey Apple.

Then release the grey Apple icon to see it slingshot through the moving huddled colorful apples. As it goes through the first time, the original “rainbow” Apple logo will appear. However, the times after, Apple Intelligence will generate a new Apple icon each time.

Try traveling the wand circle and you will notice that the animation wants you to drag it away to the left. | G.D.A.

When you reach the desired distance, a sling shot icon will appear. Release! | G.D.A.

There the wand circle goes. What are those colorful Apple icons doing? | G.D.A.

There it goes. the colorful Apple icons have made a colorful barrier. | G.D.A.

Turns out, this barrier is magical. | G.D.A.

The Apple icon’s design has been transformed through generation. | G.D.A.

Okay, here comes the Apple icon, can you guys catch it? | G.D.A.

The colorful icons have fallen into a row, to prevent the return momentum. | G.D.A.

The reciprocal momentum causes the icons to burst the icon forward. This emphasized push scatters the icons and the title “Device Link” moves in. | G.D.A.

Acting like a magnet, the generated Apple icon consumes the color icons and swings around. | G.D.A.

The generated Apple icon swings around to the left of “Device Link” | G.D.A.

The generated icon shrinks and balances with “Device Link” | G.D.A.

A login 2-Step Tag appears (note, you must already be logged in with your Apple Account in both devices). | G.D.A.

Circle or select the device we want to test or use our Tool (Forest Analyzer) on. We chose our Vision Pro. | G.D.A.

Now, enter your 2-Step 2FA / OTP on your Vision Pro headset to establish the link. | G.D.A.

The Device Link starts, and ToolOS converts the tool to run on Vision Pro (no extra coding required!) | G.D.A.

The re-coded Forest Analyzer tool is now installed on your Vision Pro and the link is fully established. | G.D.A.

When a tool has been installed on device you have linked to, the tool app will appear in your Device Link space with the device. Yes, this means you can add more apps or subtract them from this space as well. | G.D.A.

To disconnect, or record the tool device, you can tap the white wand wheel next to the sent tool (Forest Analyzer) and you will have a toggle switch to disconnect the tool (app), and a recording button. When the device is recorded using the tool, the result will be uploaded to your Photos app and iCloud.

To completely end the Device Link, tap and hold the white wand wheel (next to the sent tool), and a “terminate” device link confirmation will appear.

Power Space

This section is not fully flushed out at this point. However, for the time being, it could analyze how your tool would work on your Apple Devices using your Apple OS-specific battery/battery health sections:

Battery Health Management in MacOS on a MacBook:

“How to Check Battery Health on MacBook | macOS Sonoma” | Informed to Know YT Channel

Battery on iOS

Battery on iPadOS

iMac does not have a battery health since it runs on a power cable.

Vision Pro’s current version of Battery just has the option to toggle percentage on and off.

Using wand wheels, you could isolate points on a battery usage graph where larger wattage is used, and ask Siri to look for similar lower wattage tooling processes and procedures (as replacements). Additionally, there could be ways to implement Low Power mode into tool elements to shape the effectiveness of your tool, and its end-device.

The Tool Device experience from VisionOS:

“Muir Woods” image by My Good Images | Shutterstock | Look at this, the Tool, the Forest Analyzer, it’s ALIVE !!! | G.D.A.

Check it out, Flora is assisting us right away (CC — is closed caption, but you can display text, and live narration simultaneously). | G.D.A.

Inquiry for an action, using a function from the linked device ( the Vision Pro) | G.D.A.

“Name Tag With Lanyard on White In hand” by Xxveron90x | Shutterstock || The Tool reads the identification via the linkage between ToolOS and the Vision Pro. Pretty accurate. | G.D.A.

Now, you can direct the tool using your hands. | G.D.A.

With Apple Maps and Numbers working side by side with AR and Apple Intelligence technologies, a lot is going on at once from a simple-to-understand vantage. | G.D.A.

The Result is logged through those apps, and it is presented to the tool device wearer. We did it, high-five! We created our first tool, together! | G.D.A.

>> Continue:

The iPad of Spells

Part VIII: To Fix iPad OS

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