6 ms·

So, what are some usable shortcuts HN has come up with? I fail to find a single one that I could use. Looking for inspiration.

downandout 8y ago
This one is pretty useful: https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/2d68cb1ee7b84f08ace2fd600b9855b5 https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/2d68cb1ee7b84f08ace2fd600b9... Article link below, but here's the relevant description: Petersen’s command “Hey Siri, I’m getting pulled over” will pause music if it’s playing, turn down the brightness, turn on “Do Not Disturb” and sends a message to a chosen contact. It then activates the video recording on the front camera. Once the user stops recording, according to Petersen, it sends a copy of the video to your specified contact. It also brings up the brightness and turns of “Do Not Disturb.” His shortcut already has drawn hundreds of comments on Reddit. https://www.cultofmac.com/578615/shortcuts-siri-traffic-stop/ https://www.cultofmac.com/578615/shortcuts-siri-traffic-stop...
- bastijn 8y ago
  It's interesting to see how this gets so much attention in the US. In Europe, specifically NL, I haven't been in a single situation the past 32 years of my life where I would have needed this. I do not expect I would need it the coming decades either. These are stories we catch from Russia where each and every cop seems to be corrupt. To see a similar thing in the US is mind blowing to me. Thanks for sharing though! Might help another reader in this thread. I guess I must be happy to pass on this one.
  - asdff 8y ago
    It's not corruption, but a lack of professionalism. I'll assume police in the Netherlands see their job as just an occupation rather than an identity. Some people in the U.S. imagine police officers as this 'lawman' figure like a young Clint Eastwood in a poncho rather than just a citizen with a shift job to work like a garbage man. This notion ends up normalizing the artificial 'us vs them' thinking that leads to so many of these escalated situations and tragedies. It doesn't help that movements like blue lives matter seem to be actively engaged in supporting this thinking.
saagarjha 8y ago
I have one that acts a generic file chooser “function”, which then serves as the base of a couple of other Shortcuts: one unzips archives, and another previews property list files.
- bastijn 8y ago
  Can you elaborate a bit? Sounds interesting enough but I may misinterpret what you mean.
  - saagarjha 8y ago
    Here’s my “Get file” shortcut: https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/6b2c54340ed6432e932e61bc886d7ba7 https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/6b2c54340ed6432e932e61bc886.... It looks at its input and passes it through if it finds anything (to allow it to be used in the share sheet, where items are already specified), otherwise it brings up the system file picker and outputs the selected file. I have two shortcuts that rely on this one. One uncompresses the selected archive to the destination of your choice: https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/d4de9ed40aec42baa6b920f6da7ec6f8 https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/d4de9ed40aec42baa6b920f6da7.... The other allows you to glance at the selected property list file, which is strangely something that the built-in preview cannot do:https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/68db9e02bf9448f394312b36d7ee0921 https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/68db9e02bf9448f394312b36d7e....

downandout 8y ago

This one is pretty useful: https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/2d68cb1ee7b84f08ace2fd600b9855b5 https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/2d68cb1ee7b84f08ace2fd600b9... Article link below, but here's the relevant description: Petersen’s command “Hey Siri, I’m getting pulled over” will pause music if it’s playing, turn down the brightness, turn on “Do Not Disturb” and sends a message to a chosen contact. It then activates the video recording on the front camera. Once the user stops recording, according to Petersen, it sends a copy of the video to your specified contact. It also brings up the brightness and turns of “Do Not Disturb.” His shortcut already has drawn hundreds of comments on Reddit. https://www.cultofmac.com/578615/shortcuts-siri-traffic-stop/ https://www.cultofmac.com/578615/shortcuts-siri-traffic-stop...

bastijn 8y ago
It's interesting to see how this gets so much attention in the US. In Europe, specifically NL, I haven't been in a single situation the past 32 years of my life where I would have needed this. I do not expect I would need it the coming decades either. These are stories we catch from Russia where each and every cop seems to be corrupt. To see a similar thing in the US is mind blowing to me. Thanks for sharing though! Might help another reader in this thread. I guess I must be happy to pass on this one.
- asdff 8y ago
  It's not corruption, but a lack of professionalism. I'll assume police in the Netherlands see their job as just an occupation rather than an identity. Some people in the U.S. imagine police officers as this 'lawman' figure like a young Clint Eastwood in a poncho rather than just a citizen with a shift job to work like a garbage man. This notion ends up normalizing the artificial 'us vs them' thinking that leads to so many of these escalated situations and tragedies. It doesn't help that movements like blue lives matter seem to be actively engaged in supporting this thinking.

saagarjha 8y ago

I have one that acts a generic file chooser “function”, which then serves as the base of a couple of other Shortcuts: one unzips archives, and another previews property list files.

bastijn 8y ago
Can you elaborate a bit? Sounds interesting enough but I may misinterpret what you mean.
- saagarjha 8y ago
  Here’s my “Get file” shortcut: https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/6b2c54340ed6432e932e61bc886d7ba7 https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/6b2c54340ed6432e932e61bc886.... It looks at its input and passes it through if it finds anything (to allow it to be used in the share sheet, where items are already specified), otherwise it brings up the system file picker and outputs the selected file. I have two shortcuts that rely on this one. One uncompresses the selected archive to the destination of your choice: https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/d4de9ed40aec42baa6b920f6da7ec6f8 https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/d4de9ed40aec42baa6b920f6da7.... The other allows you to glance at the selected property list file, which is strangely something that the built-in preview cannot do:https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/68db9e02bf9448f394312b36d7ee0921 https://www.icloud.com/shortcuts/68db9e02bf9448f394312b36d7e....