TextexpanderTouch
Latest
A look at the TextExpander keyboard for iOS 8
I've used TextExpander on my Mac for years and it has saved me hours of typing time. If you frequently use TextExpander on your Mac or if you used it on your iOS device before iOS 8 allowed third-party keyboards, you are in luck. TextExpander touch now comes in handy keyboard format for iOS 8! How does it work? Read on. If you're unfamiliar, TextExpander looks for character sequences and then triggers an "expansion" of text whenever and wherever you need it. You could set "haddr" to expand with your home address, for example. TextExpander can even insert current dates and times. On the Mac it can save you hundreds of keystrokes a day, especially if you answer a lot of the same emails or do anything that involves repetitive typing. Previously on iOS there was a separate app, but you had to copy/paste your expansions, which made its usefulness limited. The TextExpander touch keyboard, however, brings that expansion capability to iOS 8 in an easier form, although in testing I found that, as a keyboard, it has some drawbacks. As a TextExpander tool, there's just no comparison. Upon installing and enabling the app and keyboard, I was able to sync my previously-stored TextExpander "snippets" stored in Dropbox. I was able to immediately go into any text app and use my snippets as I would on my Mac -- which is super handy when your brain is old and forgets things. Unfortunately, as a plain old keyboard, TextExpander was my least favorite in iOS 8 testing. That includes Swype, SwiftKey and Apple's new predictive text. TextExpander doesn't give predictive text or autocorrect, and I found the key mapping reminiscent of iOS 7, as I kept accidentally hitting backspace instead of "m" and other common blunders I accrued over time as Apple tweaked its own touch targets. The keys seem smaller, and more importantly the choice of font will be too small for some to read. If you need pre-written responses or frequently find yourself typing certain phrases, the TextExpander keyboard (currently at US$4.99) will suit you admirably. However, it comes at the cost of a faster keyboard for regular typing, so balance this in your purchasing decision.
The best Mac and iOS apps I used in 2010
Following up on my article about the best Mac apps I used in 2010, here are some of the best hybrid "Mac and iOS apps" I used in 2010. This wasn't an attempt to come up with a specific number, just the results of some careful reflection. You may wonder why some apps appear on this list instead of the Mac list. For example, Dropbox has an iOS app, why not add it here? Because my primary use of Dropbox is on the Mac. Yes I use it with iOS, but it's usually through another app that is syncing back to my Mac. On the other hand, using OmniFocus for iPad (our review) led to me using OmniFocus for Mac more, so I put OmniFocus on this list. All that is to say, these are my distinctions, and you are free to disagree with them. 1) myPhoneDesktop (or MPD) is a little-known gem of the iOS world. The US$5 universal iOS app pairs with desktop software on your Mac, Windows or Linux PC, and it allows you to send text, phone numbers and even images to your iOS device. While there are lots of pasteboard sharing apps (like Pastebot) that allow two-way sharing of pasteboard data, I find myself using MPD much more often because it is simpler and easier to use. If I am on my Mac and want to download a new app on my iPad, I select the URL from Safari and press command (⌘) + C + C (just like regular "copy" except you press "C" twice). Instantly, I get a push notification from MPD on my iPad, which opens the link, hands it off to the App Store app, and I purchase and download the app right from my iPad. Since I first reviewed it, MPD has been continually improved and updated, including support for iCab Mobile on iOS devices as well as GoodReader and even GV Connect, which means that you can place a call through Google Voice on your iPhone from a message sent from your computer! Read on for more...
TextExpander 3 makes short work of keyboard shortcuts
TextExpander, one of my very most favorite (yes, I like it that much) utilities has been updated to version 3. This is a major update and renovation of the program, which has changed from a preference pane to an application. I honestly don't think that I could use a Mac without TextExpander anymore. I have a customized list of "frequently misspelled words" that I have it correct for me, as well as a snippet of text for creating a new shell script, a shortcut to insert the current date or time, HTML markup, and more. TextExpander has been able to sync via MobileMe for some time, but version 3 also includes the ability to sync via Dropbox. It can also correct "double caps" at the beginning of a sentence which happen when you accidentally hold down the shift key for too long. There is a feature to capitalize new sentences as well, but that feature was a little hit-or-miss for me. In its new application form, TextExpander has to be running for it to work. That may seem obvious, but since it used to be a preference pane, users may be used to it running "hidden" as a daemon in the background. There is an option to hide the application icon in the dock. If you hide it in the dock, you can still access TextExpander from its icon in the menu bar. They've even included several different styles of icon for the menu bar, which is good news for those of you who believe that menu bar items should only be black and white.
Macworld 2010: Pre-show deals
If you are joining us at Macworld this week, you know that deals abound on the show floor -- every company usually has some sort of show discount or sale going on. And sometimes, even if you're not here at the show, you can still take advantage of the sales back at home. Here's a few we've seen even before the show officially starts tomorrow. Tropical Software is offering $10 off its normally $39.95 purchase of notekeeping app TopXNotes. Unmarked Software has a Macworld 2010 promotion going on, with a 20% discount on TextSoap 6, an application that will "scrub up your text" and clean out unwanted garbage and characters. This isn't specifically Macworld-related, but SmileOnMyMac is here, and they just added their iPhone app TextExpander touch functionality to a number of other apps, so it's on sale for $1.99 right now. Stay tuned all week long for more deals and discounts from the show floor. If you're looking for a full rundown of show events, parties and activities, be sure to check out the Hess Memorial List.
TextExpander touch on sale to celebrate WriteRoom for iPhone integration
When TextExpander touch for the iPhone was announced, one of the exciting aspects was the SDK to allow other developers to integrate TextExpander's technology into their iPhone apps. The new version of WriteRoom for iPhone now includes TextExpander support. With this announcement, SmileOnMyMac has announced that they will be selling TextExpander touch for $1.99 until September 30 at 12 noon Pacific Time, a 60% discount off the regular price of $4.99. WriteRoom for iPhone 2.1 includes other updates as well, as noted on the development blog: TextExpander support. Optional startup password. Settings are now accessed within app. New option to lock screen orientation. Sync service is out of beta and is open sourced. If you purchase WriteRoom for iPhone ($4.99 on the App Store), you'll get a $5 off coupon that can be used to purchase either WriteRoom ($24.95) or TaskPaper ($29.95) for Mac.
TextExpander available for iPhone/iPod touch
TextExpander for the Mac has been one of my favorite utilities for several years. The ability to define "snippets" of text which expand into words, phrases, sentences, or even the outline of entire documents has been invaluable. When I heard that TextExpander was coming to the iPhone/iPod touch, my first reaction was "WHAT!" and my second reaction was "How?" On the Mac, TextExpander sits in the background, waiting patiently for you to type some set of characters which matches an abbreviation that you have previously defined. For example, when I type "/address" TextExpander jumps into action and replaces "/address" with "10 Main St." If I type "!phone" TextExpander will automatically replace that text with my work, home, and cell phone numbers. On the iPhone, third party applications are not allowed to sit in the background, even if they promise to wait patiently. That's a limitation of the iPhone OS, and whether you think it's a smart move by Apple or an unnecessary one, the reality is that TextExpander touch can't do everything that TextExpander for the Mac can do. SmileOnMyMac has posted about this on their blog and has even released an SDK for iPhone developers who wish to integrate TextExpander's technology into their iPhone applications. Let's just take it for granted that most of us who use TextExpander would love to see it running on the iPhone like we do on the Mac. That said, there is still a lot this app can do. When launched, TextExpander for iPhone gives you a "Compose" window where you can type a message and have it expand your shortcuts, and from there you can: "Send to Mail" (which will put the text into a "compose" window in Mail), "Copy All Text" (which does exactly what you'd expect), or "Send To Twitter Client" which will send the text to a Twitter client (which you have to choose in the app's preferences). TextExpander for iPhone supports the following Twitter apps on the iPhone: Twitterrific, Twitterrific Premium, Tweetie, Twittelator Pro, TwitterFon, and TwitterFon Pro. Before TweetDeck and Birdfeed users form an angry mob to march on SmileOnMyMac headquarters, let me direct your attention to the TextExpander touch FAQ which explains that: Some Twitter clients, such as TweetDeck and Birdfeed, do not support a URL schema such that they can be launched by TextExpander along with message content. If you're not familiar with the phrase "URL schema," it means "There's no way for one iPhone app to send text to these apps, unless these apps are updated to offer the kind of programming 'hooks' which are present in the supported Twitter apps." Or, to put it another way, imagine TextExpander doing its best Han Solo impersonation saying "It's not my fault!" So please, save your torches and pitchforks for the inevitable zombie attack. TextExpander is all about saving time, so you'll be glad to know that you won't have to re-type all of your favorite "snippets." You can sync all of the TextExpander shortcuts that you have defined on your Mac, so they'll be at your fingertips when you move over to TextExpander touch. I have some "snippets" that I use when responding to emails which I've been unable to answer on my iPhone. Now I can use those same responses easily and not have to worry about forgetting about them later. TextExpander touch is now available at the App Store. The introductory price will be $1.99 until September 9th. After that it will be $4.99. Although obviously held back by the restrictions imposed by the operating system, TextExpander looks like a great utility for sending messages through your iPhone. Longer messages don't have to take a long time. I hope that some industrious Twitter client developer will look at integrating the TextExpander touch SDK.
