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A Kinkless Desktop
Ethan Schoonover is the creator of Kinkless GTD, the series of AppleScripts for OmniOutliner that was one of the first serious GTD implementations on the Mac. He has since contributed to the development of the forthcoming OmniFocus. Ethan's productivity tips go beyind kGTD, however, and he has a five-part series of articles and screencasts called Kinkless Desktop, which explain his methods for keeping your Desktop orderly and productive. He has a number of nice tips including aesthetic customization and using TUAW favorite Hazel for automated filing. Check out the series at Kinkless.com.[via MacDevCenter]
iGTD 1.4.5: Again with the landslide of new features
It's official: I am developing my own version system to keep track of iGTD updates, because this 1.x.x thing is just not right. The way I see it, this new iGTD v1.4.5 should really be called v3.5, what with yet another batch of major new features being introduced. Included in this update is F-key integration with PathFinder, Yojimbo and MacJournal (so you can send items from these apps to iGTD for task tracking), a Quick Tags feature that allows you to bind tags to shortcuts like Alt + 1 - 9 and a killer new feature that integrates with an Apple Mail rule. Once set up, this rule allows you to email yourself with a subject like "todo: @work spike the water cooler" and Mail will send it on over to iGTD automatically. For anyone who works in an office and away from their Mac at home, this is a killer way to make actual use out of all those todo emails you send yourself all day.Of course, I don't even need to tell you that there are more features in this update. By now it's become par for the course that an iGTD update brings tons of other enhancements, new tricks and bug fixes, so head on over to Bartlomiej Bargiel's announcement blog post to get the full details. To get the new version, simply start up iGTD or head up to the application menu and chose Check for Updates, or simply visit the iGTD downloads page and click the Current Release link to make sure you get the most up-to-date version.
Typinator 2.0 35% off at MacZOT today only
It hasn't even been two weeks since Typinator went 2.0, and now it's on a 35%-off sale at MacZOT for $12.99 (regular price: $19.99). This handy typing and snippet manager is a great tool for helping you work faster with text, and a deal this good is both rare and virtually impossible to beat. If you're looking to try before you buy, head over to ergonis software's Typinator product page to snag a demo, but do it quick: MacZOT's sales are one-day-only affairs. When it's gone, it's gone.
iGTD 1.4.4 update brings, uh, way too many new features
Something tells me the crew who writes iGTD (fortunately) never really grasped how application version systems work (for the record: I say this with the warmest of intentions; iGTD is the first GTD-based app that I really 'get' and use). Typically, a company releases a 1.0, follows up with a few 1.x.x updates to fix bugs and quirks, and maybe a few 1.x releases that add a new feature or two. But as anyone who has been following the last few minor updates can tell, the new features brought with each 1.x.x release are really worthy of major 2.x and 3.x releases. This morning I woke to just such an update (v1.4.4) that brings a landslide of new and handy feature updates, including: F-key integration with Journler, endo RSS news reader, VoodooPad Pro, EagleFiler and WebnoteHappy exporting smart folders added ('To complete' tab) Don't forget! feature - use the Tasks menu option to display a sticky reminder about a task... click it to jump to the task Send to stickies feature - use the Tasks menu option to display selected tasks as Apple Sticky note E-mail feature - use the Tasks menu option to e-mail selected tasks via Apple Mail MailTags 2.0. enhancement: flagged e-mails are imported as flagged tasks MailTags 2.0. enhancement: a prefs setting to use the MT e-mail notes as a name for task in iGTD last selected smart folder is saved and restored between launches integration with Services menu (logout/login required): select a text in any app, go to app menu / Services submenu and use the 'iGTD/Put into iGTD inbox option' new mode for search panel: 'Search by project name or note' and much, much more This update also includes a large batch of bug fixes, as well as enhancements to adding new items to lists that are sorted by various methods. Amazingly, iGTD is still donationware, and this new version should be available by choosing Check for Updates from the application menu, or simply by heading over to the iGTD site.
TUAW Podcast #26: File Launchers
We talk up the file launcher and manipulator Quicksilver quite a bit here at TUAW, but there is a solid batch of similar productivity-enhancing utilities that offer different things for different users. Whether you're looking for a simple utility that lets you launch your applications faster than Spotlight can find them, or you're prepared to step up to vast amounts of power and flexibility with what you find and how you use it, chances are I covered an app in this screencast that will fit the bill for you. From the power of Butler to the simplicity of Namely, I wanted to give you at least some of the basics and a visual on how 5 different launchers work, as well as their pros and cons and how they differ from each other. However, since I am a Quicksilver lover at heart, it is very likely that I missed a key feature or two in these apps, so feel free to highlight your favorite features and what you think new users can truly benefit from in the comments. Also, for anyone interested in what I'm using to create these screencasts, I include a very short blurb at the beginning which highlights a few of the tools I use to record the screencast and create some of the effects I use.This time around I've decided to try something different, and I've created two versions of the screencast. In our podcast feed is an iPod-friendly version of the podcast that's 640 x 400, 17 minute and 40 MB - that's the one you can get by subscribing to our iTunes Store podcast feed or our direct TUAW podcast feed. I've also created an HD version for those who want something with a little more detail (sorry, we don't have an RSS feed for HD podcasts yet; this is a new thing so we'll see how it goes). That one will look better on larger displays and should play mighty fine on the Apple TV.To make sure we're all on the same page and that you can run out and grab demos of these launchers, here is a list of links to all the apps I mention in the screencast, including the ones I use to create and record it:Launchers Quicksilver - donationware LaunchBar - commercial: $19.95 Butler - donationware Overflow - commercial: $14.95 Namely - donationware Screencast recording Desktopple Pro - hiding the desktop icons, custom wallpaper and more (which we've mentioned before) Mouseposé - spotlight effects, keystroke overlays (which I didn't use in this specific screencast) and other presentation highlighting tools (mentioned here) iShowU - excellent and customizable app for recording screencasts (mentioned a couple times here) I hope you enjoy the screencast, and please feel free to leave feedback to let me know how I'm doing with producing these. If you prefer HD podcasts that look better on screen and can play on an Apple TV (instead of 640 px wide podcasts which are the max an iPod can handle), definitely let me know that too.
Break room games help office morale, productivity
We at Joystiq understand that not everyone is lucky enough to have a job that allows, nay, requires them to play games on the job. The folks at Entrepreneur Magazine know this too, and are helping out by singing the praises of video games in the employee break room.It's not that surprising that places like Popcap Games encourage their employees to learn from the competition, but even non-game related business like law firms and automotive websites are finding that games improve office morale and productivity. Employers also note that game rooms help attract younger employees and makes a hell of an impression during an applicant interview.Still, aren't office game rooms an invitation for employees to goof off all day? Apparently not -- none of the businesses Entrepreneur found needed to impose any limits on play. As one employer paraphrased, "the only employees who might have trouble in this type of environment are the ones that can't regulate themselves." And those people are probably playing Minesweeper all day anyway.
Do It updated to version 2.5
Jim McGowan's Do It is a handy little todo manager we found back in February that is fairly feature-packed and well integrated with Mac OS X. It offers .Mac syncing of todos, an Address Book plug-in, iCal export/import and even a Quicksilver plug-in for quick todo entry. The app has been progressing nicely over the months, and just this morning I noticed a small but useful update notification for v2.5 that brings Japanese language support and a Dutch version of the help files. In addition, Do It has joined the quickly expanding ranks of apps that use Andy Matuschak's excellent Sparkle module to enable self-updating for new versions (users of apps like Adium should be familiar with this). From now on, a simple update notification will appear, allowing the app to download the new version, install it and relaunch - all with only two clicks from you, the user. As a happy user of Do It since we found it, I'm glad that it will be one less app that I have to deal with downloading, quitting, dragging somewhere to overwrite and relaunching. Automation, my dear readers, is a beautiful, beautiful thing. Do It is provided surprisingly as donationware from Mr. McGowan's site.
Listz - a powerful organizer with rich media, iPod exporting and more
Getting organized is all the rage lately, what with an endless sea of GTD apps, todo Dashboard widgets and Growl alarm systems. There is certainly something to be said about making a list and checking it twice - especially when your list offers Google Maps in a mouseover popup window, a Dashboard widget, individual alarms, syncing across Macs, iPod exporting and much, much more. Listz is just such an app, and it is absolutely slammed with features. It even offers backup burning to disc, tabbed lists, extensive styling options, drag and drop support, categorizing list items, and support for printing lists if you aren't bringing your little white or black (or green, or red...) sidekick. But all this functionality comes at a price that is likely to appeal only to the power list'ers in the crowd: Listz sells for $39.95. It isn't the cheapest organization app I've ever seen, but it very well might be one of - if not the - most functional, especially with those slick rich media mouse-over popups. The only way to tell for sure, of course, is to download a demo for yourself and try it out.
TUAW Tip: Desktopple Pro can hide idle apps
Some utilities stick to doing one thing and one thing well, while others incorporate a number of related features for those who need a little more umph. Desktopple Pro is just such a utility. As we've mentioned before, Desktopple Pro is a powerful app that helps neat-freaks and podcasters alike to hide their desktop icons and display custom wallpapers either at the click of a mouse, or even automatically when starting some apps. What many (potential) users don't know, however, is that it can also automatically hide apps that are sitting idle in the background of your workspace, depending on a user-specified time limit. This means that some users of other similar apps that are designed specifically to perform this one chore - like Spirited Away and Shoo Apps - might be able to remove one more task from Activity Monitor, as Desktopple Pro has you covered. A 15-day demo of Desktopple Pro is available, as is a free Desktopple Lite for those who only need some of the basics. A single license for Desktopple Pro sells for a mere $17.
Bring 'My Computer' to Mac OS X's desktop
Erica just touched on Mac OS X's ability to selectively hide drives form the desktop via the Finder's preferences, but what if you still want access to those drives? Maybe you're a neat freak when it comes to your desktop, or maybe you're a recent Windows switcher who misses the comforts of My Computer. Either way, an app simply called My Computer might very well do the trick for you, as it really lives up to its name. Included with the app are some brief instructions that basically parallel Erica's post, teaching you how to use the Finder's preferences to remove your drives from the desktop. After that you can simply move My Computer.app into place (which really doesn't do much more than using cmd-shift-c to get to the same display of drives) and enjoy your home away from home, or simply what some might consider a cleaner desktop. While the choice for the app icon is a bit outdated, that can be rectified with a simple Get Info command (cmd-i) on the icon and choosing something new, perhaps from the endless archives at The Iconfactory.
43Folders: Using smart folders in Mail
Merlin Mann over at productivity blog 43Folders is taking a look at the Smart Folders feature of Apple's Mail today. His favorites include a folder to hold "flagged" messages, a recently sent folder (within the last two days) and recently viewed (same criteria).The one I thought was clever was a collaborative effort between Address Book and Mail. In Address Book, he created a group based on geographic location (particularly, San Francisco). Back in Mail, he created a smart folder to group messages received from contacts in the "San Francisco" group. That's a pretty good idea.I'm sure you see the question coming: What are your favorite smart folders setups? I actually don't use any, as I want an empty mailbox. Any message that I think requires me to somehow do something I forward to my Backpack "Inbox" page, where it waits for me to decide what it is and act accordingly. But that's me.
Widget Watch: GTD widget for iCal
Yep, we found yet another GTD-inspired product, and unlike the apps we've been blogging lately, this is a widget. The GTD widget for iCal is from ConceptDraw Labs, a new software and widget house, and it seems to do a nice job of fusing the GTD paradigm with iCal in a slim widgetized package. No crazy syncing action with an iPod or iSync here - just a straight-up 'get something done' approach. One catch with this widget, however, is that it uses AppleScript to communicate with iCal, which means that it will need to start iCal to work its magic. Commenters on ComceptDraw Labs's announcement post have pointed out that changes to the way iCal works in Leopard should allow them to avoid this inconvenience, but if you don't mind simply hiding iCal in the background for now, it shouldn't be a problem.The GTD widget for iCal is apparently freeware, as I can't even find any donation links at ConceptDraw Labs' site.
VirtueDesktops update brings lots of changes, bug fixes
VirtueDesktops, the virtual desktop manager of choice, recently updated to version 0.54 beta 2 with a major set of changes and bug fixes. This forum post at cocoaforge rounds up all the changes of a few recent builds, including this latest beta. To summarize: the main gist is a lot of focus on UI tweaks and improvements. Rearranging desktops, desktop inspector improvements, crash fixes and plugs for memory leaks are all on the table. If you want to download the new version and are interested in the details, hit the forum post for everything you need to know. Otherwise the VirtueDesktops downloads page should do you just fine, but don't forget to donate to show your appreciation.
Trampoline: the quickest route to the tools you need
Application launchers are diversifying in big ways, and it's great to see the market expanding. After discovering LaunchBar then switching to Quicksilver, it was obvious how useful these apps are and how important it is that there be a wide variety of them. A new launcher I just found, called Trampoline, definitely adds a new flavor to the mix. Trampoline bills itself as "the quickest route to the tools you need," and it fits the bill pretty well. Unlike other similar app launchers and file manipulators, Trampoline offers what I would call a 'circular Dock' that can be toggled via a key or tied to a mouse button. Users can add their favorite and most-used apps to this on-call Dock, and it appears underneath your mouse, wherever that may be. As a unique alternative to other comparatively 'bloated' app launchers (though I say that with love as I cannot work without Quicksilver), Trampoline offers a simpler, more direct approach to keeping your beloved tools right at your fingertips. A demo is available from Old Jewel Software, and a license costs $19.95.
Hazel update brings even more productivity to automated file manager
I instantly fell in love with Hazel from Noodlesoft the first time I found it back in September '06, and since then it has received a literal landslide of new features that make it even more indispensable to any heavy file trafficker. For those just tuning in, Hazel is fundamentally a file organization utility; it allows you to set up a series of rules that watch files in directories of your choosing, and then it carries out various actions based on your criteria. For example: I download a lot of videos, particularly motion pieces I find from studios all over the web. I also download a lot of DMGs and ZIPs in the name of TUAW, and as you might guess, after just a busy morning of all this watching and downloading, my desktop is about as messy as the typical freshman dormroom. Enter Hazel, the background file management ninja. For these two scenarios, I have a couple of rules that watch my Desktop for files of type Movie, DMG or ZIP which were added more than 1 day ago. These rules will then move said files into their respective directories (Movies and Software, as one might guess) and apply a blue label to them, just to make sure I know what was moved how.
Valet - a flexible application launcher with Parallels integration
Valet is a new kind of application launcher that brings some interesting innovations to the table. First, upon activation it offers a heads-up display containing application icons, organized into categories of your choosing. This is a rich visual departure from competition like LaunchBar and Quicksilver. Second, Valet is heavy on voice control, though you apparently still need to activate it with a hotkey. Perhaps most interesting is Valet's ability to also open Windows applications inside of a Parallels virtual machine. That's right: you can create a category containing Windows apps like Internet Explorer, Access or even shortcuts to Control Panel items. Calling these things from Valet will start Parallels, open your virtual machine and fire up the Windows app of your choosing. Does anyone else see the line between OSes getting thinner with new apps like this? Valet doesn't stop there though; other tricks up its sleeve include Growl support and automatic detection of new apps. If you want to see Valet in action, its developers have put together a nice demo (QuickTime link) of the voice activation and heads-up display features. Valet is a Universal Binary. Licenses are $25, and volume licensing options are available upon request.
MailTags 2 beta gets major todo and event enhancements, goes 'feature complete'
Scott Morrison has released a 6th beta of MailTags 2, his quintessential tagging and organizing plug-in for Mail.app that we're big fans of. This new beta heralds a 'feature complete' status for the plug-in, meaning that Scott has implemented all the new features and tricks that version 2 will have, and now it's simply time to clean up the code and stomp out the bugs. Also new in this version is an updated UI with a slick new pop-up window for entering todo and event information (pictured). This makes recording events and staying on top of things with MailTags much more functional and enjoyable, causing Scott's plug-in to rise even farther towards the top of my list of apps that help me get more done with my email.MailTags 2 costs $25 and can be had from indev.
Yojimbo 1.4 released with AppleScript support
Bare Bones Software has released version 1.4 of Yojimbo, their "effortless information organizer" that is oh so popular with the kids these days. To summarize the press release, the main new addition is long-requested "extensive" support for automation via AppleScript and Perl. Also in this release is a new "Untagged Items" factory smart collection to go along with the still somewhat new tagging feature they released with v1.3. Of course, plenty of bug fixes and refinements also made it into this release, all of which you can view in the release notes. You can snag the new version from Bare Bones' updates page.
Distraction reduction for your Mac
Ah, the holidays: a time for reflection, relaxation, and finally getting your GTD feng shui into proper order. Who better to give you some leverage over the incredible source of distractions and detours that is your Mac than Merlin Mann? The 43Folders productivity guru gets focused with Leo Laporte on the most recent edition of MacBreak, covering additional ground after an October episode on desktop de-cluttering.My favorite attention-enhancing power tool is currently WriteRoom, which has made it much easier for me to take notes in meetings without getting lured away by the siren call of unread emails and projects in progress. What do you use to help clamp down on the tangents and procrastination?[via Lifehacker/43folders]
Actiontastic GTD app updates with iPod syncing, more
The GTD space has been heating up lately, and Actiontastic seems to be the innovative leader, at least since I've been considering giving these apps a whirl. Jon Crosby, the developer, added a Quicksilver action early last month, and now he's gone and raised the bar with iPod syncing. In a long post that refreshingly summarizes what all this GTD (Getting Things Done) business is about, as well as his approach to the process with Actiontastic, Jon also lists a number of major improvements to this latest release, v0.83. The new iPod syncing feature works with any iPods that support notes, but it isn't the only update in this release. Check out the bottom of Jon's post for the full detains on all the changes and tweaks, but read the whole thing if, like me, you've been trying to understand what all this GTD stuff is about. This is the first time I've really felt like someone explained the concepts well, and the fact that he's illustrating them with his app certainly doesn't hurt.Actiontastic is a Universal Binary, still in beta and at least for the moment: free. I can't tell if Jon plans to charge for it when it goes 1.0 official. Anyone know for sure?[via Hawk Wings]
