Running a Shortcut from a Keyboard Maestro Script

Recently, I’ve had several nerd friends ask me about kicking off a Shortcut from a Keyboard Maestro script. You can do that using the Execute AppleScript action with the following text inside:

tell application "Shortcuts Events"
run the shortcut "Shortcut Name"
end tell

You’d need to replace “Shortcut Name” with the actual Shortcut name, while retaining the quotes. That is all it takes to launch a Shortcut from Keyboard Maestro.

Click here to download the Keyboard Maestro ScriptDownload

Want to get better at Keyboard Maestro? I have something for you.

Use TextSniper for Easy OCR on Your Mac (Sponsor)

My thanks to TextSniper for sponsoring MacSparky.com this week. I’m a fan of this app.

TextSniper is a Mac OCR app that can extract text anywhere on your Mac’s screen and automatically save it to your clipboard so that you can paste it anywhere you need it. It can even read the text to you. The whole thing works a lot like the built-in screen capture on the Mac, just way more powerful.

Also, TextSniper doesn’t collect your data. The text recognition is processed on your Mac and does not require an internet connection. 

With TextSniper, you can:

  • Quickly get a text from PDFs, Zoom calls, Presentations, and Videos. 
  • Copy text from anywhere, even images and websites that don’t let you select text.
  • Quickly grab data like email addresses, phone numbers, and links.
  • Read QR codes and barcodes.
  • Get text out of just about any image format, including JPG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, and BMP.

I find myself using TextSniper constantly in my daily work. As an example, my wife sent me a picture of a letter she received. I needed to grab some data from the letter (account number, etc…) TextSniper came to the rescue.

TextSniper works with macOS Catalina and later and also works with Parallels Desktop

Get TextSniper now and enjoy the fastest way to copy uncopyable text, wherever it may be. Use promo code TS2022 to get an additional 25% off. 

Apple Event: Peek Performance

As predicted by the Apple rumor oracles, we are getting an Apple event next week, March 8, 10:00 a.m. Pacific. Announcements went out this morning and the event is called “Peek Performance”. It is really easy to read the titles of these events and wishcast your own hopes onto them but “Peeuk Performance” does sound like a great name for the new high-end iMacs. I’m just sayin’.

The Last Month in The MacSparky Labs

We just wrapped up February in the MacSparky Labs. There was a lot of good content in February (listed below) and more planned in March. If you haven’t already checked out The MacSparky Labs, I’d love to have you on board.

2022-03-01 – Convert an Image from HEIC to JPG with Shortcuts (All members)

2022-02-27 – MacSparky Studio Expansion, Part 1 – The Plan (All members)

2022-02-25 – Roles Based Productivity (Early Access)

2022-02-24 – Testing out the Rocketbook (Early Access and Backstage)

2022-02-22 – Testing a second monitor (Early Access)

2022-02-21 – Customizing Folder Search with Alfred (All members)

2022-02-17 – FOD Interview with Gabe Weatherhead (Early Access and Backstage)

2022-02-14 – Automating One Thing (All members)

2022-02-11 – Contemplating a Second Monitor (Early Access)

2022-02-10 – February 2022 Virtual Meet-up (Early Access and Backstage)

2022-02-07 – Birthday Journaling with MacSparky (All members)

2022-02-04 – Retreats with Jason Snell (Early Access and Backstage)

2022-02-02 – Fixing iPhone Wallpaper with a Blur (All Members)

2022-02-01 – Disneyland vs. Disney World with Casey Liss (Early Access and Backstage)

Jim Dalrymple’s Retirement

Jim announced that he is retiring from the Apple-reporting business and moving to Texas. I couldn’t be happier for him. As someone who has a little recent experience with transitions, I know he must have a mix of emotions right now. I’ll miss Jim’s perspective, but fortunately, he’s keeping his podcast running.

My favorite Jim Dalyrmple story is from a few years ago when I met him at the NAMM show, which happens near me when we’re not mid-pandemic. NAMM is the National Association of Music Merchants. It’s like Macworld, but for music nerds, and bigger. Anyway, I spent a day walking around with Jim and realized that everyone in the music business also seems to know Jim. It felt like walking through town with the mayor.

Good luck, Jim.

Mac Power Users 629: Workflows with Craig Hockenberry

Craig Hockenberry is back on this episode of Mac Power Users to weigh in on Apple silicon, why he’s an Apple Watch power user, and life as a Mac developer.

This episode of Mac Power Users is sponsored by:

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