Adam Tow (our recent Automators guest) dove deep in iPad keyboards. I’d entirely forgotten about the hardware keyboard Apple made for the first iPad. I don’t think I ever saw one of those in the wild. Either way, if iPads and keyboards meet up in your personal geek Venn diagram, this one’s for you.
Adam’s photo of the original iPad Keyboard.
I frequently receive email from Mac Power Users listeners with feedback on some topic we discussed during the show. If the email is something that I may want to mention on the future feedback show, I copy that email into a running Google document that we then use when planning the feedback shows.
I’ve been doing this for years manually which, for a guy who likes to brag about his automation prowess, is kind of bananas. So today I took 10 minutes and wrote a quick Keyboard Maestro script to automate this process going forward and I thought I would share it. I’m adding this to the Keyboard Maestro Field Guide but also wanted to put it out on the web for anybody else that may need something similar.
I’ve been using CleanMyMac at least since the days of Macworld. I like the interface and the app has just got more powerful over the years. If you’re interested but prefer to buy software from the Mac App Store, you’re now in luck. After 12 years CleanMyMac X is launching on the Mac App Store. MacPaw has done a good job of getting numerous customer options for their software. You can subscribe through SetApp, buy directly through MacPaw, or through the Mac App Store. I’d love to see for other follow with so many purchase options.
Dave Hamilton joins us on this episode of Focused to talk about how to keep your focus in the workplace and during a pandemic. Also, Dave uses an isolation tank, and we have questions.
This episode of Focused is sponsored by:
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There is a new utility app for the Mac, called Service Station that I’ve been using, and enjoying for the last few weeks. Service Station adds a customizable context menu to your Mac. For some years now, you’ve been able to activate services by right-clicking with the mouse. Service Station takes this idea and runs with it. Specifically, you can make a user-customizable contextual menu for each file type. If you only open images with specific applications or run scripts on them, you can significantly speed up that process through the contextual menu with Service Station. In the below screenshot, for instance, Service Station will give me menus for Preview, Pixelmator Pro, and Sketch. I can also add scripts to this.
Then later, when I right-click on an image file, I get those three applications listed directly in my contextual menu. It’s a clever application and if you find yourself frequently working with right clicks or scripting, it’s a useful app. The application is sandboxed and available through the Mac App Store.
On this feedback episode, I share some news about an upcoming studio move, and Stephen talks about recent experimentation with a teleprompter. Also on the docket: connected home cameras, more on working from home, and the iPhone SE.
This episode of Mac Power Users is sponsored by:
SaneBox: Stop drowning in email!
The Omni Group: We’re passionate about productivity for Mac, iPhone, and iPad.
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We’re tackling the best ways to automate your music on this episode of Automators. Rosemary and I also talk about automating calendars and email attachments.
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I’ve now had the new Magic Keyboard attached to my iPad for a day. Lots of words have already been written about this by some very smart people. I don’t have a lot to add but a few points to reinforce:
The keyboard feels entirely like the MacBooks Pro and Air and entirely unlike the Smart Folio Keyboard. I’ve typed thousands of words with the Smart Folio Keyboard and while this new keyboard isn’t as indestructible, it feels better.
I was a bit worried about the overlap of the screen over the number row on the keyboard. That doesn’t seem to be a problem. There is, however, no way they’d get another row above the number row.
The adjustable tilt angle is great. In the past I’ve done all sorts of crazy hacks to adjust the tilt angle (including using stacks of post it notes as shims). Never again.
I’ve been happily using a mouse with the iPad a lot as I’m closing in on finishing the new Photos Field Guide. The experience of an attached trackpad to an iPad is even better. At first you’ll have to remind yourself that it’s there and shortly after you’ll wonder how you ever got by without it.
This is definitely the heaviest iPad keyboard I’ve ever used but that isn’t all negative. It feels extremely solid and there is no give in the keyboard when you’ve got it on your lap. That’s nice. Don’t kid yourself though. If you bought an iPad to avoid laptop weight, this keyboard will be to heavy for you.
With the only downside being the increased weight, there is nothing else but upside if you use an iPad with a keyboard. I doubt I’ll ever use the Smart Folio Keyboard again.
This week’s sponsor, SaneBox is the solution to so many of my email problems. SaneBox is the email service that adds a pile of productivity features to your email, regardless of what email client you use. The email just never stops coming at you. If you’re goign to stand a chance against it, you’ll need some powerful technology and SaneBox is that. With SaneBox at your back, you can:
Wake up every day to find the SaneBox robots have automatically sorted your incoming email for you so you can address the important and ignore the irrelevant.
Defer email for hours, days, or weeks, so it is out of your life until a more appropriate time. They’ve even added a new feature that can optionally auto-reply to snoozed email with something like, “I’m sorry, but I’m underwater right now. I’ll get back to you in a few days.”
Set secret reminders so if someone doesn’t reply to an important email SaneBox gives you a nudge to follow up.
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Use their SaneForward service to automatically send appropriate emails to services like Evernote, Expensify, and Kayak.
Move unwanted email to the SaneBlackHole and never see anything from that person again.
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The SaneBox team has been hard at work lately improving the SaneBox interface and releasing even more new tools. For instance, now you can have SaneBox send an auto-reply when you defer an email. Why not straighten out your email by getting a SaneBox account today. If you sign up with this link, you even get a discount on your subscription.
A lot of folks suddenly find themselves using teleconference software like Zoom and Skype for work related meetings. The trouble is that we all don’t necessarily have the perfect space to do such work and we don’t necessarily want our messy houses in the background. Zoom lets you insert a background and, as of yesterday, so does Skype. So what do you use as a background image? I have a few ideas:
This is an assortment of downloadable images and video that is growing fast. Many of them are humorous. A few of them are subtle. There’s something for everyone.
StarWars.com published a set of pictures from movie sets that can put you in the rebel base, in the Falcon, or on the Death Star. We all have to choose a side at some point.
Textures Work Too
If you are looking for something more subtle, a Google Imates for texttures in your color of choice (gray always works) can also do the trick.
If you are going to use a background, make sure you have some blank space behind you and that your face is well lit.
