This week MacSparky is sponsored by Ulysses, that powerful writing tool that works on Mac, iPad, and iPhone and I use every day. In the last year, my usage of Ulysses has only increased more. It has become for me, “the place for words”. Not only do I keep a repository of text, I call it the “text bank” that I use in my law practice in Ulysses, it has also become the place I keep notes, work on drafts, outline screencasts, plan podcasts, and write just about all the other words I make in one context or another. I love the clean design and the way it syncs everything everywhere. The image to the right is my Ulysses sidebar. There is so much contained in these categories.
The Ulysses team has been busy. Recent additions include new styles and themes and the new ability to split the view, showing you two different Ulysses notes at the same time. I’ve only been using split view a short time but already couldn’t imagine Ulysses without it. Best of all, if you sign up with the links in this blog post, you’ll get three months of Ulysses for free.
For a while now, I’ve been using Cardhop on my Mac to manage contacts. Today marks the release of Cardhop for iOS. Made by Flexibits, the same team behind Fantastical, Cardhop is better than the native Contacts app in just about every way. It has a smart parser that lets you find, modify, and act on contacts without diving into the button pressing hell that is the native Contacts app. It allows you to actually move contacts among groups easily, it looks beautiful, and it has wicked Siri Shortcuts support. The icon is even better looking on your home screen. You can buy it today.
I want to publicly congratulate the Sweet Setup gang generally, and my friend and Focussed co-host Mike Schmitz specifically for shipping version 2.0 of their Learn Ulysses course today. The updated course has new materials going from basic to advanced concepts and is a great way to learn to get more from one of my favorite writing apps.
My favorite thing about the new course is the way they contextualize the app and explain how it can be used in so many different way to not only manage words, but also ideas. The new course is $57, with a discount down to $44 during the first few days.
On this week’s episode of Mac Power Users, Stephen and I work our way through some feedback, Stephen has feelings about his Apple Watch, and I have switched notes apps … again.
For years now I’ve been receiving emails from readers and listeners asking me to keep a post on the website describing my current setup. It’s always been a page I’ve wanted to add to the website but also something just out of reach in my OmniFocus lists. In the upcoming episode of Mac Power Users, Stephen and I stray into our individual setups, and I committed, on air, to have my setup posted on the website by the time of publication. It’s still a bit of a work in progress but … alas … it lives!
This week MacSparky is sponsored by the latest release of TextExpander 6.5 for macOS and 2.0 for Windows and their new visual editor for snippets. The new editor make it easier to see and edit snippet Fill-ins, dates and date math, nested snippets, and more.
TextExpander has always been powerful. With this update it gets even easier to use that power. Now you can nsert words, phrases, forms, templates, and more with just a couple key clicks—everywhere you type. Go download it today and take control of your time and productivity by letting TextExpander handle your repetitive typing tasks. Sign up with this link and get 20% off.
While I generally prefer backpacks when carrying a lot of gear, over the past year, my load-out has got a lot smaller. The iPad Pro, with its relatively light weight, is as powerful as a MacBook Pro and I don’t have a laptop anymore. Often I want to head out to Starbucks (or Disneyland) with an iPad and a few odds and ends. The gang at WaterField bags were kind enough to send me their new Sutter Tech Sling to try out for just this purpose.
The Sutter Tech Sling is, as the name implies, a sling-style bag that can be adjusted to go over your left or right shoulder. It does this with a D-ring on the top of the bag and two separate mounting points at the bottom. On long days, it takes just seconds to move the strap and switch shoulders. Also related, the strap has a cam lock buckle that is easy to adjust while you are wearing the bag and there is a built-in shoulder pad to give you more comfort. Like other Waterfield bags, the back of the bag has a mesh padding to keep your back from getting sweaty on a hot day.
Click to enlarge.
The Sutter Tech Sling comes in either brown waxed canvas and brown leather (my preference) or black ballistic nylon and black leather trim. There are two sizes: Standard (11.5″ x 8″ x 3″ with 4.5 liters of volume) and Full (14″ x 9.5″ x 3″ with 6.5 liters of volume). I have the Full size, which is required to carry a 12.9″ iPad but even the Full-size Sutter Tech Sling is the smallest bag I’ve used in some time. The bag has a main compartment that contains a separate padded sections that I use for holding my iPad. There’s also a front pocket compartment for holding incidentals.
Click to enlarge
On longer outings I’ve got the bag stuffed with my iPad, external battery, a rolled up jacket, small umbrella, water bottle, paper notebook and pens (they sell a matching pen case), and the other bits I normally carry with no problem. The bag has side zippers on both left and right sides for the front pouch and long zippers that go to the side on its main compartment, so it is easy to slide the bag forward onto your stomach without taking it off and access your gear. I often use the Sutter Tech Sling while biking. Being able to access my sunglasses in this fashion is great.
The thing I like about Waterfield bags most is the way they sweat the small stuff. The Sutter Tech Sling is no different in this regard. The clip on the key fob has a high tension spring, so I don’t have to worry about losing my keys. The three pen holders are big enough to hold my larger pens (or Apple Pencil) but also tight enough to keep them from falling out in the bag. The aglets on the end of zipper pulls aren’t cheap plastic but metal barrels that look like tiny lightsaber hilts. The interior is lined with gold fabric, making it easier to find stuff in the bag. The zippers are inset and waterproof. We’ve (thankfully) had a lot of rain in southern California this winter and I’ve been riding my bike in the rain with this bag a lot. At no point did I see any evidence of water getting inside the bag.
My well-loved Sutter Tech Sling. Click to enlarge.
Here’s my Sutter Tech Sling after two months of abuse through rain and sun. If anything, it looks even better now than it did when it was new.
The Sutter Tech Sling has become my go-to bag. I love the compact size and the easy carry over either shoulder. Because I can switch shoulders, I am able to carry this bag with a full load through a whole day. I’ve received numerous compliments on the bag from strangers, and I’m not surprised. It’s a great looking and highly functional bag. If you are looking for a sling, this is the one.
