Automate Text Entry for Your Whole Team with TextExpander (Sponsor)


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This week MacSparky.com is sponsored by TextExpander, the easiest way to start automating your work on Mac, iPad, and iPhone. TextExpander is a text replacement tool. With it, you can type a phrase like “ccell” and it will automatically fill in your cell phone number. But TextExpander is so much more than that.

TextExpander brings so much power to text automation, including Team Support. I’m a TextExpander for teams subscriber myself. Using TextExpander, my team supporting the Field Guides is able to get quick responses to customer inquiries with exactly the right information. Imagine if all of your customer support team could use a common bank of snippets, written and edited by your best writers and shared with everyone on your team. Not only that you can update the snippets at any time and they automatically populate to everyone.

I’ve done so much with TextExpander over the years that I even have a page of snippets I’ve created that you can download ranging from movie to reviews to conference calls. One of my personal favorite groups is foreign thanks where you can say thank you to people in most language. Sending an email to a French friend, just type “french thanks” and TextExpander gives you “Merci”. It’s like your own, personal translator.

To learn more, head over to TextExpander.com and let them know you heard about it at MacSparky in the “Where did you hear about us” field.

Configure-less MacBooks

Jason Snell wrote a thought-provoking article in Macworld about exactly how configurable Apple will make future MacBooks and MacBook Airs. In short, he thinks our options will be limited and that is born out by the currently shipping MacBook Airs that will let you pick RAM and Storage levels but offers no configuration as to the processor.

I agree with Jason. Particularly if Apple moves the Macs (or some portion of the Macs) over to ARM processors, I believe they will be treated as appliance computers more than ever before. Consumers buy iPads and iPhones without considering processor (or RAM!) customization and I think Apple would love to pull off the same trick on the Mac.

Mac Power Users 457: 2018 Geek Gift Guide



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Listen to this week’s Mac Power Users episode for our annual Holiday Geek Gift Guide. Katie and I run down our favorite gift picks for the year as well as what’s on our own holiday wish lists.

This episode of Mac Power Users is sponsored by:

  • Luna Display: The only hardware solution that turns your iPad into a wireless display for your Mac. Use promo code POWER at checkout for 10% off.

  • PDFpen from Smile: With powerful PDF-editing tools, available for Mac, iPad, and iPhone, PDFpen from Smile makes you a Mac Power User.

  • 1Password: Have you ever forgotten a password? Now you don’t have to worry about that anymore. Save up to 20% using this link.

  • SaneBox: Stop drowning in email!

Get Organized with OmniFocus 3 (Sponsor)



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This week MacSparky is sponsored by The Omni Group and their latest version of OmniFocus 3, now out for the Mac, iPhone, and iPad. This latest version adds several new features while still keeping it a beautiful (and usable) app. What features you may ask? I have a list:

  • Tags! Make them for people, energy level, priority, location, or whatever floats your boat. 

  • The Forecast view now shows your tasks and calendar events in order, so you can better see what’s coming up in your day and adjust if needed. 

  • Enhanced repeating tasks are easier than ever to set up, and they work with real-world examples, such as the first weekday of the month. 

  • Batch editing has been brought over from the Mac, and it lets you set due dates, tags, and other data for multiple tasks all at once. 

  • Flexible inspectors now allow you to show only the features you use and reorder them, so your favorites are where you want them. 

  • Mixed tasks and events so you can see how your appointments stack up against your essential tasks.

As with everything the Omni Group makes, the app is functional, powerful, and beautiful. Don’t believe me? Head over to the OmniFocus website and download the trial and then watch the free portion of my OmniFocus Field Guide. You’ll immediately see the benefits of using software made for people that get it done. Also, make sure you let them know you heard about here.



The new OmniFocus Inbox

The new OmniFocus Inbox

Free Agents 60: Be Strategic About It, with Mike Vardy



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Productivityist founder Mike Vardy joins Mike and me on this episode of Free Agents to tell his free agent story, from Costco to comedian to productivity strategist. He shares how he learned to think outside the big box store, the importance of establishing systems, and how to create time and freedom for what’s important.

This episode of Free Agents is sponsored by:

  • Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code FREEAGENTS at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.

  • FreshBooks: Online invoicing made easy.

Mac Power Users 456: Workflows with Laura McClellan



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On this week’s episode of Mac Power Users, Katie and I chat with Laura McClellan of the Productive Woman podcast to discuss her perspectives on productivity, finding and using the right virtual assistant, creating a community around her podcast, routines, habits, and more.

This episode of Mac Power Users is sponsored by:

  • Squarespace: Make your next move. Enter offer code MPU at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.

  • Luna Display: The only hardware solution that turns your iPad into a wireless display for your Mac. Use promo code POWER at checkout for 10% off.

  • 1Password: Have you ever forgotten a password? Now you don’t have to worry about that anymore. Save up to 20% using this link.

  • The Omni Group: We’re passionate about productivity for Mac, iPhone, and iPad.

Automators 10: Web-Based Automation with Zapier



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Today we release episode 10 of the Automators (Double Digits!), where venture into the brave new world of web automation. We start with grand-daddy, Zapier. We begin comparing and contrasting Zapier with other web automation services, like IFTTT and Microsoft Flow.

Did you know you can combine Zapier with Siri Shortcuts? We tell you how. 

Next Rose explains some of the Zapier recipes we use to automate the production of Automators. (Of course … we do that.)

This show is sponsored by TextExpander, which we both love very much.

Next I explain some basics about triggers and actions. We know this comes up often in automation, but Zapier has it’s own unique snowflake way of covering that, so we explain it. Eventually, we get to Zap organization, which makes Rose very happy.

I use Zapier a lot on the legal side. I use a lot of web services and Zapier lets me tie them together, particularly with client on-boarding. I explain my ongoing journey in that regard.

There are a few caveats, but we are both subscribers and Zapier believers.

Zapier makes you happier.

Want to see all the Automator production Zaps? Just download this PDF.



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Brydge Teases Keyboard for new iPad Pro

Brydge is considred by many to be the premier third-party keyboard manufacturer for the iPad and now they are teasing new keyboards for the 2018 iPad Pros on Twitter. There isn’t much information yet but with the new iPad Pro, Apple has raised the prices of its own keyboard/cover so now it is $200 for the one on your 12.9 inch iPad. I spent the money on the Apple Keyboard and I’m not entirely sold. (The space bar isn’t consistently registering.) If you are thinking about buying the Apple Keyboard and you can wait, this may be worth checking out.

Sort of related … I should have a video of the 12.9” iPad Pro up tomorrow.


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Get a Free Three Month Ulysses Trial (Sponsor)



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This week, MacSparky is sponsored by Ulysses, the writing application I use every day. For a lot of people, myself included, writing words is one of the primary ways we pay for our shoes. For so many years I wanted a writing solution that just worked and I could have with me anywhere. Ulysses is that. Ulysses gives me a focused writing environment, eliminating distractions and encouraging me to do the hard work of moving the cursor across the line.



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Ulysses takes the friction out of writing. That is because in addition to obsessive design, Ulysses has some real power under the hood. I love the way Ulysses organizes the various facets of my life and where I do my writing. As I go use Ulysses, I have all sorts of text that I’m currently writing, have already written, or use as a reference. And because it syncs across macOS and iOS, all of it is always available to me. There is a reason I always have this app open.

And the good news is that if you are getting a shiny new iPad Pro today, Ulysses has already been updated for it. As usual, the Ulysses team is on it with their latest update.

Best of all, the Ulysses team has agreed to give the MacSparky readers a free three month test drive. Use the links in this post to try Ulysses for three months. You’ll see immediately what I mean about why this app is good.