It has been years since I’ve mentioned it but I still use the heck out of Default Folder X. This is an application for your Mac that updates the open/save dialog boxes. It gives you an easy way to navigate to recent folders and files, favorites, and otherwise speeds up working on your Mac. If you like to tag files, it also fully supports tagging in the open and save dialog boxes. If you’ve never heard of it, I recommend downloading a trial and given it a shot.
If you have heard of default Folder X, you’ll be pleased to know that they just released a significant update that allows you to create folders in your Library folder for Default Folder X Favorites, Recent Folders and Recent Files. These are actually aliases to the folders and files shown in Default Folder X’s menus, and can be used as a way to access Default Folder X’s data from other applications. I love it when an app this mature can still surprise me with useful new features.
I’m a little late with this story but thought it worth sharing anyway. Yahoo announced last week that they had another security breach (in addition to the 500 million hacked accounts earlier this year). This newly disclosed breach, which happened in 2013, involved 1 Billion Yahoo accounts. As seen in the title, that’s a lot of zeros.
It appears Yahoo’s user data has been compromised multiple times in recent years. If you’ve used Yahoo in the past and cancelled your account, please make sure you didn’t use the password you had at Yahoo anywhere else. If you have a Yahoo account, why are you still reading this? Go cancel it …. now.
According to Sensor Report, the new Mario game for iOS has already had 25 million downloads. That’s a lot of Marios.
Super Mario Run is an interesting angle for Nintendo. The game isn’t a traditional Nintendo game but instead a taste of one. If you really want a proper Mario platform, you’ll still need to buy Nintendo hardware and that is probably the point.
The most annoying bit for me is their extreme copy protection. The app actually has to have an Internet connection to work. It’s not requiring Internet data to play the game but instead it’s a copy protection mechanism. I hate it when a company makes a product significantly worse for paying customers in effort to avoid software piracy. As an example, I was in line at Disneyland a few days ago and thought I’d play the Mario game while waiting. Unfortunately the Internet sucks at Disneyland and instead I got this.
This week MacSparky is sponsored by SaneBox, the email service that can start saving your bacon today. As the end of the year approaches, it’s a good time to look at your workflows that work … and those that don’t. For a lot of folks, email is a constant pain point and it doesn’t need to be. With SaneBox at your back, you add a powerful set of email tools that can work in just about any email client. With SaneBox you can:
Wake up everyday 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.
Set secret reminders so if someone doesn’t reply to an important email SaneBox gives you a nudge to follow up.
Automatically save attachments to the cloud (like Dropbox).
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.
The list goes on. Why not straighten out your email in 2017 by getting a SaneBox account and bringing a gun to a knife fight. If you sign up with this link, you even get a discount off your subscription.
My Apple AirPods arrived. Hurray! I don’t think you can call this a “review” after just a day of use. Instead, it’s a list of observations from a new user. Before getting started, I should say a little bit about me and bluetooth. For several years now I’ve been carrying around a variety of bluetooth headsets throughout the day. I use them to listen to music and podcasts. I also use them to make a lot of telephone calls. So as an AirPod customer, I am looking for something that sounds good but is also useful for phone calls. With that in mind, here goes…
About the Case
I like the idea of a battery case. I’m always carrying these Bluetooth headsets in my pocket and the idea of one that can charge them while in my pocket is a great idea.
The case is heavier than you think it is.
It’s a good thing the hinge is chrome or I’d never know what side is front … really.
Since you know which side is front, you also know exactly which AirPod is for the left and right ear when you open it up. This is helpful if you use just one AirPod at a time, which it is already clear I will do often.
The Magnetic latch for the case is more satisfying than it should be. At some point I started to feel like Captain Queeg and his ball bearings so I put it back in my pocket.
Overall, the case design is great. It’s about the size of a dental floss container but the edges are much more rounded, making getting it in and out of your pocket much easier.
About the Pairing Experience
A lot of folks are losing their minds over the pairing process. It is more convenient but I’d consider a side benefit and not a good enough reason to buy AirPods over some other Bluetooth headphone. All of my recently acquired Bluetooth headphones hold a pairing pretty good.
Setting the previous point aside, using these with multiple Apple devices is far superior to any other Bluetooth device I’ve used. I jumped between iPhone, iPad(s), and Mac(s) at will with these AirPods. None of my other Bluetooth headphones could do this without a lot of work (if at all).
I couldn’t get the AirPods to pair to the Apple TV automagically. I can get them to pair to Apple TV as a standard Bluetooth headphone but where is the fun in that?
When you flip open the case, iPhone displays a panel showing the current charge status of each AirPod and the case. Super-slick.
Once you pair the AirPod’s with any iCloud connected Apple device, they are automatically paired to every other device in your iCloud account.
About the Fit
This is the second time I’ve used AirPods. Again I jumped and shook my head like a crazy man. Again I was unable to make them fall out of my ears. I took a hike with no problem but I wouldn’t use them while playing tennis or climbing a mountain.
Thinking about how I usually have corded Apple EarPods fall out of my ears, it usually involves some hijinks with the cord. These new AirPods don’t have a cord so–in large part–problem solved. You know that feeling when your EarPods yank on your ear because the cord got caught on a door handle, right? No more.
The fact that the AirPods fit nicely in my ears doesn’t mean they’ll fit in yours. I have several friends with ears that are too big or too small (or too odd-grin) for EarPods. I expect they’ll face the same problems with AirPods.
Changing clothes with the AirPods in your ears is a lot easier than any other headphone or Bluetooth headset I’ve ever used. I can actually change my shirt without having to stop my song or podcast.
About the Battery Life
It is too early for me to report on battery life. I’m just getting started with these things. However, because so often I use them one at a time with the other one charging in the case, I don’t expect losing battery power to be an issue.
The fact that the case charges by lightning cable is convenient for me. I have lightning chargers everywhere in my life including next to my bed, in my car, and even a battery that I carry in my bag.
About the Sound Quality and Range
Overall I would rate the sound quality as “pretty good”. If you’re super picky about audio, you’ll probably not want AirPods. If you think the EarPods are good enough, you’ll find these wireless versions good enough as well. I tried really hard to compare wired EarPods to wireless AirPods and they sound about the same to me. I guess that’s the point.
I’m sure it has something to do with the Apple W1 chip but the range on these is better than any Bluetooth headphones I’ve ever used. Because I spend so much time on the phone and listening to Bluetooth audio, I have a really good idea of how far I can get away from my phone before things start falling apart. The AirPods sound better and I was able to get much further with the AirPod’s then I was any other Bluetooth device I’ve used in the past.
About Making Phone Calls
I love the fact that you can just use one of the AirPods in mono-mode. I made several phone calls with the right one in and then stuck it in the case and pulled out the left one out and started using that for hours. They’ve got the same hardware for both the left and the right. If you’re making a lot of telephone calls, this allows you to be charging one while using the other. Clever.
The call sound quality is acceptable. I did a test with one friend between my AirPod’s and my BlueParrot Bluetooth headset and she reported that both sounded the same.
About The Controls (and Lack Thereof)
Every other Bluetooth headphone I’ve used has attached controls similar to those on the existing EarPods controlls. Pausing with a click is great. You don’t get that with AirPods. Instead, to pause, I just pull an AirPod out of my ear and the audio stops. Volume up and down is more frustrating. You can use a Siri command or you can use volume controls on your iPhone or Apple Watch but all of those things take more steps than a simple click. Indeed, there is no way to adjust volume with the AirPods as easily as you can with the EarPods that come free with your iPhone. While that sucks, AirPods bring Siri to the game, which is pretty awesome.
About Siri and the AirPods
Getting Siri with a couple of taps to your ear is really useful. Granted, I am in the Siri camp already so I’m comfortable giving commands to my personal digital assistant and getting some results. The double tap is more convenient and easier than the long press on the center control button on my existing Bluetooth headphones. Moreover, Siri is just more accurate and responsive with the AirPod’s then she is with any other Bluetooth headset I’ve used. Audio playback/volumes/next track issues aside, having Siri in my ear is pretty great.
There’s a setting that allows you to toggle the double tap between Siri activation and play/pause. If you use Siri at all, you’ll want to leave it on the default Siri activation.
I hope at some point they find a way to give you more control with taps. Why not a single tap or triple tap?
Interestingly, the AirPods improve dictation accuracy. I ran test with both Dragon Anywhere and Siri dictation and found it more accurate when using the AirPod microphone then using the built-in microphone. I think a lot of work went into the AirPod beam forming microphones.
In Summary
I fully expect these AirPod’s to take over the vast majority of my Bluetooth headphones duty. The convenience, the easy access to Siri, the ability to carry them in my pocket and always be charging make the AirPods a clear winner for me. While I am certain I will miss the better audio controls you get on a corded headphone, the other features AirPod provide more than make up for this for me.
If you need noise canceling or something over the ear for more strenuous workouts, the AirPods won’t cut it. However, for most people I think the AirPods are going to be a great solution. Best of all, this is only the first generation of Apple’s AirPods. These things are only going to get smarter and more useful over time.
DEVONthink has made some significant strides in the last few years. Most impressive to me, is the way they’ve implemented iOS syncing. You now can have your entire DEVON library on your iPad and iPhone. This week we’re joined by Stuart Ingram, a busy guy that is getting the most from DEVONthink to hold it all together. We talk about the app basics, how to set it up and get started, and some interesting advanced features.
Sponsors include:
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.
This week 1Password released version 6.5 of the iOS app. There are several big improvements including a better onboarding experience and better group management. What really struck me, however, is the new Apple Watch app. It’s what I would refer to in my 80’s vernacular as “a sweet upgrade”.
The new Apple Watch app is a native Apple Watch app taking advantage of the the watchOS 3 update and running much faster. It’s now easy to set up and move key items from any 1Password vault (including 1Password.com vaults) to your wrist. I’ll be using 1Password on my wrist a lot more now. As an example, I still occasionally need to get my credit card PIN number when making a purchase. Now it’s on my wrist.
There has been an evolution with Apple Watch apps. With watchOS 1 and 2, watch apps felt like an experiment more than a finished product. With watchOS 3, Apple Watch apps have the possibility of being useful. That doesn’t mean that they all actually are useful. I think getting the user interface and feature scope on an Apple Watch app is a tricky thing. It’s a small screen and app developers need to think of it primarily as a consumption experience for getting data out of their app. 1Password nails this.
I mentioned in yesterday’s OmniGraffle sponsorship post that I made some cool new Star Wars Apple watch faces. That resulted in several emails from readers asking exactly how I did that. So here goes.
Custom Apple Watch Faces
Apple’s not big on custom watch faces. In fact, I would be surprised if they ever open the watch up for just anybody to make their own watch faces. Apple does, however, allow you to make a watch face based on your photo album. The idea is for Apple Watch owners to use their favorited photos on the background of a basic digital watch. If you love your dog, you can have your dog on your wrist every time you check the time.
I tested this watch face and didn’t like it because my favorited pictures (largely family pictures) don’t look good on a small screen and definitely don’t make a good background for a digital clock. That got me thinking about what would make a good background. Specifically, could I make something that approximates a custom Apple watch face so long as I’m willing to stick with the digital clock available on the built-in photo watch face? The answer is that it is absolutely possible to make interesting custom watch faces this way. The trick is to have a simple graphic and a pure black background.
Icons Are Key
As you may know, I love Star Wars. So I decided to make myself a series of Star Wars watch faces. Images shrunk down to a watch face size look pretty odd and anything with too much detail compresses into just a blob of pixels. Icons, however, are different. They are usually graphically fairly simple and can easily scale down to a small size for your watch face.
So I did a Google search for Star Wars icons. Specifically, the search was “Star Wars icons PNG”. It turns out there is a treasure trove of Star Wars icons on the Internet. Below is a more refined search of “Star Wars icons R2D2 PNG”.
A lot of icon files, particularly in the PNG format, are saved without a background making it really easy to drop them onto a black background to make your Apple watch face. To add a layer of difficulty for this tutorial, I picked this one that has a bright orange background. I then open the file in Preview and used the Instant Alpha feature to remove the background. It’s fairly simple. Just drag the mouse enough to remove the background and nothing more. When you’re done, save that file and then you’ll have a background-less PNG file of R2D2.
Removing the background in Preview.
A Black Background
Next I needed to get that icon on a solid black background. This is the part where I use OmniGraffle. In OmniGraffle, I made a black square. Notice it is not gray or partially black. It’s solid black. When the watch face displays on Apple watch, anything other than black looks off. I tried using gray backgrounds and other colors and they all look silly because of the way the watch is made. A pure black watch face fades right into the background. If you look at Apple’s own watch faces you’ll note that almost all of them also use the pure black background.
Then I simply drag the R2D2 PNG file on top of black square in OmniGraffle. The photo watch face displays the time in the lower-right corner of the watch. Therefore, that section always needs to be solid black. (You can make an adjustment to display the time at the upper-right portion of the watch face if you prefer but I want the icons on top.) While respecting the area for the time display, you can set your icon anywhere else on the black square. I center larger icons and place smaller ones to the left but do whatever blows your hair back. Don’t make the icon too small. Don’t forget that watch face is still pretty small. Once I got things laid out exactly how I want in OmniGraffle, I export the images as PNG and then import it into the Photos application.
By default, the Apple Watch imports your favorited photos. However, in the Apple Watch preferences app on the iPhone, you can change that to import any album you choose. So I made a new album called, appropriately, “watch”. Now I have the Apple watch sync the watch album over instead of my favorites. I’ve loaded that album up with various bits of Star Wars themed custom faces I made in exactly the way I described above. It usually takes a few minutes but eventually the new images will sync over your watch and if you set the photo face as your default Apple watch face, you’ll suddenly find you got some nice custom watch faces. If you aren’t feeling like makinig your R2D2 watch face but would rather just download mine, here you go.
Obviously, you don’t have to just use Star Wars icons. You could also simple icons from your interest (or fandom) of choice. The Internet is full of interesting, cleanly designed icons. Put any one of them on a solid black background and sync over to your watch and enjoy.
The latest episode of The Free Agents is out. In it, cover the importance of multiple income streams, and both the risks and benefits of getting your money from a bunch of different places.
This week MacSparky is sponsored by OmniGraffle. Did you know that the Omni Group recently released version 7 of OmniGraffle for the Mac? The new version adds several useful new features including Touch Bar support and the ability to convert lines and text into shapes. They’ve also dramatically improved the import and export features. But of all of the new features, my favorite new one is the infinite campus. As I build OmniGraffle documents, they often grow with my ideas. The infinite canvas makes it possible for me to easily do that.
I originally purchased OmniGraffle for the law practice. I use it to create diagrams for presentations and legal briefs. The application is perfect for that job but since then I find I use it for a lot of other things than the day job. In this last week, I used OmniGraffle to create our family Christmas card and also some sweet new Star Wars based Apple watch faces.
OmniGraffle manages to combine powerful tools with an easy to learn interface. This lets anybody use the application while at the same time giving you plenty of room to grow. If you ever find the need to create diagrams and images using your computer, you should really check out OmniGraffle. They’ve got versions of the application for the Mac, iPad, and iPhone. Head over to the OmniGraffle website and download your free trial. While you’re at it, let them know you heard about it from MacSparky.com.
