MPU 133: Alfred 2

After many years using LaunchBar, Katie and I have both been spending time with the recent release of Alfred 2, the keyboard launcher (and much more) for the Mac. I’ve officially switched. We share our experiences with this very clever new application and explain what we like (and don’t like) about it. We also walk through how to use the app and the addition of workflows, clever user-created plug ins that make the app really useful.

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Microsoft Office and iOS, Revisited

The most recent scuttlebutt is that Microsoft is going to wait until the end of next year to release Office for iOS. I’ve written about this before and my thoughts haven’t changed. I remain convinced that Microsoft is losing dump trucks full of cash by not putting Office on iOS. If the rumors are true and they are delaying it to the end of next year, this is not a function of engineering delays. It’s clearly a marketing decision to give the Microsoft Surface some advantage over the iPad. However, this doesn’t appear to be working.

I understand that Microsoft is laying low on office on the iPad while they try and get their own competing tablet off the ground but I think it’s a mistake. This is an example of competing priorities in a company hurting the overall bottom line.

The real risk is that previously faithful Office users start using the iPad and discover other ways to get their work done. Anecdotally, I’ve met many people who tell me how they used to rely on Office and now have dumped it on all platforms. The worst outcome for Microsoft is that the Surface isn’t successful and Office stops being the cash cow they’ve relied upon it to be. I don’t think that scenario is out of the question at this point.

Automating Billing with TextExpander and Automator

In my day job, we use an antiquated old Windows PC system for managing our billing. It takes multiple mouse clicks and butten presses to make a simple entry. It almost feels like I have to walk across the office and turn a wheel somewhere to make a billing entry. Several years ago I decided I was done with it.

Instead, I started making my billing entries in a Byword file called, unsuprisingingly, billings. I keep this file open as I go through my day and make entries with a series of cryptic TextExpander snippets.

For example:

xrvc

expands to

## Roadrunner v. Coyote

and

xtto

gets me

Place telephone call to opposing counsel concerning

Using these snippets it is really easy to capture billing entries as I move through my day. The Billings file syncs through iCloud to my iPhone and and iPad and I use TextExpander touch on those devices too (syncing through Dropbox) so billing entries are no more difficult there.

Another snippet I use every morning is

xbill

Which renders the date and summary information.

#2013-04-10 Billings

Totals

B

NC

Admin

CD

At the end of the day, I email the text file off to one of the staff members so she can click buttons, turn dials, and feed coal into our billing system.

About the hundredth time after I copied the text, went and started a new email and then pasted it in, I realized that there must be an easier way to automate this. Of course there is. I use Automator to create and send an email to my assistant every day with my billing text. Here’s the Automator service workflow.



The workflow takes the selected text and then prepares an email. It then copies the selected text in the body of the email and uses the recipient and subject line I specify. Then it automatically sends the email. Except for selecting the text and firing off the service, I have no interaction whatsoever. (I should probably attach a keyboard shortcut to make this feel even more magical.)

This is the first automation service I’ve created that sends off an email without me even looking at it and at first it was a little weird but now I’ve gotten over it and I love that my Mac does it all for me.



Nerdy Professionals on iPad Document Management



np-glasses.jpg


Ernie Svenson and I are doing another Nerdy Professionals seminar next Friday, Aparil 19 at 1pm EST on how to use the iPad. This one will focus on managing PDFs on your iPad. We are going to cover the basics of how to get documents on your iPad, and how to manage, annotate, and share them. The seminars are done through Go-To-Webinar and you can watch Ernie and I use our iPads as we talk. The session will last for an hour. We don’t have continuing legal education credit set up just yet but they are pretty helpful. If you’re an attorney and want some help with this or know an attorney that needs some help with their iPad, send them over to NerdyProfessionals.com and have them sign up. Use “MacSparky” for a discount.

MPU 132: Merlin Returns

One of my favorite shows every year on the Mac Power Users is the workflow interview with Merlin Mann. Merlin is a friend and was the very first workflow guest on the show. This year’s episode delivers in spades. We talk about how we use Evernote, GTD in 2013, the iPad, Podcasting, and Merlin’s favorite Apps. Enjoy.

Farewell Roger

Today we lost Roger Ebert. Roger Ebert was prolific and has been my trusted source for movie reviews my entire life. Every time I start feeling sorry for myself, I think of Roger Ebert, who couldn’t talk and couldn’t eat, but published amazing stuff every single day.