Have you had it with the Calendar app? Do those little bits of non-existent torn paper make you a little crazy? Check out BusyCal 2. There is a lot to like about BusyCal with things like 2-week view, list view, live weather, better alarms, and a useful menubar app. It is just better than Calendar in so many ways and its introductory price of $29.99 is going away at the end of March. Starting April 1, BusyCal 2 is going up to $49.99. Now is the time to commit.
Everyday Siri
Lex Friedman’s got an article at Macworld demonstrating useful Siri phrases. With respect to Reminders, I’d add lists. I’ve got several, such as “Groceries”, “Home Depot”, and (of course) “Apple Store”. I can say “Add spicy carrots to my grocery list” and Siri does the rest.
Crossover 10 – Brains Packed in a Nice Skull
I recently joined Dan Benjamin and Jason Snell (one of my favorite people on the Internet) to talk about parenting and writing books on The Crossover.
MPU 127: Workflows with Clayton Morris
Mac Power Users episode 127 is live. In it, we interview broadaster Clayton Morris about his tools and workflows for hosting the Fox and Friends television program along with the details of technology in the home office.
Sponsor: Hoban Letterpress Cards
What happens when you combine the knowledge of a top notch graphic designer like Evan Calkins with a 1902 letterpress printing machine? Magic. This week’s sponsor is Hoban Cards. Evan Calkins got his hands on a 1500lb, 1902 Chandler and Price platen letterpress. Each order utilizes its own letterpress plate created from a digital file and is hand pressed by Evan himself. If you want a business card that stands out, look no further. I’ve already ordered my own set. I love that this business is Evan’s own personal crusade and I love what he is producing. You can watch a video of Evan in action at the Hoban Cards website.
And just because Evan digs MacSparky readers, the discount code “MACSPARKY” gets you free shipping.
Talking Text with Gabe, Brett, and the Good Doctor
I recently joined Gabe Weatherhead, Brett Terpstra, and Dr. Drang to talk about text on the Generational podcast. It was a really good mix of power users. Everyone is tackling text from a different angle, which led to many interesting perspectives. If text and Markdown are your thing, you’ll be happy with this nerdfest.
TechShow 2013 – Lawyers and Technology
The old myth about lawyers being technology adverse is still largely true. Recently I had a case where opposing counsel was using WordPerfect, for DOS. However, there are a group of legal professionals, who realize the advantages technology brings them. These intrepid lawyer-geeks are paving the way and I’d like to count myself among them. Once a year this brotherhood (and sisterhood) and technology inclined legal professionals gather in Chicago for the America Bar Association TechShow.
Forget everything you’ve ever leared about professional conferences. This is different. The TechShow feels a lot more like Macworld than a trade show. There are excellent vendors showing off products to help you run circles around opposing counsel and there are some amazing speakers that will show you how to use technology to work smarter, faster, and better. They even have an entire day devoted to the Mac..
The feature speaker this year is David Pogue. I’ve seen him speak before and he is really engaging and funny. This year I’m presenting sessions on taking your law firm paperless and a session on using built-in tools, Automator, and AppleScript to kick some serious ass with your Mac. The conference is April 4-6 and in addition to being very instructional, it is a lot of fun. If you are a MacSparky reader and attend, make sure to look me up.
OmniFocus Setup, part 1
The Omni Group just posted part one of the presentations from The Setup. This includes presentations by Michael Schechter, Thanh Pham, Tim Stringer, Dinah Sanders, and Sven Fechner. There are some great ideas in there.
Book Recommendation: The Rook
On the heels of my last fiction recommendation, the Incomparable recently made another recommendation, The Rook, which I downloaded via Audible and (thanks to some fortunate traffic jams) I finished quickly. This is the story of an amnesiac, Myfanwy Thomas, who wakes up in a London park surrounded by dead people wearing latex gloves. It turns out she is part of a supernatural MI5 and from page one, the game is afoot. The book is quirky, funny, and by about halfway through, I couldn’t wait to see where it all went. If you’d like a fun read, check this one out. When you’re done, go download episode 128 of The Incomparable and listen to Jason, Scott, and Dan talk about it, but only after you’re done.
The Rook
Nerdy Professionals iPad Basics Webinar in Two Days
Ernie Svenson and I are gearing up for our introduction to iPad webinar in just a few days. We’ve been working hard on this presentation and plan to make learning to use the iPad fun and instructional. This first session is all about the basics including things like Siri, the keyboard, settings, and security. Future sessions are going to go much deeper down the rabbit hole but for this first one we needed to get the foundations in. If you know any professionals that are considering an iPad or need help with their existing iPad, send them to us.
Also, tell them to use “macsparkyblog” as a discount code to get 10% off and you’ll look like a hero.