If you use start dates to manage tasks in OmniFocus, you are going to like the most recent iPhone app update. You now can view tasks by start date in the forecast view. This matches the feature currently available on the iPad version and explains why I do most of my OmniFocus planning these days on iOS devices.
Macworld Article on Text
When Macworld asked me to write for them, my answer wasn’t just yes but hell yes. Today my first Macworld article published. I’ve always considered Macworld to be the gold standard for Apple related journalism and am thrilled to contribute. Expect more.
LonelySandwich on FastCompany
Here is a nice piece on Adam Lisagor at FastCompany. Adam is this weekend’s Mac Power Users workflow guest and absolutely endearing. I’m thrilled for him.
The Most Valuable Public Company on Earth
Backing up iTunes
Kirk McElhearn explains how-to. This is one of the most frequent problems I hear about from readers and friends. It goes something like this:
- Big iTunes library goes on external drive (Not Time Machine);
- External drive goes up in smoke;
- Tears.
Once you put your iTunes library on an external drive, outside your normal backup regime, there be dragons. You need to have a second drive (at the minimum) and routinely make a copy of your iTunes library. I do this once a month. I figure I can deal with losing a month of play counts and new content. I know there are some online backup solutions but still can’t get over the idea of how long it would take to upload a 1TB library.
Lion FileVault? Yes Please.
I’m starting to notice benchmarks concerning the impact of Lion FileVault on portable Macs. I don’t think benchmarks are the right context for this discussion. You either need encryption or you don’t. If the thought of someone, who just stole your laptop, rifling through your files, browser passwords, and other data, doesn’t bother you, move on. Otherwise, use FileVault. I use it and can’t see or feel any appreciable system slowdown on my Fall 2010 MacBook Air. Neither can Ben Brooks or Federrico Viticci. To me this is a complete non-issue. Laptop + Lion = Encryption.
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1Password Gets Lion Friendly
When I first started running the Lion betas, there was no 1Password extension for Safari and it felt like someone hacked off one of my arms. I knew the 1Password team was hard at work but not this hard. The new 1Password Safari/Lion extension is fantastic. They’ve folded several features into the extension that used to require launching the app. Read more about it here. I dig it.
A Map of Paranoia
Macdrifter explains his backup regime. Gabe is my kind of nerd.
Office ♡ Lion
I almost named this post “Hell Freezes Over” but that wouldn’t be fair. In truth, the Microsoft Mac Office team is as big a bunch of Apple nerds as there are. It is impressive that they can get Office, which is legendary for its refusal to follow Apple programming protocols to take advantage of all the Lion goodness in just a few months. Nice work Office for Mac team.
Dragon Dictate 2.5 and my iPhone
In case you missed it, Dragon Dictate hit version 2.5 this week. As a long time user of the Windows version (Dragon was the only thing tying me to a Windows machine), I’m thrilled to see Nuance giving my favorite platform the love and attention it deserves.
Of note with release 2.5 is the ability to dictate to your iPhone (using this app) and have the words appear on your Mac. While you are giving up “hands free” it is really nice being able to tap a button on your iPhone, start talking, and see the words appear on your Mac. The developer explains that since the connection is Wi-Fi, it is better quality and less prone to error than Bluetooth. I never had many problems connecting to Dragon with Bluetooth so I’m not sure about that.
Regardless, if you are a Dragon Dictate user, upgrade and try dictating with you iPhone. You’ll get hooked.