Productivity – Page 2

January 8, 2021

How I Use Keyboard Maestro

When I first started reading about Keyboard Maestro, I was confused by what it was and what it could do. Was it a way to make shortcut keys? Was it a clipboard manager? Was it a text expander? Was it an app launcher? Most material referenced Keyboard Maestro as a way to record keyboard shortcuts. That was also supported by it's name. After digging deeper I found the answer was simply "Yes." It was all those and more. Now using it for a year, keyboard macros barely scratches the surface of what Keyboard Maestro is capable of. To give a simple comparison, Keyboard Maestro looks like a heavy duty extension or upgrade to the built in Mac Automator tool. It has a similar look and feel, where you have categories of functionality, including using "blocks" that can be tied together to create a workflow. It's certainly possible and very easy to create keyboard shortcuts, or automate an application through it's […]

January 4, 2021

How I use Alfred

As first glance, Alfred is a program launcher. That's entirely true, but doesn't speak to the productivity and efficiency Alfred brings. There is a lot more to the story. Further, when reading what Alfred can do there are references to Keyboard Maestro. While similar, and overlap in functionality, they are quite distinct in how they work. I have both, use them both daily, and do different tasks with each. From the start, Alfred has a lot shortcut functionality built in. This comes in the form of hotkeys and trigger words. When the Workflow feature is unlocked, Alfred can be extended in all sorts of ways. Keyboard Maestro has some of this function built in functionality where it can launch apps, control system settings and perform actions based on hotkeys and trigger words. It closely resembles the built in Automator tool and has the same building blocks to build your own solutions. But, back to the original point. Alfred is fantastic […]

December 14, 2020

How I Use DevonThink Pro Office

Taking note of my previous Time Sink usage, DevonThink Office Pro has days worth of usage associated with it. It’s my central hub for information and getting work done. It’s advertised as a note taking tool, but that is like saying a Lamborghini is a neat car. DevonThink Office Pro is a document management tool that I use as a repository for notes, PDF files, Jira tickets, test plans, web page archives, and RSS feeds, just to name a few. It should be noted I am using the DevonThink v2, while v3 is the current version. Once I get on board with the new Apple Silicon, I will make an upgrade. However, version 2 is still amazing and I’ve yet to hit a barrier to it’s functionality. DevonThink Office Pro can have as much or as little organization as you like. I currently have 6 databases. One is for RSS feeds and Internet information. Another is for my QA work […]

January 14, 2020

Building a Development Environment

I've already discussed the machine I use for development, a Mac Pro with a couple of cores and a dash fo ram. But what about the actual development environment? Not the tools, but the environment you create to keep yourself focused and motivated? The reason I chose a Mac Pro is so I can have multiple monitors. In reality, I have 4 on my work machine, and 3 on my home machine. They are arranged so that I can get to my clipboard, Slack, notes, spreadsheets and whatever else without having to open and close windows all the time. It is painful experience trying to copy and paste dozens of pieces of information from one app to the other when you have to switch back and forth. Another huge benefit, especially when working in "open space" offices is noise cancelling headphones. I honestly can't stand the ring of someone's phone, the knock of a Slack message or the ding of […]

January 12, 2020

Productivity Tools for 2020

As we get 2020 underway, I wanted to list a few of the tools I've been using that make a huge difference in my productivity. I use these on a daily basis and they have proven their worth on multiple occasions. This isn't a complete list, but just about everyone can benefit from these tools. They are extremely powerful in what they do, yet easy to learn and understand. Productivity Tools for 2020 2Do – My choice for task management when testing, for creating checklists, for creating ToDo lists and keeping track of bills and appointments. Alfred – An automation and workflow tools I have recently added that has already saved huge amounts of time. Navigate Finder using the keyboard, set up custom web searches, find files, set up snippets, make a clipboard manager and build workflows. I've made several of my own custom searches and built some very nice workflows. CodeRunner – My choice for writing and testing small […]

How I Use Keyboard Maestro

How I use Alfred

How I Use DevonThink Pro Office

Building a Development Environment

Productivity Tools for 2020

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