MPU 324: iPhone Photography

Last year I decided to start taking pictures exclusively with my iPhone. It’s worked out remarkably well. This week Jeff Carlson joined us on the Mac Power Users to discuss iPhone photography including how to take the best shots with your iPhone and third party apps and gear to enhance your photos.

Sponsors include:

  • PDFpen from Smile With powerful PDF editing tools, available for Mac, iPad, and iPhone, PDFpen from Smile makes you a Mac Power User.
  • Marketcircle We help small business grow with great Mac, iPhone and iPad apps including Daylight and Billings Pro.
  • Fracture Bring your photos to life.
  • Squarespace: Enter offer code MPU at checkout to get 10% off your first purchase.

Liquid Text 2: A Different Take on PDFs for iPad

There are a lot of PDF applications but none of them are quite like LiquidText. This app doesn’t follow the usual PDF workflow playbook but instead is engineered around the idea of reviewing long PDF documents better. Using LiquidText you can highlight portions of text and then drag them to a workspace on the right side of the screen. LiquidText collects these excerpts which you can group or comment upon. I like the way I can drag the blurbs of collected text around in the workspace as I try to make sense of them. While it’s true there are plenty of applications that let you highlight and comment on a PDF file, LiquidText does it differently.


Click to expand.

That, however, is not all. With LiquidText, you can can actually pinch and scrunch pieces of text together in the PDF document. If you have, for instance, bits of text on page one and page four of a PDF that you want to compare, you can just pinch and pull them together. I’d never considered using a gesture to navigate PDFs like this before but it makes so much sense when working on an iPad. As we move to digital workflows, I like that the LiquidText developers are questioning assumption and have a bit of a chip on their shoulder about the superiority of reviewing documents on an iPad over paper.


Click to expand.

LiquidText just released version 2. The new version includes an update (accessed through an in-app purchase) that lets you compare multiple PDF documents at once. It’s called “Multi-Document” and does a nice job of letting you work with multiple documents at once. You can create a comment in one document that refers to another document at the same time. You can also display documents next to each other and search all of the documents at once.

LiquidText also now supports iCloud Drive, Dropbox, Box, and the other expected cloud document services. You can also import webpages from Safari or LiquidText’s own browser.

You can export and share documents from LiquidText with the workspace displayed or not. I’ve started using some of these features to share reviewed documents with clients and it is working well.

I think LIquidText is on to something. If you spend any amount of time working PDF documents, give it a try. Learn more at the LiquidText website or in the App Store.



Menu Bar Monday – Tim Stringer


Recently I wrote about my menu bar and a lot of people wrote in about enjoying that post. So I’ve decided to share the menu bars of some of my friends too, starting with Tim Stringer (Website) (Twitter). Tim helps people conquer technology. He most recently celebrated the second anniversary of his Learn OmniFocus website, where Tim’s helped thousands of people to learn OmniFocus. So Tim, show us your Mac’s menu bar.


Click to expand.

I’ve long been a fan of the Mac menu bar. I appreciate how it provides me with quick access to so much functionality and status information on my Mac, while also serving as a portal to cloud services and, in some cases, even connecting me to complementary apps on my iOS devices and Apple Watch.

In this post I’ll share some favourite menu bars apps that I use regularly on my Retina iMac. My setup is pretty much identically on my MacBook Air, except for a few additions, including FruitJuice (App Store), a handy app that helps to extend my battery’s life, and TripMode, a clever app that I use to monitor and control my Internet usage while using my iPhone as a mobile hotspot.

Keyboard Shortcuts

To get to this information and functionality as quickly and easily as possible (and to impress my friends), I use keyboard shortcuts to trigger menu bar items, where possible. To make these easy to remember, I consistently use the ⌥⇧⌘ modifiers keys for menu bar apps. For example, ⌥⇧⌘F to open FastScripts, ⌥⇧⌘T to access TextExpander and ⌥⇧⌘/ to toggle Fantastical’s very useful mini calendar.

Airfoil

Airfoil allows me to stream audio from any app on my Mac to a wide range of devices, including AirPlay devices and paired Bluetooth speakers. Using the companion iOS app, Airfoil Satellite (App Store), I can even transform any of my iOS devices into audio receiver that doubles as a remote control. Airfoil Satellite apps are also available for Windows and Android. And you can even turn a Linux machine into an audio receiver if you’re so inclined.

(Website)

Amphetamine

Amphetamine is a free app that can be used to override your Energy Saver settings and keep your Mac awake. I used Caffeine for years before switching to this app and appreciate the extra functionality that Amphetamine provides. For example, I can turn it on and off using a keyboard shortcut (I use ⌥⇧⌘=) and can specify different default durations based on whether my MacBook Air is plugged in or running off its internal battery. There are even triggers that I can use to keep my Mac awake when I’m connected to specific WiFi networks and when specific apps are running. And using the “Drive Alive” feature I can configure Amphetamine to keep specific drives awake all the time, or only when running specific apps.

(App Store)

Bartender

I like to keep my Mac and my menu bar uncluttered while also having access to a wide array of menu bar apps. Bartender gives me the best of both worlds. My most frequently used menu bar apps live in the menu bar and the others are just a click away on the Bartender Bar. For convenience, I’ve created a keyboard shortcut (⌥⇧⌘B) that gives me easy access to the Bartender Bar. I can then use the arrow keys to navigate the Bartender Bar or even start typing the name of a menu item to quickly locate it. Once I’ve selected the one I want, I just press the Return key, which has the same effect as clicking.

(Website)

Copied (Mac and iOS)

Don McAllister recently covered the amazing Copied clipboard manager on ScreenCastsOnline (alongside another favourite menu bar app, PopClip) This innovative app quickly earned a spot in my menu bar. Copied is highly configurable, without being daunting, and its clipboard can be synced between Mac and iOS devices using iCloud in combination with Copied for iOS (App Store). Copied also supports some impressive power user features. Among them is “Templates”, a feature that makes it possible to, for example, easily generate a markdown link using information stored in the clipboard.

(Website) (App Store)

Display Menu

When working on my treasured 27” Retina iMac I often switch between screen resolutions. For example, I typically opt for a lower resolution when sharing my screen with someone during an online meeting or when recording a screencast. Display Menu exposes resolutions that are supported by my displays. The menu displays the aspect ratio (e.g. 16:9) and dimensions (e.g. 2560×1440) for all attached displays and makes it easy to identify retina-quality resolutions. Conveniently, I can bookmark the resolutions that I use most frequently by ⌥-clicking.

(Website) (App Store)

Dropzone

Dropzone is a clever menu bar utility that makes it convenient to move and copy files between apps. I find it especially useful on my MacBook Air when I’m running apps in full screen mode and need to, for example, drop a JPEG into a Pages document. Additionally, Dropzone can be used to launch apps and to conveniently upload files to a wide ranges of cloud services, including Amazon S3, FTP, Google Drive and YouTube.

(Website) (App Store)

FastScripts

It’s no secret that I’m a big fan of OmniFocus (I even have an entire site dedicated to this app). While this app is very capable “out of the box”, it’s even more spectacular when extended using AppleScripts. For example, one of my favourite scripts is Curt Clifton’s “Complete and Await Reply”, which automatically marks an action complete then creates a “Waiting” action. I use a menu bar app called FastScripts to access my installed scripts. Conveniently, I can even assign a keyboard shortcut to specific scripts. So, I can trigger Curt’s script simply by selecting an action and pressing ^<spacebar>. There’s a free version of FastScripts that’s fully featured, except that it limits the number of keyboard shortcuts that can be defined. Purchasing FastScripts, either from the App Store or directly from Red Sweater Software, removes this limitation.

(Website) (App Store)

Focus

I’m a big fan of the Pomodoro Technique . In a nutshell it involves performing work in intervals (typically 25 minutes) separated by breaks. Focus is my app of choice for applying this technique. In the morning I drag and drop key projects from OmniFocus to Focus’ own task list and then use the Focus app to help ensure that each of these tasks gets some attention during the day. Focus is also available on iOS and Apple Watch (App Store) and tasks and timers can be synced between devices using iCloud. There’s even a Focus complication for the Apple Watch that’s convenient for monitoring how much time I have left in my breaks and for applying the Pomodoro Technique during activities that don’t involve sitting at a computer (e.g. reading a book or cleaning my home).

(Website) (App Store)

Living Earth

I’ve evaluated many menu bar weather apps in my day and Living Earth is currently the reigning champion. It displays a wealth of weather information sourced from Weat
her Underground and sports a gorgeous user interface. I like that I can activate and navigate Living Earth without taking my hands off my keyboard. I use ⌥⇧⌘L to trigger this menu bar app and then use the arrow keys to dig in and out of detailed weather forecasts. There’s also a Living Earth app for iOS (App Store). The configured list of cities can be synced between Mac and iOS devices via iCloud and Living Earth displays local times for all of the places I’ve added on both Mac and iOS. I regularly work with people all over the world and appreciate having convenient access to this information.

(Website) (App Store)

Quitter

Over the course of the day I typically make use of many different apps. Sometimes I’ll launch them briefly (e.g. I may open Chrome to view a webpage containing Flash content) and don’t get around to quitting them when I’m done. This is where Quitter comes in. This free app was recently unveiled by Marco Arment, who is probably best known for the popular Overcast podcast player for iOS. Quitter runs in the background and can easily be configured to quit or hide specific apps after a specified period of inactivity.

(Website)

Thanks Tim.

Sponsor: HoudahSpot and 20% Discount

My thanks go to HoudahSpot for sponsoring MacSparky this week. HoudahSpot is a powerful search application for your Mac. Think of it like adding rocket jets to the Finder. For a short time, MacSparky readers get 20% off.


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With HoudahSpot you can start with a simple search and then begin adding additional criteria. You can tell it to look at certain folders and ignore others and you can sort by any of the hundreds of columns available.

The thing I like about HoudahSpot most is the way it displays search results. I find it much more easy to review and understand then the native Finder.

With HoudahSpot you can create a search that looks for image files with the name “logo” that are 512 pixels wide and were opened in the last 30 days. Creating the search is as simple as clicking a few checkboxes in the application and it always finds what you are looking for. This let’s me combine search criteria in ways that are simply not possible with the native Finder.

I use HoudahSpot to find documents, mail messages, photos, and image files. If you’d like to save time searching your Mac, get yourself a copy of HoudahSpot. They’re currently on version 4 and it’s awesome.

For a limited time, you can get 20% off HoudahSpot with this link. Thanks again HoudahSpot for sponsoring MacSparky.com.

Simplicity versus Complexity

Ken Segall, who had a lot to do with Apple marketing in the past, wrote a semi-critical piece about Apple losing touch with simplicity. Reading the article, the title, “How Apple Lost Its Way”, feels a little overblown. I think Ken makes some good points.

However, these days Apple is frequently subject to two conflicting criticisms:

1. The products and services are too complicated. They’ve lost touch with the old days where there were just a few Macs for sale and software was easier to use.

2. Apple isn’t moving fast enough to keep up with modern demands multiple devices (like iPhones of various screen sizes) and complex software that can fully take advantage of cloud services and other modern developments.

Apple can’t have both. Nor can it wind back the clock to a time where software wasn’t so complex and connected. While I certainly hope they’ll keep that legacy of simplicity where they can, I think they need to keep pressing forward toward that second goal, even if at a cost to the first. iOS, for instance, is infinitely more useful to me today than it was just a few years ago because of the addition of complexity.

The Waterfield Staad Backpack

For all of my life I’ve been a messenger-bag guy. One strap over my shoulder and I’m ready to take on the world.

However, as of late I’ve been getting out more and sometimes I’ll fill a bag with technology, a battery or two, water, and some food, and head out to new places to spend the day getting work done and maybe doing a little exploring. The problem is that on these trips, I’m finding the messenger-bag isn’t cutting it. Specifically, it’s causing weird shoulder problems as I deal with the weight on just one side of my body.

I found myself loving my adventure/work days but dreading the pain I’d have the next day. All of this got me thinking that maybe I should consider a backpack. You have to understand that I’ve always been resistent to the idea of backpacks. For some reason, getting a backpack in my head felt something akin to the a sports-car driver switching to a minivan.

So I decided that if I was going to get a backpack, it was going to be a bad-ass backpack that I wanted to wear. I wanted something that is convenient, comfortable, and–perhaps most importantly–something I was happy to wear. I spent way too much time looking for that right backpack before deciding upon Waterfield’s Staad Laptop BackPack.


The Staad is made of waxed canvas and leather with a tapered design that makes the bottom wider than the top. This allows the bag to hold all of my stuff without feeling overwhelming. They have two sizes, slim and stout, so you’ve got even more control over the size vs. carry capacity decision. I went with the “stout” size but even that isn’t overwhelming.

Dimensions
Slim – fits up to 13″ laptops: 15.5 x 12 x 1.0–3.0 inches, 2.4 lbs.
Stout – fits up to 15″ laptops: 16 x 14.25 x 1.5–5.5 inches 2.8 lbs.

As with all Waterfield products, the overall construction is great. There is heavy stitching in all the right places and this bag is clearly built to last a long time. The flap is attached with a WWII-style ammunition buckle that stays secure but also comes open with just a tug.


There are also two diagonal zippers on the outside of the backpack that open to two independent pockets. By rotating the bag on one shoulder, you can get into these pockets easily and without having to go into the main compartment.

Speaking of the main compartment, inside are two sewn pockets. One fits a 15″ MacBook Pro (or a large iPad Pro) and the other holds a standard sized iPad. If you prefer, Waterfield will make you one with a smaller laptop pocket upon request. There are also two internal pockets with a bit of velcro to hold them closed.

One of my favorite features about the pocket is the inclusion of a zipper down the center. One of the reasons I was so resistant to go with a backpack was because I hate having to dig into a backpack down the length of my arm with no ability to see what’s inside. The Stad’s center zipper lets you see into the backpack’s pocket and get what you need. Why hasn’t anyone done this before?


An intangible in all of this is the way the Staad looks. There are a lot of options with waxed canvas and ballistic nylon bodies that can be matched with an assortment of flaps. You can pick the materials to get something that looks rugged or more formal. I got the brown waxed canvas and leather flap because I was 13 years old when Indiana Jones first hit theaters and the model I picked is exactly the one Indiana would use to carry some mummy bones or a priceless artifact. (I could also see Episode VII’s Rey wearing this backpack.)


The back of the bag is a padded mesh that breathes well on hot days and the shoulder straps are also padded and comfortable. There’s also a handle sewn into the top, which is nice when you take the bag off. I’ve had the bag a few months and spent full days trekking with the Staad on my back in the rain and under the California sun. I love the way this bag looks and I plan to use the hell out of it over many years into the future. Learn more from Waterfield Designs.

MPU 323: Clayton Morris Talks Tech

This week Fox broadcaster Clayton Morris returns to the Mac Power Users to talk about the technology he’s most excited about. Topics include using Apple Notes for research, the utility of Clayton’s Apple Watch, the emergence of iOS, and how to save your WiFi and your marriage all at once.

Sponsors include:

  • 1Password Have you ever forgotten a password? Now you don’t have to worry about that anymore. 
  • Sanebox Stop drowning in email!
  • Freshbooks: Online invoicing made easy.