Fruity Picks #13 - KeyCue 10 is a Game Changer for Keyboard Warriors

Last week KeyCue 10 became available and it was a real game-changer for those of us who use keyboard shortcuts in anger.

I was a bit of a late starter for using keyboard shortcuts despite having been a Mac user for over fifteen years. I've always relied on the mouse - maybe it's something to do with being left-handed, who knows? But over the last few years, I've come to rely more and more on keyboard shortcuts. This is partly because I'm starting to get more aches and pains in my mouse hand as I get older, but also because I've started to realise how powerful these shortcuts can be. This has also partially been as a result of using the Elgato Stream Deck to automate many of my often used shortcuts, keyboard and others, and I'll post about this in the near future.

Traditionally, keyboard shortcuts need to be added by using the Keyboard option in System Preferences. Within that preference pane, you select Shortcuts and then App Shortcuts. This is a really clunky way to create keyboard shortcuts and relies on you getting the menu structure absolutely right - a single spelling mistake will make the shortcut fail. For deeply nested menu items - the sort that would really benefit from having a shortcut - this can be a problem.

KeyCue 10 changes that, and allows the user to create dynamic shortcuts from within an application. I’m currently writing the draft for this post in Ulysses so I’ll use it as an example.

In Ulysses, there is no keyboard shortcut to insert an image into a Ulysses sheet. Using KeyCue 10, all I have to do is to find the appropriate menu item to perform the function - in this case, Edit->Attach->Image… and the using the key combination that I want to use, simply keep these pressed until the shortcut is accepted. 

This GIF from Ergonis explains it far better than I can!

If you're not familiar with KeyCue in general, I would highly recommend you check it out for the other primary features it offers. The biggest of these is that it will show you, at the push of a hotkey, exactly what keyboard shortcuts (user, system, and app defined) are being used and how. This will help you establish potential key combinations that could be used for a new shortcut without interfering with an existing combination. 

The software is available from Ergonis, and at the time of writing costs 19.99 EUR (£17.00)

Fruity Picks #12 - Hyper Plan: Budget Visual Project Management

As a freelancer, I often find myself with my fingers in many pies. Currently, I’m doing some volunteer work for my local village museum, developing two websites, posting in my three blogs, and trying hard to finish at least one of the three books I’ve started writing. Managing my time is important to me, and with my background in project management, I like to have some semblance of a plan to keep track of what’s happening and when.

Whilst I am perfectly comfortable with software like MS-Project, it’s pretty much overkill for what I want but in the same vein, most ToDo applications aren’t quite good enough. I’m also a convert to visual planning tools having been using Kanban style boards in a number of consultancy gigs I’ve had.

When I came across Hyper Plan a few years ago I got quite excited, and after playing with it for a week or so, I’ve been using it as my project management tool of choice for my own work ever since.

Hyper Plan was created by Oryx Digital Ltd, a UK business owned and run by Andy and Claire Brice, and is aimed very much at people like me, who need flexible planning tools that are also affordable. Version 0.5.0 was released in beta at the end of 2014 and the latest version is 2.9.3 which went live midway through last year. The home edition costs £25 whilst the pro-edition is twice that but enables links (connections) between planning items. This is not a subscription model (thank goodness!) and is available on a 60-day trial.

If you are familiar with Kanban boards you’ll immediately feel comfortable with Hyperplan’s appearance. The screenshot below is for my writing activities.

My high-level, overall writing plan

As I mentioned, Hyper Plan is amazingly flexible. Rows and columns are completely user definable, and you can add as much or as little detail as required to manage your work. As items move through your defined workflow, you simply drag and drop them and the appropriate properties will automatically update. Planning items can be assigned to team members if you are in a bigger outfit than my one-man band, as can scheduled dates, detailed item descriptions and status flags. In the pro version, you can add timing constraints (connections) so that items are forced into a chronological sequence or can be linked by another relationship. Almost every property can be customised to your specific working practices - and it’s not often that a tool adapts to you rather than the other way around.

Almost everything is configurable

In addition, you can link to other Hyper Plan plans so it’s possible to maintain a master plan and directly access subordinate plans, although as far as I’m aware not changes will propagate between the plans so you still need to update items manually.

For Kanban purists, you can see the work in progress counts for each part of the workflow, but there is no way of limiting it automatically.

If you need to share your plans with a wider audience there are various output options available to you. Multi-user access is not currently supported but the developers have indicated that they will add this if there is sufficient demand. I suspect that for most people this will not be an issue.

This is such a great tool for managing work. I heartily recommend it, especially for freelancers, writers, web developers and anyone else involved in complex activities where you need to be on top of things. Download the trial version. You won’t be disappointed.

Fruity Picks #11 - Keyboard Maestro

In my last main post, I briefly mentioned Keyboard Maestro. Now over 17 years old, Keyboard Maestro was first released in 2002 by Michael Kamprath and became part of the Stairways Software portfolio in 2004. The latest version is 8.2.4 which was released in August 2018.

The software falls into the ‘must have utility’ categorisation, and it has appeared on every pretty much serious Mac users essential apps list for years. As the name suggests Keyboard Maestro enables the design and creation of macros to enable the automation of all kinds of routine functions.

I’ve been a casual user for many years but only recently started to investigate the power of the tool to help me fix specific problems I’ve encountered in my most recent daily work.

For example, I have created a macro to archive the Rapid Weaver project file I am using for our local village museum website. The macro is triggered from the Keyboard Maestro menu, copies the latest version of the RW8 project file to an archive folder,  unmangles the path and filename of the file, asks for a date to be entered and rebuilds the filename using this date.

The screenshot below shows the very simple macro I wrote to ensure that TotalFinder relaunches automatically whenever Finder restarts.

Keyboard Maestro editor window and actions

I use another macro to refresh the Weather Dock Express desklets on my screen which occasionally get overwritten. This runs invisibly in the background every couple of hours or can be forced to run on demand.

Keyboard Maestro is an incredibly powerful tool, with in-built debugging facilities, and a large library of built-in actions. It has logic and control flow features and can run embedded Apple Script within its macros. It's one of those tools that, the more you use it, the more you find you can do with it. There's a massive online manual and wiki and you have access to a community of users to assist and inspire you in your creative endeavours.

At the time of writing the software is available for about £35 (including VAT) from the Stairways Software Store.

Fruity Picks #10 - NightOwl for Mojave (macOS 10.14)

I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed writing this blog and I’m really pleased I’ve picked it up again. But after an absence of two years, it’s actually quite hard to know where to focus; so much has been going on. But, that’s part of the reason that I started the Fruity Picks series, to help me out when I was stuck for an in-depth post. So, now is as good a time as any to revive the Fruity Picks with #10 - NightOwl.

I’ve been using Mojave (macOS 10.14) since just before the formal public release in September. One of the things I had been looking forward to was Dark Mode and by and large I wasn’t disappointed. But as in all things, you can have too much of a good thing, and moving to Dark Mode as a permanent UI choice wasn’t for me, especially in the northern hemisphere where it’s dark enough during the short days.

Of course, it’s easy enough to change from Light Mode to Dark Mode, but a German student, Benjamin Kramser, has developed a great (free) little tool to automate the process through user-specified parameters.

NightOwl lives in the menu bar and allows you to schedule when Dark Mode kicks in and out (either on a fixed sunrise/sunset basis or your chosen times). You can also choose to overwrite specific application settings so those apps will always display in Light Mode. Finally, you can toggle modes using a hotkey combo. Small and simple - just like me!

NightOwl lives in the menubar and does one thing really well

You can download NightOwl from the website (which, by the way, is beautifully designed) and you can also provide a PayPal donation via the site. The software is currently at version 0.2.8

Fruity Picks #9 - Smatree Travel Case for Apple Watch

While the official Apple Watch Dock, reviewed in Fruity Picks #8  is a bit of a one-trick pony (which it does very well), the same cannot be said for the Smatree SmaShell A100 which combines a travel case, dock and power bank for the Apple Watch.

To be honest, I'm not convinced as to why I would want to put my Apple Watch in a case for travelling purposes as it's far more useful on my wrist...but that aside, this is a really useful little gadget. Although it doesn't come supplied with the a watch charger, I happened to have a spare short charger (0.3m) lying around which is ideal for the SmaShell. It's easy to install the charger and once it's in place, an Apple Watch can be charged in the night-stand mode as shown in the picture above. Although, you have to remember to push the charge button to actually turn on the juice from the in-built battery.

There's enough juice in the internal battery to charge an original Apple Watch up to six times (I have to admit I've not needed this - I've only needed three but that was no problem), and because it has a USB port you can also charge an additional device from it, but again, not a function I've used in anger. Clearly this wold reduce the number of Watch charges you could get from the battery.

There's room in the carrier for a couple of spare Watch bands which can be useful if you need to glam up for an evening do after a hard day in the office.

Best price in the UK is around £30 on the UK Amazon store. Recommended for weekend travellers.

Fruity Picks #8 - Apple Watch Dock

One of Apple's more controversial product offering over recent months was the announcement of the first official Apple Watch Dock (OK - the bump case for the iPhone generated far more derision but I'm not in a position to comment on that).

I have to confess I was a little uncertain about the Watch Dock. It seemed a bit over-sized, and certainly seemed a bit expensive for a one trick pony. I had been looking at the Nomad Pod and Pod Pro products, but these still need a charger cable and weren't really quite what I was looking for.

Just before Christmas, I was on a business trip to Basel in Switzerland and with a little time to kill I found myself in the Apple store. For some extraordinary reason, a lot of Apple kit in Switzerland has been (in my experience) considerably cheaper than in the UK - unlike pretty much everything else in Switzerland. The Watch Dock was in keeping with my previous experience and rattled in at about £20 cheaper than at home. So I bought one on the spot.

The Watch Dock is classic Apple design which just works. It is a simple and elegant solution especially given that it uses a lightning USB cable to connect the dock to a power source rather than a separate Apple Watch charger.

What more is there to say? I'm really pleased I have one even though I think it's far too overpriced. It has become my watch dock of choice and I'm pretty sure I'd have ended up buying one anyway but who doesn't like a discount!

Fruity Picks #6 - Kanex Thunderbolt Adapter (USB 3/Ethernet)

When I'm at Apple Harvest HQ my 2011 MacBook Air is usually connected to a Thunderbolt hub. For a long time it's been the Belkin Thunderbolt Express Dock (original model) which I reviewed in July 2013. I've now moved this to my partner's house for when I'm taking refuge with her and I've set up the new OWC Thunderbolt 2 dock at HQ.

When I'm on the road, especially abroad, it isn't convenient to transport a full blown hub around especially with the power bricks they generally require, but I still want to harness USB 3.0 and Ethernet capabilities normally provided by the hub.

The Kanex KTU20 Thunderbolt adapter is an ideal compromise to solve the problem. This little black box plugs into the Thunderbolt slot on the MacBook Air and adds a USB 3.0 port and a Gigabit Ethernet port to enhance the MBA capabilities. The adapter is about 5x8x2 cm and weighs just 91g.

It's not a particularly cheap solution - it'll set you back about £75 - but it is compact and it doesn't require any additional power cables. I used it most recently on my 7 month stay in Prague where I used it to connect to the apartment's router and the HGST Touro Desk Pro 4Tb USB 3 hard drive I took with me. By combining this with a 7 port USB hub I had access to all my USB requirements (albeit running at USB 2 speeds but none of these devices were performance critical).

The Kanex KTU20 will stay packed my travel bag - it's ideal for short trips involving hotel stopovers. It's just a shame it doesn't have Thunderbolt pass-through capability...but now I'm just being greedy!

Fruity Picks #5 - Multi-device Docking Station

I seem to write a lot of posts about device docks - and here’s another. Individual docks for iPhones and iPads are all well and good, but each one needs a cable and power source, and often docks are device specific. Sometimes you need something a bit more flexible and I believe I’ve now found my preferred solution (at least for now!), even though it doesn’t have a name or a manufacturer! So I’ll call it the MdDS (Multi-device Docking Station), from an unknown Chinese maker.

The MdDS is not designed as a portable device dock, but it is light enough to  put in a bag and not break your clavicle. It does take up a bit of room, but then it is designed to charge two devices simultaneously - and it has a speaker built in. Not bad for £33 (including P&P). But it gets better.

The MdDS uses a modular connection system allowing you to plug in different connectors for different devices. It comes with a straight lightning connector, an iPhone 5 connector with 3.5mm audio jack, a pair of older 30pin dock connectors and a micro USB connector for good measure. The unit feels sturdy and of decent quality, although the plug-in connectors are little bit lightweight. There are a couple of detachable tabs which lend a modicum of support to larger devices.

The MdDS comes with a proprietary USB cable with a connection to a DC 5V 2.5A socket on the device. Unfortunately I mislaid mine on the first week of my travels and could not find a replacement on-line. However, we took a trip to Maplin, taking the device with us, and the guys there let me try out a switchable mains adaptor with a variety of connections, and we found one that worked* (although it cost £20.00!). I've since relocated the USB lead, but they are clearly difficult to come by. So be warned! I'm using a standard Apple 10W iPad charger to power the unit - you need to provide this or something similar yourself.

MdDS with iPad Mini and iPhone 5 Charging

I use the Logitech Mini Boombox as my portable bluetooth speaker of choice so I’m not too fussed over the MdDS speaker which has a pair of 3W units inside. These produce a reasonably clean sound, weak on bass, but good enough if you have nothing else handy. You can toggle the input source using a switch on the top of the unit, or you can turn the speaker off completely.

Regardless of whether I’m at home or away, I want to be able to charge my iPad mini and iPhone overnight. This allows me to do exactly that - and only use a single power socket. I’ve bought two of them so I have a home and away solution.

* Switched Mode AC DC Adaptor for General Use (L06BR)

Fruity Picks #4 - Expower Battery Case for iPhone 5/5s

I'm back on the road a the moment and I've noticed that my iPhone 5 battery is getting a lot more hammer than it's used to. It hasn't yet given up the ghost during the course of the day, but it isn't far off (perhaps I should cut back on the 12 hour days!).

I've not used a battery extender since my first iPhone, the iPhone 3G (I used a Mophie Juice Pack Air), but it did the trick and I decided to pursue a similar course with the iPhone 5. I didn't want to spend a huge amount of money but obviously wanted something reasonably reliable. In the end, I went for the Expower 2200Mah Rechargeable Extended Backup Battery Case for iPhone 5s/5 from Amazon.

This is a two piece case with an in-built battery and little pull-out stand. The case is a black rubberised material and weights in at just under 80g and adds about 1cm to the length of the phone and just a couple of millimetres to the width and depth. It does make the phone feel chunkier but adds a reassuring feeling of protection from the rubberised covering.

All the iPhone features remain accessible once the battery pack is in place although the lightning connector is shifted over to the bottom right of the case rather than its normal central position. This is only a problem if you have a dock set up to match the phone and don't want to remove the case before docking.

The Expower case charges with a normal lightening connector and charges the battery and phone simultaneously. Pressing the small silver button on the front of the case starts the battery, and a series of little blue LEDs gives you a visual indicator of what's going on.  I haven't done any timings yet but it doesn't appear to take an unreasonable amount of time to fully recharge the system.

During the week, I'm up at 5:45am and on the way to work by 6:15am. I find that by 13:00 the phone has been down to about 65%. This is when I kick the extra battery in and in about 30 minutes I'm back to a full charge, which then lasts for most of the rest of the day, by which time I can get back to a mains charger.

I'm very impressed with the Expower. It's sturdy, reliable, and mine cost £9.99 (with an extra £4.41 P&P - it's not available through Amazon Prime). I even bought a second Smart Wallet to stick on the back!

Fruity Picks #3 - PopClip

PopClip (Pilotmoon Software) was first released in July 2011 and proved to be an incredibly useful little piece of software. Since then it has become an indispensable piece of software, currently supporting over 100 extensions. The developer (quite rightly in my opinion) describes it as the Swiss Army Knife of Mac software.

PopClip basically takes a piece of text that you've highlighted with your mouse, pops up its little menu bar and lets you do something useful with it. Initially it was a mechanism for copying and pasting text, but extensions allow you to translate text, tweet it, convert it to a Bitly address (for URLs), create an email, send it to Facebook. Upto 22 extensions are permitted at any one time.

PopClip is available from the MacAppStore for £2.99 ($4.99 in the US) or you can download a free trial from the developers web site. I wouldn't bother with the trial - just buy it. You won't regret it if you do anything constructive with your Mac which is why PopClip has earned its place as the Apple Harvest's third Fruity Pick.

PopClip is supported on machines running OS X 10.6 and higher. The current version is 1.4.10 and works fine on 10.9.2. Extensions can be found on this page.

Fruity Picks #2 - Smart Wallet

I travel everywhere by public transport and have several pre-paid cards which not only bloat out my wallet,  but cause an inconvenience when I keep having to take them out and put them back, getting on and off buses and trains. I have a flip case for my iPhone 5 which allows me to store a couple of cards and a few bank notes, but I don't really like flip cases. I wanted something that I could attach to the iPhone without changing the normal case.

There are a number of sticky sleeves which can be attached to an iPhone case and I picked the black neoprene Smart Wallet from Amazon (UK) which set me back £4.99. It comes in other colours and even a Union Jack design (for an extra £1.00).

The wallet sticks very securely onto the back of the iPhone and is stretchy enough to provide enough space to hold three plastic cards, a pair of railway tickets and a couple of banknotes. Just the job for when I'm travelling, and it means I can stick my wallet in my bag rather than leaving it to the mercy of pickpockets in busy London stations!

After two months of constant use, the Smart Wallet shows no sign of peeling off the phone and no obvious signs of wear and tear. A simple low cost solution that works well.

Fruity Picks #1 - UBClock

In a world that is obsessed by time, even the Apple Harvest can't escape knowing what time it is and over the years I've amassed quite a few clock based apps. For me, the ideal clock app is one that :-

• sits relatively unobtrusively on the desktop (and stays there!)
• has a degree of configurability in terms of clock face, date, second hand etc.
• doesn't use too much in the way of system resources

I use iStats Menus to show the time and date in the menu bar, and I have configured a GeekTool Geeklet to show text based date, time and weather on my desktop. For quite a few months I've been using QuartzClocks to display a real clock on the screen, but I've recently replaced it with UBClock.

UBClock on my desktop

UBClock ticks all the boxes and I think it looks stunning. Although it only has one style of clock, just about every aspect of that clock can be modified, from the action of the second hand (e.g. Linear sweep or Railway judder) to the colours of the borders, backgrounds and dial. The date and day can be shown (in different formats naturally) and the hands can be replaced with a digital display if selected.

The clock can be moved around, locked in a specific position, or locked to always appear on top, and its background opacity changed to blend in with your desktop pictures.

UBClock showing all configuration options (from MacAppStore)

UBClock is available from the MacAppStore for 69p. Kudos to developer Ulf Bierkämper for the care and attention to detail that make this app such a pleasure to use.

Apple Harvest - Fruity Picks

Regular readers of the Apple Harvest blog will know that I acquire all sorts of interesting software and hardware in my quest to find my perfect work and leisure environment. A lot of these items get their own reviews in my blog posts, but given my other activities there are simply too few hours in the day to cover too many goodies.

So I'm kicking off a new series called Apple Harvest Fruity Picks*. Each Fruity Pick will feature a single item that has special appeal to me and that readers may also appreciate. Fruity Picks will be mini posts - don't expect in-depth reviews - with a bit of narrative about the product, some images, costs and where to get it, along with links to other sources where possible.

Fruity Picks will get published as and when something worth writing about comes along, but should appear a bit more frequently than my normal Apple Harvest posts.

The first Fruity Pick will be about a great little piece of software called UBClock. You can expect to see it in the next 24 hours!

* I am aware that there is an alternative meaning for the phrase "Fruity Picks" but I come from an age of innocence where not every phrase had a place in the Urban Dictionary! Quite honestly, this definition is so obscure that I would guess most people would not be aware of it, as I wasn't until I did a search to make sure it wasn't a trademark!