Things OSX

Image via WikipediaWhen I updated my system to Leopard, I realized that my preferred task management tool iGTD 1.4.5.6 didn't work well under OSX 10.5.2 anymore - crashing often and randomly, it made me go look for another task jotting application. I've tried Omnifocus, but it was easily too complicated for what I needed to do - that is, to enter ideas and tasks as they come, by easily invoking a text field and typing in my stuff. So I came across Things (OSX) from Cultured Code and it's been great. Stable, beautiful and flexible application, which does one thing and does it great - that is, managing tasks by the Getting Things Done principle. Apart from allowing very flexible tagging of entries, it also supports syncing with iCal, and therefore collecting tasks entered via other channels - web, mobile etc. And this one I use without the Quicksilver input manager. Recommended!

Using Quicksilver with Daylite 3

I recently bought a licence for Daylite 3 productivity suite, after using it for one month and getting hooked on it. This package is flexible enough to fulfill my needs about project and task management, having a comprehensive list of all contacts, assigning tasks to them etc etc. A powerful tool, which i use everytime the grind becomes overwhelming and I need to track all active tasks, even the smallest ones (which happens quite very often). Daylite with its database capabilities allows me to create a desired number of different views on my (and others') activities via smart folders, so it succeeds where other useful getting-things-done apps (such as iGTD and Journler) fail.



Yet not all is perfect. Daylite 3 is a big package which delivers a lot for the dollar, but still leaves quite a lot to be desired. The first thing I missed is Quicksilver integration. With iGTD, for instance, i could enter a task/idea to a list the moment it popped in my head, via Quicksilver of course. I wanted to do the same thing with Daylite, so i needed a super-simple way to get fresh tasks into Daylite's "inbox".

Here is a quite useful and well working solution:
1. keep using (aka install) iGTD,
2. (set up to) enter tasks via Quicksilver, they will show up in iGTD's Inbox
3. set-up automatic syncing of iGTD with iCal, the moment iGTD goes out of focus, tasks from iGTD will show up in iCal, calendar "@Inbox"
4. set up Daylite 3 to sync with iCal's "@Inbox" calendar
5. create a view in Daylite which shows only entries tagged "@Inbox"

So if the procedure is set right, you will:
a. Trigger quicksilver, hit ".", enter a task, hit enter to run the (should be default) command "Put into iGTD inbox"



b. Move focus on iGTD (if not already focused), then focus away from it - aka select next app with Cmd-Tab



c. Quicksilver will immediately sync entries with iCal, Daylite will instantly sync with iCal and voila! New task shows up in Daylite's inbox, waiting to be edited further.

Third desktop on OSX?

It's been a while since my last post and in the mean time I came across lots of great software. Yet nothing is quite like this one. If I'd been full of praise for Synergy and its properties of controlling multiple desktops (of different machines) at the same time (and place), this newly discovered package takes multitasking another step further. How to add a third screen to an already existing dual-monitor setup? "Buying" a triple-head video card is of course one way to do it, but in theory, it should also be doable by assigning a portion of (real) desktop to be accessible via VNC or a similar remote desktop client. For it to be actually useful, one could find a way to artificially extend (i.e. double the size of) an existing desktop, then view this extended chunk in a VNC client on a completely different machine - whose monitor preferably sits next to your dual-head setup.



And that is EXACTLY what folks at JINX from Germany did. Their ScreenRecycler is an absolutely fantastic piece of software - its drivers allow for a virtual extension of your desktop - in fact creating a whole new desktop that acts as a regular one. After installing the driver, rebooting and launching ScreenRecycler app, the new display shows up in Tiger's Display Preferences. You can select its size/resolution and positioning against existing desktops:



My setup is a 12-inch G4 Powerbook (64 Mb VRAM) with 1024x768 primary desktop, external 1400x1050 desktop, and a Windows XP machine with 1152x864 monitor and RealVNC (recommended) installed. After starting Screenrecycler (as sort of a VNC server), launch Real VNC client in WinXP, type in Mac's IP address on a local network...

...and Mac's third desktop shows up on PC's own monitor:



Totally awesome. Jinx is definitely getting my dollars for this brilliant piece.

Hiding menu bar in OSX

If for some reason you wish to gain some extra pixels (suitable for designing on macintosh laptops, especially 12" Powerbooks and 13" Macbooks), there is a cool haxie that hides OSX's menu bar. It's called Menufela.

Get it at NinjaKitten: http://ninjakitten.us/

Groupcal 3 in practice - migrating Work to Mac

I just couldn't manage anymore. I simply HATED having to check my job calendar from anywhere via VPN. I needed a solution that is way simpler and I was looking forward to have a good enough reason to purchase a Groupcal licence. This reason suddenly showed up once and I must say this is a welcome upgrade to working on a Macintosh. Price is not too much at 54.95$, and it's quite worth it. It allows for fuss-free creation of calendar entries, updating those into Exchange server, so everyone can check on your availability, then a simple creation of meeting requests... update to and from Exchange and stay up to date.

Purchase Groupcal 3 here: http://www.snerdware.com/groupcal/

Lost and found - Quicksilver beta51

It's been a while since I'd last used Quicksilver. I remember it as a nice app, yet in my effort (read posts on optimization) to get all the "unnecessary" stuff out of the system, Quicksilver (then version beta36) came on the dump list as well. Now here's beta51, my Tiger is crammed with all sorts of apps which I cannot fit into Dock anymore, so I decided to give Quicksilver a second shot.

With all of the recommended plugins installed, I can now launch any application, open any folder, mp3, address book entry, video, mail, by squeezing a Quicksilver trigger (F12 in my case) and typing in a few letters. Quicksilver will remember the letter sequence which you use most frequently for launching a certain application (for example VIRT can stand for VirtueDesktops or VirtualPC, yet if you're launching mostly VirtueDesktops, Quicksilver will remember this as a preferred selection).

Same goes for music - type in BRO (as Browse) and:



Forget the Dock. I love my Quicksilver :). Download: http://quicksilver.blacktree.com/

Synergy - one keyboard, one mouse

Ever felt like two keyboards and two mice on a desktop, controlling two different machines, are two too many? With Synergy, you can control all computers around you with a single keyboard and mouse. All you need to do is set the controlling computer up as a Synergy server and the rest as Synergy clients, regardless of whether these clients are Macs or PCs. And you will instantly get a feeling as if you're working on a two, three, n-monitor setup. Set the server-clients in a desired order - according to how your monitors are positioned - just like in Display Setup:



Run both server and client and you're done. No more keyboard switching. Enjoy!

Oh yes....download Synergy at Sourceforge.