I’ve been waiting for Apple Silicon Macs since they were announced in June. The unveiling will be next Tuesday, November 10 at Apple’s “One More Thing” event.
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We added an “advanced text check” to revision mode, which offers informed suggestions on capitalization, punctuation, semantics, redundancy, style and typography. We partnered with LanguageTooler for this, a fellow German company which develops the magnificent LanguageTool Plus. As a matter of fact, we fully integrated LT Plus into Ulysses, so you now have access to its comprehensive set of grammar and style rules right from within Ulysses!
I use the free version of Grammarly to check spelling, grammar, and punctuation before publishing my articles. Now that Ulysses has LanguageTool Plus built-in I wanted compare it’s results to Grammarly’s. To compare I first ran my articles through LanguageTool Plus and made the suggested changes. I then ran the same articles through Grammarly and in every case, Grammarly found additional items for correction. Based on that comparison I’ll be sticking with Grammarly.
After more than 2 years without updates, what was my favorite clipboard manager app Copied is back. I used it on my Mac, iPhone, and iPad. The great thing about it was that it synced across all my devices using iCloud. Not many clipboard managers do that.
With this update, it will become my main clipboard manager again. The new version 4.0 now has link previews, dark mode, Siri shortcuts, and improved compatibility across devices.
As a side note:
After I updated the app on my iPad and iPhone the Mac app version 2.0.7 stopped syncing. Frustrated, I uninstalled the Mac app and reinstalled it. To my surprise, the reinstalled app is version 4.0.0 which is compatible with the iOS and iPadOS apps. Remember to enable iCloud sync.
Do you get frustrated with how the slightest touch of the palm of your hand or thumb on the trackpad causes the text cursor to jump to a different position when you’re typing? I have and it’s been bothering me for some time.
Here’s how I solved this problem. I turned off “Tap to click” in the Trackpad Settings. Now when I’m typing and my palm or thumb accidentally touches the trackpad the text cursor doesn’t jump to a different position. I’m guessing this setting is on by default because I don’t recall having ever turned it on.
When I’m not typing, I like having “Tap to click” turned on. Since it’s not convenient to go into Trackpad Setting to turn it on and off all the time I looked for an AppleScript that I could use to toggle it on and off.
I found this one and it works fine.
Credit: Wojtek Witkowski on Github
tell application "System Preferences"
activate
end tell
tell application "System Events"
tell process "System Preferences"
delay 1
click the menu item "Trackpad" of the menu "View" of menu bar 1
delay 1
click the radio button "Point & Click" of the first tab group of window "Trackpad"
click checkbox 3 of tab group 1 of window "Trackpad"
end tell
end tell
tell application "System Preferences"
quit
end tell
I’m using this script in Keyboard Maestro with the hotkey ⌘+⌥+9 to toggle the setting on and off. This will also work with an Alfred Workflow.
While using Alfred’s clipboard manager the other day I noticed passwords in the clipboard history. My first thought was how is this happening. I immediately went into Alfred’s Advanced Clipboard History Settings to make sure that I had added Bitwarden to the Ignore list and yes I had. So I figured this has to be some sort of an issue with Bitwarden.
After doing some testing I discovered that the issue is with the Bitwarden browser extension. When I copied a password in the extension the password was collected by Alfred’s clipboard manager even though I had it set to be ignored. This happened with both the Safari and Firefox extension. I then copied a password in the Bitwarden App and to my surprise, it was ignored. So this only happens with the browser extension.
I contacted both Alfred and Bitwarden regarding the issue. Here’s what they had to say:
Alfred Support:
Could you also take a look at Features > Clipboard History and ensure that the boxes for “Ignore Clipboard data marked as Concealed” and …”as Auto Generated” are checked, which they should be by default?
This ensures that if a password app (or any other app) correctly marks the copied data as concealed, which indicates its potentially sensitive information like a password, this is ignored by Alfred. However, if Bitwarden doesn’t mark the passwords as such, it’s impossible for an app like Alfred to guess what you’ve copied.
First, check whether Bitwarden offers you a setting to identify the data as Concealed, and if not, you may want to contact them to request this.
Cheers,
Vero
Bitwarden Support:
Thank you for supporting Bitwarden! I’d be happy to help.
This has been requested. Unfortunately, due to upstream limitations by our desktop application framework, the ability to mark data as “concealed” is not available at this time.
We have an open issue regarding this here: https://github.com/bitwarden/desktop/issues/90
Please let us know if there is anything else we can help with!
Regards,
Luc
While doing my research on this issue I noticed that others using different clipboard manager apps were having the same issue. So if you’re using a clipboard manager and Bitwarden you might want to check your clipboard manager history for passwords.
My workaround in Alfred is to remember to clear the clipboard history after I copy a password from the extension. Better yet if I need to copy a password I’ll do it from the app instead of the extension.
I have been trying a new read-it-later and bookmark manager app GoodLinks by Ngoc Luu the developer of 1Writer.
In my opinion, GoodLinks is one of the best read-it-later apps out there. The reading experience is excellent. Articles and reading position sync between devices via iCloud. And best of all it’s a one time purchase for iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
Since it’s a relatively new app it’s missing a few features. One big one for me is that there is no way to import saved bookmarks from other apps. I would like to use GoodLinks as my bookmark manager as well as read-it-later but until import is available that will have to wait. I have too many bookmarks in Raindrop.io to move individually. I’m sure this feature will be added soon.
As a side note, GoodLinks for the Mac requires Catalina.
If you would like to learn more about GoodLinks check out this MacStories review by John Voorhees: GoodLinks Review: A Flexible Read-it-Later Link Manager Packed with Automation Options – MacStories
For the last several years I’ve been using Devonthink Pro for bookmarking. With the introduction of Devonthink 3, which is a paid upgrade, I decided to look for a different bookmark app/service. Why? I didn’t want to pay the upgrade price and I wanted a truly cross-platform app. Devonthink is a great app and is a lot more than just for bookmarking but it is first and foremost a Mac app with an iOS app that is limited by comparison.
Enter Raindrop.io. I came across Raindrop.io while reviewing Federico Viticci’s My Must-Have Apps, 2019. He sums up the app quite well:
To sum up: I wanted to find an app/service that would help me save links from the web, organize them with folders or tags using a good-looking UI, and find them again with ease. Raindrop.io, which has been around for several years at this point and is in active development, ticks all these boxes: it’s a web service that comes with a desktop web app, browser extensions, and native mobile apps; links are automatically saved with rich thumbnails and descriptions extracted from the original webpage; you can organize links in collections, tag them, and choose from multiple view and sort options; you can also customize the look of a collection by choosing from thousands of icons. Here’s where it gets better and why Raindrop.io is ideal for my needs: on iOS, links open with Safari View Controller, not a custom web view; and, if you pay for the Pro version, you’ll be able to upload your own images, create nested collections, and rely on the service to find duplicate or broken links for you.
I decided to give the app a try. I’m using the free edition of the app which meets all my needs. So for now, I see no reason to pay for the Pro features. If your looking for a bookmarking app/service give Raindrop.io a try.
I started using Fantastical in 2014. I have it on my iPhone, iPad, and Mac and in my opinion, it is the best calendar app out there.
With Version 3 Fantastical has gone to a subscription business model. I know, another subscription. But I think Flexibits has handled the transition well. They have taken care of existing users as well as offering a free version. If you have always wanted to try Fantastical now is the time.
Another benefit of a subscription is a free version of Fantastical. That’s right, we now have a free version of Fantastical. It’s basic, but if your needs are simply to look over your schedule, add the occasional event using the famous and magical Fantastical parser, then you will be quite happy.
Now for those of us who have been using Fantastical. Do we have to move to the subscription model? The answer is no.
And what about our existing customers who bought our apps in the past years to get us to this point? Some have called us crazy, but we call it doing the right thing. All of the features from your prior purchase of Fantastical 2 will continue to work with the new Fantastical. That’s right: your new apps will automagically detect your existing purchase and provide a special unlock of the features you already paid for. This means you will continue to get bug fixes and support for some time to come, too.
This means existing users like myself will be able to use the free version but with all the features that we’ve already paid for.
I’m not going to write a review here but if you would like to learn more take a look at the articles listed below.
Fantastical 3 steps out of Apple’s shadow – Six Colors
This is directed at those of you who are in the market for a password manager. I’ve been using Enpass for several months and am very happy with it.
I’ll mention that Enpass moved to subscription a few weeks ago but they also have a lifetime license and with the sale you, can get a lifetime license for just $24.99.
A special deal for the Holidays: 50% off on all Enpass plans
Enpass will be on sale with a discount of 50% on all app stores – while you can get a lifetime license for only $24.99, you can also get an Enpass Premium subscription starting for as low as $0.49 per month. And, of course, the full-featured desktop versions of Enpass – macOS, Windows, Linux – are completely free.
Note that this is a limited time offer, starting from December 24, 2019 and valid till January 2, 2020. So, don’t wait and unlock the full version of Enpass at this special discounted price. Spread the word to help your friends and family members get started with safe and secure password management.
Each year towards the end of December I summarize in a post, on this site, the Mac, iPhone, and iPad apps that I will be using for the next year. This is always one of my most popular posts.
This year instead of a separate article for Mac apps and another for iPhone and iPad apps I’m putting them all in one article. I indicate in parenthesis under the app title where I’m using the app Mac, iPhone or iPad.
During 2019 I tried a lot of different apps. Some I liked and switched to and others I tried, didn’t like and stayed with what I’d been using. I hope you’ll discover a new app or two that will improve your workflow or make you more productive.
Safari
(Mac, iPhone, and iPad)
Safari is my browser of choice. It just works best on macOS. I use Firefox when a site doesn’t play nice with it.
Enpass
(Mac, iPhone, and iPad)
Gotta have a password manager.
Fastmail
(Mac, iPhone, and iPad)
I’ve been using Fastmail for email for over 5 years. A few weeks ago I also started using it for calendar, and contacts. On my iPhone and iPad, I use the Fastmail app. Unfortunately, Fastmail doesn’t have a Mac app but with Unite I turned the Fastmail web client into a native Mac app. I’ve written about Fastmail here.
Fantastical 2
(Mac, iPhone, and iPad)
Fantastical is my calendar app. It integrates perfectly with my Fastmail calendar appointments and events.
Things 3
(Mac, iPhone, and iPad)
I use Things 3 for task management. I love the simplicity of how it works. I wrote about it here.
Due
(iPhone and iPad)
Due is where I keep all my reminders.
Drafts 5
(Mac, iPhone, and iPad)
I’ve been using Drafts for several years. It’s my multi-purpose writing and note-taking app. I often use it as the first stop for most everything I write and then use Drafts actions to send what I’ve written anywhere I want to. I’ve written about how I use Drafts here.
Bear
(Mac, iPhone, and iPad)
I’ve been a Bear pro user since the inception of the app. It’s where I keep all my notes and lists. For now, it’s also where I’m doing my writing. And for plain text I use iA Writer on my Mac and 1Writer on my iPhone and iPad.
Marked 2
(Mac)
Marked is the markdown previewer app I use side by side with my writing app.
Grammarly
(Mac and iPad)
I use Grammarly for proofreading my stories for grammar and punctuation.
Yoink
(Mac, iPhone, and iPad)
Yoink speeds and up my workflow by simplifying drag and drop. I’ve written about Yoink here.
Copied
(Mac, iPhone, and iPad)
Copied is my cross-platform clipboard history manager. I’ve written about it here.
Reeder
(Mac, iPhone, and iPad)
Reeder is what I use for my Feedly RSS feeds.
Pocket
(Mac, iPhone, and iPad)
I’m now using Pocket instead of Instapaper for reading later. I wrote about why I switched here.
Tweetbot
(iPhone and iPad)
Tweetbot is for Twitter.
Day One Journal
(iPhone and iPad)
Day One is where I keep a lifelog.
Alfred
(Mac)
Alfred is Spotlight on steroids. I’d be lost without it. I’ve written about it here.
Keyboard Maestro
(Mac)
Keyboard Maestro is another app that I couldn’t live without it. I use Keyboard Maestro keyboard shortcuts to launch apps, open files and folders and automating actions. It has a learning curve but once you start to get the hang of it you can do some amazing things. I’ve written about Keyboard Maestro here.
Dropbox
(Mac, iPhone, and iPad)
Dropbox is where I keep files that I want to have available on all my devices. It’s also where syncing happens for apps like Alfred, Keyboard Maestro, and Due.
PDFpen and Hazel are key apps for my paperless workflow. I’ve written about my paperless workflow here.
Scanner Pro
(iPhone and iPad)
Scanner Pro is also part of my paperless workflow. I use it to scan paper documents into PDFs with OCR that look clean and professional.
App Cleaner
(Mac)
AppCleaner is my app uninstaller. I use it because it deletes all the junk that gets left behind when you just drag the app icon to the trash.
Moom
(Mac)
I use Moom for window management on my Mac.
Witch
(Mac)
Witch is my Mac app switcher.
PopClip
(Mac)
I use PopClip to manage what I do with selected text. I’ve written about PopClip here.
Bartender 3
(Mac)
Bartender is the app I use to organize my menu bar. I’ve written about it here.
ScreenFloat
(Mac)
ScreenFloat is my app for taking screenshots and storing them.
TunnelBear VPN
(Mac, iPhone, and iPad)
TunnelBear is my VPN for security on public WiFi and web browsing privacy.
PCalc
(Mac, iPhone, and iPad)
PCalc is my stock calculator replacement. I use it for its additional features and customization.
Apple Activity app
I use the Activity app with my Apple Watch to track all my daily activities.
