Add Tasks To OmniFocus With Alfred→

Add Tasks To OmniFocus With Alfred

Don Southard shares an interesting tip on how to automatically fill OmniFocus’ Quick Entry window using Alfred, a Spotlight replacement for Mac:

Enter Alfred for Mac. A very handy tool that provides a very useful launch bar to OSX. The great thing about Alfred is that you can customize how and where it searches, allowing us the ability to integrate OmniFocus in to the utility. Another perk is that this method does not require OmniFocus to already be running to add a task. It is system wide and will wake up OmniFocus if necessary.

But why would you want to do that, when you can assign a keyboard shortcut to OmniFocus’s entry panel? Well, some people don’t want to remember dozens of shortcuts like we do. In this way, you only have to remember Alfred’s keyboard command (which most likely has replaced Spotlight’s default one on your computer) to get tasks into OmniFocus.

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Browser+ for iPad Aims To Reinvent Safari

I have been trying a lot of alternative browsers for the iPad over the past months. Since my good friend @kenyarmosh suggested me to give a spin to iCab Mobile (for iPhone and iPad), my interest for well-crafted, feature rich and innovative third-party browsers reached a new level. And while I’m still digging into all the features offered by iCab (which is, without a doubt, the most powerful alternative to Apple’s default browser), I have also been testing other simpler, minimal browsers that aim at offering a different take on browsing the Internet on the tablet.

Browser+ HD for iPad, in spite of its not-so-appealing name, is the freshest and simplest browser I have found in the App Store so far. What Browser+ does is simple: it takes standard elements of web browsing such as tabs, address bar and history and completely re-imagines them as if they were built from scratch for the iPad. Pretty much like Flipboard did for web content that has to be consumed on a tablet’s screen. Browser+, sold at $0.99 in the App Store, doesn’t come with all the functionalities found in Apple’s Safari or iCab Mobile, but what’s there has been recreated to fit better on the iPad. Read more

Wunderlist Review: Untethered Task Management Freedom

I attribute Dropbox to a few successful college projects because of how easy it is to collaborate by sharing files. Everyone understood the concept that they can drop a file into a shared folder, and everyone could see it. However, when we get to delegating tasks or making sure everyone is on the same page, e-mail and Facebook messages can only get so much done. Wunderlist is the solution to both free personal and collaborative task management, easily rivaling some of the more common GTD apps available for OS X and other platforms. Intuitive syncing, low barrier of entry, and seamless integration with most of your devices finally delivers a solution to customers who want more than a task list, and want it for free.

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Vyne, An iPhone Stand Wrapped Around You

It looks like a snake, and when I first saw it I have to admit I thought it looked weird. But after looking at some products shots and thinking about the possible implementations of the Vyne, I can see it being used in some specific situations. Like hands-free, portable video calling. The creators of the accessory say the Vyne is “constructed of a flexible elastomer neck and plastic clip” that “allows users to easily watch movies, slideshows, and video calls in a variety of configurations”.

The Vyne, indeed, can be wrapped around your neck while you’re busy cooking in the kitchen and still you want to talk with your wife via FaceTime. Or perhaps you want to check on recipe how-tos on Youtube without touching the screen with your fingers.

It looks different, but I believe it can be quite handy. The Vyne is just a concept, but would you buy one?  [via TNW]

StudioDock: The Reason for Musicians To Buy An iPad

In the past few years, we have seen an “explosion” of iOS devices used for music creations, live performances and gear experimentation. From the most curious app to the complex setups DJs and musicians have found themselves playing with, iOS devices – and especially the iPad – have become the most desired gadgets by geeks obsessed with music. Most of the times because, well, thanks to apps and hardware compatibility they turned out to be pretty great instruments.

The Alesis StudioDock for iPad aims at taking this whole music experimentation thing to a new level. The StudioDock is both a dock station for the iPad and a protective case that covers the device’s bezel. But most of all, it’s a full-feature music stations with MIDI in/out ports, stereo outs, gain controls and XLR combo ins. The Alesis guys write on their official website:

The StudioDock is the first device that enables anyone with an iPad to create, produce, and perform music with virtually any pro audio gear or instruments. The StudioDock is a universal docking station specifically designed for the iPad, and it gives musicians, recording engineers, and music producers the connectivity they need to create and perform with iPad. Connect all your pro audio gear to virtually any app in the App Store with the StudioDock.

Connecting professional gear to the tablet does indeed sound like a great idea and something that, beyond music, podcasters might want to tinker with as well. Check out StudioDock’s website here; specs embedded after the break, courtesy of CrunchGear. Read more

Singaporean Schools add iPad to Teaching Resources

As a test pilot, a portion of the total population of Nanyang Girls High School in Singapore will use 150 iPads that the school has purchased at a cost of around US$100,000, the pilot including 140 students and 10 teachers aims to complement the schools more traditional teaching methods and textbooks.

The iPad will enable the students to connect to the internet with its vast array of educational resources, download books and course material while also allowing note taking or word processing. Chloe Chen, one of the lucky students to be a part of the pilot program said “It’s much more convenient, teachers can just tell us to go to a website, and we can immediately go and do our work.”

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Rumor: Next iPod Touch To Have Glasses-free 3D Screen?

Here’s an interesting rumor coming from Japanese blog Macotakara [Google Translation] while you’re still trying to wrap your head around the news that Steve Jobs has taken another medical leave of absence. According to “sources of information” close to Macotakara, Apple is considering a glasses-free 3D screen technology for a future iPod touch, with an approach similar to what Nintendo is doing with the 3DS – a gaming handheld capable of projecting 3D images out of the screen without the need of wearing glasses.

In the past, Apple was granted several 3D-related patents and other third-party manufacturers played around with the idea of bringing 3D to iOS devices. Macotakara, however, reports that Apple is willing to integrate 3D into the iPod touch’s screen without any external peripheral or accessory. The 3D panel should be developed by Sharp.

According to a source of a company which provides LCD to Apple, they seems to begin preparing to manufacture small glasses-free 3D LCD panel for iPod touch.

This 3D LCD panel looks similar to Sharp, corp’s LCD which is capable for displaying 3D image without glasses on vertical and horizontal position.

While this is all based on pure speculation, it’s interesting to think that Apple might fight Nintendo at its own game with the iPod touch, which has been touted has world’s most popular gaming device several times in the past. Apple is clearly investing on the appeal of the iPod touch as an entry-level iOS device that’s perfect for portable games, and a mobile 3D screen would be another technological breakthrough for the company.

Steve Jobs To Take “Medical Leave of Absence”

According to a press release that just went out, Apple’s board has granted Steve Jobs a medical leave of absence. He will stay as CEO and Tim Cook will handle day to day operations. In the letter to the Apple team, Jobs says he wants to focus on his health and will still be “involved in major strategic decisions”. He is confident Tim Cook and the executive management team will manage to accomplish the goals set for 2011.

It is unclear at this point what the reason for this medical leave is; Jobs underwent a liver transplant in 2009 and, similarly to today’s news, Tim Cook took over day to day operations at Apple. In 2004, Jobs contracted Pancreatic Cancer, which he beat.

All we can say is – get well soon, Steve.

Press release below. Read more