Tacklebox - Resources, Tools, Apps, Services and Other Useful Stuff
Applications
The now-outdated 2018 version:
These are always installed first on a new machine:
TextExpander (get 20% off via this link)
We are not big on repetitive tasks. I don't like typing shit more than twice. TE helps save time by helping you (even offering suggestions) create snippets for oft-used phrases such as email address, web URLs, email responses, Finder paths, Markdown syntax, and a host of other strings of text.
I don't remember my passwords. I don't have to come up with new passwords. Yet my passwords are secure. Get with the program.
Saves so much time finding and organizing files and folders on MacOS. Not only that, Lb has several other functionalities that makes it a champ, from clipboard management, to application launchers, to search templates. A real time and energy saver!
Dropbox
The most trustworthy, flexible file sharing service so far I've used. Update:By trustworthy I mean that I've never lost a file with Dropbox. What their app does to my OS is a different thing.
3 Days with the 11” iPad Pro and Logitech Folio Touch
Intro - 3 Days with the 11" iPad Pro and Logitech Folio Touch
iPad
This device is quite delightful to use! While I usually prefer a larger screen, this device is quite an amazing combo of screen size and portability.
On the WiFi front: I think I'd still prefer a device with a cellular connection. I've sat outside for a few hours these few days and while albeit minor, the nuisance of sometimes not being connected directly to a WiFi network is a little annoying when a device is this expensive. I'm thinking I might as well pay just a little bit more and get the Cellular option.
I've used up 60GB of storage so far of the 256GB. I'm not quite done filling the device up yet so I'm not sure if a 128GB model would be enough; my suspicion is that it might, but I could end up having to do some storage management every once a while (though this happens with my 1TB MBP too so I guess it's just in my nature).
Logitech Folio Touch Keyboard + Trackpad
In general pretty good. I'm returning it because it has a Nordic layout and I want a US keyboard layout. The keys feel pretty ok for now. I have a feeling they might get mushy with use though. I thoroughly liked the feel of the Smart Keyboard Folio I had with my 12.9" iPad Pro.
The trackpad is good. The standalone Magic Trackpad has always been a too big to my liking. While this trackpad - and the one in the new iPad smart keyboard - might be a tad too small, I still might prefer this one. One thing I've noticed is how the iPad screen might at times feel to be too far away depending on which angle the screen is in. I suspect this won't be the same with the Smart Keyboard with Trackpad since the iPad kind of hovers over a part of the keyboard.
Also, sometimes the trackpad will lose connection and the pointer disappears from the screen.
Finally, dragging with this trackpad is cumbersome coming from using a three finger drag on a MBP. I have the drag lock option checked in settings but I haven’t been able to figure out how to make it work with this. Maybe it only works with a finger drag?
Get started with Apple Watch
Get these apps on top of the native WatchOS apps to make your Apple Watch useful off rip.
Get these Apple WatchOS Apps
1Password: For quick access to logins and passwords. Especially useful for things like WiFi networks and credit cards.
Cardiogram for Apple Watch: Monitor your hear rate stats with this app.
Complicate It: Create custom watch faces/complications. I have not dabbled much in this yet so more on this later.
Day One Journal: Create quick journal entries on your watch. Even use your nose as an 11th finger.
Drafts 5: Capture ‣‣ Act: Easily one of the most useful iOS/WatchOS apps to date with the ability quickly scribble and dictate your thoughts into text notes that you can access on your iPhone for later use.
Grocery: Quickly add items to your grocery list by telling Siri to do that for you.
Shazam: Yo what song was that? Pull up this app on your watch and tap for it listen for a few and it will more often than not give you a quick and accurate answer that will also sync to your iPhone for later reference.
Visual Codes: You can create QR codes on your iPhone that you can have show up on your Apple Watch that you can then launch and point an iPhone camera to if and when you or someone else needs to access say a WiFi network, a geo location or a website. More detailed instructions later.
Tacklebox: Copied. A clipboard manager. for iOS and MacOS.
Copied is a clipboard manager. The app works nicely as an outboard brain meaning I can just go on clipping and clipping (at least on my Mac) and go back in time when I need to retrieve something I had copied earlier.
This an invaluable tool when you're working with a lot of written content