Ever try to get a screenshot on your Mac that includes a notification or a mouse hover menu? You need a timed screenshot for that. I’m using Keyboard Maestro for this but there are lots of ways to get timed screenshots, including the built in Grab application. OSX Daily has an article from 2011 and an even earlier one from 2010 on the topic. Here’s my KM macro that does a little count down and snaps a screenshot to my preferred location.

I occasionally use Chrome as browser on macOS. It’s a fine browser and I use it most of the day at work. But it always bugs me that Google sees fit to run update processes constantly, even if Chrome isn’t running. Luckily, I have Little Snitch on my Mac. I’ve written about this profile before, but I’m sure it’s time for a refresher. I create a “No Google” and a “Ok Google” profile in Little Snitch.

It’s officially called the Sorter but I think of it as a note clipper. DEVONthink Pro Office provides a pop-out drawer to quickly capture information to specific databases and groups in the application. Hop into the DEVONthink preferences and define a shortcut. The Sorter will initially look like a transparent tab on the side of the window. Click the tab or use the hot key to open the Sorter and start a note.

I commented about my increased dependence on window managers in my iMac Pro review. I’m split between two applications: Keyboard Maestro which has more detailed control and Moom which has a better interface. I may settle on one eventually but for now I’m ok bouncing between them. Keyboard Maestro has some really great actions for moving and resizing windows. There’s the basic stuff like just going full screen, but the actions also support calculated values for the dimensions and locations.

It’s an adjustment. I haven’t had a desktop Mac since my late, great, Mac Pro from 2006. Those were some good times but it was also a relief when I replaced it with a portable MacBook Pro. I remember thinking that I’d never go back to having a desktop computer. Laptop computers (as we called them in the old days) had reached a performance threshold that meant they could do “real” work.

There’s an update out today for DEVONthink To Go that dramatically improves document syncing. DTTG will now sync in the background after a new document is created. Sync will continue as long as the device does not lock. If the device does lock, it provides a nice notification on the lock screen to reopen the app to continue syncing. It’s nice to see this gap closed. DEVONthink is a tremendous out-board brain for me but capture can be a bit tedious on iOS.

I don’t own a HomePod but I do know rubber and oiled wood don’t often make a good match. Rubber (and plastic) are hydrophobic and just love to soak up oils. This is what an Apple Extended keyboard does to an oiled wood desk.

I’m of a certain age where Star Wars was space. It was also the world. My entire childhood was woven with action figures. There’s a series on Netflix that just reminds me of how great it all was but also filled in a bunch of the back story. The Toys That Made Us, is a bit of nostalgia and a bit of documentary. Perfect for Gen-Xer’s these days.

I know Rogue Amoeba is in the news the past two weeks for other things but I thought this was cool. If you already own a Rogue Amoeba app you can get SoundSource for free. SoundSource is a handy little menu app1 that provides more detailed controls over input and output. Of course, if you don’t already own any Rogue Amoeba apps then you can still buy it for $10.

I’ve been doing quite a bit of macro maintenance in my Keyboard Maestro collection. That also means I’ve been writing new macros because once that KM window is open I tend to fall down a lot of rabbit holes. Every January I need to create a sequence of numerical month folders on a couple of servers. It’s easy but repetitive work. This is a good niche for Keyboard Maestro. This macro accepts a starting number and ending number and creates zero padded folders like 01, 02, 03.