Jun 6 2010

Use QuicKeys As Application Switcher/Lock Out

I recently downloaded an application called MacLoc which when activated will switch you out of your user account, instead of logging and closing out your open applications. It’s a one-click process—very fast and easy.

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Well, I didn’t realize until today that QuicKeys also has a default macro, titled Lock Screen, that does the same thing. This means that you can use the macro with other shortcuts to switch/lock out your account at a certain time of the day, or after a file is added to a particular folder. You can also activate it remotely using QuicKeys Everywhere if you have the app installed on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.

MacLoc is great, but if you’re QuicKeys users, you can use the macro to perform the same thing.

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Jun 2 2010

Use QuicKeys to Remotely Control Your Mac

If I had to make a sells pitch for QuicKeys, I would say there’s almost nothing it can’t do for your computer. Hardly a week goes by that I don’t create an automation shortcut using the program. Not all my automations work out perfectly, but when they do, they make my computing just little more easier. What also makes QuicKeys a productive tool is what can be done away from your computer.

If you’re new to QuicKeys, you might not know that the developers have also created a mobile app, QuicKeys Anywhere (iTunes Store link) for the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad,  which can run all your QuicKeys macros.

While there are many remote control applications access your computer from afar, QuicKeys Anywhere is the only one that allows you to run customized shortcuts over your local network. It can’t run over Wi-Fi and 3G, but if you’re wanting to say run your computer from the comforts of your bed, QuicKeys Anywhere, is a great tool.

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I use the mobile app to run several automations. For example,  to mute the sound of computer, to turn down the sound when the kids play music to lound; to launch and quit applications like Snowtape, RemoteSnap, AirVideo, etc., that need to be launched on my computer in order for me to use or connect to them from my iPhone or iPad.

One macro I run pisses off my daughter each time I play it. It is essentially a two-minute verbal warning that the computer will be shutdown. A few similar macros will put my computer to sleep or run MacLoc, an application that activates the Fast User Switching feature built-in to Mac OS X.

The macros on the app are organized by the application they are associated with. I typically put macros that I want to run from my iPhone as a QuicKeys menu trigger, since I don’t run them from the computer itself.

You can also select and star macros as Favorites, which makes them easier to access.

If you’re a iPhone user and fan of QuicKeys, I definitely recommend downloading the free QuicKeys Anywhere.

Jun 1 2010

QuicKeys Shortcut: Automatically Close Selected Finder Windows

You know how you often open folders and they start to crowd your desktop. Well, this QuicKeys macro workflow automatically closes designated windows when they are no the front most window for five minutes (150 seconds.) You can duplicate this workflow for each designated window you want automatically closed by QuicKeys. Here’s how to set it up:

Step 1

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Select All Applications as your scope. Select App event as your trigger and then select Finder as the Application. Select Event: Ends Front, Even Delay 150 seconds (or whatever amount of time you prefer.)

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Step 2

Do a Add Step search for Chick Window Exist step. Add it. Where it says, Window Name is, type the exact name of the window you want automatically closed after a certain period of time that it’s not front most. Make sure all the other drop down tabs apply to the type of window you’re basing the macro on.

Step 3

Search and add the Close window step. Where it says Identify by Name Is, type in the name of the window as you did above.

If you want to quickly test out this macro, change the Event Delay time to say 5 seconds to make sure it works. Be sure to close the macro before you test it. After it works, change the time back to what you want it to be.

May 31 2010

How to Quickly Email Yourself Using Snow Leopard’s Automator Services Menu

I use an iPhone app called Note to Self on my iPhone. It’s useful for quickly emailing a note to yourself (or any designated recipient) without having to tap for a new email window, type an address and subject line and then hit the send button. With this app, you simply tap it open, write your note, and click send.

The app is similar to a Automator workflow I use on my desktop. Specifically, this workflow will take any text currently copied to the clipboard and email it directly to yourself or any specified email address you include in the address field.

The workflow is saved as a Service menu item, which makes it accessible when you’re working in an application which involves text. This service workflow won’t, for example, show up if you have an image document opened up in Preview. It works best when you have text selected and copied. You can access the workflow by selecting the Services menu of an application, or you can create a keyboard shortcut to execute the workflow. You can also assign a shortcut key to activate it.

Here’s how you set it up. The screencast version of this article is posted here: http://screenr.com/aL8

1. Open Automator and select Services and then Choose from the drop-down window.

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2. Leave the top two buttons of the Services action as is.

3. Select Text under the Actions panel and then drag the Get Specified Text into the main workflow window under the services action.

4.Click on Utilities in the Actions panel and select Get Contents from the Clipboard and drag it under the previous action in the workflow window.

5. Back to the Actions panel, click on Mail and select the New Mail Message action and drag it in the workflow. Fill in the text field for the email address or addresss where you want the mail sent by default. You can leave the Message window blank because it will be filled with the contents of what you copy to the clipboard. Or you can add text to the message that you want included each time you run the action. Also choose an account for outgoing mail.

6. Go back to the list of Mail actions and select and drag Send Outgoing Mail Message into the workflow window.

7. Select and copy some text, then click on Run in the Automator toolbar to test your workflow. It should automatically send an email to you consisting of the content you copied to the clipboard. You can leave off the last workflow action, Send Outgoing Mail Message if you prefer to see the new mail message before it’s sent.

8. Finally, click on Save As and title your workflow, e.g. “Note to me.”

If you open System Preferences>Keyboard>Keyboard Shortcuts>Services, you should find your saved workflow listed and checked. Double-click on the workflow and add a keyboard shortcut if you like.

Now when you select and copy text in say Safari, Mail, or TextEdit and then click and run your saved workflow in the Services menu of the application (or use your keyboard shortcut) to have the copied text sent directly to you, you are saving yourself the need to create a new email and send it.

May 28 2010

QuicKeys Shortcut: Select and Copy a URL

This is simple little shortcut which selects the URL of an open webpage and copies it to the clipboard. It saves you one less keystroke.

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1. Limit your scopes to your web browsers. You can use the same hot key for scope.

2. Add the Type Keystroke shortcut and type in Command+L in the field box.

3. Add a Pause shortcut

4. Add another Type Keystroke shorcut, adding Command+C

That’s it. Save it and give it title.

May 28 2010

Using QuicKeys Abbreviations to Activate Computer Tasks

One of the newest features in QuicKeys 4.0 is the ability to type assigned abbreviations that will automatically replace by assigned longer text. It works just like TypeExpander and Typinator.

With this feature, you can also set up abbreviations to activate shortcuts in your Shortcuts library. I use several shortcuts like this. Let me give you an example.

When I’m writing a quick email and I want to dash it off without using a shortcut keystroke or my mouse to click the send button, I simply type my assigned abbreviation, “dm” at the end of the email, and it instantly sends the email. The “dm” does not get typed in the email. It disappears right after I type it.

I have similar abbreviations, including muting and un-muting the audio on my computer, closing and opening particular folders in my Finder, and launching particular web pages while I’m typing.

Here’s how I set up the mail abbreviation shortcut.

Step 1

Start by setting up a new QuicKeys shortcut. Limit the scope to Mail. If you want, you can also assign a shortcut key, addition to the abbreviation trigger, or you can click the minus button and not use a shortcut key at all. In this example I assigned the “acute” key on the upper left of the keyboard.

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I assigned that key to a few limited scoped QuicKeys shortcuts. I never use the key for typing, so it’s a great for single-key trigger.

Step 2

Now add the Type Keystroke Shortcut Step. Type Shift+Command+D in the keystroke field. This keyboard shortcut sends an email message in Mail. Save the macro. You might title it, “Send Mail.”

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Step 3

In the QuicKeys menu, select File>New Abbreviation. This will bring up the Abbreviations editor. The editor should open with a New Abbreviations shortcut. If not, simply click the + button of the editor.

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1. Replace the “newabbr” abbreviation in the Abbreviation text field with the abbreviation you want to use.

2. Click the Shortcut button.

3. Locate and select your Send Mail shortcut.

4. Select the “Immediately when typed” in the Completes section.

5. Select Mail for the limited Scope.

6. Make sure the “Replace typed abbreviation“ is checked.

Close the editor and you’re ready to use to your abbreviation shortcut. When you have typed an email, type your assigned abbreviation at the end of the message and it will automatically send the email.

This automation works only when you’re using text-based applications.

May 27 2010

QuicKeys Automation: Play and Pause iTunes While In Safari

Often times when iTunes is playing music in the background, I sometimes come across a video in Safari that I want to play. This typically means switching over iTunes and pausing the application and switching back to Safari to play the video. It’s about three or four step process. But thanks to QuicKeys, I have automated that process that is triggered by a single keystroke, the number 9 on my keyboard‘s numeric keypad.

Here’s how I set up the automation. (I’m assuming you have some experience with QuicKeys 4.0.)

Step 1

Start a new Shortcut in QuicKeys. Select and limit the Scope to Safari. Next, select “hot key” as the trigger. You can use any hot key you wish, but if you want to use the numeric keypad, then select and type a number on the keypad that you want to use. Because your scope is limited to Safari, this keypad number will only work as a trigger when Safari is active and the front most application. If you open the Calculator application on your Mac, you can still use the keypad without it triggering your Safari shortcut.

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Step 2

Now let’s add our first Shortcut. Click on Add Step and type “Switch,” and select the Switch Applications shortcut from the drop-down menu. Where it says, Switch to, select iTunes. With this shortcut, QuicKeys will switch from Safari to iTunes.

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Step 3

Add another Shortcut step titled, Type Keystroke. In the keystroke field, click the space bar on your keyboard. The space bar is the menu action that both stops and plays a selected track in iTunes. When QuicKeys switches to iTunes, this shortcut will activate the space bar to stop or start iTunes.

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Step 4

Add the same Switch Applications shortcut step that you added above. But this time select Safari as the application to switch back to.

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Playing the Macro

Title and save the macro, and be sure to close it. Play a track in iTunes and then switch to Safari. Click your hot key to run the macro. The entire process should take about two seconds.

You can do this micro for any application, just by changing the scope and the steps.

May 23 2010

Quickeys Demo: Copy and Paste to Tweetie Macro

This QuicKeys macro automation copies the a selected title of an web page article, then selects and copies the URL of that web page.

Next, it switches to the application, Tweetie, and pastes the two copied selections in a New Tweet in Tweetie. It also activiates the Shorten URL hot key in Tweetie.

The macro includes two ways to activate the macro.

Click here to download the macro, which can be imported into QuicKeys.

more about “My Copy and Paste to Tweetie Macro“, posted with vodpod
May 18 2010

Using Web Actions in QuicKeys

Some websites require you to submit your email every time you want to leave a comment. Using QuicKeys, I set a quick little action that fills in my email address, deselects a box, and clicks the submit. I use a single hot key to perform all three actions.

more about “Using Web Actions in QuicKeys“, posted with vodpod

Basically, you set up a shortcut in QuicKeys. Add the Web Actions step and set up the elements as shown in the video. 

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