As the year ends, I’ve been reflecting on some of the standout apps I started using this year, significantly boosting my productivity and creativity. My latest discoveries complement the dozen or more apps I use daily, including Arc Web Browser, Amazing Marvin, Keyboard Maestro, BetterTouchTool, Spark Mail, Timing 2, Retable, Limitless AI, Day One, and Canva.
FixKey
FixKey has been a game-changer for me as I write and type. This macOS tool integrates large language models into any application, allowing for seamless grammar correction, rephrasing, and content generation. I love how I can trigger it to automatically select and fix the sentence or paragraph behind my cursor as I type, making my writing flow effortlessly without leaving the app I’m working in. After I started using FixKey, keeping up with daily journaling, notetaking, and emailing became easier because, with a simple click, FixKey corrects my writing while I write. Even Apple’s AI is not as powerful as FixKey. Read my more extended review of FixKey here.
AudioPen
AudioPen has transformed the way I capture my spoken thoughts. Its impressive AI capabilities turn my spoken words into coherent notes, perfect for journaling and drafting blog posts. The ability to manually edit transcriptions and mimic different writing styles makes it incredibly versatile. Though AudioPen cannot be used universally in any app like FixKey, it nevertheless accesses a strong language for transcribing a verbal dication that does not have to be spoken word-word-word. It can understand and make sense of jumbled thoughts and produce coherent writing. Here’s my comparison of AudioPen and FixKey. (Affiliate link for AudioPen)
ScreenFloat 2
I’ve used ScreenFloat daily as my go-to app for managing screenshots for several years. Its ability to float screenshots after capture, along with features like markup, smart folders, and iCloud sync, makes organizing and sharing visuals a breeze. The app is particularly handy for keeping everything in order. Version 2.0 (longer review here) of ScreenFloat took the application to another level.
DropOver
DropOver has made file management so much easier. I use it to resize screenshots, post selected shots to the cloud, and even extract text from images. It’s a versatile tool that has streamlined my workflow significantly. It took me a while to discover all the features included in DropOver. You can access over two dozen actions, including resizing files, copying the file path, and removing its metadata by dropping an image into a floating shelf.
Homerow
Homerow is a utility app that allows me to trigger clickable items on the screen. It’s great for accessing features that don’t have assigned hotkeys. While I mainly trigger most computer items using BetterTouchTool, Homerow is convenient when my hands are typing on the keyboard. Instead of moving my hand to my trackpad to click a save or publish button in a web application, I can trigger Homerow and select a button while my fingers stay on the home keys.
Tella Desktop Recorder
For video production, Tella Desktop Recorder was indispensable this year for producing more YouTube videos. It simplifies the creation of tutorial videos with features like talking head recording and dynamic transitions. The automatic zoom feature helps keep viewers focused, and the app’s user-friendly interface saves me a ton of time in post-production. Though Tella has a hefty annual subscription of $126/year, I abandoned the desktop recorder ScreenFlow. Tella is faster to use, especially for short tutorial videos. Tella includes desktop and talking camera recording features, various production layouts, and zoom and editing controls. If you want to produce videos for YouTube a course, Tella makes it easy.
Raycast Pro
Raycast Pro has become an essential part of my daily routine. With features like Raycast AI, Cloud Sync, and Unlimited Clipboard History, it enhances my productivity in countless ways. The Daily Log extension summarizes my activities, and the pro version of the Floating Notes feature is perfect for jotting down quick thoughts. For a while, I thought Raycast was not entirely worth the annual subscription, but after I started adding more extensions and learned to use its AI feature, it increased my productivity. Check out my article about a view of my favorite Raycast extensions.
Perplexity AI
Perplexity AI is my go-to search engine for quick and reliable information, helping me troubleshoot computer and web design issues, research travel options, and answer various queries. Although I haven’t subscribed to the pro version due to its $20/month cost, it has primarily replaced Google Search in my daily workflow due to its ability to provide direct information without opening multiple web pages.
SuperWhisper
SuperWhisper is my choice for AI dictation. Despite its slower processing time, it integrates well with any application and transcribes speech almost verbatim. It’s perfect for quick writing tasks like emails and journals, and I appreciate the ability to trigger it using a BetterTouchTool finger gesture. You can pay for a lifetime subscription to SuperWhisper if you find it useful. I recommend, however, that you try other similar AI dictation apps to see which fits your needs. SuperWhisper also has a Discord community for learning and sharing language model prompts.
Conclusion
These best apps have boosted my productivity and made my work more enjoyable. I’m excited to see how they continue to evolve and enhance my workflow in the coming year. And by the way, the initial draft of this article was produced using Mem AI. I rely heavily on Mem to process my writing and content generation. Unlike ChatGPT, Mem accesses my notes to generate notes and other content based on my chat prompts. That’s why I dump everything I’m working on into Mem Notebook. Ultimately, Mem has become an indispensable tool in my creative process, streamlining my workflow and enhancing my ability to produce high-quality content.
