With the information overload, multitude of potential distractions and multi-tasking struggles that working behind a computer can pose these days, productivity is everything.
For journalists in particular, every minute counts. Even if you lead a structured digital life with meticulous preparation going into organising your files, folders, bookmarks and tabs, a lot of time is wasted on mundane, repetitive tasks like opening new applications, looking for files or searching online.
Here’s where Alfred, the keyboard driven Mac application made by Andrew and Vero Pepperrell that streamlines productivity, comes in.
Instantly likeable thanks to the black Heisenberg-esque bowler hat icon that sits proudly on your toolbar once installed, if utilised fully Alfred can be one of the most powerful tools you can have on your Mac.
Described by Next Web as a “butler for your Mac”, you can call on Alfred by typing the keyboard shortcut ‘alt + space’ and using straightforward command lines to perform a range of simple tasks, saving you precious time.
Using Alfred you can search Google, Wikipedia, YouTube or Twitter directly, search any other website for a particular word or phrase (there are steps on how to set this up via journalism.co.uk here), use it as a calculator, launch an application by typing the first few characters or search the files and folders on your Mac – all without having to use your trackpad or mouse.
Here are some Alfred command lines to get you started (click on the video below to see Alfred in action):
- ‘search’ (insert word or phrase) + return – searches Google
- ‘amazon’ (insert word or phrase) + return – searches Amazon
- ‘twitter’ (insert word or phrase) + return – searches Twitter
- ‘open’ (insert file name here) + return – find and open a file on your Mac
- ‘maps’ (insert place name) + return – search Google Maps directly
- ‘www.interhacktives.com’ – pasting any link and pressing return takes you directly to the website without you needing to click on your browser window
- ‘define’ (insert word) + return – to get the definition of a word via the Mac’s dictionary
- ‘spell’ (insert word) – to check a word’s spelling
- 34*28 – multiplies the two numbers
- ‘logout’
- ‘sleep’
- ‘restart’
While most features are available via Alfred’s free version, the Powerpack, priced at £17, allows users access to send emails, the ability to listen to music via a mini iTunes player and create their own workflows, or download and install workflows that others in the community have made.
Here are just a few workflows worth highlighting, including one that enables users to control their Spotify, while there are plenty more in the Alfred forums.
Hat-tip (so to speak) to one of last year’s interhacktives, Henry Kirby, for introducing me to Alfred App.
And for those PC users out there, Patrick Scott went on a mission to find an alternative on Windows and will vouch for Launchy.