California attorney David Sparks has been sharing tips on using technology to be more efficient since at least 2009, when he started the Mac Power Users podcast with Florida attorney Katie Floyd. I met computer programmer Rosemary Orchard in early 2018 at a Mac Power Users meet-up in Chicago that took place while I was attending ABA TECHSHOW. A few months after that, I was delighted to see Rosemary and David start the Automators podcast, a podcast dedicated to providing useful tips for automating tasks using a computer, iPhone, hardware accessories, etc. I've been a fan of the show since Episode #1, so I was honored when they invited me to be a guest on Episode #94, which is now available.
In this episode, I talk to David and Rosemary about how I currently use automation tools. We start by discussing text expansion, both what is built-in to the iPhone/iPad and also the more advanced things that you can do with TextExpander. Next, we talk about Keyboard Maestro, a sophisticated app on the Mac. Then we talk about automating lights and more in a smart home. We finish up by discussing the Shortcuts app on the iPhone.
During each of these discussions, David and Rose shared fantastic ideas for improving upon the automation techniques that I discussed. Thus, I myself learned a lot by being a guest on this episode, and I am positive that you would learn some great tips by listening. If any of these topics interest you, I recommend that you check out the episode in your podcast player of choice. (Here is a link for using Overcast, my favorite podcast client app.)
A big thank you to David and Rosemary for giving me the opportunity to join them on their excellent podcast. It was great fun.
