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 First Thoughts on OmniFocus 2

February 1, 2013 by 3 Comments

OmniFocus iconLast night I attended the OmniFocus Debut event in San Francisco, where the Omni Group offered the first public look at the next Mac version of OmniFocus, their powerful task management system that’s based on David Allen’s Getting Things Done (GTD) methodology for personal productivity.

Making it Easier

Omni Group CEO Ken Case kicked off the presentation by sharing the high-level goals for OmniFocus 2. One of the challenges with OmniFocus 1 is that while it’s a powerful application, there’s a steep learning curve that can make it difficult for new users to get up and running into a productive state. Easier ramp-up time was a concern, and as Case noted, with OmniFocus 2 you’ll no longer need a degree in OmniFocus to use OmniFocus.

This easier ramp-up is facilitated primarily by two visible changes which became obvious as product manager Liz Marley demonstrated the working version of OmniFocus 2. The first is a refreshed look to the application. It’s hard to specify exactly what’s changed, but instead of the dated look of OmniFocus 1, the new version appears cleaner and more in line with current UI practices. The second big change is quite tangible: the separate Projects and Contexts sidebars are gone, replaced by a consolidated sidebar that features collapseable panels. In these panels you’ll find access to Projects, Contexts, your Inbox, Flagged items, as well as a couple new views/features…

Back to the Mac: Forecast

OmniFocus’ Forecast view was introduced with their iPad application, offering an easy look at what tasks are coming in the next week. It quickly became many users’ favorite way of interacting with the program, providing a relevant view at pending work without having to create a custom perspective.

OmniFocus 2 introduces a Forecast view to the Mac version of the software. The basic look is similar to that of the iPad Forecast view, integrating both upcoming tasks and calendar entries into a view of “soon to come” items.

In a nice enhancement beyond what’s available on the iPad, OmniFocus 2 doesn’t restrict Forecast view to only the next week. You can pop open a calendar view of the upcoming month and select an arbitrary range of dates to be included. If you’d like your forecast to just include three days, you select those three days. Want a 2-week view? Sure. And, in a feature that David Sparks said made him pee a little with excitement, you can also select days vertically on the calendar, meaning that, for example, you can take a look at your next few Saturdays.

Back to the Mac: Reviews

The other area in which the iPad version offered a better experience than OmniFocus 1 for the Mac was the interface used for task reviews. Getting Things Done advocates a weekly review, but OmniFocus also allows users to specify a different review period on a per-project basis.

The pre-release version of the software we saw last night didn’t yet have a functional Reviews component, but we were shown mockups of what is hoped to ship when the software is available. The Review interface is very similar to that of the iPad, which should make it much easier for OmniFocus users to keep on top of this important part of the GTD system. From the stage, Merlin Mann noted that the GTD review is where one is held accountable, and the improved Review feature will make it easier to see when you’ve been a slacker (which, in a positive light, might incentivize you to get back on track).

My Take

OmniFocus 2 is about what I expected, and that’s a good thing. The new Forecast and Review views will be a nice enhancement to the Mac OmniFocus experience, and I’m looking forward to a fresher UI in the application. OmniFocus 2 will be a nice evolution of the product that should provide a more pleasant experience when working on tasks. A couple speakers yesterday reminded us that the goal of software like OmniFocus is not to become good at OmniFocus, but rather to become good at finishing tasks and projects.

I’m sure I’ll have more to say once I start using the product.

What’s Next

Ken Case noted that everyone has two big questions: when and how much?

When: OmniFocus will enter a private beta soon; allegedly those of us in attendance last night will be the first private beta testers so I’ll share what I can, when I can. They also have over 9,000 folks who have registered to be part of their beta testing, so there won’t be any lack of “real world” field testing. After a private beta, there will be a public beta (expected to last about a month) and then release.

How Much: OmniFocus 2 will be released in two versions. A Standard version will include all of the basic user features (projects, contexts, forecast, review, etc) and will be priced at $39.99. A Pro version will add the power user abilities to create custom perspectives (workflow views) as well as AppleScript support. The Pro version will be priced the same as the previous version of OmniFocus: $79.99.

Current registered users of OmniFocus will be eligible to upgrade at a 50% discount.

Read more about OmniFocus 2 on the Omni Group’s blog.

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What Does (and Doesn’t) Get Restored in an iCloud iPhone Restore

September 19, 2012 by 4 Comments

Apple App Store iconLast weekend my iPhone 4 was replaced (thank you AppleCare) due to a faulty home button. I made an iCloud backup prior to heading down to the Genius Bar at the Apple Store, and the swap was a painless process. I got home and began the process of the restore from iCloud. Things got a little bumpy along the way. Here’s what I learned:

  • If you’re using two-factor authentication for GMail, Google Apps, Dropbox, LastPass, or any other services and you rely on an iPhone app such as Google Authenticator, you should disable two-factor authentication temporarily until you get Google Authenticator installed on the new phone. It was interesting when I went to log in and was prompted for the code from a nonexistant code-generation app.
  • Some apps seem to restore settings/configurations from the iPhone backup and others don’t. While Foursquare and Starbucks had no idea who I was and required me to reauthenticate, Instagram and 1Password had my profile, settings, and configurations all loaded automatically.
  • My Twitter accounts that are integrated and stored in the iOS settings were restored, but were nonfunctional. Attempts to tweet from Reeder and Instapaper resulted in failures. I went into the Settings and Twitter configuration, re-entered the credentials, and then it worked again.
  • Something is jacked with Google Calendar sync. It’s synchronized my main calendar, but no amount of reconfiguration seems to be allowing it to sync my additional calendars.
  • Despite telling Downcast to sync my podcast information via iCloud using the various settings in the iCloud options of the app, Downcast doesn’t (by default) back up the media. The result was that I had playlists indicating various podcasts and episodes were unheard, but when I attemped to play those episodes, Downcast had to stream because the files weren’t on the device. I couldn’t figure out how to force Downcast to re-download. I ended up exporting my subscriptions as OMPL, deleted them all, then re-imported which aallowed Downcast to re-download. It turns out there is a setting to force Downcast to back up media to iCloud, but it’s not in the iCloud area of the settings. Instead it’s the very last option on the Settings screen.

I share this information in hopes that I can help someone else. My iPhone 5 should be arriving in a couple days; based on my experiences with this swap/restore I think I’ll be using the iPhone 5 as a good opportunity to start fresh with a clean set of software.

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Speaking at NMX 2013

September 17, 2012 by Leave a Comment

I’m excited to share that I’ve been selected to present at NMX in January in Las Vegas.

NMX (formerly known as BlogWorld & New Media Expo) is the leading conference for those with a professional or personal interest in blogging, podcasting, social media, and other “new” media topics.

I’ll be presenting a session titled “You’re a Better Photographer Than You Realize: Photography Tips for New Media”. Whether it’s with a DSLR, smartphone, or point-and-shoot camera, pretty much everyone doing social media is creating photographs of some sort. In my hourlong session we’ll dive into practical tips on exposure, composition, lighting, and other techniques to make interesting images.

I’ve really enjoyed my past experiences attending and speaking at BlogWorld; I’m looking forward to NMX and I hope to see you there! With the location being at the Rio in Vegas, the NMX folks offer a great program for a low fee when compared with other similar events.

Register Now for NMX 2013 in Las Vegas, Jan 6-8!
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I’d Like to Buy an 8″ iPad Now, Please…

July 23, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Apple LogoWe’ve all heard the rumors of Apple producing an 8″ iPad – something a bit smaller, and a smidge bigger than the current Kindle Fire, Nook, and Nexus 7 models that seem to be doing well. Here’s my take on a tablet smaller than the iPad and how I’ve reached my conclusion that I want one.

I’ve owned an iPad since day one. I still have the original 16gb wifi model and haven’t upgraded to the iPad 2 or “the new iPad” (more on reasons below). I love the device. Prior to September 2011, I used the iPad frequently for:

  • email, Twitter, and the web while at conferences
  • email, Twitter, writing, and the web while at coffee shops
  • acting as my main computer while traveling
  • reading articles via Instapaper
  • reading RSS feeds via Reeder
  • reading ebooks as PDFs
  • reading ebooks via the Kindle app.
  • managing tasks via OmniFocus
  • playing the occasional game

In September 2011 I bought an 11″ MacBook Air, which has become my primary computer for conferences, travel, and coffee shops. In November 2011 I got a Kindle. These two devices have taken over many of the duties once performed by my iPad. The MacBook Air is far more versatile for typing and multitasking quickly, and the Kindle is a great device that for reading Kindle ebooks at home.

With the addition of these two devices, my iPad use dropped quite a bit, such that my current iPad use cases are:

  • reading articles via Instapaper
  • reading RSS feeds via Reeder
  • reading ebooks as PDFs
  • managing tasks via OmniFocus
  • playing the occasional game

I’d love to get a new iPad that’s a bit faster and perhaps has a higher-density screne, but given my current uses I’m not sure I can justify $500 for what’s become a reading/game device.

As I see folks like MG Siegler and Dan Benjamin talk about how much they like the Nexus 7′s size, I’m bullish on Apple producing an iPad of a similar form factor. If Apple brings one to market, priced around $249, I’ll jump on it. Honestly I’d grab a Nexus 7 today if it could run OmniFocus…

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Three Little Words that Trigger Disappointment

April 20, 2012 by 1 Comment

Piled TechThree little words tell me so much about someone’s attitude about their software values.

The conversation usally happens after I mention an app or web service provider. Perhaps I mention how much I like Instacast. Or maybe I show how I love the Instapaper iPad app. Possibly I’m blabbing about how SmugMug is a great way to show off and sell photos.

And then it happens. The first words out of their mouth. Or maybe not the first words, but it’s usually not far behind.

Is it free?

I sigh. Sometimes audibly, sometimes internally. I’m disappointed. I’m disappointed that we’ve reached a situation where free has become the standard by which comparisons are made. Software is hard. Applications and web services represent the results of dozens, hundreds, or thousands of hours of work. And the response when I suggest a great $2 application often begins with “is it free?” This response comes from someone usually carrying a $200 smartphone for which they’re paying $40-100 each month.

The software or services in my examples will help you keep up with news and entertainment, improve your reading experience, or allow you to archive and present your creative works in a beautiful way. And you sit and hem and haw about whether or not it’s worth the price of a coffee.

The Oatmeal said it well.

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The Retina-Savvy Photographer

March 15, 2012 by Leave a Comment

Looking upward at the top of the 125-foot-tall Astoria Column.The new iPad should start arriving in folks’ hands tomorrow, offering a nice “retina” display with a resolution of 2048×1536 pixels.

At what resolution are you posting your images to the web?

John Gruber notes:

…most graphics and images on the web are behind the curve, as of today. Text looks great in Safari, but non-retina images look slightly blurry. The iPad display is so good that it shows, like no device before it, just how crummy most images on the web are.

How is your photography going to look on the web? I know that my SmugMug galleries contain high-res images that are resized as appropriate, but I’ll be evaluating my photos elsewhere.

What does this mean for those who are paranoid about image theft to the point where they only post low-resolution imagery to the web?

Are your clients, friends, and fans going to find your photos look great at high-resolution on their new tablets, or will they wonder why things are so small or fuzzy?

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iPhoto for iOS: WTF Moment

March 7, 2012 by Leave a Comment

News flash: You can’t edit photos on the iPad Classic because it doesn’t have a front facing camera.

No iPhoto Without Front Facing Camera

As they say…. the hell?

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iPhoto for the iPad: My Question (and Reaction)

March 6, 2012 by 11 Comments

Update: iPhoto was in fact announced. Further thoughts at the bottom of this original article.

Please do not handle. At Pike Place Market in Seattle.Some well-reasoned pundit speculation about the hours-away iPad 3 announcement indicates we may see iPhoto announced for the iPad. You’d think I’d be all excited about that as a photographer, right?

I’m an Adobe Lightroom user who’s found the experience of editing photos on the iPad to be clunky, awkward, and slow. These problems weren’t because of software, but because a finger-touch system is a crappy way to make precise photo edits. iPhoto won’t fix that.

Why should I care about a system that will involve importing photos from some external camera device, editing them in a clunky interface, and managing them in a system which isn’t compatible with Lightroom?

What am I missing?

Update after the announcement: Apple did announce iPhoto for iOS (both iPad and iPhone). I might load it on my iPhone, but I’m pretty sure I’ll never really use it on the iPad. As I mentioned when I wrote this piece last night, the issue isn’t software – it’s hardware and workflow. I don’t capture images on my iPad… so if I’m going to spend the time to import images onto another device for editing, why would I import to the iPad (with a limited set of photo editing tools) instead of my MacBook Air (with Lightroom)? And when I’m done editing and want to share the photos online, would I rather do that from the iPad one-app-at-a-time interface where sharing/uploads are often clunky, or would I rather do that as a Lightroom export including the various publish services?

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Path and Failed Trust

February 7, 2012 by 6 Comments

Path LogoI just deleted a blog post draft that probably would’ve been published later today explaining how I was really enjoying Path. I was going to talk about how it’s a logical evolution that tells interesting stories as opposed to the game nature of Foursquare.

Today it was revealed that the Path app uploads a user’s entire address book (including all contact information) to Path’s servers. Users are never notified of this occurring. Path’s CEO jumped into the comments and confirmed this is happening, and that they have future plans for an opt-in.

I’m done with Path. For a company to make such a move without any sort of notice is unacceptable. I have deleted the app and made a request to have my account information deleted.

If you’d like to delete your Path account as well, here’s the how-to article. When contacting them, be sure to let them know why.

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iBooks Author’s EULA and Why It’s Fine With Me

January 19, 2012 by 7 Comments

Apple iBooks Author EULA License ControversyIn a rare departure from the usual course of events, a significant number of folks are up in arms about a Terms of Service / EULA issue and I don’t think there’s any problem at all. Yes, I’m one of those rare creatures that pays attention to such things (heck, I even gave a talk about giving your rights away at Ignite Portland a few years back). And while some prominent writers feel that the terms of the license agreement for Apple’s new iBooks Author program are “so achingly awful”, they seem reasonable to me.

The Terms and the Disagreement

The portion of the license agreement in question specifies two things:

  • Content created with iBooks Author and given away for free may be distributed via any means
  • Content created with iBooks Author and sold may only be sold via the iBookstore (run by Apple and subject to a 30% commission)

Those objecting to the terms are objecting to the second; their argument seems to be that Apple should allow the content to be sold via any means possible and not restricted to the iBookstore.

My Response

Keep in mind that Apple is a for-profit corporation. They’re a corporation which has made several innovative moves that have pushed us forward, but they’re a corporation nonetheless. They aren’t offering iBooks Author and the iTunes textbook store purely out of the good of their heart; they’re doing it because they feel their innovation will move the industry forward and they will make a lot of money in the process.

From my first few weeks with my original iPad, I’ve felt that Apple could benefit by making some sort of toolset that easily allowed for content to be published for the device. Apple has now done just that. The resulting book can’t be sold for Android, or for PCs. Apple has provided a tool that allows content creators to better create content for Apple’s iPad device.

If the terms of iBooks Author are that horrible, textbook vendors (or any other ebook authors) are welcome to continue creating their content via other methods and distribute as they have in the past even through the iBookstore. The terms only apply to the authoring tool. No rights or abilities have been removed from anyone. Anyone can still create and distribute content for any platform, including the iPad, in all of the ways that they could 24 hours ago before iBooks Author was announced.

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