What to do when you want all your bookmarklets available without clumsy mouse pushing? One way would be using Keyboard Maestro. But what if you good a truckload full of bookmarklets that you what to be easily accessible? Palettes can get out of hand, too, if you have many items in them. Meet Backtick.
Backtick is a console for bookmarklets and scripts, packaged as a Chrome extension. For a better explanation, just click that Try it out button already, or press the backtick ( ` ) key on your keyboard.
The extension comes with a set of predefined commands, but you can easily create your own to use yourself or share with others.
In short, it’s like Alfred for your browser’s bookmarklets. If you’re a Sublime Text or FoldingText user, you’re already familiar with the command mode feature and it’s only fair that you’ll bring this gift to your browser, too.
The guy behind Backtick is @JoelBesada. You can find the open sourced project on GitHub. A license costs about $3.99 (I only get the Euro price displayed and was to lazy to look up the exact price in USD) but you can try out the extension for free.
I came to Repeat Timer Pro because I was looking for a functional and simple interval timer which allows me to setup my Yoga timers. After spending enough money on timer apps and intervall timers that didn’t fit my need, I finally settled with this beautiful digital companion.
The app is super simple to use. You have a total of four timers which you can label and configure. Switch to another timer is done via swiping left or right. In addition, you can set different sounds for each of the four timers.
Speaking of sounds, the app ships with 21 more sophisticated and 11 more gimmicky sounds. Most of them don’t sound cheap and are ClearTones timeless.1
What sets Repeat Timer Pro apart from the rest is that you can swiftly reconfigure your timers. There are neither cumbersome submenus to tame, nor complex calculations to be made. Modifying a timer is only one tap and then a round of spin the wheel to get the setup you want.
The main drawback and why most people I suggested it to for their workout routine didn’t try it out in the first place is: “only four timers, but I need at least 12”. Admitted, it’s not the app for complex workouts. But since you can change the intervals pretty fast it fits my needs for simpler workouts. For complex tasks, specifically for running I have another favorite which I will introduce to you another time.
Currently I have 3 Yoga timers with different lengths and one timer which I use as an all purpose timer for quick changes.
PS: As of writing this mini review, Repeat Timer Pro is temporarily available for free in the App Store. Check it out.
I just found out there is another kind of Keyboard Maestro automation that I wouldn’t mind playing with… and is hasn’t anything to do with Peter N. Lewis’s version.
It’s about using the Leap Motion to trigger different virtual instruments in your DAW and assign velocity patterns to it.
Using the Leap Motion Controller, GecoMIDI, and a keyboard, Hagai Davidoff was able to dynamically control the flow of a full classical ensemble through natural hand and finger movements in the air.
Fabulous idea. If I ever start producing again the Leap Motion will be the gadget I purchase first. M-i-n-d—b-l-o-w-i-n-g.
