I’ve found new ways to utilize my Apple Watch as a capture device. I previously wrote about how I capture OmniFocus tasks with only my voice.I’m using this same method to capture other information in Drafts and Day One. Both have Apple Watch applications.Most of the time, I capture items to Drafts on my Watch. I capture ideas, clinical questions, quotes, etc. My watch synchronizes the new item with my phone (in the Drafts Inbox). When I have a few minutes I can vector the new memo to the correct location using Action URLs.
Occasionally, I will capture items directy to Day One (although this requires the Day One also to be open on my phone). I maintain multiple journals: Personal, Professional, 3GoodThings, Social Media, and Accomplishments. I’ll capture to Day One if I also wish to capture the location the item took place. Most of the time, I just capture to Drafts.Although I was a bit skeptical about the utility of my Apple Watch at first, it has become a useful tool both in my personal and professional life.
OmniFocus + Focus - Pomodoro Productivity
Combining Omnifocus and the Pomodoro Technique is an incredible way to get things done. Years ago, I used a program called Eggsellent. Eggsellent integrated seamlessly with Omnifocus ( flagged tasks in OF were added to the Eggsellent queue). The upgrade from OF to OF2 broke the integration, and the Eggsellent developer did not update his app.In searching for a replacement, I tried Vitamin R2 and Tomatoes. I settled on Tomatoes for its simplicity and visually pleasing interface. Tomatoes did not meet my needs. The only way to get OF tasks into Tomatoes was to drag and drop (or type). This was a far cry from the workflow I enjoyed with Eggsellent.From Tim Stringer’s Learn Omnifocus website, I found a Pomodoro app called Focus. Focus is one step closer to what I’ve been looking for since the demise of Eggsellent. The Focus Interface is clean, intuitive, and attractive. Although Focus does not autopopulate flagged items from OF2, it is easy to add a task using the “Share” menu. Timers and tasks are synchronized on Mac, iOS, and Apple Watch via iCloud.Focus is still missing some of the functionality I desire in a Pomodoro app. Besides missing automatic OF2 integration, there is no ability to add tags to each item. The only way to add metadata is via a text box. Add that to the relatively steep price ($19.99 for the Mac version, $7.99 for iOS).Despite these shortcomings, Focus is my favorite modern Pomodoro app and has replaced Tomatoes as my timer of choice. Give it a try.
Capturing Reminders with Apple Watch Using only your Voice
I received an Apple Watch for the holidays. I had avoided the technology until I was compelled by the features and capabilities. This year, with the release of the 3rd generation of watch software, the device finally made my list.So far, I’ve been most intrigued by the ability of the Watch to capture reminders. I merely say “hey Siri, remind me to…” and my item is automatically captured. I’ve set up Omnifocus to grab my Apple Reminders. So now, with only my voice, I’m able to capture my to-dos on the run using only my voice. I'm sure to use this feature both in my personal and professional (especially clinical) lives.