Updated Keyboard Maestro Script for Obtaining Scholarly Information through Duke

In a previous entry, I published my Keyboard Maestro script that I often use to obtain scholarly literature. A few months ago, Duke’s Medical Center Library updated their website, which broke my script.

I finally had a chance to re-write the script today.

Here is how it works:

1. Highlight any text (web page, PDF, Word Document, etc.) and hit Command-Shift R
2. the script will copy the highlighted text
3. then it will launch Duke’s Medical Center Library Web Page
4. it will paste the copied text into the search field of the web page
5. and then submit the search to Pubmed

All this with a single key stroke–saves me tons of time.

If you’re not a Duke, you will have to modify the URL and search boxes to conform to your library of choice.

Don’t have Keyboard Maestro? Get a demo!

Enjoy.

Addendum, May 17, 2014:  Several folks reported the script didn’t work for them. I’ve modified the script again. You can download the updated script here, and import it into Keyboard Maestro. When you download the macro and before you import, you’ll have to remove the .txt at the end of the file (so it will be recognized as a Keyboard Maestro file).

How to Choose an Air Travel Search Site (New York Times)

Seth Kugel, the self-declared “Frugal Traveler” of the New York Times, wrote a piece comparing old and new travel sites, including my favorite, Hipmunk. I love Hipmunk for its visual interface and it’s ranking of flights based on its “Agony Factor” (a combination of ticket price, flight duration, departure, and arrival). For all you travelers responsible for booking your own trips, this article is worth a look. Once you’ve booked your flight, don’t forget to forward your itinerary to Tripit (as I covered in this entry).

(Mynd + Fantastical2) = Calendar Control

I continue the search for the perfect calendaring app on my iPhone. I wrote a few months ago about Tempo, from the makers of Siri. Although I used Tempo for several months, another contender, Mynd reached my radar screen.

I don’t find the Mynd interface (or colors) aesthetically pleasing, but the app has so many cool features it’s worth a look. Mynd connects to your calendars locally and then mines data for each appointment.

When I first opened the app, I noticed the Mynd View. This view includes the time of my next appointment, the current weather conditions, the people I’ll meet with that day, the locations of my meetings, and the total number of events for the day. I can click on any of these boxes to drill down further. I can connect Mynd to Evernote (appending relevant notes to each meeting) and to LinkedIn (appending further information to each meeting attendee).

Mynd is also location aware. It estimates how long it will take to drive to my next meeting and tells me when to leave my current location. If I’m running late, I can text, email, or call any one (or all) of the meeting attendees from within the app.

In addition, Mynd has a new feature called the Scheduler, that facilitates scheduling of meetings. The Scheduler scans my calendar and suggests free times that might work for a proposed meeting. Mynd aggregates all the potential times I choose and formats an email to my prospective meeting attendees.

Although I’m a big fan of Mynd, I still find making calendar entries clunky. For this, I often turn to Fantastical2. Fantastical is able to make appointments from english sentences (e.g. Meet with Sir Ken Robinson at Weaver Street Market in Durham, NC for lunch tomorrow at noon). I’ll often type (or dictate) my appointment details into Fantastical2. The dictated appointment is instantly translated into a calendar entry that quickly becomes available in Mynd.

Oh…and Mynd is free. Get Mynd in the App Store

Addendum: a reader asked if I was truly meeting with Sir Ken Robinson. Sadly, the answer is no. I admire the hell out of the man and do hope that someday.....

Addendum 2: Although I was very high on Mynd at one point, I’ve gone back to Tempo. Many of the features that were free in the original version of Mynd, are now premium (paid) add-ons. In the end, the change in feature set and the ugly interface scared me off.  Life is too short to live with an ugly interface (especially on a frequently used calendaring app)!

Ripping Pages 5.0 - One Step Forward, Two Steps Backward

It is with great excitement and trepidation I view new versions of core software. So it was with Pages 5.0 for my Mac. Although I was excited to see some of the new features (e.g. enhanced iCloud synchronization), the program took a major step backwards in productivity enhancement. In fact, the whole suite of products (Numbers, Pages, and Keynote) are sad remnants of their former selves. Most of the articles I’ve read tout the fact the iWork Suite was rebuilt from the ground up, setting the foundation for the future. I, personally, was surprised and saddened at how feature-poor the original release truly was.

For the time being, I’m moving back to Microsoft Word, until the features I’m dependent upon get fixed. Before I made this decision, I spent quite a bit of time trying to figure out how to stay with Pages–here are some of the workarounds I came up with.

Some of the problems I’ve encountered:

1. Zipping Files-Writing for me is usually a collaborative activity. I send versions of software back and forth with collaborators (sometimes by email). Unfortunately, Pages zips any file I decide to transfer. Google intercepts these zipped files, refusing to transmit them (because of their potential for containing malicious content). Solution: I tried using DropBox to transfer information back and forth with collaborators. Word allows me to transfer the files as needed.
2. Papers / Pages interplay- With the previous version of Pages I could wait until my paper was in its final state before formatting my bibliography. No more. The new version of Pages does not play well with Papers 2 (side-note, Papers 3 has been released, but I’m avoiding upgrading for the time being). Solution: If I wanted to stay with Pages, I would now have to format my bibliography in plain text, then import the file with the bibliography into Pages for final formatting. By using Word, I can keep my old workflow (formatting my bibliography as the very last step of my writing process).
3. Comments - Writing includes sending comments back and forth between collaborators. The implementation of comments and reviewing is sorely lacking in Pages 5.0. Even worse, if one attempts to export the Pages document into Pages’09, the majority of the comments are lost. I haven’t found an acceptable work-around in Pages. Microsoft Word’s commenting features are intact.

As much as I hate to say it, for the foreseeable future, I’m moving back to Microsoft Word for my manuscript and grant writing. I hope Apple focuses significant resources on bringing back productivity enhancing features of Pages and Keynote. Until then, they’ve lost me.

Medical Workflows on Mac Power Users Show 169

It was a great pleasure to be a guest on David Sparks and Katie Floyd’s Mac Power User’s Show 169. We covered topics such as writing workflows, electronic health records and iPads, and much, much more. Check it out.

LifeHacker article on two-factor authentication

Lifehacker recently republished an article on two-factor authentication. Two-factor authentication is one of the best security measures you can take to keep your accounts safe from hackers. The article contains links to each of the major services that include this security feature. The article is well worth a gander.

MacSparky's Field Guide for Email

My friend, David Sparks (MacSparky), just released his latest Field Guide: EMail. In true MacSparky fashion, there is lots of useful information for both novice and seasoned email users. At the end of the iBook, David includes interviews with a broad range of professionals (including yours truly). This, and other MacSparky Field Guides are well worth the ten bucks. Check them out.

Tempo: The Smart Calendar for your Smart Phone

I have slowly been putting together a narrative of my iPhone home screen for MacSparky (David Sparks). One of the questions he asked me was what app was still missing from iOS. Before last week, I would have answered a decent calendar. That was before I discovered Tempo.

Tempo, is a new app by the makers of Siri (Stanford Research Institute). I’ve been testing it for about a week and have been incredibly impressed.

First, I had to link my personal email account, Facebook and LinkedIn. I was able to set this up in 2 minutes (I avoided linking my work address, due to concerns over corporate privacy). Once this was done, Tempo went to work.

What does Tempo do? All the following and more:

• Scans email for documents and attachments relevant to my upcoming meetings.
• Imports key information about attendees into my Tempo calendar entry (things like contact information, phone number, email addresses)
• Allows me to quickly reach any or all attendees via phone, email or text from within Tempo.
• Dials conference call numbers, including passcodes! Hallelujah!
• Sends a pre-configured "running-late" email or text.
• Reminds me to wish my contacts “Happy Birthday!”
• Let’s me browse meeting attendees LinkedIn Profiles.
• Integrates with Siri
• Prompts me to send a pre-configured text if my phone rings during a meeting.

Tempo’s motto is “Your smartphone deserves a smart calendar – you’ll love the difference.” And I do! Download your free copy in the App Store.

Glass, Omnifocus, and prospective memory errors

It’s been almost a week since I picked up my Glass. I’ve been experimenting with its built-in functions.

One of my colleagues in the Duke University Human Simulation and Patient Safety Center, Noa Segall, is working on research related to prospective memory errors–fascinating stuff.

I personally believe if we're able to capture our clinical to-dos quickly, we could mitigate many of these errors. One possible solution might be using the Getting Things Done (GTD) method clinically. Using voice to capture is key–especially for those of us procedurally based physicians and nurses that use our hands. Along these lines, I tried Siri, but it didn’t work well (since I had to pull my phone out of my pocket and activate the device each time I wanted to capture).

Glass changes everything! I can now capture my clinical to-dos using only my voice. Here’s how I set it up.

I added my personalized Omni Sync Server email address as one of my Glass Contacts (I named the contact OmniFocus). When I want to capture on the move, I activate Glass by tilting my head back, then saying “OK Glass, send a message to…Omnifocus.” An icon with a mic shows up in Glass indicating it’s recording. When I finish speaking, Glass automatically sends my message to the Omni Server.

When I get to my computer or iphone–my to-do is waiting for me, dutifully synced by Omni Server. I am careful NOT to include any identfiable patient information. Instead, I use operating room numbers or post-anesthesia care unit bed numbers to indicate the location of the action. Very handy and hands-free.

Glass Rocks!

My Google Glass Pickup Experience, Chelsea Market, New York City

The Tweet and the Trip-

Last week I received my Tweet telling me my GoogleGlass was ready. I wanted to fly to San Francisco to pick them up, but there were no appointments until mid-July. There were, however, appointments in New York City. I purchased an airline ticket, flying in to LaGuardia. Getting to Chelsea Market was relatively easy by cab.

Taxi Ride

I told the taxi driver the address, 75 Ninth Ave., and off we went. The cabbie was a little confused about the address first taking me to 7th Ave., but eventually, we found the right place.

Shared bikes

It had been years since I'd been to New York. During the cab ride, I shot some photos of Manhattan. Apparently Citibank now sponsors bicycles in the city. Looked tempting.

Chelsea Market

We finally arrived at our final destination,  Chelsea Market. Here is a view of the building from across the street.

Google NYC

Chelsea Market is right across the street from the Google Offices in Manhattan.

Chelsea Clock

I arrived early, so I toured the Market. Chelsea Market is retro-very cool. Because I was early, I set up my computer at a table and got some work done. At 10:30a I set off for the Glass Studio.

Retro Art

The first floor of the Chelsea Market has old looking art--mostly in stone. It was hard to differentiate art from old building. 

Elevator

I walked back to the front of the building and took the elevator to the 8th Floor.

Down the Hallway

When I exited the elevator and looked to my right, this was my view. I headed to the reception area.

Glass Couch

I was greeted by two Glass Customer Experience Representatives--extremely friendly. They looked at my invitation and checked my photo ID, then chatted with me while I waited for my "guide."

The Box

My guide introduced himself and escorted me back to the studio. I was first asked to confirm the color of my device. I chose Slate. We then walked over to a workbench where we spent the next 30-40 minutes.

Pop the Top

Google did a nice job on the Glass packaging. Here is the top layer of the box.

Second Layer of the Box

The second layer had the Glass Satchel, along with instructions. The bottom of the satchel is a hard case, manufactured to protect the Glass lens and camera.

The Bottom Layer

The Bottom Layer had the USB charging cord / plug as well as some extra nose pieces. My guide also went through how to fit the clear and shaded lenses onto the Glass Frame.

Studio

Here is a picture of the studio. Very open. Over the next 30 minutes, my guide fitted the device, showed me how to turn it on and off, how to connect to wireless networks, and tethered the device to my phone. He explained how to shoot pictures and video and introduced me to the few available apps.

Glass navigation is a snap, although it's not truly "hands-free." You navigate using a touchpad on the right side of the frame.

After leaving the studio, I was able to initiate a GoogleHangout with my son from the back of a cab by tethering the device to my phone. Of course, doing this gobbled up a fair amount of data usage.

Backyard and Initial Experience

Since returning home, I've been exploring the Glass software ecosystem. There are currently few apps available--reminiscent of when the iPhone was released. I'm sure there are many developers working feverishly to remedy this. I'm especially enjoying the ability to quickly shoot pictures and video. Below is a picture of our backyard taken with Glass using only voice commands--pretty decent.

My guide told me the battery will last for about an hour of continuous video recording-he typically charges overnight, while he's sleeping. This seems an accurate estimate given my two days of experimentation.

Overall, I'm impressed by the potential of Glass both in personal and professional life.

From a medical standpoint I have two comments derived from my initial use. First, the voice recognition for medical terminology needs some work (as an experiment I tried to find the dosage of several common meds using only voice commands--the only word it recognized was "Furosemide"). I'm sure Glass will improve with time. Second, there is a huge need for a HIPAA compliant GLASS environment for pictures, movies and streaming content. Many of the potential medical applications revolve around patients. Patient information (or images) cannot be sent to consumer web sites (e.g. Google+). Until someone cracks the HIPAA nut, GLASS will fail to reach its full potential in healthcare.

I'm looking forward to experimenting (carefully) with my GLASS over the next few months. I'll report back here.

How To: Download Your Google Reader Data (Katie Floyd)

With Google Reader set to shut down Monday, July 1, this weekend is your last chance to download your archive of RSS feeds. Katie Floyd produced a succinct tutorial (less than 5 minutes). Check it out--and hurry!

TripIt: Travel Plans Made Easy

Although I don’t consider myself a road warrior, I do a fair amount of travel for my work. For years, my trusted travel partner has been TripIt.

TripIt is a web site (with apps for your iPhone, iPad, or Android) that aggregates all my travel information. Whenever I receive travel related information, I forward the email to the generic address: plans@tripit.com. TripIt processes the information from airlines, hotels, car rentals, etc., and combines them all into a single, easy-to-read itinerary (with confirmation numbers, phone numbers, times, etc.). The base site is free, but the Pro version is well worth the $49 per year. I’ve been a Pro subscriber for years.

Check out this video for more on TripIt.

Writing and Reading Workflow: Batching and Automating Full-Text Retrieval

In my work at Duke University on simulation, games-based learning, and learning technology, I frequently read and write scientific information. I’ve developed a series of workflows to help me efficiently deal with information when writing papers and grants. In a previous entry I talked about how I try to batch operations, doing similar things at the same time. This entry will be about my workflow for reading scientific manuscripts.

I use Skim for scientific reading, typically using the bottom pane of the “Split PDF” feature to look at the title of references as I come across them in the body of the manuscript. On average, I’m interested in downloading about 10% of these references to my personal library.

Although I love Skim, one feature I have not been able to figure out is how to highlight items in the bottom split screen. Thus, I’ve created a workaround. Before I start reading an article in Skim, I create a note called “Get Manuscripts” As I’m reading, I merely record the references number of articles I want to fetch in my “Get References” note. Because I create this note first it’s always located at the top of my Skim Notes. When I’m done reading the current article and processing my annotations, I retrieve the supporting articles I identified while reading. 

To do this, I use a phenomenal program called KeyBoard Maestro. Keyboard Maestro lets me type a single keyboard command to trigger an entire workflow. One by one, I work through my “Get References” numbers, highlighting the title of each corresponding article. After highlighting each title, Keyboard Maestro does the rest (invoked by Command-Option-R).

Keyboard Maestro automatically  (1) copies my highlighted text, (2) surfs to the Duke Library literature search page, (3) pastes the text string into the appropriate field, and (4) submits the search. Thus, with a single key combination, I am able to download the full text of supporting literature. Once I find the full text I'm interested in (usually a PDF), I save it to my Download Folder, where Hazel takes over and imports the paper into my Papers Library.

If I'm not ready to retrieve the articles, I create an Omnifocus Action for each to be collected at a later time.

My macro is not limited to Skim, it works with any text I’ve highlighted, be it on the web, in a manuscript, or somewhere else. Here is a picture of the programming, but obviously, you’ll have to modify it for your own favorite full-text repository. Enjoy!

Addendum (January 14, 2014): If you’re searching at Duke, you’ve probably noticed the library changed its search interface. I’ve updated the Keyboard Maestro Script accordingly. It’s only configured to search for peer-reviewed articles. Download the script and import it into Keyboard Maestro (will only work for Duke Libraries).

Waiting for Google Glass

Although I have not yet received my call to pick up my Glass, I have been exploring what the experience will be like. A few weeks ago, the first group of New Yorkers were summoned to the Google Glass Store. An early recipient captured the experience.

I’m still patiently waiting for the call….

MyPhoneDesktop: Seamlessly Transfer information Between Mac and iOS Devices

I’ve written about the interplay between my Mac and iOS devices in several entries. The interplay between my iPhone, iPad, and computer are critical to my productivity. Recently, I discovered a program called MyPhoneDesktop that I use so often, it has made its way to the home screen of my iDevices.

Although I love my iPhone, I have trouble with the soft keys—they slow me down when I have to type things like URLs or text strings. If I wanted to transfer files, I would typically use Dropbox (or email) to get files from my Mac to my iPhone or iPad. But no more. After installing and configuring MyPhoneDesktop on both my iPhone and Mac, I can rapidly share information between my devices.

As an example, I can search for a contact on my Mac, then have my computer dial the number on my iPhone. I can send URLs, text snippets, or complete files from my Mac to my iPhone or iPad merely by dragging and dropping onto the app. Similarly, I can transfer pictures to my phone by dragging and dropping onto a pop-up receptacle that emerges from the right side of my screen. Perhaps best of all is the app's bookmarklet that passes a web page from the Mac to my iOS device through the push of a single button. 

What’s the downside? I can’t transfer information from my iPad or your iPhone back to my Mac. 

I use MyPhoneDesktop numerous times every day and you will too. Pick up a copy for $4.99.

Macworld Article: How to take meeting notes that really work

My meeting note workflow was published in Macworld.com.  Check it out.

PopClip for Mac

During my recent trip to Australia I had some time to catch up on listening / reading. Among the media were two MacPower User episodes. In Show 134, David Sparks and Katie Floyd covered Mac utilities. Although I was familiar with the majority, one utility was new to me: PopClip from Pilotmoon.

PopClip appears when you select text with your mouse on your Mac. Using Pilotmoon “Extensions” one can customize the app, then perform all sorts of useful actions on the highlighted text. Actions such as copy & paste, search, spelling, dictionary, shortening URLs, tweeting, etc. are all easily accessible through PopClip’s well-thought-out interface. I find myself using PopClip dozens of times each day. It’s well worth the $4.99 in the App Store.

My Excuse: Australia and Awards!

It’s been a great few months, I hope after I explain, you’ll understand why I haven’t been posting much. First, I found out I’ll receive the 2013 Innovation in Education Award from the International Anesthesia Research Society—a great honor that recognizes our work in the realm of games-based learning / virtual environments.

IMG_1734.jpg

The award recognizes and funds novel concepts or applications that improve educational programs and advance the practice of anesthesiology. I’ll be flying out to San Diego to pick up the award next week.

Next, I found out I’m one of the lucky GoogleGlass Explorers. I’ll be bringing home a pair as soon as they roll off the assembly line (hopefully in the next month or two). We have big plans for these babies. I’ll be sure to post on our experience.

Screen Shot 2013-04-27 at 11.40.43 AM

IMG_1611

Finally, I just returned from a two-week trip to Adelaide, Australia. The Government of South Australia licensed and customized one one of our virtual environment projects (on postpartum hemorrhage) to use as a proof-of-concept for training their healthcare workforce. Our software allows geographically disperse learners to work together in a shared virtual environment, taking care of a critically ill virtual patients. We’ve incorporated a system for practicing TeamSTEPPS (an evidence-based method of teamwork and communication in healthcare. The project is / was a great success. My hosts / collaborators in Australia were fantastic.

Not to mention, the wines of the Barossa Region were phenomenal.

Now back to work!

Capturing Ideas and Thoughts on the Move

As I mentioned in previous entries. I'm an avid audiobook listener. I have a twenty minute commute between my home and work. Using my forty minutes of commute time in addition to listening when I exercise, I easily go through two audiobooks a month.

I listen to wide range of titles: to give you an idea I am currently listening to The Creative Destruction of Medicine by Eric Topol and Top Dog: The Science of Winning and Losing by Po Bronson.

Often, when listening to audiobooks in my car, I have a flash of insight. It might be an idea for a research project, and idea for an entry in my blog, or a quotation I'd like to capture. Although I could pull off the road and type my thoughts into my device, I've found a more efficient method that works when I'm on the move. Before you read more, please go through my post on Capturing Ideas.

Okay, back? Now let's talk about what I do to capture ideas on the move.

I'm an avid user of Siri. If you don't have a Siri enabled iOS device, you won't be able to take advantage of this workflow. First I ask Siri to launch TextExpander. Then I ask Siri to launch Drafts. Within Drafts I hit the Microphone Icon on the bottom of the virtual keyboard and dictate a TextExpander Snippet Trigger and then hit done. TextExpander expands the snippet for me. For instance, if I dictate: "dot i d x" Textexpander launches my personal ideas snippet. Next, I hit the Mic Button again and dictate my idea and then hit done. Siri converts my voice to text.

I've configured my Drafts menu so I know the "send to Notesy" choice is first. I wait until I've parked my car before sending my new note(s) from Drafts to Notesy (letting Notesy sync while walking to my office).

Using this method, I've captured many ideas that would have been lost had I waited until I reached my destination. I hope it helps you too.

I Got Glass

It’s been quite a busy (and fun) month for me. I have not had time to write new WiPPP entries-apologies. I plan to remedy that soon.

Anyway, I was busy working through a busy (but normal) Wednesday morning, when I received the following tweet:

@jeffreytaekman You’re invited to join our #glassexplorers program. Woohoo! Make sure to follow us - we’ll DM in the coming weeks.

Late last month, I applied for the GoogleGlass Explorer program. I figured my chances of winning were roughly equivalent to being hit by lightning. For those of you not familiar with the technology, check out the GoogleGlass Site including this video. I plan to explore Glass use in academic medicine including: clinical uses, the continuum of learning, and patient safety / quality. I will blog about my experience on WiPPP and SimSingularity. And yes, I plan to be extra careful during thunderstorms this spring.

More to follow……