I’m currently writing a series on mac automation and I figured this would also be a good time to go into more details about how I keep things organized on my mac. But I want to take it a step further and go into detail about how I keep pretty much everything I deal with on a day to day basis organized.

I’ll also write this as a series, with multiple postings outlining how I keep files organized, how I keep up with information and data and how I keep up with other things involved in my life.

I won’t go into much detail in this introduction as to what I’ll write in the series, simply because there’s just so much to write about, that I may miss something. So I’m simply going to write about topics as they come to mind.

The following will be part of this series:

• Email
• Files
• Projects
• Bills & Finances
• Appointments & Calendars
• Raw Data
• Bookmarks
• Domains

I’m sure there are plenty more, but as I stated above, this is simply all I can think of for the moment. So as they come to me, I will write about them. All of my posts will include detailed information as to how I handle that particular portion of my digital and real world life, what I use to keep organized and how I do so.

Keep in mind that my techniques may not work for everyone and I’m posting them simply as a way to help others jog ideas for their own situations. If you have anything you’d like to add or ask me about with any of the above, please do so. I’m open to discussion and very much appreciate it.

Most of you know that I’m a big Mac guy. If I could have it my way and afford it, I’d have every mac product I could and as many as I could, but we all know that’s not possible. Especially with the way mac products are priced. You get what you pay for with mac products in my opinion however.

Onto what this post is about. I’ve been working with ways to automate my mac more and more, so that I can become more productive. The end result is simply to get more done, in less time and with greater efficiency and less error.

This introduction post is simply a starter post to explain what I will go into more detail about in later posts. Simply a taste of what I’m doing and what I’ll show you how to do as well.

The Tools

Having the right tools, or in this case, applications is a must. Being an organized person, or wanting to be is also a must.

1. Speech

The most important aspect to my automation system is the voice commands built into every mac. Basically I’ve customized mine to do what I ask, not just the basic commands that come standard. Which aren’t actually that bad, check them out, you’ll thank me later.

System Preferences – > Speech – > Speech Recognition

Turn this on and select the microphone you’ll be using to speak to your computer.

It is a good idea to calibrate your mic in the environment you’ll be in most frequently using your voice commands.

2. Dropbox

There are many different variations of Dropbox, such as Sugarsync, but personally I prefer Dropbox as I’ve used it the longest and it simply works. Once it’s setup, start dumping files into the Dropbox folder. Setup aliases to access your folders on your desktop or in Finder and you’re good to go.

I pay for an upgraded version of Dropbox so I can get more space.

The most important aspect here is to only place what you want synced and/or backed up within Dropbox.

I use mine for all my project files, graphics, images and programming files. Anything that I would need access to on the go, goes in my Dropbox. All of my documents also go into Dropbox, this insures that I always have access to them anytime I need them.

3. Hazel

The next tool I utilize is very important as well and helps me to be lazy, yet organized. When I save a file to my Dropbox, or where ever I need to. So long as I name the file properly, the rules I have setup in Hazel will place the file where it needs to go. I have one Inbox within Dropbox that I save EVERYTHING into. Naming it properly in the process and let Hazel move, tag and color code it as needed.

I also setup rules to color code them based on their age and/or importance. All my files also get a date when they are saved, this insures I know the first time it was saved/created. The operating system keeps up with this information as well, but this helps when sending to other people on different platforms, that may not have their finder or explorer windows setup to show that information.

4. Automator

Automator is a great application if you learn to use it properly. There is so much that it can do and it’s so simple to setup. Basically everything is drag and drop, so you simply drag what you want done and in what order. You can test your automation app before you build it and then when you’re ready, simply save it and go.

These apps can later be used via voice command to open or run, which saves you time in the long run.

5. Quicksilver

Quicksilver is another app I use for my automation purposes, but more so to save time than to automat tasks. However, if setup correctly, Quicksilver can automate some tasks with certain plugins. I personally don’t use it, mainly because I haven’t taken the time to look through what it can do and then set it up.

The main thing I use Quicksilver for however is simply to acces applications very quickly. I hit a hotkey on my keyboard, start typing the application and then enter. I have an application found and opened within fractions of a second, compared to minutes trying to find it through finder.

Conclusion

In my next few posts I’ll give a more detailed rundown of the above applications and tools, how I have them setup and how they integrate into my use of the computer. I’ll also explain some of my workflows and organization techniques. These work for me, so they may not work for everyone.

When I initially decided to write an article on how I’ve organized my life, it started out simple and straightforward. Touching on the basics of organizing personal, freelance and work life. From this I’ve branched out into multiple articles and in the end decided it would be best to write a series on the entire process I’ve gone through and frankly still going through.

I’m going to start off with the most important aspect in my opinion and that’s synchronization and backups. I’m adding backups into the mix simply because it goes hand and hand with syncing files. I’ve tried to explain as much as possibly and in detail how everything is setup, while not getting to long winded. Simply because I will be going into more detail about each application and/or service that I’ll touch on below.

I will also be working on a full diagram that will be included sometime through the series. This diagram will be a much better representation of what I’ve setup, how it syncs back and forth and how all the backups work. It will also include all the hardware I utilize and where it is used.

Synchronization & Backups

So let us begin this series with the synchronization and backup applications that I’m using. I’ll try to include as much detail about each particular application and/or service and why I’m using it. I’m starting with these two types of applications and/or services for a good reason, this should be number one on everyones list to get in place and keep it working!

I have lost very important files in the past because I didn’t believe that hardware failure or data loss could happen to me. Guess what? It did and it can. Since then I have put barriers up to keep it from happening again and I’m happy to report that I haven’t lost anything in a very long time.

Windows Live Sync

Windows Live Sync (FolderShare) is a free application developed by Microsoft that allows for folder synchronization. This is your first line of defense against data loss, granted you need multiple computers for this. Currently I have a workstation at home (Mac Pro) and a mobile computer (MacBook) that I use while at work. Windows Live Sync is integral to my setup and a must have for daily operation.

A few things to note about this application/service.

• You can only synchronize 20 folders total.
• Each folder cannot contain more than 20,000 files.
• File size limit of 4GB
• Sync does not work with mapped network drives.

Currently Windows Live Sync supports:

• Windows Server 2003 with Service Pack 2 or later
• Windows Server 2008
• Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or later
• Windows Vista
• Mac OS X 10.5
• Mac OS X 10.6

With the above limitations it would appear that this might become a problem. Truthfully, I’ve been using it for over a year now and I haven’t had any problems with the limitations listed above. Microsoft simply put these in place to keep from killing the servers that Windows Live Sync run on, most will not need to exceed the above.

Back when it was FolderShare it had far more limitations than it does now, it would appear now that any file type can synchronize. When it was FolderShare I had many problems syncing PSD’s and other “uncommon” filetypes as Microsoft put it. I will go into more detail on Windows Live Sync later in this series, I’ll also go into what folders I sync, why and the benefits of doing so.

Dropbox

Dropbox has probably been one of the most useful application that I’ve started using. It’s a really simple concept and it only makes sense to utilize it. Now I know most of you are probably thinking, why use Dropbox if you’re using Windows Live Sync?

It’s simple, you’re not using up your 20 folders, you’re not tapping the 20,000 file limit, you’re creating a backup point and you’re also able to access the files anywhere. Windows Live Sync is more of a “configuration & database” synchronization solution. I don’t use Windows Live Sync to sync “work” files, such as documents and images.

Reasons why I’m Using Dropbox

• Works on the major operating systems; Mac, Linux & Windows. (No particular order here…)
• You can run it on all of the major operating systems and it will sync between them.
• Paid and free accounts.
• Automatically syncs, no starting or stopping. Run a small app all the time and it handles the rest.
• Backup point.
• Accessible online, anywhere with web access.
• Each referral grants 250MB more space.

*** Please use the link above if you plan on signing up for Dropbox. It helps to grow my free account so I won’t have to pay for an account, doesn’t cost you anything and helps me keep rolling. Thanks in advance. ***

Mozy (Free)

Mozy is a great backup solution. I’m mentioning this because I currently use Mozy for backups for work files. I do not prefer Mozy, or didn’t I should say. The application was clunky and didn’t seem to handle large backups (100GB+). I am using the free version which is limited to 2GB and it seems to be working just fine now, I haven’t needed to restore any files so I can’t attest to that just yet.

Basically I only backup my Dropbox with Mozy. The only items that go into Dropbox are related to my current full-time job. Which do not come close to hitting the 2GB limit. Mozy is similar to Dropbox with their referral program as well, for each person that you refer to Mozy you’ll get an extra 250MB’s of space added to your free account.

*** Again use of the referral link is very much appreciated. ***

Carbonite

Carbonite is my backup everything solution. They charge yearly, but so far have been well worth it. If you have multiple computers you want to backup with them, register for one first and they may give you a half off for another. When I first signed up, they did that for the two computers that I paid for. With Carbonite I simply backup everything on my Mac Pro and my wife’s iMac (Family photos & videos).

Carbonite is one of those backup solutions that you install, setup and forget. The $54.95 that they charge a year is for an unlimited amount of backups. Currently my Mac Pro has 280GB backed up with 150GB in queue. My wife’s computer currently has 100GB backed up, so that’s a total of almost 400GB backed up with Carbonite, with no problems thus far. I have more computers than my workstation and my wife’s iMac, so to get around having to pay for multiple accounts I use Crashplan on all my other computers and I have an extra 500GB hard drive installed on my Mac Pro specifically for my other computers. Which brings me to my next backup solution.

Crashplan

Crashplan is one of those setup and forget backup/sync solutions. I’m mentioning it because I currently use Crashplan as a backup point for my other computers that do not have direct to web backup accounts, such as Carbonite or Mozy. With Crashplan I can setup a “host” computer and then each computer that runs the Crashplan software can connect to the host and backup there needed files.

Crashplan allows for multiple backup points with as many computers as you’d like, these backups are all encrypted. So if there were three computers using Crashplan, all three could be a backup point for each other. Computer one would have two sets of backups on the other two computers in the configuration and vise versa. So in my case, my MacBook and my servers backup critical files to my Mac Pro. Those backups are then backed up yet again on Carbonite.

Crashplan also allows you to backup with your friends and/or family. So if your buddy that lives in another state installs the application, he can send you a friend code and you can backup to his computer. I do this with a buddy of mine that lives near me, this way I have another remote backup point.

Time Machine

Of course no backup system would be complete without a Time Machine setup. Currently I utilize two Time Machine systems at home. One is specifically setup for my Mac Pro and the other is attached to an Airport Extreme Base Station which services all the wireless macs in the house. My Mac Pro has an internal 1.5TB hard drive that is used to backup the dual 250GB RAIDED drives that the OS and applications run on as well as my 500GB repository drive where I store all my work files and downloads.

The drive that is hooked to the Airport is a 500GB My Book. The My Books are outstanding external backup drives, I actually own three of them; two 250GB and one 500GB. The 500GB that is hooked to the Airport services my wife’s iMac and my MacBook.

Xmarks

Xmarks is kind of a life savor in my opinion and probably one of the coolest applications I’ve used thus far. The reason that I’m mentioning this one is simple, I use bookmarks for everything. I also utilize multiple browsers, mainly for testing websites and how they look in each, but also for speed reasons as well; Safari being faster on my MacBook than FireFox.

With Xmarks you simply install a FireFox plugin, or download a small app for Safari and setup an account. Currently Xmarks supports the following browsers:

• FireFox
• Safari
• Chrome
• IE

As far as Chrome and IE are concerned, I’m not sure what is needed to sync those. I would assume it would be a standalone application such as Safari, but since I don’t normally use them I wouldn’t know. I would highly suggest visiting their website and going over their feature list. Xmarks is MUCH more than a bookmark sync application. This is the main feature I use of Xmarks but there are MANY MANY more things it can do, most of which you may find very useful.

Conclusion

In the next bits to this series I will be outlining in more detail how I utilize each of the applications/services above. I’ll also be going into more detail the small bits of my synchronization and backup system. This is the first of many articles to come on my entire setup.

So we recently finished our demo with Kate McLeod over at Streamtime. We’ve very impressed with the way the applications runs, functions and the features that it has. We really haven’t had a chance to go through it as much as Kate did with us during the demo. So when comparing Streamtime with Studiometry I thought they were very similar in features and function, but now I see that Streamtime has FAR FAR more features and functions than Studiometry and is definitely a winner over Studiometry in my book.

Don’t get me wrong, Studiometry is a great application and it has its place, but that place isn’t with us and what we need in our company right now. Streamtime defiantly is however and we’ll be looking into getting a license or two with them in order to expand our company. Streamtime is probably the end all solution for any design, development or IT firm out there that handles large scale projects or on-going clients. The price tag is a bit steep for us right now, but the price does seem to be justified as you are getting a license for the FileMaker Server and getting client applications to connect to that server.

Streamtime Work Flow

Basically the work flow within Streamtime is very similar to how we do things in our company currently. It simply gives us a central location to store all of that data and information. It’s also a central place to retrieve all of that data, run numerous reports and gather any information we’d like out of the application with a few clicks of a mouse.

I’ll list all of the features that we’ll use within Streamtime below. There are more features than what is listed, this is simply what we’ll use and in the order that we’ll use them.

• Contacts
  • Correspondence
  • Notes
  • Maps
  • Directions
  • Active Quotes
  • Active Orders
  • Work in Progress Jobs
  • Invoices
  • Budget
• Job Quoting
  • Tenders & Orders
  • Tasks
  • Quote Notes
• Job Tracking
  • Job Schedule
  • Tasks
  • Task Schedule
  • Task Gantt
  • Projects
• Job Invoicing
  • Job Details
  • Invoice Summary
  • Quote
  • Time & Materials
  • Purchase Orders
• Live Reporting (This is where it gets fun)
  • Client Contact Report
    A report that shows the details of correspondence items which have an active reminder event found within the date range specified.
  • Client Contact History Report
    This report shows the correspondence history for a contact.
  • Sales by Sales Code
    An invoice sales history returning cost price, sell price and gross profit for each Client Manager by Client Sales Code.
  • Sales by Client
    An invoice sales history by client showing Client Manager, total costs, sales and profit.
  • Client Budget by Month or Year
    A summary report of the clients budget screen in Contacts for a specified client by month or year.
  • Quoted vs Actual vs Invoiced
    This report gives the totals from the Job Invoicing Summary Screen listed by Job showing totals for Quotes, Time and Materials plus PO’s and invoices that have been generated against a job over a date range.
  • Quote vs Actual
    Allowing you to compare quoted Time and Materials and Costs to Actuals and see how effectively your staff are quoting and working on jobs.
  • Timesheet Weekly Summary
    This report shows a staff members timesheet for a seven day period from the start date specified.
  • Timesheet Billable vs Non-billable Summary
    This report shows the total hours and percentage spent by each staff member on billable and non-billable work in the date range searched.
  • Company Profitability Report
    This report shows a break-down of the income for each cost matrix CAT.
  • Client Profitability Report
    This report shows a break-down of the income of each Client by cost matrix CAT.
  • All Client Income Report
    Utilize this report for a summarized understanding of what your client returns.

Overview

As you can see from the above, just for the main features we’ll be using in the application, that it has a massive amount of features and functionality. We feel that it will be a perfect fit for our company and will allow us to budget, quote and manage projects much more reliability than we have been before, not to mention we’ll be able to be more accurate with our estimating and quoting in the future. We’ll have access to all previous jobs and be able to go through and copy items and expenses over as needed to new jobs that require the same type or amount of work.

All in all we feel that the application contains everything that we need in one and will make things much easier for us in the long run. Again the price point is a bit steep for some, but there is still a lot that comes with the application to combat the price. Maybe they would be willing to work with us on the price or give us a discount, who knows. Only time will tell.

We have an appointment scheduled with the Streamtime people for Friday at 11AM EST. They will be showing us the application, inside and out. We’re very excited about this, as we’ll have someone that knows what their doing show us the application and all the features that are contained within it. I’ll be reporting here once we’ve gone through the demo with them and our thoughts on the application, features, functionality, work flow and overall speed.

Personally I feel that Streamtime will end up being our choice over Studiometry. But only time will tell as we have yet to use Streamtime anywhere near as much as Studiometry. Both seem to boast pretty much the same features and functionality, so only time and usability will tell which one will win over my team and I.

If anyone is interested, here is a link to the Streamtime Demo they offer on their home page.

I’m also going to be going over a few of the applications that I personally use for my day to day tasks, to-do’s and projects. I’ve used a number of different applications in the past and while most seem fairly good and work out for the most part, there have only been a few that I’ve stuck with. I still haven’t pinned down one that I really want to use, nor have I got a good management system in place for personal productivity. I am however working out all the kinks with what I’m using and trying to get a good system in place. Once I’ve done so, I’ll outline an entire mini-eBook on the subject and release it here for everyone to download.

My goal is to eventually write a full eBook on the subject. What I went through, what I’ve tried and what failed and worked for me. Along with the final system I decided to use in the end. So without divulging too much information about the eBook and digressing too much from the topic at hand, I’ll leave it be.