The week between Christmas and New Year is a good time to fart around with new software, some of which is often available on sale.
PopClip
PilotMoon’s PopClip utility is an extension that hovers an iOS-style bar over text that you select. You can then select actions from an extensive gallery of options. Your PopClip bar is customizable; you can add and obscure services you are likely to use. Likewise, you can interact with text from sources (i.e. look up a word or phrase, or tweet out a selection) or edit text of your creation (capitalize, title case, etc.).
PopClip Selecting Text in Safari
PopClip will not appeal as much to users who keep their hands on the keyboard, as it’s primarily a mouse-driven interface. It will, however, appeal to iOS users who rely on the text selection menu that appears inline when selecting text.
PopClip Actions Menu
PopClip is on sale for 50% off ($4.99 USD) on the Mac App Store.
PopClip Selecting Text in Drafts
Keyboard Maestro
Keyboard Maestro was around when macOS was “OS X” and had pinstripes. In short, this utility allows you to automate functions of the Mac by assigning keyboard shortcuts. Pre-programmed samples include searching Google for selected text using control-shift-g, and invoking a clipboard history using shift-control-command-v. You can, of course, create your shortcuts.
In the wake of TextExpander becoming a subscription service, Keyboard Maestro emerged as a viable replacement for those of us who shunned the new payment model.
Learning OmniFocus offers a selection of Keyboard Maestro macros for users who want to wrangle their task list from the keyboard. This is a great way to jump from any application to your OF inbox or any other perspective, for example.
KeyBoard Maestro Macros for OmniFocus
The Shelves
Gladys and Yoink are both emblematic of “shelf” apps; these are apps that allow you to park text snippets, images, or links, ideally for temporary storage while you decide where to put them. Both Gladys and Yoink offer iOS and macOS versions, and sync between devices. Gladys offers both a free and paid version ($0.99 USD); the free version allows you to keep 10 items in the application. Yoink offers a demo on macOS and paid versions on both platforms ($7.99 and $5.99 USD respectively).
Yoink on macOS
Both applications offer some advanced features. Yoink looks more like a proper Mac utility, with a transparent tray that slides out and varying ways to invoke the tray’s behavior. Gladys offers unique export options, like creating and expanding .ZIP archives.
Gladys on macOS