Automators

Rosemary and David are joined by smart home guru Robert Spivack to talk about HomeKit, Matter, Thread, and WiFi. They discuss designing smart home automation systems with ease of use in mind, pain-based solutions, the importance of a central hub, accessing global Netflix titles, integrating Home Assistant and Home Kit, limitations of the Home app, improving home automation with reliable Wi-Fi connectivity, and the future of smart home automation with Matter.

David and Rosemary discuss the new automation features in OmniFocus 4, including SwiftUI integration and improved user interface. They explore the versatility of OmniFocus JavaScript automation and demonstrate examples of automating defer dates and customization using Omni Automation. They also highlight the benefits of the fluid outline feature and discuss the changes to Shortcut support in OmniFocus 4.

The podcast discusses the current state of automation platforms and highlights updates and new features. They explore file automation capabilities with Hazel and DevinThink. The episode covers various automation tools and updates, including Drafts and Grammarly. They discuss the challenges faced by Grammarly with AI and the convenience of Snipity. They also talk about the state of automation on Mac and mobile devices. Finally, they discuss context automation, the potential of AI tools, and the development of shortcuts.

The hosts share favorite automations, including setting up shortcut automations for devices with their own Wi-Fi network and app. They explore using app opening as a trigger and action and discuss challenges faced. They automate home lighting with a light sensor and improve home automations with location and human presence sensors. They also discuss favorite end-of-day and start-of-day automations.

The hosts explore automation in podcasting and the limitations of AI. They discuss using Notion for automation and its benefits. They highlight the release of Omnifocus version four and promote Express VPN. The recent update from Notion on automation with databases and task management is discussed. The automation capabilities of Notion, including template-based and trigger-based automations, are explored. The hosts discuss using Text Expander for efficient communication and share their current automation projects. They explain how they streamline communication with organized instructions and use Loom for screencasting. The concept of 'setup showdown' and tools like Keeper, Maestro, Bunch, and Shortcuts are mentioned.

Discover new ideas for automating your holidays using smart plugs and home automation devices. Learn how to make dumb devices smart with smart plugs and control your energy usage. Get tips for automating a holiday music playlist and decorating your home. Explore powering a smart USB sensor with Anker Prime Power Bank and using a smart home friendly USB power switch. Find out how to automate your holiday season with tips for organizing a secret center and Elf on the Shelf.

The podcast discusses the new features and improvements of Keyboard Maestro, including setting calendar events and changing screen resolutions. They also talk about upgrade pricing, removing unnecessary flavors from objects on the clipboard, and the ease of moving and renaming files with Keyboard Maestro. The hosts also mention other automation tools and give a preview of the next topic.

Guest Casey Liss, an independent application programmer, joins the show to discuss automation, from home automation in the 1970s to Shortcuts now. Topics include early home automation systems, Lutron switches, situational automation triggers, troubleshooting tips, using Home Assistant for unique automations, and automating pool check-ins.

Customizing the iPhone 15 Pro's Action Button, using 'Stop This Shortcut' and 'If' statements for conditional actions, segmenting the day and formatting dates, setting up automations with triggers, using focus mode automation, exploring the ultra button and its use with shortcuts, discussion on Toolbox Pro and automation.

Discover how third-party apps enhance iOS Shortcuts, including Toolbox Pro and Better Touch Tools. Learn about automating Notion with Shortcuts and utility apps like TechSickSpander and DataJAR. Explore the power of Better Touch Tool for Mac automation and utility apps like opener, secure shellfish, and HTTP bot. Also, discover the importance of Keyboard Maestro and the Mail Assistant app.