Solving my inability to keep a diary: Chronories

I don't know about you but I've always wanted to keep a daily journal. I just never seem to keep up with one. I've tried Moleskines and journaling software but nothing has ever worked. I write a few days and then forget, or get too busy. I recently found a piece of software that makes a daily journal easy and fun to keep. If you're looking for a diary app for your Mac, look no further than Chronories.

Chronories runs in the background while you use your computer and automatically tracks application usage, people you've contacted, websites you've visited, news feeds you've read and iCal events. The app also allows you to take screenshots directly into your diary and iSight photos also. Plus, you can set and track your moods and type your own journal entries. It even tracks the daily weather for you!

What I especially liked about this software is the menu bar reminders. Every day the menu bar icon shows an unobtrusive number reminding you that your diary needs you. It will prompt you to set your mood, take a photo of yourself, snap a screen capture and write an entry. It makes it super easy to maintain a record of your days with the least amount of effort. I used this app every day of the 10 day trial period.

On top of the app's functionality, you also get a bunch of ways to view and analyze your daily data. You can view computer activity, weather, moods, etc on graphs. You can view your screen shots or iSight photos in cover flow. It makes keeping a diary simple and enjoyable which, until now, I thought was impossible for me.

The only downside to all of this is that now my demo period is over and I can no longer keep my diary!!! Since my budget for software is $0 right now I'll have to wait until I can scratch together the $29.00 before I can start my diary back up but this app is worth every penny.

Application Review: Default Folder X

Every once and awhile you find a piece of software that does its job so well that you stop noticing it completely. You know what I’m talking about. That app that just works. Simply. Un-obtrusively. I often also end up realizing that said application has loads of features I’m not utilizing and even cooler ways to do what it already does well. Default Folder X is one of those apps.
I don’t even know how I learned about DFX but I’ve had it installed on my MacBook Pro for quite some time. I think the following sentence from the user’s manual sums up what this app does nicely:

Default Folder X makes Mac OS X’s Open and Save dialogs work as quickly as you do.

After installing the preference pane, DFX will show up on all Open and Save dialogs. It can appear as a black, grey, or colored addition to the standard OS X dialog window. One of the cooler features of this app is the ability to click an open finder window and have the dialog show that location. This makes it super simple to open or save files to any currently open Finder windows.
Another useful feature is the option-up and down arrow key combinations in Save dialogs. These step forward and backward through the recent folders list allowing you to quickly and easily access folders you're been using without the mouse. This is a life-saver when doing image manipulation and conversion for web use. I usually have an "Originals" and an "Edits" folder and can switch between them seamlessly using the above keyboard shortcuts.
Incredibly, this was one of the only things I used DFX for and it is still a must-have application for me. Since I've been reviewing my own Applications folder to try and trim some fat I decided to refresh my memory as to what else this app could do. Boy was I surprised. I've been missing out on all sorts of productivity enhancements which, since I'm keeping the app in my workflow, I'm going to take full advantage of.
Something I hadn't been using was the ability to set default folders on an application by application basis. This makes an application's open or save dialog show a folder you choose by default for that app. I use this to automatically save documents of different types to different folders and I never have to navigate to the location I want to save to. Combine this with the ability to add tags and Spotlight comments on the fly and you're on your way to file organization heaven. You can even set keyboard shortcuts for specific folders to go to locations at the press of a button.
DFX gives you several different ways to access recently used or favorite folders through the in-dialog menus. You can rename, move, and create archives right from the same window as well. I don't know how I got along without this app before. The $34.95 price tag might seem steep at first but trust me, try this app and you'll see that it's worth every penny.

Software Review: MindNode Pro - Map Your Mind!

I am a huge fan of mind maps. They're useful for any kind of planning and brainstorming and are a great inspirational tool. Unfortunately, drawing them by hand quickly becomes unmanageable for larger sessions and is impossible to re-organize once drawn. I've looked high and low for a mind-mapping application that was as easy to use as a notepad and pen but with the power of a computer to organize and scale with ease.

A mind map is defined by Wikipedia as:

A diagram used to represent words, ideas, tasks, or other items linked to and arranged around a central key word or idea. Mind maps are used to generate, visualize, structure, and classify ideas, and as an aid in study, organization, problem solving, decision making, and writing.

They can be incredibly useful and I have used them to jumpstart my creativity on many a project or task. I've tried several programs both free and paid apps. A great many of them were wonderful pieces of software with oodles of features and lots of extra functionality. Which was my biggest problem with them. Mind mapping software needs to be fast, easy to use and simple.

This is where MindNode Pro shines. This application provides an ephemeral mix of simplicity with intuition and allows you a seamless pathway from your brain to map. The app is available in a free (props to the developers for providing a powerful free version) and a pro version ($19.95). While the free version is powerful and very capable the value that comes with the pro version far outweighs the coinage you'll lay out to get it. A glance at this feature comparison chart should convince you.

My favorite thing about this app is the way the keyboard is used to navigate, create / edit, and move nodes on your map. Upon creating a new file, an initial node is created. Type the name of the idea / project you're mapping and you're ready to go. Hit Tab to create a new node and type away. Hitting enter commits your changes and a combination of enter or tab will allow you to create children or sibling nodes with ease and grace.

The pro version also allows you the ability to close and open any node on your map. This lets you create huge, highly detailed maps and keep everything organized and easy to follow. There are keyboard shortcuts to make showing and hiding these nodes a breeze.

Fullscreen mode is another huge bonus when working with large maps. I love the ability to hold space and drag the map to navigate to sections that are off-screen. You can also zoom in and out of your map to inspect branches anywhere at anytime.

With a ton of export formats (PNG, TIFF, PDF, HTML, RTF, OPML, FreeMind) you can share your mind maps with anyone easily. Since the free version can also open pro versions (with limitation) your friends and colleagues can even open your maps, edit or add to them, and collaborate on ideas with you. I like to use the Dropbox service to work on project plans with employees no matter where they are.

If you want a simple yet effective way to plan your ideas MindNode Pro is a piece of software you shouldn't be without. I use it during all of my company's planning / creative sessions and even use it to plan vacations with my girlfriend! Try it now and see for yourself.