TextSoap Review

I spend a lot of time writing. Not only that, I write in several different mediums and collect bits and pieces of text in different formats. While I have developed ninja-like skills over the years at using arrow keys, delete keys, and the space bar to clean up text for further use, I’ve recently discovered this wasn’t necessary. I could’ve saved a lot of time and sore fingers with a simple tool called TextSoap. TextSoap, developed by Unmarked Software, takes care of the tedious task of cleaning your text. The day I installed it, I received an e-mail from a colleague that was of the mistaken belief you need to hit return at the end of every line in your e-mail client. Yes, really. When I copied the text into a word processing document, chaos ensued. I ran the text through TextSoap and it cleaned out the extra carriage returns without breaking a sweat. At that moment, I knew I was in.

TextSoap is loaded with tools addressing all of the common text problems anyone who writes on a regular basis has come to dread. It includes over 100 built-in cleaners but also allows you to make your own custom cleaners and, for the daring among you, includes support for regular expressions. My favorite cleaner is the generic “Scrub” that handles the most common cleaning tasks like removing extra spaces, fixing broken paragraphs, and removing those e-mail forwarding marks “>” that look like they want to stab every line of text. Most of the time, the Scrub filter is all I need.

TextSoap also includes automation support. You can script it in AppleScript or use its very own automator workflow actions. It is a simple matter to build your own custom services allowing you Scrub text without even opening the application. Simply select the text and fire off the service.

If you too have the ability to race through a document removing extra spaces in paragraph returns, maybe it is time did yourself a favor and automate the task. I used to look at improperly formatted text with foreboding. Now I get a sense of glee as I look forward to watching my TextSoap robot tear through naughty text files with abandon. A license for TextSoap will run you $40 or you can get a family 6-pack for $70. You can find out more at unmarked.com. You can listen to this review on the Mac ReviewCast.

Text Expander 3.1

A nice update with several feature tweeks including hotkeys for searching snippets and activating TextExpander. Now that you can activate the application with hot keys, you can ban it from your dock and menu bar. Learn more here.

Mac Power Users 27 - iPad Power Session

Mac Power Users Episode 27 is up. Katie and I discuss how we are using the iPad now that we’ve had a few months. It is chock full of iPad app and accessory goodness.You can get it in your browser here or on your iPod/iPhone/iPad here.

Microsoft Waits

Practically efficient posted a good piece about Microsoft. I’ve been wondering the same thing. There are some really smart people in Redmond, lots of them. Somebody needs to look closely at the Microsoft corporate culture and figure out what is going on.

Home Screens - John Chandler

This edition of the Home Screens series features John Chandler (twitter), publisher the delightful site, the Creativityist. John also has a new project, 501 Words, that looks really intriguing . I plan on actively participating just as soon as I dig out of the hole I currently find myself in. John is a fantastic designer and writer and today he is sharing his home screen.

What are your most interesting home screen apps?

I don’t know that you will see anything out of the norm here. The applications I find the iPad most useful for are consistent with most users I talk to…all of us with our own nuances of course. In general, I use my home screen either for quick reference apps like weather or my calendar, or for productive apps. I push entertainment apps like Netflix, etc. back to screen 2.

What is your favorite app?

InstaSimplePaperNote. Instapaper is my own custom magazine, and SimpleNote is not only a personal reference library, it’s where I draft most of my writing of late. I’m using it right now in fact!

Which app is your guilty pleasure?

The App Store. I open it a couple of times a day. I don’t download that much, and I mostly see the same things, but I keep going back. And I love it when that little red circle appears on the update icon.

Oh, and MLB At Bat. Though, if the Angels don’t start doing better, I’m going to bill them for my $15 investment.

How many screens have you filled?

Four screens, though they all still have a few open spots. Screen 3 is a bunch of “keep it handy just in case” apps, and screen 4 is a few of the Dr. Seuss books and other games/educational apps for my kids.

What is the app you are still missing?

OmniFocus…kind of. We’ll see what kind of functionality the iPad version has, but right now, I find it just as easy to have OmniFocus handy on my iPhone, almost as sidekick display for the iPad.

How many times a day do you use your iPhone/iPad?

More than I expected! I start my day with the iPad, usually not even touching my laptop for the first few hours. I read, write drafts, and catch up on email without the distractions that lie only a keystroke away on my MacBook Pro.

And, of course, I usually end my day with the iPad as well, keeping it close by as my wife and I wind down in the family room after the kids are in bed.

What is your favorite feature?

The lack of multitasking…like I said above.

Anything else you’d like to share?

My early critique was that the iPad was going to be great for consuming content, but not for creating it. What I’m finding is that It is also fantastic for beginning to shape content — keeping a catalog of ideas, rough drafts or sketches to be refined later on my laptop.

Thanks for inviting me to be part of the series. I’ve enjoyed peeking over the shoulder of others who have been part of the series, and glad I can offer others a peek over my shoulder too. Just don’t hover, please!

Thanks John

iPad Velcro Love

iPad + Velcro from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo.

Great lifeHacker find.

Finder + Tabs = Total Finder

Great execution of a long overdue feature to the built in Finder. The day this goes out of beta, they are getting my money.

Apple Market Cap Passes Microsoft

Who would of thunk it?

Never Mind that $97 iPhone

Walmart is now selling a $97 iPhone 3GS. Stay away. Jeff Richardson gets it right. While the idea of a $97 iPhone is appealing, you’d regret it on June 7.

Changes

Structural Change

I’ve made some changes to the site. MacSparky.com is now reduced to two-columns. This allows me to make the article column wider, and use bigger pictures/screenshots. I like the cleaner look better. Let me know what you think.

Advertising Changes

Once the current Adsense run hits the payment threshold, Adsense will be going away, permanently. I’ve never liked the look of Adsense on MacSparky and I’ve decided getting rid of it is more important than the occasional check. I’ve also fixed a spot on the site for a single advertiser. If you are interested in sponsoring the site, drop me a note.