ldstephens

🖇️ Google is deleting inactive Gmail accounts next month; here's how to make sure that doesn't happen

Andrew Romero, reporting at 9to5 Google

Google has warned that inactive Google accounts – including Gmail, Photos, and more – will be deleted sometime in December. If you want to keep that account, this guide will show you how you can do that.According to Google, any account that has not been signed into or used for at least two years will be subject to deletion. For those with a Google Account, whether that comes in the form of a Gmail account or not, that will affect your ability to log into any of Google’s apps across its ecosystem. Essentially, deleted accounts will lose access to apps like Gmail, Google Photos, Drive, and any other Google-owned site or program.

The other day, I shared my thoughts on renewing my Feedbin subscription, and I wanted to provide an update on my decision.

I've found myself getting hooked on NetNewsWire, prompting me to continue using it instead of Reeder. I've seamlessly integrated it across my iPhone, iPad, and Mac, and the iCloud sync has proven to be both flawless and speedy. While it may not match Feedbin's speed, it's certainly fast enough for my needs. So, as a result, I've decided to cancel my Feedbin subscription.

New Hampshire man died with a big secret, leaving his town millions | AP NEWs

HINSDALE, N.H. (AP) — Geoffrey Holt was unassuming as the caretaker of a mobile home park in Hinsdale, New Hampshire, where he lived a simple, but curious life.

Residents would see Holt around town in threadbare clothes — riding his lawn mower, headed to the convenience store, parked along the main road reading a newspaper or watching cars pass.

He did odd jobs for others, but rarely left town. Despite having taught driver’s ed to high schoolers, Holt had given up driving a car. He opted for a bicycle instead and finally the mower. His mobile home in the park was mostly empty of furniture — no TV and no computer, either. The legs of the bed went through the floor.

[…]

But Holt died earlier this year with a secret: He was a multimillionaire. And what’s more, he gave it all away to this community of 4,200 people.

His will had brief instructions: $3.8 million to the town of Hinsdale to benefit the community in the areas of education, health, recreation and culture.

Hey friends, I enjoyed reading this article and I thought you might also enjoy it.

During the research phase for blog posts, I often end up with numerous tabs open in Safari. Once I've finished utilizing these tabs, I'd like to have the option to close them all and hide Safari simultaneously.

There are a few different ways to close tabs on a Mac. The simplest way is to use the keyboard shortcut Command+W. Alternatively, you can click on the “x” button in the top-left corner of each tab, or you can right-click on the tab and select an option from the menu.

If you want to close all tabs in a window, you can use the keyboard shortcut Command+Option+W. Whatever option you use to close the tabs, Safari is still the active window, and you still have to hide Safari Command+H.

As I mentioned above, I want all this to happen simultaneously with a keyboard shortcut, so I created the following Keyboard Maestro macro.

Safari Group

Macro

Now when I execute the Option+Command+H keyboard shortcut in Safari, it closes all the open tabs and hides Safari. This saves numerous clicks and keystrokes.

Published first to Medium – November 20, 2023

Manu

No matter the case, ads on the web will always be tricky and live in this bizarre gray area. And until someone comes up with a really compelling argument for allowing ads I'll keep running ad-blockers because I just can't stand ads.

Ah, web ads, the unsolicited guests that never fucking leave. I have been using an ad-blocker since they were first available to consumers. My blocker of choice for Safari is Wiper and uBlock Origin for Firefox.

As a side note, I'm also annoyed by websites that bug me with a popup to sign to receive their email. You know who you are so stop it already.

I find myself constantly switching between different apps, services, and devices, much like I'd change my underwear. Why can't I just settle on what works best for me and stop this endless cycle of app flip-flopping? What the fuck is up with me?

My problem is that I'm easily influenced by what other tech enthusiasts are using. If they're using app X, I feel like I should be using app X too. This tendency is particularly evident in the blogging world, where it's become a trend to publish blog posts listing the default apps used for various tasks.

Recently, I browsed through some of these blog posts, evaluating how many people were using Reeder versus NetNewWire and whether they were using Feedbin or iCloud for their backend. This sparked my interest because my Feedbin subscription is up for renewal in a few weeks, and I'm considering eliminating it.

Another area that piqued my curiosity was the notes and writing apps that others were using. I was particularly interested in how many people were using Drafts, an app I personally love for all my text-based needs. However, noticing that Drafts wasn't as popular as I'd expected made me question whether I should switch to Ulysses or iA Writer, which were mentioned more frequently.

I'm sure you get the gist of my problem. My goal is to finally settle on the apps that genuinely work for me and break free from this endless cycle of app flip-flopping. How about you?

My Feedbin RSS service subscription is due for renewal in a few weeks, and I'm once again grappling with the decision of whether or not to continue.

Last year, I reached a point where I couldn't tolerate Reeder's unreliable iCloud sync service any longer. It's iCloud sync has been plagued with issues since the 5.3.5 or 5.3.6 update, causing me endless frustration. To address this problem, I had two options:

1. Subscribe to Feedbin, which works seamlessly with Reeder and offers lightning-fast sync. However, this would incur an annual $50 fee.

2. Switch to NetNewsWire, where iCloud sync works okay.

My dilemma stems from my preference for Reeder over NetNewsWire. But is the convenience of Reeder worth the $50 annual Feedbin subscription?

Now, I'm facing the same decision yet again. I've been testing iCloud sync on both Reeder and NetNewsWire. While Reeder's sync has improved, it still falls short of my expectations. NetNewsWire, on the other hand, performs okay but lacks the speed of Feedbin.

I could conceivably adapt to using NetNewsWire and iCloud sync. However, I've been a loyal Reeder user since version 3 in 2016, and I genuinely adore the app. With a few weeks left before my decision deadline, I'm leaning towards renewing my Feedbin subscription and sticking with Reeder.

I use three apps every day that I don't often see written about, so I wanted to share them with you: GoodTask, GoodLinks, and GoodNotes.

GoodTask

GoodTask is a powerful task manager app that builds on Apple's Reminders app. It adds several features, such as powerful task scheduling, subtasks, tags and priorities, notes and attachments, and smart lists, to help you stay organized and on top of your tasks. GoodTask is a great choice for anyone who wants a more powerful and flexible task manager than Apple's Reminders app.

GoodLinks

GoodLinks is a bookmarking app that lets you save and organize links from anywhere on the web, offering offline access, a clean reading experience, tags, custom actions, copy or export to plain text, markdown or pdf, powerful search, and iCloud sync across devices.

GoodNotes

GoodNotes is a digital note-taking and PDF annotation app for iOS and macOS that allows users to create and organize notebooks, take handwritten or typed notes, annotate PDFs, record audio lectures or presentations, and share notebooks with others in real-time.

I love all three of these apps and I think you will too. Give them a try. GoodTask and GoodLinks are a one-time purchase and GoodNotes recently switched from a one-time purchase to a subscription with version 6.

Published first to Medium – November 6, 2023

About a year ago, I made a significant decision to move away from using Drafts as my primary information repository. At the time, I transferred all my notes, research, long-term thinking, and journaling from Drafts to plain text files. It felt like a big shift. However, just this week, I made another change. I moved all my text-processing tasks back into Drafts.

While Drafts is now my go-to for notes, research, long-term thinking, and journaling, I still prefer to do my writing in Ulysses versus Drafts.

As a side note, if you're considering using Drafts as an information repository, remember that it strictly supports plain text only. Rich content like images or videos is a no-go. To fill this gap, I rely on Apple's Notes app.

One of the main reasons for my shift back to Drafts is my dissatisfaction with managing individual files in Finder, especially on the Files app for my iPhone and iPad. Drafts is a more powerful and versatile solution. Its database structure provides several advantages, including better organization, robust search capabilities, version control, collaboration features, automation, easy export options, and seamless syncing.

The debate over whether to use individual files or a database for storing information is ongoing. There's no definitive answer; it simply boils down to personal preference. In my case, the flexibility and features of Drafts won me over once again.

Published first to Medium – November 3, 2023

One of the primary ways I use my iPad is as a reference monitor with my MacBook Air, thanks to Universal Control. I find this method preferable to using the split screen feature on my 13” Air screen.

In essence, my iPad Pro functions as a second display for my MacBook Air. I can seamlessly operate both my MacBook and iPad Pro using the MacBook's keyboard, mouse, and trackpad. Universal Control simplifies the process of sharing content between my Mac and iPad. I can easily drag and drop files, text, and images between the two devices, or I can copy and paste text from one device to the other. This is very useful when my research is on my iPad, and I need to transfer information to what I'm working on with my MacBook.

To set up Universal Control on Mac and iPad, follow these steps:

On your Mac:

1. Choose Apple menu () > System Settings (or System Preferences).
2. Click Displays.
3. If using macOS Ventura or later, click the Advanced button at the bottom of the settings window.
4. Turn on “Allow your pointer and keyboard to move between any nearby Mac or iPad.”
5. Leave the other Universal Control settings turned on for now.
6. Click Done.
7. Next, click Add Display.

On your iPad:

1. Launch the Settings app on your iPad.
2. Tap General in the sidebar.
3. Tap AirPlay & Handoff in the menu window.
4. Toggle on the switch next to Cursor and Keyboard.

Once you have enabled Universal Control on both your Mac and iPad, they will automatically connect to each other when they are within range. Now you can then move your cursor and keyboard between devices.

Published first to Medium – October 30, 2023