From the category archives:

Software

Productive Application - PureText

by Scott on August 29, 2008

Here’s a quick review of a simple application I can’t live without, PureText. In a nutshell, PureText allows you to paste text into any other Windows application without all of the formatting.

How often do you copy text from a website and paste it into another application such as Microsoft Word or Outlook? When you paste using the standard Ctrl-V or Edit > Paste, you end up pasting in all of the formatting too, such as color, font-size, etc. PureText allows you to paste the text without any special formatting, just the text.

Using the application couldn’t be easier. After copying text to the clipboard you can use PureText by simply pressing the Win-V key combination instead of the standard Ctrl-V. PureText runs in the system tray and uses very little memory. I placed the application in my Startup folder so it automatically runs whenever I start my computer. This application will definitely help you be more productive.

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Introducing Smart To-Do List

by Scott on August 23, 2008

Today I’d like to introduce my first productivity application, Smart To-Do List. Smart To-Do List is a Microsoft Windows based to-do list manager that is simple, elegant, and extremely easy to use.

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As you can see, the software has a very simple, clean interface. The simplicity helps keep users focused on emptying their minds. Many to-do list applications available today have between 5 and 10 fields for an individual task. Having all of these fields available may make you feel powerful when you first start using the software, but over time you will lose motivation due to the amount of work needed just to add a task. To add a task to Smart To-Do List simply select a project, type the task, tag it if you’d like (it’s optional) and press enter. The software is so easy, you’ll actually use it.

Tagging

Every task that is added to a project can have one or more associated tag. The tags are important because they allow you to filter the list. For example, if you have a presentation project, you may have certain tasks that need done at the office. These tasks could then be tagged Office. You could then filter your list to show just the items that need to be done at the office.

Prioritizing

Each task can be given a high, medium, or low priority. This can be done by clicking the little box next to the task. You can also prioritize them by typing a shortcut key when adding the task. For example, typing “h:Practice Timing” will automatically add this task as a high priority item. One other way to change the priority is to type h, m, or l followed by the task number shown below. Typing “m:1″ would make the first item a medium priority item.

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Keyword Commands

One of the items that differentiates Smart To-Do List with other to-do list applications are the keyword commands that are available. I’ve already talked about a few of the commands in the prioritizing paragraph above. Basically anything that can be done with the mouse can be done with the keyboard alone. This includes printing, exporting, prioritizing, editing tasks, deleting tasks, filtering, etc.

Filtering

Task lists can be filtered to allow you to show only the items you desire. Lists can be filtered based on priority or tag.

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Templates

Another item that differentiates Smart To-Do List from many other to-do list applications is the ability to save any list as a template. This is convenient if you have a list that you plan on using over and over again. For example, every time I travel I know I can just open up my travel template and find exactly what I need to bring.

That’s it for now, I truly welcome feedback and would love to hear any suggestions or requests.

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