Unlocking Handwritten Notes in Obsidian with Excalidraw and Scribble Helper

Obsidian is primarily a text-based tool for me. I only use images occasionally, and I’ve also outsourced my PDFs to DevonThink. I take the approach that it often makes sense to use specialized tools and not do everything with one app, even if that’s potentially possible. Drawings and diagrams are a bit different. I need them relatively rarely anyway because I work very text-based. However, I’m currently trying to get into the habit of using drawings a bit more because I believe that complex topics can be understood much better that way. And that brings us to the topic of …

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➡️ Linked Post: Extensive Comparison of Markdown Apps

Looking for a great source to get an overview of Markdown editors? Hermann Rotermund’s recent article “Workflow mit Markdown” over on weisses-rauschen.info provides you with an extensive overview. Whether you’re new to Markdown or just not sure which editor to use, this article is highly recommended. It provides an in-depth overview of several Markdown editors, making it easier to choose the right one for your needs. The article covers various Markdown editors, including Typora, Bear, Ulysses, and iA Writer, highlighting their key features and pros and cons. It also touches on some essential Markdown syntax and provides tips on how …

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State of the Apps 2023

Cortex by Myke Hurley and CGP Grey is one of my favorite podcasts and I eagerly look forward to each episode. Every year, in the penultimate episode of the year, they talk about the most important apps and services they currently use. And then, the always worth reading Mere Civilian also recently wrote an article under that theme. Last year, I actually wanted to do the same, but then didn’t for reasons I don’t remember. This year, however, the time has come. Which apps do I use every day? What has changed in the last year? And where do I …

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Notebooks 12 released

So… it’s been a while. In the past, I usually aimed for about two to three articles per month. Lately, I was not able to maintain this schedule due to several reasons. Most importantly, I try to focus on my PhD. Then, there was a (much needed) vacation and just a lot going on. And I am not sure that the slower cadence will change any time soon. Sorry! But enough of the excuses, back to the content: Notebooks 12 (or Notebooks 3 on the Mac) has been released. Notebooks is an app that is comparable to DevonThink or KeepIt. …

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Farewell, OmniFocus, farewell!

For ages, I’ve been a devout OmniFocus user. Even more so after reading Kourosh Dini’s excellent book Creating Flow with OmniFocus. OmniFocus was an integral part of my productivity system. Most days, OmniFocus’ familiar interface was the first thing in the morning and the last in the evening on my computer screen. One could say, it was the most important app in my life. However, sometimes it feels like a company is moving in a direction you don’t want to follow anymore. I had this feeling first when OmniFocus introduced its built-in automation engine. Yes, it is an incredible achievement …

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Meine neu entdeckte Liebe für DevonThink

Ich hatte DevonThink lange den Rücken gekehrt: zu kompliziert, ständig Probleme mit iCloud und oft einfach zu viel des Guten. Seit kurzem ist die App aber wieder fester Bestandteil meines Set-ups. Was hat sich geändert? Vor einiger Zeit hatte ich hier auf dem Blog eine Reihe zu Devonthink, in der ich das Programm vorgestellt und auch bewertet habe. Ich habe es damals als mein digitales Archiv genutzt, in welchem ich eigentlich alles abgelegt habe: vom wissenschaftlichen Paper bis zur Stromrechnung. Über die Zeit haben sich dann die Frustrationen gehäuft, v.a. weil ich immer wieder Probleme mit dem iCloud-Sync hatte. Ob …

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Produktiver werden mit Time Tracking

Wenn ich mich an den Schreibtisch setze, um an meiner Promotion oder einem Artikel zu arbeiten, dann gibt es einen Schritt, der nie fehlen darf: Der Start einer meiner vielen Projekt-Timer, die in der Folge so lang mitlaufen bis ich die Aufgabe beendet und den Timer wieder ausgeschaltet habe. Dieses Ritual wiederhole ich täglich viele Male, da ich für jede Art von Arbeit die aufgewendete Zeit erfasse. Warum tue ich das? Was bringt mir das? Und welche digitalen Tools verwende ich hierfür?

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