Alfred v1.0 was released on our website a few days ago. Very exciting, but not as exciting as your early Xmas present..
If you bought the Powerpack before v1.0, you get a FREE upgrade to a v1.0 license! You should have already received this to your registered email address, but if you haven't, pop an email to license@alfredapp.com for your gift :)
Note: If you bought in the last 5 weeks, you already have a 1.0 license!
With Alfred Powerpack's extension framework, there have been some pretty amazing new extensions but AlfredTweet by @jdfwarrior is one of the best!
After the very simple installation, you will be tweeting in no time without even having to open the Twitter website or Twitter.app.
Need to get those last minute presents? We have put together some custom searches you can import into Alfred to have your favourite butler do your Christmas shopping for you... almost ;)
Check out our blog post to install custom searches for some of our favourite shopping sites.
The ultimate British drink around Christmas time is mulled wine; red wine with spices and citrus. It's warming and lovely on a cold winter evening.
This Jamie Oliver mulled wine recipe is one of our favourite. Make some and snuggle up by the fire with a glass and relax!
Curious about coding and developing for Mac? Taking your first steps with Cocoa and Objective C? Andrew, Alfred's developer, has taken the plunge and started a blog where he'll share tips on configuring your Mac for development, designing a great user experience and, occasionally, ramble on about the current state of the Mac world. Read his first posts here.
Not so interested? Well, here, have some kittens.
It's Tuesday. What does that mean? It means it's your last chance to get the Powerpack at the pre-1.0 price of £12 before it goes up to £15 tomorrow. That's under $18 USD, €14 EUR or 580 Thai Baht. And it's only here until tomorrow. :)
Already have the Powerpack? Help us get the word out; nudge your friends to buy their copy before it's too late or get it for them as a lovely Christmas present!
Over the past few months, Alfred users have created some brilliant extensions to share with other Powerpack users. We've picked a few of our favourite ones:
Create iOS 5 Reminder Tasks by Don Southard: Create a reminder in Alfred, see it appear on your iOS reminders.
Wolfram Alpha by David Ferguson: Query Wolfram Alpha and display results in Growl
Hangman by Kailey Lampert: Secretly play a game of hangman in Growl without the boss noticing!
Find many more extensions on our Extensions gallery.
Did you know that you can see how many times Alfred has served you by looking in his Usage preferences?
We have heard usage as high as almost 280 times per day average! How do your stats compare? Click the little copy icon to the top right of the usage preferences to copy a tweetable snippet, then tweet this for everyone to see! :)
We love things that make you more productive. That's why we think QuickCal, which lets you use natural language to create entries in iCal, Google Calendar or BusyCal, is the cat's pyjamas!
What's even better is that QuickCal integrates seamlessly with Alfred to make you more productive than ever!
Today, we've cooked up a special treat: You can grab QuickCal on the Mac App Store at 33% discount. At just $1.99, it'd be mad not to!
Using Alfred's file system navigation is surprisingly easy and you wouldn't believe how quickly you can access it. Here are a few handy hotkeys to remember:
In the standard Alfred window, search for a folder, then press Cmd + Down Arrow to get to file system navigation like magic;
Find a folder or file, press the right arrow to see the result actions for it;
Once in the result actions panel, type the first few characters of the action to filter down the results.
Want more tips? Watch Anna's quick overview video for even more ways to get around your Mac more efficiently.
When we're not working on Alfred or chatting with you on Twitter, we've each got a few things that keep us sane:
Andrew's favourite online radio station is BassDrive, a 24/7 drum and bass station with great DJs (especially Ben XO & Komatic);
He also likes to build radio controlled cars, making loads of noise and terrorising the cats in the process.
Vero can often be found browsing Ravelry or knitting some wooly little projects;
Otherwise, you might find her feeding piggies or milking butterflies in Glitch.
Ever wondered how Alfred's extensions are created? Well, today's your lucky day as Andrew has written a post teaching you how to create your first extension, a script to make your Mac speak anything you type.
Once you've made your extension, right-click the name of your extension in the left sidebar to export it and share it with your friends.
Whether you're surrounded by snow or not, the Christmas spirit is in the air so why not add it as an Alfred theme too? Clicking this link will import our Merry Christmas theme (provided you are using the Powerpack).
Don't forget that there are heaps of great themes (and custom searches) on the Alfred Tips site, created by Olivier Guerriat.
Every so often, we come across extensions that just blow us away. This week, Jeff Johns, otherwise known as phpfunk, released his Spotify Controls extension.
Use the keyword "spot" followed by any of these: play, pause, next, prev, mute, and now. The latter displays the current track in Growl, handy! Check the Github page for a guide on how to use it.
If you're an avid Spotify user, why not share your favourite playlists on Twitter?
Do you feel there are still some Alfred features you haven't discovered or mastered yet?
We've created a super useful set of tutorials to guide you through what Alfred can do for you; from launching apps and finding files to emailing contacts and using the iTunes Mini Player.
Don't forget to check out the videos too, narrated by our very lovely Anna Manasova.
Yay! Dropbox have given us three 10GB lifetime upgrades for Alfred users.
To participate, pop by our blog and leave a comment telling us how you use Dropbox. We'll pick our three winners tomorrow, so don't miss your chance!
The lucky winners are:
Mark B
Brad
HankBott
Looking for that file you opened the other day? Alfred can help you find it in just a few keystrokes.
Simply type the name of the app, press the right arrow to show the possible list of actions, then press the right arrow on "recent documents".
Even in apps that don't support Cocoa recent documents, Alfred will remember which files he's opened for you in that app and present those documents instead. Handy!
We're video game lovers, and haven't forgotten our old Amiga, Nintendo and Commodore games. This is why we loved this video of Mario in beads stop-motion so much:
Over the course of December, we've been giving away all sorts of tips and goodies for you to enjoy as part of our Christmas Calendar. Today, we've decided to give differently.
We are making a donation of £1000 to Cancer Research UK, in the hope that understanding cancer better will help more people be there every Christmas with their loved ones.
Read our post on the Alfred blog.
Chestnuts roasting on an open fire… Tis the season to be merry and listen to cheesy seasonal tunes. Or be in the "bah humbug" clan and listen to heavy metal all week long.
Either way, Alfred can help you keep fuelled with music all season. Pop up the iTunes Mini Player with cmd + alt + return and start playing a random album. Or choose a genre, then start a random album within that specific genre.
With the new 1.0 update, you can even assign it to a hotkey for super easy access!
Did you know that you can drag and drop files out of Alfred with the Powerpack? Find a file then drag it onto an app of your choice to open it in the chosen application.
You can find this tip and many more on Anna's Alfred Hat Tips Blog.
Here's a quick video on using drag and drop:
Christmas is nearly here, you can smell it in the air...
Maybe we've been hitting the rum punch a little early but we're feeling merry and generous. Today, we're giving away five Powerpacks and ten envelopes of Alfred goodies.
Want to wear your bowler hat stickers with pride? Go leave a comment on the blog telling us about the highlight of your year 2011 - anything from getting a new dog to winning the lottery! We'll pick the winners tomorrow so be quick!
Feeling generous? If you've created a great extension, you can share it by simply right-clicking the extension name in Alfred's preferences. Select "Export" and you'll have a handy file you can upload or email for a friend.
To help you get started, you can find some great extensions in our gallery; from Spotify controls and Wolfram Alpha tools to currency converters and package trackers!
2011 was very special for us; Alfred has grown up and turned 1.0. We've met wonderful people like you and have received recognition that made us blush!
Read our round up post on the blog, then grab a glass of port or egg nog and go spend time with your loved ones!
From the Alfred team, we wish you all a wonderful Christmas!
You are trying to open the little doors early!!
We have just sent an email to Santa, Jezisek (or maybe even the Tooth Fairy) to tell him what a naughty girl or boy you are!