Alfred is a great shortcut and productivity tool for the Mac that received a huge update last week. In case you don’t know, Alfred allows you to quickly perform tasks with a series of keyboard shortcuts. If you’ve used similar tools like Quicksilver or LaunchBar, then you already have an understanding of how Alfred fundamentally works.

Over the past couple of years, Alfred has matured from a little app launcher into a full-fleged base station for getting things done on the Mac. Alfred 2.0 is a huge step forward with additional features like customizable themes, but the biggest addition is undoubtedly workflows. You can, for instance, hit a keyboard shortcut, type in the name of a new movie, and have related browser windows from IMDB, YouTube and Rotten Tomatoes instantly pop up.

Alfred has built up a community of users who have created some pretty cool Alfred 2.0 workflows you can download and use for free. Whether you’re a coder or a complete novice, it’s easy to get started with workflows and take control of your Mac.

Think of workflows as customizable scripts chained together to perform a certain task. According to Alfred’s developers, workflows happen by “connecting keywords, hotkeys and actions together to extend Alfred to do amazing things without writing a single line of code!” Alfred 2.0′s preferences have a new workflows section that lets you manage your list and customize specific hotkeys and triggers for what you have installed.  Each workflow has a graphical representation of the tasks it performs, and you can tweak how each action communicates along the way.

The Alfred forum community is a great place to get started if you want to better understand workflows and browse what has already been created. We’ve curated some of the best workflows out there for you to check out:

Twitter

David Ferguson, who happens to work at Alfred, has a great workflow for using Twitter. It’s called AlfredTweet 2, and it allows you to send tweets, replies and direct messages from Alfred. The character count for each tweet is displayed right in the Alfred window as you type, and there’s even autocomplete for adding @ usernames. Another neat feature is the ability to tweet what you’re currently listening to.

AlfredTweet is a pretty sweet workflow. You’ll have to follow some simple steps to get started, so be sure to check out Ferguson’s post to get the details.

If you’re a Tweetbot for Mac user, there’s also a Tweetbot workflow that works very similarly to AlfredTweet.

Weather

This clever workflow lets you check the weather conditions right in the Alfred launch bar. It’s also developed by David Ferguson. You’ll need to set a default temperature unit and location. You can type something like “weather” or “conditions” for the current info or “forecast” for the days ahead.

Check out Ferguson’s post to download this workflow.

Evernote

You can search your Evernote notes with this workflow by using the keyword “en.” The rest of the search terms work like if you were using Evernote’s built-in search. The developer behind the Workflow is working on adding new features, like the ability to create new notes.

If you’re an Evernote junkie, you’re going to want to give this workflow a try.

Spotify and Rdio

The Alfred Powerpack comes with an iTunes Mini Player that works really well, but there’s no built-in controls for third-party music services like Spotify and Rdio. Luckily, Alfred users have created great workflows for both apps.

For Spotify, type “spot” then “play,” “pause,” “shuffle,” etc. You can also search something like “spot search track Sunshine” to get results inside the Alfred window. The Workflow’s creator has a list of all the available commands and some additional instructions. Download it for free on his GitHub page.

Rdio users can also control their tunes and search for artists, tracks, etc. The worflow isn’t quite as full-featured as Spotify’s, but it’s still worth downloading if you use Rdio’s Mac app.

BitTorrent

So you may or may not like torrenting Game of Thrones open-source software from The Pirate Bay. One of the best and most widely-used BitTorrent clients on the Mac is called Transmission, and there’s a great Alfred workflow for controlling the app. Type the keyboard shortcut you assign to the workflow, and press enter on a finished torrent to open its destination folder. Hitting enter on an active torrent will pause it, and doing the same on a paused torrent will activate it again.

Another workflow lets you search The Pirate Bay and get results displayed within Alfred. You can specify certain categories like “piratemovie.” Results are automatically ordered by the most seeded, which is a really nice touch that anyone familiar with torrenting will appreciate.

Mail

Two simple workflows for Apple’s Mail app allow you to quickly search and check for new emails. The first is pretty simple; just type “mail” and whatever you want to search to see results within Alfred. This great workflow is also developed by David Ferguson. It searches all folders and inboxes in the Mail app, so you don’t have to worry about specifying a certain email account.

The second workflow manually checks for new email after you type a keyboard trigger. You can set the trigger yourself, and it will work no matter where you are in OS X. This is great if you have certain email accounts that don’t automatically fetch for new mail very well.

iTunes and App Store

Searching the iTunes Store and App Store can be a pain. A really nice workflow by Daniel Shannon lets you search both stores on the Mac with Alfred. The keyword “its” followed by the search query shows iTunes Store results, and “apps” accesses the Mac App Store.

Since Shannon’s workflow is limited to just the Mac App Store, you may also want to check out another workflow that intelligently searches both the iOS and OS X app stores. It also displays more info in the search box, like pricing and icons. If you have your own iTunes affiliate link, it will automatically paste that into the URL for the app you select. Check out the developer’s blog to read and download.

YouTube

This workflow allows you to search YouTube and have the results returned to Alfred. You can then choose a video to watch. Type “youtube” followed by what you want to search, and presto!

Google

Instead of merely routing your search queries to Google.com in your browser, this workflow incorporates Google’s suggestions into Alfred while you type. It basically replaces the Google search bar in your browser. Also developed by the prolific David Ferguson, this workflow works just like Google on the web, and it’s awesome.

Battery

This workflow is really good for getting detailed information about your Mac’s battery. Type “battery” into Alfred and you’ll see charge time, status, charge cycles, and overlay battery health (the percentage of “maximum charge your battery can now hold compared to its original design capacity”).

Wrap-up

We’ve only skimmed the surface of what the new version of Alfred can accomplish. For some more great workflows, check out the work of developers like Florian Pellet, Daniel Shannon, phpfunk, and David Ferguson.

Alfred is a free download, but you’ll need to purchase the Powerpack for £15 to unlock workflows. If you have any questions or suggestions, leave them in the comments below!

This post was written by Alex Heath from Cult of Mac.
You can view the original post by clicking here.

Now that Google has released an official Google Drive for iOS app, I figured it was a good idea to update our cloud storage head-to-head to get an even better idea of how the new, improved Google Drive stacks up against both Dropbox and SkyDrive.

When Google Drive launched there was no iOS app, and to access your information you had to use mobile Safari. Does the native Google Drive app make a big difference? Does its lack of upload capabilities make any differences negligible?

I you're still debating which service is better for you, head on over to our updated Google Drive vs. Dropbox vs. SkyDrive and check it out.

• SkyDrive vs. Dropbox vs. Google Drive: iPhone cloud storage app shootout!

Additional Resources:

• Dropbox for iPad review
• Dropbox review: Best cloud storage app for iPhone
• Google Chrome for iPhone and iPad review

This post was written by Allyson Kazmucha from iMore - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch blog.
You can view the original post by clicking here.

Independence Day may be over but you still have time to save 15% off all iMore Store iPhone and iPad accessories, including all iPhone and iPad accessories -- cases, batteries, chargers, Bluetooth, everything! -- all you need to do is use coupon code j412 at checkout.

Offer ends midnight PST on Thursday, July 5th -- TONIGHT So jump over to the iMore Accessory Store now!

Take me to iMore Accessory Store so I can take advantage of the savings! NOW!

This post was written by iMore Store from iMore - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch blog.
You can view the original post by clicking here.

It's the Fourth of July which means it's time to roll out the grill, crack open the keg, hang up your American Flag, mix up some star-spangled cocktails, and watch the fireworks fly! And, of course, we should also spend a moment or two recognizing what this holiday is all about and reflect on this important part of American history. To help celebrate this Independence Day, we have rounded up some of the best apps to help you reflect on the day, plan your party, and even put on your own little fireworks show.

Happy 4th of July!

US Charters of Freedom

In the excitement of barbecues, parties, fireworks, and vacation, it's easy to forget what the 4th of July is all about -- celebrating Independence Day, the day that that United States adopted the Declaration of Independence and freedom from Great Britain. Many of us haven't read this important document since high school or college, and I'm sure there are even many Americans who have never read the Declaration of Independence. With the U.S. Charters of Freedom for iPhone, you can read the Declaration of Independence (it's not very long!) as well as a detailed analysis of the text. US Charter of Freedom also includes the Constitution and Bill of Rights.

• $4.99 - Download Now

Grill-It!

Now that we know why we're celebrating this day, it's time to start preparing for the big party. Grill-It! will help you perfect that delicious food you're throwing on the grill. Whether you're cooking steak, pork chops, hot dogs, burgers, or even veggies, Grill-It! will give you all the tips and pointers you need to make it absolutely delectable.

• $0.99 - Download Now

Cocktail Flow

Every meal needs a delicious drink, and Cocktail Flow will transform you into the perfect bartender. My favorite feature of Cocktail Flow is that it will generate a list of recipes based on the ingredients you have on hand. You can also filter by color, so if you really want to get in the 4th of July spirit, you can create a menu consisting of only red and blue drinks.

• Free - Download Now

Fireworks!

Unfortunately, there are many counties, like mine, who will not be having a professional fireworks show, leaving their citizens only to experience the small-time fireworks (again if their city allows it) or seek other methods to see a fireworks show. One such alternative is Fireworks!, a little iPhone app that lets you put on your own personal fireworks show in the palm of your hand.

• $0.99 - Download Now

Today in American History

We're going to end with an app that, again, brings the focus to what Independence Day is all about -- The United States of America. Today in American History is a simple little app that gives you facts in U.S. history that are related to the current day. For example, on July 4, Louis Armstrong, Calvin Coolidge, and Nathaniel Hawthorn were born, the Siege of Vicksburg ended during the Civil War, and in 1776, The Second Continental Congress unanimously adopted the Declaration of Independence. Today in American History is a great way to learn random facts about the U.S.

• $0.99 - Download Now

Photo credit: The photo of the fireworks, seen at the top of this article and as the image for the app Fireworks!, is the work of tsuacctnt on Flickr. We edited the iPhone into the photo ourselves.

This post was written by Leanna Lofte from iMore - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch blog.
You can view the original post by clicking here.

DancePad grooved on over to the iPad last week, introducing a new twist on the usual rhythm game. The current breed of rhythm games on iOS tend to revolve around instrument simulation, but this game puts your fingertips on the dance floor, where you have to master a whole swathe of techniques, including slides, holds, and perfectly-timed taps. The closest thing you might have seen to DancePad is a DanceDance Revolution S+, and even that classic pales in comparison. As it turns out, finger-dancing is actually A Thing, so this game is an homage to those who are really into it and a fine introduction for those that know nothing about it.

DancePad has all of the trappings of a classic rhythm game. Targets appear on the iPad that you have to tap with left and right fingers in time to the music. Outer concentric circles gradually close in on the target to identify which ones are coming up, but often you'll have a bunch of targets popping up at once, and some targets require different interactions. There's a hold target, which spawns a timer after your first tap, and a drag motion which provides a dotted line and a ghost of the path you have to follow. That second one can be particularly tricky, and every once in awhile, you might end up mixing your left and right fingers, but on the whole the gameplay proper is a lot of fun.

The game is set up for play in portrait orientation which is an interesting and welcome change of pace. Targets will take you all of the dance floor, and you're ultimately rated out of three stars based on the accuracy of your moves. After earning a certain number of stars, you unlock new chapters with additional songs. You also earn experience points as you play, and are awarded XP bonuses for completing mission challenges. Leveling up feels a little extraneous, seeing as new levels are unlocked through stars, and there isn't really anything that leveling up achieves. There are a total of ten chapters, each one with ten tracks each - the first two are available for free, but if you want the rest, you've gotta pay up $2.99 (currently on promotional pricing of $0.99). The difficulty ramps up fairly quickly, with real challenges cropping up as early as the end of the second volume.

Though I don't recognize any of the artists in the soundtrack, they all tend to be pretty stylish, and the gameplay falls very nicely in time with each song. You can pick  songs from unlocked volumes, or browse through a list sorted by artist, genre, or difficulty. On top of the in-app upgrade, DancePad earns its way by referring players on to iTunes to buy full tracks. This is an unobtrusive, natural revenue model that avoids the usual crap-shoot of ads and in-app purchases that tend to litter iOS games. TapTap Radiation has managed to make its way entirely based on these kinds of referrals, and I wouldn't be surprised if the free offering of DancePad was expanded in the future to do do the same. On the downside, most levels are just limited samples of songs, cutting off just once you start really getting into it.

The graphics in DancePad are really smooth and well-done, both in-game and through DancePad's menus.  There's a nice variety of dance floors, some with a few color variations, and some really nice spotlight effects that can make familiar ones seem new. The visual effects of the targets strike a balance of color and animation without being too distracting from gameplay. I experienced a few slight performance glitches throughout my experience; after finishing the tutorial, the game froze and crashed. Upgrading to the full version took a couple of attempts, and only registered after restarting the app. Those are minor quibbles though - overall, DancePad plays as smooth as butter.

DancePad is amply social with Game Center achievements and leaderboards, plus high score sharing to Twitter and Facebook if you're feeling showy. Given the ample screen real estate on the iPad, I wouldn't mind a local split-screen version for dorky finger dance-offs with friends.

The good

• Innovative, challenging gameplay
• Smooth, colorful graphics
• Sensible, unobtrusive in-app purchases

The bad

• Short playtime per level
• Slight stability issues

The conclusion

DancePad is a fresh idea with cute branding and lots of replayability. You'll hear a lot of new music along the way, and no doubt the selection will only improve over time. DancePad becomes challenging very quickly, but not to any frustrating degree - the broad selection of music kept me coming back for another round. The free option is a great introduction to gameplay, and a fine time-waster for casual players. However, I think most folks will quickly get sucked in and find themselves dishing out for the full version, even before they've plowed through the first two volumes.

$2.99 $0.99 (free trial) - Download Now

This post was written by Simon Sage from iMore - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch blog.
You can view the original post by clicking here.