Filed under: Features, How-tos
Mac Automation: notes on your iPod
Many iPod users run into this challenge: we are always carrying our iPods, so we want to use them to help us remember things. Well, using Automator, we can easily address this issue. In this how-to, I will walk through creating iPod notes very easily (and all without opening a text editor).
For this how-to, you will need the following Automator actions loaded into a new workflow:
Read on for the next steps.
Now let's tweak a few of the settings in each of the actions. In the "New iPod Note" action, click the options and choose "Show this action when the workflow runs" -- this will allow you to change the notes file name each time you use the workflow.
When you run the workflow, you will be presented with a large text area to type your note. Go ahead and type what you want to appear on the iPod, then click OK.
When you click OK, you will be presented with a save file name box. Type in the file name you want to appear on the iPod's notes, then click Continue.
Your iPod will then be updated with the note. Go to Extras > Notes to view your note.
For this how-to, you will need the following Automator actions loaded into a new workflow:
- Ask for Text
- New iPod Note
- Update iPod
When you run the workflow, you will be presented with a large text area to type your note. Go ahead and type what you want to appear on the iPod, then click OK.
When you click OK, you will be presented with a save file name box. Type in the file name you want to appear on the iPod's notes, then click Continue.
Please note that you can only create notes on iPods that allow notes (this includes all the current models, plus iPod Mini, and the 5G iPod). However, this will not work with iPhone or iPod touch. You can now save this Automator workflow as an application and use it over and over again!
Remember, if there is anything you would like to know how how to automate on the Mac, shoot us a comment below!
Remember, if there is anything you would like to know how how to automate on the Mac, shoot us a comment below!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Trunk Guy said 8:31AM on 1-20-2008
It's a shame and annoying that this does not work with the touch :( Is there nothing similar for the touch or the iPhone?
Reply
Piratemonkey77 said 8:42AM on 1-20-2008
Why would you need this for the Touch or the iPhone? There's a Notes app built right in. This is simply a work around since there is no way to add notes natively on the iPod.
Joseph said 4:08PM on 1-20-2008
Here's a method for synchronising the iPhone/iPod Touch's notes with a directory of text files on your computer: http://make-believe.org/in-words/post/synchronising-notes-with-the-iphone
Peter Zich said 4:36PM on 1-20-2008
Notes on an iPod are really easy, just enable disk use and make a Notes folder. I think, I don't really use my iPod anymore.
Keith said 8:52AM on 1-20-2008
Because it would be nice to type up notes or use stickies on my mac and then transfer them to the notes app on my touch
Reply
Sam said 3:17PM on 1-20-2008
I agree that it would be great if Stickies supported Automator. If only the company that makes the Stickies app would support these standards!
Michael said 9:50AM on 1-20-2008
Just to let you know, you don't need the final step of Update iPod. Just having Ask for text and New iPod note will work just fine.
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David King said 12:41PM on 1-20-2008
I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this but i'll try it anyway. I'm trying to write an automator script for management of medications. when I order medication it only lasts for a month or two weeks or 7 days ect, i want a small program which asks for the name of the medication, (maybe even remembers their names), then asks how long they last, making an appropriate date in a calendar marked medications, in order to keep up to dat as to when to order more.
I have Used automator to try to do this but can never get it quite right.
Any ideas?
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newsray said 1:51PM on 1-20-2008
The easiest thing would be to just enter these in a calendar manually. You can make them recurrent.
Create an all day event, "Order Med X" on the date when you need to next order X. Make it recur every 7, 14 or 30 days, and end after 6 months. You can put the url or notes in the event. Do the same for Med Y. Set an alarm so you are reminded on the day.
David King said 2:01PM on 1-20-2008
i have already tried this but as the dates, frequencies and doses change so often i was looking for a solution which would create iCal events based on a series of answers i give to predefined questions
jeff said 4:13PM on 1-20-2008
I like this posting. For someone that hasn't used Scripts or Automator as I'm not quite sure what I can do with them or why I would use them (us non-programming types), can TUAW post a compare and contrast with Automator vs Apple Script? Why use one vs the other, and in what situation who the non-programming inclined Mac user benefit from these powerful tools. Possibly broken down by categories. Like 'photoshop' or 'maintenance' or whatever. Thanks
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chad said 12:47PM on 1-20-2008
Awesome, thanks! My first experience with Automator.
I saved as an application and it works great if the iPod is connected. Is this only available for connected iPods? Is it possible to write this to save notes and then update when an iPod is conected? Like podcasts, playlists, etc?
I tend to leave my iPod at work or in the car or god knows where.
Reply
tony said 1:48PM on 1-20-2008
I tried doing this one before, but had no luck. I take a lot of screenshots at work using the built in keyboard shortcuts and then I usually open them up in Photoshop and do what I need to do there.
I was wondering if there was a way to use Automator to save screenshots in a specified folder and then automatically open the .png file in Photoshop (or Preview, etc.).
Reply
daba said 9:18PM on 1-20-2008
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Could someone please tell/show me how to do the opposite with automator - Remove Notes from my iPod
thanks
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Gilles said 1:57AM on 1-22-2008
What I'd really like is a way to increase the font size in the notes on my iPod classic.
Reply