Lion ’s iCal and Mountain Lion ’s Calendar applications have made create events well-heeled by manner of theCreate Quick Event feature , which allows you to use lifelike language such as “ dejeuner with Dan tomorrow ” to set up an effect . But more commodious still is the ability to create an event or reminder from within any program with the crush of a couple of keys . I ’ll show you how to do both . Even better , I ’ll trace how to enhance one of those methods to make it even more useful … and audible .
Create reminders quickly
Mountain Lion ’s to - do items no longer go in Calendar , having garner a spotlight in their own Reminders covering . Yes , you’re able to click Reminders in the Dock and then click the plus - sign ( + ) to make a unexampled reminder . But with the help of an easy Automator work flow , you may keep your hand on the keyboard and make reminder using a keyboard shortcut . It operate this style :
Launch Automator , and from the workflow selector that appear , selectService . flick theChoosebutton . Configure the pop - up menu in the top portion of the window so that it readsService receive no stimulant in any program .
SelectCalendarin the Library pane , and then drop back theNew Reminders Itementry that appear in the second pillar into the workflow area . snap theOptionsbutton , enable theShow this action when the workflow runsoption , press Command - S to hold enter the workflow , give the service a name such asQuick Reminder , and cluck theSavebutton .
Move to the Finder , chooseFinder > Services , and take your Quick Reminder religious service from the menu . A New Reminders Item windowpane will appear . Here you may provide a title , append the admonisher to a new or existing leaning , put a anteriority , and assign a due engagement . ClickContinueto make the monitor .
To attribute a keyboard shortcut to the service , launch System Preferences , choose theKeyboardpreference , and flick theKeyboard Shortcutstab in the resulting windowpane . In that window , select theServicesitem and , at the bottom of the inclination on the right side , pick out your Quick Reminder service . sink in theadd shortcutbutton and accede a shortcut — Command - ascendence - radius , for example . When you next insistence that keyboard shortcut , a New Reminders Item windowpane should come along regardless of which software program you ’re currently work in .
Make custom audio alerts
The one inauspicious gotcha in this work flow is that although the New Reminders Item allows you to enter a due date for the monitor , you ca n’t attribute a clock time to it . And that stand for you might send away an alert that pops up time of day before you intend to act on that monitor , resulting in your forgetting about itentirely . For this reason a reminder is n’t the best way to encounter alerts for upshot that will happen at a specific prison term of day . Instead , you should use a calendar alarm . But do n’t use just any calendar alert — use one that propels you out of the “ Yeah , yeah , dismiss ” mindset and move you to immediate action .
Last yr I talk about how to utilise Automator toquickly make a calendar upshot from outside iCal . This technique saves you the bother of opening your calendar program and persist through the many step usually required to create an consequence . countenance ’s now raise that workflow to make it more audibly interesting . Mountain Lion lets you choose to play a sound when you get a Calendar presentment , but you do n’t have the pick to use a custom speech sound . Are we going to suffer for that ? No we are not !
Get noisy : To create your custom calendar audio alerts , first you need to record the sound . Launch QuickTime Player ( /Applications ) and chooseFile > New Audio Recording . In the Audio Recording window that seem , snap the red Record button . Shout “ Hey ! This is authoritative ! ” into your Mac ’s mike , and then click the Stop release . ChooseFile > Export;in the window that appears , enterImportant!as the file name . In the Format pop - up menu underneath , chooseAudio Only . prefer the background as the location to preserve your file , and fall into place theExportbutton . QuickTime will export a 256 - kbps AAC file .
( If that seems like too much pain in the ass , feel free touse this file . Be sure to change its name toImportant ! )
Begin to build up your workflow : Now it ’s time to make your work flow . Launch Automator , selectServicefrom the workflow chooser , and then clickChoose . Click theCalendarlibrary , and dragNew Calendar Eventsinto the workflow field . flick theOptionsbutton and enable theShow this military action when the workflow runsoption .
whereyourusernameis , of course , the scant name of your user account ( “ chris , ” for object lesson ) . ChooseFile > Export;in the sail that appear , enterImportant Alertas the file name , and from the File Format menu chooseApplication . Choose to redeem the file to the screen background , and clickSave .
In the New Calendar Events activity , click the Alarm pop - up carte du jour and chooseOpen file . Drag your Important Alert AppleScript lotion to the second bolt down - up bill of fare ( see the screenshot above ) . redeem your workflow . If you like , put a keyboard shortcut to it as explained previously .
… Or , make a system sound instead : If you ’d rather not mess around with AppleScript , you’re able to tally audio to your reminders another way , but this method acting also expect a few stair . Launch iTunes , and chooseiTunes > Preferences . Select theGeneraltab and then tick theImport Settingsbutton . In the Import options windowpane that appears , chooseAIFF Encoderfrom the Import Using bulge - up menu , and clickOK .
Now drag the audio data file you make in QuickTime Player into iTunes . choose it and chooseAdvanced > Create AIFF Version . iTunes will make a copy of the file . Drag this copy from your iTunes library to the desktop . sink in the filing cabinet ’s name and alter its denotation from .aif to .aiff . ( This conversion from AAC to AIFF is necessary because the Mac will play only AIFF - encoded well-grounded files as alerts . )
In the Finder , selectGo > Go To Folderand type / System / Library / Soundsin the text field ; clickGo . drag out your Important!.aiff file into the Sounds booklet that appears . In the resulting window , clickAuthenticate , enter an administrator ’s username and word , and clickOK . The file will be added .
Go back to the Automator workflow you began earlier . In the New Calendar Events action mechanism , chooseMessage with soundin the Alarm pop up - up menu ; in the pop - up menu to its right , select yourImportant!sound . Save the workflow .
Assign a keyboard shortcut to this work flow as described earlier . Now , when you wish to make a calendar event with the Important ! audio alert , just invoke the serving with your keyboard shortcut . In the New Calendar Events windowpane that appear , you ’ll be cue to enter the details for your result . When the warning signal for that outcome plain in , you ’ll find out your custom alert sound rather than just another beep , boop , or pop .
