If you are an existing user of the Simpleology Browser Add-On for Chrome, click here to download the new version.  (Simpleology Pro account or higher required.)

If you want to learn more about the other procrastination-busting features it comes toting (e.g. block time wasting websites when you’re focusing, Dream Catcher anywhere, etc) click here to read all about it.

And here is a quick how-to video showing you how to activate and use it.

(total viewing time: 2 minutes 21 seconds)

Tweet

Alas, such a task is outside the reach of our engineers (for now!), but Engines are still very cool …

This short video explains the concept.  If you don’t have the patience for video, read on …

(total viewing time: 9 minutes 10 seconds)

The big idea:  create an unlimited number of automation tasks based on an increasing number of possible conditions.

In English …

1.  You can now create Engines based on the following three parameters:

When this happens …

Do this …

To this …

For example, maybe you’d like to create a little robot servant engine that will do this for you automatically:

“When I add an item to the Dream Catcher that starts with “BTR” move the entry to my Mental Lock Box under the category books to read.”

Engines can do that, and a lot more.

2.  Over time we’ll add new “conditions” for you to program, making it increasingly powerful as the weeks pass.

3.  To start, we’ve included the ability to “do things” when you enter stuff into your Dream Catcher.  For example, sometimes you may want to add stuff to a list quickly (like a “books I want to read” list).  Or maybe you want something to go straight to your Mental Lock Box.  Or, maybe … (let your imagination run wild)

Example of an engine in action …

Because I programmed the shortcut phrase “BTR” in Engines to mean “move the entry to the Mental Lock Box under category books to read,” any time I enter something into the Dream Catcher that starts with BTR it bypasses the Dream Catcher so I don’t have to process it when I do Start My Day.

Here’s how I programmed it …

Does that make sense?

Probably not … So scroll up and watch the video!

Tweet

The first in a long line of new releases we plan to deliver over the next few months was built in response to our most popular request:  mobile support for iPhone, Android, and iPad.

Today we bring you the Wimiki Mobile.  (Available for Pro and Elite accounts.)

It is essentially precisely the same as Wimiki for Mac and Windows, but you get to carry it around with you on your phone.

• Unlimited “reminders” to help you keep up on your healthy habits.
• Unlimited customizable ”routines” to maximize your potential productivity.
• Your Daily Targets list on your phone.
• Your Dream Catcher on your phone.

Here’s one of the things it doesn’t bring to your phone:  Start My Day.  Unless of course you want to access it through your phone’s browser which you always can. Because Start My Day is evolving so quickly, it was not wise for us to include it in the context of a mobile app.  In the future we’ll be making all of our features easier and quicker to access on your phone’s browser.

What else is next?

• A massive collection of “little” convenience and power enhancements.
• A much better interface.
• New features you request.  (those with the highest votes are most likely to get attention)
• Something really really big.
• Much more …

As always, we’re looking forward to your feedback.

Tweet

Alright, that was bad even by my nerdy standards of humor.  There are, however, 5 super cool new time-saving productivity-blasting new things you can do with the Daily Targets tab.  Check it out … (and let me know what you think, of course)

(viewing time: 2 minutes 21 seconds)

Tweet

Part 5 of a 5 part series. Read parts 1, 2, 3 and 4.

To round out Dream Catcher Week, I thought I’d show you how to use the Dream Catcher inside Wimiki (and a few other productivity-boosting tricks Wimiki can perform for you).

(best viewed in full screen mode – viewing time: 2 minutes 3 seconds)

If you’re already an Elite member and want the cool “Hack Pack” mentioned in the video, contact Customer Care and they’ll send it to you, of course.

If you’re not already an elite member, start a 30 day free trial today.

Tweet

Part 4 of a 5 part series.  Read parts 1, 2, and 3.

I wonder if anyone has ever dropped something in to their Dream Catcher from on top of the Empire State Building.

Well, it’s now theoretically possible with the SMS / Email to Dream Catcher feature. Which, by the way, is now free to all Simpleology users.

Anyway, I want to hold a contest.  Maybe it will stick.  Maybe not.  First, watch this quick one minute video explaining how the SMS / Email to Dream Catcher feature works.

(best viewed in full screen mode – viewing time: 1 minute 6 seconds)

Pretty cool, right?

And that brings us to the contest …

1.  Post (to facebook, twitter, flickr, youtube, wherever …) a video or picture of yourself adding something to your Dream Catcher from a really random odd-ball location.

2.  Be sure to put “dropping something in to my Simpleology Dream Catcher” in the comments or captions for the photo/video.

3.  Drop a link to it in the comments below.

4.  Whoever posts the most surprising picture of video (chosen by me) will get a free year of Simpleology Elite.  (nothing vulgar please, of course … but goofy, odd-ball, weird, nerdy, etc. is all good)

Tweet

This is part 3 of a 5 part series.  Read part 1 and Part 2.

Yesterday I mentioned there were some really cool unexpected things you can do with the new Simpleology Browser Add-On.  This 2 minute 37 second video shows three of them.

Hint:  the last trick makes your mouse (almost) obsolete.

(Best viewed in full-screen mode.  Viewing time:   2 minutes 37 seconds.)

Tweet

Part 2 of a 5 part series … Click here for Part 1

British experimental psychologist William Edmond Hick observed that the amount of time it takes to make a decision is a function of the number of options available.  (For fellow math and science nerds:  it’s logarithmic T = b · log₂(n+1))

Simply put:  more options = more indecision.  (And it’s not much of a stretch to hypothesize that … more indecision = more procrastination.)

That’s a gross simplification of “Hick’s Law.”  As with all generalizations in Cognitive Psychology (or all science for that matter) it’s certainly up for debate, but you get the idea.  It’s a phenomenon we can all directly observe in our own lives.

This is yet another reason why using the Dream Catcher throughout your day causes such a dramatic boost in productivity.

Rather than let random thoughts, ideas, and to-do’s load up into working memory, you drop them in the Dream Catcher and get back to what’s important (for example, hitting your Daily Targets).  Then, the next time you do Start My Day, Simpleology walks you through the process of making intelligent decisions about those items.

Not only does this keep your working memory clear, it also takes options off your plate.  Used with your Daily Targets list, there is always only one option:  the next target.

Now, some think that it’s a little annoying to open up Simpleology in a web browser every time you want to drop something in to your Dream Catcher.  It’s a fair comment.   There are two ways to address this …

You can keep a browser window open with your Dream Catcher at all times.  (I like to do this because I keep my Simpleology account open all day.)

Or …

You can use one of the growing number of Dream Catchers we’re adding to your arsenal.  The image at the top of this post shows the new “More Dream Catchers” menu you can access by clicking on the little plus sign next to the “add item” button on the vanilla Dream Catcher page.

We’ll take a closer look at this tomorrow, but let’s take a quick peak at the new Simpleolgy Browser Add-On.

We’re gaga about this tool over here.  It’s been saving us all so much time …  It allows you to add stuff to your Dream Catcher on the fly as you go about your day, barely skipping a beat.

For example, imagine someone sends you a link in an email or you come across one on a web page.  Rather than open it up in another window and start that whole I’m-just-going-to-check-this-out-really-quick-and-then-get-back-to-work path to procrastination, you just right click your mouse …

… and then get right back to what’s important.

And that’s only one of many things the new browser add-on can do.

More about that tomorrow … (hint:  what if you didn’t even have to move your hand over to your mouse?)

Tweet

With it, you can right click on a link and add it to your Dream Catcher with comments.  You’ll get a handy icon you can click to add items to your Dream Catcher via a prompt.  You’ll be able to add items to your Dream Catcher directly from your “omnibox” (AKA the “address bar”).  And more …

Simpleology Browser Add-On for Chrome

Download | Walk-Through Video

Tweet

Why?

Our Chrome browser add-on will do everything below, and more, just by installing one little add-on with a single mouse-click.

But … if you’re a die-hard user of Firefox, Internet Explorer, Safari, Opera, etc. user, or if you don’t want to install an add-on for some other reason, we’ve got you covered.

Below is a very long set of installation and usage instructions for each method.  This handy table of contents will make sense of it all.  I don’t recommend reading the entire post from beginning to end unless you’re a tech nerd like us, in which case, enjoy …

Table of Contents

The Simpleology Omnibox Hack

Allows you to add items to your Dream Catcher by typing “dc {enter text here}” into your browser “omnibox” (AKA your “address bar”).

• Installation Instructions
• Usage Instructions

The Simpleology Browser Bookmarklet

Allows right click “save to Dream Catcher,” save current page to Dream Catcher, and the ability to add an item right from your browser toolbar from anywhere on the web.

• Installation Instructions
• Usage Instructions

Note:  the browser add-on for Chrome do all of the above and more without tricky instructions.   But, hey, we’re here to help either way.  If you have any trouble with these instructions, be sure to contact Customer Care.  They’re eager to help.

Simpleology Omnibox Installation Instructions

Firefox

In Firefox, transforming your location/address bar into a Simpleology specific Omnibox is as easy as creating a bookmark and defining the “keyword” you want to use to trigger the save (to Dream Catcher) functionality.

1. Using your mouse, drag this link - Simpleology Omnibox - to your Bookmarks Toolbar.

If you do not see your Bookmarks Toolbar, reveal it by typing Shift + Ctrl + B.

2.  Once bookmarked, right-click on “Simpleology Omnibox” and select Edit Bookmark

3.  Once “Edit Bookmark” is open, in the field for Keyword: type dc, then click the Save button.

That’s it.  You’re done.

Chrome

In Chrome, transforming your location/address bar into an Simpleology specific Omnibox is as easy as adding a new “Site Search” to your Chrome’s “search engine list”.

1.  Open the Chrome menu (click the 3 vertical dots in the top right-hand corner), the select settings

2. Enter the term “Site Search” in the search box at the top of the settings page, and selet the result for “Manage Search Engines and Site Search”

3.  Scroll down the “Manage Search Engines and Site Search” page until you see the “Site Search” option.

4.  Click the “Add” button under “Site Search” and enter the following information into each field:

• Add a new search engine: Simpleology Omnibox
• Keyword: dc
• URL with %s in place of query: https://my.simpleology.com/dc?%s

5.  Once all three fields are populated with the above information, click add. That’s it.  You’re done.

Internet Explorer

In Internet Explorer, transforming your location/address bar into an Simpleology specific Omnibox is as easy as “running” the file mentioned below.

1.  Click this file - ie_omnibox.reg - while viewing this page in Internet Explorer, where in Internet Explorer will ask you if you want to Download or Run the file.  Opt to Run the file.

2.  Running the – ie_omnibox.reg – file will prompt a “User Account Control” window.  Click, “Yes”.

3.  Confirming the “User Account Control” window will then prompt a “Registry Editor” warning.  Click, “Yes”.

4.  Confirming the “Registry Editor” warning will then prompt a confirmation message.  Click, “OK”.

That’s it.  You’re done.

Safari

Unfortunately Safari does not have built in Omnibox functionality.

However, if you are running Safari on Mac 5.0 (Snow Leopard) or 5.1 (Lion) you have the option of installing “Omnibar” - http://hackemist.com/SafariOmnibar/.

Once you’ve installed “Omnibar”, simply provide it the following information:

• Name: Simpleology Omnibox
• Keyword: dc
• Address: https://my.simpleology.com/dc?%s

That’s it.  You’re done.

Opera

In Opera, transforming your location/address bar into an Simpleology specific Omnibox is as easy as adding a new “search engine” to your Opera’s “search engine list”.

1.  Click the “Opera” button in the upper-left corner of the browser.  From the menu that appears, select Settings > Preferences.

2. Once you have “Preferences” open, click the “Search” tab

3.  Once you have the “Search” tab open, click the “Add…” button.

4.  Once viewing the “Add…” dialog, populate the three input fields labeled in bold below with the following information:

•  Name: Simpleology Omnibox
•  Keyword: dc
•  Address: https://my.simpleology.com/dc?%s

5.  Once all three fields are populated with the above information, press the “OK” button, returning you to the “Search” tab.

6.  Once back on the “Search” tab, click the “OK” button to close the “Preferences” dialog.

That’s it.  You’re done.

Simpleology Omnibox Usage Instructions

Once you’ve created your Simpleology Omnibox, you can easily being using it by following these simple instructions:

1.  Press Ctrl+L (Windows) / Cmd+L (Mac) on your keyboard to quickly enter your browser’s location/address bar.

Alternatively you may use your mouse by clicking in your browser’s location/address bar.

2.  Once focused on your browser’s location/address bar, type the keyword “dc” (without quotes), then a space, then whatever text you want to save in your Dream Catcher.

Example: dc This is the text I want to save will save This is the text I want to save in your Dream Catcher.

3.  Once you’ve typed out the text you would like to save to your Dream Catcher, press your keyboard’s Enter/Return key.

That’s it.  Whatever you typed will be saved to your Dream Catcher.

Simpleology Browser Bookmarklet Installation Instructions

Firefox

1. Right-Click and Copy This Link

2. Select: Bookmarks > Manage Bookmarks > Import and Backup > Import Bookmarks from HTML… Paste link into “File Name” field.

3. The “Simpleology” folder appears under Bookmarks Menu > Drag “Simpleology” folder to Bookmarks Toolbar

Your done.

Chrome

1. Right-Click and Copy This Link

2. Open the Chrome menu(3 dots in upper right corner) > Bookmarks > Import Bookmarks and Settings, then select “Bookmarks HTML File” from drop down list, and click the “Choose File” Button … Paste link into “File Name” field and click the Open button.

3. “Simpleology” folder appears under Bookmarks bar -> Imported > Drag “Simpleology” folder to Bookmarks bar > (Optionally Delete “Imported” folder)

Your done.

IE (can not import)

1. Select: Favorites > Organize Favorites… > New Folder -> Enter “Simpleology” as the name > Drag/move “Simpleology” folder to “Favorites Bar” > Close the Favorites Organizer >

2. Open this file in an IE browser window

3. Drag each of the links in the attached file to your newly created “Simpleology” folder appearing in your “Favorites Bar”

Your done.

Safari

1. Gear Icon (upper right corner) > Show Menu Bar > File > Import Bookmarks

(select this link )

2. Under BOOKMARKS, drag the newly imported “Simplology” folder to “Bookmarks Bar” under COLLECTIONS

Your done.

Opera

1. Opera button (upper left corner) > Bookmarks > Manage Bookmarks… > Import Firefox Bookmarks…

(select this link )

2. Open “Firefox bookmarks…” -> “Simpleology Bookmarklet” to find the folder “Simplology” > Drag the “Simplology” folder to the “Opera” folder > Right-Click on the “Simplology” folder > Show on Bookmarks
Toolbar

Done.

Simpleology Browser Bookmarklet Usage Instructions

• Add Item – whatever text they enter into the prompt ends up in their Dream Catcher
• Save Page – optionally add a comment = comment + URL, otherwise page title + URL are saved to Dream Catcher
• Quick Link – opens new tab to Dream Catcher
• About – just the copyright info and link to home page
• “Right-Click” option -> When text is selected on the page, the User may click the “Add Item” bookmark to savethe selected text to their Dream Catcher

Tweet