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Siri + OmniFocus [Siri support added in OmniFocus for iPhone v1.13] Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
Quote:
Originally Posted by petro View Post
Thanks blackketter, I changed mine to just email and not using SMS, and this works like a charm. I had to configure my email server to understand my email address as "pete+omnifocus@" and have that email get delivered to "pete@", and it works just fine.

For those that weren't clear by the instructions, I did this:

1) Turn on the mail rule in OF, checking for +omnifocus in the email
2) Setup my email server to make sure emails sent to "pete+omnifocus@" made it to my email address called "pete@". Note that gmail users probably don't have to worry about this, since +anything on your email address gets auto-delivered to your gmail box.
3) Setup an address book entry for "Omni Focus", with the email address as "pete+omnifocus@"
4) Launch Siri, and say "Email Omni Focus"
5) Grin madly!

Welcome Siri to OmniFocus! Buh bye Evernote! I finally don't need you...
I guess it bears pointing out that for this to work, you need a mac that you can dedicate to be on all the time, connected to the network, with Omnifocus and the mail application running.

So while its a nice interim solution to those who can maintain the above overhead, I would hesitate to say "problem solved".

Last edited by cellmatrix; 2011-10-28 at 07:18 AM..
 
Yes. The only thing i really want from Omnigroup is a web interface for omnifocus so I don't need to be running a separate mac all the time with omnifocus running to get tasks sent from email on my iPhone to my iPad and vice versa.

The great thing about evernote is that it's running all the time, everything shows up everywhere
 
I suspect that there may be business considerations here -- who would buy the flagship OF Mac if most of the same functionality was available through a web interface? Nothing wrong with that sort of thinking, as businesses have the right to earn money as best they can, and OF makes a good product. But eventually the market will move on, as it seems clear that web-based apps are the direction of the future.
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by cellmatrix View Post
I guess it bears pointing out that for this to work, you need a mac that you can dedicate to be on all the time, connected to the network, with Omnifocus and the mail application running.
It only has to be on and connected continuously if you want the functionality to work continuously. I find things I'm putting in my Inbox rarely need instant turnaround, and having the computer on and waiting isn't necessary — I can enter it directly or via send-to-omnifocus@omnigroup.com if I really need it in there Right Now. Otherwise, having the computer boot or wake up from sleep after some number of hours via the Energy Saver system preference would do the trick (assuming here that the issue is leaving something on and running is the issue, not that you don't have a Mac). Sometimes things that won't work in theory work fine in practice :-)
 
absolutely. Omni makes great products and I totally agree that they need to make these decision based on business concerns first and foremost. The market will dictate and that is an awesome thing!
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by whpalmer4 View Post
It only has to be on and connected continuously if you want the functionality to work continuously.
My mac is a lap top and I take it with me when I go - a situation that I suspect is very common. And when I am on the go, and I do have my lap top on, I am not always connected to the internet, unless I am at a starbucks or something. So if I send myself an email, I often wouldn't get a chance to check it on my laptop until long afterwards.

Quote:
Originally Posted by whpalmer4 View Post
I find things I'm putting in my Inbox rarely need instant turnaround, and having the computer on and waiting isn't necessary — I can enter it directly or via send-to-omnifocus@omnigroup.com if I really need it in there Right Now.
Many of the tasks I input DO need attention sooner rather than later. So with your solution, every time I think of a task, I will have to first determine when is it that I next plan to work on my lap top, specifically at a time when I plan to be in the presence of wifi, and then having determined that, I will have to decide do I need to do this task before or after that estimated time.... well thats a lot to think about. And then afterwards, I would worry what if I do not log into my lap top as soon as I had originally thought I would, then the task is not going to get worked on as soon as I had hoped it would.

Quote:
Originally Posted by whpalmer4 View Post
Otherwise, having the computer boot or wake up from sleep after some number of hours via the Energy Saver system preference would do the trick (assuming here that the issue is leaving something on and running is the issue, not that you don't have a Mac). Sometimes things that won't work in theory work fine in practice :-)
One of the most important requirements of GTD is having a trusted system without worrying about things falling thru the cracks. So, while I appreciate this solution works for you, and I thank you for your suggestions, for me, I will likely be manually inputting tasks into omnifocus until a more definitive solution is reached.

Last edited by cellmatrix; 2011-10-28 at 09:36 AM..
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by jhsidoc View Post
Doesn't seem to work when the iphone uses iMessage service to send to an email address. I tried sending myself a text from my email account and then replying back using sms and it worked fine. Not sure how to force it to use sms? Anyone got any ideas?

Thanks, Jan
Jan, I had the same problem at first. Make sure you add your phone's fake email address to the "Allowed from addresses" in the Mail tab of OF for Mac preferences. The fake email address is the one that Verizon or AT&T or Sprint creates for emails that start out as text messages from your phone. For example, 6175551234@vzwpix.com or 6175551234@mms.att.net. When I added that, my texts turned into emails, which turned into glorious in-box items like "buy milk."

Bonus tip: Siri has trouble understanding "Omni." Better to add a fake contact with a unique name. (Loving the "Alfred" suggestion.)
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by cellmatrix View Post
My mac is a lap top and I take it with me when I go - a situation that I suspect is very common. And when I am on the go, and I do have my lap top on, I am not always connected to the internet, unless I am at a starbucks or something. So if I send myself an email, I often wouldn't get a chance to check it on my laptop until long afterwards.
As I said, it's only necessary to have it on continuously if you want it to work continuously. You feel this won't work for you, and that's fine. But I speak from years of practical experience not having ubiquitous internet access that such an approach can work, and feel that other readers of the thread ought to examine their own needs carefully rather than just taking it as gospel that an always-on Mac is a necessary component.

Quote:

Many of the tasks I input DO need attention sooner rather than later. So with your solution, every time I think of a task, I will have to first determine when is it that I next plan to work on my lap top, specifically at a time when I plan to be in the presence of wifi, and then having determined that, I will have to decide do I need to do this task before or after that estimated time.... well thats a lot to think about. And then afterwards, I would worry what if I do not log into my lap top as soon as I had originally thought I would, then the task is not going to get worked on as soon as I had hoped it would.
You're asking the wrong question. The question should be "do I need to work on this right away?" and if the answer is yes, you should enter and process it right away, even if that means doing it by hand instead of voice recognition.
Quote:

One of the most important requirements of GTD is having a trusted system without worrying about things falling thru the cracks. So, while I appreciate this solution works for you, and I thank you for your suggestions, for me, I will likely be manually inputting tasks into omnifocus until a more definitive solution is reached.
If you've put something in your inbox, unless you fail to process your inbox, it isn't going to fall through the cracks. The real issue here is when you process your inbox and move those actions into projects where they will be done. Your problem with a potential lack of internet access is no different than neglecting to process your inbox for a few days.

You can also use OmniFocus' built-in audio recorder and the Quick Entry feature to get something immediately in your inbox without a lot of typing or any internet access (or a device that supports Siri, for that matter). Launch OmniFocus, tap the Quick Entry button, tap the record audio button, speak your piece, save it with an action name like "a" (it won't let you save without something in the field). Now it is in your inbox, the thought has been captured, and when you have a little more time you can give it a proper name, assign project, context, and dates, etc.
 
Quote:
Originally Posted by whpalmer4 View Post
As I said, it's only necessary to have it on continuously if you want it to work continuously. You feel this won't work for you, and that's fine. But I speak from years of practical experience not having ubiquitous internet access that such an approach can work, and feel that other readers of the thread ought to examine their own needs carefully rather than just taking it as gospel that an always-on Mac is a necessary component.
I've actually been a user since kinkless GTD, so I do know most of the tricks here too. And sure I can get along without Siri integrated with omnifocus, been doing it for years.

But I'm just saying, having Siri well integrated with omnifocus would be huge, not only for me but for a great many of the other millions of iPhone 4S users out there.

Quote:
Originally Posted by whpalmer4 View Post
You're asking the wrong question. The question should be "do I need to work on this right away?" and if the answer is yes, you should enter and process it right away, even if that means doing it by hand instead of voice recognition.

If you've put something in your inbox, unless you fail to process your inbox, it isn't going to fall through the cracks. The real issue here is when you process your inbox and move those actions into projects where they will be done. Your problem with a potential lack of internet access is no different than neglecting to process your inbox for a few days.
you don't need a laptop or wifi to process your inbox, you can do that on your iPhone.

Quote:
Originally Posted by whpalmer4 View Post
You can also use OmniFocus' built-in audio recorder and the Quick Entry feature to get something immediately in your inbox without a lot of typing or any internet access (or a device that supports Siri, for that matter). Launch OmniFocus, tap the Quick Entry button, tap the record audio button, speak your piece, save it with an action name like "a" (it won't let you save without something in the field). Now it is in your inbox, the thought has been captured, and when you have a little more time you can give it a proper name, assign project, context, and dates, etc.
Thanks for the suggestions, and yes I have tried the built in audio recorder. Really tedious to use, you have to
1) tap once to launch omnifocus
2) tap again to launch quick entry
3) tap again carefully to hit the record button
4) tap again to assign it a holding name.
5) tap again to save.
6) go back to inbox, spend time listening to audio note
7) type in definitive title and task

versus

1) open siri
2) talk to it
3) look at inbox and confirm.

Last edited by cellmatrix; 2011-11-05 at 06:30 AM..
 
Looks like there is now a way to sync Siri with both Things and the Hit List through syncing with the ical reminders. Has anyone here gotten this to work with omnifocus?

http://daringfireball.net/linked/201...s-the-hit-list
 
 


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