Quick App – Short Hand

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If you send a lot of emails from your iPhone or iPod touch this app is for you. Short Hand is a small utility that let’s you create and use macros in the same way that you with an application such as TextExpander on a Mac. While it takes a bit of time to set it up the time is well worth it considering the time and effort it can save.

Let’s take a quick look…

From The Developer:

Type much faster on your iPhone or iPod touch by creating abbreviations — or “shortcuts” — that automatically insert frequently used words, phrases, or even whole paragraphs.

Let your iPhone or iPod touch do the typing for you.  For example, typing “cu” could automatically insert “see you later”.  Or typing “adr” could insert your entire, 3-line mailing address, including line breaks.  “pb” could insert “Patrick L. Barry, MD, Ph.D.”

Similar to AutoType on the BlackBerry, AutoText in Microsoft Word, and typing macros in many programs.
•  Create, modify, or delete an unlimited number of shortcuts •  Use shortcuts to insert frequently used words, phrases, or even multiple paragraphs •  Shortcuts can insert multiple lines, including line breaks •  Type using the vertical, portrait keyboard or the horizontal, landscape keyboard, which has larger keys that make typing easier and faster

The application loads quickly and initially presents a largely blank screen.

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As you type it “watches” for key combinations that have previously been entered as macros.

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While the app comes with some shortcuts preloaded you will want to take some time to input the ones you will most likely use.

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After that, when a combination is input and the space button is tapped the app converts the text to the expanded version immediately.

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While these shorthands aren’t universal, the app does let you compose a message, note, task or Tweet and then send it to some popular productivity apps like Appigo’s Notebook and Todo and Twitterific

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From there you can start the app, write what you want and send it to one of these apps and, in the process, save dozens, if not hundreds, of screen taps.

While it takes time to set up for truly efficient use, the time spent initially is well worth it. I do wish there were a way to backup the macros you create and, if possible, sync them with another device.

At $.99 this time saving app is, in my opinion, a steal! Get it here for $.99

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About the Author

Dan Cohen
Having a father who was heavily involved in early laser and fiber-optical research, Dan grew up surrounded by technology and gadgets. Dan’s father brought home one of the very first video games when he was young and Dan remembers seeing a “pre-release” touchtone phone. (When he asked his father what the “#” and “*” buttons were his dad said, “Some day, far in the future, we’ll have some use for them.”) Technology seemed to be in Dan’s blood but at some point he took a different path and ended up in the clergy. His passion for technology and gadgets never left him. Dan is married to Raina Goldberg who is also an avid user of Apple products. They live in New Jersey with their golden doodle Nava.