The latest Bay Area Web Freelancers Meetup lived up to its name – “Productivity & Pinot” – with a healthy dose of both. Individuals from a wide variety of backgrounds and professions descended on MIGHTYminnow HQ to share their favorite tools of the trade. Here are some of our favorites:
Vimium
http://vimium.github.io/
This Chrome browser extension allows you to navigate the web mouse-free. Simple keyboard shortcuts are used for a wide array of browsing functionality (string search, quick link navigation, search tabs, etc). Takes some getting used to, but I’ve been at it for less than a week and I think I’m in love.
Emmet Package for Sublime Text
https://github.com/sergeche/emmet-sublime
If you use Sublime Text to code, then this package is a must. Emmet gives you a massive set of abbreviations that auto-magically turn into their fully-formed code/markup/CSS counterparts. HUGE time saver.
Default Folder X
http://www.stclairsoft.com/DefaultFolderX/
Great Mac app that turbo-charges your finder’s open/save functionality. No more navigating down through directory upon directory each time you save – Default Finder X lets you specify default save/open locations, remembers your most recent locations, and generally saves some serious time and clicking.
Google Hangout (Remote Desktop)
http://www.google.com/+/learnmore/hangouts/
We typically use Join Me for screen sharing because of its easy-to-use interface, but if you’re looking for a free alternative, Google Hangout now offers Remote Desktop functionality as well.
Skitch
http://evernote.com/skitch/
Looking for a better alternative to your standard screen capture tool? Skitch is a great app (and it’s free) that let’s you take screen grabs, make edits, add notes, and much more.
PopClip
http://pilotmoon.com/popclip/
PopClip takes selecting, copying, and pasting text to a whole new level. Right click selected text and you’ll get a contextual menu with over 90 actions.
Digital Ocean
https://www.digitalocean.com/
This $5/month, SSD, cloud hosting sounds too good to be true, but our trusted friend Eddie Monge (@eddiemonge) seems to think it rocks.
Google Keep
https://drive.google.com/keep/
Another handy tool for keeping your notes and lists organized. Plus it’s Google, so you know it works!
