I recently missed a doctor's appointment even though it was clearly shown on my screen by two different apps. I need something better. I need audio reminders. Is there a way to do the following:
(1) Allow me to record a message, i.e. Dr. Stevens at 9 AM
(2) Play that sound message continuously the day before until I stop it.
Safari 11.0.1-OTHER
I don't know of any apps that will allow you to use a voice recording as the notification. However, there are probably apps that will keep sounding until you silence them. I'd start by taking a look at Alarmed by Yoctoville.
I don't use Reminders. I use Calendar.
When defining alerts for Calendar events, you choose to open a file.
If that file is a script that keeps speaking, there you have it.
First, let's prepare your script in Script Editor. It is very simple. Here is an example (I will let you figure out what it does):
Save this as an application, and put it on your Desktop, or any place you choose.
Next, you want to call this when an alert to your event is triggered:
There is one other thing that has to be done to allow this to work - you have to give Calendar permission to "control your computer".
Go to System Preferences->Security & Privacy; click "Accessibility", then the + button and add Calendar to the list of authorized applications.
My last message is not here. Maybe it was deleted. Anyway, although I am still trying to find the right way to make the Calendar/Script Editor method work the way I want it to work, it will be my backup solution. I have now found a free app that seems to be just what I wanted, and I didn't even have to ask for help to get it started. At the moment, it is reading my message aloud and posting a banner every minute as part of the testing process. Actually, it has stopped alerting me, because I only asked for ten repetitions. Anyway, it seems to do what I want and need. No more missed appointments for me.
The app is called Pester. Although I appreciate Mr. Sequeira's method and certainly his help, I feel that Pester is better for me. Fewer moving parts and therefore fewer things to forget or go wrong.
Got it: Apple icon in menu bar>System Preferences>Accessibility>Speech. Now I'm being reminded in ENGLISH!!! This looks like the answer for me. Thanks Luis. Now for the fine-tuning. Oh, I tried to say that my problem had been solved, but it came out as helpful. Well, I think my problem has been solved.
Thanks. This app doesn't work on iMacs. It works on iPads, and I have an iPad, but I only use it in emergencies--I don't like it. HOWEVER, I kept looking, and I found an app that seems to fit the bill, and I'm testing it now. Unfortunately, it doesn't work on my Mac, either, but you can't have everything your way. Oh, the name of the app I'm testing is "Reminder," or "Reminder, Reminders with Voice." There is another possibility...maybe. What about all those "Smart Speakers" I think you call them? You know, like "Siri." I'm sure I could ask her to call me, but I'd have to do it right. Maybe I should say, "Siri, call me about doctor's appointment at 9 O'clock AM, PST, on June 10. I'll try it. I'll also ask her to repeat the message every five minutes. How's that? Do you think it will work? Well, I'm going to try right now. I'll report back with the results. I'll write down my question before I ask her, so as to avoid awkward pauses.
I'm sorry. Lost track of what forum I was in.
What about all those "Smart Speakers" I think you call them?
I have an Amazon Echo. You can certainly set alarms on it. But, they just make a noise. It's quite possible that there is an Alexa skill that will do what you want. But, that's a question for another forum.
Maybe I should say, "Siri, call me about doctor's appointment at 9 O'clock AM, PST, on June 10. I'll try it. I'll also ask her to repeat the message every five minutes. How's that? Do you think it will work? Well, I'm going to try right now. I'll report back with the results. I'll write down my question before I ask her, so as to avoid awkward pauses.
Siri can't call you. If you ask Siri to remind you of something, it will add it to Reminders.
Best of luck.
I use my calendars app on my iMac. Look into the features it offers for alerts for events, such as doctor's appointments.
Apple.com has a wealth of resources devoted to calendar & its features
Apple.com - search or support is my go-to for finding all of the more unique features our mobile devices and Macs do and the features of the apps within, etc
Yeah, but it doesn't have the feature that I need: the ability to remind me with recordings I have made. I have what I think are the best visual reminders, but I still missed my Doctor's appointment. My fault, but I can't help it. I need a verbal reminder and one that keeps being repeated until I stop it. Now, I have installed three such programs into my iPad, but the sound is too low to reliably catch my attention. I'll just have to keep looking. I also sometimes miss my stop on the trolley. I've been to the border several times because of that.
Well, I'll be. Apple's Calendar reminded me of my appointment today. Maybe it will have to do until my dream app comes along. You all know Calendar. It's a white banner about 1" by 5" (on my screen). Opposed to that is one app with vivid colored banners about 2" by 4", and another, not so demonstrative) that is (currently) about 11" by 13 covering an entire week." The obvious ones I somehow overlook or forget, but Calendar's little banner is there every day constantly reminding me of the application. I guess it's the positioning, but if I placed the flashy one in a spot where I probably wouldn't overlook it, it would interfere with my use of the computer. Well, I'll keep using all three until something better comes along. The iPad apps didn't work out in my first trial and maybe never will. The iPad volume is just not loud enough for me.
Wow! this looks like it could be the answer, but it's too much for me to handle on its first appearance. I hate getting into something like this only to ultimately fail, so I'll come back tomorrow when I might be in a more positive mood. Thanks. I might still fail, but it won't be your fault. Anyway, I will try. You and Lady Macbeth will get me to the starting point: But screw you courage to the sticking point, and you'll not fail."
I've been dreading it, but today I decided I had to try to use Luis Sequeira 1's suggestions. I definitely haven't found them easy to implement, but after about two hours, I have made progress. (The words I typed are actually being spoken at 30-second intervals. Unfortunately, they're in GERMAN. Now, all I have to do is to get my message spoken in English, and I'll be almost finished--I think. I remember once looking for the best German voice, but I can't remember why or WHERE. Anyway, how can I start hearing my message in ENGLISH?
This was supposed to have been added:
Oh, one last very important point: WHERE IS SCRIPT EDITOR? Well, it wasn't easy for me to find. I couldn't find it with Spotlight or Find Any File, but I finally found it with EasyFind. Now that I have found it, you can too with Finder>Utilities>ScriptEditor. Now that I'll be using it for my appointments I'm going to try putting it in my Applications folder. I'm also going to have to find something on how to use Script Editor, because I had to follow Luis's instructions explicitly without any understanding of what I was doing.
Although it's rather complicated to use, it does what I want. I just need more practice with it. Fortunately, I now have four appointments. Setting them up will give me the practice I need. I've been putting it off, but your latest comment was the prodding I needed Thanks, again. By the way, you're to be congratulated. NO ONE but you knew about this method, and there are many experienced computer users in this community. You ought to write book, or at least a blog.
I missed another appointment today even though it's been shown on my screen ever since I put it there. That's because I didn't practice with your instructions as I had intended, so I never got around to using Script Editor to make an audio reminder. Worse, I find that I am now unable to use Script Editor as you instructed. So, after trying for at least 30-minutes, I have to admit failure, and I have to ask for your help again. I now find that there are many ways to go wrong, so I'll begin at the beginning: when I click Script Editor, I don't get what you do. Here's what appears on my screen:
This is not the page your instructions shows. Can I work with this, or should I try to find the same page as you use? Notice that my page refers to iCloud. Is that a problem?
What you are seeing is the Open dialog in Script Editor, and it is showing a location in your iCloud. Since you do not have any script files saved in iCloud, it shows an empty window.
At this moment, do you already have a script saved somewhere on your drive, that you are trying to edit? Or are you trying to start over, and create a new script from scratch?
If you want to create a new script, just close this window and press command-N, (just like in any mac application, this is the shortcut for "New").
If you want to open an existing script, and you know where it is, you just have to navigate to its location. You can change to a folder on your mac, for example, by clicking one of the Favorites on the left, or by clicking on "Script Editor - iCloud" at the top and choosing another folder; you can also use the Search box at the top and type part of the name of the file you are looking for. [All of these are standard mac things that work on any application, not specific to Script Editor]
Recording appointment reminders
