quicksilver
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Quicksilver goes Open Source
Long time readers know that we at TUAW love Quicksilver, the brilliant keyboard launcher application from Blacktree. Now after previously making promises to that effect, the developer (who likes to go by Alcor) has released the source for Quicksilver as a Google Code project. While Quicksilver has always had a highly extensible plugin system, this is great news for the code monkeys out there who can now really dig into the application. Mere moral users like myself can hope, however, that more eyes and brains working on the application will lead to more stability and faster development. A big TUAW 'attaboy to Alcor for taking this step! Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
Quicksilver b53 for Leopard
Many folks have noticed over the last few days that TUAW favorite Quicksilver had disappeared from the net. Fortunately, Blacktree's servers are now back up and beta 53 (build 3814) of Quicksilver is available for download (download link). The new version is primarily a bugfix release, but is recommended for everyone running Leopard. Alcor, the developer, says that there was a nasty bug in the plugin downloading code of b51 which brought the server down. So anybody who had been freaking out over Quicksilver's mysterious disappearance should set their minds at ease.[via Hawk Wings]
GTD with Launchbar and scripts
Saul Rosenbaum sent us the tip on this one, and he points out that we're a little "Quicksilver centric" around here at TUAW. He's right, we do love Quicksilver, but it's not the only launcher on the block. Launchbar is another good one (and actually, I've been playing with Sapiens a lot lately, so look for a post on that one soon, too).If replacing Finder with Quicksilver isn't your thing, maybe running GTD apps with Launchbar is more up your alley. Saul has a short writeup on how to get Launchbar running a trigger (he uses "TD") that you can throw short notes into to work with the GTD system. It's a simple process-- since Launchbar already supports shell scripts, you can create a script, hook Lauchbar up to it, and pretty soon you're taking down tasks and notes at a moment's notice.
Replace the Finder with Quicksilver
Our love of Quicksilver, the sometimes inscrutable application launcher (and much more) runs deep, but Daniel over at waferbaby has us beat. It would seem Daniel isn't a big fan of the Finder and he is crazy for Quicksilver. Clearly, it took the next obvious step and replaced the Finder with Quicksilver. Read his post for the details, but be warned it isn't for the faint of heart.
Found Footage: Quicksilver in real life
When I posted about Mac apps in real life a while back, the number one request I heard in the comments was for Quicksilver. And it wasn't very surprising-- who wouldn't love to implement Quicksilver's genius and simplicity in some way for the real world?And now, Matt McInerney's done it-- he's created this video (from what looks like a bunch of iSight stills-- weird effect and even weirder music) in which, with just a snap, he can Quicksilver up anything on his mind. There's still a few bugs, though-- Garageband pulls up a guitar pick instead of an actual guitar (or a whole garage band), and I don't know what version of Cashbox he's using, but mine never actually gives me money.[via 43F]
Found Footage: Quicksilver Google Tech Talk
We here at TUAW are big fans of Quicksilver, the inscrutable OS X utility that you really have to use to understand (and even then some folks still don't get it). The developer of Quicksilver, Nicholas Jitkoff, recently gave a Tech Talk at his employer (some search company or another) in which he explains Quicksilver and the thought process behind its development.[via 43Folders]
Ask TUAW: Windows Printing, AutoFill, FireWire HDs, MacBook power adapters and more
It's time again for Ask TUAW, our weekly feature where you ask the questions and we make up the answers... er, I mean carefully research and determine the optimal solution. This week we'll be tackling questions about printing from OS X to a printer connected to a Windows box, AutoFill in Safari, problems with a FireWire hard drive, using a MacBook Pro power adapter with a MacBook, and more.As always readers' suggested answers are most welcome! Please leave your questions for next week in the comments.
MoodSwing multi-status utility: Now in convenient menubar dosage
Attention all ye users of Adium, Skype, iChat, Twitter, Facebook and Jaiku - Brett Terpstra has struck again with MoodSwing, his excellent utility for updating your status across all these apps and services. Why do I call it a utility instead of just a Quicksilver action, you ask? Because Brett is now providing both the original action and a new full-blown menubar app - at the request of TUAW readers - called MoodBlast. Both now live on the same download page at Brett's Circle Six Design blog, and they both allow you to update your status across all the aforementioned services at once. While MoodSwing is an action you set-and-forget to work with Quicksilver (though you can reconfigure later), an advantage of the MoodBlast menubar app is that you're presented with the UI you see above every time you activate it, with any services you used previously already selected for updating. The other advantage of the MoodBlast app, of course, is that you don't need Quicksilver in order to minimize the effort spent for online socialization.As with his other excellent projects, Brett Terpstra provides MoodSwing and MoodBlast as donationware.
MoodSwing Quicksilver action simultaneously updates your iChat, Skype, Twitter and Adium status
If you are a text, audio and video chatter, chances are you have some combination of iChat, Skype, Adium and a Twitter client running throughout the day. It's also possible that you're a Quicksilver junkie, which means you might appreciate Brett Terpstra's new Quicksilver script that will let you update your status across all these apps and services from the comforts of your Quicksilver window.To get set up, download the MoodSwing script and then follow Brett's instructions at this page to install the script in the proper location for Quicksilver. There's a simple system for entering the proper status message so that it fits into all the apps you have running, but bear in mind that Brett isn't taking bug reports or offering support; this was more of a fun project that he tossed out there for the masses, so if you know some AppleScript and can improve upon what Brett has already designed, have at it.
Quicksilver goes open source with Leopard release
It seems like this news has been around for a while, but we'd never heard it, and it's definitely worth taking a look at. Alcor, developer of Quicksilver, the little launcher that does everything, quietly mentions on the Blacktree forums that Quicksilver will go open source and Leopard only with the next release.What does that mean for Quicksilver's users? Probably not a lot, although with a few interested developers on board, it'll probably mean quicker updates and more responsive bugfixes. Even Alcor says in the thread that while bugfixes and updates are planned for Leopard, he has no idea when they'll actually be released, and an open source app would probably make specific fixes faster.As for a timeline on making it open source, Alcor doesn't promise anything too exciting on that end, either. He does say that the OS version of Quicksilver will be for Leopard, so we're looking at least at October, if not later. But if Quicksilver is going open source, it likely means that one of the Mac's best applications will only get better.[ via DJ ]
LaunchBar 4.3 adds Instant Open / Send and more
I'm a devoted Quicksilver man myself, but the venerable LaunchBar seems to have started the whole keyboard launcher trend and retains many committed fans. Just updated to version 4.3, Objective Development has added a number of new features. In particular, Instant Open allows you to execute a command without hitting return, while Instant Send allows you easily to send files to LaunchBar (both of these are possible with Quicksilver, though the implementation is different). There are other improvements to the calculator, iTunes support, and more.While I can't imagine switching myself, I've heard some on the Mac web suggest that LaunchBar is more stable than Quicksilver and so might be worth it for some. LaunchBar remains $19.95 and a demo is available.[via Daring Fireball]
Faster printing through Quicksilver or a simple drag and drop
At TUAW HQ we absolutely love Quicksilver, the powerful, incredibly extensible and indispensable productivity tool, as it's capable of speeding up just about any conceivable operation on your Mac. Still, with everything Quicksilver is capable of, I honestly never thought it could be used to help you print documents faster. Sure enough, I have been taught my lesson to never doubt Quicksilver's reach by Mark Fisher, author of this Faster Printing with Quicksilver. In summary, Fisher's how-to walks you through adding your printer to Quicksilver's catalog so it can be used as a target for sending files to print. Combined with the Quicksilver comma trick, you can send multiple files to your printer at once, all from the streamlined efficiency of Quicksilver's search interface. One downside to Fisher's tip, however, is that it requires a bit of digging around in Quicksilver, not to mention a decent workout training oneself through the app's arguably steep learning curve. If all this tinkering simply isn't your bag, there's a much easier trick I wrote about last year for creating a drag-and-drop desktop printer. This is much easier for virtually anyone to set up for themselves, and as a commenter on that post mentioned, you can drag that desktop printer to the right side of your Dock and delete the Desktop icon altogether, saving precious space for... well, probably all those documents you need to print off to begin with.Ultimately, either of these tips are a great way print your documents more efficiently, as they remove the need to open each individual app and print the documents manually, one by one.[via 43 Folders]
An AppleScript for selecting the iChat menubar item
I understand if this might sound kinda weird, but hear me out: As an iChat user, I love the flexibility of its UI and the clever menubar item that displays all available contacts. Since I've found myself flying without displaying the buddy list more and more often lately, I've been wishing for a way to select iChat's menubar item with a simple keyboard shortcut, giving me quick access for viewing who's online no matter what app I may be using at the moment. Thinking out loud this morning, I even posted this wish on Twitter - only to find Daniel Jalkut of Red Sweater Software (makers of MarsEdit, FastScripts and more) coming to my rescue moments later! Demonstrating the wonders of AppleScript, Daniel quickly whipped up a script that does exactly what I want. To make the script painlessly easy to use, it can be tied to a shortcut with his excellent FastScripts or a Quicksilver trigger, providing instant access that selects and displays the iChat menubar item and all available buddies. Easy breezy iChatting, without needing to keep my buddy list always visible.If you want the script, head over to Daniel's Twitter post that contains the tinyURL download link. Toss the script you download into your ~/Library/Scripts folder (or anywhere else you like to store them), and then point your favorite keyboard shortcut utility at it to make your iChat life a bit easier. Thanks Daniel!
WoW on the iPhone-- just barely
Apple's little sliver of gadget joy supposedly has a full installation of OS X hidden somewhere in there, and since WoW is available on OS X, you just knew WoW was going to appear on the iPhone sometime. It hasn't happened yet, but as the video shows, we're getting there.In this case, the magic key is a little program called Telekinesis (created by the same guy who created Quicksilver, if you're part of the Cult), which lets you channel monitor output to your iPhone, as well as allows mouseclicks and even simply typing back into your computer.So it's not really WoW running on the iPhone (yet), but rather an instance of WoW controlled by an iPhone-- it still has to be run on a separate computer. Unfortunately, implementation actually turns out to be pretty poor-- this is not even barely playable. The guy who did it says he can chat, so I guess it's a first step. But while I'm sure we'll get there, we've got a long way to go.[ via a newly redesigned Joystiq ]
Write your own Quicksilver interface
We've mentioned several of Ankur Kothari's interesting Quicksilver projects. Now he's back with a kind of do-it-yourself SDK and tutorial on building your own Quicksilver interface. He offers an Xcode Project Template to get your started, along with some code explanations.Unfortunately I'm nowhere near competent enough to make good use of this information, but those who are should find much of interest in customizing one of TUAW's favorite utilities.
TUAW Podcast #26: File Launchers
We talk up the file launcher and manipulator Quicksilver quite a bit here at TUAW, but there is a solid batch of similar productivity-enhancing utilities that offer different things for different users. Whether you're looking for a simple utility that lets you launch your applications faster than Spotlight can find them, or you're prepared to step up to vast amounts of power and flexibility with what you find and how you use it, chances are I covered an app in this screencast that will fit the bill for you. From the power of Butler to the simplicity of Namely, I wanted to give you at least some of the basics and a visual on how 5 different launchers work, as well as their pros and cons and how they differ from each other. However, since I am a Quicksilver lover at heart, it is very likely that I missed a key feature or two in these apps, so feel free to highlight your favorite features and what you think new users can truly benefit from in the comments. Also, for anyone interested in what I'm using to create these screencasts, I include a very short blurb at the beginning which highlights a few of the tools I use to record the screencast and create some of the effects I use.This time around I've decided to try something different, and I've created two versions of the screencast. In our podcast feed is an iPod-friendly version of the podcast that's 640 x 400, 17 minute and 40 MB - that's the one you can get by subscribing to our iTunes Store podcast feed or our direct TUAW podcast feed. I've also created an HD version for those who want something with a little more detail (sorry, we don't have an RSS feed for HD podcasts yet; this is a new thing so we'll see how it goes). That one will look better on larger displays and should play mighty fine on the Apple TV.To make sure we're all on the same page and that you can run out and grab demos of these launchers, here is a list of links to all the apps I mention in the screencast, including the ones I use to create and record it:Launchers Quicksilver - donationware LaunchBar - commercial: $19.95 Butler - donationware Overflow - commercial: $14.95 Namely - donationware Screencast recording Desktopple Pro - hiding the desktop icons, custom wallpaper and more (which we've mentioned before) Mouseposé - spotlight effects, keystroke overlays (which I didn't use in this specific screencast) and other presentation highlighting tools (mentioned here) iShowU - excellent and customizable app for recording screencasts (mentioned a couple times here) I hope you enjoy the screencast, and please feel free to leave feedback to let me know how I'm doing with producing these. If you prefer HD podcasts that look better on screen and can play on an Apple TV (instead of 640 px wide podcasts which are the max an iPod can handle), definitely let me know that too.
Plain text wiki bundle for TextMate
Matt Webb likes VoodooPad, the desktop wiki application from Gus Mueller, but he does not like his data to be bound up in a proprietary format. So he's cooked up a bundle for the powerful TextMate text editor that allows him to create a plain text wiki. Basically the bundle allows you to create a main page in a project directory and then hyperlink to plain text files within that directory as the wiki pages. Furthermore, as Merlin Mann points out, this works perfectly with Quicksilver's plain text append and prepend actions. So if you're a plain text fan looking for a way to wiki, Matt's bundle is worth a look.[via MacDevCenter]
Ask TUAW: Open With, AFP, iTunes with cell phone, escaping iPhoto, and more
This week in Ask TUAW we'll be considering questions about the "Open With..." menu option, mounting drives over a local network, using iTunes with a cell phone, getting all your original photos out of iPhoto, and syncing files between a notebook and a desktop Mac. Remember new Mac users and Switchers who are enjoying our Mac 101 series should feel very welcome to post questions for Ask TUAW; we're happy to have them. As always, please submit your questions by commenting to this post or using our tip form.
Use Quicksilver to boot into Windows
It is an interesting time to be a Mac user. More and more folks are seeing the light and picking up a Mac, perhaps to go with their iPods, and now you can even run Windows on a Mac. Boot Camp is great, but Boot Camp plus AppleScript plus Quicksilver is even better! This tutorial over at MacInstruct (love the logo by the way) shows you how to reboot your Mac into Windows using the awesomeness that is Quicksilver.[via the Iconfactory]
Quicksilver Todoist plugin
Todoist is yet another online "task manager" / todo list that lends itself to the whole GTD craze. Now Jonathan Johnson has hacked together a Quicksilver plugin that integrates with Todoist so that you can easily add entries to your online Todoist Projects. Although it lacks a lot of the functionality of the Stikkit Quicksilver plugin we mentioned earlier (in particular it only allows you to add, not edit, entries), nonetheless it could be a handy thing for those who prefer the nicely streamlined Todoist interface.The Todoist Quicksilver plugin is a free download from NilObject.
