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Does Apple 'get' Widgets?
Dori Smith has forgotten more about Javascript than most people (myself very much included) will ever know, so when she talks about widgets I listen. Dori thinks that Apple is pitching widgets to the wrong audience: hardcore developers. When they have an app that they want to write they turn to the tools that they know, not to HTML and Javascript.On the other hand, says Dori, the good folks at Microsoft seem to understand that the power of widgets (which Vista will have) is entire wrapped up in the fact that almost anyone can code one.
Intel Macs and Dashboard
Apple has posted a technical Q&A designed to put Widget developer's fears about their widgets not working on Intel Macs to rest. Most widgets should work without a line of code needing to be rewritten, the only widgets that will encounter problems are those that use plugsin. Plugin based widgets will nee to wait for a Universal version of that plugin to be produced before it will work on the new Intel Macs.
New widgets in Mac OS 10.4.4
Have you grabbed Mac OS 10.4.4 from software update yet? Then launch the Dashboard and check out your spiffy new widgets. I've found a few that are definitely new, and some that I don't think I recognize, but I've got a lot installed, so who knows.First of all, Apple's calendar widget has received a facelift. The new calendar features white text on a black background and a horizontal orientation. There are now two phone book widgets, one for "people" and one for "businesses." Appropriately enough, the business widget is yellow and the people grey. There's a Google widget I'm pretty sure I haven't seen before, as well as a quite nice one from ESPN. Have I missed any? Let us know.
Optimized Firefox with OS X form goodness
Sure, there are G4 and G5 optimized versions of Firefox 1.5, but neither can compare to the new OS X-style infused version. The BeatnikPad Journal picked up on the efforts of a Mozilla forum user by the name of Pu7o to build a version of Firefox 1.5 that includes the far more attractive form widgets (no, not Dashboard widgets) of OS X. This brings Firefox one (tiny) step closer to at least looking like a true OS X app, as the BeatnikPad notes that these kinds of changes might not come straight from Mozilla until Firefox 3.0. As of this writing, only a G4 build is unofficially available from the BeatnikPad post; a G5 build is coming soon.Another bonus from this modified and optimized version for all you OS X-theme users out there is that this version of Firefox actually makes the browser use the form widgets default to OS X. This should allow your theming app of choice, such as Unsanity's Shapeshifter, to finally apply its style to Firefox.
Retro backgrounds available for Widgets Preference Pane
Back in June I wrote about Widgets Preference Pane, which is a Mac OS X preference pane (as I'm sure you guessed) that gives you great control over Dashboard and your widets. Use it to quickly view all of your installed widgets, deactivate, activate or delete any of them, install new widgets via drag and drop and much more. You can also replace the widget bar's default perforated metal background. Use one of the supplied alternate backgrounds or make your own.If you're like me - not the artistic type - visit Pixeldecor. Owner Jen has made several graphics specifically for replacing the metal backdrop, each with a cool, retro feel. Check it out.
Apple reportedly planning .Mac updates, numerous Tiger bug fixes
Good old .mac. I've got an account, and I use the heck out of it. The venerable service is probably a big reason my wife is in love with her iBook. Since publishing movies and photos to our .mac pages is so simple, she's gone from no computer to two laptops, and even works online now... So I've gotten my money's worth.Still, as some people have questioned earlier, couldn't it do more? One of the hallmarks of the Mac OS is integration (hardware, software, and services). That said integration embarrasses Microsoft on a daily basis too. So it's with a great smile that I read the latest scuttlebutt from AppleInsider: updates to .mac coming soon. Haven't we heard this song before?Unfortunately these aren't the sweeping changes some might wish for, but they are nice. Most importantly, Backup.app gets a makeover. Multiple backup profiles used to be a total nightmare. Now that pain is eased, and there are apparently multiple profiles built-in for backup of iLife data, home folder data, and settings. Finally! Also on the slate are those often-rumored (by Apple itself thank you) .mac-exclusive widgets. I can only assume these will tie into .mac services, but I've been wrong before.AppleInsider also reports 10.4.3 is coming soon, with around 400 bug fixes. No word on whether this will appease C.K. though. I hope the 367 bugs I've found get fixed.
Apple advertising Dashboard Widgets... on Yahoo!
Here's one of life's little ironies. Apple is running an ad for Tiger's Dashboard Widgets. If we'd seen this tasteful Flash advertisement on any website other than Yahoo, which owns Konfabulator, we wouldn't be quite as amused. But we didn't. And now we can't stop laughing.This one happens to be an ad for the Stock Ticker Widget, aptly on a Yahoo Finance article. If you refresh this page (link) a few times you'll probably see it for yourself. If not, here's a SnapzPro movie I grabbed of it. Even more beautiful is the final frame of the ad, which is a) false and b) pretty ballsy considering the site it's running on!The only ones I've seen are on Yahoo. Has ayone seen these elsewhere? They seem to fit in with the magazine spreads Apple has been doing, but I am not sure if this is a new campaign or just variations on a theme. Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
Widget Watch: miniStat 2
Here's a great widget I discovered earlier today. miniStat2 from Shock Widgets reports on system stats like battery life, CPU heat, CPU usage, free storage on mounted drives, memory usage and uptime. That's great, but what I like about miniStat2 is its interface. You can choose from several "skins" to match your machine, including iBook G4, Powerbook G4, both G4 and G5 iMacs, Mac mini and Powermac G5. Plus, you move from one report to the next by clicking on the "dock" in the widget's display. Informative and fun...what more could you want?The website claims that miniStat2 uses only 1% of CPU resources when updating, which it does constantly, and 10M of RAM at average. A single license will cost you $7.45US.
Widget Watch: Oblique
I'm not a big Widget guy. I don't hate them, but I like to get my weather from WeatherPop, so I don't often launch Dashboard. Oblique just may change that.It looks elegant, and its function is simple. Click on the widget and you are greeted with a simple phrase meant to inspire you, or make you think differently (where have I heard that before?).Based on the 'Oblique Strategies' cards, and free for download, here is a smattering of phrases it will produce:Do something boringJust carry onOnly a part, not the whole
Widget Watch: Evite Widget
Apple's Dashboard pages have the Evite Widget up and ready for download this week. This free widget lets you monitor all the invitations that you've received via Evite, so that you can keep that ever-so-busy social life afloat amidst the harried day-to-day of your life. You'll need an account with Evite for it to work, of course. Otherwise, it'll just sit there in your Dashboard, noting that you are not logged in (as in the picture accompanying this post).
