At last, something useful for Dashboard
mck (0 pencils) | Sun, 2005-06-12 07:48
Personally, I think Apple's Dashboard is a great feature, but like any feature, it ultimately depends on what use developers and end users put it to.
Since the introduction of OS X "Tiger", I think it would be fair to say, about 1000 widgets have been created – with the major problem that most of them don't do anything! Sure, all those timers and clocks look great on your display, but besides that, do you use them for anything? No.
The folks at Panic have created a companion widget to their excellent FTP client, Transmit (now at version 3). You just type in your FTP data in the back, and select a directory on your server (such as pictures) – now, whenever you're online, you just drag anything to the widget and it logs on and uploads it automatically. No need to mess with the big gun FTP client for minor things like putting up a few pictures to your favorite forum.
Download it here: http://panic.com/transmit/d/Transmit%20Widget.zip
If you would like to keep the widget on the desktop, hold down the F12 key while dragging it out of the widget bar (this works for other widgets as well). Unfortunately, it's only good as long as the next time you use Dashboard, but if you're hunting for images and stuff to upload, it can be handy to have there (even if you do have to retype all connection data).
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Nice little competition to ImageWell.
Do I have to retype the connection data every time I use the widget?
You can't drag already open widgets out of the Dashboard. If you type in the info once though, it sticks.
Quick note: To use this widget requires the latest version of Transmit (3.2 at the moment) to work. v3.0 won't cut it.
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Lowering Entropy, one day at a time.
you can drag widgets out of dashboard onto your desktop.
Press F12 to open dashboard, click the + to open the dashboard bar, click and drag some where on dashboard but making sure YOU KEEP THE mouse button held down, now with the mouse still held down, press F12 to remove dashboard, then drop the widget and their you go, its on your desktop :), no need to download hacks :)
- Liam
It's not even drag & drop! You have to drag, click, drag & drop.
I still prefer the method of using StuffIt's "Stuffit Express" which puts a little application on your desktop (or wherever else you want it) that not only will upload the files you drop on it to a server, but you can configure it to send an email to someone with the address of the file, or several other things.
Panic's Dashboard widget is a good start, unfortunately they're limited by the fact that it's a Dashboard widget.
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there you go again, widget bashing. :)
- Jeff Yamada
www.suborior.com