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| Font Geek Gets a Widget | | Date Created: 10 Oct, 2004, 03:35 PM |
 Font Geek Gets a Widget...
As you may or may not know... the software used for publishing Font Geek automatically creates RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed entries via an XML (Extensible Markup Language) file. This is a very powerful feature. And among other things it allows us to channel the RSS "feed" to other websites and/or applications. One cool, relatively new kind of application that I'm very interested in are widgets.
Earlier this summer (2004) at the World Wide Developer Conference, Apple previewed the next version of Mac OS X, which they have code-named "Tiger". Among the surprises in the OS was the system implementation of a new "widget" environment called Dashboard.
Dashboard widgets in Tiger are mini-applications written in HTML and JavaScript that are designed for fun as well as function. Widgets appear on your screen at the touch of a single key: they're always there when you want them, but they stay out of the way when you don't. Widgets can be tools such as alarm clocks, calculators, Address Book lookup helpers, iTunes playback controllers, and AirPort signal strength indicators. Because they're built using standard Internet technology, widgets can also monitor Web cams, present live news feeds, act as personalized stock tickers - they can even tell you about new articles on your favorite font related website. |
 But widgets are not that new to the Mac. Even the very first version of the Mac OS had "desk accessories", little software tools available under the Apple menu that were very convenient to use; and legendarily difficult to program. Desk accessories disappeared in Mac OS X, but in 2002 a third party application called Konfabulator from the folks at Pixoria, Inc. (online at http://www.konfabulator.com/) introduced an easy way to develop and run such mini-applications on Mac OS X, and it has become wildly popular: there are now hundreds of Konfabulator widgets and almost as many widget developers. |
 Tiger isn't out yet, so developing a Tiger widget right now isn't a high priority. But Konfabulator is here, now -- being used by a lot of people including myself. So Erik Tollefsrud, an extremely bright young man who I have worked with on many projects in the past, wrote me a Konfabulator widget that takes the RSS feed from this site. If you're interested in using this widget through Konfabulator, please follow the steps below.
1. If you don't have Konfabulator yet, go to http://www.konfabulator.com/ and either download a demo or purchase the software from Pizoria, Inc.
2. Install the Konfabulator software. Note: Please follow the installation instructions and check the system requirements found with the installer. |
 3. Download and unstuff the Font Geek Widget from this site (by clicking here). Note: by downloading and installing the fontgeek.widget you are agreeing to use the software AS IS as provided for in the accompanying LegalStuff.rtf document in the folder with the fontgeek.widget.
4. Drag the unstuffed file named fontgeek.widget into the Widgets folder in the Konfabulator folder (probably in your Applications folder).
5. Launch the Konfabulator application (probably located in the Konfabulator folder in the Applications folder).
6. Launch the fontgeek.widget by either double clicking on the widget itself or by choosing to open it from under the Konfabulator menu. |
 The Font Geek widget should now be up on your screen.
7. To access a particular story/article shown on the widget click on it. This will launch your browser and take you to that Font Geek story.
8. To access the main Font Geek website click on the widget's title bar. This will launch your browser and take you to the main Font Geek page.
9. To move the Font Geek widget, hold down the Command Key and click & drag the widget from the title bar. |
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| 10. To access the Font Geek widget preferences, control + click on the widget (and wait a few seconds) and a contextual menu will appear that will allow you to open the widget's preferences. You can also access the fontgeek.widget preferences from under the Konfabulator menu. |
 11. In the Preferences you can choose how and at what level you want the widget to appear on your screen when Konfabulator is running. I suggest playing with these setting until you're happy with the results. When you're done setting the Preferences just close that dialog box.
12. From the same contextual menu (accessed by control + clicking on the Font Geek widget) you can also choose to quit the widget if you're done with it. You can also quit a specific widget or quit Konfabulator itself from the Konfabulator menu. |
 13. And if you're interested in seeing the credits screen for the Font Geek widget, just choose the About Font Geek contextual menu item (again by control + clicking on the Font Geek widget screen.
14. That's it. Please check back to Font Geek every so often to see if we've updated the Font Geek widget. |
 Special thanks go to the good folks at Pixoria, Inc. for developing this cool technology. And very special thanks to Erik Tollefsrud (right) who never ceases to amaze me with how much he can learn.
Please enjoy this widget with my complements.
-Benjamin Levisay, "Font Geek"
Note: When Tiger is released our plan is to also have a Dashboard compatible widget for Font Geek. So check back with us after you've upgraded in 2005. |
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