Apple dashboard widgets

written by Andrey Mirtchovski
© 2007, 2008
mirtchovski@gmail.com

These widgets aim to provide useful information from web sites without having to fully parse their HTML and reload them every time. Just a mouse-throw away, these widgets should give you all you need while procrastinating and thinking about the next gear purchase, or the next ski trip :)

This is free software. You are free to use these widgets without any charges for as long as you want. If you feel generous, your donation of $5CAD, or any other sum, will help me improve the existing widgets and create new ones.

Canadian Weather Information from Weather Office's Web Site. The default OSX weather widget differs wildly between what it reports and the values given by the definitive Canada weather source: Environment Canada's Weather Office web site. Furthermore, Apple's OSX weather widget did not have support for weather warnings. Hence I wrote my own, using the format, look and images available from WO's web site.

Features:

- Double-click on the main panel to switch between text and graphical forecasts.

- Windchill (when present) is displayed under the current temperature in blue

- Humidex (when present) is displayed under the current temperature in red

- Current weather image (when present for the location)

- Weather warnings result in the location to be displayed in red

- Clicking on the location text will take you to the web page provided by Weather Office

- A pop-up menu in the back allows the user to set what interval the widget updates at if it is constantly displayed.

- Air quality information: for locations for which Weather Office reports Air Quality Information (Toronto, for example) the current temperature reading will be colored according to the color scheme that Weather Office uses for pollution (link): blue means low, red means high.

The widget supports English and French locales.

Note: This widget has not been endorsed by WeatherOffice or Environment Canada in any way. Please read the Copyright information linked to by the widget.

Latest version: 2.16

Download: WeatherOffice-2.16.zip

2.16: Added support for weather warnings

2.15: Improved version checking.

2.14: Fixed a bug in version checking.

2.12: We now support humidex reporting too.

2.11: Apple’s latest XCode fixed a bug in StackLayout.js which appeared only in Tiger.

Also, we now check for new releases only once a day (kept hitting the server pretty hard)

2.10: Sidestepped the annoying StackLayout bug that causes the widget to not work on Tiger. Again.

2.9: "Select a location" now links to the location selection area, not to Weather Office

2.8: Fixed minor bug in WindChill reports

2.7: Added Air Quality Information for those locations that report it (Toronto). The current temperature reading is colored according to Weather Office’s scheme for reporting Air Pollution.

2.6: fixed an annoying bug with StackLayout which prevented the widget from being usable on older Tiger machines.

2.5: fixed a bug causing the update timer to not reset when the widget is not being shown

2.4: fixed a bug causing the text details to not be displayed properly.

2.3: by user request, added a timer to update the conditions when the widget is constantly displayed

2.2: fixed a bug in displaying the WindChill;

- added a link that checks automatically for new version releases

2.1: added windchill to the main display

2.0: added text description of the forecast

1.9: minor fixes in the layout

1.8: fixed for a changed html by WO's web site

1.7: added french localization.

Displays the current product on the Whiskey Militia web site

The widget also incorporates Growl for notifications. Install Growl to get an item notice as soon as it appears.

Latest version: 1.7

1.7: Minor bugfix in preference saving

1.6: Notifications via Growl

1.5: Improved version checking

1.4: Fixed a bug in updating when in desktop mode

1.3: Fixed a bug with 10.4 (innerHTML vs innerText)

1.2: Made fade in/out transitions smoother when triggered more often

1.1: Added item description: when the user rolls the mouse over the item image, the text description for that image will fade in.

Removed dependency on quartz composer for image download and display.

Whiskey militia current product WIDGET

Download: WM-1.7.zip

What’s new in this version

A widget that will display the latest item on the Steep and Cheap web site. The item name, picture and price are displayed, together with a gauge for the number of items available for purchase and the percentage off the MSRP for that item.

Clicking on the description will take you to the site where this can be purchased.

The widget provides the ability to set a “refresh” time in case it is displayed continuously. Normally the refresh happens every time the widget becomes visible.

The widget also incorporates Growl for notifications. Install Growl to get an item notice as soon as it appears.

Latest version: 1.14

STEEP AND CHEAP current product WIDGET

Download: SAC-1.14.zip

What’s new in this version

Description

canadian weather forecast

1.14: Minor bugfix in preference saving

1.13: Removed some javascript unsupported by 10.4

1.12: Fixed a bug caused by hidden javascript whitespace removal

1.11: Added Growl support and simplified the widget’s appearance.

1.10: SteepAndCheap.com changed their HTML, this update brings the widget up to speed.

1.9: Improved version checking

1.8: Fixed a bug in updating when in desktop mode

1.7: Remove gouge, which was pretty useless for high-flying items

1.6: Made fade in/out transitions smoother when triggered more often

1.5: Added item description: when the user rolls the mouse over the item image, the text description for that image will fade in.

1.4: Removed dependency on quartz composer for image download and display.

What’s new in this version

This widget displays an animation of the latest satellite images of North and South america, including the North Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

Users can choose how fast the images rotate, how many images an animation includes and which area will be displayed.

The size of the displayed image is also somewhat adjustable.

Latest version: 1.7

1.7: Enabled road, city and other overlays for individual stations

1.6: Added support for displaying individual stations

1.5: Improved version checking

1.4: Even better Info button placement.

1.3: Moved the info button to the top left, where it will be more visible.

1.2: Added support for Radar images for entire Canada and composites of Pacific, Prairies, Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic sections. No single radar stations yet.

1.1: Initial release.

environment canada satellite imageS

Download: ECSatellite-1.7.zip

Description