It‘s a funny thing; I’ve talked to a few people recently who have said they tried out Quicksilver and didn‘t get on with it. Personally, I very slightly freaked out whenever I’m using a Mac without it. On the other hand, I try to use the mouse as little as possible, so QS is a natural progression (or enabler).

I think part of the reason that some people don't get on with it, is that they only use a few applications, and those are in their dock anyway, therefore QS as an application launcher is of limited use.

Of course, those of us who have been using it a while, know that it can do so much more and therefore directly quoting from "Quicksilver Tutorials Round-up at The Apple Blog, here is a list of tutorials to help you get beyond the whole Quicksilver is an application launcher thing.

Dan Dickinson:

• A Better OS X in just 10 Minutes

• From A Better OS X To Even More

• Gold Trigger

Merlin Mann:

• Quicksilver: Setup & Troubleshooting

• More Quicksilver Power Tips

• 5 handy Quicksilver Triggers

The Apple Blog:

• Quicksilver Changes Everything

• Tiger & Quicksilver

• Spotlight Comments Using Quicksilver

Bumper batch of links today! Click

• [ Acroname Inc for Easier Robotics](http://acroname.com/)   

             (tags: [computing](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/computing) [diy](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/diy) [electronics](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/electronics) [make](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/make) [pcomp](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/pcomp) [physical](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/physical) [physical_computing](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/physical_computing) [robotics](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/robotics) [robots](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/robots)  ) 

• [Yahoo! Design Pattern Library](http://developer.yahoo.net/ypatterns/#)   

             (tags: [web](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/web) [webdesign](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/webdesign) [webdev](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/webdev)  ) 

• [Yahoo! UI Library](http://developer.yahoo.net/yui/)   

             (tags: [javascript](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/javascript) [web](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/web) [webdesign](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/webdesign) [webdev](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/webdev)  ) 

• [how stuff is made](http://howstuffismade.org/menupage.html)   

             (tags: [Research](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/Research) [community](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/community) [design](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/design) [encyclopedia](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/encyclopedia) [howto](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/howto) [pcomp](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/pcomp) [photo](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/photo) [physcom](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/physcom) [wiki](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/wiki)  ) 

• [ITP sensor workshop | Main / HomePage](http://itp.nyu.edu/physcomp/sensors/)   

             (tags: [diy](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/diy) [electronics](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/electronics) [make](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/make) [pcomp](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/pcomp) [physcomp](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/physcomp) [sensors](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/sensors)  ) 

• [Lowtech Sensors and Actuators](http://lowtech.propositions.org.uk/)   

     a research project sponsored and commissioned by FACT,  Foundation for Art and Creative Technology, Liverpool, U.K          (tags: [actuators](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/actuators) [art](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/art) [article](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/article) [electronics](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/electronics) [hardware](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/hardware) [howto](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/howto) [interactive](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/interactive) [interface](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/interface) [make](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/make) [physcomp](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/physcomp) [physical_computing](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/physical_computing) [programming](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/programming) [sensors](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/sensors) [tutorial](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/tutorial)  ) 

• [Preparation of an Organic Light Emitting Diode](http://mrsec.wisc.edu/Edetc/nanolab/oLED/text.html)   

             (tags: [diy](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/diy) [electronics](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/electronics) [howto](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/howto) [make](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/make) [oled](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/oled)  ) 

• [Code: Qprox Capacitive Touch Sensors](http://tigoe.net/pcomp/code/archives/arduino/000331.shtml)   

     For those applications where you want to sense a person touching an object, but can't use a switch or a force-sensitive resistor, charge-transfer touch sensors can often be very useful.          (tags: [diy](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/diy) [electronics](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/electronics) [make](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/make) [pcomp](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/pcomp) [sensors](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/sensors) [touch](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/touch)  ) 

• [Resources](http://tigoe.net/pcomp/resources/) 
  
   A database of sources for physical computing parts, methods, software, and other resources.   
   (tags: [computing](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/computing) [pcomp](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/pcomp) [physcomp](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/physcomp) [reference](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/reference) [resources](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/resources)  ) 

• [The CREATE USB Interface](http://www.create.ucsb.edu/~dano/CUI/)   

             (tags: [analog](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/analog) [diy](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/diy) [electronics](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/electronics) [hardware](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/hardware) [interface](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/interface) [make](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/make) [pcomp](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/pcomp) [physcomp](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/physcomp) [physical_computing](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/physical_computing) [robotics](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/robotics) [robots](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/robots) [sensors](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/sensors)  ) 

• [Electrotap](http://www.electrotap.com/sensors/T303B.shtml)   

     software and hardware for innovative music, media, and art          (tags: [electronics](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/electronics) [sensors](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/sensors)  ) 

• [5 step pcbs](http://www.instructables.com/ex/i/C2886DF065461028A786001143E7E506/?ALLSTEPS)   

     A simple 5-step process to etch your own printed circuit boards at home.          (tags: [diy](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/diy) [electronics](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/electronics) [make](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/make) [pcb](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/pcb)  ) 

• [Interactive Architecture dot Org » Tutorials](http://www.interactivearchitecture.org/tutorials/)   

             (tags: [actuators](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/actuators) [electronics](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/electronics) [pcomp](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/pcomp) [physcomp](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/physcomp) [sensors](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/sensors) [tutorial](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/tutorial)  ) 

• [Media Interface Technology](http://www.mat.ucsb.edu/594O/)   

     Media Interface Technology is a course designed to explore the use of sensor technologies for interactive environments/installations and responsive art/music/performance systems          (tags: [diy](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/diy) [electronics](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/electronics) [pcomp](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/pcomp) [physcomp](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/physcomp) [physical_computing](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/physical_computing) [reference](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/reference)  ) 

• [Main Page - Open Circuits](http://www.opencircuits.com/Main_Page)   

     Open Circuits is a wiki for sharing electronics knowledge, schematics, board layouts, and parts libraries. Please help us to build this resource by submitting your component descriptions and projects.          (tags: [diy](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/diy) [electronics](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/electronics) [make](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/make)  ) 

• [Main Page - SensorWiki](http://www.sensorwiki.org/index.php/Main_Page)   

     The aim of this project is to provide a thorough review of the main types of sensing technologies used in musical applications          (tags: [diy](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/diy) [electronics](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/electronics) [hardware](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/hardware) [interactive](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/interactive) [interface](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/interface) [pcomp](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/pcomp) [sensors](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/sensors) [ubicomp](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/ubicomp)  )

LED Throwies: "Developed by the Graffiti Research Lab (see video) a division of the Eyebeam R&D; OpenLab, LED Throwies are an inexpensive way to add color to any ferromagnetic surface in your neighborhood. A Throwie consists of a lithium battery, a 10mm diffused LED and a rare-earth magnet taped together. Throw it up high and in quantity to impress your friends and city officials."

There‘s some argument on the site as to the environmental impact of these, which is understandable, and I’m not sure I'm totally comfortable with that side of these myself, but as a inspiration, these are great.

pixelcrypt: “The application I have created takes the pulse of your body, and uses it to generate music. ”

It gets me to thinking, with regard to the Gojira visuals, it‘d be pretty interesting to wire up the members of the group reading pulse and do some sort of visual representation of that data … who’s cool and calm, who gets riled etc.

Resources: Serial Communication in OSX Terminal: “I knew it had to be possible to view serial data in the OSX terminal window, but I‘m not enough of a unix geek to figure it out. Finally, a little googling told me what I needed to know. Here’s how to read and send serial data from the terminal in OSX.”

Now this has some interesting possibilities; connecting basic stamp to the mac for input and output not via midi (controlled via shell scripts / applescripts) …

OK, this does look like the first proper Mac OS X virus / trojan thing; that in itself is tedious and a shame. However, I don't suspect this is going to affect many people and hopefully Apple will grab the bull by the horns and issue a quick fix. In the meantime, check out the link on how to protect yourself.

BBC NEWS | Technology | Malicious worm aims to bite Apple: “Mac users are being warned to be on the lookout for what is being called one of the first viruses for Apple computers.” (Via BBC NEWS | Technology.)

How to protect yourself against the latest Mac OSX Trojan/worm/“virus” from Guardian Unlimited: Technology: “There's been a lot of discussion following the discovery of a bona fide worm for OSX - ”Leap-A“ or perhaps ”Oomp-A“ (depending which AV firm's deconstruction you read) - which spreads via iChat and tries to spread via other methods too.” (Via Guardian Unlimited: Technology.)

A little test into painting with quartz composer - press space to paint, release to clear. Would be nicer to be able to do this with bezier curves or sthg (possible??).

SteamSHIFT out

Bought this at the weekend: will do a mini review thing or thoughts on it as I get through it. Don't seem to have found time since I got it to even put on the DVD.

[

Amazon.co.uk: The VJ Book: Inspirations and Practical Advice for Live Visual Performance: Books](http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/1932595090/qid=1140011824/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl/202-7927873-3767869): “VJing is a type of performance that combines the visual possibilities of filmmaking with the improvisational ability of jazz. The Joy of VJ (written by a former editor at Wired Magazine) is the first-ever introduction to this popular but largely uncharted field, combining straight how-to information with cultural context and history. Spinrad provides technical advice both for beginners and experienced VJs. Includes DVD of software and performances.”

SteamSHIFT out.

•   [Regex Examples: Matching Whole Lines of Text That Satisfy Certain Requirements](http://www.regular-expressions.info/completelines.html)   

             (tags: [Regex](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/Regex) [examples](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/examples) [programming](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/programming) [regexp](http://del.icio.us/steamshift/regexp)  )

In consultation with DJ Chix, here is version 2, the difference being that the slip plate is gone and the slip mat is glue directly to the gear plate; apparently the only point of slippage when djing, is between the bottom of the slip mat and the drive plate.

All I need to do now is build one!

SteamSHIFT out.