Dashboard Widget Detection in Safari?

[MacRumors]

Appleinsider reports that upcoming Mac OS X 10.4.3 updates appear to include special Dashboard buttons in the newest version of Safari.

The buttons are not in use but there is speculation that they could be used to install Widgets without leaving Safari.

 

[Sky Blue]

Sounds good, i guess...maybe it's some other sort of Dashboard/safari integration? Looks too big to go in the status bar.....

 

[johnnyjibbs]

Looks like it's a button that can be put into the Safari toolbar that will be inactive most of the time but become active when you visit a page with a Dashboard widget. Seems a little pointless to me, considering how easy it is to install them anyway and I don't like the inconsistent button interface the button uses (i.e. looks like Dashboard). Maybe I'm barking up the wrong tree but in response to the poster above, they are the same size as the current Safari toolbar icons.

 

[Doctor Q]

If I come across a widget, I click, it downloads and installs. Do we really need a button to make it easier than that? What am I missing?

 

[andrewm]

This sounds like the beginnings of a new technology…

MactiveX!

 

[Josh396]

If I come across a widget, I click, it downloads and installs. Do we really need a button to make it easier than that? What am I missing?

Yeah I really don't see how this is needed. Maybe it's for something different, although I have no idea what that could be.

 

[eva01]

Maybe since all the widgets are basically little webpages open if you click the icon it will display the widget on a blank safari page so you can see how it works, then you can decide to download and install it or not.

 

[Steamboatwillie]

If I come across a widget, I click, it downloads and installs. Do we really need a button to make it easier than that? What am I missing?

I agree. Unless of course they can program precognition into Safari to know before you do that you want a Wdiget. That would be impressive!

 

[interlard]

From my POV, the wideget download process does need streamlining. While I appreciate Apple's extra hoops for security reasons, I hate having to answer 3 separate questions for each widget I download. Count 'em:

After clicking the dowload link on the web page:
1. Safari's download window says "You're downloading an application (or widget or whatever is says), are you sure?".
2. Then (the Finder, I presume) unzipps the package (oo-er!) and asks me if I want to install the widget. The default is 'no' so it takes some mouse or keyboard work to move to the next stage.
3. Dashboard invokes itselfs, shows me the widget with a little border around it and asks me if I want to keep or delete it. Keyboard support is not provided so I have to grab the mouse again.

After all that, if I didn't want to have the widget open RIGHT NOW, I have to close it, which is means holding down option to get to see the little X to appear. Often the X is a few pixels beyond the edge of the widget, and normally the widget has been opened overlapping other widgets, so when I move the mouse to hit the X, it disappears so that the X for the widget that my mouse is NOW over can be shown. Sigh.

This turns into a real 20-car pile-up when I use the Widget Update widget to check that all my widgets are up to date, and download newer versions.

Are you still following? Are you tired of this like I am? Do you believe that Apple should be doing better than this? Me too.

So here's hoping these new buttons are:

1. Gimme da widget, show me da widget.
2. Don't gimme no widget.
3. Gimme da widget, but don't show me da widget.

I might accept just 1 "are you sure" dialog box. Just one, though.

 

[mainstreetmark]

I know why. click here.

I *only* have a gigabyte of RAM, so I only have like 2 widgets open, and have already stopped using Konfabulator, because Spotlight takes up all it can get, and i need that ram for my other ramhoggers - DW and PS. I doubt I'll ever enjoy having Safari nicely let me download Widgets, while at the same time, continue to remind me that I'm downloading an Application.

Isn't there other stuff the Safari team can be spending time on?

 

[Arnel]

I can't see it being useful as a "click here to install the widget" button on the toolbar. Too few sites have widgets to download from them, and those that do tend to have a number of widgets rather than just the one.

I'm thinking it might be a way to call up a widget over the current web page. Looking at buying something from another country? Call up the unit converter widget and work out the price in your native currency without going back and forth between the webpage and dashboard all the time.

It's a possibility, anyway

 

[swissmann]

So when is 10.4.3 coming I wonder?

 

[hyperpasta]

Seems kind of stupid

This seems like it could be one of those ".OGG iTunes Icon" kind of thing. After all, who really needs it. I do, however, think it would be nice if Safari, when downloading a widget, was smart enough to take care of everything automatically. Imagine:

1) I'm at a website with a widget
2) I press "Download" in the website
3) Safari detects a widget. It asks "Download Widget?" It sends the download to the widget folder and unzips it without doing anything in the finder (it takes care of itself).
4) The Widget comes up in its protective bubble

This process would trim out lots of dialogs, zipping, and complicatons. It would also leave no trace on the desktop.

 

[asif786]

I actually think it's a kinda neat idea..saves you having to look around a site for their widget page.

i think webmasters will be able to put a 'link rel' tag in their header linking to the widget and then safari will let them install in one click or something. sounds like a bit of a security risk but hey.

saves us having to navigate around sites to see if they have a widget i guess.

 

[DavidLeblond]

This seems like it could be one of those ".OGG iTunes Icon" kind of thing. After all, who really needs it. I do, however, think it would be nice if Safari, when downloading a widget, was smart enough to take care of everything automatically. Imagine:

1) I'm at a website with a widget
2) I press "Download" in the website
3) Safari detects a widget. It asks "Download Widget?" It sends the download to the widget folder and unzips it without doing anything in the finder (it takes care of itself).
4) The Widget comes up in its protective bubble

This process would trim out lots of dialogs, zipping, and complicatons. It would also leave no trace on the desktop.

Call me crazy, but thats pretty much how it works on my iBook. It says "Are you sure you want to download this widget?" I click "Yes" and Dashboard opens up with the widget in its little "Keep?" sandbox.

A button to "add" a widget would be worthless.

 

[virus1]

how the hell do they find this stuff? is there really some guy who checks out the resource files of all the different apple apps in the minor mac os bug fix releases? wow.. and they say i don't have a life..

 

[ErikGrim]

My guess would be that it's a developer button. For developers testing it in Safari it could be a run this widget/webpage in Dashboard.

 

[Max Miles]

anyone actually use these stupid widgets?

 

[Fourbin]

What would be nice is if the Widget Manager in 10.4.3 checked for updates of widgets.

 

[wdlove]

So when is 10.4.3 coming I wonder?

The last I heard, 10.4.3 is due out in October. Maybe by the middle of the month, will just have to wait and see.

Widgets are something that I have to look forward to when I upgrade to Tiger. The weather one is the one that I look forward to most.

I think that that ability for Safari to find updates for the Widgets would be great.

 

[JoeBeCrazy]

Viruses???

Do you think this can enable viruses?? all they need is a Script file and you to run the widget and baam your computer can be gone no?

 

[uaaerospace]

Unless of course they can program precognition into Safari to know before you do that you want a Wdiget. That would be impressive!

Oh dear....that sounds like Mr. MS Paperclip.....grrrrr.

 

[mainstreetmark]

Oh dear....that sounds like Mr. MS Paperclip.....grrrrr.

*DINK*DINK*DINK*DINK*DINK*

"Want me to save you time by inserting the current date? I noticed you typed 'Sep'."


...man, i hated those things.

 

[Applespider]

How about this as a theory?

You come across a page to download a widget from.
You click the magic Safari button
The widget appears as the little web page it is within Safari (remember those tricks to make your Safari window transparent?) and you can try it out without having to download it or install it. Not entirely sure what happens to 'malwidgets' in this case.
If you like it, you 'download' and install, presumably without further warnings? If you don't, you carry out browsing.

Hopefully, it will make getting widgets a one button process rather than the current 'd'l application', 'this is a widget', do you want to keep' process

 

[steve_hill4]

The last I heard, 10.4.3 is due out in October. Maybe by the middle of the month, will just have to wait and see.

Could be a good month.
10.4.3?
New PowerMacs and/or PowerBooks?
Video iPod?

I can't wait for MacExpo London at the end of the month either, with all these new products, it could be a very enjoyable day.