Now I do not want to share my own script — it was not that great — but after reading the post by Chris Bowler, I improved it a bit to work just perfect with Quicksilver and completely without Automator.

activate
tell application "System Events" to keystroke "c" using command down
set theInput to (the clipboard)
set theInput to (theInput as text)
set myCount to count (theInput)
set myWords to count words of (theInput)
set myParas to count paragraphs of (theInput)
tell me
activate
display dialog "Characters: " & myCount & return & "Words: " & myWords & return & "Paragraphs: " & myParas buttons {"Thanks"} default button 1
end tell

Download the Count_Characters_v1.0.scpt

What the script does is: It copies the currently selected text into the clipboard and counts the characters, words and paragraphs which are than output in form of a short text message at the display.

I hope that script helps a some people, I would like to get some feedback.

Over the past two years and now three different iPhone versions I had the chance to play with an iPhone a few times but more less than often — around here not many own one. Now I’m going to test that crazy device and probably will write about my opinion on it later.

Have a nice day everyone, I definitely will!

Now it’s about 1 and a half year ago since I switched from PC to Mac and I am completely happy about that decision. But her I want to write down the way I actually went and why I decided the way I did.

In the beginning, I used a Windows machine. Since I started playing with computers. Through my interest in the field, I got interested in Linux and wanted to switch often. The problem with that was that I was not straight enough to really stay consistent at that decision. I switched many times from Windows to Linux, at the time I wanted to use Suse, but every time, I switched back to Windows 2000 or XP really fast so that I could use the programs I was used to and could play my games.

In early 2007 I made the decision — again — to switch to Linux. This time I was about to use Ubuntu and already had searched alternative software which I could use on all three platforms, Linux, Mac OS X and Windows. These programs had been Gimp for picture editing and design work as well as Eclipse / Aptana for web-development, plus some other tools. At that point, I already had in mind that I might switch to a Mac soon which was the reason that I searched applications which I could use on each of the three platform.

The reasons why I chose a MacBook instead of a ‘normal’ laptop are pretty obvious and spread all over the net. The machines run faster, look better, the available applications are much nicer and the OS looks and feels much better than the Windows platform. Linux is not an alternative if you just want a simple life, at least in my eyes and I have tested that for me!

In summer 2007, I finally did it. I bought my white, 13″, MacBook with 2.16GHz Dual Core 2 Duo, 1GB of RAM and 120GB hard-drive — which was replaced by a 320GB hard-drive and the RAM was replaced by two 2GB bricks, which adds up to now 4GB — the operating system is Mac OS X 10.5.6 Leopard. The switch itself was pretty easy for me cause I had planed everything, especially which applications to use.

Now my setup looks like this: My MacBook which is my main machine hooked up to a 23″ LG display, which is also connected to an old Windows XP machine just in case I need one.

Like I already wrote, I’m still happy with my decision to go Mac and plan on buying my second Mac machine in the end of the year caused by the need of more GPU power but for now I’m able to do what I want to and everything works just fine.

Next is ‘My Way to Blogging’. Stay tuned for part six of the series. If you want let me know your feedback or maybe tell your story.

For me its like for many creative or freelancing people — OK, I’m still at school but hey, I do my projects on side. Working at a desk is just impossible if it’s cultured with papers and other crappy stuff. Which means, that I normally have nothing lying around, especially if I want to enter the creative zone. The only things which are allowed to be there, are my MacBook, secondary screen, phone, a folder containing papers belonging to current projects I’m working on and — of course — my Keyboard, Mighty Mouse and Graphic Tablet.

The Whole Desk

My Two Chairs

Little about my desk. It’s 2.4m (94.49 inch) wide and 90 cm (35.43 inch) deep. It’s white which is one of the colors I like most. There are usually two chairs in front of my desk, one with a back which is chilly and one without which I like best for long sessions cause it doesn’t let me lay back and forces me stick to the work to get done.

Like I already sad, having a clean workspace is key for me to get creative or even just to get some work done. I can’t concentrate if there are many papers — which don’t belong to the project I’m currently working on —, dust or other stuff lying around. If you look at the pictures you’ll probably notice that there are two colors which dominate the room. White and Red. I love the white because it lightens the room and I also love the red because it’s a strong contrast to the white which is supposed to let me think out of the box and makes me fell good.

In the end it comes down to a clean, ordered and uncluttered work-area which makes me happy and helps me to get work done. The best part is I’m happy when I can sit down at my desk to get work done rather than sitting at school at desks which are not that great designed and chairs which are not comfortable.

The MacBook plus Screen, Keyboard and Mouse

What is your thought about the workspace? Is it worth spending some time and money to design a great work-area and to keep it clean? Or don’t you care about the place you are working in? What do you think? Feel free to leave a comment.

Apple File Vault

Normally I’m not a big fan of Apple’s File Vault and for that reason I haven’t activate it till the 25c3. I thought that would be a security option which I shouldn’t miss. So, I activated it, went to the 25c3 and nothing happened. I came back home and plugged my Time Machine hard drive into my MacBook and still nothing unusual happened. But some days ago – it was the first of January – after that I came back to my MacBook and it wouldn’t start.

Restoring

That was the first moment I thought that, there is something wrong. Future testing and it turned out that the hard drive broke again. I was lucky that a family member of mine was able to give me a 2.5″ hard dive to plug into my MacBook and I was serious that I’m able to restore the system with my Time Machine backup. But that turned out to be wrong. I tried to install the system via the Mac OS X 1.5 Leopard DVD and restoring, everything went well. I tried to log in and an error message popped up saying that something was wrong with the users File Vault image.

Seeing something like this really scares me. All work gone? All pictures taken at the 25c3 gone? But I didn’t gave up. I tried again, this time with the last Time Machine Backup made just before I left without File Vault turned on. And the restore and the following login went smoothly. But there was still the problem with my Aperture Library which was rearranged entirely in this few days I was not at home. There I just had luck, that I backed up the Library via Aperture Vault just after coming home. I restored the Aperture Library via this Vault and had my system back where it’s now. Just some little changes, some text files and apps deleted, some new installed and written down some text and everything works again.

Conclusion

That’s the story how Apple’s Time Machine and Aperture’s Vault saved all my work don mostly in 2008. And I even learned a big something, that I have to be careful with File Vault and should use more than one way to back up my files – on a regular bases.
Have you ever had such a extreme case of backup need?

First I think the iPod will be around for years and will not stop selling that fast.

iPhone Selling?

Ok the iPhone is selling really well (especially if you compare it to the first selling of the iPod’s) but you must consider that back than apple was not as popular as it’s now (especially in the not professional working scene)!

What will happen to the iPod?

I think the iPod selling will slower or if it comes hard and fast decrees. But also I think that if they are going to hold the iPod up to date (especially the touchy thing:D) than the iPod would be going to sell great, cause the iPhone contracts are  for many people really not affordable (and many people just don’t need internet everywhere!).

More likely an iPod touch than the iPhone? (My Way)

For me I’m looking forward to a iPod touch update and than going to buy that (if it offers new great things like the new 3G iPhone, especially GPS would be really nice) cause I think that everywhere internet wouldn’t be that nice and the monthly fee is just to expensive!

One thing I think they should change is the mayor updating of the iPod touch for money! They just should give it out for free!!! Or much less (something around the 5-10$US)!

What/How to see?

Did you ever see the dashboard / finder-movements in slow motion?
Well if not, now you can. Simply press “shift” and than make the finder / dashboard move with for example the F-Keys (F9 – F12) or just opening an folder.
Normally you wouldn’t see that much, it flips up fast ad there it is, but if you press “shift” this movements are slower.

Conclusion

Did you new that function(?) and what do you think of it(?), let me know in the comments.

In my opinion this function isn’t something useful, but I’m proud that I found it myself (OK it was random and not planed but I found it myself:D).

And it’s once interesting to know how the movements look in slow motion isn’t it?

The iPhone

For now I decided not to purchase the iPhone.
Maybe you think that this decision is ugly and bad, cause I could purchase it, and the costs are not the problem, but I have thought about the iPhone quiet some time and came to the end that if I buy the iPhone, than I can go online nearly everywhere I want, and that’s the problem!

I’m on the Internet if I’m at home, and the time outside, at the train to school and so on I’m offline and not connected to the internet what means, that I do other things like reading books, thinking about new ideas and sometimes designing on white paper.

Now if I purchase an iPhone I consider my self not to read books, write down new ideas, or designing new web-designs, rather than surfing the web via the iPhone. Thats why I’m not going to buy the iPhone.

Oh, by the way: if I’m not going to buy the iPhone, I think I’m going to buy something else (not as expensive as a new iPhone but something technically)

What do you think about that desicion? I’m really interessted.

So now finally I made it, I will publish my own private / professional blog. About what I’m going to blog is not clear so. I think at the moment I can say that I’ll blog about what is coming around. So stay tuned and I hope you’ll like the posts. This first post is about a technical thing I’m heading to at the moment and completely hooked up by.

The iPhone 3G

I already have been hooked by the first iPhone, but the contracts which were offered by T-Mobile have been so expensive that a poor student like I’m couldn’t afford it (and the phone it self costs a lot to).
Now the new iPhone 3G is much more affordable (like Steve Jobs told at the WWDC08 Keynote) and the contracts are much more affordable too.
In Germany we have this:

One of the only things I’m thinking about is the data transfare limit, in the contract Complete S – which I’m going to use if I take one iPhone.