Today, as I was waiting for some software to install in the background on my computer (a digital equivalent of watching paint dry), I decided to check out Dashcode, a Mac development tool that makes creating custom Dashboard widgets really, really simple. So simple, in fact, that after about 30 minutes of work I have something to share!

The 2008 SIM Conference Countdown widget does exactly what you think it might–it displays a counter on your Dashboard so you can easily see how long you’ve got to plan your travel and get that PowerPoint ready for this summer’s 30th Anniversary International SIM Conference. Once installed it looks something like this:

(By the way, it’s counting down to Tuesday, July 15, at 6:00 PM. I don’t know if it takes the time zone into effect but I doubt it.)

Want this widget on your Dashboard? Here’s what you need to do:

1. Make sure your computer can run the widget. First things first: You need a Mac. Sorry, Windows people. Second, your Mac needs to have OS X 10.4.3 or newer. You can find out which version of Mac OS you have by going to your Apple menu, then “About This Mac.”
2. Download the widget to your computer. (Provided as-is, no warranty implied, yada yada yada.) What will most likely happen is the file will download to either your Downloads folder or Desktop, automatically expand, and ask you if you want to add the new widget to your Dashboard. If so, you should be ready to roll!
3. If you downloaded the widget and nothing happened, check your Desktop or Downloads folder for a file called “2008 SIM Conference Countdown” or “2008 SIM Conference Countdown.zip.” If you see the former, just double-click it to open it on your Dashboard. If you see the latter, first double-click on it to decompress the zipped file, then double-click on the “2008 SIM Conference Countdown” icon (black, rounded rectangle) to add it to your Dashboard.

Hope you enjoy the widget! Dashcode has been fun to tinker with, so don’t be surprised if I add more widgets here down the road. Let me know what you think!

Want more widgets? Check out Apple’s widget directory.

Tags: macintosh, sim conference