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- - Black background - no distractions? (http://hintsforums.macworld.com/showthread.php?t=66076)

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Can I suggest the app detects if the last illuminated app is running or not ,
and if not offers up your floating app dock.

~~Already on the list, yeah.~~ Taken care of.

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Originally Posted by Mikey-San (Post 348988)

Blackout 0.2, enjoy. I'll probably do more work on it this weekend.

http://www.mikey-san.net/Blackout02.dmg

Mikey-San, this is just gorgeous! Right now I’m running a very deep midnight blue in a darkened office.

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Originally Posted by ArcticStones (Post 349043)

Mikey-San, this is just gorgeous! Right now I’m running a very deep midnight blue in a darkened office.

I'm pretty far into 0.3, which fixes a bunch of bugs in 0.2 and pretties up the entire app a little bit. (For example, I apologize for the colour well/colour panel bugs. They've been stepped on.)

I'll post something when there's a new version to download.

Perhaps some of the techniques from this Apple doc about making kiosks will be of help: http://developer.apple.com/technotes/tn2002/tn2062.html

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Originally Posted by hayne (Post 349097)

Perhaps some of the techniques from this Apple doc about making kiosks will be of help: http://developer.apple.com/technotes/tn2002/tn2062.html

The problem is that SetSystemUIMode() only affects the application that invokes it. Example:

Code:

OSStatus errUIMode = SetSystemUIMode(kUIModeAllSuppressed, kUIOptionAutoShowMenuBar);

        

if (errUIMode != noErr)

{

        // handle some error

}

If you invoke this and then switch to another application, that application's UI mode takes effect. If you switch to Mail, for example, the menu bar and Dock reappear.

To be honest, even if I could twiddle this in other applications, I don't think I would want to. If something goes wrong with Blackout, it could derelict another application's UI mode.

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Originally Posted by Mikey-San (Post 349068)

I'll post something when there's a new version to download.

Looking forward to it.

.
I really, really appreciate your app!
It’s my birthday today, you know? Didn’t know I would be getting something this cool! :cool:

Will do my very best to make a contribution to the baptism, Mikey-San.

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Originally Posted by Mikey-San (Post 348849)

Also, Blackout is a code name while I think of something better. I don't like the connotation, as blackouts are usually bad things; losses of functionality.

Mikey-San, I actually like the name Blackout, and it’s very descriptive. But I do see your point about negative connotations. Did some more thinking about that this weekend...

How about CleanSpace, AppLighter or DarkFrame? Or WorkLight?

CleanStage, LitApp, AppLight, LuminousApp, BackgroundHider, CleanBackdrop, DarkStage, BlackWorld, StageLight, LuminousWorkspace.

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Originally Posted by Mikey-San (Post 348848)

Being able to bring something else into the blacked-out world for a short moment made me giddy, so I kept it that way.

Make sense? :)

That makes lots of sense! One of the things that really appreciate is the ease of switching back and forth between apps in Blackout. I’ve gratefully been using it since you posted the download.

Let's think about the anatomy of a name for a moment, before I reveal the new name.

What's in a name?

In general, there are four ways you can go with the name of a product, be it software, hardware, cars, or anything else:

The practical name, the conceptual name, the nonsensical name, and the connotative name.

The practical name describes what a product resembles or does; it's mostly a description of functionality, but usually incorporates the metaphor of the product. Microsoft Windows is an example of a practical name that describes part of the product (a window being a piece of the operating system), while at the same time being a reference to the product's associated metaphor (the "window" metaphor). It's really not a bad name, though I know Mac users like to dump on it with clever names like Windoze and Winblows. Another example of a good practical name would be Pages.

The practical name loves to show off puns, plays on words, and InterCaps. Not that there's anything wrong with that, right, QuickTime?

The conceptual name is similar to the practical name, in that it relates to the metaphor of the product. Where the conceptual name differs, however, is that it drops the practical resemblance aspect of the practical name. It describes the idea behind the product instead of the product itself. Dashboard falls into this category, because it doesn't describe any functional aspect of the product, but it communicates the concept on which it's based.

The nonsensical name is the blue jeans ad of product naming. It doesn't have anything to do with the product, you can't pull meaning out of it, and it's just as malleable as it is impervious to interpretation. Think Kazaa or Zune. This is probably the most volatile type of product name, because it's a complete toss-up as to whether or not you're going to gain any kind of mindshare with an otherwise meaningless name. Your marketing department both loves and hates the nonsensical name.

The last category is the connotative name. It wants to be nonsensical, but it knows that it needs to be somewhat descriptive. It doesn't directly describe the product, and it doesn't describe absolutely nothing, either. The connotative name is the sort of name that tells you something about the product after you've experienced it. Firefox, iPod--these are connotative names.

On paper, none of these categories is bad. Really, they all have their place in the vast, unending sea of products. The trick is choosing the right kind of name for your product.

With that, I've decided to go with a conceptual name for my app:

Think

I wonder if it crossed your mind to call it:

iThink :D

The i-prefix doesn't really accomplish anything for me, other than mimicking other people's product names. ;)

Bad joke I Think there for I...... :)

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Originally Posted by ArcticStones (Post 348146)

.
There are times when I am working and would truly like to minimise the distractions.

Is it possible in OSX to “black out” (literally black) all other windows than the active one, or the specific ones that I choose to have active? Well, it would be great if this was an option not just in OSX itself, but in every single app I choose to run on my Mac.

Possible?

Try "VirtueDesktops" [check versiontracker]. It appears to offer what you need. It has the future Mac OS X "Spaces" features you're looking for today in a menu app.

You can show only the applications that you want and even change the desktop background to black. Be sure to go to "Current Desktop..." then "Set this desktop" {including desktop picture} for each working setup.

I have not been using it long (it's still beta), but so far it works great! Just a menu item away uncluters your workspace. check it out. Disclaimer: I don't have any affiliation with the developer.

ThoughtSpace ThinkRoom LobsterClouds

.
That is a good conceptual name, Mikey-San -- the same as a Norwegian electric car. :cool: But that should hardly present a problem.

Let me add a few suggestions, in case you should wish to expand it beyond a 4+1 letter word. What Blackout does for me is to establish a creative space, a room in which I can tune out visual distractions.

ThoughtSpace, ThinkRoom, ThoughtRoom, CreativeCave or something along those lines might work as well. Perhaps even MyRoom or SmartSpace.

And then there is BreathingSpace. or LobsterClouds. but that’s taken

I don’t know how it is in the USA, but here you would have a hard time trademarking an ordinary, existing word. Of course that may not be a consideration...

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LobsterClouds

Should I send you a copy? ;)

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ThoughtSpace, ThinkRoom, ThoughtRoom, CreativeCave or something along those lines might work as well. Perhaps even MyRoom or SmartSpace.

ThinkTank

Makes me think of sensory deprivation as well as a place for ideas.

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Originally Posted by Mikey-San (Post 349551)

Should I send you a copy? ;)

Please do! I’ve been reading a bit of it on your website.
I’ll send you something in return.

-- ArcticStones

The name is decided, guys. Start talking about other stuff.

-- Thanks, Management

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Originally Posted by Mikey-San (Post 349565)

The name is decided, guys. Start talking about other stuff.

-- Thanks, Management

Very cool program. Out of random curiousity, why does clicking on the black background make the whole screen "refresh" (flash, etc)? Also, why did something called Speech Feedback open?

I think I'll go do some reorganization after reading about "The Glance."

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If the amount of information I can absorb over a period X is greater than the amount of information I can see during period X, there's a bottleneck somewhere.

Thanks for making us think and, um, Think.