TextExpander 2.4.1 is now available. In the course of fixing the memory leak for 2.4, I made a mistake on the code for handling the case of abbreviations. Once again “tiat” and “Tiat” can expand to “This is a test.” Yay! To all those affected, sorry for the trouble, and happy typing!
TextExpander: Day-to-Date Conversions via AppleScript
International date format
U.S. date format
Unzip the file and then choose “Add Group From File…” in the plus (+) menu under your list of snippets.
You could also link directly to the groups on our server. Choose “Add Group from URL…” and enter one of these URLs:
International: http://www.smileonmymac.com/te/Dates.textexpander
U.S.: http://www.smileonmymac.com/te/DatesUS.textexpander
Thanks to Mar for sharing these. As he notes, they are modifiable, so if you have your own special date needs–and are not afraid of a little code– download the file and customize it!
Or better yet, create a new and exciting snippet group and share it with the rest of us. 
(Send them to me at jean@smileonmymac.com.)
More Haikus for Our 5th Birthday!
Mac Geek Gab wrapped up its poetry contest. Five winners got their choice of SmileOnMyMac applications to celebrate our 5th birthday. I posted the first three winners last week. Here’s a couple more.
(Also, I have to compliment Bryan Chaffin at Apple Weekly Report. For the birthday giveaways on that show, Bryan used D&D* dice to select the winners! LOL )
Ron Miller wrote this spare gem of a poem:
Form meets function here
What I can think, I can Mac
Beauty still within
—
And from Joshua Horne, an epic haiku (is that a contradiction in terms? Oh well…)
A story in haiku
Back in the dark times,
Computing gave no delight
I was on Windows.
A friend saw my plight
He enlightened my poor soul
“Get a Mac”, he scolds.
iMac? Mac Mini?
What could all of these names mean?
I said, “I’ll start small.”
I received my Mac;
It was so white and so slick.
Mouse, Keyboard and all.
Was simple at first
But issues always arise,
Who could now guide me?
I needed some help,
I turned to podcasts for it,
Two gabbing Mac geeks.
Once I was clueless,
Computing was not my thing.
Then a Mac I bought.
Mac Geek Gab taught me;
I’m now a master of Mac,
Where once I was not.
Thanks to everyone who wished us the best on our 5th anniversary. “Five years and still smiling” as we say!
* D&D = Dungeons & Dragons (but everyone knows that, right?)
TextExpander: Nice AppleScript Shortcut for bit.ly
easy way to get TinyURLs via TextExpander‘s AppleScript snippet capabilities.
bit.ly is another URL shortening service that has some very interesting features, like history, thumbnails and click-through stats. Jonathan Berger posted an article at LIVEdigitally on creating a TextExpander AppleScript snippet to quickly generate bit.ly shortcuts.
It works. Here’s the link to his article, bit.lyfied: http://bit.ly/2Oroik
Happy 5th Birthday, SmileOnMyMac
Five years ago this month, SmileOnMyMac released its first product, DiscLabel, at the Macworld Creative Pro Expo in New York. It won a Best of Show Award; the rest, as they say, is history.
To celebrate, we are giving away some free licenses via the excellent podcasts that we are proud to sponsor: Your Mac Life, Mac Geek Gab, MacCast and the Apple Weekly Report.
(Update: we are also offering a birthday special discount. Listen to one of our sponsored podcasts for details!)
Dave Hamilton of the Mac Geek Gab decided to have a poetry contest to give away the licenses, and so far, the winners are great! Here’s a few:
From Randy Chevrier:
Five candles blown out.
Smile has made life so easy.
They’re great beyond doubt.
So much text to type!
Eureka! TextExpander.
Fingers are at peace.
From Mark Newton:
Geek Gab costs me naught.
Two nerds offer food for thought.
Then warn “Don’t get caught.”
(Yes, there was a preference for haiku!)
From Paul DeCarli:
There were two Mac geeks whom I thought
Give the best advice that I’ve got.
The fanboy or switcher,
Poorer or richer,
We Geek Gab fans sure don’t get caught.
(If you are wondering about the references to not getting caught, you should listen to Dave — and the awesome John Braun, his co-host — on Mac Geek Gab.)
Got your own poem? Post it in the comments!