dit und dat

My English speaking site

  • Event-Driven Automation on macOS with Crank

    Crank is a macOS program that runs in the background and automatically performs actions in response to system events (“triggers”), such as a notification, a keyboard shortcut, an AppleScript, or a script written in zsh, Python, Ruby, Perl, or Swift. Since I’m interested in automation on macOS and writing scripts, I found Crank’s approach intriguing…

  • Canvases: Finally Real Widgets for Apple Shortcuts

    Apple Shortcuts capture states, but showing them as a widget? Not a chance. The beta app "Canvases" by @simonbs@mastodon.social now makes it possible with a few shortcuts actions.

  • Before Obsidian: A Short History of Networked Knowledge and Markup

    Obsidian did not emerge from nowhere. This article traces the decades of ideas behind it, from Vannevar Bush’s Memex and Ted Nelson’s Xanadu to the web, wikis, knowledge management, and Markdown. It shows how Obsidian combines networked thinking, backlinks, transclusion, and plain-text durability into a practical personal knowledge system.

  • Don’t Panic — Just Markup: A German-Language Obsidian Guide

    If you're looking for a thorough German-language Obsidian resource to recommend, check out my obsidianguide.de.

  • Sending Emails from Scripts with msmtp

    Send emails straight from the command line – no mail server needed. With msmtp, a bit of Bash, and Python, you can assemble proper MIME messages with HTML parts and correct UTF-8 encoding, then schedule them with cron or launchd. Includes a live weather report script.

  • Obsidian as an Independent Read-It-Later Solution

    Tired of losing your saved links when read-it-later apps like #pocket shut down? I built my own solution using #Obsidian, #Apple Shortcuts #ActionsForObsidian & a bit of CSS. All bookmarks are local, flexible, and fully in your control!

  • How to Share URLs from Chrome & Firefox via AirDrop

    How to Share URLs from Chrome & Firefox via AirDrop. Safari can do it out of the box, but unfortunately Chrome and Firefox can’t: sharing websites via AirDrop. With a simple Apple shortcut, it will work from any browser, and with the BarCuts app, it’s even more comfortable. Here I’ll show you how it works.

  • BarCuts – Faster, Context-Based Access to Shortcuts in macOS

    #BarCuts, the latest app from @zottmann.dev, brings context and clarity to the Apple Shortcuts menu on the Mac! Workflows only appear when they make sense. CLI, #Alfred & #Raycast are supported. A must-have for all automation enthusiasts!

  • When ‘Für_Elise.md’ Isn’t the Same as ‘Für_Elise.md’

    🎵 Did you know ‘Für_Elise.md’ and ‘Für_Elise.md’ might not be the same file name? 🤔 When working with filenames, Unicode normalization (NFC vs. NFD) can lead to unexpected behavior across systems. Learn why this matters and how to handle it!

  • Quick and Dirty Prototyp- Receive Mail for Obsidian

    🚀 Working on a script to fetch unread emails from my mail server and convert them into Markdown files to save them in my Obsidian vault! 📧✨ It's an early prototype, but I'm excited about the potential to streamline my workflow. Using IMAP, Python, and some creativity. Open to feedback and ideas! 💡 #Obsidian #Markdown…