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DongleMagic for Mac OS X

Submitted by: bshumate
Created: May 11, 2007, 12:25 pm

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The Elevator Pitch

For Mac users who frequently make use of removable devices, both FireWire and USB, the DongleMagic utility is a light, simple, and elegant application that allows Macintosh power users to define arbitrary actions based upon the insertion or ejection of any FireWire or USB device. Unlike the operating system and certain applications, our product allows Mac users to define any number of events and actions, from Applescript, to Automator workflows to occur when a device is connected or disconnected, inserted or ejected on the user's Mac.

The Idea

A neat *little* application for OS X that allows for definition of arbitrary actions, AppleScript, Applications, Automator Workflows, etc. to be launched upon the insertion / removal of specific devices into the FireWire and USB ports of a Mac to fill the void where certain applications or behaviors are not aware of the device insertion / removal.

The convenience factor is high - the security risks may pose technical hurdles.

Imagine having simple things like the following happen when you insert media devices for example :

o Automatic copy of your OS X Keychain file(s) on designated device(s)
o Automatic launch of an Automator workflow for importing photographs
o Automatic launch of video applications to import raw DV from camera/disc
o The sky is the limit

I thought of this idea when I was...

writing my own whacky applescript app to do some of the above. This really needs to be a slick Apple app, small, focused, and elegant, with all the internals magic to wrangle the devices and actions properly, and it could fly!

Other entire Mac boutique software companies have been founded on similar apps!

Comments Posted

deller Posted: May 11, 2007, 12:17 pm

This is a killer idea Sure would like to see this happen!

anathema Posted: May 12, 2007, 4:41 am

I don't really get this. Is it not already possible to autorun stuff on a USB stick?

bshumate Posted: May 12, 2007, 8:49 pm

No. Not on the Mac- not as I describe.

Sure, a Mac will "autorun" iPhoto when a camera is plugged in, but I am talking about *universal* and *arbitrary* devices and actions, which is not possible without some kind of application to define what to do do when a certain thing is inserted or removed.

If such an application providing this functionality does exist, I'd like to know about it. :-)

Robintje Posted: May 22, 2007, 6:23 am

Hm.. I like the idea very much.

Good luck on making it a business!

Brenden Posted: May 30, 2007, 9:59 am

I dont use a mac much... but if you think its need then u should get working

Hello!

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