What Users Are Doing
The uses of Script Timer are limited only by the user’s imagination. This page lists a few uses for Script Timer that you might not have thought of.
If you have what you think is a novel or unusual use for the program, please consider submitting it to us to post on this page so as to share it with others.
Have Your Computer Speak Your Appointments for the Day
Mac and iOS consultant Christian Boyce has developed this interesting project. Christian has written a script, scheduled to run by Script Timer, that reviews his Calendar entries for the day and speaks them aloud.
Remind Yourself to Take a Break
Schedule the Reminder bundled script or the bonus ‘Nag Script’ to put a reminder on the screen to take a break to avoid repetitive strain injuries.
Empty the Trash on a Schedule
It’s easy to forget to empty the trash and therefore keep a large amount of unwanted files on your disk. Schedule the EmptyTrash bundled script to keep wasted disk space to a minimum.
Keep Track of the Amount of Time You Spend on a Project
Use the chronometer bundled script to keep track of the time you spend on a project.
Monitor an Application and Restart It If It Should Crash
When scheduled to run periodically, the bonus script App Monitor can insure that a crucial application remains active while you are away from your computer.
Back Up a File on a More Frequent Basis than Time Machine
The file backup script bonus script can be used to do a scheduled back up of a single file, handy for backing up a constantly changing file.
Suspend and Resume iTunes Playing When You Leave and Return to Your Computer
Schedule the pause iTunes helper script to run at “start of idle”, and the play iTunes helper script to run at “end of idle”. When you leave your computer, use a “hot corner” to immediately idle your computer. Whatever is playing in iTunes will be suspended. When you start using the computer again, iTunes will resume where you left off.
Automatically Open a Document When You Open Your Laptop
Make the relevant document the object of an action that you schedule to run on computer “wakeup”. When you open the laptop and it wakes up, the document will automatically be opened and ready to use.
Have Your Laptop Announce When It is About to Sleep
Schedule the SayIt bundled script to run at system sleep and have it announce that your laptop is about to sleep. When you hear the announcement you know you can safely move the computer. NOTE: This will only work in OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard at this time. Apple has changed the way the sound system works when sleep is imminent in OS X 10.7 and later.
Clean Up Fonts and Other Files On Logout
Computer lab managers can schedule an AppleScript script to run on logout to clean up after a student user.
Check Your Mail When You Return to Your Computer
Schedule the Check_Mail bonus script to run at “end of idle”. When you return to your idle computer it will automatically check your mail.
Send Yourself an Email
On your desktop computer, schedule the Send_Mail bonus script to send a message or changing document to your iPhone at the time you want. If you are using one of the push email services, your iPhone will receive the email close to the time you want.
Have All Your Podcasts Downloaded and Up To Date on Your Own Schedule
Schedule the Update Podcasts bundled script to run while you are away from your computer and when you return all of the podcasts you subscribe to will be up to date and ready to use.
Stop an Audio Stream in iTunes
Use the stop iTunes helper script to completely stop iTunes play. You can use this script alone or in conjunction with Track Timer and Script Timer's dynamic scheduling function to stop iTunes play at the time you want. For example, you could dynamically schedule this script to run after an hour to automatically shut off an audio stream without having to go to your computer to do it manually.
Schedule iTunes Play for Security
Using Script Timer and Track Timer, schedule a program of iTunes tracks to play through external speakers while you are away, giving the illusion that someone is home.
Create and Run an Electronic Carillon Equivalent
Use Script Timer, Track Timer, iTunes, and an external sound system to create and run the equivalent of an electronic carillon system on your Macintosh. See this page for more details.
Run an Internet “Radio Station”
Use Script Timer, Track Timer, iTunes, and Internet broadcasting software ( such as Nicecast) to automatically run an Internet radio station. Using Track Timer’s features you can create a continuous broadcast stream from iTunes, including set station identifiers and commercials, and random selections of tracks.
Run a Small Public Radio Station
One user at a small, remote public radio station has taken the Internet Radio Station idea one step further - he uses the combination of Script Timer, Track Timer, and iTunes to produce an actual radio broadcast.
Control a Macintosh-based Display Kiosk
The movie player bonus script can be used to schedule Quicktime movies. One user schedules a movie to start at a set time and to loop continously. Then he schedules the companion bonus script movie stop to run at the time he wants the looping movie to stop.
Read and Record Data from External Devices on a Schedule
If you have a data acquisition system tied to your Macintosh that can be accessed via AppleScript (for example a 1-Wire system), you can schedule a script to run periodically to collect data. For example, one Script Timer user has a 1-Wire weather station connected to his computer, and has an AppleScript script that (among other functions) can announce the temperature every hour.
Schedule Complicated Overnight Software Builds
Script Timer is not only good for AppleScript scripts. It can also be used to schedule shell scripts, and one user uses it to start a complicated overnight software project build.
The uses of Script Timer are limited only by the user’s imagination. This page lists a few uses for Script Timer that you might not have thought of.
If you have what you think is a novel or unusual use for the program, please consider submitting it to us to post on this page so as to share it with others.
Have Your Computer Speak Your Appointments for the Day
Mac and iOS consultant Christian Boyce has developed this interesting project. Christian has written a script, scheduled to run by Script Timer, that reviews his Calendar entries for the day and speaks them aloud.
Remind Yourself to Take a Break
Schedule the Reminder bundled script or the bonus ‘Nag Script’ to put a reminder on the screen to take a break to avoid repetitive strain injuries.
Empty the Trash on a Schedule
It’s easy to forget to empty the trash and therefore keep a large amount of unwanted files on your disk. Schedule the EmptyTrash bundled script to keep wasted disk space to a minimum.
Keep Track of the Amount of Time You Spend on a Project
Use the chronometer bundled script to keep track of the time you spend on a project.
Monitor an Application and Restart It If It Should Crash
When scheduled to run periodically, the bonus script App Monitor can insure that a crucial application remains active while you are away from your computer.
Back Up a File on a More Frequent Basis than Time Machine
The file backup script bonus script can be used to do a scheduled back up of a single file, handy for backing up a constantly changing file.
Suspend and Resume iTunes Playing When You Leave and Return to Your Computer
Schedule the pause iTunes helper script to run at “start of idle”, and the play iTunes helper script to run at “end of idle”. When you leave your computer, use a “hot corner” to immediately idle your computer. Whatever is playing in iTunes will be suspended. When you start using the computer again, iTunes will resume where you left off.
Automatically Open a Document When You Open Your Laptop
Make the relevant document the object of an action that you schedule to run on computer “wakeup”. When you open the laptop and it wakes up, the document will automatically be opened and ready to use.
Have Your Laptop Announce When It is About to Sleep
Schedule the SayIt bundled script to run at system sleep and have it announce that your laptop is about to sleep. When you hear the announcement you know you can safely move the computer. NOTE: This will only work in OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard at this time. Apple has changed the way the sound system works when sleep is imminent in OS X 10.7 and later.
Clean Up Fonts and Other Files On Logout
Computer lab managers can schedule an AppleScript script to run on logout to clean up after a student user.
Check Your Mail When You Return to Your Computer
Schedule the Check_Mail bonus script to run at “end of idle”. When you return to your idle computer it will automatically check your mail.
Send Yourself an Email
On your desktop computer, schedule the Send_Mail bonus script to send a message or changing document to your iPhone at the time you want. If you are using one of the push email services, your iPhone will receive the email close to the time you want.
Have All Your Podcasts Downloaded and Up To Date on Your Own Schedule
Schedule the Update Podcasts bundled script to run while you are away from your computer and when you return all of the podcasts you subscribe to will be up to date and ready to use.
Stop an Audio Stream in iTunes
Use the stop iTunes helper script to completely stop iTunes play. You can use this script alone or in conjunction with Track Timer and Script Timer's dynamic scheduling function to stop iTunes play at the time you want. For example, you could dynamically schedule this script to run after an hour to automatically shut off an audio stream without having to go to your computer to do it manually.
Schedule iTunes Play for Security
Using Script Timer and Track Timer, schedule a program of iTunes tracks to play through external speakers while you are away, giving the illusion that someone is home.
Create and Run an Electronic Carillon Equivalent
Use Script Timer, Track Timer, iTunes, and an external sound system to create and run the equivalent of an electronic carillon system on your Macintosh. See this page for more details.
Run an Internet “Radio Station”
Use Script Timer, Track Timer, iTunes, and Internet broadcasting software ( such as Nicecast) to automatically run an Internet radio station. Using Track Timer’s features you can create a continuous broadcast stream from iTunes, including set station identifiers and commercials, and random selections of tracks.
Run a Small Public Radio Station
One user at a small, remote public radio station has taken the Internet Radio Station idea one step further - he uses the combination of Script Timer, Track Timer, and iTunes to produce an actual radio broadcast.
Control a Macintosh-based Display Kiosk
The movie player bonus script can be used to schedule Quicktime movies. One user schedules a movie to start at a set time and to loop continously. Then he schedules the companion bonus script movie stop to run at the time he wants the looping movie to stop.
Read and Record Data from External Devices on a Schedule
If you have a data acquisition system tied to your Macintosh that can be accessed via AppleScript (for example a 1-Wire system), you can schedule a script to run periodically to collect data. For example, one Script Timer user has a 1-Wire weather station connected to his computer, and has an AppleScript script that (among other functions) can announce the temperature every hour.
Schedule Complicated Overnight Software Builds
Script Timer is not only good for AppleScript scripts. It can also be used to schedule shell scripts, and one user uses it to start a complicated overnight software project build.
