Mac OS X Services in Snow Leopard
Mac OS X Services let one application supply its powers to another; for example, a Grab service helps TextEdit paste a screenshot into a document. Most users either don't know that Services exist, because they're in an obscure hierarchical menu (ApplicationName > Services), or they mostly don't use them because there are so many of them.
Snow Leopard makes it easier for the uninitiated to utilize this feature; only services appropriate to the current context appear. And in addition to the hierarchical menu, services are discoverable as custom contextual menu items - Control-click in a TextEdit document to access the Grab service, for instance.
In addition, the revamped Keyboard preference pane lets you manage services for the first time ever. You can enable and disable them, and even change their keyboard shortcuts.
Submitted by
Doug McLean
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TidBITS#856/20-Nov-06
There's a lot to cover before our Thanksgiving hiatus. Jeff Carlson marvels at how much less his new MacBook Pro costs compared to his previous Apple laptops, and also runs into a dastardly Retrospect problem while upgrading. Matt Neuburg notes the release of PTHPasteboard 4.0 and looks at MindManager for the Mac. Glenn Fleishman ponders power and iPods on airplanes after a recent Apple announcement, and we also note the release of firmware updates for Intel-based Macs, Apple Remote Desktop 3.1, and an update of "Take Control of Digital TV." Our next issue will be 04-Dec-06, but please send your holiday gift suggestions to TidBITS Talk in the meantime!
(Published 3 years and 17 weeks ago)
Thanksgiving Hiatus: Next Issue 04-Dec-06
This coming Thursday is the Thanksgiving holiday in the United States, so we're taking the week off to spend time with family and friends (and, of course, to Take Control of Thanksgiving Dinner with the help of Joe Kissell's ebook)Show full article
Submit Your Holiday 2006 Gift Ideas
For those of us who publish holiday gift coverage, the approach of Thanksgiving is a warning sign - get started! So, for our traditional holiday gift issue of reader suggestions, scheduled for publication toward the end of the first week in December, please tell us what gifts you're planning to put on your holiday wish list or to present to your loved ones this yearShow full article
Apple Updates Firmware for Intel-based Macs
Apple released firmware updates for its line of Intel-based Macs last week, addressing Boot Camp, start up, and wake-from-sleep issues. Be sure to follow the directions (worth printing out) when applying the updates; instructions for creating a Firmware Restoration CD are also availableShow full article
Apple Remote Desktop 3.1 Adds Lights-Out Management
Apple last week released Apple Remote Desktop 3.1, making the company's remote control and management application into a universal binary and fixing numerous bugs and limitations that you can read more about on Apple's Web siteShow full article
PTHPasteboard Really Returns, Adds Pro Version
As I predicted in "PTHPasteboard Returns, Better Late than Never" (2005-03-21), Paul Haddad's PTHPasteboard 4.0 is here, it's free, and it's better than everShow full article
iFly Me!
Up to six airlines will soon make it easier to use your iPod in flight by providing power connections at each seat along with an adapter to enable viewing video content on a seat-back screenShow full article
MindManager Comes to the Mac
A mind map is a diagram of connected ideas. In the past, I've written about various mind-mappers, including the minimalist Pyramid ("Pyramid Therapy," 2004-09-13) and the full-featured NovaMind ("Draw What's On Your Mind With NovaMind," 2006-04-17)Show full article
More Bang, Less Bucks for My MacBook Pro
After patiently waiting for Apple to give the MacBook Pro line a boost, I finally ordered a new Intel Core 2 Duo-based MacBook Pro to replace my three-year-old PowerBook G4Show full article
Retrospect vs. Sparse Disk Image Files
Here at TidBITS, we like to think that we face adversity so you don't have to. We use our Macs all day long, sometimes even in the evenings, looking for ways to shoulder your karmic burden of computer troubles. In other words, when bad stuff happens, we write about it because we can, and sometimes that can help someoneShow full article
Take Control News/20-Nov-06
"Take Control of Digital TV" Updated for Holiday Season -- We've released a new version of Clark Humphrey's "Take Control of Digital TV," updating information about HDTV programming in the United States, the next-generation DVD format war, and Internet-based video download sitesShow full article
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Disappearing laptop display -- The backlighting on a reader's iBook occasionally goes dark, prompting several suggestions from the TidBITS community. (10 messages) Dreamweaver previews not opening in Internet Explorer -- A Web designer runs into trouble with Internet Explorer 5 for Mac, which leads to the question of whether it's worth it to test in an outdated and unsupported browserShow full article





