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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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JesterCapWhat?! Something about this article seems odd? Maybe you should read it again carefully, or double-check the date it was published...
 

TidBITS Staff Cited

Last week, TidBITS publisher Adam C. Engst, and TidBITS staff members Geoff Duncan and Tonya Engst were cited for the use of the phrase, "damn tootin'" in a TidBITS issue. The citation came after concerns that the phrase violated the indecency clauses in the recently passed Communications Decency Act.

The ACLU has already offered to pay all legal fees associated with the court case, and is optimistic of a successful verdict that will exonerate the TidBITS staff. Senator Exon, sponsor of the Communications Decency Act stated that he's never read TidBITS, but said "the title alone leads me to believe that the publication should be banned. It's only one character off from a lewd, lascivious, and titillating word, and that's only the title. I can only imagine what filth may reside within."

Allegedly, a group of 12 and 13-year old Girl Scouts had gathered for their weekly fix of "90210," the popular prime time television soap opera, but started reading TidBITS-320 during the advertisements. The group began to speculate as to the various meanings of the phrase "damn tootin'" and reportedly went downhill fast from there, falling into an Internet-induced frenzy involving heavy intravenous drug use that almost led the girls to lives of prostitution.

 

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