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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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Hot Topics in TidBITS Talk/22-Nov-04

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Tracing an email message -- Is there a way to locate the source of email blockage between you and a message recipient? The headers have it. (9 messages)

<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tlkthrd=2375>
<http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/237>

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<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tlkthrd=2376>
<http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/238>

Audion Retired -- Faced with the success of Apple's free iTunes software, Panic has decided to discontinue work on their innovative music application Audion, making it a free download. (4 messages)

<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tlkthrd=2377>
<http://emperor.tidbits.com/TidBITS/Talk/239>

Information: torrent vs trickle -- The original poster says it best: "We're sitting with the grandest technology in human history to slice and dice data, and it JUST DOESN'T WORK EFFECTIVELY." What's the best way to absorb and use information that arrives in our computers every day? (5 messages)

<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tlkthrd=2378>
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Setting up a secure FTP site on my Mac -- You may know that Mac OS X can enable you to set up an FTP server, but what's the best way to go about it? And is hosting from your Mac the best option? (6 messages)

<http://db.tidbits.com/getbits.acgi?tlkthrd=2380>
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