firefox extension

Skin Websites, Save Directory Listings and Script your Services Menu

Camino consistently scores in speed and native Cocoa goodness, but often gets left behind by the add-on functionality of its older brother Firefox.

Thanks to an easy hack and tons of user-contributed scripts, you can emulate some of the most popular abilities of Firefox’s most flexible extension: Greasemonkey.

Userstyles.org has a huge repository of css scripts that reshape your favorite websites – from bloglines to IMDB. While these are easily added using a Firefox extension, they can also be added to Camino by pasting the scripts (minus the first namspace line) into a userContent.css in your /Library/Application Support/Camino/chrome folder.

greaderskin Skin Websites, Save Directory Listings and Script your Services Menu

(Above is an example skin for Google Reader that is Aqua-licious)

Java Embedding Plugin

While we’re putting Camino on equal ground with other browsers, we can grab this Open Source plugin to enable newer versions of Java in Camino (or Firefox). While Safari uses the most recent versions of Java are exclusive to Safari, without the above plugin other browsers are left with outdated code. No more!

ThisService

ThisService will turn shell scripts and AppleScripts into system-wide services. You can use these scripts to enter text, transform text or send it to another application. The best example John Gruber’s Markdown (a custom markup language that can be transformed into fully formatted text). For more, see the resources page.

Shindler

Keep directories full of project files that you’d love to catalog? Shindler is a simple application that will create a text file listing the contents of a directory (and its sub-directories). Its as easy as drag and drop. Supported on Tiger, but worked on my Panther machine.

Brian

Feed the Browser

If you’re into the Mozilla family, you’ll be happy to know you can access thousands of RSS feeds with free add-ins. If you on Safari or (eek) IE, there are options for you too.

NewsMonster

NewsMonster is a feature rich (if a little bloated) addition to Netscape/Mozilla. This add-in watches feeds and blogs with update scheduling. NewsMonster also supports PDA synching.

RSS Reader Panel

If smaller Mozilla beasts are more your style, you’ll be interested in this streamlined RSS reader. This Firefox extension allows you to scan RSS headlines. Like NewsMonster, this side panel can import an OPML of your feeds from your RSS reader.

Now for the rest of you, you’ll find similar in-the-browser options from web based services like Bloglines, Feedster or Kinja. These services include OPML import/export and automatic updates.

There you go. Get your news in your browser.

Brian

Making Connections

This week I have some useful freeware for connecting to others browsing the web, controlling computers on a network and using OS X’s powerful SSH with a GUI

blue Making ConnectionsJybe

This Firefox extension is only a beta release, but the premise of “co-browsing” is interesting.

jybemac Making Connections

Install the extension, create a session and others can join for a group “surf”. Anyone in the session can click on links and page loads for all of the participants. The extension supports Firefox/Mac/Win and IE/Win.

mu Making ConnectionsOSXvnc

VNC is a well supported, free protocol for observing/controlling computers on a network. While it is a bandwidth hog, it will put you in control of remote machines running the VNC background application,

mu Making ConnectionsFugu

We have the University of Michigan to thank for this GUI for OS X’s command line SSH.

fugu Making Connections

This file transfer method is superior to the less secure FTP we’re used to.

mu Making ConnectionsDropCopy

This Panther-only utility lets you easily send files and folders and swipe text clipboard contents from Rendezvous connected Macs. It runs out of your way on the menu bar.

I hope you all find someone special to connect with using this week’s picks. If that special someone happens to be a Windows machine, then better luck next time.

Brian

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