Mac OS X: Extensions and AdBlocking …

Oh …

HANDY … !

I’ve got to admit, it’s been a while since I’ve gone anywhere near writing about OS X.

Quite simply, that’s a lack of money: mostly, I’ve not got the dosh to spend on new bits of kit.

But one thing I do know is that I’ve given something a try, tonight.

And that both the computer industry — and computer design — has led to a bewildering variety of terms that add up to the same thing.

Or maybe I should say add-ons … ?

You see, I’ve actually managed to make of use the Safari Extensions Gallery that Apple have included with the update to Safari 5.0.

Now, software extensions — or plug-ins, add-on, themes, what-ever you want to call them* — have been around for for a very long time.

In fact Apple had included them with most versions of Mac OS. The vintage Performa 6400/200 that I’ve got runs Mac OS 7.5, complete with dozens that launch on start-upº.

And Firefox has included extensions — of one sort or another — for some time.

Which, incidentally, is possibly what prompted Apple to include them Safari. Or that’s what I believe, anyway.

We can’t let the open-source crowd get ALL the credit, now CAN we … ?

At any rate, the simple fact that the Safari Extension gallery was there prompted to have a look.

Which was …

Well …

For me, personally, a little unimpressive.

There’s not much in there — yet — that caught my eye. Although I may tinker with some of the search engine and picture grabbing ones.

The two that did catch my eye, though, were the Twitter bar — which I may just swap for one of the URI shortening extensions — and a Safari version of the AdBlocker for Chrome.

Which has left me with a lot of naked — but advert-free — web pages.

And, my LORD, doesn’t Facebook look different … !

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* Although I’m told there’s a variety of very subtle — possibly too subtle for a layman, like me — technical differences between each term.

º Actually, the geekiest suggestion for a set of tattoos that I ever saw was from a writer in MacWorld magazine, ages ago. He suggested designing your own versions of the little jigsaw piece extension logos — one for being born, getting a new job, getting married, what have you — and have them tattooed on whatever body part you felt appropriate, as and when. And get a little red line tattooed through the relevant one, when you changed jobs, got divorced or died. Although you’d probably need a bloody quick tattooist for that last one …