Jan07

Technorati cosmos within NetNewsWire

I wrote an AppleScript for NetNewsWire that allows a user to subscribe to the Technorati cosmos for any individual item within NetNewsWire. Users now have a quick and easy way of staying informed about the latest information related to items of interest from the convenience of NetNewsWire. You do not even have to be online to subscribe to the cosmos!

This code is the second AppleScript I have ever written -- the first was to export my feeds as OPML and FTP the to my server. I almost did not submit it to the Technorati developers' contest but I won a runner-up prize!

NetNewsWire 2.0b10 added support for Yahoo! News as a special search engine subscription feed. I thought Technorati should be added to that list too, but the issue of 500 daily queries per API key might impede implementation and user experience. So I hacked my own solution.

Code

Download the AppleScript, decompress, and place the file in under the NetNewsWire scripts directory: Application Support > NetNewsWire > Scripts. You should now see "Technorati Cosmos" in NetNewsWire's AppleScript menu.

NetNewsWire Technorati Cosmos API key input

When you first run the script you will be prompted for a Technorati API key. If you have any problems with the persistence of the key you can edit the AppleScript and enter the key directly.

This AppleScript has been tested with NetNewsWire 2.0b10. The code is available for modification, integration, and reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution License.

4 Comments

Commentary on "Technorati cosmos within NetNewsWire":

Subscribe to new comments

  1. Chris on January 8, 2005 at 10:04 AM wrote: #

    I just came across this, but don't know anything about APIs outside of what they do. How would I get an API key?
  2. ? Niall Kennedy on January 8, 2005 at 10:23 AM wrote: #

    You need to be a Technorati member before you are issued a Technorati key. http://www.technorati.com/developers/apikey.html Visit the page above and copy your API key if you are already a member or sign up for a Technorati account.
  3. cinemaminima on March 27, 2005 at 4:26 AM wrote: #

    Would you please explain how the script is to be used?
  4. Arjan on November 9, 2005 at 12:21 PM wrote: #

    Thanks Niall, this is really cool! Works like a charm.

Add a comment

Some comments may be placed in a moderation queue to ensure topical relevancy. You may contact author Niall Kennedy directly if you prefer to comment privately.


(not published)



Niall Kennedy Niall Kennedy is a web technologist in San Francisco, California in the United States. I am very interested in the world of... MORE »

Search this weblog:

Subscribe:

Conference: Widget Summit

Widget Summit attendee button

Latest feature: Widget development

Archives: Popular Categories