NetNewsWire sets your web time free

NetNewsWire sets your web time free
Mac Tip #321, 16 January 2008

Interested in something — current affairs, technology, sport, TV shows, dogs? You’re bound to be. And there are bound to be websites that carry news and information on that topic. [And if not, why not set one up?]

Do you spend a heap of time visiting those same sites, looking for what’s new? If so, then it’s time to think about a change, by using the now entirely free-of-charge NetNewsWire. It’s one of my long-term favourite bits of software.

For example, I like to look at (and sometimes save) the daily Astronomy Picture of the Day (APoD). The screenshot shows the gorgeous picture for 8 January 2008 as I see it in NetNewsWire.

On the left is the list of all the websites I monitor (subscriptions), grouped into Folders. I’ve selected the APoD feed. The middle column shows all the news items from the APoD site that I haven’t yet read. I’ve selected the 2008 January 8 item. The right-hand column displays the picture and description.

To follow the APoD site, or any other site, for yourself, download NetNewsWire and install it.

Make sure you’re connected to the Internet. Open NetNewsWire and choose File > New subscription…. A subscription dialog box appears.

Paste the APoD address into the URL field and click the Subscribe button:
http://bootleg-rss.g-blog.net/antwrp_gsfc_nasa_gov_apod.php

Don’t worry for the moment about the options for folders or synchronising.

NetNewsWire now connects to the APoD site and downloads recent Pictures of the Day. Select one from the list to see the picture and description.

[This post of mine may interest you: NetNewsWire gem: Add Image to iPhoto Library.]

Also subscribe to these addresses for the MacTips Archive and my TiKouka blog:

• http://mactips.info/tips/feed/
• http://mactips.info/blog/feed/

On sites you visit look for the RSS feed address — most sites have one these days — and add the feed to NetNewsWire.

Now be sure to run NetNewsWire at least once per day. Go to the News menu and choose Refresh All Subscriptions. That tells NetNewsWire to look at the website feeds you’ve added and find anything new. After a few moments you can sit back and browse through just the new items from websites that interest you.

Coming soon: Automate NetNewsWire.

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