WizbangTech: June 2006 Archives

TechLinks

Posted by John Stansbury · Published: June 29, 2006

Is Google Objective? Manual Edits in Search Results http://blog.outer-court.com/archive/2006-06-28-n67.html Makes you wonder, don't it? How to Make Your AJAX Applications Accessible - 40 Tutorials and Articles http://www.maxkiesler.com/index.php/weblog/comments/how_to_make_your_ajax_applications_accessible/ Because nobody's talking about AJAX these days. Yahoo! Messenger for Mac 3.0 Beta 1 http://messenger.yahoo.com/mac.php YES! Finally we Mac users can have the... [Full Story]

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TechLinks

Posted by John Stansbury · Published: June 28, 2006

Human Interface Design: Gas Pump http://www.cabel.name/2006/06/human-interface-design-gas-pump.html The moral of the story is, "don't use the word 'Press'." Careful where you step! We're moving the furniture in Google Reader. http://googlereader.blogspot.com/2006/06/careful-where-you-step-were-moving.html New Google Reader, with new preferences. rm -r * http://www.veen.com/jeff/archives/000899.html I don't see what the problem is. Just sounds like Linux... [Full Story]

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TechLinks

Posted by John Stansbury · Published: June 27, 2006 · Comments (1)

Slate's New Look http://www.slate.com/id/2144332/nav/tap2/ Um...it's new. Ahem. Yeah, new. ::simple-iq.com:: The simple intelligence test ! http://simple-iq.com/ See how smart you are, dummy. Vitamin Features: The MySpace problem http://www.thinkvitamin.com/features/design/the-myspace-problem MySpace has a problem: it looks like caaaaaaraaaaaap! Actually, it's because it's got some design flaws. GigaOM : Google and MySpace: Woulda,... [Full Story]

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OS X 10.4.7: Get it while it's hot!

Posted by · Published: June 27, 2006

Ready for download. From the release notes: The 10.4.7 Update is recommended for all users and includes general operating system fixes, as well as specific fixes for the following applications and technologies. It includes fixes for: - preventing AFP deadlocks and dropped connections - saving Adobe and Quark documents to... [Full Story]

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WinFS, RIP

Posted by · Published: June 26, 2006

The biggest club Vista-Bashers have wielded up to this point just got a little bigger: ...we are not pursuing a separate delivery of WinFS, including the previously planned Beta 2 release. With most of our effort now working towards productizing mature aspects of the WinFS project into SQL and ADO.NET,... [Full Story]

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9 Ways to Misunderstand Web Standards

Posted by John Stansbury · Published: June 24, 2006

Philipp Lenssen at Google Blogoscoped9 Ways to Misunderstand Web Standards: Misunderstanding #1: "We Need Separate Print Pages" Misunderstanding #2: "We Need an Alternative Mobile Web on Top of the Existing Desktop Web" Misunderstanding #3: "Accessibility Means to Always Use Alt Text" Misunderstanding #4: "Sites Always Become More Accessible With CSS"... [Full Story]

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Firefox 1.5 vs. Opera 9

Posted by John Stansbury · Published: June 24, 2006 · Comments (1)

From willlangford.com I've been a diehard Firefox user sense before Beta 1. I wrote my Firefox Guide earlier this year, once that page hit Slashdot there were several comments about how Opera does all of that and more, without the need of the extensions that Firefox has. I put a... [Full Story]

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WebnoteHappy 1.1

Posted by · Published: June 24, 2006

The Mac bookmark manager WebnoteHappy has been updated to version 1.1. Actually, I've never used it, but I couldn't resist linking any article that mentions "saving things to your private de.licio.us area." Ka-zow!... [Full Story]

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BumpTop 3D Desktop Prototype

Posted by John Stansbury · Published: June 22, 2006

This is the new hotness in the tech biz. The video is from HoneyBrown.ca, and shows off this new paradigm for a desktop environment. Kinda puts that Oragami thing to shame, doesn't it? They have higher resolution movies and BitTorrents for the 100+ megabyte files at HoneyBrown.ca. Link from... [Full Story]

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Opera 9

Posted by John Stansbury · Published: June 22, 2006

Here's what's new in Opera 9: BitTorrent You don't need a separate BitTorrent application to download large files. Simply click a torrent link and start the download. Content blocker Remove ads or images - it's up to you. Right-click (CTRL-click on the Mac) on the Web page and choose "Block... [Full Story]

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Turning waste into fuel

Posted by · Published: June 22, 2006 · Comments (2)

Turning corn into ethanol to be used as fuel - instead of moonshine - isn't anything new. It has, however, only replaced about 3% of our fuel consumption. But scientists are working on a new twist to turn corn stalks and other waste products such as "wood chips, sawdust, wheat... [Full Story]

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Creative Commons Add-in for Microsoft Office

Posted by John Stansbury · Published: June 22, 2006

I feel a disturbance in the Force...Microsoft and Creative Commons, working together: Microsoft and Creative Commons have teamed up to release the Creative Commons Add-in for Microsoft Office, a copyright licensing tool that enables the easy addition of Creative Commons licenses to works created in popular Microsoft Office applications. The... [Full Story]

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Mozilla Firefox Cheat Sheet

Posted by John Stansbury · Published: June 20, 2006 · Comments (1)

Shortcuts for Mozilla Firefox running on Windows XP. Get it here.... [Full Story]

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extortr

Posted by John Stansbury · Published: June 19, 2006

As you know, we love to showcase new Web 2.0 companies. This is no exemption! And I'm not just saying that. It's true. Greatest website, ever. Go there now, because it's awesome. They produce fine, quality products, that website it does! FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, WILL YOU JUST... [Full Story]

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MacBook Po'

Posted by · Published: June 19, 2006

Apparently desperate for a new hero now that Bill Gates is stepping down, the computer industry is turning to the one man who can restore order: Rapper 50-cent. Taking a cue from the One Laptop per Child project, the Gangsta extraordinaire is looking to close the Digital Divide for young... [Full Story]

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Alky: Rosetta on Steroids?

Posted by · Published: June 18, 2006

Via OSNews, here's an interesting-looking project. Alky purports to be a binary translation layer for programs running on non-native operating systems. From the website: We are focused on high-end gaming at the moment, though we will support other applications in the future. Our binary translation layer is already working fully... [Full Story]

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Flock Beta 1

Posted by John Stansbury · Published: June 16, 2006

Flock -- The web browser for you and your friends. The browser's built on the Mozilla source code, and has added features to facilitate easier manipulation of Flickr and Photobucket pictures, and makes it incredibly easy to blog. Take the tour to see more about the browser. It's still... [Full Story]

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Video Podcasting, Government Style

Posted by · Published: June 16, 2006

German Chancellorette Angela Merkel created a quite a little stir a few weeks ago, when she started her own personal video podcast. A true tip of the Hut to New Media and all its promise. Unfortunately, one aspect of the New Media, the ubiquity of simple, cost-effective tools, seems to... [Full Story]

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Netscape copies Digg

Posted by John Stansbury · Published: June 15, 2006

...which copied FARK which copied Slashdot...anways, Netscape has just launched their Digg-clone, but I think they've still got some bugs to work out... UPDATE: Now Rafe Needleman at the News.com Blog says "Netscape's Digg killer is actually something very different." Just because it looks exactly the same is no... [Full Story]

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Biodiesel now cheaper than standard diesel

Posted by · Published: June 15, 2006

It was somewhat inevitable as fuel costs keep rising, but biodiesel has now actually dipped under the cost of regular diesel fuel. At this point its a mere 2 cents, but the more fuel costs rise, the more incentives there will be for companies and co-ops to find ways to... [Full Story]

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Dungeon Siege Film Looms

Posted by · Published: June 15, 2006

Wow, this looks bad. Dungeon Siege, a rather mediocre fantasy slash-'em-up franchise from Microsoft Game Studios, is being made into a movie by schlock director Uwe Boll. The trailer, which you can view online here, makes the film look like a 2-hour version of Star Wars Kid. Horrible stuff. Via... [Full Story]

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Picasa Web Albums Now Online

Posted by · Published: June 14, 2006

Google has activated the Picasa Web Album feature. Haven't tried it out myself, but this functionality's addition to Picasa's flashy interface and solid integration with Blogger make it a pretty attractive package. This feature prematurely poked its head out a few days ago, so it's no big shocker.... [Full Story]

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rendr 2

Posted by John Stansbury · Published: June 14, 2006

If you go to this page by Greg Taff, you'll be able to edit the page code and CSS in real time. "What's the point," you're wondering? This page is a proof-of-concept, meaning it shows that you can do something. In this case, it means that other people can use... [Full Story]

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Allan Odgaar Interviewed

Posted by · Published: June 13, 2006

Macdevcenter has an interesting discussion with Allan Odgaar, developer of the excellent TextMate editor. Included are some good talking points for that Open Source geekout you've been planning. Via TUAW.... [Full Story]

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Apple Market Share set to 'Explode'

Posted by · Published: June 13, 2006 · Comments (3)

Smug Mac weenies (henceforth SMWs) everywhere are torn when it comes to market share. On the one hand, a bigger slice of the pie means a bigger, better software market, and better support from hardware manufacturers. On the other hand, Mac-ubiquity would detract from the feeling of 'differentness' that we... [Full Story]

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Microsoft Releases Windows Malware Stats

Posted by · Published: June 13, 2006

The Washington Post reports: Microsoft today gave the world a rare -- albeit conservative -- glimpse of its view on just how bad the virus and bot problem has gotten for Windows users worldwide. The data comes from 15 months' worth of experience scanning computers with its "malicious-software removal tool,"... [Full Story]

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DZone - fresh links for developers

Posted by John Stansbury · Published: June 12, 2006

From the About page drop-down AJAX thingee: dzone.com (DZ) is a link-sharing community where member participation determines what gets published and what does not. Members submit links to developer-related content into a queue, and you vote to indicate whether or not you like those links. Popular links are automatically... [Full Story]

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Digg to get political?

Posted by John Stansbury · Published: June 12, 2006 · Comments (3)

Rob Hof at The Tech Beat says that Digg may be expanding to include politics. Or, using another brand. Or something...here's what Hof has to say: Digg, the collaborative tech news site, will soon branch out beyond geekdom. At a Web 2.0 panel at the eBay Developers Conference today, President... [Full Story]

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Got 10,000 Bucks to Burn? Philips has 42" 3-D for You!

Posted by · Published: June 12, 2006

Stereoscope display technology is apparently coming of age. Like all auto stereoscopic displays, these screens have one view for your left eye and one slightly offset for the right eye to create the impression of a third dimension without any additional visual aids. In its displays, Philips has implemented nine... [Full Story]

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Mobi Domain Registration Opens For Trademark Holders

Posted by Kevin · Published: June 12, 2006

Monday June 12, 2006 is the start of the Trademark Sunrise for .mobi domain names. Dotmobi is the new top level domain (TLD) for mobile devices. Trademark holders can register their trademark as dotmobi domain names now, so long as the provide proof of a trademark registration number. The dotmobi... [Full Story]

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For gawd's sakes, A CELERON?

Posted by John Stansbury · Published: June 12, 2006 · Comments (1)

That's it, buddy, you're publicly de-linked! I kid, I kid! (Go help Jay name his new computer)... [Full Story]

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The Asteroid Sting

Posted by · Published: June 11, 2006 · Comments (4)

The "Apple vs. Bloggers" rhubarb is one of the most astounding tech legal cases I've ever seen. When Apple lost the case (which they initally won) in an appeal last month, most people saw it as a big win for bloggers' rights as journalists. What most people don't realize, unfortunately,... [Full Story]

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Plan your flights with SeatGuru

Posted by · Published: June 11, 2006

Ever wondered if the flight you're taking will have an Internet connection? Or which seats offer power outlets for your laptop? Well, wonder no more with SeatGuru! You can also see which seats have the most leg-room, which ones don't recline, and which ones have that curious bilgy waft from... [Full Story]

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Death Star Firepower

Posted by John Stansbury · Published: June 10, 2006

This shows up on the internet every once in a while, but it's always worth linking to: How powerful is the Death Star? Looks at the physics necessary to create that big on an explosion, and a possible, rational explanation of the amount of energy necessary. ... [Full Story]

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ChatCreator.com

Posted by John Stansbury · Published: June 10, 2006 · Comments (1)

My thoughts in the image (make with the clicking!).... [Full Story]

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Apple Feeding Frenzy Continues

Posted by · Published: June 10, 2006 · Comments (6)

Apparently having missed the embarrassing smack-down received by anti-DRM activists in France last month, Scandinavian countries are lining up for an Apple-delivered reality check: Denmark, Norway and Sweden plan to force Apple Computers Inc to break the exclusive link between its iPod music players and online iTunes store. ... "iTunes'... [Full Story]

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Microsoft EOLs Windows 98/ME

Posted by · Published: June 9, 2006 · Comments (1)

MIcrosoft will not be patching the latest gaping hole in Windows 98. This also means the end of an entire generation of "Designed for Windows 98" hardware out there, for all intents and purposes. Like any laptop made before 2001. The old Vaio still going strong? Too bad, looks like... [Full Story]

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Keotag

Posted by John Stansbury · Published: June 9, 2006

It's stuff like this that I can get into: a tag search utility that's actually simple to use. Check it: 1. Type your keyword 2. Click icon for list links Now, keotag doesn't guarantee any accuracy, or really give you any options, but it is a quick way for... [Full Story]

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Google Marches On: Browser Synch

Posted by · Published: June 9, 2006 · Comments (1)

Google has released a browser synchronization plugin for Firefox. According to the plugin's README: Google Browser Sync for Firefox is an extension that continuously synchronizes your browser settings - including bookmarks, history, persistent cookies, and saved passwords - across your computers. It also allows you to restore open tabs and... [Full Story]

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GoogleTube Video of the Day calls it quits

Posted by John Stansbury · Published: June 9, 2006

It pains me to see this, but Michael Martine says It's Been Fun..., but it's time to hang up his video posting ways: Running this blog is becoming too much of a chore. I vowed to end it when it wasn't fun anymore, and today I realized that's where things... [Full Story]

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Microsoft relases Vista Beta 2 to the public

Posted by John Stansbury · Published: June 8, 2006

Ever wanted to see if Vista will run on your new Intel iMac? Want to toast your PC's harddrive? Feel like testing the brutal new OS from Microsoft your own self? Then Microsoft has a deal for you! You can now download the public beta of Windows Vista directly... [Full Story]

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Microsoft Culls Yet Another Vista Selling Point

Posted by · Published: June 8, 2006

According to PC Magazine, Microsoft has decided to cut another feature from Windows Vista: PC-to-PC synchronization. Synchronization now joins WinFS and Monad in the great heap of after-market addons for Vista. Although WinFS' status remains in Limbo, Monad will be available as part of the next edition of Exchange Server... [Full Story]

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Apple going nuclear on Creative?

Posted by · Published: June 8, 2006

According to this article at the Washington Post, Apple Computer is ramping up its countersuits against Creative: Apple filed a counterclaim in U.S. District Court for Western Wisconsin and followed that up June 1 with a claim in U.S. District Court for Eastern Texas. In its latest suit, Apple says... [Full Story]

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Google new offerings stiring up controversy

Posted by John Stansbury · Published: June 7, 2006 · Comments (1)

For once, the controversy isn't because they are ripping somebody else's idea off (though it might seem like they are aping Flikr). After Philipp Lenssen at Google Blogoscoped posted a screenshot at the Picassa website, the reaction came fast and furious: GOOGLE! STOP MAKING STUFF! Seriously, fellas, we're having a... [Full Story]

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Some Nitty-Gritty on the $100 Laptop

Posted by · Published: June 7, 2006 · Comments (2)

I recently asked some questions about the The One Laptop per Child Project, as to the openness of the design and the target demographics. Would the hardware design be open-source and available to anyone who wanted to produce it? Would middle-class American kids also be getting them? Who's going to... [Full Story]

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How to Podcast with Skype

Posted by John Stansbury · Published: June 6, 2006

Josh Owens has posted a tutorial on How to Podcast with Skype for Mac and Windows. If you're into podcasting, and using Skype, and you want to podcast with Skype, then this is your tutorial.... [Full Story]

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GPUS to Push Desktops Past the 1000W-Barrier

Posted by · Published: June 6, 2006

Anandtech reports from Computex 2006: Power supply makers are being briefed now in order to make sure that the power supplies they are shipping by the end of this year are up to par with the high end GPU requirements for late 2006/early 2007. You will see both higher wattage... [Full Story]

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Keyboard shortcuts for every Google webapp

Posted by John Stansbury · Published: June 5, 2006

Smallwire posted keyboard shortcuts for every Google webapp. I figured that would be useful to the 8 gajillion users of Google products. From Download Squad.... [Full Story]

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YouTube adds channels

Posted by John Stansbury · Published: June 5, 2006

From the YouTube Blog: We think our users provide some of the most entertaining content in the world, and we're working to continuously develop new and exciting ways for you to broadcast yourself. What better way to do that than to give every user the ability to become their own... [Full Story]

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OPML Support for Firefox

Posted by · Published: June 4, 2006

If you've ever used a stand-alone newsreader to read your RSS feeds, you may have come across a technology called OPML. It's a markup language that was originally used for outlines, but has recently been utilized for saving lists of RSS feeds in a common format for easy import/export from... [Full Story]

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Slashdot Goes Live With New Design

Posted by · Published: June 4, 2006 · Comments (1)

Slashdot has updated their site to use the design of the recent "Redesign Slashdot" contest. I didn't really care for the design when I saw the mock-ups, and now that the entire site has been updated, I'm finding even more things that, while they may make the site seem more... [Full Story]

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McAfee SiteAdvisor Spams Blogs

Posted by Kevin · Published: June 2, 2006

Today the software that runs the Wizbang Network of sites was kind enough to send me a bit of news about our automated spam defenses.A visitor to your weblog Wizbang has automatically been banned by posting more than the allowed number of comments in the last 200 seconds. This has... [Full Story]

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Real Tech News says Google drops Froogle and repaces it with Google Base

Posted by John Stansbury · Published: June 1, 2006

When I was looking at "Google Drops Froogle and Replaces it With Google Base," I couldn't help but think that this was a joke. Sadly, it looks real. Clear case of getting a domain name and wanting to do something with it. Of course, the "All Your Base Are Belong... [Full Story]

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Firefox gets updated to 1.5.0.4

Posted by John Stansbury · Published: June 1, 2006

It's a security update: Mozilla Firefox 1.5.0.4 Release Notes. Make with the downloading, people!... [Full Story]

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Yahoo! Video is confusing

Posted by John Stansbury · Published: June 1, 2006

For people who've used Google Video and YouTube, Yahoo! Video is confusing. First of all, it's a search engine, plus has some videos, and some videos only play on PCs, and the links to other video services are well labeled, but not apparent. What I mean is, it is unclear... [Full Story]

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