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diff --git a/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Fri/ms-article-icon.jpg b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Fri/ms-article-icon.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..fa5ce13 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Fri/ms-article-icon.jpg diff --git a/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Fri/ms-more.txt b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Fri/ms-more.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..8b70894 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Fri/ms-more.txt @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +Just for the record -- Microsoft is not evil.
Microsoft is a publicly traded company run by non-evil human beings who work to protect the company's market share and profitability just like any other company.
I recently wrote an article for Wired.com [criticizing][2] Microsoft's attempt to foist a "open" standard on office software users, but in spite of what many readers seem to think, I don't think Open Office XML (OOXML) is a deliberate attempt to screw over users.
The problem is that Microsoft's best interests and users best interests do not always overlap.
For our tech-savvy Monkey Bites readers who'd like a more detailed explanation of how and why OOXML is not good for users, Rob Weir has an excellent post entitled [*How to hire Guillaume Portes*][1] that digs into some of the problems with OOXML in more detail.
From Weir's article:
>It is quite possible to write a standard that allows only a single implementation. By focusing entirely on the capabilities of a single application and documenting it in infuriatingly useless detail, you can easily create a "Standard of One."
...
As I've stated before, if this were just a Microsoft specification that they put up on MSDN for their customers to use, this would be par for the course, and not worth my attention. But this is different. Microsoft has started calling this a Standard, and has submitted this format to ISO for approval as an International Standard. It must be judged by those greater expectations.
[1]: http://www.robweir.com/blog/2006/01/how-to-hire-guillaume-portes.html "How to hire Guillaume Portes"
[2]: http://www.wired.com/news/technology/software/0,72403-0.html?tw=wn_index_2 "MS Fights to Own Your Office Docs"
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But there is one field in which Microsoft software unquestionably dominates -- Office documents. However [competition in the Office field is heating up][1] and more robust alternatives to the MS Office suite are now available.
The most obvious alternative to office is [OpenOffice.org][3], but so far there hasn't been a true native Mac port. As it stands now, there is an OS X port but it requires the X11 windowing system to be installed.
However, if you're like me and you don't want to mess with X11, there is another alternative -- [NeoOffice][2]. NeoOffice is based on the OpenOffice.org office suite, but it incorporates many native Mac features like Aqua menus, OS X fonts and integration with Apple's mail.app.
Die-hard Mac fans will no doubt love the native Aqua look and feel and NeoOffice does a good job adhering to the Apple UI guidelines. In short, if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's probably a duck, even it it uses Java here and there to take advantage of Aqua widgets.
Naturally NeoOffice offers the full set of applications you'd expect in an office suite (including word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, and drawing programs) and it can import, edit, and exchange files with other popular office programs such as Microsoft Office.
So how does it stand up in everyday use?
Well it depends on what your needs are. For most people the word processing app, Writer, will ably do just about anything you want and exports to MS .doc files with ease.
As for reading MS Office files from other people, Writer handled everything I threw at, but some people have reported problems with complex double column formats with embedded images and the like.
Also note that at this time Writer does not support the new MS Word format .docx, but a recent update to the NeoOffice homepage says that .docx support will be available later this quarter.
If for some reason you need to embed video or other multimedia materials in your documents, you'll want to look elsewhere since those features haven't been implemented yet NeoOffice.
I also tested Calc, NeoOffice's spreadsheet program and found it to be slightly less stable (it crashed once while importing a very very large .csv file), but it did an excellent job of importing Ms Excel files.
So can NeoOffice replace MS Office? I would say yes for the casual user like myself. If you regularly have to deal with complex MS Office documents your mileage may vary.
[2]: http://www.planamesa.com/neojava/en/index.php "NeoOffice"
[3]: http://www.openoffice.org/ "OpenOffice.org"
[1]: http://www.wired.com/news/technology/software/0,72403-0.html?tw=wn_index_2 "MS Fights to Own Your Office Docs"
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Fri/reboot.txt b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Fri/reboot.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..04d9e18 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Fri/reboot.txt @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +<img alt="Any_key_3" title="Any_key_3" src="http://blog.wired.com/photos/uncategorized/any_key_2.jpg" border="0" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 5px 5px;" />The Morning Reboot:
* OpenOffice.org has [released a patch][1] for a security flaw involving Windows Metafile files. The vulnerability would allow unauthorized code to run, were the unsuspecting user to open an infected file. Although there were no known public exploits or even proof of concept examples, the patch is recommended for all OpenOffice users.
[1]: http://news.yahoo.com/s/pcworld/20070104/tc_pcworld/128396 "Patch Issued for Critical OpenOffice.org Flaw"
* Speaking of office suites, CNN has a review [slamming MS Word 2007][2]. From the review: "after four weeks of side-by-side comparative testing, I could discern no significant improvement in functionality over Word 2003."
[2]: http://money.cnn.com/2007/01/04/technology/wordreview_fsb.fsb/index.htm?postversion=2007010509 "Microsoft's four-letter #&!? Word"
* We generally eschew rumor sites like ThinkSecret, but it's a slow week and this one has got screenshots, so what the heck. <b>RUMOR</b>: ThinkSecret [has some screenshots][3] of what *could* be an Apple spreadsheet app to be bundled with iWork '07. We'll know for sure next week.
[3]: http://www.thinksecret.com/news/0701iwork.html "Apple Spreadsheet App?"
* Running out of room for your movie downloads? Good news, Hitachi just [announced][4] a one terabyte drive aimed at the desktop market.
[4]: http://searchstorage.techtarget.com/originalContent/0,289142,sid5_gci1237560,00.html "Hitachi unveils 1 TB drive for retail"
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Fri/recap.txt b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Fri/recap.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..a0fe6f3 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Fri/recap.txt @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +The Week in Review, in which we recap the more popuar Monkey Bites posts:
* We [looked at BitTyrant and BitThief][1], two new torrent clients that emphasize a selfish streak. BitThief, which downloads without sharing is just plain wrong, but the jury is still out on BitTyrant.
* On Wednesday we asked if [Apple was the new Microsoft][2]. You can imagine how that went over with the fanboys.
* We tried to get in the spirit of the holidays and offered up a bunch of [new year's resolutions for coders][3]. *I will stop making crontab entries to scripts I end up deleting.* D'oh!
* Microformats made the news with Firefox [announcing][4] that version three of the popular browser would offer some kind of support. Naturally we [rounded up][5] some tutorials to help you get started.
* We declared January "Mac Month" and have been [reviewing][6] [software][7] and of course next week we'll be coming to you live from MacWorld. Personally, I had no idea that the weird little symbol on the corner of the Mac "command" key [is called][8] a *severdighet*.
[1]: http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2007/01/bittorrent_bull.html "BitTorrent Bullies: BitTyrant and BitThief"
[2]: http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2007/01/is_apple_the_ne.html "Is Apple The New Microsoft?"
[3]: http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2007/01/new_years_resol.html "New Year's Resolutions for Coders"
[4]: http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2007/01/firefox_3_to_su.html "Firefox 3 to support microformats"
[5]: http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2007/01/tutorial_o_the__2.html "Tutorial 'O The Day: XHTML Microformats"
[6]: http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2007/01/mac_month_neoof.html "Mac Month: NeoOffice The Aqua Friendly MS Office Alternative"
[7]: http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2007/01/mac_month_image.html "Mac Month: Imagewell Review"
[8]: http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2007/01/mac_month_the_c.html "Mac Month: The Command Key"
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Fri/tutorial-accessibility.txt b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Fri/tutorial-accessibility.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..1d2eba7 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Fri/tutorial-accessibility.txt @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +Wednesday's tutorial touched on [how semantically correct XHTML helps][4] search engine spiders "read" your pages, but spiders aren't the only reason for semantics. Semantics also help people with disabilities by making an elements context clear to assistive devices like [JAWS][6].
But while semantics are a good start, they aren't the end of the story when it comes to accessibility. There is in fact an entire [W3C spec][5] on accessibility and there are many ways that you can improve your sites accessibility (note that these tips are good whether you're using HTML or XHTML).
The best and most comprehensive tutorial I know of that deals with accessibility is Mark Pilgrim's [Dive Into Accessibility][1], which isn't actually a tutorial it's an entire book downloadable as html or pdf as well as readable online.
Another excellent book-length tutorial is Joe Clark's [*Building Accessible Websites*][3].
While I highly recommend Pilgrim's book, if you don't feel you have the time for something that long, there's also an excellent tutorial on A List Apart called [*What Is Web Accessibility*][2], that will get you acquainted with the basics and point you to a number of other helpful tutorials.
[3]: http://joeclark.org/book/sashay/serialization/ "Building Accessible Websites"
[2]: http://alistapart.com/articles/wiwa "What Is Web Accessibility?"
[1]: http://www.diveintoaccessibility.org/ "Dive Into Accessibility"
[4]: http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2007/01/tutorial_o_the__1.html "Tutorial 'O The Day: XHTML Semantics"
[5]: http://www.w3.org/WAI/ "W3C Accessibility Initiative"
[6]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Job_Access_With_Speech "Wikipedia definition - JAWS"
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Thu/ZZ0CA70526.jpg b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Thu/ZZ0CA70526.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..0456abc --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Thu/ZZ0CA70526.jpg diff --git a/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Thu/elsewhere.txt b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Thu/elsewhere.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6134b14 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Thu/elsewhere.txt @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +Elsewhere on Wired Blogs:
* Gear Factor [brings news][1] of an HD-DVD/Blu-ray combo player from LG, but will anyone care? "Consumer disinterest has more to do with the price tags than with philosophical exasperation at the existence of competing formats."
[1]: http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2007/01/lg_to_unleash_h.html "LG To Unleash HD-DVD/Blu-Ray Combo Player"
* Table of Malcontent has a [write-up][2] on every cynic's favorite end-of-the-year award -- the Darwin Awards.
[2]: http://blog.wired.com/tableofmalcontents/2007/01/2006s_darwin_aw.html "2006's Darwin Award Winners"
* Listening Post has some [advance details][3] on a slick looking new MP3 player from iRiver which will make its debut at CES next week.
[3]: http://blog.wired.com/music/2007/01/new_iriver_mp3_.html "New iRiver MP3 Players at CES"
* Our new science blog, aptly titled WIRED Science, [posted a cool video][4] of the initial launch of the Goddard ,a rocket built by Blue Origin, the space launch company founded by Amazon's Jeff Bezos.
[4]: http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2007/01/blue_origin_lif.html "Blue Origin liftoff"
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Thu/macworld.jpg b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Thu/macworld.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..9e8ce52 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Thu/macworld.jpg diff --git a/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Thu/macworld.txt b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Thu/macworld.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0f1d446 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Thu/macworld.txt @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +Oh don't worry we aren't going to venture any guesses about that device-which-shall-not-be-named, but here's a few things that we're looking forward to seeing at next week's Macworld show:
* More Leopard previews with details on what Jobs previously described as "a few more surprises." And of course some hard and fast release dates.
* iLife upgrades. Here's to a better iTunes.
* 5.1 surround sound in Garageband and iDVD.
* µTorrent for OS X. Please?
* More details on "iTV." Is it a service? Is it tied to the iTunes Store? Is it going to change the way I watch Movies/TV?
* Aperture upgrades. We really like Aperture and we'd like to see some kind of upgrade. It needs better Camera Raw support and a speed boost before we shell out for it.
* iWork to move into Microsoft Office territory, i.e. a real word processor app.
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Thu/nightly.txt b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Thu/nightly.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..1c3aadd --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Thu/nightly.txt @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +The Nightly Build:
* This shouldn't shock anyone, but Washington Post security blogger Brian Krebs, has calculated that Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 was [vulnerable to known security holes][2], with no available patches for 284 days last year. That's 75% of the time. Firefox on the other hand was vulnerable for only nine days. What's on your screen?
[2]: http://blog.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2007/01/internet_explorer_unsafe_for_2.html "Internet Explorer Unsafe for 284 Days in 2006"
* As I mentioned in the Wired Blogs round up below, there's a new HD-DVD/Blu-Ray combo player coming soon from LG, but Warner Bros is [reportly planning to release][3] a new *disc*, Total DVD, which is playable on both HD-DVD and BluRay players.
[3]: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/04/technology/04video.html?ex=1325566800&en=65cf5ceda95fc5f3&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss "New Disc May Sway DVD Wars"
* There's a small chance we might get to see how the RIAA has been screwing us all these years. The RIAA is suing Marie Lindor for allegedly downloading music, and as part of her defense, Lindor's attorney is [trying to gain access][1] to the RIAA's price information which he claims will support his client's claim that the RIAA's damages are excessive.
[1]: http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070103-8536.html "RIAA fights to keep wholesale pricing secret"
* More Apple woes, Apple shareholders have [launched their own suit][4] against the company, alleging that when Jobs regained control of the company in 1997, he doled out stock options to many of his newly appointed executives. I don't pretend to understand the finer points of law, but does it make sense to sue someone who raised your stock price 48% in one day? How does a lawsuit against the company you've invested in help you as a stockholder?
[4]: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/01/04/BUGDBNCBRA1.DTL "Investors sue Apple"
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Thu/pdf flaws.txt b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Thu/pdf flaws.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d60a945 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Thu/pdf flaws.txt @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +A new and rather serious flaw has been [found in Adobe's Acrobat Reader plug-in][1]. The vulnerability exists in nearly any browser with the Acrobat Reader plug-in installed and allows malicious Javascript code to be injected on the client side.
Possible attacks that could be delivered using the flaw include session riding, cross-site scripting attacks and, in the case of Internet Explorer, denial of service attacks.
The attack works via html links that pass additional parameters to the Acrobat Reader plug-in. Because the plug-in does not properly sanitize incoming urls, it's possible to use a link to execute arbitrary code:
http://site.com/file.pdf#FDF=javascript:alert('Test Alert')
In this case the plug-in would execute the Javascript that the end of the url, but other attacks are also possible and vary somewhat by browser.
As Hon Lau [writes][2] on the Symantec security response blog, "the ease in which this weakness can be exploited is breathtaking."
Lau goes on to add, "what this means in a nutshell is that anybody hosting a .pdf, including well-trusted brands and names on the Web, could have their trust abused and become unwilling partners in crime."
Symantec initially reported that the flaw only affected Firefox users, but has since amended that to include Internet Explorer 6. Stefano Di Paola, who originally discovered the flaw, also mentions Opera, but does give any specific Opera examples.
The flaw exists in Adobe Acrobat 7 and below. Adobe recommends upgrading to the new Acrobat 8 (see Monkey Bites [review][3]), but for those that don't want to upgrade, the post on Symantec's security response blog has details on a workaround that disables the Acrobat Reader plugin.
[1]: http://www.wisec.it/vulns.php?page=9 "Adobe Acrobat Reader Plugin - Multiple Vulnerabilities"
[2]: http://www.symantec.com/enterprise/security_response/weblog/2007/01/when_pdfs_attack.html "When PDFs attack"
[3]: http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2006/12/adobe_acrobat_8.html "Monkey Bites on Acrobat Reader 8"
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Thu/podzinger.jpg b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Thu/podzinger.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..3bfccb0 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Thu/podzinger.jpg diff --git a/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Thu/podzinger.txt b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Thu/podzinger.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..988321d --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Thu/podzinger.txt @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +Podzinger, an audio-to-text podcast search engine, announced yesterday that it has added support for YouTube video searches.
We've [looked at Podzinger][1] before and there's a [Wired News article][2] as well, but yesterday's announcement puts the services quite a bit ahead of the competition.
[According][3] to a post on the Podzinger blog, the new YouTube search tools allow you to "search for terms that are actually mentioned inside the audio, allowing for a greater likelihood you will find relevant material."
As with podcast searches on Podzinger, the results page lists the time mark where the term appears in the video.
There's no easy way to compare the accuracy of Podzinger's search to YouTube's tag and metadata-based searches, but using both in tandem will at least give you an added way to find relevant videos.
Much like the podcast portion of Podzinger, RSS feeds are available for any search, so you can get notified any time a new video is posted where your search terms are used.
[1]: http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2006/03/searchin_podcas.html "Monkey Bites on Podzinger"
[2]: http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,69664-0.html "Podcast Chaos Be Gone"
[3]: http://www.blogzinger.com/2007/01/03/youtube-on-podzinger/ "Podzinger adds YouTube support"
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Thu/reboot.txt b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Thu/reboot.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..033e666 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Thu/reboot.txt @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +<img alt="Any_key_3" title="Any_key_3" src="http://blog.wired.com/photos/uncategorized/any_key_2.jpg" border="0" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 5px 5px;" />The Morning Reboot:
* Attention hackers, WIBU-Systems is [offering $40,000][1] to anyone who can remove its anti-piracy software from an application. Registration starts next week at MacWorld and the challenge will run for six weeks.
[1]: http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=PI40RF1QFAJHSQSNDLRCKH0CJUNN2JVN?articleID=196800978 "$40,000 for hackers"
* Macworld [reports][2] that Adobe's Premiere software, which abandoned the Mac platform several years ago, will be returning to OS X. The new version will run on Intel-based machines and will be part of the Adobe Production Studio suite.
[2]: http://www.macworld.com/news/2007/01/03/premiere/index.php?lsrc=mwrss "Premiere returns to OS X"
* Here's a Google Maps mash-up you never wanted: locations of plane crashes. Aviation Marine Insurance has taken FAA and NTSB GPS data and created [AVCRASH][3] which plots out the location of plane crashes. [via [Jeremy Zawodny][4]]
[3]: http://aviation-marine.com/avcrash/index.cfm "AVCRASH"
[4]: http://jeremy.zawodny.com/blog/ "Jeremy Zawodny's blog"
* Amazon is already [listing Apple's iLife '07][5] software, which seems to confirm that a new version will be announced at next week's MacWorld show. The existence of the software shouldn't come as too much of a surprise since Apple has consistently announced upgrades to the iLife suite at Macworld for several years now.
[5]: http://www.amazon.com/Apple-Computer-iLife-07-Mac/dp/B000B8UOU2/sr=1-1/qid=1167869764?ie=UTF8&s=software&tag2=reality "Amazon.com iLife Suite"
* And last but not least, a Monkey Bites welcome to the 110th congress who begin work today. Can we get some net neutrality legislation already?
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Thu/stockpickr.txt b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Thu/stockpickr.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..57337fa --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Thu/stockpickr.txt @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +[Stockpickr][1] is new stock market meets social networking venture from the people that brought you [TheStreet.com][2], a site that provides analysis, commentary, and news about the financial world.
Stockpickr calls itself "the stock idea network" and lives up to that claim by blending social networking features with stock portfolios. Stockpickr members can create portfolios and get recommendations based on stocks you're tracking. The recommendations are pulled from other user portfolios as well as top rated funds based on shared stocks.
In additional to the Stockpickr community, you can also view the publicly available portfolios of investment experts like Warren Buffet or George Soros as well as top hedge and mutual funds.
Stockpickr doesn't let actually buy and sell stocks, for that you'll need to either contact your broker or use one of the many of the online services out there.
While overall Stockpickr is a nice site, the more you already know about the market to begin with, the more you'll probably like Stockpickr. The site is not especially helpful for those of us to whom the stock market remains something of a mystery and Stockpickr can at times be overwhelming for the amount of data and jargon it throws out.
I wanted to like Stockpickr, but unfortunately it comes up short in a few key areas. RSS support is lacking, you can subscribe to a number of feeds, but I couldn't find a way to subscribe to individual user portfolios so I could get notified when they add new stocks.
Additionally, the site is riddled with Javascript errors, the biggest of which prevents large portions of the site from showing up in the Safari browser.
Even in Firefox my registration generated an error saying to try again later, however the registration did in fact go through and I received an email confirming it complete with my password revealed in plain text, which leaves me feeling a bit exposed.
[1]: http://www.stockpickr.com/ "Stockpickr"
[2]: http://www.thestreet.com/ "TheStreet.com"
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Thu/tutorial.txt b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Thu/tutorial.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..cad7a84 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Thu/tutorial.txt @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +Yesterday we looked at creating semantically correct XHTML. Today's tutorial takes that idea and goes a step further into what's know as microformats.
Microformats are, to quote from the [microformats.org][2] website:
>* a way of thinking about data
* design principles for formats
* adapted to current behaviors and usage patterns ("Pave the cow paths.")
* highly correlated with semantic XHTML, AKA the real world semantics, AKA lowercase semantic web, AKA lossless XHTML
* a set of simple open data format standards that many are actively developing and implementing for more/better structured blogging and web microcontent publishing in general.
* An evolutionary revolution
* all the above.
Microformats allow browsers and other user agents to "understand" certain chunks of data, for instance hCard, a microformat based on the vCard standard, tell a browser that the information contained within the hCard tags is an address card.
Right now Flickr, Yahoo and others are using microformats and Mozilla has said the next version of Firefox [will support][3] microformats.
For some background and to get started creating your own microformats code [head over the official site][1] and have a look at the various code generators and templates. Happy formating.
[1]: http://microformats.org/code/ "microformats.org - code"
[2]: http://microformats.org/about/ "About Microformats"
[3]: http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2007/01/firefox_3_to_su.html#more "Monkey Bites: Firefox 3 to support Microformats"
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Thu/youtube-shutdown.txt b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Thu/youtube-shutdown.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..307827d --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Thu/youtube-shutdown.txt @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +<img border="0" alt="Youtube_logo_3" title="Youtube_logo_3" src="http://blog.wired.com/photos/uncategorized/youtube_logo_3.png" style="margin: 0px 0px 5px 5px; float: right;" />A Brazilian baby went flying out the window with the bath water yesterday when a judge ordered Google to [shut down YouTube][1] until the site removes a celebrity sex video.
The video in question shows Brazilian model and celebrity Daniela Cicarelli having sex with her boyfriend on a beach in Brazil. Cicarelli's boyfriend Tato Malzoni filed a suit in Brazilian court seeking $116,000 in damages *per day* that the video is up on YouTube.
The Reuters article cites legal experts who say enforcing the Brazilian judge's ruling "could be difficult ... in the United States, where YouTube is based."
While many of the copies of the video have reportedly been removed on YouTube, rumor has it users keep posting new ones. The video was the top viewed movie in Brazil for several days.
Aside from the fact that asking YouTube to shut down is, well, somewhat ludicrous and unlikely to happen, the real question is, what difference would it make? If the video has already been widely viewed in Brazil, the only thing the judge's decision does it make it a world wide news item which in turn further fans the flames.
Perhaps Paris Hilton needs to open some sort of how-to-handle-your-sex-video-scandal clinic.
Just for the record, as sex videos go, this one is pretty tame. Not that I would know, that's just the word on the street.
And here we always thought everyone in Brazil was having sex on the beach and no cared. I hope these plane tickets are refundable...
[1]: http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=internetNews&storyid=2007-01-04T133629Z_01_N04473895_RTRUKOC_0_US-GOOGLE-BRAZIL.xml&src=rss "Brazil court orders YouTube shut on celeb sex video"
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Tues/booksfree-logo.jpg b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Tues/booksfree-logo.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..c0e922b --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Tues/booksfree-logo.jpg diff --git a/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Tues/booksfree.txt b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Tues/booksfree.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f5bb995 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Tues/booksfree.txt @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +Every time I turn around there's [another][1] [Netflix][2] [clone][3] of some sort popping up. [Booksfree.com][4] which has actually been around for some time, takes the basic Netflix model and applies it to books.
For those that have never used Netflix or a similar site, the set up is thus: Pick a list of books you'd like to read, sign up for a rental plan and wait for your first title to arrive.
Booksfree offers free shipping both ways, no late fees and lists over 88,000 titles. Plans range from $8.95 a month, which gets you two books at a time, to $34.99 a month, which allows you to have up to 12 books at a time.
If you're more the audiobook type, Booksfree also offers a wide range of titles, but curiously the pricing is separate and somewhat more expensive than the book rates, which means if you want to rent both you'll have to pony up for two rate plans. Even more awkward, Booksfree actually requires you to maintain two separate accounts -- one for books and one for audiobooks.
If you're like me and you want to keep the books you like, it is possible to buy books from Booksfree. Just head into your account page and select the titles you'd like to keep. Unfortunately Booksfree doesn't let you buy books published prior to 1995 due to their "limited availability." For those older books I guess you'll have to head over to Amazon or the like.
So why would you pay for a service you can get for free from your local library? Well unless you live in a major metropolitan area, Booksfree probably has a better selection than your local library and of course there's no late fees.
Combine that with the ability to keep the titles you like and Booksfree could be a library killer, but luckily for your local library, Booksfree isn't quite there yet.
The Booksfree website is too simplistic and has some glaring omissions in its feature set, most notably there doesn't seem to be a way for users to review books. There is a star rating system just like the Netflix rating system, but come on Booksfree, user-generated content convinced Time to make the people Person of the Year, how are we going to live up to that if we can't post reviews?
There is a "my recommendations" feature which, like similar sites, attempts to recommend books you'll like based on those you've already enjoyed, but why not tap the users for the information?
The search features on Booksfree are good, but browsing is awkward, especially if you're trying to find a specific author. It's far easier to search than it is to browse by author, the later requires you to click through by letter, then sub-letter categories, then author name lists before you finally get what you want.
Perhaps the strangest quirk of Booksfree is that you must return two books at a time, which means if you go for the cheapest plan (two books at a time), you'll have to return both before you get your new books. I presume this has something to do with shipping costs, but it seems like raising the price of the plan would be a better way to cover costs. As it is Booksfree doesn't give you the revolving door circulation of titles that makes Netflix so appealing.
Booksfree is a nice idea, but the service shoots itself in the foot with strange, quirky rental requirements and lack of user generated content. Hopefully the site will improve as time goes on.
[1]: http://www.gamefly.com/ "Gamefly- video game rentals"
[2]: http://www.netflix.com/ "Netflix"
[3]: http://www.lala.com/ "Lala - online cd trading"
[4]: http://www.booksfree.com/ "Booksfree.com"
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Tues/elsewhere.txt b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Tues/elsewhere.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3cd4d78 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Tues/elsewhere.txt @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +Elsewhere on Wired blogs:
* 27B Stroke 6 is not helping my paranoia level. Ryan Singel gives us the lowdown on a [privatized surveillance helicopter][1] in use in Jackson, MS. The chopper can use its "infrared camera to peer into houses, something that's been ruled unconstitutional for police officers." Great.
[1]: http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2007/01/precrime_eyeint.html "Pre-Crime Eye-in-the-Sky, Now Privatized"
* Table of Malcontent's points us to something more benign -- [The Axis of Evil finger puppets][2].
[2]: http://blog.wired.com/tableofmalcontents/2007/01/the_axes_of_evi.html "The Axis of Evil On Your Fingers"
* Over at Listening Post Eliot Van Buskirk [ponders the meaning of corporate podcasts][3] and concludes "these programs will surely run counter to the independent spirit of the medium."
[3]: http://blog.wired.com/music/2007/01/corporate_podca.html "Corporate Podcasts: Patronage or Sellout?"
* Gear Factor [finds a cup holder][4] that keeps your coffee hot and your slurpy cold.
[4]: http://blog.wired.com/gadgets/2007/01/cup_holder_blow.html "Cup Holder Blows Hot and Cold"
* Autopia brings us [news of an in-vehicle wireless network adapter][5] which will debut at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show.
[5]: http://blog.wired.com/cars/2007/01/wifi_kit_keeps_.html "WiFi Kit Keeps Drivers Connected"
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Tues/firefox-microformats.gif b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Tues/firefox-microformats.gif Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..a747ca8 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Tues/firefox-microformats.gif diff --git a/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Tues/freesoftware.txt b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Tues/freesoftware.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..1279f75 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Tues/freesoftware.txt @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +Attention starving students! There's a whole cd of free software [ready for the downloadin'][1] over at Software for Starving Students. And that would be free as in beer.
The kids today have it easy, when I was young we had to walk to Google just to find our free software. Uphill both ways. In the snow.
True you could still scour the web and dig up all this stuff yourself, but why bother when someone else has already dug it all up and put in one easy to download CD? Just download, burn a copy and pass it down the hall to your friends. It's all legal.
Naturally you needn't be a student to take advantage of the offer.
There are two version of the CD, one for the Windows Platform and one for Mac. For a complete list of what software is included on the CDs have a [look at the FAQ][2] on softwarefor.org.
I'd like to think things like this would put an end to the old piracy argument "but I'm a broke student, I can't afford ____________," but that's probably wishful thinking.
Remember kids, just cause you ain't got no job, doesn't mean you can steal stuff. There's plenty of software out there that can accomplish what you need to do without resorting to piracy.
If you don't believe me feel free to list expensive software in the comments and let the wisdom of Monkey bites readers enlighten you. Or you could get a job, ya freeloaders.
Found via our friends at [Lifehacker][3].
[1]: http://softwarefor.org/ "Software for Starving Students"
[2]: http://softwarefor.org/faq.html#q5 "Software for Starving Students list of programs"
[3]: http://www.lifehacker.com/software/students/download-of-the-day-software-for-starving-students-winmac-225341.php "Lifehacker on Software for Starving Students"
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Tues/microformats.txt b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Tues/microformats.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d15d23a --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Tues/microformats.txt @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +We first [looked][1] at microformats back in September at the Web Apps Summit, but in spite of the promise of microformats, not many sites have been quick to adopt them. However that may change soon since Mozilla says that Firefox 3 will support microformats. But before we get into Firefox 3, there's a new add-on, [Operator][8], available now that brings the power of microformats to existing version of Firefox.
In a series of posts, Alex Faaborg, a user experience designer for Mozilla, outlines [how microformats work][2], how Firefox might implement them and what it will mean for users. Also see parts [one][3] [two][4] and [three][5].
>Much in the same way that operating systems currently associate particular file types with specific applications, future Web browsers are likely going to associate semantically marked up data you encounter on the Web with specific applications, either on your system or online. This means the contact information you see on a Web site will be associated with your favorite contacts application, events will be associated with your favorite calendar application, locations will be associated with your favorite mapping application, phone numbers will be associated with your favorite VOIP application, etc.
The basic premise of microformats is create the "semantic web" (which should have been on our vaporware list, even though it isn't exactly software) using tools that already exist.
Microformats are not a new language or anything overly complicated, they're merely an agreed upon format for structuring data using the language we already have -- XHTML. By marking up data using a specific structure, outside applications can read and "understand" that data. This in turn means that applications can use that data in meaningful ways, like the ones Faaborg describes above.
Notable sites that support microformats include Flickr which uses it in geotags, Yahoo! Local, which encodes search result with an hCard, and Upcoming.org, with encodes events with hCalendar.
Check out [microformats.org][9] for more background, example usages and handy link generators.
As mentioned above, if you can't wait for Firefox 3, there's an add-on available right now, Operator is not the first microformats add-on for Firefox, you may also want to have a look at [Tails Export][8], which offers some, but not all, of the same features.
If you'd like to keep tabs on or make suggestions for Firefox 3's proposed microformats support, take a [look at the thread][6] on the Google Groups.
It will be a while yet before Firefox 3 is released and the microformats support is not yet set in stone, but there's no doubt that whatever form Mozilla chooses Firefox will yet again trump IE's feature set.
[1]: http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2006/09/a_look_at_micro.html "Monkey Bites on microformats"
[2]: http://blog.mozilla.com/faaborg/2006/12/11/microformats-part-0-introduction/ "Introduction to microformats"
[3]: http://blog.mozilla.com/faaborg/2006/12/12/microformats-part-1-structured-data-chaos/ "Microformats can help with the chaos of structured data"
[4]: http://blog.mozilla.com/faaborg/2006/12/13/microformats-part-2-the-fundamental-types/ "Microformats - the fundamental types"
[5]: http://blog.mozilla.com/faaborg/2006/12/16/microformats-part-3-introducing-operator/ "Introducing Operator"
[6]: http://groups.google.com/group/mozilla.dev.apps.firefox/browse_frm/thread/bca5a231d634f87a/4361d223cc01b53f#4361d223cc01b53f "Microformats in Firefox"
[7]: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/4106/ "Operator - microformats add-on for Firefox"
[8]: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/2240/ "Tails Export"
[9]: http://microformats.org/ "Microformats.org"
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Tues/nightly-build.txt b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Tues/nightly-build.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..51b6dbb --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Tues/nightly-build.txt @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +The Nightly Build, compiling the ones that got away:
* Contrary to what TechCrunch and several other news sites reported earlier today, Wikipedia did not ban the nation of Qatar from accessing the Wikipedia site. [According to a post][1] from Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales, one IP number of Qatar origin was "temporarily blocked for less than 12 hours... a block of an entire nation would go absolutely against Wikipedia policy."
[1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:82.148.97.69 "Wikipedia denies blocking Qatar"
* Dave Winer of RSS fame claims that not only did he not invent RSS, [RSS wasn't really invented][2], rather "something else happened, something harder than invention, imho -- an activity that we don't have a word for in the English language." Evolved organically?
[2]: http://www.scripting.com/2007/01/02.html#rssWasntInvented "Dave Winer: RSS wasn't Invented"
* Another bizarre outburst from a MSM journalist. Joel Stein of The Los Angeles Times (I'm told that this LATimes thing is apparently printed on paper (!?) and available at "news stands" -- whatever) [doesn't care what you think][3] and doesn't want you to email him. Guess what Digg users are doing by the thousands right now?
[3]: http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-stein2jan02,0,3287162.column?coll=la-opinion-columnists
* Macworld is coming up next week and Apple, master of secrecy and hype, is at it again. A tantalizing new teaser graphic on the company's website [reads][4]: The first 30 years were just the beginning. Welcome to 2007.
[4]: http://www.apple.com/ "Macworld Teaser"
* Reuters is running a story entitled *[Programmers to blame for hard-to-use software][5]* in which "analysts" throw out some gems like this one: "... makes little sense to computer novices accustomed to working with typewriters or pen and paper..." I dare anyone to to name me a business field in which typewriters are still in use.
[5]: http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=technologyNews&storyID=2007-01-02T232857Z_01_N22270966_RTRUKOC_0_US-SOFTWARE-PLATT.xml&pageNumber=1&imageid=&cap=&sz=13&WTModLoc=NewsArt-C1-ArticlePage1 "Programmers to blame for hard-to-use software"
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Tues/placeblogger.jpg b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Tues/placeblogger.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..51122a7 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Tues/placeblogger.jpg diff --git a/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Tues/placeblogger.txt b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Tues/placeblogger.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..e9607a8 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Tues/placeblogger.txt @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +There's nothing like the local news -- daily columns on street potholes, and stories old ladies with newspaper collections to rival the national archives. The local rag where I live is The Daily Pilot, often referred to as The Daily Pile.
But it's 2007 for crying out loud, surely there's a better way to get local news? Well that's the thought behind a new local blog aggregation site, [Placeblogger][1]. Placeblogger ails to help you "discover, browse, and subscribe to local blogs."
Lisa Williams, a local news blogger from Watertown, MA, and creator of Placeblogger [describes][3] placeblogs:
>Placeblogs are sometimes called "hyperlocal sites" because some of them focus on news events and items that cover a particular neighborhood in great detail — and in particular, places that might be too physically small or sparsely populated to attract much traditional media coverage. Because of this, many people have associated them with the term "citizen journalism," or journalism done by non-journalists.
But Placeblogger aims to bring you sites that go beyond just news and include what Williams calls "that part of our lives that isn't news but creates the texture of our daily lives: our commute, where we eat, conversations with our neighbors, the irritations and delights of living in a particular place among particular people."
So far Placeblogger is a little sparse on content, but the site has only been live for two days. If you'd like to suggest a blog for listing on Placeblogger there's a handy form you can use to [submit your favorite local blog][2].
Placeblogger appears to have a fairly liberal definition of what a blog is, the site's top ten list of placeblogs includes the [Gotham Gazette][4] and the [New Haven Independent][5], both of which are considerably more professional than the average blog, but I suppose Placeblogger is entitled to define things however they choose.
For those that just can't get enough of the local goings-on, Placeblogger should help scratch that local news itch.
[1]: http://www.placeblogger.com/ "Placeblogger"
[2]: http://www.placeblogger.com/node/add/content_placeblog "submit a blog to Placeblogger.com"
[3]: http://www.placeblogger.com/whats-a-placeblog "Placeblogger FAQ"
[4]: http://gothamgazette.com/ "Gotham Gazette"
[5]: http://www.newhavenindependent.org/ "New Haven Independent"
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Tues/reboot.txt b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Tues/reboot.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..5afcbb9 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Tues/reboot.txt @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +<img alt="Any_key_3" title="Any_key_3" src="http://blog.wired.com/photos/uncategorized/any_key_2.jpg" border="0" style="float: right; margin: 0px 0px 5px 5px;" />The Morning Reboot:
* More bad news for Google: GMail is [vulnerable][1] to a hack which enables malicious websites to hijack your contacts list, including the name, email address and avatar of all your contacts. Google claims to have fixed the flaw, but [apparently it still exists][2] on the Google Notebook and Google Groups server.
[2]: http://tech.cybernetnews.com/2007/01/01/gmail-flaw-can-give-anyone-your-contact-list/ "Cybernetnews on GMail Flaw"
[1]: http://blogs.zdnet.com/Google/?p=434 "ZDNet on GMail exploit"
* The BBC [reports][3] that users will be "driving change in 2007." According to the "tech veterans" interviewed by the BCC, the big trend "among hot web companies will be the 'actualisation of personalisation.'" Actualisation of personalization. Say that ten times with a straight face.
[3]: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/6198125.stm "BBC new on the future of the web"
* Reuters gets today's optimist award for a story that [claims][4]: "the DRM wall will begin to crumble (in 2007)." The article reports that, among other things, "In 2007, the majors will get the message, and the DRM wall will begin to crumble. Why? Because they'll no longer be able to point to a growing digital marketplace as justification that DRM works."
[4]: http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=internetNews&storyid=2007-01-02T134016Z_01_N02295773_RTRUKOC_0_US-DIGITAL.xml&src=rss "Reuters thinks DRM will fade in 2007"
* Ma Bell got rid of the the ill communication? The FCC has [approved][5] the AT&T-BellSouth buyout paving the way for the largest telecommunications takeover in U.S. history.
[5]: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061230/ap_on_bi_ge/att_bellsouth "AP on AT&T BellSouth buyout"
* What sort of new year would it be without a new worm or virus? Verisign is [reporting][6] a worm delivered via email bearing the subject line "Happy New Year," which also contains an attachment, "postcard.exe." Clicking the attachement will launch the worm.
[6]: http://www.pcworld.idg.com.au/index.php/id%3B738590575&cid=1112375805&ei=2EuaRa6XEcCYHYTrtPUM
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Tues/software-for-logo.jpg b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Tues/software-for-logo.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..4735b38 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Tues/software-for-logo.jpg diff --git a/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Tues/tutorial.txt b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Tues/tutorial.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..9fcf395 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Tues/tutorial.txt @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +This week's theme for the Tutorial of the day is XHTML. But because that's a pretty broad category, Monkey Bites reader Bluephoenix suggested we specifically focus on tutorials that help you make the transition from HTML to XHTML.
To kick things off we'll start with the [official W3Cschools][2] tutorial on converting your old HTML to XHTML. It may not be the prettiest, nor the best written tutorial on the subject, but it's still worth reading over, particularly the section on how the W3C converted their own site to XHTML.
For something far more readable, there's no better place to start that Jeffrey Zeldman's *[Better Living Through XHTML][4]* over on A List Apart. Zeldman's tutorial gives you plenty of tips for converting your site, outlines some common XHTML "gotchas" to avoid and of course offers tons of reasons why XHTML is better than HTML.
Once you're feeling pretty well versed in XHTML, give the [W3C XHTML quiz][3] a shot, but be warned, there's couple tricky ones in there.
[2]: http://www.w3schools.com/xhtml/xhtml_html.asp "W3C schools HTML to XHTML tutorial"
[3]: http://www.w3schools.com/quiztest/quiztest.asp?qtest=XHTML
[4]: http://alistapart.com/articles/betterliving/ "Better Living Through XHTML"
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The first thing I did when I started writing for Monkey Bites was go hunting for something that would let me quickly resize and save screen grabs since pretty much every post has at least one screen grab. Sure I could do it with Photoshop, but that seemed something akin to swatting a mosquito with a sledgehammer.
Then I found Imagewell, a lightweight image processing program perfect for simple picture manipulations that don't require the bulk of something like Photoshop. Not only is Imagewell capable of the simple resize tasks I need to do, but it can actually take the screen captures as well and even autoloads them into an editing window.
When you open Imagewell you'll see a small window where you can drag and drop your images (you can even drag them from iPhoto and other image programs). Once you have the image you want to work with, Imagewell makes it easy to crop, resize, compress, watermark, add drop shadows, add a border, add text, add labels and more.
Once you have your image looking the way you want it, Imagewell can save it to .jpg, .png or .tiff formats.
Imagewell also offers a variety of export-to-the-web options including the ability to upload straight to a server using FTP. Once you upload your image Imagewell copies the corresponding url to the clipboard making it easy to paste the link into a blog post.
The export features would be perfect if you have FTP access to your blog, which you probably do since not having FTP access would be vaguely insane. Grumble.
ImageWell isn't going to replace Photoshop, but it’s a great tool for lightweight image editing. Imagewell is free, although for a small fee you can unlock some nice [additional options and features][2].
[1]: http://xtralean.com/IWOverview.html "Imagewell, the Free and Lean Image Editor"
[2]: http://xtralean.com/IWXtras.html "Imagewell paid features"
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Wed/itunes-lawsuit.txt b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Wed/itunes-lawsuit.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..48ef7a8 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Wed/itunes-lawsuit.txt @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +Apple computer is [facing a new lawsuit][1] in the U.S. which claims that tying the iTunes Store to the iPod violates anti-trust laws. The suit was filed by a user, Melanie Tucker, but the case trying to get class action status.
The core of the claim is that Apple violates anti-trust laws by refusing to allow music sold on the iTunes Store to play with other manufacturer's MP3 devices. The lawsuit also alleges that Apple does not make it clear to customers that files downloaded from the iTunes store will only work with an iPod.
Before someone blasts me in the comments, let's be clear, yes you can strip the DRM and convert iTunes Store bought music to MP3, but that's a hack and not something Apple supports.
Apple tried to get the lawsuit dismissed back in November but a judge rejected that request on December 20.
Apple already faces a [similar lawsuit][2] filed in France and several Scandinavian countries are [reportedly][3] preparing similar cases.
What I'd like to know is how much of this alleged monopoly is a result of Apple's decisions and how much of it comes from restrictions and DRM requirements that the recording industry wanted in place?
Obviously from a legal standpoint, who made things the way they are doesn't really matter, but if the iTunes Music store sold DRM-free MP3s this lawsuit would disappear and the world would be a happier place.
Bad Apple, no doughnut.
[2]: http://www.wired.com/news/politics/0,70436-0.html "French Law Seeks Interoperability"
[1]: http://www.infoworld.com/article/07/01/02/HNapplelawsuit_1.html "Class-action suit alleges that Apple violates antitrust laws"
[3]: http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9002146&intsrc=article_more_side "Apple responds to Nordic iTunes complaints"
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* Wifi is like sand -- it gets everywhere. Wired has a nice [rundown on beaches][2] offering wifi access. My dream of global wifi is coming together grain by grain.
[2]: http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,72371-0.html?tw=rss.index "Where to catch some Wi-Fi waves"
* The Washington Research Foundation (which markets tech produced by the University of Washington) is [suing Nokia, Samsung and Panasonic][3] for violating a patent for Bluetooth technology. The suit seeks damages from the mobile phone maker for using a radio frequency technology without paying royalties.
[3]: http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=technologyNews&storyid=2007-01-03T153017Z_01_L03691045_RTRUKOC_0_US-BLUETOOTH-PATENT-INFRINGEMENT.xml&src=rss "Nokia and others sued over bluetooth"
* The Dutch have [banned Segways from public roads][4]. Frankly it's just as well, you Segway people have no idea how ridiculous you look on those things.
[4]: http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/business/technology/16367443.htm "Dutch ban Segway"
* Here at Monkey Bites we've decided that January is [Mac Month][6]. Other folks are more specific and have declared January the [Month Of Apple Bugs][5] (MOAB). MOAB's mission is the highlight flaws in Apple's OS X operating system and other Mac software. Before the fanboys freak (probably too late), remember that finding bugs is good, it leads to fixing bugs.
[5]: http://projects.info-pull.com/moab/ "The Month of Apple Bugs"
[6]: http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2007/01/mac_month_the_c.html "Mac Month at Monkey Bites"
* [Makethemove.net][1] is a new site designed to help those contemplating Linux as an alternative to Windows and Mac operating systems. The site aims to present Linux and open source software as viable alternatives to the system on your computer.
[1]: http://makethemove.net/
\ No newline at end of file diff --git a/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Wed/tutorial.txt b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Wed/tutorial.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..43d1237 --- /dev/null +++ b/old/published/Webmonkey/Monkey_Bites/2007/01.01.05/Wed/tutorial.txt @@ -0,0 +1 @@ +Continuing this week's Tutorial 'o the Day theme of XHTML, today's focus is semantics.
Semantics refers to the meaning of an element and how that meaning describes the content it contains. Probably the easiest example is an html list. The following two snippets of code can be displayed identically in a browser:
<pre><code><p>list item <br />
list item </p>
</code></pre>
<pre><code>
<ul>
<li>list item</li>
<li>list item</li>
</ul>
</code></pre>
While to the human eye these may look the same, the later actually conveys information about what it is through the markup --i.e. it's a list.
While good semantics aren't necessarily a feature of XHTML (they're important even in HTML) as long as you're re-coding you may as well start using semantically meaningful markup.
If you'd like to see some bad semantic markup just view source on this page. Note how the post title is encoded:
<span class="title">Tutorial 'O The Day: XHTML</span><br>
Because we can use visual clues like font size and typeface to help us, most humans can find the title fairly easily, but what if you're a silly robot, like a search engine spider? You'd have no clue that this line of code is the title of the post.
Why should you care?
Do you like your pages to rank high in search engine indexes? Well, then you should care because robots rely on tags to tell them what is the main focus of the page. In the case of the Wired blog templates, our content is semantically no different than the ads being served with it.
That, as my friend likes to say, = bad.
So what should the post title be wrapped in? Well something like <code><h1>Title</h1></code> would be one option.
To get up to speed on the usefulness of semantically meaningful XHTML, check out the article, [*Semantics, HTML, XHTML, and Structure*][2] over at Brainstorms & Raves, which gives a through rundown of how, when and why to use various (X)HTML tags. Also a good read: Molly Holzschlag's [tutorial][1] on informit.com.
And since we're talking about semantics let me clarify one point, while you can and should try to write semantically meaningful XHTML, XHTML is not *technically* a semantic language. Because it isn't a true semantic language, there's lots of gray areas where several tags may both be legitimate choices.
Web designer and author Dan Cederholm ran a [series of articles][3] a while back that attempt to parse out the gray, but as the the comments on his site demonstrate, some things will always be debatable.
[3]: http://www.simplebits.com/notebook/simplequiz/index.html "SimpleQuiz Archives"
[2]: http://brainstormsandraves.com/articles/semantics/structure/ "Semantics, HTML, XHTML, and Structure"
[1]: http://www.informit.com/articles/printerfriendly.asp?p=369225&rl=1 "The Meaning of Semantics (Take I)"
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