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GData to replace RSS?

25 04 2006

Today Google released Google Data APIs (Beta).

The technology is written for advanced coders, but what they are really trying to get two way communications. They are taking the best of RSS 2.0 and ATOM 1.0 and making a new protocol called GData.

Google favors ATOM, which by the general public is the less popular option.

…it’s useful to be able to send a query to a server and receive a response containing a list of matching results. Neither Atom nor RSS provides a way to do that, but GData does.

It is pretty obvious that they are going for a digital convergence betwen their programs like Google Calendar and RSS readers. It will certainly be something to keep up on and what develops from it. I’m sure Dave Winer (creator of RSS and OPML) will have a few choice words about it.


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Free Ben & Jerry’s

25 04 2006

benjerryFrom noon till 8pm today (4/25), you can get a free scoup of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. I went to this event last year, and you can get as many scoops as you want, as long as you start back at the end of the line.

Watch out for greedy charities who try to attach themselves to this give-a-way and solicit donations outside of Ben and Jerry’s…they ARE NOT an official part of this promotion.


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Internet Explorer 7 Beta 2

25 04 2006

If you are wanting to know what the next version of IE will look like, here’s your chance to try it out.

Personally, I still (after installing this) feel that Firefox is a better option, but everyone has their own opinion.


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links for 2006-04-24

24 04 2006

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Yahoo! Mail Beta

24 04 2006

Here’s some step by step directions to force your account to switch over to the Yahoo! Mail beta. It worked for me even after I switched it back to Yahoo! US. It’s very Ajax-y, but I am sticking with Gmail.

* log in to Yahoo Mail
* click Options
* select Account information from the left panel
* go to Member Information, General Preferences, Preferred Content
* select, for example, Yahoo UK
* click Finished
* go to Yahoo Mail
* you’ll see a page that says “It’s the New Yahoo! Mail Beta… and you’re invited.”
* click on “Try Beta Now”.

You can then switch back to Yahoo! US.

Update: You can also just click here.


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A real iPod killer

24 04 2006

I am SICK of hearing the term “iPod killer.” There will not be a device that knocks iPod off the high pedestal that it is on.

There can however be a device that for me makes me switch from the iPod. It’s more of a merge of multiple devices…let me describe.

I’ve used XM online, Sirius online, Napster 2.0, Yahoo! Music Store, Sprint Music Store, Sprint Power Vision, iTunes, iPods, and many other ways to get content anywhere you want. I want to mix up some of these devices into one.

The device needs to have EDGE/EVDO or some sort of high speed internet access. On the MDA, I was able to steam music from Sirius and other internet radio channels.

Napster 2.0 and Yahoo! Music Unlimited both allow for streaming of songs via your computer on their application, you can also download songs to take on a mobile device with these services.

Why not mix it all up. An EVDO/EDGE device (most likely cell phone) that has Napster or Yahoo! Music installed on it that can stream the music at their $6.95-$9.95 monthly fee.

This would be cheaper than XM or Sirius, and you can listen to ANY song they have at ANY time you want. No need to buy the songs, whatever song you want it is instantly delivered to you right there and then.

I know that if you are an iPod fan you shouldn’t want to have the “subscription music” where it all goes away once you stop paying, but that IS WHAT I WANT!!! I’d rather pay $9.95/month for ALL the music I could ever want, than $9.99 each time I want a new cd.

You know what, I wouldn’t even mind if the device had ZERO storage space and was only able to play songs streamed from Napster/Yahoo.

The easiest way to make this device is simply to come out with Napster or Yahoo Music software for Windows Mobile 5. Tell me you wouldn’t buy a device that had access to EVERY song you could ever think of instantly….


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Sprint TV - LIVE TV

24 04 2006


I’ve been using this Samsung A920 phone from Sprint for a while now, and I JUST TODAY realized that there are the entire live feeds from a few networks.

o Discovery
o TLC
o The Weather Channel
o Fox News
o NFL Network

All those channels have a live streaming feed I can access on my phone. I thought it was just clips. These networks just have clips and shorts:
o CNN
o ESPN
o Looney Tunes
o E!
o Comedy Central
o MTV and VH1
o Many, many more!

Pretty sweet, I’m watching Fox News…sweet.


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