dnews

√app«dnews

Web Developer News

Using PHP and MagpieRSS to present Dynamic News Feeds

In my ongoing quest to demonstrate how the resources I review using the drx application are both pragmatic and worthwhile, I present RSS News feeds for Web developers from a number of different sources, and in several categories. I tweak this list often, so stay tuned. Suggestions are also welcome.

Although wrapping dnews as an application object took a little work, the engine behind actually fetching the news items is the MagpieRSS PHP feed parser (via Expat). Magpie supports RSS 0.9x, 1.0, 2.0 and most Atom format feeds. Installing and getting it working was incredibly easy. The Magpie library is very simple to use, but be warned of the old adage “garbage in = garbage out,” meaning pick your sources carefully and check them out by hand before plugging the results into your own pages. This is especially important if you are using XHTML like I am, or you can easily break your site.

On the bright side, since the results are cached, once an update is fetched (by anyone, not necessary you), the items are displayed very quickly. Not only does this improve the quality of the user’s experience, it is also good practice in order to avoid hammering your sources with requests.

On an even brighter note, I spent approximately one afternoon implementing this application. In addition to MagpieRSS, Feedview and the RSS Feed Validator were also very useful while developing dnews. Enjoy.

By popular demand, I have published a document which describes how this application was built. Visit the Howto MagpieRSS tutorial for more information.

RSS Channel Selector

News Desk

1. Big media slams proposal to roll back cross-ownership rule

Thirteen big media filers blast a proposal to redo the FCC's latest Order on cross-ownership of TV stations and newspapers in the same market. Congress may ultimately need to intervene in order to resolve the heated dispute over media cross-ownership rules.Read More...
Published: Mon, 12 May 2008 11:15:00 GMT
URI:http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~3/288626717/20080512...
2. Throttle 5MM P2P users in real time with $800K DPI monster

Deep packet inspection gets a major speed bump to 80Gbps of real-time traffic analysis with 96 percent accuracy. Even the largest networks can now throttle P2P with ease... even when it's encrypted.Read More...
Published: Mon, 12 May 2008 10:00:00 GMT
URI:http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~3/288596789/20080512...
3. Throwing things at things: a review of Boom Blox

Boom Blox causes our alarm bells to ring because it comes to us via a celebrity name and EA. When it's all said and done, the title actually melds intriguing play with too-cute characters in a game that may be one of the best party experiences of the year. Read More...
Published: Mon, 12 May 2008 04:55:00 GMT
URI:http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~3/288453644/boom-blo...
4. Microsoft vies for budget laptop market with XP price cuts

Microsoft hopes to stifle Linux adoption by offering price cuts on Windows XP to hardware vendors that make budget laptops like the Asus Eee PC, but the discounts are only available for computers with low specs. It's Microsoft's best chance to capture market share in the budget laptop space.Read More...
Published: Mon, 12 May 2008 03:55:00 GMT
URI:http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~3/288424627/20080511...
5. Big Content fighting campus P2P by lobbying for state laws

The entertainment industry has so far failed to convince Washington to impose P2P technology mandates on higher education, so it's taking the fight directly to the states. Colleges and universities are fighting back.Read More...
Published: Mon, 12 May 2008 02:45:00 GMT
URI:http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~3/288396181/20080511...
6. Facebook ordered to out kids behind principal's fake profi...

A Catholic school dean is the latest victim of some pranksters who created a fake Facebook profile and sent out inappropriate messages. He and the archdiocese don't know who's behind it, though, and have filed suit against Facebook in hopes of finding out. Read More...
Published: Mon, 12 May 2008 01:35:00 GMT
URI:http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~3/288370075/20080511...
7. Broadband: other countries do it better, but how?

The US continues to fall on global broadband rankings, even as countries that are more rural and less wealthy surge ahead. Here's how they do it (hint: it does not involve wholesale deregulation).Read More...
Published: Mon, 12 May 2008 00:37:00 GMT
URI:http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~3/288344260/20080511...
8. IE8 to boost ActiveX security on Vista

ActiveX has long been regarded as a gaping hole through which spyware and viruses can contaminate your PC and compromise your data. With Internet Explorer 8, Microsoft's forthcoming version of its embattled browser, steps will be taken to reduce the exposure caused by ActiveX.Read More...
Published: Sun, 11 May 2008 23:11:00 GMT
URI:http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~3/288308074/20080511...
9. Get off of my cloud: Rolling Stones on, then off eMusic

Indie-focused music download service eMusic scored a big win by bagging the complete Stones catalogue between 1964 and 1970. After weeks of stellar sales, the label abruptly pulled the tracks.Read More...
Published: Sun, 11 May 2008 22:06:00 GMT
URI:http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~3/288282556/20080511...
10. North Carolina city will test run DTV transition in Septem...

If Wilmington, NC can't get the DTV transition right in September, hold onto your hats when the whole country goes digital after February 17th.Read More...
Published: Sun, 11 May 2008 21:22:56 GMT
URI:http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~3/288268991/20080511...
11. Security flaw turns Gmail into open-relay server

A newfound flaw in Google's Gmail allows would-be spammers to treat the service as an open-relay server. Compounding the issue is the fact that services such as Hotmail and Yahoo "trust" Gmail. This may facilitate e-mail delivery, but it also makes it easier for spammers to reach their intended targets.Read More...
Published: Sat, 10 May 2008 18:15:00 GMT
URI:http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~3/287623857/20080510...
12. .org owners facing 10% hike in registration fees this fall

The Public Interest Registry plans to bump its wholesale rates on .org domains starting this November by 60&cent; per domain, which means that smaller registries will likely pass the fee onto the organizations that depend on their .org domains to keep running. Read More...
Published: Sat, 10 May 2008 13:05:00 GMT
URI:http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~3/287493615/20080510...
13. Circuit City opens books, sets stage for Blockbuster buyou...

With a promise of financial backing, Blockbuster convinces Circuit City to share its operational secrets. It looks like the deal is coming, for better or for worse.Read More...
Published: Fri, 09 May 2008 19:05:00 GMT
URI:http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~3/287047897/20080509...
14. Microsoft appeals EU antitrust compliance fine

Microsoft has decided to appeal a €899 million ($1.39 billion) fine for tardy compliance with the European Commission's 2004 antitrust ruling. The company is still abiding by the original ruling.Read More...
Published: Fri, 09 May 2008 18:30:22 GMT
URI:http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~3/287032411/20080509...
15. New book tries to bring gaming research to a wary public

Last month, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital released Grand Theft Childhood, what may be the first attempt to get the public and academics on the same page when it comes to violent games.Read More...
Published: Fri, 09 May 2008 17:37:00 GMT
URI:http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~3/287016215/20080509...
16. Better late than never: MySpace finally enables data shari...

MySpace has announced plans to actually make its social network play nice with others across the web, and pats itself on the back while doing so. Although loyal users will certainly welcome the changes, MySpace is certainly not the first to think of ways for its users to share data across web sites.Read More...
Published: Fri, 09 May 2008 16:09:00 GMT
URI:http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~3/286939833/20080509...
17. New quantum dot logic gates a step towards quantum compute...

A pair of articles in this week's edition of Science look at creating a form of a quantum logic gate. While both use quantum dots, they attack the problem in very different manners.Read More...
Published: Fri, 09 May 2008 15:30:00 GMT
URI:http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~3/286919342/20080509...
18. Piracy now "public nuisance" in Los Angeles County

After urging from the MPAA and RIAA, Los Angeles County agrees that piracy is a "public nuisance" and that buildings and equipment used to store or manufacture counterfeit discs can be seized.Read More...
Published: Fri, 09 May 2008 14:55:00 GMT
URI:http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~3/286883003/20080509...
19. Pirate Bay: MPAA's $15.4 million damage claim a fabricatio...

The MPAA has asked a Swedish court for $15.4 million in damages from The Pirate Bay. Peter Sunde, the torrent tracker's fearless captain, says that the claims are bogus.Read More...
Published: Fri, 09 May 2008 14:15:00 GMT
URI:http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~3/286866215/20080509...
20. Nokia aiming to reinvent itself as an "Internet company"

It's not good enough to be the clear leader in a mature market sector like cell phones. To stay youthfully vibrant, Nokia is embracing a new set of competitors and is repackaging itself as an "Internet company."Read More...
Published: Fri, 09 May 2008 11:15:00 GMT
URI:http://feeds.arstechnica.com/~r/arstechnica/BAaf/~3/286780781/20080509...