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

Web 2.0 This Week

1. Nailed It (Not): Our First Twitter Post, Circa 2006

I often point to my first post on Twitter, the day it launched in 2006. Why? Mostly because of how wrong I was. Best line: "I imagine most users are not going to want to have all of their Twttr messages published on a public website." I also love that original vowel-free logo. The first couple of comments to that post are classic as well:
Published: Thu, 02 Sep 2010 18:45:10 GMT
URI:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/pTuATS5Gy6Q/
2. iTunes Ping And Facebook Were Friends Yesterday. And I’m...

There seems to be some confusion out there right now about iTunes Ping, Apple's new music social network, and Facebook. Some people seem to think it was never a part of iTunes, that Apple decided against connecting; while other reports say they think it was at one point integrated, but that it wasn't working and has since been removed. I can tell you for sure that yesterday Facebook Connect was a part of Ping -- because I used it. When I first loaded iTunes 10 yesterday and started up Ping, connecting with Facebook was the first thing I did to find friends. At first, I will say that it didn't work. I hit the Connect button, entered my credentials, and nothing happened. But I tried again and it worked perfectly. I found a handful of Facebook friends who had just started using Ping as well and connected with them.
Published: Thu, 02 Sep 2010 18:39:45 GMT
URI:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/m02eLvjJXqA/
3. Fora.TV Triples Traffic. Wait, That Many People Want Hour-...

Fora.TV has always been playing a dangerous game—trying to sell long-form online video about intellectual ideas. That’s like trying to sell sunblock to the cast of Jersey Shore. Fora calls itself Hulu for “the Thinking Man’s Web.” (There’s a Thinking Man’s Web?) Eighteen months after closing its $6 million series A round and long time magazine editor Blaise Zerega took over as CEO, Fora seems to be grinding it out. The traffic has tripled and it’s now streaming about three million videos per month, mostly captured from conferences and high-level events. Those aren’t close to YouTube numbers, but considering the intellectually demanding content-- think Timothy Geithner talking for an hour about the best ways to stimulate the economy—it’s impressive.
Published: Thu, 02 Sep 2010 18:37:37 GMT
URI:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/hFClBA554tg/
4. Look Out Yammer – Zyb Founder Joins Podio, The Hot New S...

When Danish entrepreneur Tommy Ahlers sold his 'social phonebook' ZYB to Vodafone in 2008 for €31 million and joined the company, it didn't seem like he would stay forever at such a slow-moving corporate entity. And sure enough he has now left. But ever the restless entrepreneur he's decided against lying on a beach somewhere and careered headlong into a new startup which is poised to come out of stealth mode. Ahlers has now invested in, and become the CEO, of Podio, a hot new startup out of his home town of Copenhagen. I'd heard excited whisperings of the company when I was in the city recently, and indeed, Podio has been around for one and a half years as a boostrapped project, but with big ideas. It's now open via invitations – either from Podio or from existing users - and it's pretty awesome.
Published: Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:50:37 GMT
URI:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/9KsFPjCDw3w/
5. Fwix Shifts From Local News To Places: “We Are Automatin...

For the past two years, Fwix has been building a hyperlocal news site for cities and neighborhoods around the country in a very automated fashion. Its homepage for every city has been three columns filled with recent news and blog headlines, along with other local data like weather (see second screenshot below). Today, it is scrapping that approach to become more of a hyperlocal places directory. "We are automating Patch and building richer places pages and city pages," says CEO Darian Shirazi. With everyone on the Web crazy for Geo and trying to tap into local commerce, places directories are becoming more valuable. (They are also better for SEO). Whereas AOL's Patch is building out a directory of places in 500 small towns by hand, Fwix is creating an automated directory filled with maps, news feeds, events, photos, reviews, Tweets, status updates, and check-ins.
Published: Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:21:03 GMT
URI:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/9CboMngF1Oc/
6. HipChat’s Enterprise Communication Platform Adds Video C...

HipChat, a recently launched private instant messaging service for companies, has added support for voice and video chat as well as guest access. Similar to Campfire, HipChat provides a simple application for communication within businesses. HipChat offers both a web and desktop client based on Adobe AIR that lets you chat with your entire team at once, or hold more private discussions with select team members. The application includes support for quick attachment sharing, notifications when you receive a message, and a searchable web archive for past messages. It's incredibly easy to use and setup and doesn't require a company email address.
Published: Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:01:45 GMT
URI:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/0VDTlHj6Skw/
7. Hands-on Video With The Samsung Galaxy Tab (Spoiler: Wow)

Well, as promised, here’s a handy video of the Samsung Galaxy Tab in action. Apologies if it’s gets a little hairy at times—juggling two cameras while trying to navigate a GUI touchscreen isn’t exactly the easiest trick to pull off.
Published: Thu, 02 Sep 2010 16:52:32 GMT
URI:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/szAur7EO-e4/
8. Yammer 2.0 To Launch As A Powerful, Full-Fledged Social Ne...

Since Yammer launched as the "Twitter for businesses" at TechCrunch 50 in 2008, the startup has continued to improve on its already solid product, releasing mobile apps and new desktop clients, adding threaded conversations, and more. The fact is that in just under two years, Yammer, which we use at TechCrunch for internal communications, is being used by more than one million users and 80,000 companies worldwide (which includes 80% of the Fortune 500). That's impressive growth for the startup, which has raised $15 million in funding and is doubling revenue every quarter. But the social enterprise arena is competitive with Salesforce Chatter, Jive, Socialcast and many others vying for a piece of the pie. However, Yammer is going to be releasing a new version of its application at TechCrunch Disrupt this fall which could be a game-changer. The new Yammer will essentially turn the microblogging application into a full fledged social network. Yammer plans to add a number of applications to its platform that will increase its functionality beyond just a communications platform. An events application will allow you to invite co-workers to company or group events and track responses. Attendees can also download the event into their calendar.
Published: Thu, 02 Sep 2010 16:28:11 GMT
URI:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/n8pFGLzGEZM/
9. When Geeks Attack, Shanghai Edition (TCTV)

For some in Silicon Valley, Asia remains an alluring black box. A promising world with pockets of hyper growth, obscured by a tangled web of unfamiliar languages, customs, regulations and native ecosystems. Although the walls are coming down fast, the road to Asia's markets remains an intimidating one for many. Enter Dave McClure, founder of 500 Startups (a recently launched $30M super angel fund) and Geeks On A Plane, a program that takes tech entrepreneurs and investors to emerging markets. In its own small way, Geeks On A Plane is attempting to bridge that gap between the Valley and the rest of the world. Earlier this year, roughly 55 "Geeks" traveled to several key hot spots in Asia, including Shanghai, Singapore, Seoul and Beijing, to connect with the region's top entrepreneurs, to mingle with Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, and to sample local tech conferences like Shanghai World Expo and CHINICT. During the journey, Ben Henretig, founder of Micro-Documentaries, followed the group and made four short videos on the trip's highlights. Jump ahead for our video interview with McClure and the official debut of episode one, Shanghai.
Published: Thu, 02 Sep 2010 16:08:51 GMT
URI:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/KMs7cU08dzk/
10. EverFi Raises $11 Million For Financial Literacy Education...

Washington D.C.-based startup EverFi has just raised $11 million in Series A funding from New Enterprise Associates (NEA), with participation from TomorrowVentures and independent investors including Michael Chasen, the CEO of Blackboard. EverFi has created a SaaS application for schools to help educate young adults on financial literacy, student loan default prevention, filing taxes, credit card debt and more. The application's curriculum incorporates virtual worlds, gaming, social media and videos to help teach children these life skills.
Published: Thu, 02 Sep 2010 16:05:40 GMT
URI:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/HJITPFmwdw8/
11. LivingSocial Brings Daily Deals To The Hood

One of the challenges of running a social commerce site these days is that there is just too much demand, from both local merchants wanting to give out deals and consumers who want to try them. There are only 365 days in a year, and the daily deal format limits each city to 365 deals a year. Sites like GroupOn and LivingSocial are hitting those limits. GroupOn is expanding its inventory by "personalizing" deals, essentially showing different deals to different people. LivingSocial is handling the issue by going hyperlocal. It will now start offering deals by neighborhood and city districts.
Published: Thu, 02 Sep 2010 15:21:47 GMT
URI:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/zlUPLhc9BTc/
12. Dell Withdraws From 3PAR Bidding War, HP Wins With $2.4B O...

It looks like the bidding war for 3PAR could be over. Dell has just issued a release indicating that it will not increase its most recent $2 billion proposal to acquire 3PAR, and the company's has ended acquisition talks for the data storage company. Dell is entitled to receive a $72 million break-up fee from 3PAR upon the termination of its merger agreement. This morning, HP upped the ante today with an offer worth $33 per share or $2.4 billion. 3PAR has accepted HP's bid. Dell also said that its improved offer included a proposed commercial relationship and an increased break-up fee.
Published: Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:32:00 GMT
URI:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/U8rDtfmMBCo/
13. On Its Second Birthday, Google Chrome Officially Hits Vers...

Ever since it became stable enough to use on a day-to-day basis on a Mac last year, Google Chrome has been my browser of choice. Other browsers have been adding some nice features -- but Chrome keeps adding them faster. And today on its second birthday, that rate of change isn't slowing down. Google has officially rolled out Chrome 6 as the latest stable version of the browser today. This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone using the dev or beta builds of the browser, but it's nonetheless an important mark as it means it's stable enough for mass consumption.
Published: Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:19:23 GMT
URI:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/LVgN-sjJ8RI/
14. After Dell Matches $2B Offer For 3PAR, HP Ups Its Bid To $...

It looks like we're back to square one again. Dell has matched HP's $2 billion offer to buy 3PAR, and HP upped the ante today with an offer worth $33 per share or $2.4 billion. 3PAR has accepted HP's bid. Dell had previously signed an agreement to acquire 3PAR for $18 per share or $1.13 billion, with a provision for matching competing bids. HP then effectively outbid the company and offered $1.6 billion, but Dell matched that offer yesterday, after which HP made a renewed bid for $1.8 billion. HP then offered $2 billion last Friday.
Published: Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:22:21 GMT
URI:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/ngN7tXPRNyk/
15. Cisco To Acquire Smart Grid Monitoring Tech Company Arch R...

Cisco this morning announced its intent to acquire privately-held Arch Rock, which specializes in IP-based wireless sensor network technology with a focus on energy and environmental monitoring and Smart Grid applications. Financial terms of the transaction are not being disclosed.
Published: Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:59:13 GMT
URI:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/TOvqdSl5Z8s/
16. AOL And Google Renew Search Deal For 5 Years, Expand Partn...

AOL CEO Tim Armstrong hinted that this was coming, but this morning Google and AOL announced a five-year renewal of the search deal between the two companies. Google will continue to power search across AOL’s content network and properties. The partnership will be expanded to include mobile search and YouTube. Armstrong said in a statement “Today is another important step in the turnaround of AOL...AOL users will be getting a better search and search ads experience from the best search company in the world – Google. After nearly a decade-long partnership in search, we’re looking forward to expanding our global relationship to mobile search and YouTube. All aspects of our partnership will be improved by this deal.”
Published: Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:48:30 GMT
URI:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/4QQ2bXhuNnQ/
17. Android Users Can Now Check In To Foursquare By Using Thei...

Thanks to a partnership with Vlingo, owners of Android 2.0 or higher-equipped phones can now check in to Foursquare and update their status on Facebook and Twitter simply by speaking into their phones. To try it out, download the free Vlingo app to your Android handset. Using your voice, you can then update your location status on Foursquare by saying "check into Logan Airport", locate your friends with commands like "where are my friends?" and "who's nearby?" as well as send shout-outs to your buddies (e.g. "shout at Logan Airport waiting to board a plane to San Francisco").
Published: Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:27:45 GMT
URI:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/f0k5gn-OQhc/
18. Allmyapps Snags 1 Million Euros for iTunes-for-Apps

The iTunes-for-apps, Allmyapps, has just announced its first round of funding with French VC fund, Elaia Partners - the same firm that has backed French all-stars like Goom Radio, Goojet and Criteo. With 1 million in the bank, the Paris-based company founded in June 2009 plans to focus on product development and emerge as the leading Microsoft-dedicated app store. Just so happens that Allmyapps, founded by Thibauld Favre and Arnaud Coulondre, is also the company that won the startup pitch competition at TechCrunch Paris in March.
Published: Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:26:57 GMT
URI:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/QDoYHyocoas/
19. Email Overload Means We’re Never Not Working

A new study by email software purveyor Xobni confirms what we bloggers know to be true, there's actually no such thing as a day off in the Internet age (Want more visceral proof than an email study? Check out the timestamp of this post). Information anxiety has pretty much put the kibosh on "time off" as two out of three Americans and Brits check their email outside of regular business hours (ha) and half of Americans email while on vacation (double ha). The Xobni study, an online survey of 2,200 British and American adults conducted in August, holds that the traditional 9-5 work day has gone the way of the Dodo, due to the fact that Americans and Brits can't stop checking their email. Apparently we sneak a peak at our inboxes while on vacation, weekends, sick days and even when we are (gasp!) in bed.
Published: Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:52:13 GMT
URI:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/f_N7MfGD7R0/
20. 60% Of Apps In Android Market Are Free (Vs. 30% Or Less In...

App store analytics provider Distimo yesterday published its latest report, once again zooming in on the pricing of mobile applications across a variety of platforms. Consistent with its previous findings, Google's Android Market has by far the largest share of free applications available compared to other mobile app store, but the gap is also widening. In July 2010, 60% of all applications on Android Market were free of charge, representing an increase of 3% since May 2010 when it was 57%.
Published: Thu, 02 Sep 2010 10:52:58 GMT
URI:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/TNzLkLkbgRA/
21. WhereMark Launches Location-Based Service, A Cautionary Ta...

Okay, here's the deal, if you are a startup unveiling a location-based service in a market saturated with location-based services please tell us what is unique about you vs. the 800 or so other services out there and please please whatever you do don't copy the RULE.fm pitch, which we liked the first time around. WhereMark "We are writing to you in an awkward state of euphoria and exhaustion. This combination is resulting from 15 months of being strung out on more Diet Coke than a human should consume, a sleep debt rivaling the national deficit, and finally going live with our startups newest service." RULE.fm "Another late night, we’re tired, hopped up on caffeine, malnourished and could probably use a shower…but man do we love this startup S#!T. We are sitting here with the launch of our productivity tool rule.fm ( http://rule.fm – screenshots attached) around the corner."
Published: Thu, 02 Sep 2010 10:20:45 GMT
URI:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/PdxH9BuuHQI/
22. The Tweeting Wifi Body Scale Scores 3 Million Euros

Withings, the Paris-based company behind the famous tweeting wifi body scale, has just scored 3 million euros from French VC firm, Ventech. It's the company's first round of funding and will be used primarily for the development of 2 new products, which should come out within the next 6 months. For anyone who isn't already familiar with the company's first product, the tweeting wifi body scale, it's a terrific wifi-connected device that tracks your weight. May sound simple but it can recognize up to 8 users and allows you to transfer your weight information to a computer, iPhone or iPad - which is where the Tweeting comes from, obviously. The product launched officially last year on June 25 goes for €129 in France and is a great little way to track a fitness program or diet.
Published: Thu, 02 Sep 2010 10:08:11 GMT
URI:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/L_-E-EMaJaM/
23. Google Sued Over Nexus One 3G Connectivity Problems, Misle...

On Tuesday, Google was slapped with a breach of contract class action lawsuit alleging that its Nexus One smartphone failed to maintain 3G connectivity and that the Mountain View company not only made misleading claims about the product's capabilities but also failed to adequately support customers in search of answers. Plaintiff Nathan Nabors of Florida is seeking damages and class action interest on behalf of residents of his home state as well as California who have bought the Nexus One since its January debut. The only defendant named in the suit is Google - in other words, manufacturer HTC and exclusive 3G carrier T-Mobile USA are not included in the suit. The potential size of the classes is not specified in the complaint.
Published: Thu, 02 Sep 2010 08:01:04 GMT
URI:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/1MEVUrKHnrw/
24. Virgin America Rides Loopt Taco Truck Special To Fifth Lar...

Sometimes the titles just write themselves. On Tuesday Virgin America and Loopt partnered to offer people two-for-one tickets to Cancun or Los Cabos from California. All you had to do was check in on Loopt at SFO, LAX or one of a variety of taco trucks in San Francisco and Los Angeles in a four hour window. So how did it go? Loopt says 1,300 people checked in to a single taco truck in San Francisco, and 80% of those people have already bought tickets on Virgin America for flights. It was Virgin's fifth highest revenue day ever, says Loopt (we're confirming with Virgin).
Published: Thu, 02 Sep 2010 07:20:55 GMT
URI:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/tXanpsqut-c/
25. Twitter Just Killed Something Else: Their Own Website. Twi...

Are you addicted to Twitter? Do you have an iPad? Even if the answer to both is "no" right now, after you see Twitter for iPad, those answers are going to change -- quickly. Yes, the wait is over. Launching tonight in the App Store is Twitter for iPad -- the first official native iPad app from the company. We all knew it was coming (Twitter even said so a few months ago), but it has been a long wait. It was definitely worth it. Like most people, I wander into hyperbole from time to time. But it has now been a few days since I first played with Twitter for iPad, and I still think it is hands-down the best iPad app out there. It's that good. With all due respect to Reeder, Instapaper, Flipboard, and Pulse, this is now going to be my go-to app for just about everything related to reading news. It's simply such a great experience for reading tweets -- and more importantly, reading the links your friends share.
Published: Thu, 02 Sep 2010 03:59:09 GMT
URI:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/-v-Jv3YMLuY/