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I have a secret. Don’t tell anyone, but – I didn’t use RSS feeds until recently. I know, I know, time to take away my website. I tried to, though, I really did. I downloaded mulitple desktop feed readers, added to my Firefox toolbar, etc, but I still couldn’t get into a habit of checking them. Then came Google Reader.
Google Reader is, by far, the best RSS reader there is (at least that I’ve come across). Here’s why.
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As I walked out of the South Carolina University library this morning, I followed my daily routine and grabbed a copy of USA Today. To my excitement, WordPress was mentioned on the front page of the Money section.
The article talked about Matt Mullenweg, the creator of WordPress. In this six years it has been in existence, WordPress has come a long way. There are roughly 10,000 new accounts created…every day! In December alone, WordPress blogs received over 200 million readers. And that’s just WordPress.com blogs!
I have been using WordPress for a while now, first on other sites, and more recently on RyboMedia. I have to say, this is by far my favorite Content Management System and blogging software. It’s simple to use, yet extremely customizable.
Check out the full story below.
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2009-01-27-wordpress-creator-blog_N.htm
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Here is yet another example of why I like Google so much. While many companies would scoff at the idea of giving away code, graphics, and ideas, Google once again shows us why they are so successful.
In a recent blog post, Google explained that they intend to keep their Desktop Gadgets open source. As always, Google shows us that you don’t have to be stingy to make money.
“Source code can be a valuable learning tool. The gadgets not only show you how to develop Desktop gadgets, integrate with Google APIs, but also provide other tidbits of knowledge such as how to calculate phases of the moon or StarDates.
The images and graphics are also Open Sourced. Being an engineer, I know how frustrating it is to work hard on an application only to have it dismissed because of hand-drawn stick figures and shapes. We hope people can take advantage of our graphic designers’ talents. If you’re a fan of clocks, I have something right up your alley.
We get warm fuzzy feelings by simply supporting the cause. It fosters a spirit of openness and collaboration between the team and developer community.”
Yet another example of why Web 2.0, as well as collaboration sites like these, as well as Wikipedia, Facebook, and others, are quickly becoming so successful.
So go ahead, dive right into Google’s code. You can learn a lot, enjoy the scenery, and make them feel fuzzy inside.
http://google-opensource.blogspot.com/2009/01/open-sourcing-google-desktop-gadgets.html
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For years now, I have made it known that I don’t like video games. Sure, the occasional Tiger Woods 08, Wii Sports, or Halo 2 tournament can be fun, but for the most part, I don’t see the point. After hours and hours of staring at a screen, seemingly unconsciously pushing buttons on a controller, I feel that I have accomplished absolutely nothing. And my head usually hurts by then as well.
This morning, however, I was looking over some Slashdot headlines I was emailed, when I saw the story of a 17 year old boy who shot both of his parents, killing his mother, when they took away his copy of Halo 3. Unbelievable.
While I don’t think Microsoft, or Bungee (who, I believe, still makes Halo), should be charged or blamed for anything, it is sad that people, both young and old, are so hooked on these games. As Judge James Burge declared the boy guilty, he still came to his defense by saying that he did not realize that his parents would be dead forever.
Check out the articles below for the full story.
http://www.gamepolitics.com/2009/01/13/judge-comes-down-hard-video-games-halo-3-murder-trial
http://kotaku.com/5112289/halo-3-shooters-attorney-argues-insanity-due-to-video-game-addiction