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. Mark Zuckerberg’s 6 Ingredients For Success

Leadership guru Warren Bennis asked whether leaders are born or made. When asked if Wall Street would accept a young Mark Zuckerberg in his early 20s as CEO, Facebook investor Peter Thiel said: “Well, we’ll wait until he’s over 25 to file”. Wise move, considering that Mark’s title on his business cards read “I’m CEO, bitch”. This week Facebook filed its S-1 to go public. Mark is 27. How Mark managed to launch a social networking site after Friendster had crashed during MySpace’s zenith has been widely chronicled. What’s been less discussed is how Mark mastered the six requirements to succeed, namely Ambition, Vision, Determination, Execution, Luck and Timing.
Published: Sat, 04 Feb 2012 15:04:03 GMT
URI:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/sgYYhbX7qFg/
2. Which Service Has The Best Welcome Message? (Hint: Pin Car...

Two days ago, I received an invite to Pinterest. (I know, I'm late.) After signing up, I pretty much ignored the welcome message, just as I do with most services. But last night I decided to get myself caught up after the Crunchies, and started reading through all my unread emails (even the ones from Nigerian royal's relatives) and found myself actually reading through the Pinterest welcome email, too. It's wonderful, and the reason it's wonderful comes down to just one bullet point: Pin carefully! As one of the first members of Pinterest, your pins will help set the tone for the whole community. Use big images, write thoughtful descriptions, and pin things you really love. Also, no nudity :)
Published: Sat, 04 Feb 2012 14:00:11 GMT
URI:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/KnDCrQILLwE/
3. Daily Crunch: Zen

Here are some recent stories on TechCrunch Gadgets: The Zen Table Practices Mindfulness So You Don’t Have To The Wheel: What Is The Foxconn Debate Really About? iModela Adds CNC Milling To Your Home 3D Printing Arsenal
Published: Sat, 04 Feb 2012 09:00:46 GMT
URI:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/wwHMqxaIC94/
4. Facebook Javascript API Goes Down, Taking Down Likes, Comm...

I dare you to Facebook Like or even comment on this post. You can't, because the Facebook Javascript API, the backend system which allows developer applications and Facebook's own apps like Likes and Comments to communicate with the data available on the social network, is down, and has been down for at least an hour as far as I can tell, begging the question, "If article falls on a blog and no one Likes it, does it make a sound?"
Published: Sat, 04 Feb 2012 04:22:57 GMT
URI:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/NzuM0fSVVlE/
5. Investors Drive $ZNGA Up 26% In Two Days Following Faceboo...

Those of us who have been following the social gaming industry already know that Zynga has made up a big portion of Facebook's revenues. But lots of public investors only seem to have gotten the memo on Wednesday evening, when Facebook's S-1 filing revealed that the developer made up 12% of its total revenues, or $445 million. In the two days since, Zynga's stock has gone up more than 26%, to close at $13.39 this evening.
Published: Sat, 04 Feb 2012 03:54:13 GMT
URI:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/cHLv3Ecz4nE/
6. I Use Wikipedia More Than Makeup

I just donated $40 to Wikipedia, because I promised myself I would every time I poked fun at its Holiday donation drive and then just never got around to it. Did you know that you could actually donate during the off-season (Via the covert "Donate to Wikipedia" link at the far left of each individual entry page)? I didn't, before I asked Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales whether it was possible to donate in the off-season. Spoiler alert, it is. My 40 bucks got me, in addition to the very sweet 'Thank You' letter below, the satisfaction of paying duly for something I use all the time.
Published: Sat, 04 Feb 2012 03:27:07 GMT
URI:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/IvUiWCz-QLc/
7. Google Adjusts Political Posture With Sponsorship Of Conse...

In interesting but ultimately not very shocking news, Google has signed on as a major sponsor of the Conservative Political Action Conference, which is more or less what it sounds like. Not that there's anything wrong with that. It's just a little odd seeing Google, which is becoming increasingly political, listed next to such organizations as the Koch Institute, the Heritage Foundation, and the NRA. But this isn't the moment Google comes out as a closet Republican. It's actually quite in keeping with Google's position of aggressive neutrality.
Published: Sat, 04 Feb 2012 02:09:02 GMT
URI:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/0iGH5TL8gDQ/
8. Watch 2012 Super Bowl Commercials Now With Facebook + USA ...

Want to watch the big budget Super Bowl commercials, but can't wait till Sunday or don't care about football? Facebook and USA Today have just launched Ad Meter, a Facebook app where you can watch many of the TV spots right now. Then from kickoff until Tuesday night you can vote for your favorites. Traditionally an offline poll done live with handheld meters, USA Today has finally brought Ad Meter online so you can judge ads both in real-time and post-game.
Published: Fri, 03 Feb 2012 23:48:56 GMT
URI:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/JF500ocX3Qs/
9. Pokki Gives Quick Access To Madden NFL Superstars, Just In...

It's the Super Bowl season, when a host of services and apps debut just in time for the biggest television event of the year. And, if you're a fan of Madden's NFL Superstars (a web app that's available through Facebook), then you'll like this launch: the game is now available as a Pokki right here. Pokki, for those that haven't used it, is a platform that lets you install lightweight apps that live in your Windows Taskbar (a Mac version is on the way). Each app gets its own icon — click on it, and the app will pop open immediately, click away and it'll hide itself, and when you click it again, it'll pick up right where you left off.
Published: Fri, 03 Feb 2012 23:00:32 GMT
URI:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/KuQrufOpxz4/
10. Arianna Wants To Put A Nap Room In TechCrunch HQ. LOL.

Silicon Valley absolutely, positively doesn't need a nap room because in theory we don't sleep, let alone nap (and if we do need to nap -- like in an emergency -- we take that shiz home, far far away from hungry competitors!). Please Aol Mr. Sr. Facilities Manager, take that money and buy us a bunch of Diet Coke to drink late at night or that great beef jerky we used to have or a copyediting slave intern or passes to Burning Man or anything but a room specifically designed for being less productive.
Published: Fri, 03 Feb 2012 22:48:36 GMT
URI:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/R9SEGAgFTKQ/
11. Fear Not: Google Will Still Support The Verizon Galaxy Nex...

Earlier this afternoon Droid-Life noticed something strange: the Android developer devices page had been modified to remove the Verizon Galaxy Nexus, leading the site to question whether Google may have removed support for the device because of its spat with Verizon over Google Wallet. Which would stand to infuriate a lot of new Galaxy Nexus users (including myself), who are looking forward to receiving device updates directly from Google and not having to wait for Verizon to get around to pushing their own releases. Thankfully, we've confirmed this isn't the case: Google says it will indeed be updating the Verizon Galaxy Nexus in the future.
Published: Fri, 03 Feb 2012 22:29:23 GMT
URI:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/QXSuCmGmd0U/
12. U.S. Government & Military To Get Secret-Worthy Android Ph...

The amount of stuff we trust to fly in and out of our smartphones is astounding. Just look at what happened when a couple of reporters got access to an unwitting (and rather unlucky) Apple employee's iMessages alone — within days, they learned more about him than most people know about their closest friends. Now, imagine all the stuff that could fly in and out of a government official's phone, or that of a highly-ranked member of the military. Forget saucy texts and booty pictures — we're talking about state secrets, here. Looking to keep their secrets underwraps while on the go, the U.S government is working on a build of Android custom-tailored to meet their security requirements.
Published: Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:50:16 GMT
URI:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/DaeJy4IReRc/
13. Gillmor Gang Live 02.03.12 (TCTV)

The Gillmor Gang - Robert Scoble, John Taschek, Kevin Marks, and Steve Gillmor – are recording live at 1pm PT. Recording has concluded.
Published: Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:00:14 GMT
URI:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/22YqGOXGyGc/
14. Apple Kicks Chart Topping Fakes Out Of App Store

Temple Jump, Tiny Birds, Numbers With Friends. These are not the apps you love. They're fakes designed to scam you out of $1.99 when you go to buy Temple Run, Tiny Wings, or Words With Friends. Today Apple took a stand against plagiarism, kicking these rip-offs out of the US App Store. Good riddance, but how can platform owners stop these developers before they rob users of thousands or even millions of dollars?
Published: Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:39:15 GMT
URI:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/2_8PsKgT2Kg/
15. Micron CEO Dead At 51

The CEO of Micron Technology, Steve Appleton, died in a small plane crash today in Boise, Idaho. He was 51. Appleton worked at the company since 1983, starting on the night shift production line. He died piloting a Lancair experimental aircraft around Boise.
Published: Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:30:12 GMT
URI:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/hqdMFbeUIQk/
16. OnSports Mobile App Battles Its Way Up A Tough League Ahea...

Most popular mobile sports apps are trying to feed you scores and news, or show you fantasy numbers. OnSports, by HitPost, is in a smaller class of apps that's focused on users running the discussion themselves. And now, ahead of the Super Bowl this Sunday, viral growth and featured spots on the Android Market and the iTunes App Store are helping it step up against larger competitors.
Published: Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:15:47 GMT
URI:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/aLaYRfQsYHM/
17. The Zen Table Practices Mindfulness So You Don’t Have To

Remember those little Zen rock gardens they used to sell for desks? So you could take a minute of your busy day to contemplate the void? Thanks to the magic of Kickstarter, you can build your own automatic, desktop-based Zen garden that will rake itself into endless patterns.
Published: Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:00:08 GMT
URI:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/wRQ_vK-FYFk/
18. Ansca Mobile Accuses Partner PapayaMobile Of Copying Its C...

Ansca Mobile, the Palo Alto-based mobile development company and makers of the popular Corona SDK, is accusing its partner PapayaMobile of ripping off parts of its SDK for use in PapayaMobile's Social Game Engine. According to Ansca Mobile COO David Rangel, his company recently discovered that Papaya's engine is what he calls a "blatant copy" of some aspects of the Corona SDK. In addition, says Rangel, some of PapayaMobile's syntax and sample code is identical to Ansca's, and the company is using graphic assets it took from the code on the PapayaMobile website.
Published: Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:57:52 GMT
URI:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/I39le0ajmIE/
19. Some Refurbished Xooms Could Put Personal Data In The Wron...

Maybe it was too thick, maybe it was too heavy, maybe you just didn’t like Honeycomb. Regardless of your reasoning, you may want to keep your eyes peeled on your credit score if you bought and returned a Motorola Xoom between March and October 2011, because your personal information may be in someone else’s hands.
Published: Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:55:56 GMT
URI:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/mf5D_ViaPk8/
20. Tumblr Now Lets You Highlight Your Favorite Posts For A Do...

Tumblr is introducing a new feature today that lets its users pay a dollar in order to have their post featured on the Tumblr Dashboard. The option is called "Highlights," and it's now available right from the new post page on Tumblr. With Highlights, you can choose a special icon that will appear next to the post along with an optional message that points out why the post is important.
Published: Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:29:05 GMT
URI:http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/0seY_kzFNdY/