03:10 PM by ignatz in Miscellaneous | Lounge

Okay, since we began talking about RSS here several months have passed. I'm curious what people have settled on for readers. I've been using Firefox's RSS and then Sage readers, but now I've got an appetite for something that will alert me to new entries, like FeedReader. But I'm open to other avenues. So tell me: what RSS reader do you use?

01:31 PM by hacker in Miscellaneous | Lounge

I've got 6 of my own as well... how about we do a poll to win them. Here goes:

For 6 Shiny new 2004 Model GMail invites:

What publically-accessible document, pdf, website, ebook, or other work, would you like to see converted into a high-quality Plucker and iSilo document, for distribution either free, or for a small fee to cover the cost of conversion?

I've already done the 9/11 Commission Report in Plucker format and iSilo format, and users have been raving at the quality and speed of the document. I'd like to contribute more... but I need some ideas, and this is your chance to chime in to win some GMail invites to help us decide!

12:20 AM by ignatz in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

Engadget is reporting a rumor of a Dell x50 in the works, supposedly for October release. No pics as yet. Like the x3 and x30, there will be several models, the highest featuring a 3.7" VGA screen. All models will have SD and compact flash slots. Alledgedly. (I'm not a PPC user yet, but I don't see why they won't let compact flash go...) Sounds pretty exciting if it's true. October is my birthday month. Hopefully the release of the x50 will drive the prices down on the x30 line.

01:33 PM by Alexander Turcic in Miscellaneous | Lounge

eBayFeed/1.0 allows you to create customized RSS 2.0 feeds of your favorite eBay searches. Compared to other eBay-to-RSS solutions, ebayFeed has the following advantages: it is fully customizable and extensible (open-source), it supports eBay platforms of other countries (take a look at config.inc), you can run it on your own server, it doesn't log your clicks on items, nor does it advertise your search habits to others (such as qksrv.net), and it allows you to fully utilize eBay's advanced search forms. It currently supports eBay USA, eBay UK, eBay Germany, eBay France, eBay Italy.

You can see the script in action here:

http://www.halted.de/

(make sure to copy it on your own server as above server is only for temporary demonstration purposes!)

source code: here and here.

full package zipped: here.

eBayFeed/1.0 was written in PHP and requires the cURL extension.

Feel free to post your comments!

10:54 AM by Colin Dunstan in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

An unconfirmed report from German Nexave.de is claiming the next Tungsten handhelds from palmOne may be called the Tungsten T5.

If German language is not your strength you can also read the Altavista's translation.

10:48 AM by Colin Dunstan in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

Most of us thought that HP would release its own MP3-player that would challenge Apple's iPod and other audio players.

Instead, HP has just announced its alliance with Apple to bring out that the Apple iPod from HP, or how they call it: the iPod+HP player, which looks pretty much like a third-generation iPod device. It has the same form, offers the same amount of data storage, and has an identical pricing structure.

Well, not sure how we benefit as a customer from this "new" player. But it is certainly a very good deal for Apple, who has gained a very important strategic partner in HP.

05:50 AM by Colin Dunstan in E-Book General | Deals and Resources (No...

It's 2031, and Microsoft advertises Linux on Edinburgh's largest billboards. Duncan Steele roams a brave new world, besting techno-proles and fighting to extricate himself from a bogus murder rap, his trusty Sharp Zaurus by his side.

So begins the new cyber-thriller from Scottish security professional Kevin Milne. Z4CK was written on the train, whilst Kevin was on his way to and from work. His Zaurus SL-5500 was equipped with Open-Zaurus, and a Pockettop wireless keyboard was used to write the story (I wonder if writing a full-length book on a mobile device could leave some permanent damage to your health).

Kevin is offering the first six chapters as a downloadable PDF file. Of course, you can also buy the complete version electronically using PayPal for two British Pounds (~$3.60).

05:25 AM by Colin Dunstan in Archive | Handhelds and Smartphones

Someone at Treocentral has finally released pictures of the new Treo (starting on page 5 or so)!!

The Treo will include a 320x320 screen, Bluetooth, a new keyboard backlight system, a 1.3MP camera, plus more ram and a faster CPU than its predecessor.

Almost forgot to mention: It will have a removable battery! This should become standard for every PDA.