Users Amused, Annoyed By Facebook Places
It’s been two weeks since Facebook users took to blogs and message boards to voice their concerns about Places, a location-based service that allows people to check in to gathering spots via the social network.
After firsthand experience with Places, some users still worry that the service could compromise their privacy. But others are finding that when used with caution, the new feature can be useful and is enhancing their experience on the site. Read more
Ping Surpasses 1 Million Users
Apple CEO Steve Jobs Introduces PING
In less than two days, Apple’s Ping music social network has surpassed the 1 million user milestone.
Apple introduced Ping as the centerpiece of iTunes 10 at its music event earlier this week. It is a music-centric social network where users can follow updates from both their friends and their favorite music artists. It includes custom song and album charts, a news feed and 17,000+ concert listings. Read more
Facebook Testing A ‘Stalker Button’
The Facebook Logo
Facebook is apparently testing a new subscription feature that would allow users to receive alerts any time a specific friend takes certain actions on the social network.All Facebook reports that it has noticed the new feature popping up on friends’ profiles. Read more
Google Settles Buzz Privacy Lawsuit
Google Buzz
Google Inc has settled a lawsuit alleging privacy violations in connection with its Buzz social networking service, according to a court document filed on Friday.
The settlement filing comes on the same day Google announced changes to its privacy policies to make them “more transparent and understandable,” Associate General Counsel Mike Yang said on the company website. Read more
Apple And Google To Clash In Music Space By Christmas
An Apple Computer in Google HQ
Google Inc is in talks with music labels on plans for a download store and a digital song locker that would allow its mobile users to play songs wherever they are as it steps up its rivalry with Apple Inc, according to people familiar with the matter. Read more
Making computer memory work like the human brain
HP Labs has developed a prototype for a new kind of computer memory called the memristor, shown here under a microscope
How do computers remember things?
It’s something most of us never think about. But you may start to take notice if HP Labs is successful in commercializing a new version of computer memory, which would make our electronics dramatically faster and more energy efficient. Read more
Security Concerns when Developing PHP Applications
Security concerns are always important when developing applications. With PHP I tend to find myself considering security more, not because there is anything wrong with PHP, but because PHP’s simplicity is its own downfall; it is easy to put speed of development before security issues. Read more
PHP Development: Getting Started
PHP
It’s been a few years since I echo’d my first HELLO WORLD script. PHP has developed and evolved and yes, it has changed since it was first devised as little Perl extensions on Rasmus Lerdorf’s localhost. Still, for a little Home Page script, it has grown into something that is now used on over 200 million websites around the world. Read more
Best Coding Practices
Coding
I have probably read about 100 articles about the best coding practices of one language or another all talking about what to do or what not to do when actually developing some sort of application or website. However, I have found myself devising other practices as I progressed–things that not only make sense to me, but work well, are within the norms of standard coding practices and do not break any rules. The problem is that these things I have found along the way are things I have never seen taught anywhere. Read more
Google set to unveil “priority inbox” for Gmail
Gmail Priority Inbox
Gmail users who feel swamped by a virtual flood of messages will get some help sorting them out.
Priority Inbox, a feature designed to push a user’s most important e-mails to the top of the inbox and leave them there, was scheduled to be rolled out at midnight ET Monday. Read more
