Mobile phone operating systems and a reheated web browser war: that’s how we’ll recall the year 2008 when it comes to software. From brand new to revamped browsers and mobile platforms and apps, 2008’s been good to technophiles who like their data in the cloud and accessible wherever they are. Let’s take a look back at this year in software, and some of the best new and improved applications, web services, and mobile platforms that were born in 2008. Looking back at the last 12 months, these are the apps that get a gold foil-wrapped chocolate coin from us this year. Photo by Gaetan Lee.
Not only did you swoon over the release of Firefox 3 because of the “AwesomeBar” and the rest of the “Had no idea I needed this but now I love it!” features it offers, but because the launch itself was a grass-roots community-driven effort towards making software history. Indeed, on June 17th of this year, the makers of Firefox set a new Guinness World Record for most software downloads in a given day, at more than eight million downloads of the new browser iteration in 24 hours. If you haven’t dug into the advanced functionality Firefox has to offer, check out our power user’s guide to Firefox 3.
While Mozillians and Firefox users celebrated across the globe over the summer, no one knew that search powerhouse Google was in the software development lab cooking up their own lean, mean browsing machine that would forsake all of the fox’s bells and whistles (and extensibility) to run Javascript-based applications lightening-fast. On September 2nd, Google released the first beta of Chrome, their new web browser which they hope you’ll make your window to the web and all its apps. Our own in-house browser speed tests show that Chrome is indeed speedy, and we’re seeing a significant uptake on Chrome usage by Lifehacker readers. (Last month’s browser breakdown for Lifehacker readers was 62% Firefox, 22% IE, 8% Safari, and 6% Chrome. Not bad for a browser that’s been out only a few months.) For more Chrome goodness, see our power user’s guide to Google Chrome.
Yeah, yeah, the iPhone launched in 2007, but this year the iPhone 2.0 software and the new iPhone 3G model with a faster data plan and GPS came out to hype almost as big as the original iPhone launch. The combination of an operating system that finally ran third-party apps officially plus pinpointy GPS goodness set the bar for what users can expect to get from the next generation of smartphone with a fast internet connection, full-on browser, and spot-on location-awareness. Plus, dozens of the apps available for the phone are free. At first, we were in love. Later, we had our doubts. The iPhone 2.0 launch did start to show some of the cracks in the Apple armor—several of the earliest versions of the software were crash and freeze-prone, requiring many users to uninstall apps and reset their phone software to fix maddening keyboard delays and application crashes. Meanwhile, Apple’s approval-only App Store left a few applications out in the cold. Still, the iPhone 2.0 software created a compelling mobile platform and app marketing campaign that made Aunt Bertha really want to try that Neil Diamond song out on Shazam.
What with the App Store limitations and Apple’s insistence on ruling over what you can and cannot do on your phone, it’s not surprising the enthusiastic “jailbreak” community soldiered on this year, continuing to offer installers and non-Apple-approved applications for your iPhone even in the face of the mainstream iTunes App Store. We take our hats off to these intrepid hackers, who offer such lovely functionality as the ability to SSH into, theme, and download video clips to your phone; if you haven’t jailbroken your iPhone or iPod touch, here are a few of our picks of best iPhone 2.0 jailbreak apps you can’t find in the iTunes Store.
Google’s answer to Apple’s proprietary iPhone hardware and software came in the form of their very own touch mobile phone operating system, Android, which launched this past October. Unlike the iPhone, this new mobile platform is open source and will run on various handsets going forward. Right now Android’s first release is only available on the HTC G1 handset; you can see our hands-on first look at Google Android running on the G1 here. As an iPhone user frustrated by limited apps, crashiness, and lack of copy and paste, Android is like a breath of fresh air. Even though the mobile OS is still very new, its open-source nature has led to hundreds of new apps. See our pick of best Android apps to boost your mobile productivity.
One of the few software apps on this list that’s not open source or made by a ginormous company, new instant messenger client Digsby took chatters by storm with its ability to consolidate your IM, email, and social networking in one place. Even though the Digsby beta only went public in February, by April it was already one of our readers’ top five favorite instant messaging tools.
We were really late to the Xbox Media Center (XBMC) party when we showed up last year and installed it on our old classic Xbox, but since then we’ve been hooked on this rich, open-source media center. Luckily, just because those old black boxes are becoming obselete doesn’t mean the XBMC software project has died off. Just the opposite: XBMC has forked into several neat branches that run on various hardware platforms so you can enjoy the same media center goodness without hacking an old Xbox. Check out a few launches from various factions of XBMC developers this past year that have warmed our hearts:
Another year, another Ubuntu release, and they just keep getting better. Seriously, you have to love the free, open source operating system that manages a new major release on a yearly basis—something Apple and Microsoft, companies you pay hundreds of dollars to for the privilege of using their software, don’t pull off. If you’ve tried Linux on your desktop before and killed the partition in frustration, only to slink back to Windows, it’s time to give it another go. This year’s flavor, version 8.04 Hardy Heron makes Linux worth another look.
Our favorite web application on the internet, Gmail, continues to burn down barns and rip up the competition with continual iteration and feature adds. This year, Gmail added a “Labs” section to your account, a safe way for power users to enable “experimental” power features to their email while keeping everyone else’s safe from harm. Truthfully, when I attended the Google press event announcing Gmail Labs back in June, I had my doubts about whether or not the featureset would ever expand beyond the initial 13, and if it would go beyond eye-candy games like Snakey to, you know, actually useful stuff. Turns out it did. Six months later, ten more Gmail Labs features are available in your account, including a super-useful Gadgets feature that lets third parties embed their apps into your inbox. (Like Bit.ly or Basecamp.) Later, Gmail launched themes as well as a Google Desktop gadget. In the midst of all this, the Gmail security team took the time to respond to a breach that several users had experienced and blogged about online. Clearly there’s someone home at Gmail; this is a rapidly-evolving product that any webapp developer should use as an example on how to iterate quickly.
The three biggest pay-per-views in mixed martial arts were headlined by someone who had never even fought for the UFC before 2007, Brock Lesnar, and gained most of his fame as a pro wrestler, although he never pro wrestled during the year.
The biggest pay-per-view event in pro wrestling was headlined by one of the biggest names in boxing, Floyd Mayweather Jr., who never boxed during the year.
And the biggest event in boxing was headlined by what most were calling a mismatch, Oscar De La Hoya vs. Manny Pacquiao, with one fighter, Pacquiao having to jump up several weight classes for a bout heavily criticized beforehand. It turned out to be a mismatch, but not in the way most had predicted going in.
But when the dust settled on an unusual year, the biggest news of 2008 was the emergence of Lesnar as the year’s pay-per-view king. Lesnar’s 2.2 million buys over three fights made him the most-watched PPV fighter in 2008. His total was the second highest total in UFC history, trailing only Tito Ortiz, who did 2.25 million in headlining three events in 2006.
Lesnar, a former NCAA wrestling champion who had only one mixed martial arts fight before signing with UFC at the end of 2007, drew an estimate 1,010,000 buys for his heavyweight title win over Randy Couture at UFC 91 on Nov। 15. He also drew in the 600,000 buy range for both a February loss to Frank Mir and an August match with Heath Herring (which was part of a double headline event that also included Georges St. Pierre vs. Jon Fitch for the welterweight title), which were the fourth and fifth biggest PPV totals of the year.
| Top 10 North American PPV buy rates, 2008 |
| 1. Boxing: Oscar De La Hoya vs. Manny Pacquiao, Dec. 6, 1,250,000 |
| 2. UFC: Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Couture, Nov. 15, 1,010,000 |
| 3. Wrestling: WrestleMania, Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Paul “Big Show” Wight, March 30, 670,000 |
| 4. UFC: Georges St. Pierre vs. Jon Fitch/Lesnar vs. Heath Herring, Aug. 9, 625,000 |
| 5. UFC: Lesnar vs. Frank Mir, Feb. 2, 600,000 |
| 6. UFC: Quinton Jackson vs. Forrest Griffin, July 5, 540,000 |
| 7. UFC: St. Pierre vs. Matt Serra, April 19, 530,000 |
| 8. Boxing: Felix Trinidad vs. Roy Jones Jr., Jan. 19, 500,000 |
| 9. UFC: Chuck Liddell vs. Rashad Evans, Sept. 6, 480,000 |
| 10. UFC: B.J. Penn vs. Sean Sherk/Tito Ortiz vs. Lyoto Machida, May 24, 475,000 |
I keep getting asked the same question: Why should I bother learning programming languages, or even want to know how to program?The answer is probably only applicable in layers - casual, part-time, professional - and different people want different things.
Casual Programmers
People who need to start doing some software programming to help in their occupation, plus those who just want to know how to program.
Part-Time Programmers
Those who offer custom services such as web programming and custom application programming on the side.
Professional
Anyone who is just getting started with programming, or who has had a first experience and needs to address a new technology.
There are also 5 very good ways to earn real money doing software programming, and this could be a great motivator in itself.
Custom Web Programming Services
People use the internet and want applications that are internet-ready. If a programmer can provide custom web programming services, and understand what the client really wants from it, then they will be able to offer those services on the general market.
Software Programming
Pure software programming means making applications for the end user. There is still quite a lot of business to be done in this area, although it may be being slowly eroded by open source software programming services.
Programming Training
Offering assistance to would-be programmers, especially in web programming and full software programming is very lucrative. Consider also bundling your knowledge up into interactive e-courses for the general public as an information product, and it could be a winner.
Freelance Programming
Building applications for third parties to resell is not as lucrative as other forms of programming services. However, freelance programming can bring in high usage and sale royalties if the deal is structured properly. Also freelance web programming projects are easy to come by on online talent auction web sites like RentACoder and eLance.
Programming Help
Offering on-demand programming help to people who have been burned by outsourced customer software programming projects (including web programming projects) is a good area to get started in. It can help to build a solid reputation.
Until next time;
Happy Coding!
PHP is cheaper to implement than ASP.
PHP gives us additional capability than if we were to code with ASP.
We are strong proponents of the “Open Source” movement. Open source software is a collaborative effort amongst a worldwide community of volunteer programmers with a passion for technology. People of disparate backgrounds and experiences join together to solve problems in new ways, thus resulting in better software.
Open source software is free to use, copy, and modify, which makes it a great deal for our clients.
It is also highly flexible, because it allows us to extend the software and customize it for our clients’ requirements.
We don’t have to reinvent the wheel when we embark on a project for a client, as there is an amazingly extensive library of software written in PHP that’s free and available in source code form. Whenever possible, we repurpose our own extensive code library. But if we haven’t already built a similar web application before, we look for the best open source software to meet the functional requirements and pick up where that software left off. Adding such enhancements and customizations to the software’s source code wouldn’t be possible with proprietary closed-source software.
There are no requirements to purchase commercial licenses and pay continuously for upgrades. For example, to perform binary file uploads, retrieve a file via FTP or HTTP, encrypt passwords in MD5, or send email from a Web page require 3rd party commercial software packages in ASP. It’s all available for free in PHP.
It will run on Linux, Solaris, Windows, and other operating systems as well. With ASP you’re also forced down a path that is very costly and painful to extricate yourself from. For example, what if you wanted to switch web hosting providers to one that was more reliable and had better customer service but was Linux-based? ASP only runs reliably on Microsoft Windows-based web servers.
It’s more popular than ASP, Cold Fusion, Perl, or any other web programming language.
ASP supports multiple programming languages. This architecture is inherently slower and more memory intensive that PHP’s model because each ASP language compiler runs in its own process. So when ASP detects a Begin ASP tag () it will do a context switch back to the HTML parser.
IIS Server is notorious for its security holes.
Typically the same functionality can be accomplished in less code with PHP than with ASP. This is because the HTTP GET and POST variables are created automatically by PHP as global variables, thus eliminating the step of extracting them from the ASP Request object. PHP’s HTTP header manipulation functions are easier to use than in ASP.
by Stephan Spencer
On 15 March 2008 – nearly 487 years to the day after Ferdinand Magellan discovered the Philippines – businesswoman Sister Grace Galindez-Gupana (Philippines) achieved five Guinness World Records in a single day.
With the support of the Philippine National Red Cross, Sister Gupana embarked on a mass medical mission to provide 24 hours of free screenings for the marginalized Pintong Bocaue community. In doing so, she established four Guinness World Records:
Most blood identification tests in 24 hours: 260
Most cholesterol readings taken in 24 hours: 527
Most blood pressure readings taken in 24 hours: 2,302
Most diabetes readings taken in 24 hours: 503
Sister Grace wanted to involve children of the community in a record-breaking attempt too, and recruited youngsters from the local Baranggay Pintong Bocaue school to complete the longest drawing. Using coloured crayons, the children drew a picture of a long dragon with horns. The drawing was subsequently burned, in a symbolic act representing the victory of good over the devil.
All records were accredited in person by the Director of Records from Guinness World Records, who flew from London to Manila to certify that each record attempt had been carried out legitimately and to present Sister Gupana with certificates for her new records.
Sister Gupana is not new to record breaking. Last year, the ardent supporter of the State of Israel and its citizens reaped her first two Guinness World Records in the Holy Land for the largest flag (18,843 m²; 202,823 ft²) and for the largest banner (54,451 m²; 586,103 ft²).
For Sister Grace, breaking a record is a way of showing to the world that Filipinos can make a difference and are capable of helping and supporting those in need.
In regards to her remarkable feat, Sister Gupana states, "7 records is an amazing achievement for a lifetime."
As you can see, most of these suggestions stem from extending the utmost of respect to others who deserve it. These things are not difficult and, probably, many of us practice these things anyways. But it never hurts to be reminded and you would be surprised how easily we can forget even basic respectful gestures.
One of the most confusing quasi-love feelings is lust. Lust is a very powerful, very intense feeling of physical attraction toward another person.
Lust is mainly sexual in nature - the attraction is superficial based on instant chemistry rather than genuine caring. Usually we lust after people we do not know well, people we still feel comfortable fantasizing about. It is very common for people to confuse lust for love. But why? What is it about lust and love that make them so easy to mix up? If lust is all about sex, how can a relationship without sex be about lust? Teens struggle with this because they see lust in the Biblical sense, but lust isn't that sinister. Lust is about physical attraction and acting ONLY on physical attraction. Love is about much more than that. Yet many teens (and to be fair, many adults) confuse an intense attraction for some sort if divine love. For teens, since feelings of attraction are still new and since pop-culture sells sex and love as one package, it is very easy to get the two mixed up.
Lust is clearly not love. Love is based on more than just physical attraction. Sure, attraction is a factor, but love goes deeper than that. Love is based on caring, friendship, commitment and trust. When you are in love it is as if you have your best most trusted friend at your side AND you feel physically attracted to them. It is the best of both worlds! Love is a shared feeling between two people who have a vested interest in one anothers happiness. Love is not about jealousy. It is not about conflict. It is not about testing. Love is a positive feeling. If it is tainted by mistrust, jealousy, insecurity or spitefulness it is not really love but merely a pale copy. Love is the total surrender of your heart to another person with the security of knowing they will treat it better than you will. Love should feel good. It should not feel bad. Love should make you want to be a better person, it should not lead you to do something self destructive. Love is not demanding of your spirit but lifts it and makes it glow. Love is a good thing. Anything less is lust, deep friendship or attraction. So the sappiness aside, the question remains, how can you tell you are in love?
There is no easy way to find the truth behind your feelings or the feelings of another person but there are some tell-tale signs that love is blooming (or growing deeper). If you agree with 7 of the following 9 statements you are probably in love.
If you've just had a break-up and are feeling down, you're not alone. Just about everyone experiences a break-up at sometime, and many then have to deal with heartbreak — a wave of grief, anger, confusion, low self-esteem, and maybe even jealousy all at once. Millions of poems and songs have been written about having a broken heart and wars have even been fought because of heartbreak.
Lots of things can cause heartbreak. Some people might have had a romantic relationship that ended before they were ready. Others might have strong feelings for someone who doesn't feel the same way. Or maybe a person feels sad or angry when a close friend ends or abandons the friendship. Although the causes may be different, the feeling of loss is the same — whether it's the loss of something real or the loss of something you only hoped for. People describe heartbreak as a feeling of heaviness, emptiness, and sadness.
Most people will tell you you'll get over it or you'll meet someone else, but when it's happening to you, it can feel like no one else in the world has ever felt the same way. If you're experiencing these feelings, there are things you can do to lessen the pain. Here are some tips that might help:
Some people feel that nothing will make them happy again and resort to alcohol or drugs. Others feel angry and want to hurt themselves or someone else. People who drink, do drugs, or cut themselves to escape from the reality of a loss may think they are numbing their pain, but the feeling is only temporary. They're not really dealing with the pain, only masking it, which makes all their feelings build up inside and prolongs the sadness.
Sometimes the sadness is so deep — or lasts so long — that a person may need some extra support. For someone who isn't starting to feel better after a few weeks or who continues to feel depressed, talking to a counselor or therapist can be very helpful.
So be patient with yourself, and let the healing begin.
The tentatively scheduled April 15 to 20 trip is centered around a papal speech before the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon personally invited the pontiff to address the UN.
However, plans for the voyage remain unconfirmed. George Weigel, in comments to CNA, said that "[i]f the Pope comes to the UN next spring, he'll obviously do one or two other American cities.” “Nevertheless, there is no decision I'm aware of on which it would be.”
Sources familiar with the plans for the papal visit say that the pontiff will visit New York, where he will celebrate Mass at Central Park, give an address in St. Patrick's Cathedral, and pause for a moment of reflection at Ground Zero.
The trip, however, will reportedly begin in Washington, where the Pope is expected to meet with the president, visit Catholic University of America and say Mass on the National Mall.
The last stop is Boston, where he is expected to address the sexual abuse scandal. His visit there would end with a Mass on Boston Common.
BUT,
Protestors gather on Fifth Avenue during the arrival of Pope Benedict XVI at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York April 19, 2008.
What is your comment about this protest?
Crisis in the Philippines Election scandal and impeachment send Arroyo government reeling, and Filipinos to the streets by Larry Chin | |
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Global Research, July 27, 2005 | |
The Philippines is set to explode, as President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo faces impeachment after being caught in the act of rigging her 2004 re-election, sparking outrage and threats of popular revolt. Military intelligence agents opposed to Arroyo wiretapped conversations between Arroyo and a man believed to be elections commissioner Virgilio Garcillano. In one of the damning May 2004 conversations, Arroyo is heard asking Garcillano (addressed by Arroyo as "Garci") if she will win the election by more than 1 million votes: "So, will I lead by more than 1 million?" According to opponents of Arroyo, the infamous "Hello, Garci" phone call is definitive proof that Arroyo cheated in the election, which she won by about 1.1 million votes over Fernando Poe, Jr. (who died in December 2004 after allegedly suffering a stroke), amidst other allegations of vote manipulation. Transcripts and digital files of the Arroyo wiretaps, and complete analysis of the scandal are available from the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism and the alternative investigative site Bulatlat. Arroyo has admitted that it was her voice on the tape, an absolute confirmation of her guilt, according to her opponents and critics. Arroyo, however, has only apologized for a "lapse in judgment". Her attorneys and supporters have argued that the wiretaps were illegally obtained (therefore inadmissible as evidence). But the damage is done: just about every Filipino citizen has heard the tapes. The derision is so extensive, that the "Hello, Garci" call has been made into a popular cell phone ring tone. The impeachment case against Arroyo will include charges of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the constitution, graft, corruption, and bribery. Vice President Noli de Castro may be the target of a separate impeachment. Arroyo will also be tried, as the commander of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, for the murder of political activists and other civilians, and death squad activities over the past three years. Ten cabinet members, who recently resigned their posts, have called on Arroyo to resign. The former cabinet members have expressed their willingness to testify against Arroyo. Outraged lawmakers and citizens are promising a "people power" revolt, if pro-Arroyo majority forces obstruct or derail the impeachment. The regimes of Ferdinand Marcos (1986) and Joseph Estrada (2001) were ousted by popular revolts. A lesson for Americans The new Philippine crisis presents another sobering example of how people in nations outside of the Anglo-American axis grasp the concepts of democracy and liberty better than those inside the "elite bubble" ever will. Filipinos are taking to the streets, raising their collective voices, and fighting for ethical government. They are being active and creative with their protest. They know what is at stake. The yoke of imperialism, and the stink of corruption, are all too familiar to Filipinos, and they are taking action. By comparison, the Bush administration has committed crimes of unprecedented scope and scale, on a virtual daily basis for nearly five years. Three consecutive stolen elections, 9/11, the "war on terrorism", the Patriot Act, the invasions and occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq, Plame/Rove, the Downing Street Papers, Abu Ghraib/Guantanamo and a long list of other blatant atrocities, have sparked little resistance (or even interest) among the most Americans. Tragic evidence of the triumph of social controls in the "developed" world. Pacific linchpin The emergency in the Philippines demands careful monitoring, and the importance of what unfolds cannot be overstated. The US cannot afford to lose the Philippines, its key geostrategic pivot in the Pacific and the South China Sea, and its most important military-intelligence base in the region. The Arroyo government has been the Bush administration’s top "war on terrorism" ally in Asia. (See the six-part series "The United States in the Philippines: post-9/11 Imperatives"). The US wiped out a quarter of the Filipino population in its 1899-1903 conquest of the Philippines. In the modern era, through ongoing covert operations and a series of brutal puppet regimes, the US has made the Philippines its top regional neo-colony, whose geostrategic importance increases as the US marches closer to a cold war with China. It goes without saying that the Bush administration will follow tradition, and pull out all the stops to maintain US control over its most precious Pacific foothold, including doing what is necessary to prevent a popular revolt in the Philippines that could threaten US interests. | |
Baka nagtaka kayo why now lang me nagpost ng blog ko Well, I'm just too busy kanina entertaining my visitors kaya I don’t have time to post. It was not a spectacular celebration then, but at least I celebrated it when my family and few of my friends. Some of my friends were busy kanina, that’s why hindi sila nakapunta pero ok lng nman, di naman nila nakalimutan bday ko. Nagtext nman cla to greet me kaya okz lng sakin…
The exciting part sa bday ko ay yung dumating ex ko. We had problem before due to the breakup, but then were ok now... We both understand that we are really not meant for each other though we still have a little hesitation with each other.
Masaya naman ang celebration…
Thank you mga friends sa pagpunta… I appreciate it so much.
Some of my pictures taken from my bday
