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Friday, June 30, 2006

World Cup Soccer: Germany Wins After Penalty Kicks

Germany -Argentina 1-1, Germany Advances After Penalty Kicks
Germany advances after penalty kicks, it's all over for Argentina. Even Maradona's pep talk wasn't enough. Why didn't Messi play? I am sure he would have made a difference. Oh well in another 4 years they will have another chance. There were 7 yellow cards and no red cards which is low when you look at the other games and also the fact that the game went into overtime


Referee : Lubos Michel (Slovakia)

Spectators : 72,000



Goals
49'[0 - 1] R.F. Ayala
80'[1 - 1] M. Klose

Penalty Kicks
O. Neuville [1 - 1] J.R. Cruz
M. Ballack [2 - 1] R.F. Ayala X
L. Podolski [3 - 2] M. Rodriguez
T. Borowski [4 - 2] E. Cambiasso X


Germany
Jens Lehmann
Arne Friedrich
Per Mertesacker
Christoph Metzelder
Philipp Lahm
62' Bernd Schneider
Torsten Frings
Michael Ballack
74' Bastian Schweinsteiger
86' Miroslav Klose
Lukas Podolski

Substitutions :
62' David Odonkor
74' Tim Borowski
86' Oliver Neuville

Argentina
71' Roberto Abbondanzieri
Fabricio Coloccini
Roberto Fabian Ayala
Gabriel Heinze
Juan Pablo Sorin
Maxi Rodriguez
Javier Mascherano
Luis Lucho González
72' Juan Roman Riquelme
79' Hernan Crespo
Carlos Alberto Tevez
Substitutions :

71' Leonardo Franco
72' Esteban Cambiasso
79' Julio Ricardo Cruz

Thursday, June 29, 2006

Google Checkout Is Here; IS ThisThe End Of PayPal?

The PayPal competitor is here: Google Checkout
If you buy something on Checkout, 2% and $0.20 go to Google. Paypal, the biggest competitor uses 1,9% and $0,30. Analysts compare Google/Paypal to for example Visa/Mastercard living peacefully together, while others predict the end of Paypal

From their site:

Find it with Google. Buy it with Google Checkout.Want a faster, safer and more convenient way to shop online? You got it.
Stop creating multiple accounts and passwords.With Google Checkout™ you can quickly and easily buy from stores across the web and track all your orders and shipping in one place.


Shop with confidence.Our fraud protection policy covers you against unauthorized purchases made through Google Checkout, and we don't share your purchase history or full credit card number with sellers.


Control commercial spam.You can keep your email address confidential, and easily turn off unwanted emails from stores where you use Google Checkout.

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Italian Diving For Dummies

If you need to master the fine art of diving in soccer then get this book now ;-)
Who comes up with this stuff anyway? Remember the last world cup when there was a picture of the Argentinean defense with handbags?

Tuesday, June 27, 2006

World Cup Soccer: France Beats Spain 3-1, Zidane Scores In The 90th Minute

France Beats Spain 3-0 and now will face Brazil in the quarter finals
Spain has failed to advance again and must be very disappointed to go home early.
They took an early lead in the 27th minute with a penalty kick by Villa but France came back and scored 3 goals

27' D. Villa (pen.) [1 - 0]
41' [1 - 1] F. Ribery
83' [1 - 2] P. Vieira
90' [1 - 3] Z. Zidane

Spain
Iker Casillas
Sergio Ramos
Carlos Puyol
Pablo Ibanez
Mario Andres Pernia
Cesc Fabregas
Xabi Alonso
Xavi Hernadez
David Villa
Fernando Torres
Raul

Subs
54' Joaquin
54' Luis Garcia
72' Marcos Senna
France
Fabien Barthez
Willy Sagnol
Lilian Thuram
William Gallas
Eric Abidal
Claude Makelele
Patrick Vieira
Franck Ribery
Zinedine Zidane
Florent Malouda
Thierry Henry

Subs
74' Sidney Govou
88' Sylvain Wiltord

Ronaldo: Greatest World Cup Scorer, Brazil 3 - Ghana 0

Brazil 3 - Ghana 0
Ronaldo just scored a beautiful goal against Ghana and is now officially the number one goal scorer of all times in the FIFA World Cup. The goal was scored in the 5th minute and Brazil is leading Ghana 1-0
Adriano scores in the 45th minute and this is probably the end for Ghana
This will be another game with a high number of yellow cards, it's the 54th minute and there are already 7 yellow cards handed out during this game (2 for Brazil and 5 for Ghana)
ze roberto scores in the 84th minute and it's 3-0 for Brazil



Brazil
Jesus Dida
Cafu
Juan
Lucio
Roberto Carlos
Emerson
Ze Roberto
Kaka
Ronaldinho
Ronaldo
Adriano

substitutions

46' Gilberto Silva
61' Pernambucano Juninho
83' Luis Pozzi Rodrigues Ricardinho


Ghana
Richard Kingston
John Pantsil
Emmanuel Pappoe
John Mensah
Sheila Alhassan Illiasu
Sulley Ali Muntari
Eric Addo
Stephen Appiah
Haminu Draman
Asamoah Gyan
Matthew Amoah

substitutions
60' Derek Boateng
70' Alex Tachie-Mensah

Sunday, June 25, 2006

WorldCup 2006 Game Portugal Beats Holland, Maniche Scores Only Goal

Portugal 1 - Holland 0
Portugal beats Holland 1-0, Maniche scores the only goal. Refree Valentin Ivanov handed out 13 yellow cards, 4 of those turned into red cards. This was another game that went completely out of hand. FIFA really has to clamp down on these bad referees. Holland played with a man extra a good part of this game but it wasn't enough. They tried too hard with long balls and there was no real playmaker at the Dutch side.

Portugal will play England next on July 1st




Teams
Portugal
Ricardo
Miguel Monteiro
Ricardo Carvalho
Fernando Meira
Nuno Valente
Costinha
Deco
Maniche
Luis Figo
Pedro Pauleta
Cristiano Ronaldo

Subs
34' Sabrosa Simao
46' Petit
84' Tiago


Holland
Edwin Van der Sar
Khalid Boulahrouz
Andre Ooijer
Joris Mathijsen
Giovanni v. Bronckhorst
Mark van Bommel
Wesley Sneijder
Philippe Cocu
Robin van Persie
Dirk Kuijt
Arjen Robben

Subs
56' Rafael van der Vaart
67' Johnny Heitinga
85' Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink

WorldCup 2006 Game: Beckham Ends Ecuador Dream

England 1 - Ecuador 0
England advanced to the quarter-finals of the World Cup with a 1-0 victory over Ecuador.
Skipper David Beckham won the game with a superb free-kick fired home on the hour, but England struggled to find any rhythm once again. In truth, Ecuador offered little in the way of an attacking threat and it was a comfortable, if uninspiring, win



England
Paul Robinson
Owen Hargreaves
Rio Ferdinand
John Terry
Ashley Cole
David Beckham --> Aaron Lennon
Frank Lampard
Michael Carrick
Steven Gerrard --> Stewart Downing
Joe Cole --> Jamie Carragher
Wayne Rooney


Ecuador
Christian Mora
Ulises De La Cruz
Ivan Hurtado
Giovanny Espinoza
Neicer Reasco
Luis Antonio Valencia
Segundo Castillo
Edwin Tenorio --> 69' Cristian Lara
Edison Mendez
Carlos Tenorio --> 72' Ivan Kaviedes
Agustin Delgado

Ruby on Rails For DB2 Developers

IBM DeveloperWorks has a helpful howto on how to bring the worlds of Ruby on Rails and your DB2 framework together.

Ruby on Rails is an open source Web framework causing a lot of excitement among Web developers. By supporting agile development techniques and a philosophy of "convention over configuration," it has enabled many developers to radically reduce the time and pain involved in creating Web applications.

Because Rails emerged from the open source world, until recently you had to use MySQL or PostgreSQL to work with it. Now that IBM has released a DB2 adapter for Rails, it's possible to write efficient Web applications on top of your existing DB2 database investment.

This article highlights some of the things that makes Rails exceptional, explains how to get going with Rails and DB2, and leads you through your first Web application in Rails.

These are the topics covered

What's special about Ruby on Rails?
Rails as a platform
Install Rails and the DB2 adapter
Create a database for your Rails application
Create the Rails application
Create your first model
Create the user interface
What does everything do?
How does a request reach the code?
Add another model
Summary
Resources


An introduction to Ruby on Rails for DB2 developers

Wednesday, June 21, 2006

Ubuntu Hacks: Tips & Tools for Exploring, Using, and Tuning Linux

O'Reilly has published their latest hack book: Ubuntu Hacks. The book is written by Kyle Rankin, Jonathan Oxer and Bill Childers. The Ubuntu Hacks book contains 447 pages.

From their website: "Like all books in the "Hacks" series, Ubuntu Hacks includes 100 quick tips and tricks for all users of all technical levels. Beginners will appreciate the installation advice and tips on getting the most out of the free applications packaged with the Ubuntu Linux distribution, while intermediate and advanced readers will learn the ins-and-outs of power management, wireless roaming, 3D video acceleration, server configuration, and much more.
Full Description

The Ubuntu distribution simplifies Linux by providing a sensible collection of applications, an easy-to-use package manager, and lots of fine-tuning, which make it possibly the best Linux for desktops and laptops. Readers of both Linux Journal and TUX Magazine confirmed this by voting Ubuntu as the best Linux distribution in each publication's 2005 Readers Choice Awards. None of that simplification, however, makes Ubuntu any less fun if you're a hacker or a power user.

Like all books in the "Hacks" series, Ubuntu Hacks includes 100 quick tips and tricks for all users of all technical levels. Beginners will appreciate the installation advice and tips on getting the most out of the free applications packaged with Ubuntu, while intermediate and advanced readers will learn the ins-and-outs of power management, wireless roaming, 3D video acceleration, server configuration, and much more."

The amazon link is here if you are interested

Call The RIAA And Tell Them What You Think Of DRM

On June 23rd DefectiveByDesign.org will provide the contact numbers for the RIAA and similar organizations around the world.

From their site: "On Friday, June 23rd, we will coordinate a day of action, and this time it doesn't involve yellow hazmat suits. You don't even have to leave your desk. We will provide contact numbers for executives at the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and similar organizations around the world. We're asking you to proclaim your support for digital freedoms by calling the RIAA and telling them what you think of DRM and what you think of them!

More information about the RIAA:
The Recording Industry Association of America represents the major recording labels, and their influence plays a leading role in pushing DRM into our technology.

More information about DRM:
Big Media would have you believe that DRM stands for Digital Rights Management. However, since its purpose is to restrict you the user, it is more accurate to describe DRM as Digital Restrictions Management. DRM Technology can restricts users’ access to movies, music, literature and software, indeed all forms of digital data. Unfree software implementing DRM technology is simply a prison in which users can be put to deprive them of the rights that the law would otherwise allow them. Read more about DRM and our campaign "

Read the whole story here

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Germany Beats Ecuador 3-0, 2 Goals By Miroslav Klose

The winner of the game in Berlin would be the winner of the group, Germany came out in full force and has beaten Ecuador 3-0 Ecuador coach Luis Suarez made 5 changes to his team, some of it necessary. Carlos Tenorio did not play because of an injury. Germany had no problems at all with Ecuador, Jürgen Klinsmann's team were leading already 2-0 at half-time. Miroslav Klose scored in the 4th and in the 44th minute In the second half Germany stepped back a little bit. Lukas Podolski scored in the 57th minute and the game was over. L.A. Valencia received a yellow card in the 75th minute T. Borowski received a yellow card in the 75th minute








Ecuador
Christian Mora
Jorge Guagua
Ulises De La Cruz
Paul Ambrosi
Giovanny Espinoza
63' Luis Antonio Valencia
Edwin Tenorio
68' Marlon Ayovi
Edison Mendez
Ivan Kaviedes
46' Felix Borja

Germany
Jens Lehmann
Arne Friedrich
Robert Huth
Per Mertesacker
Philipp Lahm
73' Bernd Schneider
67' Torsten Frings
Michael Ballack
Bastian Schweinsteiger
Miroslav Klose
Lukas Podolski

Opera 9 Released

Opera Software today released Opera 9, its newest Web browser for PCs. You can download it free in more than 25 languages for Windows, Mac, Linux and other platforms from http://www.opera.com/. Opera 9 enhances the way you access, share and use online content by including innovative widgets - fun, small and useful Web programs - and support for BitTorrent™, the popular file distribution technology. Even while adding these improvements, Opera 9 maintains the security and speed millions of Opera fans have come to expect.

"For Opera 9, we worked hard to push the limits of what people expect from a Web browser, with increased speed, new Web standards support and innovative features such as widgets and BitTorrent," said Jon S. von Tetzchner, CEO, Opera Software. "Even though we shaped this browser for the Web’s future, we have the powerful features people want and need for their surfing today. I truly feel Opera 9 has something for everyone."

Choose Efficient, Productive Surfing
Opera strives to ensure you can be as efficient online as you want. Whether by pioneering the earliest form of tabbed browsing in the first Opera browser or allowing you to add your favorite search engines to the search bar in Opera 9, we give you the tools to stay organized online. Features such as saved sessions, the trash can (to get those closed tabs back), notes and the ability to start exactly where you last closed Opera keep you productive.

Choose Security
Secure browsing is still the single most important attribute of any Web browser. Opera has a long track record of keeping you safe while online. By introducing the security bar to prevent scams like phishing and strengthening Opera 9's pop-up blocker to weed out annoying or potentially malicious pop-ups, Opera gives you new options for safe browsing.

Choose Your Style
Express your style with the click of a mouse. You can change the look and feel of your browser by downloading new skins or altering buttons to suit the way you want to use Opera. Opera 9 even lets you improve how individual sites behave or block advertisements on a site-by-site basis. It's your choice.

Choose Content
Widgets make everyday browsing fun and useful by bringing a variety of Web content and data right to your computer’s desktop. You can play games, get organized, follow your favorite sports teams and more. Widget developers can create widgets using open and common Web standards including JavaScript, CSS, HTML and SVG and technologies like AJAX. For more information about using or making widgets, visit widgets.opera.com.

Choose Innovation
Opera believes in an open Web by supporting open standards and technologies that lead the next wave of innovation. Opera 9 includes tools to make it easier for sites to code for these open standards. Built-in Extensible Rendering Architecture (ERA) helps developers make sure their sites work well on any Web-connected device. Opera's browsers are built on the same core technology, making it easy to test once in Opera 9 and ensure compatibility with a variety of devices - from mobile phones to Nintendo's Wii™. You can read more about Opera, Web standards and our technology at labs.opera.com.

Monday, June 19, 2006

Oracle Announces Integration of Oracle Adverse Event Reporting System with DrugLogic Qscan

Unified Solution Enables Life Sciences Organizations to Accelerate Identification and Analysis of Adverse Events, Helps Reduce Risk and Streamline Pharmacovigilance Compliance

Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL) today announced the integration of DrugLogic Qscan, a leading drug safety data and analytical tool, with Oracle(r) Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS), a robust solution for product safety monitoring and pharmacovigilance that tracks events from multiple sources, including the internet, patients and physicians. The integrated applications provide a best-of-breed enterprise risk management architecture that leverages advanced analytics to help enhance safety monitoring capabilities and streamline compliance with pharmacovigilance requirements.

"Integration of Oracle AERS and DrugLogic Qscan provides superior safety signal detection and safety surveillance capabilities within a vendor-supported platform that is unparalleled in the life sciences industry," said Mychelle Mowry, vice president for Global Health Industries at Oracle. "Oracle AERS together with Qscan--which further extends Oracle's end-to-end solutions for the life sciences industry--equips pharmaceutical and biotech companies with a powerful lens that enables them to rapidly analyze patterns in adverse events that may indicate emerging drug safety risks pre- and post-market, enabling faster response times and streamlined compliance. Moving forward, we plan to continue building out the integration of Qscan with other Oracle life sciences products, including Oracle Clinical and Oracle Clinical Data Repository."

Qscan, DrugLogic's workflow-based analytical tool for identifying, analyzing and resolving drug safety risks, works seamlessly with Oracle AERS case data as well as data from external sources, such as the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and the World Health Organization. This combination allows pharmaceutical and biotechnology organizations to generate safety signals from adverse event data earlier and faster than before.

Helping to Improve Safety, Reduce Risk
International safety and pharmacovigilance regulations require manufacturers to constantly monitor their data to proactively detect safety risks with their products. Oracle AERS pharmacovigilance users can now immediately visualize their case data in Qscan and utilize Qscan's powerful data mining and signal detection capabilities to focus on the cases of most interest. In addition, drug safety teams can establish thresholds for automatic safety signal detection, receive alerts when thresholds are reached or exceeded, and assess their case information using data mining tools for statistical analysis.

Oracle AERS includes a powerful query-by-example module that allows users to mine and visualize data through inquiries utilizing multiple case data elements. Users can perform queries using advanced dictionary relationships, or return data based on Standardized MedDRA Queries (SMQs). Users can then transfer case lists from these complex queries to Qscan for further analysis. Significant findings within Qscan can then be flagged within AERS for ongoing analysis and monitoring. This bi-directional data flow allows for constant safety surveillance by both safety operations and pharmacovigilance teams.

Qscan integration also enables immediate investigation of adverse event data against publicly available data sources. Drug safety teams can monitor and analyze - in a single view - legacy, clinical, and pre- and post-market adverse event data. Team members can also view datasets individually and in association, providing immediate insight into critical indicators, such as change ratios and behaviors over time. In addition, Qscan offers unique and patented processes and data mining techniques. A significant technique is correlation to see association across drugs and reactions, and to see association with age and gender as well.

"The integration of Oracle AERS and Qscan provides a powerful new tool to the life sciences industry, helping pharmaceutical and biotech organizations in their quest to ensure the safety of the products that they bring to market," said DrugLogic President and Chief Executive Officer Victor Gogolak.

DrugLogic is a partner in the Oracle Partner Network.

North Korea Has Missile That Can Hit USA, They Can't Wait To Try It

North Korea appeared close Sunday to test-firing a long-range missile capable of reaching the United States, prompting the White House to warn of an appropriate response and Japan to threaten a "fierce" protest to the United Nations.

North Korea was silent on the issue but vowed to bolster its "military deterrent" in a burst of fiery rhetoric carried by its state news agency.

A test launch of what is believed to be a Taepodong-2 missile would inflame a region tense over the North's continuing nuclear weapons program.

"There are signs" of an imminent missile launch, Jung Tae-ho, a spokesman at the South Korean president's office, told The Associated Press. He added that security officials were "closely watching the situation."

The North last conducted such a launch in August 1998. Pyongyang imposed a moratorium on testing long-range missiles in 1999.

The White House spokesman said Sunday the United States expected the North to abide by that freeze.

"We do not want to have a missile test out of North Korea," Tony Snow told "Fox News Sunday." "The North Koreans themselves decided in 1999 that they would place a moratorium on this kind of testing, and we expect them to maintain the moratorium."

Snow noted that North Korea made a series of commitments in six-nation talks over its nuclear program in September, including that they would "bargain in good faith."

"We expect them to come back to the table," Snow said. "And we hope there's not going to be a launch."

Japan, Australia and the United States have united in saying that any test-launching of an intercontinental missile by North Korea would result in serious and stern consequences.

Reports say Pyongyang has completed fueling a missile with the range to reach the United States, increasing the chances a launch might occur soon.

U.S. officials told Reuters news agency it was difficult to remove fuel from a Taepodong-2 missile, making it appear likely that Pyongyang was serious about the launch.

Since word of a possible test-firing emerged last week, nations around the world have expressed growing concern.

On Monday, Japan's Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi was the latest leader to say the nation would respond sternly to a missile test by North Korea.

Earlier, Australia's Foreign Minister Alexander Downer warned the North Korean ambassador that "serious consequences would follow such a firing."

"Such action would be highly provocative and would further isolate the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea," Downer said in a statement issued early Monday.

Read the rest here

Nokia And Siemens To Merge Their Mobile Networks

Nokia Corp. and Siemens AG will combine their mobile network operations to create a joint venture with annual revenues of $20 billion, the companies said Monday, a move that will help them compete with market leader Ericsson AB of Sweden.

The 50-50 joint venture, to be called Nokia Siemens Networks, will comprise Nokia's network business group and Siemens' carrier-related operations, creating estimated synergies of $1.9 billion, Nokia said.

Shares of Siemens surged nearly 7.8 percent in Frankfurt trading to $85.64 after the announcement, while Nokia was up nearly 3 percent to $20.38 in Helsinki.

Nokia, based in Espoo, just outside the Finnish capital, sells phones in 130 countries and employs 62,000 people. In 2005, the company's mobile-device sales surged 28 percent to a record 265 million units.

Siemens is Europe's largest electronics and electrical engineering firm, and employs more than 460,000 people. Since Kleinfeld took over as CEO more than a year ago, he has pushed through acquisitions, cut thousands of jobs and sold a cell phone handset business to BenQ of Taiwan in a bid to restore earnings at the company, which makes everything from high-speed trains to lighting for airport runways.

Read the rest here

Saturday, June 17, 2006

Don't Use Wikipedia Warns Jimmy Wales

Wikipedia founder Jimmy 'Jimbo' Wales has warned students not to refer to Wikipedia. Wales said that he gets about 10 e-mail messages a week from students who complain that Wikipedia has earned them fail grades.

"They say, 'Please help me. I got an F on my paper because I cited Wikipedia'" and the information turned out to be wrong, he says. But he said he has no sympathy for their plight, noting that he thinks to himself: "For God sake, you're in college; don't cite the encyclopedia," the journal reports.

Wales didn't, alas, suggest renaming the project to something more appropriate, like "Jimbo's Big Bag of Trivia", as we've advised before. He put the blame squarely on the students. And while Wikipedians love to blame everyone but themselves for their predicament, in large part, he's correct.

What's more interesting is that Wikipedian's guardians see its new found infamy as an opportunity to forge a marketing strategy for the troubled project.

Read the rest here

Friday, June 16, 2006

World Cup 2006 Soccer:Holland Beats Ivory Coast 2-1

Holland - Ivory Coast 2-1
If Ivory Coast wins then Serbia and Montenegro still have some kind of chance to advance to the next round by beating Ivory Coast but then Argentina has to beat the Netherlands by a big margin as well. Holland is leading 2-1 and it has been a tough game so far.
Possession: Holland 59% - Ivory Coast 41%
The Ivory Coast has 3 yellow cards: D. Zokora, D. Drogba and A. Boka
Holland has 3 yellow cards:A. Robben, J. Mathijsen and M.v. Bommel

Holland keeps the 2-1 score and advances to the next round





Shots on Goal
Holland 4
Ivory Coast 7

Goals
23' [1 - 0] R.v. Persie
27' [2 - 0] R.v. Nistelrooy
38' [2 - 1] B. Kone

World Cup 2006 Soccer:Argentina Trashes Serbia And Montenegro 6-0


Argentina trashes Serbia And Montenegro 6-0

Goals scored:
06' [1 - 0] Maxi
31' [2 - 0] E. Cambiasso
41' [3 - 0] Maxi
78' [4 - 0] H. Crespo
84' [5 - 0] C.A. Tevez
88' [6 - 0] L. Messi

Serbia led in cards, 3 yellow cards and one red card (Mateja Kezman)
The Balkan mentality won't help them, what a shitty team that Serbia is. They have good individual players but as a team they suck. So far Argentina has been the best team in this world cup

Thursday, June 15, 2006

AOL Launches New Netscape Site; Targets Digg And YouTube

AOL plans to re-launch its Netscape.com portal as a place where user participation is balanced by moderator control.

The renovated site will feature community-driven news and user-submitted video, guided by editors called anchors. Imagine a mixture of Digg.com and YouTube.com under adult supervision.

"The hive mind sometimes doesn't do a thorough job," explains Jason Calacanis, CEO of Weblogs, Inc., a blog network acquired last year by AOL.

Read more here

Screenshot of the new Netscape site is below

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Brazil Beats Croatia 1-0, Dado Prso Has His Feet Kissed

Brazil beat Croatia 1-0 with a goal by Kaka in the 44th minute. Did you see Ronaldo, did he play at all? The only time that he ran was when he got substituted. What a disgrace. I think that Croatia played well and deserved a draw. The Croatian fans sure looked like they had a good time, it was deafening in the stadium. One fan even managed to get onto the field and kiss Dado Prso's feet, of course you didn't see this on t.v. the only thing that was shown was the person goin off the field. Well now Croatia has to win against Australia and Japan if they want to advance to the next round.

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Adobe Releases Spry Framework For Ajax

Adobe has released an Ajax framework Spry
From the Adobe site:
The Spry framework for Ajax is a JavaScript library for web designers that provides functionality that allows designers to build pages that provide a richer experience for their users. It is designed to bring Ajax to the web design community who can benefit from Ajax, but are not well served by other frameworks.
The first release of the Spry framework is a preview of the data capabilities that enable designers to incorporate XML data into their HTML documents using HTML, CSS, and a minimal amount of JavaScript, without the need for refreshing the entire page. The Spry framework is HTML-centric, and easy to implement for users with basic knowledge of HTML, CSS and JavaScript. The framework was designed such that the markup is simple and the JavaScript is minimal. The Spry framework can be used by anyone who is authoring for the web in their tool of choice.
This is just the start of the project. We're releasing a preview build now so that you have plenty of time to give us feedback on what’s working for you, and what isn't. Your feedback and participation is important to us as we build out the framework.

To see what is possible using Spry, check out our Demos that show the Spry framework in action.
Photo Gallery—An XML-based photo gallery.
Product Table—An interactive data grid displaying XML-based data.
RSS Reader—An RSS reader showing how multiple XML files can be used to build a rich interface.

Monday, June 12, 2006

WorldCup 2006 Game:Italy 2 - Ghana 0

Italy 2 Ghana 0
Italy coach Marcello Lippi sprung a surprise in his team line-up for Monday's World Cup Group E game against Ghana handing a start to Simone Perrotta in midfield ahead of Mauro Camoranesi.

Perrotta is a more defensive-minded player than converted winger Camoranesi and should offer more cover given Lippi opted for a three-man attack with Francesco Totti playing behind Luca Toni and Alberto Gilardino.




Line-ups
Italy
Gianluigi Buffon
Cristian Zaccardo
Alessandro Nesta
Fabio Cannavaro
Simone Perrotta
Fabio Grosso
Andrea Pirlo
Daniele De Rossi
Francesco Totti
Luca Toni
Alberto Gilardino


Ghana
Richard Kingston
John Pantsil
Samuel Kuffour
John Mensah
Emmanuel Pappoe
Stephen Appiah
Mickael Essien
Sulley Ali Muntari
Eric Addo
Matthew Amoah
Asamoah Gyan

Italy 1 - Ghana 0
Pirlo scores in the 40th minute
Pirlo curls a wonderul strike into the top corner after he collects a short corner

Italy 2 - Ghana 0
Iaquinta scores in the 83rd minute and it's all over for Ghana

WorldCup 2006 Game: Czech Republic Beats USA 3-0

USA 0 Czech Republic 3
This is a crucial match for these two teams in the group of death, they must go for a win, although a draw could be good also. Well the Czech Republic has scored already in the 5th minute, Oguchi Onyewu received a yellow card already this early in the game. Things are not looking good right now.


Lineups

United States Of America
Kasey Keller
Steve Cherundolo
Eddie Pope
Oguchi Onyewu
Eddie Lewis
DaMarcus Beasley
Pablo Mastroeni
Landon Donovan
Claudio Reyna
Bobby Convey
Brian McBride



Czech Republic
Petr Cech
Zdenek Grygera
Tomas Ujfalusi
David Rozehnal
Marek Jankulovski
Tomas Rosicky
Tomas Galasek
Pavel Nedved
Karel Poborsky
Jan Koller
Jaroslaw Plasil

USA 0 Czech Republic 1
Koller scores in the 5th minute, this is a nightmare start for the US. So far the US has not looked good in this game. A goal can change everything....

USA 0 Czech Republic 2
Rosicky scores a beautiful goal; an unstoppable shot from 25 yards past Keller in the 36th minute

It looks like Koller pulled a hamstring and he is carried off the field on a stretcher, this was maybe his last match at this World Cup

USA 0 Czech Republic 3
Rosicky scores again in the 76th minute and the US loses 3-0

WorldCup 2006 Game: Australia 3 - Japan 1, Cahill Scores Twice

Australia 3 Japan 1
This is a crucial match for these two teams, they must go for a win, a draw won't help either team. I hope they do draw because that will give my team (Croatia) a better chance. I hope that Croatia wins against Brazil of course but that will be very hard to pull off. Here are the line ups for this game

Lineups

Australia
Mark Schwarzer
Lucas Neill
Craig Moore
Jason Culina
Brett Emerton
Mark Viduka
Harry Kewell
Vince Grella
Scott Chipperfield
Luke Wilkshire
Marco Bresciano


Japan
Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi
Yuichi Komano
Tsuneyasu Miyamoto
Hidetoshi Nakata
Naohiro Takahara
Shunsuke Nakamura
Atsushi Yanagisawa
Alessandro Santos
Takashi Fukunishi
Keisuke Tsuboi
Yuji Nakazawa


Australia 0 Japan 1
Nakamura scores in the 26th minute, so far the game has been even, this changes everything of course

It's halftime, Japan is leading with Nakamura's disputed goal. Australia was playing better but the fact of the matter is that they are trailing 1-0.
Possesion has been in Australia's favor 55% against 45% for Japan.
The Socceroos better capitalize on their chances in the second half if they want to draw or win

Australia 3 Japan 1
Australia came back in the 2nd half with 3 goals all scored by subs
Cahill scored in the 84th and and in the 89th minute
Aliosi scored in the in extra time

China Leaves Encryption Talks

An international dispute over a wireless computing standard took a bitter turn this past week with the Chinese delegation walking out of a global meeting to discuss the technology.

The delegation's walkout from Wednesday's opening of a two-day meeting in the Czech Republic escalated an already rancorous struggle by China to gain international acceptance for its homegrown encryption technology known as WAPI. It follows Chinese accusations that a U.S.-based standards body used underhanded tactics to prevent global approval of WAPI.

"In this extremely unfair atmosphere, it is meaningless for the Chinese delegation to continue attending the meeting," the Standardization Administration of China delegation said in a statement carried by the official Xinhua News Agency.

The U.S.-based group, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, denies any impropriety and says China isn't playing by the established rules.

Read the rest here

Sunday, June 11, 2006

WorldCup 2006 Game: Holland Beats Serbia and Montenegro, Goal by Robben

Holland 1 Serbia and Montenegro 0
Robben scores in the 17th minute and almost scores again 3 minutes later
The Netherlands dominate this game in every single way; possesion, shots, play, you name it. Srboslavia did improve a little in the last 5 minutes of the first half but they have to do a lot more if they want to do anything against Holland
It stayed 1-0 and man of the match in my opinion is the goal scorer Robben

Saturday, June 10, 2006

Hypoallergenic Cats: Allergy Free Cats

Not everyone is a cat person. Some of you out there seem to hate the furry little creatures, or at least regard them with sheer ambivalence. This news item is not for you. For the rest of us, these independent little mammals make for good companions. Not as needy as a dog, less helpless than a tortoise, easier to pet than a tank of fish. You can leave them alone for a day or two, they don't need walking and watching them hunt errant moths or hurl themselves at a bird feeder on the wrong side of a window can be at times awe-inspiring or side-splitting.

Sadly, not everyone who likes or loves Felis silvestris domesticus is able to take one on as pet. Cats produce a protein, FEL D1, that is an exquisite allergen for some sensitive individuals, meaning contact with a kitty results in streaming eyes, sneezing and general unhappiness on the human side of the relationship.

Read the rest here

Friday, June 09, 2006

WorldCup 2006 Game: Ecuador Eating Polish Sausages (2-0)

Poland 0 Ecuador 2
Carlos Tenorio scores for Ecuador!
Tenorio scores from 6 yards in the far corner in the 24th minute
Poland has to do something fast because until now they haven't looked that good (I actually wonder how they managed to qualify with such a team)

First Half Summary
Poland
Shots 4
Shots on goal 1
Fouls 7
Corner kicks 6
off-sides 2
Possesion 52%
Yellow cards 1
Red cards -
Saves 4

Ecuador
Shots 9
Shots on goal 5
Fouls 11
Corner kicks 1
off-sides 3
Possesion 48%
Yellow cards 1
Red cards -
Saves 5

Even though Poland attacked more it wasn't enough, Delgado scored the 2nd goal for Ecuador in the 80th minute
Poland did manage to hit the post twice in the last 5 minutes but Ecuador deserved to win this game. Poland has to rethink their strategy if they want to advance

World Cup 2006 Poland - Ecuador

Polish coach Pawel Janas has ripped up his pre-tournament notes and looks set to copy the 4-5-1 system that took Poland to third place the last time Germany hosted the World Cup in 1974.

The pressure is on the Poles to banish the memory of their nightmare four years ago when they crashed out at the group stage following a 2-0 defeat by co-hosts South Korea in their opening game.

Ecuador's recent form has been patchy but coach Luis Fernando Suarez believes his side will be far tougher than the team which folded on their World Cup debut four years ago.

They will also be anxious to prove they are as capable of winning big games at sea-level as they are at the lung-bursting high altitude of Quito.

The South Americans were unbeaten in their home qualifying games and the only match they won away was also at high altitude in Bolivia.


Poland
Lineup
1 Artur Boruc
6 Jacek Bak
4 Marcin Baszczynski
2 Mariusz Jop
14 Michal Zewlakow
8 Jacek Krzynowek
16 Arkadiusz Radomski
15 Ebi Smolarek
7 Radoslaw Sobolewski
10 Miroslaw Szymkowiak
9 Maciej Zurawski


Bench
22 Lukasz Fabianski
12 Tomasz Kuszczak
19 Bartosz Bosacki
17 Dariusz Dudka
3 Seweryn Gancarczyk
18 Mariusz Lewandowski
20 Piotr Giza
5 Kamil Kosowski
13 Sebastian Mila
23 Pawel Brozek
21 Ireneusz Jelen
11 Grzegorz Rasiak


Ecuador
Lineup
12 Cristian Mora
4 Ulises De la Cruz
17 Geovanny Espinoza
3 Ivan Hurtado
18 Neicer Reasco
14 Segundo Castillo
8 Edison Mendez
20 Edwin Tenorio
16 Luis Valencia
11 Agustin Delgado
21 Carlos Tenorio


Bench
22 Damian Lanza
1 Edwin Villafuerte
13 Paul Ambrossi
2 Jorge Guagua
5 Jose Perlaza
15 Marlon Ayovi
7 Christian Lara
19 Luis Saritama
6 Patricio Urrutia
23 Cristian Benitez 23
9 Felix Borja
10 Ivan Kaviedes

WorldCup 2006 Germany Beats Costa Rica 4-2

Germany 4 Costa Rica 2
Germany leads in the 6th minute by a wonderful Goal by Lahm.
Lahm cuts in from the left wing before curling a shot in the top corner with his right boot.

Germany 1 Costa Rica 0


Wanchope beats the off-side trap and scores in the 13th minute
Germany 1 Costa Rica 1

Schweinsteiger beats a man passes to klose who then scores in the 16th minute
Germany 2 Costa Rica 1

First Half Summary
Germany
Shots 14
Shots on goal 5
Fouls 6
Corner kicks 3
off_sides 2
Possesion 54%
Yellow cards -
Red cards -
Saves -

Costa Rica
Shots 1
Shots on goal 1
Fouls 5
Corner kicks -
off_sides 3
Possesion 46%
Yellow cards 1
Red cards -
Saves 7

Germany 3 Costa Rica 1
Misolav Klose scores in the 60th minute after a pass from Lahm, Porras saves but Klose gets the rebound

Germany 3 Costa Rica 2
Wanchope beats the off-side trap (again) and scores in the 72nd minute



Germany 4 Costa Rica 2
German captain Frings scores an amazing goal from 35 yards in the 86th minute

Summary
Germany
Shots 24
Shots on goal 11
Fouls 11
Corner kicks 7
off_sides 3
Possesion 57%
Yellow cards -
Red cards -
Saves -

Costa Rica
Shots 4
Shots on goal 3
Fouls 11
Corner kicks 3
off_sides 3
Possesion 43%
Yellow cards 1
Red cards -
Saves 7

Germany beats Costa Rica 4-2!!

World Cup 2006 Germany - Costa Rica

Michael Ballack has recovered but will probably be left out, Klinsmann has insisted that anyone who is not fit 48 hours before a match will not play

Tim Borowski is likely to replace Ballack in central midfield, with Bastian Schweinsteiger on the left.


Germany
Lineup
1. LEHMANN Jens
3. FRIEDRICH Arne
7. SCHWEINSTEIGER Bastian
8. FRINGS Torsten
11. KLOSE Miroslav
16. LAHM Philipp
17. MERTESACKER Per
18. BOROWSKI Tim
19. SCHNEIDER Bernd (C)
20. PODOLSKI Lukas
21. METZELDER Christoph

Bench
12. KAHN Oliver
23. HILDEBRAND Timo
2. JANSEN Marcell
4. HUTH Robert
5. KEHL Sebastian
6. NOWOTNY Jens
9. HANKE Mike
10. NEUVILLE Oliver
13. BALLACK Michael
14. ASAMOAH Gerald
15. HITZLSPERGER Thomas
22. ODONKOR David

Costa Rica
Lineup
18. PORRAS Jose
3. MARIN Luis (C)
4. UMANA Michael
5. MARTINEZ Gilberto
6. FONSECA Danny
8. SOLIS Mauricio
9. WANCHOPE Paulo
10. CENTENO Walter
11. GOMEZ Ronald
12. GONZALEZ Leonardo
20. SEQUEIRA Douglas

Bench
1. MESEN Alvaro
23. ALFARO Wardy
2. DRUMMOND Jervis
7. BOLANOS Cristian
13. BERNARD Kurt
14. AZOFEIFA Randall
15. WALLACE Harold
16. HERNANDEZ Carlos
17. BADILLA Gabriel
19. SABORIO Alvaro
21. NUNEZ Victor
22. RODRIGUEZ Michael

Google Browser Sync Extension

Google Browser Sync for Firefox is an extension that continuously synchronizes your browser settings – including bookmarks, history, persistent cookies, and saved passwords – across your computers. It also allows you to restore open tabs and windows across different machines and browser sessions

After successfully downloading and installing the extension, then restarting your browser, you'll see a setup wizard. (Please note that you'll need a Google Account to complete the setup process; if you don't already have a Google Account, you can create one now.) The setup wizard will take you through a series of quick and easy steps. You'll need to choose which browser components you'd like to keep synchronized with your other computers (the standard install includes all possible components), and choose a PIN to protect your sensitive information.

Configuring your second computer is even easier. You only need to install the extension, log in with your Google Account username and password, and provide your PIN.

Day-to-day use
Google Browser Sync is completely automated. The settings you select at startup are automatically synchronized across each of the computers on which you install Browser Sync. You won't even need to log in every time you start the browser. You can change which browser components are being synced – or even stop the syncing process entirely – using the settings panel in the upper-right corner of the page. The settings panel also gives you access to your PIN.

Get it here

The FAQ page is here

Detox Clinic Video Addicts

An addiction center is opening Europe's first detox clinic for game addicts, offering in-house treatment for people who can't leave their joysticks alone.
Video games may look innocent, but they can be as addictive as gambling or drugs _ and just as hard to kick, says Keith Bakker, director of Amsterdam-based Smith & Jones Addiction Consultants.
Bakker already has treated 20 video game addicts, aged 13 to 30, since January. Some show withdrawal symptoms, such as shaking and sweating, when they look at a computer.

His detox program begins in July. It will run four to eight weeks, including discussions with therapists and efforts to build patients' interests in alternative activities.
"We have kids who don't know how to communicate with people face-to- face because they've spent the last three years talking to somebody in Korea through a computer," Bakker said. "Their social network has completely disappeared."
It can start with a Game Boy, perhaps given by parents hoping to keep their children occupied but away from the television. From there it can progress to multilevel games that aren't made to be won.
Bakker said he has seen signs of addiction in children as young as 8.

Read the rest here

Thursday, June 08, 2006

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi Dead, Killed In Airstrike

Al Qaeda in Iraq leader deadAbu Musab al-Zarqawi, the most recognizable face of Iraq's violent insurgency, died in a coalition airstrike near Baquba, jubilant U.S. and Iraqi authorities said today. U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad called al-Zarqawi "the godfather of sectarian killing and terror in Iraq" and said his death "marks a great success for Iraq and the global war on terror."

Jordanian-born Zarqawi, who had sworn loyalty to Osama bin Laden, had come to symbolize the radical Islamic insurgency against U.S. occupation in which thousands had been killed. His campaign is also believed to have played a major role in inflaming Sunni-Shi'ite tensions in the country.

U.S. officials in Iraq hailed his killing, but warned that Zarqawi's followers still posed a security threat to the Iraq government.


British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Zarqawi's death was a blow against al Qaeda everywhere.

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Google Spreadsheets

Google has launched a Web-based spreadsheet program that will allow people to view and simultaneously edit data while conducting "in-document" chat, a company product manager said Monday.

The launch of Google Spreadsheets puts the search engine in even more heated competition with Microsoft, whose desktop-based Excel spreadsheet program is a standard office tool.

Google, which acquired the Writely Web-based word processor in March, is unleashing Web-based services of programs that propelled Microsoft to dominance on the desktop. Microsoft is responding by revamping its business to focus on Web services under the Windows Live and Office Live monikers.

What are the key features of Google Spreadsheets?


Google Spreadsheets allows you to create, store and share spreadsheets on the web. For those of you who already struggle to organize multiple versions of spreadsheets and other data and lists, Google Spreadsheets is a great solution, providing:

- Import and export of .xls and .csv formatted data.
- Intuitive navigation and editing, like any traditional spreadsheet.
- Access controls, so you can decide who, if anyone, can edit or view your spreadsheets.
- Online storage, so you can access your spreadsheets from any web-connected computer.
- Formatting and formula editing so you can calculate results and make your data look the way you want it.


Why would I want to use Google Spreadsheets?

Google Spreadsheets lets people create web-based spreadsheets that anyone in the group can simultaneously update from his or her own computer. In particular, it has the following benefits:

1. Share spreadsheets instantly & collaborate real-time.
- Pick exactly who can access your spreadsheets.
2. Edit your spreadsheets from anywhere.
- Nothing to download -- your browser is all you need.
3. Store your spreadsheets securely online.
- Offsite storage plus multi-site data backup.
4. Easy to use.
- Import your current spreadsheets to get started quickly.
- Clean, uncluttered screens with a familiar, desktop.

How do I sign up for Google Spreadsheets?

You must have a Google Account to sign up for Google Spreadsheets. You can get get a Google Account at https://www.google.com/accounts/NewAccount

Currently we're having a limited Labs launch. Anyone can sign up for the waitlist, and we are regularly sending invitations to people on the waitlist on first-come, first-served basis. Since this is a limited test release, it is possible that we won't be able to invite everyone who signs up. If you don't hear from us as quickly as you expected, sorry, we'll invite you as soon as we can.

Google Spreadsheet

Monday, June 05, 2006

AppleBerry: Apple + BlackBerry = Fruit Salad?

The idea of an “AppleBerry” partnership between Research In Motion Ltd. and Apple Computer Inc. was floated yesterday by Peter Misek, an analyst with Canaccord Capital Inc., who last year accurately predicted a partnership between RIM and Intel Corp.

Such a deal would have huge merit because each company lacks what the other provides. RIM wants a firm foothold in the consumer market and Apple doesn't have a presence in the booming wireless data sector, he said.

The two might jointly develop a new device: Apple could create a cellphone combining its iPod music device with RIM's wireless technology, or RIM might embed Apple's iTunes music into a future BlackBerry, he speculated.

Sopranos: Lame Ending For A Lame Season

Finally this season of the Sopranos has ended. I must say that this has been the worst season yet. I started promissing when uncle Junior shot Anthony Soprano in the first episode but after that it went down the hill. The best episode was the one when Paulie finds out that his mother is not really his mother. I think the episodes withe Paulie are the best. Do you remember the "Pine Barrens" (see picture) episode? This is the episode where Paulie and Christopher get stuck in the woods without food or heat after trying to kill the Russian criminal. The 'Gay' theme with Vito got also dragged on for way too long, Artie and the problems with his restaurant was not bad for an episode. I did not like the episodes when Anthony was in a coma and he was wandering in his dreams trying to find his identity. The finale was really lame, Chrismas at the Sopranos house and A.J. brings home some girl who has a kid already. Of course meadow calls home, what a happy ending. I saved the ending of Big Love for tonight, hopefully that is better.

Friday, June 02, 2006

666, The Number Of The Beast, Omen 666

In 4 days it will be June 6th 2006 AKA 666, the number of the beast. That same day a remake of the 1976 horror classic The Omen will be released in theaters with Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick playing the part of that lovely child Damien.
I wonder if it's going to be better than the original, I'll probably wait for the DVD and I will rent it (depending on the reviews of course).

Anyway here is some fun 666 stuff for your amusement

666 - The number of the beast
667 - neighbor of the beast
660 - Approximate number of the Beast
DCLXVI - Roman numeral of the Beast
666.0000 - Number of the High Precision Beast
0.666666 - Number of the Millibeast
/ 666 - Beast Common Denominator
666 * (-1)^(1/2) - Imaginary number of the Beast
1010011010 - Binary of the Beast
6, uh... what was that number again? - Number of the Blonde Beast
1-666 - Area code of the Beast
0666 - English area code of the Beast
00666 - Zip code of the Beast
1-900-666-0666: Live Beasts! One-on-one pacts! Call Now! Only
$6.66/minute. Over 18 only please.
$665.95 - Retail price of the Beast
$699.25 - Price of the Beast plus 5% state sales tax
$769.95 - Price of the Beast with all accessories and replacement soul
$656.66 - Wal-Mart price of the Beast
$646.66 - Next week's Wal-Mart price of the Beast
Phillips 666 - Gasoline of the Beast
Route 666 - Way of the Beast
666 F - Oven temperature for roast Beast
666k - Retirement plan of the Beast
666 mg - Recommended Minimum Daily Requirement of Beast
6.66 % - 5 year CD interest rate at First Beast of Hell National Bank
$666 - minimum deposit at FBHNB
666% - Interest rate charged by Tony the Beast, local loan shark.
666iv - Local statute number regarding Beast parking.
"If 666 Was 999" - recently discovered Jimi Hendrixixix outtake.
DSM-666 (revised) - Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the Beast
Lotus 6-6-6 - Spreadsheet of the Beast
Word 6.66 - Word Processor of the Beast
i66686 - CPU of the Beast
(sic) (sic) (sic) - three Beastly errors in spelling or grammar in the original.
666i - BMW of the Beast

Soccer WC 2006 Friendly Games, Germany Beats Colombia 3-0

There are 7 friendly games today, two of them have finished already. The first one was between Libya and Belarus, it ended in a 1-1 tie. The second game was between Germany and Colombia, that ended in a 3-0 win for Germany.
The third game just finished and Togo beat Liechtenstein 1-0
The 4th game was between Angola and Turkey, Angola took the lead in the first half but Turkey scored 2 goals in the 2nd half and appeared to win the game. Then Angola struck back in the 83rd minute to tie the game 2-2. A minute after that Turkey scored again to make it 3-2
The 5th game was between Sweden and Chile which ended in a 1-1 tie

Germany [3 - 0] Colombia
21' [1 - 0] M. Ballack
38' [2 - 0] B. Schweinsteiger
70' [3 - 0] L. Podolski

Liechtenstein [0 - 1] Togo
55' [0 - 1] A.K. Coubadja

Angola [2 - 3] Turkey
32' [1 - 0] F.M. Akwa
53' [1 - 1] Necati
71' [1 - 2] Nihat
83' [2 - 2] A.C. Love
84' [2 - 3] H. Altintop


Sweden [1 - 1] Chile
32' [1 - 0] H. Larsson
51' [1 - 1] Suazo

Thursday, June 01, 2006

Extortion Virus Archiveus Code Cracked

Poor programming has allowed anti-virus companies to discover the password to retrieve the hijacked data inside a virus. The virus is the latest example of so-called "ransomware" that tries to extort cash from victims. Analysis of Archiveus has revealed that the password to unlock the file containing all the hijacked files is contained within the code of the virus itself.

This virus swaps files found in the "My Documents" folder on Windows with a single file protected by a 30-digit password. Victims are only told the password if they buy drugs from one of three online pharmacies.

The 30-digit password locking the files is "mf2lro8sw03ufvnsq034jfowr18f3cszc20vmw". Using the password should restore all the hijacked files.

"Now the password has been uncovered, there should be no reason for anyone hit by this ransomware attack to have to make any payments to the criminals behind it,"

YHOO:Yahoo Launches YouTube Competitor Yahoo Video

Yahoo! launched Yahoo! Video last night, allowing users to upload, share and tag their videos. For Windows users the player uses the standard Yahoo! Player, while Mac and Linux users get video encoded in Flash.

Here’s a quick rundown of what’s available to you:
An entirely new face to the product, starting with the home page. Try browsing for what’s new and of interest on the Web using Featured and Popular lists and Category and Tag pages.

MyStudio where you can now upload, manage, and share your original content with Yahoo! users and the world.

A continued expansion of the largest video index, with more user submitted Media-RSS feeds, direct feeds from major video publishers, and video crawled from Web. Combined with user-uploaded content, it delivers a more open programming experience.

The introduction of Channels, which are groups of videos created by a common source. In the search results, we match channels to your query and display them in the left-column, when relevant, next to the video results. Just by uploading a single video, publishers begin creating their own individual channels. These can be saved to others’ Favorites page, or exported as a Media RSS feed and added to your My Yahoo! page or any other RSS reader.

MyFavorites page, where you can manage videos and channels you’ve added while searching. MyFavorites helps you keep up to date on channels you like, as well as bookmark your favorite videos. Favorites can also be exported as a Media RSS feed, for those who subscribe and follow online content using an RSS reader or to share with friends.

New ways to export and share videos with friends, whether by email or by sending links through Yahoo! Instant Messenger. For user-uploaded content, users can also copy and paste a player window into a blog or Web page.

Foundations of Atlas: Rapid Ajax Development with ASP.NET 2.0 Book

Apress has published their latest Ajax book. This book introduces a fast-track path to understanding Atlas, and how this technology can increase the power and functionality of your code while conserving time and effort. The book begins with a bare-bones introduction that explains how Atlas relates to Ajax.

Microsoft Atlas is a web-client framework that makes building Ajax-style applications easier. It provides a prewritten framework that gives you a structured environment in which to work. Atlas also provides you with an object model and standardized debugging to make development faster and simpler.

Ajax is a new way of combining a number of Web technologies including JavaScript, dynamic HTML, and a feature known as XmlHttp (which reduces the need for client browsers to constantly reconnect to the server every time new information is downloaded). But at the moment, people developing with Ajax have to write their code from the ground up, which is complex and time consuming.

The book guides you through a series of practical examples that demonstrate the Atlas framework and available controls. After reading this book, you’ll be able to compile a seamless Atlas-based application of your own!

This book demystifies the Atlas technology and shows you how to work with it.
The first book dedicated to this revolutionary new technology.
Written by an experienced .NET author in collaboration with the Atlas development team.

The book is written by Laurence Moroney and contains 336 pages

Table Of contents
CHAPTER 1 Introducing Ajax
CHAPTER 2 Atlas: Taking Ajax to the Next Level
CHAPTER 3 Atlas: Making Client-Side JavaScript Easier
CHAPTER 4 Introducing Client Controls in Atlas
CHAPTER 5 Using Client Controls in Atlas
CHAPTER 6 Introducing Server Controls in Atlas
CHAPTER 7 Using Server Controls in Atlas
CHAPTER 8 Data Binding in Atlas
CHAPTER 9 Using the AtlasUIGlitz Library
CHAPTER 10 Mapping with Atlas
CHAPTER 11 Building a Sample Application with ASP.NET and Atlas


Get sample chapter 6 (Introducing Server Controls in Atlas) here
The Amazon link is here

Soccer WC 2006 Holland Beats Mexico Babel and Heitinga Score

There were 2 more friendly games today. The first one was between Korea and Norway. That game ended in a 0-0 tie. The second game was between Holland and Mexico. Holand one by 2-1. Mexico did take the lead in the 19th minute with a goal by Borgetti

Holland [2 - 1] Mexico
19' [0 - 1] J. Borgetti
53' [1 - 1] J. Heitinga
57' [2 - 1] R. Babel

ORCL: Oracle Buying Demantra

Oracle is buying Demantra. Demantra, a 10-year-old company develops supply-chain planning applications.

Leveraging powerful analytics and collaboration capabilities, Demantra offers solutions for demand management, sales and operations planning and trade promotion planning and optimization. Together with Oracle's existing supply chain and ERP applications, customers can more proactively manage complex, global supply chain operations.

"Oracle and Demantra's complementary products will deliver information-rich, adaptive business processes to enable an effective, demand-driven supply chain," said Oracle Senior Vice President of Applications Development Rick Jewell. "We are giving customers access to proven, best-in-class demand and supply chain capabilities, combined with comprehensive ERP applications and technology infrastructure. This will allow companies to reduce their total cost of ownership, while increasing their ability to operate an integrated, information-driven enterprise."

The closing of the transaction is anticipated in June 2006, subject to certain closing conditions. Financial details were not disclosed.

CTC Media(CTCM) And Bank of China(3988.HK) IPO Today

Bank of China shares rise 15 percent in Hong Kong trading after mega IPO

Shares in Bank of China, which raised US$9.7 billion in the world's largest initial public offering in six years, rose a better-than-expected 15 percent in their trading debut on Thursday as investors shrugged off jittery markets.

The share sale was the largest from China and marked another milestone in Beijing's efforts to clean up a banking sector that has long been a weak link in the country's booming economy as a result of decades of state-directed lending.


Bank of China
Proposed Ticker: 3988.HK
Expected Pricing Date: 06/01/2006 07:00:00
Exchange: Foreign
Expected Price: 2.95 - 2.95
Lead Underwriter: Bank of China
Total Shares: 25,568,590,000
Est. Offering Amount: 75,427,340,000


CTC Media
Proposed Ticker: CTCM
Expected Pricing Date: 06/01/2006 07:00:00
Exchange: NASDAQ
Expected Price: 16.00 - 18.00
Lead Underwriter: Morgan Stanley
Total Shares: 29,427,390
Est. Offering Amount: 500,265,600