The 50 Media Sites Bloggers Link To The Most

Media search engine Technorati is about to release The Technorati Attention Index, which measures the mainstream media websites with the highest number of blogs linking to them in the past 30 days. Right now it has a blog postwith the inaugural list. YouTube takes the top spot with the New York Times, BBC News, CNN.com, and MSN rounding out the top five. Compared to the top non-blog sources on Techmeme’s leaderboard, which is a narrower universe of sites which tech blogs link to, the top five mainstream media sites there are CNET News, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Reuters, and Computerworld. (The leaderboard for sister site Memeorandum, which covers politics, more closely matches Technorati’s list).

Here’s the top five from Technorati’s index:

1. YouTube
2. New York Times
3. BBC News
4. CNN.com
5. MSN

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Five Essential Tips for Editing the Registry

Editing the Windows Registry has the potential to improve your system’s performance, but making a mistake can destroy Windows and cause you great distress. Here are five tips for keeping yourself anxiety-free—and for keeping your PC alive.

1. The best protection from Registry hassles is to have a current full-system backup. You ought to create one right now, even if you’re not planning to mess with your Registry anytime soon. For a tutorial, read “how to Prevent a Data Disaster"
2. Before you open the Registry cleaner, use ERUNT (emergency Recovery Utility NT; to back up the Registry. i know, it’s redundant, since the Registry cleaner will back up any changes it makes, and since you (should) already have a full system backup. But having a separate Registry backup will make it easier to restore your system quickly if something goes wrong.

3. Prior to scanning with your Registry cleaner, close all other applications; if possible, unload any tools running in your system tray, too. Open apps constantly make Registry changes, and you want the Registry cleaner to do its work with no interference along the way.
4. When using a Registry cleaner, stay alert and read whatever the cleaning tool’s wizard has to say. With most other programs that employ wizards, it’s no big deal if you pay scant attention and just keep clicking the Next button. But that isn’t the case with Registry cleaners.
5. After the scan, the program will let you remove (or in some cases, repair) the Registry errors. if you are given the option, set the Registry cleaner to remove errors only at the safest and least-intrusive level. (you can scan again with more aggressive settings later on.) Even at that, you might see 1000 or even 2000 “safe” entries that need cleaning. For instance, Registry First aid found 2161 problems on my PC, of which it deemed about 1900 safe to alter. Whatever you do, never choose an auto cleaning option. Instead, be sure to approve each change manually, which keeps you in control. For a complete set of Registry editing tips and a look at some leading Registry cleaners, see the tutorial .

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PHP tops Ruby, Javascript in developer survey

Recent studys from EDC predicts, PHP is the best all around scripting language for web applications with a large community and lots of readily available tools

Developers using PHP are more satisfied than users of other scripting languages including Ruby, Python, Perl, Java script, Flex and VB script according to an Evans Data user satisfaction survey released this week.

Over 500 developers were asked to rate the features of scripting languages that they personally use across 12 different categories.

Demand for PHP developers on raise

PHP received the highest overall score while Ruby did best in ease of use and exception handling, and Python was tops in extensibility and memory management.

Java script was best for client-side scripting, while F# got the best score for security. PHP was rated best in everything else.

"Scripting languages play a significant role in the software application development landscape with just over 60 percent of all developers indicating they use some form in their development efforts," said John Andrews, president and CEO of Evans Data,

Five good programming habits in PHP

He added, "We forecast continued increasing adoption as a result of greater emphasis of web and front end development continues."

The study concluded that PHP was the best all around scripting language for web applications with a large community and lots of readily available tools. Ruby was the easiest to use and thus the most accessible, but suffers from performance problems and a tiny community, while Python showed itself to be the best suited for creating large and complex applications.

User Choice Satisfaction surveys are conducted several times a year by Evans Data as a free service to the development community. The full survey report can be downloaded here: view report

Languages in the survey included: Actionscript, Flex, Java Script, Microsoft F#, Windows Powershell, Perl, PHP, Python, Ruby and VB Script.

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Windows 7 leaks continue as new build hits BitTorrent

A second post-beta build of Windows 7 has leaked to file-sharing sites on the Web, according to searches at BitTorrent trackers.

A search on Mininova.org, for example, found several instances of Windows 7 Build 7048, a bootable .iso disk image of the operating system's 64-bit edition. The last leaked build was numbered 7022, which hit BitTorrent three weeks ago.

Build 7048 first appeared on Mininova on Monday.

Although several users who downloaded the new build reported that they were unable to get it to run, others confirmed that the pirated 7048 worked. "Using right now, works fine," said one Mininova user, identified as SoLoR.

Another user, alen666, claimed that 7048 is not a release candidate build. "7048 is a pre-RC1 compile of Windows 7 and is not likely to become the final RC1 build," the user said in a comment on Mininova.

Microsoft has not spelled out a ship date for Windows 7 Release Candidate (RC), but it has acknowledged that because it will issue just the one beta, the RC will be the next public release. Windows 7's fast development pace is in contrast to its predecessor, Windows Vista, which went through multiple betas and multiple release candidates.

Build 7048 downloading has been brisk. Yesterday, Mininova reported one BitTorrent had been downloaded more than 21,000 times, although that copy has since vanished from the tracking site. Thursday, the two available BitTorrents totaled about 10,000 downloads.

Windows 7 has regularly leaked to the Web since previews were first handed out last October to attendees at Microsoft's Professional Developers Conference. Since then, other versions have appeared on BitTorrent, including a pirated copy of what was later released Jan. 10 as the public beta.

Windows 7 Build 7048 has drawn attention for reasons other than leaking to the Web. According to reports from a pair of bloggers, the build is the first that lets users remove the executable file for Internet Explorer 8. Some have speculated that the new option may be an attempt by Microsoft to mollify European Union antitrust regulators, who have accused the company of stifling competition by bundling IE with Windows and may demand that it provide users the means to eliminate IE from their PCs.

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Mozilla Fixes Eight Firefox 3.0 Security Bugs

Mozilla has released an update for its Firefox 3.0 browser which patches eight security flaws.

Among the flaws fixed by Firefox 3.0.7 is a bug that Mozilla said "showed evidence of memory corruption under certain circumstances and we presume that with enough effort at least some of these could be exploited to run arbitrary code".

In an advisory, Mozilla added that it was concerned that JavScript flaws could also be exploited.

"We strongly discourage users from running JavaScript in mail. Without further investigation we cannot rule out the possibility that for some of these an attacker might be able to prepare memory for exploitation through some means other than JavaScript such as large images," Mozilla added.

This is Mozilla's second security release for the Firefox browser this year. The update can be downloaded direct from Mozilla's website. Alternatively, Firefox 3.0 users will be prompted to download the release with an automatic notification.

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Windows 7 to ditch Internet Explorer?

Microsoft may give Windows 7 users the option to remove its Internet Explorer (IE) 8 web browser from the operating system.

The Aero Experience blog says build 7048 of the operating system benefits from the new 'Windows Features On or Off' function, which could potentially let users get rid of the browser.

Internet Explorer has been bundled with Windows for many years, a move which has created controversy. In January this year, the EU Competition Commission charged Microsoft with distorting competition in the market for web browsers by bundling IE with the Windows operating system.

"Given that this change doesn't exist in Beta 1, the odds that this change will persist through to RC are quite high," says the blog.

"There is a catch: for now, this only seems to wipe the actual executable running Internet Explorer 8. In addition, this actually takes two reboots and a configuration step to complete, so there's definitely something going on behind the scenes (likely a remapping of where IE-related functions can be found for other elements in Windows so that Windows doesn't complain about IE's nonexistence)."

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Storm clouds over the iPhone

When I was supposed to upgrade my phone late last year, my wife suggested that I buy a new BlackBerry. But I decided to wait for the BlackBerry Storm to come to India. Though, in the meantime, I changed my mind on getting a new BlackBerry, I still wanted to review the Storm to help you decide whether it was better than the iPhone. I am not covering the other competitors, because I think only these two have got it all right - music, phone and email.

The Storm clearly looks like it was inspired by the iPhone. Research in Motion (RIM) has replaced its popular QWERTY keyboard with a 3" touchscreen, but not at the cost of the BlackBerry mission.

RIM has always been building serious business phones and the Storm does not change anything. If you are looking for email and messaging as your first use on the phone, the Storm wins hands down. I know some of you will say the iPhone has a better text input, but I think it is a matter of getting used to the phones.

But if you are looking for a phone that will be good with music, games and browsing the Internet then it is the iPhone that you should go for. The Storm does not live up to expectations on this front.

Like the iPhone, the Storm's screen flips from vertical to horizontal as you rotate the phone. This is a brilliant feature, and the Storm's new browser makes Internet browsing a good experience, but it does not match up to the brilliance of the iPhone. But I liked the click on the Storm. It uses a touchscreen, as well as a pressure switch matrix at the back of the screen to give a good tactile feedback.

I have been using a BlackBerry for years now, and the biggest plus for me has always been the QWERTY keyboard. So the touchscreen is a no-no for me. However, it works fine and has a keyboard layout similar to that of BlackBerry Pearl and Bold.

The Storm's best feature has to be the battery, which lasted more than a day. The iPhone on the other hand had to be charged by mid-afternoon.

I am confused how ultimately BlackBerry turned out to be the iPhone killer. Apple should be making plans to make a BlackBerry killer.

While the Storm is available only on Vodafone now, most service providers have the iPhone in their stables. But what wins it for the Storm is its price of Rs 27,990. However, the BlackBerry services will cost you about Rs 1,000 a month, while the iPhone package costs just Rs 500. But, I will still stick to the BlackBerry.

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OMG! We're eating n sleeping SMS!

MUMBAI, INDIA: A teenage dame immersed in an SMSing game lying on a park bench. As the camera zooms out, we realize that she is having the game with her boyfriend on whose lap she is lying. A clear reflection of the generation that lives on SMS. From news to gossip to love to sex... everything is centered around this three-letter word!

The kind of explosion that is happening in the SMS space is evident from the recent report from VeriSign, Inc., a provider in Internet infrastructure services.

According to the latest quarterly index of mobile messaging statistics compiled by VeriSign's messaging and mobile media division, text messaging is one of the simplest and most useful means of mobile communication, allowing people to provide nearly real-time updates and alerts on the latest happenings to friends and family.

The VeriSign report says that it delivered a total of 224 billion SMS in 2008. And on a single day (you guessed it right – the recent Valentine's Day on February 14) 1.06 billion messages were delivered.

"Mobile messaging continues to play an even greater role in how the world communicate. Record usage growth requires a reliable, scalable network to ensure messages reach their intended destination – and as 2008 showed, VeriSign continues to deliver with ease," said Qi Li, vice president of Asia Pacific, for VeriSign's messaging and mobile media division.

Asia Pacific has traditionally led the growth of mobile messaging worldwide, and VeriSign has continued investing in and growing its reach in Asia, said a press release.

"Asia represents the single largest investment for VeriSign's Messaging and Mobile Media division and we are expecting a growth rate of 20-25 per cent in the next three years," Qi added.

He said that they have a long and successful track record in mobile messaging in the communications and enterprise segments, and intend to continue to address the rapidly emerging needs of mobile communications and enterprise customers throughout Asia.

Delivering 224 billion SMS not only shattered its original estimates of 200 billion messages, but it also saw a 134 per cent increase in its total messages delivered from 2007, the release added.

VeriSign facilitated an average of 772 million messages per day in Q4 2008, compared to 634 million messages per day in Q3 2008 and 352 million messages per day in Q4 2007, the release added.

Its combined mobile messaging networks achieved new milestones when VeriSign, together with RealNetworks, successfully delivered more than 1.1 billion inter-carrier SMS messages on Christmas Day.

At 6.89 billion and still counting, it is said that the world population is on the verge of an explosion. Do you think the kind of 'explosion' that is happening in the SMS space is even more severe, reflecting kind of addiction to the world of gadgets rather than dependence?
Source: CyberMediaNews

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Facebook Goes the Twitter Way

This seems to be a year of change for Facebook. After the vow to make Facebook a democratic nation, now the plan is to make the social networking website even more on-the-go. Facebook will now go the 'Twitter way' with a real-time update feature.

Using his standard mode of communication with the public, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg has made a blog entry on the social networking site to let people know about the direction in which Facebook is heading.

The highlight of the change, which will be incorporated starting next week, is the new homepage. Like in Twitter, users will get to see updates from all their friends as they happen. Of course, there will also be an option to choose who users want to receive updates from, by editing their privacy settings.

Also, the "What are you doing right now?" feature, which tells others about a user's status, will be changed to "What are you thinking of?" -- a shift that will offer Facebook users a real-time experience emphasizing on 'now,' again similar to Twitter's tag "What are you doing?"

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Google Calendar Now Available Offline

After bringing the offline accessibility to Gmail, Google brings the same function to its calendar service. Currently in its beta stage, the offline calendar lets one view the schedule offline in case of weak Internet connection and traveling.

The offline calendar concept is ideal for those who're on the go and wish to check their schedule 'without' any active Internet or GPRS connection. This feature is made available to everyone though the usage of Google Gears, an open source browser extension for adding offline functionality.

Take your Google Calendar offline after signing into it and then click on "Offline Beta".

Google also offers offline mode with two-way sync for iPhone, Windows Mobile, Android and BlackBerry cellphones. For that, you'll need to have Google Sync on your mobile phone.

However, it is to be noted that Google Calendar is available offline in 'read-only' mode. Let's hope Google allows editing and creating appointments in calendar in offline mode too.

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