Sam’s random musings

The virtues of XML-RPC:

It’s way too late to convince the folks working on the Atom weblog editing API that XML-RPC is good. (I argued in favor of XML-RPC—months ago? A year ago? And lost.)

But now and again I feel the need to explain why XML-RPC is good, since the issue will come up in other contexts. Even if we use other things, it’s worth remembering the virtues of XML-RPC, since nothing else comes close yet in terms of both ease-of-use and generality.

This is a great summary of why I love xml-rpc and made the initial set of RealBASIC XML-RPC Classes for RealBASIC and have spent a bit of time updating them for RB 5.5.x and adding some unit tests. (Via inessential.com.)

DevShed: Accessing Databases with (PEAR) DB:

Over on Devshed.com today, there’s a new posting that sets out to educate you in the use of the PEAR DB package and how it can help you on your site.

This is an excerpted chapter from the Essential PHP Tools book that I really have liked.

(Via PHPDeveloper.org.)

How to Paint a Room: What Your Mother Never Told You:

Someone today asked me how to paint a room. About once a month, someone asks me how to paint a room because they think I’m “handy.” I’m not a professional painter. I don’t even like painting much. But I have gotten pretty fast at it over the years. I’ve ignored lots of rules and found lots of others that work.

Good advice, I bet…

(Via .)

Cassini: Nature’s Canvas: Susan has some links to beautiful imagery from the Cassini mission, thanks.

In a splendid portrait created by light and gravity, Saturn’s lonely moon Mimas is seen against the cool, blue-streaked backdrop of Saturn’s northern hemisphere. Delicate shadows cast by the rings arc gracefully across the planet, fading into darkness on Saturn’s night side.

Image credit: NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute

(Via 2020 Hindsight.)

Load up your USB drive before you visit your parents: - First, turn on the Windows Firewall (Double click the Network connection in the task bar > Properties > Advanced > Settings > Turn on Firewall). - Run Anti-Spyware, free from LavaSoft. - Run Anti-Virus, we like this free one from GriSoft. Run Windows Update.
- Get a new Browser, FireFox. - Get Skype.

Got other suggestions and advice? Post up in their comments. This great advice, what would their list be for Macs…

(Via Engadget.)

A way to restore and maximize iPod battery life:

I use my iPod every day for two to three hours on my way to and from work. A while ago, I was very frustrated because I believed I had to pay for a battery replacement on my second generation iPod. As it turns out, I am still…

Have to try this over the next day or so…

(Via Mac OS X Hints.)

Talking Points Memo: by Joshua Micah Marshall: November 14, 2004 - November 20, 2004 Archives:

As you’ve probably heard, the congress is pushing through a big omnibus spending bill this weekend. And at the last minute, Republican leaders tried to slip in a provision that would give certain committee chairman and their staffers unlimited access to any American’s tax return, with none of the standard privacy protections applying.

Ok now this stinks, but welcome to the republicans, would they back track on this if they hadn’t gotten caught. Would they of brought it forward?

RendezvousVPN

RendezvousVPN merges networks over a secure VPN connection for Rendezvous services. Any TCP/IP service broadcasted on one side of the network is instantly accessable on the other side. Games, file sharing, and even printing are all forwardable. All it takes is one machine on each side and all of the services from one network are tunneled over to the other network.

This seems like a really cool way to extend the transparency that Rendezvous gives you with the security of VPN