[SoftRatty] tag: based

LuckyCal Makes You One Lucky Traveler

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 11:32:39 +0000

LuckyCal is the business traveler’s guide to getting lucky. You know, for landing sales deals and stuff. At least that’s what it was designed to do. For those business travelers that need to make a trip to a far away city, what better use of time than to find others in the area that may be available for a meeting as well? More meetings, more sales, and more savings for which your manager can take the credit.

LuckyCal is the tool that lets you keep track of the proximity of your colleagues and friends. Similar to Dopplr and TripIt, you can share your travel plans with others so that you can schedule a time to meet up with those that are in the same town as you–at the same time. LuckyCal works by syncing with your Google calendar, iCal and Outlook, so that there’s little manual work you need to do within LuckyCal, outside of adding contacts.

With the LuckyCal Facebook application, the process of adding contacts is somewhat easier, though a portion of it is still manual, as the act of sharing travel plans in a semi-automated fashion is a very permision-based feature. A fbFund round 1 winner, LuckyCal reveals its public beta today. While the direct meeting-planning tools aren’t quite as extensive as some other dedicated calendar-sharing networks, LuckyCal is off to a great start.

What I particularly like about its Facebook application, aside from making it easier to find and add contacts, is its potential to leverage other native Facebook applications that can be layered into this social meeting tool, such as events, birthdays, or local activities based on your profile interests. This expansion would also minimize the need to connect with others in order toutilize LuckyCal as a recommendation tool instead of just a social calendar.

But this potential isn’t limited to native Face book apps. LuckyCal already allows you to sync your iTunes with its service, moving beyond the business use of LuckyCal to recreational. By knowing what artists you’re interested in, LuckyCal can tell you if there are any of your favorites bands playing in New York while you’re in town visiting. Such recommendations can be extended to a number of different desktop and web-based applications, all of which could fit into LuckyCal, even when you’re no traveling.

CacheGuard Appliance 5.3.6 (Default branch)

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 07:38:41 +0000

CacheGuard is a Linux-based OS/appliance dedicated to Web traffic security and optimization. It transforms an x86-based machine into a powerful Web gateway appliance. It allows you to control Web traffic for Web surfers and Web servers by acting as a forwarding and reverse HTTP / HTTPS proxy. It supports HTTP transparent implementation, HTTP compression, Web caching, URL black- and whitelist guarding, and Web server load balancing. It features a stateful firewall with NAT and PAT, and a content filtering module blocking malicious HTTP requests like XSS, SQL and Command Injection. It integrates a caching DNS, a DHCP server, a bandwidth shaper to manage the QoS, a load sharing system, and an HA (high availability) mode with VRRP and link bonding.

License: Other/Proprietary License with Free Trial

Changes:
The bug in the Health Checking module that inadvertently restarted services has been fixed. Now the "rweb" mode is turned off by default. An option to cancel the running "apply" operation has been added. The patching module has been completely reviewed. The Web Auditing GUI has been enhanced. Generic content filtering rules have been updated. The reverse Web auditing GUI properly displays all warning messages. The reverse Web mode works properly even if there is only one declared HTTP Web site name. The reverse Web mode works properly even if there is no DNS declared.

Melas 0.11.0 (Default branch)

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 07:29:30 +0000

Melas is an uncomplicated build and packaging tool. It is used to compile software and create installable package files. Melas can be used to reliably reproduce builds and perform dependency tracking. Cross-compilation is supported through integration with Sbox2.

License: GNU General Public License v3

Changes:
Builds may be automatically configured. Standard Makefile, GNU autotools, and Python -type packages are supported. URLs can be built without an mls spec (for a fully autodetected build). Version number and package name can be guessed, based on package URL. Packages for -dev, -doc, and -locale-xx are automatically created. Dependency handling was redesigned to work much faster. Scratchbox2 was fully integrated. "Vacuum builds" were added, allowing cross-compilation against a set of pre-compiled packages.

fwknop 1.9.9 (Default branch)

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 06:50:59 +0000

fwknop implements an authorization scheme called Single Packet Authorization that requires only a single encrypted packet to communicate various pieces of information, including desired access through an iptables or ipfw firewall policy and/or specific commands to execute on the target system. The main application of this program is to protect services such as SSH with an additional layer of security in order to make the exploitation of vulnerabilities much more difficult. The authorization server works by passively monitoring authorization packets via libpcap. Also supported is a robust port knocking implementation based around iptables log messages.

License: GNU General Public License (GPL)

Changes:
Support was added to fwknop for the Linux "any" interface, which allows SPA packets to be received on multiple interfaces on a Linux system. Support was added for interfacing fwknop with third party software through the addition of three new variables in the access.conf file (or set globally in the fwknop.conf file): EXTERNAL_CMD_OPEN, EXTERNAL_CMD_CLOSE, and EXTERNAL_CMD_ALARM. The IPTables::* modules were updated to the latest versions, which are now available via CPAN as well. IPT_EXEC_STYLE was added to control the execution method used for iptables commands in the IPTables::ChainMgr module.

TurnKey Django Live CD appliance 2008.11.09-hardy-x86 (Default branch)

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 06:44:29 +0000

TurnKey Django is an easy-to-use, lightweight, installable live CD of the Django Web framework that can run on real hardware in addition to most types of virtual machines. It features a Mac OS X themed Web management interface and a Python configuration and installation console. It is based on Ubuntu 8.04.1 Hardy LTS, and is designed to provide users with a pre-integrated, automatically updated, turn-key operating system environment that is carefully built from the ground up with the minimum components needed to run Django Web applications with maximum usability, efficiency, and security.

TurnKey Ruby On Rails Live CD appliance 2008.11.18-hardy-x86 (Default branch)

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 06:44:24 +0000

TurnKey Ruby on Rails is an easy-to-use, lightweight, installable live CD of the Ruby on Rails Web framework that can run on real hardware in addition to most types of virtual machines. It features a Mac OS X themed Web management interface and a Python configuration and installation console. It is based on Ubuntu 8.04.1 Hardy LTS, and is designed to provide users with a pre-integrated, automatically updated, turn-key operating system environment that is carefully built from the ground up with the minimum components needed to run Ruby on Rails Web applications with maximum usability, efficiency, and security.

Cool Websites and Tools (edition #201)

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 02:44:34 +0000

Check out some of the latest makeuseof discoveries. All listed websites are FREE (or come with a decent free account option). No trials or buy-to-use craplets. For even more app reviews subscribe to makeuseof directory. Want to submit your application to MakeUseOf directory ? See how here.

(1) Car Performance - Track your car’s fuel consumption and see if it’s with an acceptable range or needs to be taken to the service. Read more: Car Performance - Track Fuel Consumption Of Your Car

(2) CatchVideo - Convert YouTube videos into a number of different video and audio formats and then download them to your computer. Read more: CatchVideo - Convert & Download YouTube Videos.

(3) EtherPad - Easily work on your documents together with colleagues in real-time. Anything you or others type will automatically show up on the screen of every participant. One neat feature is the ability to keep track of document changes and easily revert the document to an earlier version at any time. Read more: EtherPad - Collaborate On Text Docs Online.

(4) Generatus - How many hours have you wasted trying to come up with some cool status message for your Facebook account? Enter Generatus, a simple website that can generate a witty status message for your account with a click of a button. Read more: Generatus - Cool Facebook Status Message Generator

(5) LetMeGoogleThatForYou - This site is meant to be sarcastic at those who are too lazy to look for answers in Google and keep on bugging others with questions that could be easily answered by a simple Google search. So if there’s someone who has been irritating you with simple questions, you could use this site which combines comedy with sarcasm while helping your friend. Read more …

(6) Lyrster - If you can’t remember the name of some song but know a few lines from its lyrics try searching for it on Lyrster. It’s a lyrics search engine that can help you find the songs you’re looking for. Read more: Lyrster - Find A Song.

(7) OhMyGas - Find the cheapest gas prices in your area after you input the zipcode. It relies on user submissions and the users who find cheap gas report it to the site which updates the information on the site. Read more: OhMyGas - Find The Cheapest Gas Prices In Your Area.

(8) OpenTable - Search for best restaurants and make dinner reservations online. Browse restaurants by cities, refine them by cusine, or take a look at the best restaurants in the city based on different criteria as voted by the diners. Read more: OpenTable - Find Good Restaurants & Book Tables Online.

(9) SignsBOX - Search and stream music online. You can listen to your favorite songs and add them to personal SingsBOX playlist. Read more: SignsBOX - Find & Steam Music Online.

(10) Zapr - Zapr creates a personal web server on your computer and enables you to share files online in a whole new way. Read more: Zapr - Share Files Directly From Your Desktop.

These are just half of the websites that we discovered in the last 3-4 days. If you want us to send you daily round-up of all cool websites we come across leave your email here. Or follow us via RSS feed.

(By) Aibek, the guy behind MakeUseOf.com

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Tags:Cool Websites

Soccer Laduma - A Rich Mobile Experience

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 01:32:18 +0000

Soccer Laduma (soccerladuma.mobi) is yet another new African based mobile website. It's the mobile web edition of a weekly newspaper that's the country's largest soccer publication. South Africa has twice as many people using the mobile web as the fixed web so it's no surprise that Soccer Laduma's four month old mobile site gets more traffic than its fixed web counterpart.

The site is very rich in features yet is easy to navigate. The front page is simple and fast loading with just a photo and three breaking news headlines. Everything else is accessed from a bottom navigation menu. When you drill down into that menu you find virtually the entire content of the PC web site; live scores, domestic South African and international soccer news, fixtures and results from around the world, blogs, columns, a schedule of upcoming matches on South African TV, league standings and a photo gallery.

Soccer Laduma is also building a soccer fan community with social networking features; readers can vote and leave comments on every news item, and there's a comment "wall", polls, a forum and a user driven "predictions" page. The site also incorporates a full fledged social network called Ayoba! were each member has a profile page, friends list, photo gallery and their own "wall" where their friends can leave public messages and comments. There's also mobile web based private messaging between members.

Page size is generally well managed with under 10 KB of text and 15 KB of images per page except for the "Make Your Point" page were readers leave comments on a seemingly ever growing page. "Make Your Point" weighs in at 180KB, far to large to load on most feature phones.

This site is an example of the sort of deep, content rich, but highly usable mobile web design that I like. Mobile users want the whole web not a subset. The mobile context also demands simple intuitive navigation which Soccer Laduma delivers. Each page is self contained, a logical destination in itself, and the bottom menu, which is on every page, makes it easy to quickly jump to another section.

Why "Laduma"? According to Wikipedia, it's a Zulu word meaning "he thunders" and a popular cheer at South African soccer matches. Source: Mobility.mobi

Filed in: Wap Review Directory - Sports/Soccer

Ratings: Content: Usability:

Mobile Link: soccerladuma.mobi

wapreview.com

WinterBoard Mods

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 01:09:00 +0000

Available In: Cydia

Price: Free

There were a few mods today in Cydia but, I’m only going to point out a few of them. Two themes, one battery mod and one lock screen mod. The two themes Laying on the Grass (via iSpazio) and Black and Teal (via modmyi) are both very unique themes. The battery mod, Battery Colors (via modmyi), is a simple mod of the stock battery that will change the color of your battery based on percentage (red, yellow, green, blue). Finally the lock screen mod, Tinker Bell Lockscreen (via BigBoss), is a very nicely designed lock screen mod including the battery, slider and wallpaper. Below are the screenshots of each mod. Note: all of the mods are activated via WinterBoard.
… [visit site to read more]

KickApps partners with New Orleans Hornets on social network for fans

Fri, 21 Nov 2008 00:14:09 +0000

New York based leading social media and widget platform, KickApps has announced its partnership with the NBA team, New Orleans Hornets. According to the deal NBA team has launched a KickApps powered social network for their fans. The social network will include fan videos, photos, blogs, chat, message board and groups. If you are a Hornets fan, you can register here.

According to New Orleans Hornets’ Web Services Manager, Matt Rose:

The New Orleans Hornets have some of the most dedicated and faithful fans in the world, so creating an online destination that is social, interactive and participatory is high on our priorities.

Our new fan social network will enable us to bring people together before and after games to let their love for the Hornets and the game of basketball flourish regardless of where in the world they are. Throughout this season and in the off-season we’ll be able to keep our fans engaged with each other and with their favorite players.

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