Google's version of Bloglines, Google Reader, is now available as a public beta. The first feed I put in was for Jon's GoogleRumors, since that's where I found out Google Reader was live. I echo Jon's sentiments, and will also note, based on my own feed, that Google Reader doesn't recognize HTML tags in post titles. It doesn't seem as zippy as Gmail does, either. I'll keep my eye on it, but it won't be replacing NetNewsWire for me any time soon.

No, the Defense Department isn't shuttering personal blogs of soldiers, Marines, sailors, and airmen, but it is asking them to be more careful. I can understand the frustration some of our active-duty milbloggers must feel, but for security reasons, it is better to err on the side of caution and not post something the enemy could potentially use and exploit.

Tom's not happy with Brent and Sheila's sale of NetNewsWire to NewsGator. I'm going to chalk it up to the fact that he's literally on drugs. If you've spent any time on the Ranchero beta lists, exchanged e-mail with Brent, or read his blog posts on development, you know Mr. Simmons does not go off half-cocked with major business and development decisions. Despite Tom's dislike of NewsGator, I'm sure Brent and Sheila were quite careful with whom they chose to sell NetNewsWire. After all, this company is Brent's new employer. He would have to be convinced the company would foster the sort of development environment in which he would have the freedom to make NetNewsWire all it could be. As he notes, there are things he's wanted to do with NNW that he has been able to not get to, having to deal with the business and support aspects of being an independent software developer. By going in-house with NewsGator, Brent is now free from those other constraints, absent anything he may wish to do on the side with Ranchero's other products that NewsGator did not purchase. With regard to NetNewsWire, all Brent has to worry about right now is programming. One would reasonably believe this is a Very Good Thing™. I have no opinion about NewsGator, as a company or with regard to any of its products. They have never been on my radar before. Perhaps Tom knows something I do not, but again, I believe Brent would have done his research regarding the company before making such a commitment. With regard to selling out to Apple, I don't see that ever happening. Apple's nod to RSS is the feature built in to Safari. I don't see a standalone news reader in Apple's future, nor do I see Apple devoting the depth of features you can find in NetNewsWire in to the RSS cabinet of Safari. In the end, it appears this is a good thing for the Simmons, and a good thing for Mac users. NetNewsWire simply rules the news reader market, on any platform. No doubt this is the number-one reason NewsGator was interested in it, and I don't see any other product, much less an open-source initiative, knocking it from that perch any time soon.

Gruber points out that Ranchero Software has sold NetNewsWire to NewsGator. Big, big news in the Macintosh community it is. It appears this is a good move for Brent and Sheila Simmons, and will not affect NetNewsWire aficionados, yours truly included. I am a little concerned about MarsEdit, which Brent says, in the above-linked interview, they are searching for a new home for. I'm sure Brent will take some heat from certain zealots in the Mac blogosphere and beyond, but he will get none from me. He and Sheila have to do what's best for them, and by throwing in with NewsGator, it would appear the sky is suddenly the limit. Our best wishes to the Simmons, and we eagerly await the next version of NetNewsWire! Update, 9:35 PM CST: Gruber notes the post in Brent's blog regarding the acquisition.

Writeboard, the latest web service from 37signals, is now live. Think of Writeboard as a web-based whiteboard that can save all of your edits as you share with other users, and you can use Writeboard solo, too. Backpack users can attach writeboards to their backpack pages. The Writeboard web service is completely free. I'm definitely going to look in to this more, as I agree with the 37signals gang: "Wikis are icky."

I've disabled TrackBack on this blog and on Godblog. Two reasons have brought about this change. First, the TrackBack spammers have gotten out of control. SpamLookup is heading them all off at the pass, and none are getting published (thanks, moderation pref), but it's taking up too much of my time to moderate them to Junk status and delete. Second, I can count on one hand the number of folks who have trackbacked to Retrophisch, and on two hands the number of times they have done so. I sincerely appreciate these, but for the two handfuls of legitimate pings I'm getting, it's not worth keeping open and dealing with the spam. Godblog's managed only a single trackback, so the same logic applies. This will not prevent me from giving trackback love to those who deserve it. Comments are still open and their use encouraged.

Note to self: do not join the clueless Authors Guild. I echo Gruber's sentiments regarding the decision of the Authors Guild to sue Google over Google Print. For one, an author can choose to exclude his work in a fairly simple process. Second, as an aspiring author, were I to publish a book, I would love to see it read by as many people as possible. If Google Print helped me accomplish that, so much the better.

Congratulations to Michael Hyatt, who is going to have to change the graphic on his blog after his promotion yesterday. (What Mr. Hyatt doesn't know, is that when I finally get around to writing my Christian-worldview technothriller, I will relentlessly harass him to publish it. So keep that between us, okay?) Seriously, though, Mr. Hyatt has big shoes to fill, and we wish him the best and will keep him in our prayers. Sure, all businesses exist to make money, but my view is that Christian businesses, and notably in this case, a publishing house, exist for a higher purpose as well.

Jon reports that Google Talk has gone live. The IM product builds on Gmail accounts and the open-source Jabber IM service. I'm already up and running on it with AdiumX, so I guess iChat will be taking a hike, and my fun balloons won't be used in the future. (Can anyone point me to a reasonable substitute for Adium?) If you want to jaw via Jabber courtesy of Google, use my site name at gmail dot com, but you have to have a Gmail account to play along. Let me know if you'd like an invitation via the e-mail address noted in the previous sentence.

That's web whacker, not weed whacker. The latter is taken care of by our Black & Decker Grass Hog. A friend is looking for a Mac- or Java-based web whacker/sucker program for a project. According to what he's tried so far: + Web Dumper doesn't work + PageSucker stops working while in use + Site Orbiter doesn't save files for browsing offline properly + Safari's Web Archive feature isn't cutting the mustard, either The project in question is taking a dynamically-generated web site (which does not output HTML files), whacking/sucking it to a local machine in HTML format, then moving it offsite to another web server. Please leave suggestions in the comments. Thanks!

Secure online storage and file sharing. Eight bucks a month gets you 4 gigs. No bandwidth charges, no contract. Nifty. [Via Todd Dominey.]

At least that's what VitalSource is hoping you'll do: buy eBooks from them in the same way people buy music from the iTunes Music Store. James Duncan Davidson just finished the new version of their client application, which looks pretty nice. I, for one, cannot get in to the whole eBook thing. I have a few PDF-based books that I use for reference material, and I've read Cory Doctorow's books in electronic format, but the latter is really because I'm unemployed and have to do what I can on the cheap. I much prefer the dead-tree edition of literature still.

Not content to rest on his laurels, Jon's decided to start GoogleRumors.com. I also can not believe there wasn't a site like this already.

I finally attempted, once again, to set up POP access to my Gmail account in Mailsmith. I used all of the settings found on the Configuring other mail clients page, made sure to check "Leave Mail on Server", and like any good technology, it all just works.

This past Monday marked the 5th anniversary of my first-ever blog post. Egads.

Tiffany has a new project. If I could only get a recruiter as good as her here in DFW...

Have more frequent-flyer miles than you know what to do with? Well, transfer some to me! I've got to get back to the islands! Seriously, if you have more miles than you think you're going to use any time soon, here are some web sites that might be able to help: MileDonor.com: up to 80 charities accepting point donations from 17 different airline programs Points.com: trade in your miles, buy yourself an Iced Mocha Frappicino Grande. Or a new jacket. Mileage Plus: 10,000 United miles = 100 downloads from Sony's music service. Someone ping me when it works with iTMS. [Via the 29 July 2005 edition of The Week, which got it from Real Simple.]

For those among us who are Technorati fiends, they have announced a mobile verison. I love the succinct URI.

Jeff Harrell:

People from time zones west of here should iChat me immediately. Especially if they’re twentysomething women who like to tell weirdo Internet writers how great they are all the time.

Middle-aged men pretending to be twentysomething women are okay too, as long as it’s convincing. You let it slip just once that you’re actually a forty-seven year old tire salesman who’s sitting in his enormous store-brand boxers with a Gateway on his lap, and the whole fucking thing is just ruined. At least I can go to sleep tonight with something truly funny rolling around in my head. Come on, people, tip the man.

Kevin Hale of Particletree offers up some XHTML + CSS templates so you can get your next web design project quickly off the ground. Already in my bookmarks, and will definitely be a starting point for me in the future. [With a wave of the fin to Jon.]

I have been lamenting the fact that I did not go with a Flickr Pro account a few months back, instead opting for another service. At the time, it was probably the reasonable decision, as the Flickr Pro accounts didn't have all of the amenities they do now. So I had actually been considering anteing up for the Flickr Pro account, because I realized I would use it more than the other service. Tonight, out of the blue, during an IM conversation, Eric offers me a free-for-a-year Flickr Pro account he was given as a in-beta Flickr Pro account holder. "Problem" solved! However, even though I am filled with gratitude for Eric's generosity, he doesn't want word getting out. He's trying for that curmudgeon rep, and if he appears all nice and everything, that will never happen. So make sure you don't link to this post any where. Maybe you shouldn't even be reading it. Maybe I shouldn't be writing it. Maybe I should delete it...

Not sure where I found this, as it was jotted on a card in my Hipster. A free service, you can perform reverse DNS lookups. If you don't know what DNS is, don't bother clicking.

I happened to look at my archives page a moment ago, and noticed that in any given month, I have never cracked triple digits with the number of monthly posts. The closest I have come was 94 posts in February 2003. I just found this interesting, and thought I would share.

Actually, his blog is two years old. Happy Blogiversary, my friend!

I echo Jeff's sentiments. In Windows-world, I recommend Firefox; for the Mac, Safari or Camino.