The ever improving Internet, Mashups and innovations and where to find them listed

In the quest to turn the data into information, many unique ideas as quickly formed when someone integrates two or more internet APIs these days. The marketing phrase Web 2.0 has been used to describe this, but it is news to me that someone has been managing the web releases from a configuration management standpoint.

What can be done with the 'Mashup'?

• Want to know where Tim Hibbard is? Where's Tim. (I had no idea who he is, but I know where he is) - 3/25/07 8:31 PM. I stand corrected I know a little more about who he is and I infer he has a decent sense of humor now. :-)
  
• Local Ski conditions? Ski Bonk. Integrating Google Maps with ski resorts/cameras/etc.
• Nintendo Wii finder. Wii finder. Search ebay, walmart, target, bestbuy, circuit city and overlay the locations on a google map.
  
• Auctions nearby? Find Near By. Like the above, but finds items up for sale on craigslist, ebay, amazon, walmart.
• Dig through the earth. Dig Here. Have Google maps show you where a hole thru the earth would come out.
• Birth place of Oscar winners. Oscar Winners. From 1928 - 2006
• Internet Domains. Domain Tools. A multitude of information about a domain name.
• Webcams. GooCam. Google Maps integrated with found streaming web cameras.
• Downgrade your graphics? Ascii Maps. Transform Google Maps images into Ascii
  
• Blog value calculator. How much is your blog worth?

As you can tell, there is plenty of ideas -- Several useless, others are entertaining. Programmableweb is registering 3.1 mashups per day. Soon we will need to mashup the mashup listings to add value to that infinite data.

Keywords: Mashups, Web 2.0, programmable web, Web APIs, google maps mashups, technorati mashups, mashup listings.

HOWTO tether your Blackberry Pearl (8100) to a PC using Windows XP and Cingular

One of the advantages to having a Blackberry phone is the built-in ability to connect your PC/laptop to the internet via the phone. Now the hunt for free wireless connections while traveling has been made simple. No more of the questions (and the incessant googling that ensues to know for sure): does that hotel have free wireless? does this coffee shop have free wireless? Admission of internet addiction will be prevented and you (and I) can continue to remain in denial. Using this method I was able to achieve 120 Kbps downloads/ 60Kbps uploads in the Seattle area in March of 2007. It is not broadband speed these days, but it is better than 0 Kbps.Want to do this for Linux? Go here to the Linux post.


Prerequisites:

• The latest Software For BlackBerry Desktop Software v4.2 Service Pack 1 from Research in Motion installed. Today this is version 4.2.1.8. Download link.
  
• A Blackberry Pearl (8100). This may work with others.
• A USB cable to connect computer to Blackberry

HOWTO

Summary
You will need to have the Blackberry Device Manager running, it provides the emulated serial port. You will need to modify the modem initialization string, this was a modem added when the BlackBerry Desktop Software was installed. Lastly a dial-up connection will need to be made.

Data you will need (Cingular, now AT&T Wireless again):
Modem Initialization String: AT+CGDCONT=1,"IP","wap.cingular"
Dial-up Phone Number: *99#
Dial-up username/password:blank/blank

This web-page has an excellent step-by-step guide that you can plug in the Cingular data above
How to: Tether BlackBerry Pearl to PC for use as a modem

Enjoy.

Keywords: Tether Blackberry, Tether Blackberry Pearl, Tether Blackberry Windows XP, Tether Blackberry 8100, Tether Blackberry with Cingular, Tether Blackberry with AT and T Wireless, Dialup via Blackberry, Wireless internet through Blackberry.