I added quite a few new API methods to the SWX Flickr API yesterday, including authentication methods. I plan to add quite a few more today with the aim of implementing the full Flickr API before adding utility methods that make it even easier to use.

You can play with the current methods using the PHP Service Browser on the public SWX gateway.

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I'm using the SWX Service Explorer to test out the new authenticated Flickr methods in the SWX Flickr API. I will be releasing these as part of SWX Beta 1.2, which also includes improvements to the Service Explorer (previously the Service Browser).

Now this is interesting. Apparently, the Miguel de Icaza's team at the Mono project has implemented nearly all of Silverlight for Linux, and in record time (21 days!) I can only assume that this is a sanctioned project by Microsoft (it was developed by the Novell-sponsored Mono team and Novell and Microsoft appear to be in bed together quite a bit these days). It definitely goes a long way to addressing the initial criticism of the lack of cross-platform support in Silverlight.

What caught my attention is how quickly they were able to port it over from .Net to Mono. I wonder if Microsoft may actually stand a chance in wooing the Linux crowd with synchronized releases of Silverlight across all platforms?

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I just saw on Tom Morris's blog that Wired has a write-up on last week's Hack Day in London.

If you watch the video in the post about the lightening strike, you might see a few familiar faces from Brighton. :) The initial comment you overhear is yours truly branding the "stunt" (we initially thought it was a pre-planned show), "one of the dumbest ideas of 2007!" We later found out that the building had actually been struck by lightening and that the fire doors in the roof opened due to a malfunction.

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I forgot to mention during the SWX screencast that you will need to configure the gateway URL in the PHP Service Browser the first time you use it. I just made a post on the SWX web site with full instructions on how to configure the PHP Service Browser.

Unfortunately, this configuration step is currently necessary because I have been unsuccessful at getting the source code for the latest version of the service browser (which is the same one that is used in Amfphp) and/or the source for the upcoming universal service browser from Patrick Mineault. I will keep trying badgering Patrick to try and get the source so that this configuration step can be removed in future versions of SWX.

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