Yahoo! releases Address Book API following Google & Microsoft

When Google pushed out their Contacts API in March 2008, it was called "the most in-demand API on the web that hadn't yet existed". Those APIs are important because they allow socially aware applications to offer users the ability to import information from their address books without having to worry about giving up their password to a third-party site. The application seeking the information also no longer needs to employ any screen scraping to gather information.

Soon after that, Microsoft also released the beta version of their Windows Live Contacts API in March 2008. In addition to a full contact management interface for a Windows Live user's address book, the Windows Live Contacts API provides a view to a subset of the Contact data for the purposes of sending Invitations.

Now, Yahoo! has also joint the bandwagon to launch their Address Book API in June 2008. Similar to Google and Microsoft, Yahoo! opted to employ their own authentication technology in the API, namely BBAuth. They intend to supports OAuth in the future, though, which will make it easier for developers to use the API.

The Yahoo! Address Book API is a JSON/XML interface for accessing and updating the Yahoo! Address Book using a web service. It can be used to look up addresses for auto-completion of emails, to add addresses for future shipping information, to obtain unique identifiers for network invites, or to sync with another address book.

Click here to go to the webpage of the Yahoo! Address Book API.

Restructuring of fuel subsidy scheme in Malaysia

Malaysia Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has announced the restructred fuel subsidy schemes today.

Here are the cabinet's decisions on the subsidy of petrol and diesel:

• Effective 5 June 2008, RON97 petrol price rises by 78 sen from RM1.92 to RM2.70 per litre. RON92 petrol price also rises by 78 sen from RM1.88 to RM2.62 per litre.
• At the same time, diesel price also rises by RM1.00 from RM1.58 to RM2.58 per litre.
• For personal vehicles up to 2000 c.c. and also trucks and jeeps up to 2500 c.c., an annual cash rebate of RM625 will be given.
• For motorcycles up to 250 c.c., the annual cash rebate will be RM150.
• The cash rebate will be given from 1 July 2008 onwards in the form of Money Order collectible in Pos Office to road tax renewed within 1 April 2008 and 31 March 2009.
• For personal vehicles above 2000 c.c., there will be a reduction of RM200 in road tax.
• For motorcycles above 250 c.c., the reduction in road tax is RM50.

Other than the above, decisions have also been made which affect the following areas:

• Diesel subsidy for logistic transport, vessels and fishermen.
• Gas price to electricity producers and for industrial usage.
• New electricity tariff effective 1 July 2008: no change for household with monthly bill less than RM43.60, else there will be a 18% residential tariff increase. 26% tariff increase for commercial and industrial regions.
• Windfall tax for Independent Power Producer (IPP) and Palm Oil Producer (POP).
• Effective 1 July 2008m threshold for 5% service tax to restauran outside hotels risen from RM0.5 million to RM3 million.

Click here for the official government announcement.

invisibleSHIELD the scratch-proof protection film for gadgets

If you have any handphones, digital cameras, gaming devices (such as PSP), iPods, laptops, media players, PDAs, watches, ... and all gadgets with a display screen, you will most probably get a casing, skin, cover or plastic to protect the screen from scratches or cracks.

invisibleSHIELD is a patented, military grade, durable, transparent protection film that can really protect such gadgets, unlike most of the ordinary "plastic film" that we applied on the screen of the gadgets which in fact is very weak and can't do much protection at all.

This urethane plastic film has its origins in the U.S. military, where it was used to protect the leading edges of helicopter blades from wear and tear while traveling hundreds of miles per hour. It comes with unique properties that allow it to provide self-healing qualities and unparalleled abrasion resistance.

invisibleSHIELD makes available a variety of pre-cut protection film specifically tailored for thousands of electronic gadgets currently selling in the market, which can fit tightly and perfectly on them.

It comes with a lifetime warranty and 30 days money-back guarantee. So, if it ever does wear or scratch, you can get its replacement for free, for the lifetime of the protected gadget.

You can see it in action with the video below: