Category: API

Programmableweb, The Best Site Ever

Programmableweb

Programmableweb the shopping mall of API’s and probably one of the best websites in the whole wide world. Programmableweb.com is basically the shopping mall of API’s, they have the low down on about every API on the web, well maybe just the really cool ones. APIs are properly organized in categories so you’re able to flip through and find what you’re looking for quickly. They offer API related news and a RSS subscription feed so your can keep up on what’s new.
When I’m project free I sometimes come back here to see what’s new searching for a reason to start another project. I’m a project junkie, that’s my thing. Sitting at the computer hour after hour doesn’t bother me. I love coding and working with API’s, not sure why, I just do. (sorry got off topic)
But let’s say for example you’re thinking about starting a financial website and you’re not sure which way to go. Well there’s a financial category listed that will allow you to pump some really interesting data into your site. You can get instant access to AmeriTrade data, stock quotes or to recent filing data, which is pretty awesome.
If you’re really looking to get your project (or mashup) off the ground start here, I’m sure there’s something that could help spark a idea.

Google Favicon API, PHP Code

I ran into something very, very interesting today. Google Favicon API
(A Favorite Icon API)
. It’s an API that allows you to pull websites Favicons, plus the API dynamically converts the image into a PNG format. This actually comes at a great time because I was just thinking the other day that since I have the option to add offsite URL’s to my site now. Would’nt it would be supa cool if I could also included their Favicon? To beak it down if you look into my site’s right side navigation you will see the “Links” category. Well I thought it would be nice, I mean supa cool if I had a script that could automatically include the corresponding sites Favicons.  And BAM! Thanks Google Favicon API. I wrapped this APIs up with some cURL and a little PHP and now I have a working PHP function. I don’t know much about the Google Favicon API but it looks like it’s been around for about a year. So it’s a good chance that this API could suddenly up and move or disappear all togehter. Basically what I’m saying is I don’t know how long the good times will last. So in my opinion I suggest you consider the use of this script temporary until you can get the time to build a much reliable one yourself.

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<?PHP
function getFavicon($var){
$filName=substr($var,0,-4);
$fp = fopen ('folder/'.$filName.'.png', 'w+');
$ch = curl_init('http://www.google.com/s2/favicons?domain='.$var);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_TIMEOUT, 5);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_FILE, $fp);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_FOLLOWLOCATION, true);
curl_exec($ch);
curl_close($ch);
fclose($fp);

}

$var='techcrunch.com';
getFavicon($var);
?>

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