Hack 39. Post to Your Weblog
Ever have that perfect thought for your blog but forgotten it before you got back to your computer? With your wireless-enabled PDA, you can post as fast as you can tap from wherever you are. To start with, you will need to be connected to the Internet [Hack #34]. If your blog editing is entirely Web-based, then you can simply use your browser to add a new entry or edit an existing one. This procedure is no different than updating your blog from your PC. 6.7.1. Remote Access to Desktop Blogging SoftwareThere is another solution if you use desktop software for editing your blog: use Virtual NetworkComputing (VNC, http://www.realvnc.com). With VNC, you can use your desktop blogging software [Hack #40] directly from your Palm device. 6.7.2. Palm-based Blogging SoftwareYou can also run dedicated blogging software directly on your Palm device. These programs allow you to add or edit posts locally and update them on the Web. You need to have your hostname, login ID, and password to access your blog with these programs. 6.7.3. HBloggerHBlogger (http://www.normsoft.com/hblogger) supports popular sites such as:
HBlogger can include images in posts. You can see the account selection screen in Figure 6-24. 6.7.4. mo:Blogmo:Blog (http://www.tektonica.com/projects/moblog) supports several blog APIs: blogger, metaWeblog, and MovableType. With that support comes support for popular blogging sites like Blogger (http://www.blogger.com), MovableType (http://www.movabletype.org), and TypePad (http://www.typepad.com). mo:Blog can upload images as well. You can see an example of editing a post in Figure 6-25. Figure 6-24. HBlogger account pageFigure 6-25. Editing a post in mo:Blog6.7.5. PlogitPlogit (http://plogit.sourceforge.net) is the only open-source program in this list. Using Plogit, you can tell at a glance which entries are local, online, or online but locally updated. In Figure 6-26, you can see a post that has been created locally and has not yet been uploaded to the server. You can also delete local or online entries. Plogit supports Blogger (http://www.blogger.com), MetaWeblog, and MovableType (http://www.movabletype.org). Plogit does not appear to support uploading images. 6.7.6. SplashBlogSplashBlog (http://www.splashblog.com) allows you to easily publish a photo blog. Snap some pictures, add a caption, and then post them to your blog (Figure 6-27). The software includes a free online photoblog account. Figure 6-26. Figure 6-26. Viewing posts in PlogitFigure 6-27. Sample photo blog entry in SplashBlog6.7.7. VagablogVagablog (http://www.bitsplitter.net/vagablog) supports the Blogger API. It has been tested with Blogger (http://www.blogger.com), JournalSpace (http://www.journalspace.com), and MovableType (http://www.movabletype.org). You can see an example of Vagablog in use in Figure 6-28. Vagablog has been open-sourced, so it will probably be moving to SourceForge (http://sourceforge.net) soon. Any of these solutions (web-based, remote access to your desktop, or Palmbased software) can help you keep your blog updated while on the move. The photo blog provides a different notion of a blogvery useful if your Palm device has a built-in camera. Figure 6-28. Editing a post in Vagablog |