The Google search API is only really useful for searching one site, or a list of related sites. It also has a stingy limit of 100 queries per day, so I guess, Google isn’t really making it easy for people to use it.

Anyway, if those caveats are acceptable, then here’s some code that can be used to query Google in JSON format, once again, this code is designed for Phonegap – or similar trusted environments.

function GoogleSearch(query,callback)
{
var strUrl = “https://www.googleapis.com/customsearch/v1?”;
strUrl += “q=” +encodeURIComponent(query);
strUrl+= “&cx=xxxxxx&key=xxxxxxx”;
$.get(strUrl,function(data)
{
console.log(data);
callback(data);
});
}

The callback from this function can be rendered simply using mustache thus:

<div id=”results”></div>
<script id=”resultsTpl” type=”text/template”>
{{#items}}
<a href=”{{link}}”>{{title}}</a><br>
{{/items}}
</script>

Of course, there’s plenty more data there, but all I needed was the link and title.

EDIT: NB: This is no longer supported, please see this instead;

https://blog.dotnetframework.org/2017/04/24/bing-image-search-using-cognitive-search/

Once again, bing dissapoints, I spent an hour this morning getting the new Bing API to work. It’s great that the old documentation isn’t marked as deprecated. Grrr. Yup, if you see anything requiring an AppId, it’s obsolete.

Anyway, here is the new API, which on the free level, gives you 5,000 requests per month to play with. Unfortunately, for my needs, it wasn’t suitable, but the code is here anyway.

A word of note, is that you have to wrap your query in quotes for this to work, and yet again, I’m presuming a high trust environment for this code, such as Phonegap / Webworks / Windows Store / Firefox OS etc. Not the web.

function bingSearch(query,callback)
{
console.log(“bingSearch(” + query + “)”);
$.ajax
({
type: “GET”,
url: “https://api.datamarket.azure.com/Bing/SearchWeb/Web?$format=json&Query=&#8221; + encodeURIComponent(query),
dataType: ‘json’,
async: false,
headers: {
“Authorization”: “Basic ” + btoa(“:YOUR-PASSWORD”)
},
success: function (data){
console.log(“bingSearch() – success:”);
console.log(data);
callback(data);
}
});
}

Hope this is useful to someone.

This is very much on the same vein as my last post on Facebook OAuth, and demonstrates how a very similar method can be used to read and display linkedin Connections from a user.

As with all OAuth systems, the manual flow is as follows (a) Send the user to a login page (b) get a code back (c) exchange this code for an access token (d) use the access token to request data from the provider’s API.

In this example, it is designed for use in situations where XDR is allowed, such as Phonegap, Windows store apps, Firefox os, etc – not a normal website. However, the flow could be adapted using JSONP.

So, step 1. is to send the user to the login page

function openLoginDialog()
{
console.log(“openLoginDialog()”);
var strUrl = “https://www.linkedin.com/uas/oauth2/authorization?&#8221;;
strUrl += “response_type=code”;
strUrl += “&client_id=xxxxxxxxxxxxxx”;
strUrl += “&scope=r_fullprofile%20r_emailaddress%20r_network”;
strUrl += “&state=DCEEFWF45453sdffef424”;
strUrl += “&redirect_uri=http://xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx”;
location.href=strUrl;
}

You will need to set up an “App” at developers.linkedin.com, and you will also need access to a web server, in the above code, you’ll need to replace client_id and redirect_uri. “state” appears to be an extra security measure, but quite an ineffective one, in my mind, it can be any random string.

Once the user logs in, then LinkedIn will refer the user back to your redirect_uri with the “code” parameter added. You have about 10 seconds to exchange this for an access token, any delay at this point, and the key exchange will fail.

function ExchangeCodeForAccessToken(code,callback)
{
console.log(“ExchangeCodeForAccessToken(” + code + “)”);
var strUrl = “https://www.linkedin.com/uas/oauth2/accessToken?&#8221;;
strUrl += “grant_type=authorization_code”;
strUrl += “&code=” + code;
strUrl += “&redirect_uri=http://xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx”;
strUrl += “&client_id=xxxxxxxx”;
strUrl += “&client_secret=xxxxxxxxxx”;
$.get(strUrl,function(data){
console.log(“ExchangeCodeForAccessToken() ” + data);
if (typeof(data)==”string”)
{
data = eval(“(” + data + “)”);
}
OAUTH_Access_token = data.access_token;
var currentDate = new Date();
OAUTH_Expiry = new Date(currentDate.getTime() + 60*24*60*60*1000);
localStorage.setItem(“OAUTH_Access_token”,OAUTH_Access_token);
localStorage.setItem(“OAUTH_Expiry”,OAUTH_Expiry);
callback();
});
}

Unlike facebook, all tokens have a lifetime of 60 days, it doesn’t vary, and the response of the key exchange is in JSON.  You’ll need to replace the client_id and client_secret from the developer console on Linkedin for your app.

Once you have the access_token, then you can call the linkedin API, here, for example, I am getting my connections, and displaying them in a HTML table using mustache

function logged_in()
{
console.log(“logged_in()”);

var strUrl = “https://api.linkedin.com/v1/people/~/connections?&#8221;;
strUrl += “format=json”;
strUrl += “&oauth2_access_token=” + OAUTH_Access_token;
$.get(strUrl,function(data){
console.log(“logged_in() ” + data);
if (typeof(data)==”string”)
{
data = eval(“(” + data + “)”);

}
connections = data;
var template = $(“#friendlistTpl”).html();
var html = Mustache.to_html(template, data);
$(“#friendlist”).html(html);
});
}

Where my Mustache template is as follows:

<div id=”friendlist”></div>

<script id=”friendlistTpl” type=”text/template”>
<table>
{{#values}}
<tr>
<td>
<img src=”{{pictureUrl}}”>
</td>
<td>
{{firstName}} {{lastName}} <br>
{{headline}}
</td>
</tr>
{{/values}}
</table>
</script>

There is plenty more data returned from this call, and much more to explore in the LinkedIn API.

Although Facebook recommend that you use their SDK to provide access to their data, and only suggest using the manual login flow for Windows 8 apps, or desktop apps, lets just take a look at how you do it. – This particular code is designed for use within Phonegap mobile apps, where cross domain ajax is permitted.

As with all OAuth systems, you never get to see the user’s username and password, you are only provided with proof that the user has logged in.

So, the first step, is to send the user to the Facebook login page.

function openLoginDialog()
{
console.log(“openLoginDialog()”);
var strUrl = buildLoginDialog(OAUTH_App_id,OAUTH_Redirect_Url);
location.href=strUrl;
}

function buildLoginDialog(app_id, redirect_uri)
{
console.log(“buildLoginDialog(” + app_id + “,” + redirect_uri + “)”);
var strUrl = “https://www.facebook.com/dialog/oauth?&#8221;;
strUrl += “client_id=” + app_id;
strUrl += “&redirect_uri=” + redirect_uri;
return strUrl;
}

When openLoginDialog is called, then the user will be redirected to the login page on facebook. You will need to have a App_id set up in Facebook developers. The redirect URL is any page online, as long as it’s authorised for your facebook app.

Once facebook returns the user to your URL, it will append a “code” in the querystring. You need to now exchange this code for an access_key, this is because the code is very easily spoofed, so it needs to be checked.

function ExchangeCodeForAccessToken(code,callback)
{
console.log(“ExchangeCodeForAccessToken(” + code + “)”);
/*
https://graph.facebook.com/oauth/access_token?
client_id={app-id}
&redirect_uri={redirect-uri}
&client_secret={app-secret}
&code={code-parameter}
*/
var strUrl = “https://graph.facebook.com/oauth/access_token?&#8221;;
strUrl += “client_id=” + OAUTH_App_id;
strUrl += “&redirect_uri=” + OAUTH_Redirect_Url;
strUrl += “&client_secret=” + OAUTH_App_Secret;
strUrl += “&code=” + code;
$.get(strUrl,function(data)
{
console.log(data);
OAUTH_Access_token = getQueryVariable(“access_token”,data);
var expiry = getQueryVariable(“expires”,data);
var currentDate = new Date();
OAUTH_Expiry = new Date(currentDate.getTime() + expiry*1000);
localStorage.setItem(“OAUTH_Access_token”,OAUTH_Access_token);
localStorage.setItem(“OAUTH_Expiry”,OAUTH_Expiry);
callback();
});
}

This ideally should be placed on a server, since the App_secret is now visible to anyone who decompiles your code.

Once you have the access_token, then you can make authenticated requests against Facebook, one of the most flexible ways to query facebook’s data is using FQL, which is based on SQL, as it’s name suggests.

Here is some code I used to run a FQL query against facebook, and display the results using mustache

function logged_in()
{
console.log(“logged_in()”);
executeFql(“SELECT name, uid FROM user WHERE uid in (SELECT uid2 FROM friend WHERE uid1 = me())”,function(data)
{
fqlResponse = data;
console.log(JSON.stringify(data));
var template = $(“#friendlistTpl”).html();
var html = Mustache.to_html(template, {data: data});
$(“#friendlist”).html(html);
});
}

function executeFql(query,callback)
{
console.log(“executeFql(” + query + “)”);
var strUrl = “https://api.facebook.com/method/fql.query?&#8221;;
strUrl += “query=” + encodeURI(query);
strUrl += “&access_token=” + OAUTH_Access_token;
strUrl += “&format=json”;
$.get(strUrl,callback);
}

I hope all that info helps someone!

I’m not alone in the type of developer who things he understands how something works without reading instructions, and this is certainly a lesson in reading instructions before banging you head off a wall trying to fix a problem that was solved by reading the next paragraph.

But, the diagnostic technique may help someone else.

I was trying to get the Android Facebook SDK to get up and running, with a view to then move onto the Phonegap Facebook Plugin. But quite naturally, I knew that I would have to get the base level Facebook SDK examples to work before moving on to the Phonegap plugin.

So, I installed the Facebook Android SDK, imported the projects into my workspace, and tried to run the first one, Friend Picker, and lo and behold. Nothing. Nada. No worky. Just a prompt asking me permission, then nothing else.

I tried then connecting a real android device. Same result. #

I checked in LogCat, and scrolled up to the first mention of a Facebook related error and got this:

04-08 04:50:01.757: W/fb4a(:<default>):BlueServiceQueue(1711): com.facebook.http.protocol.ApiException: Key hash bBZxOcCkWDdGSW8zex5GXuvuwpY does not match any stored key hashes.
04-08 04:50:01.757: W/fb4a(:<default>):BlueServiceQueue(1711): at com.facebook.http.protocol.ApiResponseChecker.b(ApiResponseChecker.java:83)
04-08 04:50:01.757: W/fb4a(:<default>):BlueServiceQueue(1711): at com.facebook.http.protocol.ApiResponseChecker.a(ApiResponseChecker.java:162)
04-08 04:50:01.757: W/fb4a(:<default>):BlueServiceQueue(1711): at com.facebook.http.protocol.ApiResponse.g(ApiResponse.java:151)
04-08 04:50:01.757: W/fb4a(:<default>):BlueServiceQueue(1711): at com.facebook.platform.auth.server.AuthorizeAppMethod.a(AuthorizeAppMethod.java:275)
04-08 04:50:01.757: W/fb4a(:<default>):BlueServiceQueue(1711): at com.facebook.platform.auth.server.AuthorizeAppMethod.a(AuthorizeAppMethod.java:31)
04-08 04:50:01.757: W/fb4a(:<default>):BlueServiceQueue(1711): at com.facebook.http.protocol.ApiResponseHandler.a(ApiResponseHandler.java:55)
04-08 04:50:01.757: W/fb4a(:<default>):BlueServiceQueue(1711): at com.facebook.http.protocol.ApiResponseHandler.handleResponse(ApiResponseHandler.java:28)
04-08 04:50:01.757: W/fb4a(:<default>):BlueServiceQueue(1711): at com.facebook.http.common.FbHttpRequestProcessor.a(FbHttpRequestProcessor.java:314)
04-08 04:50:01.757: W/fb4a(:<default>):BlueServiceQueue(1711): at com.facebook.http.common.FbHttpRequestProcessor.a(FbHttpRequestProcessor.java:144)
04-08 04:50:01.757: W/fb4a(:<default>):BlueServiceQueue(1711): at com.facebook.http.common.FbHttpRequestProcessor.b(FbHttpRequestProcessor.java:100)
04-08 04:50:01.757: W/fb4a(:<default>):BlueServiceQueue(1711): at com.facebook.http.common.FbHttpRequestProcessor.a(FbHttpRequestProcessor.java:230)
04-08 04:50:01.757: W/fb4a(:<default>):BlueServiceQueue(1711): at com.facebook.http.protocol.SingleMethodRunnerImpl.a(SingleMethodRunnerImpl.java:402)
04-08 04:50:01.757: W/fb4a(:<default>):BlueServiceQueue(1711): at com.facebook.http.protocol.SingleMethodRunnerImpl.a(SingleMethodRunnerImpl.java:164)
04-08 04:50:01.757: W/fb4a(:<default>):BlueServiceQueue(1711): at com.facebook.http.protocol.AbstractSingleMethodRunner.a(AbstractSingleMethodRunner.java:18)
04-08 04:50:01.757: W/fb4a(:<default>):BlueServiceQueue(1711): at com.facebook.platform.common.server.SimplePlatformOperation.a(SimplePlatformOperation.java:40)
04-08 04:50:01.757: W/fb4a(:<default>):BlueServiceQueue(1711): at com.facebook.platform.common.server.PlatformOperationHandler.a(PlatformOperationHandler.java:60)
04-08 04:50:01.757: W/fb4a(:<default>):BlueServiceQueue(1711): at com.facebook.fbservice.service.BlueServiceQueue.e(BlueServiceQueue.java:329)
04-08 04:50:01.757: W/fb4a(:<default>):BlueServiceQueue(1711): at com.facebook.fbservice.service.BlueServiceQueue.d(BlueServiceQueue.java:55)
04-08 04:50:01.757: W/fb4a(:<default>):BlueServiceQueue(1711): at com.facebook.fbservice.service.BlueServiceQueue$3.run(BlueServiceQueue.java:258)
04-08 04:50:01.757: W/fb4a(:<default>):BlueServiceQueue(1711): at java.util.concurrent.Executors$RunnableAdapter.call(Executors.java:422)
04-08 04:50:01.757: W/fb4a(:<default>):BlueServiceQueue(1711): at java.util.concurrent.FutureTask.run(FutureTask.java:237)
04-08 04:50:01.757: W/fb4a(:<default>):BlueServiceQueue(1711): at com.facebook.common.executors.ListenableScheduledFutureImpl.run(ListenableScheduledFutureImpl.java:59)
04-08 04:50:01.757: W/fb4a(:<default>):BlueServiceQueue(1711): at android.os.Handler.handleCallback(Handler.java:733)
04-08 04:50:01.757: W/fb4a(:<default>):BlueServiceQueue(1711): at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:95)
04-08 04:50:01.757: W/fb4a(:<default>):BlueServiceQueue(1711): at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:136)
04-08 04:50:01.757: W/fb4a(:<default>):BlueServiceQueue(1711): at android.os.HandlerThread.run(HandlerThread.java:61)
04-08 04:50:01.797: D/dalvikvm(2292): GC_FOR_ALLOC freed 467K, 15% free 3196K/3736K, paused 360ms, total 366ms
04-08 04:50:01.997: W/CursorWrapperInner(2292): Cursor finalized without prior close()
04-08 04:50:02.107: I/Choreographer(382): Skipped 31 frames! The application may be doing too much work on its main thread.
04-08 04:50:02.137: W/fb4a(:<default>):GDPDialog(1711): Failed to send
04-08 04:50:02.137: W/fb4a(:<default>):GDPDialog(1711): com.facebook.fbservice.service.ServiceException: API_ERROR: API_ERROR
04-08 04:50:02.137: W/fb4a(:<default>):GDPDialog(1711): at com.facebook.fbservice.ops.BlueServiceOperation.c(BlueServiceOperation.java:639)
04-08 04:50:02.137: W/fb4a(:<default>):GDPDialog(1711): at com.facebook.fbservice.ops.BlueServiceOperation.c(BlueServiceOperation.java:47)
04-08 04:50:02.137: W/fb4a(:<default>):GDPDialog(1711): at com.facebook.fbservice.ops.BlueServiceOperation$2.run(BlueServiceOperation.java:604)
04-08 04:50:02.137: W/fb4a(:<default>):GDPDialog(1711): at android.os.Handler.handleCallback(Handler.java:733)
04-08 04:50:02.137: W/fb4a(:<default>):GDPDialog(1711): at android.os.Handler.dispatchMessage(Handler.java:95)
04-08 04:50:02.137: W/fb4a(:<default>):GDPDialog(1711): at android.os.Looper.loop(Looper.java:136)
04-08 04:50:02.137: W/fb4a(:<default>):GDPDialog(1711): at android.app.ActivityThread.main(ActivityThread.java:5017)
04-08 04:50:02.137: W/fb4a(:<default>):GDPDialog(1711): at java.lang.reflect.Method.invokeNative(Native Method)
04-08 04:50:02.137: W/fb4a(:<default>):GDPDialog(1711): at java.lang.reflect.Method.invoke(Method.java:515)
04-08 04:50:02.137: W/fb4a(:<default>):GDPDialog(1711): at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit$MethodAndArgsCaller.run(ZygoteInit.java:779)
04-08 04:50:02.137: W/fb4a(:<default>):GDPDialog(1711): at com.android.internal.os.ZygoteInit.main(ZygoteInit.java:595)
04-08 04:50:02.137: W/fb4a(:<default>):GDPDialog(1711): at dalvik.system.NativeStart.main(Native Method)

Finding the first reference (highlighted in bold) was

com.facebook.http.protocol.ApiException: Key hash does not match any stored key hashes.

So, I searched for that online, and realised I hadn’t read all the instructions, you have to enter in the hash provided (base64 padded) to https://developers.facebook.com/settings/developer/sample-app/

– Which is generated from DOS, like this:

C:\OpenSSL-Win32\bin>keytool -exportcert -alias androiddebugkey -keystore %HOMEP
ATH%\.android\debug.keystore | openssl sha1 -binary | openssl base64
Enter keystore password: android
bBZxOcCkWDdGSW8zex5GXuvuwpY=

Obviously, this means that I’ll have to re-do this step whenever I’m using my signing key. Hopefully that’s not going to be a problem…

Unveiled at the MWC in Barcelona was the Nokia X, the first Nokia phone to run Android.

Keen to get started, I submitted an app on the day, to the Nokia Publish site, although, it wasn’t until afterwards that I realised I never set a price point for the app. Believe it or not, There is no simple pay-to-download option for Nokia X apps. – Gasp –

So, after research, I see that Nokia are piloting a Try & Buy scheme using in-app payments. Here is the technical details I’ve found about it:

Nokia Try&Buy Pilot – Developer Guide

1. Select your apps for T&B
   1. Create the app metadata in Publish, if new app.
   2. Create the Product ID (and related metadata) in Publish
      1. Remember to include: Display name, short and long description and Global Price Point (recommended 3 to 5)
   3. Choose the type of trial
      1. Time based (180 seconds) or usage based (3 plays)
      2. You can change the duration of the trial, 180 seconds is the default setting.
   4. Fill the T&B configurations in the table below with the following information: Content ID, Product ID, Display Name, Price Point, Trial Type (time vs plays) and Trial Duration

2. Send your APKs and T&B configurations to the partner manager
   1. Use the cloud storage information provided to you by your partner manager
   2. Package your files in a single zip file with a meaningful name (eg PacMan_T&B.zip)
   3. Upload your package in the storage provided

3. Nokia T&B team will wrap your APKs and upload a new package in the same folder
   1. Name of the file will follow this format: Originalname_Wrapped.zip (eg. PacMan_T&B_Wrapped.zip)
   2. Your partner manager will notify you when the package is ready

4. Sign your APKs and upload to Publish
   1. If premium, convert your app to free (App must be published as free)
   2. Change the content file name (not the display name) to end with _TRYBUYNOK (Eg. PacMan becomes PacMan_TRYBUYNOK)
   3. Add the following sentence to the Content Description: This content has a time-based free trial which provides the user with free access to the content for a limited time period.
   4. Modify your application icon in order to include the wording “Free trial”. Example
   5. Make sure to sign each APK with your signature, upload them Publish and submit your app.
   6. Notify your PM once these steps have been completed

A Resx file is used to define localized text in a .NET application. It is an XML file, which is primarily in the form:

Firebase is a cloud-hosted JSON based database, which can be used to replace the back-end of web applications.
It excells in certain cases, using websockets to communicate seamlessless between client and server, it removes the need for postbacks or Ajax polling.

Here is a simple example using Firebase to broadcast a message to all viewers of a particular web-page. I have removed the security settings for this particular instance, so no username or password is required.

The callback is event-orientated, so whenever the value held in the database changes, the event is fired on all clients, with the snapshot object containing the updated value.

<html>
 <head>
  <script type='text/javascript' src='https://cdn.firebase.com/js/client/1.0.6/firebase.js'></script>
  <script src="http://code.jquery.com/jquery-1.11.0.min.js"></script>
  <script language="javascript">
    var myRootRef = new Firebase('https://vivid-fire-7206.firebaseio.com/');
    function setData()
	{		
		myRootRef.set($("#message").val());
	}
	myRootRef.on('value', function(snapshot) {	 
	  $("#lastMessage").html(snapshot.val());
	});
  </script>   
  Say something to all users viewing this page:<br>
  <input name="text" id="message" onkeyup="setData()"> 
   <br>
   <br>
   <h2 id="lastMessage"></h2>
 </head>
 <body>  
 </body>
</html>

Flu Trends App

Tracking flu epidemics in real-time

Overview:

People report their daily lives through social media, and it’s only natural when someone has a cold or flu, they mention this on social media sites, such as Twitter. – Sample tweets like the one below indicate, not only when people are ill, but where they are also.

This project seeks to trawl social media sites in a systematic manor looking for tweets relating to “flu”, “cough”, “sneeze”, “ill” etc., and using sentiment analysis on the messages to ensure that the message is genuinely referring to an ailment, and not taken out of context.

The objective of the project is to present this data as an App, that people can use to see if flu epidemics are developing in their area, or at their child’s school.

Innovation:

Projects such as Google Flu trends (http://www.google.org/flutrends/) have existed for some time, and they draw on data from public health institutions to provide a global picture of Flu patterns over time. This is certainly useful, but fails to provide a real-time, up to the minute picture of Flu outbreaks in the local area of the user.

Social media is an excellent source of real-time information, and feeding this into a mobile App, provides excellent coverage of those who mention they are ill via Twitter, or other similar social media sites.

Implementation:

A server-side application will constantly gather data on tweets sent using certain key phrases relating to flu, this will then analyse the tweet data for context, and then store them in a database, along with any geo-tagging information associated with the tweet.
An app, which will be made available for iOS and Android, – based on the PhoneGap framework, which will appear, similar to the prototype below, will display data that is relevant to the user, by using the user’s current physical location

Extra historical data will be taken in from other sources, such as Google Flu Trends, to allow users see past flu trends in their area.

Commercial applications:

Although the app will be designed primarily for the general health benefit of its users, and will be offered free. The data collected will be available for sale to other organisations via an API (Application programming Interface), chargeable per request, and advertised via ProgrammableWeb and Mashape.

It is expected that healthcare institutions may be interested in using this data in order to better allocate resources, and spot emerging epidemics before they become a serious public health threat.