A Very Download Squad Thanksgiving
In 2005, we gave you a list of 10 things you could do to spruce up Mom's PC while you're home.
full backups, installing Firefox and Skype, checking up on her A/V software and, have you gotten your mom on Gmail yet?
Oh, how times have changed. But, seriously, you *have* gotten your mom on Gmail, haven't you?
Last year, Christina and I were launching a video podcast -- who wasn't? -- and episode number three was titled, "A very Squadcast Thanksgiving."
Mostly this Thanksgiving we'd just like to give thanks for the ever increasing number of readers who take a moment out of their day to read the posts we cook up. We're thankful for a hot new redesign, a President-Elect who loves his Blackberry and is fighting to be the first POTUS with a laptop on his desk, and a talented group of writers who make this site sing, and who I feel privileged to count amongst my friends.
So, from all of us to all of you... A Happy and safe Thanksgiving!
And, if you're headed to brave the Black Friday sales, be sure to check out our Holiday Gift Guides!
With Halloween fast approaching, it's a great time to get in some practice defending your territory against zombies. In Graveyard Shift, you take aim at zombies and other creepy-crawlies, blasting them into splatters of cartoony green guts. It's a casual first-person shooter, and it's very easy to get the hang of - use the mouse to aim, click to fire. Graveyard Shift has at least 15 levels, and it might even have some secret stages I haven't unlocked yet.
They key to getting good at Graveyard Shift is learning to use ...

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
edward said 11:20PM on 11-26-2008
I got my mom (and dad) an @nardella.ca email account hosted on a Google server. They love it, they can't forget their address and I can change their password when ever they need it.
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Paul Bradford said 6:47AM on 11-27-2008
"gotten your Mom on Gmail"?
Well as a 75 years old granddad, I have not manage to get my children to get a Google account (best email service, Reader,) or install Firefox (or Chrome), etc, or use a great range available of Portable apps, such as the radio 'Screamer'. They do not even use any RSS reader, they stick with the Microsoft rubbish pre-installed on their computers. What should I do?
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Christina Warren said 10:18AM on 11-27-2008
Paul, you are my hero! I finally convinced my mom to start using Firefox by installing the IE 7 skin and then changing the default home page to MSN. When she felt like she could navigate Firefox the same way, it was much easier for her to start using it. I was able to get her to switch my showing her how much faster it was, that pretty much did it. She had to have a tangible reason other than, "it's better." Once Chrome has a few more features, I feel confident she'll use that.
As for Gmail -- I've been trying to get her to switch since 2005. She even says she wants to switch. Oh, well.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Jacco said 11:26AM on 11-27-2008
Nah, my parents don´t want to get Gmail. They are happy with what they have now. And no, my parents also don´t use Firefox. I should get them to do it sometime soon.
Happy thanksgiving to you Americans and English people!
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awesomerobot said 6:18AM on 11-28-2008
Christina is so dreamy.
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Grant Robertson said 6:20AM on 11-28-2008
Yes, she is.
OneTheyCallGSK said 12:03AM on 11-28-2008
My mom on Gmail? I got my grandma on Gmail! She loves it!
No, really.
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