Filed under: Windows, Linux, Web services, Freeware, Open Source, Social Software, Canonical, web 2.0, Web
Week in Review: 3rd October
by Nik Fletcher Oct 3rd 2009 at 5:00PM
It's been quite a week here at Download Squad - and contrary to popular opinion there's been more than Google Wave in the news, so here's quick roundup of the news from the last seven days alongside some other stories that we simply didn't get a chance to cover.
Google Wave opens to 100,000 users today
Officially the most over-hyped web-app since the inception of the Internet, Google started rolling out Wave invites to 100,000 lucky folks. People have been screaming, left-right-and-centre, about their having (or not) of an invite - and some plucky folks decided to auction invites off on eBay. Such is the level of hype for Wave, however, that the invites were being auctioned off before Google started sending them out....
Twitter starts testing Lists, makes mass following easier
After much time fixing their stability problems, Twitter is announcing features galore for the coming months. Geo-location attached to tweets, Project Retweet and now Twitter Lists. Anyone you follow can be placed on a public (or private) list, and other Twitter users can then view the list and - with one click - follow the entire list. There's no date for the rollout to all Twitter users just yet, but Lists are in testing with a small group for the time being.
CNN makes bigger mobile push with new iPhone app
CNN this week pushed out a shiny-new iPhone app, complete with Video and Push notifications. Our very own Grant Robertson chatted with the folks from CNN to learn a little more about the application and what they've got planned.
Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala Beta now available
The next update to the widely-popular Ubuntu Linux distribution has hit beta! With plenty of visual tweaks, a new IM client (Empathy) and a tonne of under-the-hood improvements, Karmic Koala is scheduled to arrive as a release candidate on October 22nd, and an official release is due a week later.
Offline sync now enabled for Spotify Premium subscribers
After launching Offline playlists for their iPhone and Android apps, Spotify have also just flicked the switch for their Offline features on the desktop, allowing paid subscribers to take their music wherever their laptop goes. There's no word on a US launch yet, but Spotify are not doubt eager to launch on American soil as soon as they can tie up deals with the music labels.
Misplace your cellphone? This single-purpose web site can help
iPhone users may be able to use the fancy MobileMe service to locate their iPhone using GPS, but if you're not using an iPhone this super-simple website will let you discover your phone if it's fallen down the back of the couch.
Publicly ridicule arrogant jackasses with Tweeting Too Hard
Twitter is a great place for comedy, news and keep in touch with people you know, but there's also a lot of people trying far too hard with their tweets. This fantastic site lets you browse through some of the most incredible updates andpay homage to ridicule these updates.
Time-Waster: So you think you know Helvetica?
This typography-basedTime-Waster will drive you crazy as you try to figure out which of the logos you're shown is in Helvetica. If you thought it sounds easy, think again as the same logo is rendered in the similar Arial font face just to make it that much more difficult, and becomes fiendishly challenging later on - with full-capital logos likely to have you staring at the kerning for a fair while.
In Other News
Twitter announced at the Future of Web Apps conference in London that they're working on a Twitter Labs setup, similar to Google Labs, and will allow developers to add new features to the Twitter service (beyond the existing API). There's few details for now, but we're excited to see what Twitter Labs have to offer. [CNET]
After yet another court-order against the PIrate Bay's ISP, it seems as though the torrent tracker has set sail for new shores. After being based in the Netherlands and then Sweden, the Pirate Bay is now operating out of the slightly more lenient Ukraine. [Torrent Freak]
Google Wave opens to 100,000 users todayOfficially the most over-hyped web-app since the inception of the Internet, Google started rolling out Wave invites to 100,000 lucky folks. People have been screaming, left-right-and-centre, about their having (or not) of an invite - and some plucky folks decided to auction invites off on eBay. Such is the level of hype for Wave, however, that the invites were being auctioned off before Google started sending them out....
Twitter starts testing Lists, makes mass following easier After much time fixing their stability problems, Twitter is announcing features galore for the coming months. Geo-location attached to tweets, Project Retweet and now Twitter Lists. Anyone you follow can be placed on a public (or private) list, and other Twitter users can then view the list and - with one click - follow the entire list. There's no date for the rollout to all Twitter users just yet, but Lists are in testing with a small group for the time being.
CNN makes bigger mobile push with new iPhone appCNN this week pushed out a shiny-new iPhone app, complete with Video and Push notifications. Our very own Grant Robertson chatted with the folks from CNN to learn a little more about the application and what they've got planned.
Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala Beta now available
The next update to the widely-popular Ubuntu Linux distribution has hit beta! With plenty of visual tweaks, a new IM client (Empathy) and a tonne of under-the-hood improvements, Karmic Koala is scheduled to arrive as a release candidate on October 22nd, and an official release is due a week later.
Offline sync now enabled for Spotify Premium subscribers
After launching Offline playlists for their iPhone and Android apps, Spotify have also just flicked the switch for their Offline features on the desktop, allowing paid subscribers to take their music wherever their laptop goes. There's no word on a US launch yet, but Spotify are not doubt eager to launch on American soil as soon as they can tie up deals with the music labels.
Misplace your cellphone? This single-purpose web site can help
iPhone users may be able to use the fancy MobileMe service to locate their iPhone using GPS, but if you're not using an iPhone this super-simple website will let you discover your phone if it's fallen down the back of the couch.
Publicly ridicule arrogant jackasses with Tweeting Too Hard
Twitter is a great place for comedy, news and keep in touch with people you know, but there's also a lot of people trying far too hard with their tweets. This fantastic site lets you browse through some of the most incredible updates and
Time-Waster: So you think you know Helvetica?
This typography-basedTime-Waster will drive you crazy as you try to figure out which of the logos you're shown is in Helvetica. If you thought it sounds easy, think again as the same logo is rendered in the similar Arial font face just to make it that much more difficult, and becomes fiendishly challenging later on - with full-capital logos likely to have you staring at the kerning for a fair while.
In Other News
Twitter announced at the Future of Web Apps conference in London that they're working on a Twitter Labs setup, similar to Google Labs, and will allow developers to add new features to the Twitter service (beyond the existing API). There's few details for now, but we're excited to see what Twitter Labs have to offer. [CNET]
After yet another court-order against the PIrate Bay's ISP, it seems as though the torrent tracker has set sail for new shores. After being based in the Netherlands and then Sweden, the Pirate Bay is now operating out of the slightly more lenient Ukraine. [Torrent Freak]
So, just how good at time waster games are you? Think you've got the stuff? Well, The World's Hardest Game 2.0 doesn't think you do.
Yes, amazingly, it's possible to have a sequel to a game called "The World's Hardest Game". It doesn't seem logically possible, since if the first one was actually the world's hardest, how could another one come along and share the moniker? It made me doubt the name in the first place. That is, until I tried the game.
The mechanics of the game are very simple. You are a small red square, ...
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