Download Squad http://www.downloadsquad.com Download Squad http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.downloadsquad.com/media/feedlogo.gif Download Squad http://www.downloadsquad.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[7 great ways to get Windows 7 cheap (or even free!)]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/18/7-great-ways-to-get-windows-7-cheap-or-even-free/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/18/7-great-ways-to-get-windows-7-cheap-or-even-free/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/18/7-great-ways-to-get-windows-7-cheap-or-even-free/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Windows 7

Here at Download Squad, we like saving money. We love finding freebies, and we're certainly not ashamed to walk up to the cash register with a fistful of coupons. Since the announcement of the Windows 7 pricing scheme, we've been looking for ways to cut the costs to make the move.

We've compiled a list of seven ways you can get that Windows 7 goodness without shelling out quite as many bucks. Read on for savings!

Continue reading 7 great ways to get Windows 7 cheap (or even free!)

7 great ways to get Windows 7 cheap (or even free!) originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>academic allianceAcademicAlliancefamily packFamilyPackfree windowsFreeWindowsmicrosoftmsdntechnettwitterwindowswindows 7Windows7Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[U.S. government jumps for cloud computing in a big way]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/16/u-s-government-jumps-for-cloud-computing-in-a-big-way/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/16/u-s-government-jumps-for-cloud-computing-in-a-big-way/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/16/u-s-government-jumps-for-cloud-computing-in-a-big-way/#commentsFiled under: ,

Apps.Gov

The federal government -- alongside everyone else with web access and a pulse -- seems to have taken a sudden interest in adopting cloud computing technologies. Late yesterday saw the launch of Apps.Gov, an internet portal built to allow government organizations quick and painless access to purchasing cloud services for their operations.

Partnering with companies like Google, VMware, and Salesforce.com, Apps.Gov aims to provide government agencies a streamlined method of purchasing, provisioning, and maintaining cloud-based applications. This is achieved in part by the fact that the applications featured on Apps.Gov have already gone through the federal examinations necessary to allow for procurement, saving agencies time and duplicate effort.

Apps.Gov is starting out small and will expand as they collect feedback and usage metrics; however, the Feds are looking at a very tall goal of reducing the number of taxpayer dollars required to operate the various IT departments that keep the government running.

[via ZDNet]

U.S. government jumps for cloud computing in a big way originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cloudcloud computingCloudComputingfederal governmentFederalGovernmentWed, 16 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Newsaholics can get their fix with Google Fast Flip]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/15/newsaholics-can-get-their-fix-with-google-fast-flip/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/15/newsaholics-can-get-their-fix-with-google-fast-flip/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/15/newsaholics-can-get-their-fix-with-google-fast-flip/#commentsFiled under:

Google Fast Flip
Google has decided that you're not getting enough news in your balanced diet of information. Equatable to hooking up an IV of coffee to get your necessary caffeine, Google Fast Flip, a new Google Labs project, aims to provide you with more news than you probably want, faster than you probably want it. Fast Flip provides a magazine-ish interface to news stories from (currently) three dozen popular news publishers.

You can flip through news articles based on popularity, news sections, hot topics, or publishers. On the home page, you can scroll through a strip of stories to find the first one you're interested; once you've selected a story, you can use the big left and right arrows on either side of the story to go to the previous or next story in the section. You can also scroll through the section's stories using a pop-out sidebar on the left side of the page. Also, the iPhone and Android versions let you actually flip through the stories using touch gestures, making the whole experience more fluent.

Google makes loading the news stories faster by caching them as images; this way, to read a news story, you don't have to load the entire publisher's web page (with all of its graphics and other elements) making load times significantly faster. Instead of having to wait ten seconds for a news site's page to load, the next story's screenshot has already been downloaded and cached in your browser.

Fast Flip also provides recommended results for anyone with a Google Account; it can automatically track the stories you read as well as base recommendations on articles you click the "Like" button for.

Newsaholics can get their fix with Google Fast Flip originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>googlegoogle labsGoogleLabsnewsTue, 15 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Go-go-gadget... The Engadget Show!]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/11/go-go-gadget-the-engadget-show/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/11/go-go-gadget-the-engadget-show/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/11/go-go-gadget-the-engadget-show/#commentsFiled under:

The Engadget Show
Residents of New York City beware... Engadget is planning to take over the Tishman Auditorium at Parsons The New School for Design for the evening on September 13th!

That's right, ladies and gentlemen, the folks over at Download Squad's sister blog Engadget are excited to announce the first taping of The Engadget Show, a monthly coagulation of interviews, round-table discussions, video clips, live music, and whatever else the Engadget crew can come up with.

This coming Sunday's taping will include a one-on-one interview with Palm CEO Jon Rubinstein, who we're all sure will have a lot to say about the new webOS-powered Pixi, as well as the success of the Palm Pre and other goings-on at Palm. Also featured will be live music from Bit Shifter, a popular chiptune artist.

Tickets will become available at 2PM on Sunday, and the Tishman Auditorium seats about 450 people. Doors open at 4:30PM, and the show will begin at 5. If you can't make it to the taping, don't fret; The Engadget Show will be made available free for your viewing pleasure just a few days after the taping.

(Oh, and you can thank Nokia for sponsoring this event, as well as Parsons The New School for Design for hosting it.)

Go-go-gadget... The Engadget Show! originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 11 Sep 2009 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>EngadgetEngadget ShowEngadgetShowThe Engadget ShowTheEngadgetShowFri, 11 Sep 2009 16:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Facebook Lite goes live, isn't quite fully baked yet]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/10/facebook-lite-goes-live-isnt-quite-fully-baked-yet/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/10/facebook-lite-goes-live-isnt-quite-fully-baked-yet/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/10/facebook-lite-goes-live-isnt-quite-fully-baked-yet/#commentsFiled under:

Facebook Lite

The folks over at Facebook decided their social network's user interface needed to lose some weight. So, after a few weeks on a treadmill, Facebook Lite is now available for public preview. This new fat-free version of Facebook looks to put Twitter in its sights as far as simplicity is concerned; it's more straight-to-the-point and less "just in case you're interested."

On the inside, Facebook Lite seems to load and run significantly faster than the standard interface. It uses far less styling and scripting, and conveys simpler information to the user. In fact, after using the regular version for so long, Facebook Lite starts to feel somewhat like a mobile website. For on-the-go people, this should speed up the social networking workflow a little bit.

Facebook Lite isn't quite ready for full-time use, however. There are still some "to do" items. For example, six of the seven selections in the Options screen, and the advertisement on the left side of the page seems to be locked on Facebook Lite's feedback page. The rest of the interface seems to be functional, albeit lacking (though that is the general idea of a lite application) in some areas.

Facebook Lite is available for public preview to (currently) all US and India members.

[via Mashable]

Facebook Lite goes live, isn't quite fully baked yet originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 10 Sep 2009 18:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>FacebookFacebook LiteFacebookLiteFriendFeedSocial NetworkingSocialNetworkingTwitterThu, 10 Sep 2009 18:43:00 EST<![CDATA[Today's the day: Blame Drew's Cancer with the all-day Blame-A-Thon!]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/09/todays-the-day-blame-drews-cancer-with-the-all-day-blame-a-th/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/09/todays-the-day-blame-drews-cancer-with-the-all-day-blame-a-th/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/09/todays-the-day-blame-drews-cancer-with-the-all-day-blame-a-th/#commentsFiled under:

Blame Drew's Cancer

A few months ago, we brought you news of Download Squad's long time friend and blogger Drew Olanoff's Hodgkin's Lymphoma, as well as his efforts to get everyone to blame everything on it. Since then, almost 12,000 people have credited Drew's cancer with more than 26,000 of their unfortunate or ridiculous happenings.

At midnight this morning, Drew and his crew of blamers kicked off the Blame Drew's Cancer Blame-A-Thon party/benefit concert in Philadelphia. The blame games will go on for 24 hours, during which time Drew and company will be Livestreaming the event for all to watch and chat about.

The Blame Drew's Cancer team has put together a few ways of helping to support LiveStrong during the Blame-A-Thon; blamers in Philadelphia can purchase tickets to the second portion of the event, which will be located at North Star Bar and begin at noon. Supporters can also purchase a raffle ticket for a Twitter raffle going on during all 24 hours of the event. If you simply want to donate, the blame squad encourages you to donate directly to LiveStrong on behalf of Blame Drew's Cancer.

Today's the day: Blame Drew's Cancer with the all-day Blame-A-Thon! originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 03:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A few weeks ago, we covered some leaked documents showing just what a Microsoft retail location might look like; well, some lucky folks in the Scottsdale, Arizona and Mission Viejo, California areas might get the chance to see if the real thing looks as enticing as the concept images. The Microsoft JobsBlog pointed us in the direction of a hiring portal for positions at the soon-to-open retail stores.

Microsoft is looking for managers, associates, technical advisors, and trainers to staff the new stores opening inside Scottsdale Fashion Square and the Shops at Mission Viejo. These two locations are expected to open this fall, somewhere in line with the general release of Windows 7.

More Microsoft retail stores are expected to open across the country (and outside the U.S. at some point) but Microsoft has not yet released any details on upcoming locations.

Microsoft retail stores hiring; Scottsdale and Mission Viejo residents rejoice originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 26 Aug 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>job searchjobsJobSearchmicrosoftmicrosoft retailmicrosoft storeMicrosoftRetailMicrosoftStoremission viejoMissionViejoscottsdaleWed, 26 Aug 2009 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Free Software Foundation throwing a hissy fit over Windows 7]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/08/26/free-software-foundation-throwing-a-hissy-fit-over-windows-7/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/08/26/free-software-foundation-throwing-a-hissy-fit-over-windows-7/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/08/26/free-software-foundation-throwing-a-hissy-fit-over-windows-7/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Windows 7 SinsThe open source zealots over at the Free Software Foundation have left us here at Download Squad slightly speechless over a press release dropped in our never-ending pile of random crap from around the Internet. It would appear the FSF is pulling out all the stops in their new campaign (read: crusade) entitled Windows 7 Sins.

The folks over at the FSF have been known for some time now for their stances against proprietary and closed-source software. Their pent-up frustration toward large software companies has generally been channeled by pumping out lines of code and creating resources for free, open-source projects that provide alternatives to the payware already on the market. These free software initiatives are generally good for two things; providing software for people that don't need all the features and polish included in most commercial software packages, and keeping the open-source zealots occupied with relatively harmless work.

Occasionally, however, the zealots manage to escape their cages and enter the real world.

More after the break.

Continue reading Free Software Foundation throwing a hissy fit over Windows 7

Free Software Foundation throwing a hissy fit over Windows 7 originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 26 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Process Hacker

The inner geek in all of us is constantly curious about what exactly is going on under the hood of our computer; the trusty ol' Task Manager is usually pretty good at letting us keep an eye on things. Sometimes, however, said inner geek needs a little bit more control over their not-always-well-oiled machine.

Process Hacker is an open source application that incorporates all of Task Manager's features while adding a plethora of other functions, charts, and options. Included in Process Hacker's features are things such as a tree view to see where active processes came from, detailed graphs displaying each process's resource usage and statistics, and (my personal favorite) over a dozen different ways to kill a process.

Sysinternals fans may notice that Process Hacker is very similar to Mark Russinovich's Process Explorer utility. The two utilities trade off a few features; Process Explorer is a little more developer-oriented, where Process Hacker is geared somewhat more toward the average power user.

The download link on Process Hacker's home page is broken, but you can download it directly from their project page on SourceForge.

Process Hacker is Task Manager on steroids originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 25 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>open sourceOpenSourceprocess explorerprocess hackerProcessExplorerProcessHackertask managerTaskManagerutilitiesutilityTue, 25 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[More ballot screen drama; now Mozilla's executives are up in arms]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/08/20/more-ballot-screen-drama-now-mozillas-executives-are-up-in-arm/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/08/20/more-ballot-screen-drama-now-mozillas-executives-are-up-in-arm/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/08/20/more-ballot-screen-drama-now-mozillas-executives-are-up-in-arm/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Ballot Screen

Microsoft's struggle with the European Commission's demands regarding browser choice just never seems to end. Today's soap opera episode introduces another main character into the cast: Mozilla. Earlier this week, Harvey Anderson and Mitchell Baker, two highers-up of Mozilla and the Mozilla Foundation, blogged about concerns and issues they had about the fairness of Microsoft's proposed ballot screen.

Mitchell's post outlined how Internet Explorer remained "uniquely privileged" within Windows (no big surprise there) while Harvey argues various points with the technicalities of the design and functionality of the ballot screen concept.

If Mozilla's suggestions are taken into account for the final release of the ballot screen, users may be provided with a more seamless experience at the ballot screen itself, allowing users to not just download their choice of browser immediately, but also immediately install the chosen browser and set it as the default, with minimal or no extra work required on the part of the user. It could also require that Microsoft prevent future Internet Explorer updates from asking to set IE as the default browser.

Mozilla CEO John Lilly explained that these recently expressed viewpoints on browser choice are a part of Mozilla's plan to "get across our point of view," as he puts it. Mozilla is expected to officially voice their concerns to the EC soon, as final word on the ballot screen is expected before the end of October.

More ballot screen drama; now Mozilla's executives are up in arms originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>anti-trustballot screenBallotScreeneuinternet explorerInternetExplorermozilla firefoxMozillaFirefoxwindows 7Windows7Thu, 20 Aug 2009 08:30:00 EST<![CDATA[The perfect interface for controlling your living room is... your living room]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/08/15/the-perfect-interface-for-controlling-your-living-room-is-you/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/08/15/the-perfect-interface-for-controlling-your-living-room-is-you/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/08/15/the-perfect-interface-for-controlling-your-living-room-is-you/#commentsFiled under:

CRISTALThe folks over at the Media Interaction Lab have figured taken on the complex task of designing a usable interface for one of those fancy multi-touch coffee tables; their response to the challenge was quite simple: if you're virtually controlling the devices in your home, shouldn't it seem a lot like when you control them in real-life? Makes sense to me. This simply brilliant yet brilliantly simple idea is being manifested in the Media Interaction Lab's CRISTAL project.

Similar in hardware design to the Microsoft Surface, CRISTAL uses a large multi-touch display, generally the size of a small coffee or book table. The main interface, however, differs in paradigm completely. Where most multi-touch user interfaces today consist of a "virtual desktop," CRISTAL's interface literally puts a live image of your living room on the screen, by means of a wall-mounted or ceiling-mounted camera. The camera view (which hopefully has all your controllable electronics in sight) gives users a projection of their real room to interact with; one of the examples shown in MI-Lab's video demonstrates the user controlling the lights in his room by simply touching the image of the light on the table and dragging his finger to control the brightness. Another user also controls the movie playing by tapping his TV to get a DVD menu right at his fingertips.

CRISTAL's not production-ready yet, and like the Surface, it's not going to be cheap. But, you have to admit, it sure is cool. Check out MI-Lab's videos to see just how cool it is.

[via Engadget]

The perfect interface for controlling your living room is... your living room originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 15 Aug 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Smokey BearThis story is proof that everybody is into the social networking trend nowadays; even Smokey Bear, the U.S. Forest Service's favorite icon for putting the word out about their classic message, "only you can prevent wildfires!" Smokey, who recently turned 65, can now be found all over the social web. He's on MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, and even has an account on YouTube and a Flickr group.

Also, his new website has sections with tons of information on wildfires, a history of the Smokey Bear public service announcements, and a fun Flash app for kids that's loaded with games and information. In fact, in addition to all the new shiny web features, Smokey is donning a brand new tagline: "Get your Smokey on!"'

[via ABC News]

Smokey Bear old enough to retire, but not too old for social networking originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 11 Aug 2009 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Have you ever come across an advertisement on a web page that just made you think, "wow. That really shouldn't be there."? I've come across a few in my time, but it looks like the folks over at BuzzFeed have been running into them left and right; they've compiled a collection of 23 examples of web advertising gone bad.

Their collection runs the gamut, having everything from an article linking coffee to heart attacks brandishing an ad from Folgers to Google providing "Are you a male virgin?" as a sponsored result to the search query "world of warcraft." BuzzFeed's commenters also provided a handful of user-submitted additions to the madness.

Also, if you're interested in more advertising faux pas, BuzzFeed has compiled 15 examples of poorly-placed billboard advertisements.

Advertising gone wrong: 23 poorly placed banner ads originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 11 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>advertisingbanner adsBannerAdsTue, 11 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Linux UI designer working on netbook-optimized calendar, mail]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/08/06/linux-ui-designer-working-on-netbook-optimized-calendar-mail/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/08/06/linux-ui-designer-working-on-netbook-optimized-calendar-mail/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/08/06/linux-ui-designer-working-on-netbook-optimized-calendar-mail/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Linux-powered netbook users that have been missing their doctors' appointments and kids' school plays because operating a calendar application on their tiny portable is, at best, clunky and painful, can finally breathe an accurately-scheduled sigh of relief. Srinivasa Ragavan, who is one of the user interface developers for the open-source Evolution personal information manager project, has taken it upon himself to develop netbook-happy frontends for the calendar and mail portions of Evolution.

The calendar interface, as shown off on his blog, makes use of the entire screen for the calendar view. It features a handy upper toolbar for navigation, and a powerful drop-down menu for selecting more viewing options. The mail frontend, named "Anjal," features such optimizations as a similar upper toolbar, a tabbed interface (something soon to be seen in Thunderbird 3), and Gmail-esque threading.

Srinivasa hasn't yet released any working source for the calendar interface, but the Anjal mail project is available for anyone willing to install Moblin on their netbook, or (for even more fun) build it from source.

[via All About Netbooks]

Linux UI designer working on netbook-optimized calendar, mail originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 06 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>calendarevolutiongnomelinuxmailmoblinnetbookThu, 06 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Windows XP Mode for Windows 7 Release Candidate available]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/08/04/windows-xp-mode-for-windows-7-release-candidate-available/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/08/04/windows-xp-mode-for-windows-7-release-candidate-available/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/08/04/windows-xp-mode-for-windows-7-release-candidate-available/#commentsFiled under: ,

Windows XP Mode
Microsoft has announced the a Release Candidate of their Windows XP Mode package for Windows 7. We've mentioned Windows XP mode here once or twice before, but now it's a little closer to being ready for public consumption.

Built using Microsoft's Virtual PC product, Windows XP Mode actually runs a copy of Windows XP inside your Windows 7 installation. You can install older programs on the Windows XP virtual machine, allowing them to run in a more familiar environment. This is great for older games or programs that aren't yet compatible with Windows 7. Also, Windows XP Mode has new integration features that allow you to interact with the Windows XP system and applications more seamlessly than other virtualization packages provide.

The major potential downside to Windows XP Mode and the latest release candidate of Virtual PC is that they require your processor to support hardware virtualization to run. This means that, while Windows 7's performance enhancements will allow you to get the most out of older computers, processors that are more than a few years old won't be able to run Windows XP Mode. Microsoft provides a helpful page with instructions to determine whether your computer supports hardware virtualization, and in turn, whether you'll be able to run that old game from the MS-DOS days on your Windows 7 machine.

More details and changes from the last beta version of Windows XP Mode are available on the Windows 7 Team Blog.

Windows XP Mode for Windows 7 Release Candidate available originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 04 Aug 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Since we last brought you news about a UAC vulnerability in Windows 7, Microsoft opened their ears to the beta testers at the time and quickly released a patch that plugged the security hole.

However, another UAC flaw has been discovered in Windows 7. In fact, it's been quietly lurking around in the dark corners of the internet since February. What's different about this one is that not only does Microsoft not intend to fix the exploit, they're saying the functionality is by design, because UAC's primary purpose isn't security, or something like that.

I think.

After all, this whole situation would make a little more sense if Microsoft didn't just mark the popular proof-of-concept for this vulnerability as malware in the beta version of their new Microsoft Security Essentials software, as pictured above. Just to add a little more confusion to the situation, Windows Defender (another Microsoft security tool, which happens to be bundled with Windows 7) doesn't detect the exploit.

The verdict? It looks like the jury is hung on this one.

This vulnerability could be exploited to essentially circumvent UAC on some Windows 7 machines, and that's bad news. We'll keep you up-to-date with any developments on this security flaw.

Windows 7 UAC flaw-by-design now classified as malware by Microsoft? originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 01 Aug 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>exploitmicrosoftMicrosoft Security EssentialsMicrosoftSecurityEssentialssecurityUACwindows 7Windows7Sat, 01 Aug 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Handful of users re-download Firefox 3.5 for the billionth time]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/07/31/handful-of-users-re-download-firefox-3-5-for-the-billionth-time/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/07/31/handful-of-users-re-download-firefox-3-5-for-the-billionth-time/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/07/31/handful-of-users-re-download-firefox-3-5-for-the-billionth-time/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

I'm Celebrating 1 Billion DownloadsIt looks like the folks over at Mozilla are quite proud of their flagship product's odometer reading. After all, some time between 10:46 AM and 11:00 AM (our time) this morning, Firefox was downloaded for the billionth time.

Of course, if you're anything like us here at Download Squad, you can probably account for more than simply one download. Lee admits to having downloaded just the latest version 30+ times himself (some day he'll remember to save it to a flash drive), and if I counted all the times I downloaded Firefox... well, I would most likely be counting through my retirement years.

Now, reaching one billion downloads is certainly nothing to shake a stick at! I did a quick news scan for "billion downloads," and only managed to turn up articles on Firefox (of course) and Apple's App Store, which has a total download count of over a billion and a half; however, this count is split up over the tens of thousands of applications served by the store.

So, whether you're a proud Firefox user saying "awesome!" or a proud Opera user saying "another Download Squad post about Firefox?," you should check out their celebratory page. Oh, and apparently something cool is supposed to show up at "onebillionplusyou.com" on Monday, so keep an eye on it.

Handful of users re-download Firefox 3.5 for the billionth time originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 31 Jul 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>billion downloadsBillionDownloadsfirefoxmozillamozilla firefoxMozillaFirefoxFri, 31 Jul 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Using Hotmail as a secondary address? Be very careful]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/07/29/using-hotmail-as-a-secondary-address-be-very-careful/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/07/29/using-hotmail-as-a-secondary-address-be-very-careful/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/07/29/using-hotmail-as-a-secondary-address-be-very-careful/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Windows Live Hotmail

If you're like me, you have at least two email addresses. One of these email addresses is for important business; you hand it out to co-workers, friends, and family, whose emails you actually want to pay regular attention to. The second email address is for other stuff, like signing up for newsletters, shopping online, or creating accounts for services on the web. Also, if you're like me, you might tend to forget to pay attention to that second email address for days, weeks, or months at a time. As it turns out, forgetting to check a free Windows Live Hotmail account might have some dire consequences.

According to the Windows Live help files:
Free Windows Live Hotmail accounts become inactive if you don't sign in for more than 270 days or within the first 10 days after signing up for an account. After an account becomes inactive, all messages, folders, and contacts are deleted. Incoming messages will be sent back to the sender as undeliverable. Your account name is still reserved. However, if the account stays inactive for an additional 90 days, the account name may be permanently deleted. If you don't use your Windows Live ID for 365 days, your Windows Live ID may be permanently deleted.
What does this mean to someone who is using a Hotmail address to sign up for things on the web? It means that, once your year of inactivity has passed, anyone can sign up for a Windows Live account with your expired username. The unintentional side effect of this is that if your Windows Live account expires, one could potentially create an account with the same name and use the password reset function on almost any online service attached to that email address, receive the email with the password (or further instructions) and take over your account entirely without your knowledge. This very technique is how the personal accounts of Twitter employees were taken over by malicious users.

Continue reading Using Hotmail as a secondary address? Be very careful

Using Hotmail as a secondary address? Be very careful originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 29 Jul 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hackinghotmailsecuritywindows live hotmailWindowsLiveHotmailWed, 29 Jul 2009 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Students encouraged to put their hacker skills to good use]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/07/29/students-encouraged-to-put-their-hacker-skills-to-good-use/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/07/29/students-encouraged-to-put-their-hacker-skills-to-good-use/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/07/29/students-encouraged-to-put-their-hacker-skills-to-good-use/#commentsFiled under: , ,

U.S. Cyber Challenge

Three major federal organizations are looking to include 10,000 high school and college students in what's being dubbed by the Center for Strategic and International Studies the "US Cyber Challenge." CSIS is making three challenges available to young Americans looking to both better themselves in the field of cyber-security and potentially earn themselves a position as a security specialist in one of the high-profile federal organizations (like the NSA or FBI) that deal with security of the utmost importance on a daily basis.

The Air Force Association is putting on the Cyber Patriot Defense Competition; the gist of the competition is to demonstrate the most effective techniques in preventing an attack on a corporate network from malicious intruders. The SANS institute is taking the opposite approach with its Netwars competition, by challenging participants to successfully break into simulated (but realistic) systems in a "capture-the-flag" format game. The Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center provides a less hacking-oriented Digital Forensics Challenge, where teams will use their skills to examine and investigate forensic data manufactured by the Department of Defense to try to gain access to hidden or encrypted data.

According to the AFA, the United States is the single most likely country to experience a crippling cyber-attack from terrorists. Because of this, the CSIS is looking for young students and IT workers who have or are interested in having expertise in the area of computer security. The participants in these challenges will be on the path to a career in security keeping any network safe, from a small corporate intranet to those super-secret documents tucked away by the high-profile federal organizations.

[via Switched]

Students encouraged to put their hacker skills to good use originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>defenseeducationhackingsecurityyouthWed, 29 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Microsoft reveals upgrade paths for Windows 7]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/07/28/microsoft-reveals-upgrade-paths-for-windows-7/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/07/28/microsoft-reveals-upgrade-paths-for-windows-7/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/07/28/microsoft-reveals-upgrade-paths-for-windows-7/#commentsFiled under: ,

TechNet

Windows users wondering if you'll be able to pop in a shiny new Windows 7 disc, push the Install button, and watch as your computer is upgraded while leaving your data and programs in place, rejoice; Microsoft has released the official list of supported Windows 7 upgrade paths. Here are the highlights:
  • Windows XP and below users are out of luck. You must have Windows Vista SP1 or newer to upgrade to Windows 7.
  • You can't upgrade to Windows 7 from Windows Vista Starter Edition.
  • If you're upgrading from Windows Vista, you must upgrade to one of the standard Windows 7 SKUs (meaning you can't upgrade to Windows N, Windows K, Windows KN, or Windows E.)
  • Windows Vista's "Business" SKU is now called "Professional" in Windows 7. Don't be alarmed when you can't find Windows 7 "Business" on the shelves.
I'm a little surprised that moving from Windows XP isn't a supported upgrade path, but aside from that, there's nothing too terribly out of the ordinary here.

[via Windows 7 News]

Microsoft reveals upgrade paths for Windows 7 originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>microsoftwindowswindows 7Windows7Tue, 28 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EST