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[Fugly Friday : Aiseikai Hospital has no opthamologist on staff]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/06/fugly-friday-aiseikai-hospital-has-no-opthamologist-on-staff/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/06/fugly-friday-aiseikai-hospital-has-no-opthamologist-on-staff/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/06/fugly-friday-aiseikai-hospital-has-no-opthamologist-on-staff/#commentsFiled under:


With all the hullabaloo over medical reform in the U.S., you might wonder what health care looks like in other parts of the world. At this hospital in Japan, your care comes with a healthy side order of flashing, blinking Lucky Cats, and a prescription strength dose of animated gifs.

Warning: If you're epileptic, we take no responsibility for what may happen if you click to view this Fugly Friday. And, for once, we're really not joking.

Granted, I don't read Kanji, but I don't think I'm going too far out on a limb to say that this site is in need of some time in the emergency room. Even if the visible text were eloquent and poignant -- and I could read Japanese -- the overwhelming and incredibly inappropriate use of crazy color combos, frames and the dreaded solid black background of doom makes this a Fugly Friday to remember -- and avoid.

Fugly Friday : Aiseikai Hospital has no opthamologist on staff originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fuglyFuglyFridayFri, 06 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Steam Games - Braid Trailer]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/05/steam-games-braid-trailer/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/05/steam-games-braid-trailer/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/05/steam-games-braid-trailer/#comments

The Braid trailer, for the Steam games holiday gift guide! Master time and space in this puzzle-solving platformer.

Steam Games - Braid Trailer originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Steam Games - World of Goo Trailer]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/05/steam-games-world-of-goo-trailer/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/05/steam-games-world-of-goo-trailer/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/05/steam-games-world-of-goo-trailer/#comments

Marvel at the cuteness and stickiness of the little Goos that you must manipulate and utilise in World of Goo! Save the Goo, save the world!

Steam Games - World of Goo Trailer originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Steam Games -- Plants vs. Zombies Trailer]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/05/steam-games-plants-vs-zombies-trailer/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/05/steam-games-plants-vs-zombies-trailer/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/05/steam-games-plants-vs-zombies-trailer/#comments

While you could easily be watching a low-fidelity version of a Warcraft 3 tower-defence mod, don't let it fool you! This is Plants vs. Zombies, one of the most addictive games released this year. Blow up zombies... with plant cannons and rockets. What more could you want...?

Steam Games -- Plants vs. Zombies Trailer originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Steam Games - Trine Trailer]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/05/steam-games-trine-trailer/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/05/steam-games-trine-trailer/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/05/steam-games-trine-trailer/#comments

This trailer of Trine should show you just how beautiful this game is, how well thought-out, how refined. It's also available on the PS3 which shows you that this is more than just a mere adventure game curio. Probably the best game on the list (but I prefer World of Goo!)

Steam Games - Trine Trailer originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Steam Games - Machinarium Trailer]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/05/steam-games-machinarium-trailer/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/05/steam-games-machinarium-trailer/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/05/steam-games-machinarium-trailer/#comments

This isn't much here that you won't already have seen in the flash-based precursor Samorost. But it's pretty, and you get an idea for the kind of puzzles you'll be solving in Machinarium.

Steam Games - Machinarium Trailer originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Fugly Friday returns next week, until then enjoy this lazy roundup]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/16/fugly-friday-returns-next-week-until-then-enjoy-this-lazy-round/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/16/fugly-friday-returns-next-week-until-then-enjoy-this-lazy-round/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/16/fugly-friday-returns-next-week-until-then-enjoy-this-lazy-round/#comments Fugly Friday: Cybertown
Do you tire of your humdrum, meatspace world? Does Sony's PlayStation Home look too real? Are there too many flying penises in Second Life for your taste? Well, strap on your hippie goggles and... Fugly Friday : Yvette's Bridal
My optometrist was insistent that I not remove the bandages for another 24 hours. He also said I might have done less damage to myself if, instead of searching for today's Fugly Friday, I'd tried... Fugly Friday: Old school website atrocities from Microsoft
Back when I graduated high school, most websites hadn't begun thinking about design terms like glossy, grungy, or even "not a complete trainwreck." Heck, plenty of them didn't give aesthetics a... Other Fugly we liked


The doctors all say my cornea are healing nicely, and I should be back to cursing and screaming at poor design within the week, although my insurance company did ask that I take our a new rider for something they call "Ocular Occupational Hazards."

Whatevs. They's just a bunch of haters, yo.

Fugly Friday returns next week with new highs about all the lows out there in the dark dusty corners of the web. Until then, enjoy this look back at a few of our favorite Fugly Friday finds so far.

Fugly Friday returns next week, until then enjoy this lazy roundup originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>fuglyfridayroundupwhy yes maam I would like to stick that fork in my eyeWhyYesMaamIWouldLikeToStickThatForkInMyEyeFri, 16 Oct 2009 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Troubleshooting with your Teddy Bear]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/16/troubleshooting-with-your-teddy-bear/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/16/troubleshooting-with-your-teddy-bear/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/16/troubleshooting-with-your-teddy-bear/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

My buddy Dave once shared with me a bit of computing wisdom which I've since found invaluable.

"Proper troubleshooting requires a Teddy Bear."

As it was told to me -- long ago in a university computer lab not so far away -- there was a sysadmin who became frustrated with the number of questions he was asked by student developers. It wasn't that the questions were invalid, or that the students weren't thinking them through. Rather, his frustration was with questions which found their own answers.

Students seeking his help would begin to explain the problem they were working on. More often than not, they wouldn't finish explaining before having an "Aha!" moments; That tiny moment of clarity every developer, admin or desktop analyst seeks as a part of their job.

Being forced to explain the problem had some effect which thinking about the problem alone didn't. How can you achieve the same mind-altered state without bugging the sysadmin, or taking a handful of Adderol and Xanaax*?

The weary sysadmin found a brilliant solution. He attached a teddy bear to his desk, and forced anyone who wanted to ask him a question to address the bear and explain the problem.

So, the next time you're halfway through asking a collegue a question and find yourself saying, "Wait, I think I just got it, never mind!", remember to thank them for being your teddy bear.

* Download Squad does not condone the abuse of Adderol, Xanaax or any other prescription drugs. Just sayin'.

Troubleshooting with your Teddy Bear originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>coolgeekteddy bearTeddyBeartrickstricks-of-the-tradetroubleshootingFri, 16 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Excited about 128 bit "Windows 8"? Don't hold your breath.]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/08/excited-about-128-bit-windows-8-dont-hold-your-breath/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/08/excited-about-128-bit-windows-8-dont-hold-your-breath/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/08/excited-about-128-bit-windows-8-dont-hold-your-breath/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

I got a message yesterday directing me to some groundbreaking post on Ars Technica, in which the long-winded and storied tale of an in-development 128 bit version of Windows unfolded like something out of a geek spy novel.
Robert Morgan is working to get IA-128 working backwards with full binary compatibility on the existing IA-64 instructions in the hardware simulation to work for Windows 8 and definitely Windows 9.
Bullpuckey, I said. Shenanigans, I mumbled. "It must be fairy tale time over at Conde Nast", I thought to myself, and quickly moved on. I never in my wildest dreams would have figured this had legs. Surely I wasn't the only one to spot the giant hole in the middle of this story.

Today, I read it on Slashdot. So, before Windows 8 for IA-128 becomes the digital equivalent of Sasquatch or the Loch Ness Monster, I figured it was prudent to point out the itty, bitty, tiny little problem that's keeping this story from having any basis in reality.

There is no IA-128. The Abominable Snowman and the Easter Bunny could hold a press conference about the lost sex tapes of The Tooth Fairy and it would have more credibility than this rumor. In fact, calling it a rumor lends too much credence to the story. There may be a Robert Morgan, there certainly is a Windows 8, but there is no IA-128.

IA-64 was Intel's joint venture with HP to create a next generation 64 bit server processor. Finally released far behind schedule, the Itanium line has been beset with problems. Poor performance, a lagging upgrade path, and poor vendor uptake have all conspired to create what John Dvorak recently called, "one of the great fiascoes of the last 50 years""

So, while the editors at Ars are busy explaining to Emil Protalinski that there is no Santa Claus, it's probably the right moment to point out that you shouldn't believe everything you read on forums. Or, Slashdot. Or apparently Ars, for that matter.

Move along folks, nothing to see here.

Excited about 128 bit "Windows 8"? Don't hold your breath. originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>IA-128IA-64John DvorakJohnDvorakwindowswindows 8Windows8Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:05:00 EST<![CDATA[Preemptive FAIL : Five easy things Verizon isn't doing to fix Android]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/06/preemptive-fail-five-easy-things-verizon-isnt-doing-to-fix-an/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/06/preemptive-fail-five-easy-things-verizon-isnt-doing-to-fix-an/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/06/preemptive-fail-five-easy-things-verizon-isnt-doing-to-fix-an/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

It's all over the place; Verizon is embracing Android. Google loving apologist geeks everywhere are heralding the 85 million new customers -- who are obviously ready to try Android, if only Verizon would let them -- as the beginning of a new era in mobile phone competition. The cries of panacea are all I've heard all day:

"It's going to be a floodgate of new users! "

"Death to the iPhone!"

And, as one particularly difficult to satisfy commenter on another blog wrote:

"Get over yourselves apple and make a new product."

I'll have to admit, as a current G2, and previous G1 owner, I was a little excited myself. Then I read one thing from the joint Verizon/Google press call which made me crestfallen.

"Verizon also has no plans to make any changes to the Android Market."

And with that, all my dreams of an Android controlled world ran away like so much sand through my fingers. This is an enormous mistake, Verizon. Care to know why? The Android Market is terrible. It's worse than terrible, it's horrible.

Horrible, and just a little bit dangerous.

I've got a list of five things Verizon must do to the Android Market if they're to have any hope of even modest success.

Continue reading Preemptive FAIL : Five easy things Verizon isn't doing to fix Android

Preemptive FAIL : Five easy things Verizon isn't doing to fix Android originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 21:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidbad ideasBadIdeasFAILG1G2iphonelistsmarketverizonTue, 06 Oct 2009 21:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Eolas v. Everyone you've ever heard of]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/06/eolas-v-everyone-youve-ever-heard-of/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/06/eolas-v-everyone-youve-ever-heard-of/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/06/eolas-v-everyone-youve-ever-heard-of/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,


Tireless patent troll Intellectual Property holder Eolas has filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas against, well.. nearly everyone. The issue at hand deals with two patents in Eolas' possession -- the first of which was the subject of a successful lawsuit against Microsoft back in 2004.

The second patent, what Eolas refers to as "a continuation of the '906 patent" claims to hold as the sole intellectual property of Eolas, "fully-interactive embedded applications [...] through the use of plug-in and AJAX (asynchronous JavaScript and XML) web development techniques." The second patent is so far untested in court -- and ostensibly covers more popular websites than you can shake a knock-off Louis Vuitton handbag at.

I haven't had time to delve into the language of the patent, but this reeks of utter nonsense to me so far. In my layman's oppinion, Eolas may have made a crucial mistake however, taking aim at so many large targets at once -- with one untested patent, and another which Microsoft already came rather close to beating.

Take the leap to read the whole extortion demand press release, and see the enormous list of publicly traded web firms included.

Continue reading Eolas v. Everyone you've ever heard of

Eolas v. Everyone you've ever heard of originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 11:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ajaxeolaspatentpluginstrollweb browserweb devWebBrowserWebDevTue, 06 Oct 2009 11:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Did the FTC just mention something about blogging?]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/06/did-the-ftc-just-mention-something-about-blogging/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/06/did-the-ftc-just-mention-something-about-blogging/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/06/did-the-ftc-just-mention-something-about-blogging/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

So that we're not the only single blog in the known universe and beyond who misses the chance to comment on the FTC's boneheaded guidelines requiring bloggers, celebs, reviewers and others -- basically anyone who you might read online -- to disclose any "material relationship" with companies they review.

I tend to look at everything in terms of Pros and Cons. Here's the list I came up with.

The bad
  • The FTC has passed an over-reaching regulation which is unenforceable at best, and is a violation of free speech at worst.

The good
  • The FTC has passed an over-reaching regulation which is unenforceable at best, and is a violation of free speech at worst.
There are about a million better things the FTC could be doing with its time. Even if you wanted to narrow the to-do list to just Internet related issues, the list is still enormous. How about click-fraud? Noni Juice? Teeth Whiteners? Loose 200 pounds in 37 seconds? And all those hot single girls who are looking for a man like you -- and happen to be conspicuously located in teh same city as what geo-location returns for the IP of your upstream router?

There's a significant amount of misunderstanding of how Internet publishing works in this regulation, but this is the moment where I find the clue train leaves the station with absolutely no-one aboard. AdAge reports that Richard Cleland, assistant director- division of advertising practices at the FTC interprets the regulation to include, "posts on review sites such as Yelp or online stores such as Amazon."

Does that mean when I drop a review on Urban Spoon of my favorite eatery -- who happen to throw me a freebie every once in a while for being a loyal customer -- the FTC will sick it's blogger enforcement team on me? When they figure out exactly how to enforce this, call me.

Until then I'll be driving the Windows 7 box graphics wrapped Porsche Cayman that Microsoft sent me. *

* Kidding. But Ballmer, if you're interested, drop me an email and I'll send you my address

For what it's worth, take the jump to read my quick diatribe on Weblogs, Inc gimmies policy -- which is likely the strictest in existence among blog networks.

Continue reading Did the FTC just mention something about blogging?

Did the FTC just mention something about blogging? originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 06 Oct 2009 08:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bloggingboneheadendorsementsFTClawpoliticsTue, 06 Oct 2009 08:40:00 EST<![CDATA[Larry Ellison does near-standup comic rif on cloud computing]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/05/larry-ellison-does-near-standup-comic-rif-on-cloud-computing/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/05/larry-ellison-does-near-standup-comic-rif-on-cloud-computing/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/05/larry-ellison-does-near-standup-comic-rif-on-cloud-computing/#commentsFiled under: ,

I've come out pretty strong against the fad of "cloud computing", which has spent the better part of the last year at the top of my most-hated buzzword list. In private, I've even been known to threaten that the next PR person to send me a release using the word "cloud" was going to get it, right between the Prada frames.

So, imagine my glee while watching one of my heroes -- Oracle's chief samurai warrior and jet pilot, Larry Ellison -- drop effortlessly into a riff on cloud computing while talking to a room at the Churchill Club.

Ellison makes a pretty solid argument that cloud computing isn't just the future, it's also the present and the past. This from a man who just bought Sun Microsystems -- a company which sported "The network is the computer" as its slogan, more than a decade before the first marketroid said cloud.

In Soviet Russia, cloud computing makes fun of you.

Take the leap to see Lawrence "Shecky" Ellison in action.

Continue reading Larry Ellison does near-standup comic rif on cloud computing

Larry Ellison does near-standup comic rif on cloud computing originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cloud computingCloudComputingellisonoraclesheckyMon, 05 Oct 2009 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Drew Carey bids 25k for @drew -- Cancer gets scared]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/04/drew-carey-bids-25k-for-drew-cancer-gets-scared/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/04/drew-carey-bids-25k-for-drew-cancer-gets-scared/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/04/drew-carey-bids-25k-for-drew-cancer-gets-scared/#commentsFiled under: ,


I've written before about Download Squad friend, Drew Olanoff, and his creative way of kicking cancer in the behind. Count up one more point for Drew and his fight -- Drew Carey just bid 25K for his Twitter name, @drew. All proceeds of the auction, which ends on November 9th, will go directly to The Lance Armstrong Foundation - Livestrong.

Better still, if Drew Carey gets 100k Twitter followers before the auction ends, he'll quadruple his bid to $100,000.

While Twitter's Terms of Service expressly forbids selling your Twitter name for personal gain, there is no express prohibition against selling it for charity. Just to be sure, Olanoff checked with @ev, one of Twitter's founders, who gave his blessing before the bidding began.

If there was ever a time for Drew Barrymore to get a clue about social networking, this is it. Fortunately for Carey's wallet, Barrymore was pretty emphatic on Regis and Kelly when she ranted, "I don't know what Twittering is! [...] People keep trying to explain to me and I'm like, I don't wanna know. I don't wanna know how it works, I don't wanna know how to do it, I don't want to know anything."

Barrymore made the comment in April -- just months into Twitter's meteoric rise. If the crowd of other twittering celebrities haven't softened her, maybe kicking cancer's tail will.

Drew Carey bids 25k for @drew -- Cancer gets scared originally appeared on Download Squad on Sun, 04 Oct 2009 02:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>BlameDrewsCancercancerDrew Careydrew olanoffDrewCareyDrewOlanoffLance ArmstrongLanceArmstronglivestrongSun, 04 Oct 2009 02:08:00 EST<![CDATA[Huffington Post proves newspapers aren't dead, yet.]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/30/huffington-post-proves-newspapers-arent-dead-yet/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/30/huffington-post-proves-newspapers-arent-dead-yet/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/30/huffington-post-proves-newspapers-arent-dead-yet/#commentsFiled under: , ,

What's been on the Internet 12 hours too long, is 5 years too old and demonstrates the gaping chasm between blog journalism and credibility? This Huffington Post piece pointing to a five year old YouTube video as footage from yesterday's tsunami in American Somoa.

Are you getting all your news on the Internet? Constantly cruising a mix of major and minor media sites, or sucking them all in at once through an aggregator like Google News? Pointing fingers at blogs, Amazon's Kindle, Google News and Youtube has become a popular habit of once healthy -- and now hurting -- newspapers and broadcast outlets both great and small. even Twitter fell complicit, with both @huffingtonpost and @Alyssa_Milano tweeting it to nearly 200k followers each, both without a hint of retraction.

Mistakes do happen, and no one is saying that major media gets it right 100% of the time -- or prints retractions and corrections in the same size font point and weight as the stories they seek to correct. But, it's near certain that 5 year old incorrectly attributed footage wouldn't still be airing on any national news service -- 12 hours after it was first run.

This would be different if we were discussing any third tier blog running in the streets with a wildly incorrect and unvetted story -- heck, Newsmax and Michelle Malkin practically invented that strategy. But this is Huffington Post -- the number one blog in the world according to Technorati, and an oft-cited source in the old media universe. Pitiful.

So, still ready to write off all of those old media institutions of the Fourth Estate and pin the murder on teh Intarwebs?

Update 2:42am: HuffPo has removed the video as of a little after 2am EST. The original YouTube video in the post was here. Still no response from Huffington Post, and no public mention of the incident.

Huffington Post proves newspapers aren't dead, yet. originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 30 Sep 2009 21:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>blogscredibilitydead treesDeadTreesearthquakeold mediaOldMediatsunamitwitterunvetted sourcesUnvettedSourcesyoutubeWed, 30 Sep 2009 21:35:00 EST<![CDATA[CNN makes bigger mobile push with new iPhone app]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/28/cnn-makes-bigger-mobile-push-with-new-iphone-app/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/28/cnn-makes-bigger-mobile-push-with-new-iphone-app/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/28/cnn-makes-bigger-mobile-push-with-new-iphone-app/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Gallery: CNN iPhone App Launch

Media heavy, for mobile broadbandCoverflow for newsiReport allows you to push news to CNN from your phone

The wait for an official CNN app on your iPhone is over, and it looks like it was worth your patience. Available on the iTunes store soon -- Download here -- CNN's new app represents a serious investment in mobile news delivery, a 55 million user market according to Neilsen, and adds a few game changing features which may leave rivals MSNBC and Fox News scrambling to catch up.

I spoke with CNN's Louis Gump, VP, Mobile today by phone. CNN's iPhone app takes advantage of 3.0 SDK features and is an attempt to "reinvent news applications on the iPhone". Integrating a huge library of video clips -- as well a live stream during breaking news -- directly into the app, the focus is obvious, taking CNN's global news brand and putting it just that much closer to your fingertips.

The most compelling feature, from by brieding and screen shots -- I wasn't allowed early access to the app itself -- is what Gump called, "Coverflow for news." A feature which lets users swipe through pictures and bullet points, looking for points of interest in the days popular headlines.

Positioned as a premium app, you'll have to fork over $1.99 for the goods, and tolerate just a wee bit of advertising mixed with your content. From what was relayed to me -- and I pressed -- none of the advertising sounds particularly intrusive, with a total lack of preroll video advertising, and sponsor adds appearing inline with, but visually separated from, the textual content.

Also on tap, breaking news alerts for interests you've defined, the ability to store news for later (airplane mode) and of course, social sharing on Facebook, Twitter and via email. And, when you get sick of reading the news, you can make the news -- via iReport -- with mobile uploads of video and images. "People in the field really do have access to the most compelling content, whether that be photo or video", which will be vetted as the current web version of iReport is, both by user filtering and "a small percentage" by human editors at CNN for airing on the network, or publishing on the main CNN site.

CNN was a bit coy about future plans, but said in uncertain terms, "This is not a hobby for us." Adding, "As happy as we are with this app, and we worked really hard, there is a lot more where this came from."

Asked about a possible Android or Blackberry version, "We will definitely be rolling out premium apps in the future", although Gump declined to talk specifics. "We're experimenting" said Gump, sounding like a proud father, "we're putting a lot more resources into mobile."

Update : I wasn't positive at publish time, but yes -- Push updates! More screenshots coming, now that I have my hands on the app!

Update 2: The gallery above is shots provided by CNN. The gallery below contains our first screenshots of the app in action. Take a look for more detail on how the app works and looks.

Gallery: This, is CNN

Push Based services!The main news screenLocation based servicesHow to follow topics



CNN makes bigger mobile push with new iPhone app originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 23:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>CNNfeaturesiPhonemobilereviewsMon, 28 Sep 2009 23:25:00 EST<![CDATA[Don't try this at home - Tetris tribute on tiny wheels]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/27/dont-try-this-at-home-tetris-tribute-on-tiny-wheels/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/27/dont-try-this-at-home-tetris-tribute-on-tiny-wheels/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/27/dont-try-this-at-home-tetris-tribute-on-tiny-wheels/#commentsFiled under:



Every once in a while, someone actually sneaks something cool into the YouTubes. Tetris lovers of the world, unite!

via @arnteriksen

Don't try this at home - Tetris tribute on tiny wheels originally appeared on Download Squad on Sun, 27 Sep 2009 06:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>awesometetrisSun, 27 Sep 2009 06:35:00 EST<![CDATA[DEMOfall09 - Pyrix, social payments with deep tracking]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/22/demofall09-pyrix-social-payments-with-deep-tracking/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/22/demofall09-pyrix-social-payments-with-deep-tracking/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/22/demofall09-pyrix-social-payments-with-deep-tracking/#commentsFiled under: ,


Piryx is payments for the social web, but with a host of intelligence and data mining features only available to huge companies and campaigns in the past. With roots in political fundraising, Piryx has a track record that's somewhat impressive, having recently rolled out a site to accept donations for Rep. Joe "You Lie!" Wilson, and claiming another 150 payment taking users nationwide.

The social media element comes to play as users track their incoming payments. By using custom generated urls, users can track where, who and why their customers and contributors took action and slapped down the credit card. Was it that Twitter retweet campaign, a sympathetic blogger or just another happy customer referral? Piryx helps you track the success of the efforts within your campaign.

Piryx is launching publicly with a better payments experience than the common payment sites, but they're looking to own much of the upstream marketing that funnels and fuels eventual payments, as well as providing backend analytics, compliance, and reporting functions which until now necessitated another piece of software and a larger commitment of effort. .

The fee structure of Piryx is higher than that of Paypal, but creating the same tracking and analytics with Paypal would cost far more in effort and time. At 4.5% for first $100k, and a sliding scale running down to 4% for intake of over $1 Million.

Of course, it's 2009 and "there's an app for that". Piryx's DEMOfall presentation includes a developer market, allowing third parties to build and market integration of Piryx with other services and tools. Currently available at launch are apps for Linked-In, SMS, Twitter, Facebook, with more to come.

Also launching with Piryx is a campaign for the Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation, raising money with the platform to combat homelessness and poverty in our nation's inner-cities.

Gallery: Piryx - Fundraising and payments for the social web



DEMOfall09 - Pyrix, social payments with deep tracking originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 22 Sep 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>checkoutdemofall09fundraisingmoneypaypalTue, 22 Sep 2009 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[DEMOfall09 - Gelato is online dating meets social search]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/22/demofall09-gelato-is-online-dating-meets-social-search/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/22/demofall09-gelato-is-online-dating-meets-social-search/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/22/demofall09-gelato-is-online-dating-meets-social-search/#commentsFiled under: ,

Online dating is a somewhat static market. You have premium players Match.com and eHarmony, who seem to suggest at every commercial break that the person you've been looking for your whole life just signed up a few minutes ago. At the other end of the spectrum, there's Plenty of Fish which, although vastly improved from a few years ago, is still one of the least visually pleasing and user friendly sites on the web. PoF does ridiculous volume and traffic, is free, and doesn't do a stitch of marketing.

Enter new kid on the block, Ge.la.to. Launching today, Gelato takes online dating and mating to the social web. Incorporating your lifestream into the process of getting to know you, while paying a keen eye to keep privacy at a reasonable level.


Continue reading DEMOfall09 - Gelato is online dating meets social search

DEMOfall09 - Gelato is online dating meets social search originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>DEMOfall09lifestreamingonline datingOnlineDatingsocial mediaSocialMediaTue, 22 Sep 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[DEMOfall09 - For those of us stuck at home]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/22/demofall09-for-those-of-us-stuck-at-home/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/22/demofall09-for-those-of-us-stuck-at-home/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/22/demofall09-for-those-of-us-stuck-at-home/#commentsFiled under:

For those of you lucky enough to still squeeze your boss for a travel budget in the tough economy, San Diego's weather for DEMOfall09 today will be a balmy 90 degrees with what Weather.com refers to as "Abundant Sunshine"

From where I sit, I'm only slightly more jealous of the weather than the lineup of presenters I'm going to miss in person.

I spent the better part of yesterday getting early previews of a whole slew of DEMOfall 09 companies. I thank whatever higher power you hold dear that not one single company I've talked to has made me wretch with the term "cloud computing."

So what's this year going to be about? Data. As we march forward into the third coming of a brave new data enabled world, squeezing every last drop of relevant info from everything becomes more crucial, less cumbersome and opens to a wider field of players.

Don't feel bad if you couldn't make the flight. Grab some popcorn, and a healthy dose of skepticism over the next big thing and tune into the live stream starting at 8:30 Pacific. And, for my take on some of the companies I checked out yesterday, keep watching the demofall09 tag on Download Squad!

Best of luck to everyone presenting. Now, bring on some new Internet hotness!

DEMOfall09 - For those of us stuck at home originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 22 Sep 2009 08:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>demofall09Tue, 22 Sep 2009 08:10:00 EST