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[Delightful and haunting Braid-clone Time-Waster]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/24/delightful-and-haunting-braid-clone-time-waster/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/24/delightful-and-haunting-braid-clone-time-waster/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/24/delightful-and-haunting-braid-clone-time-waster/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The Company of Myself -- Grabbed from the JayIsGames review.The Company of Myself is one of those games that you don't want to conclude. When it does end -- if you have what it takes to get there -- it leaves you feeling sad. Kinda empty. Like there's a gap in your soul that's exactly Company of Myself-shaped and there's nothing to fill it with.

The game is very simply played, platform-style. You progress through each level to the green door, passing obstacles as you go. The first few levels have dialogue where you are seemingly talking to yourself, reminding yourself how to play -- it's weird, but it works. It works really well.

But there's a twist. A twist of genius!

Continue reading Delightful and haunting Braid-clone Time-Waster

Delightful and haunting Braid-clone Time-Waster originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>braidflashpuzzleTue, 24 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[How to add network activity lights to your system tray in Windows 7]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/24/how-to-add-network-activity-lights-to-your-system-tray-in-window/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/24/how-to-add-network-activity-lights-to-your-system-tray-in-window/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/24/how-to-add-network-activity-lights-to-your-system-tray-in-window/#commentsFiled under: ,

With the aid of a tiny little program -- of the juicy, sub-100-kilobyte freeware variety -- you can get those cute little blinking-blue screens back onto your system tray in Windows 7.

In yet another case of inspired naming, Network Activity Indicator for Windows lets you re-attach the network activity indicator to your system tray. It's been sorely missed in both Vista and Windows 7 by many users, and now... you can have it back! Yay! No longer must you wonder if your router has crashed -- you can see it right there on your desktop!

I wish I had more to say, but... that's it really. You can set a blink duration (though it doesn't seem to make much difference), and you can tell it to load at startup... and that's it. Quick and simple, just how I like my, er, apps.

Visit the site, if you really need more information -- or download it directly (57KB).

How to add network activity lights to your system tray in Windows 7 originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hacknetworkwindows 7Windows7Tue, 24 Nov 2009 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Is Firefox causing laptops to overheat through CPU overuse?]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/24/is-firefox-causing-laptops-to-overheat-through-cpu-overuse/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/24/is-firefox-causing-laptops-to-overheat-through-cpu-overuse/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/24/is-firefox-causing-laptops-to-overheat-through-cpu-overuse/#commentsFiled under: ,

Those of you that are fortunate enough to primarily surf the web on a desktop machine, you probably won't notice just how much of a resource hog web browsers can be. But if you use a laptop -- or any kind of portable really -- you have probably experienced the full 100%-CPU-ow-ow-my-thighs-are-burning-and-my-fingertips-are-sweating experience. It turns out that the issue is so pronounced in some cases -- generally ultra-lights/netbooks with less heat dissipation -- that laptops are overheating and shutting down!

For whatever reason, web browsers and portable computers just don't go well together. Whether it's the constant hard-disk swapping or the heavy use of Flash, something causes laptop CPU usage to spike -- a lot.

Fortunately, there's a neat support page on the Mozilla site that details a few ways to reduce CPU usage, if you're one of the few that has an overheating laptop.

Over on CNET they're suggesting that Firefox suffers more than other browsers. Whether that's true or not might be anecdotal, but a support bod at Mozilla did say that 'Safari is possibly better at optmizing Flash-based sites compared to Firefox.'

And I'll pipe in and say that I get CPU spikes using every browser on my laptop. But I'd love to know if Firefox actually munches up more resources than other browsers, or if it's simply a matter of configuring your browser correctly. Perhaps we can expect to see a 'performance version' of Firefox that looks uncomfortably like Safari...?

Is Firefox causing laptops to overheat through CPU overuse? originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 03:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>laptopnetbookoverheatingportableTue, 24 Nov 2009 03:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Microsoft will pay content providers to shun Google -- and get in bed with Bing]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/23/microsoft-will-pay-content-providers-to-shun-google-get-in-bed/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/23/microsoft-will-pay-content-providers-to-shun-google-get-in-bed/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/23/microsoft-will-pay-content-providers-to-shun-google-get-in-bed/#commentsFiled under: , ,

In a marketing ploy so draconian and heavy-handed as to be reminiscent of the original XBox launch, Microsoft is now offering to pay-off publishers if they delist their content from Google's indexes.

Sounds crazy, but it's true. Microsoft has approached News Corp and offered to pay them to de-list from Google's search indexes. So you have some idea of how big a deal this is, News Corp owns Fox, the Wall Street Journal, MySpace and dozens of other publishers and news sources around the world. They are the second biggest media group in the world after Disney.

Google have already gone on the record and said that news content isn't a huge money-spinner for them, but it begs the question: how much money is Microsoft willing to throw around?

They have one of the largest cash reserves in the world. And let's face it, content providers drive the Internet. If Microsoft is really this serious about securing a slice of the search pie, you might begin to see 'Bing exclusive' content very soon.

It won't stop with News Corp -- slowly but surely searching for news on Google will become impossible. And then MySpace music pages won't turn up in your searches either. What if they go to the adult content providers...? What if Bing's new slogan becomes 'the only place to find porn on the Internet'? WHAT IF?

[via The Business Insider]

Microsoft will pay content providers to shun Google -- and get in bed with Bing originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>binggooglemurdochnews corpNewsCorpMon, 23 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Hate the new Windows 'start menu'? Get the classic XP menu back with this little app!]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/21/get-classic-start-menu-on-windows-7-or-windows-vista/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/21/get-classic-start-menu-on-windows-7-or-windows-vista/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/21/get-classic-start-menu-on-windows-7-or-windows-vista/#commentsFiled under: ,

By now a lot of you will have experienced the 'All-in-One Omnipotent Start Menu' thing that was first introduced with Windows Vista and can now be found in Windows 7. It combines My Computer, My Documents and your installed programs into one big, gribbly menu.

Some people love it. Some hate it. Personally, I like the all-in-one search/run input box... but that's about it. I much prefer the old drop-out menu, even if it is a bit stupid when you've got 500 programs installed. I still use icons on my desktop, rather than getting at everything through my Start Menu.

There have been a few tools that replicate the old Start Menu, but this one(aptly called 'Classic Windows Start Menu'), unlike the others, also works with the Windows Aero theme. Sadly, as you can see in the screenshot below, there still seem to be some bugs with the display (ironically, probably when you have a lot of stuff installed), but otherwise it all seems to work as intended!


So if, for some reason (and I'm sure there are lots of possible reasons) you don't like the Vista/7 Start Menu, why not grab this tiny little app?

Direct download link / developer's site (it ain't pretty, but you can find other-language versions there, if you don't want it in English)

[via Into Windows]

Hate the new Windows 'start menu'? Get the classic XP menu back with this little app! originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>start menuStartMenuwindows 7windows vistaWindows7WindowsVistaSat, 21 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Google's Chrome and Android operating systems will converge sooner rather than later]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/21/googles-chrome-and-android-operating-systems-will-converge-soon/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/21/googles-chrome-and-android-operating-systems-will-converge-soon/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/21/googles-chrome-and-android-operating-systems-will-converge-soon/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Google's co-founder, Sergey Brin, spoke to some reporters yesterday, after the Chrome OS presentation. Citing the common WebKit and Linux code found in both operating systems, he said "Android and Chrome are likely to converge over time."

"We're reaching a perfect storm of converging trends where computers are behaving more like mobile devices, and phones are behaving more like small computers," Google said in a statement responding to questions on if and when the two operating systems would converge.

Sergey's frankness on the matter is a little odd and must be part of a very recent internal about-face, considering Google CEO Eric Schmidt said only a few days ago that there was space for both operating systems and no need for conflict between them.

It would make sense though. Mobile devices are becoming more PC-like. PCs are certainly becoming more mobile (excluding the brick-like gaming laptops of course). With mobile data packages from AT&T, Verizon and other international providers regularly dropping in price, Chrome OS and its fast, easy access to everything in the cloud would make for one, sad, lonely Android.

[via CNET]

Google's Chrome and Android operating systems will converge sooner rather than later originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidchrome OSChromeOscloudmobileSat, 21 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Foobar2000 v1.0 Beta -- holy crap, it's finally here!]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/20/foobar2000-v1-0-beta-holy-crap-its-finally-here/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/20/foobar2000-v1-0-beta-holy-crap-its-finally-here/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/20/foobar2000-v1-0-beta-holy-crap-its-finally-here/#commentsFiled under: ,

Believe it or not, almost 7 years after its initial release, the Foobar2000 v1.0 Beta is finally out, and with it comes a large list of changes. Most of them are much-needed interface fixes, but there is the welcome addition of built-in support for the streaming of Windows Media formats (ASX/MMS/RTSP). Other than that, it's much of the same.

Foobar2000, if you were wondering, is a very light-weight music player. It's incredibly flexible thanks to its modular design and fully-featured developer kit. There are mods and plug-ins for Foobar that make it one of the most useful music players: if you're the kind of music buff that likes downloading 'quadrophonic gold remastered' albums in AC3 format from Torrent sites, then Foobar is the music player for you. If you have a large MP3 (or FLAC, AAC, MP4...) music collection and simply want to listen to it, Foobar is also the one for you.

There's all the usual functionality there too, like ripping CDs or fixing ID3 tags. My personal favourite is the keyboard shortcuts that you can set to work globally -- so even if you're playing a game like World of Warcraft, you can skip and pause your music using a finger-breaking keyboard shortcut. Handy. There's also a neat Windows 7 shell integration plugin, if you're fortunate enough to be using Foobar2000 AND Windows 7!

If you're one of those old boring types that's still using the antiquated WinAmp, or you're using the slow-and-disgustingly-bloated iTunes, give Foobar2000 a go -- you'll be surprised at just how good it is.

Official download (torrent) / MajorGeeks direct download (seems link was broken -- fixed now)

Foobar2000 v1.0 Beta -- holy crap, it's finally here! originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>foobar2000mp3music playerMusicPlayerFri, 20 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Waste some time and toss the turtle]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/20/waste-some-time-and-toss-the-turtle/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/20/waste-some-time-and-toss-the-turtle/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/20/waste-some-time-and-toss-the-turtle/#commentsFiled under: ,

No, no, really... I'm not suggesting you head to the supplies cupboard and actually toss the turtle! It's a game! NO! Not the kind of game you play with friends while drunk! A Flash game! Adobe Flash! In your browser!

Toss The Turtle is the epitome -- the end of the line -- the ULTIMATE 'fire a canon ball as far as you can' game, a genre that you might remember from the (really) olden days. The basic premise is obvious: you gotta toss the turtle as far as you can.

But oh boy is it more complicated and involved and awesome than simply firing a canon. This could be significantly more than a 10-minute-time-waster, I assure you.

Continue reading Waste some time and toss the turtle

Waste some time and toss the turtle originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>achievementsnewgroundsFri, 20 Nov 2009 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Finally, serious competition for iTunes...from Sony!]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/20/finally-serious-competition-for-itunes-from-sony/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/20/finally-serious-competition-for-itunes-from-sony/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/20/finally-serious-competition-for-itunes-from-sony/#commentsFiled under: ,

They've been awfully quiet the last couple of years, except for the recent PS3 price reduction and slow drip-feed of good games. But it seems, after the appointment of a new CEO back in 2006, the results of some internal reshuffling might finally be coming to fruition!

There's no name for the new software reported on by BusinessWeek. There's also very few details of the functionality Sony's iTunes-killer will actually utilize to draw people away from Apple's soft, white allure and into their black, serious grasp.

BusinessWeek suggests that the software will try to differentiate itself from iTunes by including Picasa- and YouTube-like functionality, allowing users to upload videos and photos from their (Sony?) cameras. Other than that... who knows what Sony has up their sleeves?

Sony are huge however -- multi-national robber-baron 'XBox' huge -- with an additional vast library of music and movies. They also have a large installed base of PlayStation owners (that's fast increasing!) It wouldn't be a surprise to see some kind of 'PlayStation App Store' included in Sony's new software.

We shall see!

[via BusinessWeek]

Finally, serious competition for iTunes...from Sony! originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>app storeAppStoreitunessoftwaresonyFri, 20 Nov 2009 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Proper web browsing on a console: Firefox coming to the Sony PS3?]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/20/proper-web-browsing-on-a-console-firefox-coming-to-the-sony-ps3/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/20/proper-web-browsing-on-a-console-firefox-coming-to-the-sony-ps3/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/20/proper-web-browsing-on-a-console-firefox-coming-to-the-sony-ps3/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Firefox/PS3 mash-up. Stolen from CNET, who stole it from Gizmodo.It seems the age of humdrum, crippled browsers on consoles might finally be coming to an end! Though the details are very slim, with the only source being an unnamed insider very close to Sony, it is exciting news indeed if it turns out to true.

Games consoles have always had feeble browser offerings, with PS3's default browser generally considered one of the worst and most unreliable. Porting Firefox to the PS3 would make a lot of sense, especially if Sony intend to inroads against the competing XBox Live service. Or perhaps they need a proper web browser for their newly-announced iTunes-killer...?

Obviously this is very much a rumour, but it would make a lot of sense -- and it will probably appear quite soon, considering how hard Sony are pushing for a larger slice of the console market at the moment.

I wonder if Flash and the ability to stream videos from sites like YouPo YouTube will be included....

[via CNET]

Proper web browsing on a console: Firefox coming to the Sony PS3? originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>consolefirefoxps3sonyFri, 20 Nov 2009 08:30:00 EST<![CDATA[YouTube 1080p roll-out begins]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/19/youtube-1080p-roll-out-begins/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/19/youtube-1080p-roll-out-begins/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/19/youtube-1080p-roll-out-begins/#commentsFiled under: , ,

We've just been tipped off that 1080p or 'the highest-quality HDTV standard' has begun to appear on YouTube.

So far there doesn't seem to be a way to search for the high-high definition videos, and the only example I have is a Nokia video of some poor, disadvantaged Indonesian farmer -- but I'm sure it's only a matter of time before YouTube/Google officially announce the changes to their video player.

In the meantime, if you find any videos that have been enabled for 1080p playback, share them in the comments!

The Nokia video is included after the break, if you want to see what the quality looks like.

[thanks to Revo for the tip!]

Continue reading YouTube 1080p roll-out begins

YouTube 1080p roll-out begins originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>1080phdtvyoutubeThu, 19 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Beginning of the end for the Internet in the UK]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/19/beginning-of-the-end-for-the-internet-in-the-uk/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/19/beginning-of-the-end-for-the-internet-in-the-uk/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/19/beginning-of-the-end-for-the-internet-in-the-uk/#commentsFiled under:

Often lauded as the 'CCTV state' and 'the most surveilled country in the world', the UK may soon deliver a killing blow to the Internet as we know it. Cory Doctorow of Boing Boing is reporting some leaked legislation from the UK government that would remove any kind of freedom or privacy that the Internet grants its users.

The proposed amendments to the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act would allow the Secretary of State (or 'Pirate-Finder General') to alter the law on an ad-hoc basis without approval by Parliament (the UK's Senate).

Cory goes on to site the potential repercussions of these proposed changes:

1. Immediate remedies for copyright infringement -- jail sentences and removal of Internet access can be meted out purely at the discretion of an unelected official (that is most likely under the sway and pay of media lobby groups).

2. The raising of pirate-hunting militia -- the Secretary of State could "confer rights" to music labels and movie studios to help them protect their works. It would be within the rights of the copyright owners to compel ISPs, schools and businesses to hand over details of those using their network for 'nefarious' purposes.

3. Pirate-hunting duties could be forced upon ISPs -- not merely content with perusing ISP records, the Secretary of State could force ISPs to act as gatekeepers. You can imagine how it might impact your surfing experience if a copyright lawyer is forced to peruse each and every one of your emails to check for plagiarism...

Cory goes on to cite other implications, but you should probably just go and read the article itself. And as he says, if you're a Brit, or even if you know a Brit -- this is serious news. You can't really expect something like this to make it through government... but really... who knows?

[via Boing Boing]

Beginning of the end for the Internet in the UK originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>copyrightdigital rightsDigitalRightsfreedompolice statePoliceStateprivacyUKThu, 19 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Good for only a week: $10 cashback with Bing!]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/19/good-for-only-a-week-10-cashback-with-bing/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/19/good-for-only-a-week-10-cashback-with-bing/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/19/good-for-only-a-week-10-cashback-with-bing/#commentsFiled under: ,


You need a PayPal account, and you have to spend $25, but good until November 25th 2009 you can claim $10 cashback thanks to BING!

The list of participating stores is huge -- Ebay, BestBuy, Barnes & Noble amongst others -- so it shouldn't be a problem finding something to spend $25 on, especially with the holiday season now upon us!

The only 'tricky' thing is you need a Microsoft Live and PayPal account. But most people have one or both of things already, right?

The offer's landing page suggests it's only available to those that received the offer in their email -- but it worked for me, and I didn't receive an email! it could be 'fixed' at any time, so you probably want to go and claim your cashback ASAP.

How much money is Microsoft going to throw around to steal a portion of the lucrative search industry? Perhaps more importantly, as Google and Yahoo fight to keep their large stakes, we users must be ready to mop up the incentives and special offers!

[Thanks to Paul for the tip!]

Good for only a week: $10 cashback with Bing! originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bingcashbackhggspecial offerSpecialOfferThu, 19 Nov 2009 10:10:00 EST<![CDATA[The power of popular culture: 'unfriend' officially enters the American language]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/19/the-power-of-popular-culture-unfriend-officially-enters-the-a/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/19/the-power-of-popular-culture-unfriend-officially-enters-the-a/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/19/the-power-of-popular-culture-unfriend-officially-enters-the-a/#commentsFiled under: ,

Did you even know that there was a New Oxford American Dictionary? I didn't. But with their recent addition of 'unfriend' to the American language, that might soon change. Maybe this was their way of leaving the realm of obscurity... and into hilarity!

"It has both currency and potential longevity," says Christine Lindberg, Senior Lexicographer for Oxford's US dictionary program. She goes on to add that it has real 'lex-appeal'. Quite. I get the nagging feeling that the senior lexicographer for the NOAD might be short and blonde and very American. Here in England, new words don't enter the language without ratification by a round-table of 12 bearded and wizened lexicographic geriatrics.

There's quite a long list of runners-up. Amongst others: hashtag (always thought this was a bit ambiguous... but perhaps that's my drug-dealing background...), sexting (don't make me explain this one), zombie bank (sadly not a L4D reference), deleb (a dead celebrity apparently). A complete list is available on the Oxford University Press blog, if you want a bit of a giggle.

I wonder why they opted for 'unfriend' rather than 'defriend'. Or maybe defriend is British-English, and unfriend is 'Merkin-English...

What other words do you think we can expect to see in the New Oxford American Dictionary in the coming years? Retweet? Bloggable? ('Weblog' is already in the NOAD!)

The power of popular culture: 'unfriend' officially enters the American language originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dictionaryfacebooksocial networkingSocialNetworkingwordsThu, 19 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Look out! Outlook wants to become your new social media and collaboration hub]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/18/outlook-2010-social-connector-activity-streams/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/18/outlook-2010-social-connector-activity-streams/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/18/outlook-2010-social-connector-activity-streams/#commentsFiled under: , ,


It's been a long time coming, and perhaps a little too late, but you can now track your friends' and colleagues' social networking activity in Outlook 2010. Dubbed the 'Outlook Social Connector' (OSC), the functionality is available right now to all Office 2010 Beta testers.

The list of much-needed features that OSC brings to Outlook is long and juicy. 'Activity Feeds' is the new social media technology, collating the activities of your contacts into your Outlook screen. LinkedIn support is included in the current beta version, but there's no mention of anything like Twitter or Facebook support yet.

There's also neat functionality to show you all of the attachments sent between you and another contact, a communication history that shows you your recent emails with that contact, Next year, there will be added connectivity with Windows Live Messenger! There are numerous mentions of 'extensibility' and an easy-to-use developer kit, however, so I'm sure lots of other add-ons will emerge in due course.

For enterprise users there's even a SharePoint 2010 interface! Actually, does anyone really use Outlook outside the enterprise environment? Do social media 'gurus' use Outlook?

There's a little introductory video after the break, from the Outlook Team Blog!

Continue reading Look out! Outlook wants to become your new social media and collaboration hub

Look out! Outlook wants to become your new social media and collaboration hub originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>collaborationconnectivityoutlookWed, 18 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[IE9 unveiled. Faster, more standards-compliant -- DirectX accelerated!]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/18/ie9-unveiled-faster-more-standards-compliant-directx-accele/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/18/ie9-unveiled-faster-more-standards-compliant-directx-accele/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/18/ie9-unveiled-faster-more-standards-compliant-directx-accele/#commentsFiled under: , ,



It's only three weeks into its development, but Internet Explorer 9 has officially been unveiled today at the Professional Developers Conference (PDC). In fact, as I write this now, they're still talking about IE9 and other tech advances over on the Microsoft PDC09 website.

Their goals with IE9 seem pretty obvious from the graphs shown in their presentation: faster, more standards-compliant website rendering. If you look at the slide above, lower is faster. And that's just three weeks into their development of a new browser and web rendering engine!

They're also including 'hardware accelerated' rendering using your graphics card using the DirectX D2D technology. Whether you're trying to perform funky stuff with CSS3, Javascript or DHTML, IE9 should render things a lot faster.

There's a big video (that requires Silverlight!) after the break. It explains and impressively-demonstrates the new DirectX D2D speed-up.

[via GeekSmack]

Continue reading IE9 unveiled. Faster, more standards-compliant -- DirectX accelerated!

IE9 unveiled. Faster, more standards-compliant -- DirectX accelerated! originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>browserdirectxie9internet explorerInternetExplorerWed, 18 Nov 2009 13:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Ding dong the torrent's dead -- Pirate Bay's tracker closes down]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/17/ding-dong-the-torrents-dead-pirate-bays-tracker-closes-down/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/17/ding-dong-the-torrents-dead-pirate-bays-tracker-closes-down/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/17/ding-dong-the-torrents-dead-pirate-bays-tracker-closes-down/#commentsFiled under: ,


In rather shocking news this morning, The Pirate Bay (TPB) has shut down its torrent tracker. The search engine remains, but instead of dishing up torrents it will instead serve as a magnet-link repository.

TPB cites that the concept of the BitTorrent tracker is dead. "There is no need to run a tracker any more" says their blog. Long-live DHT and PEX -- dynamic, decentralized torrenting technologies!

What this actually means for you and I -- the implications -- is that you need to make sure you have an updated torrent client, like uTorrent or Azureus. Something that supports DHT and PEX. Most of you will already have these technologies enabled by default -- you just don't know about them. In fact, even with this rather dramatic announcement, you probably won't realise any difference in your download speeds.

Piracy will continue as normal, don't worry.

It's simply the end of an era. Perhaps more interestingly, TPB have been talking to other tracker owners and torrent-download sites. They're pushing for everyone to move away from trackers and towards decentralization.

Whether this is simply a 'viva la piracy!' move, or a more sinister strategy by their new owners remains to be seen.

[via TorrentFreak]

Ding dong the torrent's dead -- Pirate Bay's tracker closes down originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>piracythe pirate bayThePirateBaytorrenttpbtrackerTue, 17 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[All your OS are belong to US... with Apple's new advertising patent!]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/16/all-your-os-are-belong-to-us-with-apples-new-advertising-pate/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/16/all-your-os-are-belong-to-us-with-apples-new-advertising-pate/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/16/all-your-os-are-belong-to-us-with-apples-new-advertising-pate/#commentsFiled under: ,

Would you love Apple quite so much if they forced you to jump through hoops, click buttons and answer survey questions at random intervals while listening to music? How about some banner ads as you browse the music and documents on your computer? No?

See, this is the problem: with our every-day activities slowly centralised and usurped by a handful of multinational juggernauts, we are quite simply at their mercy. If Google decide to turn around one day and shut down their services we have no recompense. If Microsoft shut down their messenger service, what then? What if MSN is your only lifeline to your family or friends on the other side of the world?

We invest a lot of faith into just a few large companies: Apple, Microsoft, Google. A lot of damn faith. And it's misplaced and misguided faith. We trust these vast corporations with our life -- or what constitutes our modern-day life at least: our friends, communication and entertainment.

Why do we trust them? Because we're cheap. Because there's no better alternative to Gmail or iTunes or Windows. Money makes the world go around, ladies and gentlemen. It's the very same impulse that drives us to these free services that will eventually make them unwieldy and useless.

Now that these guys have our attention -- now that we have enough invested that it's too late to back out -- you will begin to see the monetization of their services. First it will just be text-only ads. Then banners. Then full video!

Which brings us neatly onto news of Apple's new patent (PDF). As reported by the New York Times, it seems Apple has an ingenious new system that will plaster unskippable commercials onto your Apple devices at an operating-system level. Enjoying the latest episode of Fringe? WHAM! Advert! Just reaching the zenith of Muse's new album? BLAM! Some banal jingle for hemorrhoid cream.

Ominously titled 'Advertisement in Operating System', you can imagine your own nefarious uses for such an invention. Uses as wide-ranging as Flash ads in 'My Computer' to survey questions you have to stop and answer on your iPod when you go for a run.

[via New York Times]

All your OS are belong to US... with Apple's new advertising patent! originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>advertisinginvasivemoneysteve jobsSteveJobsMon, 16 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[New Go integrates with Chrome and Chrome OS. Native, high-speed add-ons and web apps here we come!]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/12/new-go-integrates-with-chrome-and-chrome-os-native-high-speed/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/12/new-go-integrates-with-chrome-and-chrome-os-native-high-speed/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/12/new-go-integrates-with-chrome-and-chrome-os-native-high-speed/#commentsFiled under: ,

You've heard of Chrome. You've heard of Chrome OS. Yesterday I brought you news of Go, Google's new programming language. Now... I bring you news of Native Client -- a tool that lets you run programs inside your web browser: Chrome.

A basic definition of 'Native' would be 'closer to the core of your computer'. Add-ons at the moment are executed at a great distance from your computer's processor. This is for security concerns mostly -- if the code is executed in the browser, it can't get at your core files. You're safe. But it's also slow. That's where Native Client steps in.

Google's Native Client software is special in that it runs at much higher speeds than your usual Firefox or Chrome add-ons. It runs much more like another application on your computer, rather than 'a web app' in the browser. It has security built-in that won't allow developers to program dangerous applications.

But it's not actually new. It's been around for months. What is new is that Go, Google's new language, will integrate fully with Native Client!

This means two very important things: a) web apps will be propelled to a new level of speed and complexity when coded in Go with Native Client and b) you are now looking at how applications in Chrome OS will be developed and run.

When you run programs in Chrome OS they will simply be Native Client web applications. There won't be a difference between Photoshop or Gmail, World of Warcraft or FarmVille -- they'll all be tabs in Chrome.

Everything will be a tab in Chrome.

One Google to rule them all. One browser to find them. One tab to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.

[via CNET]

New Go integrates with Chrome and Chrome OS. Native, high-speed add-ons and web apps here we come! originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chromechrome osChromeOsgogolangnaclnative clientNativeClientThu, 12 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Fullmoon: delicious ten-minute Time-Waster]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/12/fullmoon-delicious-ten-minute-time-waster/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/12/fullmoon-delicious-ten-minute-time-waster/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/12/fullmoon-delicious-ten-minute-time-waster/#commentsFiled under: ,

Fullmoon is one of those delightful little games where you almost don't want it to be over. A bit like Portal, I guess. You know the end is coming -- all too soon, usually -- but... you can't stop. The end be damned! You just have to shut your eyes, finish the last puzzle and pray there's a sequel (which I'm sure there will be in this case!)

This isn't your standard pixel-hunting point-and-click affair. It's actually a lot easier than most Flash games. This probably won't last you more than the ten or fifteen minutes it takes you to drink your morning coffee -- but that's OK! Games don't have to be long -- they only have to be enjoyable.

Continue reading Fullmoon: delicious ten-minute Time-Waster

Fullmoon: delicious ten-minute Time-Waster originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>flashpoint and clickPointAndClickpuzzletime-wasterThu, 12 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST