Download Squad http://www.downloadsquad.com Download Squad http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/%SiteURL%/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[The dangers of taking credit for open-source software]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/06/24/the-dangers-of-taking-credit-for-open-source-software/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/06/24/the-dangers-of-taking-credit-for-open-source-software/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/06/24/the-dangers-of-taking-credit-for-open-source-software/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

TedTalksOpen-source software is everywhere, and developers use it to speed up their development on a regular basis. This is as it should be, for the most part, assuming the developers follow the licensing for whatever open-source software (OSS) they use. Along with licensing, the open-source community is, probably rightly so, very focused on attributing credit correctly. Considering that most OSS developers do not make any money for their contributions, credit and reputation are really the only compensation they can expect.

Imagine the horror in the OSS community then, when a mini-TEDTalk was released today that had presenter Chris Hughes showing off augmented-reality software that is built on very powerful open-source toolkits, but fails to attribute any credit to them, or even mention their existence.

Ralph Hauwert certainly took issue, and wrote a scathing blog post describing the offense. To TED's credit, they have updated the page for today's video, acknowledging the furor and offering an explanation. According to the update, Chris hadn't been intending on presenting at TED, but after privately showing his project to a number of people, he was invited to do a short 2 minute presentation. Due to the extremely short format, there was apparently no time for attribution of credit for the software frameworks his software was based on.

This is a cautionary tale. Clearly someone made a mistake, and Hughes' reputation may end up bearing the brunt of the error. It's important to remember that in the software business there are always two currencies at play: the typical financial currency that we usually think of (you know, money), and credit for the work that was done. Although there is a lot of open-source software that is licensed to be free to use, that fact amplifies the focus on correctly attributing credit for the work that went into the software.

My guess is this is a lesson Chris Hughes isn't likely to forget again.

The dangers of taking credit for open-source software originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 24 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>attributionchris hugheschris-hughesChrisHughescreditdevelopersOpen Sourceopen source softwareOpen-Sourceopen-source-softwareOpenSourceOpenSourceSoftwarereputationsoftwaresoftware businesssoftware frameworkssoftware-businesssoftware-frameworksSoftwareBusinessSoftwareFrameworkstedted-talksWed, 24 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Google asks users to make the web faster by using Page Speed]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/06/24/google-asks-users-to-make-the-web-faster-by-using-page-speed/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/06/24/google-asks-users-to-make-the-web-faster-by-using-page-speed/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/06/24/google-asks-users-to-make-the-web-faster-by-using-page-speed/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Google's blogging about making the web faster, and they're backing it up with Page Speed, a Firefox add-on that makes sure your webpages use best practices to load as quickly as possible. Page Speed was quietly launched earlier this month on the Google Code blog, but now it's mentioned on The Official Google Blog, in a post that lays out some factors that slow down the web, and how Google thinks they can be fixed.

The Google plan for a faster web includes stuff like HTML5 support, more performance diagnostic tools like Page Speed and Yahoo's YSlow, and greater adoption of broadband. So, what are some of the best practices that Page Speed might suggest? Mostly, minor code tweaks like cleaning up your CSS so you only use each declaration once, or removing unnecessary tags from your HTML. There's some more advanced stuff that gets into PHP and JavaScript as well.

One note: Page Speed also requires the Firebug add-on for Firefox, which is very useful in its own right.

Google asks users to make the web faster by using Page Speed originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 24 Jun 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>codegoogleHTMLoptimizationpage-speedwebweb-designWed, 24 Jun 2009 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Dev Chair : Beanstalk is Subversion without the hassle]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/06/09/dev-chair-beanstalk-is-subversion-without-the-hassle/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/06/09/dev-chair-beanstalk-is-subversion-without-the-hassle/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/06/09/dev-chair-beanstalk-is-subversion-without-the-hassle/#commentsFiled under: ,

Subversion is arguably the world's most popular source control system, and many a developer's best friend. It keeps things organized, it helps you gracefully recover from your mistakes, and it makes managing branches and versions of your projects dead simple. What isn't always dead simple is setting up or managing the Subversion repository. Sure, the software is free but, your developer's time definitely isn't. If you've delegated the hassles of managing your source control to one of your senior developers, you're likely making a crucial mistake that is costing you money.

Beanstalk takes the burden of setting up and maintaining Subversion out of the equation. For $15 a month and up -- or free for a tiny project not needing per-commit backups -- Beanstalk gives you Subversion as well as integration with Twitter, Basecamp, Campfire, and more. Use any Subversion client you want! Cooler still, if you're using Beanstalk's SVN to manage a website, they've made it super simple to set up FTP deployment on commit, so every time you commit a change it can go live on your domain.

For cost to hassle ratio, I personally have to say spending $15 bucks a month for someone else to worry about keeping my Subversion server running and backed up might be the best $15 I've ever spent.

Dev Chair : Beanstalk is Subversion without the hassle originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dev chairDevChairsubversionversion controlVersionControlTue, 09 Jun 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Jetpack addon enables dead-simple notifications in Firefox]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/06/04/jetpack-addon-enables-dead-simple-notifications-in-firefox/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/06/04/jetpack-addon-enables-dead-simple-notifications-in-firefox/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/06/04/jetpack-addon-enables-dead-simple-notifications-in-firefox/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


There are already plenty of ways to send notifications out of Firefox into apps like Snarl and Growl, but what about the other way around? If you work, play, and live in your browser wouldn't it be nice if your notifications could appear there instead of needing to install a standalone notifier?

The Notify addon for Jetpack does just that. With a short snippet of JQuery code, developers can easily push notifications to Firefox. They'll appear even when sent from background tabs or from external applications, as long as Firefox is still running.

Zach Waugh, who created the addon, has made all his code available under the MIT license, so you're free to use it in both commercial and personal apps.

Jetpack addon enables dead-simple notifications in Firefox originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>firefoxgrowljetpack-addonnotificationsThu, 04 Jun 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Windows Mobile 6.5 SDK released, emulators ready for download]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/06/04/windows-mobile-6-5-sdk-released-emulators-ready-for-download/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/06/04/windows-mobile-6-5-sdk-released-emulators-ready-for-download/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/06/04/windows-mobile-6-5-sdk-released-emulators-ready-for-download/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Windows Mobile 6.5 emulatorWant to play with Windows Mobile 6.5 before it's available on phones and don't feel like installing one of the hacked versions floating around the shadowy corners if the internet? No problem. Microsoft launched the Software Development Kit for Windows Mobile 6.5 today, and as part of that launch, the company released an emulator that essentially lets you run the mobile operating system in a virtual environment on a Windows PC.

The idea behind the emulator is that it gives developers the tools to create and test applications for deployment on Windows Mobile 6.5 devices. But since the emulator images are available for anyone to download, you can also use them to take the operating system for a test spin or see if the apps you're running on your Pocket PC 2002 device will run properly on a new phone.

Windows Mobile 6.5 SDK released, emulators ready for download originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>emulatorwindows-mobile-6.5windows-mobile-6.5-sdkThu, 04 Jun 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Microsoft gets drunk, gives away Technet subscriptions]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/06/03/microsoft-gets-drunk-gives-away-technet-subscriptions/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/06/03/microsoft-gets-drunk-gives-away-technet-subscriptions/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/06/03/microsoft-gets-drunk-gives-away-technet-subscriptions/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Ok, so I can't actually back that title up with any actual evidence, but when Microsoft pulls a Jack Napier and starts throwing money on the people of Gotham, you assume something is up.

Regardless, they're handing out free subscriptions to TechNet Plus - which normally run $349. Sign up via the appropriate link for the US, Canada, or the UK (readers in other countries may be out of luck), complete the registration forms, and you'll get access to all the glorious goodies in the TechNet vault. Despite my misgivings about the certificate warnings and badly-rendered page layouts, this is the real deal.

There are, of course, a couple catches. First, it appears as though the program will expire on September 30 - not a terrible thing, since you'll still get three full months of downloads and access. Second - and a much bigger issue - is that product key troubles abound.

It's all fine and dandy to have access to download things like Windows Home Server and Office 2007 straight from Microsoft, but access to legitimate keys is equally (or perhaps more) important.

That said, with a little patience and several re-clicks, I've managed to secure keys for Home Server and Office 2007 - so it does work.

Update: with IE8 and compatibility mode enabled, I'm having very good results getting product keys (9:36AM Central)

Update: Even better results when using Opera 10. WTH?

Update: Original links may no longer be working...Try this product link, as suggested in the comments:

Quick, go sign up before they come to their senses!

[via Ars Technica]

Microsoft gets drunk, gives away Technet subscriptions originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 03 Jun 2009 08:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>drunkfreebiesgiveawaymicrosofttechnetWed, 03 Jun 2009 08:42:00 EST<![CDATA[Adobe releases trio of Labs goodies for designers, developers]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/06/01/adobe-releases-trio-of-labs-goodies-for-designers-developers/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/06/01/adobe-releases-trio-of-labs-goodies-for-designers-developers/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/06/01/adobe-releases-trio-of-labs-goodies-for-designers-developers/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Adobe has been busily working away on the Flash/Flex platform, announcing late yesterday that three new releases were headed to Adobe Labs.

The Flex SDK has reached version 4, and Flex Builder has been re-branded as Flash Builder. The new version delivers loads of new functionality and focuses on three keys: developer productivity, designer-developer workflow, and data-centric development.

Since Flash Builder just hit labs, that means there's a free download for you. You'll need an Adobe account, but once registered you're free to download the Flash Builder 4 30-day beta (existing Flex 3 licensees will receive a serial number via email to extend the trial), the Eclipse plugin, a component kit for Flash Pro, and an HP QuickTest plugin.

On the workflow front, they have released Flash Catalyst, a tool which allows interfaces designed in Photoshop and Illustrator to be easily converted to SWF. The beta is available for download, and serial numbers are provided to extend your tryout beyond 30 days.

For a look at what's new in the Flex SDK, check out the post from Adobe's Matt Chotin and read up on the differences between version 3 and 4.

Adobe releases trio of Labs goodies for designers, developers originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 01 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adobe-airflash-catalystflex-builderflex-sdkMon, 01 Jun 2009 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Facebook announces winning apps in FBFund]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/05/29/facebook-announces-winning-apps-in-fbfund/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/05/29/facebook-announces-winning-apps-in-fbfund/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/05/29/facebook-announces-winning-apps-in-fbfund/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Facebook's FBFund is a $10mil initiative to provide funding for startups that are doing promising things in the Facebook app or Facebook Connect area. Recently, 18 startups were chosen to receive a whole bunch of money and attend Facebook's Rev09 incubator program this summer.

All 18 winners (and two non-profits, who can't get a cut of the money due to the structure of FBFund) are listed on Facebook's Developer Blog, but I want to highlight a few of the apps that look most likely to catch on in a big way. Nutshell Mail, which was featured on Download Squad back in February, consolidates all your social network subscription emails into one periodic digest, keeping your inbox clear. Sortuv finds local businesses that are "sortuv" like ones you already know and like. Gameyola is a platform for casual Flash games.

Do you think any of the FBFund projects will take off? Let us know which ones you love or hate in the comments.

Facebook announces winning apps in FBFund originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 29 May 2009 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>facebookfacebook-appsfbfundfundingstartupsFri, 29 May 2009 19:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Is TypeKit the future of fonts on the web?]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/05/29/is-typekit-the-future-of-fonts-on-the-web/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/05/29/is-typekit-the-future-of-fonts-on-the-web/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/05/29/is-typekit-the-future-of-fonts-on-the-web/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Typography on the web has always been a delicate topic, and the source of a lot of tension between web designers, type designers, and standards gurus. Websites should have quality type choices available for all of their readers, but type designers deserve to be compensated for their hard work. The appropriate standard and the appropriate license have been debated for years. Typekit, launching this summer, is one possible resolution to the situation.

Billing itself as "the easiest way to use real fonts on your website," Typekit is a cross-browser platform that will offer a consistent license for fonts, without DRM. A group of type foundries is already supposed to be on board, although it's not yet clear which ones they are. For web designers, using Typekit will apparently be as easy as adding a little bit of Javascript to the site. It will be interesting to see whether it catches on, or whether it's too good to be true.

Is TypeKit the future of fonts on the web? originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 29 May 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>designfontstypefacestypekittypographyweb-typeFri, 29 May 2009 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Two weeks left to enter MindBites Screencast 4 Cash contest]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/05/20/two-weeks-left-to-enter-mindbites-screencast-4-cash-contest/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/05/20/two-weeks-left-to-enter-mindbites-screencast-4-cash-contest/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/05/20/two-weeks-left-to-enter-mindbites-screencast-4-cash-contest/#commentsFiled under: , ,

We're hitting the home stretch in the MindBites Screencast 4 Cash contest! As I discussed last month, MindBites is holding a contest in conjunction with Techsmith's Jing Pro and Download Squad (that's us!). Entrants can submit an original screencast to be eligible to win a Grand Prize of $1000, plus a copy of Snagit/Camtasia Studio. There will also be a People's Choice Prize, determined by popular vote, and the winner will get $500 and a copy of Snagit.

The deadline for entries was extended until June 1, so you still have time to enter in your own screencast. Have some awesome coding or web design skills you want to share? Share them with the world!

Right now, individuals can vote once per week, but starting June 2, you can also vote daily! Even better, for every vote cast, $0.10 will be donated to the Youth for Technology Foundation, which helps underprivileged kids get access and instruction to technology.

If you want to create a screencast but you're unsure of what software to use, peruse our past reviews and tests of web and client-based screencasting apps! Check out the contest page for all the rules and requirements, plus check out the entries that have been submitted thus far.

If you've got a great idea for a screencast, you have until June 1 to enter. Grant and I are two of the judges and we can't wait to see what else gets submitted!

Two weeks left to enter MindBites Screencast 4 Cash contest originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 20 May 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>mindbitesscreencaststechsmithWed, 20 May 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Facebook rolls out support for OpenID logins]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/05/19/facebook-rolls-out-support-for-openid-logins/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/05/19/facebook-rolls-out-support-for-openid-logins/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/05/19/facebook-rolls-out-support-for-openid-logins/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Facebook has taken steps in the past to promote sharing identities across different social networks, with its own Facebook Connect and its membership on the OpenID board, and it just took one more big leap by allowing Facebook logins via OpenID. If you have an OpenID from a provider like Google, you can now login automatically to Facebook. You can also register for Facebook using a Gmail account, which Facebook is hoping will boost its membership numbers.

According to the Developer Blog, users who register with OpenID are more likely to become active Facebook users. That means Facebook has every reason to support OpenID, even though it competes in some ways with Facebook Connect. The reason Facebook initially limited registration to workplaces and Universities was that those emails could fairly reliably verify a user's identity. It's nice to see that OpenID has achieved the same level of legitimacy.

Facebook rolls out support for OpenID logins originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 19 May 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>facebookfacebook-connectgmailgoogleopenidTue, 19 May 2009 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Start your own URL shortener with awe.sm]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/05/15/start-your-own-url-shortener-with-awe-sm/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/05/15/start-your-own-url-shortener-with-awe-sm/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/05/15/start-your-own-url-shortener-with-awe-sm/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Seems like everybody's starting their own url shorteners these days. There's the Diggbar, Amazon's shorturls, and a whole plethora of other shorteners all competing with one another. Well, now you can have your very own -- for a fee -- from awe.sm, which is a pretty great shortlink service in its own right.

The service offers a hosted URL shortener on a domain of your choosing, along with access to awe.sm's already existing traffic anaysis tools and developer APIs. It'll run you $99 a year, with enough capacity to handle all the redirections you'll probably need -- if people create 10,000 of your new URL in a year, you're doing pretty well. Between the time it takes to code your own shortener, and the hosting costs of dealing with the traffic, awe.sm's prices look pretty reasonable.

Start your own URL shortener with awe.sm originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 15 May 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>awe.smcustomshorturltinyurlurl-shortenerFri, 15 May 2009 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Facebook fixes up application directory, pushes verified apps]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/05/15/facebook-fixes-up-application-directory-pushes-verified-apps/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/05/15/facebook-fixes-up-application-directory-pushes-verified-apps/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/05/15/facebook-fixes-up-application-directory-pushes-verified-apps/#commentsFiled under: ,

According to Facebook's Developer Blog, big changes are coming to the application directory, which will affect both developers and everyday users. With over 52,000 apps now available, the Facebook team, they're looking at new ways to highlight the best apps and help users discover the ones most relevant to them. This should deliver a much-needed image boost for Facebook, and help combat the impression that Facebook apps are all cheap pirates-vs-ninjas spam.

The plan includes verified apps, which developers can have vetted by Facebook for a fee. The ones that meet Facebook's standards will be bumped to the top of search results in the app directory. This looks like a win-win, where Facebook gets money, developers get more exposure, and users get better apps.

Also, users will now see an activity feed on the app directory page, showing which apps their friends have used lately, hopefully leading to more relevant results. The application categories are also getting their first reboot since '07, making finding the best apps that much easier.

If you don't want to wait for these changes to start finding the most useful apps on Facebook, you can always check out my top 10 list on Download Squad.

[via Webware]

Facebook fixes up application directory, pushes verified apps originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 15 May 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>applicationsdeveloperfacebookfacebook-appsFri, 15 May 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Mozilla targets tabs in Summer Design Challenge 09]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/05/14/mozilla-targets-tabs-in-summer-design-challenge-09/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/05/14/mozilla-targets-tabs-in-summer-design-challenge-09/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/05/14/mozilla-targets-tabs-in-summer-design-challenge-09/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

With their Spring Design Challenge recently wrapped up, Mozilla has announced the 2009 summer edition. The focus this time around will be on reinventing tabs in the browser.

Browser tabs haven't changed much since their introduction, yet the web itself continues evolving rapidly. The goal of this challenge is to envision innovative new ways to handle multiple web pages in a single browser window.

The previous challenge winners produced some very compelling concepts - like the virtual desk for collaborative research - and it will be interesting to see which proposals stand out this time around. As Brad wrote last month, perhaps the time has come for tabs as we know them to vanish completely.

If you've got a great idea and the required design chops, put your mockup together and post it to Flickr, Vimeo, or YouTube with the tag mozconcept and ping conceptseries@mozilla.com with your link.

Who knows - we might all be enjoying your creation in a future version of Firefox.

Mozilla targets tabs in Summer Design Challenge 09 originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 14 May 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>design-contestfirefoxmozillaThu, 14 May 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Lay out websites easily using 960 Gridder]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/05/01/lay-out-websites-easily-using-960-gridder/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/05/01/lay-out-websites-easily-using-960-gridder/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/05/01/lay-out-websites-easily-using-960-gridder/#commentsFiled under: , ,


If you're a web design who works with grid systems all the time, it's handy to have a way to put a customizable grid over any website. I wrote about Slammer, an OS X tool for gridding up any window, and readers asked if there was a non-Mac alternative. Here's one: the web-based 960 Gridder. It's a bookmarklet, so it's cross-platform and works in all major browsers.

Once you turn on 960 Gridder, the default grid will be displayed on top of your browser window. To change settings, go to the 960 Gridder sidebar over on the left, and adjust colors, opacity, gutters and spacing to your liking. There's even an option to reverse out the grid, in case you switch from a light to a dark page. 960 Gridder isn't a perfect solution, but it's a free one, and it helps in a pinch.

Lay out websites easily using 960 Gridder originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 01 May 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>960gridderbookmarkletbrowserdesigngridwebFri, 01 May 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[MindBites launches Screencast 4 Cash contest]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/04/21/mindbites-launches-screencast-4-cash-contest/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/04/21/mindbites-launches-screencast-4-cash-contest/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/04/21/mindbites-launches-screencast-4-cash-contest/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

At SXSWi 2008, Grant and I met Jason Reneau, the founder and CEO of MindBites, a platform and marketplace for video lessons. We were really impressed with the MindBites vision last year. When we met up with them this year, it was awesome to see how far the community, the site and the market for quality video tutorials has come.

Today, MindBites is launching the Screencast 4 Cash contest in conjunction with Techsmith's Jing Pro and Download Squad (that's us!). Entrants can submit an original screencast to be eligible to win a Grand Prize of $1000, plus a copy of Snagit/Camtasia Studio. There will also be a People's Choice Prize, determined by popular vote, and the winner will get $500 and a copy of Snagit.

Every vote cast in the contest will yield a $0.10 US donation to the Youth for Technology Foundation, which exposes children in underdeveloped parts of the world to technology through instruction and staffed technology centers. So just by voting, you can help underprivileged kids get access and instruction to technology.

Screencasts are a great way to learn, or teach a specialty. We covered some iPhone-specific screencasts last month and found the medium really, really ripe for learning or supplementing other forms of instruction.

If you've got a great idea for a screencast, enter the contest! Grant and I are two of the judges and we can't wait to see what stuff gets submitted! You can read more details on deadlines and voting dates over at MindBites.

Want to know more about MindBites? Check out this video from SXSWi 2009!

Continue reading MindBites launches Screencast 4 Cash contest

MindBites launches Screencast 4 Cash contest originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 21 Apr 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>camtasiajingmindbitesscreencaststechsmithTue, 21 Apr 2009 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Adobe offers free Flex 3 license to unemployed developers]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/04/08/adobe-offers-free-flex-3-license-to-unemployed-developers/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/04/08/adobe-offers-free-flex-3-license-to-unemployed-developers/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/04/08/adobe-offers-free-flex-3-license-to-unemployed-developers/#commentsFiled under: ,

Say what you will about Adobe's licensing fees and whatnot, but at least they're willing to do something to provide a little assistance to developers that have been hit hard by the current economic situation. If you can provide proof that you are currently unemployed, Adobe will provide you a personal use license for Flex Builder at no charge.

Flex Builder Pro 3 is normally $699 to purchase, so this is a pretty generous offer. Yes, Adobe have their own ulterior motives - if you become skilled with Flex, you may land a job somewhere and your employer will need to spring for a license. Who knows, it could lead to some killer new Flex app being developed, and then Adobe wins again because the platform gets a boost.

Whatever the motivation, it's still a nice gesture and could definitely provide jobless developers with a new skill that may just help them find employment again.

[via OS News]

Adobe offers free Flex 3 license to unemployed developers originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 08 Apr 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adobe-flexWed, 08 Apr 2009 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Microsoft releases Sharepoint Designer 2007 as a free download]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/04/03/microsoft-releases-sharepoint-designer-2007-as-a-free-download/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/04/03/microsoft-releases-sharepoint-designer-2007-as-a-free-download/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/04/03/microsoft-releases-sharepoint-designer-2007-as-a-free-download/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Two weeks ago, Microsoft open sourced the ASP.NET MVC code. Today, they announced that they're dropping the price of Sharepoint Designer 2007 as far as it can go - it's now available as a free download from Office Online.

The page states that Microsoft is "implementing a number of changes to promote and facilitate even more customization efforts on top of the SharePoint platform." One good way to do that is to get more developers to download and use Designer, and making it free should certainly help things along.

In general, the developer community is always slightly aloof when Microsoft announces they're releasing something for free. To ease minds, they put together a Q&A page to shed some light on the hows and whys of the Sharepoint change.

You'll need an MSN passport to sign in, but many of you either had one or created one so you could download the Windows 7 beta.

[via MSDN]

Microsoft releases Sharepoint Designer 2007 as a free download originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 03 Apr 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>microsoftsharepoint-designer-2007Fri, 03 Apr 2009 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Someone out there wants to save IE6]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/04/02/someone-out-there-wants-to-save-ie6/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/04/02/someone-out-there-wants-to-save-ie6/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/04/02/someone-out-there-wants-to-save-ie6/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Jason recently wrote on Download Squad about a Facebook group aimed at eliminating Internet Explorer 6 from the web, and Lee even found a script that reminds IE6 users to upgrade when they visit your site. Not everyone is ready to let IE6 go, though. Just ask the folks behind Save IE6, a site dedicated to the preservation of this "powerful and versatile" browser.

Save IE6 features a petition (signed by around 450 people when I checked), quotes from satisfied users, and links to download the browser. Funnily enough, some of the people in favor of keeping IE6 around are web developers, the very group that has been most vocal about being inconvenienced by Microsoft's older model. I'm not sure I buy the "how can IE6 be violating standards when it has essentially BEEN the standard for years?" argument. After all, standards change, and standards have seemingly passed IE6 by.

Updated: Ha! They totally got me. I knew this idea was crazy, but I didn't catch that it was also a really good April Fools' Joke, apparently by Pingdom.

What do you think, Download Squad readers? Should IE6 be saved, or is it time to let go?

View Poll

Someone out there wants to save IE6 originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 02 Apr 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>browsersIE6internet-explorerMicrosoftpetitionpollThu, 02 Apr 2009 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Mozilla TaskFox will add Ubiquity features to Firefox]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/03/28/mozilla-taskfox-will-add-ubiquity-features-to-firefox/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/03/28/mozilla-taskfox-will-add-ubiquity-features-to-firefox/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/03/28/mozilla-taskfox-will-add-ubiquity-features-to-firefox/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Ubiquity is a Firefox extension that pops up a command-line interface that lets users quickly execute common tasks, like searching or emailing something to yourself. It's like an in-browser version of Quicksilver (on a Mac) or Launchy (for Windows). Ubiquity is so useful and powerful that Mozilla is planning to integrate it into a future version of Firefox, in a project called Taskfox.

Taskfox is off to a great start with its list of goals and non-goals. It's going to try to be as natural a part of your workflow as possible, and never interrupt you -- in other words, it will make things easier to do, but it won't be that infernal paperclip from MS Word. Making it a seamless part of the Firefox experience is on the goals list, too, and I think that's the most important part. I don't think of Quicksilver as separate from the OS on my Mac anymore, and I don't see why a really good version of Ubiquity shouldn't be the same way in Firefox. On the non-goals list, Taskfox isn't making any attempt to be a separate platform, although it will have an API so you can code extensions for it, in typical Firefox style.

[via MozillaLinks]

Mozilla TaskFox will add Ubiquity features to Firefox originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 28 Mar 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>extensionsfirefoxmozillataskfoxtasksubiquitySat, 28 Mar 2009 14:00:00 EST