Download Squad

SXSWi 2008: Freshbooks

Christina Warren — 2008-03-30T19:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Finance, Internet, Features, Social Software, DLS Podcast, web 2.0

SXSWi 2008: Freshbooks talks to Download Squad from Download Squad on Vimeo.

We've written about Freshbooks -- the online invoicing system -- before and have been big fans of their approach and service. We were even more impressed upon meeting Saul and Sunir, two of Freshbook's team members, at SXSWi 2008.

Grant talked to Saul and Sunir about the service, the importance of community and traveling from Miami to Austin in an RV and stopping along the way to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner with customers.

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DLS Interview: Free Software Foundation's Peter Brown

Nik Fletcher — 2007-08-15T14:30:00+00:00

Filed under: Video, Features, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Web services, Microsoft, Open Source, DLS Interviews, DLS Podcast, Podcasts

As we mentioned on Monday, the Free Software Foundation's Defective by Design campaign against DRM paid the U.K. a visit yesterday with protests outside the BBC's London and Manchester locations against the use of Microsoft DRM technology in their highly debated iPlayer software.

The BBC iPlayer has been in development for a number of years now, costing the BBC public £130 million (nearly $260 million) to date. The use of Microsoft's DRM technology has been highly contentious, especially with the appointment of Erik Huggers (previously director of Microsoft's Windows Digital Media division whose technology the BBC now employs in their iPlayer software) as controller of the BBC's future media and technology group which is managing the iPlayer project.

The BBC is a publicly funded body, governed by the BBC Trust who protect, amongst other things, open access and independence form corporate influence. The BBC has been told to make the player platform independent, however Mac and Linux users are likely to be out in the cold for some time.

Download Squad decided to visit the protest and spoke to Peter Brown, Executive Director of the Free Software Foundation, about the reasoning behind the protests and what the campaigns hopes for the future. We've made the interview available either as a text transcript after the break, or via the Download Squad podcast feed.

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Gallery: Defective by Design, London: Protest Pictures

Continue reading DLS Interview: Free Software Foundation's Peter Brown

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Switching to Vista: Download Squad Switcher Podcast #3

Brad Linder — 2007-06-21T11:00:00+00:00

Filed under: OS Updates, Features, Windows, Microsoft, DLS Podcast

Microsoft threw a curve ball to PC users who have spent the last five years getting to know the ins and outs of Windows XP. Windows Vista promised enhanced security, new and improved graphics, and a redesigned start menu and file explorer.

But Vista also suffers from backward compatibility problems and some design changes that seem to value flash over function.

Is it worth upgrading your computer, or are you better off waiting for Service Pack 1, or Vienna, the next version of Windows due out in 2009?

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Switching to Mac: Download Squad Switcher Podcast #2

Brad Linder — 2007-06-14T10:00:00+00:00

Filed under: Hardware, Macintosh, Apple, DLS Podcast, Podcasts

While Steve Jobs has been busy dropping "computer" from Apple's name and pushing out iPod after iPod, the company is still probably best known by loyal fans as a computer maker.

Unlike Windows PCs, Apple controls the hardware and software that goes onto every Macintosh, meaning they have a reputation for working the instant you plug them in. No struggling to make all the parts play nice together.

But while Macs have a loyal fan base, it's still a PC world, and there's plenty of software out there that just won't run on a Mac.

Today we speak with Download Squad's Jason Clarke and Lisa Hoover about their recent decisions to become full time Mac users. Both are experienced Windows users who have switched to Mac for one reason or another. We wanted to find out why, and to share their wisdom with you.

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Switching to Ubuntu Linux: Download Squad Switcher Podcast #1

Brad Linder — 2007-06-07T10:00:00+00:00

Filed under: OS Updates, Features, Linux, DLS Podcast, Podcasts

It's been an interesting year so far for operating systems. Microsoft released its first major upgrade in 5 years with Windows Vista, and Ubuntu Linux continued on its way toward world domination with the release of Ubuntu 7.04 Feisty Fawn. Even Michael Dell's running it on his home computer (and shipping it on yours).

With that in mind, we bring you the first in a limited edition Download Squad Podcast. Collect them all. Trade them with your friends. Today we speak with Download Squad's Grant Robertson and Alex Hung, two guys with a boatload of Windows and Mac experience who have been trying out Ubuntu Linux.

Continue reading Switching to Ubuntu Linux: Download Squad Switcher Podcast #1

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