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[Holiday Gift Guide: five awesome Steam games that make great gifts]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/04/holiday-gift-guide-five-awesome-steam-games-that-make-great-gifts/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/04/holiday-gift-guide-five-awesome-steam-games-that-make-great-gifts/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/04/holiday-gift-guide-five-awesome-steam-games-that-make-great-gifts/#commentsFiled under: , ,

With Halloween out of the way, it's now officially time to look towards CHRISTMAS!

Stop right there! Let me turn those groans of yours -- those Scroogeish grunts of displeasure -- into smiles and laughter! For this year, how about giving the gift of game with Valve's Steam? OK, so they might not be your smiles nor your laughter, but what feeling of joy is greater than seeing someone's face light up with happiness and the glow of a widescreen TV)?


For $10 to $20 you can give someone a game that will provide hours and hours of pleasure and fun this festive season. Think about how much your son would love you if you gave him an excuse to leave the dinner table early, to play with his new toy? Or if your wife could bus virtual tables, rather than real ones? Perhaps you just want to treat yourself to some brain-scratching, finger-contorting goodness. Any way you want it, the best Christmas presents this year will be video games.

Read on for the five best games currently available on Steam. They're all cheap. They're all fun. They're all a complete steal.

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Continue reading Holiday Gift Guide: five awesome Steam games that make great gifts

Holiday Gift Guide: five awesome Steam games that make great gifts originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>adventurecasualgameshggholiday gift guideHolidayGiftGuidepuzzlesteamvalveWed, 04 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[MSN.com gets its first major redesign in a decade]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/04/msn-com-gets-its-first-major-redesign-in-a-decade/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/04/msn-com-gets-its-first-major-redesign-in-a-decade/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/04/msn-com-gets-its-first-major-redesign-in-a-decade/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


MSN.com, Microsoft's search, news and services portal page, hasn't weathered the years well. Tweaking the same basic design for a decade left it far behind the times in terms of design and usability. With today's clean, whitespace-friendly, reimagining of MSN.com, Microsoft ditches the spectre of MSN search and delivers a site that's a little more worthy of showcasing the company's new search hotness, Bing.

A prettier, less cluttered layout and a prominent Bing search bar aren't the only upgrades to the homepage. In a touch that says Microsoft actually knows what year it is after all, you can add your Facebook newsfeed and your Twitter stream to an area on the right side of the page. The news is still there, but it's more customizable, and the layout presents fewer stories at a time than the cluttered old MSN.com did. There's also a local focus, with local weather and a Bing-powered local news widget at the bottom left.

I have to say that, compared to the MSN of old, this new design looks attractive and functional. Speaking of comparisons, though, have a look at our gallery of MSN.com designs since 2001. Looking at how slowly the site changed over the years only underlines how much it just changed overnight.

Gallery: MSN.com through the years

20012002200320042005

MSN.com gets its first major redesign in a decade originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>binghomepagemicrosoftmsnmsn.comredesignWed, 04 Nov 2009 06:00:00 EST<![CDATA[10 web apps you should be running on your Mac with Fluid]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/03/10-web-apps-you-should-be-running-on-your-mac-with-fluid/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/03/10-web-apps-you-should-be-running-on-your-mac-with-fluid/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/03/10-web-apps-you-should-be-running-on-your-mac-with-fluid/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



As web apps become more powerful, more popular, and more full-featured, they're starting to replace desktop apps for many people. A Mac app called Fluid can pull those web applications onto your desktop and turn them into OS X native site-specific browsers.

Fluid has a lot of advantages compared to running web apps in your browser: you get a Cocoa app with its own Dock icon, automatic unread badges for sites like Gmail and Google Reader, and built-in userscript support. Keeping your web apps in a separate browser also means that they can't be taken down when another site crashes in some other tab. You can even create menubar apps, so your favorite webapp will be close at hand, right at the top of your screen.

To find icons for your Fluid apps, I recommend checking out the Fluid Icons Flickr group. The users there have come up with attractive icons for most of the apps on my list. Chris Ivarson has also designed a handful of great icons for Fluid apps.

Now that you know a little bit about how and why you should use Fluid, give these 10 sites a spin as site-specific browsers!

Google Wave

Google's hot new communication tool is a perfect candidate for a site-specific browser. It's pretty resource-intensive, and it's still in the preview stage, so it's prone to crashes and lag. I haven't found any excellent Wave userscripts yet, and the site's favicon makes a nice enough Fluid icon. If you want an additional icon and a userscript that gives you a badge count for Wave, Devthought has posted them.

Google Reader

A lot of people are already using Google Reader as their main RSS app, so it makes sense to set it up in Fluid. You also get the benefit of an unread count badge on the Dock icon and a bunch of great userscripts. One of my favorites is Helvetireader. Try setting it up with Chris Ivarson's icon.

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Continue reading 10 web apps you should be running on your Mac with Fluid

10 web apps you should be running on your Mac with Fluid originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appfluidgoogle readergoogle waveGoogleReaderGoogleWavemacos xOsXweb appWebAppTue, 03 Nov 2009 07:00:00 EST<![CDATA[15+ great Google Chrome extensions]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/02/15-great-google-chrome-extensions/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/02/15-great-google-chrome-extensions/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/02/15-great-google-chrome-extensions/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

We've already mentioned other ways to power up Google Chrome. Before extensions arrived on the developer channel, Userscripts and bookmarklets were your only options. Both are still great ways to add some kick-ass functionality to Chrome. If you're running the stable or beta builds, you may want to stick to them for now.
Now, onto the extensions!

If you have a favorite that I left off, feel free to share it in the comments!
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Continue reading 15+ great Google Chrome extensions

15+ great Google Chrome extensions originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>add-onsbookmarkletsbrowserbrowserschrome-4chromiumdeveloper-channelextensionsfeaturesgoogle chromegoogle-chromeGoogleChromelistsproductivityUserScriptsutilitiesMon, 02 Nov 2009 07:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Win one of three Halloween treat bags from Download Squad]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/30/win-one-of-three-halloween-treat-bags-from-download-squad/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/30/win-one-of-three-halloween-treat-bags-from-download-squad/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/30/win-one-of-three-halloween-treat-bags-from-download-squad/#commentsFiled under: ,

Have you ever wanted your own bag of leftover schwag from SXSW Interactive? Or how about a new laptop bag? Would an AOL USB LED flexible light help you in any way? Check out each of the treat bags below, leave a comment on the pages that describe the treat bags to enter, and in a week we'll randomly choose our winners.

Sorry, limited to US and Canda, restrictions apply, read the rules, etc. and so on below. Happy Halloween from your friends at Download Squad! Each winner also gets a t-shirt or two from LogMeIn, since they sent us a giant bag of shirts.

Treat bag One: the musical coder.

Treat bag Two: the collector.

Treat bag three: the mobile warrior.

NOTE: Do not leave comments on this post -- you can't. You must leave a comment on the post describing the treat bag you wish to enter to win.


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Win one of three Halloween treat bags from Download Squad originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>giveawayhalloweenFri, 30 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EST<![CDATA[A bunch of fun and productivity-boosting gadgets for Windows 7]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/29/twitter-facebook-weather-windows7-gadgets/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/29/twitter-facebook-weather-windows7-gadgets/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/29/twitter-facebook-weather-windows7-gadgets/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

The number of gadgets for Windows 7, both made by Microsoft and third-party developers, has skyrocketed. Only a few months ago there was little choice and almost nothing worth calling home about -- but today, you're spoilt for choice! What you have here are a bunch of the most useful (or interesting) gadgets usable with your shiny-new OS, Windows 7.

Note: If you're going to be installing third-party gadgets, you'll be faced with a confirmation dialogue before they can install:
Just hit 'Install'! With that out of the way, on with the show!

1. Weather Bug: One of the things you'll soon notice about the gadgets I'm sharing here is that they all do one specific thing, and they do it well. I hate feature-creep. If I want to know the current weather -- then show me the damn weather.

Weather Bug lets you select a nearby weather station and shows you everything you might need to know: current temperature (Celsius or Fahrenheit), forecasted high and low, wind speed, and the current cloudiness (or lack of).

There's also a link for extended website-based information, and even a webcam stream if your weather station has one!
2. UEFA Informer: Here's one for the non-Americans (do Canadians like soccer?) -- a football gadget! Keep track of every major football (soccer) league in Europe, from Italian to English to even the Champion's League.

The greatest thing about this gadget is you can even pull up the recent results and upcoming matches in a given league, or for your favourite/most hated team.

There's an option in the settings to show even more leagues, so I assume it will be be kept updated -- perhaps to show the World Cup when that finally ticks around next summer?
3. Gmail Reader: There isn't really much I can say about this one. It tells you when you receive new mail. It tells you how many unread mail you currently have. It shows you the subject and sender of your unread mail.

What more do you want?
4. TweetZ: Apparently created to do away with the annoyances inherent to Twadget, TweetZ is a full-featured Twitter tool disguised as a desktop gadget.

Unfortunately its default setting is to tweet some birdsong annoyingly every time someone twits, but it's easy to turn off. As you can see in the screenshot, links are replaced with [link], and you can mouse-over them to see where they link to -- it even expands the link-shortening services, so you can actually see where you're going!

And it doesn't seem to steal away all of your CPU cycles like Tweetdeck does...
5.Facebook Explorer: Now you can stalk your friends without constantly alt-tabbing back to your Facebook browser tab! Not only can you see pending friend requests or event invitations but you can also see if you've been poked -- life-altering, I know! All of your friend's updates are here too, with a break-out box popping-up to give you more details if you click on an update.

You can't seem to comment on or 'like' anything though -- perhaps that will come at a later date? Or maybe this gadget has been designed with the idea of improving your productivity at work...? So there is a God...

Either way, confining Facebook to a gadget would seem like a sensible thing to do. I imagine most of us know what it feels like to be sucked into the Facebook Void, sometimes never to resurface.
Some gadget niches are missing; most notably: an RSS reader! There are still relatively few gadgets compared to other computer customisations and, perhaps surprisingly, there are no decent RSS readers as a result.

The only good one seems to be Google's own gadget which only works with Google Desktop. If someone out there wants to design an RSS feed-reading gadget that can log into Google Reader... you'd be a very popular man.

The best I can offer you is a system-tray notifier called GRaiN that was featured over on Lifehacker in July. Or, if you want to subscribe to a few individual feeds, the Hermes RSS reader gadget might satisfy you.

I've also not mentioned the thousands of system-diagnostic gadgets, or the Google Search gadgets -- I figured I would try and show you some new gadgets that you might not have seen before!

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A bunch of fun and productivity-boosting gadgets for Windows 7 originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>addonsfacebookfeaturesgadgetsgmaillistspluginsrsssportstwitterweatherwindows 7Windows7Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[10 hot Growl styles to make your pop-up alerts really pop]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/28/10-hot-growl-styles-to-make-your-pop-up-alerts-really-pop/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/28/10-hot-growl-styles-to-make-your-pop-up-alerts-really-pop/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/28/10-hot-growl-styles-to-make-your-pop-up-alerts-really-pop/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Growl provides customizable pop-up alerts for hundreds of Mac apps, making sure you never miss an important chat message or completed download. You can use Growl to set an alert for just about anything, and you can also make Growl notifications look practically any way you want. The built-in themes and the list on the official Growl Styles page don't even begin to cover all the options for gorgeous notifications, from the minimal to the very flashy.

Here are 10 lesser-known Growl styles that look a lot nicer than the defaults:

Gallery: 10 Hottest Growl Styles

BasicsB-GreekGlossyBlackiPhonesqueNiqu

10 hot Growl styles to make your pop-up alerts really pop originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>growllistsnotificationsskinsstylesthemesWed, 28 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Windows 7 and DirectX 11 - not just good news for gamers!]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/23/windows-7-and-directx-11-not-just-good-news-for-gamers/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/23/windows-7-and-directx-11-not-just-good-news-for-gamers/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/23/windows-7-and-directx-11-not-just-good-news-for-gamers/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Let me begin with some common knowledge to put us on some common ground. Vista sucks. By association, DirectX10 sucks. In fact, you might not even know what DirectX is -- and you would be forgiven!

DirectX is the piece of software that sits between your computer, and your video games. If you don't play games, you won't have heard of it. When you play a game on your PC it goes through DirectX. And until now, that's all DirectX did.

It's true: DirectX 10 premiered some nice new technologies. But because they were only available on Vista, which as we all know sucked more than a Hoover with a fresh, high-suction bag, DirectX 11 will be the first time most of us get to experience these new, funky technologies.

Continue reading Windows 7 and DirectX 11 - not just good news for gamers!

Windows 7 and DirectX 11 - not just good news for gamers! originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>directxdirectx11dx11gamesgaminggraphicstechnologywindows 7windows-7Windows7Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[How to replace the crappy pre-installed software on your new Windows 7 PC with great free apps]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/23/win7-preinstall-software-remove-bloatware-speed-up-faster/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/23/win7-preinstall-software-remove-bloatware-speed-up-faster/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/23/win7-preinstall-software-remove-bloatware-speed-up-faster/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

So you picked up a new Windows 7 laptop (or desktop) or you're planning on buying one in the very near future?

If you took a look at display models in stores like Best Buy or Frye's, you no doubt noticed that new systems come with a lot of programs pre-installed. Lots of software is a good thing, right? Not always.

Trouble is, what you get is often a) not really useful software or b) a time-limited trial. Office 2007 and the antivirus protection the salesperson told you about? They're 60 day trials. After that, they're going to ask you to pay up...But you don't have to.

No, you can tell those apps to keep their hands off your credit card! With all the great, free software Download Squad has covered over the years, there's really no need to burden your new system with that kind of software timebomb.
With just two simple apps you can quickly strip away all the bloatware (that's what us techy types call the excess crud preinstalled on your new system) and get yourself a nice selection of totally free software that will never expire!

Continue reading How to replace the crappy pre-installed software on your new Windows 7 PC with great free apps

How to replace the crappy pre-installed software on your new Windows 7 PC with great free apps originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bloatwarecleanupcrapwaredecrapifierfeaturesinstallinstallernew laptopnew pcnew-pcNewLaptopNewPcninitewindows-7windows7Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Windows 7 avalanche: Roundup of hacks, tips, downloads, and more!]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/22/windows-7-hacks-tips-downloads-themes-roundup/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/22/windows-7-hacks-tips-downloads-themes-roundup/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/22/windows-7-hacks-tips-downloads-themes-roundup/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Now that you can go and pick up Windows 7 just about anywhere (I hear there's a free copy of Starter coming with every Happy Meal*), let's take a look back at some of Download Squad's past articles about the new OS.

After all, we've been covering it since it was just a rumor and using Windows 7 hands-on since...Well, frankly since that first leak appeared on torrent trackers. With our retail copies in hand, let's go back in time and take a look at some of the Windows 7 coolness you can read about right here!

Get Windows 7 installed on your netbook without a DVD drive!
A handy little secret about your Windows 7 DVD is that it's easy to dump onto a USB flash drive - which you can plug in to any DVD-less computer system and boot! It's a hassle free way to install on your netbook.

Got a clean Windows 7 install? Get some great, FREE Open Source program and games!
While these downloads aren't Windows 7-specific, this list has a ton of awesome apps and games that are right at home on your new Windows 7 desktop or laptop. Best of all, they're all free!!

Microsoft shows off Windows 7's touch features
A number of PC makers have started rolling out touchscreen (and multi-touch) laptops and desktops, and Windows 7 takes full advantage of those technologies. Take a look at what the new OS has in store for real hands-on interaction.

Continue reading Windows 7 avalanche: Roundup of hacks, tips, downloads, and more!

Windows 7 avalanche: Roundup of hacks, tips, downloads, and more! originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>launchwindows-7windows7Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[How to get your old system ready for a Windows 7 upgrade]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/20/how-to-get-your-old-system-ready-for-a-windows-7-upgrade/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/20/how-to-get-your-old-system-ready-for-a-windows-7-upgrade/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/20/how-to-get-your-old-system-ready-for-a-windows-7-upgrade/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

While most computer techs and savvy users usually advise against performing an upgrade from one Windows version to another (what's called an "in-place upgrade"). There's always the chance that your new OS could inherit some problems from the old, after all, and it could potentially cause issues with your current programs or hardware.

Truth is, some users want to upgrade and Windows 7 handles the process pretty well. While it might not be an ideal situation, there are plenty of people who are going to take a stroll down the upgrade path. A little careful prep work will help make the experience a pain-free one.

Continue reading How to get your old system ready for a Windows 7 upgrade

How to get your old system ready for a Windows 7 upgrade originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>windows 7 upgradewindows-7windows7Windows7UpgradeTue, 20 Oct 2009 11:00:00 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[10 easy ways to play with Linux without leaving Windows]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/28/10-easy-ways-to-play-with-linux-without-leaving-windows/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/28/10-easy-ways-to-play-with-linux-without-leaving-windows/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/28/10-easy-ways-to-play-with-linux-without-leaving-windows/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

While I haven't made the switch to Linux full time, I find myself spending more and more time experimenting of late. In particular, I'm enjoying projects like Moblin and the Ubuntu Netbook Remix.

If you're still using Windows for your primary OS there are tons of ways to get your feet wet like a true penguin without making any serious commitments. Here are ten ways to play with Linux painlessly -- if you have another to share, please post it in the comments!

Virtualization

Moba LiveCD
Moba uses QEMU to boot LiveCD and LiveUSB images right from your Windows desktop. It works as a portable app and also offers context menu integration so you can right-click to launch fresh images.

Portable Ubuntu
Using Colinux, Pulseaudio for Windows, and the Xming X server, this package allows you to boot a fully-working Ubuntu environment inside Windows right from your usb flash drive. The bigger the better, obviously. I'd recommend an 8GB or 16GB if you plan on using it regularly.

Continue reading 10 easy ways to play with Linux without leaving Windows

10 easy ways to play with Linux without leaving Windows originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>beginnerfedorakdelinuxlivecdLiveUSBmobaubuntuvirtualboxvirtualizationvmwarewindowswubiMon, 28 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[7 great ways to get Windows 7 cheap (or even free!)]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/18/7-great-ways-to-get-windows-7-cheap-or-even-free/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/18/7-great-ways-to-get-windows-7-cheap-or-even-free/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/18/7-great-ways-to-get-windows-7-cheap-or-even-free/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Windows 7

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

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

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

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

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>academic allianceAcademicAlliancefamily packFamilyPackfree windowsFreeWindowsmicrosoftmsdntechnettwitterwindowswindows 7Windows7Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[How to Auto-Tune yourself in GarageBand]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/18/how-to-auto-tune-yourself-in-garageband/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/18/how-to-auto-tune-yourself-in-garageband/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/18/how-to-auto-tune-yourself-in-garageband/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Even though Auto-tune - that funky robot effect that ruled the radio for a big chunk of 2008 - has been officially declared dead by no less a rap superstar than Jay-Z himself, people still went nuts for T-Pain's Auto-tune app on the iPhone. You don't have to have an iPhone (or pay hundreds of dollars for official Antares Auto-tune software) to get that T-Pain sound, though. In fact, you can do it with an app that comes preloaded on the average Mac: Garageband. Check out the gallery for a step-by-step guide to bringing the T-Pain.

Gallery: Auto-tune Yourself in GarageBand

Make a New Real Instrument TrackPick a KeyTurn on Enhanced TuningRecord!

How to Auto-Tune yourself in GarageBand originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 18 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auto-tuneautotuneDIYgaragebandhow-tomusict-painvocalsFri, 18 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[14 portable web browsers for Windows]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/14/14-portable-web-browsers-for-windows/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/14/14-portable-web-browsers-for-windows/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/14/14-portable-web-browsers-for-windows/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Just about everyone has a usb flash drive by now. Apart from all that data you're packing (which you no doubt have encrypted in case your drive gets lost -- but that's a post for another day), why not pack up your favorite web browser and take it along for the ride.

There are a lot more options than you think - here are 13 different options for users of Windows PCs. Don't see your choice on the list? Share it with us in the comments!

Mozilla

Portable Firefox (current) [download] and Portable Minefield [download]
John T. Haller's Portable Apps project is always right on top of the latest Firefox updates, so it's the place to go if you need the Fox in your pocket. The most recent unstable branch is provided as well, in case you want to test it without installing.

PocketFlock v2 [download]
The kicked-up Firefox remix for social networking types is also available in a portable version, thanks to enthusiast Dave Ferrite.

Continue reading 14 portable web browsers for Windows

14 portable web browsers for Windows originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 14 Sep 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>browserchromefirefoxflockironoperaportableportable-appsusb flash driveUsbFlashDriveweb browsersWebBrowsersMon, 14 Sep 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Should Twitter really count URL characters against you?]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/13/should-twitter-really-count-url-characters-against-you/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/13/should-twitter-really-count-url-characters-against-you/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/13/should-twitter-really-count-url-characters-against-you/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Tweet URL Length

URL shorteners, while convenient, are bad for the web. They hide the true destination that they are pointing to, giving bad guys yet another tool in their arsenal, while conditioning web users to blindly trust the links they are clicking on. Further, as the debacle with tr.im showed us, URL shortening services aren't necessarily permanent.

It's no coincidence that the rise in popularity of URL shorteners closely mirrors the rise in popularity of Twitter; Twitter's 140 character limit is the special ingredient that makes Twitter so compelling, but it's also what made short URLs valuable. Some of you will say that short URLs are useful for other reasons - for example, in print. True, but Twitter is by far the place they are used most.

So, with a 140 character limit, how could Twitter eliminate URL shorteners? Well, first, let's look at the reason for the 140 character limit in the first place. It was chosen because Twitter expected SMS messages to be the primary way that users would interact with the service. While there are many users using it that way, their numbers are far eclipsed by the number of users using Twitter on its native web site, or using one of the plentiful Twitter client apps that are available for both desktop computers and mobile phones.

Continue reading Should Twitter really count URL characters against you?

Should Twitter really count URL characters against you? originally appeared on Download Squad on Sun, 13 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>character limitcharacter-limitCharacterLimitclient appsclient-appsClientAppslimitmagic numbermagic-numberMagicNumberMobile PhonesMobile-PhonesMobilePhonesshort messagesshort urlsshort-messagesshort-urlsShortMessagesShortUrlssms messagessms userssms-messagessms-usersSmsMessagesSmsUserstwittertwitter character limittwitter-character-limitTwitterCharacterLimiturlurl shortenerurl-shortenerUrlShortenerSun, 13 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[10 handy Userscripts for Google Chrome]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/02/10-handy-userscripts-for-google-chrome/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/02/10-handy-userscripts-for-google-chrome/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/09/02/10-handy-userscripts-for-google-chrome/#commentsFiled under: , ,

So it's finally a year old, and many of you have been playing with Google Chrome as a secondary browser for quite some time now. Heck, quite a few of you are probably using it as your primary browser by now - which may explain your interest in this post.

Just because Chrome doesn't boast the huge assortment of add-ons that Firefox does doesn't mean it's not extensible. With Userscripts alone, there is plenty of functionality you can add to Google's browser. Here are ten scripts I find handy!

AdSweep can be had as a Chrome extension, but since they're pretty well just packaged Userscripts you might as well just use the script version. It does an excellent job vacuuming up excessive adverts without mangling page layouts too badly.

AutoPagerize is a classic Greasemonkey script, if such a thing exists. When reading multi-page articles, AutoPagerize will automatically load the next page's content inline. I find it useful on lengthy-but-split-up reviews like the ones on Tom's Hardware Guide.

Better GMail has also made the jump from Firefox and Greasemonkey to Chrome. Since it's a collection of individual scripts, you can drop in only those you want to activate. Components include mouseover row highlighting, folders4gmail, and various page element hiding scripts.

BlockFlash2 (pictured above) is just what you've been looking for if you're missing FlashBlock for Firefox. While it's not as full-featured, it gets the job done. Flash elements won't autoload after dropping in BF2 - they'll be replaced with a blank placeholder and appear only when you give the go ahead. You can whitelist sites, though you'll have to do it manually by editing the .js file.

Continue reading 10 handy Userscripts for Google Chrome

10 handy Userscripts for Google Chrome originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>google chromeGoogleChromegreasemonkeyuserscriptswebkitWed, 02 Sep 2009 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Back to school with Facebook: 5 apps to make your classes easier]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/08/31/back-to-school-with-facebook-5-apps-to-make-your-classes-easier/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/08/31/back-to-school-with-facebook-5-apps-to-make-your-classes-easier/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/08/31/back-to-school-with-facebook-5-apps-to-make-your-classes-easier/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Some of you are headed back to school this week, and I want to let you know that we at Download Squad feel your pain. We've all been there at one time or another, and it's not always easy. While I'm not volunteering to do your homework (don't want to get you in trouble, you know), the least I can do is offer some helpful applications for everyone's favorite (formerly) collegiate website, Facebook. I hope these five apps make your school year a little bit easier. Good luck in the new school year, DLS readers!

Notely

Notely is a comprehensive system for to-do list, homework planning and events. The Facebook app is just one way to keep track of that: there's also a web version of Notely, and an iPhone app. It's all available with a free account at Notely.net.

Courses

Courses is a beefed-up version of a feature you might remember if you're a long-time Facebook user. It lets you list your current course list on your profile and find other people in your classes. What's more, it works as a class discussion board, video chat, place to put your weekly assignment schedule, and place to store files.

Continue reading Back to school with Facebook: 5 apps to make your classes easier

Back to school with Facebook: 5 apps to make your classes easier originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 31 Aug 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>b2sback to schoolBackToSchoolfacebookfacebook appsFacebookAppsMon, 31 Aug 2009 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[11 useful Windows apps that tie in to your GMail account]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/08/28/11-useful-windows-apps-that-tie-in-to-your-gmail-account/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/08/28/11-useful-windows-apps-that-tie-in-to-your-gmail-account/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/08/28/11-useful-windows-apps-that-tie-in-to-your-gmail-account/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Love your GMail account but want to do more with it? If you're a Windows user, there are plenty of great (and free) apps that take advantage of your massive inbox in the cloud!

GBridge sets up a Hamachi-like VPN and offers loads of cool features for your Windows desktop, including file sharing, backup and synchronization, and remote control via VNC. Since the developers added support for Google Apps domains, this has become a great way to keep your office team connected.

GMail Drive is an oldie but a goodie. I've got several of gigs available, and there's no chance I'm going to fill that up with actual email anytime soon. Plug GMail Drive into Windows, and you can drop files into your extra space just like any other folder on your system.

g2peer allows simple file sharing with your friends via your GMail account. Don't need the other features from GBridge? g2peer is a good option. Your pals at the other end don't even need to install the app to get files from you since it supports "command line" interaction via GMail - check the help page to see how it works.

Continue reading 11 useful Windows apps that tie in to your GMail account

11 useful Windows apps that tie in to your GMail account originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 28 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>affixabackupdigsbydriveg2peergmailgoogle-mailpidginFri, 28 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EST