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[Track your spending online with TextHog]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/06/25/track-your-spending-online-with-texthog/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/06/25/track-your-spending-online-with-texthog/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/06/25/track-your-spending-online-with-texthog/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,


There's a lot of great financial tracking software out there now. Sites like Mint and Rudder that link up to your bank account and track your spending automatically are great, but what if you don't want to give your account information to a finance site? Texthog is a lot like old-school DIY checkbook balancing, except replacing pen and paper with SMS, email and Twitter.

You can send a transaction to Texthog through one of the aforementioned mobile methods, or just log into the site and add one later. Logging in is also good for changing dates and such if you text a transaction to Texthog after the fact. You can also tag and organize your expenses, and generate spending reports. It might be more work than letting some automated service track your account, but it's also more accurate, because you're recording expenses as you charge them, rather than when they eventually clear your account.

Track your spending online with TextHog originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 25 Jun 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bankingfinancemoneytexthogtrackingThu, 25 Jun 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Quicken offers coupons to attract abandoned Microsoft Money users]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/06/16/quicken-offers-coupons-to-attract-abandoned-microsoft-money-user/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/06/16/quicken-offers-coupons-to-attract-abandoned-microsoft-money-user/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/06/16/quicken-offers-coupons-to-attract-abandoned-microsoft-money-user/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Quicken discountLast week Microsoft announced that it would be discontinuing Microsoft Money, the company's personal finance application. Download Squad readers came up with a number of great suggestions for anyone looking for a replacement. But the 800 pound gorilla in the room is Quicken. And now Intuit, the company behind Quicken are reaching out to Microsoft Money customers by offering tools to import Money data to Quicken. The company is also offering discounts of up to $50 on Quicken software.

Those coupons start at $20 off the price of Quicken Deluxe, bringing the price down to $39.99. You can also get $30 off the price of Quicken Premier or Home& Business, or $50 off the price of Rental Property Manager. Or if your finances aren't that complicated, you could just try Quicken Online for free.

The coupons are good through July 31st. Microsoft will stop selling Money at the end of June, although support will be available through January, 2011.

Quicken offers coupons to attract abandoned Microsoft Money users originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 16 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>accountingfinanceintuitmicrosoft-moneyquickenTue, 16 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EST<![CDATA[It's time to say goodbye to Microsoft Money ]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/06/11/its-time-to-say-goodbye-to-microsoft-money/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/06/11/its-time-to-say-goodbye-to-microsoft-money/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/06/11/its-time-to-say-goodbye-to-microsoft-money/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Microsoft Money PlusNo, that headline doesn't mean that Microsoft isn't making money as in cash profits anymore. But Microsoft has decided to discontinue Microsoft Money, its personal finance application.

Microsoft will stop selling the application in June, although it will still be supported for another 18 months or so. After that point, you'll still be able to use the software to manage your finances, but it won't be able to get automated feeds from banks, credit cards, and other financial institutions. You'll have to download or enter that information manually.

Normally, users get 2 years of service, but if you purchase Microsoft Money this month, the product will still only be supported until January, 2011. It might be time to look at Quicken or another personal finance package. What do you use to manage your finances? Pen and paper? Mint? Let us know in the comments.

[via CNET]

It's time to say goodbye to Microsoft Money originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 11 Jun 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>microosft-moneymicrosoft-money-plusmintpersonal-financequickenThu, 11 Jun 2009 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Is Rudder's security breach really serious or is the web overreacting?]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/05/20/is-rudders-security-breach-really-serious-or-is-the-web-overrea/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/05/20/is-rudders-security-breach-really-serious-or-is-the-web-overrea/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/05/20/is-rudders-security-breach-really-serious-or-is-the-web-overrea/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Early morning Tuesday a software malfunction caused a security breach at Rudder, a web based financial management service Download Squad has covered in the past.

It seems a number of Rudder users received email intended for a ton of other users, and in some cases one user received hundreds of emails intended for other users of the service.

Soon after, Twitter went crazy with tweets and retweets about Rudder's security breach, and before you know it a mishap affecting hundreds of users was being widely commented on by thousands of people.

So how serious is it, really?

Continue reading Is Rudder's security breach really serious or is the web overreacting?

Is Rudder's security breach really serious or is the web overreacting? originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 20 May 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>financemintop-edruddersecuritysecurity breachSecurityBreachWed, 20 May 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[DailyFinance for iPhone]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/04/17/dailyfinance-for-iphone/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/04/17/dailyfinance-for-iphone/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/04/17/dailyfinance-for-iphone/#commentsFiled under: , ,


For a while now the top contender in iPhone finance apps was Bloomberg Mobile. Enter DailyFinance's iPhone app [iTunes link], featuring real-time quotes, portfolios and watchlists and some rather impressive charting tools. Mike Rose has a nice write-up over on TUAW, and the DailyFinance site has a good summary of features and a demo video. It's a free download, so try it and let us know what you think in the comments.

Editor's Note: DownloadSquad's parent company Weblogs, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of AOL.

DailyFinance for iPhone originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>aolapp storeAppStorebloombergdailyfinancefinanceinvestingiphonemobilemoneystocksFri, 17 Apr 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[TimeXchange: Simple web-based timesheet management]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/12/18/timexchange-simple-web-based-timesheet-management/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/12/18/timexchange-simple-web-based-timesheet-management/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/12/18/timexchange-simple-web-based-timesheet-management/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Keeping track of billable hours is a crucial task for companies and individuals alike. And although there are literally hundreds of time tracking and time card applications, most are designed to be used in a very specific ecosystem. This can get tricky if you are working on a proejct with both employees and contract workers, and your tracking system is only designated to work based with regular employees. If you are a freelancer and you work with clients and collaborate with other developers, time reporting can be even more problematic.

These are the types of hurdles TimeXchange, which officially launched today, hopes to help overcome. TimeXchange, which bills itself as "part web-app, part social network," is designed to reduce data entry redundancy and help people using different backends work and collabrate together more efficiently.

This is how it works: you sign up for a TimeXchange account and create a new project, select your role in the project and then indicate if you are working by yourself or on a team. If working on a team, you can invite other users, indicate what level of control they have (can they approve timesheets, can they see budget and billing information), etc. If you are invited to join a project, you simply respond to an e-mail, and create your own free TimeXchange account so that you can collaborate with the rest of your team.

Here's where TimeXchange is different than a base level time or budget management repository: you can easily export your data into other formats or integrate with other services. You can export your data (either project or individual) as a PDF, CSV or QuickBooks file. In the near future, support for 37Signals Basecamp API and an iGoogle widget will allow you to import existing Basecamp project data and to-do lists.


Continue reading TimeXchange: Simple web-based timesheet management

TimeXchange: Simple web-based timesheet management originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 18 Dec 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>iphonetime trackingtimesheetTimeTrackingtimexchangeThu, 18 Dec 2008 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[FreshBooks launches industry bookmarks]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/10/14/freshbooks-launches-industry-bookmarks/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/10/14/freshbooks-launches-industry-bookmarks/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/10/14/freshbooks-launches-industry-bookmarks/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



At SXSW 2008, Download Squad had the opportunity to talk to Saul and Sunir from the online-invoicing service FreshBooks, and we were really, really impressed with their customer dedication and the overall vision for the service. Today, FreshBooks has just released public industry bookmarks, making it easy for freelancers and small businesses to compare their billables with others in their field.

The benchmarks are similar to the industry data FreshBooks made available to customers before, but instead of compiling metrics from the previous 18-months (and that information is still available), snapshots for segmented industries are available on a quarterly basis to anyone who is curious.

The data is anonymous, released quarterly and primarily sourced (which prevents survey manipulation of data). Right now, FreshBooks has industry bookmarks available for web professionals, IT services, design, marketing and service providers. This is a real advantage for users who might dabble in more than one area, say both web development and design, to keep tabs on how both markets are performing.

In economically uncertain times, knowing what others are billing and having the ability to watch trends can give a small business or freelancer insight into overall market health. If I see my billables declining (and I'm not purposefully taking on fewer projects), but the overall market is remaining steady, I know I need to start evaluating my business practices.

Even if you don't use FreshBooks for invoicing -- and if you haven't tried it out, give it a shot, its interface and ease of use is top-notch -- you can still take advantage of this information. FreshBooks' co-founder made a video explaining the benchmarking data in-depth here.

FreshBooks has free accounts for users who invoice fewer than three active clients and larger packages start at $14 a month.

FreshBooks launches industry bookmarks originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 14 Oct 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>benchmarkbillingfreshbooksinvoicingTue, 14 Oct 2008 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Shoeboxed now automatically categorizes your receipts]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/10/09/shoeboxed-now-automatically-categorizes-your-receipts/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/10/09/shoeboxed-now-automatically-categorizes-your-receipts/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/10/09/shoeboxed-now-automatically-categorizes-your-receipts/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Shoeboxed
Trying to figure out where to tighten your belt during the financial crisis? You might want to take a look at Shoeboxed. It's an online service that helps you keep financial records by recording receipts that you mail, email or upload. The latest big feature addition is automatic receipt sorting, which comes in handy when you need to know where your money is going.

Anything you send to Shoeboxed is now labeled with the common tax category it belongs to: food, clothes or electronics, for example. You can even add your own custom categories, but you'll have to apply those yourself. When you need to tinker with your Shoeboxed data even more, it can be exported to Excel or Quicken. If tax season always sneaks up on you, Shoeboxed could be the help you need to make sure your records are all in order.

[via CNET News]

Shoeboxed now automatically categorizes your receipts originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 09 Oct 2008 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>financesreceiptsShoeboxedtaxThu, 09 Oct 2008 07:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Rudder - navigating your personal finances in your email]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/09/12/rudder-navigating-your-personal-finances-in-your-email/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/09/12/rudder-navigating-your-personal-finances-in-your-email/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/09/12/rudder-navigating-your-personal-finances-in-your-email/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Rudder
Rudder is a personal finance management site that pushes your banking info and upcoming due bills to your email inbox. This may free you from your compulsion to log in to your online bank site. Generally, there are all kinds of tools available from banks nowadays which push account updates to you via text, email, voice mail, etc.

The nice thing about Rudder is you can add multiple accounts like your credit cards, checking/savings accounts from other banks and roll them into your Rudder account so everything is all in one place. Each morning, you get an account update of all your finances in your email.

Rudder also reminds you when your bills are due and tells you to pay them. If you heed the reminders, you might be able to stave off those $39 late fees on your credit card bills.

Each daily activity report provides you with reminders of which bills are due, an activity feed of account transactions, account balances, and then tells you what's left. The What's Left feature looks into the future and does the math based on your upcoming bills, future paydays and calculates the statement balance for your credit cards. You then get a nice picture of your what you can spend or save after your bills are factored in.

Rudder isn't Quicken or Mint.com. It doesn't have cool categorization features or fancy pie charts and it doesn't compare your spending with others in different cities. It does, however, provide a nice way to keep tabs on your personal finances all in a nice email delivered daily to your inbox.

Rudder - navigating your personal finances in your email originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 12 Sep 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>online-toolspersonal-financepersonal-finance-online-toolsPersonalFinanceOnlineToolsFri, 12 Sep 2008 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Invotrak adds new features for invoicing]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/08/06/invotrak-adds-new-features-for-invoicing/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/08/06/invotrak-adds-new-features-for-invoicing/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/08/06/invotrak-adds-new-features-for-invoicing/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

invotrak
Invotrak is a simple to use, online invoicing tool for small businesses or freelancers produced by Draconis Software. While we have covered it before some new additions make it worth another mention.

Basically this is a simple invoice app that you can use to create and track invoices and time sheets for yourself or your small business. You can use limited services for free or pay for three levels of account depending on how many invoices you plan to send.

Updates features include: the ability to upload invoices you have created yourself, add line items from time sheets to the invoice and adding reports to your invoices. You can also save your invoices as PDF or TXT files.

You can also read the Invotrak blog to get tips on using the new features and general small business tips - like how to get paid on time.

Invotrak adds new features for invoicing originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 06 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>invoiceinvotraksmall businessSmallBusinessWed, 06 Aug 2008 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Trying to Quit? CostOfSmoking Will Make You Cry.]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/07/03/trying-to-quit-costofsmoking-will-make-you-cry/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/07/03/trying-to-quit-costofsmoking-will-make-you-cry/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/07/03/trying-to-quit-costofsmoking-will-make-you-cry/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Smoking is widely considered to be one of the hardest "bad habits" to kick. Way more so than turning your underwear inside out and wearing it a second time.

If you're having trouble quitting, why not download CostOfSmoking for a massive dose of reality. It's an ugly, quickly assembled program (it looks like a packaged MS Access database) that will leave you absolutely gobsmacked. If you don't smoke and never have, this program will make you damn glad.

A quick run based on a ten-year, one-and-a-half pack a day habit at the current $12 a pack (oh, Canada!) pricing yielded the ungodly sum of $114,594. If that's not enough to convince someone that their habit is putting a serious dent in their potential savings, we don't know what is.

Try it yourself and see! We decided to run numbers on our average coffee habit - just to make sure we're in good shape - and was relieved to find out that our java vice came in at a much more reasonable $1,146.

[ Via FreewareNetwork ]

Trying to Quit? CostOfSmoking Will Make You Cry. originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>costsmokingsmoking cessationSmokingCessationThu, 03 Jul 2008 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Googleholic for June 20, 2008]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/20/googleholic-for-june-20-2008/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/20/googleholic-for-june-20-2008/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/20/googleholic-for-june-20-2008/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,



Welcome to Googleholic, your bi-weekly fix of everything Google!

In this edition:

  • Upcoming AdWords system maintenance
  • Sites gets new features
  • YouTube tries long-form
  • YouTube introduces Screening Room
  • Google Docs on ultraportables
  • Google Finance adds cash tracking

Continue reading Googleholic for June 20, 2008

Googleholic for June 20, 2008 originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 20 Jun 2008 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>eee pcEeePcgooglegoogle docsgoogle financegoogle sitesGoogleDocsGoogleFinancegoogleholicGoogleSitesyoutubeyoutube screening roomYoutubeScreeningRoomFri, 20 Jun 2008 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Social networking with your money]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/19/social-networking-with-your-money/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/19/social-networking-with-your-money/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/19/social-networking-with-your-money/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Myspace, Facebook and Twitter, the concepts are pretty much the same. You follow someone with interests that intrigues you, see what their doing, what their saying and sometimes you do what they say. Now what if they told you where to spend your money, would you? Covestor thinks so.

Covestor takes the social networking formula and applies it to the stock market in a 2 part system. The first requires members with some sort of investment background (we'll call them experts) to build portfolios. The second has average users reviewing these members and if they like what they see, they follow them.

If these experts buy or sell a certain stocks, users get to see that and choose if they would like to buy or sell along side their experts. Covestor is currently working on a fully automated system as well. You'll just be able to put down a bunch of cash and the system will invest your money as your experts invest. Of course as an expert you get a percentage of the action, since people are following your advise.

So is this the next step in social networking? We already take advice on what to wear, where to go and what to eat. Why not take it a step further with having strangers tell you what to do with your money?

Social networking with your money originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 19 Jun 2008 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businessfinanceinvestingsocial networkingsocialnetworkingThu, 19 Jun 2008 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Show your work with Project Calculator]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/10/show-your-work-with-project-calculator/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/10/show-your-work-with-project-calculator/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/10/show-your-work-with-project-calculator/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Are you a freelancer, a student, or someone who just really likes to bill people by the hour? You might get some use out of Project Calculator, an OS X app that helps you keep track of how much time you put into each of your projects. It lets you run a timer or enter your hours manually, and then does all the calculation you need to send someone a bill. You can output your Project Calculator in a number of formats, including PDF, HTML and plain text, so your clients will never give you the old "I couldn't open the file" excuse.

We almost balked at the $20 pricetag for Project Calculator, but after trying it out, we realized that this app can save you a lot of time for the money. Keeping a spreadsheet from scratch is ok, but having everything set up for you and organized by customer and by client is a lot easier and less fiddly. Appropriately, Project Calculator frees up some time for you to actually work on projects.

Show your work with Project Calculator originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 10 Jun 2008 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>billingbusinessfinancefinancesfreelanceProject CalculatorProjectCalculatorTue, 10 Jun 2008 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Google, Yahoo!, CNBC, WSJ set real-time stock quotes free]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/02/google-yahoo-cnbc-wsj-set-real-time-stock-quotes-free/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/02/google-yahoo-cnbc-wsj-set-real-time-stock-quotes-free/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/02/google-yahoo-cnbc-wsj-set-real-time-stock-quotes-free/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Google Finance
A number of web sites have been offering free stock quotes for years. But they've always been delayed by about 15 minutes or so. While 15 minutes doesn't sound like a lot, if you've dumped a lot of money into one stock and it's tanking, you want to know as soon as possible. The solution has been to sign up for subscription-based services like E*Trade.

Now it looks like you can save your money. A whole slew of companies including Google, Yahoo!, CNBC, and the Wall Street Journal have announced the availability of real-time stock quotes. For free.

Yahoo! has partnered with BATS, while a slew of other companies have partnered with NASDAQ to provide the up to the minute stock quotes.

[via paidContent]

Google, Yahoo!, CNBC, WSJ set real-time stock quotes free originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 02 Jun 2008 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>batscnbcetradenasdaqstock-quoteswsjMon, 02 Jun 2008 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[SomethingStore: Buy something for $10]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/05/15/somethingstore-buy-something-for-10/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/05/15/somethingstore-buy-something-for-10/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/05/15/somethingstore-buy-something-for-10/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

SomethingStoreGot $10 burning a hole in your pocket, but don't know what to spend it on? No problem. Just visit SomethingStore, place an order, and within 7 days the company will ship something to your door. You won't know what it is, and you may hate it. But hey, shipping is free.

The concept reminds us a lot of the random bag of crap that often concludes Woot-Offs. For some reason, that random bag of goodies is one of the most popular items you can buy, even if you don't know what's in it. We chalk it up to the hope that you could get something worth far more than the price you paid. But the element of surprise also makes the whole thing a little more exciting.

If you'd rather know exactly what you're getting for your money, make sure to check out Wants for Sale tomorrow. Artists Justin Gignac and Christine Santora use the site to sell paintings of things they want - for the price of the actual items. Buy a picture of a piece of pizza or a Nintendo Wii and Gignac and Santora will use the money to buy the item. They'll have a fresh batch of paintings available Friday. And this time they're going with a theme - Vegas. You'll be able to help them fund a trip to Vegas by purchasing art.

Or you could just save your money for retirement, your kids' college fund, or to buy things you actually want for yourself. But what's the fun in that?

SomethingStore: Buy something for $10 originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 15 May 2008 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>something-storesomethingstorewants-for-saleThu, 15 May 2008 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[PearBudget: Online, simple budget management ]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/05/14/pearbudget-online-simple-budget-management/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/05/14/pearbudget-online-simple-budget-management/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/05/14/pearbudget-online-simple-budget-management/#commentsFiled under: ,

PearBudget

PearBudget is an online budget manager that makes it extraordinarily easy to keep track of your money. The service doesn't link to your bank account, and doesn't import information from Quicken or other desktop accounting software. You actually have to enter your expenses by hand. But this is much, much easier than you'd think.

All you have to do is spend a few minutes when you set up your account entering your typical monthly expenses. And then each time you pay a bill or tally up how much money you spent going out to dinner or a movie, you enter that information. This takes just a moment or two a day, and ensures that you actually think a little bit about how you spend your money every day, which is probably the most useful thing any budget application can do.

PearBudget is not free. There's a 30 day free trial, after which you need to pay $3 per month to use the service, which might seem a bit steep for such simple application. But if you can live without the web interface, there is a free version of PearBudget. The application started its life as a simple but well-organized Excel spreadsheet, which is still available as a free download.

[via Boing Boing]

PearBudget: Online, simple budget management originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 14 May 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>budgetpearbudgetspreadsheetWed, 14 May 2008 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Zillow launches new mortgage marketplace]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/04/03/zillow-launches-new-mortgage-marketplace/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/04/03/zillow-launches-new-mortgage-marketplace/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/04/03/zillow-launches-new-mortgage-marketplace/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Zillow is taking the wraps off its new service today, the Mortgage Marketplace.

Designed as a meeting ground between mortgage borrowers and lenders, Zillow Mortgage Marketplace aims to solve most of the common complaints that borrowers and lenders have with the normal mortgage process.

For starters, the marketplace does not require that borrowers provide extensive personal information up front. In place of personal information are detailed loan request forms, where you can customize the offering you are looking for. When a lender sends a quote, you are alerted by e-mail to view, then accept or decline, the customized offer.

Lenders can register for a small fee; once registered, they can submit quotes to potential borrowers, and view any competing quotes for the same borrower. Zillow requires full disclosure from the lender; that is, any quote must include all fees, as well as estimates of taxes, insurance, the whole kit and kaboodle.

The Mortgage Marketplace is an excellent idea. It allows the borrower to shop extensively without having to reveal all of their personal information, and saves them the time of filling out form after form. Zillow's full disclosure policy insures that there will be no surprise costs. Lenders will also benefit from having a large pool to pull customers from for a relatively low cost.

The question is: is anybody even buying a house right now?

[via CNet]

Zillow launches new mortgage marketplace originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 03 Apr 2008 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>mortgagereal estateRealEstatezillowThu, 03 Apr 2008 14:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Set-up Firefox to search through text like Safari (dimmed background, animated)]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/04/03/set-up-firefox-to-search-through-text-like-safari-dimmed-backgr/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/04/03/set-up-firefox-to-search-through-text-like-safari-dimmed-backgr/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/04/03/set-up-firefox-to-search-through-text-like-safari-dimmed-backgr/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,

firefox safari style text search
Safari always had an interesting and convenient way of searching for text: it dims the background and highlights text-matches throughout the page. It's too bad Firefox can't couldn't do that. It's now possible to easily add that functionality to everybody's favorite open-source browser thanks to a recent mozillaZine post.

The install process is pretty simple if you use the better set of instructions and files, and it shouldn't take more than a few minutes of copying, pasting, and mouse clicking to complete. The animation process in between "Next" clicks is also fun, and if you're still on the fence about it, you could check out a video or two on the custom feature.

[via CyberNotes]

Set-up Firefox to search through text like Safari (dimmed background, animated) originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 03 Apr 2008 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>add onadd-onadditionAddOnextensionfirefoxinlinesafarisearchtexttext searchTextSearchThu, 03 Apr 2008 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[SXSWi 2008: Freshbooks]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/03/30/sxswi-2008-freshbooks/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/03/30/sxswi-2008-freshbooks/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/03/30/sxswi-2008-freshbooks/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,


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.

SXSWi 2008: Freshbooks originally appeared on Download Squad on Sun, 30 Mar 2008 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>freshbooksonline communitiesOnlineCommunitiessxsw2008Sun, 30 Mar 2008 19:00:00 EST