Download Squad

Dell snuggles up to Google Chrome OS, offers customized download for its Mini 10V

Sebastian Anthony — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: OS Updates, Google, Open Source

In a display of surprising tenacity, Dell have gone ahead and distributed a customized version of Chrome OS for the Dell Mini 10V! Lilputing are reporting that all the necessary hardware support has been added, so in theory you could just whack the Chrome OS image onto a memory stick and boot it up right now!

Mind you, the image is 8GB so this is probably only of interest to enthusiasts -- but hey, it's nice to see a company like Dell catering towards that demographic for once, eh?

You'll need to follow the instructions on the Lilputing article to get the image mounted and ready to go, but it seems simple enough! You could be playing with Chrome OS this afternoon, while nibbling away on cold-turkey sandwiches...

[via Lilputing / Chrome OS image direct download]

Dell snuggles up to Google Chrome OS, offers customized download for its Mini 10V originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chrome OS security will make Google's ads inescapable

Lee Mathews — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: OS Updates, Google

We've all gotten a good look at the very, very early stages of Chrome OS. While there's been plenty of "meh" going around, truth is that it's really much, much too early to pass judgement. It's going to be about a year until we see something finished, after all, and Google has already said things will change quite a bit by that time.

One feature of Chrome OS that has been praised is its "totally new" approach to security. Chrome OS is going to self-heal, we're told. If the OS detects something malicious, a reboot simply restores files to their previous state as if nothing ever happened.

Now, this raises an interesting point. It's Google's OS, so obviously they'll be making the call as to what is or isn't malicious. Suppose they decide that includes anything which interferes with the delivery of Google-powered content. Things like the AdBlock or AdSweep extensions for the Chrome browser, for example.

Continue reading Chrome OS security will make Google's ads inescapable

Chrome OS security will make Google's ads inescapable originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New in Google Labs for GMail - Green Robot!

Paul O'Brien — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: E-mail, Google, Web

There are some great little tweaks available in Google Labs for GMail, one of which is pictured above - 'Green Robot!'!

Like many of the labs additions (accessed by clicking the little green conical flask at the top of the GMail page), the beauty of Green Robot is in it's simplicity. It changes the appearance of your Google Talk contact list to illustrate which of your contacts are using Google Talk from their Android mobile device - handy!

If you haven't checked out the contents of the laboratory yet it's well worth a visit - I have a total of 12 labs features enabled on my account at this time which really smooth my GMail experience.

My labs features at the time of writing are Offline Mail, Message Translation, Sender Time Zone, Mark as Read Button, Inbox Preview - to let you view your inbox contents as the main site loads, Multiple Inboxes - to allow me to view a specific subset of my messages in a seperate 'pane', Undo Send, Green Robot (of course), Search Autocomplete, Inserting Images, Google Docs Gadget and the ability to Add Any Gadget by URL.

Which labs features are you using?

New in Google Labs for GMail - Green Robot! originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chrome Extensions gallery taking shape, landing page now invites devs

Lee Mathews — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:15:00 EST

Filed under: Google, Beta, Browsers

If you're trying to get an extension gallery for your web browser off the ground, it's important reach out to developers. After all, they're the ones who will be creating the snazzy addons you plan to showcase.

So it's not surprising to see the change which took place in the Chromium nightly build recently. When you visit your extensions page and click the link to browse the gallery, you won't see the "coming soon" puzzle piece anymore.

Instead, you'll be asked to sign in with your Google account and then whisked over to the developer dashboard. Google offers the following explanation to clarify what you're looking at:

The Google Chrome Extensions gallery is currently in limited beta release to allow developers to upload their extensions. If you are a developer, you can upload your extension here. If you are looking to find and install extensions, please check back here soon!

Are you a developer? If so, the add button will allow you to upload your project. The developer agreement offers a few words about the gallery itself:

The Gallery is a publicly available site on which Developers can publish Products for distribution and use in connection with Google Chrome. In order to publish Products on the Gallery, you must acquire and maintain a valid Google account.

Most of the agreement is pretty standard redistribution/liability/takedown-related policy, though it does reveal that Chrome users will be allowed to rate extensions on the Gallery site. I think we expected that, since you can do it on the Firefox add-ons site.

The full gallery policies are available on this page in case you plan on submitting an extension.

It's apparent that the push is on - it's just a matter of time before the Chrome Extensions Gallery opens its doors to the public.

Chrome Extensions gallery taking shape, landing page now invites devs originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft will pay content providers to shun Google -- and get in bed with Bing

Sebastian Anthony — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Google, Microsoft, Search

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

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

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

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

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

[via The Business Insider]

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

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Google will shut down GrandCentral on December 31

Jay Hathaway — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Web services, Google, VoIP

When GrandCentral evolved into Google Voice, it was only a matter of time before the old GrandCentral website went to the big page archive in the sky. Google's killing off the old, redundant site on December 31st, 2009. Why the heck is this news? After all, GrandCentral users can all upgrade to Google Voice. Well, it turns out that GrandCentral's website has something that Google Voice doesn't: your old data.

In an email to GrandCentral users, Google suggested you download anything you want to save, because it's all gone at the end of the year:

All GrandCentral accounts were upgraded to Google Voice earlier this year, but since that time, you've still been able to log-in to your GrandCentral account and listen to old messages there. You will no longer be able to log-in to your GrandCentral account after December 31. Because of this, we strongly suggest downloading any messages or contacts that you want to keep in the next 43 days.

GrandCentral was excellent while it lasted, but now it's time to move on and make way for Google Voice. Just make sure you do it before you run out of time!

Google will shut down GrandCentral on December 31 originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AdSense on your desktop: Google starts embedding ads in Google Earth

Lee Mathews — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Windows, Google, Freeware

Everyone cringed when Microsoft announced that Office 2010 Starter would be partially ad-supported, and it looks as though advertising in desktop apps may be something we'll just have to get used to. As Amit Agarwal at Digital Inspiration found out, Google Earth is now showcasing sponsored links as you search for destinations.

While the ads aren't all that intrusive, they're still there. Unlike ads on Google's web services, you're not going to be blocking them with AdBlock Plus. In that respect the change makes perfect sense - why wouldn't Google want to deliver content-aware ads in their own applications where they can't be avoided (not as easily as installing an add-on anyway)?

Agarwal also finds the change noteworthy because Google currently doesn't allow 3rd party developers to integrate AdSense into their desktop applications. If this development signals a paradigm shift at Google, get ready for an avalanche of apps to follow suit.

Google wouldn't try anything like this with the recently-announced Chrome OS, would they? Share your thoughts in the comments!

AdSense on your desktop: Google starts embedding ads in Google Earth originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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iGoogle keeps on growing with some yummy new food themes

Jay Hathaway — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Google

iGoogle, Google's customizable homepage, has some pretty sweet-looking themes. In fact, I rounded up the 10 best on Download Squad not too long ago. Google keeps adding themes faster than I can change my homepage, though. The latest fresh batch of themes is food-related, and a bunch of food-themed homepage gadgets have come out at the same time.

While this news probably isn't going to rock your world unless you've always wanted some beautifully-shot food porn on your home page, some of these food widgets are pretty useful. Sites like Urbanspoon, Epicurious and Food Network can now deliver recipes and reviews to your homepage. Aside from making us salivate, this addition has got us wondering: what's Google's plan for this continuing expansion of iGoogle? Social gadgets, video chat, food themes? What's next?

iGoogle keeps on growing with some yummy new food themes originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google's Chrome and Android operating systems will converge sooner rather than later

Sebastian Anthony — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Internet, OS Updates, Google, Open Source

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

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

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

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

[via CNET]

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

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Android, Palm, and iPhone users get new Google News page

Jay Hathaway — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: News, Google, Mobile

Google has launched a new mobile version of Google News, designed specifically for current-gen smartphones: the iPhone, Palm's WebOS phones (the Pre and Pixi, so far) and Android phones.

Windows Mobile, BlackBerry and Symbian already had their own Google News page, so its only fair for the new kids on the mobile block to get in on the action, too.

Google's pretty vague about the changes in the official blog post, but it looks like they've just managed to do more with the same amount of screen real estate. Navigating between sections is easier with the new layout, and you can now customize your Google News the same way you've been able to in a full desktop browser.

Android, Palm, and iPhone users get new Google News page originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ask DLS: Now that you've seen Chrome OS do you still care?

Lee Mathews — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST

Filed under: OS Updates, Google, Ask DLS

So Google finally let loose with a real glimpse at Chrome OS today, unveiling it at an event in Mountain View today. It's pretty much what we've thought all along: a bootable browser with an affinity for web apps - especially Google's.

As you'd expect from a "browser OS," Google pretty much admits that Chrome OS isn't really intended for offline use. They see devices running Chrome as a compliment to the existing systems in your home or office. Local storage? That's not really part of the big picture either. Everything you save heads straight for the cloud.

And Google's staunch "no third party apps" stance means that no, you won't be running Firefox on Chrome OS. Google doesn't want other apps playing in their sandbox, it would seem.

Personally, it looks like I'll enjoy playing with Chrome OS but I can't see myself relying on it for day-to-day computing. I'd prefer to at least run a lightweight but fuller-featured linux distribution like xPud or Crunchbang where I have more flexibility.

Ask DLS: Now that you've seen Chrome OS do you still care? originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google introduces machine-generated captions for YouTube videos

Brad Linder — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Internet, Video, Google, Web

Google has given users the ability to caption their YouTube videos for a while now. But that can be a cumbersome, time-intensive process and most of the millions of videos hosted on YouTube are uncaptioned. That could change soon, as Google is beginning to roll out a new automatic captioning system that will analyze speech in videos and create machine-generated captions.

This means that users who are hard of hearing will have an easier time using YouTube. And because Google can translate text into 51 different languages, it means that you'll have a much easier time understanding those German and Japanese videos you're so fond of watching.

The technology for the machine-based captions is the same as the tech that allows Google Voice to automatically transcribe your voicemail messages and send them to you as emails. That is to say, it's not perfect, and we can expect to see a fair number of mistakes in YouTube captions for the foreseeable future. But this is an excellent start at making web video significantly more accessible.

Automatic captions are only available on a handful of YouTube channels right now, including Google, YouTube, PBS, National Geographic, MIT, and UCLA. A wider release is scheduled soon, with auto-caps expected on English videos by the end of the week.

Google introduces machine-generated captions for YouTube videos originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google ChromeOS: It's basically a modified browser that runs web apps

Brad Linder — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:37:00 EST

Filed under: OS Updates, Web services, Google

Google is holding a press event to talk about the upcoming Google Chrome Operating System. The company is not ready to release the OS yet, and won't actually have a finished product ready for another year. But Google announced that starting today the project is open source, which means that you can download the source code today.

So what exactly is Chrome OS? It's an operating system based on a web browser called... Google Chrome. The idea is that you won't have to (or be able to) install a single application directly on your PC. Rather, all of your apps will be run from the web and all of your data will be stored in the cloud.

That doesn't mean the computer won't be able to play games or interact with USB peripherals. For instance, Google demonstrated that you can plug in a camera and watch videos using a web-based video player or copy files to cloud-based storage. And because Google has been working to give web apps access to your PC's hardware, even video games with 3D graphics should be possible as long as you have a video card that's supported by ChromeOS.

The version of ChromeOS that Google demonstrated today is still a work in progress, and we were told that the user interface could change significantly before the final product is released. But the OS already boots in just 7 seconds, and Google says it takes another 3 seconds to launch applications.

The screenshot above shows an app menu that you can use to launch some web apps. You can create permanent shortcuts to these programs by "pinning" them to the ChromeOS toolbar. See those tiny tabs at the top? Those are pinned tabs.

There will also be persistent "panels" that pop up and stay on top even when you flip between browser tabs. For instance you can bring up a Google Talk panel, a music player, or a notepad.

ChromeOS will be automatically updated each day by connecting to the web and making sure that you have all the latest updates.

What do you think? Are you ready for an OS that's effectively useless without an internet connection? While the operating system stores some data on a local storage partition, Google says it's basically just a user cache area and that data will all be synced with the web. That means if you lose your netbook or buy a new one, you should be able to pick up where you left off without missing a beat.

Stay tuned for details. The news conference is still underway. In the meantime, you can check out a few more photos after the break.

Update: You will be able to perform some tasks while offline. For instance, you can cache movies, music, or eBooks and access them while you're on a plane. But the OS is primarily designed for interacting with web services.

Update 2: If you have absolutely no intention of picking up a machine with Google Chrome OS, there's good news: All of the new features that show up in Chrome OS will be able to work with the Google Chrome browser for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Continue reading Google ChromeOS: It's basically a modified browser that runs web apps

Google ChromeOS: It's basically a modified browser that runs web apps originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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YouTube 1080p roll-out begins

Sebastian Anthony — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Internet, Video, Google

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

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

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

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

[thanks to Revo for the tip!]

Continue reading YouTube 1080p roll-out begins

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

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Google Earth for iPhone gets an update to 2.0

Jay Hathaway — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Utilities, Google, iPhone

When Google brought its amazing global map application, Google Earth, to the iPhone, it was a match made in heaven. (Okay, it was match made on Earth, but bear with with me, here.) The pinching and rotating gestures on the iPhone made exploring the globe on a handheld device fun and easy. Well, now Google Earth is back with version 2.0, which introduces some of the useful features you've come to expect from Earth's sister project, Google Maps. You can grab it from the app store now.

Although it's nothing earth-shattering (ha!), Google Earth can now access your saved maps - and other people's public maps - by logging into your Google account and using the My Maps interface. Bringing Maps and Earth even closer together, Google has also made it easier to search businesses, photos and places in Earth, just like you can in Maps. Also, in a move that seems fitting for an app that maps the entire world, Earth 2.0 supports 31 languages, up from the original 18.

Google Earth for iPhone gets an update to 2.0 originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chrome Extensions gallery draws nearer, coming tomorrow?

Lee Mathews — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: News, Google, Beta, Browsers

It's no secret that Google is hosting a highly-anticipated Chrome OS preview event tomorrow. You're probably also well aware of the fact that an official, Google-powered Chrome extensions gallery is in the works. This morning, a small but noteworthy change took place at https://chrome.google.com/extensions.

What used to be a redirect go the good ol' index at google.com (or your regional version) has now been replaced with a "coming soon..." tease and puzzle piece image which matches the one added to Chromium's new tab page on Sunday.

Coming soon, eh? Why not announce it at the big event on Thursday?

While news of the official extension gallery opening would no doubt be dwarfed by anything remotely Chrome OS-related tomorrow, it certainly seems like a good time to open the doors. It would help build more buzz for the browser and keep Google fans charged for the upcoming preview release of Chrome OS.

Not that they need help on that front. Chrome OS has somehow already built a rabid fanbase and no one who isn't involved has even seen it yet.

Chrome Extensions gallery draws nearer, coming tomorrow? originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Image Swirl serves up a tasty blend of related images

Jay Hathaway — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Photo, Web services, Google, Search

Google Image Search is already a great way to find images from all corners of the Interwebs, and it just got more interesting with a new way of visualizing results. It's called Image Swirl. Searching for an image with swirl will give you a list of 12 images, and clicking on each one brings up a cluster of related pictures. Picking one of those will spin the wheel around and give you even more to look at.

This new way of exploring images may be more fun than it is useful, but it does definitely deliver the goods. If you're a visual thinker, it's probably a quicker way to browse results than the existing "similar images" link in Google Image Search. The underlying technology for Image Swirl comes from Similar Images and Picasa's face recgonition features. If you want to give Image Swirl a spin (har har) it's available in Google Labs now.

[via Official Google Blog]

Google Image Swirl serves up a tasty blend of related images originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google to show off Chrome OS Thursday, release it in 2010

Brad Linder — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: OS Updates, Google

Remember that rumor last week about how Google was going to unveil the first beta release of its upcoming Chrome operating system this week? Yeah, it's looking like that's not going to happen. But the company is holding an event Thursday morning to talk about Chrome OS and show some honest-to-goodness demos for the first time so that we can all stop using conceptual mockups with every blog post on the topic.

Google Chrome OS is expected to be available sometime next year, although it's still possible that a beta could be launched before the end of 2009. From what we know, the operating system, which will be initially aimed at netbooks is designed to blur the lines between desktop and cloud by essentially treating an always-open browser as the desktop. For instance, that will make it just as easy to save documents to Google Docs as to your desktop, if not easier.

Google to show off Chrome OS Thursday, release it in 2010 originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Sites rolls out template gallery for web pages, wikis

Brad Linder — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Design, Google, Web

The now-defunct Google Page Creator made it easy to create a reasonably attractive web site without an advanced degree in HTML or CSS. But Google has killed off Page Creator and replaced it with Google Sites, a service which has often been described as a tool for creating Wiki-like pages that are hosted for free by Google and which allow you to collaborate with other people on tasks such as planning a vacation or managing your office calendar and workflow.

You can also use Google Sites to create a public web site. But it's much trickier to make a page on Google Sites look, well... good. But this week Google rolled out an update that should make the service much more attractive, literally. There's now a template gallery allowing you to select and customize a template for any new page you create.

Currently there are templates arranged in categories such as business collaboration, activities & events, schools & eduction, and Personal & family. Google is also making it easy for users to submit their own templates to the gallery, so the number of available designs to choose from should climb pretty quickly.

Google Sites rolls out template gallery for web pages, wikis originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Google Translate gets phonetic translation and more

Jay Hathaway — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:15:00 EST

Filed under: Utilities, Productivity, Web services, Google

Google Translate just got a lot better, with a nice, clean new look and several new features. The first thing you'll notice is that you no longer have to click to translate. Translate now works instantly, as you type. If you're trying to translate something into a language with a non-Roman alphabet (like Chinese, for example) Google will also show the phonetic pronunciation underneath the translated characters.

If you're translating into English, you've got an even better option: you can hear an audio pronunciation of the English translation. This feature is awesome, and I'm looking forward to a time when Google inevitably implements it for other languages, too. There's a new feature for English-speakers, too, though: if you type in the phonetic, romanized version of a word from a non-Roman language (Google cheekily gives Fake Steve Jobs' trademark sign-off, "namaste," as an example), Translate will attempt to show the proper characters in the original language.

Google Translate gets phonetic translation and more originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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