Download Squad

VirtualBox 3.0 goes Gold

Brad Linder — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Utilities, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Freeware, Open Source

Just a few weeks after launching VirtualBox 3.0 beta, Sun has removed the beta label from the next version of the open source, cross-platform virtualization application. VirtualBox 3.0 includes a number of updates, including:

Support for OpenGL 2.0 for Windows, Linux, and Solaris guests
Ability to use Direct3D 8/9 applications on Windows guests
Support for Linux kernel 2.6.31
Up to 32 virtual CPUs

VirtualBox 3.0 also includes a number of bug fixes and improvements, and overall improved 3D graphics support. You can find more details in the changelog. Virtualbox is available as a download for Windows, OS X, Linux, or Solaris hosts.

VirtualBox 3.0 goes Gold originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Firefox 3.5 coming June 30th, Fennec updated today

Brad Linder — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 11:40:00 EST

Filed under: Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Mozilla, Browsers

It looks like somebody at Mozilla is listening. Just yesterday, we asked when we could get a version of Firefox 3.5 that didn't have the silly "release candidate" next to its name. Now we have an answer: Tuesday.

Webmonkey and Betanews are both reporting that Mozilla has confirmed that's the date it will push out the full version of Firefox 3.5. The latest version of the popular web browser has been available for testing for months, but by removing the beta and/or RC label, Mozilla is essentially saying that the browser is ready for the public to use without fear of encountering major bugs of security flaws. You know, until some major bug of security flaw is discovered and Mozilla pushes out Firefox 3.5.1.

Firefox 3.5 includes a number of changes from Firefox 3.0, including faster Javascript rendering and a private browsing mode which allows you to surf without saving your personal data. It also supports viewing some web video in a browser without any plugins.

In related news, Mozilla's released an update to the mobile version of Firefox today. Fennec Beta 2 for Nokia Internet Tablets and Alpha 2 for Windows Mobile was released today. The latest version of Fennec includes performance tweaks and a new theme.

[via Mozilla Links]

Firefox 3.5 coming June 30th, Fennec updated today originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 27 Jun 2009 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jake keeps collaborative file-sharing in sync

Jay Hathaway — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Utilities, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Productivity

Jake is a cross-platform collaborative file-sharing client that lets you create a folder and keep it synced for everyone you invite. It's built on open-source tools like Jabber, and seems to have a lot of features going for it. You can't really beat it for ease of use: setup is just adding a folder and inviting people, with no server-side fiddling to do. Even better, you can set Jake up on your intranet if you want to use it for work-related purposes.

The main difference between Jake and similar solutions like Dropbox is that Jake doesn't store files on a central server in the cloud. It just uses Jabber, XMPP and other open-source tools to sync the folder for users when they're online. Although Jake saves a log of the changes users make to the folder, it doesn't back up old versions of the data - again, no central server. This makes it slightly less powerful than some other, similar file-sharing services, but it makes setup a lot easier.

Jake keeps collaborative file-sharing in sync originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BPM Analyzer gives you the tempo of all of your MP3s

Jason Clarke — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Audio, Utilities, Windows, Macintosh, Apple, Microsoft, Freeware

Creating playlists can be tedious, and every bit of information can help. While some people maintain the ID3 tags in their MP3 files in excruciating detail, others (like me) can't seem to find the time. But when it comes to finding the tempo, no amount of manual ID3 tag maintenance will help.

If you're trying to put together a playlist that contains songs that are a similar speed, knowing the beats-per-minute of each song is immensely helpful. Luckily, there is a free download called BPM Analyzer from MixMeister that will analyze all of your MP3 tracks, and update the ID3 tags in them with exact BPM information. With that done, it's a simple matter of sorting your music library by the beats-per-minute field.

Now you can put together an upbeat energy-boosting playlist full of fast songs, a mellow playlist with slower songs, or pretty much anything you desire. And for the nerds like me, it's just another piece of information to sort and group your music by.

BPM Analyzer is available on both the Windows and Mac operating system.

[via Lifehacker]

BPM Analyzer gives you the tempo of all of your MP3s originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Firefox 3.5 RC3 released (security update)

Brad Linder — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 08:30:00 EST

Filed under: Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Mozilla, Beta, Browsers

Mozilla pushed out a third release candidate for Firefox 3.5 last night. If you're running an earlier release candidate or Firefox 3.5 beta, you may have woken up this morning to a message alerting you that there's a new security and stability update.

The tricky thing is Mozilla has a habit of leaving the "RC" out of the labels for its release candidates. This can prompt a lot of folks to think that they've just downloaded the final build of Firefox 3.5. The reason Mozilla does this is because if there are no major problems with the release candidate, effectively it will be Firefox 3.5. And it'd be silly to expect you to download and install an identical version of the browser just to get rid of the "RC" in its name.

That said, Firefox 3.5 RC3 is now available for download from the Firefox beta page. Existing users can upgrade by clicking the "check for updates" option in the Help menu of their browsers.

Firefox 3.5 RC3 released (security update) originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 25 Jun 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Boxee media center now available for Windows, adds live MLB games

Brad Linder — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Audio, Internet, Video, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Beta

After months of private Alpha testing, the Boxee team has finally released a public alpha of the Boxee media center application for Windows. That means you can now run Boxee on Mac, Windows or Ubuntu Linux. The public alpha for Windows does seem to be a bit more stable and responsive than the earlier private alpha version.

Boxee provides you with a full screen browser designed for managing and accessing internet media as well as audio and video stored on your hard drive. Over the past few weeks, Boxee has gained a ton of features through a new "App Store" which allows third party developers to create plugins for the media center.

In addition to launching a public Windows Alpha, Boxee also announced last night a new partnership with MLB.com to offer live and recorded Major League Baseball games through Boxee. Boxee has also added support for Digg, Current.tv and Tumblr.

Boxee media center now available for Windows, adds live MLB games originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 24 Jun 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ubiquity gets better parser, some commands yet to be upgraded

Grant Robertson — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 16:15:00 EST

Filed under: Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Productivity, Mozilla, Search

Mozilla's Ubiquity dazzlingly cool preview release promises to make commands a great deal easier to remember and use by removing those annoying hyphens. With a totally updated parser -- unimaginatively referred to as "Parser 2" Ubiquity also promises support for a ton of new languages.

"[The old parser] was based on a lot of assumptions about English that are not necessarily true in other languages", explains the preview release announcement. Spaces between words, or noun-verb ordering are more flexible under the new parser, opening Ubiquity to a non-English speaking audience and getting rid of those picky little hyphens for Anglophones.

Unfortunately, that also means a great many commands you might be used to are currently incompatible. The new version greeted me with a warning, notifying me that some commands -- known in Ubiquity parlance as "verbs" -- didn't load because of incompatibility with Parser 2. A quick look shows old verbs like "flip-page" and "desaturate-image" are in need of an upgrade.

Still, for fans of Ubiquity's slick hands-never-leave-the-keyboard workflow, this is an upgrade that's been a long time coming.

Ubiquity gets better parser, some commands yet to be upgraded originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 23 Jun 2009 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Songbird 1.2 released, now with iPod sync (sort of)

Jay Hathaway — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 08:00:00 EST

Filed under: Audio, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Open Source

Songbird, the open-source, Mozilla-based music player, has a bunch of new features in version 1.2 that make it worth taking a look at. The most important addition is 2-way iTunes syncing, so you can import and export songs and playlists back and forth between Songbird and iTunes. If you thought the whole point of Songbird was to keep you from having to use iTunes, this feature won't make you happy, but if you have an iPod or iPhone that you want to put music on, this is the closest Songbird gets to letting you do that.

The other new features include an integrated Last.fm radio add-on. Songbird already supported Last.fm scrobbling, but now it supports Last.fm listening, too, so you may be able ditch your existing Last.fm client and just go with this. There's also automatic library organization, which is something you might be familiar with in iTunes. It can move all your music files to one location and sort them based on artist and album metadata. Last, but not least if you're an audiophile, is a 10-band equalizer.

Songbird 1.2 released, now with iPod sync (sort of) originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 22 Jun 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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25 awesome Cross-platform games you can download for free - your picks!

Lee Mathews — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 08:06:00 EST

Filed under: Fun, Games, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Freeware, Open Source

I cut my list off at 25 games, which means some great ones weren't included. Since they started to appear in the comments, I've added a page for your choices. Thanks for pitching in!

Page 1 - Page 2 - Page 3 - Page 4 - Page 5 - Your Picks!

FreeCol - Oh crap, I'm in trouble. As if I hadn't blown enough time over the years on the various Colonization/Civlization games. Explore new lands, build a nation, survive, and win! Thanks to wcroskeys for suggesting this one!

Neuiz / Tremulous / Urban Terror - I included Nexuiz and Tremulous on a previous post, but all three of these great FPS games are worth mentioning again. There you go, zezke!

OpenArena / Alien Arena - By now you've noticed that cross-platform, open source gaming and FPS go hand in hand. Two more great choices, and as posted by 404 it may just have the most polished visuals of any in the bunch. Thanks to him, and to Austen for OpenArena!

Scorched 3D - A remake of the classic turn-based artillery game. Challenge other players online and be sure to check out some of the interesting mods, like Christmas and Stone Age. Big ba-da-boom. Thanks, Randy!

Warzone 2100 - Thanks to, er, John Doe for offering Warzone - a 3D RTS set in the future with a massive number of technologies (over 400) and units (more than 2,000). Multiplayer mode supports up to eight players.

Want more RTS action? Check out the list of games built on the Spring Engine, which feature themes like Star Wars, Gundam, and WWII (Spring: 1944). Thanks, Waldo!

Page 1 - Page 2 - Page 3 - Page 4 - Page 5 - Your Picks!

25 awesome Cross-platform games you can download for free - your picks! originally appeared on Download Squad on Sun, 21 Jun 2009 08:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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25 awesome Cross-platform games you can download for free

Lee Mathews — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fun, Games, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Freeware, Open Source

Regardless of what operating system you run on your computer, it doesn't have to be all work and no play. Heck, that could turn you into some kind of axe-wielding homicidal maniac bent on destroying your own family while watching over a remote resort hotel in the dead of winter.

I'd certainly never want that to happen to any of our DownloadSquad readers, so here's a list of games that you can install on Windows, Mac, and Linux (and some even on BeOS and BSD). Enjoy!

...And, as usual, if there's a particularly killer cross-platform game that I didn't include, feel free to post it in the comments -- and tell us why you love it!

Page 1 - Page 2 - Page 3 - Page 4 - Page 5 - Your Picks!

Battle for Wesnoth - One of the best known open source games around, Wesnoth is an excellent fantasy-themed turn-based strategy game. There's plenty here to keep you busy - multiple campaigns and large maps, and online multiplayer for when you grow weary of playing on your own.

Battle Tanks - It's got colorful, cartoonish graphics, massive explosions, tanks....And best of all, it's got multiplayer. What could be more fun than blowing up your friends while causing immeasurable damage to an unsuspecting city?

Continue reading 25 awesome Cross-platform games you can download for free

25 awesome Cross-platform games you can download for free originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 20 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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25 awesome Cross-platform games you can download for free - pg 2

Lee Mathews — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fun, Games, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Freeware, Open Source

Page 1 - Page 2 - Page 3 - Page 4 - Page 5 - Your Picks!

Cube2: Sauerbraten - Another excellent open source FPS. One of the coolest things about it is that you can build and edit levels while you're in the game. There's also Quadropolis, a massive repository of goodies for the Cube engine including maps, scripts, and mods.

Eat the Whistle - If you're into uber-realist sports games, go ahead and scroll right past this one. If, however, you enjoy a little bit of humor and some old-school visuals, Eat the Whistle is a must-have download. Features sim, career, and arcade (complete with power-ups) modes.

FreeCiv - Another cornerstone of open source gaming. Inspired by Sid Meier's classic series, FreeCiv challenges you to develop your civilization from primitive roots into a thriving, modern society. Multiplayer mode support up to 30 (yes, 30) players. With more than 100 playable nations and 29 translations, FreeCiv is a truly international Time Waster.

FreeDroid - A modern take on the C64 classic Paradroid. It's a rich, futuristic RPG with plenty of robot butt kicking. In addition to dozens of different weapons, there's also a wide range of magic attacks, and you can even take control of your enemies and use them against each other.

Frets on Fire - If you've been looking for an excuse to rock out with your keyboard, go download Frets on Fire now. Tell your office mates your learning to play like Vadim Pruzhanov. Sure, he plays a different kind of keyboard, but it's still badass.

Page 1 - Page 2 - Page 3 - Page 4 - Page 5 - Your Picks!

25 awesome Cross-platform games you can download for free - pg 2 originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 20 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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25 awesome Cross-platform games you can download for free - pg 3

Lee Mathews — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fun, Games, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Freeware, Open Source

Page 1 - Page 2 - Page 3 - Page 4 - Page 5 - Your Picks!

Glest - This fantasy themed RTS pits the opposing factions of magic and technology against each other. Do battle with mages, dragons, archers, horsemen, ornithopters, and more. If you grow weary of Glest itself, there are plenty of mods you can download to breath new life into the game.

Globulation 2 - A slick RTS that lets you focus on the "S" by intelligently handling part of the nettlesome micro-management this type of game usually requires. The game's built-in tutorial will help you learn how to build a powerful creature civilization that will be the envy of...er...other creatures.

Grid Wars 2 - There are times when playing this game makes you feel like you're trying to take on Asteroids, Tempest, and Gyruss all at once. If you like space shooters, bright, stunning visual,s and frantic gameplay, Grid Wars 2 will keep you riveted.

Hedgewars / Wormux - Two different takes on the turn-based goodness inspired by Worms. Both games feature awesome, cartoony graphics and fun gameplay, though I'm partial to Wormux (it may have something to do with the Gnu cannon).

LinCity - This popular open source city simulation hit version 2.0 this year, and it's looking better than ever. Manage your resources, keep people happy, and watch your creation grow into a booming metropolis - or cram everyone into spaceships and get the heck out of dodge - either way, you win!

Page 1 - Page 2 - Page 3 - Page 4 - Page 5 - Your Picks!

25 awesome Cross-platform games you can download for free - pg 3 originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 20 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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25 awesome Cross-platform games you can download for free - pg 4

Lee Mathews — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fun, Games, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Freeware, Open Source

Page 1 - Page 2 - Page 3 - Page 4 - Page 5 - Your Picks!

Neverball - If Marble Madness was cool, Neverball is absolute zero. Use your mouse to tilt the playing surface and manouver the ball to collect coins and reach the goal marker. The download also includes Neverputt, which is exactly what you think it is - a tilt-and-roll miniature golf game.

Phun - Two-dimensional physics sandbox tomfoolery! Create all kinds of crazy arrangements then turn Phun loose and see what happens. Objects can be made out of different materials, and they react in different ways. See how gravity, friction, and wind affect things. If only grade 12 physics had been this much fun...

Scourge - Scourge bills their project as a "graphical Rogue-like game." If that's true, think of Rogue as the plate and Scourge as a multi-layer, fancily decorated cake piled atop it. It's packed with open source Dungeons and Dragons style action. The project has some ambitious goals and is looking for contributors - if you enjoy playing it and can offer your skills, find the team on the #scourge IRC channel on Freenode.

Smokin' Guns - Take a Quake3-powered FPS, slather on some Briscoe County, Jr., and you've got Smokin' Guns. You can almost smell the black powder and road apples. It's good, old-fashioned, Wild West fun.

Vacuum Magic - If Luigi's Mansion left you thinking all vacuum-based games sucked, give this 2d side-scroller a try. It's just you and your mystical 'vacuum field' against all manner of nefarious critters. Suck in certain beasts and food items and you can spit 'em back out to inflict damage.

VDrift - Ever wished you could be just like Vin Diesel? I wouldn't go sharing that with too many people. On a related note, VDrift is an awesome 3D drift racing sim. The latest version boasts a smarter AI, better physics, new sounds, and improved overall performance.

Page 1 - Page 2 - Page 3 - Page 4 - Page 5 - Your Picks!

25 awesome Cross-platform games you can download for free - pg 4 originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 20 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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25 awesome Cross-platform games you can download for free - pg 5

Lee Mathews — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fun, Games, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Freeware, Open Source

Page 1 - Page 2 - Page 3 - Page 4 - Page 5 - Your Picks!

Vega Strike - VS provides the backbone for a number of remix projects (like Pi Armada, Privateer Gemini Gold, and Parallel Universe). Explore space, build a trading empire, and blast your opponents to space dust. Plus, they just got their 'Super Ultra Cool Sound Systems' (SUCSS?) working last month.

Warsow - Warsow's developer credit Quakeworld, Quake CPMA, Jet Set Radio, and Speedball for inspiring aspects of their game, and it's a combination that really works. The game's fast pace and cell-shaded graphics work well together. Other cool features: dual firing modes (weak and strong) for weapons, wall jump, ramp slides, dashing, and dodging.

Widelands - If you enjoyed playing the Settlers games and haven't tried Widelands yet, now's the time. Lead your tribe to glory in single-player mode, or go multiplayer on your LAN or over the Internet. You and your friends can unite to form glorious new empires - or just try to kick the snot out of each other.

Wolfenstien: Enemy Territory - Mein Leben! Ok, so that was from the old, old Wolfenstein. The idea is the same: shoot all the bad guys or they'll shoot you (or blow you up). The links will take you to Planet Wolfenstein where you'll find downloads for all three OSes, map editors, source code, and more.

Yo Frankie! - Built on the Blender Game Engine, Yo Frankie is as good a 3d platformer as you'll find for free. There's lots of lighthearted action to enjoy, and new levels are constantly being developed by an enthusiastic community.

Page 1 - Page 2 - Page 3 - Page 4 - Page 5 - Your Picks!

25 awesome Cross-platform games you can download for free - pg 5 originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 20 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Firefox 3.5 RC 2 released

Brad Linder — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Mozilla, Beta, Browsers

Just a few days after pushing out the first release candidate for Firefox 3.5 to beta testers, Mozilla has made Firefox 3.5 RC2 available to the general public. While the only way to test out the first release candidate was to install Firefox 3.5 beta 4 and upgrade from within the browser, anyone can download and install the latest release candidate... or you can just wait until the full version of Firefox 3.5 is released, which should happen any day now.

Firefox 3.5 offers a ton of bug fixes and new features including:

Private browsing mode that doesn't save your history or cached data when your browser session is over
Tab tearing feature that lets you drag a tabs between browser windows or drag a tab into a new window
Watch a video in your browser without any plugins or external programs

Sure, some of these features have been available in other browsers like Google Chrome since day one. But it's nice to see them coming to Firefox. Firefox 3.5 RC2 is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Firefox 3.5 RC 2 released originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 20 Jun 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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David Pogue's productivity secrets

Jason Clarke — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Windows, Macintosh, Productivity

Venerable New York Times technology columnist David Pogue recently posted a list of his productivity tips and tricks that allow him to be uber productive. The list is good in that he tries to generalize and talk about ways of doing things instead of specific software or hardware. For example, Pogue talks about using macro utilities instead of specifically naming utilities like Quicksilver for the Mac or Launchy for Windows.

While some of his tools seem somewhat outdated, it's not a surprise given the time investment he has in them. And really, although we all to a greater or lesser extent have a case of "shiny object syndrome" and need to try the latest and greatest of everything, the truth is that if a tool is working, the most productive thing to do is to just leave it alone.

Of particular note (at least for me) is Pogue's first tip that he uses text expansion software. It's not so much that he uses it, but how he uses it that intrigues me; Pogue has expansion words configured for even the smallest word. For example, to type the word "the" he needs only type the letter "t". That's some serious configuration, but I can definitely see how it could be very useful once in the mindset of always using abbreviations.

What do you think of Pogue's tips, and what is your best productivity tip?

David Pogue's productivity secrets originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Paint with light using Glow Doodle

Jay Hathaway — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fun, Photo, Windows, Macintosh

Glow Doodle is a quirky drawing app that lets you draw with light, and you can try out if you've got a webcam. If you've ever taken a photograph of something moving and seen the streak effect, you'll get how it works. Open up the app, and get some kind of light source, like a cellphone, and move it around in the air. It will leave a trail, and you'll have a light drawing.

The controls for Glow Doodle are pretty simple: click to clear, s to save, and space to upload to the online collection of glowdoodles. Experiment with different objects to see what kind of results you get. The reflection from my glasses worked pretty well, and I imagine a shiny watch face would be pretty good, too. I didn't have a laser pointer on hand - I know, I'm such a bad geek - but I'd like to try different light colors and see how those work.

Paint with light using Glow Doodle originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 19 Jun 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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IBM's free, cross-platform Lotus Symphony now MS Office 2007 compatible

Lee Mathews — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Office, IBM, Freeware

You may not have read much about Lotus Symphony - OpenOffice.Org casts a pretty big shadow over other free Office competitors. Like OpenOffice, IBM's cross-platform office suite is based on the Open Document format and is a very capable alternative to Micorosoft Office.

Symphony doesn't provide the same number of tools as Office or OpenOffice, but it does handle word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation tasks. The latest release adds a much needed piece of functionality to Symphony - the ability to open files created using Microsoft Office 2007 (though files can only be saved in 2003 or 2000 formats). A Flash-based presentation of Symphony's features is available for viewing, and there's also a transcript available if you would rather read them yourself.

One I particularly like is the tabbed interface. As with the tabs in my browser, it keeps my workspace just as tidy whether I've got a single document or dozens open at the same time.

The suite is roughly a 200Mb download for Windows, Mac, and Linux, and is available from the IBM web site. There's also a large, online library of clipart for you to utilize in your documents.

IBM's free, cross-platform Lotus Symphony now MS Office 2007 compatible originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 18 Jun 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VirtualBox 3.0 beta 1 released (cross-platform virtualization app)

Brad Linder — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Utilities, Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Freeware, Beta

VirtualBox is a free virtualization application for Windows, OS X, or Linux. Like VirtualPC, or VMWare, VirtualBox lets you run an operating system within an operating system. Say, for example, you want to test out Ubuntu Linux without installing it or even logging out of Windows. Just download the Ubuntu installation disc image, fire up VirtualBox, and load the disc image.

Today VirtualBox 3.0 beta 1 was released. The update brings:

Support for up to 32 virtual CPUs
Direct3D 8/9 applications on Windows guests
Support for OpenGL 2.0 for Windows, Linux, and Solaris guests

There are also a number of bug fixes including better virtual mouse drivers, improved suspend/resume functionality on Solaris hosts, and GUI enhancements. You can read a more detailed list in the release notes.

VirtualBox 3.0 beta is pre-release software, and it could contain some bugs. I wouldn't recommend using it if you're afraid of mucking up your system, but the beta does provide a sneak peek at where this program is heading. The beta is available for download for a number of platforms including Windows, OS X, Solaris, and a whole slew of Linux distributions.

VirtualBox 3.0 beta 1 released (cross-platform virtualization app) originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 17 Jun 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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No coupon for you, new Mac buyer! Snow Leopard upgrade costs $9.95

Lee Mathews — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:33:00 EST

Filed under: OS Updates, Windows, Macintosh, Apple, Microsoft

Remeber the announcement last week that Windows 7 upgrade coupon plans are falling into place? Buy a machine with Windows Vista within the specified window, and you'll get a voucher for a free, spankin' new Windows 7.

What about Apple hardware currently sporting Leopard? Snow Leopard is due soon, after all. So will you get a free upgrade?

Not so much.

It'll cost you $9.95 - not a huge premium, obviously, but it's still more than free. While I'm not an Apple user and not in the market for a new notebook anyway, that offer stinks.

Leopard to Snow Leopard isn't quite the same evolutionary step as Vista is to Windows 7, but that upgrade won't cost a cent? I like the sound of that much better.

Will the fee hurt Apple sales? Likely not. Most consumers probably either won't bother with the update or won't think twice about shelling out ten bucks to get current. But can you imagine the crap storm that would ensue if Microsoft was to pull that when transitioning from one OS to another?

We'd never hear the end of it.

No coupon for you, new Mac buyer! Snow Leopard upgrade costs $9.95 originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 16 Jun 2009 15:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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