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[Internet Explorer 8's SmartScreen blocks 2 million malicious URLs per day]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/27/internet-explorer-8s-smartscreen-blocks-2-million-malicious-url/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/27/internet-explorer-8s-smartscreen-blocks-2-million-malicious-url/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/27/internet-explorer-8s-smartscreen-blocks-2-million-malicious-url/#commentsFiled under: ,

While you might not be a fan of Internet Explorer 8, there's no denying it's a better browser than its predecessors. One key upgrade in IE8 is its improved security and safety features - like SmartScreen.

In case you haven't heard about it before, SmartScreen is designed to keep IE users from wandering onto malicious websites. Sites like those which repeatedly turn up in Facebook scams. And it certainly appears as though SmartScreen is helping, based on what Microsoft's Dean Hachamovitch posted on the MSDN blog.

According to Dean, SmartScreen blocks more than 2 million malicious URLs every day.

If you have friends or family who swear by IE but still haven't upgraded to version 8, this might be just the thing to change their mind. After all, is there anyone who doesn't want a little added security when they're browsing the web?

Internet Explorer 8's SmartScreen blocks 2 million malicious URLs per day originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 27 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>internet explorer 8InternetExplorer8smart screenSmartScreenFri, 27 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Firefox is going to beat Microsoft's IE9 at its own game]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/25/firefox-is-going-to-beat-microsofts-ie9-at-its-own-game/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/25/firefox-is-going-to-beat-microsofts-ie9-at-its-own-game/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/25/firefox-is-going-to-beat-microsofts-ie9-at-its-own-game/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Credit to Bas Schouten. Grabbed from the CNET article in the via.
Hot on the heels of the announcement that IE9 would use Direct2D to improve its rendering performance, Firefox have stated their intent to do the same -- and sooner! In a a tweet, Chris Blizzard, an employee of Mozilla, said that Firefox would include Direct2D support -- and he bet it would be shipped sooner than IE9!

Direct2D is a technology included in Microsoft's DirectX multimedia tools. Usually you would only experience the power of DirectX in playing games, but it seems we're finally going to see extensive use of DirectX in office and home use -- the next few months and years will see significant speed-ups to your general computer use and Internet browsing.

Whether this is simply a reaction to the announcement of IE9, or if Firefox had been intending to include D2D support all along, I guess we'll never know. One thing's for certain though, the fast-moving nature of Firefox and Chrome development has played a large part in nibbling away at Internet Explorer's market share.

[via CNET]

Firefox is going to beat Microsoft's IE9 at its own game originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>browserd2ddirectxfirefoxie9microsoftmozillarenderingWed, 25 Nov 2009 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Microsoft will pay content providers to shun Google -- and get in bed with Bing]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/23/microsoft-will-pay-content-providers-to-shun-google-get-in-bed/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/23/microsoft-will-pay-content-providers-to-shun-google-get-in-bed/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/23/microsoft-will-pay-content-providers-to-shun-google-get-in-bed/#commentsFiled under: , ,

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.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>binggooglemurdochnews corpNewsCorpMon, 23 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Hate the new Windows 'start menu'? Get the classic XP menu back with this little app!]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/21/get-classic-start-menu-on-windows-7-or-windows-vista/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/21/get-classic-start-menu-on-windows-7-or-windows-vista/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/21/get-classic-start-menu-on-windows-7-or-windows-vista/#commentsFiled under: ,

By now a lot of you will have experienced the 'All-in-One Omnipotent Start Menu' thing that was first introduced with Windows Vista and can now be found in Windows 7. It combines My Computer, My Documents and your installed programs into one big, gribbly menu.

Some people love it. Some hate it. Personally, I like the all-in-one search/run input box... but that's about it. I much prefer the old drop-out menu, even if it is a bit stupid when you've got 500 programs installed. I still use icons on my desktop, rather than getting at everything through my Start Menu.

There have been a few tools that replicate the old Start Menu, but this one(aptly called 'Classic Windows Start Menu'), unlike the others, also works with the Windows Aero theme. Sadly, as you can see in the screenshot below, there still seem to be some bugs with the display (ironically, probably when you have a lot of stuff installed), but otherwise it all seems to work as intended!


So if, for some reason (and I'm sure there are lots of possible reasons) you don't like the Vista/7 Start Menu, why not grab this tiny little app?

Direct download link / developer's site (it ain't pretty, but you can find other-language versions there, if you don't want it in English)

[via Into Windows]

Hate the new Windows 'start menu'? Get the classic XP menu back with this little app! originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>start menuStartMenuwindows 7windows vistaWindows7WindowsVistaSat, 21 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Fishbowl is a kick-ass Facebook client for Windows 7]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/20/fishbowl-is-a-kick-ass-facebook-client-for-windows-7/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/20/fishbowl-is-a-kick-ass-facebook-client-for-windows-7/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/20/fishbowl-is-a-kick-ass-facebook-client-for-windows-7/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


When Microsoft introduced us to Silverlight 4 the other day, they also demoed a slick Facebook application. It's called Fishbowl, and it's now available for download. Not only does Fishbowl provide a nice, clean display of your stream (read: free of sidebar annoyances), but it's packed with excellent features, responsive, and extremely intuitive to use.

It's also ready to add some sizzle to your Windows 7 taskbar with jumplist and Aero Peek goodness. Read on after the break!

Continue reading Fishbowl is a kick-ass Facebook client for Windows 7

Fishbowl is a kick-ass Facebook client for Windows 7 originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>facebookfishbowlsilverlightwindows 7Windows7Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Look out! Outlook wants to become your new social media and collaboration hub]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/18/outlook-2010-social-connector-activity-streams/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/18/outlook-2010-social-connector-activity-streams/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/18/outlook-2010-social-connector-activity-streams/#commentsFiled under: , ,


It's been a long time coming, and perhaps a little too late, but you can now track your friends' and colleagues' social networking activity in Outlook 2010. Dubbed the 'Outlook Social Connector' (OSC), the functionality is available right now to all Office 2010 Beta testers.

The list of much-needed features that OSC brings to Outlook is long and juicy. 'Activity Feeds' is the new social media technology, collating the activities of your contacts into your Outlook screen. LinkedIn support is included in the current beta version, but there's no mention of anything like Twitter or Facebook support yet.

There's also neat functionality to show you all of the attachments sent between you and another contact, a communication history that shows you your recent emails with that contact, Next year, there will be added connectivity with Windows Live Messenger! There are numerous mentions of 'extensibility' and an easy-to-use developer kit, however, so I'm sure lots of other add-ons will emerge in due course.

For enterprise users there's even a SharePoint 2010 interface! Actually, does anyone really use Outlook outside the enterprise environment? Do social media 'gurus' use Outlook?

There's a little introductory video after the break, from the Outlook Team Blog!

Continue reading Look out! Outlook wants to become your new social media and collaboration hub

Look out! Outlook wants to become your new social media and collaboration hub originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>collaborationconnectivityoutlookWed, 18 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Hot on the heels of Flash 10.1, Microsoft unveils Silverlight 4 beta]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/18/hot-on-the-heels-of-flash-10-1-microsoft-unveils-silverlight-4/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/18/hot-on-the-heels-of-flash-10-1-microsoft-unveils-silverlight-4/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/18/hot-on-the-heels-of-flash-10-1-microsoft-unveils-silverlight-4/#commentsFiled under: ,

Get Microsoft Silverlight
Microsoft has been busy churning out news at PDC09, already having announced the arrival of Office 2010's public beta and Internet Explorer 9.

Not to be done by Adobe's recent unveiling of Flash 10.1, Microsoft has taken the wraps off Silverlight 4 beta. A few of the key changes in the new version include support for Google Chrome, performance gains up to 200% over Silverlight 3, and multi-touch support.

Silverlight's Deep Zoom has also been turbo-charged with hardware acceleration. v4 can also tap into your webcam and microphone, and local recording capabilities have been added. Microsoft hopes Silverlight 4 will allow developers to go beyond the browser and create rich desktop applications -- another salvo at the Adobe camp.

There are a slew of additions and enhancements aimed at developers, network administrators, and kiosk environments -- you can check a complete listing out in the offical release announcement.

Can't see the video embed in this post? You need to get your hands on the Silverlight plugin, I reckon. Runtimes are available for Windows and Mac here.

Hot on the heels of Flash 10.1, Microsoft unveils Silverlight 4 beta originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betabrowsermicrosoftpluginsilverlightWed, 18 Nov 2009 15:45:00 EST<![CDATA[IE9 unveiled. Faster, more standards-compliant -- DirectX accelerated!]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/18/ie9-unveiled-faster-more-standards-compliant-directx-accele/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/18/ie9-unveiled-faster-more-standards-compliant-directx-accele/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/18/ie9-unveiled-faster-more-standards-compliant-directx-accele/#commentsFiled under: , ,



It's only three weeks into its development, but Internet Explorer 9 has officially been unveiled today at the Professional Developers Conference (PDC). In fact, as I write this now, they're still talking about IE9 and other tech advances over on the Microsoft PDC09 website.

Their goals with IE9 seem pretty obvious from the graphs shown in their presentation: faster, more standards-compliant website rendering. If you look at the slide above, lower is faster. And that's just three weeks into their development of a new browser and web rendering engine!

They're also including 'hardware accelerated' rendering using your graphics card using the DirectX D2D technology. Whether you're trying to perform funky stuff with CSS3, Javascript or DHTML, IE9 should render things a lot faster.

There's a big video (that requires Silverlight!) after the break. It explains and impressively-demonstrates the new DirectX D2D speed-up.

[via GeekSmack]

Continue reading IE9 unveiled. Faster, more standards-compliant -- DirectX accelerated!

IE9 unveiled. Faster, more standards-compliant -- DirectX accelerated! originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>browserdirectxie9internet explorerInternetExplorerWed, 18 Nov 2009 13:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Office 2010 beta for Windows and Windows Mobile now live]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/18/office-2010-beta-for-windows-and-windows-mobile-now-live/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/18/office-2010-beta-for-windows-and-windows-mobile-now-live/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/18/office-2010-beta-for-windows-and-windows-mobile-now-live/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Microsoft has finally made downloads of Office 2010 beta available, for both Windows on your desktop and Windows Mobile 6.5. Project 2010, Visio 2010, and SharePoint Server 2010 are also available on the Office 2010 download page, and you can get the mobile version of Office via the Windows Mobile Marketplace. Microsoft says the portal for all things 2010 is http://www.microsoft.com/2010/, but the first live download links I've found are right here.

Because we apparently need social networking in every app these days, one of the things Microsoft is pushing about Office 2010 is the new Social Connector, which "brings communications history, business collaboration and social network feeds directly into Outlook, with support for Windows Live and SharePoint Server." LinkedIn has been announced as the first social network that will plug in to this new feature.

More on Office 2010 soon, as Microsoft is getting ready to demo it at their Professional Developers' Conference as I write this. Happy downloading!

Office 2010 beta for Windows and Windows Mobile now live originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>microsoftofficeoffice 2010Office2010social connectorSocialConnectorwindows mobileWindowsMobileWed, 18 Nov 2009 13:25:00 EST<![CDATA[Folder synchronization tool SyncToy hits version 2.1]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/16/folder-synchronization-tool-synctoy-hits-version-2-1/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/16/folder-synchronization-tool-synctoy-hits-version-2-1/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/16/folder-synchronization-tool-synctoy-hits-version-2-1/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

SyncToy 2.1
It feels like it's been years since Microsoft released SyncToy 2.0. That's probably because it has been. But when you have a utility that's dead simple to use that lets you synchronize files between two folders, hard drives, or other storage media, why bother updating it? But SyncToy 2.0 wasn't exactly perfect, so Microsoft recently pushed out version 2.1 which features a handful of bug fixes and improvements.

Like earlier versions, SyncToy 2.1 lets you create folder pairs and decide how data will be synchronized between those two folders. In Synchronize mode, when changes are made in one folder they'll be reflected in the other. If you add a file to folder A, it will be added to folder B. Delete one from B and it'll disappear from A.

Echo mode makes sure that folder B is always up to date with folder A. But if you make changes to folder B, they won't be reflected in the first folder.

In Contribute mode, files will copied from A to B and any files that are renamed in A will be renamed in B. But no files will be deleted. So if you delete a file from folder A it will still live on in B.

All three modes are pretty handy for making sure you have a backup of your important data. You can backup your files to a local drive or a shared network drive for safe keeping.

Probably the closest thing to a new feature in SyncToy 2.1 is the ability to backup your folder pair configurations. Microsoft also says that version 2.1 features better performance, faster copy speeds, and more resilience against network and file system errors. A few bugs have also been fixed, including one that could lead to data corruption when using NAS drives.

SyncToy 2.1 is available as a free download for Windows computers.

[via Lifehacker]

Folder synchronization tool SyncToy hits version 2.1 originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>microsoft-synctoy-2.1synchronizationsynctoysynctoy-2.1Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Windows Marketplace now open for all (recent) Windows Mobile phones]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/16/windows-marketplace-now-open-for-all-recent-windows-mobile-pho/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/16/windows-marketplace-now-open-for-all-recent-windows-mobile-pho/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/16/windows-marketplace-now-open-for-all-recent-windows-mobile-pho/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Windows Marketplace for MobileHave you been itching to download applications from the Windows Marketplace on your Windows Mobile smartphone, but been thwarted by the fact that your device runs Windows Mobile 6.0 or 6.1 instead of the shiny new WinMo 6.5? Well, fret no more. Microsoft is making its answer to the iPhone app store available for all phones running Windows Mobile 6.0 and up.

Sure, anyone stuck with an aging Windows Mobile 5.0 or earlier phone is stuck downloading and installing applications the old fashioned way -- by surfing the web to find programs and downloading either the CAB installer files or EXE files that can be installed from a PC using ActiveSync or Windows Mobile Device Center. And then you have to walk uphill 2 miles in the snow to school and back and you'll like it!

You can install the Marketplace application by visiting mp.windowsphone.com on your mobile browser to download the software. You can also enter your phone number on a web site using a desktop browser and Microsoft will send you a text message with a download link.

[via Windows Team Blog]

Windows Marketplace now open for all (recent) Windows Mobile phones originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>windos-marketplace-for-mobilewindows-marketplacewindows-mobile-6.0windows-mobile-6.1windows-mobile-6.5Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Once again, Microsoft puts a download page live with no downloads to back it up]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/16/once-again-microsoft-puts-a-download-page-live-with-no-download/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/16/once-again-microsoft-puts-a-download-page-live-with-no-download/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/16/once-again-microsoft-puts-a-download-page-live-with-no-download/#commentsFiled under: , ,

.
There's been plenty of buzz today about the Office 2010 public beta. Download links have gone live for Technet and MSDN subscribers, but as for the general public - they're left browsing yet another Microsoft tease.

Head over to the Office beta download page, and you'll see three links to chose from. Pick any one you like. The result's the same, a redirect to a page that says "Hey, Office 2010 beta is coming soon!" I guess that's fine, right? I mean, it's not like anyone clicking a download button would expect 1) direct access to a download or 2) a form they can fill out to get at the files.

Now, I don't run a big fancy website like Microsoft's, but is it really that hard to keep pages like this offline until the files are available?

The good news in this is that yes, the public beta is coming soon. It'd be nice if that landing page actually had "coming soon" buttons instead of shiny green "download" buttons. That seems like a distinction which is important to make.

As a bonus, it might save your servers having to deal with 12,000,000 page refresh requests.

Once again, Microsoft puts a download page live with no downloads to back it up originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betadownloadfailoffice 2010Office2010Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Windows 7 RTM "improved" activation bypassed by hackers]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/14/windows-7-rtm-improved-activation-bypassed-by-hackers/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/14/windows-7-rtm-improved-activation-bypassed-by-hackers/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/14/windows-7-rtm-improved-activation-bypassed-by-hackers/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Earlier this year, Microsoft and Lenovo teamed up to tackle the first Windows 7 activation workaround. It was based upon a leaked OEM volume activation key, and was neutralized fairly quickly.

Things have been fairly quiet for a while. Microsoft's anti-piracy team had cooked up WAT - Windows Activation Technology - in hopes that it would prove more successful at thwarting unlicensed Windows use than its predecessor WGA. And so began the latest round of cat-and-mouse with pirates. "You've got a better activation system? We'll build a better crack," is how the game usually plays out.

It should come as no surprise, then, that there are two new activation bypass tools spreading like wildfire on the Internet. Called RemoveWAT and ChewWGA, the apps provide one-click patching of Windows 7 RTM installations.

Microsoft, of course, has promised a speedy response. Still, once a system is patched and a user shuts off Windows Update, there's really not much Microsoft can do - or is there? Maybe they know something we don't.

[via CNet]

Windows 7 RTM "improved" activation bypassed by hackers originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>activationcrackhackwindows 7windows-7Windows7Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Office 2010 Beta 2 download leaks to torrent trackers]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/13/microsoft-office-2010-beta2-torrent-download-leaked/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/13/microsoft-office-2010-beta2-torrent-download-leaked/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/13/microsoft-office-2010-beta2-torrent-download-leaked/#commentsFiled under: , ,

It's been a little while since Microsoft had leaked bits distributed on torrent trackers by -- shall we say enthusiasts?

Everything is cyclical, though, so I wasn't totally surprised to find reports of the updated Beta 2 of Microsoft Office 2010 making a public appearance on one of the more popular torrent sites.
The torrent is labeled as build 14.0.4514.1009, which matches up with what some testers have already received directly from Redmond. It certainly looks like the real deal, though nothing is certain when you download from anyone other than the original source. NeoWin is also reporting that while a product key is required, technical preview keys seems to be working just fine.

The public beta is due to arrive sometime next week, though at this point it looks as though Microsoft will probably have no shortage of "unofficial testers" to gather send-a-smile data from.

[via NeoWin]

Office 2010 Beta 2 download leaks to torrent trackers originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 13 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>betaleakleakedoffice 2010Office2010torrentFri, 13 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Now you can browse Windows Mobile Marketplace on the web]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/12/now-you-can-browse-windows-mobile-marketplace-on-the-web/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/12/now-you-can-browse-windows-mobile-marketplace-on-the-web/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/12/now-you-can-browse-windows-mobile-marketplace-on-the-web/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Windows Marketplace
Want to know what kind of apps are available for Windows Mobile 6.5, but don't have a phone running the operating system yet? Or just want to look for apps on a screen with a resolution higher than 640 x 480? Microsoft has launched a web version of the Windows Marketplace.

Users can browse the web store without an account. If you sign in you can also purchase programs that will be installed on your mobile device wirelessly the next time you run the Windows Marketplace client on your mobile device.

One interesting feature is the ability to use the drop-down menu near the bottom of our page to change your locatino. SO if you want to see applications that are available in the Windows Marketplace for UK, Russian, Swiss, or Taiwanese users, you can do that.

[via Windows Team Blog]

Now you can browse Windows Mobile Marketplace on the web originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>app-storewindows-marketplacewindows-mobilewindows-mobile-6.5Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Tinker and Hold 'em coming to Games for Windows - for free!]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/11/tinker-and-hold-em-coming-to-games-for-windows-for-free/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/11/tinker-and-hold-em-coming-to-games-for-windows-for-free/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/11/tinker-and-hold-em-coming-to-games-for-windows-for-free/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Have you taken the time to poke around your Windows 7 start menu yet? If not, you may have missed the "More Games from Microsoft" entry under the Games folder.

Click the shortcut, and you'll be whisked away to a web page offering some additional games you can download. Right now there are three: Peggle, Ranch Rush, and Bumper Stars.

Two more titles are coming soon. Tinker (the awesome puzzler you can see in action in the video above) and Hold 'Em (for you poker fans out there) are set to be released in the very near future.

Now, this news isn't going to make all Windows users smile. It's probably going to rub some Vista Ultimate owners the wrong way - since Tinker and Hold 'Em were two of the oft-talked-about-and-rarely-seen Ultimate Extras.

[via Paul Thurrott]

Tinker and Hold 'em coming to Games for Windows - for free! originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>gameshgghold emHoldEmtinkerultimate extrasUltimateExtrasWed, 11 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Bing rolls out new features, partnership with Wolfram Alpha]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/11/bing-rolls-out-new-features-partnership-with-wolfram-alpha/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/11/bing-rolls-out-new-features-partnership-with-wolfram-alpha/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/11/bing-rolls-out-new-features-partnership-with-wolfram-alpha/#commentsFiled under: ,

Bing BMI calculator (Wolfram Alpha)
Microsoft's Bing search engine is still pretty new. It just launched this summer. But the company is giving the site a minor facelift which includes improved local search results and a deal with Wolfram Alpha that allows Bing to answer some complex questions about math and health-related information.

It looks like the new features are coming in a phased rollout, because I can't seem to access them yet. But the Bing blog has a number of examples, showing the kind of results the search engine can nor provide thanks to Wolfram Alpha's computations. For example, if you search for "BMI Calculator," you'll get boxes to enter your height and weight and Bing will spit out your body mass index. If you ask it for nutritional information for steak or chicken, Bing will return a chart that looks a lot like the nutritional information that you find on food packaging in the US.

Microsoft is also merging MSN Vido and Bing, and adding features to Bing Maps such as the ability to change a route by dragging and dropping the lines on a map (which you can already can with Google Maps and Mapquest).

Bing rolls out new features, partnership with Wolfram Alpha originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bingbing mapsbing videoBingMapsBingVideomsn videoMsnVideowolfram alphaWolframAlphaWed, 11 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Zune HD software update brings 3D games, widescreen keyboard]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/11/zune-hd-software-update-brings-3d-games-widescreen-keyboard/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/11/zune-hd-software-update-brings-3d-games-widescreen-keyboard/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/11/zune-hd-software-update-brings-3d-games-widescreen-keyboard/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Zune HD 3D games
The Microsoft Zune HD is an intriguing device. It's a pretty good portable media player. It can handle 720p HD video in WMV and H.264 formats, and it has excellent audio quality. It even packs an HD radio tuner. And the NVIDIA Tegra chipset enable some pretty flashy (but still useful) graphics in the user interface.

And the Tegra procesor means the Zune HD can also handle some pretty slick games and other applications. Up until now, that meant a few games, a calculator, and a weather application. But now Microsoft has added a few new 3D games to the Zune Marketplace: Audio Surf: Tilt, PGR: Ferrari Edition, Checkers, Lucky Lanes Bowling, and Vans sk8: Pool Service. There's also a new Piano application.

The new games are pretty slick and really help demonstrate the power of the Zune HD platform. Unfortunately, it's still not much of a platform. There are over 100,000 apps in the iPhone app store. There are 15 in the Zune Marketplace.

Granted, all of the Zune apps are free (although you have to put up with a brief add for the Zune Pass music subscription before they start). But where are the third party apps? Where are the chat, Twitter, and Facebook clients? Or calendar and contacts applications? Heck, with the graphics capabilities on the Zune HD, where's Virtual Earth?

Anyway, the new applications should be available to anyone who updated their Zune HD to run version 4.3 of the Zune software. The update also brings a few other changes, including support for a larger virtual keyboard in landscape mode and an auto-suggest feature for text input.

You can check out my brief hands-on video with the new games after the break.

Continue reading Zune HD software update brings 3D games, widescreen keyboard

Zune HD software update brings 3D games, widescreen keyboard originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>3d games3dGameszunezune hdZuneHdWed, 11 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Microsoft accused of poaching GPL code used in Windows 7 USB download tool]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/10/microsoft-accused-of-poaching-gpl-code-used-in-windows-7-usb-dow/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/10/microsoft-accused-of-poaching-gpl-code-used-in-windows-7-usb-dow/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/10/microsoft-accused-of-poaching-gpl-code-used-in-windows-7-usb-dow/#commentsFiled under: , ,

When I wrote up Microsoft's free tool to copy downloaded Windows 7 images to USB flash drives or burn then to DVD, I thought the app seemed like a great idea. After all, it provided student downloaders an easy way to get their cheapo upgrades copied onto install media.

Rafael Rivera was doing his usual Columbo routine on the MS tool's source when he found something in the code which struck him. A section relating to UDF handling appears to have been "borrowed" from ImageMaster - an open source project hosted on Microsoft's own CodePlex service. An by "appears" I mean Rivera's checks with the Reflector .Net code inspector set off the alarms.

As Rivera points out, it's not just the use of the code that is the issue here. It's also the fact that Microsoft has added their own licensing terms.

I'm sure there's some kind of saying about not doing something where you eat, and it certainly sounds like that's what Microsoft has done in this case. Innocent until proven guilty, of course - so we'll wait to see what Microsoft has to say in response in the coming days. For now, they've removed all links to the download tool.

If you're not too concerned with the hullabaloo over the code, you might still be able to find the download on some other sites. A little birdy told me MajorGeeks still has a copy...

Microsoft accused of poaching GPL code used in Windows 7 USB download tool originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>codegplmicrosoftpoachviolationTue, 10 Nov 2009 16:50:00 EST<![CDATA[Rejoice, surfers! Bing it up with free WiFi access across the US]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/10/rejoice-surfers-bing-it-up-with-free-wifi-access-across-the-us/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/10/rejoice-surfers-bing-it-up-with-free-wifi-access-across-the-us/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/10/rejoice-surfers-bing-it-up-with-free-wifi-access-across-the-us/#commentsFiled under: , ,

In exchange for just one search on Bing, Microsoft's new search engine, Microsoft will grant you free WiFi access on hotspots nationwide (but mostly in airports and hotels).

Apparently the offer began in September but perhaps they've been steadily unrolling it across the country as they only just announced it officially yesterday.

It's an interesting approach to marketing, and no doubt not the cheapest one either. But they're reporting good 'engagement rates' well above the usual .1 or .2% and will continue the scheme for the foreseeable future -- so enjoy your free wireless access! (As a juicy, related titbit, and in no way coincidental, Yahoo will be providing free wireless access at Times Square in New York City, for an entire year.)

Whether it's worth Microsoft's money or not may never be known. But one thing's for certain: Microsoft are famous for their brazen and fearless love of loss-leading -- they have the cash to do it, so why not?

And I tell you what... I would switch to Bing if Microsoft paid for my Internet connection. Wouldn't you? Now there's an interesting thought.

[via MediaPost]

Rejoice, surfers! Bing it up with free WiFi access across the US originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>bingmarketingmicrosoftsearchwifiTue, 10 Nov 2009 09:30:00 EST