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[With AdMob purchase, there's really no escaping Google advertising now]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/09/with-admob-purchase-theres-really-no-escaping-google-advertisi/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/09/with-admob-purchase-theres-really-no-escaping-google-advertisi/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/09/with-admob-purchase-theres-really-no-escaping-google-advertisi/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Anyone who owns an iPhone or iPod touch is all too familiar with AdMob. Their tiny "don't mind me, I'm not really all that intrusive" ads power truckloads of freebies in the App Store.

While you might not love AdMob, someone does. That someone is Google.

Drawn together like half-cut, lonely singles in a dimly-lit bar at happy hour, the two are about to enter a long-term relationship. As in permanent. Today, Google announced that they have purchase AdMob for the tidy sum of $750 million dollars.

That's a whole lotta dough, but keep in mind that Google is ultimately an advertising company. AdMob's strong position in mobile ads is a juicy acquisition, especially with 1) the number of Android-powered handsets rapidly rising and 2) AdMob's recent launch of its Android advertising platform.

The move also gives Google easy access to gobs and gobs of delicious usage data from zillions of mobile users that they may have been missing out on. That data gets fed into AdSense, making it an even more attractive option for advertisers.

Here's a thought, though... At $750 million, Google could have simply bough 3.9 million people an iPod Touch and said "here you go, but we're going to track everything you do!" Hell, I would've signed up for that.

With AdMob purchase, there's really no escaping Google advertising now originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>admobadsenseavertisinggoogleiphoneipod touchIpodTouchmobileMon, 09 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Rupert Murdoch to remove News Corp sites from Google, institute paywall]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/09/rupert-murdoch-to-remove-news-corp-sites-from-google-institute/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/09/rupert-murdoch-to-remove-news-corp-sites-from-google-institute/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/09/rupert-murdoch-to-remove-news-corp-sites-from-google-institute/#commentsFiled under: , ,

There's been talk in journalistic circles for months about News Corp CEO Rupert Murdoch's plan to start putting the company's web sites behind a paywall. In other words, you might not be able to access news content from FOX, Sky Network, and dozens of newspapers including The Wall Street Journal, Barron's, Marketwatch, and The Sun, without paying.

The move already strikes some as a bad idea since it could essentially drive potential readers to get their news elsewhere. After all, on the web, information is always just a click away. But theoretically if News Corp can offer readers exclusive content that they won't find anywhere else, loyal readers might be willing to pay up.

OK, so that could work... but Murdoch's latest idea sounds like business suicide: He wants to remove News Corp content from Google's index. In an interview with Sky News Australia, Murdoch said that search engines are essentially stealing News Corp content without paying for it -- and that he plans to remove the corporation's web sites from Google's index.

While Murdoch claims that he doesn't see much value in searchers who often come to web sites without becoming repeat visitors, he's pretty much just plain wrong. Search engines pretty much make the web go round. If Google wasn't the dominant force in search, another company would probably rise to the challenge.

Back when there were only a few hundred web sites worth visiting, it might have been easy to find what you were looking for through old fashioned bookmarks and links. But today users rely heavily on search engines to find information, and web sites rely even more heavily on search engines for traffic and for revenue. Because who's more likely to clickon an ad? Someone who bookmarks your page and comes to it every day and has a pretty good sense of where the ads are on the page and how to ignore them, or someone who was searching for information about cheap automobiles and then came to your auto web site that also happens to have ads for good deals on new and used cars?

Still, Murdoch says he'd rather have fewer people visit his sites, but pay for it. It's possible that Murdoch is bluffing. If not, it should be very interesting to see what happens to News Corp's revenue when the paywall goes up and the sites are removed from Google. If the company winds up making more money than it does today, I'd offer to eat my own hat... you know, if I wore a hat.

You can check out the Sky News interview with Murdoch after the break.

[via The Inquisitr]

Continue reading Rupert Murdoch to remove News Corp sites from Google, institute paywall

Rupert Murdoch to remove News Corp sites from Google, institute paywall originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>news corpNewsCorprupert murdochRupertMurdochsearchMon, 09 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Skype lives on, reaches settlement with Joltid]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/06/skype-lives-on-reaches-settlement-with-joltid/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/06/skype-lives-on-reaches-settlement-with-joltid/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/06/skype-lives-on-reaches-settlement-with-joltid/#commentsFiled under: ,

Skype 2.8 for Mac
A few months ago there was talk that a lawsuit could bring down the popular VoIP client Skype. That's because Skype was involved in a dispute with Joltid, a company that Skype was licensing technology from.

Today Skype announced that the company has reached a settlement with Joltid. The net result is that Skype now owns the technology and Joltid founders Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis will join the investor group that is in the process of buying Skype away from eBay as well as the Skype board.

If those names sound familiar, they should. Zennström and Friis were also the founders of Skype, back before eBay bought the company.

While there's a lot of backroom politics involved in the deal, here's what it means for users: Skype isn't going to close up shop anytime soon.

Skype lives on, reaches settlement with Joltid originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Janus FriisJanusFriislawsuitNiklas ZennströmNiklasZennströmskypeFri, 06 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Google Voice getting ready to go global?]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/06/google-voice-getting-ready-to-go-global/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/06/google-voice-getting-ready-to-go-global/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/06/google-voice-getting-ready-to-go-global/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Nothing is more frustrating when reading about a hot, new app or service only to learn that it's not available in your area. Yes, geotarding sucks - there's no denying that. It's keeping most of us from getting to use awesomeness like Hulu, Spotify, and Google Voice.

In the case of the latter, however, it looks as though there might be light at the end of the tunnel. Business Week recently got a peek at a letter Google submitted to the FCC with regards to the blocking of certain rural and "red light district" phone numbers.

While the original letter included "formatting errors" and has since been replaced with a heavily redacted public version, BW's Arik Hesseldahl reports finding good news for those of you outside the US waiting for Google Voice.

Hesseldahl states that the letter reveals Google has working agreements with several "international service providers for inputs to Google Voice." At least the groundwork is in place, but there's no telling how long we'll have to wait. The letter goes on to say none of those services have launched as of yet.

So, how about it, Google? When does the rest world get to take Voice for a spin?

[via TheNextWeb]

Google Voice getting ready to go global? originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>google voiceGoogleVoiceFri, 06 Nov 2009 10:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Now finally available - ubiquitous media sharing with Orb for Mac]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/05/now-finally-available-media-sharing-with-orb-for-mac/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/05/now-finally-available-media-sharing-with-orb-for-mac/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/05/now-finally-available-media-sharing-with-orb-for-mac/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,


It was pretty exciting news at Download Squad to hear Orb, the "sort of software version of Slingbox," was available for Mac. Orb allows you to broadcast your media to any device that has a web browser. After downloading Orb to your "always on" Mac with a high speed internet connection, you can access all your photos, songs, TV shows, and videos from any device with a browser and media player.

After downloading the app, Orb indexes your media and then prompts you to either log in to mycast.orb.com, or create a log in if you don't have an account. After you log in you can see your dashboard and all your media goodies.



Though my songs appeared immediately, my photos did not. There are various feed settings you can play with and channels to explore. Also, with a simple drag drop interface you can share your media with your friends via email, SMS, widget on your blog, or a public URL.



Checking it out from my home computer is one thing, but would it work on other devices? Success! I was able to access my media from my Dell PC.

A note for iPhone owners: The esteemed and indefatigable Jay Hathaway noted that he received errors when he tried to download the free version of OrbLive for the iPhone, which he tried from both his iPhone and his iTunes account on his Mac. There are 3 flavors of Orb available for the iPhone: OrbLive free, OrbMedia ($4.99) and OrbLive ($9.99)

Note to Orb: Please update your landing page to include PC and Mac, ok?

Now finally available - ubiquitous media sharing with Orb for Mac originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>iphoneMacmedia sharingmedia streamerMediaSharingMediaStreamermobileOrbThu, 05 Nov 2009 11:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Google's new Dashboard sure would tie in nicely to Android, Chrome OS]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/05/googles-new-dashboard-sure-would-tie-in-nicely-to-android-chro/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/05/googles-new-dashboard-sure-would-tie-in-nicely-to-android-chro/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/05/googles-new-dashboard-sure-would-tie-in-nicely-to-android-chro/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

When a few blog sites yesterday happened upon Google's YouTube video of the new Dashboard, they moved quickly to pull it down. Though the original video is still MIA, Google made an official announcement of the new feature on their own blog last night and the video above is now ready for public consumption.

While Dashboard is now live -- you can check yours out at https://www.google.com/dashboard -- what's being talked about by most sites is how this move is all about transparency and privacy controls. Heck, even the official post hits on those points: "In an effort to provide you with greater transparency and control over their own data, we've built the Google Dashboard."

The post continues, "Designed to be simple and useful, the Dashboard summarizes data for each product that you use (when signed in to your account) and provides you direct links to control your personal settings."

That's fantastic, and I'm sure it's a big part of the story, but I can't help thinking that there's a tie-in to other Google projects. Perhaps Chrome OS and Android, for example?

Continue reading Google's new Dashboard sure would tie in nicely to Android, Chrome OS

Google's new Dashboard sure would tie in nicely to Android, Chrome OS originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>androidchromechrome osChromeOsdashboardgoogleThu, 05 Nov 2009 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Forget malware infections, hackers want to ransom your files and devices]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/03/forget-malware-infections-hackers-want-to-ransom-your-files-and/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/03/forget-malware-infections-hackers-want-to-ransom-your-files-and/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/03/forget-malware-infections-hackers-want-to-ransom-your-files-and/#commentsFiled under: ,

These days, cybercriminals seem to have one thing on their mind: your money. Gone are the days where a virus would simply infect your .exe files and make your system hard - or damn near impossible - to use.

It's bad enough that the bulk of the malware and malicious web scripting we're confronted with on daily basis wants to trick us into installing rogue antivirus software - which tries to trick users into paying to register the useless scareware. Now, they're moving up to hostage taking.

Yep. Digital hostages could be the next big thing in cybercrime, whether it be your iPhone or your important .DOC files.

Ars Technica reported recently about one hacker who exploited vulnerabilities in jailbroken iPhones to gain access, alter the lockscreen to display the warning in the screenshot, and ask for €5 to leave users alone. He also promised to provide a link to instructions on how to prevent this particular hack.

In this particular case, the hacker had a change of heart and has now posted said removal instructions at no charge. If we hear about one, chances are good there are dozens more - many of whom won't show this kind of courtesy after-the-fact.

iPhone aren't the only thing under attack. Computer Associates have discovered a new ransomware variant called LoroBot which targets a PC user's data - specifically doc, xls, zip, mp3, txt, docx, xlsx, and others. Once a system has been infected, the malware then goes to work encrypting those files so you can no longer access them.

The only way to gain access again? Why, to pay the piper, of course. $100 will get you the necessary file to undo the encryption. Fortunately, CA has also provided a tool to do it for free (download here) if you've been victimized. Rogue antivirus apps were once fairly uncommon and now they're everywhere. Could ransomware be the next big thing?

One thing is for sure: if you're running Windows you're using the most popular OS in the world - and because of its massive market share, it's the number one target for malware. Make sure your system is fully updated and you're running a good antivirus app.

Forget malware infections, hackers want to ransom your files and devices originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ransomransomwareTue, 03 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Malwarebytes definition database stolen, misused by IOBit]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/03/malwarebytes-definition-database-stolen-misused-by-iobit/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/03/malwarebytes-definition-database-stolen-misused-by-iobit/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/03/malwarebytes-definition-database-stolen-misused-by-iobit/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

I make no bones about the fact that I'm a fan of Malwarebytes. It's easily the best free malware removal app in my toolkit, and it's the first program I turn to when cleaning up an infected system. The Malwarebytes team has worked incredibly hard since their application burst onto the scene, and countless technicians and PC users appreciate the phenomenal work they've done.

Now, for the past few weeks I've been reading numerous blog posts about how IOBit is giving away their security software for free. The offer was timed to coincide with the launch of Windows 7, and has popped up in my Google Reader several times since.

How do the two relate?

A few weeks ago, Malwarebytes staffers came across an interesting post on the IOBit forums. The post detailed a keygen for Malwarebytes and reported it using the same name MBAM reports. The crew dug further and found more evidence of copycat detections.

To confirm their suspicions, a fake signature implanted in the Malwarebytes database.
"The final confirmation of IOBit's theft occurred when we added fake definitions to our database for a fake rogue application we called Rogue.AVCleanSweepPro. This "malware" does not actually exist: we made it up. We even manufactured fake files to match the fake definitions. Within two weeks IOBit was detecting these fake files under almost exactly these fake names."
If this is proven to be true, I certainly hope that Malwarebytes is successful in prosecuting IOBit. For another company to use a tactic as underhanded as this - let's face it, it's outright theft - to build a product and label it as their own is appalling.

IOBit are, of course, defending themselves in their forums. They respond:
"We have never used the database of any other companies. And hope Malwarebytes stop spreading malicious rumors for hyping itself[...]A legal letter will be released later, which will prove that there is no problem with Intellectual Property Rights.

For the sake of avoiding dispute and possible problems, we have deleted all disputed items in our database temporarily, and have updated IObit Security 360's database."
Nevertheless, IOBit's reputation is taking a beating now on WebOfTrust - Malwarebytes supporters have been all too happy to head over and vote down IOBit's trust, privacy, and vendor reliability ratings.

Malwarebytes definition database stolen, misused by IOBit originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>failillegaliotbitmalwarebytestheftTue, 03 Nov 2009 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Download Squad job boards, whether you're hiring or looking for work]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/03/download-squad-job-boards-whether-youre-hiring-or-looking-for/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/03/download-squad-job-boards-whether-youre-hiring-or-looking-for/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/03/download-squad-job-boards-whether-youre-hiring-or-looking-for/#commentsFiled under: ,


Need a sysadmin, coder, designer or other web working new hire? Virtual, on-location or whatever, the Download Squad job boards have you covered. Post your resume using emurse, or (better yet) post a job position in no time and immediately get an engaged, targeted audience of job seekers. We'll also start showing some search-powered job results on posts, like what you see here, but with a relevant job find:

Still not convinced? Did I mention that those looking for hires will see their jobs on our boards, on the boards at TUAW, plus those jobs are sent over to Juju, Simply Hired, Indeed and other job aggregation services. TUAW and Download Squad together serve up over ten million views a month, and serve over a million visitors each month. If you don't think your job posting will get seen, think again. We'll also write up interesting and amazing people and positions right here on the main page of Download Squad from time to time, further extending your hiring reach.

Try it and let us know what you think!

Download Squad job boards, whether you're hiring or looking for work originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>businesscontractdownloadsquademploymentemursefeaturesfreelancehirejob boardsJobBoardsjobsworkTue, 03 Nov 2009 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Track Black Friday prices with Invisible Hand add on for Firefox]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/03/track-black-friday-prices-with-invisible-hand-add-on-for-firefox/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/03/track-black-friday-prices-with-invisible-hand-add-on-for-firefox/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/03/track-black-friday-prices-with-invisible-hand-add-on-for-firefox/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

We've covered Invisible Hand, the discreet shopping comparison add on for Firefox, which displays prices on items you are searching on the web. Just in time for Black Friday, the hand has trotted out a new add on which along with other improvements, incorporates Google search results.

Now, you can get your price results in real time so you know you're getting the best deal. My test drive of the hand went smooth, the results loaded up within a second or two and updates were very discreet. This is a real time saver for getting price results.

The add on will be officially released to the Mozilla site within a few weeks, but the first 200 Download Squad readers can download the beta version. Just click on the link below and key in invisibleDLS for the access code.

http://preview.getinvisiblehand.com/




Track Black Friday prices with Invisible Hand add on for Firefox originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Black Friday dealsBlack Friday SalesBlackFridayDealsBlackFridaySalesfirefox-add-onHGGInvisible hand add on for firefoxInvisibleHandAddOnForFirefoxonline price comparisonOnlinePriceComparisonshopping comparison toolsShoppingComparisonToolsTue, 03 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[ICANN approves non-Latin characters for domain names]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/30/icann-approves-non-latin-characters-for-domain-names/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/30/icann-approves-non-latin-characters-for-domain-names/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/30/icann-approves-non-latin-characters-for-domain-names/#commentsFiled under: ,

Cyrillic URL
As expected, the international agency that regulates internet domain names has approved a new rule that allows URLs to be written using non-Latin characters. In other words, native speakers of Arabic, Chinese, Greek, Hindi, and other languages will be able to spell out web addresses using their oown alphabets.

Roughly 1.6 billion internet users speak languages that don't use Latin characters. That's half of the people that usee the internet.

Officials describe the move as the "biggest technical change to the Internet since it was created four decades ago." Nations and territories will be able to apply for internet extensions reflecting their regions starting on November 16th. We'll probably start seeing Internationalized Domain Names starting in mid-2010.

[via TechCrunch]

ICANN approves non-Latin characters for domain names originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>domain-namedomain-namesicannurlweb-addressweb-addressesFri, 30 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Mozilla scores enterprise email win: 130,000 French government PCs switch to Thunderbird]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/29/mozilla-scores-enterprise-email-win-130-000-french-government-p/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/29/mozilla-scores-enterprise-email-win-130-000-french-government-p/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/29/mozilla-scores-enterprise-email-win-130-000-french-government-p/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

A French website [Google Translate link] is reporting that 130,000 Tax Authority computer systems are soon to make a major switch to open source software. Email and calendar duties are being handed over to Thunderbird and the Lightning plugin. The move also includes a transition to OBM's open source groupware/collaboration/messaging platform.

When the General Directorate of Public Finance was formed, two tax agencies were combined. Their users were split, with 80,000 using Lotus Notes and 50,000 running Microsoft Outlook. In the end, the new agency's decision had a lot to do with a desire not to re-license Lotus Notes and Outlook and to simplify operations by supporting a single client.

Thunderbird had already made inroads with the French Department of Defense as well as the Misitry of Culture. The new migration brings the total number of installs to more than 200,000.

Always nice to see Mozilla adoption in the enterprise!

[via OSOR.eu]

Mozilla scores enterprise email win: 130,000 French government PCs switch to Thunderbird originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>emailmozillaopen sourceopensourceossthunderbirdThu, 29 Oct 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Google answers to FCC, (mostly) stops blocking numbers in Voice]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/29/google-answers-to-fcc-mostly-stops-blocking-numbers-in-voice/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/29/google-answers-to-fcc-mostly-stops-blocking-numbers-in-voice/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/29/google-answers-to-fcc-mostly-stops-blocking-numbers-in-voice/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Looks like Apple's not the only one drawing the ire of the FCC when it comes to Google Voice. AT&T filed a complaint with the FCC, forcing Google to explain why it was blocking a bunch of rural phone numbers from its Voice system. Google's answer? Because it's really expensive!

Telephone providers are common carriers, and they're required to provide access to some phone exchanges out in the middle of nowhere. That's extremely costly to do, compared to providing the same service in a large, dense city. Google was hoping to get around paying the additional costs, so they blocked some of these more expensive numbers. While still arguing that they shouldn't have to provide service, Google just told the FCC that it's now blocking "fewer than 100 numbers" in total.

[via Engadget]

Google answers to FCC, (mostly) stops blocking numbers in Voice originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>attblocked numbersBlockedNumbersfccgoogle voiceGoogleVoiceThu, 29 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Share unlimited media files for free with Libox]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/29/share-unlimited-media-files-for-free-with-libox/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/29/share-unlimited-media-files-for-free-with-libox/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/29/share-unlimited-media-files-for-free-with-libox/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,


Libox got my attention with free and unlimited - as in unlimited - media sharing. It's a new beta desktop application that allows you to share all your photos, videos and music with your friends and contacts. Unlike other social media sharing sites, whose free accounts are 1 GB or 100 photos/files, Libox is unlimited.

A colleague and I gave the app a trial run today and we liked it. After downloading and installing (7.9 MB Mac and Windows) the beta, Libox prompts you to import your files from your computer. The UI is clean, minimalist and intuitive. After importing your media files from your computer, you can share them by email with your friends and groups. Your friends will also have to install the app to open the files you send.

Libox allows you to sync your media files with all the computers in your house. There is also a web app where you can access your media in your browser, however, it is in alpha and can only be used on your local computer and if it is not behind a firewall.

To accomplish all this, Libox uses a combination of P2P networking, cloud and grid computing. It does not store your media or metadata on their servers and when you share media with your friends, Libox creates a "private secure network" on those specific files with those specific friends. The files are received in their original format, no compression, resizing or degradation.

Many questions abound, like how will this service make money? Once out of beta, will it be a paid service? What about the private secure networks? How private and how secure? The web access in alpha - how will that work? What are the compatible file formats? Any plans to add other file types like EPS or Docs? Does Libox work with Linux? Tell us more about the company and mission. Is their plan complete world domination? Is Libox too good to be true?

Stay tuned. Hopefully, we'll get these answers and more if you leave your questions in the comments.

Share unlimited media files for free with Libox originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>free media sharingliboxonline media sharingOnlineMediaSharingsocial media sharingSocialMediaSharingunlimitedunlimited free online file sharingunlimited online file sharingUnlimitedFreeOnlineFileSharingUnlimitedOnlineFileSharingThu, 29 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[New Facebook rules make app spam a thing of the past]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/29/facebook-makes-new-developer-rules-cuts-back-on-app-spam/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/29/facebook-makes-new-developer-rules-cuts-back-on-app-spam/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/29/facebook-makes-new-developer-rules-cuts-back-on-app-spam/#commentsFiled under: ,

Facebook's making some big changes around its application platform, particularly concerning how much access apps have to a user's activity stream and notifications. If you're a Facebook user who hates app spam, that's good news for you. It's terrible news for developers, though, because getting their links in front of you is how they spread virally and pick up more users.

This doesn't mean that apps won't be able to communicate with their users. They're getting put back into the sidebar, and that (virtually useless) boxes tab is going away. App and Game notifications will be handled by a new sidebar dashboard, moving them out of your stream once and for all.

Email will also figure more prominently in the user-developer relationship, with developers getting the option to ask users for their email addresses and send notifications that way.

Facebook isn't mincing words about what it's trying to do, here. In the official blog post announcing the changes, they come right out and say they're trying to cut down on spam: "Application communication in channels like notifications and requests aren't effectively serving their original purpose. There is a significant opportunity to improve the user experience and reduce spam by replacing them with better features and moving most communication to the stream and Inbox."

Take that, Farmville!

[via TechCrunch]

New Facebook rules make app spam a thing of the past originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>applicationsdevelopersfacebooksocial networkingSocialNetworkingspamThu, 29 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Trial/crapware banished from PCs bought from Microsoft store]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/28/trial-crapware-banished-from-pcs-bought-from-microsoft-store/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/28/trial-crapware-banished-from-pcs-bought-from-microsoft-store/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/28/trial-crapware-banished-from-pcs-bought-from-microsoft-store/#commentsFiled under: ,

Ask just about any technician or hardcore PC user, and they'll tell you that the unwanted bloat shipped with many new PCs is a major annoyance.

I'm blown away by just how slow it is to boot some of the new Windows 7 systems my store has received. HP, Toshiba, Acer, MSI - they're all guilty of excessive bloat. Not a single one of these pre-packaged systems boots as fast or is as responsive as those I've built in-house with Windows 7.

That's not really a great way to show off your new OS. After all, customers are expecting to get their new machines home and see performance from the get-go. While Microsoft can't control what makes it out the door at other retail stores, they're putting PCs they sell at their own store on an application diet.

According to Electronista, all systems sold at Microsoft's newly-launched retail stores will have their bloatware demons exorcised.

Yes, yes, I hear you, Linux fans. No, I don't mean they're uninstalling Windows from said systems.

Are you paying attention, OEMs? Even the company providing you with the primary OS on your hardware thinks you've gone too far with the crapware. Whatever happened to shipping systems with nice, clean desktops?

Maybe we'll start to see a shift here. I certainly hope so.

On a good note, if you purchased a bogged-down Windows 7 system already, it's an easy process to get rid of the crud and replace it with awesome, free programs.

Trial/crapware banished from PCs bought from Microsoft store originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Web-based malware attacks growing at an astonishing rate]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/28/web-based-malware-attacks-growing-at-an-astonishing-rate/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/28/web-based-malware-attacks-growing-at-an-astonishing-rate/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/28/web-based-malware-attacks-growing-at-an-astonishing-rate/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Dasient, the web security firm founded by ex-Google staffers that launched in June of this year, have published a blog post which shows just how dangerous a place the web is becoming.

If you do any computer service - either as a job or a favor to friends and family - you've no doubt seen the end result of these attacks. Fake antivirus applications continue to be the biggest source of business at my day job. That's all thanks to a web that has been slow to adapt to the presence of these threats.

According to the data Dasient has gathered to date, they estimate the number of compromised web sites to be about 640,000. Netcraft puts the total number of sites on the Internet at around 240 million - so compromised sites only amount to .26% of the whole. Still, those 640,000 sites are serving as many many as 5.8 million infected pages says Dasient, up sharply from the 3 million pages earlier this year reported by Microsoft.

Continue reading Web-based malware attacks growing at an astonishing rate

Web-based malware attacks growing at an astonishing rate originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>dasientdrive-bydrivebyexploitiframeinfectionjavascriptmalwaretrojanvirusWed, 28 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Congrats, citizens of Mozilla! Firefox population surpasses that of the United States]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/27/congrats-citizens-of-mozilla-firefox-population-surpasses-that/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/27/congrats-citizens-of-mozilla-firefox-population-surpasses-that/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/27/congrats-citizens-of-mozilla-firefox-population-surpasses-that/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Over the past two months, Mozilla has been hoovering up new users with reckless abandon - nearly 4 million people per week. At 330 million, the projected number of Firefox users has actually outstripped the population of the United States (which is currently around 305 million).

There's a little numerical kung fu that Mozilla uses to calculate that figure, and while it might not be 100% accurate the bottom line is that there are a crapload of Firefox users out there. And all those little foxes keep chewing away at Internet Explorer's browser-share pie.

Mozilla Europe honcho Tristan Nitot was understandably enthusiastic about the recent growth. Fall typically means an uptick for Firefox. Nitot told ZDNet, "Usually it's a mixture of back-to-school and people getting new computers and installing the latest version. This boosts our numbers every year."

Clearly, the next logical step is for Firefox users to form an organized state and start drafting up a constitution and electing officials. We'll also need a flag. There's already a Mozilla army, right? That'll save some time and resources.

*hastily Photoshopped chart sort of courtesy Wikipedia - though they have yet to officially recognize Mozilla as a country.

[via ZDNet]

Congrats, citizens of Mozilla! Firefox population surpasses that of the United States originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 20:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>browser shareBrowserSharefirefoxpopulationTue, 27 Oct 2009 20:45:00 EST<![CDATA[PDFAmigo - quick, fillable pdf creator in your browser]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/27/pdfamigo-quick-fillable-pdf-creator-in-your-browser/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/27/pdfamigo-quick-fillable-pdf-creator-in-your-browser/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/27/pdfamigo-quick-fillable-pdf-creator-in-your-browser/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

If you're in need of a quick pdf form creator and don't want to dig in your wallet too deep, PDFAmigo might be a good option for you. Running from your browser, PDFAmigo allows you to create enhanced fillable pdf forms utilizing color, different fonts, text fields, radio buttons, etc.

You don't have to sign in to get started, however you will need to if you want to save your work or upload images. If you don't mind the huge watermark across your file, the pdf you create is free. Naturally, that might be a problem, so you can buy the file for $1.00 using Paypal and the watermark will be erased. This fee does not include future changes to the form, so each change you make to the form would be an additional $1. Also, the first page is $1, and additional pages are 50 cents. (If you like to tweak your output this might get a bit expensive). Just sayin.

Another option that is completely free is PDFescape. It also runs in your browser and you can create fillable pdf forms, albeit with less font options and features. Any other faves? Let us know!

PDFAmigo - quick, fillable pdf creator in your browser originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>browser based pdf designerBrowserBasedPdfDesignerfree online pdf form builderFreeOnlinePdfFormBuilderonline pdf creator freeOnlinePdfCreatorFreePDFAmigoPDFescapeTue, 27 Oct 2009 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[ICANN set to approve web addresses using non-Latin characters]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/26/icann-change-web-address-western-latin/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/26/icann-change-web-address-western-latin/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/10/26/icann-change-web-address-western-latin/#commentsFiled under: ,

Cyrillic URL
There are web pages written in virtually every living language. If you read Japanese, Korean, Arabic, or Hebrew, odds are you can find web sites written in your native tongue. But in order to find them, you'll probably have to enter a string of Western characters into your browser's address bar.

That's because up until now, the organization that oversees domain names has only accepted URLs with Latin characters. But this week the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is expected to approve a new rule allowing addresses to be written in different scripts, including Arabic, Greek, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, and Cyrillic (Russian).

While the change might not affect English speakers reading this web site all that much, this is huge news for the 1.6 billion internet users who speak languages that don't use Latin characters. So while we have no plans to change the web address for Download Squad, I did consult with Google Translate today to learn that the site would be called something like загрузка Сборная in Russian. Because, you never know.

The new rule could be adopted as soon as Friday, although we probably wouldn't see the new Internationaliised Domain names (IDNs) until mid 2010.

ICANN has been looking at the change for a few years. But there have been technical kinks to work out. Essentially, under the new system, users will be able to enter URLs in a variety of different scripts and the domain name system will apply some new translation techniques in order to ensure that users are taken to the correct web page.

ICANN set to approve web addresses using non-Latin characters originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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