Download Squadhttp://www.downloadsquad.comDownload Squadhttp://www.downloadsquad.com/media/feedlogo.gifDownload Squadhttp://www.downloadsquad.comen-usCopyright 2008 Blogsmith, LLC. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Who Wants to Kill Some Zombies? We do! We do! - Time Wasterhttp://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/07/07/who-wants-to-kill-some-zombies-we-do-we-do-time-waster/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/07/07/who-wants-to-kill-some-zombies-we-do-we-do-time-waster/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/07/07/who-wants-to-kill-some-zombies-we-do-we-do-time-waster/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Aw snap, someone get the holy water. Open Source Zombies!

Grab whatever you can - pitchfork, chainsaw, hatchet, or a shotgun for those of you who can't be bothered to "finesse" a zombie into submission. Your goal in this addictive little game is to save as many of the humans as you can from a horrible fate no doubt involving their brains being eaten.

It's set up kind of like a chessboard, with humans and zombies randomly placed. Set your difficulty and gore level, and go to it. Use the right and left arrows to turn your character around, then walk them with up and down (preferably over a weapon). Next to a zombie? Turn to face it, move towards it, and you automatically attack - you may miss, of course, so make it count. Grab a shotgun if you can, they've got phenomenal stopping power (read: one blast and you've got yourself a heaping pile of zombie slaw).

The graphics aren't great, but who cares? Zombies is ridiculously fun, only 7MB to download, doesn't require an install, and runs on Windows and Mac. Everybody wins! Linux users can play too, you've just got to compile the included RealBasic source code yourself.
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]]>gamegamesgamingzombiezombiesLee Mathews2008-07-07T11:00:00+00:00Truecrypt Updates to v6, Hides Your Subversive Plots Even Better!http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/07/06/truecrypt-encrypt-update-version-6/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/07/06/truecrypt-encrypt-update-version-6/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/07/06/truecrypt-encrypt-update-version-6/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Truecrypt has been a trusted name in on-the-fly encryption for ages (v5 arrived in February). What's new in version 6? Plenty.

One of the biggest advances is support for multiple processors, which provides a boost in the encryption/decryption speed equal to the number of processors/cores in use. Other tweaks have increased the overall speed by as much as 20% in some operations - on top of the parallel processing gains.

And - holy crap - how about being able to run a fully encrypted, hidden OS? Yeah, version 6 can do that, too. There's even a handy guide on Truecrypt's website. It'll also hide volumes, and on Vista and Windows 2008 you can even hide a system volume (not on XP, though).

They've really done it right this time. If you don't have Truecrypt, get it. We've all got some data on our PC that deserves a little extra privacy and protection. Mac and Linux versions are also available, so everyone's invited to the Truecrypt party.
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]]>encryptencryptionprivacysecurityLee Mathews2008-07-06T17:00:00+00:00KOffice comes to Windows: A brief loook at KOffice 2.0 Alpha 8http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/07/04/koffice-comes-to-windows-a-brief-loook-at-koffice-2-0-alpha-8/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/07/04/koffice-comes-to-windows-a-brief-loook-at-koffice-2-0-alpha-8/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/07/04/koffice-comes-to-windows-a-brief-loook-at-koffice-2-0-alpha-8/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

KOffice windows
The K Desktop Environment, or KDE, is best known as a user interface and software suite for Linux. But for the past few months a team of developers has been hard at work porting KDE applications to Windows. When we looked at the KDE on Windows project earlier this year, it was still in the early stages and there honestly weren't many applications worth running. Now that's all changed. The problem today isn't that there isn't any software you want to run, the problem is that the applications are still pretty buggy.

A few weeks ago, the developers of KOffice, an open source suit of office applications released KOffice 2.0 Alpha for Windows, Mac, and Linux. In order to install the Windows version, you need to download and run the KDE on Windows installer utility and then select the KDE applications you want to install. To install KOffice, select the package labeled KOffice-msvc. Once it's installed you should be able to access KOffice applications like KWord and KSpread from your Windows Start Menu.

While we were able to get KWord up and running, it did crash periodically. KSpread and several other applications were non-starters. We kept getting error messages telling us that files or components were not found, which is a shame because the whole point of using the KDE on Windows installer utility is to automatically download and install any dependencies necessary to run the software you select.

The Kate and KWrite text editors seem to work pretty smoothly. But applications take a long time to start and are prone to closing unexpectedly. We wouldn't recommend replacing Microsoft Office or OpenOffice.org with KOffice on Windows just yet. But KOffice 2.0 is still in Alpha, and the KDE on Windows project is still in the early stages. Perhaps one day this little office suite could konquer the world.

[via Slashdot]
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]]>kdekofficeofficeBrad Linder2008-07-04T15:00:00+00:00Flipping the Linux switch: Linux web tools, Pt.4 - HTML editors for every moodhttp://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/07/03/flipping-the-linux-switch-linux-web-tools-pt-4-html-editors/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/07/03/flipping-the-linux-switch-linux-web-tools-pt-4-html-editors/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/07/03/flipping-the-linux-switch-linux-web-tools-pt-4-html-editors/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Amaya split view smallMaybe you've taken some time and fooled around a bit with Quanta Plus and Bluefish and decided that they weren't for you. Maybe you just looked at the features, and the GUIs and thought, "I'd rather pluck my nose hairs out than use those."

That's okay. We're not about to pass judgment on your taste in HTML editors, or your strange penchant for self-inflicted pain. And while we may never use the tweezers in your house, we will gladly point you in the direction of alternative HTML editors.

This week we'll take a look at Screem and Amaya in brief. These two editors are frequently found in distribution repositories (and are also, of course, available as source code). Both of these editors have a very different take on what their users hope to accomplish with them. We hope at least a few have earned your badges of dorkdom, and are presently happily pondering the irony of applications that do the same thing to reach different ends.

Whether you like the idea of handcoding growing the hair on your chest (as opposed to your nostrils), the moral highground of browsing and coding with standards compliance, we've got you covered.

Next week, we'll take a closer look at our final two editors, suggested by our noble readers at the beginning of the series.

Continue reading Flipping the Linux switch: Linux web tools, Pt.4 - HTML editors for every mood

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]]>amayahtmlhtml editorsHtmlEditorslinuxscreemwebKristin Shoemaker2008-07-03T18:00:00+00:00Xandros buys Linspirehttp://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/07/03/xandros-buys-linspire/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/07/03/xandros-buys-linspire/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/07/03/xandros-buys-linspire/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Linspire 6
Xandros isn't exactly a household name, but the little Linux distribution struck it big (well, biggish anyway) last year when Asus decided to slap a customized version of the operating system on its uber-popular Eee PC laptop lineup. And now Xandros appears to be flexing its muscles a bit. The company this week announced that it has purchased Linspire, the company behind the Linspire and Freespire Linux distributions.

Linspire started its life out as Lindows, and was designed to be as much like Windows as possible. The idea behind the Linux distribution was to make the transition from Windows to Linux nearly seamless. That never quite happened, but Microsoft still didn't take too kindly to Lindows and forced the company to change its name to Linspire a few years ago.

While Linspire (like any Linux distro) can run many Windows programs thanks to WINE, the company's primary advantage over other distros is its super-simple "Click'N'Run" (or CNR) repository system which allows users to download and install free and commercial applications.

Xandros has no plans to eliminte the Linspire (which costs $50) and Freespire (the free version of Linspire). But the acquisition will give Xandros access to Linspire's intellectual property like CNR, which means new versions of Xandros could be even easier to use than the version Asus is using for the Eee PC.

[via E-Commerce News]
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]]>linspirelinuxoperating-systemsxandrosBrad Linder2008-07-03T13:30:00+00:00Whipping Your Website into Shapehttp://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/07/03/whipping-your-website-into-shape/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/07/03/whipping-your-website-into-shape/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/07/03/whipping-your-website-into-shape/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

No more excuses: let's get your small business Website whipped into shape. People who are moderately online use the Web as their first search source. Phone books are dead trees; if your business is not online with an easy-to-find phone number, I'm clicking elsewhere. People spend money in browser-based shopping sprees and your Web site has to compete.

Let's whip your site into shape. We've already discussed how you can grade your own site; offered tips for upgrading your site; and suggested ways to increase your search-engine ranking. Let's take the next step and whip your small business Website into first-class shape.

What do your site visitors want most of all from your site?

LET ME SEARCH!
I want a search box, plain and visible, preferably at the top of every page but definitely at the top of the homepage. If you don't have a site search, you can get a great free search tool in phpDig but you'll probably have to pay someone to make it work. It's worth your money. Put it at the top of your list.

TALK TO ME!
Company contact information belongs on every page, preferably in the footer. The footer area should also tell me a mailing address, a fax number and not merely supply a link to a contact page. Think: single-clicking! One click to get where you most want to go should be a navigation goal.

HELP ME!
You can add online help to your site through volusion's Live Chat (free edition) or through the Open Source PHP Lively at Sourceforge (the holy grail of Open Source apps to try). Of course, you have to make an employee available to respond, even if only a few visitors click the icon. Surely, someone sits at a desk during the day. Think how important they will feel!

FEED ME!
I want to know what your company is up to and what new products you have that will benefit me. Send out an RSS feed of new information or products. The nitty-gritty of RSS is here and if you're not into coding, try one of several free Open Source apps to generate RSS from your Web site.

Pheeder claims to be easy to implement and has loads of documentation. RSS Genesis works on any type of server and is PHP4/5 compatible and RSS Feed Creator claims simply to generate RSS feed.

While you're at it, how about offering RSS feeds for companion products that might interest me? There are some free RSS services that enable adding feeds to your site relatively easy and, of course, FeedRoll.

While you're RSS'ing, you can create a feed of any Web page that interests you. Feedity is a free service that will create a feed for any page and alert you to changes or updates to any site's page. Keep on eye on the competition or sites of businesses that impact what you sell through easy RSS reading.

WHOLE PACKAGE ME!
Robert Scoble, an online evangelist, lists his best practices for your business cards. Why not incorporate these ideas into your small business Web site?
  1. Start the conversation - make your site engage the visitor.
  2. Make it a standard size and shape but be different - that's why you need a Web development firm with creative builds in their portfolio.
  3. Make sure the basics are easy to find.
  4. Tell us what you do. Unless your business is globally recognized, we need to see what you're selling in clear language on the home page.
  5. Break some rules but stay on the good side of obnoxious.
  6. Highlight your corporate tag line. Don't have one yet? Get one.
  7. Use language options if appropriate.
Use the rest of 2008 to build a plan for your small business Web site to move toward as many best practices as possible. A site re-design isn't free and is also not a silver bullet that will increase sales dramatically in the first week. You still have to market your Web site. Stay tuned.
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]]>small businessSmallBusinessweb site best practicesSue Polinsky2008-07-03T12:00:00+00:00Hot enough for ya? Ubuntu Satanic Editionhttp://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/07/01/hot-enough-for-ya-ubuntu-satanic-edition/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/07/01/hot-enough-for-ya-ubuntu-satanic-edition/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/07/01/hot-enough-for-ya-ubuntu-satanic-edition/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Ubuntu Satanic ScreenshotPerhaps our fate is sealed at Download Squad. Perhaps if you avert your eyes now you can save yourselves. Abandon all hope ye who read past this point, and know, yea verily, that while the weather stinks here, the company is diverse and you're bound to find someone you have something in common with.

The Ubuntu Satanic Edition is Linux for the damned. You don't have to be damned to use it (well, we're using it, and we've been telling ourselves this). The best thing is that it is so well designed and configuration is so well documented, you won't even need to use naughty words in the installation process. (We do advise, to get the most out of your hellish computing experience, that you follow the configuration guide. Some of it is very obvious, some of it isn't.)

Unlike the (now on temporary hiatus) Ubuntu Christian Edition and (active) Ubuntu Muslim Edition, which both have religion-specific applications, the Satanic Edition is simply a collection of themes, wallpapers (some NSFW), sound effects and splash screens. We suppose that's fine, as we really don't want any Satanic applications on our computers, although we're pretty sure someone will comment on the true nature of OEM installs of certain software that comes pre-installed on many computers. We didn't say it, though, okay?

Ubuntu Satanic Edition is visually quite stunning. We mean this in a good way. The artwork is very professional looking, the themes render well (and there are hints for making them work better with applications that have issues with dark themes), and the screen savers and bootsplash screens work without issue. There are even Beryl Skydomes especially for this edition.

Ubuntu Satanic Edition can be optimized for wide screens, and can be uninstalled, should you have complaints from co-workers, loved ones, or just feel really creeped out. It'll install happily on Hardy, Feisty, Gutsy or Edgy in either the 32- or 64-bit varieties (PPC does have a few components missing). There are guides for installing and configuring both Ubuntu and Kubuntu. There are also several additional themes for Emerald, icon themes, and other assorted goodies that are not "officially" part of the Satantic Edition.

The version number of the Satanic Edition? Duh, 666.4, of course.

[via Aditya Kavoor's blog]
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]]>linuxreligionsatanic editionSatanicEditionthemesubuntuwallpaperKristin Shoemaker2008-07-01T13:00:00+00:00Ubuntu 8.10 alpha 1 packs a new theme (finally)http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/30/ubuntu-8-10-alpha-1-packs-a-new-theme-finally/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/30/ubuntu-8-10-alpha-1-packs-a-new-theme-finally/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/30/ubuntu-8-10-alpha-1-packs-a-new-theme-finally/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

New theme! Om nom nom nomNever one to rest on their laurels, the Ubuntu team is hard at work on the next cutting edge version of their popular distro, Ubuntu 8.10 Intrepid Ibex (who the heck names these releases?).

As with most other Ubuntu alphas, there isn't much to write home about yet. However, much to our surprise, it has a new interface theme, for the first time since Dapper Drake. "That ugly brown theme", as many people on the internet referred to it, has been the standard on Ubuntu for over a year now, and you either love it or hate it.

"NewHuman" takes the art of Ubuntu in a new direction, and only time will tell if it makes it into the final release, scheduled for October of this year. Those who are interested in participating in the testing process may download an ISO image from the official site. As always, the Alpha versions are not recommended for production machines, so distro shufflers need not apply.
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]]>AlphasHuman ThemeHumanThemeLinuxUbuntuIan Dumych2008-06-30T09:00:00+00:00Change your Windows open/save dialogs with PlacesBar Editor http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/29/change-your-windows-open-save-dialogs-with-placesbar-editor/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/29/change-your-windows-open-save-dialogs-with-placesbar-editor/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/29/change-your-windows-open-save-dialogs-with-placesbar-editor/#commentsFiled under: , ,

PlacesBar Editor
Ever since Windows 2000, Microsoft has included 5 handy buttons on the left hand side of most open and close dialogs in Windows. PlacesBar Editor lets you customize those folders. Just launch the open source utility and choose the folders you'd like to use. If you never store anything in your My Documents folder, for example, why not replace that button with one that says Temp or Download?

If you're worried about mucking up your system, you can take solace in the fact that PlacesBar Editor has a defaults button that will restore things to normal with the click of a button (two buttons, actually. You have to click defaults, and then save).

PlacesBar Editor also lets you add 5 additional folders or locations to the MS Office open/save dialog.

[via Lifehacker and Freeware Genius]
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]]>mellowareplacesbarplacesbar-editorBrad Linder2008-06-29T16:00:00+00:00Linux Mint Elyssa: Ubuntu Hardy with a fresh aftertastehttp://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/27/linux-mint-elyssa-ubuntu-hardy-with-a-fresh-aftertaste/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/27/linux-mint-elyssa-ubuntu-hardy-with-a-fresh-aftertaste/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/27/linux-mint-elyssa-ubuntu-hardy-with-a-fresh-aftertaste/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

MMM, mintyIf you haven't heard of Linux Mint by now, you probably aren't listening very well. Mint is a distro that is heavily based on Ubuntu, but has gradually evolved on its own, with unique management tools and a stunning set of artwork (no dirt brown here!). This latest iteration brings clarity and convenience to the newest Ubuntu base, 8.04.

The most obvious improvement on its parent distro is the fact that it actually contains codecs and Flash support out of the box. The desktop layout is more similar to Windows, making this a good migration path for Microsoft refugees.

For those already familiar with Mint, this new version may not seem very different at first glance, but one big difference between this release and pretty much every other Linux distro is the inclusion of Flash 10 beta. Flash on Linux has been a rather sluggish experience for a while now, but on our humble Pentium 4 testing machine, sites like Youtube and Hulu seemed to work just as well as they do on Windows. The rest of the changes are generally little tweaks and usability improvements.

Mint can be downloaded from any one of many mirrors provided on the site, but we found the Torrent they provide to be very active and well seeded, so that is probably the best choice for now.
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]]>Desktop LinuxDesktopLinuxDistro HoppingDistroHoppingLinux MintLinuxMintIan Dumych2008-06-27T13:00:00+00:00Flipping the Linux switch: Linux web tools, Pt. 3 - Intro to HTML editorshttp://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/26/flipping-the-linux-switch-linux-web-tools-pt-3-intro-to-htm/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/26/flipping-the-linux-switch-linux-web-tools-pt-3-intro-to-htm/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/26/flipping-the-linux-switch-linux-web-tools-pt-3-intro-to-htm/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

DLS in Quanta PlusAn XHTML editor is a lot like a teacup dog breed or a designer pig. Okay, so they don't tremble incessantly or have the tendency to pee in the corner of your living room. They are really just highly specialized, souped-up versions of something else. Chihuahuas are pack animals, just like wolves. Potbellied pigs know instinctively how to root around for tasty things, as do wild boars. And XHTML editors edit text.

They have many tools to make editing XHTML (and other bits of code geared specifically for web use) faster and easier, but there's nothing says you need to use an XHTML editor for web coding. Text editors can do the job as well. If Kate, gedit, or Cream do the job for you, either on their own or with a few plugins, that's got you ahead of the game.

But there are some XHTML editors that manage to bundle the basic functions and a whole slew of handy extras into a nicely finished package. There are quite a few of them, and we'll be touching on more of them next week.

This week we'll take a peek at Bluefish and Quanta Plus. Why? Because they are the two most often included in Linux as the sort of "came with the distro" web development applications. Even if they aren't installed by default, many people try them first.
next page
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]]>bluefishcodeeditinggnomehtmlkdelinuxlinux-switchquanta plusQuantaPlusxhtmlKristin Shoemaker2008-06-26T11:00:00+00:00Google Browser Sync: I'm not dead yet!http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/25/google-browser-sync-im-not-dead-yet/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/25/google-browser-sync-im-not-dead-yet/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/25/google-browser-sync-im-not-dead-yet/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Google Browser SyncGoogle may have decided to cease development of the Google Browser Sync plugin for Firefox, but that doesn't mean the utility will never see another update. Because rather than simply boxing up the source code and packing it away, Google decided to release the source code publicly under the BSD license.

Google Browser Sync is a utility that lets you synchronize your Firefox bookmarks, preferences, and cookies across multiple computers.

Now anyone can check out the source from the Google Code project page. While nobody's done anything really cool yet like make a version of Google Browser Sync that works with Firefox 3, it may just be a matter of time.

One thing that's particularly interesting is the fact that Ars Technica reports Google posted the source code online on June 13, the same day that Lifehacker confirmed the death of the official project. It's not clear which came first, the chicken or the egg. But either way, we're not complaining. If Google isn't going to continue developing this useful utility, then we're just glad that someone else may be able to pick up the torch.
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]]>browser-syncfirefoxgooglegoogle-browser-syncopen-sourcesynchronizationBrad Linder2008-06-25T16:30:00+00:00Nokia buys out Symbian, announces platform to go open sourcehttp://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/24/nokia-buys-out-symbian-announces-platform-to-go-open-source/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/24/nokia-buys-out-symbian-announces-platform-to-go-open-source/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/24/nokia-buys-out-symbian-announces-platform-to-go-open-source/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

SymbianNokia has announced that it is buying out the 52 percent of Symbian that it didn't already own and opening up the platform. Nokia and a number of other companies including AT&T, LG, and Samsung have also announced the creation of the Symbian Foundation.

Now, open source software is great for developers because it mean that anyone can easily look at the code, tweak it, and write applications designed to run well on the platform. But ther's also a huge benefit for telecom companies. Nokia will provide access to the Symbian OS royalty-free to members of the Symbian Foundation. And anyone can join the foundation for a nominal $1500 annual fee.

Symbian currently has about 60 percent of the mobile browser market share. The move to make the platform open source should help Nokia and Symbian maintain that lead in the face of challenges from the LiMo Foundation and Google's Linux-based Android platform.

[via OStatic]
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]]>nokiaopen-sourcesymbiansymbian-osBrad Linder2008-06-24T15:00:00+00:00aTunes: Cross platform, open source media playerhttp://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/23/atunes-cross-platform-open-source-media-player/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/23/atunes-cross-platform-open-source-media-player/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/23/atunes-cross-platform-open-source-media-player/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

aTunes
Looking for an iTunes/Winamp/Amarok killer? No matter whether you're a Windows, Linux, or OS X user, you might want to check out aTunes. This media player uses the open source MPlayer engine and is built on Java, which means you can run it on pretty much any devices that supports Java. There's also a Windows installer which makes running aTunes on Windows a snap.

The program has all the features you'd expect from a modern media player, including the ability to play MP3, ogg, WMA, WAV, FLAC, MP4, RA, and RM files. You can also listen to internet radio streams. There's no support for DRM though, so if you've got restricted music files on your desktop, this might not be the player for you.

One of the niftiest features in aTunes is Last.fm integration. While you can't use the software to play music from Last.fm, you can sign into your account and submit your played song list to Last.fm. aTunes also takes advantage of Last.fm's audioscrobbling service, which means you can see a list of artists that are similar to the one you're listening to in real-time. When available, aTunes will also automatically display album art and song lyrics.

Update: It appears the web site is down, but you can still download aTunes from SourceForge.

Continue reading aTunes: Cross platform, open source media player

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]]>atunesmedia-playerBrad Linder2008-06-23T09:00:00+00:00Edit file associations icons, and other Windows settings with Typeshttp://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/21/edit-file-associations-icons-and-other-windows-settings-with-ty/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/21/edit-file-associations-icons-and-other-windows-settings-with-ty/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/21/edit-file-associations-icons-and-other-windows-settings-with-ty/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Types
Sure, Windows lets you change file associations. But the file type manager is kind of a pain to use. Types is a free, open source utility that makes it a snap. All you do is launch the program, select the extension you want to change, and then hit the properties button.

You can change the link class (which will change the program that is used to open the file), the description, or even the icon. In some cases you can also change the default action that takes place when you click a file. For example, when you click on an audio file, it could either begin playing in your default media player or it could be added to your current playlist.

[via Inspect My Gadget]
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]]>file-associationstypesBrad Linder2008-06-21T10:00:00+00:00HELP! Windows cannot open this filehttp://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/20/help-windows-cannot-open-this-file/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/20/help-windows-cannot-open-this-file/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/20/help-windows-cannot-open-this-file/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

Can not open dialog

You've just downloaded that must have program only to realize that Windows has no idea what to do with it. After an hour of Google searching, forum posting, and being called n00b, you finally figure it out.

If only there was a guide that showed you how to get all those needed programs. We at Download Squad feel your pain and have put together a list of 10 free programs that will take care of those pesky "Windows cannot open this file" messages once and for all.

Note: See a blatant omission or oversight? Please add it to the comments. With your help, we hope to re-post a more complete list the future.

  1. K-Lite codec pack

    File Types: DivX, XviD, AVI, Mpeg 1-4, AC3, AAC, FLAC, WAV, FLV, OGG, VOB, and tons you've never heard of.

    Description: Why there are 85,000,000 different audio and video types we have no idea. What we do know is trying to install codecs one at a time generally ends in a reformat.

    Thankfully, the good people from K-Lite (Koors Lite?) have bundled all the software and codecs you need into one executable. Cheers!


  2. Real Alternative and QuickTime Alternative

    File Types: RM, RA, RAM, RPM, RMVB, RPX, SMI, SMIL, RT, RP, MOV, QT, 3GP

    Description: Before the days of Youtube, the Real Player and QuickTime were kings of Internet multimedia. Sure you had to deal with popups, reminders, updates, and bloatware, but that 1" video was so worth it.

    Fortunately, the Real and Quicktime Alternatives removed the real in Real Player and restored the quick to QuickTime. Enjoy your 1" video!

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]]>codecsextensionfreewaresharewaretoolstweet-thisutilitieswindowsAlan Silcott2008-06-20T19:00:00+00:00Giveaway: OpenSUSE 11.0 box set with all the trimmings!http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/19/giveaway-opensuse-11-0-box-set-with-all-the-trimmings/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/19/giveaway-opensuse-11-0-box-set-with-all-the-trimmings/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/19/giveaway-opensuse-11-0-box-set-with-all-the-trimmings/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

openSUSE box of goodness

The people at the OpenSUSE project are so excited about their recent 11.0 release, they're ready to share the love with a lucky Download Squad reader! And it's not that garden variety elementary school crush sort of love, either. It's the bona fide, dyed in the wool, hand-holding sort of love, complete with instruction manuals, quick start guides and 90 days of end-user installation support bliss!

The OpenSUSE 11.0 boxed version is especially nice for new users, not only because of the support and great manuals, but because it has every iteration of OpenSUSE 11.0 you could ever imagine. Need the x86 version? There it is! Got a 64 bit processor and a ridiculous amount of RAM to support? Hey, the 64 bit version's there too!

There's the usual Linux suspects, too, of course: KDE, GNOME, Xfce, OpenOffice, Firefox, GIMP, Amarok, firewall software, and AppArmor. But lest your heart become overwhelmed, there are a few hoops you have to jump through to get up close and personal with the OpenSUSE 11.0 box set of love.

In order to win the OpenSUSE 11.0 team's heart (or at least the fruits of their labor):
  • Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older
  • Leave a comment on this post and tell us what you like best about free speech and/or free beer (and keep in mind that our moms visit this site, so go easy on the free speech concerning the free beer, okay?)
  • Contest is open until 11:59 pm Eastern Time, June 26, 2008
  • You may enter once.
  • One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
  • Prize is one boxed copy of OpenSUSE 11.0, including manuals and 90 days of end-user installation support. (valued at $60)
  • Click here for complete official rules.
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]]>giveawaylinuxopensuseopensuse 11Opensuse11Kristin Shoemaker2008-06-19T19:00:00+00:00OpenSUSE 11.0 proves chameleons can take on Herons any dayhttp://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/19/opensuse-11-0-proves-chameleons-can-take-on-herons-any-day/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/19/opensuse-11-0-proves-chameleons-can-take-on-herons-any-day/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/19/opensuse-11-0-proves-chameleons-can-take-on-herons-any-day/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

OpenSUSE 11.0 GNOME desktop versionOpenSUSE has always been an odd sort of Linux distribution. It's always been reasonably user friendly, very stable, and quite nicely pulled off the not-so-easy task of being good for new users while offering advanced and power users the flexibility and freedom they require.

Yet OpenSUSE often gets a bad wrap. There's that whole Novell/Microsoft/the world is ending conspiracy thing going on, for one thing. Certainly when Novell bought SuSE, it was disturbing. What were Novell's intentions? Where were things going to go from this point? Was openSUSE going to suffer for it?

Suffer? We probably wouldn't go as far as to say that. Were the changes and improvements to the distribution immediately after Novell took the helm earth-shaking? No, not particularly. They were modest, and worked well enough, but nothing that seemed leaps and bounds beyond the previous versions.

Nothing seemed leaps and bounds beyond -- until now. Today, OpenSUSE officially rolled out the 11.0 release. OpenSUSE seems to have scrutinized itself, from the kernel to the community. The developers pushed away from what seemed like an "adapt to survive" mode, and rolled out a release with changes so dramatic and beautiful that the distribution's chameleon ("geeko") mascot seems less cute and instead genuinely fitting.

If we had one word, and only one word to use to describe OpenSUSE 11.0, it would be this:

Fast.

Yes, dear readers. We just used the word "fast" (boldface, even) in relation to an OpenSUSE release. It starts and runs applications quickly, and we can say completely honestly, it installs quickly. We aren't just talking system updates and "here and there" YaST additions. No... You can boot the liveCD and have a complete OpenSUSE 11.0 system on your hard drive in what seems even slightly less time than an Ubuntu install.
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]]>installerlinuxlivecdnovellopensuseopensuse 11Opensuse11tweet-thisKristin Shoemaker2008-06-19T10:00:00+00:00Wine 1.0 pops the cork: Run Windows apps on Linuxhttp://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/17/wine-1-0-pops-the-cork-run-windows-apps-on-linux/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/17/wine-1-0-pops-the-cork-run-windows-apps-on-linux/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/17/wine-1-0-pops-the-cork-run-windows-apps-on-linux/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Wine 1.0
It may have taken 15 years, but the developers behind Wine have finally decided the Windows emulation layer for Linux and Unix-based systems is stable enough to wear a 1.0 label. Now, don't get too excited. That doesn't mean every last Windows app will run on Linux under Wine. But it does mean that Wine's more stable than ever, and thousands of Windows applications have been reported to work.

Wine 1.0 installation instructions are available for a whole slew of distributions, including Fedora, Red Hat, SUSE, Mandriva, Slackware, Ubuntu, Debian, FreeBSD and Solaris. Or if you wait a few days there's a good chance the latest version of Wine will be added to your distro's official repositories.

To be perfectly honest, you might not notice a ton of changes from previous versions of Wine. But the latest build does include a ton of fixes for specific applications including WinRAR, Skype, Dragon Naturally Speaking, and video games like Call of Duty 1.0

[via Digg]
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]]>linuxwindows-emulatorwinewine-1.0winehqBrad Linder2008-06-17T17:00:00+00:00Firefox 3 launches today; Five reasons you can't live without ithttp://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/17/firefox-3-launches-today-five-reasons-you-cant-live-without-it/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/17/firefox-3-launches-today-five-reasons-you-cant-live-without-it/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2008/06/17/firefox-3-launches-today-five-reasons-you-cant-live-without-it/#commentsFiled under: ,


After a long wait, version 3 of the popular Firefox browser is officially available today -- get yours here. It's likely the most anticipated Firefox release ever, poised to break a world record for the most downloads in a single day but, does it live up to its lofty expectations?

Frankly, without the browser in widespread circulation it's hard judge it an unmitigated success. Mozilla's new baby contains a claimed 15,000 improvements. With a list that long, there are bound to be a few new features you'll love, a few you'll hate -- and -- maybe a few you'll wonder how you ever lived without.

After putting the betas through their paces and having a nice long chat with Mike Beltzner -- one of the user experience gurus from Mozilla -- here are five of our favorite things about the newest member of the Firefox family.

Continue reading Firefox 3 launches today; Five reasons you can't live without it

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]]>download dayDownloadDayFirefox 3Firefox3MozillanewhotnessGrant Robertson2008-06-17T13:00:00+00:00