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[SheepDog rounds up stray application windows on multi-monitor setups]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/10/sheepdog-rounds-up-stray-application-windows-on-multi-monitor-se/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/10/sheepdog-rounds-up-stray-application-windows-on-multi-monitor-se/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/10/sheepdog-rounds-up-stray-application-windows-on-multi-monitor-se/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

It doesn't happen often, but every now and then I receive a customer's laptop which just doesn't want to believe it's no longer attached to an external monitor. And it never fails - some important app is going to appear in the display Twilight Zone.

If only there was some kind of digital shepherd to corral those errant windows. Hey, if not a shepherd, why not SheepDog?

It's a tiny, portable application whose sole purpose is to bring apps that have wandered back to the primary display. Fire it up, and the tray icon listens for a hotket combination to be pressed. In the options screen you can customize your key combo and also change the system tray icon.

Hit the hotkey (or right click the system tray icon and select reposition) and any offending application windows are instantly moved.

At only 20Kb, this baby is going straight on my USB flash drive with all the other handy utilities I need once in a blue moon.

SheepDog rounds up stray application windows on multi-monitor setups originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>desktopdisplayhidden windowHiddenWindowmultiple monitorsMultipleMonitorsrepositionwindow managementWindowManagementTue, 10 Nov 2009 20:00:00 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[How do you download torrentless torrents? Use Magnetiser for Firefox]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/10/how-do-you-download-torrentless-torrents-use-magnetiser-for-fir/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/10/how-do-you-download-torrentless-torrents-use-magnetiser-for-fir/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/10/how-do-you-download-torrentless-torrents-use-magnetiser-for-fir/#commentsFiled under: ,

Want to download torrents without downloading a .torrent file first? You can do it with Magnet links, which are supported in a bunch of major torrent clients, including uTorrent and Vuze (formerly known as Azureus). Instead of using a .torrent file, the magnet protocol uses DHT and the torrent's hash, so you've essentially got a torrentless torrent. Magnet links can be tricky to find, but a new Firefox add-on called Magnetiser lets you pull them from Torrentz or isoHunt.

With Magnetiser installed, go to any torrent detail page and click the "magnetise" button in your toolbar. You should be prompted to pick a torrent client that supports magnet links, and then your download will start. As TorrentFreak points out, this is pretty cool when a .torrent file has been removed, but Torrentz or isoHunt still have the hash data. You can add trackers to Magnetise manually, but it comes preloaded with the most commonly-used trackers, so it should work right out of the box.

Magnetise isn't up on the Mozilla add-on index yet, but TorrentFreak has linked to the .xpi file, which you can download and drag to Firefox to install.


[via TorrentFreak]

How do you download torrentless torrents? Use Magnetiser for Firefox originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>add-onbittorrentfirefoxmagnetmagnetisetorrentTue, 10 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Comodo Easy VPN is a fast, free Hamachi alternative for Windows]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/09/comodo-easy-vpn-is-a-fast-free-hamachi-alternative-for-windows/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/09/comodo-easy-vpn-is-a-fast-free-hamachi-alternative-for-windows/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/09/comodo-easy-vpn-is-a-fast-free-hamachi-alternative-for-windows/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


Ages ago, I used a combination of Hamachi and UltraVNC for hassle-free remote support setups. At the time (again, this was a long time ago), Hamachi had a lot of reliability and speed issues - so I ended up switching to TeamViewer.

Recently, however, I decided to revisit my options. One alternative I happened upon was Comodo's free Easy VPN application.

Like Hamachi, Easy VPN supports multiple virtual networks. To give a friend access, simply provide the name and password and they're ready to join. When logged in, the icon next to their name will turn green and you can then ping, chat, and even remote control to your heart's content. All traffic is 128-bit encrypted.

Ping times and file transfer speeds are respectable and competitive with Hamachi. The remote control software (which feels and works a lot like many VNC apps) works well, and is perfect for quick, long-distance assistance.

Machines connected on a Comodo Easy VPN network function just like the computers attached to your home router. You can share files, folders, and even printers. Need to be able to print on the fancy color laser printer at work from the comfort of your kitchen table? Easy VPN is a hassle-free way to get the job done.

You can read more about how Easy VPN works over at Comodo's web site, where you can also download it. Easy VPN works on Windows XP or newer - both 32 and 64-bit builds.

Comodo Easy VPN is a fast, free Hamachi alternative for Windows originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>comodoeasyvpnhamachinetworkingvpnMon, 09 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[HTML5 YouTube viewer: close, but not quite there]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/08/html5-youtube-viewer-close-but-not-quite-there/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/08/html5-youtube-viewer-close-but-not-quite-there/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/08/html5-youtube-viewer-close-but-not-quite-there/#commentsFiled under: ,

Everyone knows Flash is a massive resource hog, especially on Mac or Linux. If you're sick of totally bogging down your system whenever you want to watch a YouTube video, the new video specifications in HTML5 might be the answer. By using HTML and plugging into the Mp4 streams on YouTube, the folks at NeoSmart have created an HTML5 YouTube Viewer. It doesn't quite work perfectly, and not every browser is ready for it, but it's nice proof-of-concept to try out.

The Download Squad team had mixed results watching videos with this viewer. Firefox was a bust - NeoSmart says it's because of proprietary codec issues - but some other browsers worked. I got working video (extremely smooth working video, actually) on both Chrome and Safari for Mac, but no audio. Meanwhile, on the Windows side, fellow Download Squad bloggers report that the HTML5 viewer works well in Chrome 4 in XP, and Chrome 3 on Windows 7.

Meanwhile,YouTube seems to be running its own HTML5 tests, including some examples of new in-browser 3D rendering features. Sounds like this could finally be the end of reliance on Flash ... once your browser supports it, or once YouTube starts supporting OGG Theora, Firefox and Chrome's video format of choice for HTML5.

HTML5 YouTube viewer: close, but not quite there originally appeared on Download Squad on Sun, 08 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>codechtml5neosmartvideoyoutubeSun, 08 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Pick up where you left off before a reboot with Cache My Work]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/06/pick-up-where-you-left-off-before-a-reboot-with-cache-my-work/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/06/pick-up-where-you-left-off-before-a-reboot-with-cache-my-work/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/06/pick-up-where-you-left-off-before-a-reboot-with-cache-my-work/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Getting your desktop situated "just so" following a reboot can be a hassle. As with so many other Windows annoyances, there's a handy little application which can help.

Cache My Work was created to tackle the task of restoring your windows following a restart. Launch the app and a list of your cacheable programs is displayed - you also have the option of re-opening all your open Explorer windows. Check off what you want restored, click save, and reboot.

Once Windows is up and running again, Cache My Work's preparations make your programs reappear. It's a simple but effective little app - all it really does is zap a few lines into your registry under the Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce key.

You'll still need to re-open your files -- except, of course, in apps like Firefox where you have the option to restore your previous session automatically.

While the project hasn't seen an update in just over a year, it still works nicely - even on WIndows 7 (both 32 and 64-bit builds).

Pick up where you left off before a reboot with Cache My Work originally appeared on Download Squad on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>productivityrebootrecoverrestoreFri, 06 Nov 2009 08:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Get a Firefox 3.7 feature early with Tab Progress Bar]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/05/get-a-firefox-3-7-feature-early-with-tab-progress-bar/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/05/get-a-firefox-3-7-feature-early-with-tab-progress-bar/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/05/get-a-firefox-3-7-feature-early-with-tab-progress-bar/#commentsFiled under: ,

If you're gung-ho about upcoming versions of Firefox, you can start testing some of their features via add-ons. Firefox 3.7 is slated to introduce a new look for the progress bar, relocating it to the top of each individual tab but you can enable the feature in current versions of the browser right now, with Tab Progress Bar. This neat little add-on won't cost you much disk space, weighing in at a miniscule 6kb.

A new-look progress bar sounds like frivolous decoration, but it serves a practical purpose, too. If you often load bunches of tabs at once, It's helpful to be able to see the progress of each page you're loading at a glance. With this new design, you won't even have to change tabs to know whether those huge videos are almost done loading. One minor quibble: I've found that Tab Progress Bar best used with a theme that doesn't highlight your current tab in blue, as the progress bar tends to blend in with blue tabs.

Firefox 3.7 and 4.0 will certainly have bigger and better things to offer, but Tab Progress Bar is one small slice of the future that you don't have to wait for.

[via Lifehacker]

Get a Firefox 3.7 feature early with Tab Progress Bar originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>firefoxfirefox 3.7Firefox3.7tab progress barTabProgressBartabsThu, 05 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[7 Taskbar Tweaker gives you more control over the Windows 7 superbar]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/05/7-taskbar-tweaker-gives-you-more-control-over-the-windows-7-supe/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/05/7-taskbar-tweaker-gives-you-more-control-over-the-windows-7-supe/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/05/7-taskbar-tweaker-gives-you-more-control-over-the-windows-7-supe/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


The Windows 7 superbar sports some very cool improvements over the old Windows taskbar. But suppose you want to customize your taskbar a bit. Say, for example, you find the close buttons just a bit too small to be practical. What then?

Why not set your middle mouse button to close using 7 Taskbar Tweaker? By default, middle-clicking a superbar icon in Windows 7 opens a new instance of that program, the same way shift +left click does. I don't need to do that very often and holding shift really isn't an inconvenience for me.

On the flip side, I close windows and tabs from the superbar all the time. Right click -> close all windows works, but why not make use of your scroll wheel's clicking ability?

Taskbar Tweaker also allows you to change other superbar click actions. Another change I've made is swapping the default left click to open previews to cycling through windows/tabs. It's a welcome switch if your web browser happens to support per-tab thumbnails.

You can also use the app to disable thumbail previews if you choose, and the settings menu provides options to run at startup, hide the main window, and even hide the tray icon if you like keeping clutter to a minimum.

7 Taskbar Tweaker is a free download and versions are available for both 32 and 64-bit Windows 7.

Thanks for the tip, Miklos!

7 Taskbar Tweaker gives you more control over the Windows 7 superbar originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>superbartaskbartweakwindows 7Windows7Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Voice Mac is a native Google Voice client for OS X]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/05/voice-mac-native-google-voice-client-for-os-x/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/05/voice-mac-native-google-voice-client-for-os-x/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/05/voice-mac-native-google-voice-client-for-os-x/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

We recently told you about an Adobe AIR-based Google Voice client with a pretty small featureset. It puts your SMS and voicemail messages close at hand on your desktop, but that's all it does.

If you're on a Mac, though, you can do a bit better. Voice Mac is a Google Voice client with a threaded SMS view, voicemail downloading, and the ability to make calls and send texts, and Address Book integration.

Voice Mac is certainly not gorgeous, but it has a ton of functionality.

There's an SMS and voicemail/call history browser, and it also has a built-in reverse phone lookup, so you can try to figure out who any mystery calls are from. If you don't use your Voice account frequently, the web interface might be fine for you, but if you're a Voice addict - especially one who uses SMS constantly - Voice Mac is worth a download.


[via Lifehacker]

Voice Mac is a native Google Voice client for OS X originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>google voiceGoogleVoicesmsvoicemailvoipThu, 05 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[VHD Attach enables right-click mounting and dismounting of VHD files in Windows 7]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/03/vhd-attach-enables-right-click-mounting-and-dismounting-of-vhd-f/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/03/vhd-attach-enables-right-click-mounting-and-dismounting-of-vhd-f/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/03/vhd-attach-enables-right-click-mounting-and-dismounting-of-vhd-f/#commentsFiled under: , , ,


One of Windows 7's slick new features is its handling of VHD (virtual hard disk) files. You can use them for a number of handy functions - from discreetly archiving files and folders to booting a full-fledged Vista, Windows 7, or Windows Server 2008 install via your Windows 7 boot.ini.

But VHDs aren't as easy to work with out-of-the-box as they could be. To mount and unmount, you've got to head over to the Disk Management snap-in (diskmgmt.msc), wait for the screen to populate, go to actions->attach (or detach), browse for your VHD, and then wait some more.

VhdAttach speeds the process up by adding two entries to your context menu. Mouse over a .VHD file, right-click it, and you can mount and dismount right from Windows Explorer. Left click attach, and your VHD will pop up alongside your physical hard disks. When you're all done, detaching is just as simple.

The control app (inset in screenshot) which can open your VHDs and display information about them. You can also attach and detach from this screen.

VhdAttach is a free download and works with both Windows 7 and Server 2008.

VHD Attach enables right-click mounting and dismounting of VHD files in Windows 7 originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>context menuContextMenudismountdrive imagedrive managementDriveImageDriveManagementmountright clickRightClickvhdwindows 7windows-7Windows7Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST<![CDATA[FlickrImport adds your Flickr pics to iPhoto]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/03/flickrimport-adds-your-flickr-pics-to-iphoto/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/03/flickrimport-adds-your-flickr-pics-to-iphoto/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/03/flickrimport-adds-your-flickr-pics-to-iphoto/#commentsFiled under: , ,


If you're a Mac user who's considering giving iPhoto a try, and you're also a fan of sharing photos on Flickr, you might want to give FlickrImport a try. On its face, it's just a utility that imports your Flickr images into iPhoto, but there's more to this little gem than meets the eye. It preserves photo info, including EXIF and TIFF metadata.

Even better, FlickrImport works for more than just your own account. You can also use it to import photos from your contacts accounts, as long as those photos are visible to you. If you have more than one Flickr account, for some reason, you can add yourself as a contact and import from both accounts that way. One caveat: FlickrImport doesn't play nicely with Snow Leopard. To make it work, do a Get Info on the app and check the "Open with Rosetta" box.

FlickrImport adds your Flickr pics to iPhoto originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>flickrflickrimportiphotoos xOsXTue, 03 Nov 2009 16:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Open source Qmmander is a dual-pane, tabbed Explorer alternative]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/03/open-source-qmmander-is-a-dual-pane-tabbed-explorer-alternative/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/03/open-source-qmmander-is-a-dual-pane-tabbed-explorer-alternative/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/03/open-source-qmmander-is-a-dual-pane-tabbed-explorer-alternative/#commentsFiled under: , ,

A web browser without tabs? Hard to come by. Windows Explorer, on the other hand, is still pretty much the same pane it's always been.

Qmmander is a lightweight, portable alternative. Built on Nokia's QT framework, Qmmander (like many Explorer replacements) adds tab support and split-window views to power up your file management tasks.

File browsing is snappy, even when exploring shares on a local area network. Qmmander's panes can be displayed horizontally or vertically, and an extensive set of hotkeys is built-in for those who prefer mouse-free computing. Qmmander's interface isn't overly-complicated and it still sports a nice set of features in a small, portable package.

However, one feature advanced users might find lacking in Qmmander is the ability to bookmark or favorite folders. It would certainly make for a thoughtful addition. I usually work in the same set of 5 or 6 folders, so being able to load them quickly and easily would be a real time-saver.

Qmmander is free, portable, open source, and runs on Windows. It's packed as a 7z archive, so you'll need an app (like 7-zip) to extract it.

Open source Qmmander is a dual-pane, tabbed Explorer alternative originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>alternativesexplorerfile managementfile managerFileManagementFileManageropensourceossportableqtTue, 03 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Windows Live Sync finally gets an update for Snow Leopard]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/03/windows-live-sync-finally-gets-an-update-for-snow-leopard/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/03/windows-live-sync-finally-gets-an-update-for-snow-leopard/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/03/windows-live-sync-finally-gets-an-update-for-snow-leopard/#commentsFiled under: , ,

It's been a long, long wait for Snow Leopard users (myself included) who are dancing with the devil and using Microsoft's Windows Live Sync (formerly Foldershare), but Microsoft have finally announced an update for the application that resolves a long running compatibility problem with Apple's finest.

Wearing version number 14.0.8096.0903, the new release fixes a problem with internal security certificates that completely prevented Snow Leopard users from logging into their Windows Live Sync account.

Announced on the Windows Live Sync blog, the update only includes the aforementioned fix and does not include any new features - existing users who have not migrated to Snow Leopard do not need to upgrade.

I'm pleased to report that i've installed the update and it works great!

Windows Live Sync finally gets an update for Snow Leopard originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>foldersharesnow leopardSnowLeopardsyncwindows livewindows live syncWindowsLiveWindowsLiveSyncTue, 03 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Fix common Windows XP errors with portable XP Quick Fix Plus]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/03/fix-common-windows-xp-errors-with-portable-xp-quick-fix-plus/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/03/fix-common-windows-xp-errors-with-portable-xp-quick-fix-plus/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/03/fix-common-windows-xp-errors-with-portable-xp-quick-fix-plus/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Even though it's getting a little long in the tooth, plenty of PC users are still perfectly happy with Windows XP. Of course, that doesn't mean running Windows XP is always a trouble-free experience. It's got its fair share of issues. Thankfully, though, there are loads of great programs out there which make fixing little annoyances as simple as point-and-click.

Programs like XP Quick Fix Plus. The tiny, portable application launches a dashboard with one-click fixes for 40 common Windows XP problems. Quick Fix makes short work of irksome situations like a disabled task manager, missing Device Manager tab, and the infamous CD/DVD missing/not reading bug.

The program is essentially a collection of registry fixes, since that's where most of these problems originate. You might want to create a system restore point prior to running Quick Fix (or backing up your registry) just in case.

XP Quick Fix is a free, portable download and - not surprisingly - runs on Windows XP systems.

Fix common Windows XP errors with portable XP Quick Fix Plus originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>errorsfixfixesportableregsitrywindows xpWindowsXpxp quick fixXpQuickFixTue, 03 Nov 2009 08:30:00 EST<![CDATA[10 web apps you should be running on your Mac with Fluid]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/03/10-web-apps-you-should-be-running-on-your-mac-with-fluid/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/03/10-web-apps-you-should-be-running-on-your-mac-with-fluid/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/03/10-web-apps-you-should-be-running-on-your-mac-with-fluid/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



As web apps become more powerful, more popular, and more full-featured, they're starting to replace desktop apps for many people. A Mac app called Fluid can pull those web applications onto your desktop and turn them into OS X native site-specific browsers.

Fluid has a lot of advantages compared to running web apps in your browser: you get a Cocoa app with its own Dock icon, automatic unread badges for sites like Gmail and Google Reader, and built-in userscript support. Keeping your web apps in a separate browser also means that they can't be taken down when another site crashes in some other tab. You can even create menubar apps, so your favorite webapp will be close at hand, right at the top of your screen.

To find icons for your Fluid apps, I recommend checking out the Fluid Icons Flickr group. The users there have come up with attractive icons for most of the apps on my list. Chris Ivarson has also designed a handful of great icons for Fluid apps.

Now that you know a little bit about how and why you should use Fluid, give these 10 sites a spin as site-specific browsers!

Google Wave

Google's hot new communication tool is a perfect candidate for a site-specific browser. It's pretty resource-intensive, and it's still in the preview stage, so it's prone to crashes and lag. I haven't found any excellent Wave userscripts yet, and the site's favicon makes a nice enough Fluid icon. If you want an additional icon and a userscript that gives you a badge count for Wave, Devthought has posted them.

Google Reader

A lot of people are already using Google Reader as their main RSS app, so it makes sense to set it up in Fluid. You also get the benefit of an unread count badge on the Dock icon and a bunch of great userscripts. One of my favorites is Helvetireader. Try setting it up with Chris Ivarson's icon.

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Continue reading 10 web apps you should be running on your Mac with Fluid

10 web apps you should be running on your Mac with Fluid originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>appfluidgoogle readergoogle waveGoogleReaderGoogleWavemacos xOsXweb appWebAppTue, 03 Nov 2009 07:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Clicky is Google Analytics all grown up]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/02/clicky-is-google-analytics-all-growns-up/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/02/clicky-is-google-analytics-all-growns-up/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/02/clicky-is-google-analytics-all-growns-up/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

ClickyClicky is a new web analytics package that is looking to give the current king of web analytics, Google Analytics, a run for its money. Like any site tracking service, you create an account, insert some code into your pages (or if you are using one of the popular blogging platforms, simply install the relevant plugin), and watch as Clicky gathers statistics for your site in real-time.

The service sets itself apart by being very well designed and easy to read, but also by including extra related features, like the ability to include your FeedBurner statistics, tracking Twitter statistics, and providing an integrated link shortening service based on its related domain name clicky.me.

The free version of Clicky is ad-supported, but a Pro version is also available.

A few of Clicky's more obscure features need a Pro account to use. For example, with a pro account you can set up Twitter searches for your brand name or URL, and then see how many mentions you are getting.

Clicky is Google Analytics all grown up originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>brand namebrand-nameBrandNameclickygoogle analyticsgoogle-analyticsGoogleAnalyticsmMon, 02 Nov 2009 19:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Online OCR extracts text from scans for free]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/02/online-ocr-extracts-text-from-scans-for-free/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/02/online-ocr-extracts-text-from-scans-for-free/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/02/online-ocr-extracts-text-from-scans-for-free/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Online OCRHave you ever received a PDF file in an email that contained information you need in text form, but the PDF doesn't let you select the text? Sometimes this is due to access restrictions on the document, but more often it's because the person creating the PDF did so by simply scanning the document. This creates an image of the document, but does not embed the text information.

To extract the text, you need to use optical character recognition (OCR) software. Most scanners come with OCR software, but if you don't have ready access to it, you might consider using the Online OCR service.

Online OCR lets you upload a PDF file and it returns plain text that can then be copied directly into the word processing tool of your choice.

Obviously there are security concerns with uploading and storing copies of your documents on a 3rd party's site, but if that's not a concern to you, Online OCR might be just the trick to solve your OCR needs.

[via Lifehacker]

Online OCR extracts text from scans for free originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>documentoptical character recognioptical-character-recognitionOpticalCharacterRecogniMon, 02 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST<![CDATA[CeeVee makes creating your resume easier]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/02/ceevee-makes-creating-your-resume-easier/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/02/ceevee-makes-creating-your-resume-easier/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/02/ceevee-makes-creating-your-resume-easier/#commentsFiled under: , ,

CeeVeeI hate making resumes.

If you're like me, you'll probably appreciate any tool that helps make creating a resume easier. Ceevee is just such a tool.

Ceevee is an online resume builder that allows you to fill in specific fields, and it spits out a very nicely designed resume for publication on the web or print. You have a choice of three themes, which are all essentially the same but with different typefaces.

Modern (the default) uses a sans-serif font, Classic uses a serif font, and Plain Text uses a monospaced font, though it still has formatting.

Once you've created your CeeVee, you can share it on your website by embedding code that will also show a CeeVee icon. If you make it public, you can also share your CeeVee using Twitter and Facebook.

[via WebWorkerDaily]

CeeVee makes creating your resume easier originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>ceeveecreating a resumecreating-a-resumeCreatingAResumefacebookonline-resumMon, 02 Nov 2009 16:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Tabberwocky is a slick tab management add-on for Firefox]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/02/tabberwocky-is-a-slick-tab-management-add-on-for-firefox/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/02/tabberwocky-is-a-slick-tab-management-add-on-for-firefox/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/02/tabberwocky-is-a-slick-tab-management-add-on-for-firefox/#commentsFiled under: ,

Tired of accidentally closing important tabs in Firefox? Tabberwocky, a useful tab-manager add-on, lets you protect a tab, open a duplicate tab next to the original, and lots more. Tabberwocky can move the 'close tab' button to either side of a tab, highlight unread tabs, retain a tab's history when you open a link in a new tab -- and that's just the beginning! This tiny 25kb add-on has a list of options about a page long.

Tabberwocky's main competition is the popular Tab Mix Plus add-on, which offers very similar features. What Tab Mix plus has that Tabberwocky still doesn't is the session manager, so you can save and restore sets of tabs and windows, even after a crash. Tab Mix plus has been known to slow down Firefox's performance on some systems though, so Tabberwocky might be a lighter alternative to try if you've been having problems with TMP.

[via ghacks]

Tabberwocky is a slick tab management add-on for Firefox originally appeared on Download Squad on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>add-onbrowsingfirefoxtabbed browsingTabbedBrowsingtabberwockytabsMon, 02 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Afloat teaches your Mac's windows some new tricks]]>http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/01/afloat-teaches-your-macs-windows-some-new-tricks/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/01/afloat-teaches-your-macs-windows-some-new-tricks/http://www.downloadsquad.com/2009/11/01/afloat-teaches-your-macs-windows-some-new-tricks/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Afloat is a handy little plugin for your Mac that gives you more control over all the windows you've got open. Once installed, Afloat adds some new options to the Window menu in most applications, allowing you to do some neat tricks. Here's a rundown of the options, which almost all have keyboard shortcuts:

The keep afloat command assigns a window to stay on top of all others. Alternatively, you can pin windows to the bottom of the stack, at desktop level. Window transparency is adjustable using either a slider or keyboard shortcuts. Afloat allows moving and resizing from any part of a window if you hold down cmd+ctrl - just grab an edge to resize, or drag from anywhere to move.

If you use Spaces, you can use Afloat to make a window appear across all Spaces, so you won't lose it when you switch. There's also a neat overlay feature that makes your window transparent and unclickable, so you can use it as a guide while you work with whatever's underneath - I can think of some fun design applications for that one. Afloat also has a hotkey to locate the file associated with the current window, which is something the OS X Finder could probably use as a standard feature.

It's not that Afloat adds essential functionality to the OS. In fact, it's probably overkill for most people, but just about every Mac user should be able to find one feature to like in this handy little plugin.

Afloat teaches your Mac's windows some new tricks originally appeared on Download Squad on Sun, 01 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>afloatresizetransparencywindowsSun, 01 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST